A dirty shame...

This kind of thing gets my blood boiling. If there are any readers from Colorado, it's time to call your senators and congressmen. Our soldiers give their all for this effort. There is no room for treating them like dirt. None.

The World's Strongest Dad...

Get out the hankies for this one...

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the

U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;" Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says.

Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon , in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Massachusetts, always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Who really cares...and other liberal dogma debunked.

Thomas Sowell delves into that question in today's piece on National Review Online:

One of the most pervasive political visions of our time is the vision of liberals as compassionate and conservatives as less caring. It is liberals who advocate "forgiveness" of loans to third-world countries, a "living wage" for the poor and a "safety net" for all.

But these are all government policies — not individual acts of compassion — and the actual empirical consequences of such policies are of remarkably little interest to those who advocate them. Depending on what those consequences are, there may be good reasons to oppose them, so being for or against these policies may tell us nothing about who is compassionate or caring and who is not.

A new book, titled Who Really Cares by Arthur C. Brooks examines the actual behavior of liberals and conservatives when it comes to donating their own time, money, or blood for the benefit of others. It is remarkable that beliefs on this subject should have become conventional, if not set in concrete, for decades before anyone bothered to check these beliefs against facts.

Some interesting factoids that I knew but liberals continue to deny:

People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes.

It is not that conservatives have more money. Liberal families average 6 percent higher incomes than conservative families. You may recall a flap during the 2000 election campaign when the fact came out that Al Gore donated a smaller percentage of his income to charity than the national average. That was perfectly consistent with his liberalism.

So is the fact that most of the states that voted for John Kerry during the 2004 election donated a lower percentage of their incomes to charity than the states that voted for George W. Bush.

Conservatives not only donate more money to charity than liberals do, conservatives volunteer more time as well. More conservatives than liberals also donate blood.

According to Professor Brooks: "If liberals and moderates gave blood at the same rate as conservatives, the blood supply of the United States would jump about 45 percent."

Professor Brooks admits that the facts he uncovered were the opposite of what he expected to find — so much so that he went back and checked these facts again, to make sure there was no mistake.

Sowell has his theories of why this is so:

What is the reason why some people are liberals and others are conservatives, if it is not that liberals are more compassionate?

Fundamental differences in ideology go back to fundamental assumptions about human nature. Based on one set of assumptions, it makes perfect sense to be a liberal. Based on a different set of assumptions, it makes perfect sense to be a conservative.

The two visions are not completely symmetrical, however. For at least two centuries, the vision of the left has included a belief that those with that vision are morally superior, more caring and more compassionate.

While both sides argue that their opponents are mistaken, those on the left have declared their opponents to be not merely in error but morally flawed as well. So the idea that liberals are more caring and compassionate goes with the territory, whether or not it fits the facts.

It is my theory that liberals, being the dependency-driven people that they are, expect the government to tow the line when it comes to charity; thus easing themselves of the burden. Satisfied that "the government will provide," they are content to rely on the producers/taxpayers of this country to do the heavy lifting (as long as it isn't them, as Mark's piece on Warren Buffet, et. al, will attest). Even rich trust-fund liberals like Ted Kennedy, Al Gore and "Jon Carry" are willing to let others lift the load when it comes to assisting those who are less fortunate.

Unquestioning loyalty no longer an option
Mr. Sowell's opening line in the article says it all; not only regarding liberals and their lack of generosity, but of liberal dogma in general:

More frightening than any particular beliefs or policies is an utter lack of any sense of a need to test those beliefs and policies against hard evidence. Mistakes can be corrected by those who pay attention to facts but dogmatism will not be corrected by those who are wedded to a vision.

Although Sowell no doubt has it correct, I would add that liberals heretofore had not felt the need to test the veracity of their dogma; for they had long had the luxury of their fellow travellers in the media unquestioningly parroting their tenets; devoid of truth as they were. So accustomed have the old guard liberals become to this past media complacency, that they make the mistake of continuing to think it exists to this day, and to the same degree.

This is more than reflected in Rangel's insistence that an overrepresented majority of soldiers joined the Armed Services due to lack of opportunity, despite mounds of evidence to the contrary. Why would Rangel make such an assertion in the face of so much contradictory evidence? It is my sincere belief that Rangel and other liberal democrats, for many years assuaged in the comfort of having their dogma unquestioned by an adoring media, continue to operate in that mode; while completely forgetting and/or ignoring the presence of talk radio and the blogosphere.

They will no doubt continue to do so at their own peril.

Komrade Kennedy?

So says Vladimir Bukovsky & Pavel Stroilov in a piece on National Review Online. Read, as they say, the whole thing. Can you say secret meetings with the KGB during the Cold War, in no small part to undermine Ronald Reagan's efforts?

How this murdering phat bastard senator-for-life keeps getting elected is beyond my ability to comprehend.

So... you're a Muslim, and you speak out against terrorism...

What happens? Well, you get thrown out of a mosque, for one...

Click on the pic to see the story:



Hat tip: Villagers with Torches.

An episode of sweet irony, to be sure...

Darwin's law was certainly working its magic here.

This deluded fool decided to make himself a "martyr"... but no one noticed.

Protester immolation virtually unnoticed

By ASHLEY M. HEHER
Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) -- Malachi Ritscher envisioned his death as one full of purpose.

He carefully planned the details, mailed a copy of his apartment key to a friend, created to-do lists for his family. On his Web site, the 52-year-old experimental musician who'd fought with depression even penned his obituary.

At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 - four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics - Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.

Aglow for the crush of morning commuters, his flaming body was supposed to be a call to the nation, a symbol of his rage and discontent with the U.S. war in Iraq.

