Just When You Thought Common Sense Had a Chance.

Just when you thought one might be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 60 votes aren't there any more.

With the Senate set to begin debate Monday on health care overhaul, the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already. Yet majority Democrats will need 60 votes again to finish.

Some Democratic senators say they'll jump ship from the bill without tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. Others say they'll go unless a government plan to compete with private insurance companies gets tossed overboard. Such concessions would enrage liberals, the heart and soul of the party.

Yep... Just when you can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Just when you thought that there may be an end to the madness...

In come the RINOs to really muck things up. You see, it seems that instead of killing the bill at the onset, the GOP brainiacs in the Senate, like the proverbial dog showing a thief where the best silverware is, are trying to "improve" the bill so as to leave it less palatable to invoke a filibuster!

Erick Erickson at Red State has the gory details:

Having started from the presupposition that the health care legislation is going to pass, the GOP seems to be signaling it will work to “improve” the legislation just enough to overcome a filibuster.

The legislation has 57 votes already. The GOP does not need to offer amendments to improve the bill — they need to bring it to a vote and kill it. Preening for cameras and favorable press coverage is going to get the bill to 60 votes and a signing ceremony.

What a bunch of numb-nuts. Could the Senate GOP get any more of a tin ear? One commenter on RedState said it best, when he invoked Sam Adams:

“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams

Indeed.

May God have mercy on our nation, for miserably squandering the gift of freedom He so graciously bestowed, giving away our children's birthright with the nonchalance of a Hennepin Avenue streetwalker.

As Ronald Reagan famously stated, freedom is only a generation away from extinction. And it appears that our generation is hellbent on making Ronald Reagan's maxim a reality.

A request for prayer...

I just received this from one of my Patriot Guard brethren:

We are new to the patriot guard sa of last summer. We bought our bike for the tribute to the troops ride.
We went on that ride and the flag line ride. Then Tim started not feeling well after that. We found out last saturday that he har prostate cancer spread to the bones and the lymph nodes. Please send out our request for Prayer. The patriot guard means so very much to us and we need him to recover so we can participate more. Please pray for us

Tim and Vickie Johnson

Any prayers you can offer will be greatly appreciated...

Bambi & Thumper... in reality.

Once in awhile, it's good to lighten things up a bit.

Reportedly taken in a back yard in Alberta, Canada, I received these photos in an email, and thought it too neat to pass up:

Global Warming: Will the last believer in the room please turn off the lights?

Every global warming bromide, put to rest by the application of real science-- A long video, but definitely worth watching if you want to really be informed:

Hide the Decline

This is great!



Via Minnesotans for Global Warming (h/t Gary Gross)

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 11-25-09

Rear Adm. Ned Deets


Rear Adm. Ned Deets speaks with Frank Chebatar, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, at the conclusion of the base consolidation ceremony. The two bases consolidated to form Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Fort Story.

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.

Jack Webb Schools "The One"

This is nothing less than classic:

Indoctrinate U-You Will Be Assimilated!

So say the Stalinists at the University of Minnesota, according to Katherine Kersten:

In a report compiled last summer, the Race, Culture, Class and Gender Task Group at the U's College of Education and Human Development recommended that aspiring teachers there must repudiate the notion of "the American Dream" in order to obtain the recommendation for licensure required by the Minnesota Board of Teaching. Instead, teacher candidates must embrace -- and be prepared to teach our state's kids -- the task force's own vision of America as an oppressive hellhole: racist, sexist and homophobic.

Read the whole thing. And while you're at it, if your insides can take it, read the document upon which Kersten's article is based.

While matriculating at the School of Arts & Sciences back at UW-Eau Claire in 1988, there was a mandatory prerequisite for graduation called, "Human Relations." True to liberal doublespeak form, rather than being a class that centered on how relationships are formed, it was a wall-to-wall, semester-long diatribe about how whitey was oppressing everyone else. Every week, a guest speaker from the "victim group" du jour would walk into class, grab the podium, and bash every white male student in the room as to how they were oppressing the victim class, simply by breathing.

The only saving grace regarding the "Human Relations" course was that when you were done with all the nonsense you could go about your life and leave the hoop behind. Back then, they didn't actually demand an oath of loyalty to that rubbish as a prerequisite to earn a livelihood.

