Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems

Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

20070131 An inventory of my Tentacle columns from June 22nd, 2005 through January 31st, 2007

An inventory of my Tentacle columns from June 22nd, 2005 through January 31st, 2007

Kevin E. Dayhoff

January 31, 2007
Who was Deborah Orin-Eilbeck?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Saturday, the New York Post's Washington bureau chief, Deborah Orin-Eilbeck, passed away. Published accounts noted that she died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of stomach cancer.

January 24, 2007
The State of the Union Address
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Perhaps not since Matt Drudge broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal a couple of days before President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address in January 1998 has there been such an anticipated annual address by an American president.

January 17, 2007
"NUTS!"
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Thursday President George W. Bush addressed the nation with his long awaited "New Way Forward in Iraq."

January 10, 2007
"A Message to Speaker Pelosi"
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday our nation witnessed an historic first when California Rep. Nancy Pelosi was elected to be the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives.

January 3, 2007
Castro Watch
Kevin E. Dayhoff
We have many things to look forward to in 2007 and certainly at the top of the list is the eventual demise of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

December 27, 2006
It's a Wonderful Life
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Sixty years ago on December 20, 1946, the timeless Frank Capra Christmas classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" had its premier at the Globe Theater in New York City.

December 20, 2006
An Uneasy Truce
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Christmas is within a week and my thoughts and prayers go out to the men and women in uniform who are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

December 14, 2006
Time to Support A Wounded Protector
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Maryland State Trooper First Class Eric D. Workman, 36, from the Westminster Barrack, has family traveling to Maryland from all over the country. They are staying in Baltimore while he is hospitalized at Maryland Shock Trauma Center after being shot early Tuesday morning in Woodlawn, in Baltimore County.

December 13, 2006
Farmers' Friend Turning In Political Plow Shares
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley announced last week at the Maryland Farm Bureau Convention in Ocean City that he plans to retire in January.

December 6, 2006
Go Ask Stuckey
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The Associated Press' Tom Stuckey, one of the venerable and distinguished members of the Maryland Statehouse press newsroom has retired.

November 29, 2006
Blackwater and municipal red ink run deep
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The state announced in November it was going to purchase hundreds of critically sensitive acres in the vicinity of the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore.

November 22, 2006
Now Comes The Hard Part
Kevin E. Dayhoff
With the Maryland general elections over and one for the history books, the really hard part begins for Maryland Governor-elect Martin O'Malley, currently mayor of Baltimore: the business of governing.

November 15, 2006
A Marine Corps Birthday Present
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The United States Marine Corps has had significant participation in every American armed conflict since November 10, 1775; and its role as a rapid deployment force to fully defend our nation against terrorist threats and to effectuate foreign policy has never been more important than today.

November 11, 2006
Veteran's Day
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Today is Veterans Day: a day originally set aside to pay respect to the veterans who fought in World War I.

November 8, 2006
Rumsfeld must stay
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Just in time for the mid-term elections, the Military Times Media Group, which publishes the Army Times, Marine Times, Air Force Times and Navy Times, ran an editorial last weekend which pronounces: "Rumsfeld must go."

November 1, 2006
Michael Steele Endorsement
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Monday brought more good news for the Michael Steele campaign for Maryland US Senator.

October 25, 2006
When It Rains Frogs
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Perhaps I have my head in the sand and suffer from a great reality disconnect, but I'm just not buying the grand Democratic Wave Theory that is being drubbed into everyone's head these days by the main stream media.

October 18, 2006
Barbra! Shut Up and Sing
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last June it was announced that Barbra Streisand would begin a fall North American tour on October 4. The tour, her first since 1994, is scheduled to have 20 shows.

October 11, 2006
A Sale from Hell
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the wee early morning hours of Monday, PNC, a $94.9 billion bank based in Pittsburgh announced that an agreement had been reached to purchase Maryland's largest independent bank, Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, in a $6 billion deal.

October 4, 2006
Oriana Fallaci: A Refreshing Approach
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On September 15, Oriana Fallaci, the Italian lioness of letters, died of cancer. Although Ms. Fallaci was one of the world's greatest conservative artists of letters; she is - to this day - relatively unknown in the United States.

September 27, 2006
Mike Miller: He's a Contender
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday evening, the telephone wires and computer screens lit-up across the state screaming that Maryland Senate President Thomas V. (Mike) Miller, Jr., (D., Calvert and Prince George's) took offense at a land-use hearing in southern Maryland at someone's verbal support of the Senator Miller's opponent; and it was alleged that he hauled-off and punched him.

September 20, 2006
Lamoned, again
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The conduct of Maryland's primary election on September 12 is a national disgrace. We've been "Lamoned!" Linda Lamone, that is. You know - the Democrats' state elections administrator for life.

September 13, 2006
Fenno's Paradox
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the acid acrimony and caustic commentary of today's political arena, many Moms and Dads at the kitchen table are wondering who to trust - or more to the point, in which candidates or political party to place their faith for the future.

September 6, 2006
An Apple for The Governor
Kevin E. Dayhoff
It certainly appears that improving education in Maryland is developing into one of the main election issues for Marylanders this fall.

August 30, 2006
Why go negative?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The election season is upon us and - like a horde of ravaging locusts - the negative campaigners are out in full force this cycle. Why?

August 23, 2006
Good planets are hard to find!
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If anything has become evident since the United Nations cease-fire took affect August 14 in the latest go-round between Israel and Hezbollah, it is that no-one won and everybody lost. Ultimately things aren't looking good for the home planet.