"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country."

There was only one problem: No one was listening.

Now I can't say for sure, but it's something how this guy would be that upset over "paying for a barbaric war" and to "finance the mass murder of innocent civilians;" and yet he probably wouldn't have thought twice about ponying up to the trough that has funded the murder of innocent, yet-to-be born human beings to the tune of millions. And it would also be a safe bet that this felt had not one iota of shame for the publicly-funded mayhem caused in what should have been the safety of a mother's womb, to the most innocent of all innocent beings.

And to take this another step further, he probably didn't even think to consider the public funding of the "Great Society," the program that for forty years and beyond served to decimate the family structure of inner-city families to a level that would have made even the most hardened KKK member green with envy.

The hypocrisy on the left is a truly amazing thing to behold.

This is something they just didn't need...

Minnesota's Red Lake Reservation has had more than its share of tragedies... now add one more to the list:

RED LAKE, Minn. (AP) -- Dozens of trained searchers took to the woods, lakes and air Friday to continue the search for two young brothers who had gone missing two days earlier from the remote Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota.

Alicia White - the mother of Tristan Anthony White, 4, and Avery Lee Stately, 2 - appealed for anyone who knows or has seen anything to come forward.

"They were just playing outside the last time I seen them, just playing outside," she told reporters.

The boys disappeared from a yard in a heavily wooded area in the town of Red Lake.

FBI Special Agent Paul McCabe said authorities are trying to determine whether the boys wandered off or foul play was involved. "We don't have any information that would lead us either way," he said.

Tristan has a medical condition that requires medication, and he didn't take it Wednesday morning, White said. He "loves water" and had wandered off before, "but we always found him. This is the first time we didn't find him."

Family members said they were preparing for the worst because it's been cold and searchers have found nothing since the boys disappeared Wednesday. Temperatures reached the mid-40s Friday afternoon and were expected to drop below freezing overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Prayers are in order, here.

A kick-ass video!

With all of the reports of the Islamo-savages killing innocent Iraqis and our soldiers, it sure is nice to see them bite the big one. I'll bet it happens a lot more than our media lets on.

Murtha's sojourn to be majority leader may be over...

...but the damage he caused in his quest continues to take its toll:

WASHINGTON - Darryl Sharratt often breaks into tears when trying to start sentences that include the word ``Al-Hadithah.'' A stoic Pennsylvania foreman, he struggles with painful concepts such as betrayal and helplessness. His wife, Theresa, puts her hand on his shoulder and tries to talk through the anguish.

``I love my son. He's my hero,'' Theresa Sharratt says calmly. ``He's not what they're portraying him as. I can't believe that this is happening to us. To him.''

Their son is Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, a 22-year-old Marine who had dreamed his entire life of joining the military. Now the Sharratts are fighting to preserve his reputation, as he is one of a handful of Marines who are being investigated over the slayings of two dozen Iraqi civilians Nov. 19, 2005.

The Sharratts have remained silent until now because they did not know what to say. They have avoided learning details of their son's possible involvement in the shootings while they have struggled to understand what might have happened in a war zone thousands of miles away. They have privately fumed about politicians -- such as Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. -- who have publicly stated that their son was part of a brutal, vengeful slaughter. They are livid that no one in the Marine Corps has stepped forward to defend their son.

``He's very confident he did nothing wrong, and we believe him,'' Theresa Sharratt said in a recent interview in the family home in Canonsburg, Pa. Her husband wiped his eyes and added: ``He felt he was doing his job. And, now, the Marine Corps has betrayed these guys. All of them.''

The incident in Al-Hadithah was not widely known until the past spring, when Time magazine wrote an account of the civilian deaths in a small group of homes in the insurgent hotbed. Early reports alleged that Marines with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, snapped after a member of their unit was killed by a roadside bomb, sending them on a rampage through nearby homes. There also were allegations of a coverup.

Attorneys for the Marines -- including Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, the most senior non-commissioned officer at the scene of the shootings -- have said repeatedly that their clients followed the appropriate rules of engagement and killed the civilians as they were hunting insurgents responsible for the roadside bombing and for a volley of shots from what the Marines believed were AK-47 assault rifles.

``They responded the way they were trained,'' said Jack Zimmerman, an attorney for Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 25, who officials think was one of the Marines who fired shots.

But never let a simple issue like "presumption of innocence" get in the way of a heretofore obscure dinosaur of a politician's ambitions. Murtha proclaimed Sharratt, Wuterich, and other Marines in their outfit guilty of a "crime" before any formal investigation had take place; before any charges were filed (they have yet to be filed); even before he had read any reports on the matter. Murtha's unfounded public pronouncement of guilt led the Haditha Marines to be found guilty in the court of public and world opinion, as well.

Ironic, isn't it, that soldiers fighting to defend a Constitution that, among other things, holds the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, were themselves denied that very presumption by a blowhard ignoramus of a politician who pulled out all the stops in his attempts to court favor with antiwar democrats who otherwise wouldn't have given him the time of day.

And even now, not. One. Word. Of. Apology.

None.

Where are the clowns?

Sorry. The "talent" around these days couldn't hold a candle to the talent back then.

I have been truly blessed to have grown up during what would be the tail end of the days of true, funny, classy humor.

Democrats: Time for a third party?

Despite Michael Goodwin's well-thought out argument to the contrary, many democrats have extrapolated the results of this past midterm election to mean that Americans desire an abrupt end to the war, punctuated by a "phased redeployment" (read: surrender). So confident are they in this assertion that some are willing to form a third party to see their aims to fruition.

