Excellent! A new day dawns, and the morality and integrity branch of the democrat party, trots out one of their best kept secret moralist (Barney Frank) to attack and assuage the character of both Sarah Palin, her family and her daughter. Not to mention the repeated attacks on John McCain's judgment in picking her. After which, the paragons of liberal defense rise once again to the latest slab of purported new red meat and renew once again their feeding frenzy of the already dead horse and it's company of stank red fish.

What less is to be expected from the carrion feeders who have the audacity to claim audacity as their official attack position to assault anyone's morality. Audacity seems to be a recurring theme of this campaign for the democrats and IMO? They have boat loads of it for sure. Not to mention unmitigated gall, obfuscations and the obtuse glee of arrogance and condescending smiles galore.

From the same liberal party of moralists who have brought America so much to be proud of over the last thirty years, they once again don their capes and gay colors and attempt to make the sell that they are only pointing out hypocrisy. While in reality the sage wisdom of "pot, kettle, black" pales to shades of non existence, when compared to the unadulterated and shameless attempts of liberals to attack Sarah Palin's character and motherhood, especially when considering their own checkered past.

Absent anything of substance to either attack or refute either with or against Sarah Palin's credentials, the democrats and their "liberal progressive" brethren, (I always love the progressive part) have once again taken the chivalrous route of sleeze and innuendo and character assassination. Spiced with invectives and accusatory assaults on every last ounce of common decency and in doing so? They attempt to make the sale with a paragon of America moral virtue like one Barney Frank.

Please!!!!!!

Do these people really recognize or even consider how they come across and how they make both themselves and their party look, when they engage in such unmitigated and blatant attempts at trashing their opposition via personal attacks. Yes friends, these are the same Americans, who as recent as last week were bellowing the fowl and dirty as they represented it, of political wizards such as Karl Rove "the evil." And their represented examples of supposed dirtiness of tactics four and eight years ago, that they gleefully attribute to him. Yet they themselves have not only stooped but slithered easily into moral character assassination against Sarah Palin and her children....and on a scale that has never been seen on the political field of gamesmanship and tawdry tactics that I am aware of.

I for one can categorically state that the use of these tactics, the bilious, vile and oblique, the assuaged accusatory and poorly camouflaged attacks, while hiding behind shameless segues and asserting that they are at the least as moral as their opponents literally sickens me. But more importantly? The end result of their vile games will be visited upon them collectively come November. Women in America, at least the majority of women in America, will not take kindly nor appreciate seeing these gutter attacks absent any political reasoning outside of hate and the by any means necessary politics of liberal hate and angst. And once the women of America have collectively examined clearly, not only Sarah Palin, but also what these partisan attempts and slanders truly represent to all women? Then the real costs of such explosive and dangerous rhetoric will truly be visited on it creators and their party as it should be.

The liberal left, more recently known as the progressive left, is about to get a first hand lesson of the real meaning of a "woman's right's to choose." And this time it won't be limited to those who championed the phrase as a mere banner slogan in support of abortion. This time it will come to represent the reality that the vile tactics of those who thought that the democrats owned woman's opinions, have failed miserably and at their own hand.

Yep, that is what they are calling it. "The Storm of The Century!" Which has an entirely new meaning now that we are actually in  a new century. But it is also either a direct discounting of recent history (Katrina) or it is the best example of the collectively expressed hopes and dreams of those presently embracing Gustav as the answer to their Pagan prayers. Many liberals are actually in joyous rapture at  the potential that Gustav presents for their spirituality of karma and what that represents as a potential spoiler for their opposition's convention.

Gustav presently represents the democrats best hope of taking the shine off the GOP convention this week. Having had their week of Greek drama and rejoicing in Denver, capped by their messiah's night at the Apollo.....the man of change got eight points in the polls as of Saturday. About the same as he obtained from his World Tour and a boost that will surely not last past tomorrow, having now had to address the reality that the one's that he wanted to run against?  Romney and Lieberman? Didn't make the final cut of that shifty patriot John McCain. The democrats and the Obama campaign had spent weeks gearing up to address their perceived threat index of the potential GOP VP designee. And man oh man! Did they ever get the shock of their collective partisan lives Friday morning.

The "storm of the century" presents the prescient metaphor and real time representation of the beliefs, of the majority members of the Obama cult, as it applies to  cosmic intervention (outside of a God that they deny). They quickly bashed a lunatic fringe preacher who pubically prayed for rain during their Denver convention, but they now see some twisted form of sweet scented sick justice in the potential of Gustav to rain on and destroy the GOP convention this week.

Never mind that the potential is very real that Americans could die and will as a result of this storm. Or that once again billions in damage could be wrought. And this time on a country that is already staggering from gas prices and a staggering economy due to gas prices. Those are irrelevent factors in the minds of the committed loyalist. Always remember: "by any means necessary" is their motto and their screed.

What better metaphor to represent the liberal socialist party of change at any cost, than a deadly creation of nature that plays into both their most deeply held desires and serves to provide them with the spectacle of pain on the faces of their own countrymen that they thrive on. And what better platform for them to launch their resurrected bilious accusations and memories of Katrina and how they could have done it better. Both then and now.

