Justice will prevail...

Judea Pearl, the father of the murdered writer Daniel Pearl, speaks out in an editorial dealing with Munich and the murder of his own son by terrorists.

When Steven Spielberg talks about his film "Munich," he uses words such as "violence," "empathy," "revenge" and "doubt." But one word is missing from his comments, and from the film itself: "Justice."

Nearly four years ago, when the world reacted with shock and indignation to the murder of our son, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, my family and I had hoped the civilized nations would mobilize to protect themselves, not merely against the practice of targeting the innocent to transmit political messages but more pointedly against the ideologies that license such moral deformity.

Unfortunately, brutal and videotaped killings of innocents has since become part of the cultural scene of the 21st century, steadily instilling contempt toward the lives of others. More alarming, the very notion of terrorism as a universal moral taboo has been the subject of a relentless intellectual assault that relativizes and blurs it. The mantra "one man's 'terrorist' is another's 'freedom fighter'" subverts judgments of right and wrong.

It is a shame that people that killed Pearl and even the mastermind of 9/11 (OBL) have yet to be brought to justice.

Here is another article on Munich. Some are saying that George Jonas' book is fabricated.

The book is based on a source named Yuval Aviv, who claimed to be the model for Avner but was, according to Israeli sources, never in the Mossad and had no experience in intelligence beyond working as a screener for El Al, the Israeli airline.

Interesting, isn't it?

I saw these numbers from 1999-2004 in the Seattle Times. It pains me the most to see Democrats on this list. I just read yesterday for the first time that Jack Abramoff is Jewish so Abramoff is now the new Monica except well, I won't mention those jokes...

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., chairman, Senate Interior appropriations subcommittee: $146,590
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., House appropriations committee: $131,000
Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., House Resources Committee: $86,750
Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Speaker of the House: $81,750
Rep. John T. Doolittle, R-Calif., House leadership and Appropriations Committee: $79,750
Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, former House majority leader: $71,000
Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Senate Appropriations Committee: $62,485
Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, chairman, House Administration Committee: $62,485
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Senate Appropriations Committee: $49,480
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate minority leader: $47,000
Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La., House Ways & Means Committee: $45,500
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., Senate Appropriations Committee: $44,500
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., ranking Democrat, Senate Interior appropriations subcommittee: $44,050
Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., former Senate minority leader: $41,750
Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., former House minority leader: $39,500
Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., former Senate assistant majority leader: $37,500
Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman, House Resources Committee: $36,000
President Bush: $34,250
Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., House Appropriations Committee: $33,000
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman, Senate Finance Committee: $31,500

Of the $33,000 that he recieved, Hal Rogers will only give away $32,000. Why does he refuse to refund it in full?

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers said last night he will give away $32,000 in campaign donations he had accepted from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Indian casino clients.

The money should not be allowed to become a problem, said Rogers, a Republican who represents Southeast Kentucky's 5th Congressional District. It will go to the UNITE Foundation, a non-profit group he helped organize in his district to fight drug trafficking and treat addiction.

"Although these contributions were lawfully made and properly reported, out of an abundance of caution, so as to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I am donating these funds to the UNITE Foundation," Rogers said after a query from the Herald-Leader.[...]

Most of the money went to Rogers, a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, who received $18,500. The state Republican Party took $10,000.

McConnell's office did not respond to questions yesterday about his plans for the money. Neither did officials at GOP headquarters in Frankfort.[...]

Only one Kentucky politician took a donation directly from Abramoff: U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Republican, who accepted $1,000 in 2003. Bunning's office did not return a call yesterday.

I just recieved the following press release in my inbox.

For Immediate Release
January 4, 2006
AMERICAN VICTIMS OF PALESTINIAN TERROR TO BRING NEW LAW SUIT AGAINST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
A new civil action is being organized on behalf of American victims and the families
of American victims of Palestinian terror. The target of the new law suit will be
certain non-US based financial institutions which facilitated the funding of HAMAS terror attacks in Israel.

If you are an American victim of Palestinian terror or if you are the family member of an American victim you might qualify to be a plaintiff in this civil action and enabled to seek financial compensation from these financial institutions.

In order to be a plaintiff in this case you or the family member victim must be an
American citizen who was injured after March 1996 in an attack carried out by the
HAMAS terrorist organization in Israel.

If you or a family member are American terror victims please immediately contact us to determine if you qualify:
Email: info@israellawcenter.org

Some news out of Governor Vilsack's office.

Iowa Governor Vilsack has named Rodell Mollineau as his new communications director, and picked Chris Godfrey as commissioner of worker compensation.

Mollineau has been communications director for Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor. Before that he worked as a press aide to South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle.

My condolences to the miners' families. To the media: get it right the next time!

In a stunning and heartbreaking reversal, mining officials told family members early Wednesday that 11 of the 12 trapped coal miners initially thought to have survived a mine explosion had died.

The devastating news came more than three hours after Gov. Joe Manchin announced he had been told 12 of the miners survived the disaster. Rescue crews found the first victim earlier Tuesday evening.

"It’s sorrow beyond belief," Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group, said during a news conference.

Manchin said that, "about the confusion, I can’t tell you of anything more heart-wrenching than I’ve ever gone through in my life. Nothing."

"I can feel the outrage," he later told NBC’s Today show, referring to the anger from the victims’ families.