The Real Meaning of the Cairo Speech

Today's speech by Obama in Cairo was simply placating Muslims. He equated the Bible to the Koran. There is no equivalence. If the Bible is true, the Koran isn't. If the Koran is true, the Bible isn't. Obama makes a point of going to Saudi Arabia because it is the birthplace of Islam, but does not go the birthplace of Israel. Israel & Christianity have been here much longer than Islam, yet he gives preference to Islam.

Obama: "ANY WORLD ORDER THAT ELEVATES ONE NATION OVER ANOTHER WILL FAIL..."

Consider the following from the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis:

As the devil Screwtape said in Screwtape Proposes a Toast: "You remember how one of the Greek Dictators (they called them 'tyrants' then) sent an envoy to another Dictator to ask his advice about the principles of government. The second Dictator led the envoy into a field of grain, and there he snicked off with his cane the top of every stalk that rose an inch or so above the general level. The moral was plain. Allow no preeminence among your subjects. Let no man live who is wiser or better or more famous or even handsomer than the mass. Cut them all down to a level: all slaves, all ciphers, all nobodies. All equals. Thus Tyrants could practise, in a sense, 'democracy.' But now 'democracy' can do the same work without any tyranny other than her own. No one need now go through the field with a cane. The little stalks will now of themselves bite the tops off the big ones. The big ones are beginning to bite off their own in their desire to Be Like Stalks."

This is where Obama is leading us. We need to wake up and fight!

Vacations and Fish

We just got back from a family vacation. There were parents, in-laws, sisters, brothers, grandchildren, etc. We all went in to rent a beautiful house in a coastal town in California, just steps from the beach. Therein lies the problem. Putting 8 adults with 2 grandchildren in one house for one week is just waiting for trouble. Misunderstandings. Fights. Conflict. Gossip. But also good times, laughter, sharing, love. What I learned about this situation is that spending 7 days with 10 people in one house is just like spending a weekend with dead fish. Stinky, no matter how much you love fish!

Go Get'em Vice-President Cheney!

Yesterday (Thursday) the former Vice-President and President Obama had dueling speeches about national security. Here is the text of Cheney's speech. Everyone interested in the security of our country should take the time to read it. Cheney's arguments have been so compelling that his approval rating increased by 8 percentage points over last week. Obama, on the other hand, was defensive and presented a nuanced narrative instead of the clear definitive arguments of Cheney. You can read the text of Obama's speech here. Calling waterboarding torture is disingenous since it is not a crime. Cheney presented clearly that the Bush administration's policies kept the country safe for 7 years. The waterboarding of 3, yes 3, was so successful that the administration was able to learn about plots for more attacks and stop them. We'll probably never know the extent of those successes since the Obama administration has refused to release those documents. But they certainly didn't have any problem releasing secret memos about the enhanced interrogation techniques used to get vital information about future attacks. It is like Obama put out the welcome mat to terrorists. If they know everything that we do, what do they have to fear from carrying out more attacks on our land? The President called Gitmo a recruiting tool for terrorists, but how were they recruited before executing attacks on our land and property on foreign land? Are we more or less safe now? We'll see.

American Idol

We have a new American Idol. Kris Allen won a shocking victory Wednesday night. Kris was as shocked as anyone since the night before the judges had all but proclaimed Adam Lambert the victor. The two of them had vastly different styles. Lambert is probably the best all-round contestant Idol has ever had and he will have a huge career. Probably a bigger career than Allen. If you happen to watch the finale Wednesday, Lambert's number with Kiss was fantastic. And he simply out-sang Kris when they sang with Queen. In fact Lambert reminded me of Freddy Mercury all season when he sang rock songs.

I, however, was happy that Kris Allen won. I usually root for the underdog and I liked that Kris was not as theatrical as Lambert. I liked his quiet laid back style. And as Paula told him he always stayed true to himself, but one could say that about Lambert as well. Why did Allen win? I believe he won all the Danny Gokey votes. Perhaps Adam's fans thought it was in the bag so they didn't vote. We'll never know for sure.

Allen and Lambert presented themselves as good friends - they had been roommates from the beginning - and humble. Kris was so surprised in fact that he said Adam should have won and I think he was right. I think Allen will have a great contemporary Christian music career, but Lambert will be a rock star.