I certainly hope that the American people are watching this week. As once again the democrats will attempt to turn pain and suffering to thier own political advantage. And as they willingly cast their vitriolic pearls on the alter of Egalitarian socialism for all to see? Maybe after the American people have another slice of the maniacal liberal mind served up to them during the present crisis that all will be watching? Maybe then they will realize finally in this campaign for the presidency, that there is only one viable candidate and that the other is no more than an interloping poser, bent on using their own sufffering to win an election via their death and pain.

The democrats will use Gustave for all it is worth. And the death and destruction that it could bring? Are only quantiatives of collateral damage that they will perceive as justifiable payback for their anguish of the last eight years and their seething hatreds of all things George Bush. I for one, hope that they thoroughly enjoy the moment, as the rest of the country watches and waits to see if Mother Nature will once again play havoc with this great nation.

Having just watched Sarah Palin being introduced by John McCain and having listened and watched as Sarah Palin accepted the nomination and introduced herself and her family to America, I have a couple of personal notes to make. Both my wife and I have been disillusioned since May, when the reality became that John McCain and Barack Obama were all that we had to choose from come November.

Unlike many of our democrat counterparts, we agreed that we couldn't vote for the party candidate, simply because that was who had been given the nomination. Nor could we simply hold our noses and pull the lever come November. As the months have passed it never has been either a question of supporting or voting for Barack Obama. His notions of both the future of this country and Americanism in general, became clearly separate and distinct from what we see as right for this country months ago.

And over the past month in particular, it seemed that the only options left for us and many other conservatives, was to either not vote at all in the presidential race, or to rise to the collective spirit of other kindred souls and vote solely against what we all see clearly as the absolute wrong man and the wrong message for this country.

As I watched and listened to Sarah Palin's speech a few minutes ago, I was watching and listening intently to what she had to say. But I was also watching my wife. And within mere minutes of Sarah Palin speaking, I could see the tears welling up and the barest hint of a smile crossing my wife's lips, as she remained focused on Sarah Palin and her words.

My wife frequently looked over at me during the acceptance speech. Not to simply seek either confirmation or validation from my eyes, but more so to see if I had noticed her previous considerations and sentiments slipping more and more as Sarah Palin continued speaking. By the time that the speech had ended, my wife was visibly teary eyed and as the pundits immediately began to dissect what they had just witnessed in Dayton, I looked over at my wife and asked her a simple question. "Who are you going to vote for?"

My wife is 47 years old and in 25 years of marriage, I have acquired the ability to read her thoughts from her facial expressions and she knows this. Just as she knows both her own and my thoughts on politics, Americanism and the world. My wife looked back at me and tried to couch her reply...."well I am far more inclined to vote for him now than I was." Which told me instantly, that she has now made her decision.

And in all honesty, I have to admit that after seeing and hearing Sarah Palin, I have also made mine. I find myself now in the unique position of at last having something and someone to vote for in this election, but more importantly I am now able to look past the immediate present and see the future that is on the horizon. Those who remember honestly my remarks of the last several months concerning John McCain, know that I have held a number of opposing issues with the man and I have maintained that while I would not vote for Obama, I could not bring myself to vote for McCain. I am a conservative, not a republican loyalist. I don't vote party. I vote my principles first and foremost and the two parties can be damned after that IMO.

But what John McCain did by choosing Sarah Palin over the likes of Romney and others today, was to finally reach out to those of us, who like so many of those on the other side, felt that we had been left behind by both party's parade into November. And you can bet, that the same thing was felt by millions of supporters of Hillary Clinton and those on the other side of the isle, who also felt that they were being railroaded into supporting a party platform and candidate who was not their own preference and who does not represent the best of their own ideals and principles.

There is a new day dawning across America this morning. The liberal induced fog has been cleared away and people like myself can once again see that shining city on a hill. And while John McCain may be as old as Moses and not capable of making the return journey there with us, he has given us someone who knows the way and who many will gladly follow into the future of conservatism and the party that has all but lost it's way in representing those principles to the faithful in America. Those of us who never lost the vision, now see both hope and opportunity for both themselves and their country.

Semper Fidelis!

Having sat through Barack Obama's address to the nation from Denver last night and having listened intently to his words, based upon my own knowledge of political facts versus his representations, I have to say that Barack Obama is continuing to make several formidable political mistakes.

The first of which is to attempt to infer, that the mantle of Americanism has been passed from the Clinton's to him and that he has the answers to all the questions and that the opposition should just turn out the lights and go home. The next point he continues to miss IMO, is his continued persistence of representation that his campaign and the key to winning the White House is based upon the dogged pursuit of the phantom menace, that he and other liberals consider the present administration. While claiming that he represents change, there is no tangible change that I have seen offered, aside from the sign on the door. Only the same democrat political ideologies of the past, mixed in with the socialist ideologies of the present militant wings of the democratic party.

Combine that with his tactics of continually going back to the same well to carry water against the democrat nemesis' of Bush/Cheney, while all but ignoring the candidate John McCain aside from the name calling and continually attempting to discredit McCain as nothing more or less than George Bush.  Barack Obama spent a large part of his speech last night, addressing what he intends to do and attempting to sell the overall audience on his capabilities to do what he says he will do. But aside from his eloquence of presentation and his message acutely tuned to the ears of the liberal bewildered, he left little substance on the table for the rest of America outside of promises.

