When the presidency of George W. Bush draws to its end in January there is one thing which is a safe bet. His successor will have been offered every opportunity for a smooth, seamless transition.

While many have disagreed with his policies from time to time (yes, even Conservatives), President Bush proves once again that what he wants now and has always wanted is what’s best for the country
in its governance:

Bush expressed minimal regret that his chosen successor John McCain lost to Obama, saying “my choice didn’t win,” and saying that the Democrat’s victory was “good for the country” — and that his success was in America’s interest.

“It is good for our country that people have hope in the system and feel vested in the future and president-elect Obama has a great opportunity. I really do wish him all the best,” said Bush.

“It is good for our country that the president succeeds. The transition that we are working with him on is a genuine effort to help him be able to deal with the pressures and the complicated issues of the presidency,” he said.

Bush detailed how Obama, after their policy discussion, had raised “his little girls, how would they like the White House” and that during a tour of the residence section of the mansion “he wanted to see where his little girls were going to sleep.”

As President-Elect Obama draws closer to the most cumbersome job he will ever face he is a fortunate man. He has majorities in both Houses to assist him with his agenda. There are factions of the press who may very well allow him a permanent “honeymoon” period.

He also has something else in his corner which President Bush never had. He will have the good wishes and quiet departure of our sitting President.

Mr. Bush will relinquish the reins of power to his duly elected successor with the same dignity and humility with which he assumed the office and like his Dad I sense a silent future with regards to criticism of any current or past president. Anything less given the nature of the man, would be a huge disappointment.

Well, the last phone call from home was made to my fellow Pennsylvanian’s today.

The facts have been laid as bare as they could be on both presidential candidates and those running for lower offices.

Sometime tomorrow night (hopefully) we will know who will lead this great nation for at least the next four years. The challenges we may face will be great, but as long as we hold a firm grasp on our values I believe we will be okay no matter the outcome.

One thing I choose to remember is that this nation was not made grand by any one man in the White House nor those who sit in Congressional Offices. It was built brick by brick by those who have toiled, sweat and died for it’s mere existence.

That is the simple beauty of America and American’s.

This post at Gateway Pundit prompted me to look for something uplifting on the same topic.

That’s more like it!

The First Lady, Mrs. McCain and four Gulf Coast state Governors (via tape) spoke at the opening of today’s abbreviated GOP convention.

They are so right.

We are all Americans first and as Americans we always seem to find the sense of compassion and giving needed in times of trouble.

Watching the above commentary and looking over some of the discussion here over the past days got me to thinking that while we may disagree on issues and political preference one thing is still ultimately important.

I’ll just let Frank tell (sing) it.

There is little doubt that there are many suffering in this country these days. Lay-offs, cut backs and business closures have affected families from coast to coast.

Foreclosures are mounting. In many cases this is not due to those unscrupulous mortgage lenders nor those who signed loan papers on a home they could, at the time of purchase, well afford. There are families who simply find themselves hostage to an economic downturn.

Let’s face it, if you have a number of years invested in one company and lose your employment, where do you go to make a salary commensurate with your prior earnings?

Look into the cost of day care for those with young children. Many times it is foolish for both parents to work outside the home to do nothing more than cover the cost of a quality child care facility.

Prices at the pump are draining what little extra money many families were fortunate enough to squirrel away each month. Drive on over to the local market and find your food cost has risen another ten to twenty dollars over the prior week.

Those on fixed incomes [especially living on nothing more than Social Security], find their yearly cost of living increase is a pittance at best which barely covers the increase attached to their medicare payments.

Sure there are social, religious, and independent organizations who are equipped to help those in need. Many are simply to proud to seek help.

Children are moving back in with parents, parents with their children, due to economic constraints.
Not ideal perhaps, but in some cases necessary for survival.

Each point made above is no doubt relative to the lives of many who live in our America. The post could continue to infinity as every situation is unique.

Unless you are one of the fortunate few (and I certainly am not one) who have a great deal of personal wealth there is no question, times right now are somewhat tough.

But……..

Imagine living in a country where we did not have the right to point out its shortcomings.

