To Clint and Heather Larson

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Clint and Heather - I don't want to devastate you further. I wish I could assure you that your baby will be okay, but I can't.

The Leech Lake Reservation is so bad, that even my husband, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe from Leech Lake, took our kids far from it and wrote in his will that he did NOT want the grand kids that he had legal custody of (through ICWA, of course) to go back there when he died.

He passed away four years ago and how I managed to keep his grand kids is still a mystery to us. The Lord definitely had his hand in it. We imagine that the Mpls. Star and Tribe series, "The Lost Youth Of Leech Lake," which came out just two months before he passed away also brought such bad publicity to the tribe that they simply decided not to fight with us.

I strongly urge you to continue to fight for this little boy. It will be hard enough for him having to deal with the affects of having been born with substances in his system. But being in Cass Lake on top of it....

You said on the news that you want to fight to make sure this doesn't happen to any more children. We are also trying to fight for the children. I have a grandson now who, at 1/4 blood quantum, is enrollable. If anything should happen to his parents, I WILL fight the tribe tooth and nail and I WILL defy the law if it came down to it. We would like to work with you in your battle.
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Sarah Palin's Church torched - but no one is hurt.

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Friday night, Sarah Palin's church in Wasilla was torched by an arsonist. The Wasilla Bible Church has an estimated $1 million worth of damage and the Wasilla fire chief has said that the fire was "definitely suspicious."

The anger directed at Sarah Palin during the campaign was unwarranted. Apparently, a lot of people hate Christians.

But Sarah has said to have faith in "the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good."

Pastor Larry Kroon told KTUU TV, "I've had a lot worst calls at night. When one of your parishioners dies or loses a child, it's a whole different thing than the building's on fire."

Give thanks to God for everything. Praise God for His goodness. Sarah is right, good will come out of this evil.

Please pray protection for Sarah, her family and her church and that God come against those that would try to hurt them. But also pray for those that set the fire. They must have a lot of anger and pain in their hearts to have done something like this. They really need Jesus Christ.

So many people in our country are lost without Jesus Christ. It's the only explanation for the amount of anger they have when confronted with the Holy Spirit, indwelling in a person such as Sarah. She's someone they can't touch - at least not that they can see. She doesn't react to their barbs. So they just get angrier and angrier.

Dear God, please Bless Sarah, and give her - our Esther - as well as her husband - her protector - all the strength and wisdom necessary for the job you have set before them.

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Today is "Day to Work for Pay!"

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I'm excited to go to work today! What a beautiful day to wake up, have a cup of joe and drive to work. Doesn't matter to me if it's snowing and cold or rainy and wet or hot and dry. Every day that I am blessed with privilege to go to work and make a living is a great day. Thank God I live in a country where so many jobs are available, so many grocery stores are so well stocked with food, and where I have the freedom to pass from town to town without being stopped by road side guards. I am not in high danger of being kidnapped, or car bombed, or even stoned.
Praise God! We live in a great Country.

Further more, I am so happy seeing the wonderful nativity scenes depicting the historical couple, Joseph and Mary with their little baby Jesus. This is truly a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose again for us.

It's snowing where we live. I love celebrating a white Christmas.

May God continue to bless and be with us here in America, guiding us in all that we do.
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For Immediate Release: Lawsuit re: National Bison Range

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LAWSUIT TO BLOCK TRIBAL TAKEOVER OF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Bison Range Deal Cedes “Inherently Federal” Functions and Bars Public Oversight

Washington, DC — A Bush administration deal giving operational control over the National Bison Range to a Montana tribe for the next three years is illegal, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). This precedent-setting arrangement has national repercussions, as another 18 refuges in 8 states, constituting 80% of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System, are eligible for similar tribal agreements. So are 57 National Parks in 19 states, including parks such as Redwood, Glacier, Voyageurs, Olympic and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Plaintiffs bringing the suit feature four former Bison Range refuge managers whose tenures span 40 years, a former Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System and Nathaniel Reed, former Assistant Interior Secretary during the Nixon and Ford administrations, as well as a current Bison Range employee whose job is being displaced. The suit cites violations of federal laws which –

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  Forbid outsourcing “inherently federal functions” as well as require that operational control of all refuges remain with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service;


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  Ensure public access to financial and other records maintained by federal contractors and mandate a full and open review of environmental impacts of major federal actions; and


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  Shield federal employees from job loss at the direction of groups outside the federal government and guarantee return rights once the agreement ends.

“The National Bison Range agreement improperly contracts out operation of a major federal facility without adequate oversight to protect taxpayers,” stated PEER senior counsel Paula Dinerstein, who filed the action today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “Ceding substantial control over a national refuge requires an act of Congress and cannot legally be given away in a closed-door deal.”

Negotiated with top U.S. Interior Department officials, the Bison Range agreement transfers all jobs, except for a Refuge Manager and deputy, to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). This agreement, which takes full effect in January, is a successor to a more limited FY 2005 agreement which the Fish & Wildlife Service summarily rescinded in December 2006 citing a host of performance-related issues on the part of the Tribe, as well as reported mistreatment of FWS employees by the CSKT.

“This arrangement seems designed to settle a political debt rather than enhance the refuge mission,” Dinerstein added. “In fact, the agreement itself concedes that wildlife-related services will likely suffer.”

Called the crown jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Bison Range is one of the nation’s oldest refuges and celebrated its centennial this past May. .

###
See the PEER suit
http://www.peer.org/docs/nwr/08_8_12_bison_range_complaint_.pdf
Look at who are the key plaintiffs
http://www.peer.org/docs/nwr/08_8_12_bison_range_case_plaintiffs.pdf
Learn more about the Bison Range agreement
http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1105



ALSO SEE: Dying in Indian Country - The National Bison Range

Call Your State or Federal Legislator Today and Tell Them What to Do.

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Being elected to Congress or the State Legislature is a wonderful and exciting opportunity, but it brings with it heavy responsibility.

With the pressures today's seat holders carry, it would be much easier to submit to what seems most popular rather than what is truly best. I pray that our legislators remember their constituents and what is their real needs are.

The proper care of all constituents is an extremely heavy responsibility and one that I admit I am grateful I don't have to carry. It's all too easy when under stress to give up, give in and just let something slide. They need to be reminded and encouraged to do the work your friends and neighbors want done.

Hurry now, if you haven't already, and contact your US Senator, Congressman, and State Legislator about the issues that are very important to you. They are putting bills together right now for the 2009 legislative sessions. They need to hear from you. Some states only allow their legislators to submit a certain number of bills. Make sure that your bill is one of them.
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Wal-mart Line-Jumpers were Horrible, Selfish Jerks

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The fate of a Wal-mart employee, trambled by shoppers the day after Thanksgiving, is now being used to bolster the personal agendas of various interests.

Parade magazine blamed "shopoholics." As if it some type of illness that bears no responsibility.

A column in The New York Post blamed "anxiety about the economy." Again, not the shopper's fault.

The New York Times, consistent idiots that they are, blamed President Bush for encouraging people to continue bolstering the economy after 9/11.

Some people blame the Nassau police. Admittedly, people would probably behave differently if a police car was parked near the entrance and a couple of uniforms stood on the sidewalk. But are the police supposed to man every store that opens early after Thanksgiving, and is it their job to do so?

Fox News contributor, Judith Miller, wrote, "Attorney Hecht, targeting Wal-Mart and other companies, was quick to absolve shoppers of blame. "They are not responsible."

Miller went on, "Perhaps greed is not criminal and behaving like a crazed animal is understandable in light of tough economic times. But I think many Americans would disagree, even avid shoppers like me. Blaming "capitalism" for such conduct, or diluting Wal-Mart’s responsibility through psycho-babble about the addiction of shopping only underscores the injustice of Mr. Damour’s fate."

Wal-mart DOES bear responsibility for crowd control. One method used by some stores in the past was to hand out tickets in the waiting crowd - 100 tickets for the 100 low-priced TV's, 75 tickets for that microwave. That way, the 101st person waiting for the TV and 76th person waiting for the microwave could go home. Without a ticket, there's no need to rush. However, that wouldn't get serve the purpose of having "door busters" in the first place - which is to get as many people in the door as possible in the hope that they will purchase regularily priced merchandise as well.

