McCain's former captor endorse him

Welcome to the world of weird:

Four decades ago, during the Vietnam war, Mr Duyet was in charge of the notorious Hoa Lo prison - the place where Mr McCain says he was brutally beaten and tortured during five-and-a-half years as an American prisoner of war.

"McCain is my friend," said 75-year-old Mr Duyet as he feeds the caged birds he now keeps in his garden in this coastal city.
"If I was American, I would vote for him."
........

"He is a very frank man - very conservative, and very loyal to his country and the American ideal.

via NRO

MCain and The Gays

via GayPatriot:

“We’ve had a series of productive meetings with the campaign since Sen. McCain won the nomination—including a recent meeting with the Senator. We expect to have more conversations with the campaign as we head toward November.” — Patrick Sammon, Log Cabin Republicans President — June 25, 2008

Is this even controversial? Why wouldn't he meet with different groups? As you all know, I'm big on meeting with everyone (in this country) to try and sway them to our side.

Not all gays are defined by their sexuality. Not all gays see just that as the only issue. As I posted from before from the Gay Patriot:

the greatest enemies of gay people are not social conservatives in the West who may question (what they call) our lifestyle and oppose legislation benefiting us, but Islamic theocrats who execute gay people in jurisdictions where they predominate and seek to destroy the nations with political systems which allow us to live freely.

The left (and certainly Obama) does not see the danger here, especially for gay people. I would think that anyone gay would look at this issue as much as any personal issue on gay rights.

Since McCain does understand this danger, it only makes sense that he could and should reach out to those who would benefit from his leadership.

Gay marriage isn't the only or even the most important issue to many gay Americans.

Their safety is.

Obama responds to Nader

Responding to Nader's comment about Obama "talking white" to get elected..:

Obama continued: "Ralph Nader’s trying to get attention. He’s become a perennial political candidate. I think it’s a shame, because if you look at his legacy in terms of consumer protections, it’s an extraordinary one but at this point he’s somebody who’s trying to get attention and whose campaign hasn’t gotten any traction and so what better way to get some traction than to make an inflammatory statement like the one that he made. It is what it is."

You can say alot of things about Nader, but he has never been one to say things just to get attention. I have never agreed with a thing that Nader said, but I have always had respect for the fact that he practiced what he preached and he never acted like a normal politician.

What's wrong with me?

I can't get worked up over all the stupid political "stories" lately.

I don't care if Scarlett Johansson is bragging about personal e-mails with Obama.

MTV is accepting political ads for the first time in it's history. No surprise. They are and will be promoting Obama anyway, why not make money off of him? But I really don't care what MTV does.

Ralph Nader says Obama is talking white , but the media will yawn because unless it's a Republican accusing Obama of anything, they ignore it.

The BET Awards were awash with Obama gushing. P. Diddy warned "Obama or Die."

Again. I really don't care what self involved narcissistic rappers think.

The only interesting thing is that the latest gallup poll shows Obama and McCain at a dead heat. Considering the media's love of all things Obama and McCain having almost no comparable press for the last 3 or more months, I take that as a good sign. In May McCain raised as much money as Obama. Another good sign considering our base is stilled ticked at McCain for many things and Obama's base have a screaming teeny bopper crush on him. I call it all good.

I'm going to DisneyWorld on Friday and I'm busy getting ready for that. I guess I'm distracted. I love love DisneyWorld. BigDog will be posting while I'm gone.

The Green Party

No, not that one. The Democrat party. They are trying to have "the greenest party on earth" for their convention.

Read about it here.

I have a feeling it's all going to turn out fun. Can't wait.

Bush Was Right

And get this. It's from The New York Times.

Remember when?

Democratic leaders like Senator Harry Reid considered the war lost. Barack Obama called for a U.S. withdrawal starting in the spring of 2007, while Senator Reid offered legislation calling for a complete U.S. pullback by March 2008.
........

In these circumstances, it’s amazing that George Bush decided on the surge. And looking back, one thing is clear: Every personal trait that led Bush to make a hash of the first years of the war led him to make a successful decision when it came to this crucial call.

Bush is a stubborn man. Well, without that stubbornness, that unwillingness to accept defeat on his watch, he never would have bucked the opposition to the surge.

Bush is an outrageously self-confident man. Well, without that self-confidence he never would have overruled his generals.
In fact, when it comes to Iraq, Bush was at his worst when he was humbly deferring to the generals and at his best when he was arrogantly overruling them. During that period in 2006 and 2007, Bush stiffed the brass and sided with a band of dissidents: military officers like David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno, senators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and outside strategists like Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and Jack Keane, a retired general.

**********

The cocksure war supporters learned this humbling lesson during the dark days of 2006. And now the cocksure surge opponents, drunk on their own vindication, will get to enjoy their season of humility. They have already gone through the stages of intellectual denial. First, they simply disbelieved that the surge and the Petraeus strategy was doing any good. Then they accused people who noticed progress in Iraq of duplicity and derangement. Then they acknowledged military, but not political, progress. Lately they have skipped over to the argument that Iraq is progressing so well that the U.S. forces can quickly come home.

But before long, the more honest among the surge opponents will concede that Bush, that supposed dolt, actually got one right. Some brave souls might even concede that if the U.S. had withdrawn in the depths of the chaos, the world would be in worse shape today.

h/t BigDog

Here is an idea

Listening to the campaigns every day reminds me of high school where one group says something about another group or person and the school is buzzing and wondering how the other is going to respond.

In case you missed it, the latest buzz is about how Fortune had reported McCain's chief strategist Charlie Black had basically said that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil would help McCain. Black said he didn't remember saying that, but apologized because Obama's camp, who really is starting to be the thought police, said that "McCain had "fully supported the Bush policies that have taken our eye off of al Qaeda, failed to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, and made us less safe." Uhh....did they miss that we have almost completely defeated al Qaeda in Iraq? Also, I think the "less safe" mantra isn't going to work when we all know that everyone expected us to be attacked again after 9-11 and we have not been, so I think we can clearly state that we have been kept safe. Obama's campaign also shot back with "this is the kind of politics that needs to change." Everything that is said to criticize Barack Obama is touted as "the kind of politics that needs to change."

