Tonight on Chandler’s Watch Ladies Nite with the Troops hosted by Angelia Phillips (Knottie) and Peg Demetris ( LBA)  on Blogtalkradio we are honored to have LTC Michael Strobl author of the moving story of “Taking Chance”.  We also will have Gold Star Mom Gretchen Mack,Chance Phelp’s mom, joining us.

If you have not read LTC Strobl’s account of escorting Chance Phelps home please take a moment and read it. http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/04/taking_chance.html
His account of escorting Chance home was made into the HBO movie “Taking Chance” which premiered Saturday night.

In 2004 I first read LTC Strobl’s account of “Taking Chance” home. I admit it brought tears to my eyes as I read that each step of the way home our Fallen were so honored. A year ago tomorrow, those words I read in 2004 came back to me. I knew my own son was now being escorted and honored just as Chance had been. As a Gold Star mom there was great comfort in knowing my child had a brother by his side honoring and caring for him even in death. It is my great honor to share LTC Strobl’s story of his journey with Chance so that others understand the care our fallen heroes receive on their journey home.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Chandler/2009/02/24/Ladies-Nite-With-the-Troops

If I ever go to war…
If I ever go to war Mom, Please don’t be afraid.
There are some things I must do, To keep the promise that I made.
I’m sure there will be some heartache, And I know that you’ll cry tears,
But your son is a Soldier now, Mom, There is nothing you should fear.
If I ever go to war Dad, I know that you’ll be strong.
But you won’t have to worry, Cause you taught me right from wrong.
You kept me firmly on the ground, yet still taught me how to fly.
Your son is a Soldier now Dad, I love you Hooah, Even if I die.
If I ever go to war Bro, There are some things I want to say.
You’ve always had my back, and I know it’s my time to repay.
You’ll always be my daybreak, through all of life’s dark clouds,
Your brother is a Soldier now, Bro, I promise I’ll make you proud.
If I ever go to war Sis, don’t you worry bout me,
I always looked out for you, but I can’t do that anymore,
Cause I’m a big bro to all in America.
I love you so much and you know that, Your brothers a soldier now Sis,
So wipe your eyes, I’ll be fine even if I die.
If I ever go to war my Friends, We’ll never be apart,
Though we may not meet again, I’ll hold you in my heart.
Remember all the times we had, Don’t let your memories cease,
Your friend is a Soldier now, Dear Friend, And I’ll die to bring you peace.
And when I go to heaven, And see that pearly gate,
I’ll gladly decline entrance, Then stand my post and wait.
I’m sorry Sir I can’t come in, I’m sort of in a bind,
You see I’m still a Soldier Sir, So I can’t leave them behind.

By PFC Jonathan W. Guffey – Alpha Company 101st Airborne 2/506th Infantry Air Assault – Iraq 2006 10 July 2006

I don’t understand why this is not being widely reported in the Mainstream Media. This is exactly why we need to move away form any possible amnesty for those that are here in America illegally!!

Charges against Niazi include perjury, naturalization fraud, misuse of a passport obtained by fraud and making a false statement to a federal agency. He is scheduled to make a court appearance this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana.

Great. I’m sure he and bin Laden’s security coordinator were just chatting about the impact of global warming on the Khyber Pass.

I’ll also note that he was arrested by FBI agents on the counter terrorism task force, not ICE officials.

I did a little Googling, and there’s an Ahmadullah Niazi in Orange County — the county just south of LA that the Niazi in the story lives in — that has a company in Tustin called “T & A Trading Group”. The contact is “Ahmad Niazi”. Niazi’s company apparently in the wholesale computer and electronics business.

From the Jawa Report

Here is the Eight of the State for this week, February 21st, 2009:

1. Ahmadullah Sais Niazi – Who?!
2. Gerald Ortiz y Piño – Who side are you on, sir?!
3. MALDEF – “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!”
4. Congressional Democrats – “Do as I say, not as I do!”
5. James Clyburn – Those who see race, see racism!!
6. Richard Daley – We are watching you!! Don’t drink too much!!
7. Global Warming – Al Gore said, “We are all going to die!! Aaaahh!”
8. Kenneth Duncan – “I like guns!”

The Blue Falcon of the Week The Blue Falcon of the Week for this week, February 21st, 2009, is:

President Barack Hussein Obama! Congratualations, Sir!!

With the incredible pressure that he placed on our Legislature to hurriedly pass the Porkulus Bill, BHO then takes off for vacation instead of sticking around to sign in a timely manner. So what is it, Mr. President?! Is this legislation so important that it needs to be signed right now? Or, were you lying and it really isn’t all that important, and that is why you went on vacation?!

Why would someone claim that the bill needed to be signed “yesterday”, and then not sign it right away, when it passes the Congress? Does this make any sense to you? It does to me. They were getting over on us, The People. And, it worked. Semper Fi, Mr. President…you Blue Falcon!

(NYPost.com)

Muslim Training Camps in America

Daniel Stockwell Jr.-Massachusetts Minuteman

This week I would like to introduce to our readers the story of my fourth-great Grandfather, Command Sgt. Major Daniel Stockwell Jr. He died 192 years ago this week. Here is his story.

