So Much for the "Peace Dividend"

"How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments of every hostile nation?"

--James Madison
Federalist No. 41

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Even Diests Agree . . .

"That wise Men have in all Ages thought Government necessary for the Good of Mankind; and, that wise Governments have always thought Religion necessary for the well ordering and well-being of Society, and accordingly have been ever careful to encourage and protect the Ministers of it, paying them the highest publick Honours, that their Doctrines might thereby meet with the greater Respect among the common People."

--Benjamin Franklin

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

--[ HogafflaHage ]--

--[ HogafflaHage ]--

Just for fun.

Tsunami Video

Cheese and Crackers has some links to video of the tsunami in Asia.

The Dot Blog Boom

PatrickRuffini has some interesting insights on the next step for the blogsphere.

Here's the Fortune article to which he refers.

Out In the Blogsphere

ME NO MAKE MOTHER EARTH MAD: IowaHawk has the story.

WAR IS BAD....NO DUH! Outside the Beltway found the source and has more links to other stories.

HONOR THE SOLDIERS: Hoosier Parliament has a link to a slideshow honoring our brave soldiers in Iraq. It's a must see!

PROTESTORS: Captain's Quarters has a letter from a Lt. Col. assigned to the Pentagon who wonders why no peaceful protests in support of the war occur to counter the "moonbat" protests now taking place.

CALIFORNIA YANKEE'S FIRE: Our hearts go out to California Yankee who gives us an account of the fire he endured at his home during the holidays.

GEORGIA GOV. RACE ABOUT TO HEAT UP: Erick Erickson has the inside scoop.

GUARANTEEING THE U.N.: Right Voices informs us how the U.N. requests a guarantee for a loan to build a new New York based facility. I am sure this rings true for Americans who are feeling so bad about their stingy ways.

LA SHAWN'S 2005 WISH LIST: La Shawn Barber shares here Blogsphere dreams for 2005. La Shawn, Opinion Times is as good a name as Instapundit. I'll apply! And it will allow me to fulfill my dream of properly naming the mass of bloggers out there.

DUKE HOSTS PRO-TERROR CONFERENCE: Power Line informs us that Duke University gladly hosted a conference held by a pro-terrorist organization. "Duke president Richard Brodhead. . . found the decision to host the pro-terror organization to be "an easy one" given 'the importance of the principle free expression."" Your tax dollars at work! Doesn't the Patriot Act address such issues? Would love to know know the Homeland Security Department would handle this one.

WINTER WONDERLAND: Hoosier Parliament praises the outgoing Governor of Indiana for his prompt attention to the recent snowstorms. NOT!

THE ISLAMOFASCIST NEWS CYCLE: Froggy Ruminations notes the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of Osama Bin Laden's spin machine. With due reservation, we at Opinion Times announce the impending irrelavence (though continued malevolence) of Osama Bin Laden.

Rather, Jennings and A US Marine

This story makes a good point.

Beware of language for those who might be offended.

Al Qaeda and Bin Laden Powerless to Change Iraq

Though many are calling the war in Iraq a disaster (on the left and the right), we're winning. And this most recent video of Osama Bin Laden proves it.

All Bin Laden now has to show for his attempt to cause the downfall of America on 9/11 is reduced to praise for Al-Zarqawi's efforts in Iraq. He has done nothing worldwide or in the United States to prove he has anything like the network he once operated. All he has left is a cache of weapons delivered to al-Zarqawi's people by Saddam Hussein prior to Allied Force occupation of Baghdad after the invasion of Iraq.

Though we would like to see more tangible progress internationally (as though Afghanistani elections were not enough), this seems to be proof that we are winning the international war on terror. Once Iraqi elections are held, the death knell of al-Qaeda will have been delivered. Bin Laden (or whomever may have fabricated this most recent video) knows with successful Iraqi elections their time of international influence will have come to a close.

A Must Read Email From an American Soldier!

I found The this link on Amy Ridenour's website. It is a fantastic letter from Iraq.

It's a much different perspective of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Against all reporting inthe MSM, he acuatlly has a human side to him. When confronted with a severly wounded soldier when visiting a military ICU unit:

"[the recently wounded] young soldier, who had just lost his left hand and right eye from an explosion, came to the defense of the Secretary of Defense, stating 'Mr. Rumsfeld, I want you to know, that you are doing a fantastic job. I know that you are taking a lot of heat for the problems with getting armor for vehicles. I want you to know that things are vastly improved. Our vehicles are great, and I have never searched through junk piles for scrap metal.'

At this point, Rumsfeld looked choked up, and I had a lump in my throat and and watery eyes. It was moving. What makes a man who has been so close to death, and maimed for life, come to the defense of the Army's highest ranking official? Loyalty, I dare say. Did Rob think Mr. Rumsfeld was having a self-esteem problem? In his greatest hour of need, his thoughts went to the emotional needs of another. I found it quite amazing, and moving. "

Bravo Mr. Secretary. We are all praying for you! And we believe you are doing a fine job!

Mrs. Victor Yushchenko

Amy Ridenour turns out to be a friend of Kateryna Chumachenko Yushchenko, the wife of Victor Yushchenko, the recently elected President of Ukraine.

It turns out that she knows her very well and is claiming that the former Reagan administration official will be a strong advocate of freedom in the former Soviet bloc country.

So now, fellow bloggers, I will go out on a limb -- a very sturdy one in this case -- and tell you that when you read tea leaves on anything related to Victor Yushchenko, look for comments made by his wife, and trust them to be true.

Let's hope her predictions are true. If so, then we can look for great things there. Ukraine has an abundance of natural resources, is the European agricultural "Bread Basket" and has other advantages which would allow it to have great influence because of its probable economic growth.

If Putin's Russia doesn't successfully undermine the democratic process--as it apparently attempted to do in the recent elections--, this should be a great success for democracy world-wide.

Tsunami

Backcountry Conservative shares with us this compilation of accounts of the Tsunami from Asian bloggers.

I friend from Sri Lanka told me today that her family is doing well, but some of her friends are either dead or have dead family members. She said that many of the tourists who died stayed on shore to take pictures when the first wave came in, but were unaware that they were observing their doom as the 100ft wave was staring them down.

