And yes, I believe our Republic and liberty is in danger. Not in a "doomsday tomorrow! run for your lives!" sort of way. The danger lies, rather, in giving up our birthright for a pot of stew and some bread.
A day after an Iraqi television journalist threw his shoes at President George W. Bush at a news conference here Sunday, his act of defiance toward the American commander in chief reverberated throughout Iraq and across the Arab world. [...]
Hitting someone with a shoe is a deep insult in the Arab world, signifying that the person being struck is as low as the dirt underneath the sole of a shoe. Compounding the insult were Zaidi's words as he hurled his footwear: "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!" While calling someone a dog is universally harsh, among Arabs, who traditionally consider dogs unclean, those words were an even stronger slight.
WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.
According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.
"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.
Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."
"However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open." Zebari says.
This story shouldn't really be surprising since it wouldn't be the first time a Democrat may have used our military for shady purposes. It'll be interesting to see if it gets followed up on or gets buried in the financial "crisis" brouhaha. If Obama did this - and there is a credible source saying he did - then it's out and out meddling in foreign affairs for his own personal political gain at best, treasonous at worst.
Democrats in the Congress, who came to power last year on a call to end the combat in Iraq, will soon give President George W. Bush the last war-funding bill of his presidency without any of the conditions they sought for withdrawing U.S. troops, congressional aides said on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT
Lawmakers are arranging to send Bush $165 billion in new money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, enough to last for about a year and well beyond when Bush leaves office on January 20.
It is unquestionable that Bush has made this country safe by keeping Islamic lunatics pinned down fighting our troops in Iraq. In the past few years, our brave troops have killed more than 20,000 al-Qaida and other Islamic militants in Iraq alone. That's 20,000 terrorists who will never board a plane headed for JFK -- or a landmark building, for that matter.
We are, in fact, fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them at, say, the corner of 72nd and Columbus in Manhattan -- the mere mention of which never fails to enrage liberals, which is why you should say it as often as possible.
The Iraq war has been a stunning success. The Iraqi army is "standing up" (as they say), fat Muqtada al-Sadr --the Dr. Phil of Islamofascist radicalism -- has waddled off in retreat to Iran, and Sadr City and Basra are no longer war zones. Our servicemen must be baffled by the constant nay-saying coming from their own country.
John McCain said Monday that to win the White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding. If he can't, "then I lose. I lose," the Republican said.
After a series of legislative defeats in 2007 that saw the year end with more U.S. troops in Iraq than when it began, a coalition of anti-war groups is backing away from its multimillion-dollar drive to cut funding for the war and force Congress to pass timelines for bringing U.S. troops home.
In recognition of hard political reality, the groups instead will lower their sights and push for legislation to prevent President Bush from entering into a long-term agreement with the Iraqi government that could keep significant numbers of troops in Iraq for years to come.
I didn't think the Surrender crowd would ever...well...surrender!
Now don't think for a minute that he's changed his mind or is going to stop his partisan demeaning of our troops and what they're accomplishing. He's still full of criticism and is looking for any little thing he can find to discredit the President and the advances our military has made in Iraq. Still, it is nice to hear him say he's wrong, isn't it?
Democrats are increasingly bailing on their previously held view that the troop surge in Iraq has been a "failure," but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't ready to jump on the bandwagon with other Democrats who say the surge has worked.
The Senate re-opened for business on Monday after a two-week Thanksgiving break, during which key Democrats traveled to Iraq and declared that the surge is working, at least from a security and military perspective. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one the top war critics, stunned fellow Democrats late last week with his statement that "the surge is working," even though he added that political reconciliation has been lagging. [emphasis mine: QC] Murtha's view was backed by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who also said the surge worked after he returned from Iraq.
But Reid, in a Monday press conference, ceded no ground.
"The surge hasn't accomplished its goals," Reid said. "... We're involved, still, in an intractable civil war."
Did you get that? Even John Murtha says the surge is working. No one says Iraq is now a paradise, but the new strategy is working. Poor Harry Reid is a political buffoon.
Showing inconsistency on an issue that has dogged his wife, former President Bill Clinton told Iowa Democrats on Tuesday that he "opposed (war in) Iraq from the beginning." [...]