August 16, 2006
London's calling
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On Tuesday, August 8, Connecticut voters got confused on their dates and thought that it was really September 10, 2001.

August 9, 2006
Joe Lieberman v. The Lemmings
Kevin E. Dayhoff
By the time you read this, the Connecticut primary will be over and we will know whether or not Democrat Sen. Joe Lieberman will be moving on to the General Election in November.

August 2, 2006
Confirm Joltin' John Bolton
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On March 7, 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Baltimorean John R. Bolton to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. It is time for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - as well as the entire upper chamber - to confirm our Maryland-bred leadership in the U.N.

July 26, 2006
Sharing the Joys of Black Bears
Kevin E. Dayhoff
A recent event in our neighboring city of Rockville provided another reminder of legislative high-jinks and a caution to Maryland voters in the upcoming election.

July 19, 2006
Fruits and Vegetables for Peace
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On June 25, in the lower end of the Gaza Strip, very near the border with Egypt, militant Palestinian members of Hamas attacked an Israeli watchtower and two armored vehicles at Kerem Shalom. Two of the Palestinian gunmen were killed as well as two Israeli soldiers. Three other Israeli soldiers were wounded and one soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, was taken hostage.

July 12, 2006
Is it time for Japan to Re-Arm?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On the 4th of July, North Korea attacked the Sea of Japan with seven missiles - to the chagrin of the United States and Japan which had repeatedly warned it to discontinue its ballistic missile and nuclear armament program.

July 5, 2006
4th of July
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Yesterday was the 4th of July and hopefully you had an opportunity to spend the day with your family and loved ones and took time to reflect upon our nation's birthday and the freedoms and opportunities that we have come to understand as inalienable rights.

June 28, 2006
Operation SHAFT
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Once again, The New York Times has exposed another top secret anti-terrorism plan put in place to protect Americans.

June 27, 2006
The Running Mate Decision
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As the July 3rd filing deadline approaches, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., will officially announce his candidacy for re-election tomorrow in Arbutus.

June 21, 2006
Mr. Smith: Back to Gaithersburg
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On June 11, Robert J. Smith referred to homosexuality as ‘‘social deviancy” during a political round-table discussion on a Montgomery County Channel 21 cable show.

June 14, 2006
Flag Day
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Today is Flag Day in the United States. The Second Continental Congress passed the "Flag Act of 1777" on June 14 that year. It is a mere 32 words: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

June 7, 2006
Electrocuting The Elephant
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In response to a judge's decision on May 30 to overturn Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s "April Plan," to phase-in increases in electric rates, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) decided last Friday to go back to the original "March Plan" to phase in Baltimore Gas & Electric's deregulated electric rates due to go into effect July 1.

May 31, 2006
The Great Mexican Maginot Line
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Thursday, the United States Senate passed the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006" by a vote of 62 to 36. The legislation has sparked rigorous and rancorous debate as it supports a bi-partisan, multi-disciplinary approach to the challenges of immigration reform embraced by President George W. Bush.

May 24, 2006
Lest We Forget!
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Monday is Memorial Day. It was almost 140 years ago that the tradition of setting aside a day to honor our country's fallen heroes began with Gen. John A. Logan's May 5th, 1868 General Order No. 11 to adorn the graves of Union soldiers with flowers.

May 17, 2006
The Water Wars Are Heating Up
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The increasing problems over water availability as a key component of the current warfare over growth are only going to continue to be complex, contentious and difficult.

May 10, 2006
A Tale of Double Standards
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Two well-known national personalities, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., RI) were recently in the news for suffering from the misuse of prescription medicines. The two events had different outcomes. You be the judge as to why.

May 3, 2006
Congressional Pork: The Other Red Meat
Kevin E. Dayhoff
A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll provided insight into the mind of the electorate. We are tired of pork, otherwise known as “earmarks.” And, rightfully so.

April 26, 2006
Baltimore’s Sun Still Dimming
Kevin E. Dayhoff
April Fool’s Day has come and gone, however, the spirit of the day lives large in the way we get our news the rest of the year. Some will say that for too long, the joke has been on us.

April 19, 2006
Guess Who’s Coming to the Election
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In a remake of the classic 1967 movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” the royal blue portion of Old Line State just doesn’t quite know what to make of the continuing success of Maryland’s Dr. Prentice – Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

April 12, 2006
Governor Crothers, Meet Dan Rodricks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Recently Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks wrote a remarkable column that may earn itself an Olympic honorable mention in the annals of populist political propaganda: “Legislators grabbed power to put public back in Public Service Commission (PSC).”

April 5, 2006
Shock and Amps – the Second Candle
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Members of the Maryland General Assembly’s leadership deserve a lifetime achievement award for ducking their responsibilities, scapegoating and obfuscating the truth in their response to the rate caps coming off Baltimore Gas and Electric as a result of the 1999 electric deregulation legislation.

April 4, 2006
Shock and Amps
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The recent power surge of Maryland General Assembly legislative initiatives in response to the end of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company’s electric rate price freeze ought to be referred to as the “Omnibus Rolling Blackout Acts of 2006.”

March 29, 2006
Who was Gordon Parks?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On March 7, a cultural icon and one of America’s greatest artists, Gordon Parks, passed away at the too-young age of 93. Born in abject poverty, Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks came into this world on November 12, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas, a new addition to a tenant farming family.

March 22, 2006
The Art of Community
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Quality of life issues, including, but certainly not limited to, growth and sprawl, traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, art and cultural opportunities, and local community employment are on the minds of citizens throughout Maryland.

