Four Hurdles Republicans Must Clear by Fred Barnes

The road to the White House is going to be an uphill journey for Republicans. Many have written off the Republicans and there chance of electoral success come November '08. The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes has identified four hurdles that Republicans must clear. For the country's sake let's hope Republicans can clear these hurdles and not fall flat on their faces.
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/310sbgqy.asp
Courtesy of www.realclearpolitics.com, www.weeklystandard.com

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I'd Talk Directly With Iran
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/01/america/obama.php
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Fox News All-Stars

The gang discuss the success on the ground in Iraq and the resolution by congress to condemn Turkey for past atrocities involving the Armenians.
Success in Iraq, Turkey Resolution
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/success_in_iraq_turkish_resolu.html
Courtesy of www.realclearpolitics.com

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Senator Clinton Left Us Wondering
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071031/D8SKF5M81.html
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Syndication Weekly

In this first installment I present one of the most recent articles by Charles Krauthammer. Krauthammer is a prominent, conservative columnist and one of my favorites. The column points out the uncanny ability of Hillary Clinton to sit on the fence on many issues. This ability to navigate through policy, and to always leave room to wriggle free from previous positions earns her the title of, The Great Navigator. As Mr. Krauthammer writes, Mrs. Clinton rivals the great explorer Columbus as she navigates her way towards the presidency.
The Great Navigator
By Charles Krauthammer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/11/AR2007101101598.html

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Oil $92
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071026/D8SGT2PO0.html
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Romney Open to Iran 'Bombardment'
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071025/D8SGFH3O0.html
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The Greatest Story Never Told by Dean Barnett

Sadly, this is a something that requires mention on blogs and alternative media sources. The need comes from the fact that progress in Iraq fails to get its due coverage by the mainstream media. The Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett gives a voice to this problem.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=14262&r=uwbgt
check out more great articles at www.weeklystandard.com

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Arson!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/24/national/main3401265.shtml
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Sky Turns Red
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SEMBJO0&show_article=1

The Case For Mike Huckabee by Jonathan Alter

The GOP race for president may be as open as it has been in a long time. This is compounded by the fact that no clear successor is in place. Another issue is that conservatives have not coalesced around one particular candidate. This leaves a certain mystery and uncertainty as to who will command the party going into next fall's election. Many candidates are vying and wooing conservatives for their support as they declare themselves, the real conservative. Each man appears to have his positives and negatives that may cast doubt on their true conservative credentials. One of the men who seems to have a solid case to be the conservative candidate is Mike Huckabee. Newsweek's Jonathan Alter takes a look at the former governor, and in doing so makes the case for Mike Huckabee as the best hope for Republicans.
http://www.newsweek.com//id/57616
Courtesy of RealClearPolitics.com

Fox News All-Stars

The panel discusses Al Gore and his Nobel win and Free Trade.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/panel_on_al_gores_nobel_prize.html
Taken from RealClearPolitics

22 Ways To Be a Good Democrat

This was sent to me by a relative of mine.
1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by Soccer moms driving SUV's.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homo sexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of Federal Funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" for financial gain only.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more Important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G..Bell.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and Manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right Wing Conspiracy

.22. You have to believe that it's okay to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day ..........but it's not okay to say "Merry Christmas."

Download and Donate

Own your own piece of history and download your own copy of the famed Harry Reid letter.
http://download.premiereradio.net/guest/rushlimb/pdf/RushLimbaughSmearLetter.pdf

Make a donation to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a very worthy cause.
http://www.mc-lef.org/Index.asp

Find the latest at RushLimbaugh.com

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Gray Friday: Dow Down Over 360
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China to Establish Communist Party in Space
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SBP0H80&show_article=1

DREAM Act a Nightmare

There are times when congress actually gets it right and passes good and meaningful legislation. The DREAM Act would not fall into that category. This is essentially an old idea that is once again being brought forward in hopes of its eventual passage. Time can change many things but the simple passage of time has not made this legislation any better or better for our country.

The DREAM Act seeks to give support to those illegal aliens that made their way or were brought here by their parents before the age of sixteen. Apart from these illegals receiving a green card status and provide them with in state tuition in our colleges and universities. That status would enable backdoor amnesty as these aliens would be able to bring their families into the country after them. Liberals can not seem to give up on their amnesty and try to sneak it through at every turn.

For now at least, the American people have displayed that they are vehemently opposed to granting amnesty to border violators. But many of those in Congress seem unable to process this and continue on their quest towards a completely open border. These would include people such as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin who is trying to revive this legislation.

