Looking Back and Forward

Without a doubt, 2004 has been one of the most exciting, and certainly the most nerve-racking years I've ever experienced. A presidential campaign that began nearly as soon as the '02 mid-terms were over came to a successful conclusion on November 2. In between then the campaign was full of it's ups and downs, from the bleak months of April and May, to the period of September and October where the president gained a lead that he never really relinquished.

Having served in the president's campaign since February of this year, the victory that was achieved on November 2 was sweet in so many ways. For one, it was gratifying to know that the efforts of Michael Moore, Hollywood, and the MSM to defeat the president failed in every possible way, with the president receiving a majority of the vote for the first time since his father's victory in '88. It was also sweet to see the shock and dismay of the Europeans and those haters around the world who couldn't believe that we would reelect a man such as George W. Bush.

But the sweetest part of the president's victory was the fact that a man who believed in something so strongly, and was willing to risk everything on behalf of that belief, was rewarded by the American people for having that courage of conviction that most political leaders lack. President Bush is a great man and a great leader, and I will always fondly remember 2004 as the year that my efforts, and the efforts of so many others who believed in the president, paid off.

Looking forward, the challenges that we as a nation face will only grow. The war on terror is at a critical stage, with everything hinging on victory in Iraq. As 2005 arrives and the January elections in Iraq draw closer, the enemies of freedom and human decency will only grow increasingly more desperate, and in turn more deadly. But knowing the heart and soul of America as I do, I know that we as a nation will remain strong and resolved and persevere onto victory. Fighting for freedom and democracy is what Americans do best, and we will continue that fight into 2005 and beyond.

With each new year there is always renewed hope, and this time around is no different. With 2005 only hours away, I am hopeful that we will accomplish great things in 2005, both domestically and abroad. And who knows, maybe the Seahawks will get to the Super Bowl!

Have a Happy New Year and God Bless the United States of America.

The Effectiveness of Attack Ads

In a new article in the Washington Post, E.J. Dionne argues that the key reason President Bush won reelection was his relentless attack ads against John Kerry. There are two major things wrong with this assertion:

1. Attack Ads don't work unless they are valid. Democrats argued the same thing following the '88 election, saying that Bush Sr. won because he went so negative on Gov. Dukakis, citing the infamous Willie Horton Ad as an example. But the reason the Horton Ad hurt Dukakis is because it was valid and went to how Dukakis governed. The same is true for ads criticizing Sen. Kerry. Charges of flip-flopping resonated because it was backed up by the senator's record, summed up by his infamous quote, "I actually did vote for it before I voted against it."
2. For the left to claim victim status in this matter is totally duplicitous. Senator Kerry was only able to overtake Dean in the primaries because he sank to criticizing the president as much as Dean was, and this went on straight through to election day. This doesn't take into account the millions that were spent by liberal 527's to slander the president, or all the lies that were put forth by Michael Moore and Hollywood, or the fact that the MSM was the most negative towards President Bush than any other presidential candidate in history. The fact is, the left went much more negative than the Bush Campaign or Republicans did.

Grooming Brother Jeb

There has been a lot of speculation that the reason President Bush sent his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to South Asia to evaluate the damage down there as part of a U.S. delegation headed by Secretary Colin Powell is to groom him for the GOP nomination in '08. There might be some truth to this, but I have to take Governor Bush at his word when he says he's not interested in running. Also, I don't know how receptive the country would be to another Bush Administration directly after his brother's two terms. If Jeb wants to run, he should probably wait until 2012 or 2016, because I do think he would make a very good president judging by his record in Florida.

I think the real reason the president sent his brother down is to demonstrate how concerned he is with the crisis down there. Sending a member of one's own family gives the message to those observing that you are deeply concerned and involved in the situation. Sending Governor Bush down was a good move by the president.

117, 000 Now Dead In Tsunami Disaster

As the casualties continue to rise and the crisis deepens, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those that have been, and currently are being affected by the recent tsunami in South Asia. Those being affected can rest assured that the United States will continue to do all she can to assist those in need.

Wake Up Liberals!

The American Left has needed to be slapped in the face and brought to their senses for some time now, and that's exactly what Victor Davis Hanson has done here. His analogy of Democrats as dinosaurs is humorous but completely valid at the same time.

Understanding The Tax Code

Here is an interesting analogy for how the tax system, and tax cuts work:

“Understanding Tax Cuts”
by: David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D

Sometimes politicians, journalists and the liberal left exclaim; “It’s just a tax cut for the rich!” and it is just accepted to be fact.

But what does that really mean?Just in case you are not completely clear on this issue, I hope the following will help. Please read it carefully.

Let’s put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner and the bill for all ten comes to $100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20.” Dinner for the ten now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’ They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal. So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to workout the amounts each should pay. And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,” but he got $10!”“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than me!”
“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison.“We didn't’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't’t show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen
Ph.D Professor of Economics University of Georgia

Good little lesson for all those who claim tax cuts are for the wealthy.\

Hat Tip: PoliPundit

The U.N.'s Moral Authority

I guess some are now a little P.O.'d that President Bush has organized a four country coalition of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia to coordinate relief efforts in the tsunami ravaged regions of South Asia. Supposedly, it is the U.N. that should be coordinating such efforts because, "It is the only body that has the moral authority," said former International Development Secretary Clare Short.

Any organization that gives a wink to the Oil-For-Food scandal or sits on their hands while genocide takes place in Sudan does not have moral authority. The U.N. forfeited any shred of moral authority they had long ago.

Hat Tip: Little Green Footballs.

