A couple things on this today.

One – George Bush quietly visited Ft. Hood on Friday along with Laura. I am certain those folks laid up in the hospital there relished that visit.

Two – the Telegraph reports that the nutbag shooter worshiped under an Iman who was a spiritual leader of some of the 9/11 terrorists!

Major Nidal Malik Hasan worshipped at a mosque led by a radical imam said to be a “spiritual adviser” to three of the hijackers who attacked America on Sept 11, 2001.

Was this missed during the FBI investigation, or just ignored for expedience??

Thomas Sowell writes of the “need” for reform.

Ironically, it is politicians who have already made medical insurance so expensive that many people refuse to buy it. Insurance is designed to cover risk. But politicians have mandated that insurance cover things that are not risks and that neither the buyers nor the sellers of insurance want covered.

A commenter at Three Sources notes an Ayn Rand quote concerning the coming criminality of not buying health insurance and not paying the government approved fine:

“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power the government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”

I still don’t know, along with most of Congress, what all is in it based on the newpaper articles today, but I did write my congresswoman Betsy Markey-D- and thanked her for voting against the thing.

Apparently they “suddenly accelerate” yet investigators are dismissing a lot of the cases, because…well, read this:

In reviewing consumer complaints during its investigations, the NHTSA relied on established “positions” that defined how the agency viewed the causes of sudden acceleration. Cases in which consumers alleged that the brakes did not stop a car were discarded, for example, because the agency’s official position was that a braking system would always overcome an engine and stop a car.

This reminded me of the Paul Krugman opinion on the British health care system. (repeated often by James Taranto of the WSJ)

In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve all heard scare stories about how that works in practice; these stories are false.

There is a story today in the NYTimes about Muslims voicing outrage at Hassan and his murder of those at Ft. Hood. I’m always happy to read genuine outrage from Muslims about Muslim violence and they did.

Then I got to this major twist from the Times:

It was Major Hasan, though, who increasingly felt let down by the military, and deeply conflicted by his religion, said those who knew him through the mosque. Duane Reasoner Jr., an 18-year-old substitute teacher whose parents worked at Fort Hood, said Major Hassan was told he would be sent to Afghanistan on Nov. 28, and he did not like it.

“He said he should quit the Army,” Mr. Reasoner said. “In the Koran, you’re not supposed to have alliances with Jews or Christian or others, and if you are killed in the military fighting against Muslims, you will go to hell.”

Mr. Benjamin, who worked as a private contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan after leaving the Army in 2000, said the military should have let Major Hassan resign. “They should take more consideration of the human beings in the uniform,” he said, “rather than simply say, ‘We invested our money in you and need to get our money’s worth.’ ”

Still, Mr. Benjamin added, Major Hassan had overlooked an important, and peaceable, tenet of Islam. “We do have the right to retaliate,” he said, “but he who does not is twice blessed.”

Major Hassan is a 39 year old doctor! He joined the military for whatever reasons and while I can’t find the story he MUST have re-upped during a time when we were fighting Islamic terrorism. The FBI had already been looking out for him and other psychiatrists did not feel comfortable sending patients to him yet he was promoted and never formerly investigated.

Why is that? Read the quote from the effing Times again.
Because of political correctness, this paper feels the need to say that the military let Hassan down. What job doesn’t? Somehow the stress of dealing with other people’s stresses of war caused Hassan to create war stress of his own so he doesn’t need to go to war and kill people of his faith. Bull shit.

Gateway Pundit and Hot Air have stories worth reading today and Ralph Peters gives his take too.

Ralph is right. In the name of political correctness, in order to appease noisy groups like CAIR, this Hassan, who seemed to have some serious problems and yet was allowed to council our military people was never investigated or talked to or sent to a psychiatrist of his own. He was ignored and 13 people are dead because of it. Whether Hassan did it because he’s a Muslim or because he’s a lonely antisocial douchebag doesn’t matter. He was ignored because of our wanting to be loved by everyone. (oh – except Hondurans and Israelis…we’re ok if they hate us)

Al Jazeera has an inaccurate article out on Honduras that mentions the “military coup”, the big “movement” in Honduras against the “ruling elite”, but it has some interesting parts to it.

