Palin Drone

Guidelines on Turning Fact into Fiction

2010-02-19T13:45:00.003-06:00

For my fellow authors and writers seeking to incorporate real-life experiences into fictional novels and/or stories, I have started a multiple-part series on my Dariaanne blog. Today's post revolves around Water Signs' hero, Ken Lockheart.

Fact into Fiction: The Pitfalls and Positives

2010-02-18T13:45:00.003-06:00

Over at my Dariaanne Wordpress blog, I am offering tips to my fellow writers on everything from self-publishing to the unusual evolution of my loosely autobiographical tale, Water Signs. Based on a back-and-forth email conversation with a friend, I was inspired to write today's latest update, chronicling copyright laws and respect for the real-life inspirations behind my characters.

Bottom line: Copyright laws only offer protection when authors comply with them. Therefore, I will NEVER divulge real-life identities. It's not a matter of "trust" but a matter of legal protection in a town where there's "six degrees of separation", particularly in the business community.

Tim Graney - Ron Paul's Worthy Opponent in Texas CD-14

2010-02-16T10:18:00.004-06:00

For those of us fed up with the 9/11 Truther-Anarchist crowd and their blind devotion to a 20-year incumbent whose foreign policy outlook can be summed up by the simple phrase, "Blame America first," there is a wonderful alternative. Social, fiscal and national security conservative, and small businessman Tim Graney is challenging Ron Paul in the Republican Primary in Texas Congressional District 14. Please click here for my full interview with Tim, now posted on Parcbench. Join his Facebook page here.

As I've repeatedly pointed out, the kook fringe on the right is just as bad as the left -- actually, they are even more dangerous because many are avidly trying to usurp the Tea Party Movement to achieve their own ends. In most cases, this involves pushing for third-party candidates who have absolutely zero chance of winning, and whose candidacy would only serve to push the government even further to the left by splitting the vote on the right.

Moreover, when it comes to intelligent, respectful debate, let's just say the far-right is just as incapable as any troll I've encountered on the left. Just last night on Facebook, a Ron Paul supporter called me a CU&*^% because I have the audacity to believe that 9/11 was caused by radical Muslims, and not the US Government. By the way, this person was a female, and probably one of the only US Marines on the planet to buy into the Truther nonsense.

And if you attempt to explain that you are not simply a "blind sheep" but someone who vehemently disagreed with President Bush on a number of issues, yet still supported him in his efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, you are derided as a "neo-con", their favorite pejorative for anyone who disagrees with them.

Forget about explaining the intertwined concepts of freedom and responsibility; these people want nothing to do with that. In their minds, liberty means doing anything you want, whenever you want, and to hell with how your actions affect other people. If they had their way, we'd all live in complete chaos, without the benefit of a criminal justice system, police force or military.

On that last point, these folks conveniently forget that the United States is the only country in the history of the world to use our force in the defense of freedom -- not to plunder land from other countries. Further, we are the only country whose outstanding military conducts humanitarian missions for the benefit of mankind, such as their efforts in Haiti immediately following the devastating earthquake.

And yet, some Ron Paul supporters had the audacity to accuse the United States of occupying Haiti!

If there's any difference in terms of foreign policy between left and far-right, I've yet to discern it based on countless interactions on Facebook and Parcbench. Just look at the comments following my piece on Palin's Tea Party Convention speech -- instead of engaging the arguments, they resort to the kind of petty, nasty name-calling that would make any Daily Kos commenter beam with pride.

But I'm a big girl, and I can take it. My larger concern is for our efforts in 2010 to rid Congress of socialists and communists who want to "remake" America. And Ron Paul's enthusiastic, bordering-on-paranoia followers pose a real obstacle to that worthy goal.

I don't know what part of "Death to America!" these people don't understand; or how they can reconcile the fact that freedom cannot exist without the protection of our men and women in uniform. We can reduce the size of government, uphold states' rights, slash taxes, drill for domestic oil and implement free-market health insurance reforms and meaningful immigration reform. That's all welcome and fantastic. However, none of it will do us any good if we don't remain vigilant against radical Islam for whom the left and the far-right are perpetual, useful idiots.

So be sure to choose your candidates carefully in the primaries. 9/11 Truthers may have a right to free speech and expression, but they have absolutely no place in government.

UPDATE: Via Newsbusters, National Geographic special debunks 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Don't Be Fooled GOP

2010-02-12T19:39:00.031-06:00

Poll after poll confirms that the vast majority of Americans oppose Obamacare. Americans are a free people and instinctively know that Obamacare has nothing to do with health care, but is simply a big government takeover of one - sixth of the US economy. Could there be any further repudiation of Obamacare than the election of Scott Brown, in deep blue Massachusetts?

Remember the summer recess when ordinary, freedom - loving Americans appeared en masse at town hall meetings across the country and let their elected representatives have it about Obamacare. These largely Democratic legislators were clearly taken aback by the public reaction. They had never had anyone stand up to them before. Democrats in Washington are used to elected Republicans playing dead and rolling over, and capitulating to their every whim. What a shock to them when they discovered that the American people are a much more formidable opponent than the Republican Party.

Which brings me to the upcoming Presidential summit on health care scheduled for later this month. While I disagree vehemently with the President on virtually every issue, he is very intelligent and an extremely skilled politician. No doubt he has learned from the set backs he suffered in New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts. The health care summit could be a stroke of genius on his part, if the GOP allows it to be. Remember the Trojan horse? The President clearly wants to make it look like Republicans are simply the party of no,and are just playing politics.

However, it is Mr. Obama who is playing politics here and there is a way that the GOP can expose his trickery. Republicans must continually emphasize that the summit is a sham because the President won't scrap the House and Senate bills and start from scratch. Remind people about the evils of socialized medicine. Talk rationing and death panels. The GOP has to keep reminding the public that they are willing to start anew at ground zero and work in a bipartisan manner to help improve what is clearly the best health care delivery system in the world. Steal a line from Bill Clinton, "mend it, don't end it."

In advance of the summit Republicans must reduce their plan to writing in simple form, and insist that all of the issues on the table in their plan be up for discussion. Then they have to put their plan out on the Internet. Most importantly Republicans must not back down. If the President, won't agree to these conditions, the GOP should refuse to appear. The same public which has stopped Obamacare dead in its tracks to this point, is solidly with the Republicans on this one. If the President insists on ramming one of the current bills down our collective throats despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans don't want it, then let the Democrats own it.

All you have to do GOP is show a little gumption and "strategery" this month, the American people will take care of the rest come November.

Palin, Paulnuts and the Tea Party Movement

2010-02-11T14:26:00.005-06:00

If you are so inclined, head on over to Parcbench for my latest post on Governor Palin's excellent Tea Party Convention speech, which in typical fashion, has attracted all of the 9/11 truther trolls. Did you know that Sarah Palin is "bloodthirsty" simply for demanding that enemy combatants be treated as such? Or that she's single-handedly "driven a stake" through "Ron Paul's" Tea Party Movement? I know it to be true because the Paulnuts tell me so.

As I've been repeatedly pointing out, the far-right poses just as big of a threat to the successful take-back of Congress in 2010 as liberals -- actually, I submit they are even more dangerous. While promoting the concepts of limited government, individual liberty and low taxes, they inexplicably fail to acknowledge that none of that amounts to a hill of beans if radical Islam gets it way with the west. I don't know why these people refuse to face the reality of a rabid ideology wrapped up in a cloak of religion that demands total allegiance to Allah, subjugates women and infidels, and salivates over the imposition of Sharia Law worldwide.

If there's any conspiracy going on, surely it's Global Jihad. How many successful attacks, nearly successful attacks, beheadings, honor killings and screeds of "Death to America"! is it gonna take?

Ironically, Debra Media, candidate for governor in Texas, has finally been "outed" by Glenn Beck as a 9/11 Truther today. Having been familiar with Medina, and being Facebook friends with those well-acquainted with her, it comes as no surprise. But now at least the rest of the country is on to her loony trutherism, thanks to her own bumbling of a perfectly reasonable question.

Finally, I am hosting Diane Student on The Liberty Belle Hour tonight at 7 p.m. And as with last week, I am prepared for the troll calls, which will most certainly arise with the publication of my latest Parcbench article.

Bring it on!

And Happy Birthday, Governor Palin! God bless you!

Whither Al Gore?

2010-02-07T16:33:00.007-06:00

This past Friday the Philadelphia area got hit with the second biggest blizzard in recorded history when 28.5 inches of snow blanketed the Delaware Valley on Friday and Saturday. The biggest snow storm in Philadelphia history occurred in January 1996 when 30.7 inches of snow fell. The third biggest storm in our history occurred just six weeks ago in December, 2009, a few weeks before Christmas. At that time we got with 23.2 inches of snow.

Let's see, the second and third biggest snow falls in our history occurred within two months of each, and another large snow storm may be on its way this week. Curious isn't it, that the biggest snow fall occurred during the Clinton Administration while the second and third biggest occurred during the Obama Administration. Can you say global warming, Al? Compare this with the recent email controversy, whereby the global warming hoax was fully exposed, and you have the perpetration of one of the biggest frauds since Orson Welles announced that Martians were invading.

What is even more infuriating is that Al Gore has become a multi - millionaire selling this snake oil. Hey Al, the gig is up. It's almost Lent. Why not be a man and confess publicly that this whole global warming thing is a farce. Also, if you really want to make amends Al and do something for the planet, why don't you take a couple million dollars of your ill gotten gains and donate it to the suffering people of Haiti.

Sarah Palin's Fabulous Speech at the Tea Party Convention

2010-02-07T10:16:00.001-06:00

On the eve of Super Bowl Sunday, Palin delivered a knockout speech to the Tea Party Convention in Nashville. Enjoy!

Ron Paul's Campaign for Lunacy

2010-01-22T16:17:00.005-06:00

The editors at Parcbench liked my latest piece so much, I am featured prominently next to Dick Morris on the home page! Head on over to the site to read it.

A special note of thanks to commenter Doug for mentioning my book: It has a five-star review from Amazon and has been well-received by everyone who reads it, including a very dear evangelical Christian friend. Oh, and how could I forget to mention -- Sarah Palin herself, a devout Christian who took the time to send me a signed thank-you note! If my scanner was working right now, I'd post it here, but suffice it to say, it was a thrill to receive such encouraging words about my first novel from the Governor herself.

So thank you Doug for telling all of your friends about it, too. If you'd like to read more excellent reviews, you can visit my freelance blog here.

Not sure why my book has any relevance to my well-documented and sourced position on Ron Paul, but I sure do appreciate the free advertising!

Lastly, I am in good company: my views on the Texas congressman are shared by such prominent Reagan conservatives as Michelle Malkin, Allah at Hot Air, and Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit. I'm proud to count myself among their ranks on this, and many other issues. And whether the Ron Paulnuts like it or not, I will continue to call him out on his treachery.

Thanks again, Doug! God bless you.

P.S. Do you think we should "take out" the CIA, too?

P.P.S. What's with Ron Paul's disdain for Sarah Palin, a politician you claim to support?

The "Scott" Heard Round the World

2010-01-20T22:07:00.012-06:00

OK, I admit it. I stole this title from Doc Paul. Although to be fair you must cut me some slack, as I am still ecstatic over Scott Brown's historic victory. No doubt about it, this was truly historic. A conservative candidate winning in deep blue Massachusetts. This election was quite simply the first salvo in the Second American Revolution. We now have Obamacare on the ropes and we must now knock it out for good.

This victory was only the first of many battles to come. We must be relentless in our defense of freedom and traditional American values. We must now work even harder. We must be prepared for Democratic and White House tricks in delaying Mr. Brown's taking his seat, and in continuing efforts to bribe and muscle a health care bill through Congress.

Also Republicans need to learn from this election. Mr. Brown ran a flawless campaign because he ran on conservative ideas. In a state with a huge Democratic majority, he appealed to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. It was the only way he could win. But note how he appealed to these groups. He didn't do it by pandering to every interest group that came down the pike, like RINO candidates do. He ran as a conservative and these groups were drawn to him. They were drawn to him because conservative values are American values. They are the values of Ronald Reagan, and the values of our Founding Fathers. They are enduring. Limited government, individual freedom, religious tolerance, strong national defense, term limits, transparency, and control of government spending. Quite simply a recipe for success.

Viva Scott Brown, and thank you good citizens of Massachusetts. God Bless America. Let freedom ring in 2010.

Yes We Did!

2010-01-20T09:30:00.004-06:00

The title of my post comes from a popular Facebook profile photo that began showing up everywhere in the exhilarating aftermath of Scott Brown's incredible victory last night. Along with many other South Florida conservative activists, I cheered the election returns at Wings Plus in Coral Springs, where we took over an entire room and greeted every election update with the same kind of uproarious exuberance I recall from childhood and adolescence -- whether watching Ronald Reagan give a speech, or the Philadelphia Eagles score a touchdown.

That Brown's Rocky-style victory in the final round occurred on the one-year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, and as a result of the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy earlier this year only intensifies the satisfaction and excitement among tea party activists across the country. It is also quite fitting that Massachusetts -- site of the original Boston Tea Party -- would fire the opening shot in a crucial mid-term election year.

Building on the momentum of New Jersey and Virginia's gubernatorial races last fall, the second American Revolution ushered in 2010 by electing a candidate who believes in cutting taxes, limiting the size and scope of government, defeating Obamacare, and keeping the USA on offense against radical Islamic terrorism (even going so far as to defend waterboarding) -- in the most liberal state in the country!

Who'd have thunk it?

Now I understand that many of us are to the right of Scott Brown on some significant issues. Like the majority of my tea party friends on Facebook, I too wish he held a pro-life stance, although he opposes partial-birth abortion and supports parental consent for minors. However, given the perilous circumstances we as a nation find ourselves in as a result of "hope and change", it is even more critical to judge each race on its own merits.

A special-election senatorial race in liberal Massachusetts is quite different from a special-election congressional race in upstate New York. In the latter case, Republican party bosses -- not the people -- hand-picked a candidate who was at least as far to the left as her Democratic opponent. The situation was further exacerbated when Newt Gingrich inexplicably endorsed Dede Scozzafava for simply having an "R" after her name, but otherwise supporting odious legislation like Card Check, among other affronts to American freedom.

In that particular situation, supporting a true conservative like Doug Hoffman, the man the Republican establishment should have coalesced around, sent a clear and necessary message to the GOP elites in Washington that their conservative base was no longer willing to go along to get along. And they've further crystallized that message by refusing to donate to the RNC, in favor of donating their hard-earned money directly to conservative candidates.

But with the USA on the precipice, quibbling with Scott Brown for not being an ideologically pure candidate in a liberal state where "unaffiliated voters" (i.e. Independents) and Democrats far outnumber registered Republicans would've been counter-productive and self-defeating. Aside from the fact that abortion is a states' rights issue, in an age of radical Islamic terror, out-of-control deficit spending, government takeovers of private industry, Cap and Trade, Obamacare, milquetoast foreign policy and disturbingly weakened national security, it is but one of many in a long list of evils.

As the cliche goes, battles must be chosen wisely, and in politics, strategy sometimes trumps ideology. In the areas that matter in terms of defeating the Dems' statist agenda -- strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and limited government -- Scott Brown is in alignment with conservatives. And the fact that grass-roots conservatives have mastered the internet (a medium previously utilized almost exclusively by the left), is a testament to the power and determination of everyday Americans when they recognize the urgent need to fight like hell for their freedom. If we didn't see it before, we now know for certain that no matter where the race is run, its outcome affects us all.

Will Scott Brown possibly disappoint conservatives at some point in the future? Given the fact that, like everyone else in public office, he is also a politician, chances of that are pretty high. There are no perfect human beings, and therefore, no perfect candidates.

However, with Obama and the Dems in meltdown mode, Obamacare on the ropes and the rest of the administration's radical plans for America in jeopardy as a result of a principled guy in a pick-up truck who didn't consider it beneath him to shake hands with his fellow citizens outside in the cold at Fenway Park (and otherwise work his tail off to actually earn their votes), any future disappointment will be tempered by the euphoria of the moment they called the race for Brown.

Between that and the fact that the "truthers" on Facebook are having hysterical fits over Brown's "we win, they lose" approach to Global Jihad, it's a richly satisfying victory, indeed.

I can hardly wait for November.

Scott Brown for US Senate

2010-01-18T07:25:00.004-06:00

What is happening now in Massachusetts is the greatest "ride" since Paul Revere rousted the colonists out of their warm beds to warn that the Red Coats were coming. Scott Brown is now warning the locals that Obamacare is coming and that we can and will defeat it. His clarion call has propelled him into the lead, in a race for a Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy for 47 years. Of course, Mr. Brown also had the line of the year and perhaps the decade, when he responded to a question about running for Ted Kennedy's old seat. The essence of his response was that the seat did not belong to Ted Kennedy but rather to the people of Massachusetts. Brilliant!

With 48 hours to go however, this is no time to slack off. All Republicans, and freedom loving Democrats and Independents must hit the phone lines, and make sure they assist their friends and neighbors in getting to the polls. This is not a race against a Democratic candidate, this is a race against the socialists/Marxists who have hijacked the Democratic Party.

I don't think I exaggerate when I say that this may be the most important race in our history to date. If Mr. Brown wins we stand a good chance of stopping Obamacare in its tracks. It will deny the racist Harry Reid the 60 votes he needs and most likely cause some moderate Democrat defections in the Senate.