I've been to India many times. My experience of living conditions in that area puts horror in my mind as I think of such a disaster playing out.

My prayers are with many people there and for Christian humanitarian efforts to step up and fill in the gaps this wave has caused to normal life in that region.

Holiday Travel And Gratitude

I so appreciated LaShawn Barber's comments about her travel dilemma this past weekend.

I commented to her post that the same thing happened to my father-in-law attempting to come to Arizona from Philadelphia. They were quite sad about the mishap, and my boys were very disappointed not to see their grandparents. But in the end, it was a joy on Sunday morning for my 8-year-old to come into my bed and cuddle up to me and say “Daddy, this was the best Christmas ever!”

There is joy in this wonderful season we know not of. But patience and a true fatih in the One who made it all that he will bless the birth of his Son brings great peace and satisfaction.

Troops Support the War

USATODAY reports that a poll by the Military Times shows that a solid majority of soldiers serving in Iraq support the war and the administration. The percentages are strongest among those who have served longer.

It is not news that soldiers are supportive of the Bush administration. It is news that they have strong support for the Iraq effort despite their experience and knowledge that the press is so negative in this country against U.S. action.

European Intransigence on the Issue of Israel

Captain's Quarters notes that Europe is placing demands on the Bush administration that they pressure Israel to work with the PLO or risk difficulty in easing strained relations over the issue of Iraq.

Captain Ed predicts that in so doing, Europe will have the same result politically that Democrats have had in this country. I agree.

Ukraine: Freedom and A Western Foothold

It is far beyond the capability of this blog to make anything like an intelligent statement on the situation in Ukraine. I like the rest of us have depended on Instapundit and others for keeping us informed on this story.

Special note should be given to Outside the Beltway who was the first of the major blog sites I read which documented the potential poisoning of Yuschenko.

Opinion Journal has a wonderful editorial on the series of events which brought Yuschenko to power and the emerging influence this reformed European country with substantial resources will have not only there but worldwide.

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."

--Thomas Jefferson

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

The Star of Bethlehem

Merry Christmas!

In keeping with the wonder, joy and fascination of the Christmas season, I offer the following.

I have always found this an interesting discussion of the astronomical origin of the Star of Bethlehem which led wise men from the east to greet Christ at His birth.

Enjoy trying to think through this important issue.

Iraq: Historical Perspective

Andrew Sullivan provides a well-timed, quote from FDR which has application to our military actions around the world today.

U.N. "Hanky Panky"

Once again, we find more evidence that the U.N. is one of the most corrupt institutions in the world. A French U.N. logistics specialist was found with "home-made pornographic videos . . . in the Democratic Republic of Congo." He was apparently using money and force to bring young Congalese women into his home to make the videos of sexual acts he performed with them.

The London Times reports that "When the police arrived the man was allegedly about to rape a 12-year-old girl sent to him in a sting operation. Three home-made porn videos and more than 50 photographs were found. . . . Investigations have already turned up 150 allegations of sexual misconduct by peacekeepers and UN staff despite the UN’s official policy of “zero-tolerance”. One found 68 allegations of misconduct in the town of Bunia alone.

UN insiders told The Times that two Russian pilots based in Mbandaka paid young girls with jars of mayonnaise and jam to have sex with them.

They filmed the sessions and sent the tapes to Russia. But the men were tipped off and left the area before UN investigators arrived.

The Moroccan peacekeeping contingent based in Kisangani — a town on the Congo River with no road links to the outside world — had one of the worst reputations. A soldier accused of rape was apparently hidden in the barracks for a year.

[These and other crimes are evidence of] rampant sexual exploitation of Congolese girls and women by the UN’s 11,000 peacekeepers and 1,000 civilians.

Once again, the U.N. proves it is inept and immoral. It has no true vision for freedom. Its leaders and institutions are led by their pants and a desire for power--among the basest motives known to mankind--rather than justice, freedom and peace.

As we reported at Opinion Times a few weeks ago, sexual misconduct and outright murder were practiced by U.N. administration in Rwanda in the 1990's. And the result of internal investigations was to award back pay to the U.N. official responsible for that U.N. mission.

I question what argument Congress or the Administration can make for continuing our association with this incorrigable institution until it is totaly reformed or abolished. The time to act is now.

Stand When No One Else Will

"Men must be ready, they must pride themselves and be happy to
sacrifice their private pleasures, passions and interests, nay,
their private friendships and dearest connections, when they
stand in competition with the rights of society."

--John Adams

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

Of Stadiums, Public Funds and "Pull-Tab" Machines

It turns out Washington, D.C. is not the only city facing stadium financing issues. Indianapolis is running around in the same circle according to Joshua Clayborn of In The Agora.

Now, I love the Colts largely because I am a Tennessee Vols fan, and I love Peyton Manning. But Indianapolis Star writer Bob Kravitz' thoughts (as quoted by Joshua) are priceless:

You think of all the pressing public services that go unfunded in this city and state, and yet, when it comes to a big, honking pleasure dome for our football team, our government is bursting with creativity.

Consider the irony: Our mayor, Bart Peterson, came into office riding a white horse named Family Values, promising to rid the streets of Sodom -- sorry, Indianapolis -- of porn shops, lingerie modeling boutiques and other monuments to degradation and debauchery.

Now, here he is, just a few years later, an expanded convention center and a new stadium in his sights, and he's gone libertarian on us. Today, he wants pull-tab machines, or basically slot machines, which eventually will turn into full-fledged casinos. What's next? Legalize prostitution and use the tax proceeds? How about decriminalizing marijuana and putting those tax dollars to good use, maybe for schools or infrastructure?

That about sums up my disagreement with taxpayer funding of stadiums (with due consideration of the definition of the term "public services").

Planned Parenthood Private Funding Down: Government Funding Up

David Limbaugh reports that Planned Parenthood's private funding has seen steady decreases recently. But they are still turning a profit on abortions and other services and their government funding is "taking up the slack."

Time to fight this issue in the states.

