Winds of Change

What about Mitch Daniels in 2012?

2011-02-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

(official picture from www.in.gov)

A lot of people have asked me what I think of Mitch Daniels--the Governor of Indiana. He gave an interesting speech at CPAC with his "raison debt" quip. If he won, as a short, bald man, he would defy conventional odds. Mitt Romney would probably feel cheated after all the years of maintaining perfect hair,and a perfect, Presidential appearance.

Daniels won by 18 points in a year when Indiana turned Blue for Obama (2008).
He is recognized for competence. And he is remembered for his tour across the state
during the campaign staying in the houses of Hoosiers across the state.
He definitely appeals to the average man more than Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, and others in the Presidential field.

But he also lacks the necessary charisma and excitement.
These are huge factors in a Presidential campaign. If people don't get excited about you, you generally lose. (See McCain in 2008; see Dole in 1996). Obama is not good at many things, but he is certainly good at energizing his base. Before long, he will be in front of his fans, shouting "Si se puede" and "You fired up?"

Indiana might be balancing budgets (?-help me out here readers), but the state has tons of problems. It is a state built on manufacturing (whether RV's or automobiles). And with those loss of jobs, came a comcomitant increase in crime especially in the cities. Daniels, as chief executive of the state, needs to crack down on criminals and robbers. Indiana is also known for its underground meth industry. He needs to work better with federal authorities to crack down on the meth labs popping up left and right.

How will Daniels do in the debates? Well it depends on who else is there. He will fare well against Sarah Palin. His knowledge about government and budget details (mainly from his time as head of the Office of Management and Budget under George W. Bush)will confuse Sarah Palin who cannot even recall what newspapers she reads on a daily basis (see interview with Katie Couric).

But compared to other possible candidates like Gingrich, Santorum, and Mitt Romney, he will come across as a nice, smart individual---but very unexciting.

Mitch Daniels, we would love to hear more from you. Welcome to the 2012 field. But we suggest you show up to the debates on your motorcycle. You need to increase your excitement level. But we like how you relate to the common man.

Chris Christie on Teachers

2011-02-17T18:34:00.001-08:00

"We have great teachers in New Jersey, working hard and making a huge difference in the lives of many children, but we don't have enough of them. And one of the reason why we don't have enough of them is because the bad teachers who remain with lifetime tenure are crowding out opportunity for the good ones, and then when you have reductions the last ones in are the first ones out, because all that matters is seniority, and not talent. And so we send a new generation of teachers, good enthusiastic teachers away because we have built a system, as Michelle Rhee put better than I could, that cares more about the feelings of adults than it cares about the future of our children."

Chris Christie on Pensions

2011-02-17T18:26:00.001-08:00

From the AEI Speech:

about speaking to NJ firefighters about pensions,

"And then I said to them-I took away the prepared notes I had for the speech-I actually took them off of the podium and crumpled them up and threw them on the ground. And I said here's the deal: I understand you're angry and I understand you're frustrated and I understand you feel deceived and betrayed. And the reason you feel all the things is because you have been deceived and you have been betrayed. And for 20 years, governors have come into this room and lied to you. Promised you benefits that they had no way of paying for making promises they knew they couldn't keep and just hoping they wouldn't be the man or women left holding the bag. I understand why you feel angry and betrayed and deceived by those people. Here's what I don't understand. Why you booing the first guy who came in here and told you the truth? See, there is no political advantage of me coming into that room and telling the truth."

The Race for 2012 and Chris Christie's Refreshing Honesty

2011-02-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

(From the American Enterprise Institute)

Many people are praising Chris Christie right now.
Not the teacher's unions he battled or the Democrats in New Jersey that can't handle a fair political fight. But Republicans in many circles think he is the GOP's only chance at success. This seems to be Ann Coulter's position. And if I had to guess, if the Editors of the Weekly Standard had to pick a favorite, they would choose Christie or General David Petraeus.

Did you catch Christie's remarks at the American Enterprise Institute? It's very hard to listen to Christie and not warm up to him. He is a very principled "regular guy" that voters can relate to.

One of my favorite of his remarks involved Governor Corzine's response to the
budget crisis several summers back. In response to a government shut down, Corzine famously brought reporters into his office and pointed to a cot that he would sleep on until the crisis ended.

How would Chris Christie handle this?

So I knew these were the same fellas who had been in the legislature when he was there now threatening to do the same thing. So I decided to call them down early on and advise them that the place was under new management. And what I said to them was listen, if you want to pass an income tax increase that's fine, I'm going to veto it. And if you want to close down the government because of that, that's fine. But I want to tell you something-I'm not moving any cot into this office to sleep in here. If you close down the government I'm getting into those black SUV's with the troopers and going to the governor's residence I'm going to go upstairs, I'm going to open a beer, I'm going order a pizza, I'm going to watch the Mets. And when you decide to reopen the government give me a call and I'll come back. But don't think I'm sleeping on some cot take a look at me you think I'm sleeping on a cot- not happening.

Could you imagine one of the other presidential candidates saying this?
It would be too off-color. Too risky.

It's too bad Christie said there was no chance he was running in 2012. Isn't it ironic, that the one political figure the country really needs, isn't going to run?

The End of the American Dream

2010-03-23T15:56:00.001-07:00

Official White House Photo: By Lawrence Jackson

Health Care Reform passes in the House using the dubious Reconciliation method.
President Barack Obama signs.
The entitlement culture flourishes. The American dream dies.

Scott Brown wins U.S. Senate Seat: Coakley Implodes

2010-01-20T18:10:00.001-08:00

(Photo appeared in Boston Herald, by Matthew West)

Call it what you want. The Shot Heard Around the World. The Massachusetts Miracle. Either way, Scott Brown pulled off the political upset of the century. Democrats are now very afraid. He won 52 to 47 percent.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-16T18:13:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. We didn't blog as much in 2009. Hopefully we find more time to contribute in 2010. Obama has lost his popularity this year. His Health Care Reform efforts have created a huge Republican movement. Tea Parties have erupted across the country.

Now even in MA, a Republican, Scott Brown is about to be elected on Tuesday to "Ted Kennedy's" Senate seat.

2010 looks to be a great year for Republicans. It's possible for us to take back the House and the Senate.

In 2009, we also took the Governor's offices in NJ and VA.

Today's Gospel: Mark

2009-09-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

Obama Tries to Push Aside Governor Paterson

2009-09-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

For Barack Obama, it's about politics and not losing. In New York, Paterson's low approval ratings and a viable GOP challenge (either by Rick Lazio or Rudy Giuliani) have given Obama pause and have compelled him to gently nudge Paterson out of the race.

If Paterson is like any politician, he will not take this lightly. It will be harder to cry racism here, but he might still put up a fight.

Now, Andrew Cuomo can seriously gear up. Will this give Eliot Spitzer the green light to run for Attorney General? His scandal already has worn off.

Irving Kristol: An Intellectual Giant

2009-09-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

(Picture from American Enterprise Institute)

January 22, 1920-September 18, 2009

We will miss you. Your contributions will not be forgotten.

"For me, then, "neoconservatism" was an experience of moral, intellectual, and spiritual liberation. I no longer had to pretend to believe--what in my heart I could no longer believe--that liberals were wrong because they subscribe to this or that erroneous opinion on this or that topic. No--liberals were wrong, liberals are wrong, because they are liberals. What is wrong with liberalism is liberalism--a metaphysics and a mythology that is woefully blind to human and political reality. Becoming a neoconservative, then, was the high point of my cold war."

Happy New Year!

2009-01-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

It's great to start a fresh new year. Hopefully this blog will continue to inform and entertain. 2008 was a rocky year for many because of the dire economic crisis and the massive electoral wins for liberals. Let's keep our heads up though and win one for the Gipper in 2009.