To wit:

The first step toward "cultural competence," says the task group, is for future teachers to recognize -- and confess -- their own bigotry. Anyone familiar with the reeducation camps of China's Cultural Revolution will recognize the modus operandi.

The task group recommends, for example, that prospective teachers be required to prepare an "autoethnography" report. They must describe their own prejudices and stereotypes, question their "cultural" motives for wishing to become teachers, and take a "cultural intelligence" assessment designed to ferret out their latent racism, classism and other "isms." They "earn points" for "demonstrating the ability to be self-critical."

The task group opens its report with a model for officially approved confessional statements: "As an Anglo teacher, I struggle to quiet voices from my own farm family, echoing as always from some unstated standard. ... How can we untangle our own deeply entrenched assumptions?"

And what of those who resist? Well, as they, as they say, "Haff ways..."

The task group has Orwellian plans for such rebels: The U, it says, must "develop clear steps and procedures for working with non-performing students, including a remediation plan."

I wonder if the "remediation" plan includes being sent to a 're-education' camp.

And what of the great unwashed who managed to escape the ivory tower all-seeing eye of the diversity police at U of M in past years without the benefit of their all-knowing indoctrination?

"Requir[e] training/workshop for all supervisors. Perhaps a training session disguised as a thank you/recognition ceremony/reception at the beginning of the year?"

Well Komrades, nothing left to do now but cue the music!!

In the Belly of the Beast...

It has been said, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." In that spirit, I attended an Education Minnesota political action workshop in St. Paul this weekend. To say that I felt like a fish out of water would be a gross understatement. To be fair, a number of my colleagues were there, whom I consider to count as friends and good people. But (not surprisingly) despite claims of nonpartisanship, the proceedings were anything but. The keynote speaker of the event was none other than Congressman Tim Walz. (click here for the entire speech)
Basically, it was a boilerplate stump speech, but since Mr. Walz considered himself among friends, he probably said a few things he many not have otherwise said.

A former social studies teacher himself, Walz stated that he began his teaching career teaching in the People's Republic of China (for reasons I'll explain later, I'm not surprised). Walz spoke of the impetus for his running for Congress. Specifically, he told of a time when he took two of his students to meet President Bush in Washington. Walz stated that his two students were not allowed to see the President because one of them had a John Kerry for President sticker. He related that he immediately called his wife and told her that he wanted to run for congress.

With respect to Obamacare, Walz first proclaimed "There are no death panels." Walz then went on to explain how his vote for Obamacare was a "proud vote" and an "easy vote" to cast. He went on to rail against the Tea Party movement, saying he was relieved to finally speak in front of a group "that wasn't swearing at (him)" He described the Tea Party movement as motivated and organized, but motivated "for the wrong reasons." He stated, dripping with condescension, that he was "amazed" at how many people had become "Constitutional scholars" during the month of August. Walz proclaimed that the Tea Party folks were "motivated to use the Constitution as a wall." (well, Congressman, that's exactly what the Constitution is, is a wall of protection of the people and limits the powers of government). With regard to the "Read the Bill" signs, Walz stated he read the bill," and that a Tea Party attendee then stated, "It's over 2000 pages," to which Walz reportedly retorted, "So I guess the Berenstain Bears are superior to The Grapes of Wrath, because it has fewer pages."

To me, it was amazing that a guy who served over 20 years in the National Guard could so cavalierly speak of the document which he swore an oath to protect. Walz also didn't miss the chance to take gratuitous swipes at Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, as well as at his predecessor, Congressman Jim Ramstad. Walz did state that he felt that the governor's race was the most important race in Minnesota, and that he would release his entire campaign staff to work to have the endorsed DFL candidate elected governor.

After Walz spoke, it was off to congressional-district breakout sessions, where attendees were shown the DFL caucus process, and how attendees could get themselves elected as delegates. They stated that although they were cough non-partisan, they chose the DFL process because there were reportedly no Republican candidates who bothered to fill out the Ed MN candidate screening form.

I must say, however, that all was not lost. The next morning there was an outreach session held to accommodate the few Republican attendees at the convention. During that session (which was attended by some democrats, as well) an Education Minnesota Republican Caucus was formed, with around 30 signatories, including myself (there were between 300 and 400 total attendees to the convention proper). The stated aim of the caucus is to bring education issues to the Republican party. But again, one of the session organizers, who I believe was himself a fairly liberal democrat, brought up the issue of getting rid of Charter Schools and Home Schools (which I happen to be for; as I believe competition to be an important factor in increasing the quality of education), and exhorted us to bring the issue to the Republican platform.