I say a good chance of stopping socialized medicine and not totally stopping it because even if Mr. Brown wins, the White House and the Democratic party will not "accept" it. They will gin up fraudulent reasons to delay his swearing in so that they can ram in a vote in the interim. Hopefully, the RNC and Republican Party have lawyers at the ready to file petitions in court to prevent such a farce and to enable Mr. Brown to get sworn in promptly should he win the election.

We are now on the one yard line. Let's not settle for a field goal. Freedom requires a touchdown.

Truth(er) and Consequences, Facebook-style

2010-01-12T22:57:00.007-06:00

One of the few silver linings in the otherwise dismally bleak consequences of the 2008 Presidential Election has been the nationwide revival of commonsense conservatism. With a renewed appreciation and respect for the United States Constitution, Americans from coast-to-coast have joined forces and channeled their energies into a productive, passionate movement now recognized as tea party activism – inspired by patriots like Seattle mom Keli Carender, and further incited by CNBC’s Rick Santelli. Throughout 2009, the momentum steadily increased in size and scope, as cities and towns all across America held passionate protests against massive government spending.

In tandem with this revitalized sense of patriotism, concerned right-leaning citizens finally mastered the medium that the left had used so effectively to propel their chosen “historic” candidate into office – social media and the internet. From Facebook to twitter to countless excellent blogs, conservatives began to employ technology to effect meaningful “change”.

Using this powerful, 21^st Century medium, they found other like-minded Americans with whom they could disseminate important information on issues, candidates and meetings; take action wherever necessary and possible (e.g. donating to grass-roots candidates, flooding the Senate switchboards); and generally keep each other energized and motivated for the long battles ahead.

As one of the aforementioned, I joined Facebook and twitter sometime in 2008, right around the time House Republicans took a stand for domestic drilling, but weeks before John McCain thankfully chose Sarah Palin as his running-mate (a woman whose career I’d been following for the better part of a year). I delighted at the ease with which I located other well-informed members of the citizenry, who were also horrified by the prospects of an Obama presidency, and equally angered by the fiscal recklessness we’d witnessed with the previous administration and congress.

Having the ability to communicate, plan, instruct, and otherwise commiserate with them was a welcome source of comfort and strength in an age of stimulus, czars, government takeovers of private industry, tax cheats, apology tours, and slobbering media sycophants.

And then came the truthers.

Oh I’d read about these folks on reputable blogs like Hot Air, Michelle Malkin and Gateway Pundit, who documented nut-job radio host Alex Jones’ attack on Malkin at the DNC in August, 2008. Along the way, I’d even come across an excellent City Journal piece, Conspiracy of Crackpots, by John Avlon in which he chronicles the surreal – but not to be underestimated – nature of the movement, which at the time of his September, 2008 article, comprised over thirty percent (!) of the population, according to a Scripps poll.

In spite of YouTube evidence of their self-appointed hero Ron Paul’s attendance at a 9/11 Scholars for Truth meeting in 2007 – during which he promised to investigate the “real” cause of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks with none other than Dennis Kucinich – it just never occurred to me I’d inadvertently “friend” any of these conspiracy loons on Facebook, thanks to a philosophical overlap on economic policy. For this same reason, I’d also friended “non-truther” but in most cases, no less fanatical, Ron Paul supporters. However, for the most part, we’d all co-existed in harmony, mainly focused on curtailing and ultimately destroying horrid legislation like Cap and Trade and Obamacare.

That all changed the day after the underwear bomber from Yemen tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on approach to Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009. Object of truther-worship Ron Paul appeared on CNN where he openly – and might I add, stupidly – blamed the attack on “US occupation of Yemen and Nigeria”, a statement that is patently absurd. No matter: immediately following Paul’s treacherous appearance, the truthers who’d been lurking in the shadows of my friends’ list took it upon themselves to post video of the entire Ron Paul versus Ben Stein spectacle on my profile page, enhanced with paeans to Paul’s alleged “brilliance”, and Stein’s apparent ignorance in branding the Texas congressman an anti-Semite.

The debate threads that ensued contained such delusional comments as “Al-Qaeda is a CIA fantasy”; the Tea Party Movement was started by “libertarians” but hijacked by “neo-cons” (every truther’s favorite pejorative for anyone who accepts the reality of Global Jihad); and my personal favorite, “Everyone knows Bush and Cheney hired the Israeli Mossad to fly the planes into the buildings!”

Needless to say, it is impossible to employ logic with those who are willfully illogical. After many painstaking attempts, most of which included a timeline of terror predating and following September 11, 2001 (1993 WTC bombing, Embassy bombings, USS Cole, Madrid bombings, London Subway bombings, etc); and then inquiring as to whether all of these were also “inside jobs” on the part of the US government, I finally gave up. They would simply ignore my question and respond with another rant about Israel, or another diatribe against “Darth” Cheney.

Good riddance to trash, right? You betcha!

However, there is one aspect I find terribly disturbing—the holier-than-thou, Bible-quoting Ron Paul supporter. This type uses scripture to back up the insane belief that we have no right to defend ourselves against radical Islam, as God is “punishing” us for the scourge of abortion. Now, let me state forthrightly: I am ardently and fervently pro-life. I believe life begins at conception. I believe that innocent life is sacred, regardless of circumstances (e.g. handicaps, financial situation of the parents, etc). I also believe that from a procedural standpoint, Roe versus Wade is unconstitutional, and should be overturned, thus sending the abortion issue back to the states, where it rightfully belongs. Sounds libertarian enough, no?

Voters of each state should determine the legality of abortion for their state, as well as decide on the ancillary issues, like restrictions on the procedure after the first trimester, and parental consent for minors. Yes, abortion is evil. So are beheadings, honor killings, rape rooms, stonings, destructive and deadly riots over Danish cartoons and suicide bombs strapped onto two year-olds. But try explaining that to a true Ron Paul believer.

To attribute the cause of Islamofascism – a rabid, hateful and oppressive political system wrapped up in a strident religious ideology – on the legalization of abortion in America is beyond ludicrous. Muslims have been attacking western civilization for centuries, long before the United States even existed. The difference is that they now have the benefit of modern technology to assist them, requiring evermore vigilance on the part of freedom-loving people everywhere. And as the leader of the free world, the American President has a solemn duty to do everything within his power to prevent the United States and our allies from experiencing further acts of bloody, murderous aggression at the hands of Jihadists.

As a self-professed Christian, Ron Paul has an obligation to speak out against evil. It may be enough for the Christian Paulnuts I’ve bumped into that their guy is “pro-life”, but it’s certainly not enough for this lifelong Catholic. Paul was the ONLY Republican to vote against sanctions on the Iranian regime; I guess he’s ok with the mullahs unleashing a brutal reign of terror against their own people for the “crime” of wanting their freedom.

Hey, if President Obama can go out for ice cream on a hot summer night while innocent Iranians are shot and killed on the streets of Tehran, why shouldn’t Paul vote against sanctions?

When my Christian Ron Paul supporter sanctimoniously inquired if I was a follower of Christ, my response was “Yes, and I’d like to stay that way. However, the ultimate goal of Global Jihad is to impose a worldwide Muslim caliphate in which infidels either submit to Allah or die. Therefore, I will only vote for candidates who espouse a sane foreign policy that includes staying on offense against radical Islamic terror.”

Again, no response to my statement; just some blathering about how it’s all God’s will anyway.

I patiently replied that obviously, whatever God wills ultimately prevails, but that the Almighty also expects us to speak out against evil; that we have an obligation to confront it. I then asked why she wouldn’t support Paul’s primary opponent, Tim Graney, a man who is simultaneously pro-life, pro-limited government and pro-national security. Why settle for someone who may be economically sane, but woefully naïve at best and perilously ignorant at worst, in matters of foreign policy? She offered no useful rebuttal, other than to malign me for my dislike of “the good doctor” who is after all, a “Republican” like me.

Gee and all this time I believed groupthink was only a requirement for lefties!

Needless to say, I’ve been exercising my God-given and Facebook-approved right to approve or deny friend requests, delete and block friends who’ve become abusive or simply illogical, and screen all friend requests for truthers and Ron Paulnuts prior to approving. For that I’ve also been condemned by some as (you guessed it) “un-Christian” and in many cases “anti-American” (Choosing the friends with whom you associate is now considered “blacklisting” in some circles. Who knew? My poor mom, a woman who always taught me that people judge you by the company you keep, will be devastated).

In the meantime, while this avid Tea Party protester will continue to fight against statism, socialism, Obamacare, Cap and Trade, and every other travesty the “gangsta” congress and president try to ram down our throats, she’ll also continue to stand up for freedom by calling out “truthers”, condemning Global Jihad and supporting only candidates with the moral rectitude to do the same.

The Liberty Belle Hour Photo Montage

2010-01-09T12:33:00.003-06:00

At a good friend's suggestion, I decided to create a photo montage to use for my new show on wafs. It's far from perfect, but nevertheless, a good retrospective of the past year that includes Water Signs book events, tea party protests and family gatherings.

I tried to incorporate enough symbolism to reflect my birth in the City of Brotherly Love, traditional upbringing in a nearby suburb and conservative activism in South Florida.

"I've Got A Name" by Jim Croce (another native Philadelphian) was selected, since it is a tribute to the power and strength of the individual when allowed to live in freedom. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride, a metaphor for domestic violence, is also rather appropriate, since our tyrannical federal government is behaving very much like an abusive spouse.

Hope you can tune into the show next Thursday, January 14, when my guest will be the author of Blue Water Comic's Reagan Comic Book, Don Smith.

The Liberty Belle Hour debuts tomorrow night!

2010-01-06T14:45:00.004-06:00

I am very excited to announce the debut of my new show on Thursday, January 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern on wafs. My first guest will be beautiful, talented singer/songwriter, Ava Aston, whose "We The People" video is an anthem to American freedom and the tea party movement.

Last month, Steve and I interviewed her on Conservative Republican Forum, and it was such a pleasure to speak with her, I decided to bring her back for my own show's kick-off broadcast. You can also read my Parcbench interview with her, here.

A huge thank-you to John Sottilare for offering the invitation!

Join my FB Group page here.

Introducing the Reagan Comic Book

2009-12-23T18:09:00.004-06:00

The latest edition to Blue Water Comic's Political Power series hits the stands at the end of this month. Recently, I sat down with Reagan Comic author Don Smith to get his take on America's 40th president as a man, leader, husband, father and architect of the collapse of the "Evil Empire".

Click over to Parcbench for the full interview, but here's an excerpt:

“Was the Soviet Union an ‘Evil Empire?’ Was President Ronald Reagan at the right place and right time when it collapsed? Or was he one of the shrewdest occupants of the White House? Find out how this Mid-Western-turned-actor-turned-President went from B-movies to orchestrating the total collapse of the Soviet Union.”

Such were the questions comic book writer Don Smith sought to answer in his brief re-telling of the story of the man countless Americans remember with utmost pride, respect and admiration.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Don about his latest effort, his foray into comic-book writing from newspaper journalism, and any future Blue Water projects he’s collaborating on.

In the interest of Full Disclosure, I also had the opportunity to read and review the Reagan comic back in October, per Smith’s request:

“In his own inimitable mixture of wit, creativity and humor, Don Smith pens a striking comic book biography of the man I consider to be America’s greatest modern President,” said author Daria DiGiovanni.

“Both those old enough to remember Ronald Reagan and those for whom he’s simply a chapter in a history textbook will delight in Smith’s vivid recollection of out 40th President’s remarkable life and impressive eight-year tenure. Thank you Don, for introducing him in such a brilliant way to a new generation of Americans, and for reminding the rest of us about Reagan’s patriotism, courage and integrity,” she noted.

Note: Don provided the first professional review for my book, Water Signs for Temerity Magazine back in May, 2009.

Delray Beach Library Eleventh Annual Author's Showcase

2009-12-23T11:09:00.004-06:00

How exciting to be chosen to participate in this event this year! On January 10, 2010, I will be one of several authors speaking at the Delray Beach Library Eleventh Annual Author's Showcase. Later today, I will be interviewed by a local Boca Raton reporter - also a native Philadelphian - which should be a lot of fun.

If you live in South Florida, I hope you can join us on January 10. In the meantime, you can find Water Signs on Amazon.com and my website. Within the next few months, I plan to launch a site for my forthcoming sequel, Sea To Shining Sea. If I can keep myself on a disciplined track, the new book will be available by late-spring/early-summer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

A Christmas Gift for the GOP

2009-12-22T13:51:00.005-06:00

The vile, anti- American health care bill that recently garnered 60 Democratic votes in the Senate, may in fact turn out to be quite a Christmas gift to the GOP. Maybe, that is, and I do mean maybe. Why do I say, maybe? Because a gift is only valuable to the receiver if he or she chooses to accept it. Are you listening Mr. Steele, because Santa has just come down your chimney. If you heed this advice, you will not only save your party but save your country.

What is the ghost of Christmas future telling you, Mr. Steele? The ghost is telling you to nationalize the congressional elections of 2010 and make the center piece of your campaign the reversal of this abomination. If you do so, you will not only gain majority status for the Republican Party you will do no less than save the nation. This is a purely Democratic bill without a single Republican vote. It will be easy to attack given its complete lack of bipartisanship, and the illegal backroom deals employed to buy the votes of key senators. There are no excuses now Mr. Steele. Expose the perpetrators, name names, go after the dinosaur media. On this Christmas 2009, now is the time for bold action. On the other hand, your failure to act boldly will result in the complete diminishment of your party and doom for America.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T13:43:00.003-06:00

During this Christmas season of profound hope, peace, and joy we wish all of you, and most especially the heroes of our great American military, a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year. May all of our troops return home safely to their families some day soon.

Broward Tea Party Thank You Vigil for the Troops

2009-12-20T22:26:00.003-06:00

The longest running Tea Party in the USA organized a thank you vigil for the US Military tonight at the corner of US 1 and Oakland Park Blvd. What a pleasure it was to stand with like-minded Americans in support of our troops and their families. We cannot thank them enough for all they do! May God bless our men and women in uniform this Christmas Season and throughout the year. We love you and support you always!

For more photos, click here.

UPDATE: My friend Donna Dunn took this wonderful video. Enjoy and God bless America and our Troops!

Sea To Shining Sea

2009-12-20T13:59:00.005-06:00

I've been hard at work on the sequel to my debut novel, Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal, which is available on my website in PDF and paperback, and on Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback. Hey, if you're looking for a Christmas gift that doesn't require a trip to the mall, check it out!

For those who've read Water Signs, Sea To Shining Sea picks up six months later in the lives of newly married couple, Ken and Madeline. Unlike my first effort, this second novel will take more of a political turn, reflecting current events and culture through the trials and tribulations of my main characters:

After sixteen tumultuous years, destined lovers Ken and Madeline Lockheart finally have it all—a blissful marriage, a beautiful home, two healthy children, fulfilling work and a renewed sense of faith and patriotism. But during one significant business trip abroad, the couple will personally discover just how treacherous and absurd the world has become.

When a joyous event becomes a source of contention with the “medical experts”, and an important telecomm deal implodes thanks to government-imposed political correctness, Ken transitions from successful sales executive to determined candidate for office. And while he’s always enjoyed a good reputation and the respect of his community, he’s in for a rude awakening as Sunshine State politics quickly turns friends into enemies.

Having landed her man at last, Madeline valiantly endeavors to create close bonds with his offspring, in spite of their mother’s endless attempts to discredit her. In the wake of unexpected and simultaneously uplifting and tragic news, she’s forced to summon the same strength and courage that has always guided her in the past.

Spurred on by steadfast faith in God, genuine love of country and unwavering fidelity to each other, Ken and Madeline will ultimately come to understand the broader significance of their star-crossed union and the esoteric value of their journey to shining sea.

UPDATE: Somehow I'd forgotten to post a link to photos from my book signing at Saquella Cafe last month in Boca Raton. A big thank you to Avi, the owner and to Facebook friend Denise Righetti for setting it up.

A US Navy Vet's Response to a Seriously Misguided Journalist

2009-12-20T13:27:00.004-06:00

Here's an excerpt from my latest Parcbench piece, inspired by a friend:

In yet another example of a liberal journalist bemoaning the concept of American pride and exceptionalism, Nick Fierro of the Chicago Tribune offers this response to the question, “What sports tradition would you like to see eliminated?”:

The national anthem should be eliminated from all but the most important sporting events in this country, such as Super Bowls, World Series and Ultimate Fighting title bouts.

Just kidding on the last one, but you should get the idea by now that having to stand for this song at every event and every level of sport from T-ball to the pros has become just a little ridiculous.

At one time, such as when this tradition began during World War II, it might have been a good idea to promote patriotism. Now, all it promotes is … nothing. It has become a mindless exercise.

Mindless exercise? Perhaps for people with no understanding of history and no concept of the miraculous circumstances surrounding the birth of a country founded by ordinary, courageous men who took on the world’s greatest power and risked certain death because of an unwavering commitment to freedom.

At great personal peril, our Founding Fathers forged ahead, spurred on by their deep conviction for Judeo-Christian principles and the right of individuals to control their own destiny. Pardon my patriotism, but I am proud to celebrate and acknowledge the fact that — well over 200 years later — I am a benefactor of their passion, determination and willingness to die for the cause of liberty. Singing the national anthem at a sporting event is a privilege, not some meaningless act “promoting nothing”.

To read the whole thing, click here.

Introducing "The Liberty Belle Hour with Daria"

2009-12-20T12:56:00.007-06:00

Beginning on January 7, 2010 I will be hosting an internet television program called The Liberty Belle Hour with Daria on wafs.tv every Thursday night at 7 p.m:

Pursuing happiness with passion and patriotism

Join conservative writer, blogger, activist and author of the book Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal, Daria DiGiovanni for a high-energy hour of passionate debate, insightful analysis and fascinating conversation on everything from pop culture to politics. Every Thursday night at 7 p.m., Daria will apply her unique blend of humor, intelligence and eloquence to the relevant topics of the day, as well as feature exciting and interesting guests from a variety of backgrounds including small business owners, singers, health professionals and authors. Freedom rings every Thursday night at 7 p.m. on wafs.tv with The Liberty Belle Hour.

