We Remember on Memorial Day

I would just like to write a simple thank you to the soldiers who serve our country with bravery, dignity, and honor. We should remember our troops more than just one day a year but Memorial Day is a great time to show our appreciation for those who serve willingly in the face of danger. It should not matter how you feel about the war against those who would destroy our very way of life we should be willing to support the soldiers who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice with their lives to defend our freedoms. Make no mistake about it the troops over in the middle east are defending our freedom to live as we do. Those who attacked on 9/11 who opposed to the way we lived and feel we are infidels who must be eliminated. America has a long proud history of men and women answering the call to serve. So on this Memorial Day I would like to thank the soldiers who willingly sign up to fight and defend me and every other American. We owe more than we could ever repay to those from the greatest generation to the new greatest generation fighting in Afganistan and Iraq.

Caught Red Handed in the Cookie Jar

Democrats would have the public believe that Republicans are part of a culture of corruption. Howard Dean has come out pointing fingers but should realize that when pointing a finger four point back. Just recently it has come out about William Jefferson, Democrat congressman from Louisiana. He was caught with roughly $90,000 dollars wrapped up in aluminum foil in his freezer. Now that is what I call cold hard cash. I am sorry if that sounds juvenile but I couldn't resist. I will not defend the illegal actions of a few Republicans. I do not think members of Congress are above the law. No matter what side of the aisle they reside on if they do the crime they should be punished simple as that. I think Democrats are realizing that this may not be their banner issue to run on for the fall mid-term elections and may even have to come up with actual ideas.

No Hablo Ingles

Senator Harry Reid has come out saying that the bill to make english the official language is racist. He says that the bill unfairly targets Mexican immigrants. Shocking as it may be I do not agree with the Democrat from Nevada. I think english should be made the official language. It is the language that most of the civilized world knows and is taught to students of practically every nation. The main goal of this bill is to ensure that immigrants are properly assimilating into the culture of the United States. It may seem trivial to some but the language connects us to one another. In a way we become united despite are melting pot of backgrounds and ethnicities. We should not have to spend the time teaching english to students which takes the time away from other students and holds their education back. This is just one part of the immigration debate and as on many points the Democrats are blind on the issue.

Sorry Democrats No Heavy Breather

I hate to disappoint the Democrats on the NSA issue but there is no one listening to the conversation between you and your wife or kids. President Bush and Laura are not popping popcorn and sitting in front of a fire and listening to two ladies in Michingan exchangin recipes for the world's best chocolate chip cookies. Democrats want to add this to the issues that they think they can exploit and use in the run up to the elections. Sorry Democrats as far as I am concerned this is a non-issue. From what I have gathered the only thing gathered is phone numbers which are checked to make sure no one has Osama on speed dial. I am sorry if liberals feel they have an expectation of privacy on this matter because they don't just ask the Supreme Court. So people like Patrick "Leaky" Leahy and others on his side of the aisle can stop with their ridiculous comments. I can not believe that Senator Leahy believes the president is doing this for kicks and giggles. Mr. Leahy needs to go back to what he does best and that is trying to obstruct qualified judges from the bench. If Democrats think the NSA is listening in to their conversations like some heavy breather then maybe they should stop calling numbers that begin with 1-900.

Is Cane the Cure?

As a conservative I have no real problem with alternative sources of energy. I think we should be developing any and all resources to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. I will side with the greens when it comes to wind or solar power. I would even be willing to have windmills in my area unlike a certain liberal massachusetts political family. I recently saw a Dateline show where they were talking about how Brazil has eliminated the need for foreign oil. They have developed the sugarcane for their energy source. I believe we need to start on that same track. We will not always be able to depend on a stable middle east and energy independence is crucial for our national security. So if that means developing bushels of corn for ethanol instead of importing barrels of oil I accept. Brazil has been ahead of the game for thirty years and have implemented flex technology on their cars to give consumers a choice at the pump. I think we need to hop aboard the technology express and ride it all the way to energy independence. I would even be willing to shuck a few ears of corn for cheaper gas.

