Author: James William Smith
His Presidential campaign was left for dead by almost everyone in the late summer of 2007. Many of his senior advisors had quit his campaign or had been fired. In just six months, his campaign had run through its sizable financial war chest ($25 million) and was broke. However, these sad occurrences were not even his worst problem.
McCain had just negotiated a compromise bill with Democrats behind close doors. The Republican Party's conservative base hated the path to citizenship for illegal aliens proposal that was a result of his sponsored bill. Both conservative and independent voters saw the compromise bill as amnesty for illegal aliens and swarmed Washington like angry bees around honey. The very people whose votes McCain needed to win the 2008 Presidential election killed his immigration bill. His Republican supporters felt betrayed and his public opinion poll numbers plunged well below 10% nationwide. He sank to fourth place in public opinion polls in the early primary voting state of New Hampshire.
McCain was running a campaign that could not manage money, made bad hiring decisions, and had a tin ear concerning one of the most important issues to his base of support. Worse, he was making decisions behind close doors and looked like a Washington insider. This in an election year in which the public almost unanimously disapproves of the way Congress is doing its job. Indeed, by the early fall of 2007, John McCain looked like the ultimate Washington insider. He appeared to the Republican Party as old, out of touch, and his campaign looked to be finished.
What McCain has done since his campaign's late summer low point is what he has done successfully throughout his life. This man, when faced with extreme adversity, simply does not quit. McCain stopped spending money and carried his own bags. He took buses instead of planes. He poked fun at himself and at his advanced age. He was always open and amicable to reporter. He has continued to campaign tirelessly. It has also helped McCain that the troop surge in Iraq which he has long supported is working.
The voting public appreciates McCain's campaign persistence and the fact that his campaign is not staged and reliant on every public opinion poll. The result is that McCain is suddenly surging as the election draws near. He has moved within two points of the lead in the New Hampshire primary that he has to win. Nationally, McCain is now within 4% of Republican leaders, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.
In the last few weeks, his support has doubled in Iowa. In addition, the latest polling has indicated that McCain has the lowest core opposition of any candidate in this year's election in either party (Rasmussen). Republicans will also consider that McCain is leading in a trial match up with every Democratic candidate in the general election.
In this Presidential election campaign, the voters want change. However they do not want to create unnecessary political risk inherent with that change. Therefore, experience is also a valuable commodity. A person's character is always well considered by the voting public. In the last several months, McCain has demonstrated both his character and experience in adversity.
Still, McCain's road to winning the Republican Presidential nomination has many obstacles. He does not have the money in his campaign war chest to properly compete for primary voters nationwide. It is essential that he win the primary election in New Hampshire for his campaign to remain viable. McCain also needs to somehow reclaim some of the support from conservative voters that he lost in the last six months. The truth is that he should have stayed away from the illegal immigration issue and gone on vacation last summer.
The good news for McCain is that it is a volatile election year and all the candidates are still very close in the public opinion polls. As a result, the 2008 Republican primary election could turn out to be an extended war of attrition. If that is the case, we should never underestimate this former American hero and POW. In any war, based on his courage, discipline, integrity and character, John McCain could well be the last man standing.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/the-last-man-standing-could-be-john-mccain-292278.html
About the Author:
James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events.Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Daily Drudge
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Daily Drudge
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Fox News All Stars
The candidacy of John McCain was put to the panel for discussion, and his apparent rise or surge in some polls. The clearest representation of this is in New Hampshire where polls have him trailing Mitt Romney in second place. Fred Barnes has noticed the response to McCain in recent weeks as well. "I went out with him last week, and he's getting larger crowds, he's getting enormous interest." So why the new found interest in McCain? Barnes goes on to explain the enormous character of McCain as a defining feature, one that will attract those who might have written him off months ago. The panel's focus on John McCain centered on his Christmas ad that pointed to him experience as a POW, and its religious overtones. Part of the reawakening to McCain might be his chances against the Democratic candidate in a head to head match up. Bret Baier mentioned a new poll that put McCain up five points against Hillary Clinton. Republicans want a win in '08 and if John McCain is the candidate to defeat the Democrats, especially Hillary, Republicans might warm up to the Arizona Senator. But as Charles Krauthammer points out the significance of New Hampshire for John McCain, the hope is that it launches him forward to the other contests. The all stars also touched on Huckabee's comments about the Bush foreign policy being one of bunker mentality. Condolezza Rice flatly denied such claims in a recent press conference. Fred Barnes regarded Huckabee's claims as false citing the United State's attempts at multilateral meetings with North Korea in an attempt to get them to give up their nuclear weapons. He also mentioned the efforts in dealing with Iran. Mort Kondracke felt that Romney in Iowa, and McCain in New Hampshire, might gain from voter apprehension aimed at Huckabee. Recent comments by Huckabee have caused some to question his foreign policy strategy or philosophy. Competing views of our entry into Iraq, Kondracke wondering if world opinion and Middle East stability would be the current condition, and Krauthammer and Barnes not buying that notion with Krauthammer calling Kondracke's assumptions, "pie in the sky."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/panel_on_huckabeerice_axis_of.html
Courtesy of www.realclearpolitics.com
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/panel_on_huckabeerice_axis_of.html
Courtesy of www.realclearpolitics.com
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Daily Drudge
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Vlad's $40B Stash?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2230924,00.html
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Helping Liberals Find Their Truth
The Truth Generator-Liberals, no more hours wasted coming up with responses to those you hate, loathe, and despise.