But the former president's opposition to the war has not been clear from the start. Like his wife, Clinton has been critical of the Iraq war in recent months, but in the past gave President Bush the benefit of the doubt.
"I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," he said in May 2003, the same year he was quoted praising Bush's handling of the war.
In a June 2004 article in Time magazine, Clinton also suggested that he would have acted the same way Bush did.illary Clinton,
"So, you're sitting there as president, you're reeling in the aftermath of (Sept. 11), so, yeah, you want to go get (Usama) bin Laden and do Afghanistan and all that. But you also have to say, 'Well, my first responsibility now is to try everything possible to make sure that this terrorist network and other terrorist networks cannot reach chemical and biological weapons or small amounts of fissile material. I've got to do that.' That's why I supported the Iraq thing," he is quoted telling the magazine.
Sen. Clinton voted to authorize the war in Iraq, and has not apologized for her decision despite attacks from war opponents Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards.
Are there really people out there - who can vote! - that are ill-informed or dumb enough to buy into this sort of flip-flopping crap?
Violence in Iraq has fallen at a rate that has surprised military commanders and even one of the architects of the “surge” that boosted US troop numbers in the country this year, according to figures gathered by the US.
The figures show the numbers of suicide attacks, roadside bombings, mortar and other attacks on US forces and on the Iraqi population have more than halved since 30,000 extra troops in June. [...]
The US military says the number of civilian deaths has also fallen 60 per cent since the surge took effect, with a drop of 75 per cent in Baghdad. According to icasualties.org, the average monthly US death toll dropped from 96 for the first half of 2007 to 66 in the past four months. The average monthly death toll for Iraqi civilians and security forces has dropped from 2,157 to 1,223 in the same period.
Are all things going splendily? No; there is still a fair amount of Shiite-on-Shiite and Sunni-on-Sunni violence, and there are delicate cease-fires in place that must be carefully handled. So, should our optimism be cautious? Yes; but the surge is working and violence is retreating faster than expected. Let's pray it stays that way. Iraqis are realizing that their future is in their own hands and they must wrest control from the fanatics and Islamofascists who have been using them for their own evil purpose.
While I applaud George W. Bush's firm stance on not giving up in Iraq, if only our stubborn President had listened to the people telling him to take action like this years ago we might be celebrating today as a homecoming for more of our troops.
OLYMPIA, Wash — At least three more protesters were arrested Sunday as demonstrations continued against shipments of military cargo through the Port of Olympia.
Others were sprayed with pepper spray by police as they tried to block trucks hauling equipment to Fort Lewis after it was unloaded from a ship carrying the gear back from Iraq.
Activists protesting military shipments at the Port of Olympia poured cement over railroad tracks to try to block shipments coming out of the Port today, according to Olympia police.
This is outrageous and goes far beyond the bounds of the right of peaceful protest; it is active interference with the defense of our nation and open rebellion against our government. It should be met with the most severe punishment available for sedition and treason.
WASHINGTON — U.S.-led forces have killed one of the most important leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq, a Tunisian believed connected to the kidnapping and killings last summer of American soldiers, a top commander said Friday.
Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson said the death of the terrorist in a U.S. airstrike Tuesday south of Baghdad, and recent similar operations against Al Qaeda, have left the organization in Iraq fractured.
"Abu Usama al-Tunisi was one of the most senior leaders ... the emir of foreign terrorists in Iraq and part of the inner leadership circle," Anderson said.
Good, good news. Now go get some more of the bastards!
Clark Hoyt, the New York Times Public Editor has a column in today's paper titled Betraying Its Own Best Interests. In it he takes the Old Faded Lady to task for violating her own policies and procedures in both the price charged and the content of the Moveon.org ad that attacked the honor and integrity of General David H. Petraeus:
FOR nearly two weeks, The New York Times has been defending a political advertisement that critics say was an unfair shot at the American commander in Iraq.
But I think the ad violated The Times’ own written standards, and the paper now says that the advertiser got a price break it was not entitled to. [ed. note: emphasis mine.]
