On former dictator Saddam Hussein’s 68th birthday his former subjects formed their first government in over 50 years.

“The 275-seat parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, ending a power vacuum that has existed since Jan. 30 elections.

Small cheers broke out in the assembly after the speaker of parliament declared the vote had passed by 180 votes to five.”

You can read more here at Yahoo News

Finally some sanity rears its head in Maricopa County. I’ve long been a fan of no-nonsense Sherrif Joe Arpaio, but in this case he blew it. The County Attorney has said that
Sgt. Patrick Haab, the US Army Reservist, who made a citizens arrest of 7 illegals crossing the Arizona/Mexico border will not be charged with a crime.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the tip.

” On April 19, 1775, British and American soldiers exchanged fire in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. On the night of April 18, the royal governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, commanded by King George III to suppress the rebellious Americans, had ordered 700 British soldiers, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith and Marine Major John Pitcairn, to seize the colonists’ military stores in Concord, some 20 miles west of Boston”

“At Lexington Green, the British were met by 77 American Minute Men led by John Parker. At the North Bridge in Concord, the British were confronted again, this time by 300 to 400 armed colonists, and were forced to march back to Boston with the Americans firing on them all the way. By the end of the day, the colonists were singing “Yankee Doodle” and the American Revolution had begun. Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789 includes a Time Line of the events that followed.”

Read the Library of Congress’s account of this important day in the history of freedom.

Online Freedom of Speech Act Introduced in House
By: krempasky · Section: FEC

Today in the House of Representatives, Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) introduced a companion piece of legislation to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s bill (S.678) to exclude the Internet from the definition of “public communication” in the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002.

Its too bad a specific law is needed, but given the FEC’s habit of expanding its powers pas those specifically granted to it this goes a long way towards heading off suppression of Internet speech.

Estate Tax Repeal Heads to Senate Battle
By MARY DALRYMPLE, AP Tax Writer

WASHINGTON – Lawmakers and lobbyists pressing for an end to the federal estate tax hope newly elected Senate Republicans give them the votes they need to terminate what opponents of the levy call the “death tax.”

Its good to see congress making progress on this tax, although it is interesting to note that the Democrats still consider cutting this tax a ‘cost’ to the governemnt.

ed.

Armor Used by Jamestown Colonists Found
Tue Apr 12, 5:52 PM ET

JAMESTOWN, Va. – Archaeologists have discovered a piece of flexible armor used by Jamestown colonists to protect themselves against Indian attacks.

Rumsfeld: Don’t Politicize Iraq Military

Wed Apr 13, 2:27 AM ET
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

SALAHUDDIN, Iraq – On a whirlwind tour of Iraq that included his first visit to the Kurdish region, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld urged the emerging national government on Tuesday to avoid politicizing the Iraqi military.

Just updating to the latest and greatest software rev. I’ll get a beter theme setup this weekend.

The big question is this – how can you call yourself a country if you don’t enforce your borders? Small groups of American Citizens have been answering this question by doing their civic duty and helping the under-staffed and under-funded Border Patrol catch illegal aliens.

Even before it officially started today, the Minuteman Project has been a success. While setting up for their month-long patrol of the San Pedro Valley they spotted 18 illegals and reported them to the Border Patrol for arrest according to this AP news story.

Despite all the hand-wringing by the Mexican Government and open borders crowd (some who call themselves ‘human rights activists’) I expect the project to progress peacefuly and successfully. Good luck to them.

One of the greatest influences on the world has passed on to his reward.

Your work here is done, it is now time to rest in peace.

8:32 AM, EST

In Last-Minute Congressional Move, Tax Deadline Moved up for Blue States
By Leo Continelli
Associated Press Writer

Washington DC (AP)– In a bold and unprecedented move, Congress changed the Tax
codes which will force blue states to file taxes by April 5 to avoid late penalties, allowing red states to file by the traditional date of April 15th.

Senator Lamar Alexander, R, from Tennessee, said ?It?s what the Democrats get
for trying to run President Bush out of office with a dirty campaign.
Christopher Bond (R, Montana), said, “It’s payback time.”

Diane Feinstein (D, California), outraged at the last-minute change to the tax
codes, fought against the measure in the Senate vote. “It is unfair for those
who live in the blue states. What are they [the Republicans] trying to prove?”
while Republican Junior Senator from Arkansas, Ted Stevens maintained, “It’s
not like the people on welfare in the blue states pay any taxes anyway.”

The tax deadline change will affect some 20 states, all of which sent Electoral
College representatives to dimple their chads for Democratic Presidential
candidate John F. Kerry last November. Kerry’s choice for Vice President,
then-senator of North Carolina, John Edwards (D) was hoping to sway the vote of
the southerners who “tended to vote along more Republican lines”, said Terry
McAuliffe, 2004 Democratic National Convention Chair for the 2004 election.
“Unfortunately, not only did this President successfully retain his oligarchy,
but he’s now punishing people for free speech at the ballot box.”

“It proves that this administration is corrupt and fortifies why President Bush should have lost this election” Al Franken, morning radio talk show host for Air America said in his Wednesday broadcast. “We’ve had people dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and now he drops this bombshell on the populace, many of whom have sent those soldiers off to war! It’s unconscionable!”

President Bush was unavailable for comment Thursday.

The measure passed 63-33, with Senator Ted Kennedy (D, Massachusetts)
missed the vote due to car problems.