Iran: Sanctions Will Fail Says Colin Powell while Afghan Arms Shipments Are Major Problem Says Gen. McChrystal by Gregory Hilton

PHOTO: Jonathan and Jesse Leicht pose with a photo of their brother, Marine Cpl. Jacob Leicht, who was killed on Thursday while on patrol in Afghanistan. He was the 1000th U.S. serviceman killed in the Afghan conflict.

According to statements made today, the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran inside Afghanistan is continuing. This is especially apparent in weapons shipments. General Stanley McChrystal, the coalition commander in Afghanistan, today said there is “clear evidence” weapons shipments from Iran have increased. The General also said the fighting in Afghanistan will extend long beyond July 2011, which is the date for the Obama administrations planned draw down of forces to begin. The Afghan National Army still does not have the training to take over next summer.
In a press conference, the General said: “The training that we have seen occurs inside Iran with fighters moving inside Iran. The weapons that we have received come from Iran into Afghanistan.”

New Jersey Goes to War: America’s Fiscal Future is Now Being Decided in the Garden State by Gregory Hilton

PHOTO: New Jersey has the highest tax burden in the nation, and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) wants to slash the state budget. In response, public employees have declared war on his administration.

While most Americans were enjoying the Memorial Day weekend, the state of New Jersey went to war. President Barbara Keshishian of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) declared war on Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) on behalf of all public employees. The NJEA President is outraged because the Governor has proposed a 2.5% cap on future salary and benefit increases.
In March an NJEA teacher said Christie should die, and Keshishian visited the Governor’s office to apologize. The Governor asked if the teacher had been fired. When Keshishian said no, she was thrown out of Christie’s office. In her war declaration, Keshishian said:

Dick Cheney – “I Expect That From MSNBC But Not From Fellow Republicans”: Will TARP Doom Another GOP Candidate by Gregory Hilton

PHOTO: The candidates in the June 8th South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary include State Rep. Nikki Haley, Lt. Gov. André Bauer, Rep. Gresham Barrett and Attorney General Henry McMaster.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has just released a hard hitting statement endorsing Congressman Gresham Barrett for Governor of South Carolina. Barrett’s has a lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 98% and is a former Army field artillery captain. Nevertheless, his campaign has been struggling in the polls all year.
A PPP survey released last weekend gave State Nikki Haley a huge lead with 39%, while Attorney General Henry McMaster had 18%, Barrett was at 16%, Lt. Gov. André Bauer 13% with 14% undecided. The survey was conducted before allegations were made against Haley about an extra martial affair.
Barrett’s major problem is primarily due to one issue, his vote for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. Barrett has been booed in front of Tea Party crowds, and has consistently been on the defensive. The first time TARP came up for a vote, Barrett did not support it.
Then he saw the stock market immediately collapse by an unprecedented 1000 points and was told the entire American banking system was in danger of shutting down, and the result would be another great depression. Barrett changed his mind and supported TARP on the second vote.
The TARP vote has already been a significant factor in primary defeats suffered by Senators Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Kay Baily Hutchison (R-TX). Her opponent, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), often referred to her as “Kay Bailout Hutchison.” TARP is also being used against Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) in his gubernatorial campaign.
Joining Cheney in support of Barrett is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence, Gov. Bob Riley (R-AL) and the American Conservative Union. State Rep. Nikki Haley has the support of retiring Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) as well as former Governors Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Mitt Romney (R-MA). Romney says supporting TARP “was the correct and courageous thing to do,” and the legislation was also endorsed by the conservative magazine National Review. Lt. Gov. André Bauer has been endorsed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) while Attorney General Henry McMaster has the backing of Sen. John McCain. The Cheney statement said in part:

Today, I am strongly endorsing Gresham Barrett. He is is one of the most conservative leaders I’ve ever worked with. No one in South Carolina has done more to fight President Obama’s reckless agenda than Gresham Barrett. On issues of national defense, spending reductions, tax cuts, and eliminating the national debt, his record fighting for the conservative cause is unmatched. Gresham has opposed and fought against every single wasteful Obama spending proposal. Every one.
But there’s a lot of revisionist history going on in South Carolina these days. I expect that from MSNBC, but not from fellow Republicans. So let me set the record straight. I’m certain Gresham knew his vote in support of President Bush and our plan wouldn’t be popular, but he did something far too novel in American politics today: He put the interests of his country ahead of his own. That’s why voters should not believe the false attacks from his opponents. When it was time to make decisions and show leadership, Gresham stepped up while they all stayed silent and ducked for cover. That may make for good politics today, but it certainly isn’t leadership.

