Paul Harvey.... Good Day!

Consummate Broadcaster Paul Harvey, dead at 90 years old:

(image courtesy WDJO Radio)

He was a broadcast legend; the early and great pioneer in the Conservative broadcast movement.

Although Mr. Paul Harvey has been working for ABC for 50 years, I became aware of him first as a teenager listening to him during the early 1970s on WGN-AM radio in Chicago. I grew up in the neighborhood of Roosevelt and Harlem in Berwyn, Illinois, just a number of blocks away from his home in Oak Park. His dulcitone voice, his trademark inflection and pregnant pauses immediately drew in the listener and made them a part of his world for 15 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Mr. Harvey was a "broadcaster's broadcaster." Oh, there were broadcasters, who would "announce" the news; and then there was Paul, who didn't merely announce the news; he drew you in to his living room, discussed it with you; not as a reporter, but as a confidant. Harvey commanded attention, respect, and instant credibility. His inimitable style became a personal inspiration to me as a 21-year entering the field of broadcasting in my early years as a commercial writer, producer, and voice-over talent.

Part of my duties as the lowest on the totem pole of a staff of four writers for WAXX/WAYY was to sit at the board of WAYY, tape Paul Harvey at 10:30am on the trusty Magnacord reel-to-reel, and at noon sharp pause the radio's automation system, and air the show. As the Paul Harvey "News and Comments" program would play, it would be my duty to listen for his declaration of "Page Three!" This was the cue to stop the tape and to run the only available local spot commercial, cue the tape past the PSA (public service announcement) and have the remainder of the show ready to run at the end of the 60 second spot. At the end of the program, it was my time to shine on real-live radio, as I would make the following announcment, "You have been listening to Paul Harvey News & Comments on Am-1150, WAYY; brought to you by Arrowhead Lodge; the time is 12:15pm, temperature is 54 degrees!" (My parents, who lived 70 miles away in Auburndale, Wisconsin, would listen every day. It was their way of knowing that their kid was still alright).

At any rate, Paul Harvey was a guiding force in my delivery as a commercial voiceover talent; in not simply "announcing" a product, but rather in bringing a listener in and capturing his or her attention and imaginaton via expression and voice dynamics.

Though Paul Harvey was not a far-right conservative, he was the closest thing to being conservative that could be found for the time on any medium. In the days when the "Fairness" Doctrine was in its heyday, and the espousing of conservative values was nearly unheard of, Harvey's voice was an early guidepost that would eventually guide my thinking toward conservative values. His unshakeable optimism made you feel great about being an American, even during the malaise of the Ford and Carter years. And to this day I can remember the moment and could almost hear him speak word for word of the great things that would come about at the dawn of the Reagan Revolution, as I was making my way on Highway 124 from Chicago to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, for my first radio gig.

I have a collection of old radios; every night I am lulled to sleep by bluetooth headphones as my smart phone is streaming Antioch Radio. No doubt that TV programs and movies are grand; but nothing can beat the theatre of the mind and personalization of experience proffered by the radio medium.

For this reason, and to this day I remain a rabid fan of radio; and I can attribute my devotion to it directly to Mr. Paul Harvey.

Closed-circuit to Mr. Paul Harvey-- Well done, sir! Well done!

In a new era of hope, change and open government...

The democrat-controlled U.S. House has just killed an investigation into lobbyist-lawmaker ties.

The House voted Wednesday to kill a resolution calling for an ethics investigation into potential quid pro quo between lobbyist campaign donations and lawmakers.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., sponsored the proposal that would have forced the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe into ties between the source and timing of campaign contributions by lobbyists and subsequent legislator requests for special projects or earmarks.

While open-ended, Flake's resolution was a direct response to the ongoing federal investigation into the PMA Group, a lobbying company accused of making fraudulent donations to lawmakers using names of people who did not exist.

The firm, which has contributed millions to politicians in the last decade, has close ties to senior Democratic appropriators including Reps. John Murtha D-Pa., and Pete Visclosky,D-Ind. The FBI raided PMA's headquarters in November and is investigating the group's founder and president, Paul Magliochetti, a former Murtha aide.

"Whereas numerous press reports and editorials have alleged several cases of influence peddling between members of Congress and outside interests seeking federal funding the House of Representatives should respond to such claims and demonstrate integrity in its proceedings," the resolution read.

The House decided to set aside the proposal by a mostly party-line 226-182 vote, though 17 Democrats joined Republicans in support of considering the measure.

Which is, coincidentally, pretty close to the margin of democrats in the House who voted against the Spendulus bill.



Promises, promises, promises.

The New Psalm 23?

1The Obammesiah is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

² He maketh me lie down in green pastures,
whilst the rich work and payeth taxes,

³ he restoreth the balance of my welfare debit card.
He guideth me in the paths of the line in the unemployment office,
for his agenda's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the streets and neighborhoods of high crime rates,
I shalt fear no evil,
for thou art with me;
with thy promises of hope and change,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepareth a paid-up mortgage before me
in the presence of my creditors.
You filleth the gas tank in my car;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely hope, change, and high taxes will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will vote for Obama for the White House
forever.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 2-25-09

Spc. Ross A. McGinnis
19 years old from Knox, Pennsylvania
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
December 4, 2006


His mission was to patrol the streets of Adhamiyah in northeast Baghdad and find a place to put a 250-kilowatt generator that would provide electricity for more than 100 homes. But it's a mission he wasn't able to accomplish.

Shortly after Pfc. McGinnis's convoy left the compound, and less than a mile from FOB Apache, an insurgent standing on a nearby rooftop threw a grenade into the sixth, and last, Humvee. "Grenade!" yelled McGinnis, who was manning the vehicle's M2 .50-caliber machine gun. He tried to deflect the grenade but it fell into the Humvee and lodged between the radios.

"McGinnis turned and looked down and realized no one in the truck knew where the grenade was," said Capt. Michael Baka, his company commander. "He knew everyone had their doors combat-locked and they wouldn't be able to get out."

