If Utah doesn’t like how they were treated in the BCS last year, they have two options.  Leave or try to change the system from within.  Either way, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.  These clowns screw up everything they touch, can’t they at least leave college football alone?

The Supreme Court witnesses the State of the Union out of respect for the President.  Regardless of their political beliefs, they sit on their hands and respectfully watch the President of the United States pander to the people, make empty promises, and (at least for this President) espouse the most incoherent and sometimes un-Constitutional policies.  These are not political opponents once they sit on the bench, they are the jurists that make up the highest court in the land.  The State of the Union is no place to try and intimidate them.  It doesn’t take a wise Latina to see that.

Yet President Obama, showing no respect to the court that sat before him, chose to criticize them and their CORRECT INTERPRETATION of the law regarding their recent decision to protect the First Amendment and strike down part of McCain-Feingold.  And he did so not for ideological reasons, but to score political points with union cronies and the Soros-funded left.

Justice Alito apparently mouthed “Not True” in response.  He should have done more.  The entire lot of them should have gotten up and walked out.

It doesn’t take a big man to pick a fight with someone who can’t fight back.  But then this is the same guy who continues to blame his predecessor instead of taking responsibility for himself.  Historically we elect leaders to be our President, in 2008 we got a petty little man instead.

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No, I don’t blame Senator Kennedy for dying.  While I vehemently disagreed with him, I prayed for his recovery when he was sick and prayed for his soul when he passed.  But his desire to maintain his political power is the single greatest reason Scott Brown was elected Senator tonight.  Had Ted Kennedy resigned from the Senate when his health started to fail, with a sympathetic public and ObamaCare far from the top of our minds, he could have hand picked his replacement.  In the bluest of blue states, Ted Kennedy’s chosen successor would almost certainly have won, Massachusetts’ special election would have been some time ago, and no one outside of Massachusetts would know who Scott Brown is.

But that didn’t happen.  Even though he was largely unable to work missing vote after vote, Senator Kennedy kept his seat until the day he died.  That wait, along with Obama’s sinking poll numbers, the public’s anger over government spending and health care, and gaffes by the Coakley campaign created the perfect storm that enabled Ted Kennedy’s seat to become the people’s seat.

It always was the people’s seat.  Whether it was his exuberance for public service or his hubris, Ted Kennedy forgot that.  Those that desire public office should learn well from that mistake.  When you put the people first, the people will reward you.  But when you put your own power first, eventually you will fail.  Ted Kennedy’s greatest dream was reportedly for public health care.  Yet his inability to put the people over himself and retire with dignity may have prevented his dream from becoming reality.

Agree or disagree with ObamaCare, that is not the issue.  Agree or disagree with Ted Kennedy politically, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that the people are served and the people should always be placed above party and political ambition.  That is the message of Scott Brown’s election tonight.

But the Angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas, everyone.  May God Bless you, your family, and our great nation.  And may God Bless all of our men and women serving this nation who are spending their Christmas away from home fighting the evils of this world so that we may not have to.

Yet after all the dithering on his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan (for purely political reasons I might add), where was that inspiration that catapulted his campaign?  Other than a few blind lemmings so desirous of seeing this guy succeed that they would applaud him reading the ingredients list off the back of a frozen tv dinner, where are those who were inspired by his speech last night?  The silence is deafening.

Our troops need the support of the Commander-in-Chief.  Yet this guy can’t muster any excitement or passion for anything other than himself.  So last night’s speech fell flat.  The supposed post-partisan, inspirational, intellectual President is anything but.  He has turned out to be exactly what many of us thought he was… an egomaniacal political hack with a socialist agenda and not much love for his country or desire to see it succeed.

If only he could stomach as much enthusiasm for our troops as he did his own campaign, we might see victory in Afghanistan by 2011.  But “victory” was never mentioned in last night’s speech.  Instead of a motivational rally for the troops, we got the mixed messages of a surge with a definitive endpoint. Instead of a steady hand at the wheel, we got a lecturing panderer who doesn’t have any intention of staying the course or winning the war.  The only real message was telegraphed to our enemies, who were told to stay put as our resolve was coming to a close.