Something to look forward to

2008-12-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

Karl Rove is writing a book and he is not afraid to expose the follies of Washington.
Corrupt Washington insiders never liked him or President Bush and he is going to give examples of who they are.

Barack Obama: An Unexceptional President for an Exceptional Country

2008-11-08T09:26:00.001-08:00

Well, the election is over and Barack Obama has prevailed. Many conservatives like me have feared this outcome. Obama has quickly picked the "pitbull," Rahm Emanuel, as his Chief of Staff and has his economic advisors all lined up.

Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida have become blue states.
The Northeast doesn't have a single Republican Congressman now.

The stock market has continued to torpedo--probably in reaction to this heinous election news. The only identifiable silver lining is that Republicans regained Florida Congressional District #16, which Mark Foley had lost to the scandal several years back. Another silver lining is that as Barack Obama plucks elected officials for his cabinet, seats might open up.

Ideally, Barack would pick Deval Patrick in MA for Attorney General. The MA Governor's Office is definitely a winnable office and the Republicans should gear up for a tight race there.

Republicans will look back at the Bush years with fondness. We at least knew we were safe. Capitalism would not be impeded too aggressively. And the White House would have honor and at least some concern for morality.

What Barack Obama said at the Saddleback forum when asked about the issue of life, "it's above my paygrade," says it all. He views the Presidency as a job to put on your resume, instead of an exceptional opportunity to change and shape history. As Stan Lee said through his character, Spider-Man, with great power must come great responsibility.

Voting is like Catholic Confession-Important thoughts about John McCain and Barack Obama election

2008-10-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

(Picture from the AP)

Election day is rapidly approaching and the intensity of the campaigning will continue to escalate until every single vote is counted. The polls right now are generally more favorable to Obama, but besides the Bradley Effect, a more common sense factor will be in play that polls are not taking into account: I will dub it here, the Confession factor.

When you show up to the polling place, and get behind the curtain to cast your ballot, it's just you and your conscience. There is no more CNN or Fox News blaring in the background. You don't have friends at your side, opining incessantly. It's just your conscience and deadly silence.

At the end of the day, I can't help but think that people might change their mind at the last minute. They will think about the grave challenges that face our nation. And for the first time, they will think seriously about which candidate is truly more qualified. The contrast will be so stark that many Obama supporters might flip the switch for McCain. And when they leave the booth, still tell their friends that they voted for Obama.

On election night, they will sit up with their friends until the wee hours of the morning, cheering on Obama. And when McCain wins, they will outwardly show disappointment, but in their hearts, they will be content and their conscience will be at ease.

Obama's campaign copying Karl Rove's strategy

2008-10-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5014706.ece

Joe Biden Can't Play Hardball

2008-10-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXcImQfubM

After facing some tough questions, Joe Biden proves he should stay with wiffleball. Channel 9's Barbara West refused to worship at the altar of Obama, and instead did her journalistic job of asking tough questions to all candidates. She threw some fast pitches to Biden.

After the interview, the Obama campaign cancelled Jill Biden's scheduled interview on the same station. Campaign spokeswoman Laura McGinnis did what any teenage reporter would do. Cancel and refuse to show up at any institution that still shows journalistic integrity.

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election,"
-- Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.

Constitutional Crisis: Barack Not Born in America?

2008-10-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

This, my friends, is the question of the hour and the mainstream media has refused to cover it. Thankfully Matt Drudge put the recent court ruling up on his website.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081025/D941NCJG0.html

Basically, there are serious questions about where Barack was born and Barack has refused to cooperate and furnish his birth records. If he wasn't hiding anything, one would assume he would furnish the records, prove attorney Phillip J. Berg wrong, and move on with the campaign. But instead, Barack is trying to obfuscate and stall.

If Barack is in fact, not a natural born citizen, the Constitution bars him from running for President. Hillary Clinton would have to step in as the Democratic nominee.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Barclay Surrick dismissed the suit brought by Berg, for lack of standing. In other words, it sounds like Judge Surrick doesn't want to irritate the next possible Commander in Chief. As a result, Americans are being failed.

We have the right to know if Barack is or is not a natural born citizen. And the burden of proof, isn't on Phillip J. Berg or anyone else, it's on Barack. Stop lying. Stop trying to hide things.

Here is the relevant Constitutional text. It's Article II.
"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

Locksley Hall- Tennyson

2008-10-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

A little culture to welcome us into the weekend...

"For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;

Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales;

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;

Far along the world-wide whisper of the south-wind rushing warm,
With the standards of the peoples plunging thro' the thunder storm;

Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer, and the battle flags were
furl'd
In the Parliament of Man, the Federation of the World.

There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in
awe,
And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law."

Colin Powell's Endorsement of Barack Hussein Obama

2008-10-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

The media and liberals are praising Colin Powell for being "intellectually honest" and supporting Barack Obama. It's a sign of his impartiality and fierce anti-partisan independence, right?

What about Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary? He also has stated his support for Barack. It's odd that a onetime Bush loyalist is now supporting the Democratic Presidential nominee, especially one as unqualified as Barack.

Powell and McClellan both have something in common: They both left the Bush administration on less than friendly terms. Powell left after admitting that he was pressured into overstating the WMD case to the United Nations, in the leadup to the war in Iraq. Somehow a grown man like Powell couldn't stand up for himself. The media also forgets that it was Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, that admittedly leaked Valerie Plame's identity to the Press. Powell did nothing to punish Armitage for this breach of security. And also said nothing when taxpayers were pursuing Scooter Libby for the same leak.

McClellan also claimed to have been pressured to say untrue things at the microphone. He admits to having been caught in the "permanent campaign culture" that has dominated politics for the last twenty years. The late Tony Snow replaced McClellan and did a hell of a better job as Press Secretary. Snow was more eloquent, better spoken, and got along better with the press. McClellan on the other hand, stuttered, stammered, and acted nervous.

It's no wonder that both of these individuals, Powell and McClellan, both support Barack Obama. They feel betrayed by the Republican Party. They blame The Republican Party for their own inadequacies and their own failures. Barack might be the one they have been waiting for, but this opportunism will not be forgotten when the Republicans take back the White House in 2012 with a Romney/Petraeus Presidential dream team ticket.

Latest poll

2008-08-20T06:16:00.001-07:00

McCain 46%
Obama 41%

Reuters/Zogby Poll

The Return of History and the End of Dreams

2008-08-19T10:53:00.001-07:00

Robert Kagan got it right. Russia wants to regain its superpower status and its ruthless aggression in Georgia is the first step.

U.S. officials are saying that Russia, not only is refusing in action to withdraw from Georgia, but is also implanting missiles.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,405963,00.html

Inter-Conservative Warfare

2008-08-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

(Picture from the AP)

It's almost time for John McCain to pick a Vice Presidential running mate and already, petty conservatives are up-in-arms over the possible selection of Governor Mitt Romney.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/us/politics/16veep.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=politics

For the sake of argument, let's call these people the "Baby Conservatives." Their intellectual capacity is not fully developed yet. Their ability to articulate is impaired. Moreover, their ability to practice politics runs at a middle school level.

These "Baby Conservatives" are following the lead of Mike Huckabee and trying to scuttle Romney's addition to the McCain presidential ticket on petty and spurious grounds.

They are raising concerns about "flip flops" that never happened. He has always been against abortion. When he was running against Ted Kennedy, he just said that he would not do anything to change the laws in MA regarding abortion. This was a smart political move. Ted Kennedy was almost unbeatable, and Romney came closer than anyone to beating him. He wanted to neutralize that issue by assuring voters that he would be effectively pro-choice, since it would be too difficult to enact any pro-life legislation in a state as crazy liberal as Massachusetts. He was being realistic and at the same time, trying to de-emphasize distracting moot issues, so that important issues (where he could have an impact) could be emphasized.

