The Chief's View

40 Days for Life Starts

2010-02-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

The local paper, The Commercial Appeal ran a front page story on the benefits of genetic testing allowing you to abort your child. Multiple references to people who benefited from killing their baby rather than raising one that is "defective." Stories on the 40 Days for Life protest starting today at Planned Parenthood in Memphis? Zero. Not a whisper in the whole paper. Even the story on Lent spoke of feeding the poor and doing good works, but nothing Pro-Life.

Especially loved the couple who screened embryos to have 2 children free from Huntington's, saying "Huntington's is done killing people in my family." Yes, killing your family became your job.

Instead of Sarah Palin's "Trig is perfect in our eyes" will he look at the children he chose to allow to live and say "you're perfect to us. If you weren't, we would have killed you before you had the chance to breath"?

This has to stop. We have created a society where life is less important than convenience. Pray and stand with us this Lent. There is probably a vigil near you, or just add your voice in prayer...

http://www.40daysforlife.com/

"This Can't Be Right…"

2009-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of having raised conservative daughters, and having fostered good reading habits at an early age, is that sometimes they find books that Dad would like to try. Of course, this has the added benefit of being one less they have to buy, but can borrow from me when I am done. Some of these are political or historical in nature.

The latest book my youngest wanted me to get is Why I Turned Right, edited by Mary Eberstadt. It's a collection of essays from leading Baby Boomer Conservatives telling what lead them to our side. I just started, so I can't really recommend it yet, but it reads well so far.

The thing that prompted this post, though, was a line from the introduction. Eberstadt relates how she finally reached her "Tipping Point." At the suggestion of a conservative professor she read Roe v. Wade, and began thinking "This can't be right." This was followed by years of hearing feminists cheer for abortion culminated by attending a rigged "debate" between a Baptist preacher and a feminist, surrounded by the standard issue liberal mob of booing, jeering hoodlums. At that point she thought, "Whatever else may be true or false, knowable or unknowable, this abortion thing just can't be right."

Earlier she had quoted contributor Joseph Bottum: "Real conservatism usually begins when you find in yourself a limit, a place beyond which you will not go." This was her place. Here is where she turned, and began her journey to the right.

This touched a chord. I lived through the Carter-Reagan years. Active Duty Navy at the time, I remember the "cloud" that hung over the services during the Carter years, feeling we were the bastard step-children of our country. I remember the difference when Reagan took office, like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders, like we were appreciated again. I remember the whole country having a resurgence of pride, and hope, and spirit. You think "God Bless The USA" would have caught fire during the Carter Years?

Most of all, I remember the last year of the Carter Administration. I remember the shame and anger at the nightly broadcast of what later became Nightline, "The Iran Crisis—America Held Hostage: Day xxx". Each day the count went up, each day becoming more shameful. I remember wondering how we, the greatest country on the face of the earth, could stand by and watch that number grow to become an eventual 444 days! I watched Carter bumble through the crisis, making us look weak and ineffectual, and thought to myself, "This can't be right."

Evidently enough of the rest of the country thought so, as Carter was sent away (unfortunately not to be never heard from again) and the country rallied around Ronald Reagan. The hostages were handed over before the echoes of the Oath of Office had faded. This was followed by a lightning-quick response to the invasion of Grenada; the slap-down of Muammar al-Gaddafi that resulted in his largely behaving himself (up until our invasion of Iraq convinced him to give up his nuclear program and become one of the good guys, or as close to that as he can get); and ultimately resulting in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall. America was strong and confident again, its people knew it, and so did the rest of the world. All of this because the country rose up in the realization that "This can't be right."

I see a very real possibility that this is happening again. We are in the second term of President Carter with a vengeance. Every lame-brain, feel-good, socialist, unionist, nanny-state program is being rammed through; in the hope that they can subject us all to socialist rule before we know what hit us. BHO is busy overturning and erasing almost every policy, program, and institution that Bush has put in place over the last 8 years.

The Left is in power, and they are still pissed off that Bush won (read "stole the election") in 2000, added to Republican control of Congress in 2002, and screwed them out of the White House and denied them the Congress again in 2004. On top of all this he placed 2 relatively young and conservative Justices on the Supreme Court, one as Chief Justice, ensuring that they would be stung by the repercussions of his administration with every Court decision for years to come. But they are in control now, and they are hell-bent to erase as much of his legacy as they can.

Protection of embryos from stem cell research: Gone! Gitmo: Gone! Not using tax-payer dollars to fund the murder of countless unborn children overseas: Gone! Tax breaks for the people who actually create jobs and make the economy work: Gone! Respect for our allies, and fear instilled in those who would harm us: Gone!