Nothing that the rest of America could sink it's teeth into when it comes to believability beyond promise IMO. Barack Obama doesn't have to make the sale to the democrat loyal who were at Invesco Field last night, or those who have been at the convention all this week, or those supporting him from home in the blue states. Barack Obama had to make the sale to the many millions of other Americans, who have looked at his words and listened to his message and asked themselves...."where's the beef?" Where is his demonstrable ability and experience aside from his eloquence on the podium. And why does he dodge talking with the American people unless he has a canned audience and a prepared venue, where he and his campaign can control both the conversation and the political atmosphere.

IMO, Barack Obama's speech last night was nothing more than a retreaded and rehashed version of what the democrats have been hustling for the last eight years. Anybody but Bush and now that Bush is leaving, let's set up the straw man and claim that John McCain is George Bush. Last night Barack Obama reinforced the same talking points that he has used throughout this campaign. "We can't allow another four years of George Bush." And in doing so, he overlooked the reality that George Bush isn't either his adversary or the adversary of the American people in the next four years. I believe that the American people have already arrived at that reality, but the democrats and Barack Obama haven't.

The American people listened when Barack Obama paraphrased the great American leaders of history and then asked them collectively, to question if the messages of these leaders were just words? Which through the lens of history is easily ascertainable for most. But words viewed through the lens of the future, requires the viewer and the listener to look on what is being offered and ask themselves individually, what they truly believe about the speaker's ability to deliver on their words. Particularly when that speakers is all but daring you, to compare their words to the words of the leaders that they have cited.

Barack Obama's most famous words are 'yes we can.' Last night in Denver, he reissued that democrat battle cry to the party faithful and they responded resoundingly. But the question needs to be asked..... was the sale made to the rest of America and did Obama's words of attacks against Bush and Cheney and "eight is enough!", actually accomplish anything beyond the venting of the collective spleens of democrats that have nurtured their hate and licked their wounds for the last eight years.

I don't think so.

New McCain Ad Congratulates Obama

So here's the ad the McCain campaign has been hyping all day -- it's a spot that will run during tonight's speech in which McCain, directly addressing the camera, congratulates Obama for his achievement:

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America," McCain says, adding:

"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, Senator, job well done."

The McCain campaign is releasing this spot seemingly designed to counter his growing image as the negative campaigner in this race on a day when there's no way to detract from the overwhelming historical resonance of Obama's appearance in any case.

Not a lot that the Obama campaign can say about this one. Other than it smarts.

I missed getting to watch the speech live tonight, as I had a prior commitment. But since getting home, I have reviewed the youtube video of the entire speech. And I will watch the rebroadcast later on cable.

And from everything that I have watched and heard, he was everything that I said he would be and more for the democrats. He not only hasn't lost it, he has polished it to perfection. And regardless of what you think of the man, he still has the ability to deliver the raw meat and inspiration to the party faithful that he always had. It is really a shame, that the constitution prohibits him from being the VP. If it did, this election would be over.

But as I have said before this speech and leading up to this speech, Bill Clinton would present the subliminals and the logic bombs once he had his opportunity on the stage at the DNC in Denver. And he did that tonight.

For those interested, this is the LINK to the entire speech. It's the one that I watched when I got home tonight after it was posted.

24 minutes and 47 seconds, from the time he walked on the stage until he walked off, but only about a 20 minute speech in actuality. After a three minute ovation, at 3.50 in the tape he states that he is here to be warm up the crowd for Joe Biden. After which he goes on to add, "I loves Joe Biden and America will too."

IMO, that was a purposeful logic bomb. He didn't say that he loved Barack Obama, or that he was there as the all star patriarch of the party to warm up the crowd for tomorrow night's appearance of Barack Obama. The remark was made jokingly as always, but there was a message behind the message.

Then comes the first subliminal. At 5.10 in the speech, he states that he is "not so greatful to speak in the wake of Hillary's magnificent speech last night......but I'll...do the best I can" and he immediately places his tongue in cheek noticeably and smirks at 5.23 at the end of that remark.

That is classic Clinton and that was and is one of his classic ways of conveying what he really thinks about what he has just said. (translation: "yeah, she's good, but watch this.")

And once again at 17.40 into the speech, he begins to note John McCain."The republicans in a few days, will nominate a good man....who has served our country heroically......and who suffered terribly, in a Vietnamese prison camp. He loves his country, every bit as much as we do." And once again at 17.53 into the speech and immediately having made that remark, we see the tongue once again slide to the cheek and the smirk cross his lips. (translation: "Loves his country as much as we do? Like hell he does").

And once again 18 minutes into the speech, as he continues his attack on John McCain, as he makes the analogy that McCain "still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party, for more than twenty five years." comes the next subliminal of tongue in cheek and smirk. "and to be fair to all the Americans who aren't as hard core democrats as we" and there it is again at 18/20 in the speech. Again we see the tongue slide in cheek and the Clinton smirk. (translation: "Like hell I will be fair. They know they made a mistake by not choosing us. We are the democratic party")

Bill Clinton knows how to work a room and he knows how to work a partisan crowd, but more importantly, he is like the Cheshire Cat. He can't not let you know what he thinks on any issue. Even when he is purposely saying all the expected things and performing the function that he is supposedly there for. Oratory and subtlety of verse and inflection are his stock and trade. But included in that speaking persona are always his coy presentations and his purposefully non coy visual communication skills.