Still, crowd control is the responsibility of Wal-mart and other stores, and if police can't be there, then the stores need to hire a trained, private security firm. Their employees are not crowd control specialists and shouldn't be put in the position to be so. I have a son and a son-in law working at Wal-mart, and although those two guys are pretty big, I wouldn't want either of them to be standing in front of a rampaging crowd.

Finally, YES, some, but not all, within the crowd itself DO bear responsibility. Specifically, those that sat in their cars waiting for the doors to open, and then rushed the front of the line. My daughter stood in the cold in a line in North Dakota, only to have a crowd of people rush the line at opening there, as well. She said anger surged through the front line as those waiting patiently were pushed aside by line jumpers. She thought a fight was going to break out and felt fear at the pushing.

Jerks. Selfish, greedy, horrible people. Yes, they ARE totally responsible for their behavior, and if there is any way to discover who they are, a way should be found to punish them - perhaps something to do with behavior that incites a riot and results in injury or death.

The shoppers that stood properly in line waiting for the doors to open, but were pushed through the doors by the horrible greedy people that rushed the line, were victims along with Mr. Damour. While there were people in the crowd that couldn't care less about Mr. Damour, most people in America do have a conscience. Some of them are going to live the rest of their lives with the guilt of having seen Mr. Damour fall. They might have even felt themselves stumble over him, but under the crush of the crowd were unable to stop or do anything about it. Fearful of admitting they were among those that were pushed across Mr. Damour, they will always feel that guilt and will always wonder what, if anything, they could have or should have done differently.

If there is anyway to tell who waited in the cars and then rushed the front of the line, these are the people to prosecute.
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Bailout: Voted on by Egotists, Administrated by Idiots

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House Republicans are angry that the Bailout the voted for and trusted Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to administer has been misspent. What did they expect?

"The government has burned through nearly $350 billion of (bailout) funds and is pledging trillions of dollars more through other programs, yet little is understood about how these investments are contributing to the nation's economic recovery," a dozen House Republicans wrote to Paulson and Bernanke. "The seemingly ad hoc implementation of TARP has led many to wonder if uncertainty is being added to markets at precisely the time when they are desperately seeking a sense of direction."

But President-elect Obama supports the current program use, and had said, "The deteriorating assets in the financial markets are rooted in the deterioration of people being able to pay their mortgages and stay in their homes," wants to use a large bit of it to help homeowners with their mortgages. Congressional Democrats also support TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said Tuesday that the Treasury Department has no way to ensure that banks limit their top execs' pay or comply with other restrictions.

They said that TARP, a financial rescue plan for to help homeowners, was less than 60 days old and has been evolving. But they say that the Treasury needs to work with bank regulators to ensure that activities of the financial institutions receiving the money meet restrictions.

Neel Kashkari, who heads the Treasury Department's Office of Financial Stability, disagreed that they needed to work with regulators.

To date, the government has pledged $250 billion to banks in return for partial ownership. It also has agreed to provide $40 billion to American International Group, $20 billion to Citigroup and $20 billion to the Federal Reserve.

FOX News reports that the House Financial Services Committee intends to hold a hearing next week concerning TARP. Big deal. They'll slap a few hands and continue with theirsame garbage, bailing out their friends with our money.
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Governor Palin Whips Up Base for Senator Chambliss

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Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss told media on Wednesday that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin put him over the top to win his Dec. 2nd runoff.

Soon after winning back his U.S Senate seat, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss credited Gov. Sarah Palin with firing up the base and helping him win. “I mean, I can't overstate the impact she had down here,” Chambliss told Fox News Wednesday morning. “When she walks in a room, folks just explode. And they really did pack the house everywhere we went. She's a dynamic lady, a great administrator, and I think she's got a great future in the Republican Party.”

Chambliss had asked Governor Palin to join him for four rallies across the Georgia. She was his "closer," campaigning in Augusta, Savannah, Perry and Atlanta on Monday, Dec. 1st. He said that her star status is definitely not diminishing within the party.

He also thanked McCain and the other Republicans that came to Georgia, but said campaign appearances by Palin made the biggest impact. He said."Sarah Palin came in on the last day, did a fly-around and, man, she was dynamite. We packed the houses everywhere we went. And it really did allow us to peak and get our base fired up,"

Palin drew adoring crowds during her campaign for vice president. Her name at GOP rallies drew louder cheers than McCain's. She came away from the 2008 election very popular with the conservative base, getting book offers and countless interview requests. Websites and organizations supporting her have blossomed all over the internet in the last month.

Jim Martin, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss' challenger for the Georgia Senate seat Martin's campaign on Tuesday got Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign manager to stump for him on Monday.

Martin had asked Obama to campaign with him but was turned down. Instead, Obama recorded a radio ad and phone calls for Martin.

Because of Senator Chambliss' victory, Democrats do not have a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority. At least there's that!
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Peace on Earth - Not "Choice" on Earth

There once was a woman named Mary. Well, I say a woman, but she was actually only a teenage girl. Many assumed she was older because she was engaged to be married when she became pregnant. The truth is she might have been as young as fourteen. So here she is, young, pregnant, and to make matters worse, the baby was not fathered by her husband to be.

In the society she was raised in, the promise of marriage as sacred as the marriage contract, and they took a very, very dim view of adultery, let alone unwed pregnancy.

What was her response when she found out? At first she was confused, but then, calling herself the Lord's servant, accepted the pregnancy as the will of God and said she was willing to do what ever God asked of her. She didn't seem to think of it in terms of "God is asking me to, so I have a choice to say yes or no." She seemed to have thought of it only in terms of "This is what God wants me to do, so I will do it."

What was the response of her husband to be? When he learned of the pregnancy, he first thought it would be best to quietly back out of the engagement and sign papers for what would essentially be a "divorce" from the engagement contract. He thought to do it quietly so that no one else in the community would hear about it and hurt her. But being the good, prayerful man that he was, he didn't make an angry or snap decision. Instead, he took time to be sure. After thinking it over, maybe just one night, maybe a little longer, he felt God telling him - not asking but telling him - to go ahead and take Mary as his wife and raise the child as his own. So he did. He took her home, but didn't lay with her until after her son was born. Then he loved, cared for and protected the little boy as he felt God wanted him to.*

World Net Daily reports that Planned Parenthood is again offering a gift card, which in the past several years they have called a "Choice on Earth" card. The term "Choice on Earth is a play on the passage from Luke 2:14, which refers to "peace on Earth," a statement made by a heavenly angel celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ to Mary. Reportedly the certificates come in $25 increments and can be used for any most anything at their clinics, from birth control to breast exams and pap tests. "Woman's health is Planned Parenthoods promotional feature. They don't sell them as just abortion gifts. But Planned Parenthood does accept these cards for use in abortions.

One person on a forum at online Lone Star Times has referred to the cards as a legal way to put a hit out on someone.

WND columnist Jill Stanek, who also documented the cards on her blog, stated, "Planned Parenthood, this generation's King Herod, you know, the guy who ordered the mass slaughter of babies when Jesus was born." That would be the same King Herod that Mary's husband protected baby Jesus from.

The Lone Star Times forums page included other analogies. One commenter said the card was "A gift for those who only want to kill the very innocent."

Others quipped that the card could read, "Good for one dead baby," or "What a marvelous way for the donor as well as the recipient-user to have blood on their hands, "and "Redeem this at Planned Parenthood. No other redemption possible. Ever." (The last isn't Scriptural but gets the point of seriousness across. Everyone, no matter the sin, can be redeemed if only they humble themselves, grieve their sins, ask forgiveness, and accept that Jesus Christ is their Lord.)

Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's STOPP International, once slammed the Planned Parenthood gift card campaigns by saying, "In its continual attempt to 'normalize' abortion, Planned Parenthood has once again chosen to offend the Christian community by releasing the latest edition of its 'Choice on Earth' holiday cards. Contrary to the open-minded image the abortion organization aims to present for itself, Planned Parenthood has zero tolerance for anyone – or any religious group – that recognizes abortion as an evil act that kills a pre-born baby."

He also said, "By replacing 'peace' with 'choice,' or more accurately, 'killing the innocent on earth,' Planned Parenthood is essentially saying 'abortion on earth,'" Sedlak said. "This blatant mockery of Christian values – and of Christ Himself – truly demonstrates the bigoted, anti-religion, anti-God nature of Planned Parenthood."