Yes, I'm a public school educator. But I'm first and foremost an American, and I realize that not everything that is in the self-serving interest of public school educators is compatible with what is in the interest of America as a nation. I just wish the union and educators in general would recognize that, as well.

Well, Rome wasn't built in a day. The educational agency for which I work didn't organize into a union until just over a year ago. While I was against joining a union, as long as it was going to be thrust upon me, I decided that if I was for all intents and purposes going to join a union, I would have a say in how it's run. I therefore became our local's vice president last year, and I am secretary this year.

As I always say, the future belongs to those who show up. One could sit and whine and complain until the cows come home. But it is the one that becomes involved that can ultimately actually make a difference. Since we ultimately have a stake in the outcomes in terms of how traditionally liberal leaning organizations operate, it is our duty as conservatives to take a seat at the table once in a while and say, "Not so fast, here!"

I hope that more conservatives will consider getting involved, as well.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 11-18-09

Staff Sgt. Dennisur Thompson


Staff Sgt. Dennisur Thompson, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, overcompensates a left turn while on a driving simulator as a part of the Save a Life Tour in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

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.

And You Trust These Buffoons With Your Health Care?

If you go to Recovery.gov. you will see the wonderful contributions you as a taxpayer have made to the betterment of our economy. Like all the wonderful contributions, for example, made to the 57 congressional districts here in the great State of Minnesota:

(click on pic for full size)

So, how's that "57th" Congressional District in Minnesota doing? Or for that matter, the "00th" district?

That's a pretty neat trick by the Obama administration tallying up all those jobs saved.

Given, of course, that Minnesota is home to only 8 congressional districts. Unless, of course, the Obama administration was actually referring to the fabled 57th state.

And you want to trust these incompetent boobs to handle your healthcare?

Congressman Mike Rogers on Obamacare

Mr. Rogers certainly hit the nail on the head with this one:

As A Matter Of Fact, I Believe He Does...

Some of my liberal counterparts had near apoplectic responses to John Hinderacker's article entitled, "Why does he hate us?" In it, Hinderacker highlights his compatriot Paul Mirengoff's article in The Examiner, an excerpt of which follows:

In the area of foreign and national security policy, however, Obama can operate largely unchecked. And a weak, guilt-ridden policy toward our foreign adversaries is almost certain to produce grave consequences.

To some extent, we have seen this act before. The damage of just four years of Jimmy Carter's America-effacing presidency included Soviet expansion, communist inroads in Latin America, the replacement of a friendly government with a virulently anti-American theocracy in Iran, and a prolonged hostage crisis that came to symbolize the new American impotence.

But although Carter was ambivalent about America, his efforts to promote democracy abroad showed that he thought we had something to offer t[he] world. Obama will not grant America even that.

Emulating Carter the ex-president, rather than President Carter, Obama has shown essentially no interest in human rights or democracy promotion. His belated support of the Iranian protesters following this summer's election could hardly have been more lukewarm.

It seems that, in Obama's view, all we have to offer the world is our non-interference in its affairs, except perhaps when it comes to bullying our allies.

This led one of my liberal acquaintances to retort:

Sorry, but the "facts" in the article simply do not lead to the conclusion that constitutes the assertion in the title.

So, Does Barack Hussein Obama really hate America? Consider the following:

In his formative years, young Barry Soetoro hung out with the likes of Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers, who loved America so much they decided to bomb the living crap out of it.

The guy sat in a church for 20 years listening to a guy screaming "G-d Dmn America!"

Barack Hussein Obama, himself, in his own words, said the Constitution was a flawed document because it did nothing to 'spread the wealth.'

Obama never misses an opportunity to apologize for what he feels to be American 'arrogance.' (yet he himself, is the paragon of arrogance).

Rather than speaking of American greatness, Obama speaks only of its perceived flaws. Rather than build on the principles that made America great, he seems to feel that it is his job to single-handedly correct what he believes to be over two centuries of wrong-minded policies, and to turn America and its founding principles on its head as a means to weaken and humble our nation in the process.