Daniel Stockwell Jr. was a thirty-year-old farmer from Westboro, Massachusetts, when the “shot heard around the world” was fired on the Lexington green. It was April 19, 1775. Born in 1744, Stockwell was called out to the alarm on that day. (1) That fateful evening he found himself camped at the American camp. He was with his brothers and cousins. They were minutemen. A minuteman was ready to fight on a moment’s notice. The Stockwell men were enlisted in the Massachusetts militia. They converged upon the green of Harvard University at Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is where the Americans had set up their military camp.

Events were moving quickly as American patriots rushed in from all around New England. The small New England Army surrounded the peninsular town of Boston. This is where the British had their army. A showdown was in the making.

Stockwell was the father of four children. He wasn’t substantially different from any other minuteman who answered the call to arms. He was simply an American patriot willing to sacrifice everything dear to him and everything that was dear to his family for the love of liberty and country.

The American commanding officers in Cambridge were planning military strategies to defeat the British. For almost two months following the gun fire at Lexington and Concord and the battle road back to Boston, the Americans argued their strategies. They had surrounded the town of Boston. How could they run the British out of Boston? They decided to build fortifications in Charlestown, directly opposite Boston. The two towns are separated by the Charles River, less than one-mile apart. On the night of June 16, 1775, 1,200 Americans built a redoubt on Breeds Hill. Although most of the fighting took place on Breeds Hill, the battle is remembered as the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill is directly behind Breeds Hill in Charlestown.

The first great battle of the American Revolution took place the next day. This legendary battle showed the British that the Americans could and would face off against them in mortal combat. The British Army was considered the best army in the world because of their leadership, armaments and tactics. Their professional army was simply second to none. The British did not think that a “rag tag” army of colonials would be able to stand up to them. The British were wrong. The Americans were excellent marksmen. They were able to rapid fire their muskets as quickly and lethally as any professional soldier. The American patriots aimed to shelter and protect themselves during battle. They successfully did this with their small, earthen-redoubt-fort on Breeds Hill. This tactic worked. Although the British gained a territorial victory, the Americans inflicted over 1,000 casualties on the King’s men. The British casualties at the Battle of Bunker Hill had impaired the manner in which they employed their tactics and strategies during the next eight long years of fighting. This eventually helped the Americans win the struggle for independence.

Several days after the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Continental Congress chose Colonel George Washington of Virginia as the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army. He immediately set off from Philadelphia to Cambridge to take command of the American troops. On his way to Cambridge a messenger informed him of the great battle.

General Washington was soon reviewing his troops and meeting his officers and men including, Daniel Stockwell Jr. Stockwell was a sergeant and a natural leader who had never met anybody from Virginia before. Stockwell was certainly impressed with the tall American Commander-in-Chief. Stockwell had heard about General Washington from his father, Daniel Sr., and Timothy Warren, his father-in-law. Like General Washington, Daniel Sr. and Warren had fought with the British against the French, during the French and Indian War, fifteen years earlier.

General Washington faced a lot of work trying to transform his “rag tag” army of New England farmers and tradesmen into a viable fighting force. General Washington needed a lot of help. One of the men that General Washington grew to rely upon was Sergeant Stockwell.

Sergeant Stockwell volunteered to travel with Colonel Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga in Northern New York. Knox had been ordered to retrieve 59 cannons and mortars which were to be placed around Boston and on Dorchester Heights, during the siege of the town. Knox and Stockwell made the grueling 650-mile round trip in mid-winter-the very cold and snowy winter, of 1775-1776. This “noble train of artillery” accomplished their mission and placed the large siege guns facing the British forces occupying Boston.

On the horizon a great battle was shaping up. General Washington was making plans with his staff officers to defeat the British. The British, meanwhile, were making plans of their own to finally crush the rebels of New England. What the British didn’t know was that, on the night of March 4, 1776, Sergeant Stockwell and the artillery men of the American Army had built a series of small redoubts on Dorchester Heights. The Americans then pointed their siege guns towards Boston and General Howe’s British Army. Amazed at the sight of the American cannons pointing at them, General Howe wisely conceded the town of Boston to the American Army. When a large winter storm tore through Boston, Howe realized it was time to evacuate the town. British morale was low and all of Howe’s transport boats were destroyed. These events had convinced Howe of the folly of another bloody-battle.

On March 17, 1776, the British sailed to Canada. General George Washington and Sergeant Daniel Stockwell Jr., along with 9,000 other American patriots, forced the grand British Army to surrender the town of Boston and the Colony of Massachusetts. The British never returned to Massachusetts as a fighting force during the American Revolutionary War. Eight more years of warfare would be played out in every other American state, until the surrender of General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. The Yorktown victory assured American independence from Britain.

Sergeant Daniel Stockwell Jr. retired to Royalston, Massachusetts in 1790, with his wife, Rebecca and eleven children (2) He died in Royalston in 1817. (3) He was an American Revolutionary War Hero.