On Monday, Sept. 10, the day that Gen. David H. Petraeus came before Congress to warn against a rapid withdrawal of troops, The Times carried a full-page ad attacking his truthfulness. [...]
Did MoveOn.org get favored treatment from The Times? And was the ad outside the bounds of acceptable political discourse?
The answer to the first question is that MoveOn.org paid what is known in the newspaper industry as a standby rate of $64,575 that it should not have received under Times policies. The group should have paid $142,083. The Times had maintained for a week that the standby rate was appropriate, but a company spokeswoman told me late Thursday afternoon that an advertising sales representative made a mistake. [ed. note: emphasis mine.]
The answer to the second question is that the ad appears to fly in the face of an internal advertising acceptability manual that says, “We do not accept opinion advertisements that are attacks of a personal nature.” Steph Jespersen, the executive who approved the ad, said that, while it was “rough,” he regarded it as a comment on a public official’s management of his office and therefore acceptable speech for The Times to print.
You can read the rest for yourself. It's full of quotes from staffers and big-wigs like "we made a mistake" and "it's contrary to our policies"; big surprise right? Is the New York Times not tired of getting caught being blatantly partisan, blatantly wrong, and blatantly anti-American? I mean WTF? Does Ahmadinejad have compromising photos of Pinch Sulzberger and Maureen Dowd? Jeebus, come on folks!
Speaking of Pinch, what did he have to say about the brouhaha? Get this: Sulzberger, who said he wasn’t aware of MoveOn.org’s latest ad until it appeared in the paper, said: “If we’re going to err, it’s better to err on the side of more political dialogue. ... Perhaps we did err in this case. If we did, we erred with the intent of giving greater voice to people.”
Perhaps you erred?! Greater voice?! Oh good grief. In the words of my generation, "gag me with a spoon."
Hoyt closed by saying:
For me, two values collided here: the right of free speech — even if it’s abusive speech — and a strong personal revulsion toward the name-calling and personal attacks that now pass for political dialogue, obscuring rather than illuminating important policy issues. For The Times, there is another value: the protection of its brand as a newspaper that sets a high standard for civility. Were I in Jespersen’s shoes, I’d have demanded changes to eliminate “Betray Us,” a particularly low blow when aimed at a soldier.
Perhaps Mr. Hoyt deserves a promotion, but I wonder how long his job will last now?
Congressional Democrats are trying to undermine U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus' credibility before he delivers a report on the Iraq war next week, saying the general is a mouthpiece for President Bush and his findings can't be trusted.
"The Bush report?" Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin said when asked about the upcoming report from Gen. Petraeus, U.S. commander in Iraq.
"We know what is going to be in it. It's clear. I think the president's trip over to Iraq makes it very obvious," the Illinois Democrat said. "I expect the Bush report to say, 'The surge is working. Let's have more of the same.' "
The top Democrats — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California — also referred to the general's briefing as the "Bush report."
Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Gen. Petraeus' report was potentially compromised by the White House's involvement in drafting it.
"If the same people who were so wrong about this war from the start are writing substantial portions of this report, that raises credibility questions," he said.
Are we really surprised by this? To admit that there has been any progress whatsoever would be political suicide for those Democrats who have hitched their political wagons to the idea of "defeat" in Iraq. So it's no longer a report from General Petraeus on the successes and/or setbacks of the surge, it is now "Bush's Report" (insert eerie conspiratorial music here), and therefore in the eyes of Democrats it can have no value whatsoever. Fortunately, some in the opposition are having none of it:
Republicans bristled at the pre-emptive strike against the report.
"Are these leaders asking the American people to believe that the testimony of a commanding four-star general in the U.S. Army should be discarded before it's even delivered?" said Brian Kennedy, spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican.
"If so, these statements completely ignore what's truly at stake in this war and suggest that neither the commander in chief nor our chief commander on the ground have any regard for the lives of the men and women fighting for this country," he said. "It's appallng, and I think the American people — rightfully — will continue to stick by the decisions of our commanders and troops on the ground when it comes to what is best for their safety and security."