I came across a site recently that was aimed at helping liberals find their truth.
"Attention progressive, socialist, liberal, pacifist, anarchist, feminist, or environmentalist debaters! Whether you are fighting the class enemy over the Internet, in school, or at your parent's house over dinner, this tool is for you. No more awkward mumbling or looking for the right word! Just enter your ideological opponent's name and generate a Progressive Truth that will render your enemies speechless!"
http://www.thepeoplescube.com/red/viewtopic.php?t=297
Read more at The People's Cube
Courtesy of www.thepeoplescube.com
I came across a site recently that was aimed at helping liberals find their truth.
"Attention progressive, socialist, liberal, pacifist, anarchist, feminist, or environmentalist debaters! Whether you are fighting the class enemy over the Internet, in school, or at your parent's house over dinner, this tool is for you. No more awkward mumbling or looking for the right word! Just enter your ideological opponent's name and generate a Progressive Truth that will render your enemies speechless!"
http://www.thepeoplescube.com/red/viewtopic.php?t=297
Read more at The People's Cube
Courtesy of www.thepeoplescube.com
The Daily Drudge
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Huckaboom Boom Boom; Tops National Poll
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1952159120071219?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Courtesy of http://www.drudgereport.com/
Huckaboom Boom Boom; Tops National Poll
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1952159120071219?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Courtesy of http://www.drudgereport.com/
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Daily Drudge
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Bush Dad 'Will Help President Hillary Restore USA Image'
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/18/bill-clinton-george-hw-bush-will-help-president-hillary/
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Bush Dad 'Will Help President Hillary Restore USA Image'
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/18/bill-clinton-george-hw-bush-will-help-president-hillary/
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Holiday Torture-Christmasboarding Liberals by J.J. Jackson
Author: J.J. Jackson
When the founding fathers repeatedly referred to God through various flowery and reverent terms in the Declaration of Independence, there was a reason for it. The reason is that they believed in God as men of deep Judeo-Christian faith.
When George Washington prayed at Valley Forge he did not do so just because he thought that it might have been a novel idea. No, there was a deeper reason for it. That reason was his Christian faith.
When the founding fathers as one proudly proclaimed in writing upon signing the United States Constitution that they did such “in the year of our Lord”, they did not do so for window dressing. They did so because they all believed in some way in the Christian God.
When John Adams stated boldly that the constitution, “was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,” he didn’t just blurt those words out. No, he said them because he, like so many others believed in God and had engrained that faith into our country and our founding documents.
Now, I could go on and on and spend this entire article citing historical examples that tie the Judeo-Christian faith into the very fabric of America. But what I would rather do is make a joyous suggestion to everyone. That suggestion is to do your civic duty this Christmas season and annoy a liberal.
How? Well I am glad you asked! Annoy them by subjecting them to a torture that is so unbearable, so repulsive, so unmentionable in polite company that you will no doubt be hearing rumblings from the United Nations about how it should be made illegal. Am I talking about waterboarding? Heck no. I am talking about something far worse. So please, consider Christmasboarding a liberal while you still can.
What is Christmasboarding?
It’s quite simple really. Anytime a liberal approaches you in the coming days and wants to deny reality this Christmas, you simply hit them over the head with the truth. The great thing is that you don’t actually have to tie them down to do this because they will be so incensed with their own outrage that you would dare put reality before them that they will be paralyzed and unable to move. Thus making your task all the easier.
