J's Cafe Nette

Archive for November, 2007

Imagine for a moment, the type of high journalistic standards we should expect in this country, then watch this:

Yep, she really did call the President of the United States a monkey. Nice try to attempt to cover it up with the monkey in the middle line but I am sorry, it doesn’t cut it.

What a disgrace, but probably an acceptable one to many. I am also relatively certain those in charge at MSNBC will have very little or nothing to say about their disrespectful “news(ahem)caster.”

HT:Drudge

*Update: So here is the apology from Ms. Burnett about the “stupid thing” she said:

You know, generally I am a forgiving person as everyone is entitled to make a mistake, but in this instance the original statement seemed more genuine than the apology.

Sorry, Ms. Burnett, just the fact that it appears you are reading from copy makes this mea culpa seem empty and lame.

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The unbearable length of time this presidential race has been in motion has made it quite difficult to get very excited about anyone or anything involved.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I looked very much forward to Fred Thompson entering the race. I felt he was a strong conservative with many of the qualities the country needed in a President.

Then began his off again, on again entry into the race, his announcement on Jay Leno on the same night as a Republican debate and the appearance of his own less than enthusiastic approach to his campaign.

Now I know, his entrance was the traditional timing many years ago. The appearance on Leno has been a tactic used by may to throw their hat in the ring and perhaps what I see as less than enthusiastic is just his southern heritage coming to the forefront. But gosh, at some point you have to show some real get up and go if you want to be President.

I read this today at Real Clear Politics and immediately thought the Thompson campaign would be well served to do the same:

The Watergate attorney has made himself into this election’s Don Quixote, the impractical idealist tilting at “the system.” Even as he announced his run on the Jay Leno show in September, Mr. Thompson quipped he “wasn’t in the room when they made the rules” that resulted in today’s sped up, big-money, 24-hour-news-byte primary. He has refused to play nice–declaring late and declining to join rivals in the media hoopla and nonstop campaign. It has proven a case study in the folly of trying to single-handedly buck modern politics.

It might have helped if Mr. Thompson, who stated his intention to trust in “the people” to give him a hearing, had offered those people something more than personality at the start of his tardy campaign. It has instead only been very recently that he has, admirably, tried to craft himself into the ideas candidate.

If Mr. Thompson is serious about his desire to be President, we need to hear more on his thoughts on immigration, national security and taxes and not just at these so called debates.

He needs to find a way to garner more press and that is the job of his campaign and the man himself, not those who might in the future find him the most appealing candidate the GOP has to offer.

Convince us Fred. Show us you have what it takes not only to win the nomination but the general election.

There are many of us waiting to throw our support behind a strong GOP candidate.

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Most who peruse the blogs daily make at least one stop at Instapundit.

Glenn Reynolds is in the running for an ABA award for Top Law Blogs.

If you have a minute, stop by this site and consider throwing your support his way or if you prefer, any of the other fine men and women in contention.

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…John Murtha says the surge is working.

U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week, but he warned that Iraqis need to play a larger role in providing their own security and the Bush administration still must develop an exit strategy.

“I think the ’surge’ is working,” the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president’s decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year. But the Iraqis “have got to take care of themselves.”

Violence has dropped significantly in recent months, but Mr. Murtha said he was most encouraged by changes in the once-volatile Anbar province, where locals have started working closely with U.S. forces to isolate insurgents linked to Al Qaeda.

He said Iraqis need to duplicate that success at the national level, but the central government in Baghdad is “dysfunctional.”

He should recognize a dysfunctional central government when he sees one.

If only we could have gotten him to read Michael Yon’s posts and those of other milbloggers and folks on the scene, or if only he had listened to Gen. Petraeus instead of stuffing his ears with cotton plugs we could have spared the expense of sending him over to Iraq to tell us what we already know.

Of course the Iraqis have to take care of themselves and that’s what we are teaching them to do.

Boy! I’m impressed that Murtha is doing a 180, even if reluctantly. It’s kind of hard to deny success when it stares you in the face.

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This was just received in an email from Michael Yon:

Just returned from the Iraq-Syria border back to Mosul after an interesting day. The progress in Iraq could not be clearer. I’ve never seen so much hope among the Iraqis or our soldiers. U.S. officers and senior NCOs caution me to be careful about sounding too optimistic, but the fact is I have never seen so much optimism in Iraq or about Iraq.

I know they are right about their concerns for setting expectations too high; they know many hard times are ahead. But the fact is I have not personally experienced combat in months, Contrast that to times when we might get into fights several times per day and the optimism seems more grounded.

Had dinner today with a powerful Iraqi Sheik and U.S. soldiers. The food was great, but unfortunately some goat brain was lopped onto my plate. Somehow I ate it without incident.