Apart From All The Rest

Joe Lieberman has always been one of the more credible, level-headed Democrats around, always following his conscience and not partisan motives. Though he is by no means a fan of President Bush (he did after all seek the Democratic nomination to challenge the president), he does not let that cloud his judgment and sense of reality, something that cannot be said for most of Senator Lieberman's Democratic cohorts.

On a recent trip to Iraq, Lieberman stated his belief that the elections must go forward, that we are defeating the terrorists, and that the majority of Iraqis want to be free. These comments are the reality of the situation, not what Michael Moore and the rest of the Democratic Party would have you believe. It is this adherence to principle that separates Senator Lieberman from most of his party, and he is a model of the type of person Democrats will need if they want to start winning elections again.

Hat Tip: Blogs For Bush

What's The Big Deal?

I was watching a segment of Scarborough Country tonight, and as a guest Joe had Congressman Anthony Weiner, D-NY. Congressman Weiner was incredulous as to what the big deal was over the Democrats filibustering of a few of President Bush's judicial nominees. He's gotten 90% of his nominees approved, so what's the big deal right? Wrong.

Too often nowadays, activist judges are legislating from the bench, whether it be outlawing the Pledge Of Allegiance or declaring gay marriage legal. Congressman Weiner said that we need non-ideological judges, ones that are not to the left or to the right. He is correct in this, however the problem is not conservative judges, but far left judges trying to coerce their ideology upon the rest of the nation, whether their rulings have any basis in the constitution or not. Nominating conservative, constructionist judges to the bench is vitally important to not only preserving the constitution, but preserving the proper role of the judiciary, which is to interpret current law, not make new law. This is why Democrats in the Senate must stop this practice of denying any judicial nominee what they rightly deserve, an up or down vote on the Senate floor.

Rossi Calls For Re-Vote

Moments ago Dino Rossi called for Christine Gregoire to join him in support of a new gubernatorial election. He correctly cited the point that she will be viewed as illegitimate in the eyes of Washingtonians and that the only way to insure a legitimate governor is to put the decision back into the people's hands, not in the hands of the King County Canvassing Board or the state Supreme Court.

Having a new election is the only way that Republicans should contest this election now, for simply trying to re-overturn in it in Rossi's favor will put us in the same boat as the Democrats. If there is no new election, than we must move on and prepare for '06 and '08.

New Year Resolutions

Here is a list of ten new years resolutions from one very angry liberal. He does make a good point on resolution #8, but the rest only provides ways in which to doom the Democratic Party into oblivion for years to come.

Hat Tip: Blogs For Bush

Rossi In '08!

Dino Rossi has filed papers with the Public Disclosure Commission, registering himself a candidate for the gubernatorial race in '08. This can mean one of two things really. One, it allows him to raise funds for the current recount fiasco, or two, he has no intention of running for Senate in '06 and plans to take what is rightfully his by defeating an illegitimate Gregoire in four years. I hope it is the latter, for a gracious concession now will put him in great shape to defeat a weak Gregoire in four years.

UBL Weighs In On Iraqi Elections

Usama bin Laden's recent call for Iraqis to boycott the upcoming elections in January provides further reason to insure that those elections are held on schedule. Usama's desperate plea reiterates the fact that his way of terror cannot survive in a democratic Middle East, and he knows it. Terrorism can prosper because it profits off of the poverty, oppression, and hopelessness that exists in the region. When you remove all that with freedom, terrorism quickly dies at the root.

The terror in Iraq will only get worse between now and the election, but thanks to the comments from UBL we know that we are winning this war on terror, and that we will win a great victory when Iraqis go to the polls and reject forever that oppression and hopelessness that they have lived through for so long. UBL and his fellow terrorists see this and it terrifies them.

Those Stingy Americans

The State Department was put on the defensive today following U.N. humanitarian aid chief Jan Egeland's comments that many of the world's wealthy nations were being "stingy" in regards to supplying aid to the tsunami ravaged countries of South Asia.

"It is beyond me why we are so stingy, really," were Mr. Egeland's exact comments.

There is no doubt that this comment was directed towards the United States, and is really absurd. To back up his claim of American stinginess, Mr Egeland cites the fact that the preliminary aid being supplied to the region is only a few tenths of a percentage of our GDP. This number is misleading, for what Mr. Egeland doesn't take into account is the fact that America provides more international aid than any other nation, or any other combination of nations for that matter. Nor does he take into account the billions of dollars we spend defending not only ourselves, but the rest of the world as well. He also ignores the existence of our free trade laws, which allow the less wealthy nations such as Mexico to profit from America, sometimes at the expense of Americans (textiles moving to foreign nations for cheaper labor being an example).

An interesting sidenote to all of this, while the U.S. has promised $35 million in aid so far, our friends the French have only promised $135, 000. Now that's stingy.

UPDATE (10:58 p.m.): Tom Bevan provides some perspective on the tsunami and the fight in Iraq.

'Baghdad Jim' Comes Under Investigation

Rep. James McDermott, D-WA, is now under investigation by a four member sub-committee in the House of Representatives for allegedly leaking a taped phone conversation between two Republicans to the press. The phone conversation and the subsequent leaking dealt with the ethics investigation into than House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

This is just another blotch on the Seattle liberal's already shaky record. Mcdermott if you will remember, sparked public outrage when he criticized the United States during a trip to Baghdad a few years back, though this was undoubtedly applauded by many of his far-left, Seattle constituency. Mcdermott's conduct over the years has proven that he is simply a far-left hack, willing to do and say anything that makes not only Republicans look bad, but the United States as well.

UPDATE (2:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 29): Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics provides further analysis on the character of Jim Mcdermott.

