Is it McCain?

Well, I think John McCain made his case for President last night. And for the exact reasons he stated (and the Republicans have been arguing all along) I cannot vote for him. He is an American Hero, a man who has sacrificed more than anyone should ever be asked to sacrifice for their country...but that does not mean you should be President. I am going against my natural tendencies here, but John McCain predilection for working with the Democrat Party on legislation worries me. I know that McCain is the lesser of two evils...but hasn't that been the reason people have been casting their votes since Reagan ran for reelection? John McCain works too often with the Democrat Party and while I am American before I am anti-Democrat Party, the reason I generally vote Republican is because I disagree with almost everything the Democrat Party tries to accomplish. So when a candidate tries to get elected by saying I will accomplish a lot because I will work with the Democrats...it does not make me all fuzzy inside.
* Here is the full transcript of McCain's speech.
* I do think his speech was very good, and it was emotionally moving...I just don't agree with excessive bipartisanship.
* The Democrats say that McCain is too partisan and too entrenched in the Washington political machine. One of the continued themes is that McCain votes 90% of the time with President Bush. Maybe someone can help me, when does the President vote in the Senate? This 90% thing is smoke and mirrors, read this article from Neal Boortz and you'll see what I mean. The Dems use lying as a tactic more often than you realize.
* Ruben Navarette Jr. is quickly becoming my favorite opinion columnist...
* I love that the Brits seem to really like Sarah Palin. In this article from the Telegraph she is called "the New Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan"! Wow.
* The Obama tax plan could plunge us into a new "Great Depression"...I am not being over dramatic.
* It looks like the Presidential race is very, very tight.
* The Mets have a HUGE series with the 2nd place Phillies starting tonight...I will be parked in front of my TV watching these games all weekend! Let's go Mets!

Day 3 of the RNC.

From michellemalkin.com
So I watched the entire night of the RNC yesterday. I have to say that I was quite impressed by the speakers...I was not impressed by the coverage CNN had of the speeches. Why is it, that when a Republican makes a speech that reinforces our core principles and beliefs it is pandering to the base? When the DNC was going on, I never heard the analysts say, "Well, that speech was just for the base...that wasn't intended for the swing voters..." I have a newsflash for these pundits - I watched the DNC and thought that the entire lot of speeches was focused on the base! I disagreed vehemently with almost every speakers take on America and how they would "change" things. I am part of the Republican Party's base...but I have become disaffected. However, Sarah Palin's speech (combined with Mitt Romney's) really did a lot to comfort me and make me consider a vote for the McCain-Palin ticket...I think that some of what was said by all 4 major speakers last night must have nudged some swing voters. There was a lot of substantive speech last night, unlike at the DNC. The RNC has been full of "red meat" where issues are discussed not personalities. Here are the transcripts to all four major speeches, plus Micheal Steele's (who also did a great job), and my grade of the speech.
* Sarah Palin's VP acceptance speech. A+ Governor Palin knocked this speech out of the park, and really brought up some important differences between Obama and McCain.
* Mitt Romney's speech. A I thought Mitt did an excellent job explaining the importance of a conservative view of economics, and why our way is better.
* Mike Huckabee's speech to the RNC. B+/A- I really liked Huckabee's speech, I think he is an excellent communicator (kind of reminds me of the personal touch of Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton). I thought the speech was perfect for swing voters in the fly-over states. Huckabee showed that the Republican Party is the party of the middle class...and that we live and work in middle America, not the big, all important media enhanced coastal cities.
* Rudy Giuliani 's rabid attack of the Democrat Party and its messiah Barrack Obama. A+++ I have never been a big Rudy fan...until last night. That was the ultimate partisan speech with the perfect amount of humor and candor about the "other" candidate. He may have been cutting...but his words were true, and that has to count for a lot.
* Micheal Steele is an intelligent guy who should have a bright future in politics...the only problem...he is from a state that won't vote for an African-American Republican. B His speech was a good apologetic for John McCain.

The long and the short of it for me was this...these speakers talked about policy and how Obama and McCain differ, and experience and how the candidates differ. They made a case for what McCain would do in office and how he would do it. While they all made the base feel more at ease with McCain, I felt they gave good arguments for why the swing voter in battleground states should be voting for John McCain.
All of this being said, I am still not voting for John McCain. Though I would much rather seem him in office than Barrack Obama, I cannot vote for McCain for the very reasons Joe Lieberman said that swing voters can. Bi-partisanship is watering down the right thing to do so that the wrong people are satisfied...and I cannot praise McCain for doing that. He reaches across the aisle way too often...I vote conservative for a reason...so my candidates will pass conservative legislation. Not so they will pass moderate legislation...or liberal legislation with a conservative spin.

* Great column on why Libertarians should feel comfortable with Sarah Palin. If McCain can steal some votes from Bob Barr and the Libertarians he could surprise the media with some key wins.
* This article from the Wall Street Journal shows that President Bush has little to apologize for when it comes to the economy.
* Sarah Palin is getting some positive press in the United Kingdom. From the Times, and from the Sun.
* The teleprompter broke during Rudy's speech and the problem carried over to Governor Palin's speech...but they both handled it like pro's...which is more than we can say for Obama.
* The New York Mets finished their sweep of the Brewers yesterday, and now find themselves up by 3 games over the Phillies. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going forward into the Playoffs!!!

Palin's night...

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/cartoons.aspx
I am waiting on pins and needles for Sarah Palin's speech tonight to the RNC. I hope she knocks this speech out of the park, what is amazing to me is that Sarah Palin can be the most important VP selection since Richard Nixon was selected as Eisenhower's running mate to solidify the conservative voters behind Ike. Voters actually care about what she has to say (unlike Dick Cheney, Al Gore, Jack Kemp, and Dan Quayle). More than that voters actually care about her addition to the ticket...just look at how she has energized the Republican base. Folks who could not care less about John McCain are now stridently supporting him, she has invigorated pro-life advocates, gun-rights supporters, energy worrywarts, and the Christian right into actually working to getting McCain elected. McCain's campaign was a listless monolith prior to the naming of Palin as VP, today the Republican party is an exhilarated juggernaut with a course towards victory in November.
I love listening to Fred Thompson talk, that man can spin a yarn...and his speech last night was PERFECT. He laid out the American story of John McCain, and why after all these years McCain is the candidate you can trust to always keep America's best interests at the forefront of all of his decisions. A couple of highlights from Thompson's speech:
"Democrats present a history making nominee for president," Thompson told the cheering crowd. "History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.
"Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress," he continued in the prime-time speech. "History making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history." - from CNN.com