March 15, 2006
Who is Wendi Thomas?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In an internal memo distributed to Baltimore Sun employees last Friday, it was announced that Wendi Thomas, an award winning newspaper columnist from Memphis, will be joining the newspaper in April replacing former Michael Olesker, who retired in January.

March 8, 2006
An Oscar Tribute to the Maryland National Guard
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Like most Americans, I missed the Oscars Sunday night. I was too busy sorting my socks according to color.

March 1, 2006
A Worm in An Apple
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the theater we know as Maryland state government, House Bill 588 and Senate Bill 793 should be referred to as the “Common Sense Ethics Act of 2006.” This legislation involves three issues dear to many voters – farming, ethics and the environment. Otherwise stated, regulations to protect the Chesapeake Bay are only as good as the availability and capability of the professionals hired to implement the laws.

February 24, 2006
Kelly’s Dream Deferred
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On February 16, it became official that a longstanding friend of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., conservative Western Maryland Democratic Del. Kevin Kelly, would not have his name submitted to fill the judicial vacancy of the District Court of Maryland for Allegany County.

February 22, 2006
Annex This
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Once again the Maryland General Assembly is being asked to step between municipalities and county governments over an issue that threatens the peace and tranquility that should exist between them. This time another crisis is building over growth and development.

February 16, 2006
It’s Really Opera! – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Mark Twain wrote: "The only difference between fiction and nonfiction is that fiction should be completely believable." Is there evidence that Mr. Twain ever visited the Maryland General Assembly?

February 15, 2006
It's really opera! Join in the Fun
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Many phrases have been used lately, to describe the Maryland General Assembly: political theater, drama, intrigue, melodramatic and entertaining. The answer to the question as to what it really is: it’s opera!

February 8, 2006
Why Tax Military Pensions?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In his State of the State address, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich mentioned an important legislative proposal to “exempt from state taxes military retirement income earned by those with two decades of service.”

February 1, 2006
Who is Donna Brazile?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Donna Brazile, campaign manager for the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign in 2000, recently was the featured speaker at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration at McDaniel College, in Westminster.

January 26, 2006
An Upside Down World
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The problem with words… The war over what words are appropriate for online versions of newspapers hit The Washington Post last week. Whether we like it or not, it is a drama that will come to our local newspapers soon.

January 25, 2006
How is Internet media held accountable?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On January 19 The Washington Post put an abrupt end to one of the components of the latest experiments in this grass roots democracy dynamic we call blogs – the real-time, live “comment” section.

January 18, 2006
''We all share a dream''
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was born 77 years ago on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, GA. He is best remembered as a courageous civil rights leader in the tumultuous era of the late 1950s and 1960s when America finally addressed the scourge of racism and worked to transform our country into a more just and humane society for everyone.

January 12, 2006
The Kool-Aid Acid Test
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As this column is being written, the opening session of the Maryland General Assembly is still a couple of days away. It is looking increasingly like “Open Season” rather than “Opening Day.”

January 11, 2006
Journalism in 2005
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When one thinks of the mainstream media in 2005, the consistent theme is that of a reluctant, haughty and often pretentious dinosaur with its out-of-touch editorial boards. One can only hope 2006 is better.

January 4, 2006
A Tale of Two Introductions
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Tim Franklin was brought on board by Baltimore’s Sun in January 2004 to navigate the paper through the treacherous waters that has become the newspaper business in a new era. In December 2005, Bo Harmon was brought on board to navigate Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich through the treacherous waters that we have come to know as Maryland politics for the next election.

December 28, 2005
Operation Mata Hari
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the war against terrorism, folks, whose only goal is to promote themselves in total disregard for our safety, recently launched “Operation Mata Hari.”

December 23, 2005
Anther Envy
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Merry Christmas. As an incredible year draws to a close, we learn that the gender of Santa’s reindeer is in question, Barbie dolls in England are being tortured, Kathy Afzali has uttered the words “Merry Christmas” in public and – in Belgium – they are napalming the Smurf village.

December 21, 2005
Who is Max Cleland?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The Maryland Democratic Party’s election campaign website, otherwise known as Baltimore’s Sun (BS), ran a “news story” December 10 on Bo Harmon, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s selection to be his campaign manager.

December 14, 2005
Politics in the Enchanted Forest
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The political silly season has already begun in Howard County, known as the former home of the "Enchanted Forest." In our neighboring county, politics have recently started to resemble the storybook theme park that prospered in Ellicott City from 1955 to 1988.

December 8, 2005
The Lieutenant Governor Decision
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Now that Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is off and running to be our next U.S. senator from Maryland, many are wondering just who would make a good choice for a running mate for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich. Never mind that the election is almost a year away.

December 7, 2005
Why We Have a Lieutenant Governor
Kevin E. Dayhoff
How did Maryland ever survive without a lieutenant governor? In over 371 years, there has been a constitutional office for that job for only 38 years.

November 30, 2005
Winning Over Hearts and Minds
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Folks who want to draw broad sweeping partisan conclusions from the results of Frederick’s recent election – or for that matter, Virginia’s or New Jersey’s elections, are grasping at straws. “All politics are local.”

November 21, 2005
Time to put 2005 behind us
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As the holidays approach, it is time to learn the lessons of 2005 and put it behind us. 2006 will be another long year. If the liberal media and the Democratic Party are setting their sights on the mid-term elections in 2006, they will need to do better than this fall’s bad polling numbers.