These "Baby Conservatives" are also trying to stir up fear among conservative voters over Romney's Mormon faith. This shows a level of intolerance that justify liberals calling us bigots. Mormon theology translates politically to sound conservatism. It would be a huge mistake if the Republicans alienate Mormons (people who are pro-gun, anti-gay marriage, pro-life etc etc). Mormons have proven to be staunch Christian allies and have donated tons of money to the conservative cause.

Let's not lose their support. Let's support a McCain/Romney ticket.

New McCain Ad is a Mistake

2008-07-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXYsw_ZDXg&eurl

The new ad produced by John McCain's campaign is supposed to portray Obama as a hollywood celebrity, not a Commander and Chief. It shows images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Unfortunately, it was poorly constructed. The images of fans in Europe chanting Obama's name are only going to help his image. When people see others chanting, they often learn to like that person as well.

It shows that Obama is popular in Europe, which to many people means increasing the "world standing" of the United States.

This ad is going to backfire.

This is very disappointing too because for the most part, I have liked John McCain's ads, especially "Man in the Arena."

Obama's brother is Muslim

2008-07-29T05:20:00.001-07:00

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/the_real_american_idol/article1472877.ece

Obama Campaign Disrespects Military

2008-07-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

Unless the cameras are allowed, Obama refuses to visit U.S. troops in Germany.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/DoD_spokesman_says_Obama_camp_was_reminded_of_political_rules.html

Rush Limbaugh points out that this reveals a lot about Barack's character. It shows that Obama doesn't truly care about the young men and women serving abroad.

All Barack cares about is the "photo shoot" and his self-aggrandizing campaign.

The Media Loves Me

2008-07-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Extremist Mosque in NYC

2008-07-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in New York City has many similarities with the Muslim Brotherhood that was founded in Egypt.

Check out their logos above. The first logo is the Muslim Brotherhood's. Notice the swords and the colors.

The second logo belongs to the Mosque of the Islamic Brotherhood. Please note the sword and the color.

Maybe Barack Obama Doesn't Have An Ego Problem

2008-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Maybe his press office staff does instead.

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=6e9f4a42-9540-4d99-aba2-25adc276c25d

Since they have been spoiled with positive press coverage since the campaign started, they have found it's much harder to receive anything slightly negative.

Instead of taking it like mature adults, they act like 6th graders and shoot some angry e-mails off.

Adam Nagourney was the recipient of some of these because of an article he wrote in the New York Times entitled, "Poll Finds Obama Isn't Closing Divide on Race."

This could just be the beginning of Barack's divorce with the media. Love doesn't last forever in Barack Obama's world.

Coming to NYC soon...

2008-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

The advertisements that Mayor Bloomberg and the MTA don't have the political courage to stop.

Islam in your face.

In 1,000 subway cars.

For 4 weeks.

During one of America's most solemn and sad days. 9/11.

Mayor Bloomberg has proven weak before. When Republicans were facing an unpopular political wind in 2006, Bloomberg bailed out and declared himself an "Independent." He is afraid to be criticized.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, DO THE RIGHT THING AND BLOCK THESE ADS!

Mayor Bloomberg Supports Pro-Islam Ads

2008-07-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

According to the New York Post, Mayor Michael Bloomberg finds no fault with the Pro-Islam ads.

"Mayor Bloomberg agreed that the ads should be permitted"

In the words of Bloomberg himself:

"If you were to advocate becoming a Muslim, I assume the First Amendment would protect you," he said. "If you were advocating the violent overthrow of the government or terrorism, the First Amendment would not."

MTA Fostering Islamist Message

2008-07-22T07:39:00.001-07:00

(Picture of Sirhaj Wahhaj in the New York Post)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387701,00.html

In a propaganda campaign known as the "Subway Project," pro-Islam ads will be flooding around 1,000 New York City subway cars in September.

A Muslim group called the Islamic Circle of North America and a radical Brooklyn imam, named Siraj Wahhaj, payed $48,000 to run these ads.

The MTA apparently looked into the people behind these ads and found no objection.

Unfortunately, the MTA didn't look closely enough into the backgrounds, especially of Siraj Wahhaj.

Wahhaj was thought by many (although undicted and unconvicted) of helping the terrorists execute the 1993 WTC bombings. He was listed as an undicted co-conspirator by Mary Jo White, U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case.

He has testified in support of known terrorist, the "blind sheik" Omar Abdel-Rahman. Rahman is serving a life sentence for his role in masterminding the 1993 WTC plot.

He has referred to the FBI and CIA as the "real terrorists."

In a sermon he made the following remarks once:

"In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing, and the only thing that will remain will be Islam."

This background should have concerned the MTA. They should have been especially sensitive to the fact that New Yorkers were victims of the biggest terrorist attack on American soil.

As concerned citizens we need to find out two things.

1) What's the going rate for subway ads on 1,000 subway cars? $48,000 by my calculations seems kind of cheap. Are there any readers with this kind of knowledge that can opine?

2) Does the Islamic Circle of North America or Siraj Wahhaj have any connections to the MTA? This wouldn't surprise me.

Here is the youtube video by the Islamic Circle explaining their new propaganda campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuXIO2v5xQ

Quote of the Week: Barack Obama's Stale Political Rhetoric

2008-07-18T07:18:00.001-07:00

"Anyone with a long memory and the patience to listen knows that Obama is truly shameless in this regard. Sometimes his stump speeches sound like a Time-Life greatest-hits compilation of Unforgettable Classic Political Baloney from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, with one cant phrase after another lifted from speeches by Ronald Reagan, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, John Kerry, Ross Perot, George Bush--yes I said Elizabeth Dole-- Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, Newt Gingrich, everybody."

(From Andrew Ferguson's "Self-Interest Is Bad?" as seen in the 7/21/2008 edition of the Weekly Standard)

Who is Erin Callan Part II

2008-07-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

Here's the profile that the Wall Street Journal did in May.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121098034130400069.html

Who is Erin Callan?

2008-07-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

(Photograph by Jeff Riedel as appeared in Conde Nast Portfolio)

As news broke today of the talented Erin Callan joining Credit Suisse, many people not familiar with Wall Street asked, "Who is Erin Callan?"

It's a fair question and a lot of Main Street Americans do not know who she is.

At the age of 42, she became the Chief Financial Officer of Lehman Brothers. Many considered her the face of a company greatly hurt by the credit crunch. She made frequent appearances on television and tried to calm down investors. She always came across as polished and intelligent.

Unfortunately, she was ousted from that position. For awhile, it was reported that she would remain at Lehman in another capacity.

Today it was reported that she was leaving Lehman for greener pastures: Credit Suisse, a company that has done much better in this bear market.

She comes from humble roots. Her father was a policeman in New York City. She worked hard in school and attended Harvard and NYU School of Law (Class of 90). After law school, she worked as a corporate tax associate at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett.

We wish her the best. Credit Suisse is lucky to have her!

No Enthusiasm for McCain = More Reason to Pick Romney as VP

2008-07-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

In the most recent edition of the Weekly Standard, Stephen Hayes cites a Washington Post/ABC News poll:

Nearly half of the liberals surveyed are enthusiastic about
supporting Barack Obama, while only 13 percent of conservatives are enthusiastic about McCain.

This may go without saying, but if conservatives aren't enthusiastic about a candidate, they are less likely to contribute money or volunteer their time. In some cases, this lack of passion might even result in conservatives NOT voting.

McCain, please pick Romney now!

