2006 proved to be quite an exciting year as we saw that the average American voter just might “get it” after all. I am cautiously optimistic about 2007 as we anxiously await the changing of the guard in the House and Senate in Washington.

Rest assured that our work here is not done, and that we can always do more to help those that cannot help themselves, and to ensure that the basic civil rights of ALL of our citizens are protected under the Constitution created by our founders. This means that watching all of our lawmakers, Republican and Democrat, is a priority and that we should call BS when we see it no matter the party affiliation.

The Third Way has posted an online response to the release of a national security report today by the Bush administration. The report provides a credible list of documented facts that refute the ever-growing list of lies told by the administration with regard to national security.

Factual Highlights:

The number of al-Qaeda attacks in the five years leading up to September 11, 2001: 3
The number of al-Qaeda attacks in the five years since September 11, 2001: 30

Percentage of World opiate supply originating in Afghanistan today: 90

Number of nuclear warheads that Iran could build in 2000: 0
Number of nuclear warheads that Iran could build in 2006: 10

Estimated longest range of Iranian missles in 2004: 1,500 km
Estimated longest range of Iranian missles in 2006: 3,000 to 5,000 km

Number of Army Reservists that President Bush requested cut in the FY 2007 budget: 17,000

The bottom line here is that the United States is not safer today than it was before 9/11.