November 16, 2005
Insensitive Moment
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Many have routinely enjoyed reading Charles Krauthammer’s syndicated columns in The Washington Post since 1985. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for distinguished commentary. His column appears in 150 newspapers across the nation and many enjoy his commentary as a regular on Fox News’ Special Report with Brit Hume.

November 11, 2005
Veterans Day
Kevin E. Dayhoff
“My family is going to go to Gettysburg on Veterans Day. What’s Veterans Day?” The words come from a little sandy-haired child as I was leaving an elementary school in Westminster after giving a talk to two third grade classes on “Living in Carroll County.”

November 9, 2005
The Appalling Silence
Kevin E. Dayhoff
We're waiting. The time is now. Responsible leaders of the Democratic Party must denounce the blatant racism being used in reference to the United States senatorial candidacy of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

November 2, 2005
Gray Ladies Down
Kevin E. Dayhoff
American newspapers are in deep trouble. I have mixed feelings about this. For many of us who have hit the half-century mark, we remember the days when the bulk of our news was delivered by several newspapers in a single day. This gave us the news from many different points of view.

October 26, 2005
Frederick's Future Is Here
Kevin E. Dayhoff
For the past several years many have said that Frederick needs to do things differently in the future. On Election Day, next Tuesday, the future is now. It's time to begin all over again.

October 19, 2005
The Sun and the Bay”
Kevin E. Dayhoff
A big advantage of advancing age is that you get to recognize news media silliness when it happens. Many in the agriculture community did not find the July 26th article in Baltimore’s Sun by Tom Pelton to be silly and are quite annoyed.

October 12, 2005
Working on the Farm
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On September 20 the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) released its long awaited olive branch to the agriculture community in Maryland. CBF was founded in 1967 and their website reports that it "is the largest conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Chesapeake Bay watershed."

October 5, 2005
Kurosawa's History of Hurricane Katrina
Kevin E. Dayhoff
American Anthropologist Ernest Albert Hooten once said: "History is principally the inaccurate narration of events which ought not to have happened." How will history record Hurricane Katrina?

September 28, 2005
What You Did Not Know about California
Kevin E. Dayhoff
San Diego – September 15 - Greetings from the conservative bastion of California. As I have quickly learned, California’s reputation as a left-wing redoubt is overly simplistic and certainly not totally correct.

September 21, 2005
One Small Step for Civility
Kevin E. Dayhoff
"In a decent society that wishes to survive as a self-sustaining democracy, there must be a high degree of civility, because that mirrors the respect that we have not only for our constitutional order but for our fellow citizens."

September 14, 2005
Katrina – Who Did What and When?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The intemperate criticism directed at the Hurricane Katrina response – the rescue and recover efforts – is more polluted than the floodwaters of New Orleans and contributes nothing to a noble American tradition of coming together at a difficult time and helping fellow Americans in a time of need.

September 9, 2005
Shut up and call the cavalry
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Compassion exceeds all else in importance on the Gulf Coast in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Only the truly heartless can be left untouched. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and the rescuers.

September 7, 2005
The 2005 Maryland Luddite Act
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Competition is stiff as to which piece of legislation dropped in the hopper during the 420th session of the Maryland General Assembly, was truly the most thoughtless and imprudent - bar none! House Bill 514/Senate Bill 401 wins the 2005 Luddite Bill of the Year Award.

August 31, 2005
Respect for Conscience
Kevin E. Dayhoff
U. S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R., TN) is currently the target of an advertising campaign in Iowa criticizing him for voting his conscience and backing expanded embryonic stem cell research.

August 24, 2005
Cindy Sheehan’s Texas Quagmire
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Just when you thought that Dr. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, was one fry short of a happy meal, in walks – stage left, way-left – Cindy Sheehan to super-size the totally bizarre state of political discourse in our great country.

August 17, 2005
A Ray of Hope in an Age of Arrogance
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, (Order of Canada), passed away on August 7, it was the passing of an era for the traditional “Big Three” televised news broadcasts.

August 12, 2005
Maryland Agriculture’s Seat at the Table - Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last February, Gov. Robert Ehrlich announced that he would be conducting a forum on the issues of Agriculture in Maryland on February 13, 2006, at the Prince George's County Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro.

August 11, 2005
Maryland Agriculture's Seat at the Table - Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When it comes to Maryland Agriculture, we are in a deep hole and need to climb out. Moreover, it seems that the hole has been getting deeper while we have tried to turn things around.

August 10, 2005
Agriculture's Seat at the Table - Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When Gov. Robert Ehrlich first took office, one of the many welcome things he said was that agriculture in Maryland "had a seat at the table."

August 3, 2005
Cowadunga! More Absurdity!
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the far away distant land of California, concern about air quality has spawned a new law requiring air permits for all agricultural operations whose methane gas emissions exceed a certain threshold. I'm not making this up.

July 29, 2005
A Quiet Family Nags Head Vacation – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Today, the treasure to be found on the Outer Banks is in the form of real estate. The place in which we are staying is on the market. The fiscal conservative in me naively wanted to inquire, thinking perhaps, that if we are going to keep coming down here, year after year, for many years in the future, we may as well own the place and rent it out the balance of the year, and get our vacation free.

July 28, 2005
A Quiet Family Nags Head Vacation – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Many folks use the term “Nags Head” to generically describe what is really North Carolina’s “Outer Banks.” They consist of 125 miles of narrow islands just off the Atlantic coast.