One downside to Kris's victory is while 3 of the judges gave Kris a standing ovation, which he certainly deserved for winning, Simon Cowell sat. He was snarky and appeared a bit resentful that the people had chosen Allen. It was a disappointing moment.

Congratulations to Kris. Best wishes to Adam.

Saddling Debt On Our Children

During the Bush administration when Republicans forgot who they were & spent like a drunken sailor - I mean a drunken Pelosi. They were roundly criticized over & over by Democrats for saddling the next generation with the debt.

Well, hello, Obama! A $2 trillion budget with promises to add more & more. Now Democrats deny that the national debt will saddle our children & grandchildren with massive debt. Obama & the Democrats have promised so much to so many that by 2012 we will have a debt of at least $10 trillion when interest on the debt is factored in. So how can Obama say that he'll have cut the deficit in half by 2012? He can say it all he wants, but it will never happen. UNLESS Republicans are able to elect a majority in the House and/or the Senate in 2010. It will take a Republican majority to stop Obama's reckless spending. Obama's spending in the first 100 days in office has been more than every president from George Washington to George W. Bush put together. Quite impressive.

He projects that universal health care will cost $700 billion. Let me remind you that when LBJ & the Democrats passed Medicare in 1965 the cost was estimated to be $500 MILLION total. And now we know Medicare will go bankrupt in 2016-2017. Universal health care will end up costing trillions that we don't have.

China has been loaning the US money for years and now even they are pulling back. The Federal Reserve could just keep printing money, but that will send inflation sky high as we've seen in the past; most recently when Jimmy Carter was president.

Republicans in elected office are the only ones who can stop this irresponsible growth of government spending. It has never made a country more prosperous, just poorer.

RUSH RESIGNS!

Today on his radio show, Rush Limbaugh announced that he was resigning...as the titular head of the Republican party! "It was an office I did not seek, I did not desire and it was thrust upon me by the mainstream media." He handed over the reins to Colin Powell who of late has been giving his unasked advice to the party and anyone else who will listen. He says the party needs to move more to the center, but what he means is that it needs to move more to the left.

I will miss Rush as titular head of the party, but I'm sure Colin Powell will do a much better job in telling us what we need to do.

(This was a hilarious bit and it has already been reported on MSNBC or as Rush calls it PMSNBC.)

The Truth About the Non-Stimulus

From National Review Online:

50 Outrages:

VARIOUS LEFT-WINGERY:
1. $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
2. $380 million in the Senate bill for the Women, Infants and Children program
3. $300 million for grants to combat violence against women
4. $2 billion for federal child care block grants
5. $6 billion for university building projects
6. $15 billion for boosting Pell Grant college scholarships
7. $4 billion for job-training programs, including $1.2 billion to provide “youth” summer jobs for people up to the age of 24
8. $1 billion for community development block grants
9. $4.2 billion for “neighborhood stabilization activities”
10. $650 million for digital TV coupons, including $90 million to educate “vulnerable populations”
POORLY DESIGNED TAX RELIEF:
11. $15 billion for business-loss carry-backs
12. $145 billion for “Making Work Pay” tax credits
13. $83 billion for the earned income credit
STIMULUS FOR THE GOVERNMENT:
14. $150 million for the Smithsonian
15. $34 million to renovate the Department of Commerce headquarters
16. $500 million for improvement projects for National Institutes of Health facilities
17. $44 million for repairs to Department of Agriculture headquarters
18. $350 million for Agriculture Department computers
19. $88 million to help move the Public Health Service into a new building next year
20. $448 million for constructing a new Homeland Security Department headquarters
21. $600 million to convert federal auto fleet to hybrids
22. $450 million for National Aeronautics and Space Administration
23. $600 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
24. $1 billion for the Census Bureau
INCOME TRANSFERS:
25. $89 billion for Medicaid
26. $30 billion for COBRA insurance extension
27. $36 billion for expanded unemployment benefits
28. $20 billion for food stamps
PURE PORK:
29. $4.5 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
30. $850 million for Amtrak
31. $87 million for a polar icebreaking ship
32. $1.7 billion for the National Park System
33. $55 million for Historic Preservation Fund
34. $7.6 billion for “rural community advancement programs”
35. $150 million for agricultural commodity purchases
36. $150 million for “producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish”
RENEWABLE WASTE:
37. $2 billion for renewable energy research
38. $2 billion for a “clean-coal” power plant in Illinois
39. $6.2 billion shall be for the Weatherization Assistance Program
40. $3.5 billion shall be for energy efficiency and conservation block grants
41. $3.4 billion shall be for the State Energy Program
42. $200 million shall be for state and local electric-transport projects
43. $300 million shall be for energy-efficient appliance rebate programs
44. $400 million for hybrid cars for state and local governments
45. $1 billion for the manufacturing of advanced batteries
46. $1.5 billion for green technology loan guarantees
47. $8 billion for innovative technology loan guarantee program
48. $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects
49. $4.5 billion for electricity grid
REWARDING STATE IRRESPONSIBILITY:
50. $79 billion for State Fiscal Stabilization Fund