Special thanks to my friend and WAFS founder, John Sottilare, for extending the opportunity. My show will debut just ahead of host Paul Harvey's excellent broadcast, Let's Get Loud, on which I've been a frequent guest along with my Conservative Republican Forum co-host, Steve Rosenblum.

My first guest on The Liberty Belle Hour will be multi-talented singer, songwriter, actress and patriot, Ava Aston, who will share her experiences of being a passionate conservative in an industry dominated by lefties. A recent guest on CRF, Ava's debut CD Gone is available at her website, as is her latest single, the patriotic anthem, We The People.

Going Rogue Going Gangbusters

2009-11-20T20:42:00.002-06:00

This must be driving the libs and the Ron Paulnuts nuts!

Yes, this irrelevant, folksy, baby-making hick sure knows how to capture the attention of everyday Americans, a quality I'm sure her publisher greatly appreciates:

Publisher HarperCollins said Friday that Sarah Palin's memoir sold 300,000 copies its first day, among the best openings ever for a nonfiction book. In 2004, Bill Clinton's "My Life" debuted with sales of 400,000 copies. The year before, Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" started at 200,000.

"Going Rogue" was released this week and its print run already has been increased from 1.5 million copies to 2.5 million, HarperCollins announced Friday. Palin, the former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate, is in the midst of a nationwide promotional tour.

For the most up-to-date coverage on the Going Rogue tour and all things Sarah Palin, visit the excellent Conservatives4Palin.

Palin Derangement Syndrome Alive and Well

2009-11-20T09:47:00.003-06:00

With the launch of Sarah Palin's book tour, a brand-new strain of the incurable disorder we came to know as Palin Derangement Syndrome during the 2008 campaign has emerged. And unlike the swine flu, this particular affliction appears to be a fatal (at least in terms of rational, cognitive abilities), permanent condition from which the patient has no desire to recover. And I'm not just talking about the lamestream media elites and other assorted liberals -- from whom we've come to expect the most vicious, reprehensible character assassination -- but also from libertarians and Ron Paul nuts.

Several months ago, I wrote this piece after encountering a multitude of foaming-at-the-mouth libertarians while participating in the weekly Tea Party protests in Fort Lauderdale. (Side note: I am proud to say this is the longest running Tea Party in the country, in spite of a local conservative talk radio host's regular attacks on the dedicated, patriotic effort back in March. Kudos to all of my intrepid South Florida freedom-lovers!)

As most readers know, I've built up an impressive list of friends on Facebook, most of whom share my belief in individual liberty, limited government, strong national defense and the sanctity of life. In many cases, I've accepted individuals as friends who consider themselves libertarians, because we overlapped on enough of the issues to find some common ground and engage in reasoned debate on those areas in which we disagreed. Or so I thought.

I don't know if Ron Paul is proud of his following, and I certainly can't hold him fully responsible for the actions of his supporters. However, in my Facebook experience these so-called libertarians have demonstrated that they are quite capable of rivaling any liberal when it comes to the most vitriolic, offensive and fraudulent attacks on any politician or private citizen who rightly believes that Global Jihad is a dangerous reality that threatens western civilization and demands the use of military force when appropriate.

But just like any true-believing liberal, these Ron Paulnuts bury their heads in the sand (you know, the very same heads every Allah-loving Jihadist would ecstatically chop off if given the opportunity), and cling to the erroneous belief that if we just mind our own business, somehow the problem, assuming it exists at all, will simply disappear.

So rather than place the blame for 9/11 where it squarely belongs -- on the 19 radical Muslim hijackers and their ideology of death to infidels -- they attack the very people who helped keep up safe in the pre-Obama age. From "Darth" Cheney to "Bushitler" libertarians have shown they are incapable of understanding the existential battle facing us in the modern world. Yes, radical Islam has been attempting to take over the world for many centuries; but the sophisticated technology of the 21st century has made their goal that much more achievable. To the extent that libertarians refuse to accept the need for legislation like FISA and the Patriot Act, they demonstrate the same juvenile willfulness as their liberal counterparts.

But back to Sarah Palin.

With the kick-off of her Going Rogue tour, libertarians on Facebook have gone into convulsions, branding her and anyone who supports her a "moron", "a woman I wouldn't trust to run a 1st grade picnic, let alone a country", and a "bimbo". And those are the mild insults. There have also been incredibly misogynistic and offensive remarks involving the female anatomy and Palin's youngest child, Trig, that have rivaled anything I wrote about in my piece, Photoshopping Trig: The Left's Latest Descent into Depravity.

The irony of course, is that Palin actually governed as a libertarian, and passed along a fiscally solvent state to her successor Sean Parnell and her fellow Alaskans when she resigned back in July. In order to become governor in the first place, she boldly took on RINO corruption and the good old boy network within her own party and won, without the help of a politically connected spouse or family -- a feat for which I have tremendous respect. Then there's the matter of the pipeline deal, an accomplishment conventional wisdom dictated would never come to pass. And yet, principled, determined Palin rolled up her sleeves and made it happen. The lamestream media, to no surprise, yawned. And libertarians on Facebook, for all their derision of the Republican establishment, refused to credit this woman for being a true "maverick".

Why exactly is that?

Sarah Palin, in Reagan-like manner, is also unafraid to call out evil, and thus acknowledges Global Jihad as a threat to our existence. To that end, she supports a robust national defense, expresses a fervent desire to win in Iraq and Afghanistan, and upholds Israel's right to exist. These are all fatal flaws, not just to liberals, but to civil rights absolutists everywhere who call themselves libertarians.

And just like liberals, instead of dealing with the issues, they attempt to marginalize her by engaging in smear tactics and repugnant insults that betray a regrettable lack of moral character and integrity. Lately it has become an epidemic with libertarians on Facebook: As more and more Americans get to know and like Palin via her media interviews with people like Oprah, Rush, Hannity and O'Reilly, as well as through her personal appearances at book stores throughout the country, their attacks increase in intensity and frequency. Along with their liberal brethren, libertarians' fear and loathing of the hockey mom from Alaska knows no bounds.

So while I respect their right to be stupid in terms of understanding the world we live in, I cannot abide having any association (even an electronic one via social media) with those who possess such flawed character traits. And no, I am not infringing on their First Amendment rights (as some have accused me of) when I delete and block them. As I wrote on a status update a few weeks ago regarding 9/11 truthers (many of whom are libertarians), they are entitled to their misguided opinions, but not my friendship. Therefore, when I delete and block them, I am simply exercising my right as an American not to have to put up with their nonsense. It's the same philosophy that enables me to boycott liberal Hollywood and their anti-American films.

My advice to libertarians and liberals: like it or not, Sarah Palin is here to stay. Perhaps a visit to the psychiatrist is in order before Obamacare denies your right to the meds you so desperately need.

We The People

2009-11-18T23:15:00.002-06:00

Check out this excellent new song from talented singer and patriot Ava Aston:

You may recognize a few familiar faces in the photo montages!

The Palin Phenomenon

2009-11-18T11:54:00.003-06:00

No matter how much her elite critics on the left and the right try to dismiss, demean and marginalize her, Sarah Palin just keeps gaining momentum. Those of us who reside outside of the D.C. Beltway, Manhattan, Los Angeles and other urban stomping grounds of those who consider themselves the everyday American's intellectual and moral superiors just can't get enough of the woman who accurately reflects our values and cherishes American Exceptionalism.

Via Hot Air, 1500 braved freezing temperatures outside of a Barnes and Noble in Grand Rapids. And in an even more telling display of Palin's magnetism, she afforded Oprah Winfrey her biggest audience in two years. Wow, not even "The One" could give the talk-show diva such a gift.

Palin will appear on the Sean Hannity show tonight, and The O'Reilly Factor this Thursday, Friday and Monday. It will be interesting to see the ratings of these already highly successful Fox programs after her interviews.

One thing's for sure: Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with. And our country will be all the better for it, particularly with the 2010 election looming large. Will she throw her support behind conservative, grass-roots upstart Marco Rubio in Florida? As a Rubio supporter myself, I sure hope that's the case. Sources say Palin will visit The Lone Star State early next year to stump for Rick Perry's campaign as he competes against moderate Republican Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the March 2 gubernatorial primary.

May the conservative resurgence, led by Sarah Palin, usher in a new era of responsible, limited government, lower taxes, strong national security and individual liberty.

A Prayer for the President

2009-11-17T21:27:00.001-06:00

Psalm 109:8

UPDATE (courtesy of a commenter at Don Surber's blog): Ecclesiastes 10:2

Rush Sticks to Policy, Palin Displays her Knowledge

2009-11-17T16:48:00.002-06:00

In sharp contrast to Oprah Winfrey (whose show admittedly focuses on a "chick flick" type of questioning), Rush Limbaugh purposely stuck to important policy issues during a live interview with Sarah Palin, who called in to his show from her hotel room in New York. Having praised Palin's book as "one of the most substantive policy books I've read," he deliberately avoided the "soap opera stuff" in favor of delving into pressing issues such as the economy, energy, national security and illegal immigration.

And to the surprise of none who blog here, the former Alaska governor displayed her impressive grasp of common-sense, free-market principles; her understanding of Ronald Reagan's stellar example of leadership; and her comprehension of both the Republican and Democrat establishment as they relate to the Tea Party movement, independent voters and the viability of a third party. Anyone who's previously accused Palin of pushing for a third party will find their theory thoroughly debunked in this interview. To quote her directly, "I don't think the third party movement will be what's necessary to usher in common-sense, conservative ideals."

Clearly Sarah Palin is above-all, about principles. Let's hope she can affect the same reform on a national level as she did with the Republican Party in Alaska. Are you listening, Michael Steele?

Read the entire transcript here.

Palin on Oprah

2009-11-17T08:40:00.004-06:00

Contrary to popular opinion, not all women are enamored with Oprah Winfrey. In the 20+ years she's been hosting her show, I might've accidentally (via channel surfing and/or walking in on someone else who was engrossed in her latest episode) viewed a snippet here or there, but never once sat through an entire hour of mind-numbing chatter and touchy-feely moral relativism.

That all changed yesterday when a fresh breeze blew in from Alaska.

I admit, I was somewhat perplexed and even a bit angry when I first heard the news that Sarah Palin would visit Oprah's couch as part of her Going Rogue book tour. What exactly did she hope to accomplish by making nice with an avowed Obama-phile who refused the first female Republican VP nominee that opportunity during the 2008 campaign? And given the fact that her book was already setting records, Palin sure didn't need Oprah's endorsement to achieve best-selling author status.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the former Governor of Alaska had no choice but to sit down with the talk-show queen. After all, the only impression most of Oprah's female audience had of Palin was as a reality-show, trailer-trash freak -- a fraudulent image pervasively and relentlessly perpetuated by an increasingly hostile (and fearful) media.

Seriously, why would lefty lamestreams want American women to know that an unapologetic conservative Christian female rose to political power purely on her own ambition and hard work -- with the undying support of a loving, faithful husband and five devoted children? Conservative women aren't supposed to be powerful, self-assured, intelligent and -- dare I add -- beautiful; they're supposed to be miserable, barefoot and pregnant, while simultaneously plodding through life per the dictates of that repressive religion, Christianity, as the faithful spouse of a neanderthal who neither supports her ambitions, nor helps out with the child-rearing.

The Left certainly didn't want Oprah's audience to know that you can choose life, no matter how imperfect and still find incredible joy and satisfaction in it. I am referring of course, to the governor's decision to give birth to her Down syndrome baby Trig, but also to her daughter Bristol, who chose life for her son Tripp, under less-than-ideal circumstances.

So the more I digested it, the more sense Palin's decision made. And yesterday, when I sat down to watch a full episode of Oprah for the first time in my life, I was once again reminded of why I admire Sarah Palin as a woman, American, conservative, politician, wife, mother and Christian.

Though I found Oprah to be a bit badgering at times in her questioning (e.g. "Is Levi Johnston invited for Thanksgiving dinner?"), with an aura of aloof politeness in her mannerisms, Palin handled the interview with her usual grace, charm, honesty and forthrightness. I was more than a little miffed at the end of the first segment when Oprah basically forced her to say something good about Obama (regarding his exhortation to the media to keep the candidates' kids off-limits, knowing full-well his media lackeys would never touch his kids -- except to comment on how wonderful they were. If only Palin's kids had been afforded the same treatment).

Some of my favorite moments?

When Palin noted, "It wasn't the center of my universe," in response to the question about being "snubbed" by Oprah last year; her reference to "The Perky One" (an obvious dig at obnoxious Katie Couric); the Halloween day video featuring Todd, Sarah, Trig and Piper; and her touching retelling of the day she broke the news to her husband about their forthcoming special-needs child.

I do wish Oprah had gotten around to asking some political and policy questions along the lines of "What was it like to take on the good old boys in the Republican establishment in Alaska and win?" "Why are you in favor of drilling in ANWAR?" "What was your proudest accomplishment as governor?" All missed opportunities that no doubt will be addressed when she appears on Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly and other outlets.

Overall, an impressive performance, one which I believe resonated with the audience and set the tone for a highly successful reintroduction to the American electorate.

Court - Martial for General Casey

2009-11-15T20:26:00.023-06:00

One of the most shocking events in the aftermath of the Fort Hood massacre were the outrageous and chilling words of General Casey. His comment that it would be an even bigger tragedy if diversity itself became a victim, is an outrage and an insult to the fourteen who lost their lives in this preventable massacre, and the grieving families they left behind. Yes, the number of dead is fourteen and not thirteen as the lame stream media reports, because one of the soldiers was pregnant and her baby's life was snuffed out by this terrorist before it had a chance to begin.

What makes the General's comments so egregious is that they are reflective of how political correctness is not only paralyzing us as a society, but is now putting us in grave danger. Or rather has already put in grave danger, since the Ft. Hood dead are to be buried this week.

There was ample evidence as well as a long history of the terrorist behavior of this lunatic, and the Army was clearly on notice of it. Yet nothing was done out of fear of offending a Muslim officer. Those who expressed concern were afraid to make any official reports to their superiors, for fear of becoming victims of political correctness themselves, and having their careers derailed. I guess the good General believes that it is better not to offend anyone, especially a Muslim, even if you have to sacrifice American lives in the process.

What is even more frightening is that the jihadists have infiltrated our military, and stooges like General Casey in their quest for diversity, don't seem to care. In addition, there are many jihadist sleeper cells throughout the country. When will we wake up? Do we even care anymore?

What is needed is a full scale investigation of the all branches of the military and every mosque and Islamic organization throughout the country. This investigation needs to be initiated from the White House, and needs to be massive and thorough in its scope. As a point of reference, I cite the Tailhook investigation of 1991 ordered by the Administration of President George H.W. Bush, a veteran of the Navy. Tail hook involved untoward behavior by men directed at women in the Navy. A large scale investigation was launched into allegations of what at best can be described as sexual misconduct. As a result, many naval careers became a casualty. While everyone agrees that this type of conduct cannot be tolerated, nobody died at Tailhook as they did at Ft. Hood.

Mr. President, please order the attorney general to initiate such an investigation forthwith. Members of Congress, I call on you to pressure the White House if it won't act promptly. While this investigation is pending, General Casey should be relieved of his duties with pay. If the investigation reveals that the Ft. Hood's murderer's intentions were well known to the General and ignored them, then he should be court - martialed.

A Feminist Hero

2009-11-12T22:32:00.002-06:00

Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley emerged from the horror of the Ft. Hood massacre as a real life heroine. What a woman of courage risking her life and sustaining serious injury, while taking down the jihadist murderer. All women, indeed all people, should be very proud of Sgt. Munley. However, where are her sister feminists in the aftermath of this heroic deed? Not a word from NOW. Where are you Oprah? Nancy Pelosi anyone? Is Hilary Clinton still dancing in a village in Africa? Once again these frauds that call themselves American feminists have been exposed. They are not patriotic Americans, nor do they give a damn about women. They care only about their socialist, pro-abortion agenda. Shame on them. They can't hold a candle to real American women like Sgt. Munley.

2009 Elections

2009-11-10T22:19:00.008-06:00

Make no mistake about it. The 2009 elections were a referendum on President Obama. Unfortunately, for the President the voters responded with a resounding no to his Marxist/socialist agenda. The drubbing in Virginia was impressieve enough for Republicans, but the defeat of Corzine in the bluest of blue states speaks volumes. It was a reminder to the President that we are indeed a Christian country with an established Judeo- Christian ethic and culture. The tide is turning but much work still needs to be done. We can still defeat Obamacare in the Senate and we must prepare as never before for the 2010 elections.

Twentieth Anniversary

2009-11-09T19:03:00.000-06:00

One of Ronald Reagan's defining moments was the speech at the Brandenburg Gate in June 1987, as JFK's "Ich bin ein Berliner" in June 1963 was such a moment for him. It's hard for our kids to grasp fully the moment, but the joy on display at the end of this video should help them to understand.

Ft. Hood Massacre

2009-11-07T20:26:00.004-06:00

Make no mistake about it, the horrible and vicious attack at Ft. Hood was a Mulim terrorist attack. The fact that the killer is a religious Muslim who yelled "Allah Akbar" as he slaughtered innocent Americans is proof of same. This jihadist should be interrogated until he fully confesses, and then tried and exceuted as a traitor to his country. In addition, those accomplices who he indentifies should be hunted and killed wherever they are in the world. Those in the military who were on notice of his predilections and did nothing should be tried and court marshaled. This episode should be the final straw regarding political correctness, which will kill us all unless we collectively wise up.