Panel On Tax-Reform

President Bush has announced he will appoint a "citizens" panel to look into tax reform. It will likely take this panel months to come to it's conclusions and therefore it doesn't look like the President will be tackling this issue in 2005. Instead he will probably focus on Social Security Reform as his main domestic goal for the year. President Bush and his administration need to be careful about putting of legislative goals for too long however, for it will only be a couple years until Bush assumes lame duck status and will lose his influence with congress.

Sri Lanka Rejects Tsunami Help

Even with thousands of deaths as a result from the recent tsunami, as well as the prospect of even further deaths as a result of disease, Sri Lanka has rejected the offer of Israel to send a 150 member mission that was to set up an emergency medical center in the country. Though Sri Lanka has accepted blankets and such from the Israeli Military, they are not willing to put aside anti-Israeli feelings for the good of their people, who are still in grave danger. What is so puzzling about this is the degree to which so much of the world dislikes and even hates Israel, to the point where they will reject much needed help from them.

Hat Tip: Powerline

America's New Divide

John Podhoretz provides some interesting perspective on the Military Times Poll Released yesterday. He points out that there is a growing divide between Democrats and the military. While Democrats are against the war effort by a 80 to 19% margin, the military overwhelmingly supports it, especially those who have served in combat. It's interesting how most of the left, which is disconnected from reality in so many ways, uniformly opposes what we are doing in Iraq, while those who are actually putting their lives on the line support it.

Gas Prices Continue To Fall

According to the Energy Department, gasoline prices have once again gone down, dropping to a national average of $1.791. This represents the eighth straight week gas prices have dropped, with the most recent drop a 2.7 cent drop from the previous week. I thought President Bush had made a secret deal with his friends the Saudis for gas prices to drop before the election, not after? Or could it be that the Mideast dictators weren't real big fans of President Bush's efforts to spread democracy in the region, causing them to possibly raise gas prices to hurt the President's re-election chances?

Somehow, I think the latter is what really happened.

Armed Forces Support Efforts in Iraq

In what is sure to be a shock to the liberal establishment in America, a recently released poll shows that 63% of the military approve of President Bush's handling of the Iraq situation. Other notable results from the poll are:

• 60% believe war in Iraq is worth fighting, which strikes a hole in the argument that Iraq is another Vietnam, where most who were fighting there didn't believe the war was worth fighting and disapproved of the political leadership.
• 2/3 of combat vets believe war is worth fighting.
• 87% satisfied with their jobs, while only 25% would leave the service if they had the choice.
• 60% blame congress for the lack of body armor, not Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of the Bush Administration. This also explains why the military didn't go for Kerry in the election, who voted against supplying them body armor.
• Only 12% believe Pentagon should be held accountable for Abu Ghraib.

The Status Quo Left

Do you ever believe that the left isn't the progressive-minded group they claim to be? Well you're not alone. Michael Barone, probably the most knowledgeable expert of American politics around, has written an article that aptly points out the transformation the left has taken since the days of the New Deal. Whereas the left use to push for reforms such as economic security and desegregation, they now stand adamantly against change. If there is any doubt about this, here are three examples:

• Democrats' opposition to Social Security reform. They claim that there is no crisis in Social Security and that Republicans are trying to "ruin" the program.
• Democrats' opposition to Tort Reform. Trial Lawyers are one of the biggest contributors to the Democratic Party and anything to lessen their influence is to be strictly opposed. Nevermind the fact that it will lower the costs of health-care and keep good doctors from leaving medicine.
• Democrats' near uniform opposition to President Bush's Mideast policy. To the left, President Bush's efforts to reform the middle east by introducing democracy in the region, especially in Iraq, are nothing but neo-conservative fantasies that are ignorant of the fact that democracy can't thrive in the culture of the region.

These are just a few examples of what is developing into a troubling pattern of resistance to change by the left. Mr. Barone's article really hits it on the head, the American left no longer pushes for change and reform, leaving those Americans who recognize the need for reform hard pressed to vote for them.

Democracy Wins in the Ukraine

Victor Yushchenko's victory is not only a victory for him and the Ukraine, but a victory for democracy and freedom. Russian President Putin, as well as the Ukraine's current government had tried to fraudulently give the presidency to the current Prime Minister and Russian favorite Victor Yanukovich. If it weren't for the massive protests, which were completely peaceful, as well as the outcry by western democracies, the Ukraine would have moved eerily back to the days of the old Soviet Union, where the Ukraine was a Soviet satellite.

The recent election in the Ukraine is further proof that freedom and democracy will always triumph over tyranny and autocracy. This point was emphasized by the successful elections in Afghanistan and will be re-emphasized with successful elections in Iraq on January 30, 2005.

Best Wishes

I hope all of you loyal readers (there's at least a couple I hope :) had a great Christmas and received all that you had hoped for. I'll be at the Seahawks game tomorrow and I'm not sure if I'll have the energy to do any posting when I get back, I know I won't if they lose. However I figured I'd wish everybody a belated Merry Christmas as I forgot to do so yesterday. Come Monday I should be back blogging away!

Thanks and God Bless!

Leave Christmas Alone

As I sit here on this Christmas Eve, I am becoming increasingly more frustrated with all of the efforts by the far left to remove Christ from Christmas, and to remove God from public life all together. They explain the motives for their actions as trying to promote an environment where people of other faiths don't become offended by all the references to Christ and God, they say acknowledging a certain religion violates the 1st Amendment. Bull.

