Pittsburgh's city council apparently does not. The council has preliminarily passed an ordinance requiring gun owners to report the theft of their weapons within 72 hours or face fines or imprisonment!
When asked for a reaction to this ridiculous measure potentially being at odds with Pennsylvania law, the Pennsylvania Constitution, and the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, Councilwoman Tonya Payne of District 6 actually said:
"Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?"
Not only does this measure need to be defeated or vetoed, Ms. Payne needs to be removed from office.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Mark the Date
Why? Because I'm going to say that President-elect Barack Obama has done the right thing. What did he do? Decide to keep Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in his post.
A quick survey of lefty blogs indicates that the Obamatons are not pleased. Good.
A quick survey of lefty blogs indicates that the Obamatons are not pleased. Good.
Friday, November 21, 2008
TFH 11/21: The Dawn of the Net
You're reading this blog because of the United States Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). On this day in 1969, the forerunner of today's Internet - ARPAnet - went live.
Whenever somebody says that defense spending is nothing but weapons, remember that DoD invented the Internet (sorry, Al Gore, it wasn't you) and then gave it away for all mankind.
Whenever somebody says that defense spending is nothing but weapons, remember that DoD invented the Internet (sorry, Al Gore, it wasn't you) and then gave it away for all mankind.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Apollo+40: To the Moon!
The big newspaper story for November 13, 1968 was NASA's announcement the previous day (yes, I missed the actual day) that Apollo 8 - with Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot Bill Anders - would fly to the Moon in December!
This decision had been made previously but was not announced publicly until all of the data from the Saturn V test flights and the successful Apollo 7 mission in October could be reviewed. Final approval for the world's first manned lunar mission was given by NASA administrator Thomas Paine on November 11, 1968.
Apollo 8, targeted for launch on December 21, 1968, would truly go where no man had gone before!
Source: Encyclopedia Astronautica
This decision had been made previously but was not announced publicly until all of the data from the Saturn V test flights and the successful Apollo 7 mission in October could be reviewed. Final approval for the world's first manned lunar mission was given by NASA administrator Thomas Paine on November 11, 1968.
Apollo 8, targeted for launch on December 21, 1968, would truly go where no man had gone before!
Source: Encyclopedia Astronautica
Well, at least Hitler was anti-smoking!
Wikipedia reaches the heights of ridiculousness with today's "featured article", Anti-tobacco movement in Nazi Germany.
At least the article manages to tell the truth to somewhat blunt the otherwise assumed benefits of such a crusade:
What a surprise that the Nazis blamed the Jews! I'm shocked! That anybody can cite anything that Nazi Germany perpertrated as a heralded "first" in society is simply deranged.
At least the article manages to tell the truth to somewhat blunt the otherwise assumed benefits of such a crusade:
Apart from public health concerns, the Nazis were heavily influenced by
ideology; specifically, the movement was influenced by concepts of racial
hygiene and bodily purity. Nazi leaders believed that it was wrong for the
master race to smoke and that tobacco consumption was equal to "racial
degeneracy". The Nazis viewed tobacco as a "genetic poison". Racial hygienists
opposed tobacco use, fearing that it would "corrupt" the "German germ plasm".
Nazi anti-tobacco activists often tried to depict tobacco as a "vice" of the
"degenerate" Africans.The Nazis claimed that the Jews were responsible for introducing tobacco and its harmful effects. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany announced that smoking was an unhealthy vice spread by the Jews. Johann von Leers, editor of the Nordische Welt (Nordic World), during the opening ceremony of the Wissenschaftliches Institut zur Erforschung der Tabakgefahren in 1941, proclaimed that "Jewish capitalism" was responsible for the spread of tobacco use across Europe. He said that the first tobacco on German soil was brought by the Jews and that they controlled the tobacco industry in Amsterdam, the principal European entry point of Nicotiana.
What a surprise that the Nazis blamed the Jews! I'm shocked! That anybody can cite anything that Nazi Germany perpertrated as a heralded "first" in society is simply deranged.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thanks to all veterans!
Their Finest Hour extends our sincere gratitude to all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen past who sacrificed their youth, their strength, and in many cases their bodies or lives to preserve our Nation!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Happy Birthday USMC!
For 233 years, America's Marines:
From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From the dawn to setting sun
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And have never lost our nerve
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes
They will find the streets are guarded by
The United States Marines.
Thanks to all members of the United States Marine Corps, past and present, for their courage, service, and sacrifices in defense of our great Nation!
From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From the dawn to setting sun
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And have never lost our nerve
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes
They will find the streets are guarded by
The United States Marines.
Thanks to all members of the United States Marine Corps, past and present, for their courage, service, and sacrifices in defense of our great Nation!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
The Fallacy of the Middle of the Road
Ann Althouse hits the nail on the head. This is a great analysis from the mind on one voter that sums up exactly why John McCain's strategy of playing to the middle lost him the election.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
In Memoriam: Marty Kenney
If you've ever listened to the Sean Hannity Show, you've heard the caller "Marty". This WWII and D-Day veteran passed away this week. Be sure to check out the tribute on Sean's site, and make sure you listen to the audio too!
His obituary can be found here. May God bring comfort to the family's grief.
Martin E. Kenney, Sr. - you were a great American!
His obituary can be found here. May God bring comfort to the family's grief.
Martin E. Kenney, Sr. - you were a great American!
Welcome back, Bishop Bob
The Right Reverend Robert William Duncan has been elected as the 8th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Southern Cone) by today's special Diocesan Convention, having been previously deposed as the 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Episcopal Church USA) by the forces of revisionism.
Welcome back! As ever, you and Nara are in my prayers!
Welcome back! As ever, you and Nara are in my prayers!
TFH 11/7: Sergeant Herbert Joseph Thomas, USMCR
From Medal of Honor Citations for World War II:
*THOMAS, HERBERT JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 8 February 1918, Columbus, Ohio. Accredited to: West Virginia. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the battle at the Koromokina River, Bougainville Islands, Solomon Islands, on 7 November 1943. Although several of his men were struck by enemy bullets as he led his squad through dense jungle undergrowth in the face of severe hostile machinegun fire, Sgt. Thomas and his group fearlessly pressed forward into the center of the Japanese position and destroyed the crews of 2 machineguns by accurate rifle fire and grenades. Discovering a third gun more difficult to approach, he carefully placed his men closely around him in strategic positions from which they were to charge after he had thrown a grenade into the emplacement. When the grenade struck vines and fell back into the midst of the group, Sgt. Thomas deliberately flung himself upon it to smother the explosion, valiantly sacrificing his life for his comrades. Inspired by his selfless action, his men unhesitatingly charged the enemy machinegun and, with fierce determination, killed the crew and several other nearby-defenders. The splendid initiative and extremely heroic conduct of Sgt. Thomas in carrying out his prompt decision with full knowledge of his fate reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Sergeant Thomas, thank you for your courage, leadership, and sacrifice in the defense of our Nation and Freedom. November 7, 1943 was your finest hour!