El Rushbo

2009-10-13T12:05:00.003-05:00

Rush Limbaugh's recent interview with the "Today Show" was a classic, and yet another example of how my favorite Conservative continues to bedevil the Dinosaur media. He is like a parent and liberals are like the 13 year old who try to fool their parents and never get away with it. Rush is always one step ahead and liberals just can never catch up.

An Open Letter to Michael Steele and the RNC

2009-10-02T22:16:00.008-05:00

Above photo for commenter Larry - don't leave us!

If the Republicans hope to reclaim Congress in 2010, the recipe in my humble opinion, is pretty simple. It calls for a new, simpler version of the Contract with America of 1994, and consists of two simple points.

1. A Republican majority in Congress will support no legislation nor pass any law which Congress itself doesn't have to live under. It's pretty simple. If a law is good enough for We the People, it should be good enough for Congress. This would ensure the death of Obamacare and the salvation of Social Security. Right now it's easy to support Obamacare if you're in Congress when it won't apply to you and your family, who will still get "gold standard", traditional American medical care.

2. Term limits. If 8 years is enough for Presidents, then 12 years ought to be good enough for Congress. That's 2 terms for Senators and 6 terms for Congressmen. Politics is about publice service, not fat public pensions.

I hope you're listening Mr. Steele. The millions who have taken to the streets in the Tea Party movement, will not simply pull the Republican lever because they're angry at the President and his party. If Republicans do no better than Obama-lite, they will find themselves in the political wilderness for generations.

Sarah's Revenge

2009-10-02T20:49:00.016-05:00

The woman reviled and scorned as an imbecile by our friends on the Left, has struck once again. Her forthcoming book Going Rogue: An American Life is already numero uno on both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, and it won't even be released until November 17. Not bad for an illiterate rube from Steward's Icebox. Of course, this is the same hick who in one short Facebook post redefined the health care debate, thus putting the President and his "death panels" squarely on the defensive. I hope Chairman Steele and the gang at the RNC are taking notes. Obviously, Senator McCain (whom I will forever salute as a war hero) is not. Nor is Senator "Gang of 14" Graham. Both of them are proving their eagerness to lose even more elections with their "centrist" nonsense. How'd that work out for you in 2008, Senator McCain?

Oh and by the way RNC, have you forgotten the Left's attacks on the "Amiable Dunce" in the 1970s -- the former actor, cowboy and California Governor whom President Carter and his team ardently hoped would be the Republican nominee in 1980? Whatever happened to that Old Fella? I guess he's not as memorable as some of the "notables" the RNC have force-fed to the American people, e.g. Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush (1992 version), Bob Dole, and John McCain. Do I detect a pattern here? Moderate = Electoral Defeat. In case you haven't noticed RNC, there is a huge movement sweeping the country. Folks who've never been politically active or participated in protests have been taking to the streets demanding a return to Constitutional principles -- you know, limited government, low taxes, strong national defense and individual liberty. Funny, these are some of the things Sarah Palin consistently champions in her writings, speeches and interviews. Hmmm.

I suggest Michael Steele et al take a clue from the Tea Parties. The candidate who is unapologetic about American exceptionalism and the vision of this country put forth by our Founding Fathers is the candidate who will take the White House, not to mention save the USA from impending disaster. And if that's not enough for you, here's a litmus test: simply look at the Republican candidate that the Left despises and mocks the most, and you've found your or man -- or woman. The bottom line is the Left deeply fears Sarah Palin and they know they need to destroy her now.

The fact is that Governor Palin has the greatest political instincts since President Reagan. The Left and the dinosaur media viciously attacked Sarah and her family and it backfired. Next they set out to destroy her governorship by filing multiple, bogus ethics complaints which had nothing to do with ethics, and everything to do with bankrupting the Palin family. When she resigned this past summer, they incorrectly assumed they'd achieved a "gotcha" moment, as did some pseudo-elitist, Beltway conservative commentators (who didn't much like Palin from the get-go).

Wrong again folks! Not only did she pass the torch on to her highly capable poltical twin, former Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell (along with a fiscally solvent state treasury), her resignation proved to be her most brilliant move to date, with the possible exception of completing her book several months ahead of time.

Her recent speech in Hong Kong was a grand slam that even the near-bankrupt New York Times called "compelling". How refreshing to have an honest, middle class American just like us with a real chance at the Presidency. George Washington would be proud; this is exactly the way the American system developed by our Founders was designed to work. They'd had their fill of despots and monarchs, going to great lengths to ensure a government "by the people, for the people and of the people". Enough of the elite ruling class of both parties telling us what to do!

Keep it up Sarah. My wife and I are anxiously awaiting your book in the mail.

Going Rogue: An American Life

2009-09-29T08:29:00.002-05:00

Just read about this exciting news over at Conservatives4Palin. Seems the woman the lamestream media vilified as someone who doesn't read actually completed her book months ahead of schedule. Can't wait to read her take-down of the treacherous McCainiacs, and her plan to rescue America from the evil clutches of the radicals. Looks like I've found the perfect Christmas gift for all of the conservatives in my life!

Hawthorne Writers Group Presentation

2009-09-25T14:11:00.002-05:00

I've been light on the political blogging since attending the 9/12 March on Washington, partly because I've been spending a great deal of time promoting Water Signs. This past Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Hawthorne Writers Group in New Jersey, thanks to my good friends Don Smith and Sabrina Steyling. To Don and Sabrina, and all who attended, I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as I did! Looking forward to seeing you all again when the sequel is completed, hopefully in the spring of 2010. Here are a few videos of my presentation, all of which can be found at my You Tube channel.

Ralph's 50th Birthday Bash

2009-09-20T22:33:00.002-05:00

Last night we celebrated the 50th birthday of the most amazing person I know -- our brother Ralph. For a few hours at least, I forgot all about politics as I joined with family and friends to honor someone who will always be our hero. In addition to the WWF, Ralph absolutely loves movies, thus the Hollywood-themed party included a red carpet; cut-outs and photos of Clint Eastwood (one of Ralph's favorite actors) and other famous stars; and even an Oscar presentation to the guest of honor.

I tried to capture the evening's magic in these videos. Enjoy!

King Obama I

2009-09-17T22:28:00.024-05:00

I have been scratching my head trying to remember the last time a political leader so angered the majority of the American people, as to cause widespread disgust and spontaneous public demonstrations of patriotism.

While it's true that George W. Bush was detested and vilified by the far Left, his detractors constituted a small fringe minority of the body politic. Bill Clinton was certainly disliked by conservatives like myself, but he never inspired mass demonstrations like we're seeing today. Similarly, Ronald Reagan, like Bush 43 was hated by the far left, but again we are talking about a very small, albeit vocal minority.

I then thought back to Richard Nixon, he of enemies list fame. While the Left despised him and he was in the White House at a time of large protests and mass demonstrations, the thrust of those public displays was opposition to the Viet Nam war. While many who attended were clearly anti- Nixon, the former President was not the sole driving force behind those marches. They started in the Johnson administration and would have continued had Humphrey been elected in 1968.

Still stumped, I looked further back in history. While Southerners, who comprised half of the country clearly hated Lincoln, we are talking about a time in history when the country was fighting a bloody civil war. Their anger was directed at all things Northern not just Lincoln, and the feeling was mutual. A review of the first fifteen Presidents also came up empty.

Who then could compare to the Chosen One? It hit me while watching a tea party protest on the news one night. Tea party was a term I had not heard used in modern times, until the President took office in January. Before its modern revival the last time the term "tea party" was in vogue was in the 1700s when American colonists threw a big party in Boston harbor. Who was in charge then? Who was the leader who provoked such outrage? None other that King George III, that's who. He's the leader who Obama most resembles. Remember him? Taxation without representation, imposition of government control over every aspect of American life, and loser of an important war. Sounds just like a guy who would be a good czar in the current Administration.

The President ought to study King George III, for he who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it. Unless Mr. Obama soon realizes that he is a president and not a king, he will meet the same fate as the erstwhile British monarch. He will learn that it is unwise to attempt to take away the freedom of the American people. Should he continue to try to do so, the President like King George III will inevitably find himself on the losing side of the next American Revolution.

The 9/12 March on Washington, Video Reports

2009-09-15T10:23:00.003-05:00

Since these are finally ready to share, I thought I'd post all four as a recap of the day:

UPDATE: Part Five

The 9/12 March on Washington

2009-09-13T08:50:00.008-05:00

It's difficult to describe the overwhelming sense of pride, solidarity and excitement I experienced as I joined with approximately 2 million like-minded patriots from every state in country yesterday at the 9/12 March on Washington. At the risk of conjuring up an unpleasant image, I've never been prouder of my fellow Americans, many of whom traveled long distances and sacrificed hard-earned time and money to make their voices heard.

Since I am still in Pennsylvania visiting family, I rode down on a chartered bus with the West Chester Tea Party folks, a dedicated, passionate and friendly group. Mirroring what I witnessed in DC, they represented a broad cross-section of citizens, from 11 year-old Quentin Cody (who's quite famous in this area for his thoughtful, intelligent and articulate speeches delivered at Town Halls and other rallies) to stay-at-home moms and military veterans. Kudos to trip organizer Paula Stiles, one of the most efficient planners I've ever met. Not only did she expertly manage the inevitable cancellations, waiting lists and endless questions that accompany such an undertaking, she made the entire drive memorable and fun with raffles, patriotic music and even homemade brownies. And best of all, she'd even printed out maps of DC, to make it easy for us to get around, knowing we were all free to go our separate ways before meeting up again for the ride home.

I sat next to a wonderful woman named Beth, who appears at the beginning of my video below. From the beginning of our journey, which began at 6:30 a.m. at the West Goshen shopping center (site of our chartered bus pick-up), it was obvious that September 12, 2009 was going to be a historic day, marking a turning-point in our country. The excitement on the nearly three-hour drive down was palpable as we cruised along I-95. There were two buses in our caravan, but as we got closer to DC, we noticed several others. By the time we pulled into Union Station, any doubts or fears about the event's success were eliminated as one-by-one, every designated parking space welcomed another motorcoach.

As I proceeded through the station with map in hand, I got a call from my friend Sean Williams, BTR host of The War Room, who'd driven up from Orlando, FL. Before I could even inquire as to the crowd size, I heard him cry out exuberantly, "Holy Sh%^&*"! Hearing the roar of the crowd in the background, I couldn't wait to get to the Freedom Plaza and march back up to the Capitol, surrounded by like-minded patriots.

I met up with Sean in front of the building bearing Ronald Reagan's name, and we joined the endless parade. Amid a sea of flags and elaborate, homemade signs, we chanted "USA"!; "Here we come"; and The Pledge of Allegiance (with special emphasis on the phrase "Under God".) We sang God Bless America and The Star Spangled Banner, while above us the skies were partly sunny, with a nice breeze. But even if it had rained, as it appeared to be threatening to do at least a few times during the afternoon, the spirit of this enthusiastic, determined crowd would not have been broken. I can't remember a time when I've felt more connected to my fellow Americans; it's a feeling I will treasure always.

Sean and I then found Premo Mondone, BTR host of Red State Town Hall and his friend David, who'd arrived on a bus from Chattanooga, TN with their local Fair Tax organization. From there, we headed to the Capitol lawn to hear the speeches (at least as best we could from our vantage point) and interact with other 9/12 marchers. Unfortunately, I never did connect with the many others I'd planned to, including my good friends Ellen Snyder, Shona Daress and the wonderful Facebook "YaYa" group, but given the sheer magnitude of the crowd, I'd been lucky to locate anyone I knew.

And as always, these Tea Party Patriots were well-informed, smart, resolved and resolute. They unequivocally reject socialism, Czars, arrogant Congress Critters in both parties, our narcissistic President and his Marxist plans for the USA, and the rampant corruption that has overtaken our government. They want to restore the Constitution and get this country back to the vision of its Founders. Countless signs spelled out the solutions, including tort reform, interstate competition for insurance companies and medical savings accounts.

We met a nice family of five from Southern California (see them in the video), who informed us that contrary to popular belief, most Californians are NOT liberals. The reason they get saddled with liberal politicians like Boxer and Feinstein is because The Golden State allows illegals to vote, going so far as to provide them with ballots in Spanish. Is there any doubt why Obama yearns for the rest of the country to follow in California's heavily taxed, welfare-state footsteps?

A few other fun anecdotes: At one point, a woman walked by and happily informed me that she'd visited the CNN bus (which was parked near the area we'd settled in) and told them to "stop lying about us" and to "get the story straight today" in terms of the crowd numbers and description. Later when we heard ABC (ABC!) had reported 1.7 million, I wondered if the reporter had choked on the words. At one point, Sean got a misinformed Tweet announcing the death of Fidel Castro (which we later discovered to be false), prompting cautious rejoicing from everyone around us. How fitting it would have been on this day, but alas the Dictator lives for a least a little while longer!

No SEIU or any other thugs tried to disrupt the event as far as I could tell. There may have been some there, but we did not encounter any. Given the enormity of the turnout, there's no way they would've succeeded in causing trouble anyway.

Finally, I would also like to thank everyone responsible for planning and executing yesterday's protest, which was one of the most organized events I've ever attended. There were numerous volunteers in yellow tee-shirts offering help and directions, placed at strategic points all along the way. The protesters themselves, while vocal and enthusiastic, were also courteous and polite.

Overall, it was a day that will live on in history, marking a turning-point in the restoration of this country to the people from the grubby hands of special interest groups, self-serving politicians, secular progressive millionaires and billionaires (Gore, Soros etc) and their petulant, arrogant embodiment of "Hope and Change", Barack Hussein Obama. The sleeping giant has awakened with a roar, and "The Silent Majority" is silent no more!

UPDATE: Part One

Part Two:

Timothy Ward, 9/11 Victim

2009-09-10T22:58:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth of Daily Inklings wrote this remembrance of Timothy Daly and posted it on 9/11/08:

Tim Ward was born on Valentine’s Day, 1963, the son of Susie Ward Baker of Rancho Bernardo and the apple of his mother’s eye. He lived in nearby Scripps Ranch with his companion, Linda Brewton. He was an IT project manager for the Rubio’s Baja Grill chain of restaurants. He was an accomplished chef who would pack a chocolate confection in a picnic basket, an animal lover with a West Highland terrier named Sherman, and a devoted San Diego State Aztec fan who would travel to their games.

He was a passenger on Flight 195 when it was hijacked by terrorists and flown into the second tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.

I found a subsequent article, written in November 2008, on his mother's quest for his remains; an excerpt:

For seven years, 3,000 miles stood between Susanne Ward-Baker and her son Timothy’s remains.

Timothy Ray Ward, 38, was flying from Boston to Los Angeles on the morning of 9/11, on United Airlines Flight 175. After the plane slammed into the World Trade Center, all that was found of Ward were three shards of bone.

For seven years, those three pieces of bone sat in a Ziploc bag in a freezer at the New York City Medical Examiner’s office, waiting to be claimed. For seven years, Ward-Baker made phone calls to New York from her house in San Diego, searching a way to bring her son home.

“I’m just a mother who wants my son’s little teeny pieces of bone with me,” Ward-Baker told Downtown Express several weeks ago, beginning to cry during a telephone interview.

Ward-Baker, 67, finally got her wish on Nov. 14, when a seven-year impasse ended and her son’s remains arrived.

Posted in memory of Timothy Ward and the others who lost their lives on 9/11/01 in the greatest terrorist attack on American soil in history. May they rest in peace.

Robert Penninger, 9/11 Victim

2009-09-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

By all accounts, Robert Penninger was an exceptional man with a steadfast love of family, country, and life. An electrical engineer for BAE Systems, the Poway, California resident was 63 years-old when his plane -- American Flight 77 -- was crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

His wife, Janet Penninger, later described her husband to the Washington Post:

"Bob Penninger loved life, always living it to the fullest. He always tried to find humor in any situation. Bob also loved cars. In high school, he was always tinkering with the cars he and his friends owned, fine-tuning them to get more speed. So it seemed only natural that he buy a 1999 electric green Cobra Mustang with thoughts of making it into a show car. He added many Saleen extras including a speedster cover, spoiler and ground effects. He had a supercharger installed, as well as having the car lowered, putting on wider tires and a roll bar. He enjoyed every moment driving and showing this car and won a trophy at every car show he entered."

Among the entries for Penninger on the Legacy.com Guest Book, are these beautiful tributes:

To the family of Robert Penninger:
Robert gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. My deepest sympathy to you. We must never forget!
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

Peggy Childers, Carson City, Nevada

***

Bob was a friend and co-worker for many years, working on military projects that had terrific humanitarian applications. He was very excited about that because it would save so many from injury or death. Bob was a fine man who loved his family dearly. I miss his humor and kindness.

Dave Hunsaker,

Ramona, California

***

As I cross-stitched your name on the memorial that I am doing for all of the victims, I prayed for you and your family. Please know that your death was not in vain. We will always remember. God Bless.

Kristine,Tecumseh, Michigan

May Robert Penninger, and all victims of 9/11 rest in peace in God's presence. And may those of us left behind always remember their heroism, and live a life worthy of their sacrifice. God bless America and her fallen heroes.

Nathaniel Lawson, 9/11 Victim

2009-09-10T22:56:00.000-05:00

Nathaniel Lawson was living the American Dream. Having grown up in Georgia in a family of 19 children, 61 year-old Lawson was a waiter and cook for Forte Food Service, and had been transferred to the World Trade Center, just three months prior to 9/11.

