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God Bless America

In todays message, we were not directed to vote for a specific candidate or party. Instead we were reminded of God's message in Isaiah to both leaders and the people.
God reminds us that burnt offerings are not what He wants but that He demands our obedience if we ask for blessings for our land. We are reminded that if we want God's approval, we are to fix our minds on that which is good and right.

Scripture: Isaiah 1:10-31;Philippians 4:8

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Election 2004 demands that I ask four questions:


I. Who am I ?
1. I can tell you my name, where I live, about my family
2. I can tell you what I drive, which football team I support
3. I can tell you who my favorite women and favorite men are
4. I can tell you I am a Christian
a. I have repented of my sin
b. I have confessed my sin to Jesus
c. I have put my faith and trust in Him
d. I have believed that God raised Jesus from the dead

II. Why do I vote ?
1. Because it is my privilege
2. Because I love America
3. Because I care deeply about the future
4. Because it is my Christian duty

Why?
a. We are as accountable as our leaders
b. We are guilty of sin when we do not influence and elect
leaders who stand by the moral truths of God's word
c. We are a reflection of God
i. We believe His Word
ii. We try to live His Word
iii. We apply His Word
iv. We stand own His Word

III. What governs my vote?
1. My age, education, position
2. My gender, race, traditions
3. My pocket, my welfare
4. My faith
My Christian faith means:
a. I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit
b. I am inspired by the Holy Spirit
c. I am instructed by the Holy Spirit
d. I am influenced by the Holy Spirit
I determine my vote if we want Him to bless us ,then God alone must
1. Because He has something to say about life
2. Because He has something to say about marriage
3. Because He has something to say about morality
Where does this leave us today?
1. By humbling ourselves
2. By seeking God's face
3. By praying


Notes on today's sermon by Dr. Don Wilton

Bin Laden, What?

UBL says,"Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or Al Qaeda. Your security is in your hands. Each state that doesn't mess with our security has automatically secured their security."

Many are theorizing that this is an attempt to influence our elections. I cannot help but wonder if there is not a wider message here for our allies. The terrorists in Iraq have been attempting to weaken our coalition with the kidnappings and demands to withdraw troops from Iraq. With the exception of Spain and the Philippines, they have been unsuccessful. I certainly am no expert on the weird workings of Bin Laden's mind.

Varifrank: Blood Red Fury

Blood Red Fury
An excellent read for why the war in Iraq and getting rid of Saddam and his regime were necessary.

Click title to read

Pre/Post Election Litigation

From The Federalist Patriot in yesterday's Email

Florida is being overrun by legions of lefty muckrakers looking for trouble and causing some where they can't find any. Some 2,000 Demo lawyers have descended on the state to monitor early voting, with at least 700 more on the way. Several activist groups are rallying across Florida, crying that minority voting rights have been infringed upon, despite the fact that the election hasn't happened yet. The fact that the Demo-crusaders are going through all this trouble to ensure Kerry's election can only be interpreted to mean that there is a real lack of confidence in their candidate's ability to win on his merits alone.

There is really only way to circumvent all these shenanigans, as former Solicitor General Theodore Olson noted in his New York Times op-ed this week: "The best chance for the American electorate to avoid a post-election repeat of 2000 is to re-elect George W. Bush decisively -- or to defeat him overwhelmingly," Olson wrote. "I, of course, recommend the former."

GeorgeWBush.com :: 9/11 Families

Families and friends of persons lost in the 9/11 attacks have long encouraged the Bush/Cheney campaign to post An Open Letter To The American People written by those who lost loved ones on that terrible day. The Bush/Cheney campaign had been castigated for a brief glimpse of 9/11 in an ad. Kerry supporters have since had ads with a few of the surviving family members endorsing Kerry. After repeated appeals from those survivors whose loved ones where victims of 9/11 to be posted, the Bush/Cheney campaign finally posted the open letter
on the Bush/Cheney website.

Click on title to read the open letter.

Kerry: "because my record is not public"

John Kerry was interviewed by Tom Brokaw. Kerry was asked about the reports that George Bush has a higher IQ than John Kerry. Kerry responded," That's great. More power. I don't know how they've done it, because my record is not public. So I don't know where you're getting that from."

That is precisely the problem in this election. John Kerry has not been forthcoming with his records.

There are so many questions regarding the records of John Kerry such as:

Did Kerry attempt to get a deferment?
Did Kerry enlist in the reserves, once the deferment was denied, so that he could avoid active duty?
Was his service on the Quigley too demeaning for a man of his stature?
Did he elect to join the Swiftboats because they were not at that point actively engaged in the smaller coastal waters and he would be in a leadership position?
Why won't Kerry sign the 180 form that people demanded Bush sign?
Why does Kerry subjectively release 6 pages of the more than 100 pages in his military record?
Was Kerry's discharge less than honorable until later changed after Carter was President?

IQ is not the only measure of a man. Things such as honesty, consistency and deeply held moral values that are
not easily cast aside count for far more important than a score on a standardized test.

Kerry's campaign has repeatedly attacked President Bush for not telling the truth to the American people. I still do not understand that charge since we were told what the President intended to do, that it would be a long tough struggle. We knew that going to war would cost the U. S. dearly in terms of blood and treasure. Does Kerry really plan on being
utterly transparent with the American people and therefore utterly transparent with our enemies?

Will Kerry base his decisions on newspaper stories, leap into action, all before thorough investigation of the facts?

First Amendment Rights

I received the quote below from the Swiftboat and POW group. I have posted on this subject before and I am very concerned about the oppression of First Amendment Rights. Adults should be allowed to see, listen and view whatever they chooseso long as decency laws are not violated. No group or organization should attempt to obstruct others from using Rights granted to all. Have we gotten to the point in America that publishers,TV stations, theatres or booksellers have their livelihood threatened if they choose the "wrong" position in an election year? Why are bloggers criticized for sharing their views? I have learned to be more selective in what I give credence to when posted in blogs or sent me via Email. If issues stated are in error, other bloggers are pretty quick to point out errors so they may be correctd or retracted. If someone posts slanderous materials, refuses to retract or correct, then I am quite certain courts can intevene.


"We have obtained an email from the Kerry campaign which proves his campaign has been actively blocking the ability of the POWs to have their video Stolen Honor played. Three different venues have been booked in the Philadelphia area, and in each instance, the facility cancelled after various threats. It just seems so unfair to us that a man like Michael Moore can readily have his video viewed, but men who were imprisoned for several years by the Vietnamese, such as Congressional Medal of Honor winner Bud Day, would be blocked from the same activity."

You can now view this video by going to www.StolenHonor.com.

As I have posted before, the obvious attempts to abrogate the rights of men who served our nation honorably motivated me to give my first ever contribution to a
group pertaining to our election process.

Disenfranchised Voters vs. Voter Fraud PART 2

Voter fraud occurs due to intensive efforts of registering voters prior to elections since
people may be paid according to the number of voters they sign up. Parties may elect to attempt to register only the people they view as being most likely to vote their party line.
It has been reported that some voters with two or more legal residences may in fact be registered in more than one state and vote in person in one state while filing Absentee Ballots in another. This is illegal but would be very costly to cross check the millions
of names on voter lists throughout the nation.

Putting this process into effect in 2005 would assure time to work out problems encountered prior to our next national election. A space for write in votes on ballots would allow third or fourth party candidates to be written in and would not allow
problems such as occurred in Pennsylvania this year where corrected ballots were not printed and mailed in a timely fashion to our military or overseas voters.

National deadlines for mailing out and counting Absentee ballots would be established for national elections. Local and state authorities could determine deadlines for non national elections. I think it would be wise for all states to follow the national standard for fairness, but States should maintain the right to make those determinations.

I prefer paper ballots that offer a chance for recount if an election if very close. The ballot I used this year was a single page with national offices on the front and local offices and amendments on the reverse. The ballot was completed in ink (pens provided) by filling in an oval approximately ¼ inch wide by 1/8 inch high. This is pretty tamper proof. I fed my ballot into the scanner myself.

Disenfranchised Voters vs. Voter Fraud PART 1

Disenfranchised Voters vs. Voter Fraud PART1

This election has again highlighted the claims of disenfranchised voters as well as
voter fraud. I have no doubt that there is proof of both of these happening. Rather than
endless accusations, I would like to see our leaders come up with some solutions.

In a nation that requires citizens to have Social Security numbers and to pay income
taxes it appears we already have systems in place to identify who is eligible to vote.
In the age of computerized records, and given the aforementioned data bases, it would seem that we could come up with some way of providing voter registration cards.
Deaths are reported to Social Security.

As a voter in the senior citizen age group, I think voters need to assume some responsibility for assuring their voter registration card reaches them. If felons have their right to vote restored, if a voter has a change of address, if a legal name change occurs,
the voter should be responsible for reporting this to the National Voter Registry. Forms
to facilitate these updates, including directions as to what affidavits such as restoration of felons right to vote or marriage certificates, could be available at every Board of Elections office in every county. They could be picked up or requested by telephone. The completion of the form and mailing it to the National Registry, in a timely manner, would be the responsibility of the individual voter. If voters are unwilling to assume responsibility to do this, I do not believe anyone but they themselves are disenfranchising them.