“Taking Chance”

Supreme nods to Blackfive, Lt Col Michael Strobl, Kevin Bacon,…and to Pfc. Chance Phelps. Mission accomplished Marine! Semper Fidelis!

You can read the article by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl here.

Rep. Manzullo Questions Bailout Czar Neel Kashkari

Here is the Eight of the State for this week, February 14th, 2009:

1. Mo Hassan – So, I cut my wife’s head off! It’s my religious right!
2. Public School Textbooks – Brainwashing since Howard Zin
3. Leon Panetta – Who the hell does this guy think he is?!
4. MALDEF – Cite to me the exact “law” that he violated, Counselor.
5. Patrick Leahy – “Oh, you know. It won’t be used to prosecute people…(Do as I say, not as I do)”
6. Mexican Grenades – What the hell is next…Bombing runs by their Air Force?!
7. The Chula Vista City Council – Hey! Whose side are you really on?!
8. Voter Stupidity – Sometimes good, sometimes bad!  Depends on the vote count for the Democrat!

The Blue Falcon of the Week

The Blue Falcon of the Week for this week, February 14th, 2009, is:

Democrats in Congress, Congratulations!!

With a promise of posting the text of the Porkulus Bill on the internet for Americans to read 48 hours prior to going to a vote, the Democrats in Congress Blue Falconed ALL Americans by posting it late in the night with only ten hours to see prior to the vote at 9 am Yesterday!

“Do as I say, not as I do!”, said the Democrats in Congress.

(Human Events)

NASCAR Couch reveals Winning Strategy

Explaining the Socialist Agenda Behind the Stimulus Bill

The programming of our Children

The unwary pedestrian who is lured into using Hamilton Place as a possible short cut from Tremont to Washington Street is likely to find himself wandering into a department store or theater without any very clear idea of how he got there, for the street ends unexpectedly in the entrances to Gilchrist’s and the Orpheum.

Hamilton Place was the site of Boston’s first large manufacturing project and it was also the locale of a battle in which a British regiment was put to rout by an army of one lone man.

A long time ago, about 1718, a group of emigrants arrived from Londonderry bringing with them the tools and skills necessary for the manufacture of linen. Very welcome they were. The Boston women had gotten along with coarse homespun, but they had never liked it. The thought of linen was to them as is catnip to a kitten. They all wanted to learn the new craft. The men were in favor of the idea, especially as the women would do all the work, so the legislature voted to establish a spinning school. An excise tax was laid on carriages and other luxuries to finance the plan, and the Manufactory House, 140 feet long, was built. A female figure, distaff in hand, ornamented the facade.

Spinning became the rage. The Manufactory House was crowded to the doors, and those who could not be accommodated there took their wheels to the Common and spun, like spiders, in the open air.

Like all fads the “spinning craze” wore itself out in two or three years, and, the Manufactory House was rented by the Province to private families.

This brings us to the amazing story of Boston’s one-man army. In 1769, when the British troops held possession of the town, a Mr. Elisha Brown was living at the Manufactory House.

Colonel Dalrymple was expected to arrive at any moment with his regiment, the Fourteenth Royal Regulars, and it was Governor Bernard’s duty to find a barracks where they could be quartered. The huge Manufactory House seemed to be ideal for the purpose, so the governor sent a formal and official notice to Mr. Brown that he was to vacate the premises forthwith.

Elisha, feeling that his home was his castle, refused to leave. The enraged governor wrote an order of eviction which was served by Sheriff Greenleaf. Brown tore it up. The sheriff and his deputies forced an entrance into the cellar. Brown locked them in. A file of soldiers from the Common rescued them but could not force an entrance into the house.

Meanwhile Colonel Dalrymple and his regiment arrived, encamped on the Common, and kept the Manufactory House surrounded by soldiers day and night. For seventeen days Mr. Brown endured the state of siege and kept possession of his house. He barred the windows and doors and was living comfortably on the family supplies. In those days one did not run to the store every day or so. Each family kept enough staples on hand to last for weeks, so Elisha had no food problem. Finally, completely out-maneuvered, Colonel Dalrymple withdrew and quartered his soldiers in Faneuil Hall.

Elisha Brown died in August, 1785, at the age of sixty-five years and was buried in the Old Granary Burying Ground where on his gravestone we may still read of his valiant deeds.

ELISHA BROWN

of BOSTON

who in Octr 1769, during 17 days

Inspired with

a generous Zeal for the laws

bravely and successfully

opposed a whole British Regt

in their violent attempt

to FORCE him from his

legal Habitation

Happy Citizen when call’d singly

to be a Barrier to the Liberties

of a Continent

The Santa Ana School District supposedly has some of the toughest graduation standards in the state. This, the administrators claim, has increased their dropout rate. With “a city of mostly Latino immigrants where 60% of the students are learning English as a second language and nearly 4 in 10 at some schools do not make it through their senior year, officials say they are contemplating a more pragmatic approach.”