Visualize life ruled by vicious dictators or those who would choose to starve their population for their own personal gain.

No free speech, freedom of religion, independent elections by the people, or the right to a fair and just court system would be far worse than the circumstances outlined above.

Could we survive as a nation if the right to protest those decisions with which we disagree were stripped away?

Yes, we are living under an economic storm cloud right now. No, it is not easy, and certainly we have every right to make our concerns and hardships known.

We can pray for wisdom in those who have the power to institute change and do whatever we can individually to help our fellow man. In the end, no matter the challenges we face individually or as a country, we at least have the potential to rebound and come back stronger.

Faith, family and friends have seen this nation through tougher times than this. While it is little consolation as wallets are pinched to the maximum, remembering you are not alone in whatever your situation can sometimes be of comfort.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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 to 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 shown 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. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776

And now, the Boston Pops Orchestra playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever”.

Happy birthday, America!

The wall has been hit.

This he said, he said, they said, she said election cycle has taken its toll.

Later will be soon enough (for me) to have the desire to read one more word about either of the two men who are the leading contenders for the big chair. Heck, it seems most of what I read is negative and who needs that in their life on a daily basis?

Thought I’d just share a little George Jones..guess it just suits my mood at the moment.

A little something more I’d like to share are these two paragraphs written by Sgt. Nichols in response to this post:

If you happen to believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness… and that people deserve a fair shake in life and that those less fortunate sometimes need an extra boost, and that children are special no matter where they come from and that America is still a place that values hard work, self-determination, fair play and rooting for the underdog… well, then you are and I are more alike than different. I don’t care if you call yourself liberal or conservative, democrat or republican or something else. It don’t matter to me what race, religion, gender or any other whatnot that you may use to describe yourself with, if you believe what I described above and call yourself American, then you and me are the same.

And I love you all the more for it! So don’t get hung up on labels and embrace being American, a citizen of the greatest country on the face of God’s green earth!

Amen!

Remember the controversy back in 2003 when Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks made the following statement?

Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.

It caused quite a furor, so much so that even the President was asked about it in an interview with Tom Brokaw. Here was his reasoned reply:

The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind. They can say what they want to say … they shouldn’t have their feelings hurt just because some people don’t want to buy their records when they speak out … Freedom is a two-way street … I don’t really care what the Dixie Chicks said. I want to do what I think is right for the American people, and if some singers or Hollywood stars feel like speaking out, that’s fine. That’s the great thing about America. It stands in stark contrast to Iraq…

The group took a hit professionally for a period of time but as is the case in America, there are those who support all sides of any issue and with their support and self determination the group regained their popularity.

It seems to me that injecting politics into entertainment is rather foolish but many do it. Perhaps they find it a good marketing tool. Well, it appears the Dixie Chicks were not quite finished back in 2003 as they released another song with political undertones in 2006:

On March 16, 2006, Dixie Chicks released the single “Not Ready to Make Nice” in advance of their upcoming album. Written by all three Chicks alongside Dan Wilson, it directly addressed the political controversy that had surrounded the group for the past three years:

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go ’round and ’round and ’round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

and, in criticism of the death threats the women (particularly Maines) received,

It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over

It’s unthinkable that someone would threaten another’s life over a statement with which they disagree. Where exactly would we be without the freedom of speech?

Far more preferable would be a response such as this one from Marine Cpl. David Thibodeaux:

Some have said this is a smack down of the Dixie Chicks. I disagree. The Corporal will never achieve the fame, fortune and name recognition of this group. One video will not destroy years of a fan base, recording contracts and Grammy Awards.

No, I believe this Marine is speaking for himself and those like him who have sworn to defend the rights we all cherish. Just another well reasoned reply.

Greyhawk has listened to the pleadings of his wife and those in their comment section at Mudville Gazette and completed a version of “The Free and the Brave” in which the audio is much clearer than his initial attempt. (For those who still have a bit of difficulty with the lyrics, they are posted below the video at the site.)

This is a video which I hope receives some attention (and while we are small, every little bit helps), as not only does Greyhawk perform the song, he is also the composer.

