What Sarah Palin Means to the World

I've been contemplating all that it means for Sarah Palin to run for the presidency of the United States. Yes, she's fiscally conservative, so check one off for the Wisconsin debate to end the grip of unions on our government budgets. Yes, she's pro-life and pro-marriage, as defined by DOMA, so check one off for social conservatives. She's also against the ground-zero mosque, so check one off for our Christian heritage. She was also spot-on regarding enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, so check one off for foreign affairs.

My thoughts then drifted to energy. Score another one for Sarah from the outset, as she's been saying "drill, baby, drill" since drilling was cool. Now it's been halted, thanks to Obama. I then thought about Obamacare. Yep, check one off there as well. Her "death panels" comment started the bill on its path to destruction, God willing.

Now I'm left with a different thought. What does Sarah Palin mean to the world?

Sarah Palin is the only politician in the world who can calm it. She doesn't have to do much, she only has to convey a sense of resolve. I haven't seen any resolve from Washington regarding all the events that are unfolding in the Mideast and elsewhere. I haven't seen anyone step up on the world stage and say that this is NOT the end of times. (I've heard that....have you?) I don't believe it, however, because I know how resilient the American economy is. And, after all, isn't that what all the unrest is about: the economy?

Sarah Palin could announce that she will run for President of the United States, but it won't be a simple announcement that will make a difference. It will be her personality and resolve to champion all things that make this country great that will have an impact. Hers is an understanding of this country's greatness that mirrors the majority of Americans. The majority of Americans just don't yet know that. They still only know the crap that's being fed them by the left-wing, lamestream media. But that will change.

Ronald Reagan captured our sense of resolve and evoked a "can do" attitude when he began his campaign, which we sorely need right now. Barack Obama has done his level best to subvert our lofty expectations of the future and why? It's quite simple, really. Barack Obama believes that government is the end-all, be-all of the American experience, which is as far from the truth as possible. Without the understanding that it's the American people that make this country great, he is doomed. And without a strong America leading the way, our world is doomed to experience more unrest like we see today in the Mideast, northern Africa and elsewhere.

When the world senses a fading American dream, it loses its bearings and rightly so. We have to lead by example, not words. We have to lead by doing, not hoping. Moreover, we can only return to greatness if our leaders in Washington believe the same things that we do and get out of our way to prove it.

Sarah Palin oozes confidence in the American dream. She knows what will inspire us and it isn't some government program. She has confidence in us and, so far, she's the only politician that seems to understand that and has understood it from the beginning.

The minute that Ronald Reagan was elected President, the Iran hostage situation was over. The hostage takers knew their days were numbered with Reagan in office and they were right. The minute that Sarah Palin is elected President, the world will know that the United States has resurrected itself and act accordingly, deferring to principled leadership. That, my friends, is what Sarah Palin means to the world.

Rush Limbaugh NAILS the Double Standard!

The Endless Consequence of Life

I was excited to call my mother and tell her that my son had successfully undergone knee surgery. He's seventeen and needed to have "clean-up" surgery following a prior surgery related to a football. We were concerned because the last surgery left him in considerable discomfort due to nausea from the anesthesia. This time was different and the doctors were able to counteract those effects.

My update call to my mother was met with relief, but the conversation quickly changed to a "sunshine report", so called by my late step-father, when news is passed on regarding a death or major event in the lives of friends.

This one was very upsetting. A close friend of my parents suffered a massive stroke this morning and is not expected to live once life-support is cut off. They are awaiting the return of the only son from Manila before a decision on ending life-support is made.

Upon hearing this news, I was instantly catapulted back to my childhood and all the get-togethers that took place in the neighborhood amongst these friends. Although my parents' age, I took pride in knowing them as an extension of my own family and carried that same feeling into adulthood.

Although I am now far-removed from my home town, my heart aches at the thought of all these wonderful people passing on. We were a community of friends, born of different elements but thrown together in a common pursuit of the American dream. We lived together in a quaint little neighborhood on the outskirts of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Life was carefree (on weekends) and open to sharing the best days of our lives with those who lived amongst and near us.