July 27, 2005
A Quiet Family Nags Head Vacation - Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As I keyboard this, I am on a private, intimate and quiet vacation with my wife, and, uhm, 15 members of my extended family, in a "small vacation cottage" in Nags Head, North Carolina, a favorite vacation destination for many folks. I guess "private, intimate and quiet" are relative terms. All right, it is NOT private, intimate or quiet, but I sure am enjoying myself.

July 21, 2005
A Skunk by Any Other Name Still Stinks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If there was ever proof that evolution can go in reverse, it is the news that House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., have actually (for real, I’m not making this up) appointed a committee of inquiry to look “into the personnel polices of the Ehrlich administration.”

July 15, 2005
Local Government’s Nuclear Option – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Immediately after the U. S. Constitution was adopted, few questioned the public taking of land for a new national capital. Two hundred years later, I am not quite sure our Founding Fathers meant to allow a Donald Trump to convince the Atlantic City government to condemn the home of an elderly widow so he could build a limousine parking lot.

July 14, 2005
Local Government’s Nuclear Option – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Before 1954, eminent domain issues were primarily focused on the government’s ability to lawfully obtain private land for public projects and just compensation. Since 1954, in the current era of the eminent domain mess, the issue has been extended to deal with the expansionist liberal Supreme Court’s interpretation of the definition of public use to include: “highest and best use” private sector economic development.

July 13, 2005
Local Government’s Nuclear Option – Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
I have heard it said that no property, money or individuals’ rights are safe when the Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly is in session. After June 23, 2005, perhaps we can expand that to say: or when the U.S. Supreme Court is in session.

July 6, 2005
July 4th's Rights and Responsibilities
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The 4th of July has always been one of my cherished holidays. As a student of history, I have accepted July 4th as the celebration of the American Spirit.

July 1, 2005
Moving the Primary Date – It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Westminster – Governor Spiro Agnew was the 55th governor of the State of Maryland since 1776. My research indicates that he was the 14th Republican governor (if you include the five ‘Democrat-Republican’ governors between 1801 and 1812 and you count Governor Thomas H. Hicks (1858 – 1862), who started out a Democrat and later changed parties to Republican. Seems that there have been so few Republican governors, that the Democrats react very badly every time it happens.

June 30, 2005
Moving the Primary Date - It's Déjà Vu All Over Again - Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Westminster - Most all Marylanders were proud when Gov. Spiro Theodore Agnew (born Spiro Anagnostopoulos) was elected vice-president of the United States in 1968. (The second Marylander to hold such a high office if you include John Hanson, the 1st President of the United States, November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782, under the Articles of Confederation.)

June 29, 2005
Moving the Primary Date – It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again – Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Westminster - And now the Democrats in Annapolis, in all their wisdom, have introduced a House of Delegates’ bill to fulfill their blind obsession to change next year's Maryland State primary from the second Tuesday in September to June 20; “in the voters’ best interests”. But of course!

June 22, 2005
Mark Felt is No Hero
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Westminster - So Mark Felt, once the second highest-ranking FBI officer in America, has decided to come clean after 32 years. In a Vanity Fair magazine article, he wore his best pair of flip-flops and now admits that he was, after all the denials for over three decades, "Deep Throat". (Remember his remarks in 1974: "It was not I, and it is not I.")

References to The Tentacle on www.kevindayhoff.net

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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

20070130 A nice picture of a purple kangaroo


A nice picture of a purple kangaroo

January 30th, 2007

A nice picture of a purple kangaroo, blue sky, nice clouds and the beach.

20070130 A nice picture of a purple kangaroo


A nice picture of a purple kangaroo

January 30th, 2007

A nice picture of a purple kangaroo, blue sky, nice clouds and the beach.

20070129 The Knack

The Knack

January 29th, 2007

H/t: Analog

“The Knack” humorously explains engineers but the lesson illustrated can also be interchanged with an explanation of artists and/or writers. It does not belong to me and I do not know whom to credit for this video (except, of course it is obviously a “Dilbert”…) – but I sure wish I did because it is just wonderful and I want to see more of this work. Please enjoy and be prepared to laugh. www.kevindayhoff.net



If you are aware of where we can find more of this work – please share so that (1) we can give proper credit and (2) so we view more of them and laugh that much more… Thanks.

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20070129 Hillary Clinton Walking Eagle

Hillary Clinton Walking Eagle

January 29th, 2007

UPDATE: 20070212 Snopes says Clinton Walking Eagle Story is False

Go here for additional information.

Or go straight to the Snopes post here:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/eagle.asp

H/t: Grammy

The story below was pasted from an e-mail. I have not a clue as to whether or not the story is true – or not true.

However it is illustrative of my view that Senator Hillary Clinton will say whatever it takes to win the presidency…

If anyone has a source as to whether or not the story is true, please pass that information along. Thanks.

Two weeks ago in up state New York, Senator Hillary Clinton was
invited to address a major gathering of the American Indian Nation.

She spoke for almost an hour on her future plans for increasing every Native American's present standard of living, should she one day become the first female President.

She referred to her career as a New York Senator, how she had signed "YES" for every Indian issue that came to her desk for approval. Although the Senator was vague on the details of her plan, she seemed most enthusiastic about her future ideas for helping her "red sisters and brothers."

At the conclusion of her speech, the Tribes presented the Senator with a plaque inscribed with her new Indian name - Walking Eagle.

The proud Senator then departed in her motorcade, waving to the crowds. A news reporter later inquired of the group of chiefs of how they had come to select the new name given to the Senator.

They explained that Walking Eagle is the name given to a bird so full of (crap) it can no longer fly.


