Robin-gate

Come Meet Van Irion This Weekend

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     We need your support ...   Please donate what you can today    You can use  PayPal    OR   Send a check to: Committee to Elect Van Irion P.O. Box 5285 Oak Ridge, TN 37831             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

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.

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.

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.

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.

James Madison on Freedom

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

This is such an interesting quote by Jefferson.

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.

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:

Madison on Democracies

The budget should be balanced

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

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.

Thomas Jefferson's take on the Bailout

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.

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.

Six Against Six Million

The Olympic Spirit

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.

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/

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:

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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

Ron Paul is insane

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?

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!

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

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:

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!

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!

Cal Thomas | Ron Paul

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

Here is a quote:

Here is a link to his commentary: here

please wakeup

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

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

latest political quiz

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

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.

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.

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

hat tip four-eight-four

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.

Today is the day! Give what you can.

"Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor"

Ron Paul on Cramer

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

Get your credit card ready!

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

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

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

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 most googled candidate

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...

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.

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. :-)

Ron Paul Float at the Cleveland Parade

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Ron Paul on Face the Nation

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

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

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.

Ron Paul. One Day. $4.3 Million.

What a day!!!!

Go Ron Go!!!! Here is the Associated Press story.

Carpe Diem!

Today is the day, now is the time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Read more here.

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?

Ron Paul in the New York Times

I just really like this guy.

Please do comment.

Ron Paul has an iPhone

Ron Paul and the iPhone

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

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

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.

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

More on Ron Paul

James Dobson: Please Endorse Ron Paul

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/

Thank you.

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.

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.

Link to Fox News Story about the Karl Rove Photo

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.

From the Times Free Press

A Bit More About the Karl Rove Photo

Original

Photoshopped version

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.

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.

Let me be the first to say it.

Charmaine Yoest

Mother in the Middle

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.

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.

President Bush as Porkers BBQ

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.

President Bush Porkers BBQ

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.

President Bush in Chattanooga

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.

Karl Rove in Chattanooga

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 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.

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.

Quote of the Day

Bush getting to the essence of the Democratic Party.

Corker came by work

me and Corker

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.

Harold Ford in the house

me and Ford

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.

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.

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.

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.

We don't need no stinking stoplights!

Is this an example of the utopia which would exist if the libertarians were in charge?

Hat tip Ranting to /dev/null

Am I Complicit?

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!

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.

our two biggest issues\concerns

1. Abortion
2. Fiscal Responsibility

I think Ed Bryant is my man

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.

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

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

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions.

Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion.

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

Bob Corker's campaign headquarters

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:

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.

That's what I'm talking about!

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.

Protest by Hamilton County Democrats in downtown Chattanooga

Chattanooga Democratic Party protest

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.

Chattanooga Democratic Party protest

Chattanooga Democratic Party protest

Chattanooga Democratic Party protest

Chattanooga Democratic Party protest

Jason watching the show

Ben and Eric getting into it

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.

those poor babies goldfish

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?"

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:

Can anyone say effeminate milquetoast?

another one from Ben Stein

Robertson vs. Chaves

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

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.

Hugo Chavez

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.

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

hope for a steely resolve

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.

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:

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.

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:"

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.

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.

driving home

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.

powerful oratory skills

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.

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.

political humor

he cracks me up

missing voters

the quiz

Take the Quiz

why are you entitled to my income

I wish I had a digital camera!

Religion or Politics

sanctity of marriage

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.

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.