Hey Dude, Take Your Endorsement and Shove It

It's now fifty-four hours w/o. sleeping; Jon Runyan demands nothing less of us and of himself, I know. But enuff already about my tirelessness. This morning's Clarion Call is much greater in scope, as it is, after all, "Morning in America" again, because witchcraft aside, the Tea Party Movement is ascendent on November 2, 2010. Why U ask? Because Americans believe in themselves, and not in faraway bureaucrats solving our economic troubles by imposing tens of thousands of pages of new across-the-board, nation-wide employment stifling regulations.

Nonetheless, while the Nation is focused almost exclusively on domestic issues, the World beyond our borders continues to spin out of control, and not in America's favor. Look again at this Post's ironic title - two examples of Presidential shrinkage that have not gone unnoticed in Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and even in, dare I say, France. I remember well the horde of editorial cartoons showing President Jimmy Carter sitting at his Oval Office desk, getting smaller and smaller with each daily cartoon. Our nation's enemies took President Carter's measure, found him too weak to deter attacks on America, so more than 100 U.S. diplomats were held hostage in Tehran, Iran for, it seemed, forever.

Well loyal listeners, history is repeating itself again. So, all you Rush acolytes out there cheering on the "failure" of President Obama, think again. The world will not wait until 2012 to aggressively challenge our interests abroad. First, the Demo candidate for Governor in Rhode Island tells Mr. Obama: "Take your endorsement and shove it." Then, only a day later comedian Jon Stewart tells Barry to his face: "don't go with that phrase, Dude." Such overt disrespect and absolutely nothing happens to the disrespecters. (Let me be clear, I am not advocating any punitive responses against anyone exercising 1st Amendment Rights).

Nonetheless, America is being put at great risk, having our only Commander-in-Chief seen world-wide as a wimp, a midget, a "leader' who no one fears or follows. So, as we all go to the polls on Tuesday, and I urge u to go early and go often, remember no one should needlessly ridicule or belittle President Obama. Funny isn't it that the two best examples of this dangerous conduct emanated from the far left wing of the Democratic Party. Just saying ...

One Nation, Under God, with Liberty and Justice for All

Let me be Frank here for one moment, er, I mean totally candid. While I did vote for Senator Barry Hussein Obama, just once, I did not support his presidential candidacy in the 2008 general election. Why U ask? My preference is for the Presidency of the United States to be occupied by an experienced executive with a substantial real world business/military background.

Let's face it, the toughest job in the free world is just not an entry level position. Mr. Obama's background consisted mainly of academic teaching, community organizing and voting "Present" hundreds of time in the Illinois Legislature. Despite his "Not Ready for Prime Time" posture, I remained hopeful, optimistic even, that as President, Mr. Obama would be an inspirational, unifying leader, bringing our nation together in a post-partisan era of all Americans seeking consensus and fair compromise for the common good. I based my trust in Mr. Obama's leadership prowess (when he was thrust upon the national stage at the 2004 Demo. Convention) on his vow to stop the DC vitriol and bring us all together as one people:

"The pundits like to slice and dice our country into Red States and Blue States

... But I've got news for them, too. We worship an "awesome God" in the Blue

States and we don't like federal agents poking through our libraries in the Red

States. There are patriots ...in both the Red and Blue States. We are ONE PEOPLE,

all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United

States of America." Keynote Address; 7/27/04.

That was then, this is now: Yesterday, President Obama on the campaign trail:

"If Latinos sit out the election, instead of saying: 'We're going to punish our enemies

and we're going to reward our friends'. [Republicans] aren't the kind of people

who represent our core American values." 10/25/10 Univision Radio Speech.

I know, as an absolute historical truth, that Richard Nixon earned his designation as the most reviled and mistrusted President in my lifetime because he was a hater, a divisive pol who created the infamous "Enemies List" of people he directed his Administration to punish, corruptly using the IRS, DOJ and other federal agencies to harass his policy opponents.