* adapted from Matthew Chapter 2 and Luke Chapter 2

The Sarah Palin Ad - Thank You from America

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The Sarah Palin Ad

Without a doubt, people that have no respect for others will mock this ad. The people in the ad were honestly expressing the appreciation they feel for Governor Palin, but a certain number in America don't like honest people expressing themselves.

The nasty comments below the video seem to be the types of comments given by teenagers who can't stand their parents and grandparents; the kinds of kids that have never been taught to respect people that don't agree with them.

It also reflected the gap between older, rural adults and younger, urban brats...er, people.

But it doesn't matter. These were real people expressing real feelings. To heck with what anyone else thinks.

I know we're supposed to care because pundits say we can't win if we don't win young urban people. But ever since the election we've been getting nothing but pressure from the left to change. We aren't accepted for who we are and what we think. We're supposed to jump on the bandwagon and be part of the new, "united America."

I was listening to some of the pundits saying conservatives need to come to the center and forget all the Christian morality if we're ever to win back the White House. It made me sick to hear that. I thought...but even if that effort were to be successful, who would be winning the White House? Not us. Do you understand what I'm saying? Unless the Repubilcan candidate understands our values and represents our issues, we aren't winning even if the Republican wins.

Moving to the center doesn't do us any good. Being who they want us to be means nothing if in the process we lose who we are and all that we stand for.

Yes, the video was cheesy. but maybe that was because that's who we are. Simple and cheesy. so what. I love those people in the video for it. Even the little lady at the end. Because look at them - who do they remind you of? They are my grandparents, neighbors, church family, and friends. I'm proud of them.

I might be naive, but sooner or later young people grow up and realize Mom and Dad were right.

Maybe by 2012 or 2016 a certain number of Obama fans will have grown up.
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Joran van der Sloot is telling the truth

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I do believe Joran van der Sloot is telling the truth this time. The initial suspicion was that he had killed Natalee Holloway. Now he says he sold her.

It's easy to say he's a liar and that he's lied before. But his face is different in this interview. It's sad, not angry as in other videos. His eyes are also softer. And when he's telling his story or answering Greta's questions, he includes detail and presents it naturally.

Many of the details aren't ones that would normally come to mind if one were making the story up. He says that Natalie made no objection when the man led her onto the boat. If I were making the story up, I would have said that she was upset and fought and even screamed. I would have said that because it's what those of that have never participated in such a thing would have expected to happen. It didn't occur to me that she might drunkenly cooperate, not understanding that Joran wasn't going with and that she had been set up.

Joran's story to Greta fits all the puzzle pieces. We've long suspected that his father had paid off officials in Aruba in order to "save" his son. That was the only thing that could explain their indifference to the case.

Also, when Greta asked questions concerning his father's involvement, Joran drew back and tried to end the interview. He had wanted to confess and get it off his chest. As he said in the tape between himself and his father, he felt rotten and thought that if the girl could be found, it will prove that he'd never hurt her. But in his desire to get it off his chest, he didn't want those that had covered up for him to get into trouble. He remembered his father's admonishments concerning the amount of money that had paid to make this go away. He remembered his father's admonishment that if Joran goes down for this, it would affect him and Joran's mother as well. This after his father reminds him that human trafficking is bad. Good father.

Obviously Joran grew up incredibly spoiled.

I don't know how Greta got him to come back to the interview. Maybe Joran's desire to tell the story was just that strong. But later, after he got back to his parents, he took it all back and claimed he'd lied again. It would be expected that he would say that after he returned home and the story came out.

What he did to Natalie is beyond horrific. There is no excuse for what he did and he needs to pay the consequences, no matter what. Joran was a monster when he seduced and then sold Natalie. But I think he knows that now. His sick father, the one that spoiled him silly all his life, still doesn't.

If Natalie is still alive, I pray the Lord is with her and that she is found quickly. If she is not, I pray that she died quickly and without trauma. Either way, I pray for comfort for her parents.

And for Joran, I pray that his heart suffers and succumbs under the pressure and "rotten" feeling in his heart. I pray that through this he comes to know himself as the monster he is - that he wakes up and fully recognizes who he is. And then I pray salvation for him and everyone else involved. And I pray that the Lord takes Joran's father by the scruff of the neck and shakes the heck out of him until he wakes up and starts to feel rotten in his heart as well.

Lord in the name of Jesus, I pray Natalie is found..
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Oberman Can Eat Cake.

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What is Keith Olberman having for dinner this Thursday other than a slaughtered turkey? Why is he all tied in knots because Governor Palin was at a turkey farm just before Thanksgiving, and turkey's were being slaughtered?

Several years ago, after our family had moved from a big city out to a rural area, my husband, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa tribe, decided not to take any more government entitlements and support our family on his own. Not having much money and no longer having food stamps, commodities or WIC, we started raising chickens and goats and teaching the kids to take care of them. The kids' chores included feeding, gathering eggs, milking the goats, etc.

People came over to show my husband and I how to slaughter the chickens when it was time. This was much cleaner, kinder, better for the kids, and more satisfactory than showing up regularly to a government worker, filling out all of their intrusive forms, and taking our neighbors tax money - all to buy someone else's slaughtered chickens, etc.
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Presidential Pardon for Border Guards

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Former Border Guards Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean's need a pardon or commutation from President Bush before he leaves office.

"We still remain very hopeful that that will happen, and if it doesn’t, we’ll have the appeal to the Supreme Court,” T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News. "Ultimately we’re hoping that justice is served in this case because both of those agents are innocent. All they were doing was their job defending themselves against an armed drug smuggler in the process of stopping a load a marijuana that was worth more than a million dollars."

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R.-Ca., said Thursday, “Many patriotic Americans are dismayed by the continued persecution and legal torture of former Border Patrol officers Ramos and Compean,"
In 2005, Ramos and Compean shot a drug smuggler in his butt. They say that they believed the man was armed and they reacted in self defense. Drug runners are frequently armed and shoot at border patrol.

The smuggler admits he was smuggling hundreds of pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot. He also pled guilty earlier this year to drug smuggling, but it wasn’t the smuggling he was doing that day. The smuggling he was charged for happened several months after the shooting. Apparently he learned nothing from the incident.

Supporters argue that the U.S. Attorney should have prosecuted the drug-smugger rather than the US Border patrol. Should the border patrol now be afraid to do their jobs, lest they get arrested? Aren’t their jobs and the stresses that go with it hard enough already?

We’re praying President Bush pardons these men, who were doing their job protecting our border as well as trying to keep drugs off the streets and out of our children’s hands. President Bush, please support our law enforcement officers and pardon these men.
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Thank You Sarah Palin

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Sarah, you are awesome. I didn't know anything about you prior to the Republican Convention, but I fell in love with you right off the bat.

A Conservative, Christian, home school mom. A praying, believing Mom. Just like the women I know and love in my church community - you reminded me of Kathy, Ann, and dozens of others.

I trusted you right away.

I listened to your pastor do interviews. I saw the prayer for you on the internet. (Interesting that the media now reports that Obama was prayed for in Kenya, in a "traditional Pentecostal" way, but apparently, it was okay for him)

I liked your pastors. I also liked that you were on the same page with us as far as the issues were concerned.

I could also relate to - and was hurt by - attacks on your oldest daughter. My daughter had her baby almost two years ago. I want to tell you, it was hard to learn she was pregnant, but that little guy, he's the joy of our household. He makes us all so happy, especially with everything being so stressful lately. He brightens my day by just walking in to the room.

You've done a great job with your kids. You've been a great Mayor and Governor. You did an awesome job standing up to all the pummeling these last two months. We look forward to working with you more.

We met your husband in Moorhead. He's so easy going; we loved him. My daughter told him she felt for your daughter, and showed him her baby. On the drive home, one of my adult daughters said that while listening to Obama speak earlier this year, she found it hard to pay attention. She said Obama had good inflection, but his content was too smooth. As she put it, too “politician.” But she really enjoyed listening to Todd. He wasn’t a polished speaker, but she said that’s what she liked. He was real, and you knew that what he was saying was coming from his heart.

I also told him that I'd like to talk to you about the Indian Child Welfare Act and how it is hurting families. Hope you got the message.

Despite Everything, Almost Half of America Voted McCain

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Some are already blaming Sarah Palin, Fox News, President Bush, and even Joe the Plumber.