Barack Hussein Obama never speaks of a strong America; he never speaks of America being a leader for freedom; but instead he speaks of America as a nation in need of neutering, one to be relegated to be on equal footing (or lower) with even the most rogue of nations. Rather than the Monroe, Truman, JFK, Reagan, and Bush doctrines, which each recognized the greatness of America and sought to protect and champion the cause of freedom and liberty around the globe, Obama's is the new doctrine of "American moral relativism;" rather than being clothed in Old Glory, we are now bathed in sackcloths and ashes, being beaten down and forced to atone for what in Obama's mind are past and unforgivable wrongs. Rather than stand up to tyrants, dictators, and monarchs, he bows before them in supplication. Rather than representing America in strength, he cowers in his own fecklessness.

In an effort to hasten his remaking of America, Obama has even cheapened the very structure, fidelity and integrity of governance, appointing a wide variety of tax scofflaws, avowed communists, and innumerable unelected, unaccountable 'czars' to carry out his policies.

I would therefore submit that, taking into account how he chose to spend his developing years and as is certainly evident in the intent of and in the way he conducts policy, it most veritably can be inferred that Barack Obama isn't necessarily a fan of that for which America has traditionally stood.

In fact, to make the inference that Barack Hussein Obama loves America and all for which it has traditionally stood is certainly more of a stretch of inference than is its corollary.

For Whom The Bell Tolls...

As many of my readers know, I'm a proud member of the Minnesota Patriot Guard. When I came across this story, to say that I was touched by this man who has invested so much time and treasure in honoring the fallen, well, to say that I was touched was an understatement:

Is the Crap & Trade Party Over?

Noel Sheppard has just reported that the thugs who are to soon meet in Copenhagen finally got some pangs of self-interest as they have now thought twice about signing any binding climate change legislation at the upcoming conference:

The decision represents a huge setback to the Obama administration's goal of passing a cap and trade bill this year, which conversely is great news for virtually every company in America that has been worried about the higher cost of doing business that would come from the enactment of such legislation.

As the New York Times reported moments ago:

President Obama and other world leaders have decided to put off the difficult task of reaching a climate change agreement at a global climate conference scheduled for next month, agreeing instead to make it the mission of the Copenhagen conference to reach a less specific "politically binding" agreement that would punt the most difficult issues into the future. [...]

Obama, of course, was going to use agreements made in Copenhagen as a justification for passing the onerous "cap and trade" legislation, that, in his own words, would necessarily "..make the price of energy skyrocket."

This, of course, is yet another political setback for the Obamateur, who will no likely have to kiss a little more ass and bow a few more times to get other world leaders to do his bidding.

Saturday Night at the Funnies...

If I laugh, tis so that I may not weep...Alas,when the world is such, I turn to no one other than the Stooges...

Part 1:



Part 2:

The "Oba-Mao-ssaiah?"

Obamamania has spread to Communist China:

The Chinese have learned English from his speeches and celebrated the way he rolls up his sleeves. Now President Barack Obama is finally coming, and he's being greeted with "Oba Mao" T-shirts and a statue of him that bursts into flames.

Sunday's arrival of a U.S. president admired for his charisma is already a source of profit and brief fame for some Chinese.

Strangest is the burning Obama, tucked away in a Beijing warehouse. Artist Liu Bolin hopes Obama can take time from his visit to drop by.

"He's so hot right now, so I wanted to translate that through my work," said Liu, who was inspired by the idea of the first black U.S. president.[wonder if Liu lit up a cigarette after that--ed.]

I guess hero worship on the part of the Chi-coms for Obama should be no surprise, as the President knowingly appointed a number of Mao worshippers to his own cabinet and cadre of uber czars, so I guess turnabout is fair play.

Oh yeah.. about that flaming Obama statue:

The bronze Obama bust is modeled on Time magazine's "Man of the Year" cover and is speckled with holes for gas that ignites every couple of minutes.

Of course, the true Obama is much the same way. Only most of the 'gas' bloviating from him emanates from his piehole.

And Another One's Under the Bus...

Yes, I know, any news over 24 hours old in the blogosphere is old news. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity brought by the 'resignation' of Anita Dunn to do this song parody:

(image via Scott Thong)

Another One's Under the Bus by Barack Obama
(with apologies to Freddie Mercury)

The Maoist walks up to the podium with the mic pulled way down low
Fawning press thrown at her feet, the presser's ready to go!
Are you ready? Hey, are you ready for this?
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Gonna wage war on ol' Fox News, they'll go down in defeat!
But
Thump-thump-thwump Anita's thrown under the bus..yeah
Thump-thump-thwump And Anita Dunn's under the bus!
And another one gone
And another one down
Another one bites the dust
Hey, Obama's gonna get you too
Another one's under the bus!

