8/29/2008

Theodore Roosevelt Endorses Sarah Palin

Those of you who know me somewhat know that I have a great affection for Theodore Roosevelt. A great hunter, a great historian, a great true conservationist, a great warrior, and a great man. I am so proud that we finally have a candidate now that I think would make him smile. Someone who is a great person ahead of being a great politician. Someone who has worked with their hands and enjoyed it. Someone who entered political life not as a means to rid themselves of work and sweat. Someone with the nerve to stand up to those in their own party and the wisdom to welcome in those not in their party. Someone with the fortitude to enter the greatest wilderness our country has and hunt among animals that can hunt you. I know Teddy is smiling from ear to ear. His words of the past would endorse such a candidate.



No man can do both effective and decent work in public life unless he is a practical politician on the one hand, and a sturdy believer in Sunday-school politics on the other. He must always strive manfully for the best, and yet, like Abraham Lincoln, must often resign himself to accept the best possible.
– Theodore Roosevelt

One of the fundamental necessities in a representative government such as ours is to make certain that the men to whom the people delegate their power shall serve the people by whom they are elected, and not the special interests. I believe that every national officer, elected or appointed, should be forbidden to perform any service or receive any compensation, directly or indirectly, from interstate corporations; and a similar provision could not fail to be useful within the States.
– Theodore Roosevelt

Success, the real success, does not depend upon the position you hold but upon how you carry yourself in that position.
– Theodore Roosevelt

The pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal wrongdoer.
– Theodore Roosevelt

The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.
– Theodore Roosevelt

I am as strong as a bull moose. You may use me as you will.
- Theodore Roosevelt

I keep my good health by having a very bad temper, kept under good control.
– Theodore Roosevelt

I wish to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.
– Theodore Roosevelt

It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks, and the greatest of all prizes are those connected with the home.
– Theodore Roosevelt

Sarah Palin Our Next Vice President (take 2)



I would like for everyone to meet our next Vice President. Sarah Palin is currently the Governor of Alaska and a strong conservative. Much like John McCain, she has fought corruption and wasteful spending. When she first took office she even sold the plane that the Governor's office had purchased and got 2.1 million dollars for it. She is a life long hunter and fisherman and a proud mother of 5 children. Her biggest accomplishments since taking office have dealt with finance reform and the cutting of needless spending and government earmarks. I am thrilled to once again have the opportunity to have an avid outdoorsman in the White House again. I look forward to watching her beat Joe Biden in the debates followed by beating him in arm wrestling or anything else. And Alaskans LOVE her -- approval ratings between 80% and 90%. America is going to LOVE her too! And if you are a doubter and think she can't handle such a big job then remember that we can cut Alaska in two and make Texas the THIRD largest state in the nation!




8/28/2008

Tim Pawlenty Our Next Vice President (OOPS)




Governor Pawlenty grew up in South St. Paul, Minnesota. The only child in his family to graduate from college, he attended the University of Minnesota (B.A., J.D.) and practiced law in the private sector. His public service career includes serving as a city councilmember and ten-year member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, including four years as House Majority Leader.

As Governor, he has balanced Minnesota's budget three times without raising taxes, despite facing record budget deficits. Governor Pawlenty's most notable accomplishments include proposing and signing into law significant new benefits for veterans and members of the military; enacting a property tax cap, eliminating the marriage penalty and cutting taxes; toughening the state's education standards; reforming the way teachers are paid through a nation-leading performance pay plan; instituting free-market health care reforms that increase accountability and provide tax credits to encourage the use of health savings accounts; and implementing a plan to Americanize our energy sources by generating 25% of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

Under Governor Pawlenty's leadership, Minnesota leads the nation in a variety of measures. Minnesota ranks first among states in Fortune 500 companies per capita, first in overall quality of life, first in homeownership, first in percentage of residents with a high school diploma, and first in residents over 25 with a bachelors degree. Minnesota has the highest average ACT scores in the nation and was recently named the "Healthiest State in America."

