Would Wesley Clark Please Shut Up!

According to Kathryn Jean Lopez at NRO.com, retired General Wesley Clark (who failed in his 2004 qwest to become President) stated that John McCain's military and POW experience did not qualify him to be President. This statement was made during an interview on "Face the Nation" yesterday. His reasoning behind his statement was that McCain had not been a wartime commander. My question for him is "And Obama does?" It should be noted that General Clark serves as foreign policy expert for the Obama campaign. This is the same General Clark who said that John Kerry's military experience qualified him to be President. Isn't that just like a liberal to apply one standard to Democrats and another to a Republican? And isn't it just like the MSM to ignore the hypocrisy? Addionally, in March, Clark also argued that "McCain’s military service was irrelevant and that Hillary Clinton’s experience as First Lady was somehow a more relevant presidential leadership credential." Of course the MSM was silent. Right now Obama's silence on Clark's accusation is defeaning. Obama will probably take Clark to task by saying, "He's not the person I thought I knew."

What Is This World Coming To? (Part 2)

In a French fashion show rather than emaciated female models, the show featured men wearing women's clothes. And no, it wasn't transvestite fasion. What is this world coming to?

"Drill Here. Drill Now. Drill ANWR."

To add to my previous post "Drilling In ANWR" I found an article about why drilling in ANWR is so vital to our energy needs by Paul Driessen. While the Democrats' mantra is "We can't drill our way out of our energy problem," the facts about oil drilling are clear:

"One of our best prospects is Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which geologists say contains billions of barrels of recoverable oil. If President Clinton hadn’t bowed to Wilderness Society demands and vetoed 1995 legislation, we’d be producing a million barrels a day from ANWR right now. That’s equal to US imports from Saudi Arabia, at $50 billion annually.

Drilling in ANWR would get new oil flowing in 5-10 years, depending on how many lawsuits environmentalists file. That’s far faster than benefits would flow from supposed alternatives: devoting millions more acres of cropland to corn or cellulosic ethanol, converting our vehicle fleet to hybrid and flex-fuel cars, building
dozens of new nuclear power plants, and blanketing thousands of square miles with wind turbines and solar panels. These alternatives would take decades to
implement, and all face political, legal, technological, economic and environmental
hurdles."

And:

"The Geological Survey and Congressional Research Service say it’s 95% likely that there are 15.6 billion barrels of oil beneath ANWR. With today’s prices and technology, 60% of that is recoverable. At $135 a barrel, that represents $1.3
trillion that we would not have to send to Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. It means lower prices and reduced risks of oil spills from tankers carrying foreign crude."

Democrats and some Republicans have chosen to side with the radical environmentalists. Perhaps campaign donations have something to do with this. But more likely these lawmakers believe the distortions of these groups rather than doing research on their own. I don't know exactly why they hold to this view, but it is vital to elect lawmakers this November who want to free the United States from being held hostage by these radical groups who are intent on sending us back to the dark (!) ages.

Evolving Standards of Indecency and the Supreme Court

At Townhall.com David Limbaugh has written an article about the evolving standards of decency that the Supreme Court uses to rule on moral issues. There are no longer moral absolutes but standards of decency that continue to move forever down the slippery slope. If you are on the fence about voting for John McCain, his commitment to appoint Constitionalist judges should convince you that voting for him is the right thing to do.

"The Legacy of Radical Feminism"

Charles Colson has written about "The Legacy of Radical Feminism" and what has been wrought by women who have ended up fighting perceived injustices by putting themselves first. We've gone from a nation of women who put family first to a generation of self-centered women. Check out the article.

Drilling in ANWR

While I'm happy that John McCain has changed his position on drilling on the continental shelfs of California and Florida, I think his position on drilling in the Alaska's Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is absurd. He said he would no more drill in ANWR than he would the Grand Canyon. He wants to keep ANWR pristine. There are some problems with this comparison. There's no oil beneath the Grand Canyon and it is a huge tourist destination both of which can't be said about ANWR. I doubt whether it will ever be a tourist draw. If there's no people it will stay pristine because only 1 or 2% of the whole area would be drilled. Additionally the advancements made in drilling will hardly disturb the environment. I applaud McCain for changing his stance on drilling at all. This is hardly a flip-flop as Democrats would have us believe. He changed because circumstances have changed. Now if he'll just be reasonable about ANWR.

"The Greenest Show on Earth"

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Democrats have hired their first Director Of Greening, Andrea Robinson, for their upcoming convention in August. She is charged with making this the first "Green" convention ever. To assist her in this endeavor "She hired an Official Carbon Adviser, who will measure the greenhouse-gas emissions of every placard, every plane trip, every appetizer prepared and every coffee cup tossed. The Democrats hope to pay penance for those emissions by investing in renewable energy projects. Perhaps Ms. Robinson's most audacious goal is to reuse, recycle or compost at least 85% of all waste generated during the convention."

