The WMD Documentary

The weekly Standard has a review of the documentary WMD: The murderous reign of Saddam Hussein. This is an eye witness account to the murderous dictator's 35 years in power. The review is good, although I have no idea how widespread the release for the film is. I will add to this posting as I find more information

The President Chimes in on Explosives

The president spoke today from Lancaster, PA. regarding the 377 thousand tons of missing explosives:


“After repeatedly calling Iraq the ‘wrong war,’ and a ‘diversion,’ Senator Kerry this week seemed shocked to learn that Iraq was a dangerous place, full of dangerous weapons. The Senator used to know that, even though he seems to have forgotten it over the course of the campaign, but after all that’s why we’re there. Iraq was a dangerous place run by a dangerous tyrant who had a lot of weapons. We have seized or destroyed more than 400,000 tons of munitions, including explosives, and more than — thousands of different sites, and we’re continuing to round up more weapons everyday.


“I want to remind the American people, if Senator Kerry had his way, we would still be taking our 'global test.' Saddam Hussein would still be in power. He would control all those weapons and explosives and could have shared them with our terrorist enemies.


“Now the Senator is making wild charges about missing explosives when his top foreign policy adviser admits, quote, 'we do not know the facts.' Think about that. The Senator's denigrating the action of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts. Unfortunately, that's part of a pattern of saying almost anything to get elected — like when Senator Kerry charged that our military failed to get Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora, even though our top military commander, General Tommy Franks, said the Senator's understanding of events does not square with reality, and our intelligence reports placed bin Laden in any of several different countries at the time. Our military is now investigating a number of possible scenarios including that the explosives may have been moved before our troops even arrived at the site. This investigation is important and it's ongoing — and a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your Commander in Chief".


"When it comes to your security, when it comes to the security of our families, my opponent takes a very different approach. He says that September the 11th did not change him much at all. And his policies make that clear. He says the War on Terror is primarily a law enforcement and intelligence-gathering operation. Well, September 11th changed me. I remember the day I was in the — at Ground Zero, September the 14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget; there were workers in hard hats there yelling at me at the top of their lungs, 'whatever it takes.' I remember a man grabbed me by the arm, he looked me square in the eye, and he said, 'Do not let me down.' Ever since that day, I wake up every morning trying to figure out how to better protect America. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes."

We need to hear more of this from President Bush over the next 6 days.

UPDATE 11/7/04: I talked to my sister last night, and she informed me that I had made a mistake on the amount of explosives missing. I had mistakenly stated that there were 377 thousand tons missing, when in reality there were 377 tons missing. I have also heard that the total has been reduced to 3 tons. At any rate, my apologies to readers, and my thanks to Laura (my sister).

More Voter Fraud

The Orlando Sentinel posted an article today on more voter fraud. They found that tens of thousands of Florida's registered voters are also registered in other states.

If we don't get a national voting database, we are inviting voter fraud in this (although it is much too late for this election) and all future elections. It is not disenfranchising voters to require a photo ID in order to place their vote. It is good common sense. We need to put the word "fair" back into our election process.

President Bush Has New "Wolf" Ad

According to ABC's The Note, the president has a new ad that is reminiscent of Reagan's "Bear" ad.


From The note:

As for the new Bush ad, the AP says the spot is, "reminiscent of Ronald Reagan's 'Bear' ad that was credited with framing the 1984 race, (and) shows a dense forest from above. Scurrying is heard as the camera plunges deeper into the woods and pans sunlight-speckled trees. Shadows move through the brush before animals are seen amid the forest. Then, the ad reveals the type of animal: a pack of wolves rest on a hill. As the commercial closes, the cunning and ruthless predators stir, crawling toward the camera."
One Bush adviser tells ABC News, "The ad was produced and tested months ago. Voter reaction was so powerful that we decided to hold the ad to the end of the campaign and make it ONE of the closing spots. It will run to the end."
The campaign says the ad will start to air today on national cable and in local markets in battleground states. The AP is reporting the ad will run in 14 states and that with the RNC, the campaign is spending about $15 million total on TV ads this week.

You can view the ad here.


