Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Frost - Nixon

I remember when the Frost - Nixon interviews took place in the Fall of 1977. I watched a few segments and it was apparent to me that Nixon handled the British journalist pretty easily. I simply inquired why Nixon would waste his time talking to a member of the main stream media, although there weren't any alternatives at the time except in the print media, i.e. National Review. The only explanation I can come up with is Nixon's psychological issues and personality foibles which ultimately led to his downfall, but that's another story.

When I heard the ads for the new movie, I simply ignored them because I have no intention of seeing this film. How much liberal drivel can one take? Especially at Christmastime.

However, I happened to be listening to Monica Crowley last Saturday night on the way to a Christmas party and she raised some very interesting issues about the movie and journalism in general. As Monica so cleverly called them, why does the "lame - stream media" continue to bash Conservatives and Republicans and give Democrats a pass. When she first raised this subject, I thought nothing new there Monica we already know that. However, she raised a very interesting example by way of contrast which bears repeating here, especially now with the " Messiah's" coronation on the horizon.

Monica pointed out that the lame-streamers loved that Nixon was grilled for 14 hours by Frost, and some even thought Frost went easy on him. But here is where it got really interesting. Monica then raised our friend Bill Clinton's recent interview with Chris Wallace. You remember that one. Wallace asked him a few fair questions, and Clinton accustomed to only soft balls from an adoring dinosaur media, hit the roof. Wallace's questions could hardly be classified as tough and yet Clinton screamed like a baby. Mind you this was an interview that lasted maybe a half hour and Clinton couldn't take it. It was astounding that a man who had been President for 8 years,had NEVER been asked a fair question. Unbelievable! Only in America and in the blinded world of the "lame - stream media".

Monica wondered as do I, why Clinton and other liberals are always given a pass. Where and when will Clinton's feet be held to the fire? Don't hold your breath was her conclusion, with which I agree. In what made for some very interesting radio, Monica then posed some questions which she would like to see Clinton answer, and which he would be relentlessly hounded to answer if he were a Republican. I won't repeat Monica's questions ( all of them good ) here, but I would like to add a few of my own.

Mr. President why did you sell nuclear secrets to Communist China? Was your 1996 re-election campaign really more important than the safety of the country? Why after all the terrorist attacks of the 1990s did you do nothing and treat this war as a petty criminal action? How could you nominate an anti-American jurist like Ruth Bader Ginsberg to the Supreme Court?

How about the following inquiries to a man who garnered 90% of the African American vote? If you were really the first black President, why did you do nothing to stop the genocide in Rwanda? For that matter, why did you do nothing while Muslims were slaughtering hundreds of thousands of black Christians in Sudan? How come you spent considerably less than the current Bush administration to combat the spread of aids in Africa?

That's simply the tip of the iceberg, I still didn't get to Vince Foster and Ron Brown, but you get the picture. So query, why doesn't Chris Matthews or Larry King pursue this interview. You know that they and their ilk will soon start hounding President Bush for the big "gotcha" interview. If the lame - streamers were to ask Clinton the questions that both Monica and I raised, the ratings would go through the roof. The only problem is that you couldn't do a proper interview with Clinton in 14 hours. You would need 14 days.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

More Christmas Stories

How bout some of these gems that Santa delivered over the years: electric football, (in which it took 15 minutes just to set up the players for each play) Monday Night Football, Kelly Car Wash, strat-o-matic football and baseball, and that "mini-disc" player recounting the heroics of Daryle Lamonica and Dick Butkus among others.

Also who remembers this memorable tree story from one of our last Christmases in Springfield. This was in the era of Uncle Rube Claus.The tree was too tall once we put it in the stand, so we cut some off of the base. The only problem was that we cut too much off and we couldn't put the tree back in the stand because of the lower hanging branches. We then had to take the piece of the base that we had just cut off, shave a couple of inches off of it and nail back onto the tree itself. By doing that, we were then able to get the tree in the stand and it looked great. Nobody could tell the difference.

Christmas Traditions Part II

Christmas is certainly a magical time of year and the traditions are wonderful. I especially love the Italian traditions. Growing up we did our own version of the traditional seven fish Christmas Eve meal, eating those fish that we liked and discarding those that we didn't.

This year Lisa hosted the Christmas Eve dinner for the extended family so Mom didn't have to cook. It was great. My in-laws were in from out of town as was Aunt Daria, and the whole gang came over for an open house. We exchanged gifts, ate and drank a ton, and had a lot of laughs. It was just like the old days. That night was fantastic as well, as you could actually feel the excitement in the air of Santa's anticipated visit. Carolyn served as hostess on Christmas Day, a tradition that is now 13 years old, and that was great as well.

In addition to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Italian tradition at least in our family, was to celebrate the entire Christmas Week right up through New Years Day. Those events could be formal dinners or informal visits to come over and see the tree and what Santa had brought. Of course sprinkled in throughout the week was a menu fo NFL and increasingly important bowl games, along with Flyers and Sixers games. It simply doesn't get any better than this.Let's keep it going. Happy 2009 to all!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Pièce de résistance

After that last post, shortly before calling it a day, Dom and Emmy appeared before us in the living room. Emmy announced that she and Dom had one more gift to give us this Christmas.

"There were three National Merit Semi-Finalists at Father Ryan this year. You're looking at two of them".

And with that, a very good night...

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Traditions

Following on Mark's previous post, let me share some Christmas traditions that we observe, some ethnically rooted ones that we want to continue, others simply things that we have done for some reason or another.

First off, Christmas Eve dinner is a seafood feast. It is my understanding that there is a traditional Italian 7-fish meal on this day, to include calamari, baccala, smelts, and other fish. This wasn't one that we celebrated rigorously growing up; we were aware of its existence and observed a version that eliminated the fish that we didn't care much for. And so it continues: we had stuffed squid (calamari sounds so much better!), mussels, and shrimp to go along with antipasto, pasta, and a wonderful Amaretto cake for dessert.

We went to Mass at 6:30. This isn't a tradition so much as a preference. We tried midnight Mass when the twins were younger and we were in New York, but that often became an exercise in heavy lifting and precarious carrying of precious cargo across an icy parking lot before bringing them upstairs and putting them to bed. The older I get, the less the idea of staying up past my bedtime and lugging slumbering kids around appeals to me. Mass at 6:30 following dinner at about 5 worked out well.

One tradition that I never embraced was my wife's family's tradition of saving the wrapping of gifts for Christmas Eve. She and her mother, and later her younger sister, would stay up to the wee hours, chit-chatting and getting the gifts ready. I would invariably disappoint Angela by fading away well before the last present was wrapped (and often shortly after the first one was!). We now wrap as we go, with a few stragglers that we knock out before midnight. We put them out beneath the tree after the kids have fallen asleep, and then quickly get to bed so that Santa won't catch us not sleeping at the appointed hour.