Come on.

Despite Bush’s unpopularity, fatigue with Iraq, Obama's charisma, McCain's age, the fact that this was a Democratic year, the $600 million that Obama received, the blanketing of Obama ads, the media bias for Obama, and the economy," John McCain got 46% of the popular vote.

Stop and think - that means despite all those things against him, almost half of America still preferred McCain over Obama.

So if McCain had run a good campaign and brought home the fact that he had been fighting for years to stop Fannie and Freddie from doing what they were doing, and Obama hadn't had all those donations from overseas to use to blanket the media with campaign promises - as well as Acorn and other organizations committing voter fraud - what would have been the result?

I think that all things considered, Senator McCain did very well. This election in no way means that Conservative views were rejected.

• Many of the new voters - people who wouldn't have voted otherwise - voted Obama, including my 21-year-old son-in-law, had no real knowledge or care what the issues were. They simply thought Obama was cool, or that Obama is going to work miracles in their lives.
• Others say they voted for Obama because McCain gave them no reason to vote for him. But in saying that, did they say they embrace Obama's issues? No.
• And others say they voted for Obama because McCain went negative. Is that saying they agreed with Obama on the issues? No.

Many of the newly registered voters had no idea what they real issues were and weren't concerned about them. It's a very sad day in America when an election as important as this one has been decided by people bought by charisma.

Further - both Obama and McCain had moved right in their campaigning. Obama moved to center and McCain moved farther right. That shows that America is more to the right than to the left, and it still is.

There are no tears of regret here. Sarah Palin still represents the conservative half of America - which still has a right to exist and is not going away.

God Bless the Palins and McCains. I pray the Lord now leads them in the direction they are to go in order to serve His - The Lord's - Holy purposes. And I pray the Lord leads us as well. Lord, please give us all the wisdom and courage to do whatever you ask of us. I ask this in Your Holy Name - the Holy Name of Jesus.
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Obama Campaign Worker Message

This message below was written by an Obama Campaign worker and was originally posted at http://www.lynettelong.com/ It is interesting to me that despite hundereds of people viewing this post in the last two days, there has been no comment from Obama workers on the content of her message.


"After a long and careful consideration of all the implications and possible consequences of my actions today, I have decided to go through with this in the hope that our country can indeed be guided into the right direction.

"First, a little personal background… I am a female grad student in my 20’s, and a registered Democrat. During the primaries, I was a campaign worker for the Clinton candidacy. I believed in her and still do, staying all the way to the bitter end. And believe me, it was bitter. The snippets you’ve heard from various media outlets only grazed the surface. There was no love between the Clinton and Obama campaigns, and these feelings extended all the way to the top. Hillary was no dope though, and knew that any endorsement of Obama must appear to be a full-fledged one. She did this out of political survival. As a part of his overall effort to extend an olive branch to the Clinton camp and her supporters, Obama took on a few Hillary staff members into his campaign. I was one such worker. Though I was still bitterly loyal to Hillary, I still held out hope that he would choose her as VP. In fact, there was a consensus among us transplants that in the end, he HAD to choose her. It was the only logical choice. I also was committed to the Democratic cause and without much of a second thought, transferred my allegiance to Senator Obama.

"I’m going to let you in on a few secrets here, and this is not because I enjoy the gossip or the attention directed my way. I’m doing this because I doubt much of you know the true weaknesses of Obama. Another reason for my doing this is that I am lost faith in this campaign, and feel that this choice has been forced on many people in this country. Put simply, you are being manipulated. That was and is our job – to manipulate you (the electorate) and the media (we already had them months ago). Our goal is to create chaos with the other side, not hope. I’ve come to the realization (as the campaign already has) that if this comes to the issues, Barack Obama doesn’t have a chance. His only chance is to foster disorganization, chaos, despair, and a sense of inevitability among the Republicans. It has worked up until now. Joe the Plumber has put the focus on the issues again, and this scares us more than anything. Being in a position to know these things, I will rate what the Obama campaign already knows are their weak links from the most important on down.

"1 – Hillary voters. Internal polling suggests that at best, we are taking 70-75% of these voters. Other estimates are as low as 60% in some areas – particularly Ohio and western PA. My biggest problem with this campaign’s strategy was the decision NOT to offer Hillary the VP slot. She was ready and able to take this on, and would have campaigned enthusiastically for it. This selection would have also brought virtually all of her supporters into the fold, and the Obama campaign knew it. Though I have no way of knowing this for certain, and I do admit that I am relying on internal gossip, Senator Obama actually went against the advice of his top advisors. They wanted him to choose her, but the only significant opposition to this within the campaign came from Barack and Michelle Obama. In short, he let personal feelings take precedence over what was the most logical thing to do. Biden, by the way, has been a disaster inside the campaign. Everyone cringes whenever he gives an interview, and he creates so many headaches as the campaign has to stay on their toes in order to disseminate information and spin whatever it was he was trying to say.

"2 – Sarah Palin. Don’t believe what the media is telling you about how horrible a choice she was. Again, our internal polling suggest that though she has had a minimal impact on pulling disaffected Hillary Democrats to McCain, she has done wonders in mobilizing the base for McCain. Another thing – we were completely taken by surprise with her pick. In my capacity in the research department, I looked into the backgrounds of Leiberman, Romney, Pawlenty and Ridge, and prepared briefs. I don’t mind bragging that we had pretty good stuff on all of them. With Leiberman, the plan was to paint him as an erratic old-timer who didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing (pretty much a clone of McCain). In Romney, we had him pegged as an evil capitalist who cut jobs. Pawlenty was going to get the “Quayle treatment”, or more precisely: a pretty face, with no valid experience. Tom Ridge was going to be used to provide a direct link from McCain to Bush. As you can see, we were quite enamored of all of them. Then the unexpected happened – Sarah Palin. We had no clue as to how to handle her, and bungled it from the start. Though through our misinformation networks, we have successfully taken some of the shine off. But let there be no doubt. She remains a major obstacle. She has singlehanded solidified “soft” Republican support, mobilized the McCain ground game, and has even had some appeal to independents and Hillary voters. This is what our internal polling confirms.

"3 – Obama’s radical connections. Standards operating procedure has been to cry “racism” whenever one of these has been brought up. We even have a detailed strategy ready to go should McCain ever bring Rev. Wright up. Though by themselves they are of minimal worth, taken together, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfelger, and now, Rashid Khalili, are exactly what the campaign does not need. The more focus on them, the more this election becomes a referendum on Obama. The campaign strategy from the very beginning was to make this election a referendum on Bush. Strategists have been banging their head on how successfully McCain has distanced himself from Bush. This has worked, and right now the tide is in his favor. People are taking a new look at Barack Obama, and our experience when this happens tells us this is not good news at all. When they take a look at him, one or more of these names are bound to be brought up. McCain has wisely not harped on this in recent weeks and let voters decide for themselves. This was a trap we set for him, and he never fully took the bait. Senator Obama openly dared him to bring up Ayers. This was not due to machismo on the part of Obama, but actually due to campaign strategy. Though McCain’s reference to Ayers fell flat in the last debate, people in the Obama campaign were actually disappointed that he didn’t follow through on it more and getting into it. Our focus groups found this out: When McCain brings these connections up, voters are turned off to him. They’d rather take this into consideration themselves, and when this happens, our numbers begin to tank.

"4 – The Bradley Effect. Don’t believe these polls for a second. I just went over our numbers and found that we have next to no chance in the following states: Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire and Nevada. Ohio leans heavily to McCain, but is too close to call it for him. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico and Iowa are the true “toss up states”. The only two of these the campaign feels “confident” in are Iowa and New Mexico. The reason for such polling discrepancy is the Bradley Effect, and this is a subject of much discussion in the campaign. In general, we tend to take a -10 point percentage in allowing for this, and are not comfortable until the polls give us a spread well over this mark. This is why we are still campaigning in Virginia and Pennsylvania! This is why Ohio is such a desperate hope for us! What truly bothers this campaign is the fact that some pollsters get up to an 80% “refuse to respond” result. You can’t possibly include these into the polls. The truth is, people are afraid to let people know who they are voting for. The vast majority of these respondents are McCain supporters. Obama is the “hip” choice, and we all know it.

