This will haunt me.

I clicked on the pictures of the dead Russian schoolchildren from Drudge's site. God, I wish I hadn't. There, laying as if sleeping, were young children laid out on the grass. One mother is crouched down by her child and is pushing his hair back from his face. Her eyes are red. I mean red about a inch around them. There are no words to describe the grief and horror that claims her face. She last saw him when she took him to school. Something most of us do everyday without a thought of danger. Nightmares descend on us without notice.
These terrorists are the demons in this world. They have no conscience, no soul. They are living breathing evil. Reports tell us that they were lead by Al Queda.
This was what Zell Miller was so damn mad about. He was mad because he thought the democrats were not taking this war on terror seriously enough. That they were too focused on demonizing this President. That Kerry had voted against vital military weaponery. But its not just Kerry or the democrats that underestimate this enemy. The mainstream media and the general public does as well.
What happened in Russia could happen here. We have to be focused and determined to eliminate this enemy. They will not hesitate to kill our children. They are, in fact, determined to do so. This is why Miller and former Mayor Ed Koch are supporting Bush. They understand that at this moment in history NOTHING is more important than protecting America and killing these demented humans. Jobs, healthcare, the economy, education...NOTHING!!!!
Because none of these things matter if your the one brushing the hair back from your dead child's face.

Party is over. Time to get busy. But first...

The theatre in the round made me nervous, but it turned out great.

The protestors at the RNC last night should serve time, you don't scare people during high alert times. I would have said the same at the DNC.

When Bush smiles I just want to eat him up!!!

The speech was great, but I really loved the video montage narrated by Fred Thompson. It was simply beautiful.

Kerry coming out at midnight was just stupid. Heres some thoughts from others that I liked.

Kerry said " I have five words for Americans: This is your wake up call!!"
uhhh, thats 6 words.

The video footage of Bush throwing the first pitch at Yankee stadium in Oct 2001, and getting it over the plate while wearing a bullet proof vest, contrasts nicely with Kerry's nancy-boy throw at Fenway earlier this year.

Kerry said he would not have his committment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve. Hmmmm......First, I am PRETTY sure Zell Miller served, being a marine and all. And 2nd, isn't serving in the National Guard serving???

OK, NOW, lets get busy and make sure people VOTE! I don't care if you are in a state like Texas that you know is going to go for Bush, VOTE! We don't want to hear about that stupid popular vote argument again for 4 yrs.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

This is the nail in the coffin..

I wondered where this story was going. Former Navy Secretary John Lehman whose signature appears on the necessary third citation that got Kerry his silver star, says it isn't his signature and he never saw it before. Read the whole story here.
No matter how the forgery got there, this just looks bad after a string of confusing accounts of how Kerry got his medals and purple hearts.
Mark my words, this will be the final straw for the general voting public.

If it wasn't so very important to me that Bush win, I would almost feel sorry for Kerry. I don't think he is a bad guy, just someone with enough money for it to be easy to be liberal. What does he care about tax increases? Pocket change to him. Universal health care? He can buy his way into any surgery he would need. Recession? So what? He can wait it out in one of his plush estates.

This election will be forever known as the year of the 527's.

The Dems are frothing...

Take a look:

By Kos
Thu Sept 2nd,2004 at 02:22:54 GMT

The big question of the night--will Cheney eat a baby alive on national television?

Update: Aristos says: "this is worse than Pat Buchanan." Hes scaring little children across the nation. "War! War! War!

This from Talkleft.com:

Update: The mock jury on msnbc loved Zell Miller's speech. One called it "uplifted and optimistic." They said he had more credibility because he was a democrat. Only one person said he was overboard. If this represents voters in general, this country is in big trouble. The war machine is here to stay.

And from GeorgmustGo blog:

But in your zeal to ingratiate yourself to the Bush Administration, you've slandered not only John Kerry but myself and every other person who has decided that George W Bush's course of pre-emptive war, insane tax cuts and rampant social division is absoutley wrong direction for this country, but last night, as you bellowed from the stage with your face contorted like a 5 yr old throwing a temper tantrum, you basically called me a traitor. And of that you can go straight to hell.