Oh, and never mind all the "we support the troops, but not their mission" crap spouted by the left. When it comes time to make political hay, they are quite happy to throw our fighting men and women under the bus, just as Senator Chuck Schumer did:
“And let me be clear, the violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge. The inability of American soldiers to protect these tribes from al Qaeda said to these tribes we have to fight al Qaeda ourselves. It wasn’t that the surge brought peace here. It was that the warlords took peace here, created a temporary peace here.”
Oh, and Senator Schumer has modified his anti-surge rehtoric. It seems his website and the video of his speech disagree about what was said. As usually happens, the Democrats get utterly surprised when the American people react angrily to their smear tactics against their country and it's troops...ergo he has deleted those remarks and I'm sure all his memories of ever uttering them. Sweetness & Light details Schumer's revisionist antics. What a shameful man Schumer is.
Now I'm not saying that the surge has been perfect, or that every goal has been met, but for God's sake, shut the fuck up until the details of the report have been delivered and then let's have a debate about what has worked, what hasn't, and what we need to do for the future. Unfortunately...the Democrats can't afford that kind of risk, so expect them to come out like a Michael Vick pitbull, attacking anyone and anything that hints of any good news out of Iraq. It's sad, and it's contemptible, and it's Democratic politics as usual.
Nonsense like "the 'War on Terror' is a bumper sticker myth, but we've made the myth dangerous by invading Iraq. Al Qaeda isn't in Iraq, but the country is one of their primary operating bases. Al Qaeda wasn't dangerous until we started fighting them."
But what about all the attacks that happened before the toppling of Saddam, you say? Look, don't go rocking the "peace" boat you "rethuglican" warmonger you! Just ignore the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1998 bombing of our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the attack on the USS Cole. Not to mention all the countless terrorist attacks in the 1970s and 1980s. Those were all coincidences; just completely random and unrelated acts of madmen. By the way, if you buy their nonsense, the moonbats have a bridge for sale in San Francisco if you're interested. Oops, my bad; I forgot that capitalism is evil and the bridge is "communal" property.
Now, I have no problem with the loony left putting themselves in harms way with their stupidity, but they're dragging the rest of us along with them; and that pisses me off. Ann Coulter put it nicely when she said: "Usually the nonsense liberals spout is kind of cute, but in wartime their instinctive idiocy is life-threatening." Ann weighs in on the left's suicidal tendencies in her latest column, "The 'Bumper Sticker' That Blows Up".
Now I totally disagree with Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) on immigration. He's dead wrong on how to handle the situation and he needs to stop trying to be John McCain Junior and find his own voice again; but I agree with him on Iraq. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), however, is an asshole. That has nothing to do with his politics, it's just an obvious personality flaw. Look at Webb trying not to blow his top. He just about can't keep his temper. Whatta dick.
How can we possibly pass judgement on the young US Marine for doing what he felt was necessary in a life or death battle.
We know it is common for Islamofascist insurgents to fake being dead in order to draw coalition troops close enough to them to detonate homicide bombs or draw hidden weapons to try and get just one more soldier before the head off to "paradise." Here's a sample from the story linked above:
Gagging amid the overpowering stench of rotting flesh, the Iraqis had to take special care because of the danger that insurgents have booby-trapped some bodies with explosives. On one stoop, the Iraqis pushed over a corpse and a grenade rolled out of its pocket. The weapon didn't detonate, but Marines quickly hurried the workers away.
The video is grim enough; and if the marine in question is found guilty of violating rules of conduct, then he should face punishment. But I have to say I cannot stand in judgment of this young man, after what must have been brutal, terrifying days of urban conflict. This is surely what they call "what happens in wartime." It may not be morally defensible; but it is psychologically understandable. Franly, I'm grateful for what this man, half my age, is doing with his fellows in unspeakably terrifying circumstances. Compare his action with Abu Ghraib, and you can see the difference. One a snap judgment in a furious battle context; the other a pre-meditated example of abuse and murder of prisoners in U.S. custody.
In short, war really is hell and we can never ever know what sort of pressure our brave soldiers are experiencing. We most certainly cannot and should not judge the Marine's actions without the most overwhelming evidence of a misdeed.