John V. Walsh at Counterpunch has the details:

An end to the war is what 60 per cent of the voters wanted in the election of 2006, and the desire for it grows by the day. What are we to do, then? Simple. We can work now on mounting a third party challenge to the Democrats in 2008. The platform of such a challenge would be simple. We are against war and the police state; these are the over-arching issues of the moment and we shall not compromise on them for any reason. The current test of these principles is Iraq. If all troops are out of Iraq by November, 2008, then our issue is gone and we cannot expect to win. If the U.S. remains in Iraq, then we may or may not win ­ but the Democrats will have to confront us; we may defeat them or we may spoil the election for them. But either way, we will be a force to be reckoned with.

How to begin? We must have some nationally known leaders who could start the ball rolling. I can think of Kevin Zeese, Ralph Nader, Ron Paul, Justin Raimondo, Lew Rockwell, Alex Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, Cindy Sheehan, Lila Lipscomb, Patrick Buchanan, perhaps even maverick Democrats like Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters, James Webb, Jack Murtha or Carol Shea-Porter - or maverick Republicans like Chuck Hagel, who, Lieberman-like, might declare their independence even while "caucusing" with one of the war parties. There are endless possibilities.

I've always been a subscriber to the notion that when your opponent is in the process of making a fool of himself, it is best to get out of the way and let it happen.

An important photo from Iraq...that Murtha would never let you see..

Click for full size:

Movie Ideas that never made it, Part I

Arnold Schwarzennegger stars in:

"Conan the Librarian"

Ear Worm Wars Redux...

Andy at Residual Forces has joined the fray with two lame offerings.

Word to Andy: Never bring a knife to a gunfight:



And take tbis for good measure, Adny:



And another stake through the cerebellum:



And now for the kill:



Huzzah!

GOP Convention 2008: Moonbats at the ready already...

The moonbats are dusting off their birkenstocks and their protest signs, and practicing their inane protest slogans, even as I type this screed:

St. Paul already prepping for mass protests at '08 GOP convention

The Associated Press

ST. PAUL —

With nearly two years until the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, anti-war protesters are already planning their march on the convention arena.

The Anti-War Committee, based in Minneapolis, has applied for marching and demonstration permits from the city of St. Paul. Jess Sundin, a member of the committee, said GOP delegates "have 17,000 rooms; I hope we have numbers at least as many."

Even a pool of protesters half that size could present massive logistical and legal challenges to the city of St. Paul. Other cities that have hosted political conventions faced millions of dollars in lawsuit costs from demonstrators alleging free speech violations and excessive force.

"If (demonstrators are) looking for ways to become famous, you pick a place like this," said Bernard Parks, former police chief in Los Angeles, site of the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

BTW--a word to the anti-war kooks: Freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to riot.

Of course, any moonbat who's anyone will be sure to attend the festivities. After all, they and their opportunistic trial lawyer counterparts stand are no doubt salivating at the chance of lining their pockets with the proceeds from frivolous lawsuits:

In 2000, Los Angeles paid more than $4 million in legal settlements to demonstrators, reporters and bystanders who accused police of using excessive force. Authorities had accused protesters of hurling concrete blocks, stop signs and rocks at officers.

Sundin said the Anti-War Committee filed for city permits now to provide plenty of time for legal challenges if they're turned down. It's the first group to file for permits, but many are expected to follow.

The day before the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, 2,000 anti-war demonstrators and 1,000 abortion protesters held separate demonstrations. A month later at the GOP convention in New York, more than 1,800 protesters were arrested in five days.

Isn't it ironic how the "nonviolent" "peace activist" folks find the need to express themselves in violence? But then ingenuousness has never been one of the left's strong suits, has it?

Tommy Thompson in '08?

Wisconsin's former governor is entertaining a run at the GOP slot for President in '08:

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who served as Health and Human Services Secretary in President Bush's first term, said Wednesday he intends to form a committee to explore a possible run for the White House in 2008.

"I intend to do so after the first of the year," the Republican said in reference to establishing an exploratory committee.

Thompson made the comments in Iowa, where he met with about 100 members of a group called Iowans for Wellness and Prevention. The state holds the first votes of the presidential nominating process.

Thompson, who will turn 65 on Sunday, spent nearly four decades in politics and government, including 14 years as governor. He resigned as HHS secretary in December 2004 shortly after Bush won a second term. His tenure at HHS was marked by anthrax attacks, a flu vaccine shortage and passage of the Medicare prescription law.

Having lived in Wisconsin during the Thompson administration, I can say that he was a successful governor that garnered votes from both sides of the political spectrum.

The main reservation with Thompson is that he is by and large a "big government" republican. For my personal druthers, I'm ready for another Reagan conservative.

A soldier's view of last week's elections

From Rusty Humprhies:

Dear Rusty,
I know you probably get a lot of messages asking you to read stuff on your show, but I BEG you to read this...... I would like you to tell America exactly what they did to their soldiers on Tuesday, and what WE think about our countrymen right now.

"I hope you are satisfied with what you have done...

Today in the mess hall, where there is usually jovial conversation, there was silence, long faces, and broken spirits... Everyone, to include all American soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, Iraqi Nationals, Bulgarian Soldiers, etc, etc... was speechless, tired, demoralized and stunned.... all ate in erie silence.....

Last night, while we watched the press conference with the President, there was utter discust, and the common feeling amongst us all that we soldiers are now the loneliest people on Earth.... we fight an enemy over here, and we have a country full of enemies to go home to that are our countrymen. We watched President Bush say his own political funeral, our commander and chief.. as well as ours..... He tried so hard to spin it, but... well.. there is no way to soften such a morale blow.