More:

AmericaBlog, in response to the terror attack comment, says, “John McCain really is running Bush's 2004 campaign all over again. The politics of fear are front and center.”

Also, Karl Rove says Obama reminds him of “the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

About that, TPM's Greg Sargent writes: "It should also be noted, of course, that Rove took a man who actually is a country club denizen who makes "snide comments" about others -- that would be George W. Bush -- and turned him into a regular Joe. Meanwhile, the guy who would struggle for admittance to some of these exclusive enclaves -- Obama -- is now "the guy at the country club." Rovian up-is-downism at its finest."

Ok, here is the idea. Let's just stop the campaigning until August. I mean it. Both camps just go on vacation with their families. Most Americans are just irritated by the constant back and forth that goes on. It's beyond ridiculous. These kind of high school jabs do nothing to help us know the candidates and only turn more people off of politics.

Let this be the real year of change. Just stop. Stop campaigning until after the conventions and give the American people a rest. We will get to know you just fine in September and October. Plenty of time to bash each other right there.

Lessons We Should Learn From Argentina

WSJ:

As the presidential campaign drones on, Barack Obama and the Democrats are fleshing out the promise of "change" with some specific, big-government policy proposals. Many are familiar, perhaps because they already have been tried – in Argentina.

Read it all.

Americans reading that laundry list may note that it sounds a lot like the mindset of the left wing that will dominate the Democratic Party's convention and choose Barack Obama as its candidate in August. From nationalized health care and government-owned refineries to punishing taxes on the rich, Argentina has been there, done that. There are good reasons to find the resemblance disturbing.

Be afraid. Very afraid.

h/p Bigdog

Who is bringing up race?

So far, it's only been Obama:

“The choice is clear. Most of all we can choose between hope and fear. It is going to be very difficult for Republicans to run on their stewardship of the economy or their outstanding foreign policy. We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run. They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black? He’s got a feisty wife.”

Gee, we actually didn't mention you were black because it really doesn't matter to us what color you are. But, since that seems to be so important to you Obama, you might take note that we have had two black Secretaries of State, one black Supreme Court justice, one black Sec. of Education and one black presidential candidate (Alan Keyes).

Did we mention that?

Elian Gonzalez and Obama connections.

Eight years ago a mother dies trying to bring her young son to a better life. A free life.

But the United States let her down.

Now, Elian Gonzalez joins the Communist Party.

It is interesting to note that two of Obama's advisor’s were involved in returning Elián to Cuba; foreign policy advisor Greg Craig, who represented Elián's father (Castro) in the custody battle, and VP search committee member Eric Holder, who was deputy attorney general when 6-year old Elián was seized at gunpoint by federal agents. (via Babalu)

I'm beginning to wonder if there are any moderates on Obama's campaign. Are they all far left?

More here.

Obama's foreign policy

It seems it's all about Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars.

And no, I'm not kidding.

Richard Danzig, who served as Navy Secretary under President Clinton and is tipped to become National Security Adviser in an Obama White House, told a major foreign policy conference in Washington that the future of US strategy in the war on terrorism should follow a lesson from the pages of Winnie the Pooh, which can be shortened to: if it is causing you too much pain, try something else.

Mr Danzig told the Centre for New American Security: “Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security.”

via GOC

Speaking Democrat

via Ace

Beautiful Summer

Sometimes it's difficult to blog because I am having such a great summer. All my children are home working or going to school and the house is full of kids ages 11 to 21 pretty much all the time. It's noisy, messy, and my food is always gone, but I love it. I love their energy and I love their discussions. It's also nice to finally have all my kids grown enough where I can leave the house any time I want to without a thought.

The days have been beautiful and I finally have time to do some things I want to do every day like workout or swim.

I hope all of you are having a great summer too. There are two sets of pictures I want you to see. They are spectacular and will make you say "wow," I promise.

The first is from Kathryn Jean Lopez who shared these pics from NASA someone sent to her. Just fantastic.

The next ones are from Michael Totten called "The road to Kosovo." Truly stunning pictures of a place I will probably never get to see. Keep scrolling when you get there because they just keep getting better and better.

Good Grief.

I can no longer tell spoof from the real thing with Obama. When I read that Obama had said that "this moment was when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal," I thought it was a spoof, but no, Obama really said it.

Then I see this "Presidential Seal" and think that it is a photoshop. But no, he really used it.

Imagine any other candidate trying to get away with saying such grandiose things and using symbols in such a narcissistic way? Where is the media?

Oh wait. I know where the media is. They are laying on their beds like a school girl swooning at the poster of obama over their head.

Obama is the Zak Efron of the media's adoration.

Good grief.

A Fair Look at Cindy McCain

Newsweek.

She is a beautiful classy lady who didn't let being a spoiled rich kid keep her from caring for others or understanding the importance of family. She isn't perfect. None of us are, but I greatly admire her.

I haven't posted on Michelle Obama and "The View" thing because I really don't think that spouses should be the story. If they say something unusual or problematic, then I can understand. When Michelle said that about not being proud of her country until now, that was a legitimate issue. But she explained her comments and we either believe her or we don't, but it doesn't really matter as far as who we want for our next President.

I get alot of comments from people on the left about the mistakes that both John McCain and Cindy have made. But to me it isn't about being perfect. Of course we all make mistakes. It's about what we do about those mistakes and how we move forward that tell me what kind of person we are. McCain and Cindy both moved forward and did wonderfully positive things. I'll say the same about Obama. He admittedly did drugs when he was younger and he put that away and went on in a positive way. There are great lessons there. Many let their mistakes overcome them and use them as excuses to make more mistakes. It takes a great vision and a great heart to move on and become better despite the things we did that were wrong.
The problem I have always had with people like Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy is that they never learned from their mistakes. They only kept making them. That shows immaturity at best and a grave and dangerous character flaw at worst.

In life we all fall. We either pick ourselves up and become better or we just keep falling. Cindy McCain picked herself up and became one whom we can all admire.

We can talk all day about this war and whether we are for it or against it, but in Cindy's case, she knows what it is to have a child in Iraq. She bears the cost. Her loyalty isn't political. She may have lived a life of privilege that most of us will never know, but she has also lived a life of grief, pain, heartache, worry, and loneliness that all of us do know.

Will Pres. Obama behave whiter than white?