Minnesota legislators put forward a "Taxpayer Protection Act" in their last legislative session which would have restricted government money from being directed toward organizations which refer women to abortion providers. In Minnesota, a judicial opinion restricts funds from going directly to abortion providers, but this is not the case in every state.

Other states in which tax dollars are given to abortion providers are CA, NH, VA, IN, and others.

The good news is that when states add restrictions like parental consent laws, abortion rates decrease noticeably. Reductions in funding are a necessary next step in state policy initiatives.
--------------
UPDATE: Thanks La Shawn Barber for linking your post on the moral and spiritual foundation for preserving innocent life in the womb. I link you proudly from this site.

This post caused a big stir in the Rocky Top Brigade; of which I am a member. Those comments can be clearly seen if you follow the "comments" hyperlink below.

CE Petro, a fellow RTB member, has posted this response to my arguments. Because my response to her could not be fully posted in the comments section there, I offer them below.

You have given us all an interesting discussion on the matter of a woman's choice to pursue abortion. There's just one item you have neglected to address . . . . It's the question of whether a "fetus" is a human life. What of its rights and choices.

That is the nexus of the irreconcilable nature of the pro-choice/pro-life debate. We who believe a baby is a life beginning at conception will never concede that point. Those who believe the woman has a choice to terminate the pregnancy until birth will not easily change their beliefs either.

Notwithstanding the speciousness of your theory of the origin of abortion restrictions in this country, you do make some valid points about the difficult decisions women must take in their child-bearing years. But in my mind and the majority of others in this country, those difficulties do not begin to compare with the neglected rights of a child which cannot answer for his or her self: a child created by God and in His image.

It's one of the great paradoxes of life: the joy of childbirth can only be had through great pain and suffering. Thus childbirth becomes a parable of life as well.

Life is a question not merely of the means toward ends but of the sacrifices one must make to survive and obtain the blessings which alone bring joy. Nothing is free. Our own freedoms in this country have come only through blood and travail. But that is the price of life.

Having two sons, I know the sacrifice I must make by subordinating many choices I could have otherwise made to provide nuture and care for their physical and spiritual well-being. But the extra effort necessary to do so and the frustration it sometimes causes is but dust compared to the great joy I receive in my heart every day I have the privilege to watch them grow to "honorable manhood around [me]."

Tennyson said, "Life is not idle ore/but iron dug from central gloom . . ./and battered by the shocks of doom,/to shape and use." Though we pro-lifers recognize the challenges of a woman in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, we cannot reconcile easing that trial by the taking the life of another.

It's a choice we just cannot make.

---------
UPDATE II: More comments and replies from the CE Petro post:

From mataliandy:

"At what point do the rights of a being that has no ability to recognize and participate in life on its own supercede those of a being who is a full participant in life, contributing to the good of its friends, family, and community?"

My response:

You have proposed a "value of life" issue I believe is disingenuous at best and at worst mere hubris.

The divine origin of life theory presupposes value upon all born (or unborn) into this world. And here is the rub: it's tough for those who cannot countenance this belief, like yourself, to comprehend the seriousness of this issue to those of us who do.

"Blogosphere" or "Blogsphere"

I want to clarify the use of world "Blogosphere." I know it is common to use the word as I spelled it in the previous sentence. I disagree with that spelling and prefer "Blogsphere"--removing the "o" in the middle--largely for phonetic reasons. I hope to have a major impact on the internet by eliminating the more common spelling. I guess it's just the Noah Webster in me

UPDATE (2/14/05): Outside the Beltway has a renaming contest. I have submitted this article as my suggestion.

Simply......WOW!

Erick Erickson linked this on his site.

Simply Amazing!

Bush presses for reform on border policy

Frankly, we can do both Mr. President. But let the reader decide.

Read more here.

Will Conservative Leadership Prevail in the 109th Congress?

La Shawn Barber appropriately questions whether Republican leadership in Congress will follow through on the Conservative mandate expressed in the November elections. We should all be concerned about the follow through.

She cites an article in which Cong. Mike Pence, R-IN, Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee says, "The election was a mandate for conservative leadership in Washington . . . . It’s a new day . . .and a new Congress." And then she opines,

"Yes, but will conservatives accept the mandate and get things done? It’s not a matter of whether the Democrats will try to gum up the works. They will. Do conservatives have the courage to do what’s right?"

Knowing Mike Pence, at least the Study Committee will be standing for the agenda. But he may end up, as J.C. Watts did as leader of the Republican Caucus, butting against a brick wall of leadership which is too politically minded for its own good.

Let's hope Mike and his committee members prevail upon the "Committee of the Whole."

It's A Bad Day

Shot In The Dark posted this link. Very terrible looking.

But it was all a hoax.

News and Blog Roundup

TOP STORY: 22 Soldiers Killed in Mosul, Iraq. 22 U.S. soldiers were killed in Mosul, Iraq when insurgent terrorists fired a missle at a mess hall on the American base there. Outside the Beltway has the story. This on the heels of Tony Blair's visit to Baghdad.

More On Blair: Confessions of A Political Junkie wonders why we are supposed to like Blair when he is pushing Great Britain into the European Union. Erick has other news updates too.

Red State America = Coke America: Erick points out Jonah Goldberg's link to this map which shows another view of Red State America. It turns out that Southerners ask for a "Coke" and not a "Soda" or a "Pop". I think I'd like a Coke, thank you. Jeff the Baptist and Commonwealth Conservative have more.

Pro-Life Republicans on Judiciary: Oh! And so I don't forget, Outside the Beltway also notes the appointment of two more pro-life Senators to the Judiciary Committee. It's good news for tough battles to come for the President's judicial appointments.

Yahoo! Refuses to Help: Mark Kilmer notes that Yahoo!, Inc. will not allow the parents of a slain U.S. soldier in Iraq to read the decedant's email standing firm on their policy not to give out customer passwords.

The Declining Dollar: Jay Reding has some cogent comments about the declining dollar against the European currencies. What goes up must come down he says. And with high unemployment and slow growth in Europe, the return of the dollar is inevitable. I believe when you factor in what I believe will be the positive investment effect of Social Security reform and the remarkable rate of growth in our own economy, Jay's thesis seems to me to be right on target.