It is for this reason that I am so disappointed in Mr. Obama's offensive political rhetoric. He is not bringing Americans together in post-partisan unity to confront our mutual challenges. Getting down to the level of Dick "Everyone not supporting me is an Enemy" Nixon was just too retrograde, too inside the Beltway business-as-usual for this "First Citizen of the World" new style American President. Now, u might also have a fuller understanding of my opposition to unfettered Presidential power to terminate with extreme prejudice designated enemies of the state. Just saying...

"

Ten Days to Go

In putting into practice this Blog's creed - an informed citizen is an involved citizen - I spent the better part of Friday working in the campaign headquarters of the first time Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for the Third District of New Jersey (not my district). The House candidate for whom I have volunteered is Mr. Jon Runyon, a retired offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles (not my team), former University of Michigan footballer (definitely not my team), and Tea Party fave (certainly my team). Jon is opposed in this "toss up" election by two candidates, John Adler, first term Democrat, and by a fictitious Tea Party candidate invented by the Demos to siphon just enuff mislead voters from Mr. Runyon to keep Pelosi devotee, Adler in DC.

The highlight of my participatory day in democracy occurred when Governor Christie arrived with Mr. Runyon to speak to the troops. His talk was almost perfect, after he and the rock hard, six foot five, still very athletic Runyon walked to the podium, we could all see the gleam in the Governor's eyes, as if the obvious difference in physical stature even amused him. Mr. Christie first dazzled the assembled campaign staff with his self deprecating humor, before extolling Jon's many small government, greater freedom convictions and finishing up by assuring us that our collective efforts were essential to the Candidate's victory on November second.

Most assuredly, this face time with the Candidate, the Governor and some fifty fellow citizens instilled in me more fervently than anything (other than writing this Blog) that individuals can make a real difference in the Life of the Nation. As Ben Franklin told us so famously in responding to the crowd question - "what have you given us?" - as he left Independence Hall after the ratification of the Constitution - "A Republic, for so long as you can keep it."

Now with less than ten full days until November 2, 2010, I urge everyone to actively campaign for these final crucial days , so when your Grandchildren ask you decades from today - "What did you do during the Great Election that saved/lost the Republic, Grandpa/ma?" - your answer will be a resounding - "everything I could do" and not - "nothing" . Just imploring...

Why I married a Coal Miner's Daughter/Ah, those Clever Jews

No, Loyal Listeners, I have not combined two disparate or discrete Posts into one Blog Entry, despite the inference U may have drawn from the bifurcated title above. Let me tie together these two compatible subjects, brilliantly one presumes. My marriage, of course, keeps me grounded (and humble) as U see often right here. So, because of this nurturing relationship, last nite was a wonderful family celebration, sharing in the unbridled joy of the successful, so far, mine rescue in Chile. Not that a familial connection is necessary at all for participating in this great event of common humanity, where a medical tech willingly climbs into a capsule and goes 2000 feet underground to remain in the hole until everyone else is out. Just amazing, and witnessed live, it has been estimated, by more than one billion inhabitants of our SHARED planet.

OK, ready for the perfect segue - for decades now, we have been told that Peace will come to the Middle East, just as soon as the Jews and Palestinians agree on their respective SHARES of Palestine. Well guess what folks, while the entire planet has been justifiably transfixed on the unfolding miracle in South America (brought to us by American ingenuity - rescue tunnel and capsule US design and construction), the Peace Process collapsed in total ruins. The President has demanded a construction freeze in the "occupied territories" as a unilateral Israeli concession. In return, Israel simply requested that the Palestinian Authority issue a statement acknowledging that "Israel is now, and after the final peace agreement is signed, will be the national home of the Jews." The Palestinian leadership flatly refused to agree that Israel will continue to exist after the completion of this so-called peace process.

So much for trading land for peace. What a charade. The process that has been conducted since the early 1970s has been exclusively the Israelis giving land for empty promises of peace. This straight forward (and clever) request that the Palestinians say that at the end their will be an End - of the armed struggle to liberate Palestine - is long overdue and worthy of acknowledgment by the many billions of peace loving folks sharing our planet. Just saying...

