Just the business.

I’ve been very busy lately but I feel compelled to fill all my faithful readers in on the latest news.

Fred! is out so now the only viable alternative is Romney so vote for him when you get the chance.  If you are reading this and are a McCain supporter, you are presumably lost.  Hit the road.  This man is responsible for McCain-Feingold (suppression of free speech disguised as campaign finance reform), McCain-Kennedy(aka “Shamnesty” disguised as “comprehensive” immigration reform),  and he voted against the Bush Tax Cuts.  NO, I will not vote for him in the general.  If the country is going to go down the toilet, let the Democrats put their nametag on it I say.  

After watching the State of the Union, I was reminded just how much I once liked George W. Bush.  The guy has his issues; there is no question, “Shamnesty” for one, and spending for another.   However, he seems to have gotten the message on the latter and as much as “comprehensive” immigration reform makes my forehead vein bulge, I would still probably take him over all of the current Republican nominees.  The guy has gotten the worst possible rap from the newsmedia for the last seven years.  It’s been so effective that even some of the stoutest “W” fans have abandoned him.  The question is “why?”  If you are one of these people, do me a favor and think hard on it.

On another equally important front, I have a newsflash for you.  The Giants are horrible!  I find it shocking that Superbowl Sunday is nearly upon us and they are in it.  I don’t like the Giants, I never liked the Giants but you know what I like less than the Giants?  You guessed it, Tom Brady & Bill Belichick.  I never really could pin down why but here is a start.  Then there is THIS which makes me like the Giants just a wee-bit more than I used to.

Bryan, over at Hot Air reminds us which party is for Tax Relief.

I was going to comment on Hillary, Obama, Ted Kennedy’s endorsement, Sheryl Crow showing not just her leftist bent but also her extreme ignorance and much much more but the mere thought of wasting the next few minutes being reminded of such crap has now made my head hurt.  You will have to wait.

For the love of America, root for Romney in FL.

Religion of Peace?

A little background in case you missed the story in the past newscycle, this lady teacher, Gillian Gibbons, who is from the UK but teaches schoolkids in the Sudan allowed her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed and this is the result…just another day in Khartoum…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=497490&in_page_id=1811&ito=1490

I have nothing to add. Just read it.

Speech by Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic before the Congress of the United States of America November 7, 2007.

Madam Speaker, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The state of our friendship and our alliance is strong.

Friendship, first and foremost, means being true to one’s friends. Since the United States first appeared on the world scene, the loyalty between the French and American people has never failed. And far from being weakened by the vicissitudes of History, it has never ceased growing stronger.

Friends may have differences; they may have disagreements; they may have disputes. But in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, friends stand together, side by side; they support each other; and help one another.

In times of difficulty, in times of hardship, America and France have always stood side by side, supported one another, helped one another, fought for each other’s freedom.

The United States and France remain true to the memory of their common history, true to the blood spilled by their children in common battles. But they are not true merely to the memory of what they accomplished together in the past. They remain true, first and foremost, to the same ideal, the same principles, the same values that have always united them.

The deliberations of your Congress are conducted under the double gaze of Washington and Lafayette. Lafayette, whose 250th birthday we are celebrating this year and who was the first foreign dignitary, in 1824, to address a joint session of Congress. What was it that brought these two men—so far apart in age and background—together, if not their faith in common values, the heritage of the Enlightenment, the same love for freedom and justice?

Upon first meeting Washington, Lafayette told him: “I have come here to learn, not to teach.” It was this new spirit and youth of the Old World seeking out the wisdom of the New World that opened a new era for all of humanity.

From the very beginning, the American dream meant putting into practice the dreams of the Old World.

From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person.

America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who—with their hands, their intelligence and their heart—built the greatest nation in the world: “Come, and everything will be given to you.” She said: “Come, and the only limits to what you’ll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent.” America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance.

Here, both the humblest and most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That’s what constitutes the moral value of America. America did not teach men the idea of freedom; she taught them how to practice it. And she fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened somewhere in the world. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom was possible.

What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream into hope for all mankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The men and women of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how in 1917, America saved France at a time when it had reached the final limits of its strength, which it had exhausted in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars.

The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how in 1944, America returned to free Europe from the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave it.

Fathers took their sons to see the vast cemeteries where, under thousands of white crosses so far from home, thousands of young American soldiers lay who had fallen not to defend their own freedom but the freedom of all others, not to defend their own families, their own homeland, but to defend humanity as a whole.