A very rough cut of a song I wrote during my second tour of duty in Iraq, as part of the “surge” operation in the summer of 2007. I had no guitar or recording equipment on hand over there and this had to remain “in my head” for months until I returned home. I believe I’ve managed to transfer that music of the mind into digital reality without losing any of the original…

A salute to you sir, for your service to this country and for sharing with us personal feelings which I am certain would be echoed by many not only active duty or retired military, but those of us in civilian life who understand your sacrifice leads to our freedom.

It has been said almost no family in America got away without losing someone during the Viet Nam war.

The name of my family member was Lawrence William Shay, Jr. His name is carved more to the left side of the wall than to the center, meaning he was one of the early ones to die.

The names are not alphabetical, but listed according to the date of death. His name is too high for us to reach to get a tracing of it, unless someone provided a high step-ladder.

In honor of all who were killed in action, missing in action, prisoners of war not accounted for and served and came home we proudly present you with this beautiful song from George Jones:

The Wall is probably the most poignant memorial in Washington DC. People criticized it for its simplicity, but it still brings family and friends, sadness and happy memories.

Thank you, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines for what you did that got your names on The Wall. We’d rather it was blank, but it moves us when we see it. Sleep well and may you all be in Heaven.

This flag is planted — there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It’s a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. Check out the dimensions of the flag. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This flag is 6.65 acres and is the first floral flag to be planted with five-pointed stars, comprised of white larkspur. Each star is 24 feet in diameter; each stripe is 30 feet wide. This flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 larkspur plants, with four to five flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers.

Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson Soldiers’ Prayer

For our soldiers….

Hat Tip: Sue

I will attempt to transcribe the President’s address to the nation made this evening.

President Bush:

Good evening.

In the life of all free nations there come moments that decide the direction of a country and reveal the character of its people.

We are now at such a moment. In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival. Terrorists and extremists who are at war with us around the world are seeking to topple Iraq’s government, dominate the region, and attack us here at home.

If Iraq’s young democracy can turn back these enemies it will mean a more hopeful middle east and a more secure America. This ally has placed its trust in the United States and tonight our moral and strategic comparitives are one. We must help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future and also threaten ours.

Eight months ago we adopted a new strategy to meet that objective, including a surge in U.S. forces that reached full strength in June.

This week General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress about how that strategy is progressing. In their testimony these men made clear that our challenge in Iraq is formidable, yet they concluded that conditions in Iraq are improving; that we are seizing the initiative from the enemy and that the troop surge is working.

The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress. For Iraqis to bridge sectarian divides they need to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods.

For lasting reconciliation to take root Iraqis must feel confident that they do not need sectarian gangs for security. The goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it.

As I will explain tonight our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home.

Since the surge was announced in January it has moved through several phases. First was the flow of additional troops into Iraq; especially Baghdad and Anbar Province.

Once these forces were in place our commanders launched a series of offensive operations to drive terrorists and militias out of their strongholds.

And finally, in areas that have been cleared we are surging diplomatic and civilian resources to insure that military progress is quickly followed up with real improvements in daily life.

Anbar Province is a good example of how our strategy is working. Last year an intelligence report concluded that Anbar had been lost to Al Qaeda. Some cited this report as evidence that we had failed in Iraq and should cut our losses and pull out.

Instead we kept the pressure on the terrorists. The local people were suffering under the Taliban-like rule of Al Qaeda, and they were sick of it so they asked us for help.

To take advantage of this opportunity I sent an additional 4,000 to Anbar as part of the surge. Together, local sheikhs, Iraqi forces and coalition troops drove the terrorists from the capital of Ramadi and other population centers.

Today, a city where Al Qaeda once planted its flag is beginning to return to normal. Anbar citizens who once feared beheading for talking to an American or Iraqi soldier now come forward to tell us where the terrorists are hiding.

Young Sunnis who once joined the insurgency are now joining the army and police. And with the help of our provincial reconstruction teams new jobs are being created and local governments are meeting again.

