Great Braves Article

ESPN.com has a great article about how the Braves continue to crush the division. And somebody finally said it: Bobby Cox IS the greatest manger on the planet. Here it is.

Bobby's Gotta Another Victor Cigar Ready 

Bush Opens Double Digit Lead

The latest Time poll has Bush up by 11 points over John Kerry. The survey was taken before Bush's speech, so a bigger bounce may be to come. Read more here.

The Unemployment Myth

On the heels of the new unemployment numbers, Kerry is on the campaign trail barking about how bad the Bush economy is. Unemployment is currently 5.3% Sure this is off of 2000 lows (around 4%), but still an excellent number historically. I don't see how the Bush campaign has allowed Kerry to frame the issue this way. Unemployment was around 5.6% in the US when Clinton won by a landslide...mostly because of a solid economy. I went to the census bureau and pulled up some historical unemployment numbers. Here are unemployment rates of the past:
1940: 14.6%, 1950: 5.3%, 1960: 5.5%, 1970: 4.9%, 1975: 8.5%, 1980: 7.1%, 1985: 7.2%, 1990: 5.6%, 1995: 5.6%, 2000: 4%, Today: 5.3%. LOOK AT THE DATA. 5.3% is low! Its not fantastic, but its very, very good.

Contrast our 5.3% unemployment with other economically powerful nations - Canada: 6.6%, Australia: 5.6%, France: 9.4%, Germany: 9.9%, Italy: 8.6%, Sweden: 6.8%. What is Kerry complaining about? The Bush economy is doing just fine, thank you.

Kerry Misleads a Crowd in Ohio

Kerry made a desperate attempt to salvage the week last night by staging a midnight rally in Ohio. This speech was filled with mistruths. First, Kerry claimed that "For the past week, they attacked my patriotism". Untrue. Without fail, all of the speakers said that Kerry served the country proudly in Vietnam thereby praising his patriotism. What the speakers DID do is question is choices and commitment to national defense. Kerry has repeatedly voted against defense spending and has been against numerous conflicts that I feel were just. Additionally, his wobbly position on the current Iraq war doesn't instill any confidence in my mind. None of these charges assault his patriotism. I have no doubt that Kerry loves this country. These charges do, however, build a legitimate, fact based case that show that Kerry might not be a great war president. Of course, since Kerry can't combat the actual facts with facts of his own, he has to make extreme claims that aren't based around ANY FACTS AT ALL.

Second, Kerry said: "The vice president even called me unfit for office last night." This is a blatant lie. Never does the term "unfit for office" appear in Cheney's speech. Read it, Mr. Kerry, but I promise you will never find a sentence in the speech where Cheney says this.

Finally, Kerry said that Bush allows the Saudi royal family to dictate oil prices to us. This is, for the most part, true. OPEC, the oligopoly that dictates world oil production, is led by Saudi Arabia and does have a lot to do with our price of oil. How is this Bush's fault? The system has been like this for decades, and Bush does not have the power to break up OPEC's cartel. Neither would Kerry if he was president. Additionally, it is not oil production that is the problem. Oil production is at an all time high. Oil DEMAND, primarily from China, has caused prices to rise. This is simple supply and demand economics, Mr. Kerry. They must have taught you that at Yale.

Kerry is in trouble. That much is clear. A TV commentator last night was asked his opinion on Kerry's midnight rally. He said that you can always tell which candidate is in trouble by looking for who is asking for more debates, making extreme statements, and holding unorthodox events. Guess what? Kerry is demanding more debates, making extreme statements, and holding unorthodox events...and he will LOSE THIS ELECTION.

Bush's Speech

I thought Bush's speech was fantastic, especially the domestic policy portion. Bush's domestic agenda is in stark contrast to Kerry's. Bush wants to build an "ownership society" where we as citizens own our own homes, health care plans, social security plans and the like. Kerry wants government owned healthcare and government owned social security. Whereas Bush wants to re-educate workers that can no longer compete so that they can secure the jobs of the future, Kerry wants to subsudize the US manufacturing sector so that people can hold on to their jobs in a dying industry for a few more years. If you watched Kerry's speech after the President's address, you saw this stark contrast. Kerry and Edwards think that the government should run your life because you aren't capable. Bush and Cheney think that you should be given the tools to make your own descisions. This is the fundamental difference between the two parties, and this is why I choose Bush/Cheney every time.