How's Obama gonna get along without you when you're gone?
You gave him everything that you had but he kicked you out of his home
Is he happy? Is he satisfied?
How long can he stand the heat?
Out of the bus another corpse slips to the sound of the beat (Look out)
Thump-thump-thwump Another one's under the bus..yeah
Thump-thump-thwump Another one's under the bus..
And another one down
And another one gone
Another one's under the bus!
Hey, Obama's gonna get you too
Another one's under the bus!

HEY
Oh, it's crowded
Bite the dust
Under the bus yeah

Hey
Another one bites the dust
Another one's under the bus, oh
Another one bites the dust, hey, hey
Another one's under the bus, heeeeey
Oh, shoo 'em out!

There are plenty of ways you can hurt a man and throw him to the lost n found
You can ask Jeremiah you can ask Van Jones
Even Grandma hit the ground!
But I'm ready, yes I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet, but
Out of the doorway another corpse slips, repeating the sound of the beat. Oh yeeeah
Thump-thump-thwump Another one's under the bus!
Thump-thump-thwump Another one bites the dust
And another one down
And another one gone
Another one's under the bus
Hey, Obama's gonna get you too
Another one's under the bus
Shoot it
Hey
Alright

For the Veterans...

My unending gratitude toward those who met the calling. Thank you.

A patriotic Canadian friend of mine, now deceased, used to love this poem:


In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Camille Paglia Hits It Spot On.

Camille Paglia is no conservative. In fact, Camille Paglia is no Republican. Camille Paglia is, in fact, a feminist Democrat. That’s why I found her latest piece at Salon.com so fascinating.

When I first saw the article, entitled, “Pelosi’s Victory for Women,” I thought, “Okay, here we go–another Nancy Pelosi mindless puff piece.”

The first two paragraphs certainly did not disappoint:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi scored a giant gain for feminism last weekend. In shoving her controversy-plagued healthcare reform bill to victory by a paper-thin margin, she conclusively demonstrated that a woman can be just as gritty, ruthless and arm-twisting in pursuing her agenda as anyone in the long line of fabled male speakers before her. Even a basic feminist shibboleth like abortion rights became just another card for Pelosi to deal and swap.

It was a stunningly impressive recovery for someone who seemed to be coming apart at the seams last summer, when a sputtering, rattled Pelosi struggled to deal with the nationwide insurgency of town hall protesters — reputable, concerned citizens whom she outrageously tried to tar as Nazis. Whether or not her bill survives in the Senate is immaterial: Pelosi’s hard-won, trench-warfare win sets a new standard for U.S. women politicians and is certainly well beyond anything the posturing but ineffectual Hillary Clinton has ever achieved.

Yep, just a run of the mill flaming lib, blindly singing the phrases of another flaming lib.

But the following paragraph (and thereafter) blindsided my expectations:

As for the actual content of the House healthcare bill, horrors! Where to begin? That there are serious deficiencies and injustices in the U.S. healthcare system has been obvious for decades. To bring the poor and vulnerable into the fold has been a high ideal and an urgent goal for most Democrats. But this rigid, intrusive and grotesquely expensive bill is a nightmare. Holy Hygeia, why can’t my fellow Democrats see that the creation of another huge, inefficient federal bureaucracy would slow and disrupt the delivery of basic healthcare and subject us all to a labyrinthine mass of incompetent, unaccountable petty dictators? Massively expanding the number of healthcare consumers without making due provision for the production of more healthcare providers means that we’re hurtling toward a staggering logjam of de facto rationing. Steel yourself for the deafening screams from the careerist professional class of limousine liberals when they get stranded for hours in the jammed, jostling anterooms of doctors’ offices. They’ll probably try to hire Caribbean nannies as ringers to do the waiting for them.

Read, as they say, the whole thing.

If a feminist liberal democrat like Camille Paglia gets it, are the rest of her liberal cohorts that brain-dead? Or are they merely blinded and necromanced by the promise of a socialist utopia, even if they have to destroy an entire nation to achieve it?

