Saturday, September 29, 2007

September 29, 2007

Apologies for the light posting. Getting a wedding together in four months is not for the faint of heart.

Hillary is driving full steam ahead on the Socialism Express. Health care is the first stop, naturally. (Update: over$7,000 in claims for this past July. I paid a tenth of it, thanks to insurance.) Oh, and as a bonus, she's supporting your 25-year-old "kids" too!And you thought John Edwards was bad. Next is expanding your welfare paradigm. Someone please find a scandal that this woman cannot shrug off.

I got into a discussion with a coworker the other day about this case. Could someone please tell me how to get out of the ad hominem argument-ender of "Well, have you ever been on food stamps? No? Well, there you go, then." To me, paying a small amount of money ($10 in Iowa, $13 in Indiana) for a photo ID to exercise your duty as a citizen is marginal compared to the knowledge that my vote is being cast by me and me alone, and that goes for everyone else in the voting booths next to me. I'll even take the more "moderate" route and guess that sometime in the near future, the liberals would be happy to offer reduced rates on photo IDs to the poor and disadvantaged (they already do in Indiana). How is proving who you are when you vote unconstitutional? Only if you're a Democrat, I guess.

You remember Memogate, don't you? Shame on you if you don't, but the guys at Powerline are still facing accusations of being on Karl Rove's payroll. They deal with it with tongues firmly embedded in their cheeks, as always.

Juan Williams is a man I've always respected. Sure, he's a liberal, but he's not a member of the nutroots. He's often a commentator on Brit Hume's roundtable, and the best discussions usually happen when he (or Charles Krauthammer) is contributing. The one thing that amazes me about our "tolerant" friends is how they treat those who don't toe the line, especially those who refuse to be victims when liberals believe they should be (Condolezza Rice, Clarence Thomas, Alberto Gonzales, Michelle Malkin.... the list could go on forever). Juan Williams is sounding the call for blacks to be victims no longer, and taking major heat for it. That pretty much sums up how messed up the "civil rights movement" has gotten. They're targeting Bill O'Reilly for being an accomplice to empowerment as well.

And just for kicks, more Bribeloc baggies endorsements!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

September 8, 2007 links

Been a busy week of wedding planning, but I thought I'd hand out candy... er, links.

Liberals care about our veterans and want to do what's best for them. Yeah, right.

Hillary Clinton had
no idea a top donor was a fugitive and a fraud (this is the latest, look at the sidebar for Michelle's extensive coverage). Here's another story about this man's shady past-or what we can discern of it. Hillary never knows anything, ever, and proudly proclaims this. But history has proven otherwise.

Also, she has strength and convictions as an agent for change-or so her new TV spot says. Ann McFeatters brings the smackdown on that ad.

Osama bin Laden, that benevolent uncle of the Democrats, has come out with a new tape to try and keep the spotlight on himself. Bush makes the best of it, in my mind.

The more I read about Bobby Jindal, the GOP candidate for Louisiana's governor, the more I like him. I've been following him for a few years, and think he's got a good chance a something bigger someday. Not that he wouldn't have his hands full with rebuilding Louisiana. Be sure to read the part about the attack ads the Democrats have put up against him-it's very insightful.

Monday, September 3, 2007

September 3, 2007 links

It's "the ol' Labor Dabor," so I've got free time on my hands. Speaking of which, check out the reasons behind the canceled New York City union parade (turning 125 years old this year): corruption and a desire for protesting instead of parading.

President Bush decided to celebrate by going to Anbar, Iraq. Looks like the troops are pleasantly surprised. He does love randomly popping in, doesn't he?

Speaking of Iraq, I saw this last night but didn't get a chance to read it. This link will help refute all your "realistic" friends who insist the Iraqis hate us and don't want to work with us.

And for all the stories you hear of disgruntled Iraq vets, there's two sides to every coin. The link also has a good point about all that anti-war protesting that never quite gets around to asking the families of the fallen how they feel about the protesters' "die-in."

The usual amnesia sets in as the Clintons are asked about their donors. And the nutroots apparently have amnesia too.

Paul Mirengoff has a good piece on Fred Thompson's campaign.

Yes, I know, Iowa stinks in this regard. I hope the Legislature rights this, as it is their Constitutional duty.

John Edwards is going to save us all... from skipping doctor visits! Trust me, Breck Girl, you don't want to pay for all my visits (ran up over $5,000 this July, and yes, I'm smart and insured). Even better was him stating two weeks ago that he didn't know if it'd be constitutional, but he'd support a national smoking ban in public places. (Sioux City Journal, registration required, but I thought I'd at least give you the chance to check my sources).

Sunday, September 2, 2007

September 2, 2007 links

It's Sunday, so there's treasure everywhere, Hobbes!

First off, the Dodgers beat the Padres, who are on top of the NL West with Arizona. We're four games behind, but don't count us out of the wildcard race!

Matt Bai has apparently written an excellent behind-the-scenes expose at the Democratic party, and it ain't pretty, folks. Nick Gillespie reviews "The Argument" in the New York Times Book Section. I think you may have to register for that one (I've got cookies on, and registered for several newspapers years ago), but trust me when I say that it's worth it, even for a liberal rag.

Jack Kelly points out that GOP scandals get more coverage in the press. We pretty much knew that, but he succinctly proves it-in just one week!

Mark Steyn is always a delight on Sunday, even if the topic is sex, lies, and audiotape. He puts an interesting perspective on the Sen. Larry Craig scandal.

For all the beauty-pageant contestants who "just want world peace," here's an interesting smackdown.