He knew precisely what he was there to do tonight and he knows that there is no one who can do it better. But he was going to get his subtle jibes in. His vanity and his anger could not prevent that after how he and Hillary were treated by those democrats all across America and in the party, "who aren't as hard core as we are."

I actually expected him to make direct reference to his betrayal by the party and the people during the primaries while making his speech tonight. But I guess that was even too tall of an order for the wizard of Hope to confront directly. But he certainly made his point, when he made the remark "and to be fair to all the Americans who aren't as hard core democrats as we" and immediately slid that tongue over so that everyone paying attention would know his real sentiments on the issue.

I did get to watch live Joe Biden's speech that followed. And all I can say, is that once again a Clinton had sucked all the air out of the room by the time old Joe took the stage. And on top of that, to follow the ultimate party attack dog, when it is Biden's now nominated and accepted mantle to be the party attack dog for Obama? Well IMO, poor Joe looked visibly unsettled having to follow the main act.

For anyone who was watching the democrat convention in Denver last night, the question had to have crossed many minds, what will Bill's speech be about tonight as the convention spotlight turns to him. Especially when considering the unrestrained glee and smiling that Bill Clinton engaged in throughout the entire evening and particularly as he watched and listened to Hillary deliver her much anticipated speech before the raptured crowd last night.

Those questions bounced around in my mind last night and I suddenly began to think of the comparisons between then and now and what was and what could have been. Bill Clinton was the democrat messiah of his age. The "Man from Hope" who came from nowhere to somewhere and to become somebody. The original "one" who unified his party and took deed and title to that shining city on a hill, only to learn all to well the lessons of Icarus and an unforgiving sun and the Roman conqueror and the reality that all glory is fleeting.

My thoughts then paralleled the popular query of a decade ago....."WWJD ....what would Jesus do?" And as I considered that premise of popular Christian representation, I applied the same concept to the present day second coming of a democratic messiah. Bill Clinton was undeniably the first appearance of Jesus Christ Superstar for the democrats since John Kennedy and Camelot, but his time has past into history and since leaving office, he has been scourged and chased from the temple. And since the South Carolina primaries, he has been crucified by both the Israelites and the Romans of his party. And even Pontius Pilot (as played by Howard Dean) could not spare him the indignities to be weighed upon him as if millstones were to weight his passage to the bottom of the sea.

So as my metaphorical thinking proceeded....I considered the premise..... will Bill Clinton rise from the political grave tonight in Denver to deliver his Sermon on The Mount to the faithful? Or put another way... "What would/will Bubba do?" I believe that we will all find that out all too well later tonight. I believe that the democratic disciples who have gone to the grave since they last checked, will find the stone rolled away and the risen spirit of the "original one" in all his shining glory and on the stage in Denver tonight. After all, it is his father's house, where else would he be?

I also believe that his message will be everything expected and everything hoped for by the assembled congregation, but it will also be a lesson as taught by the original teacher. Bill Clinton's message will include all the prerogatives that are entitled to a former messianic political figure, but there will also be the scathing assuages of purgatorial references to his scourging and crucifixion at the hands of an unholy and unappreciative alliance that knew not what they did, when they offered up the original one on the alter of by any political means necessary and political expediency.

Bill Clinton has come to represent many things to many people over the last sixteen years, but one common point of consensus on both sides of the isle is that the man is not stupid. Far from it, he is a shrewd politician and the one who originally crafted the most recent and most favored golden age of democratic ascendancy. Therefore, expect the speech he gives tonight in Denver to be a compilation of well thought out and well constructed democratic talking points.

Assuredly he will touch on the obligatory need for the party to unify behind Obama, but he will also review for the gathered faithful, his personal highlight reel of his own accomplishments and achievements while he held favored status in the party. But more importantly in my opinion, Bill Clinton will lecture those in the party who dared to impugn his integrity and sincerity to the commitment of civil rights and the black race in America. If there is one point of consensus that all can agree on concerning the original messiah from Hope Arkansas, the most stinging of reprobation leveled at Bill Clinton during the waning weeks of the primaries, was that he was a racist. To the man who was once hailed as America's first black president and to the man who had carefully constructed and nurtured his image to convey that image for eight years, no greater insult could have been attached to him,  if they had erected a sign above his head that read "This is Bubba, The King of The Klan.".

So tonight in Denver, the beleaguered champion of old and the one who originally wore the mantle of democratic messiah, will once again mount the stage, but not for his parting shot or his swan song. Bill Clinton will be center stage in all of his glory and keen political savvy to deliver the democratic alter call. And once he has delivered his message to the assembled worshipers, there will be no doubt that the real and original democratic messiah has spoken. Bill Clinton after all comes not to slay Caesar, but to praise him. But he also comes as if Moses from the mount....carrying the tablets of the political Torah and laying out the only path available for the present day democratic sinners to reach the promised land.

Which leaves the assembled masses at the base of the mount, to either accept the realities presented them and renew their belief in the faith that they have abandoned, or else they will be left with only the golden calf of Obama and the fire and brimstone that will surely follow after those who failed to obey the message of the one true god of democratic liberalism.

May Bubba have mercy on their souls.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that he is not afraid of afraid of a new Cold War, but does not seek it.

"We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a new Cold War," Medvedev was quoted as saying Tuesday by the ITAR-Tass news agency. "But we don't want it and in this situation everything depends on the position of our partners."

The statement comes hours after Medvedev recognized the independence of two Georgian rebel provinces, defying the West. The recognition follows a short but intense war with Western-allied Georgia earlier this month.