For a taste of actual barbarity, please see the following from the Times of London:
In the south of Fallujah yesterday, US Marines found the armless, legless body of a blonde woman, her throat slashed and her entrails cut out. Benjamin Finnell, a hospital apprentice with the US Navy Corps, said that she had been dead for a while, but at that location for only a day or two. The woman was wearing a blue dress; her face had been disfigured. It was unclear if the remains were the body of the Irish-born aid worker Margaret Hassan, 59, or of Teresa Borcz, 54, a Pole abducted two weeks ago. Both were married to Iraqis and held Iraqi citizenship; both were kidnapped in Baghdad last month.
US and Iraqi troops have discovered kidnappers’ lairs filled with corpses or emaciated prisoners half-mad with fear, and piles of bodies of men who had refused to fight with the insurgents. As the guerrillas run their last sprint from death, sympathy for their cause is running out among Iraqis.
What do I think of the Marine's actions? Based on the information that we have at this time, I say any world with one less terrorist is a very GOOD world.
Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! ~ The Joker
Conservative Values
Conservative: Kept within sensible limits, not excessive, discreet, heedful of consequences, reasonable, and restrained.
American Exceptionalism: The United States is an exceptional nation. No other country in the history of the world has done more to secure liberty and honor God-given rights of individuals. Our government is uniquely of, by, and for the people, not the other way around.
We Are One People: All of America's citizens can enjoy the rights and freedoms of our country without diminishing the rights of others. There can be honest differences of opinion and such differences result in opponents, not enemies.
Limited Government and Personal Freedom: Thomas Jefferson was correct when he wrote: "That government is best which governs least." Public servants must be held accountable to the highest standards of ethical conduct. Government should be limited to the powers delegated it by the Constitution. Beyond these powers, as government grows, individual freedom shrinks and the economy suffers. High taxes, runaway government spending, and over-regulation of business and farming punish initiative and stifle economic growth. Your property is yours and you have the basic right to make use of it without unreasonable government restrictions.
Reassertion of 10th Amendment Sovereignty: The 10th amendment to the United States constitution guarantees to the states and their people all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States. The United States constitution defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the United States constitution and no more. The Federal government was created by the states and their people specifically to be an agent of the states and their people. The federal government, as our agent, should be discouraged from imposing certain restrictive mandates or exercising powers that are beyond the scope of those constitutionally delegated.
Family is the Foundation of the Republic: Family and the values it fosters are the foundation of American society and their preservation is essential to our Nation's continued success.
The Supreme Court: The purpose of the Supreme Court is to determine whether laws are in keeping with the Constitutionally limited powers delegated the government. The Supreme Court is not to rule based on any other standard than that of a strict interpretation of the United States Constitution.
Individual Rights: The United States were founded on the fundamental principle that individuals have certain rights and freedoms which cannot be infringed upon and may be restricted only to the degree necessary to preserve the rights of others. The subjugation of individual rights in favor of groups rights is unconstitutional and has always lead to the trampling of individual freedom.
Individual Responsibility: Individuals are responsible for their actions and the consequences. It is not government's place to save individuals from their mistakes. This kind of government intervention only encourages irresponsible behavior and impinges on others' rights. With freedom comes responsibility and that individuals must take personal responsibility for their own actions and our criminal justice system must be based on this idea.
Religious Freedom: Americans should be free to practice religion how they please. Christianity has been a positive force in our society. Government should not overreach its powers to discriminate against any religious group. Government has no right to suppress prayers nor expressions of faith in public schools.
Respect for Life: Life is sacred and is to be defended. This includes the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. Ronald Reagan was correct when he wrote: "Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life -- the unborn -- without diminishing the value of all human life."
Right to Bear Arms: The right to own a gun is recognized specifically in the Constitution, yet it is constantly under attack legislatively and legally. The right to own firearms is important to the safety and security of individuals and a nation.
Strong Military and National Defense: A strong military is a necessary deterrent in dangerous world. The U.S. must maintain military superiority to ensure our security. The American military is made up of dedicated and patriotic individuals who deserve this nation's full support. The preservation of our rights and freedoms necessitates a strong national defense and the ability of the United States to negotiate with other nations from a position of strength.