8/26/2008

Obamaman & Robinette


With names like Barack Hussein Obama and Joseph Robinette Biden this election cycle is going to be rich in opportunities for humor. This dynamic duo can waffle in a single sentence. Tell tall stories in a single bound. And lick themselves just for fun. Everyone get behind the Obamaman & Robinette ticket!!! Change & Mange '08!!!

8/25/2008

Democrat National Convention Kicks Off


It is quite telling to me that the Democrat National Convention kicked off today with a welcome and a prayer that was read from a teleprompter. The democrats want people to think that they are now a party of faith and yet they didn't even have someone there that could pray to start the convention without reading it from a teleprompter. That was followed by an almost completely empty hall for the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem. I guess those two events are not very popular with our friends on the other side of the aisle. However, I guarantee that the hall will be FILLED tonight for the extravaganza of starting the convention with the farthest left branch of the democratic party. Here are the speakers chosen to kick off the Democratic National Convention this evening:
-- Nanci Pelosi
-- Ted Kennedy
-- Jimmy Carter
-- Michelle Obama

8/23/2008

Joe Biden Says:

“In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a



or a



unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking”.


Personality Test from Pinky

PAPA FRANK:




You Are An ISTJ



The Duty Fulfiller



You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done.

You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knitting.

Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you.

You are conservative and down-to-earth. You hardly ever do anything crazy.



In love, you are loyal and honest. If you commit yourself to someone, then you're fully committed.

For you, love is something that happens naturally. And you don't need romantic gestures to feel loved.



At work, you remember details well and are happy to take on any responsibility.

You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.



How you see yourself: Decisive, stable, and dependable



When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, conservative, and egotistical



MAMA FRANK:




You Are An ENTP



The Visionary



You are charming, outgoing, friendly. You make a good first impression.

You possess good negotiating skills and can convince anyone of anything.

Happy to be the center of attention, you love to tell stories and show off.

You're very clever, but you are not disciplined enough to do well in structured environments.



In love, you see everything as a grand adventure. You enjoy taking risks for love.

And if things don't work out, you're usually not too much worse for the wear!



You would make a great entrepreneur, marketing executive, or actor.



At work, you need a lot of freedom to pursue your own path and vision.

How you see yourself: Analytical, creative, and peaceful



When other people don't get you, they see you as: Detached, wishy-washy, and superficial

8/22/2008

Apple Season is Comin'


The Lord is good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and rain and an appleseed
Yes, he's been good to me

I owe the Lord so much
For everything I see
I'm certain if it weren't for him
There'd be no apples on this limb
He's been good to me

Oh, here am I 'neath the blue, blue sky a-doin' as I please
Singin' with my feathered friends, hummin' with the bees

I wake up every day as happy as can be
Because I know that with his care
My apple trees, they will still be there
Oh, the Lord is good to me

8/19/2008

First Day of School For My Girls



Today was our girls' first day of kindergarten. I sure hope their teacher knows what she's in for. Brilliant children are not always the easiest to deal with!!! What? Okay, so I'm a little biased. But shouldn't I be?



It was my big girl's first day of school too!

8/18/2008

Andrea Mitchell = Obama Tool


MITCHELL: "The Obama people must feel that he didn't do quite as well as they might have wanted to in that context, because that — what they're putting out privately is that McCain may not have been in the cone of silence and may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama.... He seemed so well-prepared."

This is just classic leftard bullsh*t!!! The lefty ploy goes like this: IF YOU GET YOUR BUTT KICKED THEN JUST CLAIM THE REPUBLICAN CHEATED. Now how predictable is this? Not only that but what better proof do you need that John McCain clearly annihilates Obama when Obama doesn't have a teleprompter 3 feet from his face. Never mind the fact that John McCain's answers were his own beliefs and Obama's answers were his own beliefs. The fact that John McCain's beliefs blow Obama's beliefs out of the water is not a matter of cheating it's a matter of who is right and who is able to lead our country.

8/17/2008

Chiefs 17 -- Cardinals 27





We had the privilege of going to see the first Chiefs preseason home game. It was by far the best seats we've ever gotten and was a perfect temperate evening to enjoy seeing our Chiefs play. They lost but you could see some improvements on the offensive line compared with last year. It's a rebuilding year and I'm sure will be a long year to be a Chiefs fan but I think we are actually rebuilding right this time. Only time will tell. Whatever the case it's always a great feeling to be immersed in the sea of red at the NFL's loudest stadium!!!