*THOMAS, HERBERT JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 8 February 1918, Columbus, Ohio. Accredited to: West Virginia. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the battle at the Koromokina River, Bougainville Islands, Solomon Islands, on 7 November 1943. Although several of his men were struck by enemy bullets as he led his squad through dense jungle undergrowth in the face of severe hostile machinegun fire, Sgt. Thomas and his group fearlessly pressed forward into the center of the Japanese position and destroyed the crews of 2 machineguns by accurate rifle fire and grenades. Discovering a third gun more difficult to approach, he carefully placed his men closely around him in strategic positions from which they were to charge after he had thrown a grenade into the emplacement. When the grenade struck vines and fell back into the midst of the group, Sgt. Thomas deliberately flung himself upon it to smother the explosion, valiantly sacrificing his life for his comrades. Inspired by his selfless action, his men unhesitatingly charged the enemy machinegun and, with fierce determination, killed the crew and several other nearby-defenders. The splendid initiative and extremely heroic conduct of Sgt. Thomas in carrying out his prompt decision with full knowledge of his fate reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Sergeant Thomas, thank you for your courage, leadership, and sacrifice in the defense of our Nation and Freedom. November 7, 1943 was your finest hour!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
TFH 11/6: Second Lieutenant Robert Dale Reem, USMC
Back to our regularly scheduled programming, a tale of heroism found in Medal of Honor Citations for the Korean War:
*REEM, ROBERT DALE
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company H, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity Chinhung-ni, Korea, 6 November 1950. Entered service at: Elizabethtown, Pa. Born: 20 October 1925, Lancaster, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander in Company H, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Grimly determined to dislodge a group of heavy enemy infantry units occupying well-concealed and strongly fortified positions on commanding ground overlooking unprotected terrain. 2d Lt. Reem moved slowly forward up the side of the ridge with his platoon in the face of a veritable hail of shattering hostile machine gun, grenade, and rifle fire. Three times repulsed by a resolute enemy force in achieving his objective, and pinned down by the continuing fury of hostile fire, he rallied and regrouped the heroic men in his depleted and disorganized platoon in preparation for a fourth attack. Issuing last-minute orders to his noncommissioned officers when an enemy grenade landed in a depression of the rocky ground in which the group was standing, 2d Lt. Reem unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, springing upon the deadly missile, absorbed the full impact of the explosion in his body, thus protecting others from serious injury and possible death. Stouthearted and indomitable, he readily yielded his own chance of survival that his subordinate leaders might live to carry on the fight against a fanatic enemy. His superb courage, cool decisiveness, and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon 2d Lt. Reem and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Lieutenant Reem, thank you for your service, courage and sacrifice for our Nation in the face of the Communist enemies of Liberty. November 6, 195o was your finest hour!
Read more about this great American at Wikipedia.
*REEM, ROBERT DALE
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company H, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity Chinhung-ni, Korea, 6 November 1950. Entered service at: Elizabethtown, Pa. Born: 20 October 1925, Lancaster, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander in Company H, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Grimly determined to dislodge a group of heavy enemy infantry units occupying well-concealed and strongly fortified positions on commanding ground overlooking unprotected terrain. 2d Lt. Reem moved slowly forward up the side of the ridge with his platoon in the face of a veritable hail of shattering hostile machine gun, grenade, and rifle fire. Three times repulsed by a resolute enemy force in achieving his objective, and pinned down by the continuing fury of hostile fire, he rallied and regrouped the heroic men in his depleted and disorganized platoon in preparation for a fourth attack. Issuing last-minute orders to his noncommissioned officers when an enemy grenade landed in a depression of the rocky ground in which the group was standing, 2d Lt. Reem unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, springing upon the deadly missile, absorbed the full impact of the explosion in his body, thus protecting others from serious injury and possible death. Stouthearted and indomitable, he readily yielded his own chance of survival that his subordinate leaders might live to carry on the fight against a fanatic enemy. His superb courage, cool decisiveness, and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon 2d Lt. Reem and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Lieutenant Reem, thank you for your service, courage and sacrifice for our Nation in the face of the Communist enemies of Liberty. November 6, 195o was your finest hour!
Read more about this great American at Wikipedia.
Final Thoughts on the Election
Pennsylvania
I really thought we'd pull PA out, even with the registration disadvantage. Since I spent Election Day as a poll watcher/striker I have some insights on turnout - and I was stationed in a majority Republican district. I'm going to be real curious as to what the final turnout numbers are when the canvassing reports are released. I was absolutely shocked that there was no late-day rush in either of the precincts in the polling place I was present at. I know that the turnout at mid-day in my own precinct was way up, but I don't know how it closed. Republicans and conservatives came out, but unfortunately it looks like a lot of people sat out, or voted for the other side or a third-party in protest.
I'd really like to know what the McCain and Republican internal polls were actually telling them. It's a somewhat accepted fact that campaigns don't lie to themselves, because they can't. Clearly the race didn't tighten as much as they had thought or hoped. I was really surprised that Bill Russell lost to Jack Murtha so badly also.
Sarah Palin
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the only reason I was excited about the McCain Campaign, the only reason I put up a McCain yard sign and stuck a sticker on my car, and the only reason I volunteered the time I did to the campaign was Sarah Palin's presence on the ticket.
I have no time whatsoever for the folks purportedly on our own side who have done and are still doing nothing but dump on this rising conservative star.
Had Sarah Palin not been on the ticket, McCain would have lost by 20% at least since a lot more folks would have sat out or voted for the other side in spite.
It is abundantly clear now that McCain's only point in selecting Governor Palin was to throw a little bone to folks like myself. The campaign mishandled, mispresented, and misused her from the very first day.
Exit Polls
I've chewed through some of the exit polling data, and frankly, it presents a real mixed bag of results. Here are some of the highlights I've found in CNN's national exit poll:
39% identified as Democrat, voted 89%/10% for Obama
32% identified as Republican, voted 90%/9% for McCain
29% identified as Independent, voted 52%/44% for Obama
Both candidates retained about the same percentage of their self-identified voters, so that's a wash. There's no argument that certainly Obama's campaign was more uplifting and inspiring in its rhetoric than McCain's - and that's where "independents" broke. This is further borne out further by the next set of responses.