Please click here for an intense story of urban combat. The British make me proud to have gone out with them this year for nearly two months.

His latest in the series Men Of Valor has been posted. This is part III and is just as riveting and information filled as the first two.

The 4 Rifles first trip into Basra brought more than 15 hours of fighting that left a Pakistani driver killed, dragged away and never seen again by the British. Two British killed in action and many more wounded, a convoy of banged-up vehicles that ran the damage gamut from flat tire to complete destruction, and almost no break before it was time for Major Steve Webb to saddle up and move on again, his Welsh Warriors always taking point on another convoy.

As this year draws to a close I offer thanks to Michael and those like him, who at their own expense and risk of their lives have gone to the front lines of this war to report back what was seen with their own eyes.

It is because of them that many of us have received a clearer picture of exactly what our troops and those of the coalition countries face each day.

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MSNBC is reporting:

Former Rep. Henry Hyde, the Illinois Republican who steered the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and championed government restrictions on the funding of abortions, has died. He was 83.

HT: Macranger who adds:

Very few of this breed left. Although he opposed the Iraq War he did son on principal, not on “stick the finger in the air” politics. A man who meant what he said, and said what he meant.

Condolences to the family and may Mr. Hyde Rest In Peace.

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Wouldn’t it have been nice to come away from last nights CNN/YouTube debate with a clear winner and strong GOP candidate for the 2008 presidential race?

For what it’s worth, I thought Mike Huckabee ws the only person who acquitted himself well on all questions posed to him.

Mitt Romney is too much of a phony for me (he reminds me of Bill Clinton in his first presidential campaign).

Fred Thompson looked far too old and almost gaunt and while his answers on immigration were to be appreciated, I cannot see him winning in a general election.

John McCain, while I respect his service to this country, shows too much of the my way or the highway mentality (on all issues) to be the CIC, and Rudy, well he was a disappointment to me as he, by now, should be aware that he is being criticized for not expanding beyond his NY mantra.

Hunter, Paul and Tancredo…well they could have stayed home.

But wait. Planted questions, planted Generals in the audience? Why would anyone be surprised by this?

I have not considered CNN a reputable news organization in years. They have shilled for the democrats for so long that nothing they do surprises me any longer. Of course they deny knowledge of the political affiliations of any of these questioners, they spend most of their days in a state of denial in their coverage of issues.

If you read the blogs as I do, you have probably read many pieces on the debate last evening but here are a few that if you missed you might want to check out:

Rick Moran:

If life were fair and the press unbiased, this would become a huge media scandal – perhaps the biggest in a while. You and I both know that will not happen. So what if Republicans get short changed in a debate by having a shamefully incapable cable news network allow supporters and activists from the other party to ask questions designed not to elicit information from the candidates but to try and trap them and make them look bad?

Betsy Newmark:

When you couple this sorry demonstration with the fact that, as Wizbang reminds us, CNN allowed Democratic party operatives to ask questions at the last Democratic debate, CNN has shown how utterly derelict in doing some basic research. Oh, and remember how they pressured that girl in the Democratic debate to ask Hillary if she preferred diamonds or pearls. Yeesh.

Townhall (complete with video):

UPDATE: Uh Oh! Looks like there are more plants. John Edwards and Barack Obama supporters plus a union activist.

and on and on….

We expect answers from those in contention in this race to be honest and straightforward. We should be able to expect the same from those charged with sponsoring these debates.

Update: Linked from Drudge, Joe Scarborough and the reply from the Clinton campaign concerning General Kerr: (Take note of who’s not buying the story)

At 7:51 AM ET, Mika announced that she had received a reply from head Hillary honcho Howard Wolfson. As displayed on screen, Wolfson stated [emphasis added]: “Keith Kerr is not a campaign employee and was not acting on behalf of the campaign.”

Chris Matthews, a guest during the segment at the time, was unimpressed.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well “employee” could be a weasel word, too. I mean, he’s not being paid? Well that’s not the question that was asked.

Note also what Wolfson didn’t say. He didn’t claim the Clinton campaign was unaware of what Kerr was up to, nor did he say that the campaign hadn’t encouraged him to do this. “Not acting on behalf of the campaign” is a meaningless non-denial denial.

If nothing else I’ll say this. The Clinton campaign manages to turn the focus of any major event towards their campaign. Maybe that’s the plan???

Thanks to the Anchoress for the link and welcome to readers from her site who stop by.

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I honestly tried hard to watch the CNN-YouTube Republican panel discussion debate last night, but after I saw a guy eating an ear of corn to make a point about agricultural subsidies in this country my attention span had run its course and I turned off the TV.

Apparently I missed a lot as today’s headlines on Drudge and Fox News site are talking about Democratic supporters as “plants” in the YouTube videos chosen.