,

####

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

20070123 Bored Graphic Artists

Bored Graphic Artists

January 23rd, 2007

“This is what happens when graphic artist have too much time on their hands....but it is pretty cool.”

I can relate…

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty



Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty
A photo posted by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@officialshilpashetty) on
Reality TV creates a very surreal diplomatic crisis

Anthony Browne in Bangalore, Ashling O'Connor in Bombay, Philip Webster and Adam Sherwin


Update: Dec. 14, 2015 – the link no longer seems to work. It just takes you to “The Times” website…

India lodges Big Brother protest

Blair and Brown drawn into row


Tony Blair and Gordon Brown mounted a diplomatic offensive to protect Britain’s reputation in India and the sub-continent yesterday as a television racism row grew into an international crisis.

India threatened to make a formal protest about the racist bullying of the Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on the reality show Celebrity Big Brother.

Effigies of the show’s organisers were burnt and in Britain there were 22,000 complaints to Ofcom. The Channel 4 programme had become the most complained about in the broadcasting watchdog’s history.

Mr Brown, who is on his first visit to India, described the comments on the show as offensive and condemned anything that harmed Britain’s reputation as a tolerant country.

Mr Blair said little initially. Questioned in the Commons, he said that MPs should oppose racism in all its forms. But after protests poured in he authorised a No 10 statement saying that Britain would not tolerate racism in any way. His spokesman said: “What clearly is to be regretted and countered is if there is any perception abroad that in any way we tolerate racism in this country.

“What the response to the programme has shown is precisely the opposite — that there is no level of toleration in this country for anything which, rightly or wrongly, is perceived to be racist. The message should go out loud and clear that we are a tolerant country and we will not tolerate racism in any way.”

The spokesman emphasised that Mr Blair had not seen the programmes.


++++++++++++
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Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf

Monday, January 15, 2007

200701113 A commentary on the new director of national intelligence





A commentary on the new director of national intelligence Mike McConnell

For other related posts click hereor here.


For a bit more information, click here…


This photo: Rear Admiral John McConnell, 1990


Nation

New Intel Chief: Wrong for the Job , Jan. 10, 2007 | By Robert Baer


...Baer says the CIA needs to stop its overreliance on technology and outsourcing of intelligence. But that's not likely to happen under Mike McConnell...


[Related Where Does Negroponte Leave Intelligence? The director's surprising move to the State Department raises new questions about much-needed reforms in the spy community]



_____

Robert Baer, (“a former CIA field officer assigned to the Middle East, is the author of See No Evil and, most recently, the novel Blow the House Down.”) has gone to what many consider to be the “unusual task” of writing a dissent about appointing retired Rear Admiral John Michael "Mike" McConnell - - and then having it published in “Time” magazine.



Among the important points that need to be called to your attention:


[…]

“…The CIA is hemorrhaging people, with the vast majority leaving to work for contractors, like Booz Allen. They're lured by higher salaries and double dipping (on top of their government retirement packages). They often end back up at the CIA with a green contractor's badge, doing pretty much the same job. The important difference is they answer to the company they work for, not the CIA.


“I'm told that today contractors outnumber staff employees. As one CIA officer told me, ‘You walk in the building and all you see is green badges, all doing the retiree shuffle, keeping their heads down, focusing on holding on to their jobs.’ ”


[…]


"You know as well as I do," he said. "Contractors won't take risks. You can't send them out into the field to recruit new sources. They know they make a mistake and they're gone." He's right. It's a lot easier to replace a contractor than it is to fire a government employee.”


[…]


“Rank and file at the CIA will look at McConnell's appointment as part of a trend shifting intelligence away from human sources, the CIA's bread and butter, to the Pentagon, the NSA, technology and outsourcing.”


[…]


“But bin Laden, like most terrorists, has dropped off the digital grid. To find him you need a warm body, not just cool gear.” (my emphasis)


Read the entire piece here: New Intel Chief: Wrong for the Job


####

Saturday, January 13, 2007

20070112 Mark Tapscott has the story behind this picture


Mark Tapscott has the story behind this picture

January 12th, 2007

Read that story here: “Do You Know Why Bush Cried?

Cross posted
####

20070112 Some wisdom about the silliest debate in journalism


Some Wisdom About the Silliest Debate in Journalism

From Tapscott's Copy Desk

More From this Blog : “Tapscott's Copy Desk

January 4, 11:26 AM - - January 12th, 2007

I was looking for this post when I posted “20070110 Tapscott and Surber have moved their blogs to newspapers.”

Mark Tapscott was kind enough to e-mail a link to me earlier this morning. Thank you.

I could not agree more with what Mr. Tapscott has to say about the issue of traditional “newsprint” journalism versus internet journalism – “Blogging.”

Actually I feel it is an artificial construct developed by some folks in the blogging community in order to make themselves feel more relevant or some folks in the traditional newsprint world who feel threatened.

Most traditional newsprint reporters have been wonderful – if not fun, with whom to work.

Then again, I have run across some stiff opposition and absolute obstructionism on the part of some folks, who shall go unnamed.

And for the most part, not from the newspaper industry – (read: usually liberals who hide behind their political ideology as a fragile identity.)

Although a certain Baltimore Sun reporter or two (not all of them, to be sure – some have been great…) has had a lot of attitude; but I have not been able to distinguish if this “attitude” is not as much because I am a blogger or if it is not just a manifestation of their elitist attitude in general towards the general public, former and current elected or appointed officials or anyone and everyone in the journalism world who is not so privileged to work for the Baltimore Sun.