We must be winning..;-)

Why can't we just shutup?

Don't you love the democrats love of free speech and the free flow of ideas? Check out this from www.inthesetimes.com

Just got back from the shut-upathon outside Fox news headquarters. 500? people and at least as many police and reporters were there.
As we walked off the subway we could hear people banging on all sorts of drum-type things. Various chants included Fox News Sells Fear and Shut Up directed towards O’Reilly.
Code Pink was in force as well as some radical cheerleaders.
Generally the police were tame, saw a few arrests. Every other person has a camera or microphone, so I wonder how that effects police behavior. Police were video taping as well.
Off to a screening of the Yes Men! on a beautiful NYC day.
Posted by Aaron Sarver

Shut-upathon? STOP BOTH SIDES OF STORIES FROM COMING OUT! WE ONLY WANT THE LIBERAL VIEW!

I can only imagine what "Yes Men!" is about. Something tells me its NOT a romantic film about single women finally finding some real men.

I'm playing with colors, can you tell?

The Bush girls

I have been reading the slams on them all day, and mostly from the right! You guys don't seem to remember what it was like to be young. The girls themselves admitted they weren't political. I don't know what yall expected. Most people do not watch the conventions like we do. In the girls they see themselves or their own daughters. Just fun and happy. Remember being that way before we grew up, got jobs, got married, and had kids????
Give the girls some credit. At least they weren't booed offstage by their own.

Is this you?

Heres Garrison Keillor's discription of Republicans.

The party of Lincoln and Liberty was transmogrified into the party of hairy-backed swamp developers and corporate shills, faith-based economists, fundamentalist bullies with Bibles, Christians of convenience, freelance racists, misanthropic frat boys, shrieking midgets of AM radio, tax cheats, nihilists in golf pants, brownshirts in pinstripes, sweatshop tycoons, hacks, fakirs, aggressive dorks, Lamborghini libertarians, people who believe Neil Armstrong's moonwalk was filmed in Roswell, New Mexico, little honkers out to diminish the rest of us, Newt's evil spawn and their Etch-A-Sketch president, a dull and rigid man suspicious of the free flow of information and of secular institutions, whose philosophy is a jumble of badly sutured body parts trying to walk. Republicans: The No.1 reason the rest of the world thinks we're deaf, dumb and dangerous."

To read more of this babble.....go here.

Hmmm.......it doesn't sound like me. Lets see, a developer, no...a christian of convience....no. I'm not a frat boy or a tax cheat. I know no midgets, radio hosts or otherwise. I'm not a racist. I don't wear brown or pinstripes (ewww). I don't play golf. I don't own a lamborghini. Ok, I might be an aggressive dork. But I really do believe we went to the moon. And I'm pretty sure the world thinks we are wealthy and strong. don't you just hate misconceptions? umm...ok....delusions.

OH! The Daily Kos is losing it

You know the Daily Kos? A Well known lefty blogger. Heres his take on the Arnold speech.

"Schwarzenegger said:
I finally arrived here in 1968. What a special day it was. I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination, full of desire.
The presidential campaign was in full swing. I remember watching the Nixon-Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend of mine who spoke German and English translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism, which I had just left.
But then I heard Nixon speak. Then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting the government off your back, lowering the taxes and strengthening the military."

"The facts? There was no presidential debate in that election. Nixon never debated Humphrey.
But it sure is a touching story, regardless of its truth."

Well the facts, Mr. Kos is that Arnold didn't say "debate," he said "race."
Geeze, do the lefties even read what they post?

Witches For Kerry!