While you sit and Monday morning quarterback what we work so hard to do for you out here, just know that the spirit of your team is wounded..... YOU liberals, you America have done a great job of demoralizing us... Thank you.

Do us a favor though, when we do come home, spare us the ceremony....... We all now know that it is a bunch of crap, and what you think of us.......

I have to say that right now, I would rather be a pussy ass Frenchman, even though they have no will to fight, at least they have the balls to make a decision and stick with it...... They stuck to thier guns about staying out of this war, even if it was the wrong decision......America on the other hand, goes off half cocked, and when the decision appears to be a hard one, or something that might cost a little bit, they turn tail and run.....

WHAT A NATION OF PUSSIES!!!!

This week I am NOT proud to say that I am an American..........I think it is obvious why... See, we just have told the world that we are not a nation of people who are tough, and will fight for what we believe in... We have told the world that we are a giant coward that will shy away from any difficult challenge...

So, while you eat your cheetos, and sit there and watch your lazy ass get fatter, dumber and happier Joe Citizen.. Just remember this, I, and all my commrades payed a dear price to come this far and have you decide that we should fail...

Realize this, because of your action this week America.... do not expect so many men to be so willing to stand up for your next little whim just to be cut down in the middle of it all............

Realize this also.. you have just put a heavy price on the heads of us all...... Now that we are branded as cowards, we are an easy target, oh so inviting for the taking....... I swore to protect your children in your beds.... yet you fling the door wide open inspite of me to invite the scourge.... Well.... have it your way then.

Because of this, September 11th will soon be overshadowed by these same enemies.. my advice to you is get your lazy, self centered ass up and make peace with your God, and your family.. cause, time will come when they may not be there for you................Because you kicked me in the teeth, and so many others, I know I won't any more.. "

Aaron.

As heard on the Rusty Humphries Show

As a parent of one of these brave soldiers, I have some questions for Murtha, Pelosi, and all you libs out there--was all the defeatist rhetoric worth it? Was it worth throwing our soldiers and their mission under the bus as a cheap shortcut in your quest for political power? Was it worth it, undermining our war effort, and making very real the possibility if not outright certainty of rendering their many sacrifices moot?

I have said all along that liberals have no abiltiy to link, nor to think before they speak. Nor do they have any shame in how their words affect others, or even if their nation loses a war as a result of their win-at-all-costs propaganda machine.

I ask you again. Was it worth it?

The Murtha Kerfuffle--the bloodletting continues...

Trying to hold onto the reins of a majority that was elected in part based on the promise of an ethically pure administration, Nancy Pelosi is dead set on ruling with an iron fist in order to get Jack Murtha, a congressman pegged as one of the 25 most corrupt legislators, the number two seat in the House of Representatives. According to the Hill, such actions by an upcoming Speaker are unprecedented, and are already starting to tear apart the upcoming democrat majority, even before their oaths of office have been taken:

“She will ensure that they [the Murtha camp] wins. This is hardball politics … We are entering an era where when the Speaker instructs you what to do, you do it,” he (Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) said. “Yes, she’s making calls to people. She is contacting people and letting them know that it’s an unequivocal letter.”

Hoyer’s camp was aware of the calls, said one lawmaker supporting the Democratic whip.

“She’s making calls, so don’t be shocked,” the lawmaker said.

Another House Democrat supporting Hoyer was incensed that Pelosi was exerting her influence in the caucus, asserting that it will further divide House Democrats.

“It’s an incredible display of hubris,” the member said, using a phrase Pelosi herself sometimes employs. “It’s incredibly egotistical. We all got us here. We all got us to the promised land and Steny’s not going to the promised land?”

The member said regardless of who ultimately wins the Thursday election, the effect of Pelosi actively getting involved in the race would reverberate for some time.

“Either way, it’s damaging,” the member said. “She will have a tremendous road to hoe to repair the damage she’s done.”

I will have to admit. It is fun seeing democrats eat their own. It will also be quite instructive as to the hypocrisy of Pelosi and the democrat majority should the blatantly corrupt Murtha actually end up as Majority Leader.

-----

See this and other Murtha-related articles at Murtha Must Go!!

Democrat "lies" about Iraq?

Will the cut-n-run democrats, including Jack Murtha, eat their own words? Or do they continue to live in an alternate universe- and pretend that they never uttered them?

The earworm wars.......the stakes have been raised...

I must admit :::::GASP! COUGH WHEEZE... ARRGH!:::: that Foot has me going with his latest offering, Carl Carlton's "Kung Fu Fighting." That song is still :::KUNG FU FIGHTING::: ringing in my ears to this minute as I type this screed, and is ::::KUNG FU FIGHTING--ARRGH!@!:::: working on my cerebral cortext like a crazed boll weevil.

As Foot put it,

Keeping in mind that the effectiveness of a true earworm has less to do with how bad the song is than how annoying and persistent it is (think lobotomy) I offer this classic to torment you for the rest of the month"

This atrocity ::::KUNG FU FIGHTING::::cannot go unchallenged.

I must :::KUNG FU FIGHTING::::ARRGHH!@ DAMMIT!:::::::: counter with something even more evil.



Once again, ::::KUNG FU FIGHTING:::: gasp... wheeeze.... there is more where that came from.

****UPDATE****

The gauntlet has once again been thrown in my direction, with this.

While listening to anything by Barbra Streisand can result in near instant attacks of nausea, and can most assuredly resslut ina lowerin' of IQ poinntts, not too menshun brane damij, to say that such a selection is earworm material is laughable.

This has gone on far enough...

I must therefore retaliate with something so dastardly that the possibility of further retaliation is quashed. It is with this sad intention in mind that I am forced to resort to the "A-Bomb"

That is, the GASP--ABBA BOMB!