Fathers took their sons to the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. They read them the admirable letters of farewell that those 20-year-old soldiers had written to their families before the battle to tell them: “We don’t consider ourselves heroes. We want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us.” Before they landed, Eisenhower told them: “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

And as they listened to their fathers, watched movies, read history books and the letters of soldiers who died on the beaches of Normandy and Provence, as they visited the cemeteries where the star-spangled banner flies, the children of my generation understood that these young Americans, 20 years old, were true heroes to whom they owed the fact that they were free people and not slaves. France will never forget the sacrifice of your children.

To those 20-year-old heroes who gave us everything, to the families of those who never returned, to the children who mourned fathers they barely got a chance to know, I want to express France’s eternal gratitude.

On behalf of my generation, which did not experience war but knows how much it owes to their courage and their sacrifice; on behalf of our children, who must never forget; to all the veterans who are here today and, notably the seven I had the honor to decorate yesterday evening, one of whom, Senator Inouye, belongs to your Congress, I want to express the deep, sincere gratitude of the French people. I want to tell you that whenever an American soldier falls somewhere in the world, I think of what the American army did for France. I think of them and I am sad, as one is sad to lose a member of one’s family.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The men and women of my generation remember the Marshall Plan that allowed their fathers to rebuild a devastated Europe. They remember the Cold War, during which America again stood as the bulwark of the Free World against the threat of new tyranny.

I remember the Berlin crisis and Kennedy who unhesitatingly risked engaging the United States in the most destructive of wars so that Europe could preserve the freedom for which the American people had already sacrificed so much. No one has the right to forget. Forgetting, for a person of my generation, would be tantamount to self-denial.

But my generation did not love America only because she had defended freedom. We also loved her because for us, she embodied what was most audacious about the human adventure; for us, she embodied the spirit of conquest. We loved America because for us, America was a new frontier that was continuously pushed back—a constantly renewed challenge to the inventiveness of the human spirit.

My generation shared all the American dreams. Our imaginations were fueled by the winning of the West and Hollywood. By Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington, Hemingway. By John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth. And by Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, fulfilling mankind’s oldest dream.

What was so extraordinary for us was that through her literature, her cinema and her music, America always seemed to emerge from adversity even greater and stronger; that instead of causing America to doubt herself, such ordeals only strengthened her belief in her values. What makes America strong is the strength of this ideal that is shared by all Americans and by all those who love her because they love freedom.

America’s strength is not only a material strength, it is first and foremost a spiritual and moral strength. No one expressed this better than a black pastor who asked just one thing of America: that she be true to the ideal in whose name he—the grandson of a slave—felt so deeply American. His name was Martin Luther King. He made America a universal role model.

The world still remembers his words—words of love, dignity and justice. America heard those words and America changed. And the men and women who had doubted America because they no longer recognized her began loving her again.

Fundamentally, what are those who love America asking of her, if not to remain forever true to her founding values?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today as in the past, as we stand at the beginning of the 21st century, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy that men such as Washington and Lafayette invented together.

Together we must fight against terrorism. On September 11, 2001, all of France—petrified with horror—rallied to the side of the American people. The front-page headline of one of our major dailies read: “We are all American.” And on that day, when you were mourning for so many dead, never had America appeared to us as so great, so dignified, so strong. The terrorists had thought they would weaken you. They made you greater. The entire world felt admiration for the courage of the American people. And from day one, France decided to participate shoulder to shoulder with you in the war in Afghanistan. Let me tell you solemnly today: France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes, because what’s at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance. For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, because we are not afraid of this barbarism. America can count on France.

Together we must fight against proliferation. Success in Libya and progress under way in North Korea shows that nuclear proliferation is not inevitable. Let me say it here before all of you: The prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The Iranian people is a great people. It deserves better than the increased sanctions and growing isolation to which its leaders condemn it. Iran must be convinced to choose cooperation, dialogue and openness. No one must doubt our determination.

Together we must help the people of the Middle East find the path of peace and security. To the Israeli and Palestinian leaders I say this: Don’t hesitate! Risk peace! And do it now! The status quo hides even greater dangers: that of delivering Palestinian society as a whole to the extremists that contest Israel’s existence; that of playing into the hands of radical regimes that are exploiting the deadlock in the conflict to destabilize the region; that of fueling the propaganda of terrorists who want to set Islam against the West. France wants security for Israel and a State for the Palestinians.

Together we must help the Lebanese people affirm their independence, their sovereignty, their freedom, their democracy. What Lebanon needs today is a broad-based president elected according to the established schedule and in strict respect of the Constitution. France stands engaged alongside all the Lebanese. It will not accept attempts to subjugate the Lebanese people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

America feels it has the vocation to inspire the world. Because she is the most powerful country in the world. Because, for more than two centuries, she has striven to uphold the ideals of democracy and freedom. But this stated responsibility comes with duties, the first of which is setting an example.