The Illinois Senator has decided that this is legislation that must be passed for our own good. People like Durbin are so blinded by their ideology for them to ever see what is in our greatest good. They feel that if America shows concern for its internal security and future preservation that they have no compassion for those in dire conditions. This means no wall and no action against illegals already within our borders. This is an issue that will more than likely be fought over and over into the foreseeable future. We should not have the wool pulled over our eyes or allow the concealing of such falsity.

Well I am here to say that I will not apologize for my views or my opinions. I say that knowing full well that such stances are usually met with shouts of racism or xenophobia. Well let those cries sound out because it is not racist or xenophobic to desire you country to protect its citizens. After all that is the assigned duty of our elected populace. Many of them have unfortunately forgotten that part of their sworn oath. Instead they have regressed into beings solely fixated on the rights and privileges of those not of this land.

I might be talking about one particular piece of legislation but it is a piece in a bigger part of the liberal puzzle. They take what they can get a little at a time so as to disguise their full intentions. The truth of their agenda is seldom heard by many ears as much of the media is in full lock-step with that agenda. There is something to be said for common sense. Unfortunately this is not a trait usually found in most politicians. This is a country not known for killing dreams. In fact we are a country that provides the opportunity for individuals to fulfill their dreams. But as far as the DREAM Act goes, that is one dream that deserves the death penalty.

Up on My Soapbox: Motorcycles Are Not Cars

I am mad, darn mad, and I can not take it anymore. The object of my rage is motorcycles taking up parking spots meant for cars. I wonder why people can be so inconsiderate to us the drivers of cars who must fight for each parking space as if it was Park Avenue real estate. This has been a particular bugaboo of mine for along time and surfaced again today. It is the same scenario over and over again. I race to get to my class on time and try to find a parking spot close to the building. I proceed to drive past occupied space after occupied space. I then see what appears to be an open spot and my heart races as I think to myself "what luck." But what I have seen is simply an optical illusion, a dirty trick played on my mind. And like Charlie Brown I believe that Lucy will hold the football for sure this time. But she never does and the space is not only occupied but filled by a motorcycle. I do not have anything against motorcycles per se, but when it costs me a parking space anything is open game. I notice these spots filled by these motorcycles as they go partially filled and it enrages me. At the very least it seems like a waste of space, space that should be filled up by my vehicle. This is my soapbox moment to vent all my anger and rage and to make my plight known. I know I am not alone is this as I am sure others have fallen prey to the false empty space that tempts and teases you. I am not a believer in segregation but I can make an exception in this instance. I think we should keep motorcycles and their lesser cousin, the scooter, out of our spaces. Each time I am confronted with this experience my minds wanders and I think what if I drove my car into this motorcycle to reclaim what is rightfully mine? The answer comes back as a damaged car and any number of broken bones. After all large people with tattos usually accompany those motorcycles and I can always park around the block.

AARP & Other Liberals Spearhead Charge for Clintoncare II

Author: J.J. Jackson

As groups get bigger I swear their collective intelligence decreases. Nothing could be a truer example of this than one of the largest groups in America, the American Association of Retired Persons. Often affectionately known as the AARP I prefer to call them the Anti-American Retired Persons because I believe in truth in advertising.

Here you have a group that on one hand uses the power of capitalism. They flaunt the purchasing power of their vast membership to negotiate with companies all over the globe to get special discounts and incentives for their members in return for promoting these same companies to their members. But on the other hand they pimp anti-American ideas such as socialism and collectivism.

Case and point, the AARP has been running ads featuring cute, and dare I say naive, children who are reading from their given script and pleading with Americans to support candidates that promise universal health insurance coverage. They’re basically promoting Democrats and other liberals.

It’s no real big surprise. Their constituents are on two of the largest unconstitutional programs ever devised, namely Social Security and Medicare. You knew it could only be a matter of time before they decided that they needed to try and expand that base and their power.

So this push by the AARP just ahead of Hillary’s big announcement of her new and improved socialist plan for America shocks none.

Forget that she already tried to float this idea past American citizens in nineties and that it was soundly rejected. But hey, try, try again right?

So here comes Senatorette Clinton this week giving us Clintoncare Part Deux.

All you need to know about Hillary Clinton is that she said of her grand scheme, "At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed”. The key words being “at this point”. You got to love the way they couch their plans and telegraph their future intentions don’t you?

At this point there is no punishment. How about tomorrow? Well, we’ll get back to you...

You just wait for those “future” plans Comrade Hillary slyly discusses. Because what is going to happen if Americans do not join? If even one person chooses that path then the whole claim of universal health insurance (not care mind you) falls apart and you can bet your bottom dollar that all sorts of punishments will be created to deal with those people who won’t fall in line.

