Hawkeye Republican

FIGURES: Michael Moore made an appearance at the convention tonight. No big deal. But when a reporter quips to Moore that his appearance is "highly unusual," Moore retorted, "How well is YOUR movie doing?"

Don't believe me? Click here to read the entire column.

Sadly, this isn't unusual for Moore. Let's remember that he makes it a habit to refer to Fahrenheit 9/11 as "his" movie, a slap in the face to the many others who helped in creating his movie. On top of that, he also said he hopes to make so much money that no one will be able to control him.

Arrogance, thy name is Michael Moore.

IN PRINT: You can check out my first column of the fall for the Daily Iowan on the DI website. The column explores how if John F. Kennedy were alive today, he's support George W. Bush. Here's a sampling of the column:

When speaking on freedom, Kennedy affirmed that "we stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves; that is our only commitment to others." Bush believes that freedom is God's gift to the world and that all humans, not just those in Europe or North America, deserve to be free. Since 2001, we have bestowed freedom to tens of millions of people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who, two years ago, would have been tortured for dissent can now freely speak their minds. In Afghanistan, women who previously lived shamefully under cloaks now are treated more equally. In this summer's Olympics, the Iraqi athletes competed without fear of torture at the hands of Uday Hussein, who tortured his athletes as a form of motivation.

In both countries, people are able to educate themselves and even freely practice the religion of their choice. If Kerry - a man who described himself as an antiwar candidate - had his way, we still would not have liberated Iraq. Rather, we'd be debating it in the United Nations. And consider the fact that Kerry had said he would reinstate Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power in Haiti. The Haitians rose up together to force Aristide out of power - after all, he was a dictator who rigged elections to maintain his grip on power.

I'm interested to see how rank-and-file liberals in Iowa City who adore the legend of Camelot will react to this argument.

WORTH READING: Surprisingly enough, the New York Times has a great article on President Bush's involvement in his campaign. It reminds me why I find politics so fascinating. Read it when you have a moment.

SURE, IOWA IS GREAT: But for today, I really wish I was back in DC.

I'M NOT ALONE: Judging by the response in the Des Moines Register's Sunday edition, I'm not alone in my disgust over Tom Harkin's latest meltdown. Two statements in these letters particularly stand out to me:

Tom O'Brien of Urbandale, Iowa, said, "It is difficult to just say, 'Well, there he goes again,' because Harkin has been a real leader down the path to the negative style we see in politics today. In a room full of fabricators, he stands alone."

Stu Bassman of Clive, Iowa, appropriately affixes the blame on we Iowans, saying, "Harkin has repeatedly proven that he doesn't embarrass. It is the citizenry of Iowa who are the embarrassed ones. We are responsible for Harkin being voted to a position of responsibility (or lack thereof) and quite often a position where the media are eager to broadcast his ravings."

We should have gotten rid of this blowhard in 2002 when he exploded at Paul Wellstone's funeral, screaming "Get on the bus!" and "SAY YES!" while ripping off his suit jacket like he's at a WWE event. Every time Iowa reelects this man, we only condone his outbursts.

STAYING ABOVE THE FRAY: Monday, President George W. Bush denounced all advertisements from 527's... Again.

Will John Kerry please join our President in taking the high road and denounce all the 527 ads?

DOUBLE DOSE OF DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS: This morning, the headlines very clearly show us that the Democrats are not going to tolerate competition on the Presidential ballot nor any dissent against John Kerry's record.

They will not tolerate competition, in that Ralph Nader will not be allowed on the ballots in Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, and Missouri. Rather than rendering the Nader campaign irrelevant by taking up the issues that Nader stands for, the Democratic Party would rather bog down the Nader campaign in endless lawsuits to prevent him from appearing on the ballot.

They will not tolerate any dissent against Vietnam veteran John Kerry in that the Kerry campaign has petitioned the FEC to have the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads silenced. This, of course, comes along with the Kerry campaigns threats to any TV station that airs the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads.

Why is it that the same party that claims to be for openness and freedom for the little guy is the same one that is engaging in Politburo-style tactics to silence its competition and its critics?

Where's the ACLU on these issues? For a organization bent on preserving civil liberties, they're awfully silent when it comes to liberals stifling opposition. Oh well, the ACLU is probably too busy suing a small town in Anywhere, USA, for having a nativity scene at city hall during Christmas or accosting a small town judge for having a Bible in his office. But that's another blog entry for another day.

GOLDEN NEWS FROM THE GOLDEN STATE: The pundits claim that nineteen battleground states will determine this election. They say that if Kerry grabs states like Ohio and Florida, he wins. But what if California goes to Bush? The idea normally would seem absurd, but the latest poll shows Bush comfortably within the margin of error of Kerry in California. Not only that, but since July 26, the President has slashed a twelve point deficit in the Golden State. This same poll shows Bill Jones neck-and-neck with incumbent Senator (and wildly liberal) Barbara Boxer. With Arnold Schwarzenegger, a governor popular across party lines, speaking at the Republican National Convention and stumping across California for Bush and for Jones, anything is possible!