In The New York Times Portraits of Grief, Lawson's niece Brenda Weaver shares the story of Lawson's excitement over his new cable service, enabling him to watch his beloved New York Knicks and other teams, as well as gospel programs. He'd called her mother -- his sister -- Betty Moore, the day before the attack on the World Trade Center, to relate the news.

"He was a very spiritual man," Ms. Weaver said. "He always kept a smile. And he was helpful. Anytime you would call to talk to him about a problem, he was always willing to give good advice and willing to pray with you about anything that was bothering you."

The New York Times profile goes on to state:

Mr. Lawson lived alone in a tiny apartment in Flatbush, Brooklyn. His grown daughter, Pamela, lives in Germany. He was close to his sister, Betty. "For my mother, it's a lot like losing another half of her," Ms. Weaver said.

May Nathaniel Lawson enjoy the rewards of eternity, along with all of the victims of 9/11.

West Chester, PA Tea Party

2009-09-07T08:55:00.003-05:00

During my month-long visit to Pennsylvania, I've joined my parents at several Town Halls and Tea Parties, including Dom Giordano's healthcare panel at The Philadelphia Inquirer, where I witnessed Joe Sestak give John Edwards a run for his money for the title of sleaziest politician in America. I documented the entire experience on Facebook, along with photos.

And this past Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting more Keystone State patriots in front of the courthouse in West Chester, site of their weekly gathering. Among the crowd of 30+, I spoke with many dedicated activists from all walks of life, ranging from retired CEOs to small business owners to veterans. People like event organizer Mark Driver, a grass-roots activist since 1990. Among other things, Mark is a member of American Sheepdogs, Pennsylvania Conservative Council, six different Tea Party groups, and an organization named ACTION (American Christian Traditions In Our Nation).

When I asked about his biggest concern with Obamacare, Driver stated emphatically, "The very last page, where it is written, 'if you do not accept government healthcare plans, states' rights will be limited.' That is the most disturbing line in the entire 1,000-page bill for me, as it is another power-grab by an ever-expanding centralized government."

Fellow protester/organizer Craig Cody agreed. Though politically aware for the last 12 years, he'd never gotten active -- that is until he realized the necessity of getting involved. "Our Founding Fathers were smart," Cody told me, "They were great students of history, and that's what we have to get back to. I am thankful for the millions of regular citizens who are fighting for our freedom."

On such citizen is Cody's remarkable son, Quentin, just eleven years-old, and one of the Tea Party movement's most passionate orators. Quentin first spoke at the West Chester Tea Party on April 4, 2009, and is scheduled to address an Americans for Prosperity event this coming week. Along with his sister Shannon, Quentin offers hope that all is definitely not lost when it comes to future generations.

I also met retired CEO and West Chester resident, Dennis Stewart, a man who "knows how to build and lead championship teams", and spent 37 years crusading for various corporate causes. A staunch pro-lifer, Dennis is the author of Eating Our Young On A Full Stomach: The Truth About Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Finally, there was US Navy vet and event organizer Rich Davis, who gathered us together on the courthouse steps before we adjourned, to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing God Bless America and pray the Our Father. Rich also announced two other events taking place that day in nearby Exton and King of Prussia. Undaunted by the small group of counter-protesters across the street, bearing signs with drawings of aliens and slogans of "They're back" on them, he told me that they'd long ago come to an arrangement to stand on opposite corners to avoid any potential conflicts.

Once again, I was incredibly impressed by the vast knowledge, intelligence and passion expressed by my fellow patriotic Americans who -- despite every attempt by the mainstream media and the White House to marginalize and intimidate them -- refuse to back down. Can't wait to ride the bus to DC with the Chester County group!

Here's the story of Rich Davis and the Chester County Victory Movement:

Exceptional!

2009-09-01T21:00:00.001-05:00

Someone give Bill Whittle a big cigar for this smack-down!

This Man Is A Patriot

2009-08-22T21:54:00.002-05:00

A Marine calls out a congress critter (Brian Baird - D, Washington) who dared call his constituents "brownshirts" (he later apologized)

Dissecting HR3200

2009-08-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

It's even uglier than you could have imagined. Many thanks to The Czar of Muscovy for trudging through all 1,017 pages of this abomination to bring all the points of interest to light. From his Big Finish:

But the Czar realizes that this bill is very much like President Obama himself. Rushed through without proper review, and containing an unfocused blend of various liberal and radical ideas, the bill promises extensive reform, but ultimately cannot provide specifics beyond trivial process and procedure. The contents are pro-lawyer but anti-doctor, misinformed on how business works beyond the abuse of buzzwords, but is fully incorporative of labor union interests. The bill, like the President, raises a specter of of increasing fundamental central control coupled with an élitist dismissal for consequences; in the end, its scattered attempt to be a panacea to the nth degree produces a framework that is merely a framework: it is a blank slate, onto which the supporter pins his own hopes and goals, without anything within justifying that faith.

Alaskan Fisherman talks about Sarah Palin

2009-08-22T14:57:00.002-05:00

If there was one irritant beyond all others prevalent among the weasels who either tried to tear Sarah Palin down, or else sit by idly while it happened (ahem, Senator McCain), it was the utter lack of focus on what she actually DID as governor. Some people in politics get in it to accomplish something, rather than to be able to claim to be something. Sarah was not content to say "I'm Governor Palin"; she achieved things as governor. Thanks to Dewie Whetsell (via Marion Valentine), here's a précis of what she actually did:

The last 45 of my 66 years I’ve spent in a commercial fishing town in Alaska. I understand Alaska politics but never understood national politics well until this last year. Here’s the breaking point: Neither side of the Palin controversy gets it…It’s not about persona, style, rhetoric, it’s about doing things. Even Palin supporters never mention the things that I’m about to mention here.

1- Democrats forget when Palin was the Darling of the Democrats, because as soon as Palin took the Governor’s office away from a fellow Republican and tough SOB, Frank Murkowski, she tore into the Republican’s “Corrupt Bastards Club” (CBC) and sent them packing. Many of them are now residing in State housing and wearing orange jump suits. The Democrats reacted by skipping around the yard, throwing confetti and singing “la la la la” (well, you know how they are). Name another governor in this country that has ever done anything similar. But while you’re thinking, I’ll continue.

2- Now with the CBC gone, there were fewer Alaskan politicians to protect the huge, giant oil companies here. So, she constructed and enacted a new system of splitting the oil profits called “ACES”. Exxon (the biggest corporation in the world) protested and Sarah told them “don’t let the door hit you in the stern on your way out.” They stayed, and Alaska residents went from being merely wealthy to being filthy rich. Of course the other huge international oil companies meekly fell in line. Again, give me the name of any other governor in the country that has done anything similar.

3- The other thing she did when she walked into the governor’s office is she got the list of State requests for federal funding for projects, known as “pork”. She went through the list, took 85% of them and placed them in the “when-hell-freezes-over” stack. She let locals know that if we need something built, we’ll pay for it ourselves. Maybe she figured she could use the money she got from selling the previous governor’s jet because it was extravagant. Maybe she could use the money she saved by dismissing the governor’s cook (remarking that she could cook for her own family), giving back the State vehicle issued to her, maintaining that she already had a car, and dismissing her State provided security force (never mentioning—I imagine—that she’s packing heat herself). I’m still waiting to hear the names of those other governors.

4- Now, even with her much-ridiculed “gosh and golly” mannerism, she also managed to put together a totally new approach to getting a natural gas pipeline built which will be the biggest private construction project in the history of North America. No one else could do it although they tried. If that doesn’t impress you, then you’re trying too hard to be unimpressed while watching her do things like this while baking up a batch of brownies with her other hand.

5- For 30 years, Exxon held a lease to do exploratory drilling at a place called Point Thompson. They made excuses the entire time why they couldn’t start drilling. In truth they were holding it like an investment. No governor for 30 years could make them get started. This summer, she told them she was revoking their lease and kicking them out. They protested and threatened court action. She shrugged and reminded them that she knew the way to the court house. Alaska won again.

6- President Obama wants the nation to be on 25% renewable resources for electricity by 2025. Sarah went to the legislature and submitted her plan for Alaska to be at 50% renewables by 2025. We are already at 25%. I can give you more specifics about things done, as opposed to style and persona . Everybody wants to be cool, sound cool, look cool. But that’s just a cover-up. I’m still waiting to hear from liberals the names of other governors who can match what mine has done in two and a half years. I won’t be holding my breath.

By the way, she was content to to return to AK after the national election and go to work, but the haters wouldn’t let her. Now these adolescent screechers are obviously not scuba divers. And no one ever told them what happens when you continually jab and pester a barracuda. Without warning, it will spin around and tear your face off. Shoulda known better.

Maybe had she been astro-turfing, I mean, organizing communities, she would be held in higher regard. Nah, only if she spewed left-wing bromides.

Palin to Obama: Where's the legal reform?

2009-08-21T12:49:00.002-05:00

The smart lady with the powerful keyboard is at it again, this time taking on the all-important issue of tort reform. Like the health providers she references, 'Cuda is intimately familiar with being a target for frivolous lawsuits -- an unfortunate reality in a world filled with opportunists:

As Governor of Alaska, I learned a little bit about being a target for frivolous suits and complaints (Please, do I really need to footnote that?). I went my whole life without needing a lawyer on speed-dial, but all that changes when you become a target for opportunists and people with no scruples. Our nation’s health care providers have been the targets of similar opportunists for years, and they too have found themselves subjected to false, frivolous, and baseless claims. To quote a former president, “I feel your pain.”

So what can we do? First, we cannot have health care reform without tort reform. The two are intertwined. For example, one supposed justification for socialized medicine is the high cost of health care. As Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently noted, “If Mr. Obama is serious about lowering costs, he'll need to reform the economic structures in medicine—especially programs like Medicare.” [1] Two examples of these “economic structures” are high malpractice insurance premiums foisted on physicians (and ultimately passed on to consumers as “high health care costs”) and the billions wasted on defensive medicine. Dr. Stuart Weinstein, with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, recently explained the problem:

"The medical liability crisis has had many unintended consequences, most notably a decrease in access to care in a growing number of states and an increase in healthcare costs. Access is affected as physicians move their practices to states with lower liability rates and change their practice patterns to reduce or eliminate high-risk services. When one considers that half of all neurosurgeons—as well as one third of all orthopedic surgeons, one third of all emergency physicians, and one third of all trauma surgeons—are sued each year, is it any wonder that 70 percent of emergency departments are at risk because they lack available on-call specialist coverage?” [2]

Dr. Weinstein makes good points, points completely ignored by President Obama. Dr. Weinstein details the costs that our out-of-control tort system are causing the health care industry and notes research that “found that liability reforms could reduce defensive medicine practices, leading to a 5 percent to 9 percent reduction in medical expenditures without any effect on mortality or medical complications.”

Dr. Weinstein writes: “If the Kessler and McClellan estimates were applied to total U.S. healthcare spending in 2005, the defensive medicine costs would total between $100 billion and $178 billion per year. Add to this the cost of defending malpractice cases, paying compensation, and covering additional administrative costs (a total of $29.4 billion). Thus, the average American family pays an additional $1,700 to $2,000 per year in healthcare costs simply to cover the costs of defensive medicine. Excessive litigation and waste in the nation’s current tort system imposes an estimated yearly tort tax of $9,827 for a family of four and increases healthcare spending in the United States by $124 billion.

How does this translate to individuals? The average obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) delivers 100 babies per year. If that OB-GYN must pay a medical liability premium of $200,000 each year (which is the rate in Florida), $2,000 of the delivery cost for each baby goes to pay the cost of the medical liability premium.” [3] You would think that any effort to reform our health care system would include tort reform, especially if the stated purpose for Obama’s plan to nationalize our health care industry is the current high costs.

So I have new questions for the president: Why no legal reform? Why continue to encourage defensive medicine that wastes billions of dollars and does nothing for the patients? Do you want healthcare reform to benefit trial attorneys or patients? Many states, including my own state of Alaska, have enacted caps on lawsuit awards against health care providers. Texas enacted caps and found that one county’s medical malpractice claims dropped 41 percent, and another study found a “55 percent decline” after reform measures were passed. [4] That’s one step in health care reform. Limiting lawyer contingency fees, as is done under the Federal Tort Claims Act, is another step.

The State of Alaska pioneered the “loser pays” rule in the United States, which deters frivolous civil law suits by making the loser partially pay the winner’s legal bills. Preventing quack doctors from giving “expert” testimony in court against real doctors is another reform. Texas Gov. Rick Perry noted that, after his state enacted tort reform measures, the number of doctors applying to practice medicine in Texas “skyrocketed by 57 percent” and that the tort reforms “brought critical specialties to underserved areas.” These are real reforms that actually improve access to health care. [5] Dr. Weinstein’s research shows that around $200 billion per year could be saved with legal reform. That’s real savings. That’s money that could be used to build roads, schools, or hospitals. If you want to save health care, let’s listen to our doctors too. There should be no health care reform without legal reform. There can be no true health care reform without legal reform. - Sarah Palin

Private citizen Palin continues to fire expertly timed salvos at Obamacare via her Facebook page, proving once again her ability to put forth coherent, common-sense arguments against socialized medicine, as well as practical, free-market solutions for bringing down the cost of health insurance. More than any other leader in the Republican Party, this "quitter" speaks the language of everyday people, unrestrained by the hang-ups of the Beltway crowd.

Everyday folks understand the dire need to protect doctors, particularly specialists, from greedy trial lawyers and clients. They recognize that the costs of practicing defensive medicine have spiraled out of control, along with exorbitant malpractice premiums. At the Wexler protest yesterday, there were several signs asking, "Where's the tort reform?" and at one point, when a megaphone was passed around, my impassioned command to Mr. Obama to "stop demonizing doctors like my father!" was met with thunderous applause.

There can be no healthcare reform without tort reform. Sarah Palin gets that. And she's not afraid to whip her keyboard and say so.

South Florida Patriots Brave the Heat to Rally Against Obamacare

2009-08-20T21:20:00.004-05:00

Although grass-roots activists were denied their seat at the staged "Town Hall" hosted by Congressmen Robert Wexler and Alcee Hastings at the South County Civic Center in Delray Beach today, hundreds of us stood in the hot sun to voice our opposition to Obamacare and fight for freedom amid the MoveOn/SEIU crowd.

I arrived with my brother Ralph who is visiting from Pennsylvania, and my good friend Elaine Laffey at approximately 10:30 a.m. At that time, things were just getting underway, with free market warriors setting up camp with handmade signs, American flags and other items like bumper stickers and buttons. Several police officers were on-hand, as well as the usual obnoxious Kool-Aid imbibers, who initially attempted to usurp our spot along the sidewalk. At first, the police tried to make us move to the far end of the venue, but several of the patriots who'd already set up tables stood their ground. Eventually, the police relented and the Obama group was told to stick to their portion of the sidewalk.

In the distance, a high school marching band played under the pavilion, their music nearly drowning out everything else, while cheerleaders wearing Obama tee-shirts danced gleefully. I'd later discover that these students were from Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, bused in for the occasion. They attempted to quiet the opposition with their music, but Tea Party patriots joined in the dance, waving their pro-American, pro-freedom, pro-capitalism signs in defiance.

Within an hour of our arrival, the patriot resistence began to outnumber the Obama-bots, although they certainly made up for the deficit by screaming the usual platitudes, and of course, chanting their Dear Leader's name. No matter how many times I watch that spectacle unfold at these events, I am always shocked by the blind allegiance and -- frankly -- ignorance of these people. Not one of them could state what was in the bill, nor do they understand the mechanisms of the free market.

Mention the dire need for tort reform, interstate competition for insurance companies and tax credits for small business owners, and their eyes glaze over. These people truly believe the government -- the same government that brought us Cash for Clunkers, Fannie and Freddie, Medicare, the DMV and the US Post Office -- is the solution to all their problems. And therein lies the crux of the matter: too many people refuse to take personal responsibility for their own lives, preferring to subjugate themselves and the rest of us to a perceived benevolent bureacracy that is utterly devoid of anything remotely resembling efficiency or morality.

Among the sickening chants of "Yes we will!" the patriots shouted back "Kill the Bill!", "We will, we will stop you Obamcare!" and "Free market healthcare!" led by Everett Wilkinson on the megaphone, who at one point was punched in the arm by a crazy blonde Obama-bot. Undeterred, we wandered back and forth on the lawn, and rallied under the pavilion, sending a clear message to the opposition that we were not intimidated by their presence, nor cowed by the staged shenanigans taking place indoors. I think they were somewhat shocked by the sheer number of us unpaid activists, joined by local talk radio host Joyce Kaufman, who did a live broadcast from the venue.

One of those unpaid folks was a woman named Jeanne Kennedy of Deerfield Beach, who took a vacation day from her job at a Fort Lauderdale CPA firm to attend today's rally. She'd sent an email to Wexler expressing her opposition to Obamacare, but never received a response. After her husband called to inquire about the date and location of the Town Hall, she decided to participate. "I want to know the truth; I want my questions answered," Kennedy told me. "Big government means big problems. There are so many people lying and stealing; so much fraud. You can't name one government program that's effective."

Corinne Giusti, an ER doctor, concurred. "I live in Wexler's district and I completely disagree with this bill. According to the President we (doctors) make more money by chopping off people's legs. I resent the demonization of the medical profession." Giunti also told me that one of her co-workers who voted for Obama now admits it was the worst mistake of her life.