Christmas morning varies, with the kids no longer the earliest risers. I was up before 5 this morning, then went back to sleep for a bit. We heard the giddy rantings of the kids upstairs (the tree is in the loft) around 6, and went up soon thereafter. Emmy, though, was still in the bathroom, so we had to wait a bit for the unwrapping to begin. I am reminded of my sister Carolyn's insistence that the gift distribution and unwrapping be done according to rules that she alone knew but compliance with which she demanded of all. This came to be known as "Buffy Protocol". We are a whole lot laxer in our system: someone grabs a box, sees whose name is on it, and gives it to them to open. If someone is starting to feel left out, then we will make a search for a specific box, but this doesn't happen too often. Angela mans the trash bags and puts the discarded wrappings into the bags at once. I work the camera. There is the usual situation where one of the younger ones will want to go past unwrapping to unpacking and using the gift, and the older siblings and/or parents issuing a cease and desist order. The last thing we want is a game or toy with multiple parts on the floor by the tree with lots of foot traffic and the possibility of something getting accidentally discarded.

We had a nice breakfast, usually featuring, as it did this morning, Italian Christmas cookies that Angela has made. We package up cookies for delivery to friends and neighbors; we usually do this in the days before Christmas. Luca and I made the last two deliveries last night to neighbors who weren't around on the first pass. One tradition that we skipped this year is the awarding of popcorn (we have to buy some for Scouts, so this is a way to distribute it - we always buy more than we really want) to households with great Christmas light displays. We'll have to get back to that next year. During the day, we watch movies when not playing with the new loot. "A Christmas Story" is a perennial favorite; one of these years we will make it to the house in Cleveland where it was filmed.

So those are some of the things that we did this year and try to do every year. Angela wonders how non-Italians can enjoy the season without the culinary customs that we have. She is reminded of Joe Paterno's mother's comment when he told her that things were getting serious with the German girl he had been dating: "How you gonna eat?!" Oh yeah, the "big gifts" of the year: Gabe - electric guitar with amp; Luca - red iPod nano; Dom - PlayStation 3. Emmy got lots of clothes; I am not sure what qualifies as the "big" gift.

A very good day. Merry Christmas to all. And to all a good night.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! Once again this sacred holiday is under attack with the PC police frowning on the use of the phrase " Merry Christmas" in favor of the vapid, unreligious, and ludicrous "Happy Holidays". Christmas is a sacred Christian holiday, and America is primarily a Christian country born out of the Judeo - Christian tradition. It is a festive time, as well as a time of peace and good will and the last time I checked, it's something we could all use a little more of in this world. Furthermore, Christmas is a federal holiday and all government offices are closed. There is also a secular aspect to Christmas that everyone, not just Christians enjoy.

It is ridiculous and idiotic to claim that the word "Christmas" and the phrase "Merry Christmas" are somehow divisive. Why anyone would be offended is beyond me. It is simpy an attack on religion, specifically Christianity which is the favorite whipping boy of the liberals because of its strong moral stance and acknowledgment of good and evil.

The other major religious holiday that occurs around Christmastime is Hannukah. To those that celebrate Hannukah, I cheerfully wish a Happy Hannukah, the fact that I am Christian is immaterial. When I see a Menorah, I don't feel that Jews are trying to make me feel like an outsider, nor do I feel that they are intolerant. I simply honor their right to celebrate this great holiday which is part of the great Jewish religious tradition.The same holds true for any other religious group in America. It's called freedom of religion.

So let's let the liberals and their friends in the dinosaur media that carry their water, know that the war on Christmas is on and that it is inevitable that Christmas is and will be victorious. Let's begin by wishing a hearty "Merry Christmas" to all those we encounter. By the way kidos to Bill O'Reilly for taking center stage in this fight. On this issue, he's displayed a lot of guts and deserves our hearty congratulations.

Presently, as we are now past the 2008 election cycle this blog will morph into one espousing Conservative principles and preserving the great American traditions. This month obviously will be dedicated to the traditions of Christmas, and I would invite all to share their favorite Christmas traditions over the next few weeks. I will share mine as well.

For now be of good cheer, pray for our troops and be thankful for living in the greatest country in the history of the world. Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 5, 2008

And now for something very off-topic!

My good friend and fellow author, Stacey Joiner interviewed me today about my book, Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal. In this brief video, I share my motivation for writing the book, explore some of its themes and describe the creative process as it unfolded for me.

Many thanks to Stacey for her camera work, and her excellent coaching!




In this second video, I explain why it took me so darn long to finally achieve my childhood dream, and offer advice to fellow wordsmiths:




P.S. Don't you just love winter in South Florida! :)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Rick Moran delivers a first-class smackdown of Deepak Chopra

Years ago, I was an avid reader of Chopra's books, but sadly, he's devolved into another left-wing, blame-America-first loon. Or is it more accurate to state that Chopra has simply revealed his true colors in the years following 9/11, now that New Age dogma -- characterized by the moral relativism so eagerly embraced and espoused by libs -- has become not only a fashionable (e.g. "I am not religious, I am spiritual") but also a formidable force against logic and reason?

Apparently, Chopra was spewing his nonsense on CNN in an effort to explain the horrific acts of terror wrought upon Mumbai. I will leave you with Moran's zinger of an opener, but click over to read his entire piece. It's definitely worth the time.

There are few human beings on planet earth more annoying than Deepak Chopra, the touchy-feely, New Age Guru whose fetid, gooey, and completely banal nostrums regarding health and healing have reached a new low in the history of civilized thought.

He is, in short, a first class idiot.

Palin Campaigning for Chambliss in Georgia

Thanksgiving may be over, but I am betting Senator Chambliss is extremely grateful to Palin for rallying the faithful. She's the best thing to emerge from an incredibly tedious and trying election season. As one of the thousands in attendance put it so succinctly: "Our candidate did not win the election but she won our hearts."

And proving once again she's a class-act, Sarah had nothing but praise for her former running mate, John McCain, though the senator from Arizona couldn't seem to muster the "honor" and courage to defend her from the reprehensible smears put forth by cowardly, despicable members of his own staff. With leaders like Sarah, the future of conservatism is bright, as long as grass-roots activists remain engaged, hold our elected representatives accountable and make a consistent, concerted effort to educate and inform.

Go Sarah go! And may Senator Chambliss prevail in tomorrow's run-off.







