Free In Idaho!

John Hawkins has an article over at Townhall this morning that just about sums up Rudy.  He’s a lot nicer than I am about it, but he hits all the points… sleazy, low character, questionable associates, NOT a conservative, pro-everything we’re against…in short, the exact opposite of the candidate freedom loving conseratives would flock to and be excited to vote for.

Perhaps the biggest oddity of the Republican primary season so far has been that GOP voters keep saying that they want another Reagan, the candidates keep comparing themselves to Reagan at every opportunity, and yet the man who is leading in the national polls, Rudy Giuliani, is about as far apart from Reagan as it’s possible to get ideologically while still remaining in the Republican Party. Rudy Giuliani is no Reagan. What he is, and what he would be if he gets the nomination, is our Bill Clinton.

It’s frustrating to me that so many who call themselves conservatives are so willing to toss what they believe into the corner, in order to get behind a man who shouldn’t be able to get out of the second tier because of his political positions. Are you as frustrated and dissappointed with President Bush as I am? Then WHY are you willing to support Rudy?

Now, I want to be clear about something: if Rudy Giuliani captures the nomination, I will vote for him and I would strongly encourage you to do the same. But, I can’t pretend to be even the tiniest bit enthusiastic about having Rudy as our nominee.

To the contrary, Rudy is a dangerous candidate for the GOP. He could potentially tear the fabric of the Republican Party asunder by alienating millions of pro-life social conservatives so badly that they may vote for a third party candidate or turn away from the Republican Party entirely. That means a Rudy Giuliani candidacy could seriously damage the coalition that has delivered so many victories for the GOP from 1980 forward.

Sorry John. I won’t go there with you. Using that logic, I should hold my nose and vote for whoever wears the magic R. Nope, not going to do it. Character means something. Principal means something. It isn’t about winning for the sake of winning. And Rudy is a “dangerous candidate” NOT because he would tear apart some so-called coalition, he’s a dangerous candidate because he DOESN’T BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE!

Right now the Democrats are going through the motions with candidate Clinton, whom many people consider “inevitable”.  On the Republican side there exists a similar myth, the one that says Rudy is the only one who can beat Hillary.  Horse hockey!  I have more faith in the core things that we believe.  Those are the values that made America great.  And any candidate that believes those things, and speaks them out loud will be able to defeat any Democrat candidate I’ve seen out, including Mrs Bill Clinton.  Rudy is not that man though, and if he wrangles his way onto the ballot as the Republican candidate, I will not vote for him, nor will many who believe as I do.  We’ll know that the Republican party has moved away from us,  not we from it.

Let’s take a break from Hillary, the good Doctor and his bot-hordes, and whatever Glenn Beck’s “I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore” subject of the day is.  What do you say we look in on those fun guys at the wannabe world government, the United Nations?  Stop me if you’ve heard this one

..UNITED NATIONS —  Floods, droughts and other climate disasters will rob millions of children of the decent meals and schools they need unless rich nations pony up $86 billion by 2015 to help the poor adapt to global warming, an expert panel warned Tuesday.

The U.S. government needs to cover $40 billion of that spending, which will “strengthen the capacity of vulnerable people” to cope with climate-related risks, according to the report commissioned by the U.N. Development Program.

Let’s see, do we have all the elements?  Threats of disaster?  Check.  Victims?  Check.  EEEVVVIIILLL rich villains?  Check.  Shakedown demand?  Check.  Whining?  Wait, where’s the whining?

..Without the money, the panel found, a warmer world “could stall and then reverse human development” in the countries where 2.6 billion people live on $2 a day or less.

Whining… Check.  (I’ll mention in passing that on $2 a day they aren’t bothered by having garages and storage units full of lead painted Chinese junk.  I know, I’m heartless and just don’t “get it”.)  And dire predictions, do we have dire predictions? 

..Scientists have reported that temperatures rose an average 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 100 years, bringing the prospect of a century of extreme weather, rising seas, widening drought and disease and harm to fisheries, forests and farmland.

 According to development officials, the unfortunate consequences include women and young girls walking further to collect water in the Horn of Africa, people erecting bamboo flood shelters on stilts in the delta of the Ganges River, and others planting mangroves to protect themselves against storm surges in the delta of the Mekong River.

And giving our hard earned $40 Billion to the United Nations gets us what, exactly?  Just asking… I mean, investing in United Nations projects is a little like buying a two legged stool from that guy at the county fair.  It’s never what it seems, it doesn’t do what you think it’s supposed to, or even what he said it would do, and damn, he’ll be back again next year trying to sell you another one

..The nearly 400-page Human Development Report comes just a week before the world’s nations convene in Indonesia to negotiate a new climate treaty.

A new treaty.  Say, that reminds me.  Did you hear the one about the United States President setting up a series of “can’t miss this time” peace talks between Israel and the Arabs?  What?  You’ve already heard that one?

Have you seen the OfficeMax website where you can “Elf Yourself”?  Good for a laugh, to start the week.  Ron Paul, looking good!

Of course, if you’re more of a Scrooge type, you can Scrooge Yourself instead.  How about “Scrooge Hillary“?

Go forth, and multiply…

Joy to the world!

The somewhat pro-America PM of Australia, Howard, has been dumped for a younger and much more liberal gentleman, Kevin Rudd.  Rudd has already promised to pull the troops and sign the Kyoto baloney sandwich.  A big lurch to the left for the Aussies.