"If they want to preserve good relations with Russia in the West, they will understand the reason behind our decision," Medvedev said.

Medvedev's comments come as British Foreign Minister David Milband called for the "widest possible coalition against Russia's aggressiun in Georgia," Reuters reported.

Russia formally recognized the breakaway Georgian territories at the heart of its war with Georgia on Tuesday, heightening tensions with the West as the United States dispatched a military ship bearing aid to a port city still patrolled by Russian troops.  LINK

And it you look closely? You won't even notice Vladamir Putin's hand up hi butt working his mouth for him.

this situation in Georgia is beginning to bother me. not just because the Russians have taken advantage of a smaller and far weaker country, but because there are many here in this country who are sympathizing and siding with the Russians.

Who would have ever dreamed that in America, people would not only feel sympathy for Russian aggression, but also speak of it openly as if it justified their previous assessments about America.

There are those who have spoken recently of John McCain potentially being the "Manchurian Candidate." The proverbial sleeper agent provocateur, who rises to the highest levels of power in America to corrupt and destroy this country. But the reality that I see is far more dire.

America has allowed to be sired and raised, and entire generation of Manchurian Candidates. By the hundreds and thousands and apparently millions, they now walk amongst us and declare their sovereign right to accuse and belittle this nation as the only wrong or evil in the world. And we not only tolerate it, but we encourage it.

This week the grand daughter of Eisenhower came out and broke with the republican party. Her stated reasoning being that as an educated speaker on world affairs and the Caucuses in particular, America in general and President Bush in particular had failed to see or understand the intricate issues involved in Georgia and S. Ossetia and the justification and fairness of Russia reclaiming what was rightfully hers.

After a generation of seeing the former Soviet Union's satellites struggling to become independent of the Russian Bear, there are now numerous American academics who openly state that it is only right that Russia be allowed to claim her lost communist fiefdoms. and to add further poignant emphasis to that reality? Americans in general and the rest of the world, should be neither surprised or dismayed by the aggressive nature of Russia's reclamation of her lost empire.

And the irony of irony amongst the brie eating Vichy elite of both America and Europe? Is that their explanation of justification is that this is all quite understandable from an ethnic perspective. The S. Ossetians and the other breakaway province are a separate ethnic group and therefore, justified in their desire of segregation from the rest of Georgia. The racial and ethnic conflicts go back thousands of years and therefore, we have no business interfering.

Yet turn the telescope 180 degrees to Europe and America? And we are told that "we" must accept with open arms ALL nationalities and their cultures. The alien cultures now permeating every aspect of western culture, are elevated above the indigenous cultures established by the west and we are told that we are racists if we fail to follow the multiculturalist model being forced upon us. but it is quite permissible for the rest of the world to do as they please when it comes to matters of ethnicity and culture.

These are strange times that we live in and IMO, these are the times that have been spoken of for thousands of years. A house divided cannot long endure. And our house has had the very foundations kicked from beneath it. And in doing so, we have allowed it to become reality and when required? We have willingly lend-ed a hand in our own destruction.

Well all the spun angst and drama has finally ended. And it all came with an appropriately timed release of thousands of simultaneous text messages to supporters and camp following loyalist reporters. Joe Biden in the one, chosen by "The One." So we can all rest a little easier now and get on with our own small mundane weekend routines, the crisis is over.  IMO, these are the types of crisis' that we can expect from an Obama presidency. The manufactured ones, no different from those we often saw with bill Clinton. At these Obama will give the appearance of excelling, but the real crisis', the ones that are created by the real problematic people on this planet are the ones that concern me.

Meanwhile, as of dawn this morning, the new dream team of the democratic party was off and running and preparing for their convention in Denver come Monday and their tag team attacks against John McCain. Obama and Biden will most certainly be center stage on all the Sunday news magazines and they will spend most of today, doing the meet and greets and showcasing the Delaware democrat's credentials to balance Obama's vision of change.  Biden brings the credentials of leadership and knowledge in international affairs to the ticket. Qualities that Obama admittedly lacks on all levels. But Biden also brings a quick and contemptuous wit that has often jumped up and bitten his own back side. Not including his tendencies to be loquacious and verbose.

Over the next week during the convention, Obama will let Biden take the lead on many fronts. He is the chosen attack dog that both Obama and the party feel is best suited to counter the decades of experience that John McCain brings to the table. But Biden also creates the same opportunities for McCain as he does for Obama. Of late, Barack Obama has been hammering McCain as just another Washington insider. Someone who has been in Washington for twenty four years and someone who is part of the problem. After all, he has been in the US congress while all these supposedly bad things have been going on. But what of Senator Joe Biden tenure in Washington? He has been in the senate since 1972. Which makes him a thirty eight year resident of the same house of mirrors as McCain. What does that say about Obama's reasoning and his campaigns attempt in choosing Biden, to counter the very viable threat of McCain's experience.

Certainly we will see comparisons of Biden and his numerous gaffs while in the US senate, but we will also see (and already have seen) where he himself chided Barack Obama during the primary debates, for not being qualified enough to lead this nation. America will be called upon to remember on a regular basis, that Joe Biden (the man Obama has chosen as his VP) told the American people during the primary debates, that the presidency is not the place for on the job training.