This quote for one.

He [Zelaya] had clearly come to confuse his personal drama with the fate of the country. Sounding like France’s 17th century monarch Louis XIV, Zelaya claimed that peace would be restored to Honduras once he was returned to power.

true, so true.

And some predictions:
The writer seems to think this whole thing is going to end up with a smoldering regional war between Colombia and Venezuela.

Another prediction:
The US administration’s reputation will gain another instance of “clumsiness”

and finally,
Boeing will lose out on a potential contract with Brazil.

Since Al Jazeera earlier told me that Micheletti was quitting and he hasn’t yet, I don’t hold a lot of stock in their predictions, but we’ll see.

My heart goes out to the families and friends and entire military complex and this country today.

A couple of things on Honduras today.

1) LaGringa was in Pajamas Media the other day. I somehow had missed it, but Fausta had this link. Good for you LaGringa! Your writing is excellent and the information passed is always accurate.

2) Both the BBC and AlJazeera note that Zelaya is calling the deal “over” as far as the accord is concerned. Why? Because as of this morning he’s still not the President.
BOTH the BBC and Al Jazeera note that there was no guarantee that he ever BE the president again.
BBC:

But Mr Zelaya had warned on Thursday that he would withdraw from the deal unless Congress held a vote on his restoration to power.
He has said elections planned for 29 November will not be valid unless he is restored to power first, though the agreement did not guarantee the ousted leader’s restitution.

Al Jazeera:

The pact did not require Zelaya’s return to the presidency. It left the decision up to congress.

Zelaya interpreted that to mean that congress had to vote on the issue by Thursday.

Zelaya’s supporters have warned if he is not reinstated, violence will escalate [AFP]
Supporters of Micheletti, who was named interim president by congress after Zelaya was ousted on June 28, disputed that, saying the pact required that members of the unity cabinet be in place by Thursday but that there was no deadline for congress to meet.

In the wording of both of these stories I’m getting the feeling that the international community is seeing that Zelaya is not sane.

What does he hope to accomplish in 2 months of power that he couldn’t have accomplished if he had sent his own list of names to Micheletti to create the unity government? Based on his asinine behavior the Honduras Congress clearly sees that allowing him to step foot in the presidency is not a good idea.

And how on earth does holding a “non-binding referendum” on the constitution and how long a president can stay in power, with fake votes found on his computer help the poor of Honduras?

Zelaya was forced from power on June 28, the same day that he planned to hold a non-binding referendum on changes to the constitution that had faced opposition in the country’s congress and supreme court.

Opponents of Zelaya say that the public vote was intended to measure support for an extension to presidential term limits, in Zelaya’s favour.

Zelaya has dismissed those claims, saying that the vote was aimed at improving the lives of the poor in the nation of 7.6 million people.

If Zelaya cared a lick about the poor people of Honduras he would do whatever it takes to get them international aid again and to hell with the interim govt. Which means backing the heck off.

I get a little picked on about my obsession with Honduras, but LaGringa nailed it today

If what has been happening in Honduras doesn’t make sense to you, it is because you do not understand that people are strong and determined when they know they are right! Honduras is united standing up for truth, democracy, and their sovereignty − maybe an unusual concept, but maybe everyone should try it.

(yes LaGringa, the AP is idiotic)

I don’t have the slightest doubt in my mind that our country’s first instinct to back Zelaya was absolutely the wrong one. How on earth is it possible that the LATimes doesn’t see that?? Except that they seem MORE concerned with how other countries “view” us than actual right vs wrong.

If the Obama administration chooses to recognize the election without Zelaya first being reinstated, it will find itself at odds with the rest of Latin America. That would be a setback for democracy and for the United States.

Who is that writer? I don’t personally know anyone like that. Someone who care more about what some stranger thinks of them, than actual right and wrong.

Honduras is contending with not only what is right and wrong (ousting the President, right….kicking him out of the country in hindsight maybe not the best plan, but no, not “wrong”) and are working to do the right thing and improve their reputation.

Honduras has that spirit that says – screw you…we’re right and we know it. It’s why the Taliban fight harder than al-Qaeda. And it’s why people are working so hard to fight against MORE government power in their lives here.

