Sic Semper Tyrannis–Saddam Hussein

1937-2006

Rot. In. Hell.

Michelle Malkin, and Gateway Pundit lead the way on the end of Saddam and reaction from bloggers and moonbats alike.

A music video in his (dis)honor:

Courtesy of Queen.

Teflon John Hickenlooper: Cracks In The Facade

John Hickenlooper has seen better days.

The political honeymoon of Denver’s mayor John Hickenlooper may have ended following November’s election debacle and December’s blizzard, and is almost entirely self-created:

For three years, Mayor John Hickenlooper’s charisma and fresh approach to governing proved a potent combination as he attracted new businesses to the city and repeatedly persuaded voters to tax themselves.

But after two notable city struggles – with snow plowing and a botched election process – some in government now wonder whether Hickenlooper’s silver-lining attitude has hindered him from making hard decisions to fix problems.

“He looks at snow and disaster and sees cocoa and sledding. He looks at election problems and sees the voters willing to stand in line for three hours and not the ones who left without voting,” said City Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez. “In a leader, you want someone who can see both.”
Hickenlooper checks packed snow at the corner of Utica Street and West Seventh Avenue in Denver on Tuesday. Some believe cracks are showing in his popularity. (Post / Hyoung Chang)

Hickenlooper said he has not been viewing the city’s problems through rose-colored glasses. He reiterated that the Election Commission problems were a “disgrace” and noted that he has repeatedly told city residents that the snow-packed roads were not satisfactory.

“The city has never responded better in a storm than it did now,” he said Tuesday. “But in spite of the work, there are still problems.”

Hickenlooper doesn’t now face serious opposition in his bid for re-election in May. And the same qualities that made him one of the state’s most popular politicians remain intact.

But cracks are showing, leading Rodriquez and others Tuesday to wonder whether he may have a bumpier re-election ride than anticipated.

“My biggest concern about his political situation is that he made seemingly crazy statements like all residential streets had been been plowed, and they clearly weren’t,” said Diane Wolta, a representative of the Virginia Village/Ellis Community Association. “Yeah, I’d be worried if I were him. It doesn’t show a good grasp of what’s going on in the city.”

No, Hickenlooper does not control the weather. But he is in charge of the city’s snow removal, and pathetic responses in the wake of two earlier blizzards, in 1982 and 1997, also had political ramifications for Bill McNichols and Wellington Webb. This blizzard’s aftermath came right on the heels of a slow response to a much smaller late November storm, when plows failed to be activated quickly enough. This is a logistical and service problem, and the city of Denver failed–on Hickenlooper’s watch.

The political ramifications won’t be as easy to fix as reducing parking fees, or paying a few parking tickets.

Adding more plows is a costly solution, especially for an event that has only happened three times in the last decade. Perhaps a better contingency plan for reaching the side streets once the main arterials have been cleared. Once the blizzard moved out Thursday afternoon, the weekend saw much sun and the snow began to melt quickly. Most residents expected the city to clear the street within 24-48 hours, and not make one pass. In addition, the previous blizzard of March 2003 was different in that the heavy, wet snow–once cleared–did not refreeze and create the deep rutted roads that are at best a nuisance and at worst nearly impassible. Facing another storm that could potentially bury these already-in-bad-shape neighborhood streets with up to a foot or more of additional snow will only exacerbate drivers’ commute and Hickenlooper’s political capital will take yet another hit.

Remembering Gerald Ford: Vail’s Ambassador

Gerald Ford meets with Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

Gerald Ford is being remembered as a “good neighbor” who helped put Vail on the map.

Remembering Gerald Ford: Vail’s Ambassador

Gerald Ford meets with Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

Gerald Ford is being remembered as a “good neighbor” who helped put Vail on the map.

NYC Enthusiasm For DNC Waning

Denver Democrats want the convention because they–and the city–have earned it, and not because NYC no longer covets the Democratic soiree:

Advocates for bringing the 2008 Democratic National Convention to Denver were heartened Monday by persistent news reports that rival New York’s power brokers are souring on that city’s bid.

But Denver boosters made it clear they’re keeping their eye on the prize: working nonstop to heal an 11th-hour union rift that could kill the city’s bid before Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean picks the convention winner next week.

“Sure, we should be encouraged by it,” Denver 2008 Host Committee Executive Director Debbie Willhite said of the latest “tea-leaf- reading story” out of New York City. “But what we should really be encouraged by is all the strides that Denver has made to put this city into the competition.

“What I don’t want people in Denver to think when we get this convention is we got it because New York didn’t want it. There has been enormous hard work put together to keep this bid moving forward.

“It will not be a default victory.”

Muslims "Demand" Right To Worship At Cordoba

Yeah, that’s right, “demand”! (h/t Gateway Pundit):

Spanish Muslims have written to the Vatican to demand the right to worship at Cordoba Cathedral.