Public service announcements reminding voters of their responsibility to assure
a legal National Voter Registration card could be run on TV, Newspapers and Magazines
together with information about where to obtain forms to complete and submit in time to receive their card prior to election.

National Voter Registration cards could be mailed out every year in August. This would give any individual ample time to register a complaint concerning lack of a Voter Registration Card and submit proof of eligibility. Again, the forms would be available at every Board of Elections office.

These National Voter Registration Cards would be required to obtain a ballot and vote. The cards would be submitted at the polls. In case of Absentee Ballots, they would require the submission of the voter registration card along with their completed ballot. For military votes, Voter Identification forms can be attested to by commanding officers of each unit if the Official Voter Registration Card is not available such as in times of armed conflict. These Absentee Ballots without the official card would then be verified by the local Board of Elections with the list of registered voters in their precinct.

The cost of this annual voter registration would in the long run be far less costly than the litigation processes currently in use or threatened. Both political parties will spend
large amounts of money in lawsuits. The taxpayers will be spending large amounts of money in court costs. Costs can be underwritten by filing fees from all candidates and/or parties paying a portion of the government funding currently given to parties. The parties currently spend a great deal of time and money in efforts to register voters.

Massachusetts Democrat For Bush

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review questioned Rep.Brian Golden a Democratic state representative in Massachusetts. Golden is also a supporter of George W. Bush. For Golden, the choice in this election is clear. The following are some of Golden's answers.

"I've watched [John Kerry] in elected office for 22 years and still don't know what he stands for. That's not the kind of person I have faith in as commander-in-chief. Senator Kerry's willingness to place political expedience before conscience is disturbing no matter what your faith.

That's not the kind of person I have faith in as commander-in-chief. I'm doing what I think is best for the country, not any political party.If you look at it objectively you can see a profound difference. When John Kennedy spoke to people about his religion, he was essentially saying, "I'm a Catholic, but don't hold it against me." John Kerry essentially says, "I'm a Catholic, but don't hold me to it."
It's one thing if you don't believe that human life begins at conception. However, John Kerry admits he believes that life begins at conception but won't do anything to protect it in law. How does he square his conscience with his official antipathy to all legislation protecting human life? John Kennedy said that "if the time should ever come...when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do likewise." Can you imagine that coming from John Kerry? Senator Kerry's willingness to place political expedience before conscience is disturbing no matter what your faith.

My Catholicism was a significant factor in my decision to enter public life and it certainly plays a role in the way I approach public policy. The Catholic Church insists that respect for the human person should be at the center of political decision-making. That respect is manifest, first and foremost, in the protection of innocent, vulnerable human life. I take that as a non-negotiable foundation of my political worldview and I build on it.

Where would we be without the strong voice of churches informing our choices? African-American churches, mainstream Protestant denominations, Catholics, and Jewish congregations all changed America for the better during the civil-rights struggle. They play a key role in the development of a just society.
I didn't run for office because I needed to be popular. I have to do this job on my own terms. I ran because I wanted to do what I thought was right. I have consistently, and sometimes painfully, been true to my conscience in a district that is often to the left of me. The nice part of this is that the people of my district haven't expected me to sacrifice my core beliefs. I've won a total of four Democratic primaries, two of them after I endorsed George Bush in 2000.

There are many cultural and substantive reasons why I have remained a Democrat. I'm the product of Irish-immigrant grandparents; my dad was a police officer. For decades, the Democratic party spoke to the concerns of people who had working-class upbringings like mine. In terms of cultural values, economic justice and organized labor, and a strong defense, the Democratic party was a comfortable place. It produced people like Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey as recently as the 1990s. He was a giant in my eyes. But people like Governor Casey are rarities now in the Democratic party. If the party doesn't do some soul-searching about its more extreme positions, it will continue to lose members and elections.

I've been in the Army for a total of eleven years, including three years on active duty in the 1990s. I've been back on active duty for almost twelve months since 9/11, and I have a brother in Afghanistan for most of this year. It's clear to me that the role of commander-in-chief is the president's most important responsibility.
Sen. Kerry has been incomprehensible on the war. The American people and our troops overseas need a leader with a strong voice and clarity of purpose. We have that in President Bush; we have little but demagoguery from the other side.

People understand that the all-volunteer military is a good thing. People who choose to join are more effective, more disciplined soldiers than those forced to join. The all-volunteer military served us well throughout the Cold War, and I don't think people really believe we're going back to a draft. We probably need to bolster our recruiting efforts, but most recognize the draft talk as pure politics.

After our darkest of days, George Bush developed and carried out a plan that has kept the American people safe. Think about it. After 9/11, with the United States' large porous borders, most people believed that acts of terror would become a sporadic part of life here at home. However, for three years, the president and his team have kept the homeland safe. That is an accomplishment that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can respect.

Click on title to read entire article.

Kerry, Why Are You Lying?

When I turned on the TV this morning, the first thing I heard was John Kerry shouting something like,"Mr. President what else aren't you telling the American people?" Again, Kerry is using the meme of President Bush lying to the American public as he rants on about the missing 380 tons of weapons/explosives. Approximately one pound of these "missing" explosives is enough to bring down an airplane. Imagine the mass destruction these substances could cause.

One of the main issues that Kerry has been hammering about for over a year is that President Bush lied about WMD in Iraq and that Saddam was no threat. Now, Kerry is screaming about the President's incompetence in guarding the "missing" WMD based on a story in the NYT.

NBC embedded reporters and the 101st airborne troops say the weapons were not there. No UN inspectors seals were found as the buildings were searched. We had surveillance drones overhead. It would take many trucks to carry off that amount of explosives by looters over a number of days along well traveled roads.

The facts of the seizure of 280,000 tons of arms/explosives have been detonated and another 160,000 tons are scheduled to be destroyed seem of no importance to Kerry. Kerry trusts the word of the New York Times, the U. N.'s IAEA rather than our military and the embedded reporters who were actually on the ground. Kerry's ranting about the President's failure to guard these WMD is very similar to Kerry's rude contradiction of P. M. Allawi's comments on the status in the totality of Iraq.

John Kerry, what truths are you withholding from the American people?

.

Chrenkoff--One of My Favorite Reads

Arthur Chrenkoff includes more good news from Afghanistan as reported by Rob. No monumental buildings or other grand deveopments reported. but rather the fact that returning refugees have been given matrials to build two room houses, roads graded and graveled so that travel time between villages takes 1/3 of the time, people given warm clothing and shoes, school supplies and texts being furnished to refurbished or newly constructed schools. The one thing that really delights me is that girls are now going to school and several thousand adults are taking literacy classes.

Scrolling on down, I was struck by the title of one of yesterday's entries. How I wish I had Chrenkoff's way with words. the article was titled, "Using the sick to resuscitate the dead" The following quotes really struck my funnybone.

"Philadelphia turned out today, perhaps as many as 50,000 people. But were they there for the Democrat candidate, Senator John Kerry, or to see the comeback of the party's star – former president Bill Clinton.

Which translates to: Kerry needs to borrow some energy from a guy who just got out of hospital after a quadruple heart bypass. All in a fine tradition of using triple amputees and quadriplegics as campaign props.

Others would call it desperation. Should the trend catch on, Kerry will start campaigning at cemeteries to appear lively (not to mention to shore up the Dem base)..."

James Taranto from The Wall Street Jounal

"The Times Spoils CBS's Surprise
To make his case against President Bush, John Kerry has been relying on intelligence from sources that have been proven unreliable--specifically, the New York Times (home of Jayson Blair and Maureen Dowd) and CBS (Dan Rather and Mary Mapes). Yesterday Kerry seized on a story in the Times, 'reported in cooperation with the CBS News program '60 Minutes,' ' that 'nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives . . . are missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.'"

So after arguing for months that Saddam Hussein posed no threat and had no ties to terrorists, Kerry shifted to claiming that "terrorists could use this material to kill our troops and our people, blow up airplanes and level buildings." The Times, meanwhile, published an article today titled "Iraq Explosives Become Issue in Campaign." They're an issue in the campaign in part because Bush didn't talk about them:

It wasn't long, though, before NBC News had raised questions about the Times/CBS October surprise. The Drudge Report summarizes the "NBC Nightly News" story:

The 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives were already missing back in April 10, 2003--when U.S. troops arrived at the installation south of Baghdad!

An NBCNews crew embedded with troops moved in to secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10, 2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq.

According to NBCNews, the HMX and RDX explosives were already missing when the American troops arrived.

Should We Revisit the 14th Amendment?

Townhall.com sends us to a filed article which is of interest concerning the citizenship rights many of us assume are automatically granted to any child born on American soil. "The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment doesn't confer birthright citizenship as a matter of constitutional right after all." When the child holds citizenship in another nation in which his/her parents are citizens U.S. citizenship is not automatically conferred. Hamdi, born of Saudi parents while in Louisiana where his father was working, grew up in the ME and joined the Taliban where he was captured as a combatant.