H/T: Hot Air

UPDATE: Chambliss wins, credits Sarah for his victory.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. What a blessing to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. I am very thankful for my wife and children, my extended family and friends and for my country, the last, best hope on earth. God Bless America.

Terror Strikes Mumbai

A stark reminder that we still live in a dangerous world. According to The Times of India, 80 are dead and 900 are hurt in one of the most violent attacks on Indian soil.





Meanwhile, the FBI is warning of a "plausible but unsubstantiated" threat of a terrorist bombing attack on the NYC Railway System.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Holy Land Foundation Defendants Guilty on All Counts

Via Michelle Malkin, I came across this bit of good news -- a welcome relief in an otherwise depressing post-election spin cycle. Nice to know there is still some justice in our PC-infested world. From the Dallas Morning News:

A jury on Monday determined that the Holy Land Foundation and five men who worked with the Muslim charity were guilty of three dozen counts related to the illegal funneling of at least $12 million to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

The unanimous verdicts are a complete victory for the government, which streamlined its case after a mistrial last year, and worked hard to carefully educate jurors on the complex, massive evidence presented in the trial. Guilty verdicts were read on 108 separate charges.

The prosecution victory is also a major one for the lame duck administration of President George Bush, whose efforts at fighting terrorism financing in court have been troubled, even though the flow of funds seems to be effectively shut down.

"The jury has handed the government a huge victory and a loud and clear message has been sent – if any group funnels money to a terrorist organization, the government will hunt you down and turn off the money spigot," said Robert Hirschhorn, a nationally known jury consultant based in Lewisville. His partner, Dallas attorney Lisa Blue, was hired by the government to help pick the jury.

It was the second trial where the government attempted to convict the men and the now defunct Richardson-based Holy Land Foundation itself. It took the jury eight days of deliberations to reach its decisions – less than half the time it took jurors to end up with an almost complete mistrial last year on the first go-around.

"My dad is not a criminal!" sobbed one courtroom observer after the verdicts were read. "He's a human!"

As one of Michelle's readers comments, "criminal and human are not mutually exclusive; most criminals are humans." Yes, and when found guilty, should be appropriately punished.

Now if President Bush would only pardon the unjustly imprisoned Ramos and Compean before leaving office, I might be willing to forgive him for his "compassionate conservatism," which apparently now also involves bailing out soap operas and ski resorts. Sigh.

Speaking of our Brave Men and Women....

With Christmas, Hannukah and the New Year Holidays ahead, take some time to remember a wounded soldier by sending a card to the following address:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

Melanie Morgan Fights the Good Fight in Georgia

California talk show host Melanie Morgan is heading to the Peachtree State to help Senator Saxby Chambliss, whose re-election is crucial if we're to maintain any semblance of logic and sanity in Congress. Read the full story here. And to support candidates who support our troops, visit Mafpac.org.

Melanie, the founder of Move America Forward, is a passionate advocate for the men and women of the United States Military. Together with Michelle Malkin, Soldiers' Angels and an impressive list of conservative voices, including Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, she raised over $1 million worth of care packages for the troops back in June. Let's hope Melanie and her PAC can work some magic for Senator Chambliss, a desperately needed voice of reason in a government that has taken a nightmarish lurch to the left.

A humorous post-script to the Turkey Incident

Finding humor in such silliness is commendable - and pretty darned funny:



H/T Treacher

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Difference Between Republicans and Democrats

If a Republican had had a hand in this, he or she would be crucified in the media, not a nominee for Attorney General. It's not that I mind that the GOP is held to that standard (in fact, I welcome it); it's that the political class as a whole is not, entirely because the Democrats get a pass from the MSM.

Sometimes Day By Day is so good

I have to post the day's strip here so it doesn't get overlooked (it's always available in the side menu, but changes daily). Click on the image for a larger version.

Candy Asses

Sorry for the vulgarity, but I am unable to believe that this is happening. Ann Althouse applied the term in response to the dumb asses who got their panties in a bunch because Sarah Palin, after doing the customary, clichéd chief-executive-pardons-a-turkey-before-Thanksgiving schtick gave an interview to a reporter while still on the grounds of the turkey farm. And get this - they actually kill and bleed out turkeys on this turkey farm! More than that, Sarah Palin is an IDIOT, and a CRUEL and HEARLTESS one at that, because she, um, gave an interview while the turkey farm continued to function in the background! The horror!



Like Eric Scheie, I didn't think this was serious - at first, I thought it was either a few PETA types being PETA types, or some lefty goofballs trying to lay a trap to get Palin supporters to overreact. Sadly, it sure appears that the morons who find anything objectionable in this video are, in fact, serious. I don't think the English language has sufficient verbiage for me to express how ridiculous these losers are. Hey, poltroons, enjoy your turkey - it was once a living, breathing bird that had to be killed before it reached your table. I know a lot of you have a problem understanding biology, particularly as it pertains to how humans come into being, but never did I think that you didn't understand what turkeys (or chickens, or cows, or pigs) were before they became table meat.

I think perhaps the Big O does, though (or at least he doesn't let it stop him from indulging in chicken wings):

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Palestinian Day at the UN

Gee, I hope the 77% of American Jews who voted for Obama are happy. As Gateway Pundit reports, not only is the UN engaging in this disgusting anti-Israel spectacle, but emboldened Gaza militants have been launching daily rocket attacks into Israel for the past 17 days. Guess they are celebrating their endorsed candidate's victory in their typical sick, twisted fashion!

From France with Love

Yes, it has been a while since I've contributed anything to Palin Drone, so when I came across this remarkable story via the Anchoress, I knew it was time to get back in the game. Many of us love to pick on the French (rightfully so, in some instances) but this long overdue post would like to give credit where it's due -- to a French Infantryman in Afghanistan who has only undiluted praise for his American allies. Thanks to Jules Crittendon, whom I believe was the original blogger on the story. I sure hope the folks back in France, as well as the anti-troop lefties here in America take the time to read the words of this honorable Frenchman:

“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.

Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner.

Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

That last paragraph reminds me of a letter I received from a British soldier this past September, in which he thanked me profusely for the care packages I'd donated via Move America Forward, Soldiers Angels and the web-a-thon-they'd put together back in June. Some of the contents had been shared with him by an American soldier, one of many who sympathizes with his British counterparts for the abject lack of support they receive from their own countrymen.

In the frenzy of election hype and politics, it is sometimes easy to forget the uniqueness of the United States of America and its citizens. The majority of Americans genuinely regard our troops as the heroes they are, and as a result, demonstrate tangible support (not merely lip service) through the donation of goods and money. And while some on the left may scoff at us "yokels" who take the work of our military very seriously, it is gratifying to know that it does not go unnoticed by allied soldiers serving on behalf of their countrymen. I only wish that the citizens of France and England would demonstrate the same high regard for their enlisted men and women.