I am all for the ideal of ‘you are only as fast as your slowest man’, but not in this situation. Graduating high school is not a team effort; it is an individual one. It also appears, to me, that none of the educators are pushing that they can achieve their high benchmark for graduation if they apply themselves and want it that bad. This situation is really no different than graduating bootcamp or any other military school. It is all about how bad you want it.

But, there are more blatant reasons for lowering the standards in Santa Ana. The LA Times reported that “school counselors support the plan, saying it will free up time in students’ schedules, giving them more opportunities to retake classes they have failed. It will also give more latitude to students taking remedial and technical classes, English language learners who require specialized courses, and honors students taking advanced classes.”

So, it sounds to me like the kids that are not English speakers are the ones having the problems. Is this a move to placate to the Latino community since they make up a large portion of their “No Child Left Behind” statistics? Or is there something else going on here?

Let me see if I can guess the picture, to which this story is only a part of.

Several years ago, Santa Ana School District raises their standards, bragging about how they are going to “challenge” children and increase the level of education in the state. They probably bragged about how they are “trend-setters” and all of that crap.

Now, with “No Child Left Behind” requiring them to post positive numbers as far as total graduation rates and testing scores, they realize that their policy is actually shooting them in the foot for receiving federal dollars. So, they come out now with a reason why they need to lower the standards, so that they can post better numbers to the state. Lower graduation standards = lower dropout rate = more money! Is that clear enough for you?

So, let’s lower the standards to graduate High School to showing up and spelling your name correctly, because as it is, kids don’t learn American History, basic Social Studies (i.e.: government), or logic. But they do get a world class education in Marxism though!!

(LATimes.com)

Party like it’s 1929!

2002:
U.S. intelligence agencies are on the lookout for terrorists from the Palestinian group Hamas to carry out attacks in the United States. The group has been blamed for numerous deadly bombings in Israel.
An intelligence report sent to Bush administration officials recently said the group, also known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, is expanding outside Israel and targeting the United States, according to intelligence officials.
“Hamas is planning operations in the U.S.,” one official told us.
(FreeRepublic.com)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 2, 2009
January 27, 2009
Presidential Determination

No. 2009-15

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration

Needs Related to Gaza

By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the “Act”), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Act, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA
(WhiteHouse.gov)

Since 2002 the United States have been aware of the Hamas/Hezbollah intentions to attack the US if they are given the opportunity. They are constantly attacking one of our most staunch allies, Israel. Ignoring peace treaties, ceasefires and the safety of their own civilian population. It is not an understatement to say these are evil groups with agendas to kill Americans and our allies. They fund other groups who are doing just that, kill Americans, in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Knowing this, I am wondering what exactly Pres. Obama is thinking by giving them $20.3 million and offering refugee status to migrate to the US to these people in an executive order. Yep you read that right. Aid, refugee status and welcome to America to a group who has quite publicly stated they want to destroy this Nation.

Pres. Obama’s action while on the surface seems to an act of American kindness and charity, are in my opinion aiding the enemy of the US and its allies. It is well documented that all aid sent into Gaza for the civilian and innocent victims of recent conflicts is hoarded by the Hamas fighters themselves and use to rearm and pay murder bombers families. Knowing this, sending aid to that region is simple funding those who commit terrorist acts on US and our allies. Pres. Obama is aiding our enemy in the form of taxpayer money with a bow called aid.

Another point that must be addressed is that the people who live in Gaza overwhelming support Hamas and their public doctrine to destroy Israel and the United States. Going so far as to allow their homes and children to be used as staging points for attacks and shields against retaliation. Another word they aren’t the innocent victims some would have us believe. Oh yes there are those in Gaza who want nothing more than for the fighting to stop and everyone to just be happy with what they have. But those people in Gaza are not the majority.

So do we quietly sit by and allow the President of the United States, who works for the people, to aid our enemy? In a time when he is stating that our own nation is doomed unless we allow Congress to spend a trillion dollars that does not exist do we really want $20.3 million to be handed over to an enemy (that’s enough money to pay for 1000 suicide bombers) and open our borders to these groups who hate us? At what point so We the People stand up and demand he put the responsibility of protecting this Nation against ALL enemies as his first priority? Or do we throw a party and invite Hamas in and pay for the bombs they will set off on Main St USA?

I received this in email this morning. I was joyous in reading it but at the same time angry. Why email? Why is this not on the front page and the mainstream news? This is a VICTORY! My son laid down his life as did so many others. American men and women made sacrifices to make this happen so where is the “Job Well Done!” from our nation. Where are the heads hung by those who did not bother to vote in our own national elections? I don’t care if you supported our reasons for going into Iraq or not you cannot read this and not see that something amazing and wonderful has happened. The people of Iraq now have a voice and they are using it. Thank you Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and the families who stayed strong here at home for them. You made a difference in the world. You created REAL HOPE and REAL CHANGE.

