Anger

As I (ze Fastest Squirrel) see it, Iraq has outdistanced the economy as the number one issue in America, and there is no way the GOP can take this albatross off the political table. Why? Because if the Bush administration fails in Iraq (or is perceived to have failed), the Party has lost one of its most important presumptions: that Republicans are better able, are more competent, and have better ideas at defending this nation than Democrats. Once that presumption is lost, so have our chances for the Presidency and for majorities in Congress in 2008. Who knows how long we would be in the minority after that. The only reason we're not doing worse is because of the well-defined political incompetence of Pelosi and general idiocy of Harry Reid.

The best answer to me, therefore, is for the Bush administration to commit all available resources to turning Iraq around. Folks like Lugar and Domenici and other lukewarm Republicans aren't helping, but you can't fully blame them (though I could be persuaded otherwise). Bush is a failing president and he's lost a huge amount of political capital because of his personnel decisions, his poor ability to communicate, his judgment, his inability to move legislation and his not governing as a conservative. Nevertheless, the success of our party hinges on how Iraq unfolds.

Riddle me this. When was the last time that you saw GWB on TV rallying the troops? When was the last time you received a "personal email" from GWB asking for your support (last election cycle, anyone)? I'm pissed. Waaayyyy too pissed.

Twenty Years Ago Today

President Reagan stood in the shadow of the Berlin Wall and demanded that the Soviet Bear "...tear down this wall!"

Watch and remember. Remember that there was a time when leadership had a voice. As long as we don't forget, it will come again. Please God, give a leader.

GOP Presidential Debate No. 1

Well, I missed the debate (on purpose). As I've said here before, I'll not comment on the candidates until we are much further along in the process. My perusal of conservative sites that I trust don't really show a winner, but there was consensus about a definite loser... Rudy Giuliani. That's all I know.

Okay, I said I'll not comment, but if I ran the world, Fred Thompson would be my President.


Oh FWIW, I'd also have Pamela Anderson leading the Presidential Council on Boobies.

A Gathering of Eagles

So my brother, a buddy, and I all went to the Gathering of Eagles last weekend. Wow! What an experience!

The irony rising from the ANSWER crowd was as palpable as a humid summer’s day in the deep South. I realize that much of my observations were covered elsewhere... more eloquently... by smarter folks, but I’d like to share my humble experience with those of you who couldn’t attend.

Our day started early with a ride on the DC metro. We (my son, brother, and friend) opted not to drive and park down by the Mall. I was concerned that my VFW stickers would result in some long, key width, scratches down the length of my pickup. So, we got on at the Vienna metro stop and were amazed at the number of veterans that we picked up along every stop as we headed down town. I was doubly amazed at the number of veterans utilizing canes. One joked that he may not be able to move quickly, but that he could “reach out and touch someone a mite easier.” Nice.

That was the feeling. As more veterans met along the route, the sense of comradeship and sense of duty increased. I think that we all hoped that others would show up, but were worried that we would be the only ones there. What does that say about conservatives?

I expected to find a mass of protesters making their way down to the Mall along with us at 7:30am. I was legitimately surprised to find nearly all the veterans massed about 8:00am. After thinking a moment, I mentioned to an SF old timer that it said a lot about the vet that we all make muster at the break of dawn, no matter our age. He mentioned that it was even more remarkable that we hadn’t conducted a Mad Minute. Too true.

As the morning drew onto the afternoon, the Opposition (organized by ANSWER) grew in number. Wow, they were young. Except for the left-over hippies and middle-aged professors, they were all just kids. Kids who had come (late morning) from local universities like George Washington University, Georgetown, American University, and George Mason… had this “massive protest” occurred in Richmond, it would have sported about a thousand die-hards (and even less “Eagles,” BTW). Nonetheless, their passion was laid out on their sleeves. I mean, they were really belting out the chants. What a bunch of mindless assholes.

That being said, my next observation regards organization and intent. When we arrived at the muddy pit that was the Gathering of Eagles (there was rain, sleet, and snow on Friday) we noticed a ripping (wicked windy) sea of American flags and patriotic songs playing. Later there would be at least a half-dozen speakers that would speak of God, America, and Service to both. Standing over by the Lincoln Memorial was a stark contrast and clearly outlined the difference between the two.

ANSWER and their ilk had some wicked-awesome music pumpin’ through massive speakers. Some dude with a reggae accent broke in periodically with important information (“We’ve got Wisconsin! Wisconsin is in de house! Stop de war in Iraq!”) that lent their voice to “de Cause”… whenever these voice-overs interrupted the inevitable rendition of “War.”

