Laugh Outloud and Hat's Off

This is hilarious from John McCaslin:

PONDER THIS
This past weekend, tens of thousands of protesters against the war in Iraq - some chanting that President Bush was a liar, a criminal and a killer - marched through the streets of Washington past the White House.
Talk about raining on their parade.
Marching 50 yards ahead of the demonstrators - holding up a sign that read "Freedom is Not Free" - was Ryan Ponder, 25, a former sergeant in the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army who until last year was fighting in Iraq.
"At one point, the anti-war protesters got so upset that he was marching ahead of them - and was the first person that onlookers saw - that they stopped the whole 150,000-person march so that he would get farther ahead of them," said one onlooker, a Capitol Hill staffer who asked not to be identified.
"But he stopped, too," he added. "He truly is like the man who stood in front of the tanks in (China's) Tiananmen Square in 1989, unafraid to stare down a much more powerful force."
We reached Ponder on Monday at the Capitol Hill office of Rep. Chris Cannon, Utah Republican, where he is an intern hoping to climb the ladder.
Ponder said he was proud to have marched, calling it his "patriotic duty."
Asked whether he had any close calls with a far deadlier enemy - the Islamic insurgents in Iraq - he said: "Of course I did. That's what happens when you're fighting a war."

And on Iran
Amir Taheri is as usual, very enlightening in his recent piece in Gulf News on the financial plight in Iran despite surging oil profits. Don't skip this one for any reason, two very insightful reads.

FLIGHT OF CAPITAL IS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR IRAN TO CHANGE ITS POLICIES

by Amir Taheri

Gulf News September 28, 2005
Here is a quiz. You have a country whose foreign exchange reserves are at the highest levels in two decades, with prospects of rising prices for its principal export while over $200 million (Dh734 million) pours into its coffers each day.
Moreover, the nation's budget deficit, a persistent though occulted feature for the past eight years, has turned into a surplus, freeing the hands of the government to throw money at its more pressing problems. The logical consequence of all this should be a dramatic rise in the value of the nation's currency.

Patrick Ruffini's Straw Poll
It looks like Rudy, George and Mitt are clear frontrunners, though I believe Mike Huckabee could be a darkhorse and never leave out McCain.

HMMM?
I see Tammy Bruce has joined Pajamas Media, a conservative blog link, I have heard her radio show a few times, a liberal that makes sense, much like her counterpart, Andrew Sullivan can actually put together a coherent liberal point of view but actually make sense to staunch conservatives as myself, something much needed in our nations political debate, not just semi-psychopathic rants. I see it in both parties and creeds antics and I know which party will defend this country and work to better it and as it stands right now judging by the supporters of our two party system, it ain't the DNC in charge or even threatening to be. Who turned out to help in the wake of the Twins, Katrina and Rita.? Was it those thousands in DC? No, it was the people of America and their churches that joined caravans, not to DC but to where they where needed most, our devestated gulf region, as America opens Her arms the Left cries and holds vigils. Shame One You , Cindy Sheehan and the rest of you Loonbats that could have used your energy where it is actually needed. There is much to mouth and deed, BAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!! .
I would compare the conservative movement to a bermuda grass lawn with crab grass intrusions. How do we deal with this? We mow regurlurly to prevent seeding and then pull the remaining by the roots and anti-germination fertilizer finishes the job,parasites as socialism/communism are destroying the beauty by sapping its bounty.The most polluted spot in the world is the Soviet East German border. This anology is easily implied whether it be the GWOT or our domestic policies.
And if you don't check in with Roggio regularly then you have no grasp on the GWOT.
And from Karen over in her Korner and used by Zell Miller in his storied speech:

SOLDIER
"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate
.It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag
,And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag." - Charles M. Province

And William has a great essay up.