The pundits of the 2008 election were right, America needs an inspirational, intellectual leader who can put politics aside to make the necessary decisions.  Maybe we’ll finally get that in 2012. We certainly didn’t get it in 2008.

“They’re arming themselves with the most powerful weapon out there… devotion.”

I never really knew what happened on base.  I traveled to the PX or bowling alley with friends and watched the fireworks on the 4th of July.  I heard the guns go off many nights, and watched the helicopters fly overhead.  But Camp Lejeune was another world to me then.  It still is today.

I don’t know what its like to sign up to protect our nation with the distinct knowledge that one day your life may be on the line.  I don’t know what its like to suit up, ship out and do the difficult things necessary to keep our country free.  I don’t know what its like to be away from your family for months at a time, never knowing if you will see your children or wife again.  I can’t imagine storming the beaches of Normandy, hiding in a jungle in Vietnam or avoiding IEDs in some middle eastern town.

I really don’t know what you do or all that you sacrifice, but I thank God everyday for your service and pray every night that your brethren return home.

And today we celebrate those who did come home, who did serve proudly and did make the commitment to keep us all safe.  They do what they do so the rest of us never have to.  So we can go on with our lives, ignorant of the true costs of freedom.

I don’t know what you do, but I know the freedom that I enjoy.  On behalf of my wife and my young son, thank you for what you have done.  Thank you for what you continue to do.  God Bless you for your service.

Happy Veterans Day.

Final Vote Results for HR 3962

I had to apologize to my son after the vote.  We failed him.  And it is his and his childrens’ generation that will pay the consequences.  I’m not opposed to health care reform, but I am opposed to the destruction of liberty.  Liberty that my son is promised by the Constitution.  Liberty that at 11pm this evening, the House of Representatives voted to take away.

If you don’t think this is a serious issue, READ THE BILL.  Read the mandated fines that you will pay if you don’t opt-in to the system.  And if you fail to pay the fines, read about possibility of a $250.000 penalty and 5 year prison sentence.  Read about the sweeping powers of Health Commissions to force you into plan, force you out of the plan you currently have, force you into specific coverages, doctors or treatments.  Study the drastic increases in taxes that will come from this bill.  Understand that premiums for people my age and younger will double.  Consider how it would feel to have a government bureaucrat deny your request for experimental treatment or life-saving surgery.

If the bill was so good, why did they have to vote on it at 11pm on a Saturday night?  If the bill was so good, why didn’t the majority give us 72 hours to read the entire bill including all amendments as promised?  If the bill was so great, why was the there bipartisan OPPOSITION to the bill with only one Republican vote in favor?

Yes America, we need health care reform.  Tonight proved we need to reform Congress first.  Representative Joseph Cao of Louisiana, we’re coming after you first.

The message should have been clear with the 2008 nomination of John McCain.  Apparently the power brokers in NY23 didn’t get that message.  So without a primary or public support, they nominated an ACORN-backed, Abortion Supporting, Gay Marriage Supporting, Stimulus Supporting, Tax and Spend RINO.  To the NY23 GOP, power was more important than principle.  They have now lost both.

No, Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman didn’t win.  Whether it was the brevity of his campaign, the influx of national attention on a local race, or Scozzafava’s last minute support for the Democrat, we will never know.  But even in loss, the Conservative candidate won.  GOP precincts across the country will think long and hard about appointing one of their own instead of supporting the people.  Party label is no longer enough.  We won’t rubber stamp the GOP candidate any more.

Despite being outspent 3-1, Republican Chris Christie received nearly 100,000 votes more than Liberal Democrat Jon Corzine.  In a state that Barack Obama won easily and is strongly in the Blue category, Republicans can win when they have Conservative support.

The margin of victory in the Virginia governor’s race was even larger.  In a state that Barack Obama carried by 235,527 votes, Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell defeated his liberal challenger by 325,794 votes.  That’s a party swing of more than 560,000 votes (24%) and something that cannot easily be ignored.  If you want to understand the difference in these Party results just look at the difference between the Republican contenders – Bob McDonnell is a Conservative, John McCain clearly is not.