War is something that I despise
For it means destruction of innocent lives
For it means tears in thousands of mothers' eyes
When their sons go out to fight to give their lives.

Yet another irony is that most of the veterans were singing along. Apparently, this is a song that crosses many lines. The retired vet that I was standing next to said, “Man, I love this song, too.” Yep, guilty. Somehow, however, I feel like I’ve earned the right to agree. I’ve paid (and witnessed) the price.

Bascially, ANSWER has organized a huge party. There were no speeches (until much later at the Pentagon, apparently) and no attempts at dialogue. It was simply a draw for the old and radical, and the young and gullible.

We were extremely fortunate to have a number of dedicated organizers at the rally. While I’m sure that I can’t know everyone who lent themselves to this enterprise, I did see several placards carried by the Freepers. It was a picture of Saddam in a noose (pre-hung) with a caption of “Sic Sempre Tyrannis” (Thus always to tyrants). Indeed. While there were some pre-fab signs that read things along the lines of, “The War is either HERE, or THERE” or “Peace through superior fire power” or our own Mr. Hahn’s “Go to hell traitors. You dishonor our dead on hallowed ground.” I applaud you, sir!

The Opposition, however, was much more predictable (and yet strangely not so). The vast majority of signs were pre-fabricated and handed out by ANSWER. Some of the more inventive signs I saw included “Capitalists Against the War” (yeah, right)… “Radical Queers Against the War” (no doubt), and something about not having ‘merely a war, but a “class war.”’ Brilliant. No dialogue. No debate. No sense of fear. No knowledge of the world outside their own. No ability to reason. No meaningful future. Sad. Really sad.

We got bored. We decided to move toward the porta-potties. The sidewalks between the Lincoln Memorial and the Eagles area was absolutely packed with veterans. There were few liberals that made it through the area, as far as I could see. I stopped one jerk (headed into Eagle territory from ANSWER) with long hair, dressed in ACUs and with make-up depicting a head gunshot wound. He said that we had to all work together to end the war. I scornfully said that he was clearly looking for a confrontation and that I was pretty offended as I had a close buddy who died from such a wound (from an insurgent). Unsurprisingly, he just moved on. I really wanted to clean his clock.

We finally reached the porta-potties. We had to wait for a long line at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. Just getting by was difficult with the lines of vets who were waiting to see it for the first time. That was a pretty moving experience by itself. The blue potties were yet another clever taunt of the protestors. The first had a sign that read, “Jane Fonda’s Field Office.” I don’t care which side you’re on, that’s pretty damn funny!

Shortly thereafter, we ran into a very young woman dressed in pink, attempting to engage a group of leather-clad veterans in some sort of dialogue. As I was walking up (and eventually stopped) I heard:

Code-pinker: “Seriously. Why don’t we spend all that money on sending kids to college?!?”

Stone-faced Vet: “I did that. Three goddamn times.”

Code-pinker: “No. Seriously. Why can’t you just listen to ‘us’?”

Code-pinker: “No, seriously!”

Stone-faced Vet: “……….”

Code-pinker: “Seriously, you people are impossible to talk to!”

Me: “See, when you use a term like ‘you people’ you let us all know that you aren’t interested in dialogue. You think that we should have just acquiesced to your superior experience and wisdom . Too bad you have neither.

Code-pinker: “… Seriously!”

Too easy. We find ourselves bored again and find ourselves on Constitution, near the entrance to the Eagles site. There are a couple of Ignoramus’ that would like to convince the nearest Vietnam Vets that they are misguided in trusting the government. These überinformed liberals were, in turn, informed that they were correct… a Congress led by Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid shouldn’t be trusted. There was a stunned pause by the liberal at the depth of knowledge displayed by the veterans (or possibly the recalculation of a miscalculation). Needless to say, the moonbats retreated to their ‘posse.’

For a full picture. I have a friend whom I will call “Bill.” Bill is a federal law-enforcement agent who is undercover with the radical left. He was with the Opposition folks and gave me a rare glimpse into the reaction inside the radical’s camp (a comprehensive post about his experience is forth-coming). He said that the typical reaction to the Eagles was one of incredulousness. He heard most describe the single-finger-showing vets as “illiterate hooligans.” “Unintelligent” and “stupid” were other oft-used descriptors. Nice. We, however, never used the word “illiterate.” Instead, I heard words like “spoiled,” “ungrateful,” and “ignorant.” I also heard several vets utilize their First Amendment right to express by explaining “Fuh Q!”