When a liberal steeped in political correctness approaches you and wishes you “Happy Holidays” you simply respond by saying, “And a Merry Christmas to you.”
When the liberal chides you for being so “exclusive” in your greeting, you simply again wish them a “Merry Christmas”.
When the liberal complains that you are being “insensitive” by not including all faiths in your wishes of good tiding you yet again wish them, this time with a smile, a “Merry Christmas”.
When the liberal points wildly at the beautifully decorated tree in the town square and shouts, “Don’t you see the ‘Holiday Tree’?!?” you get an even bigger grin and say, “Yes, I see the Christmas Tree.” And then again wish them a “Merry Christmas.”
Now, red faced and distraught, the liberal will start demanding answers to other questions trying in vain to escape from your clutches and the horrific experience you are putting them through. When they ask you through foaming spit if you even understand how Jesus was not even born on December 25th. You just smile and say, “I know and Merry Christmas.”
When the liberal raises his or her voice to a fevered scream and asks you if you even know that this “Christmas” thing used to be a pagan holiday, you just keep smiling and say, “Yes,” and quickly follow with, “Merry Christmas.”
When he or she threatens to call the police on you for harassing them by refusing to stop saying “Merry Christmas,” you swell with pride and say, “Good, then I can wish our law enforcement a Merry Christmas too!”
At this point you will hear a loud “pop”. That is the sound of the liberal’s brain burning out and you will see a blank stare cross their face and they will collapse into the fetal position, begin sucking on their thumbs and muttering over and over, “Separation of church and state ... I will not recognize religion exists ... the ACLU will save me ...”
And then you can just walk away and search for the next liberal to Christmasboard.
Merry Christmas and have fun!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/holiday-torture-christmasboarding-liberals-283667.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 .
When the founding fathers repeatedly referred to God through various flowery and reverent terms in the Declaration of Independence, there was a reason for it. The reason is that they believed in God as men of deep Judeo-Christian faith.
When George Washington prayed at Valley Forge he did not do so just because he thought that it might have been a novel idea. No, there was a deeper reason for it. That reason was his Christian faith.
When the founding fathers as one proudly proclaimed in writing upon signing the United States Constitution that they did such “in the year of our Lord”, they did not do so for window dressing. They did so because they all believed in some way in the Christian God.
When John Adams stated boldly that the constitution, “was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,” he didn’t just blurt those words out. No, he said them because he, like so many others believed in God and had engrained that faith into our country and our founding documents.
Now, I could go on and on and spend this entire article citing historical examples that tie the Judeo-Christian faith into the very fabric of America. But what I would rather do is make a joyous suggestion to everyone. That suggestion is to do your civic duty this Christmas season and annoy a liberal.
How? Well I am glad you asked! Annoy them by subjecting them to a torture that is so unbearable, so repulsive, so unmentionable in polite company that you will no doubt be hearing rumblings from the United Nations about how it should be made illegal. Am I talking about waterboarding? Heck no. I am talking about something far worse. So please, consider Christmasboarding a liberal while you still can.
What is Christmasboarding?
It’s quite simple really. Anytime a liberal approaches you in the coming days and wants to deny reality this Christmas, you simply hit them over the head with the truth. The great thing is that you don’t actually have to tie them down to do this because they will be so incensed with their own outrage that you would dare put reality before them that they will be paralyzed and unable to move. Thus making your task all the easier.
When a liberal steeped in political correctness approaches you and wishes you “Happy Holidays” you simply respond by saying, “And a Merry Christmas to you.”
When the liberal chides you for being so “exclusive” in your greeting, you simply again wish them a “Merry Christmas”.
When the liberal complains that you are being “insensitive” by not including all faiths in your wishes of good tiding you yet again wish them, this time with a smile, a “Merry Christmas”.
When the liberal points wildly at the beautifully decorated tree in the town square and shouts, “Don’t you see the ‘Holiday Tree’?!?” you get an even bigger grin and say, “Yes, I see the Christmas Tree.” And then again wish them a “Merry Christmas.”
Now, red faced and distraught, the liberal will start demanding answers to other questions trying in vain to escape from your clutches and the horrific experience you are putting them through. When they ask you through foaming spit if you even understand how Jesus was not even born on December 25th. You just smile and say, “I know and Merry Christmas.”
