Posse Incitatus

Taking a hiatus

Posting will be light (at best) during the next few days as we deal with business beyond the reach of the Internet. This means we will most likely miss the Republican National Convention in its entirety.

However, our other honorary Posse members will no doubt take up the slack, so the loss should be bearable.

We plan on offering lenghty commentary upon our return.

Happy trails!

Speaking of which...

Drudge links to a series of articles about Alice Cooper, who describes leftish rock stars as "traitors to rock and roll."

Money quote:

"Besides," he continued, "when I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn't already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that's a good reason right there to vote for Bush."

Let no one say the GOP doesn't have a big tent.

The company you keep

One of the unintentional side effects of anti-Americanism is the strange bedfellows it makes. Because this is irrational, it often makes for seemingly contradictory alliances.

Thus you have secular, "progressive," governments who are put off by America's alleged rise in religious fundamentalism and George W. Bush's "simplistic" worldview who, in an effort to show just how independent and broadminded they are, ink deals with repressive theocracies.

Roger Simon documents this excellently.

New Zealand has just signed an agreement to strengthen trade ties with Iran.

Here we have a government that is so turned off by America's alleged religious militarism, it is willing to enhance ties to one of the few governments to use the word "Satan" in official communiques.

The Posse cannot say this is surprising.

The anti-war left has long been the anti-American left as well. And, by following the ancient adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," finds itself making common cause with the worst regimes on earth.

In the name of humanity, sexual liberation and freedom, it embraces regimes that despise all three.

Some (like Roger) might point out the irony that a very permissive and liberal country such as New Zealand should prefer the company of a theocracy that publicly executes teenage girls for lewd behavior to the United States.

But that is where the politics of resentment lead you. Eventually all the haters end up on the same side.

The reasons for the hatred may vary, but they will, in time, merge. This is why former communists are embracing radical Islam. The slogans may change, but the alienation remains.

A useful reminder on why Kerry is doomed

Donald Sensing lists the Medal of Honor citation for Maj. Gen Patrick Brady and his thoughts on Kerry.

They aren't pretty.

The Posse has had a fair degree of experience with military veterans and we have found that almost without exception, those with awards or citations for bravery would rather talk about anything else.

We know of one Vietnam veteran awarded a Bronze Star who has never openly discussed why he recieved the award. A veteran of the Tet Offensive, he has never described the details of that battle even to close family members. When he does reminisce, it is about the quality of life, or funny incidents in stateside training before and after his Vietnam tour.

Another Vietnam veteran - wounded in action - will talk for hours about his time in Germany. He is proud of his service in Vietnam as well, but when his wound is mentioned, his face darkens and he changes the subject.

"I'd rather talk about the fun stuff," he says. "People dying isn't fun."

This is one of the things that makes John Kerry grate upon veterans and civilians alike. His medals are laudable (those that he earned) ad his service is likewise respectable. But his treatment of both is unseemly.

At a D-Day anniversary event this June, we witnessed a well-wisher thank a World War II veteran for his service. The unfortunate women - who meant well - said this veteran was a hero.

He shook his head violently.

"I'm no hero," he said. "The real heroes are still over there. Great and brave men. Better men than me."

Thus we come to this item, linked by the hated Instapundit:

Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh, speaking moments ago on “Hannity and Colmes”: “George Bush betrayed his country by sending us to war on false pretenses, and George Bush betrayed his country by not fighting in Vietnam.”

A search of Fox's web site only proved that it is horribly laid out and difficult to navigate. We will update it if we can get a transcript to confirm or refute this quote.

But it is indicative of the harsh rhetoric Kerry must now use to prove his point.

It is not enough that George W. Bush served in the reserve component. No, he must how have served in front-line combat duty.

Only these people are worthy of high office, it seems.

This is why veterans are deserting Kerry in droves - and why he will lose.

He cannot simply defend his own record, with all of its dubious honors and hateful smears against our fighting men and women.

No, he must send out surrogates to blast any and all who question his service by denigrating those who disagree with traitors and cowards.

Were this a Republican campaign, the media outrage would be deafening.

But because he is a Democrat, this neo-militarism gets a pass because all the reporters know the Dems don't believe a word of it.

Slow progress, but progress nonetheless

Omar reports another arrest of a Sadr aide. The looked-for assault hasn't come, but the game is far from over.

Prime Minister Allawi is playing a careful game, balancing the need to appear strong with attempts to build more local support for a crackdown. His hope (perhaps) is that the sacred nature of the Imam Ali shrine will finally not matter so much as killing the thugs who are hiding in it.

In essence, he is betting on "desecration fatigue."

Time will tell if he is correct.

"God willing, we'll be moving in tonight."

The siege of Najaf continues, serving as a reminder that while John Kerry is still wrestling with his inner demons of 35 years ago, a very real and dangerous war rages beyond the comfortable media bubble.

This report (via Drudge) showcases the various stops and starts that have characterized the battle against Sadr.

Iraqi troops are now deploying for a possible assault, a risk the government has hitherto been unwilling to take.

The on- and off-again negotiations may have helped numb the Iraqi people to this event. After weeks of waiting, any conclusion will come as a relief.

The Posse was pleased to note this show of resolution:

"We are in the last hours. This evening, Iraqi forces will reach the doors of the shrine and control it and appeal to the Mehdi Army to throw down their weapons," Defense Minister Hazim al-Shalaan said at a U.S. army base outside Najaf.

"If they do not, we will wipe them out."

Should this happen, there will no doubt be an outrcy from militant Muslims. But in a larger sense, this victory of secular authority over religious extremism is essential to the greater war effort and the future of a free Iraq.

Sadr has abused this shrine's holiness to the point of blasphemy. Few will now object if his thugs are forcibly ejected.