If this doesn't make you angry, you must be brain-dead or brain-washed! It's time to rage against the machine. Melt the phones - contact your Senators. Contact all Senators!

"The World According to Jimmy Carter"

I just read a Powerline post about an interview between Carter and Meredith Viera on the "Today Show." Jimmy Carter makes me sick when he talks about the middle east. About Hamas being considered a terrorist group Carter says:

"By some, they are, and they've done some bad things. But for instance, the year before we had the cease-fire, that I helped to orchestrate last June, the 19th, there was one Israeli killed by rockets. And on an average, 49 Palestinians killed every month during that previous year. And as soon as the cease-fire went into effect, Hamas obeyed it completely. There was no serious rocket fire during the next four or five months.

Whereas, Israel did not restore providing provisions for the Palestinians and Gaza. But Hamas has pledged to me -- and publicly -- that they will accept any cease-fire that is negotiated between the Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israelis, provided the cease- fire, in turn, is then submitted to the Palestinian people for
approval and a referendum. So, that's a major step forward.

Regarding whether Hamas can be trusted:

"Yes, I do. I think they can, because of their own self- interest, not because they're benevolent, or kind, or that sort of thing. But yes, I do. I think they can. And they've never betrayed any commitment that they've made to me, or publicly, as a matter of fact. ..."

John Hinderaker of Powerline ends with:

"I can't speculate on his motives, but Carter's animus against Israel and
his weirdly positive attitude toward America's terrorist enemies make him a
force for evil, not for good, in the Middle East."

I have to say I agree with Hinderaker. He refuses the truth about Hamas and America's enemies. One would think that he would put America first, but to me it seems he hates America and is one of the "blame America first" crowd. I believe he thinks he can negotiate with Hamas and that it's Israel's fault if Hamas can't keep their side. I am ashamed that he was ever President of the US. At least I can say I didn't vote for him.

"Judge Obama on Performance Along"

In today's Opinion Journal Juan Williams (National Public Radio and Fox News) writes that it would be a mistake for the media to give Obama a free ride. (You might find it interesting that Mr. Williams is black and to the left of center, but he is objective.)

About the love-fest for Obama Williams writes

". . . it carries an implicit presumption of inferiority. Every American president must be held to the highest standard. No president of any color should be given a free pass for screw-ups, lies or failure to keep a promise . . . The importance of a proud, adversarial press speaking truth about a powerful politician and offering impartial accounts of his actions was frequently and embarrassingly lost. When Mr. Obama's opponents, such as the Clintons, challenged his lack of experience, or pointed out that he was not in the U.S. Senate when he expressed early opposition to the war in
Iraq, they were depicted as petty."

The press was embarrassingly invested in electing Obama and their coverage was emotionally based. They were not obsessed with investigating everything about the President as they were with President Bush. There were "hit jobs" at every turn, not just during the campaign, but during his entire presidency. It would be juevenile to say that there was nothing negative about Mr. Obama therefore they could not report on it. They were partisan and promoted the idea that Obama was the answer to everything wrong with America.

Will they begin reporting when Obama is unable to "put a chicken in every pot?" Or will they continue the cover-up?

I Would Like $275,000, Would You?