Lehman Loses Talent

2008-07-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Erin Callan heads to Credit Suisse, in this high profile move.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/business/16lehman.html?hp

Difference in Humanity: Israel's Superiority Over Hezbollah

2008-07-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

(From the AP)

Israel and Hezbollah engaged in a prisoner exchange--people taken hostage during the 2006 summer war.

Hezbollah gave Israel the remains of 2 individuals in black coffins.

Israel released 5 members of Hezbollah. These 5 are still alive.

No longer can liberals criticize Israel for human rights abuses. They always do their best to prevent unnecessary death.

Hezbollah, on the other hand, will always opt for killing over preserving life.

The difference in humanity is astounding.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,383441,00.html

Mitt Romney for VP

2008-07-16T06:48:00.001-07:00

"For the American family right now, the economy is a problem"

-Mitt Romney

As the economy gets worse, the demand for a Vice President who is economically savvy will rise. What better choice than Mitt Romney, founder of Bain Capital and savior of the 2002 Olympic Games?

John McCain would be smart to pick Romney sooner, rather than later. Romney could immediately activate his base. His organization during the primaries was superb and I am sure a lot of it is still in place at a rudimentary level.

Let's not wait until the Dems pick a VP, let's pick Romney and energize this Republican ticket.

McCain lacks three big things.

1) Youth

2) Extensive economic experience

3) Fundraising and organization skills

Mitt Romney would be the perfect choice to compensate for McCain's 3 deficient traits.

Barack Sanitizes Website as his positions are refined

2008-07-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Surge_meets_purge.html

Once upon a time, Senator Barack Obama criticized the troop surge in Iraq. His negativity was well chronicled on his website.

Now that the surge has proven to be successful, Barack is afraid to say that he was wrong. (Admitting mistakes is a virtue by the way)

Instead of admitting his ignorance, Obama is sanitizing his website and erasing all his negative comments about the surge.

He thinks Americans are stupid and don't have a memory.

Islam and Barack Obama

2008-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

You decide.

Schumer to blame for IndyMac downfall?

2008-07-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Did Senator Chuck Schumer from New York trigger the panic surrounding IndyMac?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laland/2008/07/feds-cite-schum.html

The Intolerance of the Democrats

2008-07-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

(pic from New York Times)

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/14/america/lieberman.php

Since he arrived in the Senate in 1988, Joseph Lieberman has been a good Democrat. His voting record, for the most part, is in line with liberals. There is one issue though, which distinguishes him from other democrats: national defense. In the mold of hawkish Democrats like JFK and Harry Truman, Lieberman favors a strong military and an aggressive fight against terrorists. He is not afraid to criticize Barack Obama and will sit out the Democratic Convention in Denver. The Democratic Party can't handle this though and is threatening to take away his committee (Senate Committee on Homeland Security) chairmanship.

This speaks very poorly of the Democratic Party.

Barack Obama Liberalism

2008-07-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

(Pic from the AP)

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080702/D91LJQN00.html

Gavin Newsom, the current mayor of San Francisco, is pondering a bid for governor in 2010. Like Barack, Newsom is flashy and rules on style rather than substance.

How Dangerous is the liberal ethos?

2008-06-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,372469,00.html

This 14 year old girl had a baby in the bathroom of her school and subsequently killed the baby.

This is the deranged manifestation of the pro-choice, pro-abortion, position.

I blame herself, her parents, and groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

Second Amendment: Not Aborted!!!

2008-06-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWBT00928420080626?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Thank God!

The "Me" Generation and Barack's Vanity

2008-06-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

(Photograph by Jonas Karlsson, appeared in Vanity Fair)

Today in the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove wrote an opinion piece entitled, "It's All About Obama." This article emphasizes Barack's penchant for acting not on principle, or in accordance with his lofty speeches, but in the name of pure, infantile, self-interest. Despite his talent for speech and words, Barack has proved to the American voter that neither are reliable indicators of his character or intentions.

Karl points out a number of things.

1) His insane attempt to re-design the Presidential seal.

"His seal featured an eagle emblazoned with his logo, and included a Latin version of his campaign slogan."

2) His former support for public financing--flip flopping

In the past: he "strongly supported public financing"

This past week: withdrew from the public financing system

3) Townhall meetings with John McCain.

at first: in reply to a challenge of 10 townhall meetings, "anywhere, anytime"

now: only wants two, His campaign spokesman said, "Take it or leave it."

4) Lying about his accomplishments

Barack: wants credit for "extended health care for wounded troops." In doing this, he cited the 2008 defense authorization bill.

In reality: Oops. The bill passed 91-3 but guess who didn't show up???? Barack wasn't there.

Jeff Beatty: "This guy would make Tom Clancy blush"

2008-06-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

My friends in Massachusetts, John Kerry is a very vulnerable Senator and he has a very formidable opponent: John Beatty.

In Human Events, Ken Pittman writes an article entitled, "Is Massachusetts Ready to Dump Kerry?"

Not only does Pittman ask the question, but he also proposes an answer...Yes?

First, the climate is fertile.
- "almost 1 in 4 Democratic delegates want to see someone else represent Massachusetts as senator."

- "A recent poll taken by Suffolk University (the only ones to get New Hampshire's primary right) shows that only 38% of voters want to see Kerry re-elected."

-John Kerry's Democratic primary opponent, lawyer Ed O'Reilly, did much better than expected. He gained 23% of the delegates

Second, Beatty is highly qualified and has unique experience.

-retired U.S. Army Delta Force assault team commander

-CIA counter-terrorist officer

-FBI hostage crisis analyst

-Founded and ran a security consulting firm for 12 years.

Beatty's credentials are hard to beat. This race will be interesting. Republicans, take out your wallets, and contribute to Beatty's campaign. Let's unseat Kerry once and for all.

Saudi Arabia arrests Al-Qaeda militants

2008-06-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371267,00.html

Not sure if we can trust Saudi Arabia for accurate information. They might just want to appear as if they are cracking down on terrorists. The Middle East is a region, known for it's disinformation. If it's true, great! It's about damn time.

Saudia Arabia can be blamed for the spread of Wahabbism around the world. They also finance propaganda centers and "intellectual" organizations around the world, including the United States, with their radical brand of extremism.

Please not, that out of the 701 arrested, 181 were released because there wasn't enough evidence against them. 520 remain incarcerated.

According to the AP:

Saudi Arabia has arrested 701 suspected Al-Qaeda-linked militants this
year, some of them suspected of plotting attacks against the kingdom's oil and
economic installations, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

Supreme Court update

2008-06-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Today the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for child rapists to get the death penalty. This grants leniency to perverse human beings and won't help to deter future child rapists. With these five justices, the pendulum is swinging back in the favor of criminals and away from "Law and Order."

The AP writes

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_child_rape

The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a law that allows the execution of
people convicted of a raping a child.

In a 5-4 vote, the court said the
Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates
the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
"The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion. His four liberal colleagues joined him, while the four more conservative justices dissented.

Note to the CIA

2008-06-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/me_hamas0270_06_24.asp

I sincerely hope you guys are tracking former members of the U.S. military with allegiances to Islam. What better way to track terrorists than to start with someone we already know about. We know their background, their weaknesses, their health history...

It doesn't surprise me that terrorists are using our training and education against us. In a way, it's a compliment. They know we have the best military training in the world. At the same time, the U.S. needs to be careful about which soldiers we are training and what information they are privy to.

Ellison Bullying Barack

2008-06-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Fox News reports today that it was Congressman Keith Ellison who pressured Barack Obama to apologize to "two Muslim women booted from the front lines of a public appearance by the Democratic presidential candidate."