God bless all of the allied troops, the writer of this article and everyone who understands that freedom isn't free. Particularly with Thanksgiving around the corner, it's one of the most important things to be grateful for!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Now the Real Work Begins

As we all know, Conservatism is a grass roots philosophy that starts from the bottom up. It's comprised of people who think for themselves and then find common ground with other like minded thinkers. It is the polar opposite of liberalism, in which a few select, erudite, elitist thinkers spout socialistic ideas and the masses drink the Kool - Aid.

That said, it's now time for Conservatives to roll up our sleeves and work hard to help the Republican Party rediscover its soul, not to mention its long,lost electoral majority. This makeover can only occur at the state and local levels.

So here's the prescription. Get involved with your local party and find out why we were beaten. Then let's learn from our mistakes. Next, let's start supporting Conservative candidates at the local level be it school board or tax collector. Join the CRA. That's how we do it, from the bottom up. Those of us like me, keep blogging and sharing ideas.

At the state level, let your legislators know when you disagree with them and support our Republican governors. These executives are our future and out of their ranks will come the next Republican president, hopefully in 2012. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We need to start right now, if want to win back Congress in 2010.
We don't have the luxury of waiting until after the Inauguration.

We are all disheartened by the loss of the election, and being stuck with another moderate candidate who was afraid to espouse conservative principles. However, the time for mourning is over. If we act properly and with conviction, out of this defeat could rise our greatest victory. As the old Chinese proverb states "out of crisis, opportunity". We certainly have a crisis. Now let's use this opportunity to rebuild our party and save our country. Let's roll!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Michael Steele for RNC Chairman

Finally the Republican Party appears to be waking up. Today, I heard the good news that Michael Steele is running for RNC chair with the support of Newt Gingrich. What a breath of fresh air! A Conserviative running the RNC, what a novel idea. Unlike the current chair, a chap named Duncan who most peopleg including Republicans never heard of, is great step in the right direction.

Michael Steele is the perfect choice to help the party rediscover its Conservative roots, and come in out of the wilderness to reclaim victory in 2010.

Cold Blooded

The more you learn about Barack Obama, the scarier it gets. As we saw from the Al Smith dinner he lacks a very important characteristic, a sense of humor. Watching him strain to be funny was painful. He takes himself much too seriously. More importantly, he has the detached persona of an assassin.

He stood alone after his election night victory, and shooed his wife and daughters off of the stage. He appears to be very self - infatuated. There is no warmth to the man. Not surprising when you consider his support of infanticide. Then yesterday when he arrived in Washington to meet the President, he took one plane and his wife and daughters took another. His family was then secretly whisked to an automobile where they met him at undisclosed location, so they could exit the vehicle together at the White House for the family photo - op. Upon arrival, he attempted to bully the President into bailing out the auto industry by employing his Chicago thug street tactics.

He is arrogant and narcissistic. He really does see himself as some kind of "messiah". It is ironic watching the same dinosaur media that ravaged Nixon, unfailingly adore the man who shares more Nixonian qualities than any other President we have had since 1974. You can be sure that during this upcoming Christmas season, he will be making his enemies list and checking it twice. Let the buyers beware.

What Are They Thinking ?

As Rush points out today, the results of exit polling revealed that the fastest growing segment of the population are those earning $100,000 or more. Never heard about this in the dinosaur media, did you? Of course not. They worked hard to continually paint the economy in the worst possible light for the sole purpose of hurting the Republicans and the President.

Surprisingly, a majority of this well - heeled group voted for Obama! What are they thinking? I'll tell you what. It's the - I got mine, screw you - syndrome. Kind of like Communist leaders, secret capitalism for them and poverty for the masses. Who can forget Bhreznev's collection of antique cars and posh homes. Meanwhile, Russian citizens waited in line for toilet paper. The hypocrisy of it all!

Monday, November 10, 2008

As Mark has been at pains to point out...

A clear conservative Reaganite message IS a winner. Now, there is a resident troll who, using a simulacrum of the English language, sputters his disagreement, occasionally in complete sentences. So how about responding to this, philly?

Mr. Obama won the White House promising tax cuts, but he will be governing with a Democratic Congress bursting with desire for a more activist government. As he faces this challenge, he might remember the fate of another man who made taxes the central part of his campaign: the first President Bush, whose most memorable campaign line -- "Read my lips, no new taxes" -- was as central to his victory as Mr. Obama's promise to cut taxes for 95% of Americans. George H.W. Bush famously reneged on that promise. Voters rejected his bid for a second term.

Mr. Obama ran like Reagan. Will he be able to govern that way, too?

Palin-Drone 2036 Preview

You go girl! Piper 2036!

Serious Funny

From Treacher, who invites others to post it (and who am I to argue with Big Jim?):


Hitchens - Peter - weighs in

Christopher's younger, smarter brother dishes a lot of sad, disheartening truth in his latest column:

They (immigrants from Central America in DC celebrating Obama's election) grasped the real significance of this moment. They knew it meant that America had finally switched sides in a global cultural war. Forget the Cold War, or even the Iraq War. The United States, having for the most part a deeply conservative people, had until now just about stood out against many of the mistakes which have ruined so much of the rest of the world.

Suspicious of welfare addiction, feeble justice and high taxes, totally committed to preserving its own national sovereignty, unabashedly Christian in a world part secular and part Muslim, suspicious of the Great Global Warming panic, it was unique.

These strengths had been fading for some time, mainly due to poorly controlled mass immigration and to the march of political correctness. They had also been weakened by the failure of America’s conservative party – the Republicans – to fight on the cultural and moral fronts.

They preferred to posture on the world stage. Scared of confronting Left-wing teachers and sexual revolutionaries at home, they could order soldiers to be brave on their behalf in far-off deserts. And now the US, like Britain before it, has begun the long slow descent into the Third World. How sad. Where now is our last best hope on Earth?

Where indeed...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Water Signs Party












Like most of the Palin-Drone audience (save for our resident troll), I am dismayed, worried, disgusted and frightened by the results of our election. Frankly, I am still pretty depressed about it and plan to continue fighting for freedom and America as we've known it until common sense returns to the land. Part of that effort will involve educating people about the Constitution, capitalism, the three branches of government and the real causes of the economic meltdown (which we have all repeatedly spelled out on this blog).