Someone needs to inform Mu’ammar Al-Qadhafi that Obama is not a Muslim. It seems they haven't gotten the memo. But as you read on, you see that he is critical of Obama. Al-Qadhafi hopes that Obama is just playing election politics to win.

Which is exactly what we are afraid of.

There are elections in America now. Along came a black citizen of Kenyan African origins, a Muslim, who had studied in an Islamic school in Indonesia. His name is Obama. All the people in the Arab and Islamic world and in Africa applauded this man. They welcomed him and prayed for him and for his success, and they may have even been involved in legitimate contribution campaigns to enable him to win the American presidency. But we were taken by surprise when our African Kenyan brother, who is an American national, made statements that shocked all his supporters in the Arab world, in Africa, and in the Islamic world. We hope that this is merely an elections “clearance sale,” as they say in Egypt – in other words, merely an elections lie. As you know, this is the farce of elections – a person lies and lies to people, just so that they will vote for him, and afterwards, when they say to him: :“You promised this and that,” he says: “No, this was just elections propaganda.” This is the farce of democracy for you. He says: “This was propaganda, and you thought I was being serious. I was fooling you to get your votes.”Allah willing, it will turn out that this was merely elections propaganda. Obama said he would turn Jerusalem into the eternal capital of the Israelis. This indicates that our brother Obama is ignorant of international politics, and is not familiar with the Middle East conflict.

Well, he does have Obama there. Obama is not familiar with the Middle East conflict, but then he really goes in for the jugular:

The thing we fear most is that the black man suffers from an inferiority complex. This is dangerous. If our brother Obama feels that because he is black he doesn’t have the right to rule America, this would be a disaster, because such a feeling would make him behave whiter than the white, and go to an extreme in his persecution and degradation of the blacks.

Behave whiter than white?

Just a look at the craziness that surrounds Obama in this world.

Some Linky Love

If Obama is elected, New Orleans won't be the only "chocolate city"anymore.

I guess Hillary is finally getting ready to "campaign her heart out for Obama." Opening June 27th.

Why Iraqis back McCain.

American troops making a difference in the lives of every day Iraqis.

Typical Politician

Broken promises.

Tough Talk

From McCain:

Senator Obama is obviously confused about what the United States Supreme Court decided and what he is calling for. After enthusiastically embracing the Supreme Court decision granting habeas in U.S. civilian courts to dangerous terrorist detainees, he is now running away from the consequences of that decision and what it would mean if Osama bin Laden were captured. Senator Obama refuses to clarify whether he believes habeas should be granted to Osama bin Laden, and instead cites the precedent of the Nuremburg war trials. Unfortunately, it is clear Senator Obama does not understand what happened at the Nuremburg trials and what procedures were followed. There was no habeas at Nuremburg and there should be no habeas for Osama bin Laden. Senator Obama cannot have it both ways. In one breath he endorses habeas for terrorists like 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and in the next he denies its logical conclusion of habeas for Osama bin Laden. By citing a historical precedent that does not include habeas, he sends a signal of confusion and indecision to our allies and adversaries and the American people.

Let me be clear, under my administration Osama bin Laden will either be killed on the battlefield or executed. Senator Obama's failure to comprehend the implication of the Supreme Court decision he embraced and the historical precedent of Nuremberg raise serious questions about judgment and experience and whether Senator Obama is ready to assume the awesome responsibilities of commander in chief.

Drill Here

Race Baiter/Tax Evader

New York Post:

The probe into the Rev. Al Sharpton’s finances intensified this week, with the IRS sending out a flurry of subpoenas to his most generous corporate donors, The Post has learned.

Anheuser-Busch, the brewer of Budweiser and Michelob, confirmed yesterday that it received a federal subpoena in connection to its charitable giving to Sharpton’s National Action Network. …

As of 2006, the most recent year that financial documents for the group are publicly available, it owed $1.9 million in payroll taxes and penalties. … Personally, Sharpton owes $931,397 in federal taxes and $365,558 in New York City taxes, according to an IRS lien.

Ok, now can the media stop giving this camera hog airtime and any respectability? He never deserved it.

*note: I couldn't resist the picture with Obama.....;-)

via HotAir

Remember Haditha

Of course the left in this country does not want to remember the "Haditha massacre." They would rather forget Democrat Rep. Murtha's smear on our Marines saying they were "cold blooded killers" 2 years ago. The New York Times and so many other newspapers went on and on about it.

All the Marines have been cleared so far in the Haditha incident with one trial left to go. Seven tried. Seven cleared. And the newspapers aren't quite giving the headlines to this story that they did when they thought the Marines were guilty.

Michelle Malkin at NRO has a list of the bloody headlines of newspapers that will issue no apology to the families now. But this part of Michelle's article says why the attitude of so many on the left leaves me with little respect for them:

Murtha and company applied Queen of Hearts ("Off with their heads!") treatment to our own men and women in uniform while giving more benefit of the doubt to foreign terror suspects at Gitmo.

Our boys deserved the benefit of the doubt, but the left and the media in this country refused to give it to them. I'll never understand that as long as I live.

The Carbon Footprint of Hypocrisy

After the bold courageous move of Al Gore backing Obama now after he doesn't need the endorsement, there is even more news of Gore and his continued hypocrisy in the world of carbon footprints.

We all heard the story last year of Al Gore using more energy at his lavish mansion in one month than most people use in a year. Then Gore's office told ThinkProgress (a far left website) that Gore was going to bring that usage down:

Gore’s family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.

All that work. So, a year later we look at his energy consumption. Is is down? Is his carbon footprint lessened? Uhhhh...no. It's up 10%.

The new report shows Gore actually increased his energy use despite all the supposed efforts to make that ol' carbon footprint equal "zero."
In the year since Al Gore took steps to make his home more energy-efficient, the former Vice President’s home energy use surged more than 10%, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.
In the past year, Gore’s home burned through 213,210 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 232 average American households for a month.

Since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Don't just two people live there???

Good grief.

via NewsBusters

Obama's America

It's always interesting to see how those across the pond see our elections and our candidates. Apparently the Brits are just gaga over Obama. But this article in The Telegraph sees Obama as he really is:

He wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), and if Canada and Mexico refuse the terms he will offer, threatens to cancel the entire trade-opening deal.