At the very least, putting California in competition will force Kerry to spend valuable time and resources in California (and thus away from other crucial states), in a state that normally is a double-digit cake walk to Democrats.

IOWA'S BLACK EYE: Ann Coulter took a swipe at Senator Tom Harkin, saying:

"Tom Harkin, Crazed Moron, was shouting this week that Dick Cheney is a "coward," evidently for not fighting in Vietnam like Harkin. Except Harkin didn't fight in Vietnam either! The last time Harkin was bragging about his Vietnam service was in 1984 when he told David Broder of The Washington Post: 'I spent five years as a Navy pilot, starting in November of 1962. One year was in Vietnam. I was flying F-4s and F-8s on combat air patrols and photo-reconnaissance support missions.'

Sen. Barry Goldwater -- not the Post -- checked with the Defense Department and soon Harkin was forced to admit he had never been in combat in Vietnam, but was based in Japan during the war, ferrying damaged planes from the Saigon airport to Japan for repairs. Oops!"

I always revel in seeing Harkin attacked by national pundits. This man is as liberal as Ted Kennedy, and also equally as much of a shrill. And it's not as if he's a true Iowan, anyway. The man owns more land in Cancun than he does in Iowa (his Iowa residency consists of a mailbox!). He holds a personal vendetta over Jim Ross Lightfoot, the man who almost defeated him for Senate in 1996. When Lightfoot ran against Tom Vilsack for the governership, Harkin set up a PAC to raise money against Lightfoot - a move seen by many as motivated by Harkin's declaration that Lightfoot would never serve in elected office again. Harkin's not adverse to Watergate tactics, either: a former member of Harkin's staff attended a 2002 meeting for Harkin's opponent, Greg Ganske, with a tape recorder hidden. He then gave the tape to Harkin's staff who used it to smear Ganske.

But, in Harkin's defense, he did make an awfully good coat rack for Howard Dean during the "I Have a Scream" speech.

TROOP MOVEMENT: This site applauds the Bush Administration's plan to bring home thousands of troops from areas in which they are no longer needed, namely Germany. For too long, too much of our military has been stationed in entirely peaceful areas that have not needed any sort of US presence. This plan will cut costs for our military and will streamline our forces from areas of conflict thirty years ago to areas of conflict today.

Some have said that this is a "hastily drawn up plan" used to score political points. On Wednesday's Hardball, former Presidential candidate and "I Have a Scream" legend Howard Dean made such an argument. The fact of the matter is that this plan has been in discussion for years. It was one of Secretary Don Rumsfeld's initial plans as Secretary of Defense. And if this is merely a political move, why didn't the Bush Administration make this announcement significantly closer to the election? By making the announcement now, this decision's impact will have run its course within a couple of weeks. If Bush had made the announcement within a couple weeks of the election, it would be a different story.

Dean also vented about how we are giving up on North Korea. However, South Korea has welcomed the news of our withdrawal of troops from the peninsula.

How are the other politicians reacting? Here's what a Massachusetts senator has to say about our troops worldwide:

“I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops not just [in Iraq] but elsewhere in the world. In the Korean peninsula, perhaps in Europe perhaps. There are great possibilities open to us.” -John F. Kerry, August 1, 2004

SITE UPDATE: As you probably noticed, Hawkeye Republican has not been updated in a week. My brother married in Milwaukee this past weekend, and after that I moved into my apartment in Iowa City. Now that things have settled down, updates should be on the way. Keep checking this site for updates.

Also, Profile of the Week will be changed to a less regular basis, probably on a monthly basis. Having a new profile every week just seems like overkill. But that may change over time.

In the meantime, check out this blog by a former lover of John Kerry. Who should be most embarrassed by this site? John Kerry, for having dated such a bimbo? The woman, for coming off as such a bimbo? Or Harvard, for allowing such a bimbo into one of its graduate schools? My vote goes to Harvard.

But in all seriousness, definitely check out her blog. I haven't had this good of a laugh in quite a while. And while it's funny, it's also a bit creepy when she mentions how she and Kerry had secret names for each other, and when she refers to an eating disorder during her relationship with Kerry.

PROFILE OF THE WEEK: This week's (belated) Profile of the Week goes to Washington Times reporter Bill Sammon for his book, Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters.

This book by Mr. Sammon has been a great read as I complete the summer. Chapter-by-Chapter, Mr. Sammon analyzes the various critics of our President and he disseminates their arguments. Mr. Sammon finds a way to point out blatant hypocrisies by other politicians and ideological biases by the media.