Instead of jumping out of the truck to save his own life, like he had been trained to do, McGinnis threw his back against the radio mount, smothering the explosive with his body. The grenade exploded just as Pfc. McGinnis covered it. The blast filled the vehicle with black smoke and debris and blew the driver's door and right passenger's door wide open and blew the machine gun off its mount. The explosion hit McGinnis on his sides and his lower back, under his vest. He was killed instantly.

The other four soldiers in the Humvee suffered relatively minor injuries.

On the morning of December 4, 2006, before his convoy had left, Cpt. Baka has signed a waver promoting Pfc. McGinnis to Specialist and he was posthumously promoted to E-4.

For his heroic actions on that day, McGinnis was awarded the Silver Star and was nominated for a Medal of Honor which he received on June 2, 2008.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Why is Anyone Surprised?

It appears that the bloom is off of the Obamessiah rose:

At One-Month Mark, Obama's Approval Rating Lower than Jimmy Carter's

Gallup has evaluated first-month job approval for U.S. presidents going back to Richard Nixon. A few points deserve note.

First, Obama’s 63 percent approval level is about the same as the average of all presidents (62 percent) going back to 1968 during their first month in office. Barack Obama’s “disapproval,” at 24 percent, however, is slightly higher than the average of the other presidents (16%).

Second, Obama’s approval among self-identified Democrats and pure independents rose slightly over the last month. Yet his standing with independent-leaning Republicans and conservative Republicans dipped. The president’s numbers crept up 1 to 4 points among Democrats but dropped 14 points in the last month among conservative Republicans.

[SNIP]

Finally, in hindsight, one president’s numbers at the first-month mark jump out--Jimmy Carter’s. The Gallup report notes that his 71% approval rating at the end of his first month was the highest of any president going back to Richard Nixon – and 8 points higher than Barack Obama’s.

Read Gallup’s full report on Obama’s first-month job approval here.

It is said that you can tell a lot about a person by the company he keeps. It therefore comes as no surprise to me, given his associations with Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Bernadin Dohrn, Rev. Wright, et al., that we're stuck with the incompetence and the type of government with which we are now faced. I don't know what people were thinking before the election when they stated that Obama's choice of his circle of friends would not be emblematic of his judgment nor how he would govern as POTUS. I don't know what people were thinking when they thought that a half-term Senator with zero administrative experience was equipped to lead the most powerful nation in the world. I have no clue as to the mindset of people thinking that Obama's cutting his teeth on the teachings of Saul Alinsky didn't mean that he was a radical socialist at heart and mind.

Collective brain fart, perhaps?

I didn't get it then, and I guess I don't get it now.

As I have stated before, with his doomsday economic rhetoric, his big government solutions and his eschewing free market solutions, Barack Obama has more than earned the title of, "The New Malaise President."

A Response to the Pennsylvania GOP...

Although I don't live in Pennsylvania, I somehow got on the PA-GOP email list, and was sent a fundraising letter for a supposedly up and coming PA GOP star who wants money.

Well and good, but the PA-GOP has an absolute treasure trove from which to rally around the troops if it so chose, but instead, it chooses to sit on it.

Below was my rant response:

Dear PA-"GOP."

Right now you have a United States Congressman; a Democrat, at that, who is embroiled in the middle in a huge scandal with a pay-for-play, quid-pro-quo lobbying firm that is finally closing its doors because they know that the gig is up.

Perhaps you've heard of this congressman. Yeah, from PA-12... ever hear of him?!?

You know.. John "Jihad Jack" Murtha.

Oh, you have? Perhaps in passing?

Well, PA-"GOP" leaders-- I have a question for you regarding Jack "Jabba The Hut" Murtha, who just happens to reside in your own backyard. And that question is:

What is your MAJOR MALFUNCTION, PA-GOP?!?!

Why aren't you shouting from the rooftops from one end of the gerrymandered confines of PA-12 to the other the incontrovertible FACT that JACK MURTHA IS
A LYING, TRAITOROUS CROOK?!?!

Or are you, too, as deep in his slime-filled pocket as are a lot of defense contractors, lobbying firms, front-end laundering operations and dirty congressmen?

Why did you NOT LIFT A FINGER to help when William Russell ran against Murtha??!?

Why did your local... ah-hem... Johnstown-area "REPUBLICAN" leadership try to get Russell, an honored military veteran, thrown off the ticket???

As you may or may not know, I and a number of very talented, passionate folks have run a blog called "Murtha Must Go!!" and we have since 19 May, 2006 chronicled Murtha's misdeeds, from Abscam to Haditha and beyond.

Congressman John P. Murtha made it personal for me when he went and unjustly pronounced guilt against the Marines in the Haditha incident. On national TV. He did this when my own son was in theatre and in harm's way.

As you can imagine, this didn't sit too well for me.

So, from a livingroom in friggen St. CLOUD, Minnesota, I and my compadres (living in places like North Dakota, Texas, Chicago, and yes, one or two in Pennsylvania) have done more to expose this creep in the past two and three-quarter years than you and your ENTIRE STATE PARTY have done for the past 34 years that the gasbag has been in office!!

Murtha deserves to be spending the remainder of his days in an 8 x 10 cell in Leavenworth, not roaming the hallowed halls of congress!

What's it going to take to get the local and state PA-"GOP" leadership to finally get off of their, as Murtha would say, "Big fat backsides" and get this clown out of office, once and for all, if not behind bars??!?

As I've stated before, I (and I'm sure I can speak for my co-contributors) are more than willing to do the heavy lifting that's requried to expose this creep.

But it's high time you as a state party start putting cronyism aside and concentrate on principles, for a change. You call yourself "Republicans"--well then start acting like REPUBLICANS, already, instead of a group of obsequious toadies that kowtow to corruption!

Exasperated and Flummoxed,

Leo J. Pusateri, Jr., founder and editor

Murtha Must Go!!

Breaking News...

This is the stuff of Tom Clancy novels, but the sad part about it, it is also the stuff of real life.

For some time, now, I have been keeping in personal contact with an associate of a man whom he believes was assassinated in Iraq. By his request, I've been keeping the story under wraps for quite some time now, but that time is finally over.

THE death of an American arms dealer in Iraq has led to one of the most intricate and far-reaching inquiries into corruption among US military officers in Iraq. Some suspect that he was killed because he was a whistleblower who knew too much.

