Sorry, Cindy Sheehan, when it comes to the mess that was Iraq in 2005, I'd single out for most heroic wartime truth-teller, Captain Ian Fishback, the West Point graduate who blew the whistle on abuses of Iraqi prisoners, and whose letter to John McCain was key to securing the Congressional ban on torture and in blowing the whistle on the Bush administration's trashing of the Geneva Conventions. More on Fishback here, and more on the soldier from Iraq war supporter Andrew Sullivan here.
Overall, I'd say the United states military should be singled out as the group that put up with the most crap in 2005 and which was placed under the most unnecessary strain. As such, the military would be, in my opinion, the group most deserving of more respect and support from ordinary Americans...
For best political play using truth as a weapon: Congressman "Jack" Murtha's surprise call for an end to the U.S. military operation in Iraq
(By the way, the biggest bar-fight mis-match of the year had to be Murtha and the dude whose ass he whipped in the verbal sense: Dick "Five Deferrments" Cheney...")
For most honorable Republican: Sen. Chuck Hagel... (sorry John McCain, I like you on the torture issue and think you're sincere about it, but I still think that in terms of raw politics, you're a phony, and the media should stop kissing your butt...)
For best political play using the rules as a weapon: the Democrats' "closed session" gambit to force the GOP to investigate the administration's use of prewar intelligence...
Biggest political blunder of the year: Mean Jean Schmidt's idiotic attack on John Murtha on the House floor...
Catch-phrase of the year: Stuck on stupid by the very cool Gen. Honore of New Orleans...
Reporter of the year: four-way tie between Murray Waas, Walter Pincus, Dana Priest and Seymour Hersh... and I'd say the paper I found the most valuable, despite the malodorous presence of Mr. Woodward, would be the WaPo...
Worst newspaper of the year: no competition: the story-burying, Busy-toadying New York Times. An no, I ain't payin' for no bloody premium subscription...
Most inspiring humanitarian: Bono although I do have to give it to Bill Gates, he is living the vision, even if his company is the direct spawn of Satan ...
The Monica Lewinski award this year would have to be a tie between Kyra Philips and Norah "the Bush-bot" O'Donnell (sorry Chris Matthews, you just missed this one, gushing praise for Dubya notwithstanding)...
The throw your boy under the bus award would have to go to Dick Cheney for the speed with which he jettisoned Scooter Libby ...
Best comeback: the separation of powers, with a special dispensation for The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, for finally throwing out the Bush monarchical kool-aid, and for the FISA judge who showed Collin Powell how a person registers dissent with honor. Maybe next year Congress can get in the running...
The most useful blogs for me in 2005 were MediaMatters , TalkLeft and ThinkProgress on the left, and Jawa and Wizbang on the right (Jawa for the WOT scoops and Wizbang because they always give me something to argue about, and those who know me know I looove to argue...)...
On the pop culture front: the best TV show this year for me would be a tie between "Lost" and "The Shield" (the worst season ender: mos definitely "Nip/Tick"... it sucked...)
The people I never, ever, ever want to hear about again: big-time tie between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and Lance Armstrong. Got no use for any of them. I DO want to hear more about that trailer-fabulous couple of the year: Britney and Kevin -- Do me proud, Rita Cosby -- they are a scream... (and they take the heat off poor Whitney and Bobby...)
The creepiest person of 2005: Michael Jackson, although washed up British rocker Gary Glitter is fighting for position...
Looking ahead to 2006, the person I most hope exceeds expectations: John Roberts...
The person I expect to behave exactly as advertised: John Bolton...
The person whose opinion I expect to find most valuable: John Dean...
And the person I'm most interested in hearing more from in 2006: Patrick Fitzgerald. No doubt. Last but certainly not least, my "most valuable player" of 2005: my husband Jason. I know, I know, and I'm definitely not the schmaltzy type, but he really was.
That's my list, feel free to holla by post or email with one of your own. And have a safe and happy New Year everybody!
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dim done
done = request.form("done")
if done = "" then
done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
<%
Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
'Response.write ("Sent to ") & email
End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