Yes, just when you think you have heard it all. According to US News and World Report the witches are protesting the Republican convention. According to one witch, Traci laird, "There will be a private ritual on Tuesday night, which will, hopefully, tap the energy the of convention for a spell to remove Bush from D.C."
I tried the link mentioned in the article... www.pagancluster.org, for a list of planned activites, but no luck.
Hmmm... wonder how we can catch that swing witch voter?
Nah, no use trying, they will never go against thier leaders Hillary and Teresa. ;-)

Random thoughts

I wondered when this story was gonna get out. The liberal media's secrets revealed here.
And then there is the lovely lyrical words from our opposition here.
This from the Village Voice discribing one of the protests.-
" Michael Moore also spoke, promising to send recruiters up the street to the Garden to "try to get Republicans to fight in Iraq." Moore called for a draft of the children of politicians and of the executives of Fortune 500 companies."
Excuse me? There are NO republicans in the military in Iraq? Someone better alert the MilBlogs!!! Draft? Last time I looked the military was voluntary. Did someone force the soldiers into the military?
SOMEONE needs to stop eating and start thinking.

UPDATE!!! Chuck Simmins caught his very first Lapham. (The guy who filed the Harper's story) Here's a snippet from the filed-too-early-to-be-real AP story:
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put his star power to work for President Bush on Tuesday, praising him for "perseverance, character and leadership" in a time of war and terror.

2nd UPDATE!! Could this be another filed too early to be real story??
This is from Arianna Huffington's blog online for Aug 31st.

So far the Republican convention has been all about courage, compassion and lauding our War President for possessing ample quantities of both, including the theater-in-the-round stage designed to highlight the president's strength and authority, and the Deco-inspired presidential lectern meant to invoke the skyscrapers of New York (and oh, by the way, those two skyscrapers that are no longer there).

Rudy and McCain Rocked The House!

The speeches could not have been better. McCain assured his spot as a candidate for 2008. I think Rudy has his eyes on the prize as well. I have HUGE problems with Rudy. He was a great leader during the 911 aftermath. But his postions on social issues are unacceptable. Be that as it may, Rudy was awesome last night. He was smart, funny, wise, and true. If he brings the swing voter to Bush then I will be forever grateful. Not enough to ever vote for him. But I wish him well in the private sector.
People are all excited about Arnold too. Same song, different verse. As long as Arnold brings the moderates to us fine. His celebrity brings star power. Thing is....I don't give a flip about star power. If it serves the purpose of Bush winning, then Rudy and Arnold will have earned my gratitude, but never my vote.

Kerry, Veterans and the Catholic Church

Isn't it interesting that 2 of the major parts of Kerry's life, veterans and the Catholic church, have had groups loudly coming out against him. You don't see that with Bush. No national guardsman came out to dishonor his service. No part of the Protestant church has said he shouldn't receive communion for his beliefs. Doesn't it say alot about Kerry and Bush right there?

I heard John O'Neil on the radio today answering questions from Kerry supporters. I was impressed that he had concrete answers to every single question. It was also clear that he has not been political. He said if Kerry was running as a Republican he would have followed the same path. It wasn't just one thing that Kerry mislead about , but many many things. There was a pattern of misinformation, distortions, and lies. And Kerry would probably have gotten away with all the exaggerations with his own exploits, but when he accused the other veterans of being war criminals, they felt they had to speak out. It only matters so much as Kerry has made it matter. He is the one who asks us to elect him as a war hero.

CONVENTION TIME!!!!!!!

Ok, this weekend I did about 70 loads of laundry, paid bills, cleaned the house, did banking, did church stuff, planned dinner menu, and went grocery shopping. All so I can settle in this week to be a blogslug and Fox News watcher. Taking time out to cook dinner ( God, those kids want to eat EVERY day, its so annoying!) Now if I can teleport the kids to their sports practices I'll be set.

I read recently a interview with an Islamic cleric in Iraq who claimed that when our soldiers went into Fallujah Allah sent giant spiders to protect his people. He said there were pictures of it too (but just not handy). Watching the protestors today in NY I kept thinking "where are the spiders when you really need them?"

Soldiers, Protestors, and Kerry

I was thinking about the vets from the swiftboat ads. Thinking about their anger at Kerry. Now that it has become apparent that they are not all Republicans or Bush supporters and that they have felt this way a long long time. It warms the heart that bloggers are mainly responsible for giving this story legs and not letting the media ignore it.