______

I took off all identifying info to protect this Brave American Marine and Hero who sent this! I am also forwarding to Fox News in hopes they will report the story. I truly believe the work and sacrifice these brave American Heroes are doing in Iraq will ensure Iraq as our ally, unless Obama pulls them out and screws it all up! With all my heart, to my Son, who served 4 tours, and all his comrades, Thank You and President Bush for your perseverance. Little Iraqi children sleep safer in their beds because of your selfless sacrifice. I have no doubt you have secured a safer future for my grandchildren and yours. This news should be ringing all over the world! You Are Heroes, Every Single One of You! I hope this email gets passed all over the world! General George Washington left us with this warning and Americans should take heed:

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
www.thebandofmothers.com

I don’t suppose this will get much coverage in the States as the news is so good. No, the news is unbelievable.

Something didn’t happen in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, today. Once the most violent and most dangerous places on earth, no suicide vest bomber detonated killing dozens of voters. No suicide truck bomber drove into a polling place collapsing the building and killing and injuring over 100. No Marine was in a firefight engaging an Al Qaida terrorist trying to disrupt democracy.

What did happen was Anbar Sunnis came out in their tens of thousands to vote in the first free election of their lives.

With the expectation of all of the above (suicide bombers) they walked miles (we shut down all vehicle traffic with the exception of some shuttle busses for the elderly and infirm) to the polling places. I slept under the stars with some Grunts at Combat Outpost Iba on the far side of Karma, and started driving the 200 miles up the Euphrates River Valley through Karma, Fallujah, Habbiniyah, Ramadi, Hit, Baghdad and back here to Al Asad. I stopped here and there to speak with cops, soldiers, Marines, and most importantly, regular Iraqi men and women along the way. It was the same everywhere. A tension with every finger on a trigger that broke at perhaps 3PM when we all began to think what was almost unthinkable a year ago. We might just pull this off without a bombing. No way. By 4PM it seemed like we’d make it to 5PM when the polls closed. At 4:30 the unbelievable happened: the election was extended an hour to 6PM because of the large crowds! What are they kidding? Tempting fate like that is not nice. Six PM and the polls close without a single act of violence or a single accusation of fraud, and nearly by early reports pretty close to 100% voted. Priceless.

Every Anbari walking towards the polling place had these determined and, frankly, concerned looks on their faces. No children with them (here mothers and grandmothers are NEVER without their children or grandchildren) because of the expectation of death. Husbands voted separately from wives, and mothers separately from fathers for the same reason. In and out quickly to be less of a target for the expected suicide murderer. When they came out after voting they also wore the same expression on their faces, but now one of smiling amazement as they held up and stared at ink stained index fingers.

Norman Rockwell could not have captured this wonderment. Even the ladies voted in large numbers and their husbands didn’t insist on going into the booths to tell them who to vote for.

One of the things I’ve always said was that we came here to “give” them democracy. Even in the dark days my only consolation was that it was about freedom and democracy. After what I saw today, and having forgotten our own history and revolution, this was arrogance. People are not given freedom and democracy – they take it for themselves. The Anbaris deserve this credit.

Today I step down as the dictator, albeit benevolent, of Anbar Province . Today the Anbaris took it from me. I am ecstatic. It was a privilege to be part of it, to have somehow in a small way to have helped make it happen.

Semper Fi.
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

The Balancing Act that is the Stimulus Bill and Financial Bailout

As the stimulus and bailout legislation continues to grow and grow some people are beginning to understand that someone is going to have to pay for all of this free Federal Government money. And those that are starting to understand this are not those people that we have sent to Washington D.C. to supposedly represent us, and by us I mean “We the People”.

The stimulus bill has passed in the House of Representatives, regardless of the bi-partisan objection. Yes, I said bi-partisan objection. All of the Republicans and 11 Democrats voted against this bill. Aren’t we told that we should be working to be more bi-partisan? I guess if it goes against the new Presidential Administrations agenda bi-partisanship is not the goal.

The bill that has passed the House of Representatives was for a whopping total of $819 Billion. This is money that goes on top of the $700 Billion Bailouts that were pushed by our previous President George W. Bush. This comes to about a Trillion and a half or $1,500,000,000,000, now that’s a lot of zeros!! This is a 15 figure number. 15 figures!!! And Congress tells us that CEO’s who make high 6 figure salaries are evil, but movie stars that make seven or eight figures per movie are angelic when they preach to us about the way we live our wasteful sinful lives.

Now I mentioned that the stimulus continues to grow, didn’t I? Well the Senate is working on their own stimulus package. The Senate was put in place by our Founding Fathers to slow things down and keep our Legislative Branch from acting hastily. But, the proposed bill going to the floor of the Senate is over $900 Billion.
Oh yeah, this doesn’t include any of the interest payments on the borrowed money that our Congress is giving away!!

Plus we continue to increase spending coming out of Washington D.C. When President Obama signed the SCHIP bill, which includes American Taxpayers paying the bill for the medical insurance of people who are not even in the United States of America legally, he dramatically increased our nations’ liabilities.

So where will all of this money come from to pay for all of this spending?

Well the Congressional Budget Office has some very interesting ideas. President Obama and the Democrat majority in Congress have one to go right along with it.