He has pledged to turn down new trade deals, on the general theory that free trade has cost America jobs, and, more important, antagonised his trade union patrons.

There's worse. Obama is eager to shed America's role as keeper of world order. Troops are to be brought back from Iraq regardless of what generals tell him, a position far more extreme than Gordon Brown's. The PM courageously decided to slow troop withdrawals when his generals advised they are still needed in Basra.
......

Nor can Europeans be happy with Obama's promise to meet with the world's bad guys, no pre-conditions required. He is apparently unaware that his willingness to meet the leaders of North Korea and Iran (Castro the younger is also on his list, but fear of a backlash among Florida's Cuban expatriate community has muted this plan) undermines the multilateral efforts of the groups that are dealing with those regimes.

But here is the interesting part:

My guess is that British voters would really prefer a dual presidency, with Obama handling domestic policy and McCain in charge of foreign policy. Obama could make America more like Britain with universal, government-managed health care; higher taxes on the "rich" and on capital gains; expanded social services; trade unions made more powerful; continued preferences for blacks seeking university places and government jobs; gay marriage or some variant thereof; abortion on demand.

He goes on to describe what McCain would do in foreign policy, but has anyone in America ever described so well Obama's domestic policy????

Simple, brief, and completely scary.

h/t BigDog

McCain event!

I volunteered at another McCain fundraiser at River Oaks last night. The home of Paige and Tilman Fertitta. The home is so freakin gorgeous I can't describe it (see staircase above). It's my kind of decorating taste (which is awesome) but on a very expensive budget. It's classic and not overly ostentatious. That may be because The Fertitta's have 4 kids and kids tend to ground you even on a decorating basis. Tilman Fertitta owns the Landry's restaurants in Houston and I'm telling you, this was the best food I have had in ages. Delicious.

But enough about that. McCain spoke for about 20 minutes to the crowd. It was nothing that we didn't already know, so nothing to report there. He spoke about the stark differences between himself and Obama. I am still amazed at his energy. We were outside and it was Texas hot and it didn't seem to bother him in the least. I did get to shake his hand and say hello, although I didn't get a chance for a picture with him this time (I whispered "drill in ANWR," but I'm not sure he heard....;-) I also stood right next to our Governor Rick Perry.

The last time I volunteered at a McCain event at a River Oaks home I was deeply concerned about lack of security. I didn't blog about that at the time because I certainly didn't want to draw attention to the fact that no one did a background check on me and no one checked my purse. I or anyone could have brought anything (like a gun!) in there. I got to go right up to McCain and have my picture made with him. It really bothered me. I could have easily been a crazy person (as some say I am). So I was very happy that this time he had full security and they checked everyone's bag and we went through a metal detector.

You might recall why McCain refused Secret Service for long:


McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists

I miss Hillary

Don't you? Be honest. It was fun while it lasted.

But fun stuff can still happen. Just mention her name at an Obama rally:

The AP reported:

Obama and Gore were introduced by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who backed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primary. She held up a navy blue pump and said, on behalf of women everywhere, that she was proud to say she's supporting Obama. She was loudly booed at the mention of Clinton's name, and Obama chastised the crowd for that when he spoke. He said he's a better candidate for having run against Clinton.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm even has to say "Come on now..." to the crowd.

As the McCain site makes clear, we welcome former Clinton supporters. You won't be booed at our rallies. Come on over. You know you want to.

via Gateway Pundit

Google this

I was watching C-span last night and they had a panel sponsered by Google, Youtube, and the National Journal discussing the internet and it's affect on politics.

I have to say that I have a whole new respect for The Onion. I have always enjoyed the site and thought it very funny, but after listening to Baratunde Thurston, The Onion editor, I will enjoy it more. Why? Because he is obviously dedicated to the funny and not to a political agenda.

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of the Jon Daily show and former head writer, was completely obnoxious. I thought the moderator, Tammy Haddard, former producer of "Hardball with Chris Matthews," was going to slap her a few times and if she had I would have welcomed it. Winstead was rude, loud, and with a obvious political bias.

It's like this. Not only do I not mind shows or the Internet making fun of my candidate or my party, but if it's done well, I laugh too. All I ask for is equal opportunity satire. If you only focus on my side then it ceases to be funny and only seems to be propaganda.

The Onion is by far the fairest of the lot. They showed a clip they had made of a "news story" about McCain refusing secret service and it was hilarious. The guy who produced the "Obama girl" was also there and he seem totally unbiased as well. He just thought a girl having a crush on Obama would be funny and it made fun of the fact that so many were swooning over Obama.

And last but not least, was Christopher Hitchens. I hate the fact that I like him. Really. He has written and said so many things that offend me, but it comes from his honest disbelief. But I have to give him credit. He calls bull**** when he sees it, whether it be on the right or the left. He brought up the Obama line of this moment being the moment "when the rise of the oceans begin to slow" and how absurd and ridiculous it was.

When Winstead gushed over how Obama's race speech got millions of hits, Hitchens asked the audience or panel to repeat two words from the speech. He said it was totally forgettable. Hitchens is the only one who seems to have the courage to speak the truth about the emptiness of Obama and the only one who can get away with it. Not one person on the panel argued with him. Winstead seemed more interested in flirting with Hitchens, so that might explain her silence on the matter.

Anyway, it was an interesting discussion, but it really didn't answer the question on how the funny side of the politcal spectrum on the net affects Presidential politics.

I'll be gone the rest of the day. I've going to another fundraiser for McCain! Hopefully I can get another picture to replace the terrible one I took with him before!! Heh.

Welcome immigrants on sacred ground

Here is a feel good story we can all enjoy. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who has presided over naturalization ceremonies each month at the U.S. courthouse in Alexandria. He himself is an immigrant, born in Bogota, Colombia.

Ellis had the idea to swear in immigrants from over 30 countries at the Arlington National Cemetery, which had never been done before. The story states, "He wanted to impress upon the new citizens the sacrifices made for their freedom."

"This is truly a wonderful day," said Ellis, his voice cracking, as he gave an emotional tribute to the virtues of citizenship, U.S. history and the warriors buried around him. Speaking in a white-columned amphitheater dating to 1864, in front of a stone marker bearing the Latin phrase "e pluribus unum" from the Great Seal of the United States, he told the immigrants and their families: "It is a wonderful day for each of you, because today you will join the land of the free and the home of the brave."
..........