The democrats will ride the crest of this media hyped and Obama generated wave for the next week, but danger lies ahead. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, team Clinton will take center stage at the democratic convention in Denver. And word has it that Bill has refused to allow the Obama campaign to vet his speech or even review it before he delivers it. For the politically savvy, this is a potential disaster in the making. While the large majority of the American dumb-masses have to be spoon fed sounds bites and catch phrases, the media at large and the pundits in particular, will be front row center and waiting for the words of both Hillary and William Jefferson Clinton. Because they know all to well, that the secret of the sauce, is what is liberally sprinkled in the code speak of the oration.

As for the McCain campaign, the published battle plan for this week is to allow Obama (and now Biden) to have their say, but to look for any crumbs that drop form the royal table. Missteps that can be used to skewer either of them with. Meanwhile, the McCain campaign has already been busily at work, rolling the tapes on Joe biden and looking for all those pearls hidden in the folds of video tape. Quotes that he gingerly sprinkled while he was campaigning against Obama during the primaries and the debates.

This promises to be an interesting week and in the meantime, the next quantum shift on the political horizon will be, who John McCain decides on to be his running mate. The popular consensus as of today, is that Mitt Romney's stock has risen due to the selection of Biden by Obama. But personally I think that both Romney and Lieberman are off the table now. Unless John McCain is stupid. John McCain needs to fight fire with fire. And bringing show poodles like Romney or Biden to a dog fight against a democratic pit bull like Joe Biden is facetious. McCain doesn't need to concern himself with the original game plan batting line up now. What he needs is a surprise mid series trade. Someone who can be called on for the pinch hit that will clear the bases and leave team Obama gasping for air in a vacuum. Someone young and someone capable of respectfully taking on the Goliath from New Hampshire, while systematically destroying Obama's straw man. McCain can handle Obama by himself, but he needs a team player to not only balance his ticket but also an individual who can completely minimize the Biden effect.


Who that might be? Is in my opinion the big question, but the paradigm changed for McCain when Biden's name was announced on the Obama ticket. The gloves will soon be off and McCain better be preparing to swap some leather.

Obama: McCain ‘Doesn’t Know What He’s Up Against’

RALEIGH, N.C. — A combative Barack Obama said Tuesday that Republican John McCain “doesn’t know what he’s up against” in this election and challenged his rival to stop questioning his character and patriotism.

LINK

I have to admit, it's been kinda boring the last two weeks. Between Obama's vacation and now. And there hasn't been a lot going on with the man that was interesting enough to talk about in depth IMO. But once again and on the heels of the convention, it appears that Obam has dove back into the pool and started to splash and thrash around a lot in preparation for his VP announcement. The media calls it 'combative.' I call it desperate.

After reading of his latest, I was struck by several remarks that Obama made.

  “Our job in this election is not just ‘win,’ although I’m a big believer in winning,” Obama said during the rally. “I don’t intend to lose this election. John McCain doesn’t know what he’s up against.”

The opening line seems to reflect an underlying tone of realization that the potential of defeat is a very real possibility to Obama. a reality which he quickly tries to bolster and reinforce against with rhetoric. Then comes the bravado and the veiled threats of his own. (on McCain)  (He) "doesn't know what he is up against?" Then he redirects with a visitation to the Britney Spears comparison that McCain made two weeks ago, which obviously remains a stinging reminder of something that scored a direct hit on his campaign and he knows it. Or why else mention it. It's already past present in the minds of most. All except Obama apparently.

These are clear indicators of an immature politician and a person incapable of staking out their own ground and holding it IMO. No more visions of rainbows and change for the moment, just reactionary posturing in preparation for the next big stress in his campaign, which is revealing his pick for VP sometime this week. (Obama's negatives are inching up daily in the polls and he knows it.)

Then Obama returns to the theme that he was against the war and the surge while McCain was for them. No mention of the success of either, just the reaffirmation that he doesn't intend to allow anyone to attack his love of country or patriotism. I see several angles going on in this approach. First, Obama is once again attempting to place his supposed plan into a comparative of relative same and similar vision of value in the eyes of the people. But in doing so, he is completely disregarding the fact that his vision and plan has been proven wrong. We are winning the war in Iraq and the surge was a success. But Barack Obama refuses to let go of the failed rhetoric and the reality that he has lost on those two fronts.

Secondly, Obama is attempting with this political positioning, to attempt to place himself alongside John McCain with equal standing of character and principle. And by doing so he is also attempting to draw a veiled barrier around his positions, by asserting that his visions for America are just as valid as McCain's. On the surface the representation may seem fair, but IMO there is more going on with the words in this speech than meets the casual eye. Obama and his handlers are attempting to set the stage for their next volley of swift boating allegations IMO. While increasing their own tempo of political attacks and rhetoric against McCain, the Obama camp is preparing for anyone that responds to or attempts to refute his representations as nothing more than an unfair attack on Obama. And they are clearly indicating that they will immediately set upon these responses with the straw dog argument and defense/attack that the opposition's criticism is invalid and therefore, a specious swift boat attack by the opposition.

  “Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country,”

And IMO, John McCain's response to the remarks is also telling.

 “Barack Obama has made it clear that unconditional withdrawal in Iraq is more important to him than victory in Iraq. That’s not a criticism of his patriotism, that’s a criticism of his judgment.”