22% identified as Liberal, voted 89%/10% for Obama
44% identified as Moderate, voted 60%/39% for Obama
34% identified as Conservative, voted 78%/20% for McCain
Here is where John McCain absolutely lost the election. Twenty percent of his base voted for Obama. The good news is that voters not in the vast middle still identify as conservative by a 1.5:1 margin. The McCain strategy to play to the vast middle by being the "I'm not as liberal" candidate failed absolutely. I am convinced that self-described "moderates" do not base their voting decisions on actual positions and issues; they base almost entirely on the presentation of those positions and issues and the feelings of confidence that the presentation generates. McCain didn't - make that, couldn't - inspire voters because he did not present a valid alternative on the issues until too late in the campaign, and then was simply not dynamic enough to drive his points home. McCain's plays for the center turned off conservatives completely until the nomination of Sarah Palin and he couldn't sell the differences between himself and Obama because, at least rhetorically, they weren't significantly differentiable.
17% of folks who said they voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004 said they voted for Obama. Not a surprise based on the previously cited data and the overall drop in popular vote count that McCain suffered vs. 2004.
67% surveyed support more off-shore drilling for energy, and they broke 59%/39% for McCain. Energy policy will make or break the early months of Obama's Presidency.
74% surveyed said Supreme Court appointments (and by extension other judicial appointments) were a decision factor, and those voters broke 53%/45% for Obama. This is very, very troubling. Paramount in the new Conservative movement will be to push home at every opportunity that laws must be made by the people's elected representatives and not dictated by jurists.
71% said that taxes would go up under an Obama presidency, regardless of income bracket. So much for people thinking that only the "rich" are going to face higher taxes. These voters broke 55%/43% for McCain.
93% responded that the economy is either "not good" or "poor" - 55%/44% for Obama. The same sample returned 23% who said that the economy will be worse in a year, and they went 54%/43% for McCain. This does not compute logically. If the economy isn't good now, and is going to be either the same (still bad - 25% response, 52%/46% Obama) and McCain has the best policies to handle a worse economy, how does it work out that Obama's policies work in a still suffering one? This, I think, goes directly to the inspiration factor I previously described - content didn't matter.
The inspiration gap is verified again by this last data set that I'll discuss; which candidate quality matters most:
30% said "Shares my values", voted 65%/32% for McCain
34% said "Can bring change", voted 89%/9% for Obama
20% said "Experience", voted 93%/7% for McCain
12% said "Cares about people", voted 74%/24% for Obama
When Obama voters are asked why they voted that way a common answer is, "He'll bring change." When asked "what change?", the same voters mostly can't qualify their desire for change or specify what should change. Voting for a liberal candidate is based solely on emotion for all but the die-hard supporters. More folks said that values and experience said were the most important qualities than change and caring, but yet Obama won. It's all about the presentation and delivery.
Wrap-Up
In the end, I believe that Barack Obama will be our 44th President on force of personality, not ideas. An honest debate on the issue was never had because conservatism wasn't on the ballot and was never a hallmark of the McCain campaign. The American electorate was presented with a choice of a dynamic candidate and a boring one. Since there was not a clear, black-and-white differentiation of philosophies and policies (and even if there had been, McCain probably was incapable of delivering it), the electorate went with the candidate who inspired.
The 2006 mid-term and 2008 general election results are George W. Bush's legacy. The loss of the Presidency and dwindling representation in the Congress can be laid squarely and fairly on his plate. This isn't the time for the post-mortem on our 43rd President - that will come on January 20, 2009 - but suffice to say for now that, "This is Bush's fault."
May God guide and strengthen our President-elect and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
I really thought we'd pull PA out, even with the registration disadvantage. Since I spent Election Day as a poll watcher/striker I have some insights on turnout - and I was stationed in a majority Republican district. I'm going to be real curious as to what the final turnout numbers are when the canvassing reports are released. I was absolutely shocked that there was no late-day rush in either of the precincts in the polling place I was present at. I know that the turnout at mid-day in my own precinct was way up, but I don't know how it closed. Republicans and conservatives came out, but unfortunately it looks like a lot of people sat out, or voted for the other side or a third-party in protest.
I'd really like to know what the McCain and Republican internal polls were actually telling them. It's a somewhat accepted fact that campaigns don't lie to themselves, because they can't. Clearly the race didn't tighten as much as they had thought or hoped. I was really surprised that Bill Russell lost to Jack Murtha so badly also.
Sarah Palin
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the only reason I was excited about the McCain Campaign, the only reason I put up a McCain yard sign and stuck a sticker on my car, and the only reason I volunteered the time I did to the campaign was Sarah Palin's presence on the ticket.
I have no time whatsoever for the folks purportedly on our own side who have done and are still doing nothing but dump on this rising conservative star.
Had Sarah Palin not been on the ticket, McCain would have lost by 20% at least since a lot more folks would have sat out or voted for the other side in spite.
It is abundantly clear now that McCain's only point in selecting Governor Palin was to throw a little bone to folks like myself. The campaign mishandled, mispresented, and misused her from the very first day.
Exit Polls
I've chewed through some of the exit polling data, and frankly, it presents a real mixed bag of results. Here are some of the highlights I've found in CNN's national exit poll:
39% identified as Democrat, voted 89%/10% for Obama
32% identified as Republican, voted 90%/9% for McCain
29% identified as Independent, voted 52%/44% for Obama
Both candidates retained about the same percentage of their self-identified voters, so that's a wash. There's no argument that certainly Obama's campaign was more uplifting and inspiring in its rhetoric than McCain's - and that's where "independents" broke. This is further borne out further by the next set of responses.
22% identified as Liberal, voted 89%/10% for Obama
44% identified as Moderate, voted 60%/39% for Obama
34% identified as Conservative, voted 78%/20% for McCain
Here is where John McCain absolutely lost the election. Twenty percent of his base voted for Obama. The good news is that voters not in the vast middle still identify as conservative by a 1.5:1 margin. The McCain strategy to play to the vast middle by being the "I'm not as liberal" candidate failed absolutely. I am convinced that self-described "moderates" do not base their voting decisions on actual positions and issues; they base almost entirely on the presentation of those positions and issues and the feelings of confidence that the presentation generates. McCain didn't - make that, couldn't - inspire voters because he did not present a valid alternative on the issues until too late in the campaign, and then was simply not dynamic enough to drive his points home. McCain's plays for the center turned off conservatives completely until the nomination of Sarah Palin and he couldn't sell the differences between himself and Obama because, at least rhetorically, they weren't significantly differentiable.