"I did it to honor our country's warriors and to give the new citizens a sense for what makes this country great," Ellis said.

I heard the Judge on the news say that the soldiers who sacrificed everything for us, gave us "all of their tomorrows."

Beautiful. I am so grateful to live in this country.

John Adams and Gitmo

I watched "John Adams" last night. I love historical movies. I love history. I love looking at old photographs and wondering what it was like to live "back then." I find the founding of this country a remarkable and miraculous event. I love this country with all my heart. All my heart.When I was in Washington D.C. recently I went to see the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The words are so faded one can hardly read it and it made me tear up. It did. Something so precious and we are letting it disappear. I went and bought copies in the gift shop so I could read it and my children could read it.

There are so many things I hate that we allow in our country, but I understand that freedom is what must be first. God will judge us each on how we used this freedom, but whether I like what we choose or not, I believe in the freedom to choose it (unless it infringes upon the rights of others, and that is always up for debate, isn't it?).

The argument we have been having over the recent Supreme Court decision on Guantanamo was brought to mind as I watched "John Adam." No doubt many of you would argue that Adams defended the very rule of law that you see abandoned at Guantanamo. I only wish lawyers now were as noble as Adams was then.

Let me preface the rest with saying that I come from a family of lawyers. I used to watch my father in trial when I was little. But what I learned was, that although my father was a good man, most lawyers were not. Justice has become a game where justice doesn't necessarily win. It has become a game where only winning matters. We all know that.

I suppose with many of my commenters our worldview differs in how and who we trust. I have known many lawyers and I have known many military men and women. It is the military that I trust. Lawyers don't risk much in becoming lawyers. But our military risk everything. It's not that I don't feel the military is perfect and that they don't ever make mistakes (see Abu Ghraib), but for the most part, I see it as the noblest of professions.

I listened to the talk shows this Sunday and I will honestly say that I understand where many of you are coming from. You, like John Adams, believe in a rule of law that must be followed, even in the cases of enemy combatants. And trust me, if I thought the rule of law would be, I would be with you. But it isn't about the rule of law anymore. I don't see much honor in being a lawyer, especially one that represents sensational figures, such as suspected terrorists at Gitmo (yes, I know with some lawyers there are exceptions). Many of you say that these lawyers take these cases pro bono, but we all know that many lawyers take sensational cases pro bono because they know that it will bring them more money down the line. I wish I believed differently.

Those held at Guantanamo have been determined to be a danger to the United States. The only difference many of us have is that you wish it to be determined, not by a military tribunal, but by lawyers and courts in the United States by the rights given to American citizens.

I saw a conservative (I can't remember who) who said that this ruling might be a good thing because the American people would get to see first hand how horrible and evil these men are.

Perhaps. Certainly we learned that with the first World Trade Center bomber. I would feel even more on your side if I thought your feelings weren't political in nature. In other words, if this were a Democratic administration , would you be feeling this way? It's like the waterboarding issue. Many Democratic Senators were well aware of waterboarding and we never heard a peep about it until it become politically expedient to condemn this administration for it.

In the end, we have gone further and further from the rule of law that John Adams so righteously defended. We use the law to our own end.

In the trial at the beginning of "John Adams" he depends on the honesty of men to win an unpopular trial against British soldiers.

This is the problem I have. I no longer believe in the honesty of men.

Not lawyers anyway.

Do I think we abandon the rule of law? No , of course not. I still believe in the rule of law. I only wish for the hearts of men to care about it as well.

Do I believe that enemy combatants of the United States deserve the same rights as U.S. citizens? No, you haven't convinced me. But I do understand why you feel the way you do. I wish we were all noble enough for us to agree.

Update: For a brief conservative view of why this Supreme Court decision is a disaster, go here.

Update II: The editors at NRO have more.

Rest In Peace

Tim Russert

What is up with the Che Guevara/Obama connection with lefties?

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) — A judge in Ohio says the state's method of putting prisoners to death is unconstitutional because two of three drugs used in the lethal injection process can cause pain.

I mean, they do get that Che Guevara was an anti-capitalism Marxist revolutionary, right? Is that how they see Obama?

Just to give you a sense of Che, here he writes to his family on his way to Guatemala in 1953:

"Along the way, I had the opportunity to pass through the dominions of the United Fruit, convincing me once again of just how terrible these capitalist octopuses are. I have sworn before a picture of the old and mourned comrade Stalin that I won’t rest until I see these capitalist octopuses annihilated. In Guatemala, I will perfect myself and achieve what I need to be an authentic revolutionary."

Oh, and since this Che loving judge is so concerned with the pain that convicted murderers go through, maybe he would like to comment on notes Che wrote in his travel diaries:

"I, the eclectic dissector of doctrines and psychoanalyst of dogmas, howling like one possessed, will assault the barricades or trenches, will bathe my weapon in blood and, mad with fury, will slit the throat of any enemy who falls into my hands."

I'm thinking that slitting of throat is pretty painful. But you can always go the quick route like Che did here:

He was not afraid to take responsibility for enforcing harsh discipline. Within a few days of the campaign the rebels seized a traitor, the first of the war to be executed. In what was a "closely guarded secret for 40 years" Che’s private diaries reveal that, "the situation was uncomfortable for the people and for E, so I ended the problem giving him a shot with a .32 pistol in the right side of the brain…"

It's very telling who our heros are, don't you think?

h/t BigDog

Enemy Combatants and the Freedom to Kill Again

Even for those of us who pay attention to these kinds of thing, we miss important stuff. I was taken aback today as I listened to John McCain at another Town Hall meeting say that 30 former Guantanamo detainees had been released and had gone on to commit acts of terror.

The most recent being Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi. He was part of a suicide attack in Mosul on April 26 that targeted an Iraqi police patrol and left six people dead, including two police officers.

al-Ajmi was picked up in Afghanistan as he tried to enter Pakistan after the 2001 U.S. invasion. He claimed to have fought for the Taliban. And this is the interesting part. He was never charged with any crime and he was held at Guantanamo through 2005. Once at gitmo he claimed that his statements about fighting for the Taliban were made after he was threatened while in U.S. custody. He asserted that he was in Afghanistan to study the Quran. Poor guy. Just a misunderstood Quran wanna be scholar. Just the kind of guy certain leftwing lawyers want to defend.