When Dale Stoffel, 43, was gunned down on his way into Baghdad at the height of the insurgency in Iraq, his murder appeared all too predictable. He was an adventurer who seemed to have met his end at the hands of jihadists while engaged in one of the riskiest businesses on the planet.

However, it has emerged that Stoffel had complained to US authorities about a multi-million-dollar contracting office where two senior American officers had worked. The two officers are now under investigation.

Stoffel’s death in 2004, along with that of Joseph Wemple, 49, his friend and colleague, had all the hallmarks of an assassination. His black BMW was found with the bonnet smashed and windscreen shattered in a grim part of the Iraqi capital near the banks of the Tigris.

David Stoffel, his younger brother, who worked with him at his company Wye Oak Technology, said: “Joe [Wemple] was shot once through the eye at long distance while driving at 90mph. My brother was shot six times, in the front, the back, the shoulders and the head.”

Shortly afterwards, a rambling tape from an unknown jihadist group called him a “CIA shadow director” and “close friend of George Bush”.

“It was exactly like you see in the movies, with the guy in the black and white headscarf,” David Stoffel said. “I think it was a setup.” Since his brother’s murder he has received several death threats, warning him to stay away from Iraq.

Dale Stoffel had the swagger of a soldier of fortune. “This is what I was born for,” he used to say. He knew how to lay his hands on weapons from former Soviet bloc countries and saw the opportunity for rich spoils in Iraq. He had reckoned without the huge scale of corruption, not just among Iraqis but at the heart of the US military, which was securing a $125 billion reconstruction effort.

“We didn’t mind not winning contracts – it was not having the possibility of winning contracts that was the problem,” said David Stoffel. “These people were taking bribes just to put names on the bidders’ list.”

Dale Stoffel’s whistleblowing and line of work earned him many enemies in Iraq, including prominent Iraqis and Middle Eastern contractors with whom he had done business. There is no suggestion that the two US officers were involved in his killing.

Stoffel had passed on hair-raising stories to Stuart Bowen, the special inspector-general for Iraq reconstruction, about pizza boxes stuffed with tens of thousands of US banknotes being delivered to American contracting offices in the guise of takeaway food.

There were dead drops for cash in paper sacks all over the green zone, from which the Americans ruled Iraq, and Stoffel claimed he had been swindled out of $25m owed to Wye Oak for refitting Saddam Hussein’s tanks and armoured vehicles so they could be used by the new Iraqi army.

Stoffel made sure his complaints were heard at the highest level. Before his death he sent an e-mail to a senior assistant of General David Petraeus, the US commander, pleading for tighter controls. “If we proceed down the road we are currently on, there will be serious legal issues that will land us all in jail,” he warned.

Read the entire story. And a watered down version of the story at the New York Times.

Suffice it to say that this is merely the beginning of a scandal that will not only touch high ranking officers in the military, but elected officials in high office, as well.

This story, as they say, is developing.

Stay tuned

***UPDATE***

This just in from my source:

A new letter was written to the Senate Democratic
Policy Committee...and just yesterday they removed
access on their web site to the hearing in which
they accused his ( family of treasonous actions. No
response to us...the other hearings
are still there...just gone...no retraction...
no appology...

let's just erase the page amd maybe no one will
notice it is gone even though it was there for four
months...and quoted all over the web.

As I stated before, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE 2/22/08, 8:22am
This post will be bumped and updated as events develop.

Good on Him...

This is what happens when REAL Americans take a stand:

Blessed are they...

From the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5:

¹¹Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Blessed are you, Biship Naumann:

Denver, Colo., Feb 20, 2009 (CNA).- In a startling defense of legal abortion supporter Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Catholics United has attacked Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, accusing him being more interested in trying to score political points against the governor than in crafting effective abortion policy within the reality of politics.

The salvo from Catholics United comes as advisors to President Obama have told the press that he has decided on Sebelius as his next secretary of Health and Human Services nominee.

Kathleen Sebelius, who professes to be Catholic, has a problematic record on abortion.

Although Catholics United mentions the Kansas governor’s "tireless support for children's health care and education, and her efforts to provide public financing for adoption and pregnancy support centers," the group fails to mention her 30 years of simultaneously advocating to keep abortion legal.

In the Spring of 2008, Archbishop Naumann met with Gov. Sebelius to ensure that she understood the gravity of her position. After meeting with her, Archbishop Naumann asked her to stop receiving Communion.

As Archbishop Naumann explained to CNA, he requested that Gov. Sebelius stop receiving Communion because of her "30-year history of advocating and acting in support of legalized abortion."

The Thursday statement by Catholics United, which is mostly dedicated to rebuffing the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, marks the first time that the organization has targeted a specific Catholic bishop by name.

Catholics United is but a front for the democrat party, pure and simple. Their website states:

Catholics United is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition.

Apparently, to C.U., the lives of pre-born babies do not figure into their vision of "justice and the common good."

Hypocrites.

It is my hope that, like Bishop Naumann, more bishops take their role as shepherds of the flock seriously, and fearlessly speak out against Catholics who abandon the sacredness of life in their lust for power.

Borderline Outrage...

I was quite heartened to hear that the illegal muckety-mucks from Mexico were unsuccessful in their lawsuit against a south-Texas rancher who allegedly held them under gunpoint until the border patrol could pick them up. Quite, heartened, until I read this:

MALDEF and its attorneys lost track of three of the plaintiffs entirely, Hardy said. The organization hired nine attorneys for the illegal aliens. Three were from big commercial firms in New York City.

The group also flew a psychologist to Arizona from Chicago to testify that the illegal aliens suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We don't know where they're getting their money, but it's a lot," Hardy said. "They dropped $19,000 on the psychologist for his examination and $150 an hour to show up for trial."

He continued, "We tore him up pretty good, though. We tore up all of the other witnesses, too."

The rancher was held liable for limited damages involving assault and emotional distress. Two illegal aliens were given $1,000 plus $10,000 in punitive damages each. Two more received $7,500, plus $20,000 in punitive damages each.[$77,000 total--ed]

"It's interesting since most of them don't speak English, but they claim that Roger, who has almost no command of Spanish, was able to use full sentences like, 'If you go, my dog is hungry, and he's hungry for your butt,'" Hardy said. "Roger couldn't put that sentence together."