Senator Lieberman's speech was also good. I am not one for the Kumbaya mentality of bi-partisanship but I thought that Lieberman laid out an argument that should win over intellectually honest independents who are looking for change in the status quo. McCain is obviously the more moderate of the two candidates, and he has been willing to poke a finger in the eye of the Republican establishment on numerous occasions. Barrack Obama is a party man. He never votes against the liberal wing of the Democrat Party, and on the odd occasion he has teamed with a Republican it has been for subjects everyone could agree on. (From CNN.com - "Gibbs cited Obama's work with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists and with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, on the government budget.")
John McCain has long been the Democrats favorite Republican (lest we forget the 2004 speculation that McCain would be John Kerry's VP nominee), and only now are they turning on him. I thought Lieberman's speech was important for another reason. This is not Zell Miller who spoke to the convention last night (Miller was a former Democrat who supported President Bush and spoke at the 2004 RNC but was a conservative Democrat who is no longer a Democrat), this was Joe Lieberman the Democrat VP candidate from 2000 who still agrees with the Democrat Party on 98% of the political issues. This is a man who just sacrificed his political career to support a man he truly believes needs to be the next President of the USA.
* A nice intro piece to who Sarah Palin is.
* McCain campaign missteps by dissing Phyllis Schlafly.
* Obama's tax plan.
*This from Neal Boortz:
THE LATEST FROM PHIL GRAMM
The liberals already getting bent out of shape about this quote from Phil Gramm at the Republican National Convention ... "If you're sitting here today, you're not economically illiterate and you're not a whiner, so I'm not worried about who you're going to vote for."
So here is the headline for Democrats: "If you're not for John McCain you're economically illiterate." Actually that is pretty close to the truth. Anyone with an ounce of economic understanding would recognize that Obama's tax policies will be crippling to our economy. If your economic understand doesn't go beyond "That guy has more money that I do and I want some of it," then you are certainly a typical Obama supporter. On the Obama side we have people who couldn't tell you the difference between a profit and a profit margin if their lives depended on it ... and who couldn't write a cogent paragraph on the concept of supply and demand. If you told them that prices are the means by which a free economy allocates scarce resources they would stare at you with their mouths hanging open – uncomprehending brook trout.
How dare anyone accuse someone who is ignorant of being ignorant?
Phil Gramm is an economist. He taught economics at Texas A&M. He knows of what he speaks on this one.
* Apparently there can be deleterious effects from the use of cannabis (marijuana). Strange, I was sure that for years people have been saying that smoking marijuana was not that bad for you? If you are to lazy to read the post because you are smoking pot...the basic gist is this; Amy Winehouse may have brain damage due to a pot smoking binge.

Gunning for the Playoffs!

The Mets have won again! We have taken the first two games from the Milwaukee Brewers and look for the sweep on Wednesday! A sweep we be great in a lot of ways, the momentum leading into the last series with Philly would be HUGE!
* There is talk out there of a possible MVP for the Mets Carlos Delgado! I would never have thought it possible back in June.
* I should also mention that Carlos Beltran has also been red hot lately, doing it again for us yesterday with a 3-run bomb in the 3rd inning.
* Jonathan Niese made his first ever start and was a wee bit shaky...but that's too be expected. He pitched well enough to keep the Mets in the game, and that's really what was important. Hopefully we will see better outings from him in the future.

Liberal Feminists attacking Feminism?

So, last night the news was full of two things (and no, I am not leading into a joke about how all Main Stream Media is biased and is full of poo)...they were reporting on Hurricane Gustav and Sarah Palin's daughter being pregnant.
First let me quickly address the people of Louisiana... People of Louisiana, please notice how smoothly things go and how well they are handled when a Republican is Governor. The hidden secret of the Katrina story is that while Bush was blamed, the President has never ever been the go to guy for any of the natural tragedies in our history. The Presidents office comes afterwards to offer federal funding and help...but the managers of that Federal aid are supposed to be on location. The Governor (then Kathleen Blanco) and the mayor of New Orleans (still Ray Nagin) botched the effort from beginning to end. Now, FEMA and the federal government do have blame in the aftermath...but some more serious thought into the pre-disaster plan would have made FEMA and the post-Katrina plan much easier to handle.
Now onto Governor Palin's "problems"...
First, her daughters pregnancy means nothing to me. Why should it? A parent can teach a child about abstinence and the problems that may arise from not practicing abstinence, but it is the child's responsibility to follow through with those lessons. The real story here is that her daughter is having the child and will raise it in (hopefully) a loving home. I did notice that the liberal blogoshpere decided to run with made up stories about the Governor's last child actually being the child of her daughter...
So now, that the pregnancy of her daughter is a "non-issue" how about the question of her being a "good mother"? Again all the proof you need that liberals are sick, rude, and hypocritical is on the web. Do a simple search with that phrase and you will find hundreds of very anti-feminist views from supposed "liberals". Here is a recent post from Michelle Malkin that is as clear and articulate as it gets.
For me the most important Sarah Palin question is whether she used her power as Governor unethically in the firing of the state public safety commissioner. If she did she loses all credibility as a reformer...but I will give her the benefit of the doubt until an investigation proves her guilty. If she passes this test, I think Sarah Palin will make a brilliant Vice President, and in the event John McCain passed away in office...I think she could be an excellent President.
* First the Obama campaign attacks Palin then Obama backs off and says "campaigns have a hair-trigger? Now the left-wing blogosphere is attacking Palin personally, but Obama says that her family is off limits... this is a win-win for Obama. His attack dogs tear her down, and he stands by and says "its a shame".
* It's odd how people who protest the RNC turn into rioters. Whats really odd is that I am pretty sure I saw all these people who are protesting the RNC last week at the DNC, only then they were cheering for Obama.
* Talk about sweet irony! Venezuela's capital suffering from blackouts and brownouts! More proof that capitalism works better than socialism every day of the week. Do you think a privately owned power company would let blackouts like this happen? Of course not! If they did the people would clamor for a competitor to begin providing the power to the city! Capitalism is always cheaper, and more efficient than state-run anything!
* Here is an interview Sarah Palin did with Glen Beck. Hopefully, this can give you some more insight into who Sarah Palin is...