8/15/2008

American Ladies Gymnastics Win Gold & Silver!!!



Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson battled through the talented Chinese girls AND the judges to take the gold and silver medals in the individual all-around gymnastics. Nastia Liukin is the all-around champion and Shawn Johnson was right behind her. Congratulations girls!!! USA - USA - USA

8/13/2008

Bigfoot Body Found in Georgia


Two Northern California men and two Georgians say they've got a body, a photo and DNA evidence pertaining to the elusive forest-dwelling man-ape — and that they'll reveal all at a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday.

"I think you'll find that this is the real deal," Robert Barrows of Redwood City, Calif., told the Bay City News local wire service.

Matthew Whitton, a cop in Clayton County, Ga., and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they recently found the body in the woods of northern Georgia.

Veteran Bigfoot tracker Tom Biscardi said he's examined the body, and that scientists will get their chance soon.

Here are some of the vital statistics on the “Bigfoot” body:
*The creature is seven feet seven inches tall.
*It weighs over five hundred pounds.
*The creature looks like it is part human and part ape-like.
*It is male.
*It has reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes.
*It has two arms and two legs, and five fingers on each hand and
five toes on each foot.
*The feet are flat and similar to human feet.
*Its footprint is sixteen and three-quarters inches long and five and three-quarters inches wide at the heel.
*From the palm of the hand to the tip of the middle finger, its hands are
eleven and three-quarters inches long and six and one-quarter inches wide.
*The creatures walk upright. (Several of them were sighted on the same day that the body was found.)
*The teeth are more human-like than ape-like.
*DNA tests are currently being done and the current DNA and photo evidence will be presented at the press conference on Friday, August 15th.

So what does everyone think out there? Is this going to be an incredible scientific finding or an elaborate hoax?

8/12/2008

The Dragon of Grindly Grun


I'm the Dragon of Grindly Grun,
I breathe fire as hot as the sun.
When a knight comes to fight
I just toast him on sight,
Like a hot crispy cinnamon bun.

When I see a fair damsel go by,
I just sigh a fiery sigh,
And she'd baked like a 'tater-
I think of her later
With a romantic tear in my eye.

I'm the Dragon of Grindly Grun,
But my lunches aren't very much fun,
For I like my damsels medium rare,
and they always come out well done.

BY
Shel Silverstein

8/10/2008

John McCain -- My Candidate - Part 4



Now we come to the final post concerning John McCain. And in this post I will deal with most conservative's main gripe concerning McCain. Tell me if these statements sound familiar. "He was considering being John Kerry's running mate." or "He's weak on illegal immigration." or "He voted against the tax cuts." or "He co-sponsered bills with Ted Kennedy." Many see McCain as a moderate and not a conservative. I don't view him as either simply because I do not view either being "conservative" or "moderate" as the end all solution and ideal of our country. Throughout history we have seen the wisdom of our forefathers in setting up a system of checks and balances. Not having all conservatives or all liberals falls into that same wisdom. We have seen what typically happens when either group are too powerful. I wish it were not true of those who claim to be my conservative brethren but they too have been known to get drunk on power and forget their conservative ways that should call them to tighten the strings on the people's purse. I would submit that we are at our best when we have people like McCain that reach out to those who do not think like him in order to get something done. What is wrong with John McCain thinking about being the running mate of John Kerry? Especially in a time of war. If Kerry had won wouldn't it not have been 10 times better to have John McCain influencing him than to have John Edwards? And what is the REAL solution to illegal immigrants? I have not heard one solution that is perfect and can't even imagine a solution that would be suitable to 51% of Americans. If the estimates of how many illegals exist are anywhere close then we would most likely be looking at a civil war to physically remove them. And what about 16-year-old kids who have been raised in American schools as Americans for their whole lives? My main point here is that it is a far more intricate problem than we would like to think of it.