Maybe Bill O'Reilly Will Learn Something From This

They say that if one has too open of a mind, eventually, one's brains will fall out.

Bill O'Reilly says he's fair and balanced one minute, yet also says that he operates the "No Spin Zone" the next.

Bill O'Reilly will often ignore readily available contrary evidence and will himself engage in and/or humor liberal spin in an effort to appear "even handed." For example, O'Reilly will tell you that, despite evidence to the contrary, global warming is real. He will also tell you, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, that Barack Hussein Obama is no socialist.

But when Bill O'Reilly entertained the state-run media notion that Hassan merely snapped "from the weight of bullying and possible deployment," Col. Ralph Peters would have nothing of it:

Note how toward the end of the interview, O'Reilly was backpedaling like a unicyclist at the Ringling Brothers circus trying to evade an escaped lion.

Good on you, Col. Peters!

(Via Newsreal)

What a bunch of INGRATES!

20 years ago, the Berlin wall was torn down; soon before, President Ronald Reagan exhorted Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall!"

It was the genius of Ronald Reagan's policies, coupled with Maggie Thatcher and Pope John Paul II that fostered the conditions that allowed the two Germanys to unite, as East Germany, which was run like a prison by Michael Gorbachev himself, was under the thumb of communist rule.

But what do these low-life scum do as a "thank you" to Ronald Reagan?

They honor another wad of scum, Gorbachev himself:

It was the finale to a day of memorial services, speeches and events that attracted leaders from around the world, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Merkel and 78-year-old Gorbachev stood shoulder to shoulder as they crossed a former fortified border crossing point between East and West Berlin to cheers of "Gorby! Gorby!" bring this up to the first reference to gorby.

[snip]

Merkel, who was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that "before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered."

She lauded Gorbachev, with whom she shared an umbrella amid a crush of hundreds, eager for a glimpse of the man many still consider a hero for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union.

"You made this possible — you courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect," she said.

Even our supposed President, Barack Hussein Obama, gave absolutely no props to Reagan:

In a video messaged screened at the main event, President Barack Obama paid tribute to the dissidents and demonstrators who ushered in the fall of the wall 20 years ago.

"Let us never forget Nov. 9, 1989, nor the sacrifices that made it possible," Obama said to applause and cheers.

Not one mention in the article about Reagan or Thatcher. Not. One.

And don't count on our Alzheimer's-laden secretary of state to recall the real reason for the fall of the Wall & the opening of the Brandenburg Gate:

Clinton paid tribute Germany and other countries who shook loose communist binds.

"We remember the people of the Baltics who joined hands across their land ... we remember the students of Prague who propelled a dissident playwright from a jail cell to the presidency," she said. "And tonight we remember the Germans, and especially the Germans in the East who stood up to say 'No more.'"

Not one mention of Ronald Reagan. Not. One.

Ungrateful. Bastards.

As an Aside..

There will be much speculation and wringing of hands in the State-Controlled media as to what drove the scumbag who greased 12 soldiers and wounded 31 others do what he did. The apologists at the New York Slimes already are making Hasan out as the victim.

What the MSM will never point out, however, was that Nidal Malik Hasan was a devout Muslim. And like any devout Muslim, he apparently had his proclivities and a soft spot in his heart for suicide bombers. From a post of his on Scribd:


(Click for full size)
So was it really angst over possible deployment that made the scumbag closet jihadist Malik Nidal Hasan decide to off 12 innocent soldiers and wound 32 others, or was it rather a secret penchant for 72 virgins and a sudden desire to scream, "Allah Akhbar!" as he performed his evil deed?

AP reports are now saying that Hasan is alive.

It seems that the pathetic jihadist loser couldn't even do suicide right.

Do the Math.

$60 BILLION dollars in Medicare FRAUD every year, vs. $8 billion dollars in insurance profits per year.

Follow the money.

Any wonder why Obama & Company want to expand government control over your health care?

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 11-4-2009

I just got done volunteering at "Monte Carlo Night" at our local St. Cloud V.A. I had a great time interacting with the guys, and they seemed to have a great time, as well. As the proceedings ended, they all thanked us for volunteering; that it meant a lot to them.

You could have knocked me over with a feather. Here were a bunch of guys, many who have been mentally and physically scarred for life in the service of our Country, and they were thanking me, for spending some time with them.