According to the Campaign Spot at National Review Online, John Boehner (House Minority Leader), is saying that each new job created by the BO Stimulus plan will cost $275,000. This is based on an interview yesterday between George Stephanopoulos and David Axelrod (Obama's campaign manager.)

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you would concede, $275,000 a job is a high price to pay, isn't it?
AXELROD: Well, I'm not signing on to that particular figure. I think preventing this country from sliding into as deep an economy emergency as we've seen since the Great Depression, preventing double- digit unemployment, and laying the groundwork for the future in these areas that mention and others I think is a worthy thing to do.

This is one thing the Democrats are so profession about: parsing and deflecting. "Well, I'm not signing on to that particular figure." Then the deflection.

I have a word for Axelrod and Obama: "Give me the money." I bet the people can spend it a lot more productively than Washington.

$825 Billion Stimulus Plan

You would think that any stimulus bill was meant to actually stimulate the economy. Not so with this Democrat-sponsored $825 billion boondoggle. You can read the bill at readthestimulus.org. There aren't any hidden earmarks which Obama promised to veto. No, there's just straight out pork called a stimulus. Read it and you will be infuriated about what our elected representatives are doing to this country. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. The sponsors of the site also would like your help:

Wanted: Volunteers to Parse the Bill
Posted at 8pm on Friday, January 16th 2009

One of the additional features we want to add to ReadTheStimulus.org is more detail on the actual dollar amounts being appropriated in the bill text. But to do that, we
need to extract out all the individual appropriations and put them in a
spreadsheet. Unfortunately, there's just no way to do that automagically, and so
that means we have to brute force it: have real live humans manually read each
page of the document and enter in the dollar appropriations into a collaborative
spreadsheet.

To that end, we're creating an online spreadsheet that can be edited by many folks simultaneously that we'll use to "crowdsource" the effort. If you have time this weekend and want to help out, please email us at

Should We Want Obama to Succeed?

I hear a lot of conservatives and Republicans saying they want Obama to suceed, but I don't want him to be a success. Success for Obama means that he will be able to implement his liberal program. While that would be success for him, for the rest of us it means a loss of liberty and an expansion of government. It would mean universal government health care, which means rationing and long waits for even minor surgery for the rest of us. His success would mean throwing more money at education which will never reach the classroom. He will be successful at shutting down conservative talk radio. Perhaps the most troublesome "success" will be his policies that will make us the most vulnerable to terrorist attacks on our homeland.

In other words he will succeed at squashing everything conservatives stand for. So I hope he fails miserably and Republicans make a comeback in 2010 in order to stop his far-left agenda. But I do pray for wisdom for him.

Random Questions

These are the things I' been thinking about:

*Do you think Democrats know they are hypocritical?

*Why, in fast food restaurant restrooms, are employees told to wash their hands and then are provided only hand dryers? Do the powers that be understand that their employees with newly clean hands have to open the door with the disgustingly dirty handle? Whose was the genuis that came up with that?

*Why are there no purse hooks in mini-mart restrooms? I hate putting my purse on the dirty floor so I end up holding the straps in my mouth, which is precarious because if I happen to talk it would end up in the toilet.

*Why, with the supposed need to raise gas and cigarette taxes for bailouts and new entitlements, don't we raise taxes on alcohol?

*Why would anyone make a movie like "Swing Vote?" The Presidential election comes down to 1 vote? 1 person gets to decide? Why would anyone think, "Hey, this is a great idea for a movie - it could happen, you know!" I didn't see the movie - I just couldn't.

*And speaking of movies, I wonder: (1)Who thought a remake of Sabrina was a good idea? Did they really think someone else could play the roles of Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn? (2)Who thought another Indiana Jones moviewas a good idea? It was painful to watch Ford attempting to swashbuckle again after all these years. (3)Why do the good and entertaining movies come out in the summer and all the dark, violent movies at Christmas? (4)Why is Woody Allen still making movies? He hasn't made a good move in 20 years. (5)Who thought of putting Robert Downey, Jr. in "Ironman?" Give that guy a raise and an Oscar! And (6) What has given Hollywood the idea that we enjoy their acceptance speeches with their political viewpoints mixed in? Get on and get off - we all know you hate Bush.