Kerry and the mainstream media would like this to be about campaign tactics and about smearing a candidate. But that is not what it is about at all. It is about the wounds of the soul of every American soldier that fought in Vietnam. I am too young to remember much about Vietnam, my brothers were too young to go. I have read history, seen movies, and seen documentaries on Vietnam. In my mind I chalked it up to a bad war controlled by men in Washington who didn't know how to win the war. But in the wonderful world of blogging I have been able to read about the stories of the men who went there and the men who didn't come back. One story I read was about a man who went there, came back, and then died saving people in the WTC on 9-11. His story is here www.mudvillegazette.com
look under "Best of Mudville" on the right side, and click "911 remembered: Rick Rescorla was a soldier." (Make sure you have tissues handy before reading)

If you want to understand the heart of a soldier read some of Greyhawks archives. Simply amazing. So after doing some of this reading I better understand the anger and resentment of the swiftboat vets. Kerry betrayed them, painted them out to be monsters. Is it no surprise that they don't wish to see him President?

One quote I found at the mudvillegazette stood out to me.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept by the exertions of a better man than himself."- John Stuart Mill

The thing that bothers me the most about the protesters that are descending on the Republican Convention is that these people have never known what it is like to live under tyranny. They take for granted the right they have to protest. They don't see the irony that they protest the very people who make it possible TO protest. Lovers of freedom and democracy. People dedicated to the idea of liberty. These protestors have never had to wait in 2 hour lines for bread. They have never had to live with the fear of government pulling them out of bed in the middle of the night for the dissent they shout, and then being never heard from again. They have never been so desperate to get to freedom that they are willing to put themselves and those they love on tiny self made rafts to endure dehydration, sharks, and drowning. Freedom is taken for granted by them, never thought of, never appreciated.

Our soldiers today are fighting a fight never seen or imagined before. They are our protectors, the ones who let us sleep in peace at night. They are the ones who let us leave our kids at school without worry, let us get on buses without fear, let us dream, work, learn, and live. Everyday since 9-11 that we have not been attacked is a tribute to their work. Honor is too small a word for these patriots. They give us much and ask so little. But what they do ask is to at least not smear their good name, not paint them as demented. This is the heart of the anger at Kerry by these vets. They were strong and true when it wasn't easy to be so. They endured much. Kerry spit in their faces. He took his medals and purple hearts and denounced them then, and now proudly holds them up for honor now. A betrayal of the highest order.

Here we are facing the greatest threat to freedom ever. The men who seek to destroy us, want those that they don't murder, to live without even the taste of freedom, to never be able to decide who is our leader, to never be able to voice dessent or concern, to never be able to listen to music, or dance, or wear what we wish, or worship as we see fit. Do the protestors not see the danger we face? Do they not see all that could be lost?

Kerry and the protestors are 2 sides of the same coin. They both underestimate this enemy and they both refuse to see the damage they have done to the American soldier.

Kerry, perhaps the truth just hurts too much...

Now we discover that Kerry told a Virginia audience at a Martin Luther King Day celebration last year that he remembers hearing about King's death while in Vietnam. The only problem is that King was shot in April of 1968 and Kerry didn't make it to Vietnam until Nov. of 1968. Why does this matter? Obviously Kerry has chosen to romanticize his duty in Vietnam over the years and woven stories to fit the image he wants to project. Do any of us really care about Vietnam now? No, but Kerry is the one who made it the centerpiece of his campaign. We would much rather talk about his 20 yrs in Congress. But that is difficult to do since Kerry only spent a little over a minute on his congressional career at the Democratic National Convention. We do know that, for example, in 2003 Kerry's voting record shows that out of 119 votes recorded, he only showed up for 28% of them. But, come on, travel is difficult these days. Oh, wait...He has a private jet. Or perhaps its better not to be on record for votes that may come back to haunt you when running for President the next year? Just a thought.