I would have liked Bush to discuss what we are going to CUT to afford all this, but cutting programs doesn't get votes. I hope that he plans on cutting at least ONE program this term.

Kerry's Passive Stance on Iran

John Kerry announced his plan for how to deal with Iran. He would allow Iran to keep its nuclear power facilities, and in exchange Iran would pledge to return all imported nuclear fuel. This plan is moronic. There is no reason for Iran to build a reactor seeing as they are surrounded by trillions of barrels of oil. This reactor, much like the reactor the Iraqis built (which later Israel destroyed), is only a guise for nuclear weapons programs. Iran would use this agreement to buy time, and would eventually break the rules of the agreement. ANY nuclear facilities in Iran should be completely unexceptable to the US. I agree we need to negotiate with Iran more diligently, but this is certainly not the way to go about it. Read more about it here.

Video: Zell Challenges Matthews to a Duel

You gotta see this.

Transcript of Zell's Speech

I got goosebumps just reading this one. Well worth reading if you missed it live last night. "God Bless this great country and God Bless George W. Bush." Amen, brother. Here's the transcript.

Bush Widens Lead

Bush has his largest lead since April 23 according to Rasmussen. Current polls give Bush 49% of the vote to Kerry's 44%.

Zell Goes Off On Chris Matthews

Oh my! I hope some of you saw Zell Miller's interview on Hardball. It was awesome. He totally went off on Chris Matthews. He said that he "wished we lived in a time where you could challenge a man to a duel" referring to Chris Matthews. I'll search out the video and post it tommorow.

Muslim Terrorist in Chechnya Not Named As Muslim By the Mainstream Media

Muslim terrorists in Chechnya are responisble for the two plane crashes in Russia, as well as the current Russian school hostage situation. You would never know they were Muslim by reading the newspaper or watching television, however. The news media has clearly made a conscious effort to leave out this fact entirely. I scanned numerous websites of news networks and periodicals. Only one, CNN, mentioned in their report that the terrorists in the school were Islamic. The rest of the articles mentioned nothing about the terrorists' religion (although a few articles mention at the very end of the story that a Muslim group has claimed responsibility for the two plane hijackings).

Is the fact that the Chechen terrorists are Muslim relevant? I believe so. The US is currently at war with radical Islam. The Russians are also at war with radical Islam. The terrorists fighting the US use the same despicable tactics as the group in Russia (who incidentally is threatening to kill 50 children for every one of their fighters that is killed). The Russians are essentially fighting the same enemy we are fighting, and the public needs to be aware of this

Why is the media willfully ignoring the fact that the Chechens are Muslim? I have a few theories. First, our culture of political correctness makes it easy for the media to neglect this detail. Second, the activities of the Chechens highlights the continued need for the US and the rest of the world to combat radical Islam, thereby lending credence to George Bush's aggressive stance. The last thing the media wants to do is lend credence to Bush.

Radical Islam is the single greatest threat against the US and its allies. Look at all the conflicts going on in the world right now. You will be hardpressed to find ONE that doesn't involve at least one Muslim country. The evil perpetrated by these monsters needs to be highlighted in order to help curb the spread of this ideology. And no, I'm not anti-Muslim. I have Muslim friends. Muslim beliefs are very similar to the Christian beliefs I espouse. I do think, however, that Muslim countries and the Muslim community have not come out aggressively enough in condemnation of those that have hijacked their otherwise peaceful and wonderful religion.

Here are links to major news outlets if you don't believe this neglect exists:

AP
BBC
CBS
New York Times
Fox News

Bush's Approval Rating Rises

The President's approval rating rose to 53% according to the National Annenberg Election Survey. This should continue to rise if the convention keeps going well. Check out more here.

