Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

What?

Oswald, al Qaeda & Murtha

Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 06:44:05 PM PST

As I wrote about here and here, since Rep. John Murtha had the audacity to say that troops should not be sent into Iraq without proper training and equipment, the Republican hit squad has been out in force. And today the National Review Online and Dick "Last Throes" Cheney have taken the attacks to a new high...or low, as the case may be.

First, from NRO:

As you know, John Murtha has "said he would attach language to a war funding bill that would prohibit the redeployment of units that have been at home for less than a year, stop the extension of tours beyond 12 months and prohibit units from shipping out if they do not train with all of their equipment. His aim, he made clear, is not to improve readiness but to 'stop the surge.' [...]

We Marines maintain that except for Lee Harvey Oswald, there is no such thing as an "ex-Marine." I believe that John Murtha has just joined that small club.

And from Dick:

With respect to Iraq, I think he's dead wrong. I think, in fact, if we were to do what Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Murtha are suggesting, all we'll do is validate the al Qaeda strategy. The al Qaeda strategy is to break the will of the American people -- in fact, knowing they can't win in a stand-up fight, try to persuade us to throw in the towel and come home, and then they win because we quit.

On par with the man who assassinated John F. Kennedy, or enabling al Qaeda? How low are the GOP willing to go to avoid facing a vote that would actually mean supporting the troops? Stay tuned.

Labels: Cheney, Congess, USMC, wingnuttery

BAGHDAD, Feb. 7 — An American CH-46 Sea Knight military helicopter crashed about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing all seven crew members and passengers on board, the American military said today.

It is the fifth American helicopter to crash or be shot down in less than three weeks, and military officials have grown increasingly concerned that Iraqi insurgents have adapted their tactics to be much more effective against American aircraft.

The military said it was investigating the cause of the crash. The helicopter — a large transport model easily distinguished by its twin rotors, one mounted near the cockpit and the other on a tall structure at the tail — can carry as many as 25 combat troops, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

Meanwhile today, the United States military announced that the new Baghdad security operation had officially begun, but that it will take hold gradually and will not be completely in place for some time yet.

Initial reports from witnesses in the area of the helicopter crash suggested that the aircraft was hit by ground fire.

Labels: helicopter, Iraq, shoot down, USMC