17% of folks who said they voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004 said they voted for Obama. Not a surprise based on the previously cited data and the overall drop in popular vote count that McCain suffered vs. 2004.
67% surveyed support more off-shore drilling for energy, and they broke 59%/39% for McCain. Energy policy will make or break the early months of Obama's Presidency.
74% surveyed said Supreme Court appointments (and by extension other judicial appointments) were a decision factor, and those voters broke 53%/45% for Obama. This is very, very troubling. Paramount in the new Conservative movement will be to push home at every opportunity that laws must be made by the people's elected representatives and not dictated by jurists.
71% said that taxes would go up under an Obama presidency, regardless of income bracket. So much for people thinking that only the "rich" are going to face higher taxes. These voters broke 55%/43% for McCain.
93% responded that the economy is either "not good" or "poor" - 55%/44% for Obama. The same sample returned 23% who said that the economy will be worse in a year, and they went 54%/43% for McCain. This does not compute logically. If the economy isn't good now, and is going to be either the same (still bad - 25% response, 52%/46% Obama) and McCain has the best policies to handle a worse economy, how does it work out that Obama's policies work in a still suffering one? This, I think, goes directly to the inspiration factor I previously described - content didn't matter.
The inspiration gap is verified again by this last data set that I'll discuss; which candidate quality matters most:
30% said "Shares my values", voted 65%/32% for McCain
34% said "Can bring change", voted 89%/9% for Obama
20% said "Experience", voted 93%/7% for McCain
12% said "Cares about people", voted 74%/24% for Obama
When Obama voters are asked why they voted that way a common answer is, "He'll bring change." When asked "what change?", the same voters mostly can't qualify their desire for change or specify what should change. Voting for a liberal candidate is based solely on emotion for all but the die-hard supporters. More folks said that values and experience said were the most important qualities than change and caring, but yet Obama won. It's all about the presentation and delivery.
Wrap-Up
In the end, I believe that Barack Obama will be our 44th President on force of personality, not ideas. An honest debate on the issue was never had because conservatism wasn't on the ballot and was never a hallmark of the McCain campaign. The American electorate was presented with a choice of a dynamic candidate and a boring one. Since there was not a clear, black-and-white differentiation of philosophies and policies (and even if there had been, McCain probably was incapable of delivering it), the electorate went with the candidate who inspired.
The 2006 mid-term and 2008 general election results are George W. Bush's legacy. The loss of the Presidency and dwindling representation in the Congress can be laid squarely and fairly on his plate. This isn't the time for the post-mortem on our 43rd President - that will come on January 20, 2009 - but suffice to say for now that, "This is Bush's fault."
May God guide and strengthen our President-elect and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
More Election Quick Thoughts
I'm still digesting yesterday's general election. A full post-mortem will come tomorrow, but I do have some additional reflections:
1) According to FOX News as of 4:15 PM ET, Barack Obama has been credited with 63,562,802 popular votes. That is only 1,522,192 votes greater than the 62,040,610 popular votes President Bush amassed in 2004 - just a 2.45 percent increase for the winner. John McCain received 59,028,044 popular votes; this is a loss of 3,012,166/4.9% from Bush '04, but 2,832,022 votes more than John Kerry received in 2004 (a gain of 5% for the loser). Votes from last night are still being counted and canvassed, but clearly the electorate is still deeply divided, and there is hope in the numbers for our side in the future.
2) I wish our new President-elect well and my prayers will be for him and our Nation. I want the United States of America to be prosperous and successful. Now that the campaign is over, I will be dropping my partisan rhetoric of naming Senator Obama the "New Soviet Man" and hope he is sincere when he said last night, "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too." I have very, very grave doubts that Barack Obama will do anything though than govern from the far left.
3) Jason Altmire will be continuing as the Congressman from my district in Western Pennsylvania. The first occasion I had to be spurred to contact him on an issue was on the financial system bailout. I expressed my opinion as a constituent repeatedly to Mr. Altmire that the bailout was a raw deal, and on the force of my and other constituents' input, he did vote against the bill. I'm not going to let Mr. Altmire off the hook during the 111th Congress. He's going to be hearing from me regularly.
4) I could have done more in the way of volunteering to support the McCain/Palin campaign and other Republican candidates. I should have done more. We need to renew the Conservative movement, and I fully expect there's going to be an ideological war within the Republican Party. I'm not going to stand on the sidelines until 2010, 2012, or beyond. My involvement in the grass roots to shape the future of Conservatism starts today.
Today is a bright day in the "Shining City on a Hill" that is the United States of America. I am as positive about and convinced of the correctness of the Conservative beliefs and principles I cherish today as yesterday. As Sean Hannity says, "Let not your heart be troubled."
And I won't.
(UPDATE 11/6: Corrected some of my numbers and math in point (1) - couldn't read my own quick chicken scratch where I didn't label columns)
1) According to FOX News as of 4:15 PM ET, Barack Obama has been credited with 63,562,802 popular votes. That is only 1,522,192 votes greater than the 62,040,610 popular votes President Bush amassed in 2004 - just a 2.45 percent increase for the winner. John McCain received 59,028,044 popular votes; this is a loss of 3,012,166/4.9% from Bush '04, but 2,832,022 votes more than John Kerry received in 2004 (a gain of 5% for the loser). Votes from last night are still being counted and canvassed, but clearly the electorate is still deeply divided, and there is hope in the numbers for our side in the future.
2) I wish our new President-elect well and my prayers will be for him and our Nation. I want the United States of America to be prosperous and successful. Now that the campaign is over, I will be dropping my partisan rhetoric of naming Senator Obama the "New Soviet Man" and hope he is sincere when he said last night, "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too." I have very, very grave doubts that Barack Obama will do anything though than govern from the far left.
3) Jason Altmire will be continuing as the Congressman from my district in Western Pennsylvania. The first occasion I had to be spurred to contact him on an issue was on the financial system bailout. I expressed my opinion as a constituent repeatedly to Mr. Altmire that the bailout was a raw deal, and on the force of my and other constituents' input, he did vote against the bill. I'm not going to let Mr. Altmire off the hook during the 111th Congress. He's going to be hearing from me regularly.
