FRIDAY 10/3/03

THE DAVID KAY REPORT

Listening to most of the media reports on David Kay's report to congress yesterday you would think that there was absolutely nothing to any of those reports about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.  Some reports do manage to mention that Kay reports that Saddam was concealing weapons programs from inspectors and that the evidence shows a clear intent to manufacture these weapons.

Kay said:  "We have found substantial evidence of an intent of senior-level Iraqi officials, including Saddam, to continue production at some future point in time of weapons of mass destruction." 

So .. what do we know?  We know that Saddam had these weapons.  He had them, and he used them.  We also know that he ended the inspection program in 1998.  We know that when inspections resumed in 2002 he made efforts to hide his program from inspectors.  And we know that there were plans to continue the production of these weapons at some point in the future.

Let's try to draw a parallel here.  Let's talk about Ramsey Yusef.   We knew that Yusef used explosives in a 1993 attack on the World Trade Centers, just as we knew that Saddam had used his weapons on Kurds.  We know that Ramsey evaded capture just as we know Saddam evaded inspections.  Ramsey was finally captured and is cooling his heals in a Colorado federal penitentiary.  Saddam was ousted and is now cooling his heals in a tent somewhere in the desert.  Now ... let's carry this comparison one step further.  Authorities know that Ramsey Yusef had plans to build some bombs to blow up commercial airliners,  just as we know that Saddam had plans to manufacture more chemical and biological weapons.  Authorities found copious evidence of Yusef's plans to make those bombs, but the bombs themselves were never found.  So ... were we wrong to capture and jail Ramsey Yusef?  After all, we've never actually found those bombs, have we?  Maybe Yusef should be let go.  Maybe we should return him to his terrorist friends.  Maybe Clinton officials should be made to answer for their failure to ever find Ramsey Yusef's bombs.  That must mean that he never had any in the first place, right?

While I'm on a roll ... let's talk counterfeiting.  We have a counterfeiter passing off phony $100 bills.  Police raid his home.  There they find a printing press.  They find the paper. They find the inks.  They find the engraved plates. But ... they don't find any actual counterfeit $100 bills.  Do they let him go?  Ted Kennedy would say yes. And what do you say?

REMEMBER KATHLEEN WILLEY?

Arnold Schwarzenegger apologized yesterday for acting like a lout.  The Los Angeles Times printed an election -eve attack-piece detailing some of Arnold's past exploits which seemed to include no small amount of unauthorized breast squeezing.  Some people seem to think that this will cause many voters to turn against Arnold next Tuesday.  Well, maybe it will upset some Republicans with strong family values, but it could also encourage quite a few Democrats to actually switch their vote to Schwarzenegger.  Why?  Because he reminds them of their hero, their champion ... that's why.  Wasn't it Bill Clinton who did the breast stroke on one Kathleen Willey when she visited the Oval Office to inquire about a spot in his administration?  Willey's husband had committed suicide a short time before her Clinton encounter, so she probably found the attention comforting. 

Arnold's opponent, Cruz Bustamante, has suggested that Arnold should be prosecuted for sexual crimes for his transgressions.  I'm so sure that he was saying the same thing about Clinton several years ago.  No matter how bad this smear campaign gets over the next few days, I doubt very seriously that anyone is going to report that Arnold Schwarzenegger invited himself to a woman's hotel room on a false pretence, raped her, and left her bleeding in her own bed.

Today you will hear from several women's groups who are going to demand that Arnold withdraw from the governor's race in California.   Unless these groups can document similar statements when Clinton's rape and molestation stories hit the media, their words are based on politics, not concern for women.

WAITING FOR THE BOOK

What book?  That book by Limbaugh's former housekeeper.  That's what book.  If you are to believe this lady's story, she purchased copious quantities of prescription painkillers for Limbaugh.  Then, for some reason not yet explained, she suddenly hires a lawyer and scampers to the police to tell her tale.  Come on folks.  There's a book there, and no shortage of publishers who are eager to run with it.

SUBTLY PUSHING THE NEW ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND

Our friend Sloan Hayes tells us that he's seeing some rather interesting product placement on television lf late.  On Thursday's edition of E.R. and on Wednesday's Angel (a Buffy spin-off) there were gratuitous references to the Ditzy Twits.  The Twits, as you know, have decided that they are no longer a country act since the country audience hasn't given them their props after they chose foreign soil to make their "we're ashamed" comments about President Bush.  Now it looks like Hollywood may be coming to their aid.  Taking care of their own, you might say.

I'LL LOAN YOU THE MONEY, BUT I WANT YOU TO PAY IT BACK

The congress is currently debating President Bush's request for $87 billion to fund our efforts in Iraq.  Much of that is to fund our military efforts, but not all of it.  About $20 billion is for projects in Iraq to benefit the Iraqi people.  Here is a partial list of some of the non-military items:

Build seven planned communities with a total of 3,258 houses for Iraqi citizens.  Each such community will include roads, an elementary school, two high schools, a clinic, a mosque and a market.  Cost:  $100 million.

Pay for 100 prison-building experts for six months.  Cost, $100,000 per expert, $10 million.

Forty garbage trucks.  Cost:  $50,000 each.

There are other expenditures in the millions of dollars to set up zip code systems for an Iraqi postal service and other such "essential" items.

While it is true that this money, or some of it anyway, may be needed to restore some sense of order to Iraq and to smooth the way for their transition to a democratically elected government, I cannot understand why Bush is so adamantly opposed to making this a loan from the American people, instead of an outright gift.  At some point Iraq is going to be exporting oil to the world markets and will have quite a bit of cash laying around ... that would be a good time to repay the American taxpayers for their help.

Oh .. and about those 40 garbage trucks.  Here's an idea.  I can't speak for the mayor of Atlanta, but I'm sure that she would be thrilled to trade 40 of our old garbage trucks for 40 brand new ones ... and the 40 old ones could go to Baghdad with the compliments of the people of Atlanta. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO CUTIE PIE!

The National Association of Broadcasters has honored Sean Hannity with this year's Marconi Award as syndicated radio personality of the year.  Well deserved!  My stable mate at WSB radio in Atlanta, Clark Howard, was nominated for the award this year.  We're all going to surely miss the big Las Vegas party he would have thrown had he won.  Maybe next year.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The tax cuts were the appropriate medicine for the economy and are already having the desired effect, yet the president's approval rating for economic management continues to fall. (Richard Rahn)

From James Bovard:  The government's response to last year's sniper shootings shows that nothing happened on 9/11 to suddenly cause government to become competent. in the area of law enforcement.

What's the latest last-minute media attack on Arnold?  ABC News is saying that Schwarzenegger praised Hitler.  Where do we learn this?   Someone has come up with an old book proposal from the director of "Pumping Iron."  The book proposal contains the allegations.  Classic he said he said.

Five-hundred pound woman dies.  Family is upset because even though it was an over-sized casket, they couldn't get the lid closed.  Cremation might have been an option were it not for concerns about global warming.

Ilana Mercer says that Bush is showing some of his socialist sympathies. Now socialism may be a strong word ... but spendthrift certainly applies.  You should read this column ...it's really excellent.  It's time to recognize George Bush as a big-government big-spender.

Leon Harris is leaving CNN for an anchor gig in Washington DC.  He's a great guy, we wish him well.

Just for background .. some of the CIA agents are opposed to Bush antiterrorism policy.

Walking the Black Cat.  The Washington Times is publishing today the first part of a three-part series on intelligence assessments regarding America's war with Saddam Hussein.  Here's the first segment.

NEALZ LINKS FOR NUZE

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
World Net Daily
NewsMax
Wall Street Journal opinions
Washington Times
Washington Post
Real Clear Politics
Media Research Center
The Drudge Report
The Associated Press
SF Gate