When the liberal raises his or her voice to a fevered scream and asks you if you even know that this “Christmas” thing used to be a pagan holiday, you just keep smiling and say, “Yes,” and quickly follow with, “Merry Christmas.”
When he or she threatens to call the police on you for harassing them by refusing to stop saying “Merry Christmas,” you swell with pride and say, “Good, then I can wish our law enforcement a Merry Christmas too!”
At this point you will hear a loud “pop”. That is the sound of the liberal’s brain burning out and you will see a blank stare cross their face and they will collapse into the fetal position, begin sucking on their thumbs and muttering over and over, “Separation of church and state ... I will not recognize religion exists ... the ACLU will save me ...”
And then you can just walk away and search for the next liberal to Christmasboard.
Merry Christmas and have fun!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/holiday-torture-christmasboarding-liberals-283667.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 .
Do We Want to See This in the White House?
Rush Limbaugh poses the question. Are we ready to watch a woman age in the White House. We know that the White House takes a toll on its Oval Office inhabitants. The difference is that society views women aging in a different light then men. Rush was commenting on the photo from the photo above posted on The Drudge Report, the caption read, "The Toll of the Campaign." Limbaugh stated his comments were not so much a focus on Hillary as a reflecting on the views of those who focus on looks and appearance in this country. Might physical appearance be a deciding factor on the election? With our societal makeup the way it is it just might be.
Photo courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Daily Drudge
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Iran Vows Second Nuke Plant
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/17/africa/17iran.5.php
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Iran Vows Second Nuke Plant
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/17/africa/17iran.5.php
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Friday, December 14, 2007
Fox News All Stars
The weekly group had another set of topics to discuss, all found in the Dec. 13th transcript. The panel discussed the recent Democratic debate in Des Moines yesterday. While only marginally more interesting then the Republican's debate one moment stood out for the panel. It happened to be an exchange between Obama and Clinton after a question was asked of Senator Obama. Hillary it seems could not bite her tongue.
CAROLYN WASHBURN, "DES MOINES REGISTER": With relatively little foreign policy experience of your own, how will you rely on so many Clinton advisors and still deliver the break from the past that you're promising voters?
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know, I am--
SEN HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to hear that!
OBAMA: You want to hear that? Well, Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well.
The panel agreed that Obama handled the situation the right way and came out of the debate the victor over Hillary. Overall the sentiment of Barnes, Kondracke, and Krauthammer was that these debates, both Democrat and Republican, were not worth much. Hillary's falling numbers were discussed and the recent issue of Bill Shaheen, a Hillary operative, quitting amid his comments about Obama and cocaine use. Between softball questions and not asking others, dealing with Iraq, Iran, the surge, or interrogation, were some of the panel's criticisms. The other issue covered was major league baseball and George Mitchell's report detailing alleged steroid users. The fallout from the report was discussed and the direction that MLB baseball will go in when dealing with steroids.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/roundtable_on_the_democratic_d.html
Courtesy of http://www.realpolitics.com/
CAROLYN WASHBURN, "DES MOINES REGISTER": With relatively little foreign policy experience of your own, how will you rely on so many Clinton advisors and still deliver the break from the past that you're promising voters?
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know, I am--
SEN HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to hear that!
OBAMA: You want to hear that? Well, Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well.
The panel agreed that Obama handled the situation the right way and came out of the debate the victor over Hillary. Overall the sentiment of Barnes, Kondracke, and Krauthammer was that these debates, both Democrat and Republican, were not worth much. Hillary's falling numbers were discussed and the recent issue of Bill Shaheen, a Hillary operative, quitting amid his comments about Obama and cocaine use. Between softball questions and not asking others, dealing with Iraq, Iran, the surge, or interrogation, were some of the panel's criticisms. The other issue covered was major league baseball and George Mitchell's report detailing alleged steroid users. The fallout from the report was discussed and the direction that MLB baseball will go in when dealing with steroids.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/roundtable_on_the_democratic_d.html
Courtesy of http://www.realpolitics.com/
The Economics of the Left and Right
I ripped this post from a website I came across and I thought it would be interesting to share. For those who want a distinction between how the left and right view economics, here is one man's classifies that difference.
- The right sees large deadweight losses associated with taxation and, therefore, is worried about the growth of government as a share in the economy. The left sees smaller elasticities of supply and demand and, therefore, is less worried about the distortionary effect of taxes.