4) I could have done more in the way of volunteering to support the McCain/Palin campaign and other Republican candidates. I should have done more. We need to renew the Conservative movement, and I fully expect there's going to be an ideological war within the Republican Party. I'm not going to stand on the sidelines until 2010, 2012, or beyond. My involvement in the grass roots to shape the future of Conservatism starts today.
Today is a bright day in the "Shining City on a Hill" that is the United States of America. I am as positive about and convinced of the correctness of the Conservative beliefs and principles I cherish today as yesterday. As Sean Hannity says, "Let not your heart be troubled."
And I won't.
(UPDATE 11/6: Corrected some of my numbers and math in point (1) - couldn't read my own quick chicken scratch where I didn't label columns)
A Master of the Techno-Thriller has passed
Author Michael Crichton has passed away unexpectedly. According to the linked report from FOX News, he privately had been battling cancer.
Crichton was 66. More at his official web site.
I have enjoyed immensely everything he has written, and will mourn his loss. My prayers and condolences go out to his family.
May he rest in peace.
Crichton was 66. More at his official web site.
I have enjoyed immensely everything he has written, and will mourn his loss. My prayers and condolences go out to his family.
May he rest in peace.
The big OUCH!
Martin Brodeur is going to miss 3-4 months with an elbow injury. That's going to hurt my Devils real bad...
Congratulations to the Victors
History has been made, and Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States. I am proud that our Nation has seen fit to elect a non-white to the office; I just wish the first non-white hadn't been a Marxist.
I'll be writing a longer election post-mortem later. There are some quick hit things though that this morning, I'm glad about:
1) I got to bed at a decent hour. Had McCain won, I probably would have been watching the coverage all night as a gloat fest.
2) Looks like the GOP will retain at least 41 Senate seats. Unfortunately, some of those are clearly RINO, so filibusters as a safety valve isn't a given.
3) Hopefully this will allow us to start cleaning out the forces in the Republican Party who think tacking left is the way to victory. Pandering to moderates and independents lost the election.
However, my last words on the election will be "It was Bush's fault", and I'm going to mean it. Barack Obama is the legacy of George W. Bush - a President who has been right on so many issues, but who has failed so dismally.
I'll be writing a longer election post-mortem later. There are some quick hit things though that this morning, I'm glad about:
1) I got to bed at a decent hour. Had McCain won, I probably would have been watching the coverage all night as a gloat fest.
2) Looks like the GOP will retain at least 41 Senate seats. Unfortunately, some of those are clearly RINO, so filibusters as a safety valve isn't a given.
3) Hopefully this will allow us to start cleaning out the forces in the Republican Party who think tacking left is the way to victory. Pandering to moderates and independents lost the election.
However, my last words on the election will be "It was Bush's fault", and I'm going to mean it. Barack Obama is the legacy of George W. Bush - a President who has been right on so many issues, but who has failed so dismally.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
2:20 to go!
PA polls close in about 2:20...get out and VOTE!
A judge in VA has ruled in favor of McCain to count late arriving military ballots. Oooorah!
Slow and steady with building turnout...waiting on the end of work day flurry...
Election update 1404
Just saw a mother and her two special needs children - a beautiful young woman with cerebal palsy and her autistic son - come in to vote. They hopefully are Sarah Palin (and Trig) fans! I said a brief silent prayer for these two youths and their parents; may His light and comfort ever strengthen and sustain this family.
Every life is precious and must - must - be protected and valued!
Saw another pretty young woman (13 or 14 I'd say) wearing a nice McCain/Palin t-shirt as she watched her mom vote. I heard her tell her mom, "I want to push the button for Sarah!" 'Course, if this was ACORN land, she'd be on the voter rolls herself. There may be a youth movement for the New Soviet Man somewhere, but it hasn't corrupted our children in this neck of the woods.
Turnout in the Pittsburgh North Hills is enormous. I was #532 through my polling place at noon; the local folks are predicting 85-90% turnout in a heavily Republican area.
I'm kind of in a news vacuum, but things are looking good here...
Poll Watching Live Blog - 1011
Pace has slowed a bit...spied a local VIP though. WPXI-TV newswoman Peggy Finnegan came in to vote with her daughter along for the experience. Recognized her right away; do have to say though that she looks better in person than on TV...
Poll Watch Live Blog 0846
Turnout so far in the Pittsburgh North Hills is high. Hopefully a good sign.
Polling has been completely above board so far...
E - 1:30:00
Polls open in Pennsylvania at 0700.
Heading out the door to go ACORN hunting in about 10 minutes...
Heading out the door to go ACORN hunting in about 10 minutes...
Monday, November 03, 2008
Why I am a Conservative
I was born into and raised in a Democrat household. Supporting Democratic candidates and their positions was all I knew until my early twenties. Even though I wasn't quite old enough to vote, I helped campaign for Michael Dukakis in 1988 (as an aside, if we fast forwarded 20 years then, I'm sure the Democrats and their ACORN co-conspirators would have been happy to have me vote). And yes, I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 - a short-sighted decision that I will rue until the day I die.
To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I remember very vividly coming home from school on March 30, 1981 - the day President Reagan was shot. I was not quite ten years old yet. I remember wondering why my mother was so upset, since I knew full well how much she hated Ronald Reagan. I may even have asked her why she wasn't happy about it...it's a little foggy on that point.
So, what changed? I can point to one single occurrence that changed my point of view forever, and it happened in January or February of 1995. One night after work at my salaried, but gross of about $10/hour, job I went to buy groceries. I'm sure my load of food consisted of hot dogs, ramen noodles, and macaroni and cheese mix, since I couldn't afford much else. The man in the checkout line in front of me opened his wallet to pay, and I saw a bankroll that I could only dream about - a wad of Ben Franklins that was easily 3/8 of an inch thick. How did this individual pay for his purchases? With USDA food stamps. I saw this individual leave the parking lot in a luxury car; memory has it as an Infiniti, but it could have been a Lexus or one of the others. I trudged off through the sleet and snow to the bus stop.
Now, I'm conjecturing a little bit, but the conclusion I drew at that point was the individual I observed probably obtained those food stamps in exchange for a product or products that wouldn't exactly have qualified as food. Either that, or he was committing out-and-out fraud.
In any case, this really irritated me. I couldn't have gotten food stamps to feed myself; I know, because I inquired one desperate moment when I was dead broke not six weeks before. I saw the whole system then as broken, and I realized that with my votes I had sustained the whole house of cards.
This was also the opening days of the 104th Congress and the Contract With America. Back in November, 1994 I recall my then dismay at the Republicans' sweeping victory - but now I took another look. What did I find? Ten proposals for legislation that I agreed with.