Those who love this nation which, more than any other, has demonstrated the virtues of free enterprise expect America to be the first to denounce the abuses and excesses of a financial capitalism that sets too great a store on speculation. They expect her to commit fully to the establishment of the necessary rules and safeguards. The America I love is the one that encourages entrepreneurs, not speculators.

Those who admire the nation that has built the world’s greatest economy and has never ceased trying to persuade the world of the advantages of free trade expect her to be the first to promote fair exchange rates. The yuan is already everyone’s problem. The dollar cannot remain solely the problem of others. If we’re not careful, monetary disarray could morph into economic war. We would all be its victims.

Those who love the country of wide open spaces, national parks and nature reserves expect America to stand alongside Europe in leading the fight against global warming that threatens the destruction of our planet. I know that each day, in their cities and states, the American people are more aware of the stakes and determined to act. This essential fight for the future of humanity must be all of America’s fight.

Those who have not forgotten that it was the United States that, at the end of the Second World War, raised hopes for a new world order are asking America to take the lead in the necessary reforms of the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and the G8. Our globalized world must be organized for the 21st century, not for the last century. The emerging countries we need for global equilibrium must be given their rightful place.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to express one last conviction: Trust Europe.

In this unstable, dangerous world, the United States of America needs a strong, determined Europe. With the simplified treaty I proposed to our partners, the European Union is about to emerge from 10 years of discussions on its institutions and 10 years of paralysis. Soon it will have a stable president and a more powerful High Representative for foreign and security policy, and it must now reactivate the construction of its military capacities.

The ambition I am proposing to our partners is based on a simple observation: There are more crises than there are capacities to face them. NATO cannot be everywhere. The EU must be able to act, as it did in the Balkans and in the Congo, and as it will tomorrow on the border of Sudan and Chad. For that the Europeans must step up their efforts.

My approach is purely pragmatic. Having learned from history, I want the Europeans, in the years to come, to have the means to shoulder a growing share of their defense. Who could blame the United States for ensuring its own security? No one. Who could blame me for wanting Europe to ensure more of its own security? No one. All of our Allies, beginning with the United States, with whom we most often share the same interests and the same adversaries, have a strategic interest in a Europe that can assert itself as a strong, credible security partner. At the same time, I want to affirm my attachment to NATO. I say it here before this Congress: The more successful we are in the establishment of a European Defense, the more France will be resolved to resume its full role in NATO.

I would like France, a founding member of our Alliance and already one of its largest contributors, to assume its full role in the effort to renew NATO’s instruments and means of action and, in this context, to allow its relations with the Alliance to evolve.

This is no time for theological quarrels but for pragmatic responses to make our security tools more effective and operational in the face of crises. The EU and NATO must march hand in hand.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to be your friend, your ally and your partner. But a friend who stands on his own two feet. An independent ally. A free partner.

France must be stronger. I am determined to carry through with the reforms that my country has put off for all too long. I will not turn back, because France has turned back for all too long. My country has enormous assets. While respecting its unique identity, I want to put it into a position to win all the battles of globalization. I passionately love France. I am lucid about the work that remains to be accomplished.

It is this ambitious France that I have come to present to you today. A France that comes out to meet America to renew the pact of friendship and the alliance that Washington and Lafayette sealed in Yorktown.

Together let us be worthy of their example, let us be equal to their ambition, let us be true to their memories!

Long live the United States of America!

Vive la France!

Long live French-American friendship!

08 Presidential Possibilities Part I Summer 2007

Oh, I know its early yet but many prominent decision makers are starting to take sides so I thought it was high time I weighed in on the subject. 

First off, the only Democrats that have a chance are Hillary, Obama,  and Edwards. Also, there remains a distinct possibility of even the Goracle himself joining the race.  Those that I didn’t mention have no prayer, and no chance.  Biden & Kucinich are ultra partisan lefties and while their positions play well with the moveon.org ultra-liberal base, they have zero personality and no draw for the umpteen clueless Americans that will eventually vote for a Democrat in the general election.  Dodd only gets a mention because he is my current CT Senator.  Thankfully, I have a strong feeling it will be his last term.  His unfavorables climb higher every year and without Lieberman as an ally, I sense he is destined lose his next campaign.  I can dream, can’t I?