Movie Review: Hero

I saw Hero, starting Jet Li, this weekend. This is definitely not typical, mindless Jet Li fare. Hero is story of the first emporer of China and his attempt to unify the country. The film unfolds through a variety of flashbacks recounting several possible assasination attempts. The cinematography is fantastic as are the fight scenes. Director Zhang Zimou will definitely helm big budget American films in the near future. Fans of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" will especially enjoy this film. Check out the trailer here.

B+

Kerry Booed By Michigan Fans

This is a few weeks old, but worth the wait. Kerry spoke in front of some Michigan fans a few weeks ago and lavished praise on Ohio State Buckeye football (because he thought he was in Ohio, apparently). He is booed mercilessly. I couldn't find this on the net anywhere. Thanks to AM 790 in Atlanta for putting it on the web for me. Click here, and go down to the heading "John Kerry Soundbite" under the "Audio Bits Archive". There are also some other funny clips on their site, especially Whitney Houston's "Crack is Wack" clip. 790's a great sports talk station for those of you living in Atlanta.

John Edwards's Hypocracy

Yesterday John Edwards made a speech where he claimed that the Bush campaign isn't talking about what he's done during his presidency because he hasn't accomplished anything (I'm paraphrasing here). If Edwards had watched any of the RNC, he would notice that almost all of the speeches focus on the strides the Bush campaign has made in the war on terror. Almost ALL of the talk has been about the last four years of Bush's resume. Although I admit the domestic agenda has been neglected somewhat so far, Bush's accomplishments have been the focal point of the convention.

Ironically, Kerry hasn't talked about any of his accomplishments over the last 20 years. I waste hours each day watching news shows and reading about politics on the net. I have yet to hear Kerry reference any of his apparently non-existant accomplishments in the US Senate. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

The Governator's Speech

Arnold's speech last night was excellent. If you missed it, check it out here. Girlie men should shy away.

Bush NEVER Said We Couldn't Win the War on Terror

In our culture of 24 hour news media, where the only things that matters are soundbites, a politician can't say anything that might be misunderstood...even if it is an intelligent statement. Bush basically told Matt Lauer that the war on terror isn't a war that will be suddenly won or lost. Things aren't that black and white. Instead, the US must foster a world culture that doesn't tolerate terrorists or terrorist activities. Bush is 100% correct in his assesment, but the Democrats have clipped out the portion where Bush seems to say we can't win the war on terror and are beating it to death. If the Kerry campaign was being remotely intellectually honest, they wouldn't ride this non-issue, but this is the nature of politics today.

The Straight Scoop Ranked #278!

After a little over a week of existence, The Straight Scoop is the 278th most visited blog out of over 15,000 on the TTLB Blogosphere Ecosystem! Keep coming back.

Mark A Kilmer's Political Annotation

If you like my blog, you should definitely check out Mark A Kilmer's Political Annotation. This guy's got a great blog filled with interesting commentary and links.

This is great. Look at Edwards's cheesy TV lawyer smile. I wonder if that phone number is really to their HQ? It is a 202 number. 

All Franken is a classless jerk. Today he shouted down a Republican radio producer at the Republican convention. You didn't see these actions from conservative hosts at the DNC. I met Franken about six years ago, and he acted like an arrogant jerk...and this was before I knew his political persuation. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darnit, I'm kind of an asshole. 

Alan Keyes is an Idiot

Although I am a conservative, I am whole-heartedly for Obama. First, Obama's speech in front of the DNC was amazing. Second, Keyes has made two of the stupidest statements I've heard from a politician since Trent Lott. A few weeks ago, Keyes said that he was for slave reparations. Today, apparently, he refered to Dick Cheney's daughter, Mary, as a "selfish hedonist" because she is a lesbian. Wow! I don't know who is gonna vote for this guy, but I sure as hell don't want to hang out with them. This will be the only Senate race where I'll be pulling for the Democrat.