Then I did something I'm not certain I had done since I first had to in high school: I read the Constitution of the United States of America. Two things stood out to me above all, and they were the text of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments:
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Why these two parts? In the case of the Ninth Amendment, one of the "regulars" at the bar I spent too much time at (yeah, I was a "regular" too) often griped about how he couldn't work unless it was through his union. By all means, labor unions have the right to organize based on the free association rights guaranteed by the First Amendment ("right of the people peaceably to assemble"); but doesn't the Ninth Amendment guarantee one's ability to exercise a right to free disassociation?
In the case of the Tenth Amendment, I went back through the Constitution and counted. I found that (I admit I just now recounted) that there are only forty-six specific powers ceded by the States and people to the Congress and the United States. None of which, by the way, could be construed to include the aformentioned food stamps. The rest of the Constitution enumerates what our government can not do.
Now, I know the Left loves the text of Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 that reads, "provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States" - and believes that this gives the Congress an omnibus writ to do basically whatever they want. If that's the case though, then why do the texts of the 13th, 15th, 18th (since repealed), 19th, 23rd, and 24th Amendments include provisions that "Congress shall have power" to enforce said amendments with legislation?
I then also came to realize that the Constitution's framers got it right the first time; the 17th Amendment served only to weaken the 10th Amendment by removing the representation of the States from the Federal Government and over representing the people.
What came next? Well, I got myself a paperback copy of The Federalist Papers and read the whole background behind the framing of the Constitution (time well spent riding the bus) - and became even more dismayed and incensed at how far our Nation has decended from what the Founding Fathers intended.
I realized the fallacy of liberal philosophies and policies. I quickly began to rip apart in my mind all of the supposed reasons for believing in liberal policies and exposed them in my mind for the lies and falsehoods they are. I rejected the very premises of them. I realized that the heart of Liberalism is intellectual dishonesty.
Well, then I looked at my paycheck and for the first time I really asked myself a question that I know many have: Who the hell is FICA, and why do they have all of my money?
I realized then that if my taxes were halved (yes, earning $20,000 a year gross meant at the time that I shelled out about 30 percent of my income to the government, including state and local taxes), I wouldn't be riding the bus anymore; I'd be able to afford a beater used car.
And then, yes, I started listening to talk radio. First was Fred Honsberger on KDKA - my shift started at 3:00 PM when he came on the air. I graduated from there to Rush Limbaugh - who I had previously had nothing but disdain for, even though I had never listened to him or read anything he had written. What I heard was everything I was feeling. What I heard was everything I knew now to be the truth about the United States and the freedom, liberty, and opportunity handed down from our forefathers.
We're now up to March or April of 1995. The last phase of my transition from unthinking, lemming Democrat to Conservative came in two parts. The first was when I sent an e-mail to Fred Honsberger (as I remember, the topic was reverse racism) which he read on the air. The second was I changed my residency to Pennsylvania, and registered to vote as a Republican.
In 1996, I supported Steve Forbes in the Presidential primary. I voted for Dole/Kemp that year for President. I proudly voted for George W. Bush both in 2000 and 2004 (I'm pretty sure I voted for McCain in the '00 Primary, but don't remember for certain). I wrote in Louisiana Republican Governor Bobby Jindal in this year's primary, and while he's not the pure Conservative I'd hope for, I'll be voting for John McCain tomorrow, and working as a poll inspector to try and help assure that this election isn't stolen by the forces who do and will trample our Constitution.
In the end, the answer to the question "why am I a Conservative?" is simply:
I can see, I can read, and I can think.
To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I remember very vividly coming home from school on March 30, 1981 - the day President Reagan was shot. I was not quite ten years old yet. I remember wondering why my mother was so upset, since I knew full well how much she hated Ronald Reagan. I may even have asked her why she wasn't happy about it...it's a little foggy on that point.
So, what changed? I can point to one single occurrence that changed my point of view forever, and it happened in January or February of 1995. One night after work at my salaried, but gross of about $10/hour, job I went to buy groceries. I'm sure my load of food consisted of hot dogs, ramen noodles, and macaroni and cheese mix, since I couldn't afford much else. The man in the checkout line in front of me opened his wallet to pay, and I saw a bankroll that I could only dream about - a wad of Ben Franklins that was easily 3/8 of an inch thick. How did this individual pay for his purchases? With USDA food stamps. I saw this individual leave the parking lot in a luxury car; memory has it as an Infiniti, but it could have been a Lexus or one of the others. I trudged off through the sleet and snow to the bus stop.
Now, I'm conjecturing a little bit, but the conclusion I drew at that point was the individual I observed probably obtained those food stamps in exchange for a product or products that wouldn't exactly have qualified as food. Either that, or he was committing out-and-out fraud.
In any case, this really irritated me. I couldn't have gotten food stamps to feed myself; I know, because I inquired one desperate moment when I was dead broke not six weeks before. I saw the whole system then as broken, and I realized that with my votes I had sustained the whole house of cards.
This was also the opening days of the 104th Congress and the Contract With America. Back in November, 1994 I recall my then dismay at the Republicans' sweeping victory - but now I took another look. What did I find? Ten proposals for legislation that I agreed with.
Then I did something I'm not certain I had done since I first had to in high school: I read the Constitution of the United States of America. Two things stood out to me above all, and they were the text of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments:
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Why these two parts? In the case of the Ninth Amendment, one of the "regulars" at the bar I spent too much time at (yeah, I was a "regular" too) often griped about how he couldn't work unless it was through his union. By all means, labor unions have the right to organize based on the free association rights guaranteed by the First Amendment ("right of the people peaceably to assemble"); but doesn't the Ninth Amendment guarantee one's ability to exercise a right to free disassociation?
In the case of the Tenth Amendment, I went back through the Constitution and counted. I found that (I admit I just now recounted) that there are only forty-six specific powers ceded by the States and people to the Congress and the United States. None of which, by the way, could be construed to include the aformentioned food stamps. The rest of the Constitution enumerates what our government can not do.
Now, I know the Left loves the text of Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 that reads, "provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States" - and believes that this gives the Congress an omnibus writ to do basically whatever they want. If that's the case though, then why do the texts of the 13th, 15th, 18th (since repealed), 19th, 23rd, and 24th Amendments include provisions that "Congress shall have power" to enforce said amendments with legislation?
I then also came to realize that the Constitution's framers got it right the first time; the 17th Amendment served only to weaken the 10th Amendment by removing the representation of the States from the Federal Government and over representing the people.