However, I've also come to realize that life still goes on, and it is still good. This year, I finally achieved a lifelong dream of becoming a novelist, with the publication of my first book, Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal. To celebrate, two of my dearest friends threw a party last night in my honor, attended by others I am blessed to call good friends. Next to my family, these relationships have impacted my life in the most positive, uplifting ways. The fact that so many have demonstrated such genuine interest in my work and admiration for my accomplishment has only deepened my appreciation not only for this great country, but for all of the opportunities it represents.

As I looked around the room, I noticed folks of different races, religions and ethnicities, all interacting, laughing and conversing with one another. There were no distinctions made in terms of superficial characteristics, no barriers to the enjoyment of a truly memorable evening. We were all just Americans who happened to be friends and acquaintances, getting together to celebrate another's success.

Contrary to the media narrative, most Americans are decent people, who choose their close associations based on character, not skin color. That's the country I know; that's the real America. And no matter who is in the White House, I will always love the USA.

Finally, a very special thank you to Theresa and Kathy for putting this all together, and to everyone who attended, listened, bought a copy of the book and offered genuine support. You're the best!







Saturday, November 8, 2008

Moderate Mush

Gerald Ford in 1976 - vanquished. George H.W. Bush in 1992 - vanquished. Bob Dole in 1996 - vanquished. John McCain in 2008 - vanquished. Thanks to the moderates, the Republican party had given us four years of Jimmy Carter, eight years of Bill Clinton, and now Obama. DO i detect a learning disability here?

The only true Conservative to run in the last thirty years was the magnificent Ronald Reagan who won two landslides with the entire media and both party establishments against him. The only conservative to lose was another great candidate, Barry Goldwater, in 1964. Moderates like to focus on that. However, lest we forget Goldwater was attacked by moderates in his own party and there was a bitter fight at the convention. The erudite, liberal fraud Bill Scranton went so far as to try to get President Eisenhower to denounce Goldwater to the convention delegates!

In addition, 1964 was only year after the tragic assassination of President Kennedy and the nation was in mourning. Many votes for Johnson were really votes for Kennedy. Add to all of that the fact that LBJ was one of sleaziest politicians of all time, and he got a free pass in media. There was no Fox News or talk radio to help Goldwater, he was all alone.

I hope you learn from this my moderate, blue blood, country club Republican friends. Our future depends on it.

Friday, November 7, 2008

"The Reign of Lame"

The brilliant Ann Coulter nails it, as usual. When will the Republican party learn that when it runs a moderate, it loses? Fifty-three percent of registered Republicans didn't even vote for McCain in the primary (not surprising, since many of them never got a chance to choose between candidates in the first place). Ann is absolutely on-point here; the only thing I would add is the urgency of doing away with open primaries.

If you don't think enough of your country to investigate the platforms of the two major parties and register with the one that most speaks to your beliefs and values, then you ought to just stay home. If you don't possess the conviction to pay attention to what's going on until the last second, and are uninformed enough to still be "undecided" hours before a presidential election, then please, sit it out.

Ann writes:

Republicans lost this presidential election, and I don't blame the messenger; I blame the message. How could Republicans go after B. Hussein Obama (as he is now known) on planning to bankrupt the coal companies when McCain supports the exact same cap and trade policies and earnestly believes in global warming?

How could we go after Obama for his illegal alien aunt and for supporting driver's licenses for illegal aliens when McCain fanatically pushed amnesty along with his good friend Teddy Kennedy?

How could we go after Obama for Jeremiah Wright when McCain denounced any Republicans who did so?

How could we go after Obama for planning to hike taxes on the "rich," when McCain was the only Republican to vote against both of Bush's tax cuts on the grounds that they were tax cuts for the rich?

And why should Republican activists slave away working for McCain when he has personally, viciously attacked: John O'Neill and the Swift Boat Veterans, National Right to Life director Doug Johnson, evangelical pastors Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and John Hagee, various conservative talk radio hosts, the Tennessee Republican Party and on and on and on?

As we all knew, McCain was a weak candidate, but we rallied around him because he was the better of the two choices. In a post 9/11 world, you ought to go with the guy who at least strikes fear in the hearts of America's enemies, instead of promising to sit down to tea with them, but I digress. Then McCain did an incredibly smart thing by choosing Sarah as his running-mate, firing up an uninspired base and commanding a campaign spotlight he otherwise would never have had, given the media's fawning adulation for their chosen "messiah."

Alas, his turncoat staffers just couldn't figure out how to properly unleash the phenomenon that is Sarah until it was too late. Adding insult to injury, now they are sniping to the press about her, spouting outrageous smears that would make Jann Wenner, publisher of US Weekly, proud.

And where is John McCain to defend her? The woman who kept his campaign alive? I suppose "honor" is a selective term for the senator. Too bad Sarah's not a Democrat -- he'd defend her to his death if she were. And therein lies the problem: if it's not a member of his own party screwing up, McCain just can't bring himself to criticize. Thus, it was "hands-off" on a host of important facts, such as the real reason for the economic meltdown (the Fannie/Freddie Dems).

It would have been "honorable" had Senator McCain been forthright with the American people. Instead of offering "straight talk," he had to pander to Democrats. He could've stood with House Republicans against the bailout and truly separated himself from President Bush on a key issue. Instead, he thumbed his nose at them, forcing a "bipartisan" compromise (there's that word again!) that only exacerbated the problem. And now we've elected a Marxist to the highest office in the land!

Read the entire Coulter article. And keep praying for our country.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Out of the Ashes

While tonight is certainly a depressing night for the Republican Party, one thing it clearly was not was a defeat for conservatism. That's because the McCain campaign never gave conservatism a chance. His opponent, the most liberal candidate ever, consistently talked about middle class tax cuts and catching Osama Bin Laden. That's because even liberals know that you better talk a conservative game, at least in part,if you want to get elected.

There's no doubt that this was a terrible defeat, but it could have been worse. The Republicans retained enough seats to filibuster, and filibuster they must for the next two years. If we as conservatives do the right thing, we can turn this temporary defeat into long term victory.

As for now it's time for us to go, and pay the price for spending like drunken sailors just like Democrats do. Not to mention getting involved in numerous scandals, just like Democrats do. Thanks Messrs Foley, Craig, and Stevens. While I continuously rail at the double standard in the dinosaur media, there's no doubt that the public holds Republicans to a higher standard than Democrats. That's as it should be, because we are a cut above.

The first order of business is for us to get back to our conservative roots, and tell the moderates that they have cost us enough elections for one century. The 2010 race for congress begins tomorrow. We need a grass roots conservative movement to find good candidates to run in the primary and general election. We need a leader to step up like Nixon did between the 1964 Goldwater defeat and the 1966 Congressional elections, when Republican gains were made heading into the 1968 Presidential election. We need an inside leader,a John Cornyn for example, and an outside leader. I nominate Newt Gingrich for the latter.