Our Top Ten Allies: The Diplomad, a conservative group of US Foreign Service Officers, picks our Top Ten allies around the world. I am sure not all in the State Department or the Democrat Party (except Joe Lieberman) agree with these.

Iraqi Attitudes: Back of the Envelope reports that Sunnis in Iraq, though happy to be free, are "humiliated" by the fact that Americans freed them from Saddam. Put's an interesting light on the situation there.

Rumsfeld's Signature: Though many are crying foul about the fact that the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld does not personally sign condolence letters for killed American servicemen in Iraq Power Line shares a letter from a family of a Marine stationed there. They don't seem to believe it is important. But sadly, now that that the Secretary has committed to sign any future letters, he'll have a busy evening tonight signing twenty more.

The Blogsphere Shines: La Shaun Barber praises the way bloggers have changed the way news is delivered in her article on National Review Online.

Fox Knows Its Red State Base

Confessions Of A Political Junkie noticed it too. FoxNews is consistently showing Christmas clips with relevant verses of scripture. The are also highlighting the Bah! Humbug attitude swirling in the public square.

News Roundup

From Confessions Of A Political Junkie.

The Two Most Destructive Governmental Powers

The Federalist Patriot frames the theoretical basis for upcoming debates over our current tax system and problems with the judiciary.

"The two most invasive authorities of the federal (central) government are the power of the judiciary to legislate by diktat, and the power of Congress to levy taxes -- both of which were sources of great concern to our Founders. "

. . . Worthy reading. . . . Worthy discussion.

Democrat Corruption in Indiana

In a strange sequence of events in Indiana, Hoosier Parliament notes a rash of arrests and investigations due to corrupt political practices among Democrats there.

The Morning Blog Roundup

SNL Outrage: Outside the Beltway and Michelle Malkin comment on the Saturday Night Live skit which depicted Rush Limbaugh collapsing in his own vomit due to a drug overdose. SNL also had a skit calling the red states a term tantamount to--but much more derogatory than--"idiots." As an insider for the show said, ""Would we have done this to [John] Belushi? [Chris] Farley?" the source said on Sunday from New York." And Michelle Malkin says, "There's the liberal holiday spirit for you. Pathetic losers."

Warner for Governor; I Mean President: Commonwealth Conservative discusses the nascent Presidential campaign of Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia. As the non-SNL Dems seek to reach out to the red states, Warner is much less liberal in his political outlook--a la former Governor Doug Wilder who's first campaign Warner ran. Yet like Wilder, Warner is still a thorn in conservative sides.

Can Scholars Be Deceived? The American Mind actually found out that the intellectual elite can actually hold kooky beliefs. What a revelation!

Turkey in the EU: The Diplomad while pondering the entrance of Turkey into the European Union questions the current scope of our relationship with the EU at all.

Merle Haggard for Poet Laureate? Power Line finds that the legendary country music star is the object of a campaign in California to make him Poet Laureate. The Gipper--a great country music fan and friend of Haggard--would be very proud.

Iranian Blogging Exploding: Captain's Quarters--a daily must read at Opinion Times--shows the growing political effect of bloggers in Iran. Read this article. It has implications for freedom everywhere, including our own country. A free press is one of the pillars of freedom.

Why Annan Should Resign: As readers of Opinion Times know, it is my opinion not only that Kofi Annan should resign as head of the UN, but that the United States should clean house there or cut bait and run. Blogs for Bush has more commentary on this issue.

ID Cards: Adam Smith Institute has some comments on the veracity of national ID cards. It's a foreshadowning of things to come if we decide to do the same here in the US.

Ravi Zacharias: The Evangelical Outpost gives a short bio of one of my favorite speakers and Christian thinkers.

The Roth Report: Wes Roth has re-introduced his site as a news aggregator similar to the Drudge Report. Check it out!

Bayh in the Administration? Hoosier Parliament makes the case that President Bush should pass over Sen. Joe Lieberman and put Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh in instead. According to them, it's practical on many levels.

41 Goes "Hardcore": INDC Journal highlights what we love most about George Herbert Walker Bush in these latter years. And he also gives due credit to Power Line for their role in "Rathergate."

ACLU, Practice What You Preach: Spreading Understanding notes that the ACLU is researching personal details about its members with a fine tooth comb in preparation for a massive fundraising campaign. What about personal privacy?

Quote of the Day: "Virtue" matters

"Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks-no form of government can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea, if there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these men. So that we do not depend on their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them."

--James Madison

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

Stolen "Fetus" Found: Survived

The horror of this story is astounding. And what a miracle that the baby survived.

How many babies could survive instead of being aborted.

DC Made the Right Choice on Stadium

Baseball Widow is exactly right. Public financing of stadiums is unacceptable without major financial participation by owners.

If DC is going to put out that much money, maybe they should do it like they did in Green Bay where the city owns the team. That would at least be an investment rather than money sent down another government rat hole.

Bravo to the DC city council for fiscal sanity (at least in this instance).

I Guess I Am Not Supposed To Be So Libertarian, But . . .

"A rigid economy of the public contributions and absolute
interdiction of all useless expenses will go far towards keeping
the government honest and unoppressive."

--Thomas Jefferson

The Federalist Patriot provides these quotes through their Founders' Quote Daily maillist.

Harrison Ford To Make Iraq War Film

Looks like Harrison Ford will be making a movie on the battle of Fallujah which may be favorable to US efforts in Iraq.

. . . We'll keep an eye out on this.

Out in the Blogsphere

Instapundit highlights the unique flair of Donald Rumsfeld. Go Rummy! Mark Kilmer has more thoughts as well.

NE Republican shows us more evidence of American goodwill in Iraq. And wonders why it's such a big deal that church-going Christians support Bush in such large numbers.

Hoosier Review has found the first fatality due resulting from the outcome of the election and questions the red/blue state paradigms now developing.

Power Line has results from a poll conducted around Baghdad about the upcoming elections. Very interesting results contained there.

Outside the Beltway has found evidence of cheating Democrats in the Washington State recount. 500 Democrat patronage jobs are at stake.

Blogs for Bush has evidence that the U.N. is cracking down on whistleblowers.

Too funny Girl!

