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The Stiletto’s Invitation Must’ve Gotten Lost In The Mail

Posted by The Stiletto on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 6:23:25 PM

Libertarian think tank Independence Institute recently threw its fourth annual Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms wingding in Colorado. Billed as “the most politically incorrect party of the year," partiers got to enjoy such “highly regulated activities” as drinkin’ hooch, smokin’ stogies and shootin’ guns. The Washington Times quotes president Jon Caldara explaining that, "We're doing this to celebrate individual freedom. And to hack off the left. Whenever the left sees responsible adults having fun, they go into nanny shock."

The Stiletto is pleased to note that this affair is not of the He-Man Woman Haters Club variety, as she is an aficionada of premium vodka; knows the difference between a corona, a panatela and a figurado; and has a concealed weapon permit.

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Though Ham-Handed, Hamdan Ruling Changes Nothing

Posted by The Stiletto on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 6:14:04 PM

For all the near-hysterical glee with which many in the MSM embraced the Supreme Court’s narrow ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, it’s debatable how much of a setback (or, “repudiation,” the noun du jour among Dems and Libs) this is for The Bush Administration.

The Justices made one thing clear – that Guantanamo will not be shuttered any time soon. The Stiletto agrees with The Tampa Tribune’s take:

Even the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court aren't quite sure what to do with the accused terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The high court invalidated the military tribunals created for bringing the prisoners to trial but said unequivocally that the decision does not mean the men who would kill us should be set free. … Justice Stephen Breyer says the president should consult with Congress and get lawmakers' approval for the new process he wants. The two branches of government should forge a process that metes out justice to our enemies and enables us to resolve the crisis at Guantanamo Bay.

The War on Terror has put the US in uncharted military and legal waters, and the Bush Administration has had to apply novel tools and policies to protect the citizenry – sometimes making it up as it went along. No doubt, the Administration anticipated that such impediments as Hamdan would occur sooner or later. But in the meantime, 450 sworn enemies of the US – who have vowed to kill as many Americans as they can, given the first opportunity – have been kept under lock and key for five years.

As far as The Stiletto is concerned, the longer the legislative and executive branches jawbone about how to craft Supreme Court-proof trials for the Guantanamo detainees that Hamdan affects, the longer they can stay imprisoned and unable to maim or kill anyone. Ensuring that terrorists get due process under our laws is so vital to the future of our Republic, that The Stiletto urges lawmakers to take at least 25 years to ponder the matter, and another 25 years to debate and reconcile what will no doubt be wildly differing proposals by the House and Senate.

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You Say “Supposed,” I Say “Suspected”

Posted by The Stiletto on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 5:50:26 PM

The New York Times reports (archived): “A federal judge in New York … ordered the Bush administration to decide by September whether to grant an entry visa to a prominent Muslim scholar [who] … has been barred from entering the United States for nearly two years, first because of supposed ties to terrorism, then for unspecified national security reasons.”

If you’re going to play judge, jury and exonerator, why not go all the way and put scare quotes around “supposed”?

The Times describes Tariq Ramadan variously as “a Swiss citizen,” “a scholar of Arab descent” and – here’s the kicker – “the grandson of Hasan al-Banna, a founder in 1928 of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian group … that has been known for violence.” The article ends by noting that, “Mr. Ramadan's troubles began in July 2004 when his work visa, known as H-1B, was revoked and he was later unable to accept a tenured professorship at the University of Notre Dame.” Well, boo freakin’ hoo.

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Poll: Republicans, Conservatives Prouder To Be American Than Democrats, Liberals

Posted by The Stiletto on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 5:49:16 PM

The Stiletto is well aware that she’s playing with fire, but a nationwide Gallup Poll that asked 1,002 adults aged 18 and older, “How proud are you to be an American – extremely proud, very proud, moderately proud, only a little proud, or not at all proud?” found that 57 percent of all respondents were “extremely proud.”

Depending on party affiliation, political philosophy and geographic location, some people were more likely to admit to being “extremely proud” than others:

° 74 percent of Republicans, 53 percent of independents and 47 percent of Democrats;

° 71 percent of conservatives, 56 percent of moderates and 40 percent of liberals; and

° 66 percent of Southerners, 55 percent of Easterners, 55 percent of Midwesterners and 54 percent of Westerners.

The Stiletto hastens to add that, even though one of The Washington Post’s Op-Ed columnists points out “a certain hesitant quality to the expressions of patriotism by progressives or left-wingers,” she’s not questioning anyone’s patriotism –just reporting the facts.

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