"As part of my research duties, I scour right wing blogs and websites to get somewhat of a “feel” as to what is being talked about on the other side. Much of it is nonsense, but there are some exceptions which give the campaign jitters. A spirited campaign has been made to infiltrate many pro-Hillary sites and discredit them. A more disorganized, but genuine effort has also been made to sow doubts among the unapologetically right wing sites such as redstate.com. Don’t you guys get it? This has been the Obama campaign’s sole strategy from the very beginning! The only way he wins is over a dispirited, disorganized, and demobilized opposition. This is how it has been for all of his campaigns. What surprises me is that everyone has fallen for it. You may point to the polls as proof of the inevitability of all of this. If so, you have fallen for the oldest trick in the book. How did we skew these polls, you might ask? It all starts with the media “buzz” which has been generated over the campaign. Many stories are generated on the powerful Obama ground game, and how many new voters were registered. None of this happens by coincidence. It is all part of the poll-skewing process. This makes pollsters change their mixes to reflect these new voters and tilt the mix more towards Democratic voters. What is not mentioned or reported on is not the “under-reported cell phone users or young voters” we hear so much about. What is underreported is you.

"changed my somewhat positive opinion of this campaign during the unfair and sexist campaign against Sarah Palin. I will never agree with her on the issues and will probably never vote for her, but I am embarrassed of what has happened. I can’t ignore our own hand in all of this. What I do know is that I will not be voting for Obama this time around. Treat that as you will. "

http://www.lynettelong.com/
http://www.redstate.com/diaries/anon...-know-in-this/

Obama is Truly Scary

This is all getting so insane. It's terrifying. What is the Obama campaign doing?

Is the country supposed to shut down because Obama is calling a work strike for his supporters - for the sake of winning? What's going on here? This man is really scaring me more and more every day. If this is the control he is having right now - I'm really scared about what types of things he will push as president. He does appear to think he's above it all.

At the very least, he's a salesman making empty campaign promises for things he can't fulfill because there is no money to do it with. I don't like that, but I could endure it if that were the only thing to be concerned about.

But I am concerned about more. He says he's going to "change" not only America, but the entire world. That makes him pretty scary. I kind of doubt that every country wants him to be their president; to take a leadership roll in the direction their country goes or laws their country passes. (although it seems several would love to see him as a world leader.)

But what makes it particularly scary is that it appears he really does think he has the power to change the world. The power to change people. Yet half of us, and many in the world, don't want him to change us. So...there would be only one way to make his opponents submit to his vision. Many dictators, intent on making changes their opponents don't like, have used scary methods to make those changes.

I do fear a man that is comfortable around people that are comfortable with murder. I do fear a man that talks about changing America and changing the world, although half of Americans don't believe the way he does on the issues. How will he change the Americans that oppose him? How will he change the minds and behavior of me, my family and our friends?

Either "change" in America is an empty campaign promise, or he intends to hurt me. Not sure what form that hurt will take or if it will take more than one form. But that's the way I perceive it.

He's a really scary person.

Response to Mr. Tonello regarding Joe the Plummer

Tonello Article Posted in the Huffington Post, October 26, 2008 10:46 PM (EST)
How Our Candidates Insult American Intelligence


Mr. Tonello, you referred to middle class America as the "lowest-common denominator," and a commentor to your article said that speaking about Joe the Plummer is a "glorification of mediocrity."

This is what one of the major problems is. This campaign has revealed the way left-leaning Americans truly feel about fly-over country and the people in it,.

This campaign hasn't been a vilification of the exceptional, it has been a vilification of Iowa corn country, Alaska oil field workers, Wyoming ranchers, Idaho potato farmers, Minnesota fishermen, Montana hunters, North Dakota beet farmers, Pennsylvania coal miners, and all the nursing assistants, electricians, carpenters, waitresses, and yes, plummers, in our society. Joe the Plummer resounded with a large number of us.

Sure, Joe the PHD is important,too. And so is Josephine. But for many of us, having Sarah Palin in the race made us feel we might be truly heard for the first time in a long time, rather than just used as campaign rhetoric and props.

We aren't Norman Rockwell paintings. We're real people. We truly exist. We are half of the voting public. Raised in the Twin Cities but spending most of my adult life in rural America as well as rural Canada, yes, I have met Josephine. I have also met Jose the illegal immigrant, (he lives in rural areas as well), Joey the locavore-hunter-fisher-writer-vintner-overall-Renaissance man, Joe, the homosexual, and even Joe the millionaire-philanthropist. We aren't stupid. I can know all these people, love them, and still feel socially conservative.

It's safer to say that you have never truly met us. You've seen us in the movies, particularly when there is something Hollywood wants to make fun of. But you've never really known us - or loved us.

DyingInIndianCountry.blogspot.com

Biden Angry Reporter Asked Tough Questions

The Obama campaign will no longer allow interviews with the WFTV news station because a reporter had asked Senator Biden some tough questions.

A Florida Reporter from station WFTV asked Senator Biden about Acorn, Spreading the Wealth, and Obama's preparedness to be Commander and Chief. Senator Biden, as the questions progressed, appeared to get angrier and angrier and began responding with sarcasm.

Barbara West quoted Karl Marx and asked if the comment about "spreading the wealth" wasn't being Marxist.

"Are you joking?" Biden exclaimed.

West then asked if Biden was implying America was no longer the world's leading power when he said that if Obama wins, he would be quickly tested as president.

"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden responded.

According to an Orlando Sentinel blog. the Obama camp then killed the station's interview with Biden's wife. They report that Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign, wrote, "This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election."

See the interview - Biden Angered by Tough Questions

It's about time someone asked them a tough question.

Governor Palin Dressing Up for the VP Role -

Contrary to the claim of some that Governor Palin has just been pretending to be like the rest of us - She isn't pretending - she IS Jane Six-pack.

Remember, she and her family didn't have lots of time to prepare for the Republican Convention. That's why the campaign ran out to buy the family new clothes, get it? The money wasn't spent on her alone - the campaign wanted the entire family to be primped up.

Which means she really is just like me and my family.

By the way, if you look at the number of stores and the dates, many of them on the same day in different cities, it's hardly likely that she herself was even doing the shopping. Do you think she had time to shop as she jumped from city to city? The campaign had a professional buyer choose the clothes and bring them to her.

According to reported records of the Federal Election Commission, this is shopping list for Ms. Sarah Palin and her family:

• $75,062.63 spent at Neiman Marcus on Sept. 10.
• $41,850.72 to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York on Sept. 10.
• $7,575.02 to Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis on Sept. 10.
• $5,102.71 to Bloomingdale’s in New York on Sept. 10.
• $789.72 to Barney’s New York on Sept. 10.
• Charges of $4,396.94 and $512.92 at Macy’s in Minneapolis on Sept. 10.
• $4,537.85 to Macy’s in Minneapolis on Sept. 22.
• $349.50 to Lord & Taylor in New York on Sept. 25.
• $4,902.08 to Atelier New York, a men’s clothing boutique, on Sept. 10.
• Two separate charges of $98 to Pacifier, a high-end baby store in Minneapolis, on Sept. 10 and Sept. 25.
• $98.50 to Steinlauf & Stoller, a sewing supply store, in New York on Sept. 25.
• $133 to the Gap in Minneapolis on Sept. 25.

McCain's team did the shopping. That's their prerogative. She looks great.

Why The Democrats Must be Defeated This Year

Radley Balko of Reason Magazine wrote an article on Monday, Oct. 20th, titled, "Why the Republicans Must Be Defeated This Year."

Mr. Balko, you wrote;

• “I'm not thrilled at the prospect of an Obama administration (especially with a friendly Congress)”
• “This isn't to say that Barack Obama would be any better. Government would undoubtedly grow under his watch. And from my libertarian perspective, he has been increasingly disappointing even on the issues where he's supposed to be good. We may not go to war with Iran in an Obama administration, but we'd likely become entrenched in a prolonged nation-building adventure in the Sudan. Obama's vote on the FISA bill and telecom immunity also suggests that, for all his criticisms of President Bush's use of executive power and assaults on civil liberties, Obama wouldn't be much better.”

This wasn’t a convincing argument as to why we should vote for Obama instead of McCain. In fact, all I understood from the article is that you are mad at the Republicans. There wasn’t anything in the article to tell me why I should choose the Democrats instead.