Apparently, he didn't do it in a tender way either. "Congressional sources indicated that Ellison's exchange with Obama was so intense that CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., had to intervene and attempted to gavel down Ellison."

Geez. Ellison's reaction was kind of extreme eh? Obama's campaign was rude to those women. It shouldn't have happened and an apology should have been issued. But why is Ellison going nuts over this? Is this indicative of the level of Ellison's radicalization?

I wish Ellison cared about oil prices as much. Or the economy. Or supporting the troops in Iraq.

What's worse, is that Obama caved into Ellison's pressure. If Ellison can do this, I can't even imagine what Ahmadinejad could extract from a President Obama.

Something to lose sleep over.

The Muslim Community and Barack Hussein Obama

2008-06-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

"The joke within the national Muslim organizations is that we should endorse the person we don't want to win."
Ms. Safiya Ghori, Government relations director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council

Even though Obama's presumed policies would benefit Muslims, apparently he is facing some friction with Muslim voters. Andrea Elliot of the New York Times writes about this in her article, "Muslim Voters Detect a Snub From Obama."

Keith Ellison, America's first Muslim Congressman (from the great state of Minnesota), complains about Barack's campaign staff and its message control. He whines that the campaign isn't spending enough time courting Muslim voters. Of course, he doesn't want to hurt Barack's feelings, so he isn't blaming Barack (a man above reproach), he is blaming his aggressive campaign staff.

There are several grievances of people like Ellison.

1) Barack has been to churches and synagogues, but "has yet to appear at a single mosque."

2) Barack has cancelled campaign events with Muslims.

3) "Two Muslim women wearing head scarves were barred by campaign volunteers from appearing behind Mr. Obama at a rally in Detroit."

4) Barack has no problem denying that he is a Muslim, but treats the identity as something inherently bad. As Ellison said, "A lot of us are waiting for him to say that there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, by the way."

This is a case of Barack Obama trying to campaign too hard. He knows that people always connect his name to the Islamic faith. So he is really trying to run away from any type of association. In doing this, he is offending a bloc of voters. Whether, Muslims don't vote for him or not, only time will tell.

It still seems like Muslims will vote for him, as long as they view any problems with his campaign as his campaign staff, not him.

If he is elected ( and hopefully he won't be!), I can pictures liberals and other supporters--They won't blame Barack for anything. It's never him, it's just the incompetent people on his staff. Barack is above reproach and perfect.

It's funny how that method of reasoning didn't apply to George W. Bush. Under Bush's administration, anything that the federal government did wrong was his fault.

Is this fair??.... you decide.

Barack's View on Terrorism: Rosy

2008-06-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Attorney Scott Johnson writes an Opinion piece in the New York Post today about Barack's "lack of knowledge on important issues--such as the law and terrorism."

Here are some of the highlights.

In an ABC interview, Obama "claimed that, in the case of

the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest
those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in US prisons,
incapacitated.

As Johnson points out, this is patently false. Johnson cites the writings of Andrew McCarthy, who prosecuted the culprits of the World Trade Center attack of '93:

While the government managed to prosecute many people responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing, many also escaped prosecution because of the limits on civilian criminal prosecution.

What this means, is that many terrorists involved in the '93 attack are not in prison. There is a certain threshold of evidence needed to convict someone in the American justice system.

People, like Abdul Rahman Yasin, were released because "there was not sufficient evidence to hold him."

For those that were thrown into prison, like Omar Abdel-Rahman, they were able to communicate with their followers through their defense attorney, Lynne Stewart. Essentially, they could be just as effective in an American prison.

Solamere Capital

2008-06-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Tagg Romney, son of former MA governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, is starting up his own private equity firm called Solamere Capital.

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/romney-son-moves-into-private-equity/

It will be interesting to see if Tagg can be as successful as his father who started Bain Capital in 1984. It's going to be difficult to outshine his father, but Tagg has the same positive characteristics that his father has.

Joining Tagg in this venture is the talented Spencer Zwick, who was a Romney loyalist back in his Governor days as well as the National Finance Chairman during the Presidential Campaign. I wonder if this gives insight into whether the Romneys think McCain will pick him as VP. They might not think so. Certainly Zwick would be on Romney's VP staff.

Frum wants Giuliani to be McCain's VP

2008-06-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

In a recent article published in the June 25, 2008 edition of the New Republic, David Frum comments on John McCain's Vice-Presidential selection process.

He cites the dire political situation of the Republican Party and the importance of McCain's pick--not necessarily to boost McCain's ticket, but to ensure the future of the Party and the country.

Admittedly, Frum is a little biased in his favored pick. He thinks McCain should pick Rudy Giuliani. (Correct me if I am wrong, but Frum was an advisor to Giuliani's Presidential campaign).

He writes,

I have my own personal nomination for vice president for McCain. It's Rudy
Giuliani, precisely because he shares the vision of a practical, reforming, war-winning
Republican Party that inspires John McCain, plus the
stronger-than-usual grounds for hoping that he might be the rare candidate who
can make a difference in an essential state--in this case, New Jersey.

This blog certainly wouldn't mind if Giuliani was the VP pick. We prefer Mitt Romney for his youth, business experience, and organizational assets. But Giuliani would also be another good choice.

If Giuliani isn't the pick, we sincerely hope he runs for Governor of New York. After the Spitzer mess, and now the Paterson fiasco, New York needs a solid Republican governor. No one knows New York like Rudy, and he could certainly lift the state out of the current blindness it faces. No pun intended.

We will miss you Tim.

2008-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

(From the Boston Globe)

"Brits Back Bush" (New York Post)

2008-06-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

During President Bush's recent trip to Europe, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown affirmed his support of President Bush on two fronts: Iran and Afghanistan.

According to the New York Post,

Brown said he and other European Union members are backing Bush's push to freeze
the assets of Iran's largest financial institution, Bank Melli, to try to thwart
the rogue country's continued drive toward nuclear weapons.

Also, amid the Taliban prison break in Afghanistan,

Brown agreed to add 230 British soldiers to Afghanistan, too, bringing his
country's total there to 8,030.

Unfortunately, the Iranians claim that President Ahmadinejad "secretly withdrew" $75 billion from banks in Europe and moved the money to Asian banks.

Hopefully, the Asian banks will do their duty and freeze the assets. Knowing them and their lack for moral concern, they will do nothing of the sort.

Texas Bluebonnets

2008-06-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

(from the website of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison)

Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll

2008-06-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Obama: 47%

McCain: 41%

VP Search Committees?

2008-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Does anyone find these VP "Search Committees" unnecessary? Can't the nominee just look at the facts and backgrounds himself and decide without input from 3 random people?

Or at the bare minimum, if there had to be a "Search Committee," wouldn't you want people on it who know Barack well and would pick a good match for the ticket? Maybe Michelle Obama or David Axelrod would be more qualified to make the VP selection.

One member of Obama's VP committee, Jim Johnson, has stepped down. Charles Hurt and Geoff Earle from the New York Post write:

Democratic heavyweight Jim Johnson, who got personal loans at favorable
rates as a close "friend" of Countrywide Financial chief Angelo Mozilo, stepped
down from the panel Obama put together last week to help him find a running
mate.

"Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of
gathering information about my vice-presidential nominee, so he has made a
decision to step aside that I accept," Obama said in a statement yesterday,
announcing the move.

Why Michael Jordan would make a better President than Barack Obama

2008-06-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

1. Michael Jordan has excelled at a profession: basketball. This profession is highly competitive and requires teamwork and leadership. If you play poorly in basketball, you will hear about it loudly, from fans and team ownership. There is accountability. If you play bad, you will most likely be dropped or traded. With some argument, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to ever play the game.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, has not emerged at the top of any field. Correct me if I am wrong, but Barack Obama has never been counsel to any major litigation, nor has he ever been author of any significant academic piece.