The Coronation of a Despot

www.cfif.org
Generally I leave it to the left to use words like fascist, despot, dictator...etc. However, I will make an exception after watching last nights coronation of Barrack Obama. I am terrified that the Senator from Illinois might actually succeed in his quest to be President. I keep trying to convince myself that the American people are smarter than that...but then I remember that half the voters in the last election voted for John Kerry. Why are so many Americans so hasty to give up everything they have? Let me ask a few questions, maybe someone can enlighten me...
1. Why do Democrats want to continue social security? Wouldn't you rather keep that money and invest/save it yourselves? Can't you use that money to make more money better than the government?
2. Why do Democrats want Universal health care? Have you not seen the failures of Canada and the UK's health care systems? How about this from Glenn Beck:
"According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that 37 percent of the uninsured live in households making more than $50,000 a year, most of which can afford health insurance.
Twenty percent aren't even citizens of this country. One in three are eligible for government insurance, but aren't enrolled. So, while our health care is far from perfect, it's much better than Hillary wants you to believe."
3. Why would you raise taxes on businesses (even big, evil oil companies)? Will these companies keep their prices the same and just lose some profit to pay their taxes? Or will companies raise prices to meet this new cost?

The thing I understand the least though, is this...why would you give away your freedoms for a few "Big government bribes"...
Yes Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama might be making offers of some things that sound nice but if they adversely affect your freedom why would you accept that?
Here is Ben Stein (with Glen Beck) waxing eloquent on the subject:


* McCain has made a wonderful choice of VP candidate in choosing Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. This was the best choice McCain has made in his entire campaign so far...in fact, I would vote Sarah Palin for President long before I would vote for John McCain.
* Obama's choice of Biden pales in comparison to the Palin selection.
* A great article from Mr. Ruben Navarrette, that accurately describes the hypocrisy that is the Democratic Party.
* Have I ever told you that Jimmy Carter is a clown? Well, I have something to tell you...Jimmy Carter is a clown. He says that McCain is milking his POW status...thank you Jimmy. The man (McCain) can't lift his arms above his shoulders because of the torture he endured...but your totally right...he is milking it! Idiot. Who voted for Jimmy Carter? Raise your hand so I can come to your house and hit you on the head with a tack hammer.

Big, Bad Russia.

www.cfif.org

Well, I wanted to comment on some of this summer's happenings that I have not yet written about. Particularly, the Olympics and Russia's invasion of Georgia.
My wife and I got to enjoy a lot of the Olympic events over the 2+ weeks of activity, I think my favorite was probably men's water polo, men's volleyball, and men's beach volleyball...though women's beach volleyball was good too. Hate Olympic diving, and I think that it is a travesty that baseball/softball will be out of the next summer Olympics but Rhythmic gymnastics and speed walking will continue to be Olympic sports...are you kidding me! Micheal Phelps was brilliant, and Dalhausser and Rogers were a great volleyball pair. I felt horrible for the family of the men's volleyball coach, I could not imagine a greater range of emotions than he felt this summer. The Opening and Closing ceremonies were spectacular but though China tried its best it could not hide the evil that is communism behind its Olympic facade. Rick Reilly uncovers the two faced monster that is China.

Russia continues to flex its muscles on the world stage, and not in the Olympic weight lifter way. We found out during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics that Russian and Georgian forces had met in combat. Within days Russia had taken half the small nation of Georgia and was threatening the capital of Tbilisi. A few reasons this whole thing was so disheartening...First, Georgia has been a staunch ally of ours during the war in Iraq/Afghanistan. Secondly, Georgia's government is democratically elected - so we have a kinship there that transcends being allies. Third, Georgia is a key component of lowering world oil prices (by allowing nations to pipe oil through Georgia into Europe instead of buying it from Russia). Fourth, Georgia is an important strategic ally in the building a missile defense shield.
The Russians government is not duly elected as recent "election" shams have proven. (Here's another good article about their recent rigged "election".) The government is an autocratic one, where the people have no say and much like Venezuela or Cuba dissenters are quieted by force. The real fear for me is that this could be the touch point for a new Cold War...or worse WW III. The Ukraine is terrified that Russia will soon be marching her armies through the Ukrainian countryside. Poland, Moldova, and the Czech Republic are all very worried too. Where there is smoke there is fire. The fact that so many countries are worried that they may be next should tell us something...we need to be very deliberate and circumspect over the next few days, weeks, months, and years as we deal with Russia.

* Apparently the demise of our economy was a little overstated.
* Not even China will back up the Russians.
* Nancy Pelosi should keep her yapper shut about things she know nothing about (though I guess she would never speak if that were the case).
* Police state in Denver?
www.cfif.org

A not so brave new world....

www.cfif.org

"In times like these, it's important to remember that there have always been times like these." - Paul Harvey

I take a lot of comfort from those words. Considering the threat of Al-Qaeda and radical fascist Islam, the rise of China, and the resurrection of a powerful Russia...things look dicey. But consider the "Greatest Generation" who fought in WWII - things must have looked fairly bleak then, but they made it through. Or those who suffered but persevered through the Great Depression. Or the many who sadly lived through the decimation of our nation and our painful rebirth through the Civil War and Reconstruction. In the Presidential election season, I am taking one candidates advice and "hoping" and "dreaming" of a better tomorrow. Which is why I feel it is all the more important that America elect a conservative President and Congress. Leaders who will take pains to uphold conservative ideals like; non-interference with foreign nations, lower taxes, lower spending, a military that is well funded, well trained, and lightly used. Leaders who will make America self-sufficient in manufacturing, technology, and agriculture. Leaders who recognize that the United Nations has actually caused more conflict than it has solved, and leaders who take to heart the words of our founding fathers, such as "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, ENTANGLING ALLIANCES WITH NONE", wise words from Thomas Jefferson. Leaders who will support a culture of life(from the womb to the most elderly), (personal)liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In fact here are a few more wise words from our George Washington, perhaps you can get an idea of what he was hoping for from these statements.

George Washington -
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth."
"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."
"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."
"Laws made by common consent must not be trampled on by individuals."
"The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government."
"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon."
"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments."
"To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

* Just one link to check out today, more about how Mr. Obama is better buddies with terrorist William Ayers than he would like you to know. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people aren't more angry about this...not just that Obama is friends with Bill Ayers but that Bill Ayers and his wife get to walk around freely. They should both be in jail for a very long time.