And the Associated Press. My gosh, what is their problem? In the fortunate instance or two when I either broke a story or was in the lead, AP went out of their way to not mention me. Not so with the Gazette…

Thanks to the wonderful folks – and a great editor - who carry one of my columns, Patuxent Publishing, I am, perhaps, the first blogger to be credentialed by Maryland State government to cover the Maryland General Assembly.

The press pool in Annapolis has been great. Certain liberal legislators have gone out of their way to either ignore me ob disparaging. Heckfire - whatever.

So like I’ve said, with the exception of some isolated incidents with individuals with a general “attitude problem,” I have had very little problem with organizations, other reporters or elected or appointed officials to respond or cooperate on articles for the blog.

A few individuals have gone out of their way to be accommodating. To mention several off the top of my head; Carroll County Commissioner Dean L. Minnich and Republican Minority Whip Allen Kittleman are in the top ten easily. To mention others would be a disservice to the many that have gone beyond the call of duty to get me information and be responsive.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tapscott wrote:

Bloggers and mainstream journalists are polar opposites, right? No love lost between them. One represents the future, the other the past. The traditional reporters do all the work, then the bloggers come along and tear it apart.

And so goes the argument.

Regardless which side of this one you happen to line up on, I am literally on both sides, being a mainstream journalist by career and a blogger by choice. I know a little bit about the strengths and weaknesses of both, and there are many on each side.

The fact is, however, that mainstreamers and bloggers (as well as other online journalists) ought to be cooperating rather than conflicting. If they sought out mutual strengths instead of emphasizing what each sees as the other's weaknesses, together they could do some incredible journalism.

That's been my view for a long time…

Read the rest of his post here. He goes into some greater depth and refers to another article which was apparently part of the etiology of his post…

Also read: “20061209 Is a new age of American Journalism by Mark Tapscott

Kevin

####

Friday, January 12, 2007

20070111 Spy Coins


Spy Coins

January 11, 2007

This photo released by the Central Intelligence Agency shows a hollow container, fashioned to look like an Eisenhower silver dollar.

“Pentagon Warns Contractors About 'Canadian' Spy Coins”

I have been a coin collector every since I was a small boy and was fascinated with the standing liberty quarters that Mom would give me for my lunch money.

OMG, what I wouldn’t give to have a bunch of those quarters.

Yes folks, can we talk? Come a little closer and I’ll confide with you that I am a rabid “numismatist.”

Usually any news story about coins easily catches my eye. But the following story had a turn and twist in it that I thought was worth sharing.

In an interesting story I found on the Fox News web site, apparently, the United States government has issued a warning in which it described “a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.”

“The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

“Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins.”

Read the rest of the story here.

I’m guessing that I really don’t want any of these coins in my pocket while traveling in the future. However, I think it would be fun to have one in my collection.

Kevin

####

Thursday, January 11, 2007

20070110 President’s New Way Forward in Iraq speech


http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-7.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 10, 2007

President's Address to the Nation
The Library

Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq
Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review (PDF)

9:01 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the global war on terror -- and our safety here at home. The new strategy I outline tonight will change America's course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror.

When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqis had cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. The elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these elections would bring the Iraqis together, and that as we trained Iraqi security forces we could accomplish our mission with fewer American troops.

But in 2006, the opposite happened. The violence in Iraq -- particularly in Baghdad -- overwhelmed the political gains the Iraqis had made. Al Qaeda terrorists and Sunni insurgents recognized the mortal danger that Iraq's elections posed for their cause, and they responded with outrageous acts of murder aimed at innocent Iraqis. They blew up one of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam -- the Golden Mosque of Samarra -- in a calculated effort to provoke Iraq's Shia population to retaliate. Their strategy worked. Radical Shia elements, some supported by Iran, formed death squads. And the result was a vicious cycle of sectarian violence that continues today.

The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people -- and it is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.

It is clear that we need to change our strategy in Iraq. So my national security team, military commanders, and diplomats conducted a comprehensive review. We consulted members of Congress from both parties, our allies abroad, and distinguished outside experts. We benefitted from the thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. In our discussions, we all agreed that there is no magic formula for success in Iraq. And one message came through loud and clear: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.

The consequences of failure are clear: Radical Islamic extremists would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would be emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Our enemies would have a safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the American people. On September the 11th, 2001, we saw what a refuge for extremists on the other side of the world could bring to the streets of our own cities. For the safety of our people, America must succeed in Iraq.

The most urgent priority for success in Iraq is security, especially in Baghdad. Eighty percent of Iraq's sectarian violence occurs within 30 miles of the capital. This violence is splitting Baghdad into sectarian enclaves, and shaking the confidence of all Iraqis. Only Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and secure their people. And their government has put forward an aggressive plan to do it.

Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes. They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work.

Now let me explain the main elements of this effort: The Iraqi government will appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders for their capital. The Iraqi government will deploy Iraqi Army and National Police brigades across Baghdad's nine districts. When these forces are fully deployed, there will be 18 Iraqi Army and National Police brigades committed to this effort, along with local police. These Iraqi forces will operate from local police stations -- conducting patrols and setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain the trust of Baghdad residents.

This is a strong commitment. But for it to succeed, our commanders say the Iraqis will need our help. So America will change our strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will require increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them -- five brigades -- will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.

Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we'll have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared. In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighborhoods that are home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqi and American forces will have a green light to enter those neighborhoods -- and Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated.

I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people -- and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation."