I actually don’t care if CNN knew it or not except if they knew it they should have disclosed it and I suppose the questioners should have said they were supporters of Democratic candidates in the spirit of full disclosure.

What we all need to realize is the candidate chosen to be the Republican nominee is going to have to answer questions from people like this during the general election campaign and should be ready to answer them now.

I’m so sick of this interminable campaign that I mostly tune out now.

Every day I receive three or four campaign calls for donations. Calls from Young Republicans, from the NRC, from the Senatorial and Congressional Committees and calls from the various primary candidates for president.

This is on top of all the other calls I get requesting donations to this or that cause.

I’ve particularly been receiving calls from “Friends of Fred”. I finally told them I was a friend of Fred but Fred has to show me something before I can support him, and so far he has appeared lackluster. I asked to be taken off their calling list. Hopefully they’ve done it.

I will do my civic duty and vote for the candidate I can most agree with on the issues I am most concerned about and if he is not the nominee I will study the issues of the nominee and most likely vote for him since my other choice would be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama and I feel neither of them represents my political beliefs.

But back to the debate. I can’t honestly tell you anything that stuck out in my mind because I turned it off early and apparently the fireworks started after I tuned out. I actually think I was tuned out even when I was watching.

I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything about it except it was the same old, same old and it reinforces my opinion I don’t like Ron Paul’s positions.

It also reinforces my opinion the candidates should be allowed to question one another on their positions and defend their own without the interference of a moderator except to say it’s time to move on or go to commercial.

I would like to see this in the general election particularly instead of these stand behind a podium and talk out the clock sessions we have become used to seeing.

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What in the name of blazes is this all about?

Open primaries ­ in which voters don’t have to be a member of a party to vote for its candidates ­ have long been a thorn in the sides of national Democrats and Republicans. Now, according to the Associated Press, Virginia’s G.O.P. is going to do something about it: “If you’re planning to vote in Virginia’s February Republican presidential primary, be prepared to sign an oath swearing your Republican loyalty. The State Board of Elections on Monday approved a state Republican Party request to require all who apply for a G.O.P. primary ballot first vow in writing that they’ll vote for the party’s presidential nominee next fall.”

Has the Virginia GOP completely lost their marbles? This is arrogance (or fear) beyond anything I would have expected from the party of which I have long been a member.

It’s not bad enough that we have excruciating, long campaigns and candidates whose positions are increasingly difficult to understand, now we have party leaders in one of our states asking voters to sign a vow to vote for a particular person in a Presidential election.

While I agree, (as stated in the article), this could not be enforced in any manner as once you enter that booth you are alone with your conscience, I would never sign my freedom to vote as I please away to anyone and I hope many GOP loyalists in the State of Virginia feel the same.

What utter nonsense that teters on a look of desperation.

Perhaps the Virginia GOP should worry more about finding credible candidates to run for open Congressional seats and less about attempting to influence the very personal decision of each and every voter.

Update: I have a great deal of respect for AJ Strata and his work at his blog. Knowing he is a Virginia resident and feels quite the same on this issue as I have expressed gives me hope that voters in Virginia will not stand for this nonsense.

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Bill Clinton is the most shameless politician who is the least embarrassed at looking us square in the face and contradicting what is known on record to be his previous position on an issue.

He now claims he was always against the Iraq war. Always, since when?

Former president Bill Clinton said on Tuesday that he “opposed Iraq from the beginning,” apparently glossing over the more nuanced views of the war he has expressed over time. Clinton made the remarks while campaigning for his wife in Iowa – a largely anti-war state for Democrats — as he expressed bitterness over getting a tax cut with money that could have been spent on the military.

“Even though I approved of Afghanistan and opposed Iraq from the beginning, I still resent that I was not asked or given the opportunity to support those soldiers,” Clinton said. He said he “should not have gotten” the tax cuts he received as a wealthy earner.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton voted to authorize the war in Iraq, and has never apologized for her vote, even as the Democratic nominating process has reached fever pitch and she has been drawn into a three-way tie with more ardent Iraq war foes, Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards.

Sen. Clinton has, at times, even cited the experience her husband had dealing with the Iraqi regime in the 1990s as one reason she gave Pres. Bush the benefit of the doubt when she voted for the war in 2002….

…But past remarks made by the former president do leave open a question about how fervently Clinton opposed the war in real time and before it grew widely unpopular. In immediate hindsight, Clinton did not sound like a fierce critic. “I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,” Clinton said on May 18, 2003, during a commencement speech at Tougaloo College in Mississippi.

Sometimes in a presidency it is necessary for a president to lie to us as when President Kennedy excused himself from an event in Chicago saying he had a cold when he was really dealing with the Cuban missile crisis in Washington.

That’s excusable, but for a former president to tell us a bald faced lie in order to make his presidential candidate wife look more favorable to the voters is inexcusable.