- The right sees externalities as an occasional market failure that calls for government intervention, but sees this as relatively rare exception to the general rule that markets lead to efficient allocations. The left sees externalities as more pervasive.
- The right sees competition as a pervasive feature of the economy and market power as typically limited both in magnitude and duration. The left sees large corporations with substantial degrees of monopoly power that need to be checked by active antitrust policy.
- The right sees people as largely rational, doing the best the can given the constraints they face. The left sees people making systematic errors and believe that it is the government role’s to protect people from their own mistakes.
- The right sees government as a terribly inefficient mechanism for allocating resources, subject to special-interest politics at best and rampant corruption at worst. The left sees government as the main institution that can counterbalance the effects of the all-too-powerful marketplace.
- There is one last issue that divides the right and the left—perhaps the most important one. That concerns the issue of income distribution. Is the market-based distribution of income fair or unfair, and if unfair, what should the government do about it? That is such a big topic that I will devote the entire next lecture to it.
You can find the original posting of this at http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-do-right-and-left-differ.html
Greg Mankiw's Blog
The Daily Drudge
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Blast: Storm Moves into the Northeast
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071213/D8TGS6D00.html
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Blast: Storm Moves into the Northeast
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071213/D8TGS6D00.html
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Free a Country, Save the World
The debate has been great over our involvement in the Middle East. Many see our intervention into Iraq as a wasted venture. The results of this, they claim, are dead soldiers and a soaring operational cost. Hard pressed would you be to find one on the left who supports our efforts and increasingly the same can be said for those on the right. On the right this usually manifests itself in the ideology of the libertarian, paleoconservative, the isolationist. That opinion has a voice in this year's presidential election in the form of Ron Paul. His message is clear, no foreign involvement, we are not nation builders. I have thought about that term nation building and what it represents. Is it our singular goal in the Middle East to create it in our own image? Is our country trying to sow its imperialist roots in Iraq? I think many would say yes and not all of them would come from the left side of the aisle.
I can certainly see where the other side is coming from. No one wants to see good men and women die and certainly not in a fruitless and pointless effort. But that would mean defining our mission as pointless and I am not sure I am ready to do that. That idea runs counter to those suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome, they see the war in Iraq as a campaign for loot and plunder by an imperialist in the form of George W. Bush. I am one who with whole heart rejects that notion and believes that this is a president who believes that all in the world deserve democracy.
And that is really what the problem is, isn't it? We have become a country who has forgotten or taken for granted what democracy is. We have enjoyed it for so long we accept it as a part of our nation's fabric. But how did we get that democracy we all enjoy? We had to fight for it from those that would oppress us and keeps us under a tyrannical thumb. The people in places like Iraq, and unfortunately too many other nations, lived under such a creature. Tyrants, dictators, call them whatever you will, they do much more then keep their own people down. With the increasing flattening of our world, these people pose more of a threats to us and our allies.
Many would say that we should not force democracy of a country that has not accepted it. The problem is that they have not had the chance. They are ruled by those who know we with free society they lose their tight grip over their people. When we talk about democracy not belonging in a country, we are saying that those people do not deserve to live in a society where they do not have to fear what they say. All people deserve that much no matter where they live or god they worship. If we are an equal world with equal individuals we should banner that sentiment. Freedom and democracy does not need to be a commodity unique only to America.
I would also make the point that by a free Iraq that it increases our security and safety. In an increasing radicalization of the Middle East we need stable partners to be rational minds combating radical Islam. The rest of the world will also benefit from such a situation, although not total participants in our efforts. For too long in our recent history have we ignored what is happening off our coasts. That changed in the year 2001 when our country got the wake up call it desperately did not want. We will no longer have the option of sticking head in sand, though I fear many subscribe to this foreign policy. Democracy for the rest of the world does not mean a copycat of our American system, in fact they might benefit from avoiding our model since we seem to have trouble with it ourselves. But societies where people can freely express support and dissent without fear of tyrannical retribution is something we should fight for and champion. It is something that our founding fathers and patriots recognized and fought for, and I for one am glad they did.
I can certainly see where the other side is coming from. No one wants to see good men and women die and certainly not in a fruitless and pointless effort. But that would mean defining our mission as pointless and I am not sure I am ready to do that. That idea runs counter to those suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome, they see the war in Iraq as a campaign for loot and plunder by an imperialist in the form of George W. Bush. I am one who with whole heart rejects that notion and believes that this is a president who believes that all in the world deserve democracy.