Back on the Anti-Christmas Front . . .

More protests against Christmas trees. Yet in this instance, it's called a "Giving Tree" because it is covered with requests from needy families. Yet it still stirs up the ire of some Bellevue, WA residents:

BELLEVUE, WA "You can't miss the Christmas tree in Bellevue City Hall. 'It's decorated with gold balls and gold ribbon,' described a city worker.

They don't actually call it a Christmas tree. 'We call it the giving tree because it's meant as a season of giving and that's what it's for,' explained Patrice Cole, who just made a donation.

The tree is adorned with requests for gifts from needy families. It generates nearly $25,000 dollars worth of donations. So, you might be surprised that Sidney Stock would look at this tree and say, 'I resent it.'

Sidney and Jennifer Stock are atheists."

Having lived for a short time in Bellevue, WA, I know that it is not a community which is at all religious by nature. To be certain, people of faith live there. But it is largely a community of upper and middle management from companies like Microsoft and Boeing. Generally progressive liberals, they live a "yuppie" lifestyle with Gen-X overtones. On any given morning they can be seen standing in long lines in at Starbucks waiting for their Carmel Machiatto (I always had a chuckle as I walked by them toting my Grande regular coffee.

This complaint comes across, as most similar complaints do, as anti-Christian hubris disguised as trampled rights.

Stock says city hall should "Act as a place where everybody feels welcome. It is impossible for everybody's religious belief to be displayed and non-religious belief to be displayed, so therefore, no religious beliefs be displayed."

And in saying this, Stock tips his hand. Isn't "non-religious belief" a synonym for "no religious belief"? The logic of this statement reveals a desire to destroy religious expression in any public arena. It leads me to ask if he would prefer to find a legal means to restrain religious activity within some distance around his person.

Maybe that is what he wants:

Sidney Stock points out that to bring about change, you have to stir the pot.

"I try and be aware of injustice and inequality when it effects anybody or everybody," he says. "Certainly this is something that has been a problem for as long as I can remember."

Gen-X self-centeredness to the hilt.

French Terror Alert

A friend sent this to my by email today:

AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide"....The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaborate"....The raise was precipitated by the fire which destroyed one of France's white flag factories,disabling their military....

The God gene & human pride

David Limbaugh finds the spin about the recent "discovery" of a "God gene"--an apparent genetic pre-disposition for belief in God or the supernatural--to be a prideful support of atheism. I agree with his assertion.

Many in the scientific community have wasted otherwise useful research hours focused on supporting a naturalistic view of the world rather than empirically looking at facts which may contradict their own atheistic pre-disposition. Thus we have been inundated with evolutionist babble without any evidence of intermediate forms while useful documentation on the structure and function of this earth and our universe is skewed by pre-conceived notions about its origins.

Notwithstanding these problems, many respected thinkers who have steadfastly held atheistic beliefs are changing their outlook, as Limbaugh asserts:

I wonder what these smug critics would tell Britisher Anthony Flew, one of the world's leading proponents of atheism, who has now abandoned his disbelief in God. Flew observed, quite rightly, that the latest biological research "has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce [life], that intelligence must have been involved."

When anticipating the inevitable shock of some of his co-atheists to his transformation, Flew said, "My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads."

That's precisely the point. Contrary to the position of many atheists, especially those who believe that Christians are reality-challenged and science-averse, theism – particularly Christianity – is supported by reliable evidence.

All this in a morass of talk to the contrary. And a stubborn hatred of the Divine hinders meaningful discourse with those who revere spiritual truth as inspired by God Himself and not genetically controlled impulses. And from this animosity for religious belief springs an arrogant smugness, as Limbaugh asserts:

[P]erhaps it is pride that leads the anti-theistic among us to reduce everything to deterministic molecules and DNA because such things are within their eventual grasp and control. To acknowledge that there may just be certain things beyond their eventual comprehension and, thus, control could be tantamount to recognizing that there is something--Someone--greater. Such blasphemy cannot stand.

This reminds me of Descartes' statement in his Discourse On Method where he asserted that through the natural sciences we could become "as it were, masters and possesors of Nature." This man-centered, man-exclusive goal is the ultimate end of cogito ergo sum--"I think, therefore I am." Once Nature is possessed, the inevitable questions remain "for what purpose; to what end." This is the dilema of the Stoic and it leads to a sort of moral and psychological depression.

And thus the battle continues with those obstinately bound to dispassionate naturalism--except for the likes of Mr. Flew. And at the end of the day, the stuff of this world truly does cry out that God exists, and we are not Him.

Christian Rock Band Not Allowed to Perform in Public School

Here is further evidence that our current secularist legal culture cannot decipher what makes a free society function.

Toledo, OH--"Rossford High School officials were considering letting a Christian rock band play during an anti-drug assembly next week, but decided yesterday to cancel the performance because of concerns over having religious music played in a public school.

'We are just shutting the whole thing down,' Rossford Superintendent Luci Gernot said. 'There is some controversy, and I'd rather err on this side.'"

Read: "I want peace and not a messy controversy, so I'll sit this one out:" no dice.

Religious messages have reinforced good behavior on this continent for over 300 years. If schools want to address the problems of drugs, they need a moral foundation to do so. Religion in general and Christianity in particular provide a consistent message which has positively changed the lives of children in crisis. Take for example the success of Teen Challenge. For decades, their drug rehabilitation programs have clearly outperformed other similar government and non-government ones (including Alcoholics Anonymous). Whereas the standard rehabilitation rate is somewhere below 20%, Teen Challenge has an 85% success rate among its graduates. The difference: they inculcate Christian principles in program participants.

Rather than run away from religious messages on public property, schools should be running to them. Self-government based on Christian principles is the foundation of our Constitution, not secularist dogma. We will do well in this country to re-build that foundation, and schools would do well to reaffirm this historical fact in their curriculum.

Politician Who Won't Say Pledge Of Allegiance May Be Recalled

. . . as if we haven't had enough religious controversy today. . . .

ESTES PARK, CO -- "A recall election is now set for an Estes Park, Colo., trustee who refuses to stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Town Board meetings."