For my part I am okay and even proud to have a candidate that is willing to hold unpopular views among his closest of co-workers. I am very impressed with McCain's character and am apt to place a high value on that. I see his reaching out as a strength and not a weakness. Will that result in some things that I am unhappy with? Sure it will. Will I probably end up on the good side when it all averages out? I believe so. Is there anyone who is both better suited to lead our country in a conservative way AND be electable? NO!!! For these reasons I ask you conservative brethren to hold your heads high and vote for John McCain in November.

8/06/2008

John McCain -- My Candidate - Part 3

On to part 3 of reasons to vote for John McCain and be happy doing it. I would not call John McCain a pure conservative but I do view him as a conservative-leaning principled politician. As you all well know conservatism speaks to two fronts. The first is being conservative on a social level. This would include things such as honoring all life, protecting family values, or defending our constitutional gun rights. The second front is being a fiscal conservative. This denotes favoring smaller government, less spending, and lower taxes. I would like to focus on one of the most anti-conservative actions of our legislators -- PORK BARREL SPENDING. If you ask anyone in the know of politics they will tell you that John McCain is the STRONGEST OPPONENT of pork barrel spending. This has helped to give him the name of "Maverick" and made him enemies in both political parties. Here we go:

1 -- What is pork barrel spending?

The term pork barrel politics refers to government spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes. The term originated early in American history, when slaves were sometimes given a barrel of salt pork as a reward and had to compete among themselves to get their share of the handout.[1][2] Typically, it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers. Public works projects and agricultural subsidies are the most commonly cited examples, but they do not exhaust the possibilities.[3] Pork barrel spending is often allocated through last-minute additions to appropriation bills.


THIS IS HOW POLITICIANS WANT YOU TO VIEW PORK


2 -- How does pork barrel spending get into bills?

Pork-barrel projects, or earmarks, are added to the federal budget by members of the appropriation committees of United States Congress. This allows delivery of federal funds to the local district or state of the appropriation committee member, often accommodating major campaign contributors. To a certain extent, a member of Congress is judged by their ability to deliver funds to their constituents. The Chairman and the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations are in a position to deliver significant benefits to their states.


OR MAYBE SEE PORK LIKE THIS


3 --How do the candidates fare on wasteful spending?

Democrats promised to reduce the number of earmarks when they gained control of Congress, however, that did not happen. The only apparent change is that each earmark must now include the name of the congressional sponsor requesting money for their pet projects.

So how did the presidential candidates fare on earmarks? Tom Schatz is president of Citizens Against Government Waste, and he says that one presidential candidate in particular stands out from the rest. "You compare the 261 [earmarks] that Senator Clinton received to the zero that Senator McCain received, which is the same number he gets every year," notes Schatz. "And even Congressman Kucinich, viewed as a very liberal member of congress, only got six earmarks."

Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) got 46 earmarks, less than one-fifth the number Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received, and Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) got 10 earmarks in the budget.


THIS IS A WHOLE LOT MORE HOW THIS PORK REALLY LOOKS


4 -- Who is the biggest opponent of pork barrel spending?

In his second major policy address in a week, McCain said Republicans, after winning control of Congress, “forgot who we were: tight-fisted stewards of the federal treasury who keep our priorities straight.”

The senator, who has a long history of fighting government waste, said spending has gone from irresponsible to indefensible, claiming “pork-barrel politics balkanizes America into competing interests groups just as race-based or religion-based or class-based politics do.”
McCain vowed to use the veto power often to fight pork-barrel spending.

“Give me the pen, and I’ll use it,” the senator said at a speech to the Economic Club of Memphis. “I won’t just talk about it or threaten it, or use it once and put it back in the drawer to gather dust. Give me the pen, and I’ll veto every single pork-barrel bill Congress sends me, and if they keep sending them to me, I’ll use the bully pulpit to make the people who are wasting your money famous.”

5 -- What is McCain's official stance on pork barrel spending?

Seal the Pork Barrel

Among the most glaring abuses in Washington is the willful setting aside of taxpayer dollars for the pet projects of special interests, often through last minute additions to appropriations bills. Pork barrel spending is an insult to taxpayers, a waste of public resources, and an abdication of our leaders' responsibility to be good and honorable stewards of the public treasury, for the benefit of all Americans, not just a few.