All this and more in less than 2 months. Just imagine what they could have accomplished by now if the could get a cabinet in place, instead of having to back-up and nominate someone else to take the place of the nominee who went up in flames, who was nominated in place of the nominee who pulled his name out of contention because he was going to go up in flames, ad infinitum…

But I see signs that the people are getting wise. The scales are falling from their eyes. People are starting to realize what "Change" really means. They are watching the country being transformed into something unrecognizable, and thinking that this is NOT what they thought they were voting for. Tea Parties are beginning to rattle those not completely committed to the far left, or at least those who are more committed to their political survival than Pelosi's agenda. The outrage is building, the disillusionment, and the dawning awareness that "This can't be right."

The one thing that is constant about the Left is that, when they are in power, they overreach. They can't slowly transform the country; they have to do it overnight. They can't roll-out each program separately; they have to ram them all down our throats at the same time. It's as if they realize that they will never get away with it all if they don't hurry up and do it before the people catch on. And they are right.

The Left accuse Bush of taking on to much by invading Iraq before he was finished with Afghanistan. But here they are, doing the social and financial equivalent of Bush attacking Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Hamas, Libya, Syria, and the Soviet (sorry, I meant Russian) forces in Georgia simultaneously.

And the result of this is the people realizing "This can't be right." In less than 2 months we have gone from "Yes, we can" to "Do we really want to?" The country is coming to the realization that this is not what they thought they were getting. Ramming all of this down our throats is resulting in the inevitable reaction, the gag reflex kicking in, and the people are beginning to squirm, to resist, to fight back.

I see a very real possibility of BHO being a one term President, of the Left loosing their hold on Congress, of the Carter years repeating themselves and resulting in a Conservative Resurgence. We may have to go through our equivalent of the Iran Crisis or, God forbid, another 9/11 (something I fear is increasingly in our future) before it happens. And we need a true conservative to lead the way. Our 21st Century Reagan, not another "bi-partisan, acceptable to the left, middle-of-the-road" politico, constantly shifting positions to find the best "fit" for the latest poll and earn the admiration of ABC/NBC/CBS; but someone who will capture the hearts and minds of our party.

It can happen. I think it will. The people are starting to question what is going on, they are reaching their tipping point, their limit. They are fast approaching the place beyond which they will not go, they are saying "This can't be right."

It's not, but we can change it. The countdown to 2010 starts now.

Making up rights...

2009-03-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

In the grand tradition of the Supreme Court making up a right to privacy and a right to kill your unborn child, the St. Petersburg Times recently urged the Florida Legislature to rescind the 2006 law banning handgun permits from being a matter of public record. In the editorial the newspaper said:

The right to carry a concealed weapon should not trample the right to know who has a permit to carry one.

What? Now there's a right to know if I have a carry permit? Really?

What burns me up is that these are the same bozos that would be first in line to defend a child-molester's right to privacy if someone said that they should have a sign up on their house saying "I molest children." It doesn't matter that he fondled and/or raped five 10-year old boys and girls, he's sorry about it, so you can't embarrass him!

The inmates are definitely running the asylum.

The Audacity of Arrogance

2009-03-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Watching Christina Romer, Obama's chairman of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, speak about the administrations wildly optimistic economic assumptions last week I was struck with just how much I wanted to smack her upside the head. The smug, we are so smart, grin on her face as she went on about how they had “inside information” because they “knew the plan” was so typical of all the liberals these days. Schumer, Pelosi, the Obamessiah himself, all of them have this self-satisfied, “I'm so much smarter than you” smile while they speak down at the people they are supposed to be serving.

A bit later in the broadcast a member of the Heritage Foundation commented that he found the administration's attitude “arrogant.” The light-bulb went on. That's what has been bugging me about That One, his talking heads, Pelosi, Reid, Schumer, all of these smug, grinning, pains-in-my-ass. They are all, to the last one of them, insufferably arrogant. They smile at us like we are all brain-addled cretins who have not yet seen the light. They dismiss our concerns because we are just not as smart, or as caring, or as holy as they are...

What is really strange about these people is that deep down they tend to dismiss religions as being over-judgmental, but I have NEVER seen any preacher, priest, Pope, or religious leader as sanctimonious and holier-than-thou as this crop of what Ann Coulter rightly calls “high priests of the Church of Liberalism .” Or is it now the high priests of the Church of Obamaism?

It takes the AP to be this oblivious...

2009-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Marine audience at Camp Lejeune applauded President Barack Obama's announcement today that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq. As the U.S. miliary misssion shifts under the new president, Lejeune will send about 8,000 Marines to Afghanistan this Spring. (Photo by Gerry Broome / AP)

Does this look like applause to you?