Spain’s Islamic Board wrote to Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday, calling on him to grant them permission to worship in the cathedral, parts of which were built as a mosque during Spain’s period of Islamic rule.

The group said in their letter: “What we wanted was not to take over that holy place, but to create in it, together with you and other faiths, an ecumenical space unique in the world which would have been of great significance in bringing peace to humanity.”

They said that senior Spanish Catholic clergy had earlier rejected requests for Muslims to be allowed to prostrate themselves inside the Cathedral.

Mansur Escudero, the board’s secretary general, said security guards often stop Muslim worshipers from praying at the old mosque.

He said: “There are reactionary elements within the Catholic Church, and when they hear about the construction of a mosque, or Muslim teachings in state schools, or about veils, they see it as a sign we are growing and they oppose it.”

Mansur said Muslims came from around the world to see Cordoba’s Cathedral, which is still commonly known as the Cathedral-Mosque.

Reactionary as in the state of Saudi Arabia, which bans all religions other than Islam and forbids churches or bibles or preaching? Or Mecca, which is a “Muslims-only” holy site?

What happened the last time the Muslims “entered” this area?

The Roman Catholic cathedral had originally been a mosque but was converted into a cathedral in the 13th century.

The mosque itself was built on the site of the earlier cathedral of St Vincent which was demolished by Cordoba’s Muslim rulers following the Islamic invasion and occupation of parts of southern Spain in the eight century.

In December, Spain’s Catholic Bishops Conference released a statement, quoted by newspaper ABC, saying it “did not recommend” Muslims prayed at the Cathedral and was not prepared to negotiate the building’s shared use with other faiths.

Spain’s last Muslim territory fell with the conquest of Granada in 1492 after almost eight centuries of Muslim rule.

Yet more “evidence” of Islam’s “tolerance”.

Kwanzaa’s Karenga "Honored", Forgets History

Kwanzaa seems nice in theory, if one forgets (or has not been exposed to) the history of the holiday’s founder.

Kwanzaa’s Karenga "Honored", Forgets History

Kwanzaa seems nice in theory, if one forgets (or has not been exposed to) the history of the holiday’s founder.

Merry Christmas

Previously:
Daily Nativity 12-24-06
Daily Nativity 12-23-06
Daily Nativity 12-22-06
Daily Nativity 12-21-06
Daily Nativity 12-20-06
Daily Nativity 12-19-06
Daily Nativity 12-18-06
Daily Nativity 12-17-06
Daily Nativity 12-16-06
Daily Nativity 12-15-06
Daily Nativity 12-14-06
Daily Nativity 12-13-06
Daily Nativity 12-12-06
Daily Nativity 12-11-06
Daily Nativity 12-10-06
Daily Nativity 12-9-06
Daily Nativity 12-8-06
Daily Nativity 12-7-06
Daily Nativity 12-6-06
Daily Nativity 12-5-06
Daily Nativity 12-4-06
Daily Nativity 12-3-06

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Blizzard Blogging 2006–The Aftermath

NOAA’s National Weather Service December 2006 blizzard totals (excellent graphic):

The blizzard made a lackluster December snowfall (approaching records for least snowfall in December) into at least number 5 all time:

That makes this month the 5th snowiest December on record for the city. Records date back to 1882.
1. 1913 — 57.4″
2. 1973 — 30.8″
3. 1982 — 27.1″
4. 1987 — 21.5″
5. 2006 — 21.2″ so far
6. 1924 — 18.4″
7. 1960 — 17.8″
8. 1891 — 17.5″
9. 1979 — 16.5″
10. 1916 — 16.3″

Since 1946, the holiday 2006 blizzard would rank as the 7th biggest snowstorm in Denver.
1. 31.8 inches Mar 18, 2003
2. 30.4 inches Nov 3, 1946
3. 23.8 inches Dec 24, 1982
4. 21.9 inches Oct 25, 1997
5. 21.5 inches Nov 27, 1983
6. 21.2 inches Nov 19, 1991
7. 20.7 inches Dec. 21, 2006
8. 18.7 inches Mar 5, 1983
9. 17.7 inches Nov 19, 1979
10. 17.3 inches Apr 1, 1957
11. 16.9 inches Mar 20, 1952
12. 16.0 inches Oct 3, 1969
13. 15.8 inches Apr 26, 1972

Not all are happy with Denver’s plowing efforts after the blizzard:

Denver-area residents poured sand under spinning wheels, wielded shovels and emerged Saturday to find sodden streets still packed with slushy ruts of snow two full days after a holiday eve blizzard.

Denver’s public works department said that by noon Saturday, the city had sent a snowplow down all city streets, even residential ones.

Tell that to Earthel Ware.

She said that she watched crews go down Gaylord Street in the Five Points area Friday night, but they never visited the street she lives on, Vine Street.

“I kept waiting for them to turn and come back by, but it never happened,” Ware said. “It’d be nice to get some help out here.”