Duncan Hunter, come clean, admit guilt

* haaretz:

"Rice has been here six times in the course of a year and a half, and what has come of it? Has anyone asked her about this? Does she ask herself?

It is hard to understand how the secretary of state allows herself to be so humiliated. It is even harder to understand how the superpower she represents allows itself to act in such a hollow and useless way. The mystery of America remains unsolved: How is it that the United States is doing nothing to advance a solution to the most dangerous and lengthiest conflict in our world? How is it that the world's only superpower, which has the power to quickly facilitate a solution, does not lift a finger to promote it?
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As things appear, America can and does not want to. No government in Israel, and surely not the most recent ones, which are terrified of the American administration, would stand up to a firm American demand to bring the occupation to an end. But there has never been an American president who wanted to put an end to the occupation. Does America not understand that without ending the occupation there will be no peace? Peace in the region would deliver a greater blow to world terrorism than any war America has pursued, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Does America not understand this? Can all this be attributed to the omnipotent Jewish lobby, which causes Israel more harm than good?

The declared aim of U.S. policy in the Middle East is to bring democracy to the region. For this reason, ostensibly, the U.S. also went to war in Iraq. Even if one ignores the hypocrisy, self-righteousness and double-standard of the Bush administration, which supports quite a few despotic regimes, one should ask the great seeker of democracy: Have your eyes failed to see that the most undemocratic and brutal regime in the region is the Israeli occupation in the territories?
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In the Middle East, the U.S. has an opportunity to fundamentally change its image, from a warmonger to a peacemaker. And how does the U.S. respond to the challenge? It sends Rice to tell the excited Ehud Olmert how she falls asleep easily on her unnecessary and ridiculous flights to and from the Middle East."

ten bux sez we won't see that reprinted in the US.

* Raw:

"Reuters editor Joe Maguire has parted ways with the news agency after it reviewed a copy of his upcoming book, Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter, according to a report in today's New York Times."

malkin will be ecstatic.

* via calipendence:

"San Diego, CA - John Rinaldi, Democratic Candidate for 52nd, District-California, is planning a community forum to discuss the issues surrounding the financial questions about Republican Duncan Hunter's Alpine home. Rinaldi is also expressing his outrage over Rep. Hunter's violation of the Resolution Trust Corporation.

"This story isn't done," said Rinaldi. "It's the tip of the iceberg. I believe this is the first issue in a string of improprieties that will come to light as people really look into the Republican Congressman's financial dealings. I also think the fact that Rep. Hunter was in clear violation of the conflict of interest clause comes as no surprise to people who know the way this man does business. He believes he is above the law. At some point, we have to say, enough is enough. And today we are well past that point."

"When a Baptist minister admits that he repeatedly told Hunter about the home for over two years prior Hunter's purchase, it's clear that the Congressman had plenty of time and access to inside information about the Alpine home," continued Rinaldi. "It's clear that he had information that allowed him to buy a home below market value, and that's to the detriment of every tax payer and a clear violation of the insider trading rules of the RTC. Perhaps it's a good time for Hunter to learn a lesson from Cunningham and just come clean, admit he is guilty and save the taxpayers the time and money of an investigation, trial and ultimately a special election.""