What came next? Well, I got myself a paperback copy of The Federalist Papers and read the whole background behind the framing of the Constitution (time well spent riding the bus) - and became even more dismayed and incensed at how far our Nation has decended from what the Founding Fathers intended.
I realized the fallacy of liberal philosophies and policies. I quickly began to rip apart in my mind all of the supposed reasons for believing in liberal policies and exposed them in my mind for the lies and falsehoods they are. I rejected the very premises of them. I realized that the heart of Liberalism is intellectual dishonesty.
Well, then I looked at my paycheck and for the first time I really asked myself a question that I know many have: Who the hell is FICA, and why do they have all of my money?
I realized then that if my taxes were halved (yes, earning $20,000 a year gross meant at the time that I shelled out about 30 percent of my income to the government, including state and local taxes), I wouldn't be riding the bus anymore; I'd be able to afford a beater used car.
And then, yes, I started listening to talk radio. First was Fred Honsberger on KDKA - my shift started at 3:00 PM when he came on the air. I graduated from there to Rush Limbaugh - who I had previously had nothing but disdain for, even though I had never listened to him or read anything he had written. What I heard was everything I was feeling. What I heard was everything I knew now to be the truth about the United States and the freedom, liberty, and opportunity handed down from our forefathers.
We're now up to March or April of 1995. The last phase of my transition from unthinking, lemming Democrat to Conservative came in two parts. The first was when I sent an e-mail to Fred Honsberger (as I remember, the topic was reverse racism) which he read on the air. The second was I changed my residency to Pennsylvania, and registered to vote as a Republican.
In 1996, I supported Steve Forbes in the Presidential primary. I voted for Dole/Kemp that year for President. I proudly voted for George W. Bush both in 2000 and 2004 (I'm pretty sure I voted for McCain in the '00 Primary, but don't remember for certain). I wrote in Louisiana Republican Governor Bobby Jindal in this year's primary, and while he's not the pure Conservative I'd hope for, I'll be voting for John McCain tomorrow, and working as a poll inspector to try and help assure that this election isn't stolen by the forces who do and will trample our Constitution.
In the end, the answer to the question "why am I a Conservative?" is simply:
I can see, I can read, and I can think.
Hear it from the Governator!
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) gave what is perhaps the best stump speech I've listened to in favor of John McCain and Sarah Palin Friday in Columbus, OH.
Arnold understands the American Dream and the endless opportunities offered by our great Nation because he has lived it.
The money quotes:
John McCain has served this country longer in a POW camp than his opponent has served in the United States Senate.
I only play an action hero in my movies, but John McCain is a real action hero.
I left Europe four decades ago because socialism has killed opportunities there...I am so fortunate that I had the chance of coming to the greatest country in the world: the United States of America!
Attention UMWA Members: Barack Obama is NOT your ally
Forget the Mine Workers, the New Soviet Man is not a friend of the United States.
From the great folks at HotAir: a rundown of how Barack Obama wants to bankrupt (Barack Obama's own words!) the coal industry and energy industries that utilize coal. (Earlier article from HotAir also)
Our economy can not expand and flourish - much less survive - without cheap, accessible sources of energy. We need all energy sources to be developed: coal, nuclear, natural gas, geothermal, solar, wind, etc. - all of them.
A direct quote from Barack Obama: Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.
Look at your electric bill. Now, imagine it with charges that are double, triple, or quadruple. Are you looking forward to that? What will you have to give up if your electric bill is that large? Think about it long and hard, because that is the America that Barack Obama wants. He wants an energy-starved America that can not meet the basic needs of its own citizens.
Should the American people be hoodwinked and elect this man tomorrow, the end of the United States of America's prominence will assuredly follow.
I am convinced that Barack Obama is bent on the destruction of the United States, the ruination of our economy, the subversion of our Constitution, and is anathema to every value that this great Nation has stood for over the last 232 years.
From the great folks at HotAir: a rundown of how Barack Obama wants to bankrupt (Barack Obama's own words!) the coal industry and energy industries that utilize coal. (Earlier article from HotAir also)
Our economy can not expand and flourish - much less survive - without cheap, accessible sources of energy. We need all energy sources to be developed: coal, nuclear, natural gas, geothermal, solar, wind, etc. - all of them.
A direct quote from Barack Obama: Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.
Look at your electric bill. Now, imagine it with charges that are double, triple, or quadruple. Are you looking forward to that? What will you have to give up if your electric bill is that large? Think about it long and hard, because that is the America that Barack Obama wants. He wants an energy-starved America that can not meet the basic needs of its own citizens.
Should the American people be hoodwinked and elect this man tomorrow, the end of the United States of America's prominence will assuredly follow.
I am convinced that Barack Obama is bent on the destruction of the United States, the ruination of our economy, the subversion of our Constitution, and is anathema to every value that this great Nation has stood for over the last 232 years.
E -24:00:00
Polls open in Pennsylvania in twenty-four hours! Polls close in Pennsylvania in thirty-five hours! Vote tomorrow, and vote correctly!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Why I believe John McCain should be the 44th President
I believe that our Constitution, as amended, is still in some ways imperfect but is superior to any societal blueprint elsewhere. We must have no doubt that whomever will be sworn to "preserve, protect, and defend" our Constitution will truthfully and faithfully do so. They must appoint federal judges and Supreme Court Justices who will interpret our laws and Constitution, not rewrite, invent, or reinvent them according to their own philosophies. Writing law must be left to our elected representatives, not imposed by judicial fiat.
I believe that the United States should be energy independent. We must develop our own energy resources - coal, solar, oil, natural gas, wind, water, tidal, geothermal, nuclear - everything. We have thrown up too many regulatory and legal restrictions in the way of sound utilization of our natural resources. Our economy can not grow without plentiful, unrestricted sources of energy.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that we have "certain unalienable rights", the first - and therefore most important - listed was life. Since 1973, over 40 million human lives have been ended via abortion in this country. To put that tragic count in perspective, a nation state of 40 million souls would be the 32nd largest country on Earth, right in between Argentina and Sudan. In the last 35 years, we have lost millions who could have become doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, soldiers, firefighters - or mechanics, construction workers, computer programmers, etc., etc., etc.; most of them simply for reasons of convenience. This is a holocaust of unimaginable loss, and I fear, unrecoverable cost. There is no life unplanned by God; if we do not defend the defenseless, then what worth are we?