Summer Vacation

From http://www.cfif.org
It has been quite a while since my last post, and now as the summer draws to an end I feel the need to start writing again. I have missed quite a few important events in my hiatus and I might recap my view of the things that transpired in the near future. Today I want to just hit on a few things, to get back into the swing of blogging.

* I watched parts of the Democratic National Convention last night and realized a few things: First, I need to hope more. Second, I need to believe more. Third, America is great. Fourth, I need to hope more...ummm.... Lastly, Republicans are pessimists who cannot buy into Barrack Obama's message.
I have to say that I was hot livid last night during this dog and pony show. Why does the Media never point out the lack of substance in Obama's message? Hope, unity, and belief are all great but how does Mr. Obama intend to unify us when he fights for the exact opposite of the things we conservatives want?
He will ease access to abortion. He will raise taxes. He will raise spending. He will make energy more expensive by not allowing drilling off of American coastlines (even though the Chinese are set to start drilling in the Florida Strait off the coast of Cuba - which will take from our oil deposits). He will make gay marriage a civil right. He will weaken our National Security by casting aside the European missile shield, and withdrawing our troops from Iraq too soon. He will do the exact opposite of everything I want him to do...how will he bring unity between people who believe as I do and his party, who believes the converse?
It has nothing to do with party affiliation and everything to do with the battle of ideas. For his part, I do believe that Barrack Obama has very strong beliefs and I do believe he will fight for those beliefs. The problem is that they run counter to everything I believe, and I would venture to guess the things that about 50% of the country believe. This is why Mr. Obama's message thus far has been clouded in nebulous double talk and opaque cliches.
I hope, I believe, I welcome unity, I KNOW America is the greatest of nations.... I just think you are wrong about...well...everything.
* Mr. Obama chose Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. I have nothing bad to say about him except that I disagree with him on most things too. Also, he seems to have diarrhea of the mouth, sometimes. (Example One, Example Two)
* Here is Mr. Obama being a facist...apparantley now, we can't question his friendships.
* Still have not changed my mind on John McCain...though he continues to move further and further to the right. I just don't think I can vote for that guy.
* The Olympics were great, but China is scary.
* Russia wants a fight...and not with Georgia. I think they are spoiling for a fight with the good ol' U.S. of A.

Bad Obama...bad.

This is how I know that Democrats in general are big dummies. This makes no sense. Yes Florida and Michigan get to vote but they have half shares...and Barack Obama actually got pledged voters from Michigan even though he was not on Michigan's ballot. Something stinks there...
* Obama is done with his church home for the last 20 years. What is amazing is that he is getting a free pass here. This is like the kid who is sorry he got caught doing something wrong, not because he did something wrong. More divisive hate filled race baiters who are cheering on Obama.

Gay marriage is gay!

From Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonist Index
I have to admit, the gay marriage debate is not one that gets me riled up. I don't like it, but I don't get worked up over it. What I do get worked up over is when our courts overstep their boundaries and mess with the will of the people. This isn't the first time that this has happened, in other states the courts have ruled similarly...but in California the court consistently and blatantly bends the law to local morays. In Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia, New York and even Massachusetts the courts have ruled that the will of the people is preeminent in this argument.
Generally the argument gets painted as a civil rights issue but it is not a civil rights issue, don't be fooled. Homosexuals in America have the same rights as heterosexuals...marriage is not a right but a privilege. Today in America homosexuals are able to have almost all benefits heterosexual couples enjoy in most places...the marriage ceremony is an ancient (and religious) ceremony and should be handled as such.
Pat Buchanan waxes eloquent on the subject in this article for Human Events.
* Indiana Jones opened Thursday to solid numbers, but in Russia the communist party members are seeing red. Apparently they are upset because the movie casts the Soviet Union in a poor light. This article made me laugh because it seems that some Russians think communism was good for Russia.
* If Al Franken wins his election in Minnesota it will mean that a former columnist for Playboy who just happens to be a tax evader and crude hatemonger will be a Senator too.
* Fox News is one of the few networks still doing real unbiased investigational work that can make a difference...thanks to the networks uncovering of OPEC's miserliness to the world, Saudi Arabia has agreed to pony up 500$ million to the world food program.
* Fred Thompson tells us that Conservatism is not dead. Can't say I am as sure as Mr. Thompson...but I hope he is right.
* The Wall Street Journal had a reasoned and well written article by Senator Joe Biden. I am not used to hearing a good argument from a Democrat so this took me off guard, and I decided I should link to it. I am not saying I agree with Mr. Biden, but I can't say I disagree either. Let me say this, I agree with almost everything he says but not his conclusions. I think that either McCain or Obama would be a bad move for this country...I believe we have seen the best candidates from either party drop out of the race already.
* Memorial Day is coming up on Monday, please remember to keep our soldiers in your thoughts and prayers. Also, remember to thank the LORD for those who came before to give us the freedom we enjoy today.

Some ideas fo John McCain

An article in the International Herald Tribune about McCain meeting with three possible VP candidates got me thinking about who would make a good VP for McCain. The article says that McCain has set up meetings with Mitt Romney, Charlie Crist, and Bobby Jindal. Romney most of the country knows as the recently failed Republican Presidential nominee. Charlie Crist is the smooth Governor of Florida who helped McCain win Florida. My personal favorite of the three is Bobby Jindal the conservative Governor of Louisiana...who won his election on a pro-life (absolutely pro-life) platform and favoring the teaching of intelligent design in public schools. Here are my favorites for the job: the aforementioned Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, and former Congressman JC Watts of Oklahoma. For those of you who would like to know who I think should be the Democrat VP nominee, I am having trouble deciding between poop and Jimmy Carter.
* Obama has started his VP search too...still a little presumptive, I say.
* Hugo Chavez says the USA is spying on his poverty stricken, disease and drug filled, rain forest hole of a country. I don't dislike Venezuela but any group of people who elects that neanderthal has to be partaking of the narcotics that they export.
* More proof the Democrats look down their collective noses at our military. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin said recently that he thought McCain's family history of service in the military would make him a poor choice for President. The article is also brings up Harkin's embarrassing embellishment of his own military career.
* Here is the story of a National Guard deserter trying to whine his way into staying in Canada so he doesn't go to jail. Here's a suggestion folks: if you don't want to fight as a soldier...don't join the military. (I have a little leeway here for those who are drafted) I am tired of soldiers deserting because the war is "unjust". If fighting in battle was up to each soldier's conscience then anarchy would reign in the ranks of the military. It is not up to the soldier to decide the "justness" of a conflict, it is up to the voter's at home and the politicians they elect.
* The situation in Iraq is improving, and the biggest obstacle we face there? Iran. How does the world not see that corrupt and dangerous regime for what it is, a terrorist state?
Iran lies, the whole world dies.