This is going to be a nightmare for the Democrats who still haven't raised enough money for their convention. This move will only raise the overall cost of the convention. There will be no fried food and all convention food must meet the Dems dietary requirements. There will also be a "trash brigade." You just have to read the whole article.

"It's All About Obama"

Check out the op-ed by Karl Rove about Obama's self-centeredness. He lists several instances of this. The one that stood out to me was why he finally cut Reverend Wright loose. It wasn't because of Wright's anti-American rants, rather it was because "I don't think he showed much concern for me." It was more about Obama than Wright's views about America. Regardless of how might feel about Karl Rove (I happen to adore him!) this article is worth checking out.

2nd Amendment Ruling

The Supreme Court got it right, finally. Although by a slim majority - 5 to 4. It's frightening to think that 4 Justices wanted to admend the 2nd amendment by judicial fiat. That the decision was so narrow ought to give us pause. It would only take Obama as President to appoint more activist justices to eventually throw out the 2nd amendment. This is why it is vital to not only elect John McCain, but to elect a majority of Republicans to the House and Senate. It will be disastrous to our individual rights should Democrats control the presidency, the House and the Senate. Obama's supported the decision - sort of - but maintained that local governments had the right to restrict gun ownership because we don't want guns in the hands of gangbangers and other criminals. He also said that individual rights can be limited by local governments "for the common good." Liberals are so upside down on this issue. They think if there guns are banned criminals won't have access to guns. Only criminals will have guns. Criminals break laws in order to be called criminals. Who thinks that they won't break gun laws as well? Liberals.

I had 2 different reactions to yesterday's ruling on the death penalty for child rapists in Lousiana. I don't believe in the death penalty where there is no murder. I think the death penalty should be restricted to murder cases and if they are extended to cases where there is no murder just how far will government go to penalize other non-murder crimes? I am most definitely for the death penality for murder and think that it's not given often enough. My second reaction was how often states' rights are subrogated by the Supreme Court. I believe in Federalism. States should have the freedom to enact their own laws without interference from the Supreme Court.

"We the people" is swiftly becoming "We the Supreme Court."

Water Weapon

I read today that Iran in its hostilities with the Kurds have decided, since their unsuccessful attempts to eliminate the Kurds with convential weapons, have started using water as a weapon. They have are building dams on the rivers that flow out of Iran into the Kurdish area of Iraq. This has already caused a hardship on those who depend on those rivers for their water supply. The Kurdish authorities are talking about evacuation from the areas affected.

10 Concerns About Barack Obama

William Bennet along with Seth Leibsohn have written the top 10 concerns we all should have about an Obama presidency. Check it out.

What Is This World Coming To?

Welcome to the first of my series, "What Is This World Coming To?" It will occur when I've heard or read something that causes me to scream "WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?" There may be more than one post on a given day or a couple of posts a month. Of course with the insanity in this world it's likely to be more of the former rather than the latter.

Today's absurdity concerns England. I heard a news story that a school "district" in northern England is now sending home notes to the parents in their kids lunchboxes. What's the big deal about that, you may ask. I'll tell you the big deal; these notes deal solely with the nutrition of the child's lunch. If a parent sends a nutitious lunch of nuts and fruits and veggies, they will receive a note of praise. ("Good boy! Sit.") If, on the other hand, they send their child to school with a roast beef sandwich, an apple and a cookie, they will get a note of rebuke. Schools have a list of acceptable food. Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING me? So now they're shaming the parents into conforming to their norm. And how far behind will school districts in Massachusetts and San Francisco be?

Let's wake up, people! Soon we won't have any rights.

Curse of the Black Thumb

Because admitting it is the first step, I admit I have a black thumb. I have for years convinced myself that it is something I could overcome. I could become a green thumb if I just read garden books and let the death of my plants teach me what I did wrong so I could avoid the same with the next batch of plants . . . and the next . . . and the next and so on. Nothing I've done in my adult life has transformed me into a green thumb. This is even more shameful because my mother and my grandmother could grow ANYTHING. My grandmother could practically grow flowers from recycled tires. I'm glad she's gone on to the Lord and can't see the death and destruction I've wreaked in the backyard. (Please don't take that the wrong way. I'm not 'glad' she's dead - I'm just making a point about the difference between our thumbs.)

Two years ago we moved to a brand new house and the yard was a blank canvas. Knowing that I needed someone who was a professional thumb, we hired a landscaper. I asked him to plant things that required very little care and to instruct me on their care. We went to a majority Xeriscape because that's supposed to be ideal for someone like me. But Nooo. A year and a half ago we lost 7 trees and this Spring we replaced them. As I was looking at replacement trees I asked the nursery expert about ease of care. So I picked the easiest trees. Since then I've had to replace 4 of those and they aren't looking too good. Thank goodness the nursery has a 1-year warranty. I've faithfully followed the care directions, yet I'm still losing them. Oh, and by the way, I had to buy over 30 new plants several of which I need to replace already. Now I have to hire a tree professional to save my trees.