In April Kerry referred to Bush as a president "who can't even answer whether he showed up for duty in the National Guard." and who "has yet to explain to America whether or not, and to tell the truth, about whether he showed up for duty." Kerry went on to say later, "Just because you get a honorable discharge doesn't in fact answer the question."

Perhaps Bush should ask, "Just because you received purple hearts doesn't in fact answer the questions." Kerry demands of Bush what he himself is not willing to give, the truth.

To set the record straight, Bush has answered the question fully. Kerry likes to demean National Guard Duty and dismiss Bush for not going to Vietnam. Kerry spent 4 months there and got out as soon as little purple hearts could get him home. Bush spent over 5 years in the National Guard, trained as a fighter pilot. The period Kerry is referring to was his 5th year of duty when he asked to be transferred ( a common practice ) to Alabama to work on Republican Winton Blount's campaign. He cut back his hours dramatically to do this, but more than fulfilled his requirements. The story hinged on several Guard members in Alabama who never remembered seeing him there. Considering Bush was not known then, just a regular guy, and a transfer with fewer hours, AND with 900 men at the base, this is no surprise. But not only did a now retired Lt. John Cahouhn say he remembers seeing Bush several times, but records show Bush was paid and given retirement credit days for service in Alabama.

Compare this minor story to Paul Galanti, who spent 7 yrs as a POW in Vietnam, saying that "John Kerry gave the enemy for free what I and my comrades in the prison camps in N. Vietnam took torture to avoid saying."
Powerful stuff. This is not lies and distortions, this is not where Kerry was on Christmas eve, 1968, or how he got his medals, this is how this man feels and he has every right to say it.

You know we really haven't seen the actor who played Gomer Pyle since, well.... gee... since Kerry has been in Congress!! Hmmmm........ 

The media will be fair to Bush when this happens! 

Peterson, the Media, and Bush...

After watching a lot of court TV on Scott Peterson, I looked up a passage I remembered from a book I was reading. It says all we need to know about this guy.

"You can go for a walk with them, see a movie with them, go swimming, eat dinner, even ride in a car with them while they are driving; but the sociopathic among us are quite literally different in every respect. They merely look like us. It is the ultimate disguise, making them an alien race within our own, and they know how to play us all for fools."


Why is it that the democrats can spend $70 million, yes I said MILLION, on 527 ads and not a peep from the media, and the swiftboat guys spend $200,ooo and they go nuts? Oh yeah... I forgot.....THEY ARE BIASED!!!!!!!!


At least the ads are starting to have an effect. For the first time the LA times poll shows Bush ahead. But I am having a problem with Bush calling ALL 527 groups "shadowy." The swiftboat guys are hardly that. They are upfront and very open about what they believe and who finances them. The Faith Based Coalition has just recently formed. It is a group of conservative black preachers. I want to hear from these guys. This is called free speech. Perhaps there can be a way to make sure there are not untrue or slanderous things permitted, but people can put commercials out there if they wish.

Bush also needs to tell Kerry that the job of President isn't for wimps and whiners. If Kerry can't take some criticism from his former military unit, then he has no business being President. Its a job that comes with tough critics.

Bill Cosby Rocks!

I mean ROCKS!!! I finally got to see Bill Cosby speaking to the Rainbow/PUSH conference on C-span (July 1 ,04). This was after his "controversial remarks" before the NAACP. His speech was EXCELLENT. He didn't say anything conservatives haven't been saying for 25 yrs, but finally a respected black celebrity says it. And that is fine with me as long as everyone listens.

For you who missed it he basically condemned the state of the lower income black community. He spoke about the 50% high school dropout rate of African American males, how the young think it is hip to call each other "nigga," how the hip hop music is degrading to women, and how wrong it is for so many black teenage girls to have babies. He encouraged black parents to PARENT. He also asked them to demand excellence of their kids, in school and out.