In reading about this this morning, I find that for a supposedly conservative politician, Howard was extremely anti-gun and anti-shooters rights.  He said many times he hated them, and didn’t think anyone should have them.  The tourist massacre in 1996 was the perfect excuse to take Australia over to a very strong gun control policy.

You’d expect more of the same only harsher from a troop pulling, Kyoto signing, UN loving, and less pro-America politician wouldn’t you?  But in a quick read of some Aussie sites, I see that Rudd seems to have a much more open position towards e gun ownership and shooters’ rights than Howard did.  Very interesting.  It might be good to watch, and interesting to see how a pol who might be somewhat pro-gun, yet obviously left, works this contradiction out in real life.  Does he have the conviction to really do anything about it?  And how much did his pro-gun leanings, if they are real, have to do with his being elected?   Lip service to get elected, like some RINOs we know?

One of the Plymouth colony settlers, Edward Winslow, wrote this letter back to England in December of 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first year in New England.  A portion of that letter reads

..You shall understand, that in this little time, that a few of us have been here, we have built seven dwelling-houses, and four for the use of the plantation, and have made preparation for divers others.  We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and sowed some six acres of barley and peas, and according to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings or rather shads, which we have in great abundance, and take with great ease at our doors.  Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown, they came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom.

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after have a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain, and others.  And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

  

One hundred and sixty eight years later, the first President of the United States issued the first Presidential Proclamation, and recommended that all Americans observe a day of prayer and thanksgiving to their Creator

..Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

America has so much to be thankful for, and we Americans truly are “so far from want” that the world comes to our shores every day, to be “partakers of our plenty”.  Indeed, thank you Almighty God.  I pray the LORD will grant us wisdom and grace to use what He has so faithfully provided, both for our own needs, and the needs of others.  May we humble ourselves this day as well, and not be proud in thinking that it is only from ourselves these things flow.  And may He spank us soundly if we continue trusting so foolishly in men and their governments.

Have a very blessed day.

It was expected, and now it is confirmed.  I’m sure you’ve already heard it on the radio, or the TV. The U.S. Supreme Court WILL hear the first Second Amendment case in 68 years.

..After a hiatus of 68 years, the Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to rule on the meaning of the Second Amendment — the hotly contested part of the Constitution that guarantees “a right to keep and bear arms.”  Not since 1939 has the Court heard a case directly testing the Amendment’s scope — and there is a debate about whether it actually decided anything in that earlier ruling. In a sense, the Court may well be writing on a clean slate if, in the end, it decides the ultimate question: does the Second Amendment guarantee an individual right to have a gun for private use, or does it only guarantee a collective right to have guns in an organized military force such as a state National Guard unit?

Washington D.C.’s gun laws are some of the most restrictive in the country, banning handguns, and requiring long guns to be kept disassembled, or at least trigger locked, which defeats the whole purpose of having an individual firearm for self and home protection.  Some had expected the Surpemem Court to only address the “individual right” aspect of the case, but from their announcement today it appears they are going to look into the whole thing, and consider the constitutionality of the “disassembled” part of the law as well.

..The local law at issue in Heller has been discussed widely as a sweeping ban on private possession or use of handguns. But the Court order granting review took it a step further: the one section that will be at issue that goes beyond handguns is the provision that requires that any gun kept at home be unloaded and disassembled, or at least be locked.  Thus, that provision also applies to rifles and shotguns kept at home, in terms of whether those weapons would remain “functional” in time of emergency if that provision were upheld. That part of the order appeared to widen the inquiry in a way that the local residents who challenged the law had wanted.

Bite your fingernails until next summer.  Even with Bush’s two new justices, it is truly difficult to tell how they will see this case.  I’m of the “individual right” persuasion myself, but the Court has no precedents with which to try to forecast where they will come down on it.  The comment stream over at Hot Air is pretty interesting.  Lots of “cold dead fingers” talk, and gloomy predictions.  I don’t think so.  I’m more optimistic than that, but it will be close, no matter what.  And it will certainly put a lot of pressure on the candidates before the next election.  All the “can I get me a huntin’ license” politicians will fly like a covey of quail.  It’ll be a good test of where we are on the slippery slope, that’s for sure.

Today is National Ammo Day!  You didn’t forget did you?  As if you needed an excuse, here’s a great opportunity to visit Cabelas, or Impact, Sportsmans Warehouse… heck even Wal-Mart, for a brick of .22LR.  And here’s a good idea

Mark A. Taff, CCRKBA Executive Director, went one step further and encouraged gun owners to not only buy 100 rounds of their favorite ammunition, but to fire those rounds on their local gun range. “I can’t think of a better way to spend a Monday evening than putting some rounds down-range to improve our marksmanship skills. Hitting what you aim at is crucial to responsible armed self-defense.”

Let’s see, I have enough time between my 9am and my noon appointments to hit Cabelas and the Warehouse… and, if I take the long way around, they’re on the way.  Well, sort of.  It’s good.

Fred Thompson talks about the war on terror, Muslims in America, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, and the committment we the American people have to make.  Check out this video over at Pajamas Media.  It’s part of a series of “Conversations on the War on Terrror” they have planned, to let the people hear the candidates in much more detail than they get from the TV news soundbites and debate shenanigans.