Let’s talk about the Congressional Budget Offices idea first, well it was only one of many suggestions that were put into a 236 page report; but it is the one that really caught my eye.

The CBO’s suggestion is to make our retired Veterans pay up to 50% of their medical benefits. Benefits that were promised to them in 2002 when Tricare for Life was put in place, it is designed to be a Medicare supplement that pays most of the costs that Medicare does not cover. For those of you who do not know what Tricare is, it is the Medical Insurance plan that is used for both Active duty dependants and our retired heroes. So unlike GM retirees whose medical benefits cannot be changed because promises were made, President Obama can with the stroke of a pen change the deal that was made with our military members. A deal that was made with the men and women who put on a uniform year in and year out. A deal that was made with those that have put their lives on hold as they went into harms way repeatedly to do their governments bidding, I only say that because not all Americans agree with all of the missions that our military has been tasked with.

While the treatment of our Veterans is bad the CBO’s suggestion gets worse still. They go after our Active Duty personnel as well!! I have read reports that say that our Active Duty troops may soon be liable to pay up to 10% of their medical costs. Now the report does not go into all of the specifics, but dependant care is slated to cost more money for our military families. I know that not all of you who read this have ever put on a uniform of one of our nations Armed Forces so let me give you some insight as a Former Marine. Back in the 90’s when I was in I was paid approximately $1100 twice a month which included all the extra pay for being married and living off base, there was a year and a half wait to get into base housing at the time. I was a Lance Corporal, E3. As you progressed up the rank structure the pay did not increase all that much, but my family made due with what we had. It is not an extravagant life, but I did not enlist in the United States Marine Corps to make a million dollars. If you would have added the burden of paying 10% of the cost to bring my first son into the world there is no way I could have handled that cost. There is no reason that any brave young American should be saddled with any additional medical costs for themselves or their families. I would be very interested to see if the members of Congress are responsible for 10 to 50 percent of their medical costs. Something tells me that they are held to a different standard of financial responsibility; but then again they are the ones making the rules that we have to follow they live by a separate set of guidelines. Go figure.

Now compare that to the money that “We the People” entrust them with, or better yet that they forcibly take from us.

The Conference of Mayors came up with as far as “shovel ready” projects for their respective cities/towns/villages etc. They put together a list of 18,750 projects many of them are legitimate infrastructure work that needs to be done, you know streets and bridges, but there is quite a bit of pork that every town wants to have paid for by the tax dollars out of Washington D.C. All told the price tag for all of these jobs is only $149 Billion; I guess comparably speaking it doesn’t sound like much when Congress is throwing around a trillion or so. I suppose if I lived in Las Vegas I would love to have some Alabama money to the tune of $2 Million for neon signs. And I would probably feel really proud if I lived in Boynton Beach, Florida about the “eco park” with a butterfly garden and gopher turtles that only costs the American taxpayer $4.5 Million; especially when you take into account that that very $4.5 million created about 50 jobs, I think I could create 50 jobs with about a quarter of that. One of my favorite projects comes out of President George W. Bush country, Austin, Texas. Austin want $886,000 to build a 36 hole Frisbee golf course. That is money really well spent when you take into account the 4 whole jobs that it will create!! As you can see our money is being well spent. Oh and if you ever get pulled over by a Harley Davidson police motorcycle in Shreveport, LA don’t forget to tell the cop and his partner that they are welcome for the $150,000 for the eight bikes.

Just to stay on the topic of more localized governments don’t forget to think about the great State of California who cannot even give their own residents the change that they are owed in the form of tax refunds because they have over spent the tax monies that they have collected from their more than generous residents. How come I can’t get a gig like that?

Then there are the states that are in a really big rush to change their state traffic laws to get more federal dollars. I’ve seen reports that there are more than 12 states that are in a big jury to change their seat belt laws. Illinois is not one of those states thank God; our seatbelt laws became a primary stop violation a few years ago (even though we were assured by our elected representatives that it would NEVER become a primary stop violation), so Illinois will get the $26.8 Million in taxpayer money. If a state does not have a law at least signed by June 30th and have tickets issued by September 30th they will not qualify for the federal bling bling!! Hurry boys we wouldn’t want to loose twenty some million just so American Citizens can continue to make choices for themselves.

Back to those pesky politicians that like to play by different rules. We’ve all heard those guys in Congress belittling those CEO’s that are full of themselves for negotiating great severance deals called “Golden Parachutes”. Or Congress complaining about the big dollars being spent to keep the stock holders, clients, or customers content by taking them on trips to very lush extravagant resorts. Well what about chartering an Amtrak train for $70,000 to take the House Democrat(ic) Caucus to Kingsmill Resort and Spa paid for by taxpayer funds. In fact the House Democrat(ic) Caucus spends roughly $100,000 a year for at least the last five years on their annual “retreat”. In a time when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is telling us that if we don’t rush this spending bill through fast enough 500,000,000 American jobs will be lost. Wait I thought there were only about 300 million Americans, we better move a whole lot faster before roughly 200 million immigrants lose their jobs before they get here!!!