2. Michael Jordan is a capitalist. He believes in the right of a man to make money and keep that money. He also doesn't have serious qualms with American companies like Nike, for he used to endorse their shoes. Hence, the Air Jordan Nike shoes. He also has been a spokesman over the years for other companies like Hanes, McDonalds, and Gatorade.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, is a socialist. He wants a socialized, government run, universal health care program. He wants to increase taxes on the rich and punish those who make more money. He wants to excessively tax oil companies just because their profits are at record highs.

3. Michael Jordan is a consensus building character. To my knowledge, he has never even voiced a political opinion publicly. Conservatives and liberals like him. Most of us adored watching him play basketball.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, is divisive. Many conservatives fear him. Many Democrats, mostly Hillary Clinton supporters, dislike him and find him unqualified.

4. Michael Jordan has business experience. He is part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, has no business experience. He hasn't even run a convenient store.

5. We know MJ is not a Muslim.

6. MJ doesn't have sketchy ties to terrorists like William Ayers or priestly fanatics like Jeremiah Wright.

7. Michael Jordan could beat Obama in basketball.

8. Michael Jordan has international recognition. There are probably still a few areas of the world that have not heard of Barack Obama: the Middle East not being one of these areas. Iran is cheering him on, as well as Hamas.

As I think of more reasons why MJ would be a better President, than Barack Hussein Obama, I will update this list.

The Chinese Menace

2008-06-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2008-06-10-olympicspy_N.htm

As revealed by USA Today, the Chinese are after more than just Gold Medals at this summer's Olympics. They also seek highly confidential and highly secret information. This is just another reason why we shouldn't let rogue regimes hold the Olympics in the first place. It will be a gold mine for information. Why should the Chinese send intelligence agents to foreign countries when they can just attract important businessmen and leaders to polluted China. This threat needs to be taken seriously by people. This blog, calls again for President Bush and other Western leaders to boycott the Olympics and withdraw their athletes. Here is the full text:

National security agencies are warning businesses and federal officials that laptops and e-mail devices taken to the Beijing Olympics are likely to be penetrated by Chinese agents aiming to steal secrets or plant bugs to infiltrate U.S. computer networks.
Chinese government and industry use electronic espionage to "easily access official and personal computers," says one recent report by the Overseas Security Advisory Council, a federally chartered panel comprising security experts from corporations and the State, Commerce and Treasury departments.
Equipment left unsupervised for just minutes in a hotel or even during a security screening can be hacked, mined and bugged, adds Larry Wortzel, who chairs the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a federal panel that monitors China-related security issues for Congress. China's government also controls Internet service providers and wireless networks, he says, so computers and PDAs can be monitored and planted with bugs remotely, too.
"There is a high likelihood — virtually 100% — that if an individual is of security, political, or business interest to Chinese … security services or high technology industries, their electronics can and will be tampered with or penetrated," Wortzel says.
China's embassy did not respond to requests for comment but usually dismisses espionage charges.

Barack Spends His Time E-mailing a Woman That Isn't His Wife

2008-06-10T12:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10980.html

So instead of brushing up on his history or maybe learning more about Iraq, Barack Obama is spending his valuable time in frequent e-mail correspondence with the lovely Scarlett Johansson, a famous actress and fundraiser for the Senator.

While this blog doesn't dispute Johansson's natural beauty or her interest in politics, we do take issue with whether this type of communication is appropriate for a married man.

Sure, Johansson raised a lot of money for Barack and he should thank her for her efforts. Maybe an e-mail or two would suffice. This frequent communication though is highly inappropriate. Obama has a wife and two kids. Married men should not be e-mailing attractive actresses just for fun.

I would be interested to hear what Michelle Obama thinks of this. Did she know this was happening? Is she ok with it? Most woman get jealous quickly and Michelle probably isn't an exception.

During the primaries, Obama called for "change." He wanted to be a different kind of candidate than those of the past. (cough, cough)... Bill Clinton...(cough, cough). Yet, here, his behavior is oddly reminiscent of Mr. Clinton.

Barack "Hussein" Obama Afraid of the Truth

2008-06-10T12:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4100170.ece

In an attempt to assuage concerned voters, Barack Obama's campaign is setting up an internet war room to fight back against "false" rumors. They are afraid the American people will think he is a "Muslim," that he prays to Allah, and that he will undermine the war on terrorism in favor of the Islamists.

Sure, these false rumors do exist on the internet. All kinds of rumors about politicians and celebrities exist on the internet. It's the arena of free exchange and nothing less could be expected. With this announcement though, it shows how paranoid the Obama campaign is. They feel especially vulnerable about this.

In reality, they will probably also go after bloggers like me. I hope they do. Starting in several weeks, I am going to be running a series of blog posts about why Barack Obama is the most underqualified Presidential contender in history--and in turn, why Senator John McCain is the much better choice. I will debate the merits and focus on the issues. Although, since Obama has such a flimsy thin resume and very little legislation or vote record in the Senate, I may have to make inferences based on his rhetorical career and childhood historical facts.

I hope the Obama campaign visits my blog a lot and I challenge them to debate me. They will certainly lose. Their candidate is all pomp, all circumstance, and zero substance.

Bring it on Obama!

100th Post!

2008-05-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90D0HDG0&show_article=1

Senator Sam Brownback today revealed some disturbing information about China. Apparently, China has ordered various U.S. hotels located in China, to monitor and filter the internet usage of guests during the Olympic games. This is crazy. If we let China's power go unfettered, this Communist aggression could be knocking on our door-steps.

President Bush, please boycott the Olympic opening ceremonies!

Indiana Air National Guard F-16

2008-04-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

From IndyStar.com

The Pope Meeting Laura Bush

2008-04-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Picture from the AP

Leader of the Faithful Arrives in the U.S.

2008-04-16T05:27:00.001-07:00

(Picture from the AP)

Picture of the Week

2008-04-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hillary taking a shot of liquor. From the AP!

Barack Obama Mocks Populist Christians

2008-04-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

Harvard educated Barack Obama's true feelings about middle-America came forth today in a speech about normal Americans in Pennslyvania. Here is what he said:

And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or
religion
or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment
or
anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

He is basically mocking Christians for having faith in times of trouble and difficulty. To him, religion is a crutch for the weak, not a source of strength for humanity.

I hope this comment gets replayed and replayed as this election goes on. America will not tolerate a candidate like this. He is an elitist.

"Something Beautiful Has Begun"

2008-04-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting the United States next week and Peggy Noonan wrote a terrific piece in the Wall Street Journal today.

First, she speaks of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict's predecessor. She misses him and how he was the perfect image for the television age.

She writes,

Think of the pictures of him storm-tossed, tempest-tossed, standing
somewhere and leaning into a heavy wind, his robes whipping behind him,
holding
on to his crosier, the staff bearing the image of a crucified
Christ, with both
hands, for dear life, as if consciously giving Christians
a picture of what it
is to be alive.

Pope John Paul II was a charismatic, Cold Warrior. He knew how to work the crowds and the Catholic faithful still miss him.

Extolling the virtues of his predecessor, Pope Benedict says,

Among his many human and supernatural qualities he had an exceptional spiritual
and mystical sensitivity.

Pope Benedict might not be as charismatic as Pope John Paul II was, but he is the philosopher and the thinker. His theological reasoning is deep and requires thought.

He also has no tolerance for the violent version of Islam that is plaguing the World. In a previous speech he said,

The right use of reason is not pleased by blood...not acting reasonably is
contrary to God's nature.