Al-Ajmi was transferred to the custody of Kuwaiti authorities in November 2005 and was released after a trial there.

This reminded me of a study done in 2006 that the leftwing bloggers went nuts over. The study was done by Seton Hall Law Professor Mark Denbeaux and attorney Joshua Denbeaux, who also happened to be attorneys for two detainees at Guantanamo. Here in part is what the report said (via Talkleft):

1. Fifty-five percent (55%) of the detainees are not determined to have committed any hostile acts against the United States or its coalition allies.

2. Only 8% of the detainees were characterized as al Qaeda fighters. Of the remaining detainees, 40% have no definitive connection with al Qaeda at all and 18% are have no definitive affiliation with either al Qaeda or the Taliban.

Also:

4. Only 5% of the detainees were captured by United States forces. 86% of the detainees were arrested by either Pakistan or the Northern Alliance and turned over to United States custody.

Let me summarize the left's feelings here. We were holding enemy combatants that really didn't deserve to be there. They hadn't been charged with a crime and claimed no affiliation with our enemies. How awful is the United States to hold these men!

Everything in that summary of the report at Talkleft describes Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi. The one who just committed suicide killing innocents in Mosul in April.

This is how Talkleft (and this is the most rational and thoughtful of the leftwing blogs) ends this piece:

The President continues to tell us that those held at Guantanamo are the "worst of the worst." This report tells a different story.
We got the small fry. And we put them in a black hole.

The report may have told a different story, but reality tells us the President did the right thing. Because it is the "small fry" that the Islamic fanatic leaders use to commit these acts of horror.

Today John McCain condemned the Supreme Court ruling yesterday that gave rights to non-citizens.. reminding us that these are enemy combatants, not citizens.

I think our own Senator from Texas, John Cornyn puts it well:


Upon initial review, the Supreme Court’s ruling is both troubling and disappointing. A slim, 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court ignored the informed wartime policy choices of both elected branches of the federal government. In 2006, 65 Senators—Democrats and Republicans alike—approved a carefully crafted law that provided these detainees a fair process consistent with America’s critical national security needs.
But, today the Supreme Court ignored this law and the informed expertise of the President and Congress in matters of national security—and gave itself a blank check to assume control of wartime detainee policy. This is unacceptable and unprecedented.

The history of this debate and litigation concerning the rights of suspected terrorists is instructive. The Supreme Court previously said that unilateral executive decision-making was not appropriate when it came to determinations of who is and is not an alien enemy combatant—even in wartime. Pursuant to the Court’s directive, Congress debated and crafted a detention review process that included review in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals—a court many call “the second highest court in the land.” This law, crafted specifically to meet the Court’s previously stated requirements, was invalidated today. The Supreme Court has moved the goalposts once again.

But leftwing lawyers rejoice.

Let me add this to the fire:

In January of this year, 80 attorneys for terrorists being held at the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay made a mass-endorsement of Obama's presidential campaign. The Boston Globe reported that the terrorists' lawyers endorsed Obama because he was "the best choice to roll back the Bush-Cheney administration's detention policies in the war on terrorism."

So even the terrorists' lawyers admit a vote for Obama is a vote for letting terrorists go free.

That last line may be a bit harsh. But sometimes we are judged by the company we keep.

McCain's Town Hall

I watched McCain last night on Fox News at his live town hall right before I left for a blogger party downtown for RightOnline.com hosted after a day at the Texas GOP convention. I really enjoyed meeting so many like minded people.

We also stopped by for free ice cream at a Ron Paul rally. As a friend with me put it, they are just Republican hippies. Ron Paul was on speaker phone because he missed his plane or something, but it was interesting being around the Ronbots.

Anyway, this is the forum where McCain does best. He is personable and charming. The audience was clearly filled more with people who admire him than with those who are not sure, but it was a good way for him to get his message across after Obama and Hillary took up so much TV time for so long.

As usual McCain started off reminding many conservatives why they are angry with him. He touted McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy as proof that he is much more bi-partisan than Obama ever thought about being. While that is certainly true and may bring sunshine into the hearts of middle of the roaders, it just ticks conservatives off.

McCain is what he is. I happen to like the fact that he does what he thinks is right and doesn't back down just to be liked more by one particular group. Do some of his beliefs drive me crazy as well? Of course. But a leader leads. That's what he does. He doesn't take polls and he doesn't change with the wind.

But I truly wish he could at least downplay the things that he knows his base disagrees with. It's time to get the base fired up and ready to work for him and that isn't going to happen if he keeps bringing up legislation that just makes us scream.

This is what a porn freak looks like...

Just in case your wondering. This is a picture of the sickest among us.

This is the Chief Justice of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (surprise!), Judge Alex Kozinski, a long time advocate of free speech. But not just any free speech. He has presided over many an obscenity case. And why shouldn't he? Being as obscene as he is.

If you want to read about his...sickness, then click the link. There you will find even more links to the depths of depravity that is the Chief Justice.

For God's sake, this man and anyone else who views these things, needs to see a priest, a preacher, a rabbi, or a psychiatrist. Someone. Anything to help you out of the hell you reside in.

Obama Drama

You might be wondering why I haven't posted on Obama's ongoing drama.
From his VP selection committee chair, Jim Johnson to his gas price stance to rumors about his birth and name. Why? Because it doesn't seem important to me. It's just nitpicking. The left is doing the same with everything McCain says.

Enough already.

I got an e-mail from several people recently with picturess of Obama's family in Kenya. It has pictures of he and his dad and his mom. It seemed to question his loyalty. It reminded us of his Muslim ties with his step dad and half brothers.

The e-mail never says anything implicit about Obama being Muslim himself, but the overtones are there.

This is a lot like the left who keep repeating that McCain left his loyal crippled wife when he came back from being a POW. Ignoring the fact that his ex-wife Carol has said the divorce was her idea and they she fully supports him (which is pretty amazing for an ex I think).

My point is that the past is the past and McCain and Obama both have one. Just as you and I do. People don't care what McCain's personal life was like 30 yrs ago and they really don't care what Obama's family in Kenya looks like.