The overwhelming majority of Jews don't feel offended when they hear someone say "Merry Christmas", just as I as a Christian do not feel offended when someone says "Happy Hanukkah". But this goes beyond the efforts to remove Christmas from schools and such, there is a much larger effort out there to remove God from public life altogether. The claim that somehow saying "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance or having "In God We Trust" on our money violates the 1st Amendment is completely off base. The 1st Amendment prevents the government from coercing a certain religion upon the country, it doesn't prohibit the expression of a religious faith. In addition, "under God" or "In God We Trust" does not endorse a certain religion, simply the existence of a higher being. This is a principle that the overwhelming majority of Americans, of all faiths endorse, and it is a key principle upon which our country is built.

This is not an issue over protecting the rights of minorities as those on the far left would have us believe, but rather an attempt by a few to force their anti-religion views upon the rest of the country. As is usually the case, those who claim to be of tolerance and diversity are really the most intolerant of us all.

Washington Ballots in Alaska?

This is an interesting story, and proves how messed up and unfair our election process is here in the Evergreen State. What's interesting is how the state elections director claims that it is too late to count these ballots, while it wasn't too late to count the "mystery" ballots that were being discovered in King County. This has been a recurring theme throughout the election fiasco here in Washington, and is further proof that only Democrats get the special privileges.

What Now?

Stefan Sharkansky has some excellent thoughts on what Washington Republicans should do now following the recent pilfering of the governorship. The state GOP certainly faces a quandary now, should we sink to the Democrats level and give them a taste of their own medicine or should we do what they seem incapable of, honorably concede and live to fight another day?

In the end, I believe that we Republicans should do what is best for the state and concede. There is no question in my mind that this election was wrongfully stolen not only from the party or Rossi, but from the voters of Washington State. From the very beginning Democrats followed an agenda of count every vote unless it's from the military or anyone outside of King County. Despite this, we should not stoop to the Democrats' level, we are better and more honorable than that. It is my hope that we Republicans will accept what has happened, as unfair and wrong as it may be, and prepare to fight another day. Democrats can enjoy what they don't deserve right now, but they will face the consequences of their actions in the future. A stonger GOP, and especially a stronger Rossi, will rise to challenge Cantwell in '06 or Gregoire in '08. Regardless of which one it is, Democrats will have to face the consequences of their actions, especially if Republicans do the right thing. No one will forget what happened in this gubernatorial race of '04, and neither will they forget the actions of the two sides, something we Republicans would do well to keep in mind.

Bush to Re-nominate Blocked Judges

President Bush has declared his intent to re-nominate 20 judges that had been blocked by Senate Democrats in the past congress, further showcasing his political genius. This move puts Democrats between a rock and a hard place. They can re-block the judges and subsequently put in serious jeopardy the five Democratic Senators in red states who are up for re-election in '06, going the same path of Tom Daschle. Or, they can decide to let the judges receive an up or down vote and upset the far left-wing of the party.

If I was Harry Reid I would choose the latter, Democrats have done poorly the last two elections since 9/11 because they have pandered too much to their left-wing. To get competitive they need to stop the obstruction and move towards the center, especially if they want to win in red states. However, judging by the pandering to the far left that the Democrats have done in the recent past, my guess is that they will do the wrong thing and block the judges. Only time will tell though.

The Latest From VDH

In his latest masterful article, Mr. Hanson addresses the growing mob that is out for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's head. He is right to point out that the opposition to Sec. Rumsfeld has more to do with his brash personality than his actual competence. If you look closely at his record over the last four years, Secretary Rumsfeld has done an amazing job. His accomplishments include:

• Swift and decisive victory in Afghanistan, where most of the punditry doubted our chances of achieving victory in what had been the graveyard of the Soviet Union.
• The quick toppling of Saddam's Baathist regime in Iraq.
• A 95% recovery rate for wounded American Soldiers in Iraq.

VDH goes even deeper in his article, which you should read. But the underlying point is that once you look past Rumsfeld's brash and often arrogant personality, you see a secretary who has achieved remarkable success in some of the most trying times in American history.

Supreme Court Rules for Gregoire

The Washington State Supreme Court has now officially joined the insanity of state Democrats and King County, ruling that all of the "mystery" ballots discovered out of the blue must be counted as part of the ongoing recount. This is clearly changing the rules in the middle of the game, and I had really expected better from the state's highest court. More and more we in Washington are having to watch an election slowly being stolen away from the rightful and lawful winner.

Gregoire the Governor-Elect?

The Washington State Democratic Party has declared that with the completion of the manual recount in King County that Gregoire has won by eight votes. In what is the most absurd, hypocritical, and duplicitous comment I have ever heard, state Democratic Chair Paul Berendt has declared, "We're confident Christine Gregoire has been elected the governor of the state of Washington, I believe Dino Rossi should concede."

ARE YOU SERIOUS!?

Does Berendt actually believe that Dino Rossi should just automatically concede if he has indeed lost by 8 votes, even though Gregoire refused to concede when she lost by 42 votes following the first recount? Is he so pompous to now demand that Rossi go away without so much as a word, even though he and his fellow Democrats repeatedly changed the rules and committed voter fraud after they lost by much bigger margins. Does he actually believe that the people of the state of Washington are going to accept a party who wouldn't quit until they received the result they wanted, and than turned around and demanded that the other side give up after they got that result?

This is truly a new low, even for Democrats. Words cannot describe the feeling I have towards Berendt and his Democratic cronies right now. How dare he try to steal an election and than demand that Republicans concede, something Gregoire and the Democrats didn't have the honor to do the first two times they lost. To claim that Gregoire is the rightful winner and that it is over is the most asinine thing I have heard. More and more Democrats seem determined to live up to their mascot, an ass. And that is exactly what Paul Berendt is.