Secure Borders: Legal immigrants have enriched this country. Illegal immigration undermines American sovereignty and weakens national security. The U.S. has a right and obligation to secure it's borders.
Energy Independence: For national security and economic reasons it is time that we as a nation become energy independent by exploiting all our natural resources responsibly while at the same time encouraging energy innovation.
Educational Choice: Parents have the right to determine the values with which their children will be raised and to have the widest possible choice among public, private and religious schools and that competition will improve public education.
Low Taxes, Free Markets, and Fiscal Constraint: The the money you earn is yours and government in a free society should be given only as much as is needed to perform those limited duties which are delegated to it. Government redistribution of income through taxation is not Constitutional. Individuals have a right to their income and are far better managers of their money than is the government. The free enterprise system is the most effective engine of economic progress and free market solutions improve the economy while upholding individual freedoms.
This is written partly by me and compiled partly from here and here.
Keep The Faith
This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. ~ Winston Churchill
Only in the Western world can a gay man live a free life as himself. Hence, the health and strength of the West is fundamental to my survival. ~ USMale
When my country, into which I had just set my foot, was set on fire about my ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir. ~ Thomas Paine
It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men. ~ Samuel Adams
There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. ~ Ayn Rand
The American's Creed
I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
~ by William Tyler Page
Quotes I Like
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. ~ Douglas Adams
Leftists see everything in terms of black and white - if it has to do with race. When it's good and evil, then everything in their view turns gray.
...hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity. ~ Timothy Keller
The Allies tried the Nazi doctors as war criminals for crimes against humanity for their concentration camp "experiments". Obama and Eric Holder would simply take them to court for malpractice. ~ KevinQC
The liberal paradigm of regulation and license has led to a society where an 18-year-old girl has the right to public fornication in a pornographic movie – but only if she is paid the minimum wage. ~ Irving Kristol
I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it. ~ Mark Twain
I can say — not as a patriotic bromide, but with the full knowledge of the necessary metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, political and esthetic roots — that the United States of America are the greatest, the noblest and, in their original founding principles, the only moral country in the history of the world. ~ Ayn Rand
I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it. ~ Abraham Lincoln
The problem with being “socially liberal, fiscally conservative” is that most of the social liberalism comes with quite a price tag... ~ Mark Steyn
Some people are best loved at a distance. ~ Unknown
Joan: I wish it didn't hurt so much. God: It hurts because you feel it, Joan, because you're alive. You love people. That generates a lot of power, a lot of energy, same kind of energy that binds atoms together. And we've all seen what happens when you try to pry them apart. Joan: So if I don't get attached to people, then it won't hurt so much? God: No, it's in your nature to get attached to people. I put that in the recipe. It's when you guys try to ignore that, when you try to go it alone, that's when it gets ugly. Its hell. ~ from Joan of Arcadia
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. ~ Winston Churchill
Imagine a Labour canvasser talking on the doorstep to those East German families when they settle in on freedom’s side of the wall. “You want to keep more of the money you earn? I’m afraid that’s very selfish. We shall want to tax that away. You want to own shares in your firm? We can’t have that. The state has to own your firm. You want to choose where to send your children to school? That’s very divisive. You’ll send your child where we tell you.” ~ Margaret Thatcher
I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy. ~ W. C. Fields
I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end. ~ Margaret Thatcher
By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments. ~ Thomas Aquinas
Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon. ~ Winston Churchill
A terrorist is an opportunistic warrior. If he can kill the president, he will. But if he can't, he'll kill you. Imagine that. ~ Mark Steyn
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it’s important. ~ Eugene McCarthy
The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding. ~ Justice Louis Brandeis
Dissent is patriotic only if the dissenter is a patriot. Otherwise it's plain old treason. ~ The People's Cube
Nobody has to, I repeat, live in France. But when you live in France, you respect its rules. That is to say that you are not a polygamist. ... One doesn't practice female genital mutilation on one's daughters, one doesn't slit the throat of the sheep, and one respects the republican rules. ~ Nicolas Sarkozy
Never be separated from the Americans. ~ Winston Churchill
Our [Conservative] gays are more macho than their [Liberal] straights. ~ Ann Coulter
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace — but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! ~ Patrick Henry
The only colors that matter are red, white, and blue. ~ Bobby Jindal
If Iraq is another Vietnam, 9/11 is another Kennedy assassination. Were Bali, Madrid and London also inside jobs by the Bush Gang? If so, it's no wonder federal spending's out of control. ~ Mark Steyn