The scariest thing you mentioned was that, “Congressional Republicans failed to rein in the Bush administration's naked bid to vastly expand the power of the presidency (a failure they're going to come to regret should Obama take office in January).”

I’m sorry, sir, your argument taught me things I hadn’t known about Obama and has convinced me that it is imperative that Senator McCain win the election.

Senator McCain: Only One That Will Govern from the Center.

Lanny Davis, former White House Counsel said yesterday that he gives Senator McCain credit for the bipartisanship he has shown through the years; standing up to "the right-wing base of his own party." But, Mr. Davis said, Senator McCain has not shown that willingness in the last two years as he "sought to placate the conservative and religious right base of his party."

Mr. Davis went on to claim, "Mr. Obama seems to me to have greater political flexibility to reach out and govern from the center than Mr. McCain."

What?

Sir - you point out that Senator McCain moved right during the campaign to placate the conservative and religious right base of his party. You claim that Senator Obama is in the center. But you know just as well as the rest of us that Senator Obama has also moved to the right during the campaign in order to placate conservative Democrats as well as centrist Republicans.
The Truth - which everyone of us is well aware of - is that Senator McCain is normally in the center and Senator Obama is normally way to the left. Senator McCain is usually in the center. That’s why he chose a conservative governor for his running mate.

So the fact is, Senator McCain, as he has proved time and again in the past, is the one more likely to reach across the aisle and work with everyone. Senator Obama has a clear history of judging things right or wrong through very leftist glasses.

Todd Palin and Gun Rights

.
“I know John and Sarah will work to get the government back into the people’s hands,” Todd Palin said when he visited Scheel's Sporting Goods in Morehead, Minnesota Friday. The crowd of about 200, packed into the store, cheered and waved McCain signs as well as bumper stickers with the words, "Read My Lipstick McCain-Palin ’08.”

He went on to tell us that Alaskans share a lot of common interests with Minnesotans. “hunting and fishing and, of course, our Second Amendment rights.”

"I know Sen. McCain and my wife will continue to fight for those Second Amendment rights with your support,” he said.

He reminded us that not only is Senator McCain the only candidate that fully supports gun rights, but he’s also the only one with a plan to encourage both big and small business, which is what the economy needs. The other thing that he wanted us to remember is that should Democrats control the Senate and House as well as the Executive Branch, not only will Obama’s foreign Policy be implemented without opposition, but his domestic policies as well, including his economic and health care plans.

Finally, he told us not to mind the critics that claim that Sarah, as a woman and mother, can't do the job. "She’s been told that in every job that she’s had, running for Mayor, they told her you can’t do it because you’ve got Bristol, Track and Willow. So, any female that puts herself into politics is always going to have that criticism and so, she’s faced challenges before and at the end of the day, she always proves them wrong."

He was humble, kind, and to the point. On the drive home, one of my adult daughters commented that while listening to Senator Obama speak in a stadium earlier this year, she found it very hard to pay attention. She said Obama had good inflection when he is speaking, but his content was just too smooth. As she put it, too “politician.” On the other hand, she really enjoyed listening to Mr. Palin. He wasn’t a polished speaker, but she said that’s what she liked. He was real, and you knew that what he was saying was really coming from his heart.

Why is Sarah Palin our Esther?

Every time Hollywood celebrities say vulgar things about Sarah, they are also saying it to me, a 40-something, Christian, former homeschooling, politically active, rural, not-always-perfect mom. When they mock her for being down-to-earth, pro-life, evangelical and the mom of a pregnant teenager, they are mocking my family as well. It appears that half of America bitterly hates Christians. That's kind of scary.

Sarah isn't perfect, but the jokers currently running Congress are far less perfect. It's beyond me why half of America is suddenly saying that the vice President needs to be one of the "Good Old Boys", after screaming for so long about "change. Why is it that their idea of change means putting someone politically nurtured by the corrupt Chicago establishment into the office of the President?

Not only is Sarah an average person from outside of the beltway, someone who truly represents change, but finally, here is a woman that is on the right side of the issues.

• Abortion is wrong. Even during the most difficult times of my very turbulent life, aborting my children has never been a consideration. Sarah understands this. The woman's movement has never understood women like me.
• Open up ANWR to drilling. If a few acres of American tundra can make a difference, we should be doing that rather than buying oil from overseas.
• None of us like the war. But I do believe, as Sarah does, that McCain is the only candidate that understands what to do in Iraq.
• Corrupt government employees - including corrupt Senators, State Commissioners, or even Troopers - need a swift boot out of office.
• Socialism is wrong. Although we have been low income, my husband vowed in 1992 not to take anymore welfare or entitlements. He made that vow and from that time until his death, he kept it - doing everything he could with his own two hands to feed us. We did not want our neighbors to have to take care of us. We came to understand Capitalism and agree with fiscal conservatives like Sarah. We do believe the Democratic push on the banks laid the foundation for this current crisis.
• My husband, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, fed our family through hunting. He taught our children to hunt and cut up the meat on our kitchen table. There have been times when this was our only meat. We believe in hunting and gun rights for all US citizens(excepting convicted criminals).
• Yes, Creationism is something that many Americans believe in. We aren't nuts; it's part of our religion - (Remember? That thing that the first amendment allows us to have...) So when my kids come home from school, I need to re-teach them and explain that evolution is just a theory - there is no proof for it. Then I explain to them why. (Yes, as a former RN, I have an Associate in Science and can explain.) This is why many of us choose to home school. Something else we have a right to do.
• And yes, I and other parents like me are glad to have a home school mom in high office. You see, when so many from the left mock us and try to take away our right to teach our children our faith, that's a very scary thing.
• And Sarah believes in prayer. When I have listened to her pastors on the Internet, I have appreciated them. They are no different than any of the pastors I have grown to love here in the lower forty.

I am so glad that Sarah, a prayerful woman, is in the position she is in. I have said that with the amount of mocking she has received from the elite, she is like our Princess Di. But she is also like our Esther. God Bless you, Sarah. We are praying for you.

I was a Democrat 30 years ago when I was 18 and served as an alternate at a State Convention. I was a Republican ten years ago when I served on a County Republican Committee.
Fed up with them both, I have voted independently for about eight years.

When this campaign season began, I supported Duncan Hunter. When he bowed out, there was no one left that I felt I could get behind. No one was a good as Hunter, as far as I was concerned.

However, when McCain chose Palin, it made a difference for me. I realize that as VP she won't have much clout. But she'll be there, she'll have a voice, and she will be a breathe of fresh air. Obama supporters can mock her - and us - all they want. It doesn't change a thing. I want her in high office.

Joe the Plummer is a Regular Guy -

Sad that the media went digging for dirt on this poor guy. Sadder still that some self-righteous bloggers are pretending that they've never had dreams or gotten behind on their bills.

I, just like Joe, am dreaming about buying a business, so I was interested in Joe's question and Obama's answer. I, just like Joe, have also gotten behind on my taxes in past years. In my case it was property taxes. All this proves is that taxes are too high for struggling families. Did I expect my neighbor to jump in and pay it for me? ABSOLUTELY NOT. We found ways to pay our own bills.

Contrary to what Obama states in his "spread the wealth" plan, taxes need to be lowered for EVERYONE and government reduced. I don't want other people's wealth. I want the room to grow myself. Businesses need a chance to thrive in order for everyone to benefit.

Leave poor Joe alone. He's just an average guy who I'd like to thank for having the guts to ask Obama the question he'd asked. It helped us all a lot to hear Obama's plan for "spreading the wealth."

Cuss Whites & Palin; but Don't You Dare Say Anything About Obama

It's okay to call Governor Palin anything you want. Swear at her, mock her voice, her hair, her ideas, husband and her children. Slander her church, ridicule Alaska, call her supporters white trash. Accuse her husband of incest, tell everyone she is an unfit mother, make sexual innuendos about her and her family, paste photo-shopped porn images all over the internet.

The left has called her every name in the book, made every derogatory gesture possible, and even worn T-shirts calling her the "C" word. But don't you dare say anything in support of her or you'll get the same. And don't you ever, ever dare say anything negative about Senator Obama.

Jesse Jackson, Pastor Wright, Michelle Obama, and Louis Farrakhan have all given warning that Senator Obama might not view non-blacks in an equal and just manner. Relationships with Bill Ayers, Acorn and Tony Rezco have also warned us that Senator Obama might use corrupt methods to obtain his objectives. But don't you dare think any of it might be true, and heaven help you if you talk to anyone about it.