Then I bumped into Richard from England, who enjoys dual citizenship since "I had the good fortune to marry an American." When I asked for his perspective on socialized medicine, he soberly stated, " I grew up with an intimate understanding of national health service. It doesn't work, it's unaffordable and it's unfair. I have an 81 year-old mother and I am very concerned about her. It would be an absolute tragedy to bring this awful system to the US."

Roy Deng of Delray Beach added, "This is bad legislation. It's rationed care, a change that fundamentally shifts our healthcare from private to public." To support his statement he read me a direct quote from a doctor who went to D.C.: "The national healthcare board will approve or reject treatment for patients based on the cost per treatment divided by the number of years the patient will benefit from the treatment." Sure sounds Draconian to me.

And let's not forget the special needs community, and those with chronic health conditions. I was thrilled to bump into a young woman of 20, Cristy Tulko of Lake Worth who -- unlike most kids her age -- was clearly not an Obama supporter, but a believer in the free market. Together with her mother Mary Tulko, she'd come out to take a stand against the bill. When I asked Cristy why she opposed Obamacare, she explained that she has a serious condition called papillomatosis, in which polyps form on her vocal chords. She requires frequent check-ups to prevent swelling and God forbid, suffocation. As her mother explained, "She's had 150 surgeries over the years and is fine because of constant follow-ups with her doctor. If left unchecked, her condition could potentially kill her. I am very concerned that Cristy would be denied the proper care if this legislation passes."

One final observation: congressional candidate and Robert Wexler challenger Ed Lynch held his own Town Hall outside on the lawn, where he outlined some of the bill's horrendous provisions; stated his support for all of the free-market solutions to bring down the cost of health insurance; and actually took questions from the crowd. And unlike Wexler, Ed even fielded comments and questions from people who support nationalized medicine. If you live in South Florida, support Ed Lynch for Congress!

Finally, I am continually amazed by the dedication of my fellow patriots who rise to every occasion and fight the good fight with passion, intelligence and genuine love of country. Thank you for all you do!

For more photos, click here.

An Army of Sarahs

2009-08-16T21:47:00.001-05:00

The unemployed hockey mom with the magical keyboard strikes fear in the hearts of this Administration.

But in the end, this is not about Palin, this is about the people being pissed off at Washington. Who do we have? A media that has yet to check out the record $500 million in large campaign donations andits possible relationship to that quick, $787 billion ~~payoff~~, er, stimulus package? A Republican Party that screwed up for two elections in a row?

Who stands for the 47% of America that refused to go along to get along and voted for someone else?

If it is Palin, then let it be Palin. And if that makes us all a bunch of stupid, gun-clinging rednecks, well, so be it then. The Ivy League sent us this guy. Maybe the University of Idaho can send us someone better.

It's Miller Time Again

2009-08-16T20:21:00.018-05:00

Dennis Miller continues to amuse me to no end during his regular appearances on the "O'Reilly Factor." Recently, he really struck my funny bone when he commented on Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea and the return of the two female journalists who were jailed and convicted of trumped up charges after a so- called "fair trial."

Miller's take was that it was great that the women returned home safely and that everybody in America was happy about it except Joe Biden. Miller explained that Biden is given only inconsequential jobs and cannot be trusted with anything remotely important. What he said next was truly hilarious. Miller explained that Biden is the Fredo Corleone of the Administration. Godfather fans everywhere fell off of their chairs at that one. That is the perfect description of Biden. He truly is Fredo. A bumbling idiot who thinks he's intelligent and who is consistently getting the Family, in the case the Administration, in trouble because of his mouth.

Keep up the good work Dennis. With this Administration, we can use all the comedy we can get.

'Cuda Fires Another Round

2009-08-14T10:15:00.002-05:00

As Doc Paul mentioned in the last post, Tammy Bruce noted that for an "irrelevant quitter" Sarah Palin must be one helluva "strangely powerful typer," because with two Facebook posts, she redefined the entire debate, put The Mistaken One on the defensive and forced the Senate to drop the onerous end-of-life provision in the Obamacare bill. Pretty potent stuff, and Palin isn't quite done yet:

As I noted in my statement last week, nationalized health care inevitably leads to rationing. There is simply no way to cover everyone and hold down the costs at the same time. The rationing system proposed by one of President Obama’s key health care advisors is particularly disturbing. I’m speaking of the “Complete Lives System” advocated by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the president’s chief of staff. President Obama has not yet stated any opposition to the “Complete Lives System,” a system which, if enacted, would refuse to allocate medical resources to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who have less economic potential.
[1] Why the silence from the president on this aspect of his nationalization of health care? Does he agree with the “Complete Lives System”? If not, then why is Dr. Emanuel his policy advisor? What is he advising the president on? I just learned that Dr. Emanuel is now distancing himself from his own work and claiming that his “thinking has evolved” on the question of rationing care to benefit the strong and deny the weak. [2] How convenient that he disavowed his own work only after the nature of his scholarship was revealed to the public at large.

The president is busy assuring us that we can keep our private insurance plans, but common sense (and basic economics) tells us otherwise. The public option in the Democratic health care plan will crowd out private insurers, and that’s what it’s intended to do. A single payer health care plan has been President Obama’s agenda all along, though he is now claiming otherwise. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what he said back in 2003:

“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan.... A single payer health care plan – universal health care plan – that’s what I would like to see.” [3]

A single-payer health care plan might be what Obama would like to see, but is it what the rest of us would like to see? What does a single payer health care plan look like? We need look no further than other countries who have adopted such a plan. The picture isn’t pretty. [4] The only way they can control costs is to ration care. As I noted in my earlier statement quoting Thomas Sowell, government run health care won’t reduce the price of medical care; it will simply refuse to pay the price. The expensive innovative procedures that people from all over the world come to the United States for will not be available under a government plan that seeks to cover everyone by capping costs.

Our senior citizens are right to be wary of this health care bill. Medical care at the end of life accounts for 80 percent of all health care. When care is rationed, that is naturally where the cuts will be felt first. The “end-of-life” consultations authorized in Section 1233 of HR 3200 were an obvious and heavy handed attempt at pressuring people to reduce the financial burden on the system by minimizing their own care. Worst still, it actually provided a financial incentive to doctors to initiate these consultations. People are right to point out that such a provision doesn’t sound “purely voluntary.”

Click on the link above to read her full statement. Everyday I am increasingly aware of the brilliance of her decision to shake off the ankle-biters in Alaskan politics and free herself to join the national debate. Thank you Private Citizen Palin!

"Death panel" é morté

2009-08-13T16:29:00.001-05:00

From Tammy Bruce:

Palin, apparently an irrelevant quitter yet strangely powerful typer, forces the Senate to do the right thing with two Facebook posts.

This made me laugh out loud, as I said something similar, though not as witty, to my wife before reading the above. If we can get Sarah to post pithy nicknames for "public option", "individual mandate", and other objectionable elements of this farce, perhaps it will be sufficiently emasculated to be of no real concern. Even better, if we can get her to attach sobriquets to "tort reform", "regulatory reform of insurance companies", and other useful changes that would amount to genuine, positive reform, we might get a bill we could support.

Go you stoopid yokel!

Mr. Astroturf Lives in the White House

2009-08-12T20:15:00.032-05:00

It is comical to hear the President and his liberal allies in the press and Congress refer to everyday citizens expressing their First Amendment Rights as AstroTurf automatons. Nothing could be further from the truth. The outrage about health care is genuine and real, and truth be told it has the President and his inner circle very unnerved,to the point of their falling back on the age old psychologic phenomenon of projectionism. That is, accusing someone else from engaging in the very bad behavior that you yourself engage in. The President, of course, is the nation's leading astroturfer. He is a lifelong community organizer/agitator who majored in manufactured outrage and the playing of the race card.

Now the President has pulled out another old staple from the Alinsky playbook, class warfare. He and his minions are now demonizing both insurance companies and physicians. We have all heard the President's ridiculous comments about how physicians like to take out tonsils instead of treating sore throats non - surgically, solely so that they can make more money. He followed up that fib with another one recently. It seems the Commander-in- Chief has a problem with the way diabetes is treated in this country. The Community Organizer claims that diabetes should be treated in a more preventive fashion by stressing diet and medication. He further made the baldly false assertion that instead of doing it his way, physicians would rather amputate the foot of a diabetic in order to make more money.

Both of these statements are clearly wrong, not to mention unconscionable. First, the physicians who make the initial diagnosis do not perform surgery. They determine that a surgical consult is needed and then refer the patient to a surgeon. If surgery is performed, it is the surgeon who gets paid for the procedure and not the primary physician. Second, when did Mr. Obama get his medical degree? Is he licensed to practice in any state? Will he make his medical license public, unlike his birth certificate and school records? I am not a physician either Mr. President, but I can make an accurate diagnosis of your above referenced comments about physicians - lies and slander. Now that I've made a diagnosis Sir, here is my prescribed treatment. Apologize now to both physicians and insurance companies and please stop trying to defend your indefensible plan.

As if the tactics described above aren't enough, the desperate White House now has ordered its minions to pull out the heavy artillery, namely the race card. Of course, the accusations do no come directly from the White House but through its surrogates in an orchestrated fashion. Those who decry this Administration's socialist policies are branded as racists. The charge is out there now that use of the word "socialism" is code for the "N-word". OF course, the lap dogs in the dinosaur media eat up like fresh scraps.

The good news is that the tide is turning. But this is no time for everyday Americans to relax. Over these next three weeks, we must turn up the heat. Keep attending town meetings, telephone and email your Congressmen and Senators and voice your opinion. It is your right as an American. Always be respectful but do not be intimidated. It is up to We the People to defend our country, our health care system, and our great American traditions. There is no force on earth greater than the will of the American people. Let's unleash tht force on this Administration and its allies in Congress.

Scenes from a Real Town Hall

2009-08-12T08:30:00.004-05:00

"You have awakened a sleeping giant!"

I was so proud of the people of my home state yesterday, and in particular, Katy Abram, the 35 year-old female patriot to whom the quote above is attributed. Unlike Obama's kabuki theater, Specter's Town Hall was populated with real, hard-working folks motivated by love of country and a desire for freedom. Once again, just like their American counterparts nationwide, these people know what's in the bill, and understand the high stakes of a government takeover of healthcare.

HELL NO Mr. Specter, Mr. President and every other Congress Critter who supports this abhorrent legislation!

And since I never underestimate the ability of the GOP to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, here's a warning for the RINOs: if you dare support a "bi-partisan" compromise, some sort of watered down version of this bill that nevertheless increases the power and scope of the government, and takes away our choices -- you will be promptly voted out of office.

We the People are speaking. The question is, is anyone in D.C. listening?

Archive of Conservative Republican Forum -- August 8 2009

2009-08-10T11:50:00.002-05:00

Private Citizen Palin Urges Restraint at Town Halls

2009-08-10T10:12:00.003-05:00

From Politico:

A few days after suggesting that Democratic healthcare proposals being debated in Washington may imperil the life of her son, Trig, Sarah Palin Sunday urged reform opponents to not give the opposition fodder by disrupting town halls.

Palin's comments, posted on her Facebook page, come after weeks of raucous town halls in which conservatives have shouted down members of Congress.

"There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment," Palin wrote. "Such tactics diminish our nation’s civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters’ passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let’s not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us."

Good advice. We are all justifiably angry: we have an Imperial Congress that treats us like we're stupid, a President who excoriates his dissenters to "shut up" and a criminal media that continues to carry the water for the Marxist-in-Chief. Not to mention the SEIU thugs who've been unleashed on nationwide town halls under orders from the DNC to instigate altercations, in an attempt to make freedom-loving Americans look like unruly, violent mobs. Irony, thy name is Democrat!

But, do not play into their hands.

We are winning this argument, as evidenced by the polls. According to the latest Rasmussen, 51% fear the federal government more than private health insurance companies, while 41% hold the opposite view; and 41% view the town hall protesters favorably, versus the 35% who take an unfavorable view.

If sunlight is the best disinfectant, then we must keep using these meetings as opportunities to inform the public of the contents of the horrible bill, since our government sure as hell won't. The other side has given us all the ammunition we need to win, without having to shout over any Congress Critter who actually has the gumption to face his or her constituents. By all means, react vocally to whatever lies they put forth at the microphone; just be sure to allow them the chance to deceive the population. And continue to attend the meetings with copies of the worst provisions of the bill in hand; at the Ron Klein meeting last week, the majority of the folks who addressed the crowd read portions of the bill out loud. It's kind of difficult to argue that the government isn't promoting euthanasia when you're quoting directly from the proposed legislation.

Finally, keep it clean. My co-host Steve Rosenblum and I had a discussion about this yesterday. We understand and share the frustration and the anger. But telling Barack to "shove it up his ass" as a mutual Facebook friend did in an email to the White House, is clearly not the way to go. I wrote a sarcastic missive to the "flags" thoroughly articulating my position, without resorting to obscenities. I know how tempting it is to do so when our very freedoms are at stake; however, let's not supply them with more propaganda to use against us. Fight hard, hit 'em with the facts, and by all means, always take photos or videos at every event you attend.

Support Edward Lynch for Congress - FL 19

2009-08-09T23:39:00.002-05:00

I spent a few hours in a campaign meeting this afternoon in Boca Raton on behalf of Edward Lynch, who is running for Congress in Florida District 19 against Robert Wexler. I've gotten to know Ed over the last several months and he is a sincere, principled conservative whose leadership is desperately needed. Although I live in Colonel Allen West's district (FL-22) and will most definitely cast my vote for him as my Congressman in November, 2010, I am also volunteering for the Lynch campaign. If you can, please consider visiting his website and making a donation.

There was much excitement, determination and energy in the room today; the Tea Party people are channeling their justifiable anger at the hostile takeover of our country by leftists through active participation in grass-roots conservative candidates' campaigns. Here are some photos from the day.

HELL NO Mr. President!

2009-08-07T23:16:00.003-05:00

Sarahcuda takes aim at Obamacare. Via Facebook:

As more Americans delve into the disturbing details of the nationalized health care plan that the current administration is rushing through Congress, our collective jaw is dropping, and we’re saying not just no, but hell no! The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil. Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion. Rep. Michele Bachmann highlighted the Orwellian thinking of the president’s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the White House chief of staff, in a floor speech to the House of Representatives. I commend her for being a voice for the most precious members of our society, our children and our seniors. We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Ronald Reagan once wrote, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late.

I identify with Sarah Palin on so many levels, one of the most significant being a close relation to a human being with Down syndrome, our brother Ralph, who will be celebrating his 50th birthday on October 4. Dismissed by some in the medical profession as a lost cause and a "stigma" to be institutionalized (lest he cause embarrassment for the family, my dad in the process of becoming a surgeon at the time), thanks to parents with a strong moral foundation rooted in the Catholic faith, unconditional love for their child and an unwavering commitment to each other, that "stigma" went on to lead a productive, happy, joyous life. Ralph will always be my hero, as is true of my mother and father, who are both perilously at an age where-- as per this proposed bill -- they'd be required to have "death counseling".

Some like Jake Tapper have chastised Palin for her rhetoric, but the fact of the matter is, the handicapped and the elderly are absolutely imperiled by the Draconian provisions of this bill, more than any other segment of the population. When you have a system driven by cost, rationing is the inevitable result. And the first ones to be denied a medical procedure, diagnostic test, pain medication or live-saving prescription drugs will be those deemed "unproductive" or worse, "undesirable" by government bureaucrats.

At least Palin has the guts to call it for what it is -- evil -- in no uncertain terms. She defiantly cries out, "Hell no!" while other Republican politicians politely say "Slow down, Mr. President." I don't know about you, but I prefer a clear-cut, resounding message. Like all enemies of freedom, the Thug-in-Chief and his band of Democrat and special interest bullies have made it disturbingly obvious they have no use for dissent or dialogue; in other words peasants, to quote the President, "shut up." As far as presidents go, this is certainly a change, just not one I can believe in. I never thought I'd see the day when an American President and a major political party would openly declare themselves the enemy of the American people, but it looks like 1984 has finally arrived, 25 years late.

We've already witnessed SEIU scum beating up tea party protesters. These people will stop at nothing to ram their sinister agenda on this once free and prosperous nation. Now more than ever, we need an army of Sarah's, not a cabal of Chamberlain's. And if that bothers you Jake Tapper, well that's just too damn bad.

Kudos also to Rep. Michele Bachmann, another true leader and patriot:

Socialized Medicine? HELL NO!

Let's Celebrate: One Less RINO in Congress!

2009-08-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

Florida's Senator Mel Martinez, an avid amnesty proponent and supporter of Sonia Sotomayor, announced his resignation today. Hey Senator, DLTDHYONTWO.

Ana Gomez-Mallada at the Ron Klein Meeting

2009-08-07T12:33:00.003-05:00

Ana is secretary of the Florida Federation of Republican Women, and had a few things to say about Obamacare:

Abortion, Obamacare and Quality of Life

2009-08-06T23:18:00.009-05:00

Warning: If you can actually watch this without experiencing visceral anguish, anger and outrage, you might just be an Obama-bot. In all seriousness, it is extremely graphic. To all of my pro-choice friends who believe that if a child isn't going to be born into "perfect" circumstances (e.g. a two-parent household with financial stability), that this kind of slaughter is justified, perhaps this video will encourage you to reconsider.

Many of the world's greatest achievers entered the world under less than ideal circumstances. Winston Churchill had a speech impediment, Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty and Leonardo da Vinci was the product of an unwed mother.