And these scum-sucking illegals didn't get enough:

He said the judge left out one part of instruction to the jury that should have been included, and it will be the basis of their appeal.

"The law is skeptical of infliction of emotional distress because everybody gets their feelings hurt at times," he said. "So one of the requirements was that whatever is done must be so severe that the average person would be physically disabled by the distress – suffer a complete mental breakdown. The judge wouldn't put that in the instruction. That's straight Arizona law."

If I were the rancher, I'd counter-sue every one of those illegal Mexican ass-hats (not to mention their scum-sucking, bottom-dwelling asshat lawyers and MALDEF) for tresspassing and/or accessory to illegal trespass, time away from work, and emotional distress.

Also, two of the plaintiffs received $1,400, and two were awarded $1 each for assault. The term "assault" is legally applied when a person has simply put someone in fear of a harmful contact. According to the attorney, Barnett did carry a gun, but the judge did not include their self-defense argument in the instructions to the jury – another basis for appeal.

All together, the illegals received only $77,804 of the $32 million they requested – and Hardy believes that award will be thrown out in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

With the "9th Circus" hearing that case, I wouldn't be so certain of that..

Many of the aliens are residents of Michoacan, Mexico. Four live in Illinois, one resides in Georgia and another in Michigan. All of the plaintiffs currently living in the U.S. listed pseudonyms in the lawsuit due to "fear of adverse action based on immigration status."

Ten of the illegal alien plaintiffs didn't show up to the trial, but the remaining six said they were given permission to re-enter the United States and testify against Barnett.

"That was a shocker to me. All the ones who testified said that they were here legally and that their attorneys had done the paperwork," Hardy said. "There's nothing like your government backing you.

Indeed.

Atlantis or Bust?

There's quite a buzz going on regarding finding what some believe to be the lost city of Atlantis; found on, of all places, Google Earth:(click to enlarge)

The finding, first reported by The Sun, about 200 mi. off the cost of Morocco near the Canary Islands, consists of a series of grids approximately 4,000 square miles in size. Crunchgear reports a Google spokesman as saying:

“What users are seeing is an artefact of the data collection process.… Bathymetric (or sea floor terrain) data is often collected from boats using sonar to take measurements of the sea floor.… The lines reflect the path of the boat as it gathers the data. The fact that there are blank spots between each of these lines is a sign of how little we really know about the world’s oceans.”

Could be true, but if those lines are caused by boats as they collect bathymetric data, then why aren't there lines all over the place?

One of my favorite shows has been the Stargate series, most notably Stargate Atlantis. It would be pretty cool if life were to imitate art.

At any rate, it could be an interesting project for a guy (or a TV network) with a lot of money and time on hand.

(h/t @netlatch)

Anyone else seeing any inconsistencies here?

From here:

Quote:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's Justice Department sided with the former Bush administration on Friday, saying detainees in Afghanistan have no constitutional rights.

In a two-sentence court filing, department lawyers said the Obama administration agreed that detainees at Bagram Air Base cannot use U.S. courts to challenge their detentions. The filing shocked human rights attorneys.

So, why do detainees held on a U.S. controlled Air base in Afghanistan have no Constitutional rights, while detainees held at Gitmo do?

Are you Obama supporters thinking that just maybe you were sold a bill of goods?

Holy crap...how'd they get away with that?

From a 1962 article: Giving psychoactive drugs to schizophrenics?

At the Second International Congress of Psychiatry in Zurich in 1957, Hoch, Pennes, and Cattell (fn 7) raised the question, "What is the reaction of psychotic subjects to drugs which have strong psychological effects or induce psychotic states in normal individuals?" Their answer was, "The majority of schizophrenics displayed intensification of their pre-existing symptomatology on administration of mescaline or LSD 25... The reactions of schizophrenic patients to mescaline and LSD 25 are usually marked with severe anxiety and other emotional patterns, while disorganization of thought and behavior patterns may be profound."

It has been the opinion of some investigators, however, that this disorganization of behavior patterns in schizophrenics might be followed by a reorganization that could be a step toward normalization. Quite recently, Bierer and Browne (fn 8) stated that "We thought this so-called 'disorganization of the psychic integration' must be a temporary removal of the ego-defenses and possibly could be used therapeutically." They decided to combine LSD or LSD plus methamphetamine hydrochloride (Methedrine) with group psychotherapy. Their report on results of treatment of 75 patients, of whom 30 had the diagnosis of schizophrenia or advanced schizoid states, indicated that "burnt out" schizophrenics are among those on whom LSD appears to have no effect. They also state, "Further work is necessary, but it is clear that to include 50% of schizophrenics in a group markedly reduces the chances of success."

Gee... ya think so?!?

Track the Pork.

There's a site that I found that allows one to track the pork projects requested in the "shovel ready" projects in your own backyard. Additionally, it allows for viewer feedback for each project. The site explains:

StimulusWatch.org was built to to help the new administration keep its pledge and to hold public officials to account. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects.

For instance, the page of projects requested for St. Cloud can be found here.