McCain has recognized the tone and tactic of the latest Obama battle plan and responded accordingly by noting precisely what is really in play. Not Obama's patriotism, but his judgment. Which is about to be questioned once again, as soon as he takes the wraps off of his VP selection either today or later this week. And as the polls are showing daily, it's Obama's judgement that remains the stickler with the majority of the American people. Not only has he not closed the deal, but he is losing ground daily and his negativity index with the voters is telling.

 “We failed to head off this conflict and lost leverage in our ability to contain it because our leaders have been distracted, our resources overstretched, and our alliances frayed,” Obama said.

So Obama's new plan is to pontificate about America's weakness (according to him) due to our failed policy in Iraq (according to him) and how this has allowed the Russians to take advantage of our weaknesses. I don't suppose he has considered the purposeful weakening by himself and other democrats of America's standing on the world stage, via their criticisms and intended weakening of America in the eyes of the world through their political rhetoric and partisan attacks, in order to attempt to regain power and control of the White House.

IMO one thing is for sure. The most important decision that Obama will make in the immediate future, is who his number two will be. Hopefully it will be someone with a modicum of common sense and the political savvy to contrast and tone down the rhetoric of political inexperience literally oozing from the Obama star ship daily. And Joe Biden is the only one mentioned who IMO, has those qualities. but there is a danger. Placing a Joe Biden on stage next to Obama, particularly during debates, leaves Obama open to being severely upstaged on international affairs, diplomacy and domestic policy. And it might even cause a backlash, where many Americans look at the two and ask the simple question of themselves, "why did we nominate this guy, when his VP is head and shoulders above his talents and experience?"

Defense Official: Russia Has Short Range Missiles in South Ossetia

Monday, August 18, 2008
Russia has placed short range SS-21 missiles in South Ossetia, that could pose a threat to most major Georgian cities," including the capital, Tbilisi, a U.S.Defense official confirmed to FOX News on Monday.

To hear Secretary of State Condoleeza Wright talk about it over the weekend, you might think that all was getting back to right with the world and that the Russians had agreed to a cease fire and they were pulling out of Georgia entirely. but as is always the case, the Devil is in the details and he is certainly present in the midst of this conflict. Only this time his name is Vladimir Putin and regardless of who is currently occupying the Russian presidency, the real power obviously still rests with Putin.

And the new Prime Minister of Russia Putin? Has made a strategic move to take over what he deems as rightfully Russian territory in the former Soviet satellite state of Georgia. I realized over the weekend, when the news reports began to trickle in that the Russians were digging in in South Ossetia and the other contested province, that they weren't going to simply put it in reverse and say excuse our transgression. Military forces 'dig in' as part of a defensive postur in preparation for holding ground already gained.

And now the Russians are deploying their missile batteries in anticipation of what? My guess is that they are attempting two things. First they are setting a tone and position in the face of Poland and the Ukraine's responses to accepting US anti missile defense systems. but secondly, they are establishing the fact that regardless of US, NATO or EU sentiments on the matter, they have reclaimed what they perceive as theirs. And they want the US to know not only that they have done it...but they want the world to know that there is not a whole lot that can be done to stop them. I recall the line from Braveheart where William Wallace is told by the Princess of Wales that "peace is made in such ways." And I recall Wallace's retort. "Slaves are made in such ways."

Russia is in preparation of reestablishing their Soviet empire. They lost it over their inability to compete with American money and military buildup under President Reagan. And now, they have the money through their oil, to accomplish two things. First to finance their resurrected empire and secondly to threaten the existence of Europe and it's ability to obtain oil from their primary source, Russia. What we are currently watching forty two years after the missiles of October stand off between JFK and Kruchev, is the most recent version of the same gambit once again. Only this time? It will be the US that blinks IMO.

• 

I watched the forum discussion tonight, then I watched the replay. What I saw was as I expected. The purpose of the forum was to showcase the two candidates in front of a Christian audience. Of course there were a few million others watching across the country too. But it was Obama's forum to lose. And IMO? He may have not lost it, but he didn't gain any ground.

The usual issues were tabled and responded to. Abortion, stem cell research, homosexual marriage etc. But the one topic that IMO, seemed to take center stage, was the issue of Supreme court appointments. Obama when asked who he would not have appointed to the Supreme Court, immediately targeted Clarence Thomas. And his reasoning was prescient IMO.   "I don't think he was a strong enough jurist or a legal thinker at the time for that. I profoundly disagree with his interpretation of the Constitution"

Which IMO was a political paradox of monumental proportion. Coming from a man who has only the weakest political experience, yet represents himself as a seasoned leader.  Obama went after Clarence Thomas as if his inexperience as a jurist was a justification of non-qualifier in Obama's mind. Obama was clearly playing to his race and to black America on that representation and by targeting Clarence Thomas. And his answer on abortion...."that's above my paygrade?" Well it certainly isn't above the pay grade of the office that he is seeking.

Barack Obama came across to me as comfortable, but as a player in the interview tonight. John McCain came across as representing himself well and immediately ready to answer all the questions, including the hard ones. His admission of the personal failure of his first marriage as his greatest personal failure was poignant IMO. Obama's campaign has been attempting to make hay with that issue of late. But they are overlooking the reality that John McCain and his exwife are good friends and she has not had anything bad to say about the man period. What ever their differnces, they seem to have addressed them and moved on with life.