And in my little county in North Carolina, a school board that has been controlled by liberals for years saw Conservative momentum challenge it and change the balance of power in one election cycle.  Parents were fed-up with a ridiculous buearacracy that continually called for increased taxes and wasteful spending while ignoring the wills of its constituents.  And a so-called “diversity” program that was a nightmare for students and a challenge to common sense.

Even in the Hoffman loss, Conservatives won.  The message to Washington and the Republican Party is clear.  Listen to the people, stand on principles, be responsible with the power we have given you.  If you don’t, you will lose.

The TEA Parties and the 9/11 Projects were a resounding success.  Dismiss the numbers and the participants if you want, but there is little denying that the town hall meetings and protests during August made a difference.  Obama/PelosiCare may pass the House with a public option, but the Senate is not so certain and many Blue Dogs, Independents and Conservatives are fighting back against the redistribution and the waste.  Just the fact that Obama’s socialized medicine plans were delayed this long show the power on our side.

But if politics are local, its not the national stage to search for the effectiveness of a revolution.  The place to look is locally… and locally the evidence is clear.

Wake County North Carolina has seen a concerted revolt against the liberal school board.  Issues such as quota based busing and spending caused a flank of Conservative-leaning candidates to run, and win.  Assuming John Tedesco wins the run-off tomorrow in Wake County District 2 the make-up of the school board would be drastically different with 4 of the 9 seats changing hands (and philosophies).  For the first time in years parents who have been fighting against the left-leaning school board will actually have a voice.

Tomorrow residents of Virginia will elect a new governor.  Just one year ago Barack Obama carried Virginia and even named the current governor to lead the Democratic Party.  Now, 12 months later, Barack Obama’s choice for governor is all but assured defeat, and anti-Obama Conservative is ready to take back this previously red state.  The GOP Candidate McDonnell may not just win, but win big, with some pundits predicting a GOP victory in all Commonwealth races.

New Jersey’s governor’s mansion is up for grabs as well.  Incumbent Multi-Millionaire Jon Corzine campaigned with President Obama twice this past weekend.  Even though Jersey is a very blue state and Corzine has outspent rival Chris Christie by 3 to 1, Christie is actually ahead in the latest polls (although within the margin of error).  Is Jersey finally ready for real change?  Even if Christie loses, the fact that he made the race close is a sign of Conservative momentum and an early verdict on the Obama administration.  But if Chris Christie pulls off the win, the message to Washington will be crystal clear… the American people are awake, and we are not going to take it anymore.

No where else is there greater evidence of Conservatives standing up and opposing politics as usual than the NY-23.  The tone-deaf Republican Party nominated the abortion supporting, tax raising, ACORN backed RINO Dede Scozzafava for New York’s 23rd district special congressional election.  Other than Newt Gingrich’s ill-advised support, the Scozzafava nomination and campaign fell flat and Conservatives propelled their own candidate, Doug Hoffman, into front-runner status.  And once again the message to Washington and the party establishment is clear.  Enough is enough.

Interestingly enough, Dede Scozzafava dropped out of the race this weekend and announced her support for the Democrat candidate, giving additional weight to the RINO calls against her and adding additional credence to the largely held Conservative belief that the Republican Party has lost its way.

In race after race, this off election year may prove decidedly important.  From local school boards to congressional seats and a couple governor’s races… the American people have their first chance to send a message to the Obama administration and the political powers that be.  Only hindsight will tell if this revolution will last or the message will be clear, but momentum is on our side.  From TEA Parties to local races, Americans are taking a stand.  The question remains if we are strong enough and dedicated enough to keep up the fight.  The Republican Party better take notice.  They can stand with us or against us.  But we will no longer sit quietly by.  From grass roots to the Garden State, Conservatives are taking the country back.

Embedding something into entertainment plants a seed that has value in ways a (PSA) doesn’t. You’re not beating someone over the head with it,” says CSI: NY’s Hill Harper.

“Why not use what we do best — storytelling — as a way to promote this, and do it in a way that reaches the most people,” [ABC Head of Scheduling] Bader says.