Carter's Meeting with Hamas Confirmed

2008-04-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

Not that we doubted the accuracy of the reports regarding Carter's trip to visit with Hamas, but this confirms it. Carter actively sought out this meeting and sent someone to the Middle East to arrange it.

One big question emerges.
What are his motives for this trip? Personal aggrandizement
Truly trying to seek peace in the Middle East
Media coverage
Fame

I have a different theory. I think he is senile and forgot that he is no longer President. He is trying to act as President and make foreign policy decisions that affect our country.

President Carter, this ain't 1976-1979 anymore. You lost your chance to lead. Please just enjoy your retirement and head back to your Peanut farm in Georgia.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348989,00.html

Simply Unacceptable

2008-04-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

During World War II, did an ex-President ever meet with Adolf Hitler to try to achieve some sort of "Understanding?" No, this would be ridiculous and tantamount to treason.

In the deluded world of the Twenty First Century, this is seen as something normal and acceptable.

Jimmy Carter reportedly has a trip planned to meet with the leader of Hamas. I guarantee you that liberals won't care at all about this. This won't disturb them and the line between right and wrong will be further blurred.

Look at this Fox News article:

NEW YORK CITY — Former President Jimmy Carter is reportedly
preparing an unprecedented meeting with the leader of Hamas, an organization
that the U.S. government considers one of the leading terrorist threats in the
world.
The Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Tuesday that Carter
was planning a trip to Syria for mid-April, during which he would meet with
Khaled Meshal, the exiled head of the Palestinian terror group Hamas, on April
18.
Deanna Congileo, Carter’s press secretary, confirmed in an e-mail to
FOXNews.com that Carter will be in the Mideast in April. Pressed for comment,
Congileo did not deny that the former president is considering visiting
Meshal.
“President Carter is planning a trip to the Mideast next week;
however, we are still confirming details of the trip and will issue a press
release by the end of this week,” wrote Congileo. “I cannot confirm any specific
meetings at this point in time.”
Meshal, who lives in Syria to avoid being
arrested by the Israeli government, leads Hamas from his seat in Damascus, where
he is a guest of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The Winds of Change Keep Blowing

2008-04-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

(From the Daily Mail, UK)

In this case, the Winds of Change are destructive. Luckily, this house appears to have evaded the danger.

Biggest religious denomination in the world: Cause for Concern

2008-03-31T11:22:00.001-07:00

The Vatican recently released some information that should perturb many reasonable people. The world's most violent religion, Islam, has now emerged as the "biggest single religious denomination in the world." (Reuters UK). Previously, the owner of this title was Roman Catholicism.

These numbers come from Monsignor Vittorio Formenti who acts as a statistician for the Vatican. Here are the numbers:

Muslims= 19.2 percent of world's population= 1.3 billion people

Catholics= 17.4 percent of the world's population= 1.13 billion people

All Christians= 33 percent of the world's population= 2 billion people

Just like Muslims are trying to overpopulate and capture power in Europe, they are executing this same plan at the global level and should be a great cause of concern for Christians everywhere. Now, more than ever, Christians need to put aside their petty theological differences (and yes, welcome the Mormon faith with open arms) and unite to stand up to radical Islam.

Never Count Out Mitt Romney

2008-03-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

(Picture from the AP )

While the Democrats are squabbling and tearing each other apart, the Republicans are doing the opposite; they are unifying and putting aside old differences.

Mitt Romney is now helping his former GOP rival, John McCain, campaign. Many think this will be a prelude to the GOP ticket. This combination would be difficult to stop. McCain has the military experience. Romney has the business experience. They have done more in their life than 100 Barack Obamas and 20 Hillary Clintons combined.

Barack Not What His Words Say

2008-03-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

When Barack Obama was caught plagiarizing a speech delivered by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he was heavily criticised by many people. The funny thing is that the potency of Patrick's speech were the words of others--great men before him--FDR, MLK, JFK. The inspiration was several degrees removed from the source.

With such distance between true greatness and our current political options, its very hard to give either Barack or Patrick credit for being truly great, eloquent speakers.

The famous words in questions:

"I hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal"

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

These words didn't come from law professors who advanced easily because of Affirmative Action and a buoyant personality. The words didn't emanate from the mouth of a Governor who lavishly spends on his Governor's Office decorations and transportation while his Commonwealth goes down the gutter. These words came from GREAT MEN who overcame tremendous obstacles.
FDR was physically handicapped and governed during one of the most difficult periods in American history. World War II.
Martin Luther King fought to secure the rights of Black people everywhere and in a sense, helped every minority group in the process. He was constantly threatened and in the end, he was killed for standing up for truth and righteousness.
The stories of Barack Obama and Deval Patrick bear no resemblance to these fine stories of great men.
It should be no wonder that Obama and Patrick might try using the words of other great men, but will always come up short with their actions and accomplishments.

Bravo Sarkozy

2008-03-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's great to see a French leader doing the right thing, or at least thinking about doing the right thing. Since elected, French President Nicholas Sarkozy has proved to be different from previous French leaders like Jacques Chirac. Sarkozy has shown an understanding of the threat of Radical Islam and an intolerance to evil in the world.

Yesterday, Sarkozy took a stand for human rights by saying that he might possibly boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in China. China's one party rule has been ruthless in quashing political opposition and anyone who doesn't think the way China wants them to think. They force people to have abortions. They resist the freedom of the press. They violently beat protesters.

China should not be the site of the Olympic Games. Only countries that prove themselves civil and humane should have that honor. It really doesn't matter that China is becoming an economic powerhouse. Socrates won the argument against Thrasymachus that Might doesn't necessarily trump Right. Justice isn't the will of the powerful.

Although France has a weak military and a population corrupted by unfettered liberalism, it's refreshing to see President Sarkozy taking such a principled and noble stand.

Bravo Mr. President!

Muslims Taking Over Congress

2008-03-12T06:03:00.001-07:00

First, it was Keith Ellison from Minnesota. And now we have Andre Carson in Indiana. Carson was recently elected into Congress and has become the second Muslim to serve the American people.

What are his goals in Congress? To help protect the American people from further terrorist attack? To help stimulate the economy?

No! His number one priority is to assist the Islamic fanatics in Iraq by undermining our government.

In his own words:
"We need to bring our men and women back home and end this useless war."

Texas and Ohio Tonight

2008-03-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

The primary season continues today. Barack has a real chance to deliver a knock-out blow to Hillary Clinton. Barack's success has surprised some people. Others think the results are only the natural progression of his talent.

As we reflect on the Republican field and see Mike Huckabee and John McCain, we definitely miss Mitt Romney. Romney was the only strong, certified conservative who had the finances to take on the Democrats. Now, 2008 will certainly be a losing year for the Republicans and it's only a matter of time before we see who the next President will be.

In many respects, the primaries today are the general election. If Barack beats Hillary, Barack will most likely be the next President of the United States. If Hillary wins, she will be the next President.

Mitt, we miss you man. Return to the political fray soon.

The Humanity of William F. Buckley

2008-03-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

Rod Dreher of the Dallas Morning News wrote an article honoring William F. Buckley. In this piece, he describes the kind of man that Buckley was. He writes

On the day Bill died, I asked a leading foreign-policy scholar
what stood out in his mind of the man. Do you know what he said? He mentioned the time he'd introduced his intern to Bill, who was a hero
to the young man. Though the room was full of swells and intellectual potentates, Bill ignored them and talked to the kid for a good long while.
That, reader, is class.

William F. Buckley Jr. : We Will Miss Him

2008-03-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

"I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.”

The Culture of Death

2008-03-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today in the Wall Street Journal, my favorite lawyer, law professor, and thinker, Alan Dershowitz, wrote an article entitled, "Worshippers of Death." It is a trenchant piece on the mentality enveloping the people of the Middle East and being inculcated into the youth of this region.