President Obama Launches Death Panels

No, Elite Members, don't go rushing to Grandma's home; Kathleen Cruella Sebelius is not reaching to pull Grandpa's plug, YET. Instead, American citizens are now being designated for "targeted killings" by the Federal Government's Defense/Intelligence apparatus, using Predator drone attacks inside Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and soon, possibly, in Cheyenne, Wyoming or Wasilla, Alaska. (See, Humble Post of September 7, 2010).

As a Former Elite Member said to me Friday: "The President has no legal authority to summarily execute American citizens, does he?" Well, Mags, that is the very Life and Death questions posed in the 9/7 Post, which inexplicably U forgot already, hence your current status, along with "Out in the Wash", Tom. So, just one last reminder, on 9/7, it was said that war is too important to left to the Generals or the Courts, so we must have a national debate on the President's wartime power to kill identified American citizens as enemies of the State. As expected, Your Humble Blogger's Clarion Call was immediately answered. On 10/6, National Columnist, Jonah Goldberg, wrote in his very derivative article:

"Any number of credible reports say the US-born al-Awlaski is the world's leading al Qaeda propagandist. He has directly inspired and recruited terrorists to kill US troops and civilians. ... So I hope he gets his toe tag sooner rather than later." ... The Obama Administration is right: this is no job for the courts. Wars and how we fight them are political decisions, properly left to Congress and the President. ... So let's have Congress and the President come up with some clear, public rules [for targeted killings]."

My two reactions to JG opinion piece: (1) hey, my free speech is his paid speech. I asked for a national debate, so no whining permissible when an acolyte picks up the cudgel. (2) I'm just a bit uncomfortable w/. marking for legal assassination a citizen identified as a "leading propagandist" who merely inspires volunteers for any cause, however despicable. Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I must say that I am very pleased that the debate has now begun in earnest. Jonah Goldberg asserts that selecting al-Awaki for death is an easy decision. I'm not so sure, particularly as Your Humble Blogger himself has been described by some as an inspiring conveyor of ideas for the cause of conservative values. Accordingly, JG's very aggressive response to my demand for the political branches of government to address this crucial war powers' authority exemplifies why Mags and everyone else should join this Great Debate now vehemently and loudly. Let your voices be heard in the public square tomorrow.

Bernard Schwartz (aka Tony Curtis), R.I.P.

Trust me, loyal listeners, this Blog is not turning into the Obits. Nonetheless, it would be disrespectful, if not distasteful, not to mention the passing of a God of Film, such as occurred yesterday. Particularly, when George Blanda's life was so recognized recently.

Mr Curtis, lived long and hard, falling prey to the easy access to the temptations of the Hollywood lifestyle - drugs, booze and babes. Nonetheless, Mr. Schwartz served his country honorable in wartime by enlisting in the US Navy, but, as with the A.G. of Connecticut, he was not ordered to a war zone during WWII. Nor did Mr. Curtis volunteer to be air dropped into Dien Bien Phu with GB.

Probably best remembered for his rollicking impersonation of Cary Grant in "Some Like It Hot", staring with Jack Lemmon, his greatest film by far was "The Vikings", in which he played the bastard son of Viking King Ragnar and after living as Ragnar's slave for 25 years, orders his hunting hawk to pluck out his older brother's eye, then at the film's climax, despite the earnest pleas of Janet Leigh, he stabs his bro to death, takes Janet as his bride and becomes the new Viking King. And never forget the Viking funeral - flaming arrows alite the barge floating out of the Bay, taking Kirk douglas to his eternal rest in Valhalla. They just don't make movies like that anymore.

Such a Hollywood Classic is "The Vikings", that an elite member, Big Al, purchased a DVD copy thereof, among a cornacopia of Rare Americana for $125.00 at the August Charity Outing. My understanding is that he has rented it out more than two dozen times already. Just saying...