UPDATE (12:32 A.M.) : It is worth mentioning, that should Gregoire take the governorship, Rossi immediately becomes the GOP favorite for the Senate race against Sen. Cantwell in '06, and he'd have at the very least have a 50/50 shot of defeating her.

Staying the Course

With the bad news that is coming out of Iraq today (19 U.S. soldiers killed in Mosul, around 60 wounded), the MSM will undoubtedly be painting an even bleaker picture of Iraq than they have already, if that is even possible. More and more will probably point to this as proof that we are losing in Iraq and that we never should have been there. They are wrong.

Elections in Iraq are just over a month away, and the terrorists know that with each passing day between now and than Iraq moves closer and closer to democracy, something that will be a huge blow to them. As they see the death sentence that is a free Iraq moving closer and closer, they become increasingly more desperate, and increasingly more brutal and barbaric. In this final leg on the road to elections, America and the Iraqi people must remain firm and resolved, determined not to let the evil that that we face stop us. This I am confident we will do, and we will once again show those who seek to destroy us that we will not and cannot be defeated, that we will always fight for freedom and democracy, whatever the costs.

As we go through these trying times over in Iraq, I believe it is important to remember the words of Tom Paine:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

Tony Blair

British PM Tony Blair paid a surprise visit to Iraq today, meeting with British troops and PM Allawi. During a joint press conference held by the two Prime Ministers Blair was asked the following question:

Q: Nick Robinson, ITV News: Can you just give us a sense of your feelings today? You flew here in secrecy under armed protection into what is still a safe zone more than a year and a half after Saddam fell. Can you honestly say to yourself, this is what I meant to bring about when I said that we ought to invade Iraq?

Now this was just another condescending, elitist question from what is for the most part a condescending, elitist press. The question is not what we should be paying attention to however, but rather the Prime Minister's eloquent response, which really encapsulates what we are doing over there:

That's a good question. I'll tell you exactly what I felt coming in. Security is really heavy - you can feel the sense of danger that people live in here. But what I felt more than anything else was this - the danger that people feel here is coming from terrorists and insurgents who are trying to destroy the possibility of this country becoming a democracy. Now where do we stand in that fight? We stand on the side of the democrats against the terrorists. And so when people say to me, well look at the difficulties, look at the challenges - I say well what's the source of that challenge - the source of that challenge is a wicked, destructive attempt to stop this man, this lady, all these people from Iraq, who want to decide their own future in a democratic way, having that opportunity. And where should the rest of the world stand? To say, well that's your problem, go and look after it, or you're better off with Saddam Hussein running the country - as if the only choice they should have in the world is a choice between a brutal dictator killing hundreds of thousands of people or terrorists and insurgents. There is another choice for Iraq - the choice is democracy, the choice is freedom - and our job is to help them get there because that's what they want. Sometimes when I see some of the reporting of what's happening in Iraq in the rest of the world, I just feel that people should understand how precious what has been created here is. And those people from that electoral commission that I described as the heroes of the new Iraq - every day... a lot of them aren't living in the Green Zone, they've got to travel in from outside - they do not know at any point in time, whether they're going to be subject to brutality or intimidation even death and yet they carry on doing it. Now what a magnificent example of the human spirit- that's the side we should be on.

Mr. Blair's belief in spreading democracy is truly admirable, and it is only surpassed by his courage to fight for that belief despite the overwhelming opposition towards him from many in his country and throughout Europe. Blair is the best friend America has, and he deserves the admiration and thanks of every American. To read the transcript of his address to congress in 2003, click here. It is one of the most stirring, patriotic speeches you will ever hear.

Hat Tip: Powerline

The Deficit

In his press conference today, President Bush promised to submit a budget that will cut spending and help cut the deficit in half. This is very encouraging, and cutting discretionary spending is something that the Bush Administration needs to do, and should have done sooner. As I stated in an earlier post, the costs of the War on Terror are going to require us to sincerely limit our spending here at home.

In regards to the deficit, it is not something I am not too worried about. Because of the increased tax revenues from last year, the deficit is already about $100 billion smaller than originally projected for 2004. With lowering taxes you decrease tax revenues in the short run, but increase them in the long run. This is because by cutting taxes you increase the amount of money in the economy, which subsequently increases the number of jobs that are being created by that economy. Kennedy's tax-cuts led to the balanced budgets of the sixties while Reagan's tax-cuts led to the surpluses of the nineties. With more and more jobs being created I not only expect the deficit to be more than cut in half in the next couple of years, I expect it to be gone completely within five years. This is obviously a very optimistic expectation, but I believe it is completely realistic, as long as taxes are kept low.

WA Gov. Race Update

Today the state Supreme Court will be hearing arguments over whether previously rejected ballots in King County should be counted as part of the current manual recount. Of course it is the Democrats who are hoping for this to be allowed, so they can count all the "mystery" ballots that they keep discovering in assorted places all over King County, and it wouldn't be too surprising if they keep discovering these ballots until Gregoire gains the lead over the rightful winner of the election, Dino Rossi. Hopefully the Supreme Court will do the sane and right thing and not allow the rules to be changed in the middle of the game to benefit those who refuse to accept defeat.

As a sidenote, Washingtonians seem to be getting fed up with the Democrats' antics according to a recently released poll (click here to view the complete results), with only a third of respondents believing that Gregoire will be the legitimate governor should she pull ahead in the manual recount. This should serve as an alarm to Democrats, for even if Gregoire does win, she will never be viewed as legitimate and therefore will be prevented from governing effectively. In addition, it will probably create a backlash against the party that will hinder them in state and local elections in the future.