Second, they're coming for our First Amendment rights folks. Up - chuck Schumer today compared talk radio to pornography, saying that if you regulate pornography you should be able to regulate talk radio. If they can't get the Fairness Doctrine passed in its original form, they will try to accomplish the same goal through local regulation of radio stations. We must not let them win.

Third, let the pain of this loss really sink in until you feel it in your bones. It should sting severely, because the future of our country is at stake. We are driven more by our desire to avoid pain than we are by our desire to experience pleasure. Let's learn from our mistakes for once.

Fourth, in the words of the late, great Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano " don't give up, don't ever give up." The survival of our country is at stake.

And so it begins: Introducing President 45.com

Check out this new site. Last night I wrote the content for the Dear Sarah letter on the home page after my friend Bryan informed me that Obama would indeed win the election. While tonight's results are incredibly depressing and scary, conservatives have a golden opportunity to fight for the soul of the Republican party. We must get back to common-sense, conservative principles, and the battle begins by drafting Sarahcuda for 2012!

The Twilight Zone

Somehow this video just seems fitting. And hey, for all of you LIBS out there who just couldn't get over your abortion/Roe v. Wade obsession, thanks a lot. Ditto to Catholics (who can't seem to get over their false belief in Jesus as a proponent of government redistribution of wealth) and Jewish Americans. I guess the right to murder the unborn was much more of a pressing priority than protecting America from future terrorist attacks. Alleged pro-life Catholics have ensured unfettered abortion for all, no parental consent and miserable deaths in soiled utility rooms for babies who actually survive abortions. I hope you're all happy, because I am sure the Palestinians will be popping champagne corks soon if they haven't already.

When will you learn that even if your precious Roe was overturned, the issue of abortion would go to the states, where it rightfully belongs, and citizens would actually get to vote on it, instead of unelected, activist judges? While we're on the subject, can you please explain to me why my tax dollars should fund what I believe to be murder?

Hard to fathom, just a mere seven years away from 9/11 and we're sending a radical, Palestinian-sympathizing Marxist to the White House.

May God have mercy on us all!


UPDATE: Per Gateway Pundit, Obama received 77% of the Jewish vote. And according to Catholic Vote, 54% of Catholics threw their support behind the Marxist. Appalling!

Scenes from Election Day 2008























I arrived at my precinct at 6:30 a.m., where a long line awaited me. While there, I struck up a conversation with several different people who knew where I stood immediately, judging from the McCain-Palin baseball cap I was wearing. Happily, they were all on the same team.

Once the doors opened up the line moved fairly quickly. Interestingly, touch-screens here have been replaced with very large cards listing all of the candidates. A broken arrow points to each one. As you stand in a private voting station, you fill in the appropriate arrows with the marker provided. On the way out, the cards run through a scanner and your votes are registered.

Post-vote, I joined a group of McCain-Palin supporters at the corner of Palmetto Park Rd. and Crawford Blvd, where we waved signs and called out to the passing traffic. The overwhelming majority of responses were quite positive, as people honked, pumped their fists and waved. A few Obama supporters flipped us the bird, but what else can you expect?
Perhaps it is unscientific, but if my experience at this east Boca precinct is any indication, Florida will go McCain-Palin.

Some Election Day Inspiration

Folks, remember freedom isn't free:



Vote for the man who has truly fought for you and life as we know it in the United States of America.

He kind of reminds me of this guy, another underdog who never gave up:



Go McCain-Palin! Country first!

God bless America!

After a seemingly endless campaign season, Election Day is finally here!

Please, no matter where you are, what time zone you live in, or whatever sensationalism you hear emanating from the media, go out and vote McCain-Palin. I don't care what anyone says, we can still win this thing!

This is our country, people...let's keep it free and prosperous!

I am working the polls in east Boca today, handing out literature and waving signs. I also plan to bring my camera along, just in case I witness anything shady. My Republican-leaning precinct is normally pretty good, so I am praying for the best.

Vote traditional values, vote freedom, vote McCain-Palin!

And may God continue to bless the USA.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Ego and Mouth By Thomas Sowell

After the big gamble on subprime mortgages that led to the current financial crisis, is there going to be an even bigger gamble, by putting the fate of a nation in the hands of a man whose only qualifications are ego and mouth?

Barack Obama has the kind of cocksure confidence that can only be achieved by not achieving anything else.

Anyone who has actually had to take responsibility for consequences by running any kind of enterprise-- whether economic or academic, or even just managing a sports team-- is likely at some point to be chastened by either the setbacks brought on by his own mistakes or by seeing his successes followed by negative consequences that he never anticipated.

The kind of self-righteous self-confidence that has become Obama's trademark is usually found in sophomores in Ivy League colleges-- very bright and articulate students, utterly untempered by experience in real world.

The signs of Barack Obama's self-centered immaturity are painfully obvious, though ignored by true believers who have poured their hopes into him, and by the media who just want the symbolism and the ideology that Obama represents.

The triumphal tour of world capitals and photo-op meetings with world leaders by someone who, after all, was still merely a candidate, is just one sign of this self-centered immaturity.

"This is our time!" he proclaimed. And "I will change the world." But ultimately this election is not about him, but about the fate of this nation, at a time of both domestic and international peril, with a major financial crisis still unresolved and a nuclear Iran looming on the horizon.

For someone who has actually accomplished nothing to blithely talk about taking away what has been earned by those who have accomplished something, and give it to whomever he chooses in the name of "spreading the wealth," is the kind of casual arrogance that has led to many economic catastrophes in many countries.

The equally casual ease with which Barack Obama has talked about appointing judges on the basis of their empathies with various segments of the population makes a mockery of the very concept of law.

After this man has wrecked the economy and destroyed constitutional law with his judicial appointments, what can he do for an encore? He can cripple the military and gamble America's future on his ability to sit down with enemy nations and talk them out of causing trouble.

Senator Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, has for years shown the same easy-way-out mindset. Senator Biden has for decades opposed strengthening our military forces. In 1991, Biden urged relying on sanctions to get Saddam Hussein's troops out of Kuwait, instead of military force, despite the demonstrated futility of sanctions as a means of undoing an invasion.

People who think Governor Sarah Palin didn't handle some "gotcha" questions well in a couple of interviews show no interest in how she compares to the Democrats' Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Biden.

Joe Biden is much more of the kind of politician the mainstream media like. Not only is he a liberal's liberal, he answers questions far more glibly than Governor Palin-- grossly inaccurately in many cases, but glibly.