As far as the front-runners go, I think even most Democrats have come to think of John Edwards as the shyster-lawyer that he is.  The “only man talking about poverty in America” is the same guy who lives in a home so large it alters weather patterns and spends more money on his hair in a month than most people do in a decade.   Average Americans might not be able to show you Iraq on a map or tell you the name of the VP but they can absorb the simple concept of  “shyster-lawyer”.

Obama is the dream candidate of the super-lefties.  He has the same positions as Biden & Kucinich and many of the leftwing pundits yet has something they don’t, charisma.  This has propelled Obama’s fundraising ability to near Clintonesque heights, especially with the netroots crowd.  He is a darkhorse candidate but personally I think the Clinton machine will crush him before long.  Not only that, despite the leftwings assumed superiority with regard to tolerance and anti-prejudice, there are some Democrats that will not vote for a black man, regardless of his merits. 

Hillary has a similar problem as some voters will just not vote for a woman.   Also, her position changes on the Iraq war will hurt her horribly in the primaries against her anti-war anti-American challengers.  Although, they will likely help her in the general.  My personal opinion of Hillary is that she is completely unlike her husband in that she is a hard worker on the plus side but completely annoying to listen to on the negative side.   As far as their politics go, they are kindred spirits which is to say, they will do whatever is politically expedient and falls in the realm of “things we can get away with.”  Aside from that, she shows up in polls as having the most people who won’t vote for her under any circumstances.  This is not usually a desirable trait in a candidate but her name is Clinton and I see her using her husbands famed likability day in and day out until the better end.

Incidentally, a bitter end is exactly what I see for the Democrats 2008 Presidential hopes.  Obviously, I’m a Republican and a tremendous partisan so its easy to dismiss my outlook as completely biased.   Yet, the way I see it, the Democrats will likely end up with Hillary or Obama as their candidate.  As long as there is a strong Republican candidate, I think our side has the better chance for victory.

The question is “will we have a strong Republican candidate”?  The answer is most assuredly, yes.   Like the Democrats, we have our share of  second string candidates.  Brownback, Gilmore, Huckabee,  Hunter, Tancredo, Thompson and yes, John McCain all fit this mold.  Don’t get me wrong.   I have strong admiration for some of these guys.  It’s just that none of them have a chance.  Huckabee would be my favorite out of the second tier guys.  He’s a solid Republican, I am with him on the issues and if fate gave him a nudge, I would champion his cause.  McCain, on the hand, repeatedly sells out Republicans on the issues and for some reason, he still seems surprised when his support evaporates.  Ron Paul is a nutjob.  Enough said.

Currently, the Republican front-runners include Guiliani, Romney, and Thompson.   Guiliani is an old school politico who’s status as a viable POTUS was reinvigorated by 9-11.  And rightfully so, I love his stance on the War on Terror and I have faith that he would even stick to it.  Where I worry is on immigration reform and gun control.   Simply put, he is your typical center-right candidate that got us the last two Bush’s.  Which is to say, he is not nearly Republican or at least, conservative enough for my tastes.

Romney looks good in a lot of ways.  He definitely performed in the debates.  He’s a handsome man.  That will get you some votes from little old ladies somewhere no doubt.  Most importanlty, he looks and sounds like a Republican virtually all of the time.  This is shocking considering he comes from a very very blue state.  He strikes me as a less well known but more polished Guiliani, another center-right guy who is clearly a skilled a politician.  The problem is that I want a statesman not a politician.

Don’t get me wrong.  I would take either of these guys over any of the Dems.  I just get frustrated when the decision makers in the party start backing the Guiliani’s of the world out of fear.  They toss around the word “electable” and worry about people looking “presidential”.  It’s all a load.  I have enough confidence in the average voter that if they were given the real conservative message, they would choose it in a heartbeat.  It doesn’t need to be finessed or compromised and thats what you get with a Bush or Guiliani type.

Fred Thompson is my dream candidate right now.  I think this is in large part that he represents my hope for a better candidate than the initial offering.  The question is “is he actually the candidate I’ve been waiting for?”  So far he has met every expectation.  I pray it continues.  Here is a guy with a commanding presence who doesn’t come off as an inside the beltway politician willing to wheel and deal.  He is a solid conservative across the board.  Is his backbone strong enough to stay on message?  Time will tell.

I should also mention Newt Gingrich.  So far he is not an announced candidate but I feel he should be everyone’s first choice if that should happen.  I mentioned the word “statesman” earlier.  Newt is who I was referring to.  This is a man who brings all the goods to the table.  He has the experience of being Speaker.  I would argue that he is responsible for a large part of what it means to be a conservative today.  Unlike his opponents, he has read and written significantly more than one history book.  He has a proven track record (ever heard of the contract with America?) and even a plan!  Imagine actually being prepared for the job of POTUS.  He is the only candidate in either party with those bases covered.  Yes, yes I know about the baggage.  Look around people, it makes no difference.  America loves baggage.  Look at Hillary.  Hell, look at Bill.  Look at Paris Hilton for heavens sake.  The newsmedia will create baggage where there is none anyway.  Trust that Newt has a message and he knows how to deliver it.