No Obama today...I hope.

I was really interested to read this article on The Hill about how the White House was recently upset by NBC. It seems that the WH took offense to the way an interview with the President was edited by NBC, and from the letter I can't say they are wrong.
I was intrigued by this paragraph too, as it was something I hadn't thought about for a while:
“I noticed that around September of 2007, your network quietly stopped referring to conditions in Iraq as a ‘civil war,’ ” Gillespie wrote. “Is it still NBC News’s carefully deliberated opinion that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war? If not, will the network publicly declare that the civil war has ended, or that it was wrong to declare it in the first place?”
I forgot NBC did this, and was mildly surprised when I realized that they indeed had stopped calling it a civil war. I wonder which side won...if indeed the "civil war" is no longer a civil war.
I thought that this paragraph from Mr. Gillespie was hilarious, he takes a nice swipe at MSNBC:
I’m sure you don’t want people to conclude that there is really no distinction between the ‘news’ as reported on NBC and the ‘opinion’ as reported on MSNBC, despite the increasing blurring of those lines,” Gillespie concluded. “I welcome your response to this letter, and hope it is one that reassures your broadcast network’s viewers that blatantly partisan talk show hosts like Christopher Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC don’t hold editorial sway over the NBC network news division.”
I liked it because the first thought that popped into my head was "Keith Olbermann is a dummy".
* Apparently minorities don't want to be Republican...this article bothered me...The author says that the GOP is having a hard time recruiting electable minorities. Instead of "electable" minorities you could insert the word "liberal". The reason minority Republicans don't win too many elections is because other minorities call them sell outs. If a black man who believes welfare is "a foot on the throat of the African-American community runs for office, he will be called the meanest names and lose in a landslide. Republican minorities can win in Republican communities (JC Watts, Bobby Jindal and Mel Martinez for example) but not in Democrat ones. The Democrat party has done a good job hiding the fact that they are the party of racial intolerance, and they have instead tried to give the Republican party that label. Anyone who will look fairly at the situation will see that the DNC is not being honest.
* You need to check out this website, I thought it was great.
* I know I said no Obama talk today but I had to post this splendid article by Ann Coulter.
Drill ANWR and tap our reserves, then develop a new fuel source!

Did you know that Dr. King, JR was a Republican?

Truth in advertising.

Murderer...

If you call yourself a Christian you cannot vote for Barack Obama. Not you should not, not you might consider first, but you CANNOT vote for him. Barack Obama has continually fought for the most heinous forms of abortion this nation has ever seen... infanticide. This article from ex-nurse Jill Stanek at WorldNetDaily.com is not just eye-opening or mind-boggling but completely UNBELIEVABLE. If you think a Christian can be pro-choice...okay...I won't argue that right now. But no logical human being can believe that Jesus was pro-murder, and since Obama fought the infanticide legislation is would stand to reason that he was for allowing it to continue. Which leads to my culminating point, you cannot call yourself a Christian and be for Barack Obama.
Here are a list of links/reasons NOT to vote for Barack Obama.
* Here is another argument against Obama's comparisons to JFK.
* Senator Robert Byrd the once KKK member who gets a free pass for the racist comments he makes and is much loved by the members of his party has endorsed Mr. Obama.
* Obama's hypocrisy: He called out John McCain today for his links to lobbyists but consistently says that one should not be judged by the company they keep or the people who give them money. Just a short list of Obama's "friends": Tony Rezko the corrupt businessman who loves Mr. Obama but has been cast out of his circle of friends. Jeremiah Wright the racist, hate-filled, anti-USA, preacher from Chicago. Bill Ayers the hate-filled terrorist that to this day does not believe he did anything wrong while working as a founder of the so-called Weather Underground.
And for all this and much more (which I cannot write because I do not have that kind of time)...as a rational thinking person, I will not... cannot vote for Barack Obama.

The wisdom of Pat Sajak

I thought today that I would let Pat Sajak write the major thought of today's post. Being as I don't know Pat personally I was worried that he might think I was crazy and just hang up on me...so instead of asking personally, I just decided to link to a recent article he wrote in HumanEvents.com.
Pat sums up everything I feel as I watch the nightly news, or listen/read the latest political articles in the news. The Democrats decry everything as negative, hate filled, or unfair...and the Republican party just takes it. Barack Obama is upset with the Tennessee Republican Party's attack on his wife...but who put her in front with the campaign and had her making speeches and doing interviews? Shouldn't that open you up for attack? Have we seen Cindy McCain saying anything like "For the first time I am proud to be an American"? Or does Mrs. McCain just say things like, "I know my husband is the man for the job"? Anyway, read the article and you will understand what I wanted to say today. (Here is a link to another good Sajak article and his blog.)
* Apparently Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann don't like each other. Let's get one thing straight Olbermann is an jerk who uses his quick wit rather than logic and truth in his editorializing. He is the reason that average Americans don't like elitist, Hollywood/New York liberals...they talk down their noses to those who disagree with them.
* Uh-oh...Democrats are realizing that a Republican idea may actually be a good one! School choice is alive and well in Florida. As loudly as the Democrats rail against school choice and vouchers they should be worried...it is working in Florida and helping underprivileged families.
* Great article from James Taranto about Obama's anger at President Bush's speech to the Israeli Knesset. I agree with Mr. Taranto completely, when I heard the Democrat response to the President's speech I was intrigued. The Democrats were over the top angry and Obama was so sure the comments were about him...it makes one wonder.
* In this piece the author actually suggests that Joe Lieberman is on John McCain's short list of VP candidates! Those of you who think that I am wrong about John McCain...if he picks Joe Lieberman as VP, please remember that I told you so...
* John McCain actually calls himself a "conservative Republican" in this piece.
* I don't know if this is something I should be linking to...but it seems to be out there and it seems to at least be plausible. It all started with a National Enquirer story...here is the other side first, from the Huffington Post. There is a rumor that Barack Obama has been interested in cocaine much more recently than he would like the American public to think. Tied to that same story is that Mr. Obama may have been having homosexual relations with more than one man and be involved in someones murder! I will link to all of the related sources...yes, I know it's probably garbage.
* The Mets just took two in a row from the Yanquis! It was very nice to see that we could still score a few runs...hopefully this marks a nice little turn around for the Mets that leads to a run of wins.
It's like he is begging to lose...why does he keep looking for ways to alienate the base?