I don't know if others within our realm consider those the "good days". I only know that I do and always will. Our lives cannot be borne without the knowledge of what we are, or who we were. We all have a different story to tell. For me, I mourn with my mother at the loss of a friend, one that I had the opportunity to see last summer, when I last visited Fort Wayne. We had dinner together and laughed at all the crazy goings-on in our old neighborhood.

I have been touched by an enormous number of people in my life. Some I've had a chance to acknowledge, others I never will. I regret not being able to touch every single person that has ever meant something to me and say "thanks for being there". It is the endless consequence of life.

I won't be able to return to Fort Wayne to convey my heartfelt condolences. I can only hope that my thoughts in this, a simple blog, will suffice.

Ah yes, St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail

Having lived in Indianapolis for 10+ years, I can attest to the impact that St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail can have on you. This video brought back some great memories. Skip ahead to around the 2:35 mark if you don't want to watch the whole clip.

The National Christmas Tree

As reported by the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON – The National Christmas Tree is no more.

The Colorado blue spruce that stood on the Ellipse south of the White House since 1978 was toppled Saturday morning by heavy winds. By the afternoon, the 42-foot tree was ground into mulch.

National Park Service spokesman Bill Line noted the tree was exposed to the elements because it stood alone on the Ellipse. It was donated by a couple from York, Pa.

Line says the park service already has a replacement picked out. He wouldn't reveal the source of the new tree but says it will be moved and planted on the Ellipse sometime this spring.

President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas Tree in 1923. It is separate from the White House Christmas tree, which is harvested each year and set up inside.

Seems like a good time for CHANGE. How about planting a tree that is indigenous to the East Coast, as opposed to a Colorado blue spruce? And how about planting a seedling that will push its roots into its native soil, instead of one being transplanted from beyond its normal origins?

Vail for me, but not for thee...

Michelle Obama and her daughters are currently skiing in Vail, CO. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge anyone a vacation with the family now and then. I cherish my vacations with my wife and kids, but come on!

Last summer, Michelle and kids ventured off to Spain. A little over-the-top by my standards, but, what the heck, they make more money than I do. There was an outcry about the cost of the trip, as there should be, since she's on the public dole. But now Vail?

Hard-working Americans all over the country are having to decide what kind of vacation they can take with their kids in this economic environment. Some can't even consider anything. But now we're told that the first family can do whatever, whenever they want. This is so telling of the Obama mindset.

This is the antithesis to Jimmy Carter sitting in front of a fire-place wearing a cardigan sweater and lecturing the American people about conserving energy. This is telling the American voter that no matter what your circumstances, I have MY place and I'm going to enjoy its privileges.

How many families are going to shift their vacation plans to ratchet down the expense, just in case the pink slip happens to come their way? How many families are going to decide on a camp-out at Jellystone Park instead of that promised trip to Disney World?

This is the absolute worst kind of message that the Obamas should be sending, especially in light of the President's lame budget proposal. Damn, maybe I should consider getting a government job. I'd love to meet thee in Vail.

The hypocrisy of the left

Do you remember all the outrage following the killings in Tucson? Sarah Palin was responsible for the carnage due to her use of "cross-hairs" in a campaign ad.

 

So now, we have a different circumstance in Wisconsin, with protests revolving around the Teachers' Unions having to pony up for their benefits. Their protests include this:

Who really inspires violence?

Obama finally leads...in Wisconsin

President Obama put forth a ridiculous 2012 budget for the United States which has already been lambasted by both the left and the right.

So what does he do next? He inserts himself into the Wisconsin budget debate by saying:

"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions."

Well, at least he's finally asserting himself...in a non-federal issue. This reminds me of his statement back in 2009 about police that "acted stupidly" when arresting Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in Cambridge. Perhaps Obama is better-suited to a state or municipal level of government.

Gutless Republican Leadership

As posted by "The Hill":

House rejects extra $22 billion in cuts that divided Republicans
By Russell Berman - 02/18/11 02:56 PM ET

The House rejected a measure cutting an additional $22 billion from the Republican spending bill, as conservatives ran into a wall of opposition from the GOP establishment over the depth of reductions to federal funding.

The amendment backed by the conservative Republican Study Committee failed, 147-281, but not before putting the GOP spending divide under a spotlight on the House floor. Authored by RSC chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the proposal would have dramatically reshaped an appropriations bill that already slashes federal spending by $61 billion over the next seven months.