He also mentioned that EVERYONE was intimidated by the counter-protest. Those who had planned to make trouble (the anarchists) and those who had never met a veteran (all the rest) were absolutely in awe of the turnout of the veterans and other supporters. It was as if all the polls had somehow turned upside down. Bill said that this was the first time that any protestors had encountered any meaningful opposition SINCE THE VIETNAM ERA. I suppose that means the “silent majority” ought to be deeply ashamed. Here the protestors have gone along (albeit nearly completely ignorant of reality) without opposition since the onset of OIF!

By the way, I consider a hard-core dude, and I was moved to tears on a number of occasions. First, the feeling of camaraderie in the face of the Opposition was awesome. The second is the common theme among the Vietnam Vets. It went something along the lines of: Nobody stood up for me while I was in the fight, so if I don’t stand up for the troops… who will?

That last nearly brought me to tears every single time… and I heard it time and again. I guarantee, we youngsters got the message. We know who has our back. (Bitterness ON) Incidentally, if any RedStaters live in the D.C. area and didn’t attend… you are dead to me. I took my eleven year-old and saw many men carrying their infants in rucksacks. I’m sincerely PO’ed that more local conservatives didn’t show. Heritage? Townhall? Any conservative celebrities? Nope. Any conservative politicians? No again. ……… Oh, I get it. The veterans are left to do ALL the work. We train, fight and return to crappy conditions. We are underpaid and over-utilized, but unworthy of meaningful respect. Again, if you live in the D.C. are and didn’t attend, you should be ashamed of yourself. (Bitterness OFF) [To be fair, GOE didn't want or allow any politicians to speak... but they could have shown up in jeans and a VFW cap!]

As we stood along the Lincoln Memorial, members of the Military Veterans Motorcycle Club checked to make sure of your loyalty. Some people have questioned this practice. Let me be clear when I say that the lines between US and THEM were exquisitely clear and the only folks crossing into the aforementioned area were there to make trouble. Very few tried, and none succeeded. Have a problem with that? Show up next time and take it up with the serious men in black leather. Otherwise, I recommend you keep your own counsel!

While waiting in the ridiculously ripping wind, I found myself talking to yet another Eagle. Her name was “Carolyn,” and she was a teacher from Maine. She had driven over eight hours to be at the Wall and show her support. A woman in her 50s, she told me that she was absolutely sickened by the teachers getting hired out of college. She was sickened by their biases and their complete lack of objectivity in teaching students. “Carolyn” was simply appalled at the “best” this newer generation had to offer and came in an attempt to absolve them. I believe that she left without that absolution, but with a greater sense of personal pride and mission. She told me what an honor it was to stand beside such veterans and that she was ready to guard our flanks. She was representative of those Eagles who were non-veterans. The honor was mine. De Oppresso Libre.

Here are some non-Squirrel taken pics!

DC Gun Ban Kaput?

It appears that the 3rd District Court of Appeals has ruled that the Washington, DC gun ban violates the 2nd Amendment. Duh. The ruling is here.

Interesting stuff:

To summarize, we conclude that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government (or a threat from abroad). In addition, the right to keep and bear arms had the important and salutary civic purpose of helping to preserve the citizen militia. The civic purpose was also a political expedient for the Federalists in the First Congress as it served, in part, to placate their Antifederalist opponents. The individual right facilitated militia service by ensuring that citizens would not be barred from keeping the arms they would need when called forth for militia duty. Despite the importance of the Second Amendment's civic purpose, however, the activities it protects are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued or intermittent enrollment in the militia.

See? Just when I get totally demoralized, sanity refreshes me with hope and optimism!

An Elephant Never Forgets

Mr. Nathan Nelson, over at RedState posted a piece that I wish that I had written. It begins:

The Left seems mystified by the fact that the Republican Party, minus a few defectors, simply will not give up on Iraq. Why, they wonder, would Republicans continue to insist on continuing an unpopular war that cost us during the 2006 election and is likely to cost us in 2008 if nothing changes dramatically for the better? The Leftist minority is dumbfounded that we are continuing to stand by the Iraq War on principle because they have forgotten what principle is. Consumed for over a decade with simply achieving a political majority again, they have pushed aside all of their own principles and have gone whichever way the political wind blows. Thus they cannot understand why the Republican Party won't do the same when it comes to Iraq, but they're certainly willing to capitalize on the opportunity it presents them with.