As the first real sit down and Q & A of this election between Obama and McCain? I say that McCain came off far more genuine and honest in his answers than Obama did. But I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to see what the polls say.

Russia facing isolation over actions in Georgia: Rice

Russian foreign minister says 'peacekeepers' to stay in South Ossetia

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has demanded Russia end its actions in Georgia, saying the country is facing international isolation for "brutally" pushing its military operations in the region.
"Those operations must stop and must stop now," Rice said during a briefing with reporters.
"This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbour, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it," Rice said. "Things have changed."
Rice spoke hours after U.S. President George W. Bush called on Russia to end all military activity in the former Soviet republic and withdraw its forces.
"The United States stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia and insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected," Bush said.
The president added that a massive U.S. humanitarian effort was already in progress.
Rice, who will travel to Paris and the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to help with diplomatic efforts to end hostilities, said there are worrisome reports from Georgia that Russia has not lived up to its pledge of ending military operations.
LINK

Many Americans have spent the last week, watching the war between Georgia and the Russians unfold. Today, Secretary of state Condoleeza Wright has obtained a signatory cease fire agreement with the Georgian president. Not a big deal for him, since his forces have been having their collective butts kicked for over a week now. But we are still waiting to see if the Russians will sign off and retreat from their invasion. Or if they will continue their path of destruction until the last possible minute. They have already obliterated the Georgian Navy at Poti and seem to still be advancing deeper into the country.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised, of how this all came about without America and the rest of the world being aware of what the Russians were doing and intended. The Georgian president sent his troops into South Ossetia province to attempt to quell sectarian violence between Georgians and loyalist Russians. President Bush and the State Department apparently attempted to discourage the action, but he went ahead anyway.hen the Russians came storming in, supposedly in defense of their nationals trapped in South Ossetia.

What ever the reasons, the Russians are now trying to portray the whole episode as something created by America for the sole purpose of attacking Barack Obama's candidacy and at the same time helping the John McCain campaign. Can anyone say "stranger than fiction?" I don't even think that Tom Clancy could have dreamed something that ludicrous up.

In the end, the Russians have been allowed to get away with an unprovoked invasion, much in the same way as Nazi Germany was allowed to do the same thing with their Checkoslavacian invasion prior to WWII. Meanwhile I am sure that the Chinese are not letting this episode go unnoticed. They may be in the midst of the Olymics in Beijing, but they still have their eyes on Taiwan and they now have the means and the opportunity to go after it if they choose.

Report: U.S. Refuses Israel Weapons to Attack Iran

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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JERUSALEM —  The United States has rejected an Israeli arms request that would have improved Israel's capability to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, a frontpage report in Israel's Haaretz newspaper said on Wednesday.

The U.S. warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests, the paper said. The unsourced report also says the U.S. demanded that Israel give it a heads-up if it decides to strike Iran.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak did not deny the Haaretz story and refused to discuss it in an interview with Israeli Army Radio,

"It would not be right to talk about these things," Barak said, according to Reuters.

Once again the cauldron of the middle east is boiling. However, this time, the US and President Bush have decided not to give in to requests by Israel, to purchase additional weapons in preparation of dealing with the Iranian threat. Which is probably not a major deterrent to the Israelis, seeing as they already have enough American made bunker buster guided bombs to do the job. Probably twice over.

But what this latest diplomatic maneuver actually reveals, is that President Bush no longer has the stomach for dealing with the threats in the middle east. After all, things are going pretty well in Iraq right now and we still have fish to fry in Afghanistan. Therefore, there is no need for the US to potentially expand the theater of war in the middle east, especially with the Russians having invaded Georgia and the potential for the Chinese to take the Russian lead and pursue their own interests concerning Taiwan.

Meanwhile, we here at home are left with the debacle of choosing our next president and neither of the choices looks promising, but one in particular poses a dramatic reality of being the worst of all evils if elected. Barack Obama languished for two days while issuing a statement that both parties (Russia and Georgia) should stand down and allow a diplomatic solution to be arrived at. Meanwhile, John McCain stepped to the lead and demanded an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and pointed directly to the grave consequnces of allowing unchecked Russian aggression in the Cascuses and America's obligation to support the Georgian democracy.

President Bush was also late to the dance by not returning from the Beijing Olypics to address the nation and the world on the audacity of the Russians and their unprovoked invasion. As it stands, John McCain is the one who has come out as the real leader in this crisis, while Barack Obama only changed his position after four days of watching the reviews of what McCain's position on the Russian Georgian invasion had been.

And now comes the news that in the midst of all this, the Israelis are apparently planning on dealing with what the rest of the world refuses to address in Iran. One way or another, if Israel launches an attack against Iran, America will be dragged into the conflict. The Iranians will see to that. They will attack our personnel and military assets in the region, if only to prove to the world that they can. Regardless of the consequences that they have to know they will suffer by doing so.

Those who actually watch and read the real news reports across the web daily, should be looking closely for reports of American military battlegroup movements over the next six weeks. Any prestaging of assets in the Arabian Gulf or on Deigo Garcia of aircraft etc. will be the harbinger of reality that the Israelis have told the White Hosue, that they fully intened to take out the Iranian nuclear capabilities. Once that occurs, America will be forced to defend itself against extremist Iranian attacks on our ships and military personnel both in Iraq and the immediate region.

Stay tuned and stay prepared are the watch words that Americans should presently be following IMO.