This week I will be meeting with the draftnewt.org folks and I promise an update once I do.

Bottom line is that I feel good about our hopes for 2008.  We have the stronger candidates and of course, we have always had the right message.

Either way, we need more Americans like this Brit.. 

Time to turn off American Idol before its too late.

I feel compelled to write briefly on the War on Iraq, terrorism and our future in general.  Please take the time to read this.  It’s a relatively long post but it concerns the importance of this time in our history.  We are at a crossroads and I fear for the future of America.  I fear bringing children into this world at this time as our future is increasingly uncertain.  It is up to us to decide the path we take.  The first step is knowing what the facts truly are.  Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am not a partisan.  I am interested in truth above else and would fight to the death to preserve it. 

Lately, I’ve been watching fear mongering galore in the media.  Mostly, it’s about global warming and climate change.  This is direct and intended.  The media again is being used a tool to change behavior, affect policy, and engineer society one step closer to Orwell’s 1984.  Despite this, there are real fears out there for us conservative Americans:  1) Fear that gun control is going to be a major topic in the coming months.  2) Fear that one of those charlatans that were on the MSNBC Democrat Candidates debate last night might become president. Coverage at Hot Air HERE  3)  Fear that the next generation is being indoctrinated by all things liberal, multi-cultural and anti-American.  Perhaps the greatest fear I have right now is: 4) Fear that the war on terror is being ignored and that our enemies are just lying wait.

The thing that concerns me more than anything is that we haven’t had any terrorist attacks.  This is precisely because the terrorists feel that they are winning.  

There are several good reasons for them to feel that way.  The biggest one being that the only thing keeping the pressure on the terrorists is the Bush administration.  Unfortunately, Bush’s approval rating is in the doghouse due to his constant vilification by the press and the leftists in congress.  It doesn’t help that people like Harry Reid are out dancing around trying to sell the American public that the war in Iraq is a lost cause.  The terrorists see this and conclude that they have wisely chosen their battleground in Iraq and have made it their sole purpose at this time to get us out of there.   They know that they must continue to erode the support of the American people in continuing the war in Iraq.

They have learned the lessons of Vietnam and are using them even more effectively.  If the terrorists and their willing accomplices in the major news outlets and yes, even congress can continue to sound the drum of defeat and give us images of dead soldiers and daily body counts, they can win the war without having to face us on the battlefield.  They cannot beat us militarily despite what Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said.  The idea that the US military could be challenged in a fair fight with any other military is laughable.

The problem is that the fight is not fair.  Our military is fighting blindfolded with its hands behind its back.  Our soldiers must abide by rules of engagement that NYC cops would equate to suicide.  We could have turned Iraq into a glass bowl in the desert with no loss of American life. Yet, because we are Americans, we fight in ways that shock other militaries.  We demand that our soldiers shoot only when shot at.  This, as they fight an enemy that wears no uniforms, uses guerilla tactics, and benefits from civilian casualties.  The enemy tortures and beheads our soldiers and innocent civilians yet our detention centers where detainees are fed lemon pepper chicken for dinner are deemed “torture chambers” by the leftist media.  Our military uses pinpoint bombing and the sacrifice of troops on the ground specifically to avoid civilian losses.  Despite this, Democrat politicians join in the chorus and attempt to equate the current administration’s policies with the actions of Hitler and Pol Pot. 

Again, the thing that concerns me more than anything is that we haven’t had any terrorist attacks.  Make no mistake, there are terrorists here in the US right now.  Every now and then we hear snippets of terrorist activities. 

Recently, there was something in the news about suspected terrorists attempting to obtain school bus drivers licenses. Hit these couple of links to find out more.

http://www.safehavensinternational.org/SchoolBusTerrorism.php http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/16/140113.shtml 

Imagine the news one day.  Simultaneously, ten, no twenty, no fifty school buses across the country filled with school children, hijacked by terrorists, blown up or worse.  Can’t happen?  Imagine if before 9/11, I told you terrorists would come to the US, assimilate themselves into society and learn to fly airplanes right here on our soil and would then someday simultaneously hijack commercial passenger jumbo jets and fly them into the Pentagon and the twin towers of the WTC.  This makes the school bus plot seem somewhat simple.