Take that. You're P3wned.

And there's more where that came from...

Screw the AP....

In the "no duhh" no-brainer story of the day, in what should be a non-story during a time of war, the AP reports...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration said Monday that Guantanamo Bay prisoners have no right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts and that lawsuits by hundreds of detainees should be dismissed.

In court documents filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit, the Justice Department defended the military's authority to arrest people overseas and detain them indefinitely without access to courts.

It's the first time that argument has been spelled out since President Bush signed a law last month setting up military commissions for the thousands of foreigners being held in U.S. prisons abroad.

Bush hailed the law as a crucial tool in the war on terrorism and said it would allow prosecution of several high-level terror suspects.

Of course, nowhere does the proposed law state that the U.S. has the right to torture prisoners (AND I MEAN TORTURE). Nowhere does the law state that the U.S. has the right to starve them.

Yet if one only had this headline to go by, to what other conclusion can one come?:

Administration: Detainees have no rights

Of course, this headline is blatantly false and deceiving. But never let the truth get in the way of driving your agenda, eh Matt Apuzzo?

On Hatch's loss...

Speculation is running rampant regarding the reasons for Mike Hatch's inability to catch the Governor's chair last Tuesday.

So what does a Minnesota State Attorney General do when faced with a loss for an office he's wanted for most of his adult life? Simple. He throws his running mate under the bus.

Hatch pins loss partly on E85 error

Associated Press

ST. PAUL - Defeated DFL gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch has boiled his loss down to three factors, including his running mate's late-campaign inability to answer a question about a blend of ethanol during a swing through greater Minnesota.

Hatch gives his election analysis in a letter sent to supporters Saturday. The attorney general led much of the campaign, but came up about 20,000 votes short of Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the end.

Yep, Mike Hatch's latest panhandling letter points fingers at everyone but himself.

Of course, Hatch's loss would have nothing to do whatsoever that he's an egotistical, self-centered, domineering creep. Would it?

Naaaaaahhhh.

On selling a soul...

As ChicagoRay stated in this post, and as we have been alluding to time and time again on Murtha Must Go!!, Jack Murtha never does anything without there being a self-serving purpose.

Historically speaking, liberals have always had a seething distrust and hatred for anything having to do with the military, especially the U.S. military; except to the extent that they could utilize them for propaganda purposes; whether it be in the form of broadcasting casualties with a megaphone, or using misguided, like-minded military veterans as politcal cover under which they can continue to spout their anti-American diatribes.

They found such a patsy in the name of John Murtha... a heretofore nondescript congressman from rural Pennsylvania who, before a year ago, would never have been seen with any self-respecting liberal. With his history of pro-life votes, along with his other relatively conservative votes in the House (save for this past year), Jack Murtha was a pariah among the kook fringe power base of the democrat party.

But all that changed on November 17, 2005, when Jack Murtha, tired of being a relative nobody on the national politcal scene, finally decided to make a big splash by throwing his former Marine brethren and the rest of the military under the bus as a means to his end. And let's not forget the sweetheart deal that was arranged by Murtha to line the pockets of Pelosi's nephew, Laurence, to cement the compact:

Murtha's role in the culture of corruption also implicates Pelosi herself. Roll Call reported last year that Murtha "reportedly leaned on U.S. Navy officials to sign a contract to transfer the Hunters Point Shipyard to the city of San Francisco." Pelosi's nephew, Laurence Pelosi, was an executive of the company that owned the rights to the land.

And now wouldn't you know it-- Nancy Pelosi, the liberal's liberal-- (and soon to be House Speaker), is endorsing Jack Murtha over Steny Hoyer to be the next Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Jack Murtha has indeed sold his soul to the devil, and in all likelihood is now getting paid in full.

But, as they say, you can't take it with you; and at the age of 72, Murtha will sooner or later need to account to a Higher Power than PA-12 voters.

Tolerance?

Those who purportedly "preach" against hate are often the least tolerant of others' views.

Take this assclown, for example.

There is no room, in Jim Fuller's mind, for any views other than his own.

Some tolerance there, eh?

Amidst cries of "Allah Akhbar!"

Is it a story about an Al Qaeda outpost? Nope.. just reactions to Keith Ellison's acceptance speech.

Ellison has made no bones about his religion, and has been unabashed in his adherence to same.

Yet, Michele Bachmann was routinely demonized for her adherence to Christianity.

Double standard? You bet.

Fraters has the details.

The War Continues...

War is hell, as can be seen here and here.

Although I have suffered some flesh wounds for the experience, there is nobody. I mean NOBODY who can survive the H-BOMB (Helen Reddy Bomb)--TWO OF THEM:

Take this:



And take this:



And there's more where that came from!

The Ice Palace annual bell-ringing campaign..has begun!

There aren't a lot of charities out there that aren't fronts for people to line their pockets. But the Salvation Army is the exception to the rule. From a post I wrote last year:

Another thing for which I am grateful...
Today I spoke with Sergeant Major Alan Fones of the St. Cloud Salvation Army. We discussed what the Salvation Army does, and how it is funded. It's a remarkable organization (present in the St. Cloud area since 1896) that provides (just in the St. Cloud area) over 100 meals per day, and provides, if my memory serves me correct, 50 beds a night in emergency shelter for persons and families in the St. Cloud area. They also help with heating bills and rental assistance when funds are available.

Major Fones remarked that a high percentage of those individuals with families that they serve are actually gainfully employed, although they either don't earn enough, or they are going through other rough times (i.e., home foreclosure, unexpected medical expenses, etc.,).