This seems to have been a method used by illegal aliens as a step toward putting down roots in the U. S. Somehow cross our borders when pregnant, deliver the child in the US and then claim that they must be allowed to stay since their child is as U. S. citizen. It would be interesting to see this argued in the Supreme Court and a clearer determination made.

My First Dear John Letter

Dear John,

The standard is a simple John, tell the truth. Truth is what your dying mother was trying to remind you about when she said, "remember, integrity, integrity, integrity." I have a few questions for you. Now remember the standard and your mothers words.

Why do you keep telling seniors that the President is going to privatize Social Security so you frighten them that their source of money is going to disappear? Are you aware that congress plays a very definite role in any change in SS legislation and that the President is looking to devise some way of assuring the young they will have some retirement funds in addition to a somewhat lower SS payout?

Why are you scaring our young men and women saying the President is going to reinstitute the draft? You are the one with a proposal to have mandatory national service while in high school or after graduation, aren't you?

Why did you tell the nation that you had met with ALL of the members of the UN Security Council the week before Resolution 1441? You met with 3 or 4 of the 15 unless the esteemed members of your favorite governing council simply forgot your very diplomatic discussions with them?

Who are the foreign leaders who told you that you had to win?

Why did you blame the President for failure to guard explosives in Iraq before all the facts are known? Seems to me that satellite photos showed a number of trucks crossing the Syrian border just before the war. Are you certain, without any doubt, that those explosives were still there at the start of the war in Iraq? Will you personally stand guard if any other potential hazards are found? Will you personally accept blame for every major error and little setback that occurs in the war?

How are you going to have positive relationships with the leaders of those coerced and bribed coalition partners?

A number of my Iraqi blogger friends are really concerned that you will pull out our troops before they are ready to be totally self sufficient in assuring security for Iraq. You have talked about this, but I have trouble understanding the various things you have said. Can you tell me what your goals are for Iraq?

I have listened to you John. I printed out the transcript of your speech when you accepted the nomination and have reread it several times. I read liberal and conservative newspapers and magazines. I read the commentaries of liberal and conservative bloggers. I understand that for some reason you do not like our President, but I am trying to figure out just how he lied to America. I have lived through all of the wars starting with WWII and know that some things are not said due to diplomatic constraints and the rapid global transfer of information can provide too much information to our enemy. How can you promise to be more forthcoming while the war on terrorism continues?

Why did you laugh at the New York fundraiser when you called foul mouthed people that they were the heart and soul of America? You claim to be a practicing Christian and I am confused and wish you would explain this to me.

Why, when you say we have a responsibility to care for others, does this not include the unborn? These are the most vulnerable in our society. Why did you vote to allow the murder of babies in the process of being born? I know that with modern techniques, it is known ahead of time if a child can not physically pass through the birth canal due to a condition such as hydrocephalus or a mothers inadequate pelvis. Would you stand by and watch a scissors or trocar being jammed into an infants skull so the baby's brain could be sucked out?

What can you tell me about embryonic stem cell research? Why don't we concentrate on adult stem cells which can provide autologous tissues and are easily obtained without destroying life?

I am so sorry John, I never wanted to be the one to write a "Dear John" letter to anyone, but I find I can no longer keep receiving your letters and those of your surrogates without telling you the truth. I cannot vote for you.

Sincerely,
Pat in NC

Kerry's "Coalitionof the Bribed" gets bribed by Kerry

"Remember when John Kerry described the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq as not a 'genuine coalition' but 'some trumped-up, so-called coalition of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted'?

If you do, you might be surprised to learn that Kerry's policy to attract back more allies and get them to share the burden in Iraq is to bribe and buy them even more."

Chrenkoff ends his article by stating, "Sorry, would love to blog more but I'm feeling nauseous."

Click on title to read entire article.

Kerry says social justice would guide presidency / The Washington Times INSIDER

"Mr. Kerry has been more reluctant to talk about his religious practice, yesterday talking about prayer as something he learned as a child and practiced as a Navy lieutenant in Vietnam. "

Kerry keeps talking about the period of time in Vietnam. Of the many recollections he has shared of that experience, the fact that he "practiced (prayer) as a Navy lietenant in Vietnam," does not reassure me one iota that prayer is a regular, daily part of his life.

In my view, prayer is a communication with God which all believers need to actively use. I believe that anyone who longs to be the leader of the free world needs to pray without ceasing.

Kerry said a broad vision of social justice, including care for the poor and those without health insurance, is at the root of his religion and would guide his presidency.

He cited Matthew 25:40 -- "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me" -- and said Jesus' admonition should determine the moral obligation everyone in society has to each other.
"The ethical test of a good society is how it treats its most vulnerable members," although, "He did not give a moral defense of his pro-choice stance on abortion and his support for embryonic stem-cell research..."

I wonder if Kerry, while thinking up more entitlement programs has read, 2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

I am aware of many people who work very hard and still lack sufficient funds to meet all of their basic needs. For these people there are many programs already available. Kerry's promise of health insurance for everyone is not realistic since he intends to tax those who have earned
a larger wage to subsidize those who choose not to work. This has been tried in the many socialist countries of Europe and failed. These policies punish those who are willing to work hard to achieve success and rewards those who choose not to work because the government will take care of their needs.

KERRY LIES EXPOSED

Joel Mowbray writes in the Washington Times about John Kerry's claims about meeting with the entire U. N. Security Council prior to the vote on Resolution 1441. In interviews with Security Council Members, Kerry's multiple statements making this claim are not verified. Security Council members deny meeting Kerry - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - October 24, 2004: " 'This president hasn't listened. I went to meet with the members of the Security Council in the week before we voted. I went to New York. I talked to all of them, to find out how serious they were about really holding Saddam Hussein accountable,' Mr. Kerry said of the Iraqi dictator. " Over at Redstate, ( http://www.redstate.org/story/2004/10/25/14723/354) a list of the many times Kerry has made this claim is recounted along with insights into the significance of Kerry's misleading statements.

John Kerry, speaking to the United States Senate, 9 October 2002 --
John Kerry, speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, 3 December 2003
John Kerry, speaking to the Boston Globe, 10 December 2003 --
John Kerry, speaking to campaign rallies as reported in the New Yorker, 19 July 2004 --
John Kerry, speaking to the Unity: Journalists of Color Conference, 5 August 2004 --
John Kerry, speaking to the American people in the second debate, 8 October 2004

I have long held the belief that with all of the commentary that "Bush lied" the Democrats protest too much. I believe that President Bush must at times withhold information for both diplomatic and security reasons. I get angry when the lack of WMD is held up as a standard of untruth since so many intelligence agencies held that belief.

Kerry has repeatedly told stories that do not hold up under investigation. His Christmas in Cambodia tale, his repeated claims that 95% of the containers are not inspected before coming into the country, his legislative accomplishments, the foreign leaders endorsements, his multiple plans to do everything better that are never shared, his lack of SUVs, his great love of hunting. his strong religious faith that does not accept the tenets of the proclaimed faith, and his testimony painting all of our Vietnam troops as sadistic warriors make it impossible for me to believe him.The only promises I believe Kerry intends to keep are to pull our troops out of Iraq, raise taxes and appoint pro abortion judges to the Supreme Court.

My Letter To The Guardian Editor

To the Editor:

The column written by Charlie Brooker is one of the most offensive articles I have read. I can accept jokes at the expense of people in the public eye, when there is some true wit or humor. We have satirists and cartoonists in the United States as well. Calls for assassins goes beyond the pale and is in no way humorous. I have also read your apology and it is intended to include Mr. Brooker who says it was humor.

Since he told your readers that they could watch the debates of Bush v Kerry as well as previous presidential debates on the BBC, I am assuming that is his source of information as well.

President Bush did not do well in the first debate and I will not argue the point that he did. I just have to wonder if
Mr. Brooker had any idea of how the President had just spent his day. We happen to have had several major hurricanes in Florida causing death, but primarily destruction of thousands of peoples only worldly property--their homes and all the contents thereof. Our President, who is a very compassionate man, spent his day touring the devastation and talking with and comforting people who had just been through the most traumatic events of their lives. He talked with elderly people who had no place to live and no money in today's market to buy anything close to what they had lost. He walked through orange groves where the trees were uprooted, limbs torn off and the crop the growers were depending on littering the ground. President Bush spent the day with our citizens sharing their personal hell. If Mr. Booker had any true knowledge of the character of our president, he would not make his exhaustion and lack of stunning debating skills a subject of tasteless humor. While President Bush spent his day with actual people of the United States sharing their suffering, Senator Kerry went to a spa and had a manicure.

As citizens of the United States, we have far more criteria to take the measure of our leader than some humorist living in another nation. I for one will vote for the man that shows more concern for our citizens than a pampered gigolo who speaks well while essentially saying nothing.


signed and Emailed

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Political Points: Secret Weapon for Bush?

"To Bush-bashers, it may be the most infuriating revelation yet from the military records of the two presidential candidates: the young George W. Bush probably had a higher I.Q. than did the young John Kerry. "

This did not surprise me. I have read somewhere that while Bush was admitted to and graduated from Harvard with an MBA, poor Kerry was rejected by Harvard School of Law. He had to settle for a less prestigious law school.