Oh yeah, I told you that President Obama had an idea as well; didn’t I? Well President Obama signed SCHIP into law this morning which is going to increase spending out of Washington D.C. He has a way to pay for it too. Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the 62¢ per pack tax on cigarettes. So all the poor children will have their health insurance paid for by all those evil wicked smokers. Wait don’t they tell us that the majority of smokers are poor and uneducated? And they say the same thing about our military too.

Senator Joe Lieberman once again is siding with America instead of his former political party!! God Bless you Joe!! This is an oped piece from the Wall Street Journal by Senator Lieberman

The war on terror will end once we’ve empowered the Muslim majority to stand up against extremists.
By JOSEPH LIEBERMAN

Although President Barack Obama and all of us in Congress are understandably focused on the economic crisis, we also face multiple crises in the rest of the world — beginning with the war in Afghanistan. Security there has been deteriorating as the insurgents have grown in strength, size and sophistication, expanding their influence over an increasing swath of territory.

Reversing the downward spiral will not be easy. But as Gen. David Petraeus once said of another war, “Hard is not hopeless.” And we possess considerable strengths in this fight.

The biggest strength is the American military, which through the crucible of Iraq has transformed itself into the most effective counterinsurgency force in history. Although Iraq and Afghanistan are very different, many of the guiding principles of counterinsurgency do apply to both theaters — most importantly, the need to provide security for the population. Moreover, our troops will be redeploying from Iraq to Afghanistan with the momentum, experience and morale that comes with success. We also have an ally in the Afghan people — a proud people with a proud history. Although their frustration with our coalition is growing, Afghans are not eager to return to the tyranny and poverty of the Taliban. That is why the insurgents have not won their support and must resort to self-defeating tactics of cruelty and coercion.

The other critical strength, and reason for hope, is the broad support for success in Afghanistan in the new administration and Congress. Mr. Obama has made clear this is a war he intends to win. He has pledged to deploy more troops and appointed one of our most talented diplomats, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The combination of Mr. Holbrooke and Gen. Petraeus led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is not a team to bet against.

That, then, is the good news. The bad news is that, even if we do everything right, conditions are likely to get worse before they get better, and the path ahead will still be long, costly and hard. The president’s pledge to send more troops to Afghanistan is absolutely necessary and right — but turning the tide will take more than additional troops. In fact, we must match the coming surge in troop strength with at least five other “surges” equally important to success.

- First and most importantly, we need a surge in the strategic coherence of the war effort. As we learned in Iraq, success in counterinsurgency requires integrating military and civilian operations into a seamless and unified strategy. In Afghanistan, we do not have in place a nationwide, civil-military campaign plan to defeat the insurgency.

This is an unacceptable failure. It is also the predictable product of a balkanized military command structure, in which different countries are left to pursue different strategies in different places. The international civilian effort in Afghanistan is even more disorganized, as well as unsynchronized with the military.

Unquestionably, it is a good thing so many countries are contributing to the fight in Afghanistan, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to our allies for their sacrifices. But we also owe them success, and that demands an integrated campaign plan and stronger American leadership.

- Second, we need a surge in civilian capacity. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul needs to be transformed and expanded, with the necessary resources and the explicit direction to work side by side with the military at every level. In particular, the civilian presence must be ramped up outside our embassy — at the provincial, district and village levels, embedding nonmilitary experts with new military units as they move in.

- Third, we need to help surge the Afghan war effort. This means expanding the Afghan army to 200,000 or more, and ensuring they are properly equipped, paid and mentored.

The U.S. needs to take tough action to combat the pervasive corruption that is destroying the Afghan government and fueling the insurgency. This requires a systemic response, not just threatening specific leaders on an ad hoc basis. Specifically, we must invest comprehensively in Afghan institutions, both from top-down and bottom-up.

In doing so, the U.S. should embrace a policy of “more for more” — specifically, by offering the Afghan government a large-scale, 10-year package of governance and development aid in exchange for specific benchmarks on performance and progress.

- Fourth, we need a surge in our regional strategy. As many have observed, almost all of Afghanistan’s neighbors are active in some way inside that country. Some of this activity is positive — for instance, aid and investment — but much of it is malign, providing support to insurgent groups. We must help “harden” Afghanistan by strengthening its institutions at both the national and local levels, empowering Afghans to stop their neighbors from using their country as a geopolitical chessboard.

The U.S. can help by beginning to explore the possibility of a bilateral defense pact with Kabul, which would include explicit security guarantees.

Some neighbors are hedging their bets today because they fear what happens “the day after” America grows tired and disengages from the region, as we did once before, after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Nothing will discourage this destabilizing behavior better than a long-term American commitment to Afghanistan.

- Fifth, success in Afghanistan requires a sustained surge of American political commitment to the mission. Fortunately, and unlike Iraq, the Afghan war still commands bipartisan support in Congress and among the American people. But as more troops are deployed to Afghanistan and casualties rise, this consensus will be tested.

Indeed, there are already whispers on both the left and the right that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, that we should abandon any hope of nation-building there, additional forces sent there will only get bogged down in a quagmire.