The total cost of all the projects submitted by St. Cloud is $41,687,000

Description	City	State	Jobs	Cost	Program Type	Vote Ratio
10th Avenue North Area Neighborhood Rehabilitation	St. Cloud	MN	23	$1,800,000	CDBG	-13
10th Avenue North Area Neighborhood Rehabilitation - Phase 2	St. Cloud	MN	40	$3,750,000	CDBG	-7
22nd Avenue North Neighborhood Rehabilitation	St. Cloud	MN	45	$4,500,000	CDBG	-8
54th and 38th Avenue Interceptor	St. Cloud	MN	3	$190,000	Water	-3
Boiler and Roof Replacement - Wastewater Treatment Facility	St. Cloud	MN	23	$1,860,000	Energy	-1
Breckenridge and Cooper Avenue Trail Connection to Lake Wobegon Trail	St. Cloud	MN	10	$800,000	CDBG	-43
Collection System SCADA Programming & Installation	St. Cloud	MN	4	$300,000	Water	-3
East Lake Boulevard Project	St. Cloud	MN	6	$500,000	CDBG	-5
Emergency Standby Generator for Central Maintenance Facility	St. Cloud	MN	2	$115,000	Energy	-7
Energy efficient window upgrade to City Hall Building with Atrium	St. Cloud	MN	2	$130,000	Energy	-7
Geo-Thermo Heat System for Central Maintenance Facility	St. Cloud	MN	5	$400,000	Energy	1
HVAC Control for City Hall Building	St. Cloud	MN	2	$70,000	Energy	-5
Inset pavement lighting at St. Cloud Regional Airport	St. Cloud	MN	19	$1,500,000	Airport	7
Intersection of 25th Ave N (Route 132) and 3rd St N (Route 135) - Full signal system replacement	St. Cloud	MN	3	$215,000	Streets/Roads	-3
Intersection of 7th Ave S (Route 110) and 1st St S (Route 118) - Full signal system replacement	St. Cloud	MN	3	$215,000	Streets/Roads	-3
Intersection of 9th Ave S (Route 145) and 16th St S (Route 129) - Signal system upgrade including system controller, video detection and pedestrian countdown timers	St. Cloud	MN	2	$100,000	Streets/Roads	-3
Jet Bridge for St. Cloud Regional Airport Terminal Building	St. Cloud	MN	8	$600,000	Airport	3
Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation/Lining Project	St. Cloud	MN	3	$246,000	Water	-2
Lower Pan Interceptor Lining Project	St. Cloud	MN	25	$2,000,000	Water	-3
Main Forcemain Inspection	St. Cloud	MN	3	$150,000	Water	-3
Metro Interceptor Rehabilitation Project	St. Cloud	MN	19	$1,500,000	Water	-5
Northway Liftstation Rehabilitation	St. Cloud	MN	16	$1,300,000	Water	-2
Skate Plaza Improvement	St. Cloud	MN	9	$750,000	CDBG	-110
State Aid Route 123 (Washington Memorial Drive) - 11th St S to CSAH 75 - Full reconstruction of roadway	St. Cloud	MN	4	$320,000	Streets/Roads	-4
State Aid Route 132 (25th Ave) - 1st St N to 3rd St N - Partial depth mill and overlay	St. Cloud	MN	2	$100,000	Streets/Roads	-2
State Aid Route 145 (9th Ave) - 8th St N to 15th St N - full depth mill and reconstruction of asphalt surface	St. Cloud	MN	8	$650,000	Streets/Roads	-3
Street name upgrade program	St. Cloud	MN	2	$150,000	Streets/Roads	-72
University Drive Boulevard Beautification Project	St. Cloud	MN	2	$150,000	CDBG	-22
Upper Pan Interceptor Lining Project	St. Cloud	MN	11	$840,000	Water	-5
UV-Disinfection and Emergency Generator Project - Wastewater Treatment Facility	St. Cloud	MN	108	$8,661,000	Energy	-3
Vacuum Pump Liftstation Replacements (5)	St. Cloud	MN	25	$2,000,000	Water	0
Water Treatment Facility Rehabilitation and Improvement Project	St. Cloud	MN	70	$5,825,000	Water	2

Much like I found last night at the Magical Mystery "Listening" tour, it is my contention that your feedback at the site will mean little or next to nothing. But at any rate, it's good to be informed.

The Seeds of a Revolt Are Being Planted.

Give this Man a Blue Ribbon:



How he got on CNBC I'll never know.

I just hope he still has a job tomorrow.

At the DFL-led travelling salvation..er..listening show

Usually events like this tend to draw 10-20 people, tops. Funny how a looming $6 billion deficit gets people's attention.

***UPDATE***

What a joke. For every 'regular Joe Citizen' that gets to speak, there are three liberal special interest lobbyists, begging the legislators not to cut their programs. All that's missing are the violins.

***UPDATE****

I have it on good authority that the MN DFL has shot down a Republican proposal that would do away with the political contribution rebate plan. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the political contribution rebate plan rebates political contributions (up to $100 per year per couple) using taxpayer money. Pretty much operates like a slush fund to be able to utilize taxpayer money to fund campaigns. Doing away with this program would have saved the Minnesota taxpayers $10,000,000 per year.

That's why so-called "listening" tours are so much bullshit. They refuse to change their own behavior. They talk a good game, but in the end they're going to do what they're going to do, which is to sit around and cast aspersions on the Governor's plan while coming up with no constructive solutions of their own.

To call it "disingenuous" would be to pay the process tribute.

Feh.

We Hereby Interrupt This "Stimulus" Plan to Bring You...

More economic fascism.

The economic outlook for the next two years is worse than expected, say Federal Reserve policymakers, who warned today the economy is contracting at a "disturbing pace."

In a speech at the National Press Club, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pointed to "dismal" economic data while another top Fed official warned of the need for even more stimulus, even with interest rates set near zero.

Evidence of further economic gloom, the officials say, can be seen in figures showing a curtailment of big industry production in January and record-low housing construction.

Meanwhile, governments worldwide that already have poured billions of dollars into failing banks are considering seizing full control of financial institutions.

..and the beat goes on.

And the Constitution provides for this power... where?

You know, that Russky who predicted the fall of the United States within the next couple of years may not have been that batty after all.

Obama's Two Americas...

Those who pay their taxes, and those who don't. Now, it's Rahm Emanuel:

According to the New York Post, the free rent in a home owned by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and not disclosing that "gift" apparently isn't all that's being questioned about Emanuel's arrangements, either.

Another issue is "the work Emanuel tossed the way of DeLauro's husband, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg." The Post said while Emanuel was living in the rent-free arrangement, he also served part of the time as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which gave Greenberg several polling contracts, paying him $239,000 in 2006 and $317,000 in 2008.

The report said Emanuel has explained the living arrangements as "hospitality" between colleagues, and that's why it never appeared on his financial-disclosure forms.

But the Post suggested over five years, that rent could have been worth more than $100,000.

AOL News specifically raised the issue of the taxes on the imputed income. And it cited the earlier issues involving taxes and Obama appointees.

So that's why the democrats had absolutely no trouble passing the porkulus bill.

They don't plan on paying any taxes, anyway.

Obama "Hearts" the Military?

What do you get when you elect a military-loathing socialist to the office of Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces?