Congressman Barrett has had to devote a huge amount of time to defending the TARP vote, and it is always used as a principle attack weapon by his opponents. Attorney General Henry McMaster often refers to the Congressman as “Bailout Barrett.” The Congressman devoted an entire 60 second TV ad to TARP in which he said:

I honestly believe with all my heart that we were at a point where men and women were going to reach into their back pocket and pull out a credit card or ATM card and stick it into a machine and nothing was going to come out. I listened to my president, George W. Bush. I listened to businessman and leaders in South Carolina.
As a leader, I made a decision. Did we stop something that could have happened? Yeah, I believe we did. Has it been implemented like it should have been? No, absolutely not. You can always be a Monday morning quarterback. But leaders make decisions based on the best information that they have, and they go with it. That’s what I did.

If Barrett fails to make the runoff on June 8th the next Governor may want to hire him to assist with business development. Barrett has an impressive jobs creation record and had a key role in luring aircraft manufacturer Boeing to the state. The Congressman is regarded as an anti-union activist on Capitol Hill.
Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is leaving office with high negative ratings primarily due to an extra-marital affair, but South Carolina in a far better fiscal position than most other states. South Carolina has low property and business taxes, and labor unions have little power in the Palmetto State.
Boeing has long been associated with Washington state, but last October they announced plans for a second 787 Dreamliner plant to be constructed in South Carolina at a cost of over $700 million. The plant could mean as many as 35,000 spin off jobs. To remain in Washington state, Boeing had asked the International Association of Machinists (IAM) for a 10 year no strike pledge. When the union failed to meet the demand, Boeing followed through with its threat to build the facility in South Carolina. Companies such as BMW and Michelin also appreciate the state because the chances of a crippling production strike are low.

Protectionist Sentiments Are Rising But Free Trade Can Be A Winning Message For The GOP by Gregg Hilton

PHOTO: Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND) is heading towards a landslide victory in his campaign for the U.S. Senate. The platform he advocates is the complete opposite of the incumbent Democrat.

In the contest to replace retiring liberal Sen. Byron Dorgan (D), the GOP has a tremendous lead, and this is now regarded as a safe Republican seat. In a poll out this morning, Gov. John Hoeven (R) is leading state Sen. Tracy Potter (D) by a staggering 73% to 23% margin.
Dorgan became the state’s only Congressman in 1980, and has been in the Senate since 1992 where he is Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee. The retiring Senator is a strong opponent of multi-national corporations and free trade. He is author of the protectionist bible, Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America, and was often a fixture on the former CNN program Lou Dobbs Tonight.

Foreign Policy and National Security: A Deep Schism Re-Emerges in the GOP by Gregory Hilton

PHOTO: Until their 2008 re-emergence, anti-war protesters within the GOP had disappeared in 1941.

The major issues dominating the 2010 campaign are the economy, jobs, health care and energy. Unlike 2004 and 2006, foreign policy and national security are not at the top of voter concerns. The past year has witnessed a significant increase in Republican support, and the party is certain to make gains in 2010. GOP unity and enthusiasm are both high.
The old battles between the fiscally conservative deficit hawks and social conservatives (who are concerned about abortion, gay rights and gun control) are now on the back burner. Every survey indicates the Republican Party will not be divided in 2010 and its members are intent on a comeback.
Nevertheless, a deep schism is developing within GOP ranks regarding foreign policy and national security issues. The GOP has been remarkably united on foreign policy issues since the early 1950s, but those days are coming to an end.
THE 1952 CAMPAIGN
The Republicans had a strong isolationist and anti-war wing prior to World War II. Prior to the emergence of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and the libertarian movement, the last gasp of power for the isolationists was during the 1952 presidential campaign. The nomination battle was between Sen. Robert Taft (R-OH) and General Dwight Eisenhower. They agreed on most domestic issues and the major conflict was defense policy. Eisenhower firmly believed in NATO and was committed to the U.S. supporting anti-Communism in the Cold War. Eisenhower was NATO’s first Supreme Allied Commander.
Eisenhower met privately with Taft prior to the campaign, and had a withdrawal statement in his jacket. He was ready to announce he would not be a candidate if Taft would support the NATO Treaty. The Senator’s opposition made Eisenhower realize the importance of his candidacy for the GOP and the nation.
Ike was successful in 1952 and the GOP avoided isolationism for the next half century. Today Congressman Paul justifies his viewpoint by pointing to Taft and NATO. However, Paul is far more of an isolationist than the late Ohio Senator. Taft fully supported the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and military and economic assistance to the Republic of China on Taiwan. Even though Taft opposed NATO, he was still in favor of keeping six U.S. infantry divisions, or 90,000 troops, in Europe.
THE LIBERAL REPUBLICANS
Beginning in the late 1960’s, anti-war sentiments in the GOP were centered on liberal Republican Senators who were opposed to the U.S. mission in Vietnam and advocated reductions in the defense budget. The prominent anti-war Republicans of that era were Senators Mark Hatfield (OR), Jacob Javits (NY), Clifford Case (NJ), John Chafee (RI), Ed Brooke (MA), Charles McC Mathias (MD) and Lowell Weicker (CT).
JOHN CORNYN VS JIM DEMINT
A unique feature of the 2010 campaign is the rise of the Tea Party movement. These activists have turned out in large numbers at numerous protests against the 2009 stimulus, the GM, Chrysler and AIG bailouts, and the 2010 health care reform bill.
Their name is a reference to the historic Boston Tea Party of 1773, a protest by American colonists against taxation by the British government when the colonists had no representation in the British Parliament. Tea Party participants have a wide range of views and a significant number oppose the U.S. missions in Afghanistan and Iraq as a waste of taxpayer funds.
The division caused by the Tea Party movement was described by Naftali Bendavid of the Wall Street Journal,

