um.

Keyes. What a whacky guy.

Declaring "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens," Republican Alan Keyes said Tuesday he believes the U.S. Constitution grants properly trained private individuals the right to own and carry machine guns.

"You're not talking about giving citizens access to atom bombs and other things," the former presidential candidate said. "That's ridiculous."

But the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate argued the founding fathers intended the Second Amendment to allow people to carry the types of weapons "customarily carried in those days by ordinary infantry soldiers."

"And, yes, does that mean that in this day and age people would have the right to have access to the kind of the weapons our ordinary infantry people have access to? With proper training and so forth to make sure that they could handle them successfully, that's exactly what was meant."

Keyes made the remarks at a news conference he called to attack the "ideological extremism" of his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barack Obama.

The Republican lit into Obama for voting against a bill in Springfield earlier this year that would have allowed people who use handguns to fend off home invaders or attackers to argue self-defense as a possible legal defense against prosecution for violating any local anti-firearm possession ordinances.

The measure passed the Legislature with bi-partisan support, but Gov. Blagojevich vetoed it last week.

Keyes called Obama's vote against the measure an "appalling . . . lack of common sense."

"This seems to be a man who is absolutely determined to make the world safe for criminals, while making sure that law-abiding citizens have no opportunity to defend themselves against the criminals," Keyes said.

...

Keyes only indirectly answered a reporter's question about whether he would "be comfortable if the entire society was walking around with Uzis, as long as they were properly trained."

"Have you ever been to Israel?" Keyes asked the reporter. "Because if you've ever been to Israel, you wouldn't ask that question. And in the midst of terrifying dangers, you walk around the streets of Israel and you see every other person carrying arms and Uzis and so forth and so on, and believe me, you do not feel less safe on that account."

that and Mary Cheney will get you a ride on the subway

No More Mr. Nice Blog has a point about Dick Cheney's fatherly support for gay americans

woops

It turns out that not only is Michelle Malkin an easily identifiable descendant of a Muslim-dominated country with a history of terrorism who travels frequently, she doesn't seem to have renounced her citizenship in that country.

She has a book out about what to do with people like that.

And their children.

David Neiwert is a treasure. He really is.

those evil 527 groups

The Bush/Cheney campaign lost their legal advisor today when he was forced to resign. Apparently the campaign had no idea he was involved in any way with the Swift Boat 527 group.

CNN gives a shortlist of his current activities:

Ginsberg served Bush-Cheney as national counsel in 2000 and was a key player in the recount of the 2000 Florida vote recount according to a biography on his Washington firm's Web site.

His biography also says he "represents the campaigns and leadership PACs of numerous members of the Senate and House, as well as the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee.

He serves as counsel to the Republican Governors Association and has wide experience on the state legislative level from directing Republican redistricting efforts nationwide following the 1990 Census and being actively engaged in the 2001-2002 round of redistricting."

Former Sen. Max Cleland planned to try to deliver a letter to President Bush's ranch signed by several lawmakers urging him to publicly condemn the commercials.

On Monday, Bush said he opposed all 527 ads, calling them "bad for the system."

Interestingly enough, every group, organization or activity mentioned here either has, or had before campaign finance reform changed the rules to require disclosure of donors, a 527 group.

Seems rather odd Karl Rove never bumped into him at a meeting, hein?

there's free publicity and there's free publicity

and the free publicity you want is probably not the free publicity you get when you have the state police and the secret service turn away the triple-amputee veteran, among the many whose service you've slandered for political purposes, at the permanent roadblock outside your vacation bunker ranch

Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland tried to deliver a letter protesting ads challenging John Kerry's Vietnam service to President Bush at his Texas ranch Wednesday, but neither a Secret Service official nor a state trooper would take it.

The former Georgia senator, a triple amputee who fought in Vietnam, was carrying a letter from nine Senate Democrats who wrote Bush that "you owe a special duty" to condemn attacks on Kerry's military service.

"The question is where is George Bush's honor, the question is where is his shame to attack a fellow veteran who has distinguished himself in combat?" Cleland asked. "Regardless of the political combat involved, it's disgraceful."

Encountering a permanent roadblock to Bush's ranch, Cleland left without turning over the letter to anyone.

"I have a letter signed by nine members of the U.S. Senate, all of whom have served honorably and I'd like to hand it to a responsible officer here on the gate," Cleland said as he tried to deliver it to security personnel at the roadblock. He accused a member of the president's security detail of trying to evade him.

"I am just going to return the letter and make sure it gets in the mail," Cleland said as he returned to his car.

Yep, triple-amputee veteran just sitting in a wheelchair in the sun while the rich boy who stayed home sits inside the summer place - damned if he isn't on vacation again - and refuses to see him.

This oughta play big with the red states.

You lucky duckies get to read the letter before Our Fearless Leader does.

[your joke here]

RIP Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, 78

casualties of war

In Hollywood, the father of a Marine killed in Iraq is hospitalized with severe burns after setting fire to a Marine Corps van Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Carlos Arredondo set the van on fire after being told about the death of his 20-year-old son.

Private first class Alexander Arredondo died Tuesday in Najaf, according to local television reports.

Marines went to his parents' home in Hollywood with the news. Carlos Arredondo walked out of the house with a torch and what appeared to be a container of flammable liquid.

The Marines tried to stop him from setting the van on fire but failed. Arredondo set himself on fire as he ignited the van.

Police say Marines pulled him out of the van and put out the flames.