So now you know my sad plight. If only there was a 12-step program for me. We should have poured concrete over the whole yard.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

For years Democrat hypocrisy has bothered me, to put it mildly. Liberals are especially guilty of this audacious hypocrisy. To my consternation the MSM seems to not recognize any hypocrisy on the Democrat side, only on the Republican and even inaccurately defining actions as hypocritical. Barbra Streisand, one of the great political thinkers of our generation (NOT!), suggested that everyone should use a clothesline rather than a dryer to save energy. Of course her staff doesn't have to do what she says - she lives in Malibu. (Sidenote: Can you imagine Barbra Streisand actually hanging her own laundry?) Fair and balanced (NOT!) Walter Cronkite has championed the cause of energy conservation, but when windmills were proposed on Nantucket, Cronkite vigorously protested because he would see them from his property. I bet the rest of us wouldn't be able to get away with that. I know Republican lawmakers couldn't get away with it. The press would be all over them. Hollywood stars are chauffered around in limosines and drive big SUVs, but the rules don't really apply to them - they're special. Our lawmakers who make laws limiting our energy us are also driven around by chauffers in limosines or SUVs and fly on private jets. When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House she demanded a much larger jet than what previous Speakers got because she needed to fly back and forth to her home in San Francisco so frequently and a 727 didn't have to stop and refuel halfway there. I guess what's good for the goose is not good for the gander.

Senators Chris Dodd of Conneticut and Kent Conrad of North Dakota are only the latest examples of hypocrisy. It turns out that they received interest rates that none of us, regardless of credit rating, would receive. And they received these rates from none other than the CEO of Countrywide, Angelo Mozilo. Dodd happens to be Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and is championing a $300 million bailout of the lending industry. Why is this newsworthy? Countrywide has been lobbying Democrats for this bill because they are nearly bankrupt and would benefit enormously from it. Talk about special favors. Again Republicans could never get away with the same thing. In fact there have been Republicans who have had to resign over similar acts. Rich Lowry at National Review Online has an excellent article about Dodd and Conrad. You can find it here.

I am sure this will not be the last hypocrisy of our lawmakers. Thank goodness for conservative talk radio and online sites.

Was WW II Necessary?

Patrick Buchanan has written a new book entitled Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessay War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World. It is a work of revisionist history that is written through Buchanan's isolationist eyes. In a new article Buchanan states that if there had been no war - for which he blames England and Churchill specifically - there would have been no holocaust. He also blames the British for the spread of Communism throughout eastern Europe. Wow - Maybe Churchill caused global warming or Hurricane Katrina. Buchanan disregards the absolute evil in Hitler. He says that Hitler did not desire world domination, that he did not want war and that the holocaust didn't begin until 2 years after the war began.

Buchanan is arrogant enough to rewrite history and look down his nose at anyone who questions his thesis. I have heard and read several interviews in which he refuses to consider any other opinion about WW II even those from experts. While there may be some truth that Hitler did not desire war, he took by force any country that would not roll over for him. It is also true that he was a rabid anti-Semite and blamed the Jews for all the ills that befell Germany after their loss in WW I. Had war not been declared on Hitler's Germany does any rational person believe that he would have let the Jews live in peace? That idea is patently ridiculous. Hitler's belief in a Germanic superior race required that anyone not fitting that ideal be disposed of, much like radical Islamists believe that infidels be killed. In fact Buchanan blames the US for Islamic hatred of the west.

I know mistakes were made by the allies before, during and after WW II, but defending the world against the evilness of Hitler was not one of them. Buchanan should go back to school.

Indiana Jones

My husband and I saw the latest intallment in the Indiana Jones saga. My recommendation is to wait for the DVD. It was disappointing. Harrison Ford is pretty much past Indiana Jones's prime. There was nothing new - just tired old plot lines and twists. It was pretty formulaic. There were funny moments, but not enough. It seemed stale and, dare I say it, boring. Never thought an Indiana Jones movie would be boring, but there it is. They should have left old Indy where he was.

Obama Spin

I don't know about you but I am SICK and TIRED of the following spin from the Obama campaign: "That was taken out of context," "He's not the person I thought I knew," "Failed policies of the past."

Well Senator Obama, exactly what did you say and how was it taken out of context? Is there anything you say that can't be taken out of context?

Senator Obama, who did you think he was and why did it take you 20 years to find out just exactly who he was?

Senator Obama, please define which policies have failed and how you would change the failed policies. Also, please name the administration under which those failed policies orginated. For example, has the welfare program failed? Did you know it was part of President Johnson's "Great Society?"