Like Father Like Son

The Kennedy saga continued early Thursday morning. Representative Patrick Kennedy was found to have crashed into a security barricade near the capitol. The son of Senator Edward Kennedy has like his father a troubled past. He has battled addictions and since the incident on Thursday has checked himself into the Mayo Clinic. The problem is the representative was not given a breathalizer or field sobriety test when it appeared to capitol police that Mr. Kennedy was intoxicated. It appears as if the young congressman was given preferential treatment by the police as they drove the congressman home personally. The congressman's story has also been somewhat inconsistent. He claims he consumed no alcohol only some prescription drugs but cannot remember anything about the accident. It seems as if we are not getting the whole story which may remind us of Patrick's father Edward Kennedy. Teddy Kennedy had his own incident in 1969 at Chappaquiddick where the Senator essentially left Mary Jo Kopechne to die as he made his way back to town and did not report the accident to the police until the next morning. I was not a believer in the Kennedy curse but tragedy and destruction seems to follow this family. A website that lays out the truth of Chappaquiddick www.ytedk.com

Charles Krauthammer, a great columnist

I just wanted to let everyone know about a great columnist. I think everyone should read Charles Krauthammer's columns. I think he is one of the best columnists around and writes very interesting and thoughtful pieces. I usually read him through lexis nexis through the Washington Post.

What to do next

What am I going to do next. Within the next couple weeks I will be graduating with a political science degree from the University of South Dakota. I have always been interested in politics and political issues. I have come to realize that it may be harder than I thought to translate said degree into a profession. I still have not fully decided what I plan on doing with my life and I guess you could say that worries me some. I wish it were as simple as someone simply offering me a job so I could avoid the job-seeking process altogether. I assume I am not alone in these feelings as so many more college graduates prepare to enter the workforce but are not sure of which direction to go. I guess I just need a really good compass.

a folly of epic proportions

I believe that Republicans need to remember what the letter R means next to their name on c-span. Republicans recently have forgotten that they are the party in power. They appear to be acting more like Democrats. Democrats are not winning elections with ideas and are simply waiting for the Republicans to do the heavy lifting for them. It is ridiculous for Republicans to be wasting their time looking into a price-gouging scheme when it is a matter of supply and demand. Republicans also seem to want to pander to illegal immigrants because they feel they will represent the new voice in politics. Republicans should remember that these individuals broke our nation's laws. On that point Republicans should be more concerned with providing for our common defense on the border and less time worrying about turning off the illegal vote. Finally Republicans are not Democrats and should not be spending like them. This spending like a drunken sailor approach simply is not consistent with conservative values. Republicans obviously need this wake up call or they may find themselves without a job come November.

Black Gold, Texas Tea

The talk of oil prices has certainly been the number one news story recently. People seem to feel that we are being gouged at the pump. People seem to want to blame "big oil" when it is our government officials we should be blaming. How about the politicians beholden to environmentalists. They say no to drilling in the artic and exploring for more oil resources. Then people complain that the price of oil goes up. It is the simple theory of supply and demand. People around the world are using more oil and supply has not been significantly increased especially in the United States. I agree with trying to find alternate sources of energy but we should be able to use the natural resources that we have at our disposal. Sorry to say but oil companies do not set the price of oil. We as a nation do need to decrease our dependence on foreign oil as a national security issue. We need to make it known to our politicians that they should listen to our ideas and not those on the left that are more worried about intruding on some caribou in Alaska then our survival.

The Great Debate

The immigration debate is firmly entrenched in the present political landscape. Both the advocates for and the opponents against illegal immigration have tried to make their voices known. It is disheartening as a Republican to see many Republicans caving on this issue simply to not alienate a future political base. Republicans should be leading on this issue. Instead Democrats have tried to exploit the issue for political gains. In this post 9/11 world their exists a real need to defend our borders. It seems that some politicians do not see the immediacy of securing our borders. Some will say that those people opposing illegals in this country are anti-immigrant but that is simply not true. I can say for myself that I am most definitely not opposed to immigration. The point is that those wanting to enter the country must follow the system in place and wait their turn inline. We are a country of laws and laws need to be followed to preserve are democratic way of life. This system is what has made the United States a great country and those illegals breaking such laws should remember this as they proclaim to love America.