He writes about a mother named Zahra Maladan who has big plans for her son. A university education? Marrying a beautiful woman?

No. She wants her son to be a suicide bomber. According to the New York Times, Maladan remarked to her son, "if you're not going to follow the steps of the Islamic resistance martyrs, then I don't want you."

Geez. I thought I had it bad with my parents. They are pressuring me to be a lawyer. Imagine what this kid must feel.

Even worse though, the Islamic extremists in the region take pride in this blood-thirsty view of life. The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said that in the battle between the West and Islam, "We are going to win, because they love life and we love death."

In battling people with such a morbid outlook and life goals, Dershowitz says that something must be done to stop these people. New strategies must be adopted. This is no conventional war.

Terrorists do not play by the rules of conventional warfare. They do not respect innocent humans. No. They purposely target civilian life, especially their own. As a defensive measure, terrorists purposely hide among their own civilians. They know that the West has democratic values and respect for human life. It's smart because they know that the U.S. military wont' purposely kill innocent people. And when the U.S. military accidentally does inflict damage on innocent life, terrorist leaders can use these unfortunate acts as propaganda--evidence that the U.S. are occupiers and invaders.

In essence, terrorists are trying to use our morals and our ethical practice of war against us. Now is the time to start thinking about how to combat these evil people. We need to, not only outsmart them, but we need to maintain our moral high ground in the process.

Extremism in the United States

2008-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57141

Big surprise here. In Future Jihad, Walid Phares explains how Saudi Arabia funds mosques all over the world in their promotion of the radical Wahabbi interpretation of the Koran. It's no surprise that the mosques in the United States are an extension of this network.

According to this latest survey, 3 out of 4 mosques in the United States are preaching violent Jihad. In conducting this study, former officers in the CIA and FBI were sent into mosques across the country to listen to the messages being expounded.

Romney's Campaign Ends: Hope for 2012?

2008-02-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

(From New York Times)

President Bush's Last State of the Union

2008-01-29T10:00:00.001-08:00

(Picture from Whitehouse.gov)

Romney and Reporter Go At It

2008-01-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7955.html

In South Carolina, Governor Mitt Romney and Glen Johnson of the AP got into a shouting match over Ron Kaufman's role in Romney's campaign.

After the skirmish, Romney's traveling Press Secretary Eric Fehrnstrom put Johnson in his place.

Fehrnstrom: “Save your opinions and act professional,”
“Don’t be argumentative with the candidate.”

Kudos to Romney and Fehrnstrom for fighting back. Some candidates let the media get away with a lot. Some people put up with a lot of nonsense. I am glad the Romney campaign didn't this time. The American people will side with Romney on this one.

1.2 million is NOT a small number

2008-01-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

According to a new report by the Guttmacher Institute, "the number of abortions being performed in the United States has dropped to 1.2 million a year-the lowest level since 1976." (Boston Globe, "Number of abortions lowest in decades")

Although, this blog is glad that abortions are down, this is still very disturbing. People are hailing this as such a small number. Think about it! 1.2 million is a lot of people to be killed every year because of irresponsibility and reckless behavior. Not surprisingly, abortion rates tend to be higher in the Northeast, where morals are loose and ethical standards can't be found.

Mitt Wins Michigan

2008-01-16T06:18:00.000-08:00

(Picture from the AP, to the left is Romney's Traveling Press Secretary Eric Fehrnstrom)

In addition to the Wyoming caucuses, Mitt Romney has added another victory to his run for the White House.

Spending Money Unwisely

2007-12-13T06:35:00.001-08:00

Nancy Pelosi has been on a spending spree of late. I am sure she does this all the time for her lavish wardrobe. This time though, it's with taxpayer money.

According to the New York Post, "Taxpayers have footed the bill for more than $16,000 in flowers sent from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi since she took power in January, it was revealed yesterday."

Another car bomb attack in Lebanon

2007-12-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

(Picture from the AP)

Syria's work?

Waterboarding Works

2007-12-11T06:37:00.001-08:00

Apparently waterboarding does work. According to the NY Post, all it took was 35 seconds to get Abu Zubaydah to spill his guts about his conspirators. Zubaydah was a "top lieutenant to Osama bin Laden captured in March 2002." Since that day, he was very cooperative and answered all the CIA's questions.

If this tactic works this effectively on other terrorists, why not use it? Information from Zubaydah has apparently "disrupted a number of attacks, maybe dozens of attacks."

The Man to Beat John Kerry: Jeff Beatty

2007-11-26T06:24:00.001-08:00

http://www.jeffbeatty.com/index.html

Great Picture

2007-11-16T09:10:00.001-08:00

Picture from Michael Yon's website

Quote of the Day

2007-11-16T08:45:00.001-08:00

This one comes from Google. Here is a little inspirational quote.

"Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life."

JFK

LAPD Caves to Muslim Community

2007-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8STVC5G0&show_article=1

Lacking the willpower to execute a great plan, the LAPD has announced that they are withdrawing their plan to map out the Muslim communities in the area. Originally they wanted to pinpoint areas in the city that were susceptible to radical indoctrination and organization.

This teaches the Muslim community that if they complain and cry "racism" or "discrimination," they will get their way.

Terrorists will use this to their advantage.

Prouty Update

2007-11-15T06:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21796035/

Apparently Prouty had an even bigger role than first disclosed. She was apparently assigned to a very sensitive, CIA post in Baghdad. There, she often dealt with the de-briefings of high ranking al-Qaeda detainees.

Nada Nadim Prouty

2007-11-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous blog, a woman with ties to Hezbollah, was employed at both the FBI and the CIA. Her name is Nada Nadim Prouty and she pleaded "guilty in Detroit federal court to secretly taking an unknown amount of classified information home with her." (NY Post).

To make matters worse, Prouty is an illegal immigrant. How in the world did all the background checks and vetting, that the FBI and the CIA are supposed to perform on potential employees, not detect this?

If it's that easy for someone to infiltrate our nation's intelligence services, than it wouldn't surprise me if there were more spies.

Not only is a Congressional hearing necessary, but a full-scale investigation of our nation's intelligence employees.

Quote of the Day

2007-11-15T06:08:00.001-08:00

"When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them."

Bill Burton, Barack Obama's spokesman.

Steamroller Gets Rolled

2007-11-14T07:14:00.001-08:00

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11142007/news/regionalnews/out_of_gas_eliot_putting_the_brakes_on_l_9236.htm

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has decided to withdraw his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. After much criticism and little support from his own state, not to mention complicating matters for Hillary Clinton's Presidential run, Eliot has done something he doesn't ordinarily do--back down from a challenge.

According to the New York Post cited above, if the election for Governor was today, Eliot would only receive 25% of the vote.

For a Harvard Law graduate, Eliot isn't used to receiving such low marks. (fyi, he got a 1590 on the SATs and a perfect score on the LSATs) This will surely bruise his ego. Of course, he will not blame his own stupidity for the plan, but instead will attack the Bush administration's "failure" for immigration reform.

If I am not mistaken, it was Bush who actually tried to reform the nation's immigration policy. It was intransigent Republicans and Democrats who tried defeating that effort.

Bush has taken on many of the nations tough issues including the Middle East, Social Security, and Immigration. Only on one front has he had much success, the Middle East. This isn't due to lack of trying or unsound policy, it's due to uncooperative Democrats and weak Republicans.

When Mayor Bloomberg decides to run for Governor of New York, the residents of New York will be able to oust Eliot and his myriad of illusions regarding the laws of this country and the Constitution. Let's see if Eliot's Harvard Law background can weather it.