*Why are gay men so flamboyant? They didn't used to be? And where did they pick it up? There mothers, their straight fathers? And why do they see the need to broadcast their sexual preference. I don't broadcast my heterosexuality so why do they have to broadcast theirs?

*Why do we allow people to vote when they have no idea what the issues are? Elections are not popularity contests.

*Why do people want to totally disgrace themselves on reality TV shows like "Bad Girls?" I don't watch the show, but I've seen the ads. And what kind of work do they expect to find after they leave the show? Banker? CEO? Minister?

*Why did Lindsay Lohan have to grow up?

*Why do gossip magazines trumpet "How _______ _____ lost weight," or "How ________ ________ stays thin?"Chances are that any diet/exercise program they claim to be following is not the whole story. Besides it's so easy for them because they have personal trainers and housekeepers who cook for them. They should live my life.

*Will Bravo TV ever create another reality show that's not a clone of Project Runway? Please - a little originality!

*Why hasn't Kate Winslett won an Oscar, yet? She turns in incredible performances movie after movie. She gets nominated every year, but has never won. This may be her year, though.

*How do Ebay sellers get all these brand new electronic items that are "New In Box" (NIB) and never opened? This Christmas I was trying to find a Wii Fit, but no store had one. Not one. None. Nada. But I go on Ebay and there are hundreds of them; brand new; in original packaging and more than what would be in a store, if a store had them. I'd like to know where they shop.

*Why does Lifetime TV show 2 episodes of the "Golden Girls" every stinking night? Even 1 episode is too much. I'm exposed to this because I watch "Fraiser" which is on before. And I can't change the channel fast enough before that stupid song starts playing . . . "Thank you for being my friend . . ." There must be another syndicated show they can get. Enough already!

That's all for now. If anyone can answer any of the above, let me know.

Bobby Jindal: The Next President?

I just read an interview by Cal Thomas with Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Jindal has a lot of advice for the Republican Party and he has the credibility and integrity to back it up. He is a former congressman who ran for governor after the state's Katrina response disaster. Louisiana's political system has been entrenched in corruption for decades. The corruption was never more visible than in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Jindal campaigned on getting rid of the corruption in government, and this traditionally Democrat state elected him, a Republican.

He is a rising star in the Republican Party. Had he not been so adamant about seeing the job through to the end, he might have ended up on McCain's ticket instead of Governor Palin. Instead he's implementing real change that helps real people. There's been a lot of talk about him, along with Palin, being the future of the party. He is a true conservative - something we've been missing lately with a few exceptions. The future looks good for him and in turn, us.

His last statement needs to be the rallying cry for the Republican Party:

"We will deserve to be a majority party again when we show the
American people we are competent, we truly believe the principles we espouse and we've got relevant solutions to the things they care about, whether it's the economy, health care, international terrorism."

Obamacare Will be Ted Kennedy’s Legacy

This just in: Senators on both sides of the aisle as well as operatives on K Street were candid that [Ted] Kennedy’s half-century push for universal health care could receive a boost because of his brain cancer diagnosis and the accompanying understanding that his days in the Senate could be limited.

Once again lawmakers basing decisions on emotions rather than the facts. They want to honor Ted Kennedy by bankrupting the nation. How about a gold watch instead? You can read the whole thing at the link above.

Clinton Nomination Hearings

I was checking out Michelle Malkin's blog today. She was live-blogging Hillary Clinton's nomination hearing for Secretary of State. It was a love-fest according to Malkin with the Republicans trying to one-up the Democrats in the "We love you more than they do" game.

Why is it that Republican Senators have to always make nice, compromise, give in to the Democrats? They campaign around their states on profound differences with their Democratic opponents, yet when they get back to Washington, those differences don't seem so different anymore. They are not all like that. Senators Cornyn (R-TX), DeMint (R-NC), Inhofe (R-OK), Coburn (R-OK) and a few others usually don't just go along with the flow. They are not what I call "pragmatic Republicans." (Please note that I did mention my own Senator, John McCain above. As far as I'm concerned he's the worst offender of them all.)