The Law Of Unintended Consequences

2009-02-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by the end of August 2010.

Sign on office door of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, "Out for Vacation. Will return 9/1/2010"

Barry, Try "Just A Dog"

2009-02-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

An indication of how disconnected from every-day life these people are:

AP- WASHINGTON — This isn’t just another wag-the-tail story: The Obamas are
getting a dog in April and are looking for a rescue Portuguese Water Dog

A rescue Portuguese Water dog? Really? A $1800.00 and up rescue dog?

From Wikipedia:

"The Portuguese Water Dog is a fairly rare breed; only 15 entrants for
Portuguese Water Dogs were made to England's Crufts competition in 2002."

How long do you really think a rare, $1800-2500 dog is going to stay in the pound?

Mr. President, if you really want the karma, brownie-points, or just personal satisfaction in having helped a creature in need, why not consider the All-American mutt. A "Heinz 57". You know, just a dog.

Believe me, nothing is like the feeling when this "whatever it is" fuzz ball becomes a beloved part of your family, and it dawns on you that without you it's fate would probably have been euthanasia and the trash heap. If a Portuguese Water Dog ever sees the inside of a pound, I'm sure it wouldn't be in much danger of not being taken in.

Our latest, Samson, was saved on a whim. We had just built our new home, and were driving by the pound. We had spoken before about getting another dog, as our Border Collie was getting on in years. I said we need to go by the new pound sometime and there it is, and my wife said”let's go now, just to see what they have.” No intention of getting a dog just then... Right.

Mind you, we wanted a change, a short-haired, small dog. A lap dog. We came across this little, pitiful little thing. A little skittish, but not too scared. More like he was just REALLY miserable about where he was. Turns out he was the last of a litter taken away from people who were abusing the parents. Not beating them, and not hurting the pups, just not feeding them well, giving them proper shelter, general neglect.

Well, cutting to the chase, we brought him home. Sweet little guy, around 4-pounds, short-hair, “shouldn't get very big.” You know how this is going to turn out, don't you? Turns out he was pretty sick, vet wasn't sure he would make it. We got him well. He started eating good. Started growing...

Well, we got the short-haired dog we wanted...

An additional 70-pounds later, we wouldn't change a thing. We are so happy we saved him, and hate thinking what would have happened to that “runt” if we hadn't. Donna calls him the son I never had.

Do the right thing, Barry. I guarantee the kids will love it, and you'll have really rescued something, at very little cost. Might like it better than what you are doing now.

RNC Chairman Steele Open To Shunning?

2009-02-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

Neil Cavuto interviewed our new RNC Chairman, and pried this out of him:

So it looks like he'll follow the lead of the states. As I said before, shunning is the time honored way of dealing with people like this. Let's hope their states make the right decision, and ask the RNC to withhold funding for The Turncoat Caucus!

Logic Lacking In Drive AGAINST Gun Bills

2009-02-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

The TN GOP, despite being hamstrung by the traitorous actions of their Speaker, is trying to move forward on some of the issues that ex-Speaker Naifeh had blocked for years. One of these issues has been the right to carry your handgun, after jumping through all the required wickets to qualify for a carry permit, into restaurants that serve alcohol or in parks. Of course, this immediately drives the liberals up the wall, causing them to rant about the evil of guns, and how we must immediately ban them from all aspects of society. After all, if we pass enough restrictions on gun rights the criminals will be certain to lay down their arms! They certainly wouldn't want to break the law while they break the law, would they?

The Commercial Appeal Editorial column today (2/20/2009) was typical insanity from the left. The quote "Do we really want loaded handguns on the golf course? At our favorite picnic sites? On the sidelines of our kid's soccer games? At the table next to us at our favorite steakhouse?" is prime example of liberal lack of logic. Dear Commercial Appeal; NEWS BULLETIN, the handguns are already there! It's just the trained, law-abiding citizen who doesn't have them! The guy at the next table has one, but he's a gang-banger! These people actually believe that there are no guns in Overton Park, simply because the law says that you can't have them there! They are already are there. The crooks have them. All you are managing to do is keep the law abiding citizen from having them. The bad guys are laughing...

They also argue that the provision banning guns in a restaurant serving alcohol after 11 pm is a concession to the "fact" that guns are dangerous at anytime. Please. Actually, that provision is stupid. I should be able to carry my legal, licensed pistol anywhere, at any time. Again, the criminals do already.