On one side are pragmatists like Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), who insist that uncompromising conservatives aren’t good bets to win swing states. On the other are purists like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) who want to field as many conservatives as possible to recapture the public’s trust at a moment when faith in government is at low ebb. History suggests Mr. Cornyn’s approach is a safer bet. But recent polls suggest that in a number of states this year, the purist conservative could defeat the Democrat in the general election.

In opposition to the NRSC, DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund has endorsed numerous GOP primary challengers, including Rand Paul (KY), Chuck DeVore (CA), Marlin Stutzman (IN), and Ken Buck (CO).
THE LIBERTARIANS AND THE PALEOCONSERVATIVES
Republicans are also having a debate on the proper role for the United States in world affairs. This time the anti-war forces are not from the eastern seaboard, but they are being led by some of party’s most conservative members.
There is growing tension in the party as four prominent candidates for the U.S. Senate are in sharp disagreement with the 2008 Republican Platform on foreign policy and national security. The GOP candidates and their outlook is described below:

• Rand Paul of Kentucky is against the Iraq War and opposes the Afghan surge, the Patriot Act and FISA (The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). He advocated closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and is one of the few Republicans who has tried to justify the actions of the 9/11 terrorists.
  Paul wants to reduce the defense budget by closing overseas bases. Paul has made many misleading statements about the Patriot Act and falsely claims, “The Patriot Act gives the government the right to search your home without a warrant, when you’re not home, leave listening devices, and use any and all information to create a prosecution on any charge regardless of their original reason for the search.”
• Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of California does not want to continue the war in Afghanistan. He says there is no need to “employ conventional forces,” he opposes the Obama troop surge, and says the mission can be handled by “special forces, drones and better human intelligence.” DeVore goes on to say “the Taliban and Al Qaeda do not present an existential threat to the U.S. I am an intelligence officer and a Lt. Colonel and have studied this issue.”
• Mike Lee of Utah says “I’m concerned with reports that I am hearing from Afghanistan in particular that we may have 100 or fewer active militant Taliban in Afghanistan. . . If that is true, I ask the question: what on earth are we doing subjecting our brave men and women who need to be supported to that kind of danger, day in and day out, if they have as many thugs there as we have right here in Utah county?”
  According to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service, there are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Taliban fighters. Some estimates are as high as 25,000. What Lee is referring to is an interview last October with National Security Adviser James Jones where he told CNN there are fewer than 100 al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.
  Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty says Lee “Advocates a non-interventionist foreign policy and says our military should be used for defensive purposes only. He considers the Patriot Act one of the worst pieces of legislation enacted during the Bush years. He despises the Federal Reserve.”
• Former Congressman John Hostettler of Indiana was defeated in the May 4th primary, but for several months he was the GOP frontrunner. Hostettler is a former six-term Member of Congress and probably would have won this race without a last minute major recruitment effort by the GOP establishment. They were able to convince former Senator Dan Coats to move back to Indiana from his retirement home in North Carolina, and Coats won the primary.
  Hostettler was one of only six Republicans to vote against the Iraq war resolution. His book, “Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq” advocates an isolationist foreign policy, and says America was in Iraq because of oil. Hostettler was endorsed by Libertarian leader Ron Paul and he admires paleoconservative leader Pat Buchanan. The former Congressman says we were in Iraq because of the influence of people “with Jewish backgrounds.”
  The Evansville Courier and Press quoted him as attacking Obama because the President had abandoned the anti-war lobby. The Republican “accused Obama of abandoning his anti-Iraq War views. ‘The one person, the one person who can get us out, who has unilateral authority to get us out, doesn’t want to,’ he said.” Many of Hostettler’s appearances were sponsored by “Veterans for Peace.”