Major Fones also stated that 70% of the cost of their programs, amounting to around $1,000,000 per year in capital expenses (only a very small portion of that goes to a paid skeletal staff--the remainder are volunteers), coupled with another million-and-a-half in donated food and clothing by area businesses and citizens, is locally generated, and that fully a third of their operating budget is generated by their volunteer Christmas Kettle bellringers. Another 30% of their funding comes from United Way and government grants.After having visited their facility (they will be getting a new one, soon).

I can say without reservation that these are dedicated, selfless people with a genuine driven mission to help others that may otherwise be marginalized in our society. They are truly a worthy charity.

As I said, The local Salvation Army counts on Kettle contributions for one-third of their operating expenses. This translates into a goal of $300,000 in loose bills and coins, just for the St. Cloud area.So when you pass a Salvation Army Kettle this Christmas Season, please take the time to put in what you can. The stuff that folds is nice, too, and please give early and often. I can assure you that it is for a worthy cause.

And, if you feel so inclined, please click on my "personal kettle" on the upper-left hand corner of this blog. Your donation will go to the national and regional Salvation Army offices. These funds are then dispersed to local chapters in the form of insurance, legal aid, and other overhead expenses, which Major Fones stated are likewise indispensible in their mission.

So, if you will, click on the kettle on the sidebar. As is customary, I have already sweetened the pot with my own kaching.

Trust me when I tell you that The Salvation Army is the "real deal."

MAD is the order of the day...

KAR has gone nuclear.

Of course, Foot had good reason.

But in the spirit of MAD (mutually assured destruction), I am afraid that I must defend the Ice Palace, and thus the rest of the world, so that no one will be foolish enough to try such nonsense again.

Therefore, I will regrettably fire my own salvo in this war to end all wars...



As everyone knows, the doctrine of mutually-assured destruction demands the presence of multiple warheads in order to be effective.

And therefore I submit the mother of all earworms...



May GOD have mercy on my soul.

Let the "Kangaroo Court" begin...

I heard some soundbites on a top-of-the hour newscast today from Harry Reid-- he said (paraphrasing) "The first order of business will be to conduct oversight of the White House."

Note that word: Oversight.

READ: "Fact finding hearings," in which Swimmer Ted Kennedy bloviates with a five minute harangue disguised as a question, just to hear himself bloviate.

ibid with the other democrats on the "fact finding hearings."

Make no mistake--the democrats smell blood, and like the sharks that they are, they will not be satisfied until they can gulp down every last drop.

And they're about to enlist the help of some of their friends in "old Europe" to do it:

Just days after his resignation, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is about to face more repercussions for his involvement in the troubled wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. New legal documents, to be filed next week with Germany's top prosecutor, will seek a criminal investigation and prosecution of Rumsfeld, along with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former CIA director George Tenet and other senior U.S. civilian and military officers, for their alleged roles in abuses committed at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The plaintiffs in the case include 11 Iraqis who were prisoners at Abu Ghraib, as well as Mohammad al-Qahtani, a Saudi held at Guantanamo, whom the U.S. has identified as the so-called "20th hijacker" and a would-be participant in the 9/11 hijackings. As TIME first reported in June 2005, Qahtani underwent a "special interrogation plan," personally approved by Rumsfeld, which the U.S. says produced valuable intelligence. But to obtain it, according to the log of his interrogation and government reports, Qahtani was subjected to forced nudity, sexual humiliation, religious humiliation, prolonged stress positions, sleep deprivation and other controversial interrogation techniques.

[SNIP]

Germany was chosen for the court filing because German law provides "universal jurisdiction" allowing for the prosecution of war crimes and related offenses that take place anywhere in the world. Indeed, a similar, but narrower, legal action was brought in Germany in 2004, which also sought the prosecution of Rumsfeld. The case provoked an angry response from Pentagon, and Rumsfeld himself was reportedly upset. Rumsfeld's spokesman at the time, Lawrence DiRita, called the case a "a big, big problem." U.S. officials made clear the case could adversely impact U.S.-Germany relations, and Rumsfeld indicated he would not attend a major security conference in Munich, where he was scheduled to be the keynote speaker, unless Germany disposed of the case. The day before the conference, a German prosecutor announced he would not pursue the matter, saying there was no indication that U.S. authorities and courts would not deal with allegations in the complaint.

In bringing the new case, however, the plaintiffs argue that circumstances have changed in two important ways. Rumsfeld's resignation, they say, means that the former Defense Secretary will lose the legal immunity usually accorded high government officials. Moreover, the plaintiffs argue that the German prosecutor's reasoning for rejecting the previous case — that U.S. authorities were dealing with the issue — has been proven wrong.

"The utter and complete failure of U.S. authorities to take any action to investigate high-level involvement in the torture program could not be clearer," says Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, a U.S.-based non-profit helping to bring the legal action in Germany.

Of course, what Time Magazine conveniently overlooks is the fact that, aside from being a "U.S. -based nonprofit," CCR is in fact a front for an Amercia-hating Socialist movement that has nothing less than the impeachment of President Bush as one of its main priorities. Additionally, just to edify the readers of Time (who, incidentally will never see this fact reach the light of day), is the fact that one of the co-founders is none other than William Kunstler, who along with Lynne Stewart, defended Omar Abdel-Rahman, the "Blind Sheikh" who masterminded the first World Trade Center bombing of 1993 (lest we forget, Lynne Stewart was recently convicted of aiding and abetting terrorists).

And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Yet all this readily-available information. available to anyone with a computer and a Google search engine, is somehow lost on the resources of Time Magazine, who goes on to report CCR as a mere "non-profit" organization.

The sharks are circling, folks.

GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

Murtha extends the "middle finger of friendship" to his hometown newspaper

Murtha's hometown newspaper endorsed his return to Congress, with this particular caveat:

We are frightened by Murtha’s willingness to align himself with California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Clearly, Murtha is hoping that relationship paves the way for his ascension to a position of higher power in the House. But we don’t believe our region’s values match well with Pelosi’s, and we don’t see much good coming for the 12th district – even if the relationship benefits the congressman.

and...

...In the end, we endorse Murtha for another go-round in Washington.

But we urge him to remain faithful to his fiscally and socially conservative western Pennsylvania roots – even if it costs him in personal gain and national influence.

Was the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat so naive even for a moment to think that the senile, self-serving megalomaniacal windbag Jack Murtha would actually heed their advice?

... Fresh off his victory in Tuesday’s general election, U.S. Rep. John Murtha already has his sights set on another round of voting.

With Democrats winning control of the House, Murtha now is one of two representatives in the running to become majority leader.

He already has been touted as one of the House’s most powerful Demo-crats. (sic)

Whether he wins the vote of his Democratic peers later this month will serve as a test of that assumption.

Murtha trounced Republican challenger Diana Irey, and Murtha told The Associated Press he “absolutely” will battle U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland – the House minority whip – for majority leader.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, minority leader, is poised to become the nation’s first female speaker of the House. If Murtha becomes majority leader, he would rank second among House Democrats behind her.

By virtue of his current position, Hoyer might seem a natural to ascend to majority leader.

But Murtha’s national profile has risen remarkably in the past year, largely due to his persistent criticism of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq.

An aide to Pelosi said her boss has not weighed in yet on the leadership race.

“(Pelosi) has the highest respect for Murtha,” aide Jennifer Crider said. “His stance on Iraq changed the debate on the Iraq war in this country.”

Face it, Democrat-Tribune--lo these 32 years, from ABSCAM to Haditha, Murtha has been in it for Murtha. There's no way that the megalomaniacal bastard would give up a power seat in congress, and yes, Murtha has proven time and time again that he will sell his very soul to achieve his political ambitions. And if you think that Murtha's seditious rhetoric will tone down anytime soon, think again:

The 32-year House veteran said voters had sent a message to President Bush and Republican congressional leaders.

“They don’t want a rubber-stamp Congress,” Murtha said Tuesday night. “They want a Congress that’s going to stand up.”

As for Bush’s future actions in Iraq, Murtha was blunt: “He’s not going to go on with this war.”

You can bet the farm that a Murtha-led congress will cut the funding for our troops and their mission, thus placing them in ever-increasing peril.

It will be Jack Murtha himself, not George Bush, who will turn Iraq into another Vietnam. And the consequences of another Vietnam this time around couldn't be deadlier.

Half fetus, half child?

SCOTUS convened today to hear arguments regarding the Constitutionality of the ban on partial birth abortion. Fr. Frank Pavone, President of Priests for Life, was there, and has this to say:

Half-fetus, half-child
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director

In one of his few remarks during the two hours of arguments in the Supreme Court today about partial-birth abortion, Justice Scalia responded to Justice Stevens' assertion that we should say "fetus" rather than child.. Justice Scalia said, "half-fetus, half-child."

The point was clear. This is not simply about abortion. This is a hijacking of the delivery process for the purpose of killing the child. This is infanticide. I don't know why Justice Scalia was otherwise so quiet, and Justice Alito completely silent during the arguments, but I know one reason I would be. The barbarity of partial-birth abortion is so self-evidently wrong that it is beyond dispute, beyond discussion, that it should not be legal in our country - or anywhere else, for that matter. Silence in this matter speaks volumes.

In the course of the two hours of oral arguments, the Court considered three key reasons why abortion advocates want the Court to strike down the Federal ban on partial-birth abortion: a) the ban lacks a health exception; b) the ban is too broad, that is, by its wording it actually bans most if not all second and third trimester D&E (dismemberment) abortions rather than just partial-birth abortion, and c) the ban is vague, and because the language is not clear and specific enough, doctors won't know if it really applies to them.

Having listened carefully to the oral arguments and having read all the briefs, I don't think the abortion advocates made their case, and I don't think a majority of the Justices think they did either.

One of the most important admissions made in the arguments by the pro-abortion side was that we really have no measurements about what kind of a health need is met by partial-birth abortion. Their key argument, after all, is that the procedure must be allowed for the sake of women's health. They admitted that the Court could ban this procedure if its health advantages were minimal rather than significant, yet they could not establish, by statistical measurement, the assertion that the health advantages of partial-birth abortion are significant.

In regard to safety, one of the key questions from Chief Justice Roberts was that if, as the abortionists claim, partial-birth abortion is safer because it requires fewer insertions of instruments into the woman's body, why would it not then also follow that the safest method is live birth altogether, with the killing of the child outside the womb? The pro-abortion side did not have an answer to that specific question, which proves the point that Congress and the Bush Administration make, namely, that this procedure must be banned so that society has a clear barrier against infanticide.

Isn't it just amazing that in our highest court in this great nation, this debate occurred today about the legality of "dismemberment" and "pulling the arms and legs off" a child. In the end, it's not a matter of which version of killing should be used. It's a matter of stopping the killing altogether.

Remember to support our work at www.priestsforlife.org/donate

Failure for this Court to uphold the ban will be a failure on so many levels, and a tacit approval of the barbarity that is abortion.

The "health of the mother" clause demanded by the Culture of Death leftists holds no water with the case of late-term abortions, as the only difference between the delivering of a late-term live baby or a dead, dismembered baby is literally a matter of inches.