It’s all about power with this tag team. Remember the actual audio recording of Bill Clinton saying he was offered Osama bin Laden on a silver plate but refused because he hadn’t committed any crimes? He obviously knew he was behind the first World Trade Center bombing and other terrorist activities but he chose not to pursue him.

And who can ever forget watching that long, wagging finger as he told us he never had sex with that woman—Monica Lewinski when he knew he was telling a lie?

Who can forget he lied to a grand jury about his sexual harassment of women during the Paula Jones hearing and got a fine and loss of law license over that lie?

His wife, the aspiring president, is just as bad if not worse. Remember the cattle futures in which she invested a mere $1,000 and got a huge return in a short time? Blame it on beginner’s luck.

How about the Rose law firm billing records that couldn’t be found during the Whitewater investigation, but suddenly showed up on a table in the residence of the White House with no explanation and with her finger prints on them?

Now we have this coming from the Washington Post, not exactly a right-wing publication.

When Americans step into the voting booths next November we all need to ask ourselves if this is what we want for another four to eight years if she is the Democratic nominee as expected.

Now is the time for a gut check for all of us. Let’s pray we have the guts to check it and reject it.

Update: If ~J~ will indulge me, I’d like to add a link to this piece by Cassy Fiano which expounds on the thoughts in this post with further quotes from the former President. Among my favorites…

……Even though I approved of Afghanistan and opposed Iraq from the beginning, I still resent that I was not asked or given the opportunity to support those soldiers.”

Resent away Mr. Clinton..I can think of no reason you would except your own regrets for what you did not accomplish while in office.

Sue

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Sometimes you read a line or a paragraph which you just want to share:

Quick, besides marrying a future president, what is it that Hillary has accomplished that hasn’t been accomplished by any number of women over two decades? In some ways, she has accomplished much less than many.

Yep!

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Have you ever thought that you might have made better strategic decisions than Robert E Lee did in the Battle of Gettysburg?

Courtesy of Military.com you now have the opportunity to test your skills:

One of the most important battles of the U.S. Civil War –and indeed of all U.S. history — was the battle of Gettysburg. During the three days July 1-3, 1863, the country held its collective breath. This titanic struggle between the Confederate Army of North Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac under General George Meade may have ultimately decided the war.

If the South had won a major victory, some historians believe that it would have caused the Confederacy to gain international recognition and support from England and France, humiliated Abraham Lincoln, and resulted in a negotiated end to the war on the Confederacy’s terms.

This simulation of the battle is a test to pit your decisions as Robert E. Lee against what actually happened. Many historians write that this battle was not Lee’s best battle and that certain choices could have dramatically improved the fate of his army on these three critical days.

Check out the simulation and see if your decisions could be the ones which would have changed the course of history.

HT: Evangelical Outpost

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I’ve heard some pretty crazy excuses for not having children but saying it’s because they harm the environment is about the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard.

One woman accidentally gets pregnant and has an abortion with no questions or doubts about it because bringing a child into the world is selfish and not environmentally friendly, don’t you know.

The other one is having sex with men to whom she is not wed and is afraid her contraceptives might fail her or she doesn’t want to be on them too long so she begs her doctor to sterilize her.

In fact, both women begged their doctors to sterilize them but were turned down due to their ages.

One didn’t get sterilized but her husband got a vasectomy and the other found her knight in shining armor doctor who actually did the world a favor by sterilizing her so another goof-ball like her wouldn’t be here.

If we want to think this way then why not just off themselves since they too must be destroying the environment? And who would be left if everyone adopted their screw ball ideas?

Woman number one has been so eco-friendly by eating only locally grown foods and riding a bicycle or hiking where she wants to go that she feels she is entitled to take wonderful vacations to places such as South Africa because she has neutralized her carbon footprint.

Poppycock! The bottom line is they don’t want children. Lots of people don’t want children for various reasons. Some carry genes that carry deadly diseases and could be transmitted to a child. Others just can’t afford them although somehow we manage.

It’s fine by me if a couple or a person doesn’t want children, but don’t go using this environment tripe as a reason. Just say you don’t want children. But I wonder how they’ll feel when they get old and have no one to visit them?

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By now most of us have heard the story of the Saudi woman who was in a car with a man not in her family when their car was stopped, they were kidnapped and she was brutally raped twice by seven different men.

Oh, the rapists got jail terms alright. Terms ranging from two to nine years.

Originally the victim was sentenced to 90 lashes for being with a man not in her family. Since her attorney appealed and the press was told her sentence was increased to 200 lashes and six months in jail.

Her testimony with Human Rights Watch is compelling and sickens your stomach.

Here are her words about the entire crime:

“I [was] 19 years old. I had a relationship with someone on the phone. We were both 16. I had never seen him before. I just knew his voice. He started to threaten me, and I got afraid. He threatened to tell my family about the relationship. Because of the threats and fear, I agreed to give him a photo of myself,” she recounted.

“A few months [later], I asked him for the photo back but he refused. I had gotten married to another man. He said, ‘I’ll give you the photo on the condition that you come out with me in my car.’ I told him we could meet at a souk [market[ near my neighborhood city plaza in Qatif.

"He started to drive me home. …We were 15 minutes from my house. I told him that I was afraid and that he should speed up. We were about to turn the corner to my house when they [another car] stopped right in front of our car. Two people got out of their car and stood on either side of our car. They man on my side had a knife. They tried to open our door. I told the individual with me not to open the door, but he did. He let them come in. I screamed.

“One of the men brought a knife to my throat. They told me not to speak. They pushed us to the back of the car and started driving. We drove a lot, but I didn’t see anything since my head was forced down.”

“They took us to an area … with lots of palm trees. No one was there. If you kill someone there, no one would know about it. They took out the man with me, and I stayed in the car. I was so afraid. They forced me out of the car. They pushed me really hard … took me to a dark place. Then two men came in. They said, ‘What are you going to do? Take off your abaya.’ They forced my clothes off. The first man with the knife raped me. I was destroyed. If I tried to escape, I don’t even know where I would go. I tried to force them off but I couldn’t. [Another] man … came in and did the same thing to me. I didn’t even feel anything after that.

“I spent two hours begging them to take me home. I told them that it was late and that my family would be asking about me. Then I saw a third man come into the room. There was a lot of violence. After the third man came in, a fourth came. He slapped me and tried to choke me.

“The fifth and sixth ones were the most abusive. After the seventh one, I couldn’t feel my body anymore. I didn’t know what to do. Then a very fat man came on top of me and I could no longer breathe.

“Then all seven came back and raped me again. Then they took me home. … When I got out of the car, I couldn’t even walk. I rang the doorbell and my mother opened the door. She said you look tired.’ I didn’t eat for one week after that, just water. I didn’t tell anyone. I went to the hospital the next day.

“The criminals started talking about it [the rape] in my neighborhood. They thought my husband would divorce me. They wanted to ruin my reputation. Slowly my husband started to know what had happened. Four months later, we started a case. My family heard about the case. My brother hit me and tried to kill me.”

Her lawyer has also been punished by the Saudi court.

As a woman who was acquainted with a lady who had been raped by several men while she was working behind a hotel desk, I can tell you I can think of no more horrifying experience. The woman I knew said all she could do was beg her rapists not to kill her.

Your body is being violated repeatedly against your will until you can no longer feel anything. That’s bad enough, but then the court that should be protecting you sentences you to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being with a man who is not a relative.

This girl was trapped by 8 different men on the same night. Once by the ex-boyfriend and 14 times by the seven rapists.

Her only hope at this stage is a pardon from the king or the provincial governor. Now the Justice Ministry says her sentence will be reviewed again. I pity her as the sentences just get worse. Maybe she’ll be the next beheading victim in this country we dare not speak against or we won’t have enough oil.

How much are we willing to watch and ignore because of almighty oil?

May God have pity on this girl and release her from her sentence and may she be able to get out of that country and someplace that is free and treats women the way they should be treated.

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Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has notified the governor of Illinois that he is resigning his House seat effective at 10:59 PM CST Monday night.

Hastert says in a resignation letter to Governor Rod Blagojevich that he chose today so a special primary election to pick people to run for his seat could be held February Fifth. That’s the day Illinoisans go to the polls in regular primary elections to cast early votes for president and other offices.

The seat must be filled within four months.

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I think it’s wonderful that we live in a country where two men can fight tooth and nail for something they both desperately want and still have respect for one another in the end.

It appears the visit to the White House by Al Gore to be honored as a Nobel Prize recipient went off without a hitch.

Al Gore slipped out the side door of the West Wing.

In his private Oval Office meeting with President Bush, the former vice president insisted that they had spoken about global warming “the whole time.” It wasn’t clear if the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who shared the honor for his work on climtate change, was serious.

“Of course,” they had spoken about global warming, Gore said, strolling down a rain-slick Pennsylvania Avenue with wife Tipper Gore after a private session with the president. For Gore, who had gone into the White House for a reception for the American winners of the 2007 Nobel Prizes, this was his first return to the Oval Office since leaving office.

But Gore, calling the meeting with Bush “very cordial” and “substantive,” declined to elaborate on their meeting. “I’m not going to do an interview here,” Gore said in his walk down the streets outside the White House. “I don’t want to comment more.”

This was the first private meeting of Gore and Bush since the Tennessee Democrat won more of the popular vote than Bush in the presidential election of 2000 but lost in the Electoral College – following a 36-day court fight over Bush’s disputed 537-vote margin in Florida.

This may have been a cordial reunion of erstwhile adversaries from a contested election, but it was kept discreetly private, within the confines of the Oval Office – where photographers and pool reporters arrived near the end for “a photo-opportunity.’’ The two appeared relaxed, smiling and in good moods, the pool reported.

You don’t have to like Al Gore or his policies or his theories on Global Warming. You don’t have to believe he should have won an Oscar for his documentary. Regardless of those feelings, he was a sitting Vice President and he did receive those awards. What would have been said if the President ignored Mr. Gore and proceeded with this ceremony in his absence?

I for one am glad that the class of this President once again came to the forefront, (through his White House Press Secretary):

“The president didn’t make a calculated decision to invite Al Gore to the White House… He invited him because he’s one of the Nobel winners,’’ said Perino, pressed about the purpose of the additional private meeting. “I didn’t psychoanalyze the president to find out why… It was a presidential, gentlemanly thing to do.’’

Darn right. I am by no means a Al Gore fan but I do respect his former position and he had every right to be at this ceremony and enjoy his visit with the President.

HT:Drudge

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According to this report Trent Lott is expected to announce he is going to resign his senate seat before the end of the year.

He was not an effective Majority/Minority leader but is an excellent number two man for the party in the Senate.

What happened to him when he was tossed under the bus for being kind to a 100 year old man who used to be a segregationist, but claimed to have renounced it, was a shameful day for our party. Robert Byrd, anyone? A former member of the KKK? He’s still there and no one ran him out of anything.

If this story is correct I wish Mr. Lott happiness in his future endeavors.

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Late last night I was reading a story written about an interview given by Tony Blair in which he said his faith helped him to make hard decisions when he was Britain’s Prime Minister. He said if he had mentioned it the people in Britain would have thought he was nutty.

This shouldn’t strike me as strange since last week I read that in Great Britain only 42% of the people say they pray.

I have frequented a blog hosted by someone in France with readers from several countries, including the United States. One says she is a Catholic, but it sounds as though she is non-practicing. The rest are agnostics or atheists.

The agnostic has told me if I could scientifically prove God he would admit God exists. Look to the earth and the heavens and try to figure out where the Big Bang started and who started it.

Look at the intricacies of the human body, or any living being, and try to convince me there was not Someone Who created it all. Happenstance is happenstance and doesn’t repeat itself forever.

There is a Christian woman who frequents the same blog and is prostelytizing on there. It hasn’t worked and has turned them even more against a belief in God than before. Yet she persists to the point of causing them, in their rage to not hear it anymore, to blaspheme the very Creator of all.

This wounds my spirit and I am going through a turmoil as to whether or not to continue to read that blog. I have become friendly with the owner and we have talked over the internet and he will not be moved. So maybe it’s time to shake the dust off my feet as I leave the town.

This is something I pray about constantly and have not yet felt the Spirit telling me to stay away, but when I see blasphemy I have to call them on it and say why it wounds my spirit.

If they want me to be tolerant of their views they also need to be tolerant of mine, but the other woman is making it so difficult to be a Christian on that site by her constantly judging and condemning.

It is not her place or my place to judge the state of anyone’s soul, but Jesus’s.

Our own country is becoming more secular and the more secular we become the less blessing we get as a nation.

We need to be in prayer for the world as a whole and our nation in particular. We need a revival of the Holy Ghost in our world and stop being so secular.

But God told us this would happen towards the end times. Again, I have no idea certain if we are in the end times or when it starts how long it will take before the Church, the believers, are lifted from the wickedness that continues to grow stronger every day.

Pray for us all.

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If you are following Michael Yon’s newest dispatches, he has now posted Men of Valor Part II.

In truth, the British have kept faith with their pledge of partnership, and much more because by overstaying, they jeopardized men, women and mission in order to buy us time and keep the exits covered. America has no truer ally, always there, through bad and worse. Of course, almost none of this mattered to the men of 4 Rifles on May 21, who’d been out more than 13 hours in stifling heat.

This series is shaping up as a reference to the fact that the UK has always been and will remain a strong ally of the United States.

Well done once again!

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If someone were to ask you, which would you choose as the “greatest generation” in American history?

Walter Williams has a perspective on this question which I found quite interesting.

The “greatest generation” is a term sometimes used in reference to those Americans who were raised during the Great Depression, fought in World War II, worked in farms and factories and sacrificed for the war effort while maintaining the home front. Following the war, these Americans, many of whom were born between the turn of the century and 1930, went on to produce a level of wealth and prosperity heretofore unknown to mankind.

There’s no question that this generation made an important contribution. Let’s look at what else that generation contributed that might qualify them for the generation that laid the foundation for the greatest betrayal of our nation’s core founding principle: limited federal government exercising only constitutionally enumerated powers.

I believe that each generation has made significant contributions to society which have made us “great”, however, I do agree with Dr. William’s thoughts in his final paragraph.

If there’s an American generation that can justifiably be called the greatest generation, it’s that generation responsible for the founding of our nation — men such as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington and millions of their fellow countrymen. This is the generation that threw off one form of oppression and laid the foundations for unprecedented human liberty. That is not a trivial achievement, for most often in mankind’s history, one form of oppression has been replaced with another far worse, as we’ve seen in Russia, China and Africa.

Just some food for thought!

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Many years ago, my Dad was stationed at Schofield Barracks. I have fond memories of not only the island but the wonderful people of many cultures we had the pleasure to meet while living there.

Like all things through the years it is certain that there are things which have changed at this installation, but one constant is the beauty of the island which serves as home to many military families.

You can imagine my delight to see that Sgt. Nichols of Jack Army and his wife Jill have started up a new blog, Hawaii with Jack and Jill Army.

I can’t wait for the next post. Hopefully it will contain wonderful photos just as the first did.

Give it a look…I know I will be checking in often.

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The NYT has compiled their list of the “100 Notable Books of the Year”.

If you are a reader, it might be worth a look.

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Few stories I read will touch me like those dealing with children or the elderly.

When I hear people complain about the “things” they don’t have or the raise which wasn’t quite as large as they had hoped, (so in many cases they can go buy more things), it serves as a reminder that getting caught up in the trappings of possessions or money is not necessarily the way to live this life we have been given.

Sure, we all want to live comfortably and provide for our families but what happens when you grow to old to do so?

Some would say, you should have prepared for retirement in your younger days…okay, in today’s world with 401K’s and private retirement plans it has become easier to save, but how about those who never had the luxury of such things? What about those who are disabled or worked in professions which provided enough to simply “live” and nothing more?

Such are the lives of these folks. Funny, I’ve never met them, but I would like too..they show such pride and grace in the face of adversity.

They have worked since their teens in backbreaking seasonal jobs, extracting resources from the sea and the forest. Their yards are filled with peeling boats and broken lobster traps.

In sagging wood homes and aged trailers scattered across Washington County, many of Maine’s poorest and oldest shiver too much in the winter, eat far more biscuits and beans than meat and cannot afford the weekly bingo game at the V.F.W. hall.

In this long-depressed “down east” region, where the wild blueberry patches have turned a brilliant crimson, thousands of elderly residents live on crushingly meager incomes. This winter promises to be especially chilling, with fuel oil prices rising and fuel assistance expected to decline. But many assume that others are worse off than themselves and are too proud to ask for assistance, according to groups that run meal programs and provide aid for heating and weatherizing.

Certainly, this is not a situation unique to these seniors. Maine does not hold the monopoly on poverty. The location should matter not.

I am not advocating that those who are “rich” in this country should be forced to share their wealth with those less fortunate. As a matter of fact, many of these same people would be too proud to accept what they would consider charity.

What I do say, is that instead of throwing money out the window on senseless earmarks, those in Washington could spend a little (of our money) on those who have worked to make this country what it is today. Rather than millions spent on elections, how about insuring no one will be cold this winter?

Having worked with individuals at both “ends” of this thing we call life, I can say there has been little in my life more rewarding. There is both an innocence and a wealth of knowledge to be gained from the honesty of a child and the wisdom of an elder.

It is a tragedy that in the United States one should go hungry or freeze to death in the winter. Somewhere, our priorities were misplaced. Maybe one day we’ll find them again and as for me, I hope it’s soon.

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It struck me funny that a writer at the NYT began this article with the following sentence:

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation — and a moment to destroy it.

With revenues of many major publications declining, could the subconscious have been at work here?

Those who watch the Olympics no doubt remember Marion Jones and her incredible feats in womens track. By now most know of her illegal use of steriods to enhance those performances.

One would like to say that this came as a shock, but in todays climate in sports at all levels somehow it was no surprise.

What is sad though, is that her actions could very well cost those who legitimately secured their medals the opportunity to have them remain in their possession.

The international track federation’s council on Friday recommended that members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic relay teams on which Marion Jones competed be stripped of their medals.

Jones returned her three individual medals after admitting last month she had used banned anabolic steroids before the Sydney Olympics. She also won a gold on the 1,600-meter relay and a bronze on the 400 relay.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board will consider the recommendation at its meeting next month.

IOC President Jacques Rogge has said he believes the relays should lose their medals. U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Peter Ueberroth supports that action, a change from when the USOC appealed a similar decision in a case involving Jerome Young and the men’s 1,600 relay at the 2000 Olympics.

Texas town goes Italian?

Someone in Italy placed the winning bid of $3.8 million on Friday for an unpopulated, one-house Texas town auctioned online.

No one lives permanently in the 13-acre town of Albert, about 60 miles north of San Antonio, but the tavern created from the frame of the old general store is open on weekends.

The town also includes a pavilion, an 85-year-old dance hall, a tractor shed, a three-bedroom house, plus peach and pecan orchards.

But before town owner Bobby Cave signs the deed over, he must ensure the eBay bid is legitimate. Cave said that unlike the usual items bought through eBay, there are no contractual obligations when it comes to real estate.

What do a chimney and a curfew have in common? Read on…..

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According to Sky News Prime Minister John Howard has been defeated in Australia’s latest election:

Australia’s opposition Labor Party has claimed victory in the national elections, ending 11 years of John Howard’s Conservative government, the party’s deputy leader has said.

Rudd (r) likely to succeed HowardJulia Gillard told Australian television: “On the numbers we are seeing tonight Labor is going to form a government.”

A Sky News Australia exit poll predicted that Prime Minister John Howard has lost his bid for a fifth successive term in power.

The Conservative leader was trailing in opinion polls behind opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

The Sky exit poll of 31 marginal government seats forecast a 30-seat gain for Rudd, more than enough for him to form a Government.

The poll of 2,787 voters by Auspoll gave Labor 53% of the vote and the ruling Liberal party 47%.

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If you are stopping by to read on this busy weekend, you might want to take a few minutes, relax and enjoy this rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

While the song admittedly “belongs” to Judy Garland, Aretha Franklin does it proud and the visuals added are terrific.

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Just a few quick stories I thought you might enjoy.

Someone needs stronger glasses, or at the very least to have his gun taken away!

A man says he shot and killed a neighbor’s cow after mistaking it for a coyote.

Authorities and the owner are skeptical.

The undersheriff in northern Michigan’s Benzie County says he doesn’t see how anyone could confuse a 1,400-pound, pregnant cow with a coyote, which typically weighs 20 to 45 pounds.

For those interested in keeping up with the latest sports news, here’s a site for you. If it’s half as good as Real Clear Politics, it’s sure to be a hit.

Mark Noonan at Blogs for Victo(R)y has my vote for the paragraph of the day:

The Times goes on to note that the candidates are going to campaign through the Holiday season rather than take a break – something which is both unprecdented and annoying. Hey, I’m a political junkie, and I’m sick of these candidates endlessly yammering at me. Shut up. Go home. Talk to us again on January 2nd.

Will tax refunds be delayed next year? Robert Novak explains why that might very well be the case:

Habitual congressional gridlock usually has no impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. But what happened on the Senate floor last Friday just before lawmakers left for their Thanksgiving break will delay tax refunds next year for some 50 million taxpayers who count on them.

CNS News relays some thoughts on the upcoming Presidential election as spoken by former Ambassador John Bolton:

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says the upcoming presidential election will have enormous consequences for America’s national security, and he warned against electing anyone who would not take an aggressive stance towards America’s foreign enemies.

“If we make the wrong decision in 2008, just as if we had made the wrong decision in 2001, it’s our security and our safety that will suffer and our future that will be in jeopardy,” he said.

For my part, I think he’s right.

Last but most certainly not least, a tidbit from Michael Yon’s latest dispatch:

I had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with General Petraeus. Very interesting series of helicopter flights to several bases. Bottom line is that progress is clear and real, but there are tough days ahead and al Qaeda, for instance, is far from dead. The mood is of cautious optimism, with a concern that some of the very positive media lately might set expectations too high. (That’s right: many military leaders are concerned that the media lately might be too positive.)

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and if you are braving the malls and stores today that you not only found a parking spot but that your sanity was in tact when you finished shopping.

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From my husband and me, Sue and her husband, Truman and his family and Big Mo and his we at J’s Cafe Nette wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.

If you are traveling we pray for journeying mercies for each of you.

We pray for happiness for you and your gathered families at this Thanksgiving time.

We pray for the safety and well-being of our Armed Forces who serve all over the world to protect us and our freedom.

We pray for our president and his family that God will see them through these tough days.

We pray for our Congress that it will come together for the good of our country and we pray for our enemies that they will become our friends and allies.

Now take tomorrow off and enjoy your day. We plan to. Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to say a prayer of thanksgiving before carving and eating that turkey.

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2007

“In the four centuries since the founders of Berkeley first knelt on these grounds, our nation has changed in many ways. Our people have prospered, our nation has grown, our Thanksgiving traditions have evolved… Yet the source of all our blessings remains the same: We give thanks to the Author of Life who granted our forefathers safe passage to this land, who gives every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth the gift of freedom, and who watches over our nation every day. I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I offer Thanksgiving greetings to every American citizen. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.”

More here.

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