After the SSgt Mike Mills award ceremony last night, I been thinking, and I have found an important common thread. In giving the full measure of their devotion, American veterans would and should not be expected to give any more. They have given until it literally hurt. No one would begrudge their taking it easy, getting on with their lives and pursuing their own interests. But whether it's the American Legion, the Patriot Guard, the VFW, or what have you, one thing I have found about these heroes who have already given a true measure of devotion, is that they keep on giving.

With that thought, I leave you with this week's Wednesday Hero:

Spc. Justin Slagle


Spc. Justin Slagle returns to Forward Operating Base Lane in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter after an air assault mission in the Zabul province of Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2009. Even as leaders in Washington struggle with the next steps in Afghanistan, troops there are moving to better protect the Afghan people by separating them from Taliban influence and intimidation.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

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

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Honoring A Hero Tonight...

I had a very distinct honor and privilege tonight. As you may have noticed on the side bar of this blog, I have maintained a link to and have written about SSgt Mike Mills.

Mike Mills, who was severely wounded in Iraq from an IED in 2005, has not only made a remarkable recovery, but has since dedicated his life to helping other veterans navigate the maze of bureaucracy and paperwork needed to access services in making the transition back to civilian life.

That's why I immediately thought of Mike when I heard about the American Patriot Project, headed by Wes Hazlett. If you haven't heard of Wes Hazlett, it's because he keeps a very low profile. Since this past June, he's put in countless hours, and has donated nearly all his savings (including selling his car and moving into a small apartment) in getting this project off the ground. Hazlett, a former professional baseball player, felt a calling to honor those who have sacrificed so much so that we can live our lives in peace. Hazlett (who until recently co-owned a successful baseball bat manufacturing firm) utilized his connections with the baseball community to build a link between America's pastime and America's heroes, awarding such luminaries with items such as custom bats, opportunities to throw ceremonial first pitches, and baseball tickets.

When I informed Hazlett of Mills, he was immediately interested, and brought Mills' story to the rest of the nominating committee. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mills is the first Minnesotan to receive this honor, and one of only eight people to receive the award across the nation. When I nominated Mills for the award, little did I know that I would have the honor and privilege of actually helping to present the honor to him.
I presented him (and his family) with special T-shirts made only for award recipients
Also on hand were the mayor of Freeport, who declared November 11, 2009 "Mike Mills Day" in Freeport. Governor Pawlenty also wrote a proclamation of support for Mills, and Tara Westby, on behalf of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, read a wonderful proclamation made by Bachmann on the House Floor, to be entered into the Library of Congress.

Bert Blyleven sent this Mills this autographed photo:

Mills also received a special "Patriot" St. Paul Saints jersey, as well as other team jerseys.

Mills, his wife Sukki, and his family were all overcome with emotion, as was I.

I was humbled to have been a part of bestowing this appreciation for the sacrifices that SSgt Mike Mills has and continues to make on behalf of his country and his fellow brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

It was an evening never to be forgotten.

As Wes Hazlett wrote,

Preserving Dignity and Honoring Sacrifice
Wes Hazlett

It is imperative at this critical time for all American's to unite in a most humble and sincere solidarity in honoring our American Veterans who are giving their lives toward our Nation's freedom.

If American citizens were to live with the code of honor and acceptance of the creed and call of duty that our America soldiers live by, there would be no way on God's green earth our enemies would see us as a divided Nation.

We need to fight as citizens for our soldiers in preserving the dignity of our heroes.

We need to be diligent in telling our children what our soldiers are courageously doing in our stead while we partake of the fruits of liberty.

We need to remember the families with sincere admiration for raising their children up as men and women of strong character to defend our American States.

If we do not support and defend the honor of our Veterans from our World War heroes to our Afghanistan war heroes we are going to face a horrendous future in this Nation.

We must not ever become a people who dismiss those who have fought, bled, and suffered great physical and emotional trauma in the defense of America. We must look upon our Soldiers as a testament of our resolve as a people to earnestly defend this Country as a force for good in this world because our founding fathers penned it such.

These American soldiers, many who have who have paid for our freedom with blood, deserve every single American to look them in the eyes with admiration, gratitude, and hospitable grace.

What these few have done for all of us, for our liberty, in these United States, must not ever be discounted and it must never be lightly esteemed.

We must honor our American soldiers and it is our duty and charge to do so because we are American's.

God forbid the alternative.