Obama's voting record is what we should be focusing on. If he is saying one thing now, but voted differently. Then we should talk about it. But Republicans aren't going to win going after his family.

Attacks are a part of politics on both sides. I wish that weren't true. It's partly the media's fault because they won't pursue a story sometimes unless it comes from an attack.

Now, the Johnson and gas price thing with Obama is a story, but I won't be focusing on every drama that comes along. Just the ones I think people care about.

Let's leave the personal rumors to the tabloids.

Congressmen's computer hacked by Chinese

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Multiple congressional computers have been hacked by people working from inside China, lawmakers said Wednesday, suggesting the Chinese were seeking lists of dissidents.
.......

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., said four of his computers were compromised beginning in 2006. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, a senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said two of the computers at his global human rights subcommittee were attacked in December 2006 and March 2007.

Geeze.

I'm not like most women

And here is another article that proves it.

via HotAir

It's hard out here for a terrorist

Oh yeah......

Hillary's Ghost

This ABC report is about show of unity with party's leaders Tuesday in Washington. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid praised Hillary. But the interesting part?

Read the comments. Oh boy.

This kind of anger toward Obama shown on an ABC news site sends a thrill up my leg.

;-)

Also, have you guys seen this site? Sweet.

When Mayors lose their mind

via Fox News

Jewish Democrats...

.....Come on over!!!!!!!

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is attracting elite Jewish Democratic donors who backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and are concerned about Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) stance toward Israel, say McCain backers who are organizing the effort to court Democrats.
........

Stephen Muss, the Florida developer, is the biggest Democratic donor and fundraiser to pledge his support for McCain and the Republican National Committee, said a GOP official. Muss has given tens of thousands of dollars to help Democratic candidates in recent years, including $80,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics and CQ MoneyLine
........

Jewish Democrats are concerned about Obama for several reasons. While stumping in Iowa last year, Obama told Democratic activists, “Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people.”
Some Jewish voters interpreted the statement as a sign that Obama would be overly sympathetic to the Palestinian side in future peace negotiations with Israel. And some are concerned about a senior Obama adviser’s comments regarding the influence of American Jews on foreign policy. Merrill “Tony” McPeak, the former Air Force chief of staff, told the Portland Oregonian newspaper in 2003 that the political influence of the Jewish community had hampered efforts to negotiate peace in the Middle East.
Obama has also caused some alarm among Jewish Democrats by pledging to negotiate with leaders of nations that have taken hostile stances against Israel, such as Syria and Iran.

The growing sympathy of Jewish Democrats toward McCain is epitomized by Lieberman, a self-described independent Democrat from Connecticut.

History Lesson

From Grand Old Partisan:

On this day in 1964, Everett Dirksen (R-IL), the Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate, condemned the Democrats' 57-day filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Leading the Democrats in their opposition to civil rights for African-Americans was Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV). Byrd, who got into politics as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan, spoke against the bill for fourteen straight hours. Democrats still call Robert Byrd "the conscience of the Senate." In his speech, Senator Dirksen called on the Democrats to end their filibuster and accept racial equality.

Sadr City and Victory

Does the average American know this story? I don't think so.

From the Stars and Stripes:

When Task Force 1-6 took control of the area in early May, they entered a cesspool of violence. For the Baumholder, Germany-based infantrymen, much of the fighting centered around the construction of a three mile security wall that separates Jamilla from Sadr City’s main residential areas to the north.

The wall was constructed in response to the fighting that erupted in March in Sadr City, which functioned as a launching point for mortar assaults on the nearby Green Zone.

The soldiers of 1-6, who were continuing work started by other units assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, faced contact with the enemy within 24 hours of being on the job. Encounters with rocket-propelled grenades, sniper fire and mortars were a daily occurrence, commanders said.

But since the wall project was completed more than two weeks ago, firefights has been replaced with intelligence gathering, civic engagement and reconstruction.

Regarding victory, The New York Post has this:

AMERICA has won, or is about to win, the Iraq war.

The latest proof came last month, as the Iraqi army - just a few months ago the target of scorn and abuse from Democratic politicians and journalists - forcefully reoccupied three cities that had served as key insurgency bases (Basra, Sadr City and Mosul).

Sunnis and Shias alike applauded as their nation's army compelled insurgent militias to lay down their arms.

.......

In a Washington Post interview, CIA Director Michael Hayden said we're witnessing the "near strategic defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq."

I think we are all going to get what we want sooner, rather than later...an end to this war. But we on the right (and America) get the icing on the cake.

Victory.

via Mudville

Hillary's Out

via Allah

The Press and Race

I watched Howard Kurtz Sunday on CNN talk about the role of the press during this fight between Hillary and Obama. He was asking his guests if the press showed favoritism toward Obama during the primary fight.

It would be disingenuous to say that the press did not give much more favorable coverage to Obama. The question that should be asked is why? Did they do it because they were caught up in the Obama/first black president thing? Or did they do it because they can't stand Hillary or were tired of the Clinton political machine? Even this were true, it isn't the media's job to decide who they like the best and give the best coverage to that person. It's unethical in my opinion. It's time for the press to cover a Presidential campaign with the fairness and scrutiny they learned in journalism school.

Remember when an advisor in the McCain campaign, Mark McKinnon stepped down because he didn't want to create ads against Obama in the general election? He said, "I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama. I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."

Why? Because Obama is the first black to win his party's nomination for President??? I don't think Obama himself wants to be judged by that. As Kurtz pointed out on his show, if we really have moved beyond race in this country, then the press will treat Obama just as they would a white candidate.

So one would like to ask McKinnon why he would have felt comfortable running ads against Hillary, but not Obama?

The fact that Obama is the first African American to win his party's nomination is a historic and proud moment for America and for blacks, but the last thing we should do is treat Obama differently because of it. It is exactly that that we have tried to rise above all these years.

The Media should treat Obama the exact same way they treat McCain. Ask the same questions, reveal the flaws that emerge, emphasize the issues that each candidate believes in, and let's judge these candidates by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

Someone very wise said that one time long ago. I hope the press pays attention. Because otherwise, it's just wrong.

