Pop Quiz

Remember this post about troop redeployments in Europe?

Remember All the hullabaloo as Kerry protested the President's decision?

Finally, I want to say something about the plan that the President announced on Monday to withdraw 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe. Nobody wants to bring troops home more than those of us who have fought in foreign wars. But it needs to be done at the right time and in a sensible way. This is not that time or that way.

Well, guess who supported the decision, and in fact, advocated it before the announcement?

Before you answer, here's the quote:

I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops, not just there but elsewhere in the world. In the Korean Peninsula perhaps, in Europe perhaps. There are great possibilities open to us.

Give up? I'll give you a hint. This isn't the first time he's been nuanced.

How many times can he contradict himself, take both sidfes of an issue, or just outright lie before the bottom completely falls out from under his campaign?

Thanks for the Memory to Blogs for Bush

And the (News)Beat Goes On

Thanks for the Memories to Vic at Darth Apathy

Apparently the New York Times is all in a tizzy over being subpoenaed in the Valerie Plame affair.

Vic already does an able fisking of the Times regarding htis issue, so I won't belabor the point. But he made a comment that reflects perfectly what I've been thinking lately, so I thought I'd chime in. He says:

We all know that the Left views the First Amendment as their sole property, but it's never been more apparent than it has been recently.

I couldn't have said it better myself, Vic.

Let's look at the recent examples, some of which I've already commented on:

- MoveOn.org urges President Bush to stifle the Swift Vets ad, while doing Kerry's dirty work for him.
- A Hacker plot to attack the GOP websites during the convention.
- The media demanding that someone pay for the outing of Plame, then crying "First Amendment!" when they get subpoenaed.

The list goes on. Just sit back and watch the comments section of your favorite blog, and see what goes on.

As Vic says, "The hypocrisy is stunning, though not unexpected."

US, Australia Win Gold in Growing Up

Remember Sydney? Remember the bad blood between the US and Aussie swimming teams? Remember the shock the US received when they lost the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay? Remember Guitars?

That was then. Last night, it was the US' turn to shock the Aussies, winning the Men's 4x200 meter Freestyle Relay by .13 of a second. This is an event the Aussies hadn't lost in international competition since 1998. And who was the first person to congratulate the US?

The same Aussie who led the guitar strumming in 2000. Good on ya, Australia.

In Other Olympic News:

0 for 2. That's the Chinese in Team Gymnastics. Last night, it was the Romanians and Americans (again) and the Russians who shut them out. I have to agree with Russell over at Mean Mr. Mustard. I feel badly for the individual competitors, but since the Chicoms use athletics as a showplace for validating their system of government, anything that robs credence from a totalitarian regime is reason to celebrate.

And speaking of growing up, remember the hissy the Russian women threw at settling for silver in 2000? No? Well, they did. Very unsportsmanlike. Last night, they were genuinely thrilled to be on the podium period. What's Russian for Good Job?

Finally, a bit of home town bragging:

An Oregonian has done something no other American has done in 100 years. Mariel Zagunis, of Beaverton Oregon, won the Gold in Women's Saber. In the consolation match just prior, Sada Jacobsen won the Bronze to break a 20-year US medal drought in the sport, but Zagunis' Gold was the first US Gold in fencing since the 1904 Olympics.

To my younger, single brethren: Guys, she's single, she's into swords, and she's attending Notre Dame this fall. Need I say more?

While we still trail in Gold, the US has now taken first in the overall Medal Count. And Track & Field hasn't started in earnest yet. It's shaping up nicely for the USA.