No one has published photos of Michelle Obama in lewd poses. No one has been reported to have worn a T-shirt calling Senator Obama the "N" word, but that hasn't stopped the left from insinuating its opposition are all nothing but "R" words. Jesse Jackson, Pastor Wright, Michelle Obama, and Louis Farrakhan have each insinuated that all white people are inherently racists and most especially those that disagree with the left. Even Democratic Rep. John Murtha said the other day; "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area." Michelle Obama is reported to have said last week, “African Press International is supposed to support Africans and African-American view. It is strange that API has chosen to support the racists against my husband."

When I first became a member of an inter-racial family almost 30 years ago, I was initially surprised by the amount of racism coming from extended family members across the kitchen table. Because whites that are the ones primarily accused of racism, I had assumed that minorities must be relatively free of bigotry and very attuned to equality and justice. I was wrong. In all my years, other than one neighbor two doors down, I had never heard bigotry from the mouths of my white family and friends. The biggest surprise for me with my new in-laws was the hate generated toward other minorities - more so than toward whites. But in either case, it was very disturbing. Not everyone at the kitchen table was filled with that hate and rage, but I am no longer naive. It's a real issue.

However, racism from the Obama camp isn't the only disturbing issue. The way the left treats Governor Palin is mind-boggling. Few on the left have stood up in her defense. The main stream media says nothing about the terrible way she is being treated. Why are these people acting so horribly? Her politics, spirituality and way of life are nothing new under the sun. A large percentage of our nation agree with her and live their life very similar to hers. So what is all of this hatred really about? Why are these people so afraid of Governor Palin?

And why are so many NOT afraid of Senator Obama? Acorn and Ayers are not non-issues. They are warnings. When Obama talks about change, he really means it. Only most of his supporters haven't clued in to what that change might actually be. Dr. Corsi, author of the "Obama Nation," was recently arrested in Kenya where he was scheduled to hold a press conference by invitation of missionaries in the area. No documented word yet on why he was arrested. (He has since been released.) We know it was said that he didn't have a work permit, but many have gone to Kenya to minister at evangelical churches and camps for short periods of time - two weeks to a month - without a work permit, including our own pastor several times.

For those who wish to pull out worn arguments that Troopergate and the Keating Affair are worse than any of Senator Obama's associations, please don't bother.

1. The Troopergate ethics inquiry concluded that Palin was 'proper and lawful' in firing a state commissioner - but failed to keep her husband from meddling in the trooper's discipline. There is nothing wrong with an administrator releasing those that don't work well with the administration, or worse still, those who might be a danger to the public.
2. McCain was also cleared of impropriety for the Keating Affair.
3. Four of the Keating five were Democrats. But in fact, there was really only a "Keating Three," because both McCain and John Glenn were actually held blameless. Later, Robert Bennett, Chief Counsel to the Democrats during the investigation, repeatedly said that McCain should not have been included in the investigation. He said that here was no evidence of any wrongdoing, and the Democratic controlled Senate simply kept McCain involved so it would be “bipartisan” scandal.

4. McCain's involvement with Keating has been public knowledge for years. No one is allowed to question or examine Senator Obama's history. This is the difference.

I agree with Tucker Bounds, spokesman for Senator McCain, who said, “Americans need to ask themselves if they’ve ever befriended an unrepentant terrorist, or had a convicted felon help them buy their house — because those aren’t smears, those are true facts about Barack Obama.”

Will Obama Keep His Promises?

I've been around too many salesmen. I don't trust Senator Obama's "coolness." Senator Obama's "explanations" aren't convincing me - just as they aren't convincing half the nation. Many of us like real people. Senator McCain, although I don't always agree with him, is real. Governor Palin is real. I and my house agree with Palin on the issues.

Joe the Plumber represents many of us small business owners - many of whom don’t like Obama's Robbing Hood economic plan. He can't cut taxes to 95% of the population and yet still fund all the different programs he claims he'll fund. He's making empty campaign promises. I am afraid of what he might really do once he was in power, especially with the government now so involved with the banking industry. We need to know more about him before we put him in such an important seat.

Jesse Jackson Stirs Racism

Much of what Jesse Jackson said to New York Post columnist Amir Taheri at the First World Policy Forum in Evian, France, last week has been reported – but there was more to the interview than has been talked about.

Jackson said, "Obama is about change, and the change that Obama promises is not limited to what we do in America itself. It is a change of the way America looks at the world and its place in it." Jackson makes Obama sound like a messiah that assumes he truly can change the way half of America feels on the issues.

Taheri then asked Jackson if Obama's election will close the chapter of black grievances linked to slavery. Jackson appeared to take a deep breath and think, then responded, "No, that chapter won't be closed. However, Obama's victory will be a huge step in the direction we have wanted America to take for decades."

Of course he wouldn’t respond that it would be closed. The milking of white guilt has got to be maintained as long as possible. This is why he needed to stop and think before he responded to this unexpected question. Of course, white people can never, ever be absolved of the guilt they're all supposed to feel.

Jackson then rejected the suggestion that Obama was influenced by Marxist ideas in his youth. He said, "I see no evidence of that. Obama's thirst for justice and equality is rooted in his black culture." Again, Jachson shows his prejudice by insinuating that justice and equality are things foreign to non-black cultures. And yet, Obama sees no injustice in taking hard earned money from laborers and giving it to those that haven’t earned it. He sees no injustice in destroying the lives of unborn babies. He see no injustice in the agreements Palestinians have made with Israel, only to back track when the agreements weren't convenient anymore.

But, Taheri asks Jackson, is Obama - who's not a descendant of slaves - a typical American black? Jackson emphatically answered: "You don't need to be a descendant of slaves to experience the oppression, the suffocating injustice and the ugly racism that exists in our society," he says. "Obama experienced the same environment as all American blacks did." (while growing up in Indonesia and Hawaii as well as attending Columbia University and Harvard Law School.)

Jackson also strongly supports Obama's idea of opening up direct dialogue with the Iranian leadership. "We've got to talk to tell them what we want and hear what they want," Jackson says. "Nothing is gained by not talking to others."

This ignores the fact that many non-western countries have a foundational worldview different from Americans. One can not simply assume that by sitting down at the table one can talk things out if there is no foundational agreement in goals and objectives. Mid-eastern countries are notorious for saying what’s necessary at the table and then doing their own thing, because their goals and values are different than ours. We have a foundational history in America of attempting to compromise so that everyone benefits as a nation. They have a foundational history of doing what is necessary to benefit their individual tribes and clans, and that doesn't always mean their nations. Remember, as an example, that most of Saddam Hussein's administration came from his home town of Tikrit. They were members of his clan. This is common in the Middle-east. Clans come first – even before their nation. (See “From Beirut to Jerusalem” by Tom Friedman.) Compromise isn't a foundational value. Survival of and benefit for the clan is.

Jackson says that as long as the Palestinians haven't seen justice, the Middle East will "remain a source of danger to us all." He doesn’t understand that Justice isn’t what many of our Mid-east opponents are really looking for. They are looking to win, irrespective of justice.

Jackson goes on, "Barack is determined to repair our relations with the world of Islam and Muslims. Thanks to his background and ecumenical approach, he knows how Muslims feel while remaining committed to his own faith."

I don’t doubt that Barack, having attended a Muslim school in Indonesia as a child, understands how Muslims feel. My greater concern is that neither Obama or Jackson, despite calling themselves Christians, understand the way Christians feel or have any real understanding of Christianity at all. Jesus Christ had special warnings for those that would harm children, as abortion does. Christians also understand the special purpose God has for the Jewish people in the Middle East. And Christians understand that God made us all in his image. Race is unimportant in the eyes of God. My husband used to say he was a Christian first and a Native American second because when he accepted Jesus Christ, he accepted his part in the family of God – first and foremost. This is the way we’ve raised our kids. We don’t identify ourselves as Indian, White, Jewish, German, or Irish. My children are all of those things, but first and foremost, they are Christian. All the rest is secondary. It would be great if our society as a whole, including Obama and Jackson, would consider race a non-issue.

Why is Sarah Palin our Princess Di?