There's a simple explanation for why we won't abandon Iraq to terrorism and sectarian violence, and it can be summed up in a familiar saying: an elephant never forgets. We haven't forgotten, for example, that there were Loyalists in the late eighteenth century who would have preferred for America to never become a nation rather than going to war with the British Empire. We haven't forgotten that James Buchanan and Stephen Douglas were prepared to give Southern secessionists whatever they wanted, including indefinite slavery, in order to avoid the Civil War. We haven't forgotten that it took the sinking of the Lusitania and the death of 128 Americans, a budding alliance between Germany and Mexico, and the sinking of three American merchant ships before Woodrow Wilson finally committed us to the Allied cause in World War I. We haven't forgotten Neville Chamberlain's failed policy of appeasement, nor have we forgotten that it took Pearl Harbor for Franklin Roosevelt to commit us to beating back the fascist threat in World War II. Last, but certainly not least, we haven't forgotten that it took September 11 and the deaths of three thousand Americans before our government finally got serious about the threat of international terrorism and nations that support it - nations like Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which financed Hamas and other terrorists in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

Read the rest.

Political Nostalgia

I have been unable to watch the news recently. As I have mentioned before, the recklessness of the Congress and Senate (particularly in the defeatist rhetoric on the war) weighs heavily on many a veteran. The list of outrages is long... unchecked illegal immigration, talk of increasing taxes, uncontrolled spending, etc. So, I occasionally turn on Fox News to find... non-stop coverage of Anna Nicole Smith. You've got to be freakin' kidding me. Meanwhile, all the REAL news from Iraq (that I get from close friends) is stunningly positive. The "surge" is already working. Violence is decreasing, Baghdad is quieting, Al-Sadr has fled to Iran, etc. Didn't know about that? Don't be surprised that you won't get any of this from the MSM.

Where will we turn for leadership? Where are the true believers?

I don't know.

Not helpful to this question, but I long for the "old days." President Ronald Wilson Reagan. This is a man who I closely identify with my maternal grandfather. Both were truly good men with solid mores and stalwart hearts. I am not worthy of being in my grandfather's bloodline. I endeavor to live up to his example. Mea Culpa. Mea Maxima Culpa.

While there doesn't appear to be a man who is great like President Reagan, we are fortunate to have his logic, love of man, and thoughtful words to encourage and motivate us. If you have some time (say a half-hour), here is Mr. Reagan giving a speech in 1964. Replace references to Communism with Militant Islam and it is as relevant today, over forty years later. 24 minutes into the speech, is an excellent piece on surrender. Absolutely amazing. Also, reflect on the fact that you never hear this sort of persuasive speech in today's times. Any conservative who may try to give a speech of this length would be shouted down by a leftist protestor. Debate is not allowed by the Left. Free speech and the First Amendment is only defended if it aligns with leftist ideals. Interesting how conservatives politely allow liberals to talk their heads off and it is rarely reciprocated. Depressing and rage inducing.

This sort of speech simply isn't given to a wide audience nowadays. The patients have taken over the madhouse. Idiocracy reigns, and the Left is largely to blame. Thanks, dicks.

Decision 2008

Man, I'm totally not ready for it. We're already seeing a massive amount of speculation about who will run. As noted at The Captain's Quarters,

Center-right and conservative bloggers have not had any experience with a wide-open primary season. In 2000, the blogosphere hardly existed, and by 2004 we knew that George Bush would have no serious competition for his renomination. The 2008 campaign is tabula rasa for Republican bloggers, more so since we have no incumbent Vice-President vying for the nomination. As I wrote over the weekend, that situation is so unusual that it has been 80 years since the last time neither party had an incumbent President or VP in the race.

True enough. The conservatives in the blogsphere are entering uncharted territory. Much like the good Captain, I think we should all just settle down.

My advice, for those who want it, would be for bloggers to refrain from identifying with any one candidate until we get much closer to the primaries. For one thing, we have not necessarily seen all of the candidates yet. More importantly, we have not really seen their campaigning style and effort. 2007 should be considered a test for this wide-open field to make the best case and to hone their craft. Thanks to an early advent of the campaign, we have almost twelve months to consider each candidate, and we should take full advantage of that.

I will not be endorsing anyone until at least December 2007. I already know who I don't like, but am more concerned with issues than candidates. I recommend that we all take a breather, turn off the damned squawk box and enjoy life in 2007... because I predict that 2008 is going to be a hellish year for politicos.

Sign the Pledge

In case you haven't run across it (go here for some background and commentary), you should check out (and sign, IMHO) the NRSC pledge. The only way that conservatives are going to regain our political party is to hold them accountable. I signed up, did you? Check in with your comments.