There are issues regarding Bill Clinton's global foundation donors, which were just made public, and Hillary's actions on behalf of some of those donors as a Senator. These issues cannot be ignored. Will she make concessions to Saudi Arabia because they donated millions to Bill's foundation? If not asked and not answered clearly and transparently, we will not know for sure. How can she distance herself from Bill's donors while negotiating with them? Personally I don't think she can. But though the questions might be asked, the vague platitudes will never will questioned by Senate members.

I cannot watch these hearings. Spineless Republicans don't want to say anything that might be interpreted as offending "their good friend" Senator Clinton. Even at the cost of possible US security. This is not the case with Democrats. Did you watch them try to take Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito apart during their hearings? They don't care if Republicans like them or not unless, of course, they want a concession from them. Offending the Bush nominees for federal offices has been standard operating procedure for them.

I don't expect Republicans to "offend" although tough questions and follow-ups are now equated with victimizing a person or hurting their feelings. I do expect them to ask the tough questions that are in the best interest of this country and the people.

I suspect they will fall all over themselves fawning and gushing over every one of Obama's nominees. I expect that all of his nominees will be confirmed. Even those who might do us more harm than good.

Hell Has Frozen Over

Unbelievably the Cardinals have made it to the NFC Championship game. After losing every regular season game on the east coast, they won one when it counted the most. The Carolina Panthers were picked by some to make it to the Super Bowl. Who would have put money on the Cardinals? I'm a die-hard Cowboys fan, but since they were not worthy of being anywhere near the playoffs, I've changed my allegiance (just for this season) to the Cardinals. Besides which, they play just a few miles from my house and I figured I should - I don't want to get my tires slashed!

They were never supposed to beat the Falcons to begin with. But the best news coming out of the win on Saturday was realizing that should Philly beat New York, the NFC championships would come to Arizona! Tickets were sold out in 6 minutes after the Philly-NY game. We're having a big party to watch the game ( if they are losing bad, though, we'll play Rock Band!)

The Cardinals are this year's "Little Engine that Could." Congratulations to the Cardinals -keep on chugging!

2009 Prediction Update

I finally got one right: The Cowboys released Pacman Jones. I'm 1 for 3 and on a roll!

Eric Holder, Next Attorney General?

Eric Holder, Janet Reno's #2 at the Justice Department during the Clinton Administration, has been nominated for Attorney General by Obama. The problem is his past decisions as Reno's #2. From the Elian Gonzalez deportation to Cuba to the tragedy at the Branch Davidian compound to the pardons of Puerto Rican terrorists, his involvement makes him unqualified to be the next Attorney General.

Pragmatic Republican Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) says he'll back Holder because he happens to like Obama and thinks he should give Obama the benefit of the doubt. "I like Barack Obama and want to help him if I can." This is exactly the problem with these pragmatic Republicans - they make decisions based on emotions rather than the facts. Senator Hatch demonstrates that he doesn't really care about qualifications or representing the will of the people, he wants Obama to like him. (To paraphrase Stuart Smalley: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, Obama likes me.")

What we can do about this. (1) Contact Senator Hatch at (202) 224- 5251 and http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact. Tell him why he should block Holder's nomination by presenting the facts about Holder. Please be polite and not emotional. Just explain why you oppose his position. (2) Contact Republican Minority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell (who does not support Holder) at (202) 224-2541 and http://mcconnell.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm. Thank him for his position and ask him to pressure Senator Hatch. (3) Contact Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), minority Whip, at (202) 224-4521 and http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm and ask him to also pressure Senator Hatch. As minority Whip it is his job to bring Republican Senators in line with the party's position. And (4) Keep contacting them to keep the pressure on. They do respond to these contacts. If it hadn't been for citizens who opposed the immigration bill flooding the phone banks and email inboxes the bill would have become law. We changed the minds of our representatives. They listen.

Twitter

Twitter is a new internet service that allows you to follow specific people and vice-versa. For example, I'm following Karl Rove and he's following me. If you are interested in knowing where to find what's going on in the conservative realm I suggest you sign up at Twitter.com.

There is an Adobe PDF instruction on how best to use it. Find out about it at Twitter.com.

Jack Is Back!