Another Kerry "Discrepancy"

Everyone knows the story of how John Kerry saved the life of Special Forces Officer Jim Rassman. Rassman is the guy that surfaced recently, and now tours with Kerry telling audiences how Kerry saved him in 'Nam. Well apparently, the story those two tell now is in direct contradiction to the story Kerry told in front of Congress in 1998. Now the two say that Rassman was blown off the boat by a mine. In 1998, Kerry said Rassman fell off the boat when it took a sharp turn. Much less heroic sounding. Read this article. Its especially good because it has the 1998 congressional transcript attached as a PDF.

Kerry Daughters Booed at VMA's: HERE'S THE VIDEO!

This video is awesome. Check it out!

Transcript of Giuliani's Speech

If you missed it, read it all here.

Michael Moore's Column

If you care what Michael Moore has to say, here's his column recapping RNC day one.

Bush Live With Limbaugh

I don't like Limbaugh and I don't listen to him, but if you tune in now, you can hear President Bush interviewed live. I'm definitely tuning in!

McCain's Speech

McCain's speech wasn't as good as Giuliani's, but he managed to get a good jab in on Michael Moore. McCain described Moore as "a disingenuous filmmaker....who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace, when in fact -- when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children inside their walls."

I have heard a lot of people in the anti-war crowd claim that Iraq was not actually that bad before the war. This argument is new since Moore's F 9-11, and I think it can be attributed directly to his film. They say that Iraq was actually a nice, prosperous place before the war. Additionally, they claim that Saddam didn't hurt random people. He only harmed members of opposition groups or rebels. Sure he killed thousands of Kurds, but that was, like, 10 years ago.

Of course, this is totally ridiculous. Saddam was a monster who, like his idol, Joseph Stalin, murdered for fun. I read an interview with one father who talked about how one of Saddam's monsterous sons kidnapped his daughter on her wedding night and kept her in a cage where she was repeatedly raped. When they got tired of her, she was LITERALLY fed to hungry dogs. Was SHE part of a rebellion? Of course not.

I heard another fascinating commentary from a reporter on NPR. He was, and still is, against US involvement in Iraq. After spending a year living there, however, and seeing the mass graves, and talking to the people that lived throught the tiranny, he concedes that Saddam was far worse than he ever imagined.

I think there are legitimate reasons to disagree with the Iraq war. Arguing that Saddam was actually not as bad as we all thought, however, is ridiculous. One must willfully ignore the facts as well as the testimonials of those who lived in Iraq to take this stance. But, then again, Michael Moore has never had a problem willfully disregarding facts.

Bush Takes Electoral Lead in Another Poll

Electoral Vote Predictor is now showing Pres Bush with 280 electoral votes if the election was to be held today. This is the first time since June 23 that Bush had more than the neccessary 270 electoral votes. The major gains have come in Florida and Pennsylvania where Bush has turned small deficits into small leads.

That's right Mike. You are a loser. 

The Next Man to Occupy the Oval Office Will Be...

Sorry Democrats. The man that's going to take over Bush's job as Commander in Chief is Rudy Giulian. And that won't be until 2008. If you missed Rudy's speech, you missed a lot. It was fantastic. He clearly demonstrated the differences between Bush and Kerry, and proved in no uncertain terms that Kerry is inconsistent on every major issue. The key difference between the RNC and the DNC so far is the fact that the RNC speakers are focusing on what Bush has done RECENTLY, where the Democrats focused on events decades in the past. Bush has accomplished amazing things over the last four years. What's Kerry done in the last four. I have no idea. Kerry has made no effort to tell me. Bush in '04, Giuliani in '08.

Advantage: Incumbent

ABC News is reporting that Bush's numbers are improving in every major category against Senator John Kerry. After Giuliani's speach tonight, Bush's lead should continue to widen. Read more here.

Chipper Jones Throws the Ultimate Jab at the Mets

Chipper Jones loves playing in Shea Stadium so much he is naming his son Shea. Ask Chipper why he likes playing in Shea so much he says, "Check the numbers". I love it. For more check out ESPN.