STOLEN HONOR

I have just finished watching Stolen Honor on the internet. I am ashamed that at the time Kerry was spewing his lies that I did not do something to let the Vietnam Veterans know that I honored them and did not believe them to be criminals. They were my peers and those I knew personally did not come home. I know the values we grew up with and know that these values would not suddenly disappear because they were in combat. I could understand retaliation for the loss of a buddy and that the troops would pursue and kill those who had killed our men. This was war and enemies are killed. The killing would have been accomplished with guns and grenades but not by torture and mutilation. Innocents would undoubtedly suffer and die because this is what happens in war. I do not like to be at war. I do not like to lose American lives or those of innocents.

When America has been threatened or attacked, we responded. When other countries could not sufficiently defend themselves, we have gone to their aid. It is because of the previous wars that we have been able to build this country and provide our people with security and a chance for personal growth and pursuit of our dreams. To do otherwise threatens the very fabric of our lives. I would prefer that the world could be at peace, but that will not occur while persons gather together to tear apart the world for reasons of gaining power over others or killing all people who do not agree with their perverted views. This is the world today. I am so thankful that we have a military and leaders who do not want to wait for another 9/11 to wound this country, but rather will fight to defend us no matter where they find the enemy of peace.

To the Vietnam Veterans who are still alive and to the families of men who gave their lives in combat, please know that I honor them, thank them and am proud to stand up for their rights to tell their story to a nation misled for so many years.

Political Partys Explained

An Email I recieved told the following:

A Republican and a Democrat were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person.

The Republican gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the
homeless person.

The Democrat was very much impressed, and when they came to another homeless person, he decided to help.
He walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office.
He then reached into the Republican's pocket and took $20.
He kept $15 for administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.

Now perhaps you understand the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Media Bias As Viewed By An Iraqi

"I don't know why the tremendous event that has taken place in Afghanistan is not receiving the attention it deserves. The results have not been officially announced yet but it seems that President Karzai is going to win in landslide fashion, by western standards anyway. I mean not in the 99.9% way that is customary around here, but rather a respectable and genuine figure which is nevertheless very significant. Even the CNN reporter (Christiane Amanpore), was forced to admit that "the Afghan people tend to regard the Americans as liberators", but she hastily added "unlike the Iraqis who see them as occupiers!"
Well at least we have a half truth; I suppose this must be regarded as progress for the CNN."

What say you, oh pundits and wizards who have talked so much and pontificated so much, you who claimed to know all there is to know about these people, and told us so often of how wrong it was to interfere, how wrong it was to rid them of the Taliban and Al Qaeda etc. etc. Do you have some little decency left in you to eat your words? I guess not.

Click title to read entire post

THWARTING Military Votes

One of the most despicable acts of Democrats in the 2000 election was the attempt to discount the votes of our military serving overseas. Somehow the way in which they arrived in the USA bypassed the official Post Office date stamp and were then deemed, by the Democrats, to not meet the rules.

Today, we once again see these same tactics in use. Due to the fact that Pennsylvania Democrats sued to keep Nadar off the ballot, the ballots were not printed on time. Therefore, ballots could not reach the troops overseas on time for the troops to vote and return them before the Pennsylvania voting deadline will be reached. The Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania has refused to extend the deadline for military votes.


Clinton Appointee Judge Rules that PA does not have to send correct absentee ballots to military. According to the Philidelphia Inquirer, "Some of those overseas voters, including soldiers serving in Iraq, are now being asked to pick from an incorrect slate of presidential candidates. And, as a result, they are being deprived of the same options given to voters at home, Justice Department lawyer Amy Zubrensky argued. They "have the right to correct ballots," she said. Philadelphia lawyer Mark Aronchick, a special election-law expert hired by the Rendell administration, called the number (of military voters) "a theoretically tiny universe of people."

DoD Announces on-Line Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has made available an official On-line Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (OFWAB). The OFWAB like the paper version has been prescribed by FVAP to serve as an emergency ballot for those overseas citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) who do not receive their requested state absentee ballot. The OFWAB is an alternative to the multipart paper version. Generally, a citizen can only use the FWAB under three, very specific conditions. To be eligible for this ballot, the U.S.citizen must: 1) Be located outside the United States (including APO/FPO addresses); 2)...

This emergency measure will allow our troops to vote for national candidates but will still disenfranchise their voting rights for local candidates.

Kerry's Foreign Admirers

"TEHRAN: Iran's hardline Basij militia has written to UN secretary general Kofi Annan to ask if the Islamic republic can send observers to the US presidential election in November, a government newspaper said on Monday.
"By this symbolic request, we want to ridicule the so-called democratic slogans of the American leaders," a Basij official, Said Toutunshian, told the Iran newspaper.
"We want to say to the whole world that the presence of observers from the Islamic republic of Iran, the most democratic regime in the world, is necessary to guarantee the smooth running of the American elections."

Kerry Looks to Avoid Gore Recount Errors

Yahoo! News - Kerry Looks to Avoid Gore Recount Errors

"The prospects for another contested election loom with every poll showing the race neck and neck.
Six so-called 'SWAT teams' of lawyers and political operatives will be situated around the country with fueled-up jets awaiting Kerry's orders to speed to a battleground state. The teams have been told to be ready to fly on the evening of the election to begin mounting legal and political fights. Every battleground state will have a SWAT team within an hour of its borders.
The Kerry campaign has recount office space in every battleground state, with plans so detailed they include the number of staplers and coffee machines needed to mount legal challenges.
'Right now, we have 10,000 lawyers out in the battleground states on Election Day, and that number is growing by the day,' said Michael Whouley, a Kerry confidant who is running election operations at the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites).
While the lawyers litigate, political operatives will try to shape public perception. Their goal would be to persuade voters that Kerry has the best claim to the presidency and that Republicans are trying to steal it.
Democrats are already laying the public relations groundwork by pointing to every possible voting irregularity before the Nov. 2 election and accusing Republicans of wrongdoing.

Stem-Cell Research on National Review Online

Kedwards have been promising radical cures for many diseases based soley on embryonic stem cell research. Scientific evidence is lacking and yet these politicians are willing to support the destruction of embryos and cloning for autologous stem cells.

James Kelly writes, "By 2002 the capacity to remyelinate spinal cords had been discovered in bone-marrow cells, olfactory-ensheathing cells from the nasal cavity, adult neural progenitor cells, oligodendroglial progenitors from the adult brain, and adult Schwann cells. Each of these could be obtained from the patient's own body. As one of the studies indicated, 'such transplantation would therefore be autologous and obviate the need for immunosuppression.'"

Many Americans with spinal-cord injury now know that one of the most promising new techniques for restoring sensation and movement is being conducted in Portugal by Dr. Carlos Lima. The centerpiece of his protocol is a surgical technique using stem cells and other tissue from patients' own nasal mucosa. Among the first patients treated with this technique are two young American women, Laura Dominguez and Susan Fajt, whose dramatic progress has been featured on the PBS-TV series Innovation and at a July 2004 Senate hearing. Laura, rendered quadriplegic by an auto accident in 2001, has regained much of her upper-body movement and has begun to move her feet and walk with braces.

"Embryonic stem cells have produced nothing like this — in fact, their tendency toward uncontrollable growth and tumor formation has so far made them unfit for any trials in humans. Even in animal trials they have not been able to treat long-lasting or chronic injury."

UN TRUMPS USA in KERRY'S VIEW

I have expressed my feeling about the corruption in the Unitd Nations. Thousands dying in the Sudan and the UN fails to act. The oil for food scandal and Kofi Annon's pronouncement that the war in Iraq is illegal haVe all but made me want to pull out of the UN altogether. They view trouble and look the other way. We have countries who have horrible human rights violations and so they are appointed to the Human Rights council, They have some dedicated workers who do go into troubled areas to help distribute food to starving nations. Countries with differing agendas refuse to work with the US.

In the debates, Kerry indicated a need for a global test before he would take action against another nation that attacked us or is threatning to attack us. He would like the UN stamp of approval before defending the American people. Yesterday in a Washington Post article he further clarified the omnipotence of the UN in his view when he answered a question about combat deaths by saying,"If you mean dying in the course of the United Nations effort, yes, it is worth that. If you mean dying American troops unilaterally going in with some false presumption that we can affect the outcome, the answer is unequivocally no."

I VOTED

Thanks to early voting in NC, I was able to cast my ballot today. It was a lovely fall day and the lines at the Board of Elections in our Courthouse were not too long.
It took me about 20 minutes all told. We used a paper ballot, marked in ink which was then scanned before my eyes. The ovals to mark were about 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch high. No way will they have to be examined by magnifying glass, if the Democrats demand recounts. Registering was easy, I showed my Voter ID, they typed me into the computer, printed out a form, had me varify that my address was correct and then I signed it. I gave it back and received my ballot. I do not know why more states do not use something so simple. Samples were posted on the wall where we lined up. We had three amendments to vote on, numerous judges, school board members, NC legislators all on the reverse side. The front listed all the candidates for national office. Large signs indicated that if you were voting a straight ticket for national elections it required marking your choice for Pres/VP and then once for other offices. They have had 1930+ people already vote. About 25,000 have yet to cast ballots.