The most powerful moment for me was when he said he had been at an event where many of the black leaders from the older generation were there. They were the ones who fought the odds, fought racism, fought to vote, and fought to be treated with equality and dignity. Cosby said he looked at them and thought, "Is this what they dreamed of?"

During this speech ( and there wasn't a THING he said I disagreed with ) the liberals just clapped and clapped. Which I found highly ironic. Because in my opinion liberal policies of the last 20 years caused a great many of the social problems of the black community. Breakdown of the black family? Look no further than the welfare policies of the democrats. High School dropout rates? Look no further than the dumbing down educational policies of the democrats. Black teenage pregnancies? Look no further than the liberal moral policies of the democrats where no sexual pleasure should be denied. If you get pregnant then we will provide monthly checks and housing. This policy has affected the white teenage population in the same way. The degrading lyrics of hip hop? Look no further than the free for all free speech policies of the democrats.

Why then do 90% of African Americans vote democrat? God, I wish I had the answer to that question. But part of the answer might be in the speech Jesse Jackson gave right after Cosby. As much as I was cheering Cosby, I was sickened by Jesse Jackson. His speech was all about lynching, about the racism of the 50's and 60's, about the victimization of black people, about the clashes of the civil rights movement. Not in a way for us to learn from it or admire those who participated, because God knows I do, but in a way to make the young black community angry at whites now. Jesse focuses on the past, Cosby focuses on the present.

Jesse made a negative remark about Bush's "no child left behind" program, yet it is Bush who surrounds himself with the brightest and the best who happen to be black, smart, and excellent.
Who is it that respects the black community? One who panders to the worst aspects of African American life or one who gives the most important jobs in the nation, National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Education to African Americans?

Who respects the black community most? Those who say vote for me and promise handouts? Or those who say vote for me no matter what color your skin is and we will make opportunities for all of us to do things for ourselves? Who respects the black community more? Those who believe that blacks need extra points on college entrance exams or those who say we don't think you NEED extra points and we think you can do it fine on your own?

I am passionate about this because as I explained in my profile, I am a child of integration.
In 1971 my best friend was a black girl named Sondra. We talked on the phone every night for hours yet we never played at each other's house. We never got to play with dolls, or play dress up, or ride bikes together. We never even asked. It just wasn't done. 27 years later my 10 yr old daughter never thought twice about having a friend over that was of color. THAT is something to be celebrated. At the time it warmed my heart of how much things had changed, but I also knew that some of those changes broke my heart as well.

Cosby, keep talking.....may we listen and change.

Kerry can't have it both ways..

Kerry spent the entire Democratic convention convincing us that he is a war hero. Yet right after the Vietnam war he tells us that he committed war crimes. So is he a war criminal or a war hero? Because in my mind you can't have it both ways.
It seems Kerry wants it both ways on just about everything. Being for the Iraq war, being against funding it. Now he wants the swiftboat ads to be censored. You didn't hear the Bush campaign whining to have Michael Moore censored and this is a movie that made TONS of cash for those involved. Yet the NY times didn't seem to feel a need to find a "web of connections" from that movie to the democratic party. None of us on the right liked the fact that Michael Moore had this movie out there with its lies and distortions, yet we understand the meaning of free speech in this country. Obviously Kerry does not.
After Fahrenheit 9-11 came out many pundits came on Fox and disputed the claims made in the movie. (Thank God for Fox News) So the public could see the movie, hear the other side, and make an informed decision about what they believe. The same should happen with the swiftboat ads. Let those involved argue the fine points, and the public will decide. Trying to blackmail the TV stations that run the ad, as the Kerry campaign is doing, by threatening lawsuits for slander if they run it, is unbelievable! Just answer the charges for heaven's sake!
Kerry is hoping that by blaming Bush personally it will look like Bush actually had something to do with the ads. Bush is, as always, taking the high road and not answering back in a mean way. He simply says he condemns all 527 groups on both sides. ( I don't agree with that, but that's another blog) Kerry and his "Bring it on!" comment just made him look stupid.
Maybe Kerry should start running his campaign the way he wants to run the war, in a more sensitive manner.