TIME's Man of the Year

And the winner is...........................President Bush! This is the obvious choice for so many reasons. TIME explains their reasons as:

For sharpening the debate until the choices bled, for reframing reality to match his design, for gambling his fortunes and ours on his faith in the power of leadership, George W. Bush is TIME's 2004 Person of the Year.

These are definitely good reasons, however here are three reasons why I believe President Bush deserves "Man of the Year":

1.) The momentous event of his reelection. Considering the level of hatred and vitriol that was stacked against him throughout the campaign, and the fact that he carried Republicans down the ticket with him to victory, increasing GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, President Bush's reelection was a truly momentous event. Not to mention the fact he received the most votes of any presidential candidate in history and he was the first candidate to receive a majority of the popular vote since his father's victory in '88.

2.) His perseverance in Iraq. Despite all the doom and gloom that was put forth by his opposition and those in the media who cover him, President Bush has never wavered in his approach to Iraq. Strictly rebuking those who have called for us to cut and run immediately or prepare to exit gradually, President Bush has reiterated time and time again that we are going to stay the course, no matter how tough that course may be, and achieve victory in Iraq.

3.) His courage and moral certainty. President Bush went into Iraq because he believed it was the right thing to do, fully aware that he was gambling his presidency and his legacy. This courage is something few presidents have or ever will possess. And as we have hit rough spots along the way, we have never relented. President Bush has focused on the big picture, that the only way to defeat terrorism in the long run is to recultivate the ground that terrorism finds fertile. To remove terrorism from the culture of the middle east, you need to spread freedom and democracy there, taking away forever the hopelessness and poverty that currently exists throughout the region.

To believe and to stick with these principles takes true leadership, and a strong sense of conviction. There is no doubt that President Bush possesses both these, and for this he deserves not only "Man of the Year", but a place in history with all the great American presidents and leaders.

Debunking 'Centrism'

In a recent article in The Nation, David Sirota makes the case that the "centrism" that Democrats such as Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh are pushing for is nothing but a "corporate agenda" in disguise. Mr. Sirota asserts that "wins by economic populists in red states like Colorado and Montana this year" prove that the current strategy is working, and that changing the formula, "which has been used to elect Democrats in various red regions in America", would push the party further into electoral abyss. This is just one of several humorous arguments made by Mr. Sirota in his article, and I'm curious to know which Democrats have been elected in "various red regions" lately?

The strategy that Mr. Sirota is so adamant about maintaining has lead to Republican control of every branch of the federal government, as well as control of a majority of the nation's governerships and legislatures. The middle class, who he claims support the Democrat's message, went rather handily to the president. The only major groups that went to Democrats were those who hadn't graduated from high school or those pursuing post-graduate degrees.

He also claims, by citing various poll numbers, that there is substantial public support for liberal positions such as complete government run health care and repeal of the Bush tax cuts. This is another dubious argument, for if there was really support for government run health care and repeal of the Bush tax cuts, than Americans would have elected the man who supported both of those positions, John Kerry. The fact is, American's don't want the government spending their money and choosing their health care. They want to make their own decisions affecting their own lives, and just want government to give them the tools that will support those decisions.

This article is the most disconnected from reality I've read in a while, and it really underscores the institutional problems the Democrats have been having for the last 25 years. Every Republican who enjoys winning elections should hope and pray that Mr. Sirota's view is held by a majority of Democrats. The fact that they nominated a Massachusetts liberal for president and are on the verge of giving Howard Dean the position of DNC Chair is certainly encouraging.

The Problems of the Left

Victor Davis Hanson sheds some light on why the left has been rejected in America. He is absolutely right, as always, in this article. Until the left stops saying one thing and doing the exact opposite, they will meet further disappointment on election days in the future. Americans aren't going to buy the "do as I say, not as I do" message they are receiving from the left.

Red America

A Gallup Poll released today shows 37% of Americans describe themselves as Republicans, while only 32% describe themselves as Democrats. This further underlines the dramatic shift that has taken place within the American political landscape since the presidency of LBJ, where at the time of his reelection in 1964, Democratic identification was double that of Republican identification. Ever since than however, the GOP has slowly moved past the Democrats to where we are now, with the GOP controlling nearly every branch of government. The beginnings of this shift began with the Reagan Revolution in the late 70's and early 80's, where Americans openly rejected the big government liberalism of The Great Society and the Jimmy Carter Administration.

The final phase of this shift occurred on 9/11. In this post-9/11 world, no party with weak national security credentials will ever be trusted with guiding this country through the War on Terror, which dooms the Democratic Party of today. The Republicans are today's majority party ( evidenced by the fact that the GOP has won 51% of the popular vote in both the '02 and '04 elections) because they take the right stance on the War on Terror as well as an individualistic stance on domestic issues. The American Electorate is also unlikely to turn to a party who routinely condescends towards anyone who doesn't live in the elitist cocoons of the northeast and west coast.

Unless Democrats do something to fix all of this, they will be dominated by Republicans for many years to come.

Bin Laden in Costa Rica?

This story here wins the bizarre story of the day, and gives pause to any thoughts Usama might have of relocating to Costa Rica.

Winning Long-Term War on Terror

I was reading an article in The Weekly Standard by Tom Donnelly and Vance Serchuk, and they outlined four key points to effectively waging the War on Terror going into the future, here are my opinion on those points:

1.) More Troops- We are putting a lot of stress on our armed forces right now, especially reservists and the National Guard. Also, the cost of training previously part-time soldiers for combat overseas is fairly exorbitant. It would likely be more cost effective to increase the troop number in the regular army.

Another problem with using the guard and the reserves is that we lose a crisis response force, which we will might possibly need with the looming confrontations with North Korea and Iran.