It's been 2 years since we last saw Jack Bauer saving the free world. "24" was back last night and it started out with a bang. I thought the biggest surprise last night was (and I won't mention names for those who haven't seen it yet) a former good/dead guy back from the dead as a bad guy. Jack was shocked, too. The show began with Jack being grilled by a Senate panel about all the laws he's broken saving the free world. It was almost eerily realistic as these arrogant Senators who live in their ivory towers preach to Bauer about the rule of law being more important than saving the country. (Would they say the same thing if a terrorist dropped a nuclear suitcase off at their offices? I think not.) Back to the show.

The writers have changed Jack. CTU is gone as the FBI has taken over. So when the FBI subpeonas him, Jack has nothing to lose and doesn't care if they run with his input. He's probably going to prison after the Senate committee gets through with him. The FBI put a tight rein on him, however, they need to let him be Jack Bauer in order to "save the country" once again. It was good to see that Jack.

I thought last night's twist would last the viewers for a week or so, but no. Tonight's episode promises the biggest surprise, yet. Can't wait for that one! Welcome back, Jack!

Note: Check out Rick Moran's analysis of the new Jack at Rightwing Nuthouse: "Jack Bauer In a Post Bush World."

Posting Status

I have found it difficult to post lately because I'm addicted to Twitter! If you haven't signed up for Twitter and tweeted yet, I suggest you do. You pick people to tweet to and people pick you to tweet to. It's twitter heaven! You can go to http://twitter.com and sign up. One of the benefits is that there are links to relevant articles as well as updates on what's happening in the Republican Party. Join and start tweeting away.

Re: 2009 Predictions

Okay, I'll admit when I'm wrong. So far I've been wrong in two of my predictions: Oklahoma did not beat Florida. Florida was crowned last night as national champions when they beat Oklahoma. I really thought Oklahoma would win although I didn't root for them. How could a Texan root for Oklahoma? You know what 'Sooner' means: 'I'd sooner be in Texas than Oklahoma.' In Texas we call Oklahoma a suburb!

The second wrong prediction was that Jeb Bush is not going to run for Senate in Florida in 2010. I wonder if he thought it was just too soon for another Bush to run for public office. I hope he does run in 2012.

Those are so far two predictions I got wrong. We'll see about the rest.

Republican Compromise

Mitch McConnell (Senate Minority Leader) has said that Senate Republicans may accept Obama's stimulus package in exchange for including the GOP and not rushing the bill. Well, why wait? The Democrats will do what they want anyway.

McConnell (R- Kentucky) barely won his re-election bid and Republicans have reaped the consequences of their "compromises" in the last two elections. I would have thought McConnell would have learned a lesson from Republican losses, but maybe that is too much to hope for.

The majority of the public don't want this "New Deal" package, yet instead of standing strong with the people, they grovel at the Democrats feet for a few bones. Haven't they learned that the Democrats always promise one thing to get Republican cooperation and then do what they want to anyway.

Republican lawmakers in the Senate (House Republicans are much more responsive to the people) naively keep doing the same thing, giving the Dems what they want believing the Dems will listen to them. It never happens. And they continue to lose seats and wonder why.

This is what causes me to lose faith in the Party. If I weren't a committed Republican I wouldn't vote any longer. I'll never vote for a Democrat and I know that not voting for the Republican candidate is a vote for the Democrat. I just can't do that, but I sure let the Republican Senators know about it. You can do the same thing by going to http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. You can send an email to any Senator not like with the House where you can contact only your Representative. I did this (as millions did) during the immigration debate and it worked. McConnell was leaning toward the bill but came out against it after hearing from so many. So start contacting Senators to let them know when you are uphappy and when you are pleased with them. They need encouragement and praise as much as we do.

A New Grandchild

My son and daughter-in-law told us that they were expecting another baby. We were thrilled and joyous at the news. My son posted on his blog how different the response was this time as compared to the first reaction. I didn't react well and was very angry the first time as I expressed my disappointment in him. He and his girlfriend were not married at the time and she was not yet a Christian (although she was a Republican). I attacked him and her. This time I recalled my last reaction with so much shame. I asked for forgiveness. I often react out of my emotions selfishly - thinking about me instead of the one in pain. I love my son and daughter-in-law. God's grace made it right between us. I am so blessed with such a family.

John Travolta's Son Dies

John Travolta has lost his 16-yo son in a tragic accident. Please pray for the family.