Taxes are too high. Our economy will continue to hemorrhage jobs and our industries will continue to diminish and perish unless we reduce - or better still - eliminate corporate taxes and let the ingenuity of the American entrepreneur flourish and thrive without crippling oversight and regulations from a government that has no idea how to produce, only consume. Economics is not a zero-sum game; new wealth will always be created, and government must not stand in the way.
I believe that if not for the United States of America, there would be no freedom and liberty in the world today. It was President John F. Kennedy who would have said, "If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help." We must continue to combat tyranny around the world, with diplomacy first, but must always be ready to use our military might if necessary. Our exit strategy for the War on Terror's two fronts should be victory, not negotiation or compromise. Our enemies should never doubt that conflict with the United States of America can have only two possible outcomes: their unconditional surrender or their total annihilation.
Most of all, I believe in American Exceptionalism. I have never had to search for a reason to be proud of my country. I see American greatness every day. We became the first colonies to break away from their European parent because we no longer wanted to be Europeans, and we have no desire to be like Europe today. This is the greatest Nation on the earth - yesterday, today, and hopefully forever more - and our President should never be a man who thinks the United States of America is not the "shining city on a hill."
Nearly forty years ago on July 20, 1969 the United States of America put two of our own on the Earth's Moon - arguably the greatest achievement in all of human history. Forty years on, and all the other nations of the world have yet to equal the United States of America. Forty years hence, let us hope that we have not been equaled or God forbid, surpassed.
On July 20, 1969 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were taking their historic Moon walk, an American Naval Aviator was suffering unimaginable torture at the hands of the Communist enemies of the United States. That man never lost faith in his comrades or his Nation. He was coming up on just the end of his second year in enemy hands, the second of five and a half years of brutal captivity. That man was John McCain.
John McCain would not have been my first choice as my candidate for President. I disagree with him on many policy areas. That aside, on all of the above issues I have listed Senator McCain is the clear choice. He has the experience, independence, and integrity to lead this great Nation forward. He will not let our national security be dictated by foreign powers. He will honor and defend our freedoms and Constitution. He will reduce taxes, and get our economy moving without the encumbrance of an ever-growing government weighing it down.
Finally, I believe that John McCain should be elected for one more reason. I believe that one of our Nation's darkest black marks is the absolute contempt that returning Vietnam Veterans were received with. Tens of thousands of Americans served in that war with honor and over 58,000 gave their lives. We should be grateful for the services and sacrifices of the Vietnam generation, and they deserve to have one of their honorable own be the President.
I believe that the United States should be energy independent. We must develop our own energy resources - coal, solar, oil, natural gas, wind, water, tidal, geothermal, nuclear - everything. We have thrown up too many regulatory and legal restrictions in the way of sound utilization of our natural resources. Our economy can not grow without plentiful, unrestricted sources of energy.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that we have "certain unalienable rights", the first - and therefore most important - listed was life. Since 1973, over 40 million human lives have been ended via abortion in this country. To put that tragic count in perspective, a nation state of 40 million souls would be the 32nd largest country on Earth, right in between Argentina and Sudan. In the last 35 years, we have lost millions who could have become doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, soldiers, firefighters - or mechanics, construction workers, computer programmers, etc., etc., etc.; most of them simply for reasons of convenience. This is a holocaust of unimaginable loss, and I fear, unrecoverable cost. There is no life unplanned by God; if we do not defend the defenseless, then what worth are we?
Taxes are too high. Our economy will continue to hemorrhage jobs and our industries will continue to diminish and perish unless we reduce - or better still - eliminate corporate taxes and let the ingenuity of the American entrepreneur flourish and thrive without crippling oversight and regulations from a government that has no idea how to produce, only consume. Economics is not a zero-sum game; new wealth will always be created, and government must not stand in the way.
I believe that if not for the United States of America, there would be no freedom and liberty in the world today. It was President John F. Kennedy who would have said, "If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help." We must continue to combat tyranny around the world, with diplomacy first, but must always be ready to use our military might if necessary. Our exit strategy for the War on Terror's two fronts should be victory, not negotiation or compromise. Our enemies should never doubt that conflict with the United States of America can have only two possible outcomes: their unconditional surrender or their total annihilation.
Most of all, I believe in American Exceptionalism. I have never had to search for a reason to be proud of my country. I see American greatness every day. We became the first colonies to break away from their European parent because we no longer wanted to be Europeans, and we have no desire to be like Europe today. This is the greatest Nation on the earth - yesterday, today, and hopefully forever more - and our President should never be a man who thinks the United States of America is not the "shining city on a hill."
Nearly forty years ago on July 20, 1969 the United States of America put two of our own on the Earth's Moon - arguably the greatest achievement in all of human history. Forty years on, and all the other nations of the world have yet to equal the United States of America. Forty years hence, let us hope that we have not been equaled or God forbid, surpassed.
On July 20, 1969 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were taking their historic Moon walk, an American Naval Aviator was suffering unimaginable torture at the hands of the Communist enemies of the United States. That man never lost faith in his comrades or his Nation. He was coming up on just the end of his second year in enemy hands, the second of five and a half years of brutal captivity. That man was John McCain.
John McCain would not have been my first choice as my candidate for President. I disagree with him on many policy areas. That aside, on all of the above issues I have listed Senator McCain is the clear choice. He has the experience, independence, and integrity to lead this great Nation forward. He will not let our national security be dictated by foreign powers. He will honor and defend our freedoms and Constitution. He will reduce taxes, and get our economy moving without the encumbrance of an ever-growing government weighing it down.
Finally, I believe that John McCain should be elected for one more reason. I believe that one of our Nation's darkest black marks is the absolute contempt that returning Vietnam Veterans were received with. Tens of thousands of Americans served in that war with honor and over 58,000 gave their lives. We should be grateful for the services and sacrifices of the Vietnam generation, and they deserve to have one of their honorable own be the President.
Heading for the front lines on 11/4
Governor Linda Lingle (R-HI) rallys the troops at the Pittsburgh North Hills Victory OfficeSunday, November 2, 2008
ATTENTION ACORN! I'm going to be a poll watcher on Tuesday, and I'll be looking out for your "voters". We received our marching orders and assignments tonight at the Pittsburgh North Hills Victory Office and got a great pep talk from a real VIP, Linda Lingle, the Republican Governor of Hawai'i.We can do this. It's up to us. If you're a McCain/Palin supporter, contact your local office. Get out there and go door-to-door or make phone calls. Volunteer for Tuesday. Even if you only have one hour, that hour can make a difference!
As Senator McCain charged, "Stand up and fight!". There is too much riding on this election - for us, our children, and our children's children - to stay on the sidelines.