Here is the transcript:

Voice Over: In an increasingly dangerous world… Even after the first terrorist attack on America… John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America’s intelligence operations. By 6 billion dollars… Cuts so deep they would have weakened America’s defenses. And weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.

Should make Kerry howl.....sorry.

What I am

There was a full page ad that was run in the Washington Post (yes, I said Post not Times) yesterday that I think everyone should read.

I believe that Rush Limbaugh read it on his program yesterday. The ad was written by George J. Esseff Sr. and placed at his expense. It is well worth the time. Here is a bit of it.

WHAT I AM … first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 52 plus years, the father of four and an American who’s proud of his country… and his country’s heritage.
WHAT I AM … is the grandson of immigrants who risked everything, including their lives and those of their children, to escape tyranny in search of freedom.
WHAT I AM … is a man who grew up during the Depression and witnessed, first hand, the effects of the Stock Market crash and the soup lines that followed. I watched as both my parents and grand parents, who had very little themselves, share what food they had with a half dozen other families, who had even less.
WHAT I AM … is someone who worked his way through college by holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education to build a better life.
WHAT I AM … is a husband who, at age 24, started his own business for the “privilege” of working 60, 70 and 80 hours a week, risking everything I had, including my health, in search of a better life for myself and my loved ones.
WHAT I AM … is a businessman whose blood, sweat and tears…. and plenty of them…, made it possible for me to provide a secure living, not only for my family and myself, but also for literally hundreds of my employees throughout the years. Employees, who in turn, were able to buy their own homes, raise their own families and give back to their communities and their country.
WHAT I AM … is a man who believes in God; a God who has blessed this country… and all for which it stands.
WHAT I AM … is someone who knows, if you doubt miracles exist in today’s world, you need only to look into the face of those who received them … and the eyes of those who give them.
WHAT I AM … is an American who’s proud that his President embraces a belief in God; proud of a President who understands, as “politically incorrect” as it may be, there is evil in this world and for the security and safety of all freedom loving people everywhere, it must be confronted… and it must be defeated.
WHAT I AM … is an American who takes comfort in the knowledge that our President refuses to allow decisions concerning the very safety and security of this nation, to be governed by the political whims of foreign governments.

To read more just click here.

Damon does Maines

Matt Damon, while promoting his new movie in Berlin, has been quoted by Talon News as saying "I would pay $1 million dollars to have Kerry in the white house".

While I support Damon's right to his own point of view, he (just like Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks) crossed the line when making statements like this on foreign soil in a time of war. He is just another casualty in a long list of actors (and musicians) that will no longer be supported by my dollar.

Prescott Backs Bush Tax Cuts

Speaking to the Arizona Republic, 2004 Nobel Prize Laureate for economics Edward Prescott stated that the president's economic policies were more likely to bear fruit than that of his democratic rival.

"That's an easy one" he said. "When you cuts tax rates, employment always goes up". He described Senator Kerry's plan to roll back tax cuts on top wage earners as counterproductive. "The idea that you can increase taxes and stimulate the economy is pretty damn stupid" Prescott said.

Edward Prescott is a professor at Arizona State University. You can read the whole article here.

"Pretty damn stupid". Is it just me, or does that pretty much sum up the way the whole Kedwards campaign has been handled?

Ashley's Story

There is a new ad from Progress for America Voter Fund. It's titled Ashley's Story, and I think you will see the softer, more human side of our president. It is quite a moving advertisement.

A Vital Part of Vice President Wannabe's Day

I think this video from Slate featuring "Breck Girl" John Edwards speaks for itself.

A welcome change in the black vote

In the Washington Times op-ed there is an article by Bishop Harry R. Jackson that is well worth reading. Here is the link. Basically the article is about large, black congregation "power churches" and how they have evolved over the last 40 or 50 years or so. No longer do they follow the democratic party line lock, stock and barrel. In fact, Bishop Jackson believes that upwards of 20% of the black vote will vote to re-elect President Bush.

It is an interesting article, so please read the whole thing. If 20% of the black population is going to vote for Bush (as opposed to the 9% he received in 2000) then the Kerry camp is in for a long night on November 2nd.

UPDATE: (10/20/04) Jay Cost over at horserace covers this in excellent detail at his blog here.