[ps, the link is to House of Eratoshtenes who's point is that this whole healthcare thing is not about health, its about power and the relationship between the governed and the governors. It probably doesn't belong in this post, but it's a good post in itself, go read it.]

I agree that Honduras is right and I will stand up for them.
The Taliban are wrong and I won’t stand up for them.
And no – I do not want the government having say so over my healthcare options yet I’m perfectly fine letting my insurance company have it.

(by the by, yes, the first two are easy, easy choices. The 2nd one has more nuance since the govt is of course involved in the insurance industry through regulation already. I just wanted to put it out there.)

This is about Honduras and President Micheletti who has apparently decided to step aside and let Congress go ahead and do it’s thing. He is such an honorable man. He has decided that now, after the accord and after hearing the insistance by Zelaya that Zelaya be returned to the Presidency that if he steps aside the country can get a fresh slate from the rest of the world. He continues to follow the letter of the law here and I hope, his future is everything he wants it to be.

UPDATE: US and Israel:

Daniel Levy, a veteran Israeli peace negotiator now at the Century Foundation in Washington, summed up the administration’s efforts in recent days as “amateur night at the Apollo Theater.” He said the administration did not game out the consequences of its demands on the parties — and then flinched. “They just dug deeper and deeper their own grave,” he said. “All of this talk of negotiations doesn’t cut the mustard in the region.”

Sound familiar??

UPDATE: How on earth can Ed Morrissey not GET THIS!!!!
I would comment over there but you have to have signed up to make comments.
Ed – don’t be fooled!!

After successfully imposing American will on Honduras to return Manuel Zelaya to the presidency, the Obama administration apparently reversed course and told the Hondurans that we would recognize their elections this month whether Zelaya was back in office or not.

The accord all along has said that the HONDURAN Congress will determine IF Zelaya gets to return. Just because Zelaya is a half wit and signed the thing because Shannon suggested that of course Congress would vote for his return does NOT mean the Honduran Congress is a freaking puppet of the US administration. From day 1 Shannon said that the Honduran Congress was in charge and from day 2 Zelaya realized what a dumbass rookie mistake he had made.
They haven’t been and they continue to refuse this position. The document signed by both parties is valid and Zelaya is just stupid.

The US media are the ones who stated that Zelaya IS to be returned to office. How many times to they have to be wrong? Ed, I thought you knew better!!! My heart breaks.

Congratulations to the city of Longmont Colorado and our new city council and mayor!!!
Congratulations to the winners of the election last night (Baum/Santos/Witt/Sammoury)!!!

Best of luck to Mary Blue as she moves on to other interests!

Here’s the new mayor along with former mayor Al Sweeney.

After the accord was worked out exPresident Zelaya and OAS Secretary General Insulza started talking about how the accord made it clear that Zelaya was to be reinstated.

The accord ACTUALLY just says that Congress will vote to determine if Zelaya will be reinstated.

That’s different. Waaaaay different. Yesterday I was beginning to feel that the pressure the Honduran Congress was under may be too much to handle. This is one tiny and poor country folks and the longer Zelaya is in the news, the more “hope” his measly bunch of followers have and hence they gain strength in the “support” from such statements as Insulza’s.

Honduran Congress cares about Honduras. What is BEST for their country. They have to looking at

Today LaGringa brings us the interpretation of a letter written by Vilma Morales, former President of the Supreme Court in Honduras to OAS Secretary General Insulza;

In the missive, the attorney Morales criticizes the comments emited by Sr. Insulza during an interview with a radio station in Chile, which was reported by various news media. During the interview, Insulza said that “the only peaceful exit (in Honduras) is to restore President Zelaya for the short time that is left in his presidency.”

Morales indicated that “We worry that these declarations could be considered an interference in a yet fragile process of resolution of crisis that is developing in our country. We consider furthermore that your comments are contrary to the letter and the spirit of the Accord Tegucigalpa-San José, which indicates textually that the National Congress has the last word to make a decision about the possible restitution of Sr. Zelaya to the presidency.”

Click on through for the interpretation but LaGringa has it right.

You go girl (Morales)!!!
May the Honduran Congress make the best decision possible for their country based on the items they need to consider and without threats from outsiders!