Too often it appears that elected leaders use the treasury as a campaign kitty, channeling taxpayer dollars for pet projects to preserve incumbency rather than to meet national needs. John McCain has been a tireless warrior against wasteful spending, and one of the few leaders who has the guts to challenge abusive Congressional earmarks and the pork barrel politics that grip Washington. John McCain understands that, fundamentally, wasteful spending is an issue of ethics.

As he pointed out recently as part of his longstanding, principled, and often lonely vigil against pork barrel earmarks in Congress: "Earmarked dollars have doubled just since 2000, and more than tripled in the last 10 years. This explosion in earmarks led one lobbyist to deride the appropriations committees as favor factories. The time for us to fix this broken process is long overdue." As President, John McCain would shine the disinfecting light of public scrutiny on those who abuse the public purse, use the power of the presidency to restore fiscal responsibility, and exercise the veto pen to enforce it.


AND THIS IS WHAT PORK DOES TO YOU AND I


BTW -- Pork barrel spending accounted for 29 BILLION (yes, with a B) dollars in 2006. Any questions?

John McCain -- My Candidate - Part 2



McCain has yet to mention his sons’ military credentials on his ongoing biographical tour. McCain spoke at his own alma mater, the Naval Academy, on Wednesday, and then traveled to his old flight school in Pensacola, Fla.

McCain has appeared uncomfortable when asked about Jimmy’s deployment to Iraq.

When asked about it last month by Fox commentator Sean Hannity, McCain replied, “We really never talk about our sons. We have two sons in the military but we never talk about it, if that’s all right.”

McCain added, “I am so proud of both of them.”

“It goes to the character of McCain that he typically does not exploit his familial connections,” said Jim Pitts, co-founder of Navigators, a Washington lobby shop. Pitts is a McCain supporter and fundraiser.

McCain mentioned Jimmy in Iowa, when he casually referred to his son’s promotion to lance corporal, and once briefly on his campaign bus talking to a mother whose son died in Iraq. Cindy McCain, the candidate’s wife, cried silently as the mother told her son’s story, according to reports.

McCain’s spokeswoman, Brooke Buchanan, said that his sons’ military experience will be off-limits.

“Out of respect for the men and women who serve around Jimmy and for security reasons, the senator does not discuss his son,” said Buchanan, who asked The Hill not to run an article on McCain’s sons.

Media outlets have reported on McCain’s sons, though coverage of them has not been widespread.

“He feels very uncomfortable. He does not want Jimmy and his comrades to be put at any risk,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), McCain’s closest ally and friend in the Senate.

Security is a real concern for the son of a high-profile senator and potential future president.

McCain is well-aware of the pitfalls of being a high-profile son and target.

When McCain was captured by the North Vietnamese, he was offered early release because his father was an admiral and, at the time, Pacific commander. McCain, knowing that he would be used as a propaganda tool, refused and was beaten repeatedly.

Graham added, “The one thing I can say is that John and Cindy both are desperate that Jimmy’s service be respected, that he get no different treatment than anyone else.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has talked to McCain in private about Jimmy’s service. The two serve on the Armed Services panel, where McCain is the ranking member.

“I know that John McCain is very proud of his son’s service and he talked to me about it many times, but he is certainly not going to exploit it for political purposes,” Collins said.






Here we go with the second installment of my little mini-series about why it is a privilege to GET to vote for John McCain. McCain comes from a family of servicemen. One of the virtues taught by our armed services is honor. This post here is about McCain's honor as displayed by the treatment of his family. You do not see or hear John McCain using his family as a campaign tool although he easily could. What better way to get across that you will have utmost diligence in your decisions regarding the war than to throw in the fact that your own sons are serving in the service currently and, at least one, has served in Iraq? However, it is difficult to even find pictures of McCain's sons grown up and in their uniforms. He shows honor to them by giving them the chance at privacy and by not "using" them as propaganda. We've already seen that McCain refused to be used as propaganda himself as a POW and he is now carrying along that legacy.