Moreover, this is a long-standing pattern with Biden. When he was running for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination back in 1987, someone in the audience asked him what law school he attended and how well he did.

Flashing his special phony smile, Biden said, "I think I have a much higher IQ than you do." He added, "I went to law school on a full academic scholarship" and "ended up in the top half" of the class.

But Biden did not have a full academic scholarship. Newsweek reported: "He went on a half scholarship based on need. He didn't finish in the 'top half' of his class. He was 76th out of 85."

Add to Obama and Biden House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and you have all the ingredients for a historic meltdown.

Copyright 2008, Creators Syndicate Inc.

Disgraceful and Despicable

I recently saw a news story that reported that many military ballots are being sent back for minor technicalities and thus many military votes won't be counted. That's just wonderful. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Ohio has recently ruled that the homeless are allowed to vote using their park bench as an address. The Court in its infinite wisdom has ruled that citizens cannot be disenfranchised. I guess that it doesn't matter to the Court that many of these homeless in Ohio are not even residents of the state, but have been bused in from New York.

It's sad that we've come to the point where our military personnel who risk life and limb are denied the most basic right to vote, and the Democrats could care less.It's much more important to promote voter fraud and let voters in New York vote in Ohio so Obama can steal the election. This is absolutely rotten. You can't get much lower than this.

It's Show Time

Tomorrow we face perhaps the most important election in the history of our nation. It is a choice of epic proportions. Life vs. death, freedom vs. tyranny, capitalism vs. socialism/communism, energy independence vs. being held hostage to Mid-East oil interests, choice for workers vs. union domination, free speech vs. the "Fairness Doctrine", Second Amendment rights vs. a police state, economic growth vs. class warfare, unity vs. balkanization, immigration vs. illegal invasion, the Constitution vs. foreign law, peace through strength vs. weakness inviting an attack, and voting rights for our military vs. voting rights for illegals and criminals.

Stand up for America and vote McCain - Palin. Otherwise we could wake up Wednesday morning in Amerika. Perish the thought.

Chris Berman asks John McCain...

"When voters see your name on the ballot tomorrow, what should they be thinking when they see 'John McCain'"

McCain: He. Could. Go. All. The. Way!

A Message to Catholic voters

Bishop Finn lays it out pretty clearly.

Obama v Obama

Mary Katharine Ham hits a homer:

"Twas the Night Before Elections"

I wish I could take credit for this excellent parody/poem I just received via email from my friend Adrian. Whoever wrote it, thank you for the comic relief -- and the stern warning:


'Twas the night before elections

'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys

They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink

He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!

On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!

They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!

So I leave you to think
On this one final note-

IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Frum Endorses McCain

Another Palin-bashing conservative, the estimable David Frum, makes strong arguments for McCain, tries some wan arguments against Palin, and gives Obama more credit than he deserves, but, in the end, he makes the right choice:

For John McCain

10) No elected official in American life has contributed more to the security of the nation than John McCain. Latterly, McCain was the most senior and most forceful advocate of the strategy that has saved the day in Iraq. For that reason alone, he deserves your vote.

9) Over a quarter-century in public life, John McCain has defended the interests of the taxpayer, not only speaking for lower taxes (that’s easy) but fighting for the essential precondition of lower taxes, less government spending.

8) McCain’s healthcare plan is the first and essential step toward a market-based approach. If competition is to work, individuals must buy their own care. Barack Obama praises the employer-based system. But Obama knows full well that the employer-based system is dying – he’s just propping up its carcass until the time is ripe to insert full government control in its place.

7) As a man, McCain is more pragmatic and more open to compromise in substance (and not just in verbal formulas) than Barack Obama. It’s a bad reflection on the McCain campaign that it has allowed the less ideological candidate to be depicted as the hot-head – and the more ideological Obama to position himself as the moderate. But the failures of the campaign are reasons to punish the campaign managers, not the country.

6) The combination of a Democratic president, a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House and federal control of the nation’s financial system is dangerous to prosperity and freedom. Even if I weren’t a conservative, I’d believe that this government bailout makes balanced government indispensable.

5) To borrow an argument from Mona Charen: The best thing about a president with a military background is that he has learned not to show too much deference to generals. Let’s not forget: The brass hats were against the surge!

4) This country hungers for moderate answers on social questions from abortion to stem cells to same-sex marriage. McCain’s split-the-difference instincts offer the hope of social peace. Obama’s 100% down-the-line social liberalism will provoke reactions that will aggravate and sustain these social controveries, when we need to find compromises that can allay them.

3) McCain’s victory would be the most surprising come-from-behind victory in American political history. It would prove that money and endorsements are not everything. That is healthy for American democracy.

2) McCain has never compromised on free trade. Never. Not to win a primary, not to win a vote. Never.

1) John McCain is white, the son and grandson of admirals, married to a wealthy heiress – and yet he has experienced degrees of suffering, despair, and defeat that not one in a million of us can imagine. Barack Obama wears a black skin and carries an exotic name. In the United States, people of darker color have faced oppression and discrimination for centuries. But in Barack Obama's own life, he has known nothing but an easy and welcoming path to success since he was 18 years old. Privileged John McCain has known more absolute degradation than any man ever to contest the presidency. Obama was born in adversity, but he has smoothly risen to a place where he is most comfortable with those for whom things are most easy.

I do not fear Barack Obama. I even rather like him. I certainly feel I have much more in common with him than I do with John McCain. To lead this country, though, I prefer the man who has seen more and suffered more and felt more. For all his faults, it is John McCain who is the more universal man.

I vote for John McCain.

One final comment. As readers of this space know, I have been very critical of the selection of Sarah Palin. Yet I do not regard her as a reason to cast aside the principles of my life on voting day. She may not bring much knowledge to this ticket. Yet she is obviously no fool. Indeed, using the favored metric of Joe Biden ("I think I have a higher IQ than you"), my guess is that she would probably outscore the Democratic vice presidential candidate on a standardized aptitude test. To his credit, Biden has conscientiously worked to familiarize himself with the great questions of national policy. To her discredit, Palin has not. But on Tuesday, I will trust that she can learn. She has governed a state - and she did risk her career by defying the corrupt leaders of the Alaska Republican party.

Beyond that, it says something important that so many millions of people respond to her as somebody who incarnates their beliefs and values. At a time when the great American middle often seems to be falling further and further behind, there may be a special need for a national leader who represents and symbolizes that middle. And if worse did come to worst, who doubts that the whole country - including Colin Powell and Larry Eagleburger - would rally to the aid and support of the first woman president, thrust into office by some unexpected tragedy?