La Grippe of the Trial Lawyers

"In 1967 there were 26 companies making vaccines in the United States. Today there are only four that make any type of vaccine and none making flu vaccine. Wyeth was the last to fall, dropping flu shots after 2002. For recently emerging illnesses such as Lyme disease, there is no commercial vaccine, even though one has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
All this is the result of a legal concept called 'liability without fault' that emerged from the hothouse atmosphere of the law schools in the 1960s and became the law of the land. Under the old 'negligence' regime, you had to prove a product manufacturer had done something wrong in order to hold it liable for damages. Under liability without fault, on the other hand, the manufacturer can be held responsible for harm from its products, whether blameworthy or not. Add to that the jackpot awards that come from pain-and-suffering and punitive damages, and you have a legal climate that no manufacturer wants to risk."

Now add to this the fact that CDC is the major purchaser of flu vaccines and is using Kerry's suggestion of bargaining for lowest possible price. The manufacturers are asked to make a product with limited profit and face lawsuits costing millions.
Is it any wonder that we face shortages of medications needed by so many?

Feeling the Draft

In a NYT article , Krugman says "when it comes to the draft. Mr. Bush's claim that we don't need any expansion in our military is patently unrealistic; it ignores the severe stress our Army is already under. And the experience in Iraq shows that pursuing his broader foreign policy doctrine - the 'Bush doctrine' of pre-emptive war - would require much larger military forces than we now have.
This leads to the justified suspicion that after the election, Mr. Bush will seek a large expansion in our military, quite possibly through a return of the draft."

The MSM have paid little attention to Kerry's Draft Proposal until yesterday.
In Hibbing, Minnesota on Oct. 19, 2004. John Edwards campaigned.
According to the account of the Minneapols Star Tribune, Edwards wrapped up his speech with promises of "college tuition tax breaks for the middle class, government-paid tuition in exchange for two years of national service, protection of hunting, fishing and snowmobiling rights and a promise to 'preserve our water and land for our children and grandchildren.'"


John Kerry Outlines Plan to Require Service for High School Students

Part of 100 days Plan to Enlist One Million Americans in National Service A Year

On September 11th, 2001, America experienced the most terrible and deadly attack in its history. John Kerry believes we need to think big and do better and get more young Americans serving the nation.

As part of his 100 day plan to change America, John Kerry will propose a comprehensive service plan that includes requiring mandatory service for high school students and four years of college tuition in exchange for two years of national service.

From a now removed kerry website we find:

Young Voters for Kerry

“Nothing I hope to do as President will be more vital than reconnecting America’s public life to the ideal of full and active citizenship. I have proposed a comprehensive national service plan, and as President I will call on young people both to help strengthen America’s security and to address unmet needs. This will simultaneously engage young people, strengthen our society, enhance our economy and advance our American values.”
- John Kerry

I feel a draft coming from the Kerry camp despite all the rhetoric of the Democrats saying this is a secret plan from President Bush.

An endorsement for Dubya

No surprises there - Australia's Prime Minister John Howard endorses George Bush for re-election:


'The re-election of US President George W Bush would help in the war on terror, Prime Minister John Howard said last night. Mr Howard, fresh from talks with Indonesian president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said he was hopeful Mr Bush would win his race against Democrat challenger John Kerry.

' 'I wish him well and I hope he gets re-elected,' he told reporters. 'I certainly think George Bush has given great leadership to the world fight against terrorism. I think he's been a very strong leader in that fight. I hope he wins'.'"

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse! You cannot post
"Thou Shalt Not Steal,"
"Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and
"Thou Shall Not Lie"
in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians!

It creates a hostile work environment.

I enjoy jokes via Email.

FALSE FAITH???

Lawrence O'Donnell was on Scarborough again last night. His job is to be a political analyst, but once again he set himself up as the all knowing, omnipotent one who is able to look into the heart's of men and determine that their faith is false. Not only has he blasted President Bush for praying, he says it is wrong to pray in a situation where men may die. Where he developed his warped knowledge of what man may pray for and what is off limits directly circumvents God's word as revealed to us in the Bible. He then went on to say that the faith of Kerry is false as has been the faith of all presidents in our history. I wish this man would drop to his knees and pray himself for some wisdom before uttering his pronouncements. It is obvious he in against President Bush and if he must show his bias, he should focus it on issues he knows something about. I have lost all respect for this man. I, for one, want a man in the Oval Office who realizes he does not have all the answers and relies on prayer to give him wisdom as he makes decisions that determine our nation's
policies both in war and in peace.

Dr. Sanity: A Lesson in Narcississtic Rage

Grom the blog of an M.D. who practices psychiatric medicine comes this article
Dr. Sanity: A Lesson in Narcississtic Rage

"Let me give a mini-lecture. Here are some characteristics of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
A pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy;
A narcissistic individual is grandiose in their sense of self-importance and exaggerates their achievements and talents. He expects to be recognized as superior without achieving any great accomplishments;
A narcissistic individual is preoccupied with fantasies of his brilliance as well as his unlimited success or power. He fantasizes about beauty or ideal love;"
Click title to read more of this post as it applies to John kerry and her otherpost--Again, Truly Pathological Behavior

Most people don't know that the Kerry Campaign had a plan for a "draft"--that it, an INVOLUNTARY "SERVICE". Via LGF we discover that Kerry's website, which until recently had the plan outlining MANDATORY NATIONAL SERVICE for high school students ( oh yeah...good luck with that) mysteriously had the "plan" disappear into the ether (I guess he discovered how wildly unpopular such a plan would be, huh?). But, thanks to the magic of the "Wayback Machine" LGF has the original plan as it was outlined, and now the "new, improved plan" that offers college tuition for "doing an important service for the country". (Many high school graduates do this now--it is called "enlisting in the military").

sKERRY SCARING SENIORS AGAIN

"I'll tell you what. I will never privatize Social Security. I'll never cut the benefits and I won't raise the retirement age," Kerry told an audience in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Well I guess that is something since Kerry voted to tax my SS benefits. Kerry voted for the automatic increase protocol for Medicare that he now blames Bush for.

I paid into Social Security all of my working life. If I had been able to save and invest some of the funds I paid to FICA, I would probably have a pretty good nest egg now. My nest egg could be passed on to my family. However, when I die, it matters not how much I paid in, benefits cease for the month in which I die, even if it is the last day of the month. Bye bye any excess of funds I paid in but did not get out.

How many people have paid in their entire working life but die before or right after they reach the age at which they could draw on SS. Does the widow or widower then get the full benefit? The answer is no. If savings had accumulated in a retirement account, the survivor would receive 100%.

President Bush has promised not to cut benefits for those of us now on SS or those who are near retirement. He is concerned for the younger citizens. He wants them to own their contributions instead of following the above description of funds paid in but never retrieved. President Bush believes that the money they earn and pay into retirement savings via SS is still their money and not the governments. I applaud that.

Obviously, the financial formulas as to percentage invested in a person's own account need to be worked out. Safe investment strategies must be developed so that those without great investment knowledge have legitimate and sound advice. This will not be done by the President alone but in cooperation with the best financial minds available working along with congress.

This should keep SS from entering every presidential campaign as a major issue. Seniors will not be threatened with the
slogans of lockboxes vs. someone spending what should have remained in a trust fund for future retirees. Candidates such as Kerry could not use threats of loss of SS payments as a club to pander for the seniors' votes!

IT IS ALRIGHT TO PRAY

I have been hearing commentaries on the faith of President Bush. The other night, the political analyst on MSNBC was on Scarborough saying he is very uncomfortable with President Bush's reliance on prayer and statement that his faith influences his actions and policies. The analyst indicated a background in the Roman Catholic Faith but did not indicate any current association with the church.

What makes him uncomfortable? Roman Catholics are taught to pray. Prayer is an important part of major religions.
Why are we taught to pray without ceasing if this is wrong? Why, in times of crises do we ask others to pray with us and for us? Why do we take our children to church, temple or mosque if we do not hope to instill in them a knowledge of God and our need to ask for what we need and to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us? Why do we have our religious writings if they are not to be used to draw us closer to God and give us guidance in living our daily lives?

Would America be better off with a leader who was an atheist? I think not. America was founded on the belief in God by Christian men. In their wisdom they determined it would be best that a state religion not be established, but that man be allowed to follow whatever his personal faith was. All men and all religions are to be welcomed in this United States of America.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray not only by the model prayer but by the example of His own prayer life. Every important event in Jesus life was prefaced by prayer. He prayed on the mountaintop and in the temple, on the seashore and in the Upper Room. He gave specific instructions on prayer in His Sermon on the Mount.

I thank God that we have a president who lives his beliefs and draws strength from that communion with God. President Bush has not attempted to convert the nation to his personal beliefs nor has he hid them from us. I am more uncomfortable with the thought of a leader who does not have faith that sustains him or her in daily life.
None of our leaders are without sin since that is the nature of mankind. I think it better to have a leader who is aware of our dependence on God from whom all blessings and wisdom flow.

Journal Gazette | 10/16/2004 | Troops favor president, survey says

"Troops favor president, survey says

By Bradley Graham

Washington Post


WASHINGTON � In a survey of U.S. troops and their families, President Bush has emerged as the strong favorite over John Kerry, with 69 percent saying they place greater trust in Bush to handle the responsibilities of commander-in-chief.
The poll, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania�s Annenberg Public Policy Center, stopped short of asking respondents which presidential candidate they would vote for. Adam Clymer, the survey�s political director, cited a 1948 law prohibiting polling of troops about their voting intentions."

If Good For Us, Why Not Afghanistan and Iraq

Have Americans forgotten their roots? Our forefathers thought liberty was worth declaring their independence from a regime oppressive to their rights. See a quote from the Declaration of Independence below. Do Americans really think that others who were not born in the country, founded on this particular declaration, are somehow less worthy of liberty? In this modern day, do they feel that the oppressed people can somehow overthrow an unjust regime without outside help from a country blessed with a strong economy and the best military in the world? Have we become so selfish and so self indulgent that we really believe we should not be involved in liberating others? Where are the rejoicing women's libbers? Why are they not publicly celebrating the liberation of Afghanistan's women and girls for their new found rights to vote and to be educated? Are American women the only women in the world who deserve these liberties?

I hate war and the suffering that comes with it. I hate the cruelly oppressive regimes that have now been overthrown even more. Every generation of America has lost good men an women in order to protect our homeland and that of others from tyranny. Why then should we expect this generation to escape this ongoing fight against injustice and terror? Why do we have the military we have? Why do people join the military and reserve if they do not expect that when the need arises they will be called to serve? By and large, I believe our current military believe just that. The minority would be those who joined merely for the benefits of additional income and education benefits. Tours of duty have been extended, some tours repeated, some kept past their expected separation dates. I really do not care considering the length of tours of duty in other wars, most notably WWII. American patriots have always done what was necessary and I honor them for that. Many of our military who have completed their tour of duty or have been wounded are eager to go back and finish the job they started. What gives these men such willingness to risk all for their country? I think it is because having been there, they see the need to establish liberty for those so long oppressed. How do they differ from those on the home front who continue to protest by waving signs and threatening those who would support the military efforts? Do these protestors ever stop to think that it is through the willingness to fight injustice that we at home can live in peace? Do they remember that it is because of our military and their willingness to serve that they now have the right to protest and wave their signs?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Facing Our Madrid

Facing Our Madrid

The violence in Iraq has a purpose: to influence America's presidential election.
This is a sentiment worth remembering when you're reading the latest headlines from Iraq. Many Americans were openly contemptuous of the Spaniards who were intimidated into withdrawing from Iraq by the attack on their capital. That could never happen to America, we thought. Terrorists will never terrorize the United States into submission.

But the truth is, in Iraq today, America is facing its own Madrid. Whether you are Democrat, Republican, or independent, it should anger you to the very core that our enemies are trying to slaughter American soldiers, innocent Iraqis, and indeed, just about anyone they can find, every day in order to frighten us into retreating. Winning this war will thus ultimately require more than conventional military might. It is in ourselves--as individuals and as a nation--that we will find victory or defeat.

Lieutenant Colonel Powl Smith, U.S. Army, is the former chief of counterterrorism plans at U.S. European Command and is currently in Baghdad with Multi-National Forces-Iraq.

Click on title to read more

Kerry's Iran scandal - The Washington Times: Commentary - October 15, 2004

Kerry's Iran scandal


By Kenneth R. Timmerman

The Kerry-Edwards campaign is headed toward a campaign finance scandal involving contributions on behalf of a foreign power, similar to allegations that plagued Bill Clinton's re-election in 1996. Instead of Communist China, this time the foreign power seeking to influence a U.S. presidential candidate is the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world's premier state sponsor of international terror.
The Chinese sought U.S. military technology to enhance their nuclear missiles. The record shows the Clinton administration provided them key assistance in that area. "

Click on title to read more

CRASS COMMENTARY

Elizabeth Edwards had to have her say about the Cheneys. It is obvious that she has no sense of shame either for the national announcement that one of the candidates has a lesbian daughter.

"It makes me really sad that that's Lynne's response. I think that it indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences that I'm certain makes her daughter uncomfortable. That makes me very sad on a personal level.
She called Kerry's response "very thoughtful" and "extremely sensitive." She also said Lynne Cheney has been a "wonderful advocate for her daughter," but feels "she has over-reacted to this" and "that's a very sad state of affairs."

Those living a lesbian or gay lifestyle have often gone through a tremendous amount of emotional distress to the point of being suicidal. A young woman who is very dear to me, raised in a Christian home within a loving family was molested as a very young girl. She went through a long term of emotional upheaval and severe depression. Finally she came to terms with her sexual orientation. She is very open about this with family and friends. After saying that, I cannot and would not accept someone announcing her sexual orientation on national TV to make a political point. There was no reason for Kerry to name an example of the families who through love learn to accept that the child they love dearly is facing a future that some will ridicule. They think of the turmoil their child has gone through and may continue to face in his/her lifetime. They take pride in their children and surely have a right to be offended when someone is misusing the information. This is not shame on the Cheney's part. It is anger that someone would intentionally try to score a political point at their child's expense.

INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY

This morning, I "Googled" the term integrity and came up with the following that I feel explains my view very well.

The Elements of a Person’s Character that Define Integrity

By Mario Cruz



The character elements relating to trustworthiness: honesty, reliability, and loyalty most closely define integrity, but all the elements of character are related to one’s integrity. Respect: consideration of others and tolerance of differences; responsibility: practice of self-control and perseverance; fairness: sharing with others and being receptive to input from others; caring: being kind and compassionate and showing you care; and citizenship: helping to better your community and respecting authority are related to integrity.



When a person is trustworthy, he or she can be relied upon to be honest, reliable, and loyal, which means they have integrity. But it’s equally important to be respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and demonstrate good citizenship, otherwise you are still lacking integrity. Good character and integrity are easiest to demonstrate when facing public disapproval, but the true test comes when you can potentially get away with anything because then nothing is at stake but your own conscience.



I understand why Kerry's dying mother felt the need to remind her son of the need for integrity. Who knows a son's virtues and faults better than a mother? I think she was trying to tell her son not to rely on his virtues, whatever she knew them to be, but to work on his weakness that she knew so well.

AN 'UNREAL COALITION'

"Having personal attachments to two members of the 'unreal coalition' (Australia and Poland) I continue to find Kerry's denigration of America's current allies to be tiresome and disappointing, but most of all laughable. John Edwards talks a lot about 'two Americas', but it seems that there also 'two universes'; the one where most of us live, and the one inhabited by John Kerry. The Kerryverse is a surreal, looking glass world where concepts are inverted on their head and meanings get twisted into cosmic pretzels of nuance.

Thus, the 30 or so nations that have actually put their troops on the ground in Iraq constitute an unreal alliance, whereas the countries that right from the start were working to stop the United States from going into Iraq and a year and a half later are still refusing to contribute any serious military assistance to help stabilize the country - even if John Kerry becomes the President - are the real alliance."

Kerry's visit to Canonsburg, PA--The Torgo Blog

Kerry's visit to Canonsburg, PA

Good Tuesday morning! John Kerry brought his 'front porch meeting' to our Canonsburg, PA neighborhood on Labor Day morning. Since you will never hear the truth from the TV or print media I thought that you should know from someone who was almost' there.

The residents who live on the street where the event took place were not allowed to attend.

Kerry shipped in approximately 90 invitation only VIPs. In addition, there was a hard luck case who was about to lose her job at USAIR and another was an elderly woman who was having health care problems.
Neither one was from this neighborhood. The street was closed to all traffic the night before and all residents on the street were REQUIRED to remove their Bush/Cheney signs.

The sympathetic police officers on duty told us that Kerry used imminent domain to claim the street for his purposes. Residents who have homes within the perimeter (approximately 1 full block) were kept behind a line away from the partisan crowd. The rest of us were not allowed within the 1 block cordon. A neighbor from across the street came to the line where we were being kept and asked us to come onto his property. The police
told us that we could not stand on this mans FORMERLY private property! This was set up so that Kerry's views could be heard - but not the neighbors. About 30 peoples (mostly neighbors) shouts echoed down the street 'Let the neighbors in'.

We could barely hear Kerry speaking with his microphone because press buses were used to block us off from view! This mornings papers are reporting hecklers tried to interrupt Kerry as he spoke to the neighborhood gathering, but he turned our chants to his favor by calling us rude. Even though most of the media was there to record our stories of not being included in the neighborhood forum, not one of them printed or aired the truth.
This is what America will look like if Kerry becomes president.

Get registered and get all of your friends registered to vote if they have not already. Kerry thinks that he is better than the rest of us and he has the media on his side to make him out to be what he is not!

Finally, last night as I drove down the street where the rally was, I was shocked to see Bush/Cheney signs in almost every yard on the street!
"

Mr. Kerry's 'Honorable Discharge from the Reserves'

"An official Navy document on Senator Kerry's campaign Web site listed as Mr. Kerry's 'Honorable Discharge from the Reserves' opens a door on a well kept secret about his military service.
The document is a form cover letter in the name of the Carter administration's secretary of the Navy, W. Graham Claytor. It describes Mr. Kerry's discharge as being subsequent to the review of 'a board of officers.' This in itself is unusual. There is nothing about an ordinary honorable discharge action in the Navy that requires a review by a board of officers.
According to the secretary of the Navy's document, the 'authority of reference' this board was using in considering Mr. Kerry's record was 'Title 10, U.S. Code Section 1162 and 1163. 'This section refers to the grounds for involuntary separation from the service. What was being reviewed, then, was Mr. Kerry's involuntary separation from the service. And it couldn't have been an honorable discharge, or there would have been no point in any review at all. The review was likely held to improve Mr. Kerry's status of discharge from a less than honorable discharge to an honorable discharge."

The author of this article goes on to say,"The "board of officers" review reported in the Claytor document is even more extraordinary because it came about "by direction of the President." No normal honorable discharge requires the direction of the president. The president at that time was James Carter. This adds another twist to the story of Mr. Kerry's hidden military records.

Mr. Carter's first act as president was a general amnesty for draft dodgers and other war protesters. Less than an hour after his inauguration on January 21, 1977, while still in the Capitol building, Mr. Carter signed Executive Order 4483 empowering it. By the time it became a directive from the Defense Department in March 1977 it had been expanded to include other offenders who may have had general, bad conduct, dishonorable discharges, and any other discharge or sentence with negative effect on military records. In those cases the directive outlined a procedure for appeal on a case by case basis before a board of officers. A satisfactory appeal would result in an improvement of discharge status or an honorable discharge."

Posted by The Big Trunk on Powerline. Click on title to read entire article.

Chrenkoff on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

"John Edwards is engaging in cynical political game at the expense of the sick and the suffering. Not satisfied with using triple amputees to deliver letters for the Kerry campaign, the Dems are now using the chronically ill and the incapacitated to whack Bush over the head: you see, Bush is mean, because he provokes the terrorists, he makes your gas more expensive, and he sends your jobs overseas. He's so mean, in fact, that he will keep the sick sick for the sake of his extremist moral agenda.

The problem for Kerry and Edwards is that if they keep make healing promises they can't keep, they're likely to end up looking like false Messiahs."

Dayton closes Senate office in D.C. amid security concerns

October 13, 2004


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Mark Dayton abruptly closed his Washington, D.C., office Tuesday and advised Minnesotans to stay away from Capitol Hill until Election Day, citing the threat of terrorism."

Erich Mische, chief of staff to Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said Dayton's decision is "the wrong message to send to terrorists, that we're going to kind of vacate the premises."

I cannot help but wonder if this is a typical Democrat response to cut and run while the Republican senator stands his ground. Minnesotan's must be proud of Dayton.

lgf: Kerry's Vanished Draft Proposal

Kerry's Vanished Draft Proposal

The Internet Archive�s Wayback Machine is a wonderful tool; 30 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago.
Here�s what John Kerry�s web site says today about his proposal to enlist 200,000 young Americans for �national service:� John Kerry for President - National Service.
Engage 200,000 Americans A Year In �Service For College�
John Kerry and John Edwards will offer a simple deal to hundreds of thousands of America�s young people: if you will serve for two years in one of America�s toughest and most important jobs, we will cover four years of tuition at a typical public university.
And here is the Wayback Machine�s cache of John Kerry�s web site from earlier this year, outlining a mandatory service plan for high school students: John Kerry for President - A New Era of National Service. (Hat tip: Matt.)
As President, John Kerry will have the courage to lead and call on all Americans to make our nation stronger. Whether it is protecting America from the threats of terrorism or addressing the problems we have at home, America�s new challenges will not be met by the same old answers of big government or big tax cuts for the wealthy. John Kerry will call on all Americans - tapping into the idealism and ingenuity of Americans and putting it to work on building a safer, stronger, and more secure nation. Americans already make an enormous difference in their communities, volunteering, in Boys and Girls Clubs or homeless shelters. Many Americans do full time service. John Kerry believes that in these times, we need to bolster these efforts with a nationwide commitment to national service. Whether it is a Summer of Service for our teenagers, helping young people serve their country in r"

Kerry Campaign Already Threatening to Abuse Power

Sinclair Broadcasting Already on Enemies List at Kerry White House because they plan to air a documentary about POWs in North Vietnam. They invited Kerry to be on the program to respond to the POWs claims and would also invite any POWs who feel they did not suffer any worse treatment because of Kerry's Senate testimony.

Today on Fox's Dayside with Linda Vester, Kerry campaign spokesman, Chad Clanton, said "I think they're going to regret doing this. They better hope we don't win."
This is an apparent threat of retaliation from the Kerry White House should Sinclair go ahead with their plans.

Tonight on Fox news, A Sinclair spokesman said that with the various veterans and POWs speaking out, this is legitimate news. If Kerry chooses not to be part of the program it will perhaps be full film with less discussion instead of clips with much discussion.

WHY I READ AND BLOG

Yesterday, I noted the NYTimes Magazine article in which Kerry uttered his stupefying statement about returning to the time when terrorism is just a nuisance, likening it to prostitution and gambling. Many bloggers pointed out that these activities are by and large consensual acts whose harm is primarily to those who indulge in the activity. Although some are hurt by the activities, they are not activites aimed at harming large numbers of people who are uninvolved. Today,
Hugh Hewitt wrote a phrase that caught my eye. He said Kerry "does not understand we are really and truly at war --not in some vast nuisance abatement action." This is one of the things I like about reading blogs. There are so many
that challenge my thoughts and so many that present information that we never hear, read or see in the media. Large numbers of people will never read my posts, but I find it satisfying to write what I think. Perhaps that is what comes with age when social interactions are more limited and that many are with people who are not concerned with things that stimulate my mind. Past serious interests involved in maintaining a home for my family, gardening and planning for the future have given way to greater interest in current events and my all time favorite pastime of reading. As I am in the sunset years of my life, I think more of what kind of world am I going to leave to my son and other young members of my total family.
I may be here for another twenty years or twenty minutes but I am assured of my destination because of Christ's sacrifice for me. I look forward to the time of perfect peace and yet know the time for this is not known. Therefore I will keep reading, thinking and blogging.

Kerry's Undeclared War

The New York Times Magazine on Kerry's Undeclared War


"When I asked Kerry what it would take for Americans to feel safe again, he displayed a much less apocalyptic worldview. ''We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance,'' Kerry said. ''As a former law-enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life.'' "

The author of this article concluded "the attacks really had not changed the way Kerry viewed or talked about terrorism -- which is exactly why he has come across, to some voters, as less of a leader than he could be. He may well have understood the threat from Al Qaeda long before the rest of us. And he may well be right, despite the ridicule from Cheney and others, when he says that a multinational, law-enforcement-like approach can be more effective in fighting terrorists. But his less lofty vision might have seemed more satisfying -- and would have been easier to talk about in a political campaign -- in a world where the twin towers still stood."

Urgent call!

"Alert: Urgent call!

People of Al-Latifyiah & Yosfyiah Calls for help!
A caller from Latifyiah to Al-Fayha TV today asked urgently the Iraqi interim government to interfere urgently to liberate them from the terrorists' hands!

The caller who we are not going to put his name for security reason was speaking desperately about the situation in Al-Latifyiah & Yosfyiah. He described it as the most miserable. He added that the terrorists are Arabs from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan and others. He told that Saddam kept his WMD with these thugs and they keep it in barrels hidden in these two regions. The terrorists oust many people from their homes and forced others to keep the terrorists with them.

He added that some of the Arab satellite channels are there with the terrorists to help in producing their activities. They got media producing instruments inside their homes for these channels. They submit people to the terrors by killing any one oppose them by beheading or shooting them in the streets. He mentioned that these terrorists are well supported by the remnant of the security agents of previous regime.

He called for urgent action and for the Iraqi forces to enter the city to free its people from the hands of the killers.

Other calls had been received before in the same channel from these areas as well as Falluja and Tellaafar in the North."

FLU VACCINE SHORTAGE

Michelle Malkin has written an article about the current shortage of flu vaccine. This is of concern to me because I am in a vulnerable age group and my son, who is asthmatic, is in a work environment where he is constantly exposed to the public traveling from across the nation. Click on title to read the whole article.

"Why on earth does the U.S. get virtually all of its flu vaccine supply from just two manufacturers? Because only a handful of companies make vaccines for the U.S. market. And why is that? Because federal bulk purchase of vaccines at government-controlled prices has made the U.S. vaccine market a market that few drug companies want to be in. "

"Update: Kerry has wasted no time trying to score political points off the flu shot fiasco. Ignoring the underlying problems in the vaccine market and the fact that his proposed policies would export similar problems to other sectors of the pharmceutical market, Kerry bloviated on the issue at a campaign speech in Ohio:

If you can't plan to have enough of that vaccine, what are they doing with respect to other things that could potentially hurt America in terms of bioterrorism, chemical terrorism, other kinds of things?"

The Center for Security Policy

The Center for Security Policy

Mission of the Center for Security Policy

To promote world peace through American strength.

'Through the years, the Center for Security Policy has helped ensure a vigorous national security debate and, in so doing, has strengthened our national security, with energy, persistence and patriotism.'

The Center for Security Policy has, since its founding in 1988, operated as a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to the time-tested philosophy of promoting international peace through American strength. It accomplishes this goal by stimulating and informing national and international policy debates, in particular, those involving regional, defense, economic, financial and technology developments that bear upon the security of the United States. "

The scoring of our current legislators,on national security issues, has been recently announced. Of interest to me was the scoring of my senators. Elizabeth Dole scored in the over 90% group. John Edwards scored 23 on the votes he cast, missing 5 of the 18 votes scored. Interesting to our nation shoud be John Derry's score of 0 on the 4 votes he actually cast.

Transatlantic Intelligencer: The Legend of the Squandered Sympathy

Click on title to read this informative report.

"In the last two months, with John Kerry and the Democratic Party attempting to prove the superiority of their credentials to conduct America's foreign policy, we have heard much of the legend of the squandered sympathy. According to this legend, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 the US enjoyed the heartfelt sympathy of the world, only to see this capital of goodwill frittered away by the successive faux pas of an inept and arrogant Bush administration and then definitively exhausted by the launching of an illegitimate war on Iraq in defiance of "world public opinion."

DOVE MUTATES INTO HAWK???

Kerry's record shows his opposition to the use of America's military power. He spoke out forcefully against the Vietnam war. He spoke out forcefully against Reagan's policies to end the cold war and in Central America. He has a long record of voting against weapons needed to keep our military the best equipped in the world. He has voted against intelligence funding. Appeasement appears to be Kerry's strategy for dealing with challenges to our country, lest he offend those countries he wants as allies.

He seems quite comfortable talking with communist leaders as he did both in Vietnam and with the Sandinistas despite the official US government positions. He claims this is diplomacy, I call it treasonous. Kerry keeps talking about our "allies" that he world get to come to the table and work with us. He seems to totally discount the involvement of these "allies" in their alliance with Saddam to subvert funds from the Oil for Food program. Is Kerry willing to bury the evidence of the perfidy of these countries in order to get them on our side?

Kerry is quick to quote the Duelfer report regarding the absence of WMD. He seems to miss the points in the report citing Saddam's retention of the ability to re-establish chemical weapon production.

If President Bush had decided not to liberate Iraq without yet another U. N. resolution, it seems clear that Saddam's coalition of the bribed (France, Germany and Russia) would have continued to balk. The Iraqi people would have continued suffering under dictatorship and sanctions, while Saddam bluffed the world by pretending to have WMD.

THE MESOPOTAMIAN

Alaa, an Iraqi blogger has witten several posts which I highly recommend you read. He ends his triple posts on 10/8/04 in his blog, THE MESOPOTAMIAN, by writing the following.

"America, stay the course - God, Decency, Honor, Hope and everything that is virtuous and right is on your side, beside the majority of the Iraqi people. America do not waiver, for you have never waged a more noble and just campaign in your entire history. America, we are winning, God's willing, and Victory is coming sooner than many might think."

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Contributor: What I Really Said About Iraq

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Contributor:

What I Really Said About Iraq, by Paul Bremmer

"Mr. Kerry is free to quote my comments about Iraq. But for the sake of honesty he should also point out that I have repeatedly said, including in all my speeches in recent weeks, that President Bush made a correct and courageous decision to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein's brutality, and that the president is correct to see the war in Iraq as a central front in the war on terrorism. "

Saddam, Just Biding His Time

One of the most significant findings of the Duelfer report was that, “[Saddam] wanted to end sanctions while preserving the capability to reconstitute his weapons of mass destruction (WMD) when sanctions were lifted.” Unless the sanctions, which harmed the Iraqi people more than they did the country’s dictator, were left in place indefinitely, Saddam would have retained the ability to produce more WMDs. That ability made him not only a danger in the region but a threat to America's security.

"With the infusion of funding and resources following acceptance of the oil-for-food program, Iraq effectively shortened the time that would be required to re-establish [chemical weapon] production capacity," Mr. Duelfer said. "By 2003, Iraq would have been able to produce mustard agent in a period of months and nerve agent in less than a year or two."

Thank God, President Bush did not trust this madman. Saddam's allies were subverting the sanctions and working toward having them removed. I shudder to think of the horrors Saddam would have unleashed on the world.

Worth Repeating

"VETERANS� DAY
How liberals do defy the mind
For nothing in theirs� can we find,
That willingly will look with reason
At how their man committed treason,
Skulked off to Paris this effete
To grovel at the Madame�s feet,
Betraying his sworn officer�s oath
To become the turncoat we so loathe.
Our law is clear you shall not treat
With America�s foes nor their cadres meet;
Give aid nor comfort to enemy forces
Nor espouse a view from hostile sources.
Without a mandate from the state
Wherefrom your right to negotiate?
Was treason, John, and is treason still
To this very day your unpaid bill.

Don�t try to hide behind your youth.
You knew the law you knew the truth.
You knew your faux negotiation
Would further tear our war-torn nation
And all for what, John, your career
So you can shameless brazen here,
And claim now that you�re fit to lead
The very nation you made bleed?
And yet before us there you stand
With medals blazing you demand
Such treachery we must ignore
Your treason that lost us our war.
But hold on, John, we veterans say,
You had your turn, now comes our day.
You thought we slept, forgot your crime?
Oh no, John boy, it�s come our time.
Some say let you apologize
But that won�t do it in our eyes.
A man astride of each position
Could we believe your true contrition?
The vindication we�ll accept
In settling up this long-held debt,
Is each of us will do his best
To deny you, John, your lifelong quest.
Listen carefully John to what we say,
November 2d is Veterans� Day.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66"

Iron Jawed Angels

Iron Jawed Angels

A short history lesson on the privilege of voting...
>The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

>They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

>Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

>For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

>Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth "

Best of the Web Today - October 6, 2004

On Monday, James Taranto commented on an article about military uniforms not picked up at dry aleaners. The insinuation was that these uniforms belonged to military killed in action. On Tuesday a military wife commented that due to frequent moves, uniforms were often forgotten in the moving process. "One 'How Many' Too Many
A Monday item prompted this comment from reader Rollie Smith:
The piece on unclaimed Marine uniforms takes me back to the piece you did on the piles of shoes at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. The guy didn't like your questions. I have questions for the New York Times:
How much unclaimed laundry there was after Sept. 11?
How many prescriptions were never picked up?
How many dental appointments missed?
How many dinner reservations missed?
How many paychecks uncashed?
How many birthday cards and presents never opened?
How many do-it-youself projects never got that last touch-up of paint?
How many cars in the shop had no owners to pick them up?
I could go on. So could you.
We may never know why the uniforms have gone unclaimed, and we'll never know how many 'how manys' after 9/11. But if the uniforms are unclaimed due to the reason the Times implies, it is because there were too many how manys.
Exactly right."

PROMISES, PROMISES

I watched the Vice Presidential debate last night.

When Edwards said, "A long résumé does not equal good judgment," I could not help but think neither does a short resume such as Mr. Edwards has. John Edwards, of the winning smile and hale fellow well met genre, campaigned a few years ago in North Carolina. He promised to serve the citizens of North Carolina faithfully if we would vote for him. I voted for him based on his skillfully phrased promises and talk of being one of us, the lower and middle class. Once Edwards had our votes, he forgot about the people who elected him. A chance of gaining a more
prestigious office soon made him forget all about the citizens who put him in office. Edwards does not respond to
constituents. Edwards' office does not respond to constituents. Edwards himself, while being paid with taxpayers funds, has largely absented himself from his current job. That performance, in any well run business, would promptly end his position.

Kerry has had a very difficult time determining what his views are and presented many to the electorate. He seems to finally have settled on his "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time" theme. Edwards elaborated on this in the debate by promising the Kerry/Edwards team would do it, the war on terror, better. I am still waiting for an explanation of how they would do this.

Kerry has finally had to admit that France and Germany will not boost our troop strength. Kerry has offended the coalition leaders to the point that the Polish leader has made public comment about the trivializing of his countries sacrifices by a senator with twenty years experience. Both Kerry and Edwards have in the past made public comments about the need to remove Saddam because of the capability of using WMD and stated he was a grave threat to the US. Vice President Cheney said it best when he noted that both Kerry and Edwards changed their stances when Howard Dean was gaining strength in the Democratic primaries with his anti-war theme. Cheney asked," if (Kerry/Edwards) couldn't stand up to the pressure that Howard Dean represented, how can we expect them to stand up to Al Quaeda?"

I will not fall for Edwards empty promises a second time.