Sammon blasts the media for its obsession with Vietnam, including members in the media comparing the Iraq war to Vietnam - two full weeks before the initial bombings in Iraq. He grills treasonous reporters like Peter Arnett, formerly of NBC and CNN, who gleefully said that if he were to discover information in Iraq that could save numerous American soldiers, he would refuse to pass the information to U.S. authorities, or CNN, which overlooked Baathist torture and murder in order to secure a news center near Baghdad Bob and the Saddam regime. Sammon also points out the numerous errors by such newspapers as the New York Times, which publishes misquotes of Bush officials on the front page, then buries its corrections deep in the paper.

By far, the best chapter of the book is the chapter dedicated to the Dan Rather kissfest of Saddam Hussein. Rather gives more concessions to Hussein than he has for our Presidents. For example, Rather allowed Baathists to film and edit the interview, something he never has even considered in interviewing an American official. Periodically throughout the interview, Sammon cuts from the Rather-Hussein kissfest to point out the major fallacies by both, including Saddam's critique of America's record on human rights, while his government has gassed its opponents, tortured his people, raped hundreds, killed thousands, and repressed anyone who dare speak against it, which Rather never mentions.

Next time you're at Borders, give this book a look. For his excellent writing, Bill Sammon is this week's Profile of the Week.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: What a nice surprise to see that there is an audience for this page, if only a small one. Today, I received this gem of a message:

Mr. Hawkeye Republican is tired from his greedy capitalist pursuits this weekend, and thus can not be relied upon to be accountable to his readers for "profile of the week." Who's it going to be this week? Bill Janklow? Ahnold? Muhammad Nareem Noor Khan?

If I were truly following greedy capitalist pursuits, I wouldn't have spent my money at a casino, where everyone knows the odds are stacked against the bettor. A truly greedy capitalist pursuit would be something along the lines of producing a slanted movie filled with half-truths, cut-and-snip interviews, and misleading insinuations, only to charge even the poor $9.50 to watch it. In a way, since gambling is pretty much a sure way to lose money, you could even consider my friends and me altruistic, since we drove six hours to give our money to poorer people via the Blackjack table.

PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Will not be posted until tomorrow. An exhausting weekend at the casinos in Minnesota has left me without the time to post a Profile of the Week.

ALAN KEYES RUNS: Good to see that Ambassador Alan Keyes will be running for Senate in Illinois this fall. What surprises me is that he would be willing to step into what is, in blunt honesty, an impossible election victory against Barack Obama. This, given Alan Keyes' two unsuccessful runs for the GOP nomination for President, will further his reputation as an electoral "loser." Still, I support Keyes' courage to run for office again, and hope he can give Obama a run for his money.

STOIC VIEW ON ECONOMIC NEWS: Seems today that many are up in arms over the news that the Bush economy added another 32,000 jobs in July. No, they are not excited that the Bush recovery continues to roll; they lament that it is not continuing to accelerate at a rate unmatched since the Reagan Presidency.

Sure, the job growth was not as high as expected. And sure, the Dow dropped a bit today. But the Dow dropped exactly because the job growth was not as high as expected. This Dow dip is nothing more than a one day fall.

President Bush inherited a Clinton/Gore recession - yes, he did inherit it, since the economy was dropping in 2000, before President Bush was elected. President Bush' tax policy has created consistent growth since 2002 despite a September 11th attack that has transformed our country and could have very well put us in a depression.

July growth is slower than expected. Then again, it's tough to do better than the record growth forever. The point here is that the economy is still improving. The sky is not falling.

FAUX PAS OF THE YEAR: In a long, grueling campaign, candidates are bound to make verbal gaffes that upset the crowd. While I do not criticize John Kerry for misspeaking (I'd do the same if President Bush said this), as a fan of the Big Ten, this is just too hard to pass up.

John Kerry, in Taylor, Michigan: "We just came from Bowling Green, and I was smart enough not to pick a choice between the Falcons and the, you know ... all the other teams out there. I just go for Buckeye football, that's where I'm coming out. That's while I was in Ohio. Now I'm in the state of Michigan, and your great big 'M' and a powerhouse of a team, and the bottom line is all of us are still waiting for Massachusetts to somehow get in there."

KERRY CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION: In response to the recent terrorist warnings by Secretary Tom Ridge, Vietnam Veteran John Kerry called on President Bush to order Congress back for a special session. Being that Kerry has the worst attendance record in the Senate (with John Edwards not far behind), would Kerry even attend the special session? Being that he doesn't even show up to his national security briefings as it is, we can assume he wouldn't. After all, there's plenty of campaigning for him to do.

MICHAEL MOORE'S COMMENTS ON 9/11/2001: "Many families have been devastated tonight. This is just not right. They did not deserve to die. If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him! Boston, New York, D.C. and the planes' destination of California -- these were places that voted AGAINST Bush!"

Typical Michael Moore.