More than half of the Republican conference backed the measure in opposition to two party chiefs, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who voted with every Democrat against it. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) did not vote, as is traditional for Speakers.

The party’s fourth-ranking member, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), supported the measure, as did dozens of Republican freshman. Yet there was division even among the first-term, Tea Party-backed lawmakers. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), an elected freshman representative on the leadership team, opposed the bill, while Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), the freshman class president, supported it.

Like no previous proposal, the heated debate over the amendment drew a bright line through the GOP conference, pitting conservatives pushing the deepest spending cuts against senior Republicans who denounced them as “misguided,” “indiscriminate” and, in the case of Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-Calif.), “lazy.”

Republican committee chairmen like Lungren, Appropriations chief Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and Jo Bonner (Ala.) made a rare stand alongside Democrats, while Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a former chairman of the GOP conference, spoke in strong support of the measure.

You can read the rest here. How depressing! Eric Cantor was involved in an effort to recruit voters to help him find programs to cut back in early 2010. I wrote about it here. He's now confirmed my worst suspicions.

An amazing turn to gutlessness.

The Washington Post just issued an editorial that excoriates the Obama administration for its plan to spend $53 billion on high-speed rail. So what, you say, such a program is folly in the midst of all the concerns about reining in the Federal budget.

What's interesting is that the Washington Post has hidden its dissent behind the moniker of "Editorials", not wishing to attach a name to their opinion piece.

At the risk of sounding colloquial, what pussies! The Washington Post can editorialize all it wants in anonymity, but it will never publish a piece in opposition to the Obama administration under an actual byline. Lord knows they don't want to lose their privileges at the Obama White House by defying the "One", but to hide their opposition to an Obama initiative through anonymity is gutless.

Unflipping believable....

If you wonder why the "lamestream media" is falling in disfavor with the American populace, just watch this exchange between George Stephanopoulos and Michelle Bachmann.

Can you imagine being Michelle Bachmann and having to respond to this when you were brought on to discuss the budget?



The "lamestream media" is desperate to deflect the conversation away from Obama's budget proposal.

A gathering army...

As we quickly approach the next cycle in the Presidential sweepstakes, we begin to hear all the usual BS from the lamestream media. This candidate is leading here, this candidate is losing ground there, this candidate needs to run, blah, blah, blah.

The lamestream media is desperately trying to foist an "acceptable" candidate onto the GOP. Within the last few days, there has been speculation about Rick Perry, Jim DeMint and Jeb Bush. It is a siren's call to ruin and the lamestream media knows it.

What will happen in the next 6 months will be key. Potential candidates will test the waters, like Herman Cain and Rudy Guliani. Sad to say, but all will fail, not proven in battle. Their stories will be footnotes in the lead-up to 2012. In six months, we will see a dwindling field as the lamestream media takes its toll on their highlighted candidates. Who remains standing will tell all.

In my mind, there is only one candidate that has already shown the ability to do battle AND prevail against the lamestream media. Reared in individualism and steeped in conservatism, this candidate has already shown the ability to fend off the inevitable attacks that will confront ANY Republican candidate.

When the lamestream media is done propping up countless alternatives that end up crashing and burning, only one candidate is positioned to rise above the inferno and prevail: Sarah Palin. Why will this happen? It's because of the vast army of supporters that are waiting in the wings to defend her when the time comes. Does Mitt Romney own Facebook in the way that Sarah Palin does? Has ANY other Republican harnessed the power of alternative media the way that Sarah has?

We have ALL crossed the Rubicon in dismissing the lamestream media and pursuing the truth through alternative media. In fact, the lamestream media's business model is struggling to compensate and continues to show signs of irrelevance by shifting its dwindling assets towards polarizing venues. They obviously learned nothing from the 2010 elections.

The question is: Can Sarah Palin prevail in a general election? Does she have a gathering army awaiting her call? The answer to both is YES and I am but one.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Super Bowl Sunday - Happy Birthday President Reagan!

The quality of this video isn't the greatest, but it surely gives you an idea of what Ronald Reagan might be watching today on this, his 100th birthday.



Happy Birthday President Reagan!

Here All Along