A late term baby can just as easily be delivered live as dead.

Perhaps the biggest catastrophe of yesterday's elections is apparent in the fact that we may need to wait much longer before getting another Scalia or Roberts or Alito on the bench.

And literally millions of innocents may never see the light of day as a result.


GOD save our nation.

Regarding the Minnesota fallout...

Better men than I are blogging about it here, and here.

Hardly a time for celebration...

Yet, it was a race that was hard fought. Many put their utmost into this election today, and it didn't turn out. Although I feel disappointed, especially with regard to the national U.S. House races, It's hasn't been for lack of effort. Despite that, there are some bright spots to report.

I was going to join Jeff Kouba at the UBS Forum, but alas, duty called as the Republicans were short a poll challenger, and so I offered my services.

I got a gig poll-watching in one of St. Cloud's most liberal precincts--that is Ward 1, Precinct 1--the Atwood Center at St. Cloud State University. It was interesting, to say the least, since a vast majority coming through the door engaged in same-day registry.

True to form for a liberal precinct, the evening was not without its political dirty tricks. On one occasion, some Tarryl Clark supporters were electioneering in Atwood, handing out Tarryl Clark stickers. At one point, a person wearing Tarryl Clark stickers all over herself strolled past and hung around a line of people waiting to vote. The law states that there is to be no electioneering (that includes wearing buttons, speaking of candidates, etc.) within 100 feet of a polling place. By law, that would include a 100-foot perimeter around the entire Atwood building, with absolutely no electioneering allowed inside.

Another incident included supporters for Emily's List carrying an Emily's list poster around past the voters, and handing out pizza to those waiting in line. When asked to leave, they countered that Emily's list is merely a non-partisan group--but that didn't fly with the election judge (nor myself as a poll watcher), and they were escorted from the premeses.

BTW, in case you were wondering if Emily's list (a big money machine for pro-abortion candidates) was a "non-partisan" group, think again: (from their website)

Pro-choice Democratic women leaders are our first line of defense in fighting President Bush and his right-wing agenda.

I reported each incident to the Republican party headquarters, who will hopefully take the appropriate action.

And, just in case you were wondering why it takes so long for some precincts to report, consider this:

Knock it off with the write-ins!

After the voting machine spit out the totals, the election judges spent over an hour counting write in votes for such luminaries as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Bill Clinton.

Even though they were frivolous write-ins, those idiot votes still needed to be tabulated, and the taxpayer (that's you and me) was left footing the bill for six election judges for another hour and a half each.

Next time you think about doing a write-in to be cute--Don't.

Blogging from Victory Headquarters...

In Waite Park, Minnesota, where I have just finished upward of 140 phone calls in 2 hours. Altogether, between the Waite Park and Sartell offices, we have made over 8,000 phone contacts, just today.

We are continuing to fight the good fight.

Please do your part by voting tomorrow.

The future belongs to those who show up.

There are very few truer statements than that.

Unfortunately, blogging will be sparse for Election Day, as I will be working my day job by day, and be poll-watching at night. I will still try to make the Polinaut party tomorrow night in Minneapolis, where I'll be blogging here, on Murtha Must Go!!, and Blogs for Bush.

See you in the winners' circle!

Murtha and his seditionist politics--strikes again...

From an op-ed at Yahoo News:

In a post yesterday about the Military Times editorial calling for Rumsfeld's resignation I wrote:

Obviously, what's angering the troops is that a publication purporting to speak on their behalf is actually a subsidiary of Gannett Newspapers (which makes it a sister pub to USA Today, among others) that is in no way affiliated with the professional military and, according to the numerous responses I've gotten, doesn't seem to in any way represent the majority views of U.S. troops. Furthermore, given both of these things, the timing of the editorial just days before the election is viewed by many as clearly inappropriate.

Since the paper isn't associated with the U.S. military and the editorial page seems to in no way represent the views of U.S. troops, I guess it only makes sense that Pennsylvania Democrat Jack Murtha would not only use the editorial as a political tool but also tout it as more important than the news that Saddam is going to hang:

Representative John P. Murtha (news, bio, voting record), the Pennsylvania Democrat who has become the face of his party's opposition to the war in Iraq, said the verdict was the right one but predicted it would not make a difference in this campaign. What would matter more, Mr. Murtha said, were editorials in military papers being published Monday calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld., said the verdict was the right one but predicted it would not make a difference in this campaign. What would matter more, Mr. Murtha said, were editorials in military papers being published Monday calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

"When The Army Times, The Navy Times, The Marine Corps Times, they have all said that we're not supporting the troops, that they're losing confidence with the administration, that's what's important," Mr. Murtha said, campaigning in Croydon, Pa., outside Philadelphia, for Patrick Murphy, a Democrat seeking to unseat Representative Michael G. Fitzpatrick.

Since Jack Murtha often claims to have the pulse of the United States military, one has to assume that he knows the Military Times isn't part of the military and that the editorial doesn't represent the views of the troops. Thus it's hard to escape the fact Murtha is willfully misreprenting the nature and importance of the editorial to play politics before the election.

Just more evidence that all of Murtha's half-cocked, half-baked assertions cannot be coming from his brain, but rather from his "big fat backside. "

While one may (and with great credibility, might I add) posit that whatever may be left of Murtha's brain actually resides in his "great big fat backside," one fact still remains: Congressman Jack Murtha has time and time again proven himself to be incompetent for the office he now holds. His "shoot from the hip and ask questions later" rhetoric not only renders him incompetent; Jack Murtha, via his mindless rhetoric, renders himself downright dangerous to our men and women in uniform.

Murtha Must Go!