John McCain's honor extends to his daughters as well. When John McCain is attacked and called a racist what could be better than drawing attention to your very dark skinned bangladeshi daughter that you have loved and cared for since she was 10 weeks old? However, John McCain continually responds with the fact that his campaign will not deal in race and will not be intimidated by Obama's attempts to bring race into the campaign. He does not "use" his daughter as propaganda but honors her by keeping her out of the argument. As a father of two wonderful girls I find his protection of his family very honorable. I certainly feel that McCain is a man of honor and find that a very enviable trait in a person generally and in our President specifically. And beyond honor this also is an example that his values are in line with mine in keeping his family first.

8/04/2008

John McCain -- My Candidate - Part 1

I'm going to start a little series here of reasons why John McCain is a good candidate for President and an incredible and honorable human being. It's time for us conservatives to put away the talk of HAVING to vote for McCain and allow me the opportunity to convince you why it is our privilege to GET to vote for so great a man. Please keep an open mind and reserve your FINAL JUDGEMENT until the end of the series which will be 4 or 5 posts altogether. We all have heard that John McCain is a war hero but I wanted to remind everyone of why that is an understatement and not an exaggeration. My first post here focuses on John McCain the American hero.



On October 26, 1967, McCain was flying as part of a 20-plane attack against a thermal power plant in central Hanoi, a heavily defended target area that had previously been off-limits to U.S. raids.[43][44] McCain's A-4 Skyhawk had its wing blown off by a Soviet-made SA-2 anti-aircraft missile[44] while pulling up after dropping its bombs.[45] McCain fractured both arms and a leg in being hit and ejecting from his plane[46] as it went into a vertical inverted spin.[47] He nearly drowned after he parachuted into Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi.[43] After he regained consciousness, a mob gathered around, spat on him, kicked him, and stripped him of his clothes.[47] Others crushed his shoulder with the butt of a rifle and bayoneted him in his left foot and abdominal area; he was then transported to Hanoi's main Hoa Loa Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American POWs.[47][48]



Although McCain was badly wounded, his captors refused to give him medical care unless he gave them military information; they beat and interrogated him, but McCain only offered his name, rank, serial number, and date of birth,[47] and then his ship's name, squadron's name, and their intended target[49] (disclosing this information was in violation of the Code of Conduct, which McCain later wrote he regretted, but in practice was of no military value to the North Vietnamese[50]). Further coerced to give the names of his squadron members, he supplied the names of the Green Bay Packers' offensive line.[51][49] Soon thinking he was near death, McCain said he would give them more information if taken to the hospital, hoping he could then put them off once he was treated.[52] A prison doctor came and said it was too late, as McCain was about to die anyway.[47] Only when the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a top admiral did they give him medical care[47] and announce his capture. At this point, two days after McCain's plane went down, that event and his status as a POW made the front pages of The New York Times[37] and The Washington Post.[53]



McCain spent six weeks in the Hoa Loa hospital, receiving marginal care.[43] He was interviewed by a French television reporter whose report was carried on CBS, and was observed by a variety of North Vietnamese, including the famous General Vo Nguyen Giap.[47] Many of the North Vietnamese observers assumed that he must be part of America's political-military-economic elite.[47] Now having lost 50 pounds, in a chest cast, and with his hair turned white,[43] McCain was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp on the outskirts of Hanoi nicknamed "the Plantation"[54] in December 1967, into a cell with two other Americans who did not expect him to live a week (one was Bud Day, a future Medal of Honor recipient); they nursed McCain and kept him alive.[55] In March 1968, McCain was put into solitary confinement, where he would remain for two years.[47] In July 1968, McCain's father was named Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC), stationed in Honolulu and commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater.[4] McCain was immediately offered a chance to return home early:[43] the North Vietnamese wanted a worldwide propaganda coup by appearing merciful, and also wanted to show other POWs that elites like McCain were willing to be treated preferentially.[47] McCain turned down the offer of repatriation, due to the Code of Conduct principle of "first in, first out": he would only accept the offer if every man taken in before him was released as well.[56] McCain's refusal to be released was even remarked upon by North Vietnamese senior negotiator Le Duc Tho to U.S. envoy Averell Harriman during the ongoing Paris Peace Talks.[57]

In August of 1968, a program of vigorous torture methods began on McCain, using rope bindings into painful positions, and beatings every two hours, at the same time as he was suffering from dysentery.[47][43] Teeth and bones were broken again, as was McCain's spirit; the beginning of a suicide attempt was stopped by guards.[43] After four days of this, McCain signed an anti-American propaganda "confession" that said he was a "black criminal" and an "air pirate",[43] although he used stilted Communist jargon and ungrammatical language to signal that the statement was forced.[51] He felt then and always that he had dishonored his country, his family, his comrades and himself by his statement,[58] but as he would later write, "I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine."[47] His injuries to this day have left him incapable of raising his arms above his head.[13] Two weeks later his captors tried to force him to sign a second statement, and this time, his will to resist restored, he refused.[47] He received two to three beatings per week because of his continued refusal.[59] Other American POWs were similarly tortured and maltreated in order to extract "confessions".[47] On one occasion, a guard surreptitiously loosened McCain's painful rope bindings for a night; when months later the guard later saw McCain on Christmas Day, he stood next to McCain and silently drew a cross in the dirt with his foot[60] (decades later, McCain would relate this Good Samaritan story during his presidential campaigns, as a testament to faith and humanity[61][62]). On Christmas Eve 1968, a church service for the POWs was staged for photographers and film cameras; McCain defied North Vietnamese instructions to be quiet, speaking out details of his treatment then shouting "Fu-u-u-u-ck you, you son of a bitch!" and giving the finger whenever a camera was pointed at him.[63] McCain refused to meet with various anti-war peace groups coming to Hanoi, such as those led by David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, and Rennie Davis, not wanting to give either them or the North Vietnamese a propaganda victory based on his connection to his father.[47]

In May 1969, U.S. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird began publicly questioning North Vietnamese treatment of U.S. prisoners.[64] On June 5, 1969, a Radio Hanoi broadcast denied any mistreatment, and quoted from a statement it attributed to McCain: "I have bombed the cities, towns and villages and caused injuries and even death for the people of North Vietnam. After I was captured, I was taken to a hospital in Hanoi where I received very good medical treatment."[64] In October 1969, treatment of McCain and the other POWs suddenly improved, after a badly beaten and weakened POW who had been released that summer disclosed to the world press the conditions to which they were being subjected[47] and the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, including McCain's brother Joe, heightened awareness of the POWs' plight.[65] In December 1969, McCain was transferred back to the Hoa Loa "Hanoi Hilton";[47] his solitary confinement ended in March 1970.[47] McCain continued to refuse to see anti-war groups or journalists sympathetic to the North Vietnamese regime;[47] to one visitor who did speak with him, McCain later wrote, "I told him I had no remorse about what I did, and that I would do it over again if the same opportunity presented itself."[47] McCain and other prisoners were moved around to different camps at times, but conditions over the next several years were generally more tolerable than they had been before.[47] Back at the "Hanoi Hilton" from November 1971 onward,[47] McCain and the other POWs cheered the intense, Hanoi-focused, B-52-led U.S. "Christmas Bombing" campaign of December 1972 — whose explosions lit the night sky and shook the walls of the camp, and whose daily orders were issued by McCain's father, knowing his son was in the vicinity — as a forceful measure to force North Vietnam to terms.[47][66]

Altogether, McCain was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, ending direct U.S. involvement in the war, but the Operation Homecoming arrangements for POWs took longer; McCain was finally released from captivity on March 15, 1973,[67] having been a POW for almost an extra five years due to his refusal to accept the out-of-sequence repatriation offer.[68]

How Convenient!


It seems that since Barack now NEEDS to have Michigan and Florida to win the election he has turned full-circle on allowing them to be fully seated at the convention. This would be AFTER he fought tooth and nail to make sure they were not seated in order to give him a better chance at winning the primary and becoming the democrat nominee. Well how convenient is that? Yet another in his ever-growing closet full of flip-flops. Here's the story.

Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday that delegates from Florida and Michigan should get a "full vote" at the Democratic convention this month. "I believe party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories," he said in a letter to the co-chairs of the Democratic National Convention's Credentials Committee. Obama asked the committee to pass a resolution when it meets on August 24 to give each delegate a full vote. "As a candidate for the nomination, I supported the DNC's efforts to establish and enforce a schedule for primaries and caucuses that would broaden the opportunity for Democrats from all regions of the country and all backgrounds and walks of life to have a meaningful voice," he wrote. "As we prepare to come together in Denver, however, we must be -- and will be -- united in our determination to change the course of our nation. To that end, Democrats in Florida and Michigan must know that they are full partners and colleagues in our historic mission to reshape Washington and lead our country in a new direction."

8/03/2008

Who's Really Hurting Us?



The last day that the house was in session proved to be an interesting one indeed. Democrats refused to bring to a vote an issue that will eventually help Americans with one of their number one concerns, fuel prices.

Democrats stalled a vote on offshore oil drilling and called for an end to the legislative session, leaving the problem of fuel costs hanging without a solution for the Summer recess. So much for the Democrats caring for the little people.

Republicans refused to leave the floor and continued debating even though the session was over and even after the lights were shut off. Eventually the mics and television cameras were all turned off but the Republicans kept on debating as a sign of protest. Sticking up for the little people.

“Although this Democrat majority just adjourned for the Democrat 5-week vacation, House Republicans are continuing to fight on the House floor. Although the lights, mics and C-SPAN cameras have been turned off, House Republicans are on the floor speaking to the taxpayers in the gallery who, not surprisingly, agree with Republican energy proposals.

An editorial in today’s New Hampshire Union leader says that recent polls show that more than 2/3 of Americans believe that we should be drilling for more oil, the editorial then goes on to ask why the Democrats won’t vote on an issue that so many Americans are in agreement on.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are desperate to avoid a vote on oil drilling before the November elections. They know they will lose such a vote, and they fear Republicans will get credit for taking action to lower oil and gas prices.

So to prevent that electoral nightmare, they simply refuse to allow a floor vote on offshore drilling

They are putting politics above the needs and will of the American people. They are so concerned that the Republicans will look like winners and that it will hurt their re-election chances that they would rather delay the vote and to hell with what the American people want. So they just ran and hid rather that facing the vote and the will of the people, to the chagrin of Republicans.

“This is the people’s House,” said Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.). “This is not Pelosi’s politiburo.”

When Republicans finally stopped the protest five hours after the session ended they were met with cheers:

Right at the stroke of five Georgia Rep. Tom Price announced that House Republicans were ending their impromptu protest on the floor of the chamber, ending a five-plus hour rebellion with a round of “God Bless America.”

The assembled tourists, aides and members in the chamber gave Price and his compatriots a standing ovation. They left the chamber to shouts of “USA! USA! USA!”

8/02/2008

A Mog


Barf: I'm a mog: half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend!

Sound like any pretentious candidate we know?

Tables Turned on a Piece of Trash



KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A would-be robber wound up in a Kansas City-area hospital Saturday after a man shot him during an attempted holdup at an ATM, police said.
Police said the man approached an older couple as they drove up to an ATM at a northland Bank of America location early Satuday morning and threatened them with a gun.
But the man in the car grabbed his own gun, jumped out of the car and shot the would-be robber in the head. He was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition.
“It doesn’t happen very often, especially during the day, (so) it is a little unusual,” said Kansas City, Mo., police Capt. Jeff Emery.
After the robbery attempt, the couple got their cash and police said they’re doing fine.
Customers who learned what happened seemed proud that the would-be victims took matters into their own hands.

What is not included here is that the robber was a male about 20 and the victims were a couple in their 60's. Thank God that there are people like this that refuse to be victims and are willing to do what is necessary to send the message to criminals that we will not be robbed or intimidated and that we are far from helpless. Stories like this make me believe that all is not yet loss and there are still many Americans who will stand and fight when that is what is needed. Thank you Missouri for the right to carry a loaded weapon in our vehicle!!!