Obama...a little defensive?

President Bush was speaking to Israel's Knesset during Israel's 60th anniversary celebration when he said this; "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."
Senator Barrack Obama got a little defensive and called it a "false political attack".
Now it might be because I am a little naive, but I didn't think the President was talking about Mr. Obama. I thought the comments were directed to the senile wonder Jimmy Carter. Carter is the one who has said we should meet with Hamas (a terrorist organization), Obama just wants to sit and talk with evil dictators like Castro, and Kim Jong-Il...and with nations who are secretly (or not so secretly) at war with us...like Iran. So Carter is the one I thought this was directed at, but even if it was directed at Obama, is it wrong?
Mr. Obama has in the past said that if he were President he would sit and have discourse with Castro, Kim Jong-Il, Ahmadinejad, and the like. These are men who hate America and hate what we stand for, and would see us destroyed if it was within their power. This is why they are joining forces: North Korea giving aid to Iran, Cuba sending medical staff to Venezuela who sends oil to Cuba, Venezuela and Iran who trade almost exclusively with each other, and both desire nuclear weapons...these are more dangerous to our security than Hamas and yet Mr. Obama would meet and attempt to appease them.
Here is a quote from Mr. Obama about his reasoning: "Not just in Cuba, but I think this principle applies generally,” Obama said. “I recall what John F. Kennedy once said: 'We should never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear to negotiate.'"
Yeah, because Kennedy was negotiating with Ho Chi Minh when he sent our soldiers to Vietnam to help the French and South Vietnamese? Or the negotiation that saw him approve the Bay of Pigs attack on CUBA?!? Or when he blockaded Cuba with our Navy and stood toe to toe with the Soviet Union with his hand hovering over the button?!? Kennedy only negotiated with these evil regime's when he or his opposition had no recourse. The Soviets came to the table when they didn't want nuclear war over Cuba, Kennedy negotiated with Castro AFTER the Bay of Pigs failed, and he NEVER negotiated with the North Vietnamese.
Hmmm, maybe Mr. Obama should audit an American history class at his local college?
* Important article from the pen of Glen Beck about hypocrisy. Why does Glen Beck not get more play? He is a rational, logical thinker who always has a reasoned, and eloquent argument for conservative policies.
* Hillary Clinton destroyed Mr. Obama in West Virginia and more superdelegates moved into Obama's camp? Is that how it works in the Democratic primary, the people choose one candidate and the superdelgates go with the other guy? I am no Hillary fan but if she ends up winning the popular vote in the primaries but Obama wins the elector's...won't the democrats have another hypocrisy problem on their hands (read: the 2000 election)???
* Ann Coulter points out that there is no such thing as a "conservative democrat".
*The Republican Party has got to wake up...the reason for the losses isn't just the President folks. The real problem with the Republican party is that the establishment has abandoned the base.

Off of my soapbox...

"Anything that government can do, private enterprise can do for half the cost." –Milton Friedman
I admit that I was on a bit of a soapbox yesterday. I have very passionate feelings about Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and communism/socialism in general. Today I thought I would come down a little and talk about a more palatable subject; the war on terror. I have a plan for the President to help him become more popular...bring the troops home (all of the troops...Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Germany, etc.). That would make him more popular, but the next few moves might drop those numbers again - deploy the recently recalled troops to the borders with Canada and Mexico (maybe have them build a wall between us and Mexico) as well as all of our International Airports and International ports. Perhaps use the National Guard to assist the Immigration and Naturalization Service, in cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens and in deporting those illegals.
Think of the money saved from funding the war on terror and closing all of our overseas bases...that's BILLIONS of dollars. While we are at it, we should also cancel the war on drugs. With the increased border patrol by the military and national guard we can focus more on stopping it from entering the country and less on giving money to other countries to stop its production. That's even more billions back into the government's pockets.
Another money saver: Drill in ANWR and begin using our oil reserves and immediately cut off oil supplies from any OPEC nation. Again we are looking at a savings of billions of dollars to the American people and government. While we are at it, let's begin giving incentives to inventors looking for new renewable fuel sources that won't starve half the world or cost us more than oil.
Lastly, let us abolish the IRS and impose a flat tax, or a fair tax...abolishing the IRS is easier than you think...if there is a flat tax instead of the current convoluted system, there would be no need for the tax man. Again saving the government (federal and state) millions of dollars.
I have just saved billions of dollars...woo-hoo! This is just a start, I have a million other ideas on how to cut the budget and raise income...now, if only the Feds would ask for my help.
However, since the general mood of the government (and nation) seems to be moving towards a more socialist plan...none of this is plausible. As a good friend of mine tells me continually, I am too much of an idealist.
* Great article that shows how being Politically Correct can be Incorrect.
* Michelle Malkin calling out Beyonce and others who denigrate our children.
* More evidence that the Republican party will win the Presidential election in spite of itself. The Republican Party has moved so far from its core values and left so many of its constituents out in the cold...and yet the Democrats are falling all over themselves to give McCain the victory. Barrack Obama cannot beat John McCain in a National Election, there are no two ways around it. Obama will win New York and California but he cannot win in the swing states (IE. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, etc.). People may hate Hillary but she has a better chance to win the National Election.
* Maybe Hillary could pull a Ross Perot?
* In this piece Zachary Karabell asks "Who stole the American Spirit?". Well Zach, I think the blame for that can be laid at the feet of the two major American political parties, snd their fight to see who can scare Americans more. The Democrats try to scare us into thinking the world is dying and the economy is imploding...while the Republicans try to show us that everyone is out to get us.

A tale of two movies.