2.) Strategically Placed Bases- To face the modern threats of today, we will need to move our foreign bases away from the Cold War positions in Europe to locations in Asia and Africa, which are potential bases for terrorists.

3.) New Alliances- By this I don't mean France and Germany, but those countries that share our common interests and who can provide assistance to our efforts. Asian and Pacific Democracies, such as Japan and Australia, are perfect examples of these types of countries. We should also continue to work with the Eastern European countries, such as Poland, that have already given valuable assistance in Iraq.

4.) Money- Winning the type of war we are engaged in is going to require lots of money, which underlines the importance of showing fiscal restraint on domestic projects. The huge costs of the War on Terror also emphasize the need to pass tax-code and Social Security reform, which will be expensive in the short term but pay huge dividends in the long term. By lessening the influence and role of government, the economy will have the room necessary to prosper, which will bring in increased revenues to the Federal Treasury.

The Difference Between Liberalism Today and 50 Years Ago

George Will has written an article about one Democrat's effort to take his party back to the liberalism of the early Cold War, when Democrats had a much more hawkish foreign policy view. Good luck to that poor guy. No one in the Democratic Party seems to remember the glory days of the party, when Democratic Presidents Truman and Kennedy stood up to the prevalent evil of the time, Soviet-sponsored communism. Because of Vietnam, mainstream Democrats have drastically changed the way they look at the world, and America's role in it.

Most on the left came away from Vietnam convinced that it was proof that the use of American power throughout the globe only brings misery and suffering. This belief stems from the failure to recognize that Vietnam was an aberration in American History, not the norm. Too many on the left don't remember that it was American Power that freed Western Europe from Hitler, Eastern Europe from Soviet oppression, and Iraq and Afghanistan from brutal, totalitarian regimes.

American power is the the best way to achieve freedom and democracy around the globe, which in turn is the only way to win the War on Terror. Until Democrats realize this, and move away from the radical views of Michael Moore and Hollywood, the American people are not likely to trust them with leading America anytime soon.

VDH Does it Again

Victor Davis Hanson has produced another great article, this one musing over the future of Europe.

Kerik's Withdrawal

The withdrawal of Bernie Kerik from consideration of Secretary of Homeland Security is very unfortunate. Kerik was a tough law-enforcement specialist, who was an ideal nominee for the post. He also possessed the traits and character that I hope President Bush looks for in his search for a new nominee.

I do believe however, that Mr. Kerik's reasons for removing himself are justified. As HS Secretary, he would have had to deal with numerous immigration issues, and his "nanny" problem would have only created an unpleasant distraction throughout his tenure as secretary. This is not the first time a similar problem has brought down a cabinet nominee, as Linda Chavez had to remove herself from consideration for the Secretary of Labor post following an identical situation in 2000.

Intel Reform Passes

The Intel Reform Bill passed the House yesterday and the Senate today, and is now on it's way to the president's desk. As I stated in an earlier post, this bill is a bad idea and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. House Republicans, primarily Rep. Duncan Hunter, withdrew their rejections when new language was included in the bill to insure that the troops on the ground will have access to necessary intel on the battlefield, which they wouldn't have had under the previous language. We can take some solace from this development at least, but the overall bill still seems like bad law to me.

One objection that wasn't addressed in this bill however, was the deal with giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens, something that was, and still is, a major concern of Rep. Sennsennbrenner. I have mixed feelings on this. While on the one hand I certainly object to handing out legal recognition to those who don't respect our laws, I just don't like the idea of the federal government telling the individual states what to do. Call me an old-fashioned conservative, but that just rubs me the wrong way.

Intel Reform Debate

Much has been made about the debate that is going on inside the beltway in regards to the intelligence reform bill that is currently before congress. President Bush has stated on numerous occasions that he supports the bill and wants to see it passed. The media, looking for some consolation following the defeat of their pet John Kerry last month, have jumped on the fact that it hasn't passed. Since it is a few House Republicans holding up the bill, namely Duncan Hunter and James Sensennbrenner, the media has tried to advance the theory that President Bush can't rein in his own party and that the "mandate" he has claimed doesn't really exist. Lets be clear; if President Bush really threw his whole weight behind this, like he is sure to do with Social Security reform and tax-code simplification, there is little doubt that the intel bill would pass in congress.

It has been estimated by some GOP aides on the hill that 80% of Republicans really don't support the bill, and the only reason the Bush Administration has supported it is because they don't want to be pointed at as having dragged their feet should another terrorist attack occur. This for the most part is probably true. This bill really looks like a bad idea, and those who are reluctant to support it are completely justified.

First of all, most people jumped off a cliff to support this bill simply because the 9/11 Commission supported it. This in itself is flawed logic. While the commission's reports and recommendations should clearly be taken into consideration, blindly jumping to support and push for everything the commission wants is bad governing. Simply thank the commission for it's hard work and advice, and than tell them to shut up and let those who have been elected by the people get to the work of deciding which measures we take up and which ones we do not. It's getting old and annoying listening to commission members declaring that blood will run through the streets if Washington keeps dragging it's feet. You guys aren't the all-knowing gods you think you are, so go away.

Secondly, this bill is a bad bill because all it does is create more bureaucracy and red tape. Our intelligence has not been subpar due to a lack bureaucracy, our intelligence has been subpar because we do not have enough spies infiltrating the leadership apparatus of rogue nations and terrorist organizations. What we need to do if we really want to improve our intelligence is concentrate our effort and resources on developing good, human intelligence personnel. Satellites can only do so much, we need people on the ground to help give us more of a clear picture.