Jimmy Carter's 2nd term

McCain has found a perfect way to combat this ridiculous mantra of Obama's that McCain would be a Bush third term:

In an interview to air later tonight on Nightly News, McCain tells NBC's Brian Williams that while Obama might criticize him for representing a third Bush term, Obama seems to be running for a second Carter term. Part of the transcript...
Williams: Is it going to be tough to run with an incumbent party for the White House, given this economic backdrop?
McCain: I-- I think it's-- it's tough. But I think the American didn't, people didn't get to know me yesterday. They know me. They know that I have fought for restraining spending, which Senator Obama has been a big part of, with earmarking (UNINTEL) projects. They know that I have been a strong fiscal conservative, and they know I understand the challenges that they face.

They need a little break from-- from their gasoline taxes, and they -- and they know that -- we've got to get spending under control. And we've got to become independent of foreign oil. Sen. Obama says that I'm running for a Bush's third terms. It seems to me he's running for Jimmy Carter's second.

When you can't tell spoof from rhetoric

"..this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal"

I read these words of Obama's on another blog and honestly thought it was a spoof. I didn't realize that he actually said them in his speech in St. Paul, Minn until I read the George Will column that BigDog sent me:

"Journalists consider themselves crusty, unsentimental creatures who, their battered fedoras shoved back on their heads, have slouched out of Ben Hecht's 1928 play "The Front Page," oozing skepticism from every pore. Actually, they are round-heeled romantics, such pushovers for a new swain that they did not laugh until their ribs squeaked when Barack Obama concluded his triumphal St. Paul, Minn., speech..."

When I thought it was a spoof, I laughed. But now it just makes me want to throw up. Could Obama be any more full of himself? Does he really see himself as "healing the planet?" You know what? I believe he does. That's the thing. He is one of these left wing "visionaries" who sees all things possible through government programs and soaring rhetoric.

Read his whole speech. It's the promise of rainbows and fairies. All we have to do is chant "We believe" over and over and the impossible becomes possible.

Give me a freakin break.

Obama could have been a case study for Thomas Sowell's book. "The Vision of The Anointed." A book that reviews the smug know it all attitude of the left, who think they are "anointed" to take care of the rest of us. But first they need to be in power.

Obama is the elite liberal intelligentsia that Sowell writes about. He feels he is morally and intellectually superior to the general population and only wishes to "help' them live their lives in a manner that he sees as better. Because, you see, they don't know any better and need leaders such as himself to show them the way.

But this isn't a world of rainbows and fairies and it never will be. It is a world that needs more than fancy words and a heart of hope to keep us strong, protect us, and grow our economy.

You will never hear about rainbows from McCain. He is a reality type guy. He sees the world as it is.

Update: To further the absurdity of all this, Jesse Jackson Jr. had this to say about Obama's nomination:

"the event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance." (via Newsbusters)

Look, I can understand the pride of having the first black man nominated for President. No doubt about that, but this kind of over the top gushing only diminishes the significance of it in my opinion.

In case you missed it....

Bush never lied.

Saw this at HotAir and BigDog sent it to me.

This has become such a large part of the left's narrative that I doubt anything will change their minds. But the truth rarely does with them.

Let me continue to make my point

Or at least I will let Thomas Sowell continue to make it for me. This is for all of you who feel like you will just stay home this election: (emphasis mine)

There is one big difference between now and the 1930s. Although the West’s lack of military preparedness and its political irresolution led to three solid years of devastating losses to Nazi Germany and imperial Japan, nevertheless when all the West’s industrial and military forces were finally mobilized, the democracies were able to turn the tide and win decisively.

But you cannot lose a nuclear war for three years and then come back. You cannot even sustain the will to resist for three years when you are first broken down morally by threats and then devastated by nuclear bombs.

Our one window of opportunity to prevent this will occur within the term of whoever becomes president of the United States next January.

At a time like this, we do not have the luxury of waiting for our ideal candidate or of indulging our emotions by voting for some third party candidate to show our displeasure — at the cost of putting someone in the White House who is not up to the job.

Senator John McCain has been criticized in this column many times. But, when all is said and done, Senator McCain has not spent decades aiding and abetting people who hate America.

On the contrary, he has paid a huge price for resisting our enemies, even when they held him prisoner and tortured him. The choice between him and Barack Obama should be a no-brainer.

via LST

Are we paying attention?

In the spirit of the discussion we are having in the comments section of the previous post, I give you Michael Ledeen of the WSJ as he describes how other evil regimes and leaders throughout history were ignored or played down as not as scary or deadly as they turned out to be. He reminds us that we must learn from history or we are bound to repeat it:

By now, there is very little we do not know about such regimes, and such movements. Some of our greatest scholars have described them, analyzed the reasons for their success, and chronicled the wars we fought to defeat them. Our understanding is considerable, as is the honesty and intensity of our desire that such things must be prevented.

Yet they are with us again, and we are acting as we did in the last century. The world is simmering in the familiar rhetoric and actions of movements and regimes – from Hezbollah and al Qaeda to the Iranian Khomeinists and the Saudi Wahhabis – who swear to destroy us and others like us. Like their 20th-century predecessors, they openly proclaim their intentions, and carry them out whenever and wherever they can. Like our own 20th-century predecessors, we rarely take them seriously or act accordingly. More often than not, we downplay the consequences of their words, as if they were some Islamic or Arab version of "politics," intended for internal consumption, and designed to accomplish domestic objectives.

Clearly, the explanations we gave for our failure to act in the last century were wrong. The rise of messianic mass movements is not new, and there is very little we do not know about them. Nor is there any excuse for us to be surprised at the success of evil leaders, even in countries with long histories and great cultural and political accomplishments. We know all about that. So we need to ask the old questions again. Why are we failing to see the mounting power of evil enemies? Why do we treat them as if they were normal political phenomena, as Western leaders do when they embrace negotiations as the best course of action?
........

Then, as now, the initiative lies with the enemies of the West. Even today, when we are engaged on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, there is little apparent recognition that we are under attack by a familiar sort of enemy, and great reluctance to act accordingly. This time, ignorance cannot be claimed as an excuse. If we are defeated, it will be because of failure of will, not lack of understanding. As, indeed, was almost the case with our near-defeat in the 1940s.

One of the reasons I am such a strong supporter of McCain is because he does understand all this. He has lived and served our country in the face of an evil enemy. He bears the scars. He understands the price.