There are two movies planned for release soon; the first is an Oliver Stone production about President Bush, the second is from Robert Moresco and is about Fidel Castro's exiled daughter Alina Fernandez. I have a hunch that even though the antagonist in the Fernandez movie is Castro he will be cast in a better light then our President in the Stone production. It is not hard to tell where Hollywood's loyalties usually lie in a situation like this: Micheal Moore's Bush bashing Castro loving picture Sicko is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out these reviews (Salon , Rolling Stone, MTV) and notice who loves this movie...the entertainment elite in NY and LA. Naomi Campbell praising Hugo Chavez, a man who has called our President the devil, a man who supports a terrorist organization (FARC) that sells cocaine to make money and is trying to overthrow a democratically elected government in Colombia. He is a man who mingles with and agrees with men like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who would push Israel into the sea (read: kill all Jews) if it were within his power. He is friends with Fidel Castro who has kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people in his worker's paradise of Cuba. A place where people would gladly risk their lives sailing on rafts of garbage through shark infested waters to escape the hell that has become Cuba (even if Micheal Moore and Canada love it there). Actors Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, Danny Glover, and Harry Belafonte have all met and enjoy the company of Mr. Chavez. Hollywood and more broadly the Democratic elite's infatuation with men like Chavez, Castro, Ortega, and their ilk is bordering on treason.
I am all for a reasoned political debate, full of disagreements and heated conversation. The axe I have to grind comes when the wealthy Hollywood elite flood the movies, TV, and internet with their ideas and rail against those who disagree with them. Can they not see Chavez limiting the rights of certain segments of Venezuelan society? Does Micheal Moore not see the pain caused by Castro's socialist ideals? We argue for freedom of thought and action. We fight in Iraq and Afghanistan to bring democracy where the people can rule themselves and not be subject to tyrants. As much as they hate President Bush, he was duly elected and has no power that is not granted him by either Congress, the Constitution, or WE THE PEOPLE. Be angry at the President, fight his party's bid for reelection; but do not throw in with the filth and dross of humanity...men like Chavez, Castro, Ortega, Ahmadinejad and their kind...these names are synonymous with Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Kim Jong-Il. These men represent the inhumanity of humanity that we as Americans should all strive to defeat. I know I have veered from the beginning of this entry but it was cathartic and I feel necessary...
* Wow, talk about serendipity...this just came out on the wire today: Micheal Moore is making a sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11.

* This is why this President has been a failure. Not the War on Terror, not the Patriot Act, not Hurricane Katrina...just this...but the blame isn't all his. The blame also lays at the feet of both Republican and Democrat Congressional bodies. This is one huge problem that is everyone's fault.
* Good article on the scourge of freedom...political correctness.
* Great read from Benjamin Wiker on the plague of Darwinism on society.
* The scary truth about the violence in Lebanon and what it means for us.
* It's high time we as a nation start to realize that the welfare state is an attack on our poor, minority families. Contrary to popular belief our welfare system is causing more pain than it is easing.
* The Washington Nationals are low/no class. Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes (both rookies) need to WAKE UP and realize that they have already been chased out by two different baseball teams...there is a reason that the Rays and Mets could not get good trade partners for either of them.

Too funny not to post...

HA HA

Do yourself a favor: Vote against McCain and Obama!

* Obama wants to debate McCain over the summer. It is going to be funny when the debates start and the candidates realize that they are debating their perfect running mates! I would be willing to wager that in the middle of the first debate Obama asks McCain to be his Veep...and McCain actually contemplates accepting!
* Ron Paul is still fighting for the little guy. I know that a lot of folks out there think he is shrill and don't agree with certain parts of his message but this man has character. He sticks by his beliefs and does what he says...he is NOT just another politician from Washington. I hope that his people do make some noise at the National Convention, maybe if they make enough noise we stand a shot at getting rid of McCain as the nominee and choosing a good candidate. Also, Dr. Paul's book seems to be doing very well on the best seller lists. If you click this link you can buy his new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto.
* Evidence that the "War on Drugs" is a losing battle, and the losers are in the 3rd world countries where fighting for our side can cost your life.
* A real hero has passed away.
* Another example of how "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". While my heart breaks for this woman and many others, and the man who did this should be executed (which the Supreme Court should decide is OK )...the problem here is taking the DNA of people who are not convicted of any crime. This is the very definition of a "slippery slope".
* Would you believe me if I told you that Al Sharpton was a criminal tax evader? Ha ha...of course you would. The man is a bigoted, racist, hatemonger who threatens violence and does not pay his taxes.
* Why does anyone take Hugo Chavez seriously?
* Looking past the free market implications of this sound bite, one can see the disdain for "movement conservatives" by John McCain and his handlers. In the article McCain states that global warming is "undeniable"...
Who is God voting for?...how about none of the above? If the Lord were voting I think he would go with Dr. Chuck Baldwin.

Is Hillary done?

Interesting article in Chicago Sun-Times about Tuesday's primary in Indiana and North Carolina. In the article the Obama campaign spins Clinton's Indiana win into a vast right-wing conspiracy (imagine the right-wing conspiracy working for a Clinton!)... they aren't necessarily wrong. Rush Limbaugh has been urging listeners to vote Clinton so that the Democrats continue to beat each other up, helping the Republican candidate stay on top.
I do take issue with this statement however:
"Republicans are desperate to face Clinton, because they know Obama will be harder to beat...Let’s be very clear: the Republicans want to face Senator Clinton in November, because they know that Senator Obama will be a stronger nominee for the Democrats, and will help Democratic candidates down the ballot. Republicans are so scared of Obama that they’re actually skipping their own primary to vote against him."

I disagree with this whole line of thought. I think that either Democrat would be difficult to beat in the National Election, and maybe for some this idea that Obama would be harder to beat is true. However, I think the vast majority of people believe that voting for Clinton in the primary will hurt the Democrat Party ... and that is why they are voting for her. I also think that some may be voting for her because she is the better option between the two. Many Republicans think that the next election is already lost and if they had to choose, Clinton just seems less liberal than Obama. My personal belief is that Obama actually believes what he says and therefore is more likely to try and mold things into his vision of what America should be (which is a neo-socialist state). Clinton on the other hand just wants to win and be President and have power, she will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal...even making concessions to conservatives! So I would pick her ... but if it came down to those two names on a ballot, and I had to choose one...I would pick neither!

* Greg Garrison thinks the voters of Indiana use their gut more than their brains.
* Newt Gingrich says that the Republican Party MUST change.
* A Republican loss could mean a drastic change in Party leadership.
* George McGovern weighing in on the Democrat primary and backing Mr. Obama.
* This article again shows why Iran (more specifically Iran's President Ahmadinejad), is so scary and so worthy of our attention. Ahmadinejad believes that his government and the nation of Iran are helping to usher in the end times of Islam. In case you did not know that includes a global jihad and the destruction of Israel and all of Islam's enemies (ie. the USA). You cannot reason with a true believer folks, this is a very tenuous situation.
From http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000289.html

Baseball Day!