Finally, the editorial points out that one of the measures under discussion "is in reaction to the recent discovery by permit holders of an electronic database on The Commercial Appeal's Web site listing what has been a public record. One hopes that the backlash over that discovery will give way to some thought about the consequences of handgun proliferation."

No, CA, one would have hoped that your political bias against citizens legally and responsibly possessing guns would not have led to your making it easy for anyone with a web connection to get the NAME AND CITY of any person who has a carry permit. For those of you unaware of this move, or living somewhere other than the Greater Memphis Area, the CA recently the ability for you to see who has carry permits to their site! I went there, punched "gun owners" into the search box, and got a link to the data base. Punched in one of the local zip codes and got the names of two carry permit holders. Clicked details on one and got this (name removed because i care about this citizen's safety, even if the CA doesn't!):

Last Name XXXXXX
First Name XXXXXX
Middle Name
Suffix
Birth year 1974
City MILLINGTON
State TN
ZIP 38054
Issue Date 11/17/2006
Exp Date 11/7/2010

Isn't that special? The TN GOP must have thought so, because they are proposing a measure that "would create an exception to the public records law for the list of Tennesseans with handgun carry permits. It would also criminalize the publication of that list." Of course, the CA sees this as an assault on their First Amendment rights to provide information to criminals on citizens daring to exercise their Second Amendment rights! Looking at some of the comments at the end of this editorial, I would say your readers don't agree.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me close by stating that I do not have a carry permit. I work on a military installation, and don't really go to the city much (and almost never after dark), so my need for one is negligible. I do however, own a handgun, and have for around a quarter-century. Since my oldest daughter is a bit younger than that, and has survived being in the same house as a loaded weapon all that time, I don't buy the "guns in the home kill kids" meme. I still have it, loaded, and nothing stands in the way of my using it quickly in my family's defense. I just hope the poor bastard that comes up against it in the middle of the night is a Commercial Appeal reader, and that he checked to see if I was in that silly database. SURPRISE!!!!

The Turncoat Caucus

2009-02-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

That's what Michelle Malkin called them, and she is right. They joined with the Democrats, providing them with the cover they wanted. Now they can call this a "bipartisan" stimulus.

If you are thinking shunning is a good idea, and are wondering where to start, here you go...

Arlen Specter

Olympia Snowe

Susan Collins

Add them to your wall of shame. They should not be identified as republicans, and the party should turn their backs on them and do EVERYTHING possible to replace them with true conservatives.

Let's try shunning...

2009-02-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia:

Shunning is the act of deliberately avoiding association with, and habitually keeping away from an individual or group. It is a sanction against association often associated with religious groups and other tightly-knit organizations and communities. Targets of shunning can include, but are not limited to apostates, whistleblowers, dissidents, people classified as "sinners" or "traitors" and other people who defy or who fail to comply with the standards established by the shunning group(s). Shunning has a long history as a means of organizational influence and control.

Sounds like this might be the solution to what Michelle Malkin quite accurately dubbed "The Turncoat Caucus" today. She also provides a link to a pdf file containing the 778-page bill that will come up for a vote tomorrow thanks to them.

These three, and any other squishes that think we really need to cross the aisle in this time, should be considered dead to the Party. No one should work with them, they should get no aid from any true conservative when next they run, and we should immediately start looking for a viable, CONSERVATIVE to run against them.

I don't know if shunning would really do any good, but the idea sure sounds good to me.

Keep Gitmo Open

2009-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sign the petition at Move America Forward

Incidental stimulus

2009-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Tax attorney's business is on the rise due to all the Democrats having to amend past returns, take care of fines, and pay past taxes.

H&R Block to Congress: "We're cool, don't worry about us!"

And THIS is 3rd in line?

2009-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

The brilliant Ms Pelosi:

Maybe the extra 197 million are in the extra 7 states BHO knows about?

When the going gets tough…

2009-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Today I wake up to this in today's paper, an AP report on how the messiah had to flee the pressures of his job. I have to stop reading the paper when I'm trying to brush my teeth, I'm getting tired of having to clean expelled toothpaste from the mirror so I can shave.

After 2 weeks on the job, BHO couldn't handle the load anymore, so he and Michelle "bolted the gated compound" and disrupted a local public school. Too bad they couldn't bring Malia and Sasha, could have been a good "teaching moment" on how the Simple Folk go to school. In full fawning mode, AP reporter Ben Feller relates how "On the rockiest day of his young administration," the President did what surely made him happy, he left.

Is this how he's going to react to pressure? Is this what he calls pressure? What's he going to do when things really get rocky? Where's he going to go if and when, God forbid, we get hit again and hundreds or thousands of us lay dead or dying?

It's going to be a looonnnggg 4 years...