Why, crap sandwiches for our men and women in uniform, that's what.

A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office details just one proposal that would increase out of pocket expenses for medical care for Military Families and Veterans, while others would lose their VA benefits altogether. Other proposals would raise Tricare fees, co-payments and deductibles. Veterans whose medical condition isn’t service related could end up no longer being eligible for VA medical care at all. While nothing has been approved at this juncture, the Congressional Budget Office director at this time is President-elect Obama’s choice to be his director of the Office of Management and Budget, and who led the work on this proposal, Peter R. Orszag, so it very possibly will have a very real, very devastating affect on our Troops and our Veterans.

“We are going to go through our federal budget, as I promised during the campaign, page by page, line by line, eliminating those programs we don’t need and insisting that those that we do need operate in a sensible, cost-effective way,” Obama said in November as he announced Orszag’s nomination to join his cabinet .

“We’re also going to focus on one of the biggest, long-run challenges that our budget faces, namely the rising cost of health care in both the public and private sectors,” Obama continued. “This is not just a challenge but also an opportunity to improve the health care that Americans rely on, and to bring down the costs that taxpayers, businesses and families have to pay. That is what [OMB] will do in my administration.”

Obama added, “Peter doesn’t need a map to tell him where the bodies are buried in the federal budget. He knows what works and what doesn’t, what’s worth our precious tax dollars and what is not.”¹

I received an email from a military veteran, who states,

Original Message ----- From: Wayne Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 6:00 PM
Subject: Fwd: VET'S...HEADS UP!!!!

I'm pissed! Free health care for the illegals, but screw the American citizen and the vets! Time to take our country back and get rid of these liberal bastards!

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Bill Baugh" Date: February 12, 2009 12:58:01 PM PST To:
Subject: VET'S...HEADS UP!!!!

FYI! *****

PLEASE SEND THIS TO ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT'S RETIRED MILITARY, WE CAN"T LET THIS BILL PASS. I'VE HAD ENOUGH ON OUR PRESIDENT CHANGE. HE WILL TAKE IT FROM US AND GIVE TO THE HOMELESS. AND DRUG ADDICT. Change is about all we will have left..... "Another benefit subject to change is V.A. medical benefits.

Everyone who is receiving a benefit from the V.A. for a service related injury will have to be re-assessed and the proposal states this will affect
"90% of vets receiving V.A. benefits and will save the government $53 Billion dollars over 10 years." I guess that we will all pay for the poor judgement of others. About Obama's Heath Care proposal on Active Duty Military Families and Veterans. Everyone, My office just got word today that our new President Obama has proposed a plan to cut military health benefits! This is great news for the 99.9% Veterans and Active Duty members who are currently using health care benefits. The Congressional Budget Office has made public a proposal stating that Veterans (you know the men and women who have fought in wars and spent 20 plus years in the service) are now going to be paying up to 50% of their medical bill. That's a big jump from paying nothing for the past 30 some odd years. The biggest kicker is Active Duty Military (yep, I said Active Duty) will now be paying 10% of their total bill. They will now be billed for their kids visiting the doctor. Again, a big jump from being free!

Another benefit subject to change is V.A. medical benefits. Everyone who is receiving a benefit from the V.A. for a service related injury will have to
be re-assessed and the proposal states this will affect "90% of vets receiving V.A. benefits and will save the government $53 Billion dollars over 10 years." Needless to say, today is the first time I have heard from the few Obama supporters in my office say "if this gets passed they will not continue to be a supporter". Isn't this the candidate that just a few months ago was preaching to get healthcare coverage to ALL! Isn't it ironic and moronic to steal $53 Billion from vets and active duty military families so the Crack Head down the street will receive free medical coverage. GREAT NEWS!! If you're as upset as I am then write your elected officials so hopefully some of the dummies running this country see the light and would never ever dream of taking away a penny from a military member!

A travesty, to be sure, but is anyone really surprised by this? I mean, what does one expect by electing a guy that refuses to place his hand over his heart at the playing of the National Anthem?
What does one expect when one elects to the highest office of the land one who cavorts with known terrorists, radical socialists, and preachers whose byline is "G*D D*MN AMERICA!"

Is anyone really surprised that one of the first things he plans, other than the Spendapalooza bill, when he comes to office is to crap on the men and women whose job it is to defend this nation from its enemies? The very nation whose underpinnings he despises?


Is anyone really that taken aback by actions that gut veteran's health care, when it was fully known that he advocated for gutting the military itself?

For instance, the military has made no bones about the fact that they will be in real need of more strategic F-22 fighters:

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has concluded it needs more Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-22 Raptor fighter jets than have been ordered so far, but fewer than it previously sought, the service's top uniformed officer said on Tuesday.

Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, said he would not dispute a characterization that over the coming three years the service was seeking to add 60 of the premier fighter jets to the 183 now on order, for a total of 243.

Defense analyst Loren Thompson opines:

What does that high cost get us? An Air Force that can use all its other planes in wartime without fear of horrendous losses. An Army that can continue to operate, as it has over the last 50 years, without suffering any casualties from hostile aircraft. And a defense posture that can deter war without threatening the use of nuclear weapons.

Every potential aggressor in the world knows that if it faces the F-22 in aerial combat, it will lose, and that if the F-22 is sent to attack targets in its nation, the targets will be destroyed. The enemies of the United States cannot see the plane with their radars, and they cannot catch it with their fighters. They are defenseless against it, and will remain so for decades to come.

No other weapon in our arsenal provides that kind of defense and that kind of deterrence. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter will deliver similar stealthiness, but it lacks the agility and awareness of the F-22.

Can Obama be trusted to supply our fighting men and women with what they need to give them life-saving advantages over their adversaries?

After viewing that, you tell me.

Get YOUR Piece of the "Porkapalooza" bill!

Looky here I got $500,000.00! (click to enlarge):


And it was easy!! Almost as easy as getting a defense contract after giving Jack Murtha a hefty campaign donation!

Just click here to get started, and you, too, can get in on the action!

Yes, you, too will experience the joy that countless liberal leftard special interest groups have experienced this past day, in mortgaging our children's & grandchildren's financial future, even turning their backs on our nation's Veterans, as they waddle up to the government teat to turn this nation into a vat of spoiled, self-entitled preschoolers!