No people in history have ever survived, who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. ~ Dean Acheson
If I didn't, I should have. ~ William F. Buckley (when asked if he referred to Jesse Jackson as an ignoramus)
Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. ~ John Quincy Adams
In my opinion, powder and artillery are the most efficacious, sure, and infallible conciliatory measures we can adopt. ~ John Adams
The winner of the Democratic primary is always the candidate who does the best impersonation of an American. ~ Ann Coulter
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it. ~ H. L. Mencken
Thinking about what you can't control only wastes energy, and creates its own enemy. ~ Worf (Star Trek - The Next Generation)
But we should at least stop fooling ourselves. Jihadists are not going to be wished away, rule-of-lawed into submission, or democratized out of existence. If you really want democracy and the rule of law in places like Pakistan, you need to kill the jihadists first. Or they’ll kill you, just like, today, they killed Benazir Bhutto. ~ Andrew C. McCarthy
Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. ~ The Kneeling Christian
To regret religion is to regret Western civilization. ~ Theodore Dalrymple
Conservative speakers are constantly being physically attacked on college campuses -- including Bill Kristol, Pat Buchanan, David Horowitz and me, among others. Fortunately the attackers are Democrats, so they throw like girls and generally end up with their noses bloodied by pretty college coeds. But that doesn't make it right. ~ Ann Coulter
Don't tase me bro! ~ Andrew Meyer
There is sobbing of the strong, And a pall upon the land,
But the People in their weeping, Bare the iron hand,
Beware the People weeping, When they bare the iron hand. ~ Herman Melville
Gay diversity is like the Village People. You can all wear different stupid outfits as long as you sing the same stupid song. ~ Jack Donovan
The dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe. ~ Tom Wolfe
Usually the nonsense liberals spout is kind of cute, but in wartime their instinctive idiocy is life-threatening. ~ Ann Coulter
These days, the Left advances its causes more effectively through the courts than through elections, for the fairly obvious reason that very few people are dumb enough to vote for this stuff. ~ Mark Steyn
For the gay establishment, the death of right and wrong began when gaining civil rights ceased to be enough. ~ Tammy Bruce
Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth. ~ George Washington (attributed)
A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies. ~ George Washington (First State of the Union Address)
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. ~ Thomas Paine
We don't thrive on military acts. We do them because we have to, and thank God we are efficient. ~ Golda Meir
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of Liberty. ~ John F. Kennedy
We've finally given liberals a war against fundamentalism, and they don't want to fight it. They would, except it would put them on the same side as the United States. ~ Ann Coulter
We doubt Emma Lazarus ever thought of: Give me your tired, your poor, your Indonesians yearning to be sex slaves for Muslims in Denver. It is called the 'Statue of Liberty', isn't it? ~ Debbie Schlussel
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. ~ John Stuart Mill
I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days (to talk to liberals). ~ Ann Coulter
Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. ~ James Madison
Fear not your enemies for they can only kill you Fear not your friends for they can only betray you Fear only the indifferent who permit the killers and betrayers to walk safely on earth. ~ Edmund Yashinski
We are a nation that has a government — not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed. ~ Ronald Reagan
How much longer should we allow people from certain lands, with certain beliefs to come to Britain and America and build their mosques, teach hate, and plot to kill us? Okay, let’s have the required disclaimer: Not all Muslims from the Middle East and southeast Asia want to kill us, but those who do blend in with those who don’t. Would anyone tolerate a slow spreading cancer because it wasn’t fast spreading? Probably not. You’d want it removed. ~ Cal Thomas
I am convinced, if I kill every reporter, that there'll be news from Hell before breakfast. ~ General William Tecumseh Sherman
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly. ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Remember, remember - and realise that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have. ~ Tony Parsons, British Journalist
...the aim of a large swathe of the left is not to win the debate but to get it cancelled before it starts. ~ Mark Steyn
I do not look upon these United States as a finished product. We are still in the making. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
To liberals, building a wall across the Mexican border is a violation of the Voting Rights Act. ~ Ann Coulter
Two years after 'the day America changed forever,' the culture is in thrall to the same dopey self-delusion it held on Sept. 10, 2001: There are no enemies, just friends we haven't yet apologized to. ~ Mark Steyn
...the natural state of the world is Darfur. The freakish aberration is America and the rest of the Anglo-Saxon world. ~ Ann Coulter
And yes, I believe our Republic and liberty is in danger. Not in a "doomsday tomorrow! run for your lives!" sort of way. The danger lies, rather, in giving up our birthright for a pot of stew and some bread. ~ KevinQC
Remember, the government apparatchiks have to go through the rest of the house to get to your bedroom. It's best to stop them at the bottom of the driveway. ~ KevinQC
25 Things About Me
1) I don't like cooked onions. Raw onions... great. Cooked onions... blech.