Registration Numbers

Kerry spot has some new registration numbers from several swing states. It has enough good and bad news for both parties. You can view the numbers here.

For a more in depth analysis, you can go to horserace blog. All the swing states you care about are analyzed to the last detail. I think you will find it very informative.

Electoral edge to Bush

Realclearpolitics has President Bush over Kerry in the electoral count 254 to 220. Still not quite enough to take the election. You can see what states are still in play here.

UPDATE: Apparently, this link gets updated on a daily (at least) basis. Latest count is 227 - 200 in Bush's favor. Sorry folks...still learning here.

The forgotten border

I flew into Detroit after work last night so I could get a fresh start for my appointment in London, Ontario this morning. I paid my $1.50 ($2.00 Canadian) so I could cross the bridge into Canada. I'm still not sure why I had to pay to leave the United States, but then again, I don't get out much. When I got to the other side of the bridge I had to pull over to the side for the Canadian border patrol. ( I had my money out but there was no toll for entering Canada...just for getting out of the U.S. ) After answering all her questions about my citizenship, purpose of visit, do I have any fruits or vegetables, etc., I was told I had to pull over to the immigration office. I looked over to my left and saw other cars leaving their respective booths and going on their merry way. Glancing to the right toward the immigration office there was a desolate parking lot. Confused, I put on my wittiest smile and asked what part of the test did I fail? Note to self: Border patrol officers have no sense of humor!
After showing my driver's license and birth certificate to the immigration officer, who was wearing a bullet proof vest (note to self #2:Time to get a passport) I was grilled for another 15-20 minutes on where I was going, how long was I going to be there, did I have any firearms, etc. Finally I was allowed to proceed. Typically I would be a little irritated by all the hassle, but I left the immigration office feeling pretty good about the security of our borders.
I finished my business in London in about 3 hours or so. I still had about 5 hours until my flight in Detroit. It is about a 2 hour drive so I figured I should leave right away to allow enough time to get through customs. I stopped on the Canadian side and paid my $1.75 ($2.50 Canadian) to leave the country. Not only did I have to pay to leave Canada, but I had to pay more than I did to leave the U.S. Anyway, I drove over the bridge in anticipation of a long wait at the border. As it was, I pulled directly up to a booth and was asked exactly 3 questions and then was allowed to enter the country. No driver's license, no birth certificate, NOTHING!
With our elections a matter of days away, and being under terrorist's threats from Islamo-Fascists who would like nothing better than to derail our democratic process, why is it more difficult to get into Canada than it is to the United States? Have we learned nothing from the bombings in Madrid or Jakarta?
During the last presidential debate the question of security at our borders was asked. Both President Bush and Senator Kerry answered the question with a singular vision toward the southern border. I'm sorry, but that isn't good enough. The U.S./Canadian border stretches many more miles than that of our border with Mexico. If this is a true measure of how we protect it, then we are headed for some serious trouble. If we don't tighten up our northern border with Canada, we may be heading for another 9/11, or possibly something far worse.

First blog

Well, I have been delaying this for a little while, but I may as well get started while the political season is still upon us (not that I won't continue to spit out my opinions on all the every day political news).

All of that can wait until the next blog. I will start with telling a little bit about myself and my family. I am a forty three year old man with a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters....one of whom is getting married in July (Aaaaaahh). Our oldest daughter ( the one causing me to scream) is 23 years old and a teacher in the Minneapolis area. Our younger daughter is 21 and attending college in Georgia (where we live) and is going for her master's in the nursing program. Her mother, who is also a nurse, is a little confused by this. Didn't she witness her mother coming home from a long day at work sporting a, shall we say, melancholy mood? As for me, I am a product development engineer in the commercial architectural industry.

So, how does any of this qualify me to write to you about current events (political or otherwise)? It doesn't. But I do have my opinions and hopefully I can share them with you in an informational, entertaining way that will keep you coming back for more. If not, well hell, it's free and will probably keep me from going to therapy for years!

I look forward to getting your comments (good and bad) and responding to them in a somewhat timely manner.

The site itself is new and currently under construction, so please continue to check back. As I am new to this, I am open to suggestions to make it a more user friendly site.