But hurry, this offer expires when the Stimulus bill is signed into law this Monday, February 19th!

Unless, of course, you can make a hefty donation to the democrat of your choice.

All Hail the "Messiah?"

Story Here.

***UPDATE***

Welcome Shot in the Dark and Hot Air readers!

Pull up a chair, and make yourself at home

What NOT to do in your quest for fostering understanding between diverse cultures

Rule #1. Don't decapitate the wife.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - A shocking and gruesome story of a T.V. station owner's wife, found decapitated at the Bridge's Muslim T.V. network in Orchard Park.

In pictures of happier times, 37-year-old Aasiya Zubair and her 44-year-old husband Mo Hassan, who founded Bridges T.V.

Thursday evening, police converge on the station's Orchard Park studio and office.

"The worst that I've seen, yeah," said Andrew Benz, Orchard Park Police Chief.

Orchard Park Police chief Andrew Benz is talking about the crime scene where Assiya Zubair's body was found.

Police tell News 4 the only suspect in this case is the victim's husband, who walked into police headquarters in Orchard Park Thursday evening to report his wife was dead.

It's being called a brutal murder.

"She was decapitated,yes," said Benz.

Zubair was found in the hallway. The mission of Bridges TV is to foster understanding between cultures and diverse populations. According to police, the couple had trouble getting along.

Word to "Mo Hassan." If you want the Western World to drop what they're doing to give Islam an understanding gander, here's a hint: Knock it off with the beheading thing. Kinda puts everyone off, know what I mean, Vern?

Memo to Mark Ritchie: Voter Fraud Happens:

I heard Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (D-ACORN) proclaim this morning on KNSI-AM that voter fraud is not a problem in the state of Minnesota. Furthermore, Mark Ritchie proclaims that requiring voter ID is akin to Stalinist tactics and an affront to the right to privacy (this coming from an avowed socialist, mind you)

But lest you think that Ritchie has a point, that voter fraud is a non-factor in Minnesota's electoral process, let's take a gander at our neighbors to our south, shall we?

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Twelve people in Linn County have been charged with election misconduct after officials say they voted in November after losing their right to vote because they are a convicted felon. Convicted felons are not allowed to vote in Iowa until they complete their sentence.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller says another 46 people are being investigated for voter registration fraud. He says they are suspected of giving a false address when they voted on Election Day.

The voters were mailed a registration card after the election. If the card is returned unanswered, election workers try to reach them again. If they are unsuccessful, the county attorney or secretary of state is notified for possible investigation.

For Mark Ritchie's and others' edification, Iowa, like Minnesota, has same-day voter registration. Iowa, like Minneosota, doesn't require photo ID.

Still think that there's no room for voter fraud in Minnesota's current election rules?

A Reading from the First Book of Democrat

Found this on a forum I frequent.. don't know the author, but I believe it speaks volumes:

<sup>PSALM 2008: 2012



FIRST BOOK OF DEMOCRAT


OBAMA IS MY SHEPHERD,
I SHALL NOT WANT.

HE LEADETH ME BESIDE STILL FACTORIES.

HE RESTORETH MY FAITH IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

HE GUIDETH ME IN THE PATH OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGHT THE VALLEY OF THE BREAD LINE,
I SHALL NOT GO HUNGRY.

OBAMA HAS ANOINTED MY INCOME WITH TAXES,

MY EXPENSES RUNNETH OVER MY INCOME,

SURELY, POVERTY AND HARD LIVING WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.

THE DEMOCRATS AND I WILL LIVE FOREVER
IN A RENTED HOME.

BUT I AM GLAD I AM AN AMERICAN,
I AM GLAD THAT I AM FREE.
BUT I WISH I WAS A DOG
AND OBAMA A TREE.</sup>

A Message from Barack Obama's Teleprompter

Iowahawk Never Disappoints:

What the best dressed liberal everyone will be driving in 2012

Introducing: The Pelosi



Stolen from KAR

The Road to Financial Hell...

..as paved by the Democrats in Congress; it's a bit long (8 or so minutes) but it's MUST viewing:


The blame for this whole debacle, this whole tumbling down of our national economy, can verily be placed at no one's feet but the democrats in congress. Period.

(h/t Chicago Ray)

Dumb and Dumberer

That's how the democrats like their voters, apparently. A Republican-sponsored bill that would require photo ID failed in a Minnesota House committee today, on a vote that went largely along party lines. So what were the objections to a bill that would introduce enhanced integrity into the Minnesota voting process?

Low-income Minnesotans would be able to get a Minnesota photo ID for free under the legislation. Emmer, a Delano Republican, says he's proposing the bill because he's concerned about voter fraud in Minnesota and other places across the country.

"We believe in bringing forth this legislation that important reforms are necessary to remove doubts about our elections and to help citizens in the state of Minnesota look upon the process of casting their vote as an inspiring experience and not an ordeal," he said.

Three citizens testified in support of the bill along with n official with the office of Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, who's also a Republican.

Some of the citizens testified they were concerned that illegal immigrants were voting when they shouldn't be. None of them said they challenged the residency of those in question at the polling places. One supporter of the legislation, Diana Bratlie, said the proposal shouldn't be a hardship for voters since many already have the necessary paperwork. She also suggested that citizens should be responsible enough to plan ahead for the first Tuesday in November.

"The election days have been set for the millenium. It should not surprise anyone that Election Day is coming up. They should have plenty of time to get their birth certificate," Bratlie said.

But of course, the "dumb and dumberer" contingent of nannystaters wailed and gnashed their teeth at such a notion!

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison, of Minneapolis, said the bill is a "nefarious attempt" by Republicans to make it more difficult for people of color, the poor and the elderly to vote.

"This is voter suppression pure and simple. The people who are proposing this don't want to try to persuade Americans to vote for their point of view, they just want to stop Americans from being able to vote at all," he said.