Hypocrisy by WA Democrats

Recently Washington State Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt decried Bush Administration officials coming to Washington to assist Dino Rossi in the recount effort as D.C. Republicans trying to steal the governor's race. How than, can Mr. Berendt with a straight face accept $250, 000 from John Kerry? Is this not an instance of D.C. Democrats trying to assist state Democrats in stealing an election, an election they have now lost twice?

This is just another instance of Democrats saying one thing and than doing another to advance their partisan ambitions.

Iraqi Forces Stop Insurgent Attacks

According to a news release from CENTCOM, available here, Iraqi Police Forces defeated Insurgent forces who attacked police stations in the city of Mosul today. While much has been made by the MSM and those on the left about how the U.S. is shouldering all the casualties in Iraq, what has seemed to go unnoticed is all the sacrifices the Iraqis themselves have been making for the future of their own country. Scarcely anyone has mentioned the fact that more Iraqis are dying in Iraq today than are Americans, and it its Iraqis who are bravely standing up to the violent few who are trying desperately to prevent Iraq from reaching the elections in January. Iraqis are proving time and time again that they are willing to fight and die so that they and their posterity can live in a future Iraq that is free and democratic. Instead of trashing the effort over there, we in America should proudly stand by and support these brave Iraqis.

Thanks to Blogs For Bush for bringing my attention to this story.

Lest We Forget

Linked here is one of the best articles of the year by the brilliant Victor Davis Hanson. Here are a few excerpts, but I really encourage you to read the piece in it's entirety, it is well worth the five minutes.

"Already we have forgotten the long ride to Baghdad — when our ex-generals warned of thousands of dead to come in a deadly siege, and were trumped by relief workers who assured us of millions more refugees. Then there were the cries of defeat when our forces plowed through a windstorm — as our supposed Dresden-like shock and awe were suddenly mocked not as too terrible but as laughably impotent. We grow depressed now at the canned pessimism of our talking heads who predict failure in post-bellum Iraq — forgetting that these same prophets swore to us just months ago that thousands would die getting to Baghdad."

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"If Bill Clinton could run America with 43 percent of the popular vote in 1992, if Lincoln could conduct a war after receiving 40 percent in 1860, and if the Supreme Court could adjudicate the electoral mess of 2000, so then the Kurds and the Shiites, if need be, can hold elections in Iraq with participation of 70 percent of the people. As for the Muslim clerics, Saddamites, and al Qaedists of the Sunni triangle, rest assured that there will be elections and you shall all end up on the wrong side of history. How absurd it is that the Sunni Triangle is the heart of an insurrection that feeds off either subsidy, appeasement, or the indifference of its citizenry, only then to plead that its own malfeasance should earn special dispensation from others who chose hard work and sacrifice and the chance for democratic law. Let them participate in history or watch it steamroll by from the sidelines — but let them not stop it."

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"There may well be even more terrible things to come in Iraq than what we have seen already, but there will also be far better things than were there before. And there will come a time, when all those who slandered the efforts — the Germans, the French, the American radical Left, the vicious Michael "Minutemen" Moore, the pampered and coddled Hollywood elite, the Arab League, and the U.N. will assume that Iraq is a "good thing" like Afghanistan, and that democracy there really was preferable — after they had so bravely weighed in with their requisite "ifs" and "buts" — to the mass murders of Saddam Hussein. Yes, they will say all this, but it will be for the rest of us to remember how it all came about and what those forgotten soldiers and people of Iraq went through to get it — lest we forget, lest we forget...."

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Washington State Governors Race

The Washington State Democratic Party announced today that they will fund a statewide, hand recount that will likely go to Christmas, if not beyond. This is unfortunate, and marks another instance in a troubling pattern of Democrats refusing to accept election results when they don't go their way, a pattern which began with the Florida recount of 2000.

As we in the Evergreen State head into our third recount, the likelihood of voter fraud and ballot tampering only increases. It's a well-known fact that the more a ballot is handled, the more weathered it becomes, and as a result, the less reliable it becomes. With hand recounts you also introduce the inevitability of human error, which greatly lessens the validity of the outcome, a point the Democratic head of elections in King County has pointed out.

Even if the results are changed, and Attorney-General Gregoire becomes governor, her ability to govern will be greatly diminished by how she came to office, a fact that seems to be lost on her and state Democrats. Though Dino Rossi has only won by 42 votes, it should be mentioned that elections workers in the heavily Democratic King County engaged in the dubious but all to familiar practice of determining "voter intent" on ballots the machine tabulators rejected, a practice which was not applied in any other county and which undboubtedly gave Mrs. Gregoire more votes than she really deserved. Despite all the efforts by Democrats and Democratic sympathizers to swing the election to Mrs. Gregoire, Dino Rossi has still won the governorship, and Democrats and the Gregoire campaign should do what is best for the state and concede the fact. Instead of being the party of the common man, which they have always claimed to be, the Democrats have become the party of litigation and sore losing.

November Job Numbers

The new job numbers are in with 112, 000 jobs being created last month. Though job creation was about 70, 000 less than what was being forecasted, the job numbers provide further evidence of the underlying strength of the economy. For example:

• The American economy has now added jobs for fifteen consecutive months.
• Unemployment rate dropped from 5.5% to 5.4%, which is lower than it was at this point under President Clinton.
• There has now been 2.3 million jobs added since August of 2003.
• The economy continues to grow at a rate far exceeding any other industrialized nation.

No the economy is not perfect, but considering the fact that we are only a couple years removed from the dot. com bust and the most devastating attacks in our nation's history, our economy is doing remarkably well. Can you imagine where we'd be if we hadn't cut taxes? We'd certainly be in a much worse state than we are right now.