Clinton did however slip up and let out what she though at least one punishment for not joining Hillarycare will be. She envisions a day when, “you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview — like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination”.

So join or you can’t work?

On a side note, and unfortunately for Hillary, her claim about vaccinations and public schools is not true. For example in Pennsylvania you do not have to be vaccinated to attend public school. So I am not sure where Hillary is getting her “facts” from. Perhaps she is just making things up again? She seems to do that quite often and has shown that she is certainly not above letting the “facts” get in the way of a good story.

I apologize to those of you who have decided not to vaccinate your children. For I am sure I’ve just given Comrade Clinton a new item to add to her list of “things to order the unwashed masses to do”. After all, mommy knows best!

Hillary Clinton also said of her rehashed socialist agenda that her plan, “expands personal choice and increases competition to get costs down.” You have to love how liberals claim that having no choice is actually a “choice”. Mandating that you must participate in this plan as in her own self-professed future vision, if you want to work is, is somehow a “choice”?

In further nanny state fashion, Senatorette Clinton thinks that she can wield the power of government to coerce people to act the way she desires them to. Most notably, she plans to use the tax code. She has said of her plan, “We're providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans." And what if Americans disagree? Well, were back to the “at this point” clarification of there being no “punitive” measures. This is the same government that used the tax code for years to punish couples for getting married. Remember that.

The facts are, that beyond talking points Hillary Clinton still has given little details about her health insurance (not health care) for all plan. But that reality hasn’t stopped those who fawn over Marxist ideas from touting Senatorette Clinton as having “detailed” her plans. Break it all down and here is what it comes down to; government nebulously mandating how insurance companies and private industries operate and even how the citizenry must behave. And of course, it would be “paid for” in part by the left’s favorite past time; raising taxes. Don’t complain. Don’t you know that it’s their money?

What? You disagree? Be careful. The re-education camps await you.

If you are an insurance company and don’t want to insure pre-existing conditions because you are rightfully scared of people only buying insurance after they have been diagnosed with a disease only to drop it once they have been treated, taken tens of thousands of dollars in care and before they have paid enough in premiums to even cover the cost, oh well! Too bad. Government says otherwise, so you will comply if you want to be in the health insurance business.

Freedom to contract and freedom of association be damned. It’s just not the liberal way.

The truth they are trying to hide is that everyone in America has “health care” if they seek it out. What everyone does not have is “health insurance” to help defray the costs when they do. Nor should they. Insurance is a luxury. Not everyone has a 50’ yacht either and I doubt many would suggest government should provide such for the people that do not.

People like Clinton claim that we need universal coverage because the uninsured cost the rest of us in higher premiums and other costs. But who do you think is going to pay for those that would be covered under this plan but don’t have insurance now when the government runs it? The Tooth Fairy? Or will the money just come from the magical, mystical money tree Hillary has in her back yard? Heck no! The cost of the current “uninsured” will still be carried by the rest of us. It is just a shell game to try and hide that fact and grant more power to the government. Hence why she needs to raise taxes.

Clinton can’t even discuss her ideas without the obligatory double speak saying, “My Republican opponents will try to equate healthcare for all Americans with government-run healthcare.” Well, uh yeah Comrade Clinton because it is! If the government is mandating that all Americans have to have healthcare, creating laws regarding how the system works, dictating what you must do once in the program and enforcing that doctors, hospitals and insurance companies do what government says they must in order to cover all Americans then it is “government-run healthcare” by default. When you pass a law it isn’t a “recommendation” or a “request”. It’s a law! Did you ever take a civics course that you actually passed? Because this is pretty basic stuff here!

But then again, this is from the frontrunner for the nomination of the party that claims that it is a “pro-choice” yet is forcing you to pay into a government retirement plan. And let’s not forget that the party she represents frequently gets endorsements from the Communist Party USA for their presidential candidates. Are those little red lights in your brain going off yet?

Clinton said of her plan, “I believe everyone – every man, woman and child – should have quality, affordable healthcare in America. I intend to be the president who will do that.” Well, that’s all well and good that you believe that. Now do you mind pointing to where in the Constitution you and your fellow travelers are granted the power by “We the People” to mandate how we manage our own choices with regards to healthcare? Are you going to point out to us, finally after all these years of waiting patiently, where you are given the power to dictate what price something should be and hence its “affordability”? Or are you just going to ignore that major problem with your plans like you always do?

Uh huh. Silence. That’s what I thought.