Debate: Oil and the Iraq War – Reed Clifton vs. Gregg Hilton

Reed Clifton of Portland, Maine is a professional musician concentrating on folk, country and blues. He was born in northern New Jersey. He describes his hometown as a “New York City suburb/inner city ghetto, and spent much of his early life as a product of his environment. After cleaning up his life he attended college in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In college he began frequenting country music clubs such as Trouts in the Oildale section of Bakersfield, and his love and appreciation of country music grew.” He describes his philosophy of life by saying: “Some folks journey’s take them on sidewalks, mine goes over Everest. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

25th Anniversary: Jeane Kirkpatrick Who Denounced “The Blame America First Crowd” Retires as U.N. Ambassador by Gregory Hilton

Monday will mark the 25th anniversary of the day Jeane Kirkpatrick stepped down as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. One of the high points of my career at the American Security Council was being able to work with her. I first knew the Ambassador as a professor at Georgetown University when she a Democrat and a great admirer of Sen. Henry Jackson (D-WA). She worked on his 1972 and 1976 presidential campaigns, and there were many conservative Democrats in those days.

April 25, 1980 – 30th Anniversary of Desert One, Hostage Rescue Attempt in Iran Fails by Gregory Hilton

It was 30 years ago today that eight U.S. servicemen died at the Desert One site south of Tehran, Iran. Their bodies had to be left behind, and at the time it was described as the worst humiliation the U.S. had ever suffered.

We Made a Difference: Americans Can Be Proud of our Role in Afghanistan and Iraq by Gregory Hilton

For the past two days my Wall has been filled with comments from libertarians and liberals. They both advocate the same isolationist foreign policy, and a significant part of their anger is directed towards the U.S. missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

House Votes 403 to 11 to Condemn Iran But Ron Paul Defends The Islamic Republic by Gregory Hilton

Last night the House of Representatives voted 403-11 to proceed with a conference which would further isolate Iran by cutting off its supplies of refined petroleum products such as gasoline. Under the proposed law, companies that export gasoline to Iran would be barred from the U.S. market. Despite Iran’s massive oil reserves, the country has limited refining capacity and has to import the gasoline it requires.
The lawmakers are acting to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said last night, “We have waited long enough for diplomacy to work.” Many lawmakers told the House last night that Iran’s intentions are clear, and “now is the time to implement crippling sanctions on this reckless regime.”
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), the 1988 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, was once again in the forefront of those rushing to defend the Islamic Republic and its nuclear weapons program. Paul led the opposition to the “Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act,” and told the House:

I rise in strong opposition. I object to this entire push for war on Iran, however it is disguised. . . We hear war advocates on the floor today arguing that we cannot afford to sit around and wait for Iran to detonate a nuclear weapon. Where have we heard this before? Anyone remember then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s oft-repeated quip about Iraq: that we cannot wait for the smoking gun to appear as a mushroom cloud. We need to see all this for what it is: Propaganda to speed us to war against Iran for the benefit of special interests. . . A vote for sanctions on Iran is a vote for war against Iran.

Ron Paul is the only Republican who has consistently defended Iran’s President when he makes statements such as “Israel should be wiped off the map.” Congressman Paul has also repeatedly justified the actions of terrorists who have attacked the United States. He also accuses the CIA of being in the drug business and says they need to be “taken out.” Paul is considered a champion of the “9/11 Truth” movement.
They believe the NYC Twin Towers were packed with explosives. Many liberal activists are understandably enthusiastic about Rep. Paul. One Moveon.org group assisted in the funding and production of one of his TV ads, and the organizations website continues to promote meetings of Paul supporters.
Reps. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) are the only two lawmakers who voted against a resolution condemning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his statements calling for the destruction of Israel and genocide of the Jews. The resolution outlined the reasons why the Iranian leader was in violation of the UN Genocide Convention.
In October 2009, Ron Paul and Kucinich were the only two Members of Congress to vote against H.Res.175 condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”
On January 9, 2009, Paul and Kucinich were once again in the minority on a 390-5 vote recognizing Israel’s “right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks” and reaffirming the U.S.’s support for Israel.
Ron Paul is also the only 2008 GOP presidential candidate who refused to support John McCain in the general election.
I sure wish a national Republican leader would step forward to condemn the many radical and dangerous statements of Ron Paul and his supporters.