Jose Reyes congratulates David Wright after his solo homerun in the fourth inning. Photo: Connors AP

I thought I would take today to talk about one of the few things that I care about more than politics (those things are religion, my family, food and), baseball. Specifically let me talk today about the New York Mets. The Mets greatest talent is not playing baseball but breaking my heart. Like a girlfriend who can't be faithful the Mets have found ways year after year to raise my hopes to their zenith and then with one fell cheating swoop, snatch my dreams away with a fateful slap. Last year it was a historic 7 1/2 game collapse over the last 17 games. The year before we lost to a punchless and weak St. Louis Cardinal team in what should have been "our year". In 2000 we were overmatched and under-talented. After 1986 our players decided that snorting coke, partying, and not playing good baseball was better than winning games. It's definitely a hard-knock life...but I have a plan. Omar Minaya if you are reading this ... make sure that you give me credit for the retooling (not rebuilding) plan.
Step 1: It begins with drafting strong, and keeping our picks. Take the best players available and don't worry that the Commissioner's office wants to put a cap on signing bonuses.
Step 2: We have great building blocks to be a contender for the next ten years. David Wright at 3rd, Jose Reyes at SS, Carlos Beltran at CF, Johan Santana, John Maine, and Oliver Perez at SP. Most teams would kill for this core of talent. Keep them all and build upon them, make smart decisions on the free agent market...but fill the gaps with young players from the farm system (from step 1). Don't take the bait and sign high priced old Free Agents...
Step 3: Right this minute (meaning do it right now)... trade Delgado for some young players, trade Luis Castillo for some young players, trade El Duque for some young players, do NOT resign Pedro Martinez...trade Angel Pagan (or send him to the Minors he is Not a major leaguer)...trade either Marlon Anderson or Damion Easley, we don't need two players who do the exact same things. The most important part he is restocking the farm, even if most of the returns are B prospects and not A prospects.
Step 4: Stay positive, step 3 is not giving up on this year. We can still contend even if we trade everyone I mentioned in step 3. Our rotation is good, our bullpen is solid, and our offense will still be one of the best in the National League.

Here are a couple of links to two very good sportswriters. Rob Neyer is a frequent contributor to ESPN and an acolyte of the venerable Bill James. Keith Law is a brilliant Harvard grad who has served as a special assistant to the GM for the Blue Jays and is currently Director of Scouting for Scouts Inc. His website is not specifically about baseball but about Keith's interests in general.

The video is a Nintendo Recap of the Mets win in '86 WS game 6 against Boston.

Conservative Wave of Justice! (A little corny? Maybe...)

The first conservative mayor of London in 30 years was elected today. This is just one of a wave of recent conservative gains across Europe, and reason for we who identify with the conservative movement in America to begin to stir. In Germany Angel Merkel is Chancellor from the conservative Christian Democratic Party. In France Nicholas Sarkozy has been identified as a President for the American people because of his conservative views. In Italy the first conservative government since WWII was recently elected, this is also the first government of Italy since WWII not to have a representative from the Communist Party. The next national election in the United Kingdom will see the conservative Tories elected to lead the nation, as the Labour Party continues to fall apart (very similar to the Democrat collapse of '92, and the recent stumbling of the Republican Party).
Conservatives of America need to wake up, stand up, and begin to make some noise. We can make a difference and we can make ourselves heard. We need to do what the left has been doing for years and make enough noise that we start to annoy everyone into doing what we want. I mean, can't we get some tapes of Greenpeace or Planned Parenthood and learn to be as shrill as they are??? It can't be that tough, I mean those mindless drones do it .... but I digress. Let's get out there, and get involved and elect some conservatives.

More on the Economic Front

More evidence that things are not as bad as the Media and the Democrat Party would like you to think. CNN reporting today that our Unemployment rate currently sits at 5.1%. While that is up (or down, depending on your p.o.v.) it is not as big a rise in unemployment as what had been forecast by the doomsayers. Just to make some comparisons here are the unemployment rates for some of our other "friends".
USA - 5.1%
Australia - 4.4%
United Kingdom - 5.4%
Canada - 5.9%
Italy - 6.7%
Israel - 7.6%
France - 8%
Germany - 10.8%
The European Union - 8.5% (2006)

* Here are some more signs that the
economy is not dead yet.
* You have to read this article and realize that we as Americans have got to stop whining about gas prices. Our gas has almost always been generally pretty cheap (as anyone who has ever travelled to Europe can attest to), there had to be a hiccup sometime.

Most expensive places to buy gas
Rank Country Price/gal
1. Sierra Leone $18.42
2. Aruba $12.03
3. Bosnia-Herzegovina $10.86
4. Eritrea $9.58
5. Norway $8.73
6. United Kingdom $8.38
7. Netherlands $8.37
8. Monaco $8.31
9. Iceland $8.28
10. Belgium $8.22
111. United States $3.45
Where gasoline is cheapest
Rank Country Price/gal
1. Venezuela 12 cents
2. Iran 40 cents
3. Saudi Arabia 45 cents
4. Libya 50 cents
5. Swaziland 54 cents
6. Qatar 73 cents
7. Bahrain 81 cents
8. Egypt 89 cents
9. Kuwait 90 cents
10. Seychelles 98 cents
45. United States $3.45
155 countries surveyed between March 17 and April 1, 2008. Prices not adjusted for cost of living or exchange rates.
From CNNMONEY.com
Don't forget that these prices are even with the USA being one of the wealthiest countries in the world. A country where most of us can afford the higher price of gas, as opposed let's say to the people of Bosnia or Libya.
* Outstanding article from Micheal Reagan about who is really responsible for the "high" gas prices.
* I know I posted this article last time, but it really fits here. This was the chairman of Shell giving an interview this past week.
* Argentina's economy looks like it might be in some trouble...again.
* I have decided that Pat Buchanan is officially a pessimist...but the fact is I think he is right.
* Here is a great article from the economist.com about the inherent racism in Jeremiah Wright's message. He says we all took his comments out of context, and then chose to back those comments up with words that reinforced what we already thought of him. Racism is possible no matter what color your skin is, and Reverend Wright ... racism no matter what the context, is SIN. It attacks the very core of who God is, and why He sent His Son to die for us...you may or may not be a Christian but when you get to glory, as Ricky Ricardo said "You got lots of 'splaining to do".
Racist Hatemonger