"I have not been standing for the Pledge of Allegiance due to a conflict I have with the wording of the pledge, specifically the words 'under God,'" Councilman David Habecker said.

Habecker said it's a violation of church and state to include the words in the pledge and for that reason, he won't stand.

The board began reciting the pledge before meetings earlier this year at the suggestion of Trustee Lori Jeffrey-Clark. She suggested it as a way to show respect for the country during wartime.

"I'm sad for the community, that there is that much intolerance in our community. But if the people want to have a voice in what's going on, this is their way of doing it. And I will respect whatever the wishes of the community are," Habecker said.

Wrong Mr. Habecker. This is not intolerance. What the people of Estes Park are doing is totally appropriate here. Government officials are the people's representatives. Recall procedures are a healthy part of our representative democracy. This case in particular highlights how important it is for us as citizens to work at the grassroots level to reaffirm our culture, traditions and ultimately our Constitution.

Bravo!

Wictory Wednesday

Democrats continue their assault on democracy by forcing through endless recounts. In Washington state, ultra-liberal King County has mysteriously “found” just enough new votes to possibly overturn the election results and make Democrat Christine Gregoire the governor.

We don’t have to play along with this blatant attempt to steal an election. You can help stop it. Donate to the Washington state GOP. Or, if you live in WA, volunteer as a recount observer at info@dinorossi.com.

Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, hundreds of bloggers ask their readers to donate to an important Republican campaign.

If you’re a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays by e-mailing me at wictory@blogsforbush.com. I’ll add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll. I’ll also send you a reminder e-mail every Wednesday, explaining which candidate to support that day.

Quote of the Day

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our
inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter
the state of facts and evidence."

--John Adams

O'Keefe To Leave NASA?

With the news that Sean O'Keefe may be leaving his position as Administrator of NASA to become Chancellor of Louisiana State University, it's a good time to clean up NASA.

The Bush Administration in words has called for an ambitious plan to take NASA into the future, but with the recent problems relating to the Columbia disaster, an administrative shakedown needs to come first.

Kofi Annan: Hypocracy of Ideals

UPDATE: George Bush is supporting Kofi Annan. Other than hearing it on Bill O'Reilly tonight, this link is to a newspaper in Pakistan. I have not yet found this in US media which must be past their evening deadlines. Pakistan is in their morning at the time of this post. More to come on this breaking news.

I am appaled at the administration. It's time to make a break. I see this as a missed opportunity. We'll have to see within the next few hours what motivation the President labored under to come to this decision.
--------------------

I posted this article in September of this year.

In light of the recent light being shed upon the Oil-for-Food scandal, I think it is worthwhile to reiterate the hypocracy of the UN Secretary General and the instution over which he presides against the principles of liberty.
----------------------

UN Secretary General's speech

"The vulnerable lack effective recourse, while the powerful manipulate laws to retain power and accumulate wealth. At times even the necessary fight against terrorism is allowed to encroach unnecessarily on civil liberties. At the international level, all states - strong and weak, big and small - need a framework of fair rules, which each can be confident that others will obey. " --Kofi Annan

"The perfect bureaucrat everywhere is the man who manages to make no decisions and escape all responsibility." --Brooks Atkinson, Once Around the Sun, 1951

Kofi Annan in his UN Speech on Tuesday [September 21, 2004] saw fit to accuse the United States of being an international bully. He has called the United States effort in Iraq "illegal." He claims international law as the standard by which he comes to this judgment. One of those values, as expressed in his speech at the UN on Tuesday, is "restraints on the strong." Is strength illegal?

In the ongoing battle against political-speak, let me make a grammatical distinction here: illegalities refer to laws made by some government or institution, wrongness refers to inappropriate action, behavior or function or to moral responsibility adjudicated by Divine Decree.

If we were to accept the fact that there is some international law which precludes the United States, or any country--strong or weak--from seeking military means to protect its people from harm after a 9/11-type event , then the United States took an "illegal" action. If we consider the moral grounds upon which the invasion of Iraq was taken, the United States was right.

The people of Iraq were gassed and tortured. They were stripped of basic human rights and treated as cattle slaughtered by government policy. No disgrace, indignity, cruelty or torture was withheld from them. The Hussein government supported terror all over the world to the fullest extent possible before and after sanctions were imposed upon them in the early 90's.

In the light of the horrible death of tens of thousands worldwide over the last few decades due to terror--highlighted by the toppling of the World Trade Center towers--it seems incumbent upon an organization founded to mitigate such disasters to take action. I guess Mr. Annan was too busy coordinating his oversight of the Oil for Food Program in Iraq.

Since the Secretary General believes his organization has principles by which we should abide, it seems necessary at this point to refer to the UN Declaration of Human Rights to provide him with some guidance. It will be a good exercise for us to consider this document as a means to help educate Mr. Annan as to the role and purpose of his organization.

Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.

Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

.....And many more could be cited here. Clearly, none of these principles were being consulted when Kofi Annan and some UN member states decided to sit out the atrocities in Iraq. And when other members decided to act, offense was taken and irrational excuses were given to justify the irritation felt.

The point is this. Mr. Annan believes his political position over an international institution allows him an opportunity to find reasons to subjugate the "strong" when he believes they assert an authority higher than his. To do so, he must ignore the principles clearly outlined in the institution he leads. But worse than this, he has no independent moral judgment which causes him to look with compassion on subjugated peoples. But, many UN member states have no reason to desire freedom, and he maintains his political power through them.

The United Nations is dead from within because it is established not on the principles of freedom, but of bureaucracy.

Democrat Loses: Advice for the Future

Erick at Confessions of a Political Junkie has a cogent analysis of Democrat losses in 2004, and equally thoughful comments for Republicans on how to maintain their current political advantage.

Dem Sacred Cows: "To the extent John Kerry failed by being a horrible candidate, he also failed because he was a Democrat. Had it just been Kerry, the Democrats would most likely not have been crushed across the board in national politics (they actually did well in local elections with local political messages). Message matters and the Democrats had both a bad message and a bad messenger."