And that is really what the problem is, isn't it? We have become a country who has forgotten or taken for granted what democracy is. We have enjoyed it for so long we accept it as a part of our nation's fabric. But how did we get that democracy we all enjoy? We had to fight for it from those that would oppress us and keeps us under a tyrannical thumb. The people in places like Iraq, and unfortunately too many other nations, lived under such a creature. Tyrants, dictators, call them whatever you will, they do much more then keep their own people down. With the increasing flattening of our world, these people pose more of a threats to us and our allies.
Many would say that we should not force democracy of a country that has not accepted it. The problem is that they have not had the chance. They are ruled by those who know we with free society they lose their tight grip over their people. When we talk about democracy not belonging in a country, we are saying that those people do not deserve to live in a society where they do not have to fear what they say. All people deserve that much no matter where they live or god they worship. If we are an equal world with equal individuals we should banner that sentiment. Freedom and democracy does not need to be a commodity unique only to America.
I would also make the point that by a free Iraq that it increases our security and safety. In an increasing radicalization of the Middle East we need stable partners to be rational minds combating radical Islam. The rest of the world will also benefit from such a situation, although not total participants in our efforts. For too long in our recent history have we ignored what is happening off our coasts. That changed in the year 2001 when our country got the wake up call it desperately did not want. We will no longer have the option of sticking head in sand, though I fear many subscribe to this foreign policy. Democracy for the rest of the world does not mean a copycat of our American system, in fact they might benefit from avoiding our model since we seem to have trouble with it ourselves. But societies where people can freely express support and dissent without fear of tyrannical retribution is something we should fight for and champion. It is something that our founding fathers and patriots recognized and fought for, and I for one am glad they did.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Syndication Weekly
I introduce into this weekly feature, a women, Mona Charen. She is a very accomplished syndicated columnist, and political analyst. In her latest column she addresses the press and presents a challenge for them to consider. Charen discusses the recent rash of episodes involving disturbed individuals who commit heinous crimes. She points to the Omaha shooter, the man at the Hillary Clinton headquarters in New Hampshire, and the Virginia Tech tragedy. The problem is the coverage of the media who gives these people a name and face. The thought is that this might lead to copycats that will respond with their own attention-seeking behavior. That is Charen's message in this column, these are individuals seeking fame. With a life of little notice or distinction these types of people seek out that one glorious moment when the whole world will know their name. This is where the danger in presenting these people with a stage to conduct their gruesome play. It seems to be an ever increasing reality of our society that is mesmerized by reality t.v., Charen writes about the American lust for fame. She calls upon the media to take ownership of the problem, because it a problem for them to handle alone. Charen points to the fact that the media has limited itself to not publishing the names of rape victims. She would ask the same treatment for those who commit such horrendous crimes. As she puts it, "deny oxygen to this terrible fire," I could not agree more.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MonaCharen/2007/12/07/a_challenge_to_the_press
Courtesy of www.townhall.com
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MonaCharen/2007/12/07/a_challenge_to_the_press
Courtesy of www.townhall.com
The Daily Drudge
The top headline from The Drudge Report
Clinton Camp Targets Obama's Drug Use
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071212/D8TG6QUG0.html
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Clinton Camp Targets Obama's Drug Use
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071212/D8TG6QUG0.html
Courtesy of www.drudgereport.com
Monday, December 10, 2007
Fox News All-Stars
The Sunday crowd covered many topics. One of the things discussed was the campaign of Barack Obama. He has risen in the polls and has found a new campaign partner in Oprah Winfrey. The group discussed what impact if any this will have on his run for his party's nomination. The round table also talked about Mitt Romney's faith speech he made recently. Some have called this his J.F.K. moment, alluding to the speech President Kennedy made about his Catholic faith. The panel notes that Romney's speech might be to Huckabee's rise, especially in Iowa, and the competition for the evangelical vote. Finally the all-stars discussed the recent issue of the CIA and the destruction of videotapes. The issue is starting to garner attention, especially by Democrats in Congress.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/huckabee_mccain_on_fox_news_su.html
Courtesy of http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/huckabee_mccain_on_fox_news_su.html
Courtesy of http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
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The Woman Who Stopped the Carnage
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