Not too long ago, I attended a BBQ at the home of a close friend. Somehow the conversation came around to abortion as we sat around the kitchen table, in one of those strange progressions where a simple, innocuous inquiry like "How is your family?" segues into a passionate argument over whether life begins at conception. Ok, that's quite a stretch, so let me explain. The friend in question's family is still dealing with the ramifications of losing a very young child to a terrible disease a few years back. Later that day, she was going to attend a family dinner commemorating what would've been his eighth birthday.

Somewhere in the mix of lingering grief, heartache and anger, she launched into an understandable tirade about the unfairness of it all, especially given the fact that the boy had two loving parents who provided a good home. Up until that point, I agreed with everything she'd stated.

However in the next breath, she began railing against pregnant teenagers, unwed mothers and even young married adults who willingly reproduce (i.e. choose life) long before they themselves have reached a certain level of maturity and financial security. Now I certainly don't condone teenagers having babies, or even partaking in the activity that leads to their creation; in an ideal scenario, everyone would wait until marriage, or at least until their 20s (when the chances of emotionally maturity are much higher) before having sex -- and when they did, they'd take proper precautions if not ready to care for the needs of an infant. And in a perfect world, if they did actually use birth control, it would never fail. Not ever. Not even once.

But as I said, we don't live in a perfect world. Does that somehow designate unplanned life as disposable?

In a side-by-side comparison, if a married couple in their 30s with stable careers, and two 16 year-old high school sweethearts lacking two nickels to rub against each conceive a child, is the life of the former couple's unborn child somehow more worthy than that of the latter, though neither unborn creation had actually been given a choice, so to speak, about their conception?

Using my friend's logic, the answer would be yes. She'd flatly stated that since young people are "too selfish" to give up their babies for adoption, they should abort them if they cannot adequately provide for their material needs. Of course, if we didn't live in a "hook up" culture that glamorizes meaningless, casual sex, devalues God and preaches moral relativism, there would be far fewer unplanned pregnancies to deal with in the first place. But that's a discussion for another post.

I can and often do agree to disagree with friends, for the sake of the relationship. In this case, the woman in question is a wonderful person for whom I'd do just about anything. What was frustrating to me on that particular day though, was her unwillingness to let me put forth my point of view; every time I tried to make a counter-argument she'd cut me off. It didn't help that our other female friend kept interjecting hard luck stories about her boyfriend's childhood to support the financial wealth justification -- notwithstanding the fact that he'd gone on to achieve great success after growing up a poor kid in a large Irish-Catholic family.

It was kind of like being a guest on The Factor: Before I could complete a sentence, one of them would cut me off. Or, they'd immediately shoot down my premise. For example, when I mentioned that I was once an unplanned pregnancy and as such, was also very grateful that my parents were pro-life, my statement was dismissed because after all, my father was a doctor:

Me: "Yes, that is true but at the time my dad was struggling to get his surgical practice going, barely paying the mortgage on our two-story colonial, which he couldn't afford to fully furnish."

Friend: "Bah! Your parents knew that once he got his career off the ground, the money would come in."

Me: "Fair enough, but suppose God forbid, my dad had been in some kind of accident, leaving him incapacitated and unable to perform surgery while my mom was still in the first trimester. Would that have then justified an abortion? Or what if it had happened years down the road, forcing my mother to take over as breadwinner. She's a pretty smart lady, but in all likelihood, would never have been able to replace my dad's income, which would have taken us down quite a few notches on the economic scale -- maybe even into borderline poverty. We would then be in the dire financial circumstances that according to your premise, justify abortion.

My point again: there are no guarantees in life. Even if a child is born into a near-perfect situation, it could all change in the blink of an eye before he or she is out of diapers. When you get right down to it, innocent human life is innocent human life. Either we believe it is sacred -- flawed though it may be -- or we don't. There is no in-between.

And whether it's Hitler committing mass genocide against the handicapped and entire races of people he deemed inferior; government bureaucrats determining whether it's cost-effective for your 75 year-old mother to have her recommended hip-replacement surgery; or well-intentioned people buying into abortion based on a subjective quality of life argument, all have one thing in common: a deliberate rejection of the laws of God and nature in favor of some Utopian pie-in-the-sky ideal. I can think of 50 million reasons why that is just plain wrong.

Chicago Thuggery in St. Louis

2009-08-06T21:40:00.002-05:00

From Gateway Pundit: Dems sneak Union thugs into Carnahan Town Hall -- 1,000 Tea Party Taxpayers Locked Out. Check back to his site for updates as this story is still breaking.

Dennis Miller on Cash for Clunkers

2009-08-06T21:30:00.001-05:00

After reading Mark's post, I had to find the video in question!

Missile Defense

2009-08-06T19:50:00.016-05:00

President Obama and his appeasement allies in this Democratic controlled Congress fiddle while Rome burns. Their weak, pathetic foreign policy has served to greatly embolden our enemies and cause grave concern among our allies in just seven short months.

Iran inches ever closer to building a nuclear bomb, and Hugo Chavez is running wild in central America. The President's response is to shrug and admonish Israel, the lone democracy in the Middle East. At a time when the President has taken wasteful spending to historic levels, he has proposed cuts to the one area of government where money should be spent, on the defense of our country. He truly believes he can talk any enemy into submission. This naivete has placed all of us in great danger.

Over the last few days the Navy has been monitoring Russian nuclear submarines engaging in maneuvers off of the East Coast. Russia and quite possibly China have the capacity to launch nuclear weapons from mobile submarines that could easily reach American cities. What's to stop these two adversaries from selling this technology to Iran or North Korea. Certainly not the actions of this administration. Such capability makes it much harder for us to shoot down one of these nuclear missiles in the event of an attack. It is much easier to effectively thwart an attack from a nuclear missile that is launched from a stationary pad on land.

The only way to thwart such an attack is by establishing an effective missile defense. President Reagan was way ahead of the curve on this issue in the 19080s but was derailed by a liberal Congress who mocked the system and referred to it as "Star Wars". As a parent of four, I certainly wish that our foolish lawmakers had been as wise as "The Gipper."

The problem with a nuclear attack is that a missile that somehow evades our defenses and gets through can do great damage, even if it doesn't detonate on the ground. An enemy could purposely detonate a nuke in the upper reaches of the atmosphere over America, and still cause great damage through a phenomenon known as electromagnetic pulse. Such an explosion would create an electromagnetic field which would take out all of our satellites, computers, and even small items such as cell phones. The entire country would be debilitated and subject to an even more devastating attack. I would strongly recommend that everyone go the Claremont Institute website for more detailed information on this subject.

The President has completely ignored this topic and has focused solely on socializing the American health care system. I would suggest Mr. President that if you are truly concerned about health care, that you immediately lobby Congress to pass a bill to fully fund a missile defense system for the 21st century. If you don't Sir and an attack is successful, you will not have to manufacture a health care crisis anymore, you will have a very real one on your hands.

It's Miller Time!

2009-08-06T19:34:00.004-05:00

Dennis Miller was absolutely hilarious on the "O'Reilly Factor" last night. When the host asked him about cash for clunkers, his response was off the comedic Richter scale. About this foolish boondoggle Mr. Miller retorted that, " the President is turning the shining city on a hill into Fred Sanford's front lawn." When O'Reilly replied that they should put the clunkers on the White House lawn and invite Demond Wilson, the actor who played Lamont Sanford, both men lost it as did I, and I'm sure millions of other viewers.

In a related funny vein, I saw one of the best bumper stickers of all time on my way to work last week. It simply read " if guns kill people, then spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat." So simple, so funny,so true, so profound.

Phil Kerpen, Policy Director for AFP Responds to Rachel Maddow

2009-08-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

H/T: Matt Lewis at Townhall.

Female Jealousy Rears Its Ugly Head Again

2009-08-06T08:43:00.003-05:00

To paraphrase a former governor from the state of Texas (you know, the one George W. Bush soundly defeated in 1994?), "Poor Kathleen Parker, she just can't help herself. It's not her fault she was born with diarrhea of the mouth!"

Via C4P, I encountered yet another lovely example of Palin Derangement Syndrome on display from the allegedly conservative writer, whose rantings betray not only Parker's incurable jealousy vis-a-vis Alaska's recently retired governor, but also a fatal ingestion of the Obama Kool-Aid. And apparently, both maladies have proven to be quite lucrative for the previously obscure (though to be fair, her work has appeared on the National Review and Townhall sites, among others) and hopelessly elitist mirror-image of another envious Palin-basher, Maureen Dowd.

Quoting C4P's R.A. Mansour:

First off, Kathleen Parker is a disgrace. She uses Sarah Palin in her articles because Palin is her gravy train. Before she attacked Palin during the 2008 election, Parker was an obscure and talentless writer. Now Parker is a famous and talentless writer. This outrageous panel basically accused Sarah Palin of racism simply because she is a white woman. Merely being a white woman and challenging Barack Obama means that you are racist. Apparently anyone who disagrees with Barack Obama about health care, cap and trade, and his fiscal policies is a racist or fomenting racism. The term socialist is now apparently a racial epithet. (Question: If I call Gordon Brown a socialist, am I calling him a racial epithet?) This panel accuses Sarah Palin of being evil just because she challenges Barack Obama. They are accusing all of us of being evil simply because we disagree with Obama’s leftwing policies.

So to paraphrase Newsweek, I guess conservatives are all racists now, except for "enlightened" ones like Kathleen Parker, who is apparently basking in the glow of adoration emanating from MSNBC's 10 delusional viewers, not to mention tingly-legged Chris Matthews. I hate to admit this, but she reminds me of a common site in my area of Florida: the overly made-up; excessively nipped, tucked and surgically pumped up; inappropriately dressed, 50-something Boca Babe, sitting at the end of the bar in an upscale establishment, trying to compete with much-younger and much more beautiful women for the attention of wealthy, attractive males of all ages.

Parker may not be a product of plastic surgery, or a woman who dresses as if she hasn't yet turned thirty, but her relentless diatribes against Palin (whose accomplishments Parker never acknowledges) spring from the same well of insecurity that repeatedly drives an aging South Florida female to the plastic surgeon's office. In Kathleen Parker's case, it appears that being the "right" kind of conservative so as to be accepted into the Washington D.C. cocktail party circuit takes precedence over espousing any kind of principled stand against Obama's treacherous foreign policy, unprecedented spending and Hitler-esque "snitch on your neighbor" tactics. No, for an aging hag like Kathleen Parker, it's much more lucrative and enjoyable -- in a demented sort of way -- to perpetuate her smear campaign against a woman to whom she'll never measure up if she lives to be 100.

In a Parker vs. Palin match-up, the so-called journalist is hopelessly out-classed, out-accomplished, out-witted and definitely out-of-her league in the looks department. And no amount of lipstick is gonna beautify that pig.

Dr. Al Discusses Obamacare, Specter, Sebelius and Sestak

2009-08-06T08:34:00.002-05:00

Last night our father, affectionately known as Dr. Al around the blogosphere, was featured on two BTR programs: Gryph's Gripes and Red State Town Hall with Premo Mondone. Here's the embed for Gryph's:

And the embed for RSTH:

Dad was excellent, as usual!

Neil Cavuto on Obama's Thin Skin

2009-08-05T18:58:00.001-05:00

RNC Ad - "In Denial"

2009-08-05T18:55:00.001-05:00

Operation "Flag the White House"

2009-08-05T14:00:00.006-05:00

Posing with another RWE, my good friend Karen, at the July 4 Tea Party in West Palm.

Per the erudite advice of Michelle Malkin and the blog Brutally Honest, I decided to save Obama and his blind followers the trouble of having to track me down for being a "Right Wing Extremist" actively working to kill his DEATHcare bill, among other things. I encourage all of you to do the same. Dictators you see, have no sense of humor as noted by my sources above. Keeping that in mind, I just emailed the following to flag@whitehouse.gov:

Hello White House!

I just thought I'd "turn myself in" as a member of the patriot resistance who is actively and regularly speaking out against your Marxist plans for my country. You can find me in a number of places: my blog Palin Drone, www.palin-drone.blogspot.com (yes, named in honor of that wonderful patriot and authentic leader from Alaska); and on my Facebook, AmericaC2C, SmartGirlPolitics, God Bless America, Twitter and YouTube pages, just to name a few (I blog in many places, you see). And you can also listen to me on Blog Talk Radio, where I co-host a few shows and appear as guest on a number of others. Hey, tune in some time if you can! We'd love to debate you on the issues.

One other thing: You don't scare me with your "spy on your neighbor" tactics, and since I don't like to inconvenience anyone, I figured I'd write to you directly about my anti-Obamacare/anti-Cap and Trade/anti-communism activities. It's an arrogant American, self-reliance kind of thing -- something your brain-washed supporters would know nothing about. But then again, they don't know much about anything, do they? And they sure as heck don't know a damn thing about this proposed, horrendous, government-sponsored healthcare bill. Hate to burst your bubble but I have some bad news for you...these lemmings are vastly outnumbered by smart, informed citizens like me, some of whom I hung out with at Ron Klein's office this morning. And if you don't believe me, consult the polls...or my Facebook photo album.

Avidly working for "change" in 2010 and 2012,
Daria DiGiovanni

My Experience at the Ron Klein Meeting

2009-08-05T11:02:00.007-05:00

This post would be more aptly titled, "My Experience with Ron Klein's Staff" since the congressman didn't deem his lowly constituents worthy of his presence today. Sure, they explained that this was never supposed to be a "Town Hall" but rather their routine monthly meeting at the Lighthouse Point Library, where Klein's representatives typically meet with voters to presumably listen to their concerns.

Let's for a moment accept their explanation as valid, and assume they speak the truth. The fact of the matter is, Democrats in Congress like Klein, led by "King Obama" (as many in the crowd of 200+ referred to him) have been relentlessly beating the drum that "our healthcare system is broken," and that the sky is going to fall in if our moral superiors in D.C. don't ram Obamacare down our throats. If the situation from their perspective is so dire, isn't that all the more reason for Klein to act like a man and plead his case, even if he doesn't normally attend these monthly gatherings? To listen to the voices of opposition and have a real dialogue (to use one of liberals' favorite words) with the people he purports to represent? Or is that we now have an "Imperial Congress," led by Queen Pelosi that knows what's best for us peasants, who damn well better learn our place in the new Obama regime pecking order?

If that's the case, the peasants in question obviously didn't receive the edict because over 200 hundred of them vocally and forcefully stood up for freedom today, armed with some of the most disturbing provisions of the bill. As several took their place at the microphone at the front of the room, they displayed not only their palpable anger at Washington D.C. and our president, but also their vast knowledge on the issue. I mentioned before in a previous post that representatives like Klein, Wexler, Nelson and other elected officials had better understand that they are not dealing with MoveOn/ACORN/Obama zombies when it comes to the patriot resistance, but an informed, intelligent majority.

And despite the classic case of liberal media projection, we truly are a grass-roots movement, made up of Constitution-loving Americans of all ages, genders and -- yes liberal media -- even sexual orientation, as affirmed by at least one gentleman who inquired as to whether his HIV treatment would be discontinued as a result of government rationing. There were folks who'd once lived under communist oppression, including women from Iran and Cuba, and a gentleman (my friend Dmitry) from Russia. All fired up the crowd with their true-life horror stories of government-run healthcare. A woman from Canada related her tale about how a life-saving procedure in North Carolina, administered to her husband in an emergency situation while traveling in the US, would never have been allowed in her home country.

We heard from doctors, insurance agents, business-people, senior citizens, homemakers and even young teenagers.

The testimonials were genuine and heartfelt, delivered with an urgency that electrified the crowd. At many points during the two-hour meeting, loud, spontaneous chants of "Vote him out!", "Allen West!" (Klein's conservative challenger in 2010), and "How dumb do you think we are?" (aimed at the staffers) erupted. People would often yell out, "You've awakened a sleeping giant!", "No healthcare coverage for illegals!" and "Vote the bums out!" during the course of an individual's presentation, spurred on by something they'd said and/or read from the bill itself.

When pressed if she'd actually read the bill, one of Klein's staffers responded affirmatively, though many of us, shall we say, had our doubts. In all fairness, she did allow each person their time at the microphone, and at least gave the impression of interest by taking notes, though that didn't occur until my friend Karen angrily called out to her to pay attention, having noticed that the woman was carrying on a private conversation while a constituent was speaking.

Then there was the mother of three sitting behind the set-up at the front of the room who kept banging her shoe on the table, viscerally annoyed by the sheer noise, size and passion of the crowd. She wasn't too happy when one man observed loudly that her gesture was synonymous with the actions of Nikita Khrushchev. I don't know who she was, but it appeared she might have been part of Klein's team.

Be assured: We the People have have had enough and we're not gonna take it anymore! As one man articulated, Obama and the Democrat Congress have no idea what they've done. And perhaps he's right when he states that this is the best thing that could've ever happened to the country because people are off of the couch and involved. To quote another woman, "This is what real community organizing looks like!"

Overall, I came away from the event feeling inspired, though I did have a little incident with an arrogant Sun-Sentinel reporter, Linda Trischitta. She'd asked Ed Lynch, candidate for Congress for FL District 19 (Wexler's opponent) for an interview, prefacing her first question, "Don't you think these events are manipulative? This was never meant to be a Town Hall." Having been standing nearby, I couldn't help but interject, "Manipulative! What is manipulative about citizens exercising their right to free speech and assembly?" Then I walked outside to leave Ed to his response and gather a few remaining patriots, who were immediately angered when I relayed what had transpired.