I can visualize the e-mails I’m going to receive now, so before you get your panties in a bunch, I’m not complaining about volunteerism.  Volunteering is great and I appreciate the spirit behind these efforts.  But, what if the Hollywood liberal elites next decide to join a coordinated effort to push homosexual marriage?  What if they decide to coordinate a message that marijuana use is ok?  What if they decide to work together to “plant seeds” opposing religion and criticizing your faith?    What if they choose next to propel the idea that everyone should be covered by socialized health care and opposition to it is racist and wrong?  What if they join together to promote one candidate over another during a pivotal national election?

oh wait… did they do all that already?

My problem with this is a bunch of people who likely only volunteer when there are cameras around (or when fulfilling court-ordered community service) telling the rest of us in “flyover” country what to think and how to act.  President Barack Obama and his wife (who helped spearhead this whole campaign) didn’t give squat to charity (as a percentage of income) until he started running for President.  Joe Biden gave even less… much less.  Yet these are the people telling us what we should do with our money and our time?

There isn’t a problem with volunteerism in this nation… not in this Christian nation anyway.  Visit virtually any church (except those saying G-D America) on any given Sunday and you will hear announcement after announcement about mission trips, volunteer work, and community involvement.  We don’t need some sanctimonious Hollywood liberal to push us into doing the right thing.  We try and do the right thing everyday.  It’s not just something to fill time between DNC fundraisers, lavish parties and support for a child rapist.  Most of us plant our “seeds” for a greater purpose than good PR or whether Aston Kutcher will like us or not.

And countless other Americans volunteer their time, their treasure and their blood… not for recognition or a free trip to Disney World, but because it is something they want to do.  As a nation we are the most generous people in the world.  But that doesn’t fit the narrative of the liberal elite who desperately want to demonize our people to feel better about their lives.  And it certainly doesn’t fit with the message of this President who feels he needs to “remake America” and save us from ourselves.

The leftists have already put their concerted Hollywood effort behind the  “Green” movement.  Over the last few years they have “donated” a week or so where every program has some message about climate change and the little tv logos (affectionately referred to as bugs) in the corners are colored green in case the stupid viewers at home didn’t get the message.  We shouldn’t pay attention to the fact that Scientists actually disagree with the whole concept of man made global warming, and the left elites have ulterior motives for pushing this green agenda.

I don’t think the volunteerism push is as complex as the promotion of the “green” agenda.  In this case, the problem is not the message, but the messenger, and the precedent being set for future coordinated efforts.  If we don’t pay attention to the seeds being “planted” in our children about volunteerism… will we sit equally silent when the message is more sinister?  These are the same people telling us that Global Warming skeptics are akin to Holocaust deniers… and if you disagree with this President you are stupid.  Today’s message is volunteerism, but what will tomorrow’s be?  Just wait until gay marriage is on the ballot again or the next election cycle heats up.

If the government and the entertainment industry can come together to bring about a message, any message, you have to wonder what slippery slope we are on.  And you really have to be concerned about what’s coming next.

It’s Balloon Boy!

It’s Falcon (the Balloon Boy)!

Fort Collins Falcons – Home of Balloon Boy

Also New This Week:

• Bacon is Good for Me!
• Vampire Obama
• Liberty Sucking Obama Bat
• I’ll Keep My Guns, You Keep Your Change

The announcement of Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize proves once again that he is Jimmy Carter 2.0.  At least the Nobel Committee waited until Carter screwed up our country and became the laughing stock of the world and champion of terrorists everywhere before giving him the prize.  I guess Obama’s rhetoric and International Apology Tour was evidence enough that his Presidency will be an abject failure that there is no need to wait until the failure is complete.

One thing is certain, neither the Nobel Committee nor the International Community at large have America’s best interests at heart.  Much like the UN, they are by-and-large Anti-American, Anti-Semitic, Socialist-Loving weak-kneed buffoons who want nothing more than to see America topple and the communtarianism of the globe.  Anyone who understands the reality of the world will understand that this is not an honor for our nation, but additional evidence that Obama’s Presidency is a disaster.