2) I'm shy. Really, I am. And the peanut gallery can just shut up... But seriously - this tendency makes me seem snobbish at times even though I'm not.
3) I don't consider third world countries to be "vacation" destinations.
4) I can't drive a stick shift.
5) I'm a Republican.
6) I love algebra but hate geometry.
7) My mother died when I was 3.
8) I still use the words "whom" and "whomever" when speaking and writing, and I get aggravated when others do not.
9) In fourth grade I was nominated to represent my class on the student council but I was so shy and insecure I wouldn't do it. I still regret that decision.
10) I hate snakes, but once - while holding one - I threatened to throw it at someone.
11) There are a few friends I have not seen in years that if we met today we could pick up in mid conversation as if no time has passed.
12) I never really knew my father. He reached out to me shortly before he died but I chose to ignore him. I don't regret that.
13) There have been two people in my life that I have truly been in love with.
15) In Mrs. Leighton's third grade class, Desi G. used to always borrow my new crayons and without fail break at least one.
16) I like bad SciFi movies. Really, really bad ones. Like Lorenzo Lamas fighting velociraptors bad.
17) I can't ice skate or roller blade. Weak ankles.
18) I always remember my dreams after I wake up, and they're always in full color.
19) I'm clumsy. (That's also a big factor in #17)
20) I was never a Dallas or Dynasty person. I was all Falcon Crest, baby!
21) My favorite color is green.
22) I worked in the hotel and tradeshow biz for eight years and as a result I've seen Las Vegas more than any person should. As a side note, you might think the gay bars there would be hoppin' - but in reality they are bleak and sad.
23) My favorite season is autumn. Second favorite is winter. Spring is okay. Summer sucks.
24) I love vodka. Passionately.
25) I will not swim in anything other than a crystal clear swimming pool. The ocean has sharks and ponds and rivers have snakes and alligators. I regard swimming in them as akin to walking unarmed across the Serengeti. (As for the Serengeti, see #3)
-Obligatory 26th Thing-
26) The first person I came out to in College ended up being totally unable to deal with it and our friendship ended. I still miss him.
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author. The author’s opinions do not represent those of his employers. All original material is copyrighted and property of the author. If you use it at least have the decency to give me credit for it. Don’t steal it or I reserve the right to sue you to heck and back, or worse. Other info may have been copyrighted by someone else; the author believes that such work as is quoted here does not exceed reasonable “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the United States Copyright Law as I understand it. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Opinions in comments or trackbacks are not mine, so if you have a problem with those, sorry, I can’t help you. Comments on this blog become the sole property of the blog, and may be reused or quoted on the blog or in any other media. Anyone mentioned in relation to a crime is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Contact: writetokevinp@gmail.com. All e-mails are presumed to be for publication on the site unless I am specifically and politely told otherwise - if you’re rude I’ll publish them just to hack you off. All comments are subject to deletion or revision should the author find them offensive or just simply not like you. Trolling will not be tolerated.
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