Every time a Hollywood celebrity says something derogatory about Sarah, they are also saying it to me, a 40-something Christian, former homeschooling, politically active, rural, not-always-perfect mother and grandmother. When they mock her for being down-to-earth, pro-life, evangelical - and hey, even being the mom of a pregnant teenager - their words cut into our family as well.

Don't celebrities understand that in mocking Sarah, they are alienating many of people that - up until this last month - used to watch their movies?

Liberal women's organizations have never spoken for me. Even when I was a teenager, those organizations never understood or spoke for me. Hillary Clinton has never understood evangelical mom's like me. Even further, I have never cared for any of the so-called top named Christian women's leaders, either. When I have seen video's of "inspirational" Christian women speaking, I've never felt any closer to them with their poofy hair, religious dogma and perfect lives than I have Hillary.

But Sarah is different. She isn't perfect.And not only is she like me in that respect, but finally, here is a woman that knows how I feel about the issues - and feels the same way.

• Abortion is wrong. Even during the most difficult times of my very turbulent life, aborting my children has never been a consideration. Sarah understands this. The woman's movement has never understood women like me.
• Open up ANWR to drilling. If a few acres of American tundra can make a difference, we should be doing that rather than buying oil from overseas.
• None of us like the war. But I do believe, as Sarah does, that McCain is the only candidate that understands what to do with Iraq.
• Corrupt government employees - including corrupt Senators, State Commissioners, or even Troopers - need a swift boot out of office.
• Although we have been low income, my husband vowed in 1992 not to take anymore welfare or entitlements. He made that vow and from that time until his death, he kept it - doing everything he could with his own two hands to feed us. We came to understand and agree with fiscal conservatives like Sarah. We do believe the Democratic push on the banks laid the foundation for this current crisis.
• My husband, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, fed our family through hunting. He taught our children to hunt and cut up the meat on our kitchen table. There have been times when this was our only meat. We believe in hunting and gun rights for all US citizens.
• Yes, Creationism is something that many Americans believe in. We aren't nuts; it's part of our religion - (Remember? That thing that the first amendment allows us to have...) So when my kids come home from school, I need to re-teach them and explain that evolution is just a theory - there is no proof for it. Then I explain to them why. (Yes, as a former RN, I have an Associate in Science and can explain.) This is why many of us choose to homeschool. Something else we have a right to do.
• And yes, I and other parents like me are glad to have a homeschool mom in high office. You see, when so many from the left mock us and try to take away our right to teach our children our faith, that's a very scary thing.
• And Sarah believes in prayer. When I have listened to her pastors on the internet, I have appreciated them. They are no different than any of the pastors I have grown to love here in the lower forty. I am so glad that Sarah, a prayerful woman, is in the position she is in.

I have said that with the amount of mocking she has recieved from the elite, she is like our Princess Di. But she is also like our Esther. God Bless you, Sarah. We are praying for you.

Let us Pray

A forum comment from a man named Bill stated,

"I am a Christian and I dont agree with a lot of what Obama says, but (mudslinging is a waste of time) ...When can we look at the issues? And for other christians, have you even prayed about who you are going to vote for or do you just kind of you know already know the mind of God and who He wants to put in office. My nose is bloody and scabbed because I am face down praying for this election. And I truly feel regardless of who it is we need to be praying for our president, even if we don’t want him to be, because it’s not about us."

This is a very good point. We need to pray for God's hand in this election, trust that God is working His plan according to His will, and - if we are trusting God's hand - accept who He places and pray continually for that president.

Lord I bring this country before you. Thy will be done. I pray for all the very, very angry people on both sides of the debate. Lord, in Jesus' name, help our country to turn to You and trust You. Bring peace and understanding where there is none, and Your righteous discipline and response to sin where it is required. Lord, I pray this country will turn to You on bended knee and know that You are God. I pray for all the candidates, McCain, Obama, Palin and Biden. Lord, do whatever is necessary to bring them to their knees before you. And I pray that the person of Your choice is elected President. In Jesus' Holy name, Amen.

Democrat Visit to a Palin Rally -

Palin in LA - A First Hand Report from Lynette Long's blog via http://www.liberalrapture.com/2008/10/palin-today.html

A PUMA pointed me toward a ticket to a Palin rally in LA today. USC did not start until five so I went. Or rather I lolly gagged my way to the Home Depot Center - how big could this rally be??? - this is LA - ???

Bad idea. She packed the tennis stadium (10,000) and the over flow sat and watched the jumbo tron where the LA Galaxy Soccer team plays. But I got in....It was fascinating. 2 immediate thoughts:

1. She was introduced by a President of a NOW chapter - wow.
2. She brought up Bill Ayres.

I have not decided who I will vote for. I did not go as a supporter of this ticket. I went to see Palin. Anyone who has every been in the same room as Bill Clinton - however big - knows what a "star" is. I wanted to see if she was a "star". I can say without question she is a "new star". The idea of her is clearly electric to her party. She owns the stage like Bill Clinton does. She has not quite mastered the relationship between herself and the crowd. 2 pods made themselves known. One she dropped the house on with a line about fighting for the first amendment. The other she handled by ignoring - which I rarely think works.

A few important take aways for me:

1. The difference between the role of women circa 1988 GOP and the 2008 version is something to behold. To say I was flabbergasted that former President of a NOW chapter, talking about equal pay and Geraldine Ferarro, introduced Palin at a large GOP rally is an understatement. This is not the GOP I remember - the one with shrinking, smiling wives off to the side. Think Nancy Reagan. Women were front and center. The code words were "working moms" - but what they were talking about was "robust women as equal partners." "Family Values" as a sledge hammer is out - "Women as a very valuable and equal partner in a family" is in.
2. If she wants it, Palin has a future in her party regardless of the outcome in November. They LOVE this woman - like they LOVED Reagan.
3. The crowd was younger and more racially diverse than I expected it to be. Including more than a few Black Americans.
4. A group of about 40 Obama people demonstrated outside. The chant was "Hey, hey ho, ho Sarah Palin has got to go." This is the most tired chant one can imagine. It is like hippies have taken a page from civil war re-enactors. Dress up as if it is 40 years ago and do a historical play.
5. Of the four people on the ticket, Palin is the only one who is not a member of the "elite." This is true even during her stump speech. When she talked about her father growing up in North Hollywood is feels entirely sincere and middle class. Even Clinton's talk of being from Hope, Arkansas had the sheen of being canned. It is not that "I want to have a beer" with her. It's that I would not be surprised in the least if I saw her in line at the grocery store. The closest antecedent I can conjure is Harry Truman. Still, even Truman doesn't quite work. She is a mom, not a dad. This feels entirely new in American politics.
6. Having been to Democratic rallies over the years I must say: Republicans are nicer and more respectful. At least the ones I saw today. Everyone picked up their trash. A small, but telling, fact. Plus, is was organized. People stood in line and waited their turn to get in. I know that only an old school Democrat would find this worthy of note.
7. Based on the number of Hilary stickers in the parking lot - PUMA's were represented.

All in all - it is clear to me that the GOP is not my party. But it was a compelling afternoon. Palin is a fascinating figure. Whatever McCain's motives were in choosing her - the choice changed the game. Whether she wins or loses, Palin will be around for a while.

Democrats for McCain

Interesting - a new blogsite for Democrats voting Republican.

Quoting from the site, tominpaine.blogspot.com,

"Many Democrats seem to be going through a period of conflict over this election. They see Obama for what he is, a dishonest, snake oil salesman, unfit and unqualified to be President, throwing out one sweet talking lie after another at the political Mr. Goodbar, trying to pick up as many votes as he can get. And while most reject him, they also are recoiling over the idea of having a one night stand with a Republican, any Republican, though the guilty pleasure of having Obama lose and cheating on the cheater is too good to resist.But what they worry about the most is , how will they feel in the morning?"

Aside from Obama's unfitness for the job ( which is reason enough) the other compelling reason for an Obama defeat is to reform and fumigate the Democratic Party which Dean, Pelosi, Brazile, Chuck Schumer and others has turned into the Obamacratic Party which becomes more and more of an embarrassment every day as Pelosi's disastrous performance with the bailout bill proved.Obama is the nominee because of a dishonest primary in which these same people, along with the press did
everything possible to sell Obama as the nominee and do it dishonestly as they knew how including rigging the roll call vote violating every Democratic Party rule and procedure in the process."