Worrisome

Who knew that the end of the Cold War would usher in such troubling times. For a time, it appeared that capitalism and reform were sweeping the world and quality of life was increasing dramatically. As President Kennedy once noted, "A rising tide lifts all boats." The evidence for the triumph of capitalism is visible in even the most remote of third-world countries. It really is incredible. But then comes the troubling times...

Leaving the strife of radical Islam aside, the threat of anti-capitalism and anti-American forces are growing in the world; spawned by jealousy. In Venezuela, Mr. Chavez is acting like a cliche tin-pot dictator, and a huge amount of the population is eating it up! Mexico's southern Oaxaca Province is in the throes of revolution. This is interesting because the communists barely lost the Mexican Presidential election early this year. Nicaragua elected Manuel Ortega (a devoted communist) as President. Russia is ruled by mobsters. Socialism dominates all political thought throughout Europe. Worrisome times.

Ironically, some of the most stalwart defenders (and beneficiaries) of capitalism lay in the States of the former Soviet Union. Vietnam, India, and China are becoming havens for corporations and favorable labor laws. This too, is worrisome, because of the paradigm change.

The only reasonable people left in the world, in my opinion, are the Australians. They are no-nonsense and know their place in the world. Thank God.

Here in America, we are a deeply divided people that are wickedly spoiled. No doubt, we will have the strength to weather the coming storm, but I will be interested to see who will weather it best. I plan to be among those that not only survive the storm, but will thrive in it.

Ambassador Bolton Resigns

Well, this is disappointing. As I understand it, should he have stayed on without the appropriate Congressional approvals (highly unlikely), he would have done so gratis. Ah well. The truth is that the U.N. is a magnificently corrupt and bloated entity that has not been truly relevant... ever. Having worked with the U.N. in many countries, I can honestly say that the vast majority of programs suck. That being said, the World Food Program (WFP) appeared to be well run and somewhat less corrupt. Nice.

So bottom line is that while I personally think that Ambassador Bolton is the Bee's Knee's, he simply isn't worth the amount of energy it will take to fight.

GOP Self-Assessment

As I mentioned yesterday, Ben Franklin once famously advised, "Listen to your enemies, they will tell you your faults." Needless to say, this is excellent advice and that which we should heed as we work to redefine the party of conservatism.

As a friend of mine recently wrote (sorry, can't find the link):

It is important to remember that "Conservatism" is not an ideology; it is a predisposition in defense of tradition. In the American political sense of the word, conservatism means to defend the original and traditional interpretation of the Constitution.

The Founders, and generations of Americans thereafter, did not consider that the federal government created by the Constitution had the authority to meddle in the private economy, or that federal courts had the power to legislate, or that the people were unfit to govern themselves through their state legislatures.

All of these traditional (i.e., conservative) understandings of the meaning of the Constitution began to be shredded in the 20th century, beginning with the New Deal and continuing through the Warren Court, then particularly Roe v Wade, and so on until culminating in Lawrence v Texas which reversed a precedent only seventeen years previous, and in the process overturned centuries of Anglo-American jurisprudence.

So precisely what is it that our political enemies have to say about us? What are our faults? It seems to me that the "faults" most attributed to Republicans have little to do with the precept of conservative thought that I mentioned above. Instead, they are more simply drive-by criticisms like "Bush is an idiot." While I respect the President and his accomplishments well enough, he is hardly a conservative and never pretended to be otherwise. I do believe that he has made more poor policy and personnel decisions than any Chief Executive since President Carter. But, using Ambassador Franklin's advice, it is duly noted.

The second glaring example is the charge of a "culture of corruption." Again, it is hard to argue that we have positioned ourselves on the moral high ground in this regard. While I still find it difficult to believe that the party of the Daly Empire and Tammany Hall is somehow less corrupt, we clearly have allowed power to influence the worst in our leaders. Duly noted. President Reagan's 11th Commandment aside, we need to diligently cull our ranks of the worst offenders.

The third appears to be an indictment of social conservativism. Charges of "turning back the clock" and the like are laughable. But Congress only called for a special session one time in recent memory. Do you remember over what issue? Ms. Terry Schivao. After all of the crises we have been through and all of the issues that needed addressing, all we have to show is grandstanding and a massively failed effort. Maybe the charge should be more closely considered.

Clearly, Conservatives have a lot of soul-searching to do in the near future. This self-assessment should include Old Ben's advice. Instead of turning red in anger at the charges of the DNC, we should decide whether it is a fault that we can (or should) counter. Otherwise, the conservative movement will find itself forced to move increasingly left. To paraphrase Mr. Winston Churchill, "If you want nothing done, the National Republican Party are the best men for the task. They have no equal."