The Republicans did quite well on a national level, but they should be somewhat concerned on a state by state level. The Dems did well with consistent messages and the farm team the Republicans built during the 1990's needs to be restocked. Republicans in Colorado, Minnesota, and across the nation better start, on a state level, coming up with messages that resonate with voters.

Liberty Quote of the Day

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

--Benjamin Franklin

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

Liberty; Profound And Misused Word

"'Liberty is a word which, according as it is used, comprehends the most good and the most evil of any in the world. Justly understood it is sacred next to those which we appropriate in divine adoration; but in the mouths of some it means anything, which enervate a necessary government; excite a jealousy of the rulers who are our own choice, and keep society in confusion for want of a power sufficiently concentered to promote good.'

--Oliver Ellsworth"

I receive the "Founders Quote Daily" from the Federalist Patriot website. If you would like to subscribe to their regular emails, click here.

Your Boss Is Watching

Here's an important article on internet/email privacy at work. It's worth the read, because you may not be aware of what your boss can see you doing at work.

PCWorld.com "I have news for you. That Internet account you have at work is not your private space. It's also your boss's space, and your boss's boss's space, and so on up the line. In fact, if you think you have any real privacy on the job, you're laboring under a delusion. Here are some of the more common myths about Net privacy at work. "

Wictory Wednesday

In a desperate attempt to steal another election, Democrats have pushed for a statewide hand recount of the governor’s race in Washington state, where Republican Dino Rossi has a 42-vote lead in the final count. The Washington state GOP needs volunteers to observe the recount so that Democrats don’t steal this election. If you live in WA, please volunteer by contacting the state GOP at 425-646-7202.

Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, hundreds of bloggers ask their readers to donate to an important Republican campaign.

If you’re a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays by e-mailing me at wictory@blogsforbush.com. I’ll add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll. I’ll also send you a reminder e-mail every Wednesday, explaining which candidate to support that day.

Newspaper Circulation Way Down

The circulation numbers at major newspapers around the country is dropping precipitously. In the midst of it all, many of America's top newspapers have been fudging their circulation numbers in an attempt to stop the bleeding from ad revenue.

Hoosier Parliament has the story.

Mfume Booted from NAACP For Reaching Out to Republicans

According to Armstrong Williams, Kweisi Mfume was fired from the NAACP because of attempts to reach out to Republicans, specifically his push to nominate Condoleeza Rice for the 2003 NAACP "Image Award." This instigated a harsh disagreement between Mfume and Chairman Julian Bond.

The rift grew as Mfume continued to reach out to the Republican Party. Mfume realized that by reflexively voting Democrat in every election, the black voting populace has given away most of their political bartering power. After all, what incentive is there for either party to go out on a limb for blacks, if it is taken for granted that blacks will automatically vote Democrat? In effect, the black voting populace has created conditions that make it very easy for both parties to take them for granted. Mfume rightly reasoned that by reaching out to the Republican Party on issues that they already agree with -- like empowering faith based charities, supporting school vouchers, etc. -- the black voting populace can send the message that they’re no longer willing to blindly support the Democrats.

This is interesting news. Mfume has consistently been a major thorn in the side of Republicans both as a Congressman from Maryland in the 90's when he led the Black Congressional Caucus and in his early years as head of the nations oldest black minority organization. He was always a liberal partisan who would not compromise at all with Republicans even on issues important to the black community. But according to Williams this was changing in light of the increasing reality that the Democrat Party has taken the black community for granted and not addressed issue important to them.

During a 2003 appearance at the National Press Club, Bond referred to the Republican Party as “a crazed swarm of right wing locusts” that have sought to “subvert, ignore, defy and destroy the laws that require an America which is bias-free,” Later that night Bond dubbed the Republicans, "the white people's party."

Following the event, Mfume confronted Bond with his fear that the organization had become too outwardly political. Soon thereafter, the IRS launched investigation into whether Bond’s remarks violated the organization’s tax exempt status.

The final tear came after the election. Mfume suggested sending a letter to President Bush, mapping out ways that they could work together to help the community. Bond rejected the idea. Mfume sent the letter anyway. To Bond, this was an unforgivable. A few weeks later, Bond had Mfume voted out.

This is bad news for the NAACP which had become a solid organization under Mfume financially and organizationally sound. It will likely continue its irrational criticism of Republican policies. But in light of the recent election, it may marginalize itself from a new generation of black leaders who though not fully conservative on Republican standards are ready to find an advocate in conservative methods of changing the business and social climate of the inner-city.

Outside the Beltway has more.

TennCare Shows How Hillary-care Would Work

OpinionJournal features the result of Hillary-style health care which has been operating in Tennessee since 1994:

"TennCare promised the impossible dream of politicians everywhere: Lower health-care costs while covering more of the "uninsured." They got the impossible, all right. After 10 years of mismanagement and lawsuits, TennCare now eats up one-third of the state's entire budget and is growing fast. Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, is preparing to pull the plug and return the state to the less lunatic subsidies of Medicaid.

TennCare is now in worse shape than it was a decade ago. Three of the 11 privately run Managed Care Organizations that insured TennCare patients and administered the program have fallen into receivership. Amid the legal wrangling, Blue Cross Blue Shield all but pulled out of the program. Today the state has assumed all the insurance risk and pays most of the premiums."

This is just one more piece of evidence mounting from the last four decades which have proven that government is unable to manage any part of a society. It is only good for that which is truly collective: the military; infrastructure like roads and bridges; judicial branch functions (though overreaching in torts nowadays). It is wholly inadequate to mitigate the unfairness life brings. As a country, our priorities should be determined in light of the excesses government spawns when it attempts to solve societal problems.

As Winston Churchill said, "I am all for equality at the starting gate."

Noonan on Rather

I think it appropriate to link Peggy Noonan's essay on Dan Rather. Many have maligned Peggy for her generally positive spin on Dan after his retirement announcement. I agree she is more complimentary for my taste: I despise the liberal slant Rather always showed in his reporting and editorial choices; the unfairness of his approach and views. But, I do agree with some of the things Peggy said about him:

• "Dan Rather did some great work on stories that demanded physical courage."