We already have Medicaid for the “poor” who supposedly can’t afford health insurance and Medicare for the elderly who are dubbed by the left as too stupid to save for their own needs after retirement and Congress wants to make families with an income of up to $80,000 eligible for SCHIP. How much more do we have to give?

Once again, please let myself and other Americans that still actually believe in liberty have real choice and chose to pass on this and chose not to contribute to the program. But then again, that “choice” isn’t one of the government approved “choices” now is it?

For the left, “choice” is simply a mandate from them. And you will abide by it “or else”. If not they will eventually get you with future punishments that don’t exist at this time while they stick the camel’s nose under the tent today.

"The sad reality is that the uninsured don't just struggle with costs themselves, they impose costs on the rest of us," Clinton said. And why is that? Is it because politicians and the courts let them impose these problems on us by allowing them to get out of paying their debts, bailing them out with tax payer dollars and maybe only at best paying a fraction of the cost to those that provide their services thus increasing costs to the rest of us? There once was a time in America when if you owed a debt you paid it you either paid it, rotted in jail or were ordered to work off you debts to those you owed them to.

But then again, hard work scares liberals. Responsibility is too much to ask them to promote. So those concepts are certainly not on the table. But government mandates? Heck, that’s the way they think they can create utopia!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/aarp-other-liberals-spearhead-charge-for-clintoncare-ii-219155.html

About the Author:J.J. Jackson is the owner of American Conservative Daily Blog . He is also the lead designer for The Right Things - Conservative Political T-shirts . His weekly articles and exclusive content can be found at Liberty Reborn .

A Hillary by Any Other Name

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the former first lady. I will admit my thoughts are not positive in nature. I try to not let them seep into a hateful rage and remain grounded in the truth that this is a women with the wrong set of ideas. I think many individuals are thinking about this women especially as she runs for our nation's highest office. But I wonder sometimes what the fate of this women would be if her last name was Smith or Jones? Would we be talking about Hillary Smith as the next President of the United States? I am of the opinion that we would not and there is where I see the real problem.

I suppose by my comments that I imply a certain illegitimacy to Senator Clinton's presidential run. The problem is that without her infamous attachment with her president husband I do not see how politician Hillary emerges to run for chief of the West Wing. Certainly I think most would have to admit this fact and in doing so might have to concede, Hillary Clinton is an artificial candidate created by creators of the Bill Clinton mystique.

I would say that Mrs. Clinton has used this mystique and the presumed glamorous times of the nineties with the Clinton White House occupation in her quest to fulfill her ambitions. Ambitions that have recently come to light in books detailing the Clinton's partnership and alliance to make all of their political dreams come true. It happened for Bill and as his time in the sun set Hillary's was beginning to rise.

She was not content to live out the behind the scenes life of a former first lady but instead to seek out some of the same glory and power her husband enjoyed. So she pursued a Senate seat in New York, a state very accepting of her kind, liberals. She now had the position to cultivate real political experience. She was not long for the Senate and we now have candidate Hillary again, but this time she wants her own keys to the White House. And with her husband's political machine, and deity-like image among Democrats behind her, she has vaulted to position number one for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Hillary finds herself in a top three with a one-term senator and a first-term senator. Not a group with a vast amount of political dirt under the fingernails. No, the real experienced pols have been relegated to the proverbial second-tier status. The Democrats say they want change, maybe shying away from experience is what they mean by that?

Not that I am saying that Washington experience is the be all end all or even preferred in most cases. I just cringe when I hear the pundits and sycophants drool over their top-tier candidates and most notably Mrs. Clinton. All I hear is how experienced she is and how that will be a welcome change from our current president. Well from reading her bio on Wikipedia I have found that before becoming a senator she was a lawyer, served on some corporate board, and was wife to a philandering pervert. That may qualify her for life in Washington D.C. but does that constitute a presidential resume?

I think it is great if some no-name American wants to throw their hat into the ring of politics. It is certainly every citizens right to run for public office. I just have a problem with this one particular politician because of the office she is running for. Seething rage will only get you so far before you have to look at the opposition's ideas. The truth is I believe that the junior senator from New York is wrong on the ideas. I worry that she may get that chance to sit behind the desk in the Oval Office, because at this point in history she just might get that chance. I just hope there are enough worriers out across the country who see the disaster on the horizon. Because that is what I think a Hillary Clinton presidency would be, a disaster. Whether it be a naive approach to foreign policy or an over expansion of government control of our lives, I think selecting such a leader would be a mistake. My point is that I wonder if we would even have these concerns if she was a Hillary by any other name?