Sometimes, it's the little things

Omar at Iraq the Model tells the story of a visit from his uncle and his cousin who have gone from rags to prosperity under the new regime in Iraq.

It is a tale worth telling and definately worth reading, for it is the story of what is really going in in Iraq.

"Formerly poor Iraqi man buys car," will not make the headlines of the New York Times or the top story for the CBS Evening News, but it is far more significant than many of the mindless blatherings that they cover.

Stories like these are one of the ways we can gauge the progress of the war on terror. Omar's cousin is quite religious and may well have become a jihadi. Instead he is a student learning to drive and seeking to replicate his parents' prosperity.

Nothing the Democrats have said or done indicates that they understand what is happening on the ground in Iraq. This isn't the Mekong Delta in 1968; it is the here and now. Iraqis don't want a bunch of blue helmets promising them international legitimacy, they want Democracy! Whiskey! And sexy!"

And perhaps a new car.

Sticking the fork in

Is this it?

Captain Ed points to a long-overdue Washington Post article dissecting the Christmas in Cambodia lie.

The Posse agrees that this mainstream exposure is very damaging and could impose lethal doubt on Kerry's candidacy.

This entire bizarre episode transcends the normal campaign fare and moves into the surreal. Did Kerry not know or not care that this lie would be exposed? How long did he think the press would cover for him?

Perhaps he, like other politicians, simply doesn't understand the power of the internet and the blogosphere.

As we've long said, if nothing else this shows just how incompetent his spin meisters are. Kerry could have stopped this in its tracks three weeks ago with an aide saying "yeah, it's a fib, so what? It was 16 years ago."

Instead they stalled, lied, spun, and came up with even lamer excuses. One can only shudder at the thought of how Kerry would react to a setback in the global war on terror. Would he deny that the setback happened? Talk of how he learned to overcome adversity in Cambodia?

Perhaps he'd wear his lucky hat during the strategy sessions to help bring victory. One can only wonder.

As a side, note, the Posse has added Captain Ed and Powerline to the our list of honorary members. We've been linking so often, it is long overdue.

The Mind of Kerry II

Our previous foray into this topic was by far the most-read post in the history of the blog.

One item it failed to address was Kerry's military records, and why they are being kept secret.

It is hard for the Posse to think of any reason for him to hide them, unless there is something unsavory there.

What it is, we cannot begin to guess. Military files do not always paint flattering pictures. They are, in a sense, one's "permanent record," of the kind school principals used to threaten students with.

It seems to us that this may well be the key not just to Kerry's campaign, but to Kerry the man.

Only when these are revealed, can we begin to decipher the mixture of pride, self-loathing and noblesse oblige that makes Kerry who he is.

Kerry damage assessment

As Captain Ed notes, Bob Dole's return from retirement isn't a good sign for Kerry. Here is a man who conspicuously avoided making the same charges Kerry did - and has far more credibility as a wounded veteran.

Dole's own mangled body and record of courage in combat is impeccable. Trying to smear the man many now consider a kindly and somewhat goofy grandfather figure as a vicious Republican shill is an exercise in futility.

The Posse thinks now is a good time to take stock of the recent few weeks and review the damage Kerry's campaign has sustained.

In short, they have been disastrous for Kerry. Any momentum he might have gained from his convention has collapsed and the initiative is squarely in the hands of his opponent.

Kerry's strongest point - his Vietnam service - has now become a controversial liability.

The Swifties have shown a masterful grasp of public relations strategy, perhaps not surprising for men who felt its effects first-hand 35 years ago. Their timing has been exquisite.

The first ad, questioning Kerry's medals struck some as weak and off-topic. After all, it was old news and hard for most people to decipher. It was easily played by the mainstream press as a "he said/he said" scenario where neither side could claim victory.

What those commentators failed to understand was that it was never about the medals: it was about getting the Swifties mainstream press attention. With a limited budget, they needed earned media. Their earlier attempts to garner attention had failed. This worked precisely because of the controversial nature of the charges.

Making matters worse, Kerry's response was lame and dilatory. He's refused to release all his military records, causing some supporters to wonder what is in them. He's been forced to retreat on Cambodia - something that may yet feature in a future ad.

Let us repeat that: the mainstream press' decision to ignore the Cambodia retreat seriously hurts Kerry.

Because it remains unreported, the Swifties can bring it out for a seperate advertisement and it will have to be covered as "breaking news."

Having garnered the media spotlight, the Swifties then produced a charge that no amount of shooting the messengers can refute: Kerry's own words about Vietnam veterans.

Many observers thought the Swifties had it backwards. They were wrong.

Had the Swifties started with Kerry's testimony, his campaign could have easily swatted this aside by saying "That was a long time ago, no one cares."

Following this rebuke with the medals allegation would only have looked desperate. "See," Kerry could have said, "now they're getting personal. They have nothing to say and are only seeking attention."

By doing it reverse order, Kerry has baited the trap himself. His constant "Let's talk about Vietnam. Let's compare my record to that of Bush" only makes things worse.

This is where Robert Musil has it wrong. Normally a perceptive commentator on politics, Musil has failed to grasp the subtlety of this attack.

Kerry cannot simply say: "I served in Vietnam, unlike George W. Bush" anymore, because the quality of that service is now open to dispute.

Furthermore, Bush can always counter by saying "Yes, but that was 35 years ago. I'm not running based on a few months of Air National Guard duty. Why are you running on four months in Vietnam. What have you done since you got back?"

Kerry will then be forced to address his Senate record, or turn the topic back to Vietnam. If he includes so much as one reference, it will be Bush who gets to say "Enough about Vietnam already. I thought you wanted to talk about something else."

More than anything else, this month has shown the staggering ineptitude of Kerry's campaign.

UPDATE: Useful chronology here.