This new strategy will not yield an immediate end to suicide bombings, assassinations, or IED attacks. Our enemies in Iraq will make every effort to ensure that our television screens are filled with images of death and suffering. Yet over time, we can expect to see Iraqi troops chasing down murderers, fewer brazen acts of terror, and growing trust and cooperation from Baghdad's residents. When this happens, daily life will improve, Iraqis will gain confidence in their leaders, and the government will have the breathing space it needs to make progress in other critical areas. Most of Iraq's Sunni and Shia want to live together in peace -- and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make reconciliation possible.

A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities. So America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution.

America will change our approach to help the Iraqi government as it works to meet these benchmarks. In keeping with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American advisers in Iraqi Army units, and partner a coalition brigade with every Iraqi Army division. We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better-equipped army, and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq. We will give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend funds for economic assistance. We will double the number of provincial reconstruction teams. These teams bring together military and civilian experts to help local Iraqi communities pursue reconciliation, strengthen the moderates, and speed the transition to Iraqi self-reliance. And Secretary Rice will soon appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.

As we make these changes, we will continue to pursue al Qaeda and foreign fighters. Al Qaeda is still active in Iraq. Its home base is Anbar Province. Al Qaeda has helped make Anbar the most violent area of Iraq outside the capital. A captured al Qaeda document describes the terrorists' plan to infiltrate and seize control of the province. This would bring al Qaeda closer to its goals of taking down Iraq's democracy, building a radical Islamic empire, and launching new attacks on the United States at home and abroad.

Our military forces in Anbar are killing and capturing al Qaeda leaders, and they are protecting the local population. Recently, local tribal leaders have begun to show their willingness to take on al Qaeda. And as a result, our commanders believe we have an opportunity to deal a serious blow to the terrorists. So I have given orders to increase American forces in Anbar Province by 4,000 troops. These troops will work with Iraqi and tribal forces to keep up the pressure on the terrorists. America's men and women in uniform took away al Qaeda's safe haven in Afghanistan -- and we will not allow them to re-establish it in Iraq.

Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity and stabilizing the region in the face of extremist challenges. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We'll interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

We're also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence-sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region.

We will use America's full diplomatic resources to rally support for Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists and a strategic threat to their survival. These nations have a stake in a successful Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, and they must step up their support for Iraq's unity government. We endorse the Iraqi government's call to finalize an International Compact that will bring new economic assistance in exchange for greater economic reform. And on Friday, Secretary Rice will leave for the region, to build support for Iraq and continue the urgent diplomacy required to help bring peace to the Middle East.

The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our time. On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation. On the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and have declared their intention to destroy our way of life. In the long run, the most realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy, by advancing liberty across a troubled region. It is in the interests of the United States to stand with the brave men and women who are risking their lives to claim their freedom, and to help them as they work to raise up just and hopeful societies across the Middle East.

From Afghanistan to Lebanon to the Palestinian Territories, millions of ordinary people are sick of the violence, and want a future of peace and opportunity for their children. And they are looking at Iraq. They want to know: Will America withdraw and yield the future of that country to the extremists, or will we stand with the Iraqis who have made the choice for freedom?

The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the survival of a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of the world of enormous importance to American security. Let me be clear: The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and they will make the year ahead bloody and violent. Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue -- and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties. The question is whether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it will.

Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a battleship. But victory in Iraq will bring something new in the Arab world -- a functioning democracy that polices its territory, upholds the rule of law, respects fundamental human liberties, and answers to its people. A democratic Iraq will not be perfect. But it will be a country that fights terrorists instead of harboring them -- and it will help bring a future of peace and security for our children and our grandchildren.

This new approach comes after consultations with Congress about the different courses we could take in Iraq. Many are concerned that the Iraqis are becoming too dependent on the United States, and therefore, our policy should focus on protecting Iraq's borders and hunting down al Qaeda. Their solution is to scale back America's efforts in Baghdad -- or announce the phased withdrawal of our combat forces. We carefully considered these proposals. And we concluded that to step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear the country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale. Such a scenario would result in our troops being forced to stay in Iraq even longer, and confront an enemy that is even more lethal. If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home.

In the days ahead, my national security team will fully brief Congress on our new strategy. If members have improvements that can be made, we will make them. If circumstances change, we will adjust. Honorable people have different views, and they will voice their criticisms. It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed.

Acting on the good advice of Senator Joe Lieberman and other key members of Congress, we will form a new, bipartisan working group that will help us come together across party lines to win the war on terror. This group will meet regularly with me and my administration; it will help strengthen our relationship with Congress. We can begin by working together to increase the size of the active Army and Marine Corps, so that America has the Armed Forces we need for the 21st century. We also need to examine ways to mobilize talented American civilians to deploy overseas, where they can help build democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from war and tyranny.

In these dangerous times, the United States is blessed to have extraordinary and selfless men and women willing to step forward and defend us. These young Americans understand that our cause in Iraq is noble and necessary -- and that the advance of freedom is the calling of our time. They serve far from their families, who make the quiet sacrifices of lonely holidays and empty chairs at the dinner table. They have watched their comrades give their lives to ensure our liberty. We mourn the loss of every fallen American -- and we owe it to them to build a future worthy of their sacrifice.

Fellow citizens: The year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice, and resolve. It can be tempting to think that America can put aside the burdens of freedom. Yet times of testing reveal the character of a nation. And throughout our history, Americans have always defied the pessimists and seen our faith in freedom redeemed. Now America is engaged in a new struggle that will set the course for a new century. We can, and we will, prevail.

We go forward with trust that the Author of Liberty will guide us through these trying hours. Thank you and good night.

END 9:21 P.M. EST


Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-7.html