Brazillian Women's Volleyball Pic 2 

Brazillian Women's Volleyball Pic 1 

Over 2200 Hits Today!

Hey y'all! Thanks for coming. I just started this blog last week, and over 2200 of you managed to find my blog today! Thanks for coming and please come back. I promise to update regularly.

John

Instapundit

Check this guys site out. He's the man.

http://instapundit.com/

Lonely Old Man Tries To Rent a Family

This is the saddest thing ever. An old Italian man is offering to pay $600 per month to rent a family. Check it out here.

Hugh Grant as James Bond?

Apparently, MGM may be considering Hugh Grant for the role of James Bond. I realize MGM is going the way of the dodo anyway, but this would certainly finish their steep decline. Hugh Grant could never be a convincing Bond. Is there a red-blooded American male that couldn't kick Hugh's ass? I think not. They might as well cast Mr. Bean as 007 and get it over with.

Horny Monkey Takes Up Smoking

A monkey, whose lover has become too old for sexual activity, has taken up smoking. Read about it here.

No Network Coverage For RNC Night #1

The major networks are not covering tonight's RNC opening. Someone help me out here. Did they cover the opening of the DNC? I can't recall. If so, I'm yelling media bias. Rudy's speaking tonight. Should be good. I guess I'll have to watch it on Fox News.

Alexandra Kerry's Boobs

In case you didn't see Alexandra Kerry's dress at the Cannes Film Festival, check it out. This is an oldie but a goodie. She puts the cans in Cannes.

Fat People, MoveOn.Org, and the Swift Boat Vets

What do fat people, MoveOn.Org, and the Swift Boat Vets have in common. Click here to find out in this fascinating article.

Bush's 7 Minute Pause

Much has been made of Bush's 7 minute pause in the elementary school after the 9-11 attacks. I personally think this is the biggest non-story of all time since NO ONE has come up with a cogent arguement expressing what he could have accomplished during those 7 minutes that would have made any difference whatsoever. Nevermind also that John Kerry said he sat in Democratic Senator Tom Daschle's office "unable to think" for 45 minutes after learning of the attacks. Here's an interesting article from Townhall.com that discusses President Roosevelt's initial reaction to the Pearl Harbor attacks (he did nothing for 18 minutes). Check it out.

McCain Warned Kerry About Running on Vietnam

Here's an interesting article from the Weekly Standard. John McCain warned John Kerry to put Vietnam on the back burner in this campaign. Kerry didn't listen, and now its come back to haunt him. Click here to read more.

Ex-Atlanta Mayor Indicted

Former Atlanta Mayor, Bill Campbell, was indicted today on a variety of fraud and racketeering charges. Thank God! This has been a long time coming. This guy is a crook and deserves to go to jail. For more, check out the Atlanta Journal/Constitution.

Kerry Daughters Booed at VMA's

MTV clearly casted their vote for President at the annual Video Music Awards by giving the Kerry daughters free air time to promote their father for President. Apparently, however, they were met by unexpected boos according to Drudge. Serves them right. I'm sure MTV would never ask the Bush twins to speak.

For years MTV has had their "rock the vote" campaign. Rock stars are always encouraging people to vote through other outlets, as well. Keep in mind, however, that they are not interested in greater voter turnout. Their interested in greater DEMOCRATIC voter turnout. "Rock the vote" = "Rock the Democratic vote".

Communists For Kerry

This site is hilarious!

http://www.communistsforkerry.com/GPU/viewtopic.php?t=89

Bush Takes 3 Point Lead

From Rasmussen:

Sunday August 29, 2004--The latest Rasmussen Reports Presidential Tracking Poll shows President George W. Bush with 48% of the vote and Senator John Kerry with 45%. The Tracking Poll is updated daily by noon Eastern.

This is the first time since the Democratic National Convention that Bush has been up by more than a single point in the Tracking Poll. It is the first time since June 12 that he has been up by three points.