A few minutes later, we all walked back in and assertively responded to her comment. I asked her why, if the situation is so dire, that Congressman Klein didn't make it his business to be there, and further noted that this is the single biggest domestic issue threatening our freedom at the moment. Therefore, we all have a right to be heard. And when I told her I was quoted in her paper a few weeks ago about my participation in the protests outside of Wexler's office, she sarcastically replied, "How nice for you!" Which of course sums of the attitude of the mainstream media and the Obama Administration rather nicely. Out of respect for Ed and the protesters nationwide who've been falsely accused of violence, I refrained from reacting.

She did admit that she had only been present for the last 10 minutes, before proceeding to grill everyone around her about whether they were a member of an organized group. The old media really is stuck on its own delusional narrative, that's for sure.

Anyway, I also met reporter Andrea Freygang from the local Deerfield paper, Observer, who graciously gave me her card. I will look for her report on their website and add a link as soon as I have it.

Keep up the fight; we are definitely getting under their skin, and we can definitely kill this horrendous piece of legislation before it destroys the best healthcare system in the world. But now is the time to turn up the heat, so stay involved, stay vocal and stay vigilant.

UPDATE: Here's Andrea Freygang's report. And the link to my Facebook photo album.

UPDATE II: Not sure how I missed this, but I just learned from another friend who was in attendance that Klein's staffers actually left behind the forms containing constituents' contact information for the Congressman. Apparently, they were just going through the motions when they passed around the clipboard.

Glenn Beck Wishes Barack Obama a Happy Birthday

2009-08-04T22:44:00.001-05:00

If you weren't able to catch this live, it is definitely worth the nine minutes!

O'Reilly Confronts Palin Divorce Rumors

2009-08-04T22:27:00.003-05:00

Just when I think I am never going to watch him again (for various annoying reasons), he does something good by covering the latest slander aimed at Governor Palin. Megyn Kelly seems to think Palin stands a decent shot at winning, should she decide to pursue justice and -- unlike a few conservatives -- willingly concedes that the treatment this woman and her family have endured at the hands of the media and political operatives has been absolutely unprecedented, her status as a public figure notwithstanding.

Is it too much to hope that now that the story has been given prominence on the top-rated news show on cable television, that these hurtful rumors will finally die, and that all of those on the left and right who were so quick to condemn, gloat over and/or celebrate the demise of the Palin marriage will cease and desist -- at least until the Cloward-Piven/Alinsky strategists come up with their next bogus, reprehensible assault?

More Selective Outrage from the Left

2009-08-04T06:11:00.005-05:00

Which is most offensive?

Funny, the LA media didn't have this reaction when President Bush was depicted as Hitler ad nauseam during his eight years in office, or when Governor Sarah Palin actually was hung in effigy during the 2008 campaign. But ridicule their messiah as The Joker and their oh-so-sensitive feelings compel them to condemn the creator as "mean-spirited" and "dangerous," as Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson does in this report from KTLA:

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling the depiction, politically mean spirited and dangerous. Hutchinson is challenging the group or individual that put up the poster to have the courage and decency to publicly identify themselves. "Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery," says Hutchinson, "it is mean-spirited and dangerous." "We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama."

Apparently, dissent and freedom of speech are no longer patriotic when there's a far-left radical -- I mean -- Democrat, in the White House. The irony of course is that lefties like Hutchinson, with their blind adoration for Barack Obama and knee-jerk intolerance for those who dare mock him, are the ones who are truly reflective of Hitler's brainwashed civilian corps. And in light of the fact that right-leaning political figures have been subjected to far worse, his criticisms are more than a tad hypocritical.

Where was his horror when the film Assassination of a President made its debut, while said president was still serving his term and presiding over two difficult wars? Why no urgency to out Sarah Palin's blatantly misogynist detractors? At least in the case of Barack Obama, the socialist accusation is grounded in his own proposed legislation, policies and rhetoric. We can argue whether it defiles the office of the presidency to produce such images, but if we're going to have that debate, by all means let's consider all offenders and political targets -- not simply those who disagree with your embodiment of Hope and Change.

Memo to Obama and his lemmings: freedom of speech and expression work both ways. If you can't stand the heat, perhaps it's best if you stick to community organizing.

Tea Party Anthem

2009-08-04T05:50:00.002-05:00

Via one of my Facebook friends, I came upon this incredibly inspiring video, made by an Alabama teen. Keep the faith and keep fighting...we're Americans, and that's what we do!

Malkin Talks "Culture of Corruption" on The View

2009-08-03T15:35:00.004-05:00

Poor Joy Behar, who cannot seem to overcome her chronic case of Bush Derangement Syndrome, was hopelessly outwitted by Michelle Malkin's calm command of the facts and unfazed articulation of her premise. Ditto for an obviously annoyed Whoopi. It is a classic ploy of committed liberals to accuse conservatives of being in blind lockstep with President Bush and all Republicans, when the reality is that prominent bloggers and journalists like Malkin have taken both Bush and the GOP to task repeatedly over rampant spending, expansion of big government, amnesty and refusal to seal the borders -- among other things.

If Behar or Goldberg possessed any intellectual honesty, not to mention genuine interest their guest, they would've paid a visit to her site(s) where her viewpoints are eloquently presented for all to read. But that's not really the point is it? Blaming Bush is a nice deflection from the abject failures of the Mistaken Won. God forbid a well-researched book thoroughly refute the notion of "Hope and Change" that hoodwinked far too many Americans, many of whom are already expressing buyer's remorse. And we're only halfway into the first year of his term.

God bless Michelle for her intrepid reporting, and her fearlessness in confronting the snake pit. As she duly notes, every audience member went home with a copy of her book, and the ladies were reduced to arguing about how corrupt the O-Team is, not whether they are corrupt in the first place. Score this one a victory for our side!

Specter and Sebelius Booed at Philadelphia Town Hall Meeting

2009-08-03T11:28:00.004-05:00

Among the supporters of free market solutions for health care who outnumbered the crazy MoveOn/ACORN/Union thugs yesterday at the Constitution Center were my very own mom and dad. Both reported later that a fired-up crowd of patriots heartily booed Democrats Specter and Sebelius, who displayed little tolerance for dissenting opinions on Obamacare....what a surprise. Here's a short video that captures the mood of the majority of the crowd:

Note the title assigned to it by the poster: "The crazies come out to discuss healthcare reform." Not only are the Obamabots distasteful entitlement creatures, they are thoroughly lacking a sense of irony. As I can attest from my experience in front of Senator Bill Nelson's office last week, the only "crazies" are the hyperventilating socialists who support this bill -- uninformed robots who don't even possess the initiative to even read its provisions, or the creativity and drive to create their own signs. They just show up to protest -- most likely paid by their radical organizations -- armed with standard, generic placards provided by the home office.

According to Pamela Geller's report, the pro-Obamacare troops who descended upon the Constitution Center yesterday were not private citizens either, but members of Planned Parenthood, ACORN and unions. And no matter the setting, the class warfare tactics remain the same. My mom reported that one of the female government-run healthcare supporters actually accused her of "living in a mansion" and "spending all her time at the country club," neither of which happens to be true. And even if it was, so what? This is America, if you want something, work for it. I know that's a novel concept for these folks, but it sure would be nice if they'd give it a try instead of expecting the government, i.e. productive, diligent taxpayers, to hand them everything.

As for those "evil" profits, John Stossel points out that financial reward drives innovation, which in turn leads to medical advancement. He recently offered this report on the Canadian system:

When a cat or a dog takes priority over a human, something's terribly wrong, eh?

But back to Specter:

Having witnessed my parents fighting for tort reform back in the 80s and receiving only lip-service from treacherous career politicians like ol' Arlen, I can't get enough of watching him squirm before an angry electorate. And given the fact that it's now a horse-race between him and Pat Toomey, it is my fervent hope to post a video of Specter's concession speech in the not-too-distant future.

South Florida Tea Party

2009-08-02T17:52:00.002-05:00

My friend and fellow activist Everett Wilkinson just sent me this excellent video. Using some photos taken by myself and other patriots at the recent Tea Parties and free market healthcare rallies, he created a nice montage of images set to the song, Power to the People. Enjoy!

Sunday Tribute

2009-08-02T10:40:00.002-05:00

Set to the music of another beautiful Sarah, this You Tube video is a wonderful tribute to an outstanding woman, citizen, Christian, wife, mother and patriot:

Obamacare: A Poison Pill

2009-08-02T10:17:00.022-05:00

The President is bound and determined to destroy the best healthcare system in the world and to replace it with bad medicine for all and rationing of care, in other words socialized medicine. While the bill has cleared the House in the form of committee, it was a minor victory that passage was delayed until after the August recess. This is no time to rejoice however. We must all unite this month to stop this monstrosity as if our lives depended upon it, because they do.

The President is very adept at sleight of hand, saying one thing and doing another. In this case it's very important to take a hard look at the President's medical advisers. Namely, Dr.Ezekial Emanual, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual. Dr. Emanual has been appointed health care advisor at the Office of Management and Budget.

The "good doctor" has been quoted as saying that doctors take the Hippocratic Oath too seriously "as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of the costs or effects on others". In other words screw the patient, we've got to control costs. Although, that is a fallacy in itself as costs under this debacle will skyrocket as per the cost projections of the non-partisan OMB. According to Emanual, doctors must look beyond the needs of their patients and consider social justice, such as whether the money could be better spent on somebody else. Understandably, most physicians are horrified by this notion. They believe, rightly, that it is a doctor's job to achieve social justice one patient at a time.

Emanual however is of the belief that "communitarianism" should guide decisions on who gets care. In his warped vision medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled, not given to those " who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens..." In other words, so sorry grandma and little Jimmy with cerebral palsy. You are not productive, therefore you will be denied care.I have not heard such frightening words from a physician since the days of Dr. Josef Mengele of the Third Reich.

It's incredible that the federal government which already decides who gets to be born, will now decide who gets medical care and who gets to die. Unbelievably Emanual attempts to defend his discrimination against older patients as follows: "Unlike allocation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination; every person lives through different life stages rather than being a single age. Even if 25- year- olds receive priority over 65 - year-olds, everyone who is 65 years now was previously 25 years."

It is unbelievable to me that a physician with such a warped philsophy could practice medicine in the United States, yet alone be one of the President's chief medical advisers. Yet this is where we are with this so-called reform bill. This is what it is at its very core. Ignore the flowery prose of the President as well as the slobbering dinosaur media, and look at the details of bill.

This bill must be stopped at all costs. Don't be passive. Take action. Call your Congressman and Senator and attend every town hall meeting you can this month. Your life and our country depend on it.

Hey General, how about an apology?

2009-08-02T09:46:00.005-05:00

As if the Palin family hasn't been put through enough already, an Alaskan CNN stringer decided to spread the lie that Todd and Sarah Palin were getting a divorce, based on the "reporting" of a rabidly anti-Palin blog, Immoral Minority. According to Conservatives4Palin, blog-owner Gryphen is a personal friend of CNN's Dennis Zaki, along with some other notorious Trig truthers. Head over to C4P for the full story.

I first learned of this latest filth on Facebook yesterday, ironically from an alleged conservative and decorated General; someone I'd previously held in high esteem. This gentleman had been a frequent guest on FOX, particularly during the worst phases of the Iraq War, and I always enjoyed listening to his insights.

Disappointingly, it appears that he is also a member of the right's Palin-bashing bandwagon. In a rush to judgment based on an unconfirmed accusation, the General sent out an email on Facebook in which he first chastised Palin as a "quitter" and then announced the break-up of her marriage without consulting any legitimate sources.

I immediately headed to the C4P site, found an excellent, well-researched report disproving the blogger's false accusations and responded back to the General:

This story is a hoax. And I do not consider Palin a quitter when she was target of the Cloward-Piven strategy and a concerted effort of DNC operatives and the left to destroy her. $500K in legal fees for bogus ethics complaints is a lot for us non-elitists.

He replied with the following:

Yes it is as far as we know.

That was it! No apology for aiding the psychotic MoveOn/Truther/DailyKos crowd in fomenting yet another reprehensible slander against a family that has already taken more abuse from the media than any other political family in recent memory? Nothing to say about the endless bogus ethics complaints either General? And here I thought you were a man of honor.

I gave him one more chance to elaborate by referring back to the C4P post:

Well perhaps this blogpost which links to many sources will help clarify.

But all I got back was this:

We think it is a complete hoax on FB and the internet.

Well gee with all due respect sir, if you believe it is a hoax, why not send out a retraction email including Meg Stapleton's statement, which was also posted on Sarah Palin's Facebook page:

Yet again, some so-called journalists have decided to make up a story. There is no truth to the recent “story” (and story is the correct term for this type of fiction) that the Palins are divorcing. The Palins remain married, committed to each other and their family, and have not purchased land in Montana (last week it was reported to be Long Island). Less than one week ago, Governor Palin asked the media to “quit making things up.” We appreciate that the more professional journalists decided to question this story before repeating it. Meg Stapleton

Admitting you were wrong to run with an unconfirmed story simply because you've condemned the former governor of Alaska as a quitter, and couldn't wait to apply that same title to her marriage would've been the honorable course of action -- not simply acknowledging that "we think it's a hoax." Even if the divorce rumors were true, gloating over others' personal heartbreak, particularly when there are five children involved, is dishonorable and cruel. I've lost a lot of respect for you, General because I held you to a much-higher standard. And given the fact that you of all people should be familiar with the radical tactics of the left (for whom the United States Military is also a favorite target), you should have known better.

Archive of Tonight's Appearance on the Devin Norris Show

2009-07-30T21:17:00.003-05:00

Water Signs Sequel -- To Shining Sea

2009-07-30T07:03:00.005-05:00

Having been preoccupied with juggling different client projects, co-hosting BTR programs, spending an inordinate amount of time promoting my existing book, blogging and fitting in some sort of life in-between, I didn't think it possible to conceive of an intriguing sequel for Water Signs anytime soon. But thanks to a good writer-friend Don Smith, and a late-night, brainstorming IM session, I am happy to report I now have a title, plot and synopsis.

It's hard to believe it didn't come to me sooner, since I am one who definitely enjoys basing fiction on real-life events. My involvement in local, state and national politics as an activist has created an irresistible desire to employ Ken and Maddy as vehicles for making a statement about ethics, morality, cronyism, treachery and egoism -- just to name a few things that currently ail our great republic.

My intrepid characters will also face some serious moral dilemmas that will test their long-awaited marriage, as well as encounter in a very personal way the evils of socialized medicine (hint: they will take a business trip to another country). Along with the government-imposed political correctness that will tank a very lucrative telecomm deal (remember Congress' obstruction of the FISA Bill?), this will prompt Ken to run for office as a Florida State Senator.

And that's where I plan to have a little fun!

Look for characters based on some familiar public figures, and a recounting of the current battle raging between the establishment and grass-roots patriots.

A Soldier Schools Claire McCaskill

2009-07-29T07:59:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Ed Morrissey of Hot Air.

Archive of The Republican Temple - July 28, 2009

2009-07-29T07:17:00.002-05:00

The Republican Temple with Stephen Rhodes

2009-07-28T18:22:00.003-05:00

I am co-hosting tonight with my buddy Steve at 9 p.m.Eastern. Topics will include the recent free market healthcare rallies I've attended in South Florida; Michelle Malkin's new book Culture of Corruption and Gates-gate.

Please join us to listen, live-chat and/or call in!

Here's Michelle on Sean Hannity last night:

Boca Raton Rally for Free Market Healthcare

2009-07-28T18:16:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, about 20 of us gathered between 4:30-6:30 p.m. to keep spreading the word about the horrors of Obamacare, and to stand up for free market reform to bring down health insurance costs.

As typical, we garnered mostly honks of approval, with the obligatory few Obama-bots flipping us the bird or screaming his name as they drove by. Thanks to all who came out, especially the 9/12 gentleman who came prepared with printed information to hand out to passers-by. We must keep up this fight and continue to educate others on the dangers of this bill and the need for free market reform. We want capitalistic solutions, not a government takeover!

To see all photos please click here.

Attention Palin-Bashers on the Right: See the Video Anti-Palin Alaskan Bloggers Fought to Have Removed From YouTube

2009-07-27T19:41:00.004-05:00

Breitbart.tv Ã‚Â» Ã¢Â€Â˜EthicsgateÃ¢Â€Â™: See the Video Anti-Palin Alaskan Bloggers Fought to Have Removed From YouTube

Shared via AddThis

Archive of Conservative Republican Forum -- July 25, 2009

2009-07-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

Introducing the Conservative Republican Forum Blog

2009-07-27T16:24:00.004-05:00

My Saturday co-host on the Conservative Republican Forum, Steve Rosenblum, has just launched a companion blog. Aside from being a thoughtful, articulate host, Steve is an insightful writer, so I encourage you to visit his site daily, where archives of our broadcasts are also posted.

As usual, he hits the nail on the head today with his thoughts on newly retired Governor Palin. Please show your support for a great friend, conservative and BTR host by reading and commenting regularly!

Archive of The Neidner Show -- July 26, 2009

2009-07-27T15:56:00.002-05:00

Sarah Palin's Farewell Address

2009-07-26T23:19:00.004-05:00

Another awesome speech. I especially love her warnings to the media about messing with our soldiers and the children of her successor Sean Parnell; her condemnation of nanny-state largess and ever-expanding central government; and her clear rundown of all of her accomplishments. On that last point, it is my fervent hope that those on the right who've bought into the media hit job will at least acknowledge that this woman is a proven leader with a solid record of achievement. You don't have to like her personally, or believe she's presidential material, but to deny her stellar record as governor is both disingenuous and wrong.

Godspeed Sarah...looking forward to your unhindered leadership of the grass-roots conservative movement, now that you are free from petty, ankle-biting Alaska politics and despicable media/DNC operatives. You are a role-model for Americans everywhere!

Part One:

Part Two: