gid

July 28, 2010

Robin-gate

Robin-gate distilled: It all seems really messy, but there are some accusations that seem like they might need some further looking into. I will be the first to say that I am not the most objective person when it comes to these facts, but I have read all the articles that have come out on this, and here seems to be the talking points.

1) Robin who is campaigning as a fiscal conservative, left the TN republican party with a $19,000 overdraft and $100,000 in debt.
2)As Robin left the TN Republican Party she arranged for a very large bonus to be paid to a member of her team, who then left his position with the TN Republican Party. Shortly after leaving he used that money to start working as a volunteer with "Team Robin" until she could raise enough funds to put him on as full time campaign staff, which she later did.
3) Robin accused Chip of lying about her money issues, but the documents show that the party did have a significant shortfall and that Chuck was in fact correct.

Again, I know I am in no way impartial, but this does seem interesting. Now there is a ton of he said she said that goes along with this, so it is for each of us to dig through the facts and find the truth.

If you just want to save your time, there is a better candidate. Van Irion - The Tea Party Candidate
Posted by gid at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2010

Come Meet Van Irion This Weekend

email header
   
Cookout Invite
Gregg Juster, a leader in the Chattanooga Tea Party, the TN Tea Party Coalition, and the National Fiscal Conservative PAC, is hosting a cookout this Saturday for all our supporters. This will be a great time to get together, discuss the issues and plan for how we are going to take our country back from the strangle hold of Washington DC. We are inviting all our supporters and asking you to bring your friends and family to meet me and get to know me. Refreshments are graciously being provided by Gregg and DeeDee. So come out to support Van Irion 4 Congress, bring your friends and have a good time with us this Saturday, Mar 27th from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Take a minute to RSVP to Gregg Juster now at gregg@juster.com

The location is 55 E Main St #304, Chattanooga, TN 37408, 200 yds east of Market on Main, Park behind the building (3 story old brick warehouse), Walk through the gate and up the stairs (or elevator) to the third floor. If you need directions call 254-744-9562.
Health Care Bill
If you know me at all, you know my response is that it's unconstitutional. The federal government has no authority to regulate health care. This bill and all the shenanigans it took to get it passed should illustrate why. The framers of the Constitution didn't just arbitrarily say that most issues should be handled at the state or local level (10th Amendment); they had a very good reason for setting that model for how our country should run. The entire purpose of the Constitution was to protect one state from the whims of another state. If Oregon wants to provide health care to all their citizens they can decide to do that, but they should have no authority to make Tennesseans do the same. We were intended to have local control of such matter - if we didn't like how one state was run, we could move to another or we could seek redress at the state level. Thousands of Americans marched all weekend in DC seeking to be heard and they were soundly ignored. Redress by the individual on the federal level doesn't work, as it does on the state level. Now we have a federal government that ignores the Constitution. Now we have 219 representatives forcing their will on the vast majority of the country that loudly proclaimed we don't want government run health care. None of the East Tennessee Congressmen voted for this bill, yet all East Tennesseans are forced abide by the decision of Congressmen from Chicago, California, and New York.


The Role of the Federal Government 
I could go on about the details of the bill, such as in order to get those votes, promises were made that earmark our tax dollars to pet projects other states, or exempt some which puts an even higher burden on the rest that aren't exempt. Or that the bill forces all Americans to fund abortion while taking $500 billion from Medicare, all while our Medicare taxes won't go down. Or that taxes are assessed immediately while benefits don't start for another four years. This is devastating to our liberties and our economy, and it will start killing jobs immediately. But we must understand why it happened so that we can prevent it happening again and hopefully reverse this course in the future. The why is that there is a fundamental lack of understanding in Washington DC about the role of federal government. As one of my competitors in the race for the 3rd District said at the LiberTea debate, "Well if I knew the proper role of the federal government I'd write a book and be a millionaire." That is the problem; we continue to elect representatives that don't know. If they would just read and memorize the oath that they take, it's pretty simple, "that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
 
Where were the statesmen in this debate reminding the congress that they had no authority to introduce such a bill? Where were the statesmen appearing on every media outlet available to tell the American people that health care reform is an issue for the states, that federal government mandates have done nothing but increase cost and decrease options? Where were the statesmen going office to office with the citizens that rightly opposed the bill reminding the representatives of their oath? God willing I will be that statesman come November 2010.

If you have read this far and agree with me that we need a defender of the Constitution in DC, please join us Saturday at the home of Gregg and DeeDee Juster. Let your voice be heard, meet with those of like mind and let's plan for a revival of the Constitution in America. Email Gregg now and let him know you'll be there -
gregg@juster.com 
 
 Vote for Van - Republican Primary - Aug 5, 2010
 
 
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Send a check to: Committee to Elect Van Irion
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Upcoming Events
 
 
Mar 25th - 6:30pm
Hamilton County Young Republicans
Chattanooga
 
 
Mar 27th - 9:30am
Concerned Citizens for The Constitution
 Soddy Daisy American Legion Hall
 
 
Mar 27th - 11:30am
Van Irion Cookout
Home of Gregg Juster, Chattanooga, TN
 
 
Mar 27th - 3:00pm
UTC College Republicans Cookout
 Sigma Chi House UTC Campus
 
 
Mar 27th - 6:00pm Bradley County Lincoln Day Dinner
Cleveland High School Commons
 
 
April 1st - 7:00pm
Meet the 3rd District Candidates
Lookout Valley Neighborhood Association
 
 
 
 
 
Posted by gid at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2010

LiberTea Republican Congressional Debate

The Chattanooga Tea Party and Campaign for Liberty are joining together to sponsor a series of LiberTea Debates in preparation for the 2010 elections. The first of these public Debates will feature the six announced Republican candidates for Tennessee?s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives (currently held by Zach Wamp) on Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 2:00-3:30PM. The event will be hosted at Woodland Park Baptist Church by the Community Impact Team and it is located at 6735 Standifer Gap Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421. The Debate is free and open to the public.

The six candidates who have confirmed their participation in the first Debate are Tommy Crangle, Chuck Fleischmann, Tim Gobble, Van Irion, Arthur Rhodes and Robin Smith.

At the conclusion of the Debate (from 4:00-5:00PM) attendees will have an opportunity to meet with the participating candidates individually in separate rooms, thus allowing citizens to visit with the candidates in an intimate manner to further discuss issues of interest to them.

Attached for your reference and distribution is a Flyer that provides all of the information about the Debate.

I trust you will be able to attend the event. Additionally, please don't hesitate to share this email invitation with your email network, friends, co-workers and families as well as inviting your pastor and church members to attend.

EVENT FACTS:
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Debate Time: 2PM - 3:30PM
"Meet the Candidate" Time: 4PM - 5PM
Format: Moderator to present questions (submitted by public, CTP, HCFL & CIT members)
Location: Woodland Park Baptist Church (6735 Standifer Gap Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421)
PLEASE RSVP at:
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163802917049&index=1
Meetup - http://www.meetup.com/Chattanooga-Tea-Party/calendar/11700834/
If you have any questions, then please give me a call.
David Gidcumb
423-505-1467
LiberTea Debate Flyer
Posted by gid at 03:14 PM | Comments (1)

May 07, 2009

random politicalish thought

Even during times of great perversion evangelicals need to realize that it is not the role of government to protect citizens from themselves. We need to realize that while it might seem morally advantageous to undermine the Constitution now, that in future generations that same authority will be used to persecute our posterity. The precedent we establish will come back to haunt us.

Posted by gid at 01:02 PM | Comments (2)

April 17, 2009

Sheriff Gobble

Here is an opinion piece that I submitted to the Chattanoogan, but it never got published. It was in response to sheriff Tim Gobble opinion piece entitled Sheriff Gobble Looking Forward Maybe it was a bit harsh, and that is why the Chattanoogan did not publish it. I just hate not questioning career politicians as they work their way up the ladder. I have heard him speak two different times and by all I can tell he is just a classic neo-conservative. Haven't we had enough of the new conservatism?

Sheriff Gobble,
You spoke at the Tea Party rally on the 15th and many of us there were shocked to see you take the stage. Your "Sheriff Gobble Looking Forward" opinion piece in the Chattanoogan exemplifies why many of us were dismayed at your participation. The main point of the Tea Party was not only that we are over-taxed, but that we are over-taxed due to our federal government over-stepping its constitutional bounds. As conservative Republicans, Democrats, Constitutionalists, Libertarians, and Independents, we came together around our Constitution, demanding that our leaders follow the road map our Founders gave us. We are tired of our Senators and House Representatives only bringing up the words Strict Constructionist and Originalist when it is politically advantageous or when Supreme Court Judges are being nominated. It is time for politicians to get a constitutional backbone, and I am afraid you have shown us exactly how you will behave if elected as our Congressman.

Sheriff Gobble, just because our out-of-control government chooses to spend our money in ways the Constitution has not specifically mandated, it does not mean you should belly up to the feeding trough. Tennessee's third district should be leading the country as stalwarts of constitutional excellence. Sheriff Gobble, I really can not imagine that you would think the federal government has any constitutional authority to get involved with the funding of police officers. The Tenth Amendment clearly makes the funding of police officers a state issue.

My two points are this. First, even if you were to take our money to fund new police officers for the next four years, the big question is how are you going to pay their salary once the grant money runs out? Sounds like either a tax increase or you are planning on President Obama's spend-our-way-out-of-debt scheme to work. Secondly, by taking this dirty money you are doing exactly what Madison in the 10th Federalist Paper referred to as an "improper or wicked project". What you are doing is taking part in indebting our children and grandchildren so that you may enjoy the security of extra police officers now.

Sheriff Gobble please answer this question: if the Bradley County Commission somehow had the power to take your great grandchildren's money to fund police officers now, would you take it? I hope you would not. You must agree that the ethical ground you tread on is part of an improper and wicked project. Sheriff Gobble it is not your money to spend. Period.

David Gidcumb http://twitter.com/davidgid j.d.gidcumb@gmail.com

Posted by gid at 08:09 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2009

James Madison on Freedom


Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation

-- James Madison 1788 speaking to the Virginia convention
Posted by gid at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2009

The people cannot be all, and always, well informed.

This is such an interesting quote by Jefferson.

God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.
...And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
---Thomas Jefferson November 13, 1787, letter to William S. Smith
 
Posted by gid at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2009

thoughts on the pledge

Since becoming involved politically over the last few years, I've become involved with groups that say the pledge of allegiance before meetings. What goes across my mind while saying the pledge is "Why the heck are we doing this?" I never questioned it as a kid, but now I just can't help but wonder about the historical context. I do find it interesting that we did not start pledging allegiance until 1892. To boot it was written by a Baptist minister who was involved with the Christian Socialist movement, which by the way is completely antithetical to the thoughts of our Founding Fathers.

So I wonder what our Founding Fathers would have thought about the pledged. I know they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, but my feeling is they would have serious problems with the wording of the pledge as it stands. I mean really, for those who have studied our founders and the concept of the government they endeavored to create, do you think they would have used the word "indivisible". Not. A. Chance.

Posted by gid at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2008

luv me some bureaucracy

I am still reading through The Revolution a Manifesto by Dr. Paul and have been eating up his chapter entitled Economic Freedom.

Check this quote out:

To get an appreciation for the difference between public and private administration in terms of bureaucracy and cost-effectiveness, consider this. The Brookings Institution's John Chubb once investigated the number of bureaucrats working in the central administration office of the New York City public schools. Six telephone calls finally yielded someone who knew the answer, but that person was not allowed to disclose it. Another six calls later, Chubb had at last pinned down someone who knew the answer and could tell him what it was. There were 6,000 bureaucrats working in the central office.

Then Chubb call the Archdiocese of New York, to find out the figure there.(The city's Catholic schools educate one-fifth as many students as did the government-run schools.) Chubb's first telephone call was taken by someone who did not know the answer. Here we go again, he thought. But after a moment she said, "Wait a minute; let me count." Her answer: 26.

Posted by gid at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2008

Madison on Democracies



"...democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
--James Madison
Posted by gid at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2008

The budget should be balanced

Again, history should be studied for wisdom's sake.


The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest we become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.
-- Cicero , Rome 55 BC
Posted by gid at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008

More from Jefferson

I am convinced that the only way we can fix this mess we are in is by studying history. The more I study our founders the more I get answers for all the issues that plague us today. There is truly nothing new under the sun. We need to study history for the wisdom that can be attained not just to fill our brains with facts.


When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.
-- Jefferson
Posted by gid at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2008

Thomas Jefferson's take on the Bailout


"...what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? ...a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government." - Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address - Wednesday, March 1, 1801

It looks like Wamp gets it (I have not heard, but I hope he is one of the holdout Republicans.) and Corker and Alexander don't! Wait, does Alexander expect me to vote for him even if he is a Republican behaving badly? I sure hope not, my days of voting for RINOs are over.

Posted by gid at 10:18 AM | Comments (3)

September 05, 2008

Calling all Philosophy Majors

For several months I have, not so secretly, wondered how to help others get out of this neo-federalist thought process that both parties are stuck in. I feel strongly about the revival of a more pure and historical constructionist view of the constitution needing to take root.

The problem is that it took me years (3-10) of reading and studying history to finally be open to the possibility that the reality be presented and the arguments being made in our current political paradigm are a result of, for the lack of a better term, us having lost our way.

All that said, Blackburn, Jason, and myself were on the way back from lunch today, and we were talking about politics when Jason brought up a principle or study he had heard of that basically goes like this: New concepts, to which someone has little or no reference point, take time to introduce or else the person will think they are either silly or misguided and will dismiss them out of hand.

Does anyone know what this principle is called? I'm sure this principle is covered in a freshman philosophy class, but for the life of me I can't seem to pin it down.

I am kind of working with these keywords: conceptual change pedagogy and knowledge reconstruction

Please, someone fill me in. I really would like to understand this concept a bit better.

Posted by gid at 02:16 PM | Comments (3)

April 18, 2008

Six Against Six Million

We should be able to vote!
Posted by gid at 09:04 PM | Comments (0)

April 06, 2008

The Olympic Spirit

Olympics Beijing 08
Official Beijing 08 Logo

You have to wonder what the Chinese were thinking when they created their official Beijing 08 logo. Given the recent events in Tibet I could not help but help try to raise awareness of what is going on. If you have not heard about what has been going on in Tibet then please take the time to get informed.

So why has the United States not withdraw from the Olympics? To answer that question all you have to do is follow the money. I won't get into that in this post, but I can say this. If the Olympic torch passes anywhere close to Chattanooga I am going to be there waving the sign below.

china-olympics-firing-squad-cartoon.jpg
Olympics Firing Squad

I found the firing squad image here: Origninal
Also, check out this site. They have some other interesting Beijing 08 logos. http://www.beijinglogo.org/

Posted by gid at 03:39 PM | Comments (29)

March 25, 2008

Congressman Wamp, Carpe Diem

Last Friday I sent in an opinion on the Chattanoogan.com. It was in response to an opinion piece submitted by Zach Wamp. His opinion piece was about energy policy, and I just could not help but respond. I think our congressman has the political backing to really get things done in Washington. I really love the quote that says, "What would you attempt to do today if you knew you could not fail." Well, this is what I said:

Congressman,

While I agree with you that we need broad energy policy changes we cannot pretend to be dealing with the ever increasing cost of energy if we don't talk about the value of the dollar. I am not accusing you of this, but the common political spin is to solely blame OPEC, refinery shortages, hurricanes, and consumption as the reason for increased energy cost.

As I read what commodity traders are saying I don't hear them giving the same excuses as most politicians do. Just this week oil hit prices never seen before, and the reasoning was, and I quote "Prices scaled historic heights on Monday as they were energized by the weak dollar."

I know you know this, but if we really want to deal with the cost of energy we have to get government spending under control. We cannot continue the deficit spending and expect OPEC countries to want to invest in the American dollar. As we continue to undermine the value of the dollar through our deficit spending we should come to expect $4 a gallon at the pump.

Congressmen, due to your constituent's faithful support you are in a very unique position to really tackle one of the biggest issues of our time. While our support for you is strong, and the weight of your constituents is propping you up, stand up and tackle this albatross around our necks. With our support and the seniority you now enjoy you can boldly lead us into the 21st century.

This is my challenge to you, stand up and propose a federal balanced budget amendment. There is no greater legacy you could leave then that of a balanced budget amendment. Without this amendment future Americans will scorn our names and we will be viewed with the utmost contempt by them. We cannot continue to enslave our children and grandchildren for generations to come.
Congressman, Carpe Diem.

Posted by gid at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2008

22,000 Scientist Sign Petition Refuting Carbon Footprint Initiated Global Warming

Yes that is right, 22,000 Scientist have signed. Check out the graphs on this page.

We have more than 22,000 scientist signers of our global-warming petition who've looked at the issue and concluded essentially the opposite of these United Nations people. This says nothing about the science. Science does not depend on polling. Just because we have 22,000, and the UN may have 600, does not matter. The only thing our petition demonstrates is that there is no consensus among scientists in support of the UN claims.

Update: I should have added a bit more info when adding this post the first time. These 22,000 scientist are not saying that there is no global warming. What they are saying is that the earth has been warming for 400 years, which coincides with the end of the last mini ice age that hit Europe. The evidence looks pretty convincing that the warming we are experiencing now has to do with an increase in activity on the sun, and has nothing to do with our carbon footprint.

Posted by gid at 01:15 PM | Comments (3)

February 21, 2008

Come on! You can do better than that.

You would think if you had a good enough brain to make it through law school you could remember who you drove with for 6 hours.

General Sessions Court Judge Ron Durby said he made a recent trip to Tunica with former Sheriff Long. The judge said he cannot remember who else was in the car on the six-hour trip.
(via)

I guess you can say what you want when reelection is not until Aug. 2014.

Posted by gid at 03:20 PM | Comments (1)

February 15, 2008

my first response to a Chattanoogan.com opinion piece

To get the context please go here and read the original opinion by Bruce Caldwell. Below is my response, which can also be read here.

Bruce,

Reading your opinion brought to mind a great quote from George Washington's Farwell address. He said this: "If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way, which the constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for, though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit, which the use can at any time yield."

Your argument, which is based on an emotional grab, is a waste of everyone's time. Emotions have nothing to do with enforcing the rule of law. I have read many of your opinions, and have yet to agree fully with any of them. I should have prefaced that last statement with the fact that I am a life-long Republican. You, sir, might call yourself a Republican, but are in fact a Federalist and a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Yes, I know these words are harsh, but the evidence supports them. As Republicans our tent cannot be so big that we stand for nothing because we stand for everything. Being a Republican is about small, fiscally conservative government. Government that is limited in power and government that first asks in every situation "What does the U.S. Constitution give me authority to do?"

Now you should be asking yourself with regard to this FISA bill: What does the U.S Constitution give us authority to do?

The U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment says: "and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Bruce please tell us, what would the U.S. Constitution give you authority to do in regard to the FISA bill? I should add before you disregard any more of our founder's wisdom this quote: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Posted by gid at 05:15 AM | Comments (1)

February 06, 2008

The rEVOLution's Next Steps...getting local

Looking at last night numbers we have an extremely strong base of support in our local area. We are in the process of getting the foundation laid for Ron Paul Republicans to get elected locally, but we need to know who you are. For those of you who have not given us your name, email address, and phone number at either the last meetup group or the Rand Paul rally we need to know who you are! We need to stay organized and we need to be able to get in touch with you when Ron Paul Republicans run for office.

Please if you have not gotten your name on the list, then please email me privately. So far we have 180+ people signed up, but there are several thousand of us locally that we need to be able to get in touch with. Please forward this post to local Ron Paul supporters that might not be on the list. This includes all Ron Paul supporters in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional district (Wamp's district).

Please email me at j.d.gidcumb[AT]gmail.com

Posted by gid at 12:56 PM | Comments (1)

February 05, 2008

CNN = reliable, fair, balanced, unbiased

I just don't get it. Ron Paul takes second in LA, second in NV, second in delegates in ME, and they can not even put him on their site! Please vote!

CNN.jpg
Posted by gid at 12:43 PM | Comments (6)

February 04, 2008

Barna Group: Republicans have lost Born Again voters

What is it going to take for the Republican party to see that they have lost their way? I for one still believe there is hope for a Republican reformation.

Compared to recent presidential elections, the current leanings of the born again constituency have reversed. The new Barna study shows that if the election were to be held today, 40% of all born again adults who are likely to vote in November would choose the Democratic candidate and just 29% would choose the Republican candidate. The remaining 28% are currently not sure whom they would choose, preferring to make their selection on the basis of the candidate than strictly on the basis of his or her party affiliation. barna group
Posted by gid at 07:18 AM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2008

Ron Paul Tops Military Donations, Again

This time, the victory was decisive. Paul received approximately three times as many Army donations as Senator John McCain, twice as many from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, and more military donations overall than all the other Republican candidates combined. from

Number of donors:

  • Ron Paul - 931
  • McCain - 466
  • Huckabee - 141
  • Romney - 125

more

Posted by gid at 08:15 AM | Comments (1)

January 30, 2008

Chattanooga Ron Paul Rally

Rand Paul, the son of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, will speak in Chattanooga on Saturday, February 2nd at 9 AM at 1601 Rossville Ave. Below is a map to the Rally location.

Update:
Here are some other Chattanooga area bloggers talking about it:
Scott is going to be there with his kids and hot coffee. | Joe over at TennesseeTicket.com did a post as well.....Any others?

Posted by gid at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2008

Canvassing Chattanooga for Dr. Paul

This past weekend I took my maiden voyage into the mad crazy world of door to door Canvassing. Well, it was really neither mad nor crazy, and it was surprisingly a lot of fun. I was pretty nervous leading up to hitting the streets, but just as all the canvassing experts said once you get started it can be a lot of fun.

We decided to hit the precinct that David Shinn lives in because he was the veteran at canvassing and he had also gone and signed up as a precinct captain on the Ron Paul website, so he had all the addresses we needed to hit.

On Saturday there were three in our group that hit the streets. I know several other groups in Chattanooga area headed out as well. On Saturday it was David Shinn, Jim, and I who worked together. On Sunday it was just David S. and I. By looking at the google map it looks like we hit a minimum oft 430 homes on those two days. I would guess that between our group and the other groups that we hit well more than 1000 homes on those two days.

Next weekend should be another good weekend for hitting the streets. Hopefully the soreness will have gone by then. I used to hike a whole bunch, but this cube life is killing me!

Posted by gid at 10:38 PM | Comments (4)

January 26, 2008

Grand Opening of Cleveland Ron Paul headquarters

Last night was the Grand Opening of the Cleveland Ron Paul headquarters. We were only able to stay for about a half hour, but the turnout was really good. What strikes me as the funny about this clip is that for some reason John David is in the piece 3 times.

I just noticed that Edwards is on the first frame of the clip.....LOL

Posted by gid at 02:48 PM | Comments (1)

January 22, 2008

Dr. Ron Paul Endorsed by Jane Roe

This is a really huge endorsement, and it happened on the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Here is what she said:

I support Ron Paul for president because we share the same goal, that of overturning Roe v Wade. Ron Paul doesn't just talk about being pro-life, he acts on it. His voting record truly is impeccable and he undoubtedly understands our constitutional republic and the inalienable right to life for all. Ron Paul is the prime author of H.R. 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v. Wade. As the signor of the affidavit that legalized abortion 35 years ago I appreciate Ron Paul's action to restore protection for the unborn. Ron Paul has also authored H.R. 1094 in Congress, which seeks to define life as beginning at conception. He has never wavered on the issue of being pro-life and has a voting record to prove it. He understands the importance of civil liberties for all, including the unborn.

For those who do not know Norma McCorvey aka Jane Roe's story then here is a link to her wikipedia entry. I have to say that this endorsement makes me feel much better about my post done back in November about Insurgents taking over the National Right to Life. With that in mind I would like to welcome all the Thompson supporters to the Dr. Paul campaign! We are glad to have you!

Posted by gid at 08:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2008

Interview on WGOW this morning

Summer and I were on WGOW at noon today to talk about Ron Paul. We were on from 12:00 to 1:00, and we had a really good time. This was my first time on the radio, so I had not clue how it would go. It was a lot of fun, and something I would love to do again.

Here is a link to the MP3. It is close to 10 megs, so if you are bandwidth challenged then you might want to forgo the download. Here is the link: WGOW interview about Ron Paul

Thanks Joe for the copy!

Posted by gid at 08:58 PM | Comments (2)

January 18, 2008

Cal Thomas | Ron Paul

Cal Thomas had a little commentary yesterday about the current election cycle.

Here is a quote:

THE ONLY ONE BEHAVING LIKE A REAL REPUBLICAN IS RON PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO CUT SPENDING AND GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES.

Here is a link to his commentary: here

Posted by gid at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2008

please wakeup

My life mission is quickly becoming to do what I can to fix this precious country of ours. REAL ID

Posted by gid at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)

January 11, 2008

Ron Paul, the only true Republican on the stage.

This was my favorite exchange from last night's debate.

CAMERON: Congressman Paul, yet another question about electability. Do you have any, sir? There's always the question as to whether or not...

(LAUGHTER)

... you are, in fact, viable. Your differences with the Republicans on the -- with the rest of the Republi-cans on this stage has raised questions about whether or not you can actually win the Republican nomi-nation, sir.

PAUL: Well, we've only had two little primaries so far. So it's pretty premature to decide which one is going to be the candidate.

But, you know, when you think about it, if you measured everything I've ever said, every vote I've ever taken against the Constitution, you know, I'm a strict constitutionalist.

Are you suggesting the Republicans should write me off because I'm a strict constitutionalist? I'm the most conservative member here. I have voted, you know, against more spending and waste in govern-ment than anybody else.

(APPLAUSE)

So you're suggesting that I'm not electable and the Republicans don't want me because I'm a strict fiscal conservative, because I believe in civil liberties? Why should we not be defending civil liberties and why should we not be talking about foreign policy that used to be the part of the Republican Party?

PAUL: Mr. Republican Robert Taft didn't even want us to be in NATO and you're saying now that we have to continue to borrow money from China to finance this empire that we can't afford?

Let me see if I get this right. We need to borrow $10 billion from China, and then we give it to Mushar-raf, who is a military dictator, who overthrew an elected government. And then we go to war, we lose all these lives promoting democracy in Iraq. I mean, what's going on here?

(APPLAUSE)

And you're saying that this isn't appealing to Republicans? Where did this come about? I think this is the Republican message. I defend the platform. It used to say we'd (inaudible) the Department of Education. It doesn't say that now.

We, as Republicans, went and doubled the size of the Department of Education, so where have we gone? I think we've lost our way. And then the insinuation that I am less Republican because of that?

HUME: Congressman, thank you very much.

hat tip: eric

Posted by gid at 04:05 PM | Comments (1)

January 10, 2008

latest political quiz

75% Ron Paul
66% Tom Tancredo
61% Mitt Romney
61% Fred Thompson
56% Mike Huckabee
53% John McCain
51% Mike Gravel
47% Rudy Giuliani
44% Dennis Kucinich
42% Bill Richardson
39% Chris Dodd
38% John Edwards
34% Barack Obama
34% Hillary Clinton
28% Joe Biden

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

hat tip: 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Onward!

Posted by gid at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2007

Evangelicals, Huckabee, and a moment of weakness

I have to admit I have been restraining myself with regard to Huckabee. I did my research on the candidates a few months back, and it did not take long for me to put Huckabee on the list of candidates I could never vote for. I have been surprised with how quickly my fellow evangelicals have fallen for him in spite of his record. Though, in one respect I have to admit that I fully understand their love affair. He is so well spoken, and heck, he was a preacher. He speaks of Christ in such a loving and sincere way. I have to admit that even an ardent Ron Paul supporter like me flirts with the idea that the reason Huckabee is being scrutinized is because of some kind of spiritual warfare working against God's chosen man.

I think that if those evangelicals still supporting Huckabee were to be honest they would have to agree in some part that they have flirted with the same thoughts. This is kind of a tricky topic to dance around because right now I am talking about two different aspects of Huckabee's record. First is the ethical concerns that are starting to hit main street media. The other problem is his pro big government stance, which in itself is not a moral issue, though most evangelicals in a one-on-one / completely off-the-record conversation, would admit that being an economic liberal is, to some degree, a moral issue for them.

This is where it gets even stranger, most evangelicals have a trump card and that trump card comes in play if the person is a Christian and is believable. Then the fact that the candidate is a Christian wins out. Honestly, I have fallen into the same trap. At times I was willing to give up liberties because I trusted someone's character. It is almost like all reason was lost.

While I most certainly agree that there is spiritual warfare, I think my fellow evangelicals err on the side of assuming that because he is so outspoken about his faith, that when they see his record being put under the fire that they assume there is some kind of spiritual warfare going on, and that they need to defend him even more. Again, it is almost like all reason is lost.

What keeps coming to mind is what my mother used to tell me as a teenager. She used to say "David you need to stop having excuses for everything you do. Sometimes you just need to admit your wrong and move on. . ." or something like that. It strikes me that Huckabee has excuses for everything.

Not that this is news to a lot of people, but here is what the media is starting to report.

hat tip Irresponsible Journalism
Posted by gid at 07:45 PM | Comments (10)

Huckabee and Socialized Education

Wow! Wow! Wow! This guy is really out there. Check out this article on red state. Looks like Huckabee backs P-16. No wonder homeschoolers and Huckabee aren't a match made in heaven.

Posted by gid at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2007

Homeschoolers against Huckabee

As a homeschooler I was shocked to hear Huckabee's record on homeschooling in the state of Arkansas. Here are just a few of the stumbling blocks that homeschooler in Arkansas now have to deal with. Here is a link to the whole article: Huckabee's homeschool record

Arkansas is now the only state in the nation with a law prohibiting a student from beginning home schooling if the student is in the midst of disciplinary proceedings at the public school.

Arkansas is now one of only 12 states to impose a deadline for beginning home schooling or requiring parents to provide advance notice to public school officials of their decision to do so. Because of this restriction, parents who encounter intolerable conditions at the public school, such as imminent danger to the safety or welfare of their child, will have to wait at least 14 days before withdrawing the child to begin home schooling or else face truancy charges for unexcused absences during the 14-day waiting period. No such restriction exists for parents who decide to immediately remove their children to attend a private or parochial school in Arkansas.

any home schooling student who refuses to participate in the state testing program shall be subject to prosecution for truancy. Public school students refusing to participate in state testing would not be subject to truancy prosecution.

hat tip four-eight-four

Posted by gid at 09:48 PM | Comments (11)

December 17, 2007

Ron Paul Raises $6 Million in One Day

Great work everyone!

Here is a copy of the official press release.

Candidate has most successful fundraising day in American political history

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- Texas Congressman Ron Paul?s presidential campaign had a record fundraising day yesterday.

In a 24-hour period on December 16, the campaign raised $6 million dollars, surpassing the one-day record of $5.7 million held by John Kerry.

During the day, over 58,000 people contributed to Dr. Paul?s campaign, including 24,940 first-time donors. Over 118,000 Americans have donated to the campaign in the fourth quarter.

The $6 million one day total means the campaign has raised over $18 million this quarter, far exceeding its initial fourth quarter goal of $12 million.

"The outpouring of support shows what a powerful message freedom is," said campaign chairman Kent Snyder. "Americans are tired of the same old Washington, and they are rallying around Dr. Paul?s message of freedom, peace and prosperity."

Congressman Paul will be campaigning in Iowa today and will be holding a press conference at 12:45 pm at the Des Moines Marriott in the Des Moines Room. Members of the press are strongly encouraged to attend.

Posted by gid at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2007

Today is the day! Give what you can.

"Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor"

"I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be"
--Thomas Jefferson


"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them"
--Thomas Jefferson


"I sincerely believe that banking institutions having the issuing power of money, are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies"
--Thomas Jefferson
Posted by gid at 08:08 PM | Comments (1)

December 15, 2007

Ron Paul on Cramer

This is really a huge plug for Ron Paul. Cramer loves Ron Paul's take on the Fed.

Posted by gid at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2007

Get your credit card ready!

To say "I can't wait until Sunday" is an understatement!

Posted by gid at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)

Huck spend your buck

For all those potential "Huck spend your buck" supporters out there, here is an article for you: Huckabee: The Biggest Big-Government Conservative

Posted by gid at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

National Review might be warming up to Dr. Paul

Is the national review starting to come around? I sure hope so. Check out this article. Imagining a Ron Paul Presidency

Posted by gid at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)

December 13, 2007

Ron Paul tops google zeitgeist

So there you have it, Ron Paul tops the list as the most googled presidential candidate. via google zeitgeist.

Ron-Paul-Zeitgeist.JPG
Ron Paul most googled candidate
Posted by gid at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2007

Pledge to vote for Ron Paul

Okay, this is an easy one. Just click the image and sign up. If there are two of you in a home then sign up for both of you. The idea is to make sure that all Ron Paul supporters are contacted on the day that their state primary or caucus is held. This is just incase something crazy happens and you need a reminder. This is also a really good way to get numbers of how many people are going to vote for Ron Paul. It only takes a second. Pledge Away...

Pledge for Paul

Hat Tip:turn left

Oh, by the way. Fox Den Lane is now in the top 5 for baby carriers on google. Now if we can just get there for Baby, Baby Backpacks, and Baby Slings.

Posted by gid at 09:04 PM | Comments (1)

December 05, 2007

Ron Paul Float at the Cleveland Christmas Parade

This past Saturday evening a group of us got together and entered a float in the Cleveland Christmas parade. I wanted to get a picture up a few days back, but for some reason I am just now getting around to doing a post on the Parade.

The guy who was going to let us use his truck for the parade had to bail out at the last minute, so my truck became the float. We had a fun time decorating the truck with Christmas lights, garland, and Ron Paul signs. While waiting for the parade to start I even meet another local blogger/Ron Paul supporter named Carrie (if I remember her name correctly). She blogs over at The Princess Diaries, and she just stopped by to say hi and to ask a question about the Chattanooga Ron Paul meetup group. We did take the opportunity to load her down with as much literature and bumper stickers as she would take. :-)

Because I was driving I did not get to hand out any of the Ron Paul material, but in all I would say we handed out between 500 and 1000 Slim Jims. We had such a great time. The reception from the crowd could not have been much better. I had a good time driving, but those that got to hand out material looked to be having the most fun. For me the highlight of the night had to be those Ron Paul supports standing in the crowd that had no clue we were coming. When they would see the float they would flip out for a second screaming "Go Ron Go", "Ron Paul Hope for America", or just the plain "RON PAUL".

In all it was a great opportunity to get Ron Paul's name out on a local level, and for the price I am not sure there was any better bang for the buck.

Posted by gid at 09:35 PM | Comments (4)

November 16, 2007

Ron Paul takes chattown by storm

Wow what a night! Last night the Ron Paul Chattanooga meetup group met at Ryan's on Lee highway. It was a HUGE success! Fun was had by all. Here is a picture I took and it should give a little idea of how many people were there. In all I would say we had about 50 people at the meeting, with another 15 or so that showed up to sign the delegate petitions and to pick up bumper stickers and yard signs. I am starting to think it is safe to assume that the number of Ron Paul supporters in the Chattanooga area is well into the 1000s.

Ron-Paul-Meetup-Chattanooga-November-15th.jpg

The highlight of the night was the conversation that took place once the meeting was over. I met some really great people who also share my concerns about this country and where we are heading. Nothing I could write would really do justice to the conversation we had so I am not going to even try.

I will just say this; last night really has me thinking about starting a Chattanooga think tank for promoting Constitutional awareness in District 3. I have no clue where I would put it on my plate, but having the opportunity to review and debate current, past, and pending legislation with fellow constitutionally minded people from District 3 could be a great way to reintroduce fellow Chattanoogans to the United States Constitution. I will have to put some more thought into this over the next week or so.

Posted by gid at 10:15 PM | Comments (4)

November 14, 2007

Do you live in District 3 (Zach Wamp's District)?

There are 5 people from District 3 who are running as delegates, and we really need your help. Each of these 5 people needs 150 signatures from registered voters who live in district 3. You may sign all five petitions.

If you would like to help out then please drop by and sign the petitions. There will also be Ron Paul yard signs, bumper stickers, and a ton Ron Paul info to be had by all. Please come by and bring a friend. You do not have to be a member of the meetup group to come by. Right now the most important thing we can do is get our District 3 delegates in place.

The next Chattanooga Ron Paul meetup is tommorow night (Thursday 15th). So far we have about 45 people that will be there. We need 150+ so we need you!

If you have questions then please leave a comment. If not, then here is the info on when and where. We have the back room in Ryan's reserved. You do not need to eat if you would rather not. Please come. Also, you can call me if you need to: 505-1467

When:
Thursday, November 15, 2007, 7:00 PM
Where:
Ryan's Restaurant
6734 Lee Hwy.
Chattanooga , TN 37421

Posted by gid at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2007

Insurgents take over National Right to Life

I can hardly believe that a great organization such as the National Right to Life would back Fred Thompson. I am appalled actually. I put this on the same plain as Robertson backing Rudy. Clearly the most pro-life candidate right now is Dr. Ron Paul. Seriously, let Fred Thompson's actions speak for themselves. He has done lobbying for Pro-Abortion groups in the past. NRL what were you thinking?

Please send the NRL an email and ask them what they were thinking: National Right to Life Committee
512 10th St. NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 626-8800
NRLC@nrlc.org

Posted by gid at 09:50 AM | Comments (2)

November 11, 2007

Ron Paul on Face the Nation

If you missed Ron Paul on Face the Nation this morning then here is the video.

Posted by gid at 08:57 PM | Comments (5)

November 09, 2007

A must read blog post

Check out this post from Chattanooga blogger sjames. I am so glad to see the support that Ron Paul is getting. Every day I meet people who are getting excited about this guy. Here is a link to the post: Ron Paul and Fred Thompson

Posted by gid at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)

Boston Tea Party 2007

Don't miss the Boston Tea Party of 2007! The Ron Paul Revolution is really picking up steam, and it is all being done grassroots! This is a once in a life time opportunity to help get America back on a constitutional footing. Don't miss December 16th. I have heard a lot of people say they are going to give $17.76 because the $100 was out of their price range. What matters is the number of people that give not that you could afford the $100. I gave on the 5th of November, so I can not afford to give $100 again. Though, you can count me in for $17.76.

Posted by gid at 10:43 PM | Comments (3)

November 06, 2007

November 05, 2007

Carpe Diem!

Today is the day, now is the time.

Posted by gid at 06:16 PM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2007

Campaigning for Ron Paul in Chattanooga

Today I spent an hour down at the Ron Paul table that the Chattanooga Ron Paul meetup group setup at North Gate Mall. I can not believe how energizing it was to hand out flyers and to get to speak with people about Dr. Paul and what he stands for. In the hour I was down there we probably handed out 100+ flyers. I personally had some really good conversations with people who had never heard of Dr. Paul.

What I am most surprised about is how receptive most people are. Though, I guess it should not come as a shock. When people pick up on the message of freedom and of our need to get back to a constitutionally minded government lights just turn on. It is really fun to see people walk away from a conversation saying "This is the type of politician I have been looking for".

Well, if you have not gotten a bumper sticker or a yard sign then head down to North Gate tomorrow and pick one up. Also, here is a link if you have not signed up for the Chattanooga Ron Paul meetup group.

Posted by gid at 05:10 AM | Comments (1)

November 02, 2007

This November 5th

If you want Dr. Paul to be the next president, then now is the time to act. On November 5th Ron Paul supporters are trying to raise $10,000,000. The goal is to make it the biggest one day political donation event in history. The plan is to have 100,000 people donate $100 each.

Over the last two weeks there has been about 16,000 people that have signed up. Between now and next Monday (November 5th) please take some time to think about whether you should give. The time between now and the Primaries will go quickly. If you want Ron Paul to be the next president then now is the time to act. If you have not done your research yet then please do so now. Just head out to Ron Paul 2008 and check out his issues page. Again time is short.

If you plan on giving then head out to This November 5th and sign up by giving your email address. They are taking an email address to get the number of people that are going to give. Then on November 5th go to Ron Paul 08 and give.

Posted by gid at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2007

Samuel Adams Quote

Somebody in the Chattanooga Ron Paul meetup group has this quote in her e-mail signature, and I just thought I would pass it on.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
-- Samuel Adams

With the above quote in mind, please consider joining a Ron Paul Meetup Group near you. Currently the Chattanooga Ron Paul Meetup group has 118 members and is growing every day. Come on Join in the fun.

Posted by gid at 03:01 PM | Comments (1)

October 30, 2007

Ron Paul in Iowa

MSNBC has a little write up about Ron Paul and him campaigning in Iowa. Here is my favorite quote. I just hope he is right. Well you know... minus that whole Howard Dean holler.


"From what I see, Ron Paul is doing much better than his better-known opponents think he is doing. He is at that stage of the Dean campaign when all the other campaigns are laughing at him and have no idea of how strong he really is."

Read more here.

Posted by gid at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2007

Please watch this video and give me your opinion.

I found a link to this video clip over on webdsb. It is from the June 5th 2007 debate at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. I doubt anyone was watching the debates back then, so I thought I would share. Also, this is my first time linking to God Tube.

Once you have had the chance to watch the clip I would like your opinion.

I really agree with Dr. Paul on just about every issue, but I am not sure how we best get out of Iraq. I stated in a comment last week that one of my biggest concerns was that we do right by the Iraqi people.

So tell me this, is the best thing for the Iraqi people for us to get out and force them to stand on their own two feet? If not, then what do you propose?

Posted by gid at 02:47 PM | Comments (2)

October 26, 2007

October 18, 2007

I just really like this guy.

Please do comment.

Posted by gid at 07:40 PM | Comments (4)

Ron Paul has an iPhone

Ron-Paul-iPhone.jpg
Ron Paul and the iPhone
Yes I know this post is a bit juvenile, but I mean really he uses an iPhone. How cool is that! I wonder if he is using a media server to stream all his images, music, and videos?

It even looks like he has an iphone version of his website. I will have to check out some other candidates to see if they have an iPhone version as well.
image via flicker

Posted by gid at 01:26 PM | Comments (1)

Ron Paul Leads in Donations from Military Personnel

From January through September of this year the breakdown of donations goes like this:

Ron Paul received $63,440
Barack Obama received $53,968
John McCain received $48,208

via
Posted by gid at 01:06 PM | Comments (1)

October 16, 2007

Ron Paul at the Robert Taft Club

The more I hear this guy the more I am convinced he is the right man for the job and the country. I don't mean to say he is an easy choice, but he is absolutely the right choice. Please block out some time to listen to what he has to say.

Taft Club #1
Taft Club #2
Taft Club #3
Taft Club #4
Taft Club #5
Taft Club #6
Taft Club #7
Posted by gid at 04:45 AM | Comments (4)

October 15, 2007

Ron Paul Revolution

Dr. Paul wins Nevada Conservative Leadership straw poll. Mitt Romney comes in second.

Check out how Ron has placed in all the Republican Straw Polls. Do you see a trend?

Ron-Paul-Revolution.jpg
Ron Paul Revolution
Posted by gid at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2007

More on Ron Paul

I'm going to start throwing out some links to information I have found on Ron Paul. I have about 30+ I could share, but the bases of my argument can be summed up it the two quotes below.

The two quotes below come from the National Review. Here is a link: Dave Kopel on Ron Paul & 2008 on National Review Online

The Republican Revolution of 1994 promised substantial shrinkage of a bloated federal government. The Republicans who were swept into Congress in 1946 had promised the same thing, and they delivered a great deal. The 1994 Republicans delivered much less, were out-maneuvered by President Clinton, and eventually became part of the problem.


I strongly disagree with Paul's approach to the Iraq War. But I'm thrilled that a candidate with such a strong pro-constitution vision is doing so well.


Also, here is a video clip you should watch:
Posted by gid at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)

James Dobson: Please Endorse Ron Paul

I guess it is official. I am voting for Dr. Paul. Please take a minute to sign the petition to get Dr. Dobson to endorse Dr. Paul.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pauldobson/index.html

Also, please take a few minutes and personally call, fax, or write to Dr. Dobson. Here's his contact info:

Focus on the Family Action
8655 Explorer Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1050
(866) 655-4545 (toll free)
(719) 278-4445 (fax)

Dear Dr. Dobson,

Recently you said you would vouch for a third party candidate if Rudy Giuliani got the Republican nomination. I find your moral and ideological purity encouraging, because I have felt that my fellow Christians in the past have let themselves be led around by the GOP to their own detriment, supporting candidates because of their words and never considering their deeds.

Unfortunately, a minority party candidate will only serve as a spoiler. Sending the vast swath of American Christians you influence into the fold of a minority party would split the Republican vote and all but guarantee a victory for the near-certain DNC nominee, Hillary Clinton. I don't want to see my fellow Christians letting Rudy Giuliani scuttle our chances at a pro-life President. I think we can avoid this if we pick a pro-life Republican now who can win easily with our help, and that is Ron Paul. The minority parties already endorse him themselves. It is especially important to note that he has gotten the support of Michael Peroutka of the staunchly pure Christian conservative Constitution Party, as well as the endorsement of Michael Badnarik, the pro-choice Libertarian Party candidate who ran in 2004.

Dr. Ron Paul has a wide appeal among several demographics already, including Christians, libertarians, traditional Republicans, independents and the disenfranchised from both parties. He is an OB/GYN who has delivered thousands of babies and has proven himself (with legislation introduced in Congress and his consistent voting record) to be 100% pro-life.

Ron Paul also has many other traits Christians should find appealing, such as his 50-year marriage to one woman, his military record and his intense commitment to keeping the government out of the Church. He has the enthusiastic, accelerating support, he has a massive conversion rate when people hear about his Constitutional populist stances, and his positions have been morally, ethically, and logically unassailable for decades. He has a purity and a consistency we haven't seen in Washington for a long, long time.

Dr. Dobson, it is an effective "nuclear option" to threaten to go with the minority parties if the GOP doesn't cooperate with us, its biggest base. But those minority parties have already gone with Ron Paul. Why not join them now while we still have a chance at reclaiming the GOP, and ensure a pro-life victory in the Republican primaries? Why wait for the Republicans to abandon us?

Dr. Dobson, you can sway the votes of millions. You can either split the conservative vote later and lose to Hillary, or you can help us oust Giuliani now and win. We have three months until the primaries start and Ron Paul could use your help.

Posted by gid at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2007

Please Help Stop Tiller.

Please take a moment to visit this site and sign the petition, as well as e-mail the Kansas state legislators mentioned on the site. Dr. George Tiller (A.K.A., "Tiller the Killer") has been infamous for many years for performing late-term abortions. He has killed thousands of babies in his practice, in direct violation of state law: it is illegal in Kansas to have an abortion after 21 weeks, except to save the mother's life, or when, "irreversible physical harm" to the mother will result from the pregnancy. He has not observed those requirements, yet the state has refused to charge him for his crimes.

We have a scriptural duty to do all that we can to stop the slaughter of these precious little ones. Here is the link to the petition:

http://www.chargetiller.com/

And here is a site with more info:

http://www.operationrescue.org/

Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back." - Proverbs 24:11

"So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood." - Isaiah 1:15

Thank you.

Posted by gid at 10:22 AM | Comments (1)

April 13, 2007

Imus and the lack of Grace

Where is the grace in this situation? Do we honestly think that Imus made the remarks out of hate? I mean when he called Bob Corker "Bob Cracker" where was the uproar then? I guess the dynamics of the situation are a bit different, but seriously, this whole thing was obviously a joke gone wrong.

Has he not apologized profusely? The apology should have been truly accepted and then we could have moved on. I really think the original two week suspension by CBS was a good idea. But this knee jerk reaction by CBS is completely lacking in grace.

I really think there should be a reverse boycott of the companies below. I am listing some contact info just in case you feel like calling to complain.

Advertisers boycotting the Imus Show:

  • American Express ph (1-800-528-4800) email: Monica.Beaupre@aexp.com
  • Sprint Nextel ph (1-800-SPRINT1) email
  • Staples ph (1-800-3STAPLE) email
  • Procter & Gamble ph(513-983-3939) email
  • General Motors ph(???) Email

And don't forget CBS: Here is CBS Radio's Phone number 212-846-3939

Just for the record I don't even watch the Imus show. Though, five or six years ago there was a period of a month or two where I would occasionally watch his show in the morning. I did admire the work he did with kids. Though, I was never a fan.

Posted by gid at 02:32 PM | Comments (3)

April 06, 2007

one more link

I just wanted to add one last link out here related to the Karl Rove photo. Ron, the mastermind behind the whole prank was interviewed on HotAir.com by Michelle Malkin. I was seriously impressed by Ron in the interview. Not because he named me by name but because he is extremely well spoken. Please take a few minutes to listen if you have not already.

Posted by gid at 08:57 PM | Comments (1)

April 05, 2007

Link to Fox News Story about the Karl Rove Photo

Here is a link to the Fox News Story on the whole Karl Rove Photo thing. They start talking about it when there is about 1:35 seconds left.
Posted by gid at 09:50 PM | Comments (1)

April 04, 2007

Today's Times Free Press cartoon commentary

This is funny. A friend at work just tipped me off to today's political cartoon in the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Enjoy.

Posted by gid at 02:27 PM | Comments (5)

A Bit More About the Karl Rove Photo

Karl-Rove-Original.jpg
Original
Since there has been so much speculation about how much of the Karl Rove image had been photoshopped I thought I should re-post the original, so people can compare the two. It looks like wonkette was the first to really put it all together.
Karl-Rove.jpg
Photoshopped version
Though, there seems to be a lot of speculation that my whole blog was part of the grand scheme, but in reality the only thing on this entire blog which was changed for the practical joke was the one Karl Rove image. I could say more about this but it looks like the guys over at Coptix did a good before and after on the image. Also, check out Irresponsible Journalism for a bit more info. And finally a huge hat tip goes out to Ron Ott who was the photoshop expert on the job. My favorite part of the photo is where he shopped in the Sleestaks on the tv. He did a perfect job keeping the lighting consistent. Well do Ron!

The times free press is doing an article, and I will post a link once I get it.

Update:
Here is the link to the Times Free Press article. It looks like it made the front page of the online and print addition.

Posted by gid at 09:38 AM | Comments (2)

April 02, 2007

Offical Whitehouse Photo

Well, I finally got the Official photo in on Saturday from when Bush came to Chattanooga. Due to my scanner being dirty and my MoveableType thumbnail creator not working right now the image looks a bit grainy. I think the autograph is real. I know sometimes they just use a really good printer, but the autograph itself looks done by hand. I will have to check out Ben's and David's photos to see if they are exactly the same.

Also, I want to thank a Chattanooga photographer named Jon for offering to scan the image for me. Maybe I can even talk him into removing Elvis from the photo. :-) Though really, how often do you have a picture with the President of the United States and Elvis in one shot? Not often I bet.

Posted by gid at 02:05 PM | Comments (11)

March 19, 2007

Let me be the first to say it.

Okay, I will be the first to say it "Ronald Reagan".
Could you take a picture of that wall punching? No seriously, don't punch a wall. I just could not help myself.
Posted by gid at 02:25 PM | Comments (4)

February 28, 2007

Charmaine Yoest

Wow this is my week. First I meet President Bush at Porkers and now I have won a, hopefully autographed, copy of Charmaine Yoest's book Mother in the Middle: Searching for Peace in the Mommy Wars. Charmaine and Jack hit their 300,000 visitor mark last week and decided to give away a copy of Charmaine's book as a prize. They were doubtful they would actually find the 300,000 visitor so they also threw in that if the winning visitor could not be found that they would give the book to the person with the best comment. Well, evidently liked my comment.

The book should be pretty good, and I am sure it will lead to some interesting discussion between Leslie and me.

About Charmain Yost:
Charmaine is currently the Vice President of Communications at the Family Research Council. She has written several books and has been a guest and political analyst on tv shows such as NBC's Today Show, CBS's Evening News and CBS's This Morning; NBC; MSNBC; Hardball with Chris Matthews; Hannity and Colmes; The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; CNN's Crossfire, Headline News, The Jesse Jackson Show; McLaughlin's One on One; Technopolitics with Jim Glassman; C-SPAN's Washington Journal and she was a regular guest on ABC's Politically Incorrect.

Posted by gid at 04:42 PM | Comments (3)

February 22, 2007

I ate lunch with the leader of the free world.

President Bush came to Chattanooga today to promote his new policies aimed at making health care more affordable. Since we (David Blackburn and I) were not invited to hear him speak we decided to head down to see the Presidential motorcade as it went by the Chattanooga Trade and Convention center. The motorcade was really disappointing. It went by in about 8 seconds and I could not really get any pictures. By the time the motorcade made it to where I was standing Ben and Jason had also shown up and we headed over to Porkers BBQ for lunch.

We had been at Porkers about a half hour when our waitress came by and whispered to us that the secret service was there scoping the place out. After hearing that bit of news we started eating as slowly as possible hoping to be able to stick around. Within just a few minutes the Secret Service were walking around, and they began setting up tables. By that point we were done eating and the bill was sitting on our table, so in an effort to stick around Ben and I took one for the team and ordered dessert. We tried to eat as slowly as possible and we tried to make small talk. But by that point everyone left in the restaurant knew he was coming and were just trying to kill time.

After a little more time had passed he and his entourage came in. There was a really great round of applause as he entered, and you could tell everyone there was genuinely excited about seeing him. It seemed to be a nice warm welcome. I was a bit nervous at first about taking picutures, but at some point one of the Secret Service Guys warned the President that they were getting ready to take pictures, he said okay, and before I new what was happening about 10 or so photographers rushed in and began taking pictures. It was at that point I stood up and tried to get a few shots. The lighting was bad so none of them really turned out, but I am posting them anyway.

They eventually sat down to eat and one of the Secret Service members told us to just sit tight and we could meet the President after he finished eating. He really never got a chance to eat much because every time someone would get up and start walking out the door he would jump up to greet them before they left. He was just a really nice guy.

After he was done eating he started to make his rounds. He walked up to our table and shook our hands. All I could think to say was "It is an honor to meet you Mr. President". I think he said something to the three of us at the table but I really can't remember what. At the point he started to walk off I asked if I could get a picture.

He said sure, and pulled Me, David, and Ben in close and Bush took my camera and handed it to his photographer. The photographer took the picture, or thought that he had, and the President gave me a little punch in the stomach and walked off. Remembering what happened when I got a picture with Ford when he visited Chattanooga, I decided to look real quick at the picture, but it had not taken. So I looked at his photographer and told him it had not taken. The photographer got Mr. Bush's attention and he came back and took two quick pictures with the Presidents photographer's camera. The photographer then gave me a card that I have to mail in and they are going to send me a copy of the picture. How cool. I will post it when I get it in. Until then you will have to make due with the lame pictures I took.

After the President walked out Karl Rove started to walked by and I took his picture. Once the picture was taken I stuck out my hand and he shook it and said "Karl Rove". I guess I should have said my name but my reply was "Oh, I know, great to meet you."

At that point there were only about 20 or 30 people left in the restaurant and the President was walking out to get in his limo. We really knew we were fortunate to be sitting just 12 feet from him for more than a half hour, but it was not until I looked out the window and noticed several hundred people standing outside trying to get a peek, until it really hit me. I can't tell you how fortunate we were. What a honor to meet all these people.

Zack-Wamp.jpg
Zack Wamp outside of Porkers

Oh yeah, after the President had pulled away we paid our bill and left Porkers. As we got outside I noticed Zach Wamp standing outside, so I got a quick picture with him as well.

What a really great experience.

I don't know if most people who visit this site know that we have a store where we sell baby carriers like baby slings. A popular baby carrier for summer time is the solarveil sling. They are made to block some of the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Please feel free to follow a link or two to see what we have available in our shop.

Posted by gid at 02:00 AM | Comments (45)

February 09, 2007

ObamaBlog08.com

I own the url Obama Blog 08. I am willing to host and setup a wordpress blog for free if I can regain ownership of the blog once the 08 elections are over. I would also like to keep the content of the blog as well. You are welcome to move a copy of the content to any other blog after the elections, but I would like to have the site back once the elections are over. If you are a serious blogger or political junky and would like to take over this blog for the next 2~ years then let me know.

Note: I think a well written blog is a help to the political process as a whole. In spite of the fact that I am a conservative I would really want someone who is a Obama supporter to take this project.

Update Again: webdsb and I decided to take the project on ourselves. To be honest I tried to make it a pro Obama blog, but I just felt I could not do it right. So we decided to make it a funny blog. To date I think the Obama Smoking post is the funniest.

Posted by gid at 08:53 AM | Comments (3)

November 06, 2006

Quote of the Day

Bush getting to the essence of the Democratic Party.

If it breathes, tax it, and if it stops breathing, find its children and tax them
--President George W. Bush

Posted by gid at 07:33 PM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2006

Corker came by work

Today at work the last of the Tennessee Senate candidates came by. This time it was Corker's turn. Unlike when Ford visited the news media was waiting outside to greet him. I decided to wait until after lunch to get a picture with him. There is nothing really to report besides the picture. Between the Ford and Coker visits I guess now I can say I have met the next Senator from Tennessee.

Thanks Jason for taking the picture.

Posted by gid at 12:40 PM | Comments (1)

August 24, 2006

Harold Ford in the house

The company I work for has invited both Ford and Corker to come say hello. Being the political junky that I am, I ran down to get a picture with Harold Ford Jr. I will have to get a picture with Corker when he comes. I was a bit nervous to meet Ford. I kept thinking he was going to ask me for my vote come election day, and I was not sure what to say. Thankfully he did not ask, and it all went fairly well. He was even nice enough to let me take a second picture after my first on did not take.

harold-ford-jr-senate-pin.jpg

They also gave me a lapel pin, which is going to be added to to the other political memorabilia that I have collecting ever since I went to the Republican National Convention back in 88.

Oh yea, I want to thank Andrew for taking the picture.

Posted by gid at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 26, 2006

more Tennessee politics

Joe Public has a nice write up on the three Tennessee Republicans running for the opening Senate seat. My take on it is that if Corker wins the primary he will lose the election. I am probably totally wrong about this, but I think the large majority of those who will vote for Hilleary and Bryant will not vote for Corker for ideological reasons.

I grew up in the New Orleans area and there was once a gubernatorial election between Edwin Edwards and David Duke. A lot of people voted for Duke because they knew what his sins were. They did not vote for Edwards because they knew he was sneaky and involved in things that were shady if not outright illegal.

I think many die hard Republicans will feel the same way come November if Corker wins the primary. It is not that I think Corker is involved in anything illegal. I just think his party switch from pro-choice lib to shinny republican back in the early nineties is a big issue for most Republicans. Also, I think his TV ads which have been proven by several nonpartisan watchdog groups to be lies about Hilleary and Bryant will solidify the non vote of those who vote for Bryant and Hillary in the primary.

For me I think I would be willing to lose that seat to the dems for a term and place a real conservative in the seat the next time around. The way conservative Senate sets go in this state is if Corker gets in he will be in for a long time, and that is not a chance I or many other true conservatives are willing to take.

Posted by gid at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2006

Hamdems Embarrass Themselves Further

I will be the first to admin that I don't want Corker in office though, for far different reasons then that of the Hamdems. But really, could the hamdems possibly stoop any lower? I've read more posts then I could count on one hand where I was embarrassed for them after reading their blog. I have to say that this one takes the cake. If it had been about Chelsea Clinton they would be in an uproar about how sick Republicans are for bringing someone's kid into the political arena. Instead they in some sick way try to make it something to laugh at.

Posted by gid at 02:43 PM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2006

April 17, 2006

Am I Complicit?

office-politics.gif

I have been thinking a bit lately about how far I need to be removed from a crime before I am complicit. Is this a fair statement?
Abortion kills babies. Starbucks supports a party who believes killing the unborn is okay. I give Starbucks money from time to time so that I can drink their coffee. They give my money to a party who supports the right to kill babies. Am I complicit in the crime?

If so, do I need to apply this logic to oil, banana farms in South America, and the African diamond trade?

Hat Tip: Yoest for the party contribution graph.

Update: I just noticed that the google ad appearing at the bottom of this post is for Starbucks. Does that make me even more complicit? Maybe I should just ask everyone not to buy the Starbucks gift card they are trying to sell. Or, maybe I should just go buy a cup of Starbucks coffee and not think about it anymore. What a quandary!

Posted by gid at 09:45 AM | Comments (5)

Coffee With The Candidates On April 18

If you are interested in meeting any of the candidates for you district, then head over to Miller Plaza at 7:00 in the morning for Coffee With The Candidates

They are giving a free cup of Starbucks coffee for all those who show up.

Posted by gid at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)

March 24, 2006

our two biggest issues\concerns

Leslie and I were discussing politics at the table last night, and we both reaffirmed that our two biggest issues\concerns this election are:
  1. Abortion
  2. Fiscal Responsibility
From the research I've done I like Ed Bryant's stance on both. I like that Citizens Against Government Waste gave him a 92% back in 2000.
Posted by gid at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

I think Ed Bryant is my man

The text below was taken from here Ed Bryant on Abortion
Do everything to help protect the sanctity of life
Ed Bryant reaffirmed his commitment to protect the sanctity of life. "I always have and will continue to do everything that I can to help protect the sanctity of life," stated Bryant. "It is government's main responsibility to protect life and that is why, as a member of the Judiciary Committee in Congress, I worked to ensure that the sanctity of life was protected and that the law would recognize that life begins at conception. The sanctity of life is a fundamental part of our traditional values, and in the US Senate, I will continue to take a stand for the protection of innocent life at all stages."

In Congress, Bryant received a 100% voting record with National Right to Life and was honored to receive Tennessee Right to Life's endorsement for this election. As private citizens, both Congressman and Mrs. Bryant have served on the boards of two crisis pregnancy/women's resource centers and have given both their time and financial support to many organizations that protect the sanctity of life.

Source: Campaign website, www.edbryantforsenate.com, press release Jan 23, 2006

Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad.

Vote to adopt an amendment that would remove language reversing President Bush's restrictions on funding to family planning groups that provide abortion services, counseling or advocacy.
Reference: Amendment sponsored by Hyde, R-IL; Bill HR 1646 ; vote number 2001-115 on May 16, 2001

Voted YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes.

Vote to pass a bill that would make it a federal crime to harm a fetus while committing any of 68 federal offenses or a crime under military law. Abortion doctors and women whose own actions harmed their fetuses would be exempt.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Graham, R-SC; Bill HR 503 ; vote number 2001-89 on Apr 26, 2001

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions.

HR 3660 would ban doctors from performing the abortion procedure called "dilation and extraction" [also known as ?partial-birth? abortion]. The measure would allow the procedure only if the life of the woman is at risk.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Canady, R-FL; Bill HR 3660 ; vote number 2000-104 on Apr 5, 2000

Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion.

The Child Custody Protection Act makes it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL; Bill HR 1218 ; vote number 1999-261 on Jun 30, 1999
Posted by gid at 09:20 AM | Comments (1)

March 23, 2006

Why I've decided not to vote for Bob Corker.

So this is the view I get when looking out of the window here at work. It is Bob Corker's campaign headquarters. To start this out, I have to say that I never really liked Bob Corker as mayor of Chattanooga. I lived in Red Bank at the time of his election, so I never got a chance to vote for or against him. That being the case, I never really took the time to look into his stance on the issues.

But, now that he is running for a Senate seat I have begun the process of looking into him and the other candidates. A few weeks back I dropped by his Campaign headquarters to see if I could get some information on how he stood on the issues. The guys working there were really nice, helpful, and eager to get information in my hands.

By the time I walked out I was feeling pretty good about Corker, and thought that my intuition might have lead me in the wrong direction.

Skip forward a few weeks ...

So, today I got an e-mail from the Ed Bryant campaign entitled "Bob Corker Conservative Fraud Watch". The subject caught my eye and I decided to read the thing. You can skip down and view it below the fold if you want. After reading it I decided I would head over to Corker's site to see what he had to say about his stance on abortion.

Here it is:

Faith & Family
Protecting our Values

As Senator, I will insist that the United States Senate be a place that reflects our common sense, conservative Tennessee values by supporting faith and family. It must be a place where we always remember that we are "one nation under God", where we support the sanctity of marriage , and we strive to bring out the best in each other. As a Senator, I will be a consistent supporter of the pro-life cause, and will be particularly involved in efforts to ban partial birth abortion, require parental consent for minors, and ban federal funding.

Our greatness as a country is not based on our wealth. It is based on our goodness.

If I had not read Ed Bryant's email I would have read Corkers statement on faith and family and would have thought that he was a solid Pro-Life candidate. But, in light of Bryant's e-mail Corker leaves way too much wiggle room in his Clinton-esque statement on faith and family. If you are truly a pro-life republican you should start with Roe vs. Wade and then move into these stop gap issues like partial birth abortion and parental consent.

I sure hope Corker does not win the primary because I'm not sure who I will vote for if he does.

Bob Corker Conservative Fraud Watch

 

 

MEDIA ALERT

 

 

Read the Fine Print on Bob Corker's "Blueprint for Tennessee"

 

... Higher Taxes & Abortion Rights

 

(BRENTWOOD, TN)  Former Don Sundquist Finance Commissioner and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker has invited the news media to scrutinize his claim to have "used conservative principles to achieve positive results" today when he unveils his "Blueprint for Tennesseans" at campaign stops in Athens and Cleveland.

 

Taking Corker up on his challenge to be judged on his record of "using conservative principles," Ed Bryant, former federal prosecutor and four-term member of Congress, suggested he answer the following simple questions based on his well documented record:

 

  • What "conservative principle" led Bob Corker to raise property taxes on Tennessee homeowners?  (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 8/22/01)

 

 

  • What "conservative principle" moved Bob Corker to support abortion rights(Knoxville News-Sentinel, 7/28/94)

 

 

  • What "conservative principle" fueled Bob Corker's refusal to protect Tennesseans from a state income tax?  (Commercial Appeal, 6/15/93)

 

 

  • What "conservative principle" led Bob Corker to believe abortion is "not a government issue"?  (Republican National Coalition for Life Candidate Questionnaire, 7/9/94)

 

 

  • What "conservative principle" caused Bob Corker to team up with Don Sundquist to create a new hotel/motel tax on top of the existing Hamilton County hotel/motel?  (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/27/02)

 

 

  • What "conservative principle" inspired Bob Corker to raise fees on Tennessee's businesses and homeowners by $2.3 million?   (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 9/17/01)
 

 

# # #



Posted by gid at 03:04 PM | Comments (2)

February 24, 2006

January 30, 2006

new perspective

I hardly have the words to describe this guy's blog\online magazine. Moving, is not quite adequate. If you need a new perspective on the war then read his post on Gates of Fire.

Here is an article if you need more.

Posted by gid at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2005

Protest by Hamilton County Democrats in downtown Chattanooga

Well I managed to get Eric, Ben, and Jason to head down to the protest with me this afternoon. We got there at 11:30 or so. The protest was not very big. I guess there were about 25 people there at the most. To be fair they did have protester on both sides of the street, but very few on the side of the street that is not pictured to the right. Though, they did have quite a few people honking their horns as they passed the corner of M. L. King Blvd and Georgia Ave. I guess they were expecting more people to show because they brought a bunch of extra signs with them. As I was taking pictures they were trying to get me to get a sign and to hold it for just 5 minutes.

Well if anyone else was there then feel free to leave a comment. Either way, if you want to be able to read some of the signs then make sure you click the pictures.

Posted by gid at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)

democrats gone wild

I think I am going to head down at lunch to take pictures of the "democrats gone wild". I'm sure one or two of you will already be there.

If you are going to be there, no matter what side you will be on, then let me know.

I'm thinking I will probably get some more pictures like this.

Posted by gid at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2005

those poor babies goldfish

Image from

How can you care more about the eye sight of goldfish than you do about unborn children? I just don't get it.

I tracked down this interesting article on abortion statistics in Italy. Here is a quote that I find really surprising.


There do appear to be some subpopulations in which abortion rates are higher: women with children, those with lower levels of education, and housewives.
 

I wonder if abortion is higher for the same subgroups here in the US. It is hard to believe that mothers and housewives would be those who abort the most.

I know I have said it before but I really hate abortion. I wish there was something I could do about it.

Posted by gid at 07:40 PM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2005

can anyone say bigoted

I sure am glad that Iran has some level headed leadership. You know, not being bigoted and stuff. What happened to all that Iranian reform that was taking place a few years back?

Here is a link for the artical

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's hard-line president called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and said a new wave of Palestinian attacks will destroy the Jewish state, state-run media reported Wednesday.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also denounced attempts to recognize Israel or normalize relations with it.

"There is no doubt that the new wave (of attacks) in Palestine will wipe off this stigma (Israel) from the face of the Islamic world," Ahmadinejad told students Wednesday during a Tehran conference called "The World without Zionism."

"Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury, any (Islamic leader) who recognizes the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world," Ahmadinejad said.

Ahmadinejad also repeated the words of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who called for the destruction of Israel.

"As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map," said Ahmadinejad, who came to power in August.

Ahmadinejad referred to Israel's recent withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a "trick," saying Gaza is part of the Palestinian territories and the withdrawal was meant to make Islamic states acknowledge Israel.

Posted by gid at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2005

A joke for you:

I normally head here every day or so just to get my ire up. It is amazing how everything on this planet ends up being Bush's fault. Well, yesterday I was reading this post, and someone cracked a joke in the comments. As much as it is a Bush bashing joke I busted out laughing. Very clever.

The joke:

Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands. Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Posted by gid at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2005

EU assertiveness

The EU puts its foot down as hard as a pansy can.

You can read the article but basically what they said is:


You better stop Iran or I'll report you. I mean I will submit a motion to a third party that might send a referral to a fourth party who will probably only tell you to please stop because the fifth and sixth party don't want sanctions because it is not good on their economy.

Yea, take that you potential nuclear threat!

Can anyone say effeminate milquetoast?

Posted by gid at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2005

another one from Ben Stein

More from Ben Stein: the more I read the writing of Ben Stein the more I like him.
Click here to read it from its source. Also, here is a link to the last post I did on a Ben Stein piece monday night at morton's
Thanks for the link Jon.
More on Katrina
By Ben Stein
Published 9/12/2005 12:11:44 AM by The American Spectator

Fact: Katrina was a devastating storm. It left terrible damage to innocent people's lives and to property throughout the Gulf South.

Fact: There have been other storms as damaging and some far more damaging. What, then, is different about this storm? Here are a few tentative thoughts.

First, the incompetence of the local and state authorities in Louisiana and especially New Orleans was breathtaking. To issue a mandatory evacuation order without providing means of transport is almost criminally irresponsible. To take citizens to shelters where they would be beaten, robbed, and raped, and to provide no police protection for them was astoundingly incompetent. To allow armed gangs to shoot at rescuers was almost beyond belief.

Second, the response of the federal government is described as slow, and it was slow at first. But can anyone name a natural disaster in which more federal troops, supplies, and money have been dispatched as quickly as they have been done in this disaster? Bush's response has not been unusually bad, but amazingly powerful and swift. In other hurricanes, survivors have been left for weeks on their own. In Katrina's case, the whole affected area has been covered with money and aid and troops to restore order on a scale and with speed never seen before.

Third, the networks and newspapers have been quick to cry racism because so many of the victims were black. This is total nonsense. New Orleans is a mostly black city. Obviously, most of the victims of the storm would be black. No one has been able to point to a single instance in which black victims were mistreated because of their race by whites. In fact, just the opposite has happened. The whole story is of rescues and salvation by people of all races aimed at people of all races. In a gesture never seen before, the whole heart of the nation has taken in poor, bereft black families and sheltered them absolutely without regard to race. This is a mirror of the basic goodness of Americans and the disappearance of racism as an acceptable action basis of American life. It is also a measure of the total absence of racism in the heart of George W. Bush. The media may play this as a story of race versus race, but that is pure incendiary fantasy, and dangerous nonsense.

What is the real story of Katrina is (I suggest) not so much that nature wrought fury on land, water, people, property, and animals, not at all anything about racism, not much about federal government incompetence. The real story is that the mainstream media rioted.

They used the storm and its attendant sorrows to continue their endless attack on George W. Bush. Wildly inflated stories about the number of dead and missing, totally made up old wives' tales of racism, breathless accounts of Bush's neglect that are utterly devoid of truth and of historical context -- this is what the mainstream media gave us. The use of floating corpses, of horror stories of plagues, the sad faces of refugees, the long-faced phony accusations of intentional neglect and racism -- anything is grist for the media's endless attempts to undermine the electorate's choice last November. It is sad, but true that the media will use even the most heart breaking truths -- and then add total inventions -- to try to weaken and then evict from office a man who has done nothing wrong, but has instead turned himself inside out to help the real victims.

In the meantime, George Bush does not lash out, does not attack those who falsely accuse him of the most horrible acts and neglect. Instead, he doggedly goes on helping the least among us. I don't know how he does it, but we are very lucky he does. As for truth, it eventually may be salvaged from the flooded neighborhoods of The Crescent City, but not as long as there is a lie to use to hurt an honest man trying to do the best he can, and hundreds of thousands of brave, tireless men and women who do more than point fingers and tell tales. The Katrina story is a disgrace to the people who are "reporting" it while pouring gasoline on a fire. They and their crusade against George Bush are the real stories, and they are dismal ones.

Posted by gid at 09:36 AM | Comments (6)

August 23, 2005

Robertson vs. Chaves

Pat_Roberson_88_For_President.jpg

On the 700 club on Monday (08/22/05) Ole Pat Robertson said we should assassinate Hugo Chaves.

“We don't need another 200 billon dollar war to get rid of one strong arm Dictator. It is a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and get it over with.??�

I just don't know what to think of ole Pat these days. I have not watched his show in a couple of years but the last time I watched it I remember being uncomfortable with it. Somewhere between the nepotism and his political rants that take place right before they pray leave me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong I do believe my relationship with Christ should affect my politics. But, there is something about Pat's version of the mix that I just don't have a reference point for.

I don't know.....

On that note: I remember my Dad sporting a Pat Robertson for President bumper sticker back in 88.

Posted by gid at 02:04 PM | Comments (9)

August 10, 2005

Parental Rights vs. Public Schools

Here is an extremely disturbing article on how far Ted Kennedy's home state will go to suppress the rights of those parents who feel that public schools should not usurp the their role of teaching personal values to children.

Thanks Eric

If the link to the artical is no longer valid then you can read the artical below.
Parental Rights vs. Public Schools
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
By Wendy McElroy

David Parker (search) of Lexington, Mass., is scheduled to go on trial on Sept. 21 for asking his son's public school to provide parental notification before discussing homosexuality with the 6-year old.
The actual charge is criminal trespassing. But the real issue is whether parents or schools will control the teaching of values to children.
The conflict began on Jan. 17, when Parker's then-5-year-old son brought home a Diversity Bookbag from kindergarten. Included was Robert Skutch's "Who's In a Family?" that depicts families headed by same-sex couples. Parker had wanted to decide for himself the timing and manner in which his son was introduced to the subject of homosexuality.
(The Bookbag is supposed to be a voluntary program but the Parkers knew nothing about it in advance.)
Parker immediately e-mailed the Estabrook school principal, Joni Jay (search). Parker expressed his belief that gay parents did not constitute "a spiritually healthy family"; he did not wish his son to be taught that a gay family is "a morally equal alternative to other family constructs."
Parker acknowledged the equal rights of gays but objected to "the 'out of the closet' and into the kindergarten classroom mentality." In essence, Parker highlighted the difference between tolerance, which acknowledges someone's right to make a choice, and acceptance, which is the personal validation of that choice.
The conflict moved quickly from the Diversity Bookbag (search) to the more general issue of parental notification. The Parkers wanted to know if sexuality was scheduled to be discussed in class so they could remove their son. They also wanted their son removed from any "spontaneous conversations" about sexuality that involved an adult.
By law, Massachusetts requires schools to notify parents when sexuality is scheduled for discussion. Lexington School Committee chairman Thomas B. Griffiths explained, "We don't view telling a child that there is a family out there with two mommies as teaching about homosexuality." In an e-mail, the Estabrook school principal stated, "I have confirmed … that discussion of differing families, including gay-headed families, is not included in the parental notification policy."
At an April 27 meeting at the school, Parker refused to leave without an assurance that he would receive parental notification. Arrested for criminal trespass, he spent the night in jail.
When asked why he insisted on staying, Parker replied, "I wanted to see how far they [school authorities] would go for [my] asking something simple."
The state now wishes to impose probation upon Parker, along with other restrictions — such as banning him from Lexington school properties without prior written permission from the superintendent of schools. This means he is barred from places to vote, as well as school committee and parent-teacher meetings.
Parker is contesting the charge. Why? After his arraignment, he stated, "I'm just trying to be a good dad." During a May 11 appearance on the FOX News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Parker expanded on this statement, saying that he wanted his son "to play on the swing set and make mud pies. I don't want him thinking about same-sex unions in kindergarten."
Parker's attorney, Jeffrey Denner, points to a larger issue — "the role of family and what kind of encroachments government can make into children's and people's lives."
Otherwise stated, schools are usurping the parental role of teaching personal values to children. They are not acting as educators but as guardians, "in loco parentis" (in the place of a parent). Some schools clearly consider this function to be their right, even over parental objections. Thus, Estabrook defends its "right" to teach Parker's son to accept same-sex marriages.
Denner hopes to resolve the conflict before trial but he also intends to file a civil suit in federal court against the town of Lexington, the school system and its officials.
Meanwhile, there seems to be a campaign to discredit Parker. The Lexington School Board has reportedly accused Parker of wanting to be arrested to grab "headlines." If true, it is strange that he wasted months on e-mails, faxes and school meetings before making his move. Parker's actions sound more like those of a father with no options left.
The school also claims that Parker's demands would prevent other children from discussing their families or drawing pictures of them.
But this is far from what's been officially requested. According to Neil Tassel, Parker's co-counsel, "the Parkers' proposal was simple: notify them in advance if there is a planned discussion about same-sex issues, and, if an adult becomes involved in a discussion spontaneously begun by a child, then remove their child from the discussion."
School authorities quite reasonably responded that they could not be held responsible for monitoring spontaneous conversations or remarks made in the class. Moreover, they contend that children with gay parents have a right to talk about their families and have their families represented.
At some point in the dialogue, however, reason broke down; police were called. The attacks on Parker have been so intense that Tassel recently found it necessary to write a defense in the local paper denying that his client is a shill for or member of Article 8, a controversial organization opposed to same-sex marriage.
He pointed to Parker's Ph.D. to deflect criticism of his client as an ignorant book burner. To counter the charge that Parker hates gays, Tassel described him as "an exceptionally kind hearted man" whose best friend was gay.
Perhaps Estabrook authorities are trying to divert attention from the real question: Is Parker simply demanding parental notification or not? I think he is.
David Parker cares so deeply that he is willing to go to jail and endure a lengthy court process for the right to be a parent. In a world where a myriad of social problems can be traced back to parental abuse or indifference, it is incredible that Parker is being treated as a criminal and not as the hero he is.
Wendy McElroy is the editor of ifeminists.com and a research fellow for The Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif. She is the author and editor of many books and articles, including the new book, "Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st Century" (Ivan R. Dee/Independent Institute, 2002). She lives with her husband in Canada.
Posted by gid at 10:15 AM | Comments (4)

July 21, 2005

hope for a steely resolve

My heart sure goes out to our friend across the pond today. Thankfully the bombings were not deadly. Well, at least that is what I am reading.

My first reaction to the bombings was to wonder if it was an inside job. It just makes me wonder if these bombings were like the anthrax mailings we had after our terrorist attacks. I don't guess they ever could prove who was mailing the anthrax but I think they have an idea that it was an inside job.

Unlike Spain's resolve after their terrorist attacks, I sure hope that the steely resolve of Churchill will be found in the British people.

I think it will.

Posted by gid at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

the dangers of appeasement

If you have not read this yet then take a moment and have a read. It is very good. It was written by Matthias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG. In his editorial he is highlighting the dangers of appeasement.

Are his conclusions fair? Maybe so. What do you think?

Here is an excerpt from Europe, Thy Name Is Cowardice:

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany.
I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.

Matthias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany's largest daily newspaper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.

EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE (Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long Before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman, suppressive, murderous governments were glorified As the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe Yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, Motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to Issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U. N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement...

How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we Really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany.

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.

One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time".

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an Especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western Societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the Great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and Will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.

Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as The true great powers, America and China.

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America Because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the Need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a Robber breaking into a neighbor's house

Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice.

Thanks Jon for sending this my way.
Posted by gid at 10:08 AM | Comments (1)

June 21, 2005

now I'm a liberal

I think a Griffin just called me a liberal. I went from being called a fundie to a liberal in just a few months. Imagine that!

I've never been accused of being a liberal before. I'm not sure how I should take it.

Posted by gid at 01:00 AM | Comments (3)

May 17, 2005

he called me a fundie

Talk about little things that can make your day.

I'm the head of "one of those Bush-loving Christian fundie families:"

Posted by gid at 11:16 AM | Comments (1)

February 03, 2005

gay marriage

I had originally written this as a comment on this blog, but my comment was too long.

For me it all boils down to there being unalienable and alienable rights. Our founding fathers saw this distinction also and created a system of government that protected these non transferable rights, those being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I think the founders chose life as the first unalienable right to mention in their Declaration of Independence because it is the core right given to us by God. God initiated the institution of marriage as the spring that life would flow from.

Once moving past their declaration of independence the founders set forth to write a Constitution and a Bill of Rights which were intended to be the ideal system for those unalienable rights to flourish. I don?t think the founders ever envisioned that the institution of marriage, which produced the core unalienable right, would be in danger. They would not have seen a need to protect that institution partly because man invents new ways to commit sin (Romans 1:30). If they had seen that the institution that produced life would have been in danger, I have no doubt that it would have been address. Does anyone know if gay marriage has been attempted by any other culture that proceeded the last 500 years? I would be surprised if they did.

As a Christian, and yes I know not all Christian agree with me on this, I have a requirement to stand for what Christ stands for, marriage being one of those things. Out side of that fact common sense requires that I look ahead to see what the side effect of gay marriage would be. One of those side effects would be polygamy. Both issues have to be addressed at the same time. I know that the gay lobby calls it a red herring to bring in polygamy, but the red herring is theirs. Both issues are involved here and have to be address.

This post was one of my favorite posts because we were able to carry on a great discussion about a hot topic. I am not sure about Texas marriage laws but maybe one day they will have more content.

Posted by gid at 05:23 PM | Comments (15)

January 25, 2005

home school

Since our visit to Germany several years ago I have had a slightly more than passive interest in all things German. I would love to be able to pack up the family and move there for a few years. In my wildest dream I would just head over there to study the language and culture, but being that that is totally an unrealistic dream I always thought I would settle with doing some IT related stuff with a German based company or ministry.

Back to the reason I?m posting. I stumbled upon this post and it really got me thinking. I can hardly imagine that it could be true, but it looks to be. The hubris! Maybe I just don?t understand world cultures the way I should, but it really surprises me that the German people would not stand up and cry foul. Maybe I just don?t realize the freedom we have here in the states. I don?t know.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

I can?t imagine any more fertile soil for learning than in the lap of a loving mother... and father. No one on this planet can be more interested in my child?s education than I we are. No one will know the individual learning styles of our child like we will. No one could give the hands on attention that we can. I know Leslie and I look forward to the freedom of being able to scream "Road Trip" when teaching about the great civil war battles. Or using the bird feeder in the back yard to teach about the wonderful world God has created.

I could continue this rant for quite a while but John David wants to play with his toys. Fun! If you have any thoughts on the article I link to, then feel free to leave a comment. Also, the article has some e-mail addresses if you want to complain.

Posted by gid at 07:29 PM | Comments (5)

November 02, 2004

driving home

kerry_supporters.jpg
kerry supporters

When driving home yesterday I passed the Hamilton County Election Commission on the corner of 4th and Georgia Ave. Not to be overly critical, but who is watching the kid to the right and why does the lady have an effigy of an evil Bush on her shoulders. Does she think that will sway voters her direction?

As always you can click the image to get a larger image.

Posted by gid at 06:35 PM | Comments (3)

October 29, 2004

powerful oratory skills

ben_carden1.JPG
I snapped this image during lunch while Ben was trying to explain to Jason and me why he voted Libertarian this time around. I think I caught him while he was trying to say Badnarik.









Posted by gid at 06:33 PM | Comments (2)

October 14, 2004

journalists

I just dawned on me the other day that the profession of being a journalist does not really exist. There are only pundits and pundits in journalist clothes.

Posted by gid at 12:55 PM | Comments (3)

September 21, 2004

political humor

The slide show on this site is just too funny.

This is one of my favorites:
kerry_minime.jpg
Posted by gid at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2004

he cracks me up

I just love Bush and his bushisms.
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
Posted by gid at 12:40 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2004

missing voters

I really think this blog entry is worth reading. Make sure you read the Wall Street Journal editorial by BY LARRY L. EASTLAND call The Empty Cradle Will Rock.
In the actual popular vote for president in the 2000 general election in Florida, George W. Bush was declared the winner by 537 votes. But if the 260,962 Missing Voters of Florida had been present to vote, Al Gore would have won by 45,366 votes. Missing Voters--through decisions made in the 1970s and early 1980s, encouraged and emboldened by the feminist movement at the height of its power--altered the outcome of the U.S. presidency a generation later, in a way proponents of legal abortion could not have imagined.

I have to say it is distressing that the political makeup of this country is changing due to the loss of 40 million lives. It just makes me sick!
Posted by gid at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)

July 12, 2004

the quiz

political score
Take the Quiz
I have taken this quiz a few times over the last few years, and I keep moving up vertically every time I take it. I think the last time I took the quiz there were a lot more question, which might account for some of the change. I might agree with the libertarians on a lot of issues, but I believe my vote is too important to throw away. Especially this year.
There are two issues that make me vote the way I do. They are the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. It is funny that the way I vote boils down to the 2nd chapter of Genesis. In that chapter God does two things. He breaths his breath of life into man and creates the institution of marriage. For me the most important thing I can do is to work to protect those two base institutions.
If my vote did not count as much as it could this election, I would really consider throwing my vote to a Libertarian.
If you take the quiz and feel like sharing then feel free to post a comment.
Posted by gid at 12:04 PM | Comments (2)

July 08, 2004

why are you entitled to my income

What Anon said:

By Anon E. Mous
On Wednesday, July 07 @01:17PM

Thank you to Mayor Ramsey and the 4 commissioners who voted against this budget. By voting for this budget and against the proposed tax increase, Chairman Adams and his 4 sidekicks have effectively shafted both our children and the County's employees. I'm a single mother and while a tax increase would have meant adjusting my budget, I am all for doing it to give my sons the best education possible. Now not only will I have to worry about whether they'll get a good education, but also whether they will be safe while they are at school with the SROs gone. I for one will certainly be looking forward to the next elections for the Commission. It's time to get rid of the 5 who have set education in Hamilton County back so many years. They certainly don't care about our children or their employees!


My 2 cents:

By David
On Wednesday, July 07 @05:01PM
Web: http://www.thegidcumbs.com/dblog/index.php


I don't think I have ever seen a situation in which throwing money at a problem would fix it, and I am glad we have 5 commissioners who understand that throwing other peoples money (i.e. their constituents) at the problem won't fix it either.

I really don't mean this in a harsh or belittling way but: At what point in your life did you start feeling entitled to other people's money? I mean really. Please stop for a moment and think about it. There is something inside of you that makes you feel entitled to money that I earn. I view you quite differently then you view me. I see you as someone who earns their own money, all of which I am not entitled. I see you as over taxed and weighed down with a financial burden that the government has laid on you. On top of that, you are someone that is getting very little return on your money. I do understand that you feel strongly about your children's education, and that is good. Why do you think that the best way to raise money to support your children's education is through increasing my tax rate! Why not get together with all those who want their taxes increased and send the Hamilton county school board a monthly check equal to the amount that you want your taxes increased? Or better yet, why not get together with parents from your child's school and take a collection to hire a SRO?


You can read a bunch more comments on this topics at: NewsChannel9.com
Posted by gid at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

July 07, 2004

I wish I had a digital camera!

One nice thing about working across from the courthouse is that several times during the year there are protest, picketer, people gathering for prayer, or other things that I find interesting. Today as I was getting to work there was a large (200 people or so) crowd protesting outside of the east entrance to the courthouse. When I saw the crowd I told myself, "David don?t go over there", but ultimately my curious side had me walking the extra block or so to get a better look.

The protesters were protesting the budget cuts that the county commission were making. I guess the majority of the protesters were under the age of 18, and they were holding up signs like "SOS save our schools", "Don't mess with my education" and the like. I did notice three people standing on the northeast corner protesting the protesters, and Dr. Dumas was one of them. I would have loved to be able to post a picture. He was holding up a sign that said something like: "Do you like higher taxes". One of the guys he was standing with had a sign that said "Honk if you don't want a tax increase". Any way, it was great to see Dr. Doom and his signage. If I can track down a picture or if someone else can then I will post it.
Posted by gid at 12:18 PM | Comments (2)

July 04, 2004

Religion or Politics

Thinking about Independence day In one of my other posts I uploaded a letter that I sent to Senator Alexander. I was not sure which category to place it under: religion or politics. I decided to post it using multiple categories, which got me thinking that posting the letter under both categories lacked a certain amount of political correctness. After thinking about it a bit my conclusion was that if the founding fathers could not differentiate their Religion from Politics, then why should I?

Take a look at what the founders said in the Declaration of Independence. They understood that rights did not originate from laws or government, but rights ultimately came from God. In the Declaration of Independence it states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. The founders understood something that most of us don't. They understood that if the ultimate statement of rights came from the government then they would have had absolutely no right to oppose the rule of the king. Instead they clearly understood that rights originated from God and were endowed upon them by Him. They had no problem standing up to the king and claiming what they had already given.
All that said today I am going to post this under the religion and politics categories, and then thank God for them both.
Posted by gid at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2004

sanctity of marriage

A few days ago I wrote Senator Alexander. I have a lot to say about his respones and I hope to get back to this post in the future.
Senator Alexander,

I noticed on your website that you had a great picture of you with the late President Reagan. I had the opportunity to hear President Reagan speak at the 1988 Republican National Convention as well as the opportunity to read and listen to many of his speeches. Reagan never wavered on his commitment to traditional family values, and I am disturbed that you have. By turning down the opportunity to co-sponsor the marriage amendment bill, you have actively failed to represent the constituents that voted you into office. At this critical point in our nation?s history, we do not need politicians that give technical and complicated run-a-round answers instead of a simple yes or no. By refusing to co-sponsor this bill, you have voted NO to the sanctity of marriage, and by doing so, have failed to represent the constituents that voted you into office.

Sincerely,

J. David Gidcumb
And this is his response. I know this was the canned response, that was sent to everyone who wrote him, but I have a lot I would like to say about my opinion of politicians that are reactionary vs. proactive.


June 17, 2004

Mr. J. David Gidcumb
214 Signal View St.
Red Bank, Tennessee 37415


Dear David,

Thank you for getting in touch with me regarding a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.

I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. That is the law today in Tennessee. In addition, the federal Defense of Marriage Act, enacted in 1996, gives Tennessee the right to enforce our definition of marriage even if other states adopt a different view. Since same-sex marriages are already outlawed in Tennessee, I have not yet been persuaded that it is also necessary to amend the Constitution. The Constitution of the United States has served our country well for more than 200 years. I believe it should not be tampered with unless absolutely necessary. If a federal court somehow took away Tennessee's right to enforce our law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, I would certainly then support a constitutional amendment restoring that right.
Thank you very much for writing.
Sincerely,

Lamar
Posted by gid at 03:57 PM | Comments (1)

June 07, 2004

living an eternally significant life

Well on the 3rd I turned 30. I have to say that I am starting to feel old. I really did not think 30 would be a big deal. My wife turned 30 on the 13th of May, so I had a few weeks to think about what it would be like for me to turn 30. I kept thinking that turning 25 would be a much bigger deal then 30. I mean, at 25 you are a quarter century which is half way to 50. My thinking that 25 was a big deal and that 30 would be nothing has just not panned out that way.

I guess I started college about 6 years later then the average person, so all through my college years I hung out with people younger then myself. That being the case I always felt that I was younger then I actually was. Even now, most of the people I would call close friends are 5 years younger than me. All that said, I was thinking this morning about Ronald Reagan?s death and the finality of life. I was thinking about all the great things he achieved and how history would remember him as a great man. I guess some where deep down I always had some illusions of grandeur about how my life would turn out. Not that this is the end of my life, but I do suspect that I will not achieve some of the lofty goals\ideas I had about where I would end up.

After a bit of thought, I think I am okay with that. I realize that my goals were more about me then Him.

I guess this is where I confront that recurring theme in my life of living an eternally significant life.

Posted by gid at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)

living an eternally significant life

Well on the 3rd I turned 30. I have to say that I am starting to feel old. I really did not think 30 would be a big deal. My wife turned 30 on the 13th of May, so I had a few weeks to think about what it would be like for me to turn 30. I kept thinking that turning 25 would be a much bigger deal then 30. I mean, at 25 you are a quarter century which is half way to 50. My thinking that 25 was a big deal and that 30 would be nothing has just not panned out that way.

I guess I started college about 6 years later then the average person, so all through my college years I hung out with people younger then myself. That being the case I always felt that I was younger then I actually was. Even now, most of the people I would call close friends are 5 years younger than me. All that said, I was thinking this morning about Ronald Reagan?s death and the finality of life. I was thinking about all the great things he achieved and how history would remember him as a great man. I guess some where deep down I always had some illusions of grandeur about how my life would turn out. Not that this is the end of my life, but I do suspect that I will not achieve some of the lofty goals\ideas I had about where I would end up.

After a bit of thought, I think I am okay with that. I realize that my goals were more about me then Him.

I guess this is where I confront that recurring theme in my life of living an eternally significant life.

Posted by gid at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)