Also, recently, there have been reports of stolen chlorine tanks much like the ones used by insurgents and terrorists in Iraq.  Are they someday going to blow up a shopping mall with a chlorine bomb?  I don’t know.  I’m just saying that they haven’t stopped being able or wanting to.  They are already here and they are ready and waiting for the right time. These are just two examples of suspected terrorist activity.  There are countless others.

The mentality of the terrorists now is that they have us right where they want us.  It’s not that they’ve lost their desire to attack us, it’s that they recognize that right now the goal is to get us out of Iraq.  They are keeping their eyes on the prize and that’s it.  Defeat America in Iraq.  Attacking us on US soil at this time would be extremely foolish on their part.  It would immediately strengthen American resolve.  That post 9/11 jingoism would return and we would again be united in crushing our common enemy.  The terrorists know this. They don’t want to awake the sleeping giant.  They have already witnessed it first hand.  Ask any Al Qaeda people you know who were in Afghanistan right after 9/11.  Oh wait, you can’t because they are all dead.   Right now however, the terrorst leaders are perfectly content knowing that our country is divided politically and most people don’t care about much except who’s going to be on next week’s American Idol.  

When the subject of the War on Terror comes up, lots of crackpots come out of the woodwork.  I love some of the crap they come up with.  People saying that the American government blew up the WTC itself or there was no plane in the Pentagon attack.  These people are nuts.  All it takes is a five minute search and you can see that their bogus claims which sound so good in their propaganda web pages and videos are full of holes.  Popular Mechanics Magazine has the best round up of evidence to refute these whackos.  Link to the massive debunking slap down is HERE.  Not to mention, if the government blew up the twin towers, what exactly were the planes for?  I mean why bother.  Just blow up some buildings and blame the terrorists, no planes necessary, no stacks of independent video and photos of planes, no fake phone calls or fake missing people. 

Part of why I bring up the crackpots is because they say things like “Bush Lied People Died”, “There Were No WMD’s” and it’s a “War for Oil”, etc.

First off, to address the “Bush Lied, No WMD’s” people, this is NOT Bush’s war.  All your liberal friends voted for it too, and rightfully so.  It’s shocking just how weak everyone’s memory is.  Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, its peaceful neighbor in 1991, with the expressed desire of taking it over, killing any opposition and taking its oil reserves.  What do you know a real war for oil!  After losing that war in a horrible defeat, Saddam was subject to many sanctions imposed by the UN.  After all, he was acting as a rogue state and had a history of using chemical & biological weapons.  He used chemical & biological weapons in Iraq’s war with Iran as well as gassing many Iraqi’s for his own enjoyment.  Throughout the 90’s, Hussein consistently defied the UN sanctions, most notably for weapons inspections.  Finally, the UN passed resolution 1441 saying that “serious consequences” would befall Iraq unless Saddam complied with the sanctions. Read it HERE. At the time, every one of the Security Council members knew precisely what they meant by “serious consequences”.  The problem was that many of UN representatives were deeply involved in the corruption of the “oil for food” scandal which involved bribes from the Iraqi government.  Of course, enforcing resolution 1441 would cut off their money train.  Such is the legacy of the United Nations.

Also, it should be noted that we didn’t exactly rush to war. Saddam defied these resolutions despite the threat of war from the US for years.  He never claimed to not have WMD’s.  In fact, his every action was carefully planned to make it appear as if he had.  Were there WMD’s in Iraq immediately preceding our invasion?  We will likely never know. That is not the point however.  The point is that it was not the only reason for us to enter Iraq and it was not a subject of debate at the time.  It is only now when it suits the Democrat party in defaming the current administration is this brought into play.  It has become clear that the goal of the Democrats is to destroy Bush at all costs, including the lives of our soldiers and the future safety of our country.  Facts, history and truth are irrelevant to them.

As I stated, the US congress also voted with the president to go to war in Iraq in 2002.  Roll call is here. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237

The vote was 77 yays to 23 nays.  Included in the 77 yays, you will find many hypocrite Democrats who today claim that the President misled them into the war including many of the 2008 Presidential hopefuls like John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd as well as many outspoken liberals like John Kerry, Harry Reid, and Joe Biden.  As far as the claim that they were misled by the President, it has been shown that the exact same intelligence info that was given to the President was also passed onto these house members.  I will also repeat, that WMD’s was only one of many reasons for the war.  Read the State of the Union address from January 29, 2002 HERE.

Liberals make the claim that the War on Terror is a separate issue from the War in Iraq.  This might have been true once but it certainly isn’t now.  Iraq is now the front lines for the War on Terror.  Al Qaeda IS in Iraq.  Iran, the country with the deepest involvement in global terrorism is fomenting the upheaval of Iraq as we speak. Yes people, it is the front lines. 

I make the assertion that if ever we should be at “War for Oil”.  It is now.  Other countries go to war for whatever reasons suit them.  It is only the US that is held to the standard of an absolutely justifiable entrance into war.  It is purely because of our greatness and our belief in righteousness that we are held to this standard.

Rare is it that a country at war gets to decide whether they win or lose at will.  This is one those times.  It is our choice whether we win or lose.

If we win, we have removed a horrible dictator with a violent history who was directly responsible for the deaths of millions people. We will have also helped establish a democratic nation in a region where dictators have flourished throughout history.  We will have gained an ally in a strategic region of the world.  We will have gained an ally with access to one of the largest oil reserves on Earth. 

If we lose, we will have given up all the things listed above.  We will have emboldened terrorist organizations and terrorist nations and given them the country of Iraq as a home base.  We will have turned over the vast majority of oil reserves in the world to terrorists and our enemies. 

We will also have given the green light to the terrorists here on US soil to commit the acts they’ve been waiting to commit.
 

I choose to win.  How about you?

Must watch Video from Bob Parks.

Bob’s message to the troops below.

http://hotair.com/archives/2007/04/06/video-to-our-americans-serving-in-iraq/

I’m John Doe. You can and should be too.

What am I talking about?  Find out more HERE.

UPDATE:  Below is the the John Doe Manifesto courtesy of Michelle Malkin, Original Article from JWR is HERE.

 Note: Earlier this month, six publicity-seeking imams filed a federal lawsuit against US Airways and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Muslim clerics were removed from their flight last November and questioned for several hours after their suspicious behavior alarmed both passengers and crew members. Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten reported last week that the imams, advised by the grievance-mongers at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also plan to sue “John Does” — innocent bystanders who alerted the authorities about their security concerns. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., has introduced legislation to protect John Does who report suspicious behavior from legal liability. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; talk show host Michael Reagan; Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, who heads the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; and Minnesota lawyer Gerry Nolting have all stepped forward to offer free representation to the imams’ targets.

Dear Muslim Terrorist Plotter/Planner/Funder/Enabler/Apologist,

You do not know me. But I am on the lookout for you. You are my enemy. And I am yours.

I am John Doe.

I am traveling on your plane. I am riding on your train. I am at your bus stop. I am on your street. I am in your subway car. I am on your lift.

I am your neighbor. I am your customer. I am your classmate. I am your boss.

I am John Doe.

I will never forget the example of the passengers of American Airlines Flight 93 who refused to sit back on 9/11 and let themselves be murdered in the name of Islam without a fight.

I will never forget the passengers and crew members who tackled al Qaeda shoe-bomber Richard Reid on American Airlines Flight 63 before he had a chance to blow up the plane over the Atlantic Ocean.

I will never forget the alertness of actor James Woods, who notified a stewardess that several Arab men sitting in his first-class cabin on an August 2001 flight were behaving strangely. The men turned out to be 9/11 hijackers on a test run.

I will act when homeland security officials ask me to “report suspicious activity.”

I will embrace my local police department’s admonition: “If you see something, say something.”

I am John Doe.

I will protest your Jew-hating, America-bashing “scholars.”

I will petition against your hate-mongering mosque leaders.

I will raise my voice against your subjugation of women and religious minorities.

I will challenge your attempts to indoctrinate my children in our schools.

I will combat your violent propaganda on the Internet.

I am John Doe.

I will support law enforcement initiatives to spy on your operatives, cut off your funding, and disrupt your murderous conspiracies.

I will oppose all attempts to undermine our borders and immigration laws.

I will resist the imposition of sharia principles and sharia law in my taxi cab, my restaurant, my community pool, the halls of Congress, our national monuments, the radio and television airwaves, and all public spaces.

I will not be censored in the name of tolerance.

I will not be cowed by your Beltway lobbying groups in moderate clothing. I will not cringe when you shriek about “profiling” or “Islamophobia.”

I will put my family’s safety above sensitivity. I will put my country above multiculturalism.

I will not submit to your will. I will not be intimidated.

I am John Doe.

 

Gathering of Eagles Coverage

The Mainstream Media seems to have missed the 30,000 plus Eagles in DC but there is plenty of proof out there.  Here are some links to great coverage of the event.

Today’s Vent over at HotAir has excellent video of GOE.

Some photos from HotAir.

Many More photos from Mark Levin Fan.

Gates of Vienna has great coverage.

Michelle Malkin.com Follow all her links.

 

I was at Gathering of Eagles I

This is going to be a really short post.  I’m exhausted.  I just got in from driving back from DC.  Today was a joy, considering it only took five and half hours to drive back and it took over THIRTEEN hours to get there Friday night.  My small party left central CT on friday at noon and I have to tell you, I felt like turning back many many times on this trip because the driving was so bad and progress was so horribly slow going.  I’m glad I didn’t.

That’s your humble host in the foreground.

Anyway, I am thrilled that I got the opportunity to go stand side by side with my patriot brothers and sisters today and I’m going to just briefly report the important facts you are not going to hear from the mainstream news outlets.  I also strongly encourage you to visit some of my fellow bloggers who I am quite sure are going to elaborate on the event much more than I.  Just since I’ve been back, I’ve been informed that CNN, C-Span and even Fox news made very little mention of the number of Eagles in attendance while they gave a lot of news coverage to the anti-war protesters.  Here is some youtube video from Mary Katherine Ham.

I’m attaching a couple of small photos but they will not tell you how many people were in attendance. 

 

Hard to get a good shot of the many many Eagles in attendance as we were very spread out.

The Eagles were spread out over a large area from right around 18th Street up to and including the Lincoln Memorial.  The photos are of a small pocket of Eagles gathered to hear our speakers.  Many, many more eagles were lined along the outer perimeter of the large space I described.  The purpose being to protect the Vietnam memorial from harm.  In contrast, the anti-war protesters were gathered in one group off to the side of the Lincoln Memorial.  Occasionally, some of the more brazen types, ran the gauntlet of our front lines.  I am not an expert in judging numbers of people in crowds but there is no doubt in my mind that our numbers were significantly more than theirs. 

Seeing a rally like this in person for the first time is a real eye opener.  I have to admit, I was shocked to see just how much the hippies of today really do resemble the hippies I have seen photos of in the 70’s.  In fact, I would say a large contingent of them are likely the same exact individuals.  I was saddened to see quite a few college age kids aligned with the anti-war protesters as some of their signs and chants were really indicative of their lack of understanding of modern political discourse.  I mean honestly, do any of these people have any idea who Adolf Hitler really was? 

It strikes me that for people that are so overwhelmingly concerned with civil rights and the Bush administration’s supposed abuse of power just how blind they are to the simple fact that they have aligned themselves against the very people that have throughout history, both past and present, risked their own lives to preserve their right to protest. 

I got a chance to meet quite a few patriots from across the country today including a group of vets from Arkansas and a genuine US customs & border patrol agent. (That will be the subject of another post, I assure you.  He enlightened me on many intricacies of the immigration issue.  For instance, did you know that there are currently eight different green cards in use?  Also, have you any idea just how many murders are committed by illegal aliens each year?  Shocking stuff!) We stuck around to the end and helped pick up the thousands of flags donated and placed by the Eagles before us.  It was my understanding that they are to be shipped to our fighting men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Many were signed and I was quite moved at some of the supportive comments inscribed on them. 

Overall, I think today was a turning point in a lot of ways.  I heard someone say that they got the impression that the anti-war folks were blown away at the turnout of Eagles and in some ways it quieted their normally ”in your face” tactics having us shouting back at them.  Also, I think its worth noting that some of the forces on our side have finally reached the conclusion that we need to show up for events like this.  We are ignored by the liberal media at large and if we are going to make an impact in the two minutes of news the average Joe watches per day, we need to make some news ourselves.  Lets hope the trend continues.  I know I’m up for it.  

My only regret is that I didn’t run into Michelle Malkin and Bryan Preston of Hot Air.  (GOE Coverage HERE) I wanted to thank them for everything they do fighting the good fight to keep America the way I like it.  I’m a huge fan of Michelle’s and have been reading her blog, michellemalkin.com for as long as the word blog has been in my vocabulary.  It would have been an honor to meet them in person and possibly grab a photo with them. 

Who knows?  Maybe next time at GOE II.

Gathering of Eagles Needs our help!!!

Please take 2 minutes to visit Gathering Of Eagles website to sign the petition and find out more info.

There are two petitions now up online. One for people to sign only if they WILL be at the Gathering of Eagles on March 17th:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/GOE31707/petition.html

The second petition is for those who will be with us in spirit:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/GOE317/petition.html

This will be very helpful in giving us some idea of how many Eagles will be in attendance on the 17th and how many will be supporting us from home.

If you plan to be there, sign in. Those who can’t attend but stand with us in spirit are asked to sign the second petition.