A question: Was Keith Ellison born this ignorant, or did he have to work at it? Do the democrats actually think so little of their constituency that they believe that they are intellectually incapable or just too damned lazy to get off their asses and go out and get a picture ID--one that would be FREE under the legislation? Does Keith Ellison think that "people of color, the poor, and the elderly" are that friggen irresponsible and incompetent that they can't take the bus to the local driver's license station and get a FREE (to them) state identification card should they want to vote? As I commented here,

"...exactly what is wrong with identifying yourself when voting? Baseless? I don’t think so. That pointy headed perfesser who testified today stated that the level of voter fraud in Minnesota is “statistically insigificant”… well, even a “statistically insignificant” number of fraudulent votes can have a very significant effect on an election, especially when the margin of victory (a/la Coleman & Franken) is only a few hundred votes (or for that matter 770 votes) or less.

Why are democrats so afraid of introducing measures that will increase the integrity of both the process and the outcome? Is it because introducing integrity substantially decreases their chances of stealing an election?"

In the end, it is difficult for one to reach an alternative conclusion.

A Day Rich in Irony...

1. Stimulus Interruptus.

It appears that news of one step being closer to passing the porkulous porkapalooza "stimulus package" has not had much stimulating effect on the economy.

With the Dow Jones Average nosediving -383 points earlier today, the "stimulus package" had pretty much the paradoxical effect that would result by giving a guy a Viagra tab while forcing him to stare at a picture of a naked Janet Reno (and expecting him to still get a hard-on).

2. Our Grandmas Got Run Over By Obama.

Remember all the hope and change and fear that Obama instilled in the senior citizens so that they would vote for him? Well, it turns out that Obama's plan has a quaint little message of thanks embedded in it directed at the seniors who voted for him: "Welcome to my brave new world. Now don't let the door hit your ass on the way out." Embedded in Obama's plan is a new Grand Inquisitor of Health Maintenance, a/k/a the "National Coordinator of Health Information Technology" who,

"...will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far

And here's the great part for our Seniors, compliments of Barack Hussein Obama and Tom Daschle, who, despite recusing himself due to excessive IRS entanglements, nonetheless has his greasy-grimy fingerprints all over this:

Elderly Hardest Hit

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.

Seems that when our elderly voted for change, no one was banking on the fact that the "change" would involve a "change" in life expectancy.

3. "We have chosen hope over fear"

Oops... Scratch that, turn it around. A departure from his inaugural address that featured "hope," Struck with his own legitimate fear that he and his party alone will bear the burden of a major policy failure, these days the "Big O" is peddling fear as freely as a crack-whore peddles one-night stands.

And finally,

4. The Hopenchangy Buck Stops in Israel

President Obama's ambition to move quickly on Israeli-Palestinian peace suffered a significant setback yesterday with the rightward shift apparent in nearly complete Israeli election results, analysts said.

While the centrist Kadima party appeared to eke out a victory, the right-wing Likud party more than doubled its seats and an ultra-nationalist party made big gains, increasing the prospect that a government uninterested in peace talks will emerge from the post-election efforts to form a governing coalition.

With continued rocket attacks from Palestinians in Gaza who operate under a death wish that would make Charles Bronson look like Richard Simmons, the Israelis are probably just a bit more interested in self-preservation, and are probably less-interested in singing Kumbaya than our own CINC.

With the hapless Obama administration on its way to making a real-time, reality version of the Keystone Cops Go to Washington, and seeing how we're not even a month into his presidency, it wouldn't take a betting man to put his money on the fact that chances for even more irony down the road are a bit better than normal.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 2-10-09

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Brat

Sgt. Patrick Tainsh
33 years old from Oceanside, California
Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
February 11, 2004


Five years ago today, Sgt. Patrick Tainsh sacrificed all as the mounted unit he
was part of was hit by an IED in Baghdad. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze and Sliver Stars saving the lives of his commanding officer and other soldiers before succumbing to his own wounds. Also killed in the attack was Pfc. William C. Ramirez from Portland, Oregon.

On Veteran’s Day, 2007, Deborah Tainsh, Sgt. Tainsh's mother, attended a school in Columbia, Georgia, and shared a story she had written called "A Boy Named Patrick."

Here is part of the story :

…a little boy named Patrick who loved football, beaches, surfing, and
skateboarding, and especially reading. Patrick watched his dad be a Marine for
over twenty years. During this time Patrick kept reading not only surfing and
skateboarding magazines, but history books, too. One day when Patrick was a man, he told his dad and best friend, “I want to do something that will make a
difference in the world, I’m going to be a soldier.” And so he did. And in 1999
he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for boot camp and then went to Fort Polk,
Louisiana where he worked and trained hard to become a United States Army
Cavalry Scout. Then in 2003 Patrick had to say good bye to his mom and dad
because he had to go fight a war in Iraq to protect his country, friends, and
family from terrorists and to help fight for the freedoms of the boys and girls
in that country where they and their families were treated very badly by their
country’s leader. Patrick once wrote a letter to his mom and dad telling them
that he cried for the children because they were hungry and he didn’t have food
to give them. He said he couldn’t understand how a country’s leader could treat
the people so badly and make them live in such dirty conditions with trash and
wild dogs everywhere. And so Patrick's mom and dad keep a photo in their living
room of Patrick surrounded by Iraqi children.

You can read the story in it's entirety here.

Sgt Tainsh came to the military later than some, but rose through the ranks fast. In his last letter to his parents, Sgt Tainsh shared his thoughts about his mission. And in 2006, Sgt. Tainsh's mother wrote a book called Heart Of A Hawk about her son's life and her and her husband's struggles since their son was killed.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Traitors Among Us.

The unholy trinity of Collins, Specter & Snowe (Oh MY) have singlehandedly enabled the democrats to be able to ramrod a spending bill that will do more to advance the cause of socialism than "The New (Raw) Deal" and "The (not so) Great Society" could have ever hoped to accomplish. Because of their votes for this heinous abomination to civilized society and the cause of economic and personal freedom, we have lost the chance to defeat this bill in a filibuster, and to send it back where it belongs.

After their votes tonight, this much is clear.

Sens. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and Arlen Specter are deserving of some very serious primary challenges, and I charge the respective Republican parties from Washington, Maine and Pennsylvania with purging these three traitors from their ranks and refuse to support these pariahs any longer.

***UPDATE***

GMTA, I guess. Check out the new site: Expel the Traitors