These developments do not often make the headlines, but they do make a difference. During my visit to Anbar on Labor Day local Sunni leaders thanked me for America’s support. They pledged they would never allow Al Qaeda to return and they told me they now see a place for their people in a democratic Iraq. The Sunni governor of Anbar Province put it this way: “Our tomorrow starts today.”

The changes in Anbar show all Iraqis what becomes possible when extremists are driven out. They show Al Qaeda that it cannot count on popular support, even in a province its leaders once declared their home base. And they showed the world that ordinary people in the Mid-East want the same things for their children that we want for ours: a decent life and a peaceful future.

In Anbar the enemy remains active and deadly. Earlier today one of the brave tribal sheikhs who helped lead the revolt against Al Qaeda was murdered. In response a fellow Sunni leader declared, “We are determined to strike back and continue our work.” And as they do they can count on the continued support of the United States.

Throughout Iraq too many citizens are being killed by terrorists and death squads, and for most Iraqis the quality of life is far from where it should be.

Yet General Petreaus and Ambassador Crocker report that the success in Anbar is beginning to be replicated in other parts of the country.

One year ago much of Baghdad was under seige. Schools were closed, markets were shuttered, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Today most of Baghdad’s neighborhoods are being patrolled by Coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are re-opening, citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down and ordinary life is beginning to return.

One year ago much of Diyala Province was a sanctuary for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, and its capital of Baquoba was emerging as an Al Qaeda stronghold. Today Baquoba is cleared, Diyala Province is the site of a growing popular uprising against the extremists. And some local tribes are working alongside Coalition and Iraqi forces to clear out the enemy and reclaim their communities.

One year ago Shiia extremists and Iranian-backed militants were gaining strength and targeting Sunnis for assassination. Today, these groups are being broken up and many of their leaders are being captured or killed.

These gains are a tribute to our military. They are a tribute to the courage of the Iraqi security forces and they are a tribute to an Iraqi government who has decided to take on the extremists.

Now the Iraqi government must bring the same determination to achieving reconciliation. This is an enormous undertaking after more than three decades of tyranny and division. The government has not met its own legislative benchmarks, and in my meetings with Iraqi leaders I have made it clear that they must.

Yet Iraq’s national leaders are getting some things done. For example, they have passed a budget, they’re sharing oil revenues with the provinces. They are allowing former Baathists to rejoin Iraq’s military or receive government pensions. Local reconciliation is taking place. The key now is to link this progress in the provinces to progress in Baghdad. As local politics change, so will national politics.

Our troops in Iraq are performing brilliantly. Along with the Iraqi forces they have captured or killed an average of more than 1,500 enemy fighters per month since January. Yet ultimately the way forward depends on the ability of Iraqis to maintain security gains.

According to General Petraeus and a panel chaired by retired General Jim Jones the Iraqi Army is becoming more capable, although there’s still a great deal of work to be done to improve the national police.

Iraqi forces are receiving increased cooperation from local populations and this is improving their ability to hold areas that had been cleared.

Because of this success General Petraeus believes we have now reached the point where we can maintain our security gains with fewer American forces. He has recommended that we not replace about 2,200 marines scheduled to leave Anbar Province later this month. In addition, he says it will soon be possible to bring home an army combat brigade for a total force reduction of 5,700 troops by Christmas. And he expects that by July we will be able to reduce our troop levels in Iraq from 20 combat brigades to 15.

General Petraeus also recommends that in December we begin transitioning to the next phase of our strategy in Iraq. As terrorists are defeated, civil society takes root, and Iraqis assume more control over their own security our mission in Iraq will evolve.

Over time our troops will shift from leading operations to partnering with Iraqi forces and eventually to over-watching those forces. As this transition in our mission takes place our troops will focus on a more limited set of tasks including counter-terrorism operations and training, equipping and supporting Iraqi forces.

I have consulted with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other members of my national security team, Iraqi officials and leaders of both parties in Congress. I have benefitted from their advice and I have accepted General Petraeus’ recommendations.

I have directed General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker to update their joint campaign plan for Iraq so we can adjust our military and civilian resources accordingly. I have also directed th