• "He had guts and fortitude."--don't doubt the difficulty of covering Vietnam. . .very gutsy

But she appropriately notes the changes in the media taking place which Rather could or would not recognize:

Those stories he covered that touched on politics were unfortunately and consistently marred by liberal political bias, and in this he was like too many in his profession. But this is changing. The old hegemony has given way. The old dominance is over. Good thing. Great thing. Onward.

And in some ways, this underscores the natural changes taking place in our media culture. And without the balance caused by fighting the bias of a Dan Rather, a more conservative opinion is more effective in its delivery through news and the internet because it had to clearly counteract the liberal hegemony which existed until the 90's in this country. Rather was effective in his approach, now we can take that torch from him and let it shine with liberty rather than socialist liberalism (no pun intended).

Site on My Blogroll Has Changed

Commonwealth Conservative is at a different site address. Please make note of it.

Click picture to enlarge

Children Targeted for Porn

Jeff Blogworthy has found a dispicable example of the porn industry targeting children.

Thanks for the heads up from a fellow member of the Rocky Top Brigade. Our education system and the teachers organizations need to wake up to these tactics and speak out against them. As it is, the teachers' unions are silent and more interested in a false notion of free speech.

Representative Government Is Messy

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending
too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of
it."

--Thomas Jefferson

No "Tomfoolery" Here: Teach the Declaration and Constitution

Tomfoolery has brought a very important point to the forefront: it is in the interest and within the scope of federal power to engage our school systems in the compulsory teaching of the Constitution and the Declaration. Read his article here then I have come comments below.

This proposal does not, in the eyes of our founders, break the dictates of federalism. They strongly supported financially and by legislative fiat, educational programmes designed to enhance childrens' understanding of the Constitutional principles and--shock--the Bible.

NASA Receives Unwarranted Congressional Support

Tom DeLay pushed through funding for NASA "without a separate vote or even a debate." In recent days.

NASA is poorly managed as an agency except for the successes of its unmanned programs. Once the pride of United States under the tutelage and later the inspiration of President John Kennedy, it has shown in the last two decades that it does not perform in the excellence with which it was founded.

Investigations after the Challenger disaster in 1985 showed problems with the agency's thoroughness. Most of us didn't pay much attention to these problems because of the heartfelt manner with which then President Reagan eulogized the Challenger crew and encouraged changes in NASA. But the Columbia disaster underscores the inept manner with which the agency at the highest levels deals with the perils of manned space flight.

It seemed clear to all that Columbia was in great trouble after we saw the pictures of a large tile falling off the spacecraft at liftoff. Investigators on the ground couldn't see the actual damage and could only speculate as its extent. But the media, and I think also the American people wondered otherwise. Instead of the embarrassment and outstanding cost of a rescue mission where Columbia could be landed remotely leaving the crew safe, NASA's administrators sent the crew to its death on a remote hunch.

I believe what is needed at NASA is a complete overhaul of its management structure which goes further than that which it suffered in the late 80's and early 90's. We streamlined the budget and increased un-manned missions programs with great success, but the decision tree seems to be regressing into ineptitude when it comes to the manned programs which still must be expanded.

The Last Gasp of Losers

The Washington Post reports a move by angry Democrats and third party candidates--who have a stake in publicity--to invalidate the result of the Ohio presidential vote. They plan to take their challenge all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

A previous attempt in Florida in the 2000 presidential election proved fruitless when it reached the US Supreme Court after the Florida Supreme Court called for a statewide recount. That was with less than 1000 votes separating the presidential candidates George Bush and Al Gore. The difference in Ohio between John Kerry and George Bush is nearly 120,000.

The only hope--if you can call it that--for those who want to change the results in Ohio is to overturn the election. A recount is a fool's errand. It is statistically impossible for Kerry to find the votes he needs to win. And judges will have to find rampant fraud on the part of the Bush campaign and state Republicans to overturn the results.

Fortunately these actions are taking place under the radar this year and not in the media as in 2000.

Conformity or Change

Cross posted at Confessions of a Political Junkie

Someone forwarded to me an article written by Henry Hazlitt in 1970 titled "Conformity or Change." I first wrote on this a couple weeks ago, and I've been ruminating on it ever since.

We have been living with the results of permissive, deconstructionist actions in society and government since the 1960's and 70's. The young people of that day now make up many of our political, social and business leaders today. Their instinct to rebel against anything except what they could figure out themselves (cogito ergo sum taken to its logical conclusion) has led to an array of government and social disorders which plague us today. Abortion on demand; excessively violent and overly sexual television and film content; redifinition of marriage; business scandal; no-fault divorce; latch-key kids: these and many other social ills are not merely problems in themselves. They or some form of them have existed in many cultures throughout history. But they reach epidemic proportions as they have in the United States because self-restraint is eschewed and replaced with mere personal choice. The sum total of a mass of individual unbridled impulses is anarchy and chaos, and alot of bruises.

Societies function well with certain accepted standards of conduct. Businesses perform well within the conformity of adherence to standard expectations. Yet we still find ourselves within the grasp of post-modern reconstruction as exemplified by the ACLU's denunciation of the Boy Scouts and religious sentiment in general.

Henry Hazlitt's article is as relevant today as it was in the early 70's at the peak of "60's culture." We would do well to remember that the "change" attitude which gave rise to Hazlitt's admonition then is the prevailing disposition of many of our leaders today who didn't accept his exhortation then. And we would do well to heed his advice and regard rules and moral behavior with as great respect as we once did.

Abortion Politics Takes A Long Delayed Turn

I am guest blogging, as you know, at Confessions of a Political Junkie this week. Click on the previous link to visit and see how the other guest bloggers like

It seems that some Democrats are having an epiphany about the Life issue. What does it mean for them, but more importantly what does it mean for Republicans.

The above titled article can be reached by clicking here, Abortion Politics Takes a Long Delayed Turn.

Oh, It's Nothing Really!

NaDa

Bush Satire

This is a funny satire of a Presidential blog.

Yeah, it pokes fun at President Bush's thinking capabilities, but it's harmless humor.

Dan Rather: funny

A friend just sent me this:

Dan Rather at last is leaving
No longer will he be deceiving
Though his work was deft
He slanted it left
Which is why nobody is grieving.

- Lyn Nofziger