This is a great and greatly enduring country. It flourishes because of the genius of its institutions and the decent and moderate instincts of its people. I look to the American future with confidence always - under a President McCain preferably, under a President Obama if it must be.

The Old Guard Dies, but Never Surrenders

Rick Brookhiser, whom I admire, had ticked me off with his visceral negative reaction to the choice of Sarah Palin for VP. He redeems himself with his endorsement of John McCain:

What was Abraham Lincoln’s position on the Mormons? In their funky, pre-Mitt Romney days they were an issue of national importance—Lincoln’s Democratic predecessors thought of sending the army to Utah to suppress them—so it’s not surprising that Lincoln had an opinion too. In 1863, when a Mormon visited the Oval Office, Lincoln told him that when he had cleared land for farming as a young man there were often dead trees too hard to split, too wet to burn, and too heavy to move, so people plowed around them. That’s what he intended to do with the Mormons. That may have been the opinion that caused some voters to vote for or against him.

Lincoln had opinions on a number of other issues too—railroads (pro), nativism (anti), temperance (feinted pro), trade (protectionist in the tradition of Henry Clay)—and any of these opinions, or any combination of them, may have caused some voters to vote for or against him.

Yet we would treat with contempt any historian who said that the dominating issue of Lincoln’s career, from 1854 to his death, was anything other than the slave power: whether it would rule America, or failing that, ruin it. That was the question of Lincoln’s time.

There are many questions in this election: gay marriage, immigration, taxes, abortion, the financial crisis. But the question of our time is the war waged on us since the 1990s, which had its Pearl Harbor on 9/11. Charity will prevent us from feeling contempt for those who don’t realize this, but survival requires us to realize it ourselves.

The Iraq war records of the two candidates show that John McCain realizes it and Barack Obama doesn’t.

McCain joined the Bush administration and most of Congress in the war to bring down Saddam, as poisonous and low-hanging fruit. McCain continued to support the war as congressional Democrats and much of the public lost heart. He saw earlier than almost anyone that the post-war strategy the coalition was pursuing would end in failure, and urged that it be changed. The change came, and success proved him right.

As a state legislator, then a freshman senator, Barack Obama opposed the war, and resisted fighting it to win. His policies would have left Saddam in power, then let his followers murder their way back to it.

McCain owed his position to military experience; his grasp of such issues over a long career; and his character. Obama’s position shows a lack of the first two qualities. It is no bad reflection on his character—he had to buck the political climate to take his initial anti-war stand—but it shows that he was bold in a bad cause.

Obama’s failure is more conspicuous because it is the only significant public act of his life. His candidacy is not a disgrace, like those of the amateurs who have infested the process for twenty years—Jesse Jackson, Pat Robertson, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan. Obama knows the political game from the inside, and he has held positions of responsibility. He has moved through them, however, without a trace—except for his early opposition to the Iraq war. He did one thing in his career, and he did the wrong thing.

Maybe Barack Obama will change over time. It’s possible—he is shrewd, ambitious and relatively young. Let’s let him change before we reward him with the football. Tuesday I vote for the man who knows where we are.

My Evening as Sarah




Ok, in reference to my previous post, here are a few photos from last night's Halloween party. Many thanks to the Bonnie family for a wonderful time!

By the way, my friend Tre went to the party dressed as my (Sarah's) Muslim Secret Service Agent....all in good fun! Still, I much prefer to see her with the blonde hair flowing. We all have much to be thankful for here in America, but American women in particular should never lose sight of the freedoms this country affords us -- just ask any Saudi Arabian or Iranian female. Let's not ever take it for granted, ladies!

P.S. Yes, that is a stuffed animal moose I am holding! :)


Fighting for Freedom in Boca Raton









The local McCain-Palin victory office in Boca Raton held a rally/walk on this beautiful Sunday afternoon -- the last one before our country's fate is determined this coming Tuesday. I don't know about you, but this entire election season has been an exhausting roller-coaster ride, filled with exhilarating highs (e.g. the day Sarah was announced as VP) and incredibly depressing lows (e.g. the criminal media, the willful ignorance of the average Obama voter and the chilling propsect of a Marxist occupying the White House).

Although active volunteerism through blogging, talking to friends, sharing information and signing up to help out at the polls on Election Day has helped channel my nervous energy, this past month has been characterized by sleepless and/or sleep-interrupted nights and palpable anxiety at the thought of what America will "transform" into with an Obama presidency and a Democrat-controlled Congress -- no horror movie even comes close to provoking such sheer terror in my heart (and I mean that with all sincerity). I think not just of myself, but of my ten nieces and nephews, my siblings, my parents and my friends, contemplating what our future holds should the cult of personality that is Barack Obama become the leader of the free world.

Even after a great evening at a Halloween party last night, where I showed up dressed as Sarah Palin (to the delight of most people there), I woke up this morning still very apprehensive about what is about to take place in our beloved USA. Fortunately, I remembered today's scheduled walk, so I put on my red, white and blue and my McCain-Palin baseball cap, grabbed my signs and headed up to Yamato Rd. and Dixie Highway.

When I arrived, I was shocked to see such a huge turnout of like-minded Americans. There had to be over 100 people there, walking, waving signs and calling out slogans like "Country first!" to all of the passing cars. To my additional surprise, the vast majority of motorists honked and waved their support enthusiastically, though we did encounter a stray Obama supporter (typically driving by in a Lincoln SUV, Mercedes or other high-end vehicle) every now and then.

During the event I struck up a great rapport with a nice couple, who graciously joined me in conversation as we actively showed our support up and down Federal Highway. The woman, a Cuban-American who escaped Fidel's clutches as a young child, understood the stakes of this election all too well. We discussed our shared conservatism, love of the USA, the idiocy of the Obama robots, the corrupt media and even the fantastic film, The Lost City. She told me she actually cried during the scene in the movie when Communist thugs confiscated Andy Garcia's pocket-watch, a legacy from his grandfather, along with every other material possession. The same horrific things had happened to relatives of hers.

Anyway, I came away from the event feeling re-energized and believing that common sense will prevail on Tuesday and that Americans treasure their freedom way too much to sacrifice it on the altar of empty suits and promises.
May God continue to bless America and may we wake up on Wednesday morning knowing that we've elected two patriots to the highest offices in the land. Go McCain-Palin!
One final thought: I took the above photos after the walk, so though it may not look like there were a lot of people in attendance, truly there were. I couldn't take photos as I was too busy waving my McCain sign, and thus waited until the end.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Let Freedom Ring - "Puzzle" Ad

Another fantastic effort and something to think about before Tuesday: