It has been a while...My Apologies...

For the last 3 weeks or so, I have been sulking, politically, and busy, professionally, thus preventing more of my words of mediocrity from appearing on this blog site. I apologize to my hundreds of readers for my delays in getting back to you, both on here, and through the many emails you have sent.

So, let me recap what has gone on since I last posted.

We are gearing up for a new Clinton administration, a third term for Bill and Hillary's people. Barack even admitted that he was intentionally hiring former Clinton people because he wanted experienced people on his staff. However, with Hillary the most likely Secretary of State, and Bill publicly stating interest in a job in the president-elect's cabinet, America is entering into the 1990's all over again. Higher taxes are on the way! Oh, and in bad news for the economy, this Clinton regime will not have the internet boom fall into its collective lap this time around.

Congress, with their 59 Democrats in the Senate, is spending like there is no tomorrow. Since some of our Republican friends thought that acting like a Democrat and spending more than we have was how to get re-elected, we have no one left to fight for spending control. Except when it comes to the military. They are all for gutting the military...similar to what happened 10 minutes after Bill took office in 1993. Then, for 8 years, our weakened military was unable to fight off terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, two US Embassies in Africa, and the USS Cole. (The same military and defense cuts led to our vulnerability to the 9-11 attacks.)

Everyone from the city of Chicago (fully under the impression of the buddy-boy network now that their puppet is the president-elect), to the state of Cahl-EEE-foh-nee-yah; from the mom and pop candy store to the biggest automakers in the United States; are all asking...or, begging...for a big slice of the open flood of money from Washington. It is downright sad. There is such a panic over the economy, 99% of which is exacerbated by the 24-hour, repetitive news cycle, that everyone is making a run on any money they can get their paws on, no one taking a moment to really think of where this money is coming from, or what the price is going to be in the long run.

The one bright spot of the 2008 elections, well, the one successful bright spot, if you will, was Saxby Chambliss fending off the millions of Obama-aid send to Georgia to reclaim his seat in the Senate, thus preventing the filibuster-prof majority for the Democrats. Saxby will be looked to for leadership and strength, as he is one of the few Republicans to be able to return to Washington in January. Saxby won by double-digit margins, thus preventing a drawn-out, lawsuit-filled holiday season, as there would assuredly be suit after suit after suit should the polls have been withing 5 points. So, Saxby Chambliss is the one hero that Republicans can look to for the next couple of years. He fought the "Obama-mania media" and the Liberals from NYC to LA to win back his seat.

Next, I want to address the pseudo-controversy surrounding Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. His comments about Janet Napolitano, Obama's pick to head Homeland Security. The same media who criticized Sarah Palin for having 5 kids is now attacking Rendell for his comments. He made a comment, that was unknowingly picked up by a nearby live mic, that said that since Napolitano does not have a family, she is a great pick for the job, because she can devote 19-20 hours a day to the job. To me, Rendell was only repeating the logic that many used to attack Sarah Palin. Now they are upset at this logic? In addition, this comment was not sexist, as many are purporting to be. The quote was, "Janet's perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it." The only reference to her gender came in the form of pronouns used instead of her name. There was no reference to her gender other than that. It just goes to show how sensitive and ready to pounce people are today. Everyone is looking for a reason to get mad at someone.

Previously in this piece, I referred to Chambliss as the 'one successful brightspot' in this year's campaign cycle. There can be arguments as to how successful she was, but the fact is she did not get elected. And I do blame her running mate as much as I do the left-wing media that actively campaigned for her opponents. I am talking, of course, about the "breath of fresh air," Governor Sarah Palin. She was the bright spot to outshine all bright spots. She, and she alone, carried John McCain to a lead in September. Then the financial crisis hit, and then the media put the blame solely on the Bush Administration, and that proved to be too much for even the bright-eyed, intelligent, strong Conservative leader Palin.

However, I do believe that Sarah Palin may well repeat her own Modus Operondai come 2012. If you know much about her, you know that before winning the Governorship, Palin did lose a bid to become Lieutenant Governor her first time around. So, perhaps, in 2012, it is time for her to take a step up, much as she did in Alaska. A Palin-Romney ticket sounds great to me. Or, perhaps, Sarah Palin-General David Petraeus ticket? Okay, I am stretching it there, but Petraeus has climbed about as high as anyone can in the military. In four years, he may want to climb to a higher office.

It has been a hard month to swallow. It sickens me how much of a rock star our president-elect is. He is not a leader. He was not elected to be a leader. He is simply installing Clinton Administration 2.0, then going around talking good. However, Saxby Chambliss helped America avoid sheer disaster, and may just be enough for us to limp to the 2010 mid-terms, where I hope people like Sarah Palin are the face of the party, and not these middle of the road phonies who think Republicans need to lean left, instead of the Democrats leaning from the FAR FAR FAR left toward the center.

I am hopeful.

I do want to add that I had a lot of ground to cover in this piece, and I did not want to include the Black Friday tragedies and the India Terrorist Attacks in with this litany of commentary. I will discuss those events in coming blogs. Thank you for your time!

Let Me Get This Straight...

Recently, on my Myspace.com page and my Facebook.com page, I posted a challenge to Obama supporters to answer three simple questions. The three questions asked for one major accomplishment that Obama has acheived, why raising taxes in a struggling economy is a good idea, and about his plan for the Iraq war.

Suprisingly, I did get intelligent, well-written, well-thought-out responses. However, the responses were more full of holes than a truck full of Swiss Cheese.

About the accomplishment portion, Obama has put three bills to committee. None were ever voted on, they just went to committee and died. So, his only accomplishments are: befriending a radical terrorist who launched his political career, then he got elected. Oh, and he has written two memoirs.

Memoirs about what? What did he do in his life worth remembering? Other than talking well enough to get people to vote for him?

This man has accomplished NOTHING, other than being an elected person. Nothing.

Secondly, about the tax plan, the responses offered links to pages that are either Obama's own site, or notoriously Obama-supporting media site (Newsweek, Time, NY Times, NBC, etc.).

Third, the Obama war plan, according to his own site, differs not with the current plan in action. His war plan is almost a copy and paste from the General David Petraeus plan. It is almost a mirror image of the current plan. Read his website! I am not exaggerrating. He is saying what people want to hear on the stump and in the news bits, but on his own website he, by plagerizing the current war plan, fully supports the war operations as they stand now.

Runningmate Joe Biden recently stated to donors and liberal supporters that a new President Obama will be tested. He warned that within the first six months of the new administration a generated crisis will test Obama. He went on to say that, in the view of those liberal supporters, Obama may not be responding to the situation appropriately. He begged that they use their influence and power to support Obama in this 'incorrect' response.

This means three things...Biden knows what I, and millions of conservatives, already know.

1) Obama is NOT READY. The world knows it. Our enemies and would-be enemies know it. The world is waiting to take advantage of it. They are going to make a crisis to take advantage of the weak, inexperienced Obama.

2) Senator McCain, for all his faults, is ready to answer that call and crisis. McCain doesn't need to beg Americans to support him when he makes the decisions to answer any international, or domestic, crisis.

3) Last, and most importantly, liberals, independents, disappointed Republicans thinking of going left or sitting this one out all need to realize this. For all the rhetoric, all the speeches, all the talk, all the promises, all the flip-flops...Obama and Biden know that if this said crisis takes place, Obama will have to do exactly what the Bush Administration would do...exactly what a McCain Administration would do...or else invite more crisees.

Biden, who has admitted that Hillary Clinton would have been a better VP Candidate, has not answered a question from the press since September 10. He still manages to get his foot in his mouth regularly. Biden has just admitted that America's enemies are drooling at the proposition of making their moves when Obama takes office.

Here are just a few of the possibilities that Biden is warning us about...these will take place right around or on January 20, 2009.

Putin is ready to move into Georgia...

Hugo Chavez, a friend of Obama buddy William Ayers, is ready to move into Cuba...

Ahmadinejad will, along with his Syrian allies, go all-out invasion into Iraq to murder our troops and take over...

Taliban and Iranian Forces ally with Chavez and set up shop in Cuba, with sights set on Florida and Guantanimo Bay...

Russia and OPEC will become a totally anti-American organization and cut off our oil supply and try to starve us out with their version of embargos...

Osama bin Laden gets a meet and greet with Obama in the Oval office, only to find that it is an impersonator that sets off 50 pounds of C-4 in the White House...

It is amazing the endless possibilities that an inexperienced President can invite.

So, sure, let's take the chance. He MIGHT be ready...

When in the Course of human events...

How many of you knew, before making the connection with today's date and the nature of my blogging, that these words began the Declaration of Independence?

How many of you know what the Declaration of Independence REALLY means?

On July 4, 1776, a group of men called the Second Continental Congress adopted this document. This document was a dissolving of the political and governmental ties to the state of Great Britain. While it was adopted on July 4, 1776, and essentially gave birth to the United States of America, only John Hancock, the elected President of Congress, signed the declaration on this day. (Thank you to Wikipedia for the information. View the entire Declaration of Independence as well as the history of the document at Wikipedia here .)

July 4, is celebrated as America's birthday. It is the symbolic date in which the world forever changed. It is the date upon which the last semblance of the British Empire was erased due to the unfair taxes and practices of the King of England. Some of the information I read at the above Wikipedia link was old hat, old news that I had heard during my liberally-biased education in elementary and high school history and civics classes.

However, those old facts and the new facts I had not learned all came together, along with something I had heard on the radio the other day. Sean Hannity, as well as several other conservative radio hosts I listen to, play clips of President Ronald Reagan's speeches from time to time, courtesy of the Heritage Foundation.

In this particular instance, the late, great President Reagan is talking about how America's traditions and power are eroding because of a lack of understanding by current generations. America, the America that Reagan still envisioned and loved, the America that the parents of the baby boomers fought and suffered and died for without regret or reservation, is falling further and further into the past. It eroding and fading away.

I have come to a conclusion based on my Wikipedia reading, and the inspirational words of President Reagan. Today, the day we celebrate America's birth, freedom, and independence, we need to sit down during the weekend and revisit our history.

The generations that are running the world today have lost touch with the realities of what made America great. We have lost our identity and pride. American pride is washing away into the oceans of guilt, regret and self-loathing, as brought on by the bleeding hearts on TV.

Why are there liberals who project a feeling of guilt when it comes to our freedoms, prosperity, and success? Why do we have Americans who hold disdain for their own country due to the very freedoms that allow them the right to publicly hold and display that disdain?

We need to revisit the sacrifices of the men, women, and children of the wars in which America has fought. From the French and Indian War to the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812 to the Civil War to the two World Wars to the Cold War to Korea to Vietnam to the two Persian Gulf Wars, Americans take for granted the sacrifices and pride taken in those sacrifices.

Do we really, truly know what it means to be an American? Do you know what John Hancock and the Second Continental Congress was trying to accomplish with the Declaration of Independence? Do you know what the Bill of Rights really means?

More importantly, are you proud to be an American? Are you thankful to God to be living here? If not, perhaps President Reagan was right. Perhaps you desperately need to relearn and comprehend your country's rich history, and redevelop your pride and appreciation for this great land.

As I conclude this July 4th blog, let me add a deep, heartfelt thank you to the following people for their sacrifices, sometimes unintentional and unwilling, that made America the greatest country in the history of man kind. I say that this is the greatest without reservation, shame, embarrassment, or any negativity of any kind. I say it because it is fact. America is the greatest country, EVER.

Thank you for making the blog and country possible:
-Current and past members of the Armed Forces.
-The wives, widows, and orphans of Armed Forces personnel, past and present.
-The victims and the families of those lost in the attacks on 9-11-01
-The victims and families of the attacks on the American Embassies in the 1980's and 1990's
-The men and women in uniform for the nation's police, fire, and rescue units.
-Men and women like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingram, and the countless others who love their country and make no mistake about their American Pride.
-The men and women and children who constantly pray for the safety and return home of our soldiers in harm's way.
-The leaders in the Second Continental Congress who took the bold initiative to Declare our independence from the tyrant British leadership in 1776.
-The tireless and endless support of our allies in Britain, Poland, Australia, Israel, and the many other countries who have been by America's side since 9/11.

Thank you to the groups I mentioned above, and millions of other people who have given me the opportunity to live in the freedom and greatness of America.

Happy Birthday, America! God bless us all!

If I Were Running for President, Part 2 of 5

In this second installment of what I would run on in the 2008 election, let me address the War on Terror.

Many people, even the staunchest supporters of the effort, are starting to emotionally and intellectually fatigue on the war. It is a sad, but true, statement on the attention span of our nation.

In the early to mid 1900's, we fought in two World Wars, two wars-to-end-all-wars. There were days, even moments, where more lives were lost in these wars than the current total casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts combined. I have blogged previously about how there are many similarities in the enemy we are fighting now and the enemies of the two World Wars. Yet, the support and patriotism from the homefront is waining, and its not because of the lack of success of the effort.

The reason we are mentally fatigued on this two-pronged war is the news coverage. I am not talking liberal bias, although that is a factor, but I am referring to the fact that we are in a constant barrage of war coverage. We are a society that lacks true commitment, dedication, and sticktoitiveness. We have a national ADD. We need 500 channels to flip through and can't sit through 2 minutes of commercials. We get tired of a show after a few seasons and stop watching it.

The thing is, we were attacked in 1993 on the World Trade Center, in the mid-1990's on two American Embassies in Africa, and in 2000 on the USS Cole. We were then suckerpunched on 9/11/01. We have been at war for 15 years with Al Queada and Usama Bin Laden...we just didn't start fighting back until 2001.

We gave Al Queada an 8+ year running start to build their network of violence and tyrrany. We are catching up and making progress, but we have to stay on the offensive. We have to stay in Iraq to continue to draw the efforts of Iran, Syria, and Al Queada there as opposed to here. We have to stay in Afghanistan to keep Usama Bin Laden on the run. No longer can we worry about the length of the job, we must worry about getting the job done.

As a candidate, I would plesge my undying support to the men and women of the United States' armed forces, as well as the men and women who make up our allied forces. I would see to it they had the tools necessary to fight the good fight. I would make sure the leaders of the armed forces took the utmost care in preventing civilian casualties. I would also make sure that the successes of our military would be trumpeted as loudly as the casualties.

It sickens me to watch how there is a countdown on some media outlets everytime the death toll reaches some milestone. It made my soul cringe watching Matt Lauer and Katie Couric and Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews gleefully count the death toll to the 1,000 milestone several years ago. There is an umistakeable, twisted joy with anti-war TV personalities whenever the casualties reach the next 1000 or 500 mark.

Yet, they will not tell the good news. You have to talk to the troops coming home or via email to get the good news. That is sad.

As President, I would constantly trumpet the successes of our troops. I would not fail them and would not allow Congress to play with their funding as they did in 2007. I would not allow a deadline to be instituted. I would not allow a US departure from either front until the job was done.

Remembering 9/11 Six Years Later...

Everyone is posting stuff about remembering the victims and the families and everything, but, really, how many of us REALLY remember what 9-11 means?

If you watch the news, or, let's face it, it's really not news but actually nationally broadcast editorials posing as news, you see that they have forgotten what 9-11 means. If you look to many in Congress, they have forgotten what happened six years ago.

On the news, and I use the term loosely, you see constant focus on the loss of life in Iraq and the constant references to "another Vietnam," or "being stuck in a Civil War." The news uses the 9-11 anniversary as a theme to point fingers and create blame for the world's troubles. They exaggerrate the bad and totally down-play the positive. There is always a slant to the news now...the angle is always there to find a way to prove George W. Bush and the repulican congress failed. They say that Bin Laden is still alive. They say that al Qeada is still organizing and is "stronger than ever."

Judging by the tape released several days ago, Bin Laden looks like a beaten man. The whiny bully who has lost his iron-fist control of the neighborhood. His eyes looked tired...like those of a man who has been on the run for SIX YEARS. He is in such a dissheveled state, they had to import some grecian formula to try to make him look respectable...but dying your beard will only cover up the truth...Bin Laden is weak, tired, and has lost his strength physically and as a leader. Not to mention, his planned attack at Rammstein in Germany was foiled just days before his little home video came out.

If al Qeada is so much stronger, its because Iran is sending supplies into Iraq. So, with the power of Iran and Syria, and quite possibly Saudia Arabia and Russia, al Qeada has more resources, but they are not stronger. They are a threat, but more so to our troops and our allies in the field of battle, and less likely to hit us at home again.

And don't give me this bull about "Iraq didn't attack us." The people who we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq are all cut from the same cloth with the same ideas. They want Americans to die. They want to kill you. They want to kill me. They hate every freedom we have. They have an impossible hate for us. They hate America almost as much as democrats do.

Speaking of which, if you think the media does not have an anti-Bush bias, ask yourself this. How many times did your news focus on the fact that absolutely ZERO attacks have occurred on US soil since 9-11? Clinton allowed the 1993 WTC bombing to go unpunished, the attacks on US Embassies in Africa to go without punishment, and then the 2000 USS Cole attack went unanswered. Three attacks in 8 years for Clinton...One in 7 years for Bush (By the way, the attacks on 9-11 were planned during Clinton's lazy years, so, technically, 9-11 was a Clinton mishap, much like the inherited recession Bush dealt with in his first year of office.)

So, please continue to remember the victims...the families of victims...remember that there are still 3,000 empty chairs at the dinner table because the Clinton administration allowed Bin Laden to build strength for 8 years. Just think...what if Clinton had gone after al Qeada in 1993...who might still be alive today...then ask, are we ready for another no-action Clinton administration?

Four Decades of Military Service....Still no Respect from the Democrats???

GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS

General David Petraeus has spent the better part of the last four decades serving our nation. He has drastically impacted the military and the way our wars are fought.

General Petraeus wrote the book, literally, on counter-insurgency in Iraq. He has been in charge of training the Iraqi security forces. He has been in Iraq for nearly 4 years out of the last five.

He nearly died from a bullet to the chest while wearing the US uniform. He is the son of a man who served in the military. He graduated the US Military Academy. He has a Ph.D. from Princeton University. His credentials are impeccable and impressive.

Yet, to believe this man's report and testimony to Congress, we have to "suspend disbelief." Presidential hopeful and leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as most of her party, feel that his report on the progress in Iraq and the surge was inacurate and a White House-influenced political piece of propaganda.

Look at the Democrats' biggest financial backer, MoveOn.Org. They have publicly said they have bought and paid for the Democratic party. They get an uneal discount on a full page ad, which ran the day of General Petraeus' testimony to Congress (thus being printed before the General had given a word of testimony to anyone.) They accused the General of betraying our country by giving his report. His honesty, integrity, and 4 decades of service to our country was smeared by a group of anti-American kooks...kooks who control the thoughts, words, and deeds of all the democratic presidential candidates (Don't believe me??? Name one of the front-runners that has spoken out against the slanderous insult of an ad...just one.)

It is a disgrace and a joke that Petraeus was smeared the way he was by MoveOn.org, made worse by the fact that the New York Times, a paper of record in our country, gave them a discounted rate to smear the General. The worst part is, there are 4 people one the Democratic side who have a legit chance to become Commander in Cheif of the military, and the General's next boss, and they all refuse to decry the ad. They refuse to say that it was uncalled for and wrong. They even try to agree with the ad without using the exact same verbage. Hillary says that to accept what General Petraeus testified to, we have to "suspend our disbelief." Meaning, we have to ignore the fact he is lying to accept it. And she wants to lead our military?

I just believe a man who wears four stars and has served as long as he has deserves a little more respect. I guess this shows their true colors...all this time they tried to say "We're against the war but we support the troops." Well, when a bona fide American hero and true leader gives them bad news for their political ambitions, they appearantly are willing to make exceptions to their support of the troops.

Below is the dispicible ad that MoveOn.Org placed in the New York Times on September 10, 2007.

War! What is it good for?...

Let me tell you a story about sacrifice, terror, honor, pride, and the righting of wrongs.

On a bright, sunny morning, while the world was just barely waking up, terror in the skies came barrelling down on America.

Buildings fell, humans burned and died in the horrible attacks.

We were hit by a small country, part of the Axis of Evil. They struck us fast, hard, and by suprise. We had people who might have seen it coming, but predicting the day time and location of the attacks was nearly impossible.

Immediately after the slaughter of American lives, we went to action. We went after the country that hit us. We bombed the crap out of them and paid them back. Death and war is never pleasant, but this was revenge. They had awaken a dangerous, powerful beast that was lulled to sleep by peace and its own power. We went to work to kick their hind parts into oblivion.

Then, we also went to work on an ally who had similar intentions for us. While they had not directly attacked us, we knew they were coming and we had to stop all of this evil force at once. We were hit hard by their little buddy, and we were sure as we could that we needed to stop everyone who had destruction and violence planned against us and our people.

We beat the two countries into submission. We defeated the evil powers. Then, we went to work rebuilding the same countries. In time, they became as strong, if not stronger, in many areas than the United States.

We are a powerful country who reacted to a swift and painful blow to push evil back and out of power. We restored the people of those countries to power and helped them prevent future dictatorships from returning.

Now, as you read the above, today, the somber anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, were you thinking of World War II...or the current War on Terror? Whenever you want to trash our country for going into Iraq, remember: Germany never attacked us, either.

We are a great country. We have the greatest military. Our troops are excellent. They always have been. They always deserve our support.

Five Years Ago...

Five years ago today, I was sitting at the controls of WWJD Eagle 91.7 FM, Alice Lloyd's college radio station. My friend Aaron Goff and I were hosting a morning show and just having a good time trying to entertain. At a little past 9 am, we get word that the World Trade Centers are on fire.

We start to watch the news. We see plane number 2 hit. We see the split screen where a plane has hit the Pentagon, but at first we thought it was just a different view of what is going on. The whole time we are so confused. What is going on? Then, the tower fell. Then the second. I knew that we were at war.

I was sad. I was confused. I was pissed off. I was running in circles wanting to help. What could I do? Drive to DC or NYC and just pitch in? Here is the greatest tragedy in American history and I am powerless to help.

There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't think about that day and the anger, rage, sadness, and fear I felt. Being a child of the 1980's, the movie Red Dawn kept playing in my head. I knew that if it came to that, I would definitely be a Wolverine. But, I was stuck in Kentucky powerless to do anything. All we could do was pray, talk to each other, and be scared, sad, and mad.

As did most Americans, we did what we could. There was no way I could drive my car 1,000 miles to NYC to help. Most likely, I would be sent home and be kicked out of school. So, I did, and continue to do so, what I can do to make sure that 9-11 isn't just a bump in American history.

Every year I watch a 9-11 Documentary and every year I will help spread the word and spread the reminder of what we lost that day. Sadly, more and more people are tuning out their initial response to 9-11. People are forgetting. They are ignoring. They are letting 9-11-01 drift into historic obscurity.

We cannot forget. There are still empty chairs at dinner. There are holes in family trees. There are broken hearts still healing. There is a gaping hole in the middle of Manhattan that resembles the hole in America. We cannot forget the true meaning of what happened 5 years ago. Remembering is the best way to prevent it from happening again.