Have to head to bed now, but check out what Dafydd's got at Big Lizards-it's always a good read over there.

Enlightenment

So, we went to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum in West Branch yesterday. I've always thought it sad that Iowa's only President was so misjudged in his four years at the helm of the United States. And it turns out I was more right than I could have known.

Born in 1874 and orphaned at the age of nine, "Bert" (as he was known then) became the quintessential American figure by overcoming adversity through the virtue of pulling himself up by his bootstraps. My fiance (an otaku if I've ever seen one) pointed out that he was the last great engineer of the golden age of engineering. He valued working hard, sound business management and modernization. These principles made him a great humanitarian when he was called upon when the world went to war for the first time. He spearheaded the effort to feed nine million Belgians in WWI. He introduced rationing to the United States, conserving one of the most valuable wartime resources. He helped feed starving people, whatever their politics or nation. He reorganized the Commerce Department. He helped clean up the disaster of the Mississippi floods of 1927. And so he gained in popularity, and was elected 31st President (with a Native American as vice-president) by a loving nation.

This is the part where most Americans cry, "But he let the stock market crash!" Sadly, they would be mistaken to think so, which is why I urge you to visit the museum. There you will see the letters he wrote, even as early as 1925, urging caution in investing in the stock market. You will see the book he wrote in 1922 promoting regulation of the stock market.

I found an interesting tidbit at the museum: the governor of New York, whom Hoover pressured to try and rein in the stock market a few months before the crash, was none other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Yes, the same man who claimed Hoover was personally responsible for the Great Depression and berated Hoover's policies, some of which FDR later adopted. It was later determined that even after Hoover left office, an agent of FDR was opening his outgoing and incoming mail, and his phones line was most likely tapped.
Say what you will about FDR, but he was a brilliant propagandist. Joseph Goebbels had nothing on FDR.

So our lone Iowan left the White House, never to return. The world didn't forget him, however. It desperately needed his humanitarian help after WWII, especially the children of Germany. And he gave it to them willingly, out of the goodness of his heart. He kept up the charity work, helping expand the Boys Clubs in America, and wrote a biography about another misunderstood President, Woodrow Wilson. He died in 1964, having gained the world's respect and admiration once again.

Obviously, we can draw parallels to the current administration. Bush suffers from a few of the same things that plagued Hoover: A major catastrophe happening early in his administration that he couldn't have prevented and has spent the rest of his time in office trying to prevent it from ever happening again. Vindictive sniping from presidential candidates (and those who have had their chance at the office) who can't understand why we are where we are. And a long-term vision for America that doesn't pacify those with short-sightedness.

I've been told once that I'm a "big-picture" person. I shot back that it was only natural, having been lectured by my father for years that I had to look at the big picture in regard to the Yankees ("Yeah, Dad, I see a team that has to frantically buy its way to the top, and they can't even get that right!"). But perhaps that's carried over into other areas, and the Presidents I admire are the ones with "big-picture" mentality. Herbert Hoover fits into that category, in my book.

If you want to get a full picture of what happened in 1928-32, it's well worth the $6 admission (for adults under 65) and the trip to West Branch, IA.

Beginnings

This is my first foray into genuine public life. I live in Iowa, which is currently in its quadrennial hotbed of political speculation. I do not wish to demean Iowa's beautiful rivers and streams, the vast expanses of fields on the beds of former marshes, or the carefully preserved historic sites (if one has any bit of historic sense, one should visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum, as I had the fortune to yesterday and will expound upon). However, I am a political junkie, and as you can see from the blog's description, I come by it rightly.

So, when I come to visit my beloved grandfather, we do not talk about the corn crop, the gorgeous weather (despite the floods, drought, and floods we had this summer-you've got to love Iowa!), his failing back, or the library about to be rebuilt, even though that is foremost on my grandmother's mind. No, we discuss conservatism, and who's going to win the nominations. Rarely do we agree completely on forecasts, but we both cherish our conservative principles.

Contrary to popular belief, conservatives believe in more than "read my lips-no new taxes." And they believe in more than the vague "family values" that most politicians tout when they come strolling into our town halls and family restaurants. And, above all, they do not hate women, though they despise feminazis.

This, to me, is what a conservative is: just that, one who conserves. We're not talking about holding onto tradition for tradition's sake, but rather conserving it for future generations because, unlike progressives/free-thinkers/open-minders/ what-do-I-feel-like-throwing-a-tantrum-over-this-week-liberals, we believe in something. And we readily agree that the Constitution (not a living, breathing, walking, putty-like document) and the Declaration of Independence best espouse our beliefs, as well as traditional Judeo-Christian values (which, I'll have you note, have stood the test of time for thousands of years).

Of course, there are wayward sheep of the GOP variety. Of course, these numbskulls, having told the voters every 2/4/6 years that they are tried-and-true conservatives, are touted by the press as those who have finally come to their senses and embraced the moderate (read: liberal) way.

In that case, I'll never be praised by the MSM. Or my fiance, either, him being of the fence-riding variety, although he just came over and proudly told me he nuked a cow in Civ 3. I'd rather be a "right-wing nutcase" than fawned over McCain-style.

So, here we are. Please do not expect me to gravitate toward the tempting glare of being hallowed and cherished by "mainstream" media (and I give you full permission to slap me if I do). Rather, I enjoy political debate as long as it doesn't descend into howling about one another's personal life.

This will be foremost a "link blog," where I link to really good stuff I've found on the Web. I'll pontificate, sure, but I hope never as long as this one-yikes! Brevity is the soul of wit, and.... I'm witless!