People ask for a national day of rememberance, a day of no work and no school. I think that is stupid.

9-11 should be the one day where attendance is 100%. As a nation, we should simply show up. Go to work. Go to school. Do what you normally should be doing. Attendance has to be 100%. The reason 9-11 happened was a bunch of renegade animals who have corrupted a peaceful religion decided to interfere with America and our daily lives. They wanted to scare us into our homes and scare us from going through our normal routine. So, in response to that, we should, as one nation UNDER GOD, show up. And, in one voice, tell those scum that we will not surrender, we will now cower to their cowardly attacks. We are Americans, dammit, and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop us.

Happy Birthday America!!!

Happy Fourth of July!

Every single country and every single person on this Earth has the 4th of July on their calendars, but only those 300+ million of us AMERICANS celebrate this day. Why? Because in 1776, a group of men decided that this country wanted to be free, to be independent. We celebrate the birth of our great nation the day that John Hancock put his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, a letter that proclaimed that tyranny and unfair taxation and unfair governing from 3,000 miles away would no longer be tolerated on the other side of the Atlantic.

Since then, the beauty and grandness of the freedom of America has been tested, detested, and has faced some terrible threats. From the vicious red coats to the battles between our own people to the Axis powers to the terrorists of today, and every threat in between, there has been one force standing between our freedoms and anarchy and chaos. That one, strong, true, diligent force is our Armed Forces.

Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard all stand in the way of fear, invasion, and the tyranny we deposed in 1776. Men and women from all walks of life have taken part in that line of defense for you and me, far too many have given the ultimate sacrifice for us. It is unfortunate that so many lives must be lost to save so many others, but that is the nature of the beast. When you have something so precious as freedom, others want it or want to destroy it. It is our men and women in uniform that fight, get injured, and possibly die to protect that freedom for us.

Today, as you grill and mope about the work you have to do this shortened week, consider this. There are thousands of men and women who do not get today off. They are fighting for a free Afghanistan and Iraq so we can be safer at home. With Bin Laden on the run, Al Zarqawi dead, and Sadam Hussein in jail, our world is much safer. There are men and women suffering and sacrificing for you and me while we eat grilled hotdogs and burn our thumbs on sparklers.

Today, remember those who dont get a short work week. Just because you arent at work, dont think for one second someone else isnt picking up the slack. If you get a chance, thank a soldier. Thank them for serving. Thank them for signing up to be a part of something so selfless as to be willing to die for your freedom.

That is a major part of what today is all about. Its about enjoying our freedom and what makes America great. It is also about remembering why and how we got our freedom in the first place.

God bless the United States. God bless our soldiers.

From D.C. to Baghdad: LET FREEDOM RING!

Free at last, free at last, good God, Almighty, we are free at last!

I am not sure how to translate that into Arabic, but that is the thought and sentiment being shared in Iraq this day. Martin Luther King, Jr., may have meant a different freedom in a different time, but I feel that there are about 20 million Iraqi people who are feeling, if not saying, very similar sentiments today.

Despite the whinings and defeatist ideas from the left, the Iraqis reported to have their fingers dyed and voted cast in the third...yes, count 'em, three!...FREE elections today.

In less than 12 months, Iraq has held its third consecutive successful election. With their fingers dyed purple, the Iraqi people bravely took to the polls, risking life and limb, to vote.(Sadly, some of us won't risk getting wet because it is raining on election day.) However, the people of Iraq are just over 2 years removed from the complete removal of Saddam and his terrorist regime, and they are in the middle of a successful development of a free, democratic republic. Thank you, troops, for making the world safer for not only these Iraqis, but us as well.

Thank you to our troops, the troops of the coalition, the brave leadership from the US White House and the Tony Blair administration.

Merry Christmas to our soldiers fighting overseas who won't be home to celebrate.

This blog typed in a color similar to that of the dye on the fingers of the Iraqi voters today to show my support.

Let freedom ring, Let the white dove sing

Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning!

Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong!

Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay!

It's Independence Day!!