Why are these whisperings wrong? Why is this war necessary?

The most direct answer is that Afghanistan is where the attacks of 9/11 were plotted, where al Qaeda made its sanctuary under the Taliban, and where they will do so again if given the chance. We have a vital national interest in preventing that from happening.

It is also important to recognize that, although we face many problems in Afghanistan today, none are because we have made it possible for five million Afghan children — girls and boys — to go to school; or because child mortality has dropped 25% since we overthrew the Taliban in 2001; or because Afghan men and women have been able to vote in their first free and fair elections in history.

On the contrary, the reason we have not lost in Afghanistan — despite our missteps — is because America still inspires hope of a better life for millions of ordinary Afghans and has worked mightily to deliver it. And the reason we can defeat the extremists is because they do not.

This, ultimately, is how the war on terror will end: not when we capture or kill Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar — though we must do that too — but when we have empowered and expanded the mainstream Muslim majority to stand up and defeat the extremist minority.

That is the opportunity we have in Afghanistan today: to make that country into a quagmire, not for America but for al Qaeda, the Taliban and their fellow Islamist extremists, and into a graveyard in which their dreams of an Islamist empire are finally buried.

Mr. Lieberman is an Independent Democratic senator from Connecticut. This op-ed is adapted from a speech he delivered last week at the Brookings Institution.

Here is the Eight of the State for this week, February 7th, 2009:

1. Bank of America – “We got bailout money! Let’s party!!”
2. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri – “Terrorist? I’m no terrorist. Oh, I was just a guy exercising my personal freedoms of religion!
3. The Auto Industry – Hey, where did this other loan come from? I thought the dealer paid that!
4. Val Kilmer – This guy is lost in some sauce, Jack or Crown Royal. I have figured out which yet.
5. Seat Belt enforcement laws – I thought that this was a free country?
6. Richard Daley – What did you expect! It’s Chicago!!
7. Leon Panetta – He didn’t lobby, he told them how to lobby!
8. Ithaca, NY – This town has completely lost it’s marbles. Maybe Peter Pan can tell them where they are?!

The Blue Falcon of the Week

The Blue Falcon of the Week for this week, February 7th, 2009 is:

President Barack Obama and the three RINOs in the Senate, congratulations!!

What really gets my goat on this is that if former President Bush were saying the same things, he would be called a “fear monger” by the left and the mainstream media.  Why are those same people not saying anything about that now?

Here we are, watching the Senate debate about a bill that will fund $75 Million to help you stop smoking when they just past a bill that funds healthcare for “poor, uneducated, low income families” through a tax on cigarettes!  WTF?!  And Obama says that we need this bill very badly?

How the hell is this going to free up the ‘frozen’ credit markets and help me and my family obtain and/or keep our house?  How is $600 Million for replacing all of the government’s fleet of vehicles to hybrid cars helping me?  How is $400 Million to condoms helping me?  How is $400 Million to global warming information systems helping me?  (Wouldn’t it be ironic if we spent all of that money to update and/or retrofit all of our weather gathering data systems to discover for actual fact that Al Gore is completely wrong on global warming?!  And he lobbied for it like an Asshat!!)

President Obama, while I respect the job that he has to do and the weight on his shoulders, is fear mongering (yes, I said it) and playing on his perception that we, the American people, are ignorant of what they are doing.  Time to wake up, America!  Call the President and voice your opinion of the stimulus bill!  It is your right as an American Citizen!  (202) 456-1111
(news.yahoo.com)

And the three RINO Senators who have pledged support for the “Porkulus Bill” last night.  Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) sold out their conservative base by endorsing a piece of legislation that does very little to help people like me, the little guy.

You above all, are the most deserving of the coveted Blue Falcon of the Week award.  Semper Fi!

Susan Collins   (202) 224-2523
Olympia Snowe   (202) 224-5344
Arlen Specter   (202) 224-4254

(wsj.com)

As Marines, our hearts ache enormously for the loss of our brothers and sisters in combat.  We look forward to one day shaking their hands and standing beside them as we patrol the golden streets of Heavan with them and say, “Semper Fi, Marines!”

May God hold them and comfort them.  There are many great Marines up there to show them the ropes.

2008 DEATHS FOR REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM 1

April 14 – Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, 29, Waukesha, Wis.

April 14 – Cpl. Richard J. Nelson, 23, Racine, Wis.

April 22 – Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, Sag Harbor, N.Y.

April 22 – Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21, Burkeville, Va.

June 11 – Lance Cpl. Kelly Watters, 19, Virginia Beach, Va.

June 26 – Cpl. Marcus Preudhomme, 23, North Miami Beach, Fla.

June 26 – Capt. Philip Dykeman, 38, Brockport, N.Y.

June 26 – Lt. Col. Max Galeai, 42, Pago Pago, American Samoa

July 15 – Staff Sgt. Danny Dupre, 38, Lockport, La.

Aug. 14 – Pfc. Daniel McGuire, 19, Mashpee, Mass.

Nov. 14 – Cpl. Aaron Allen, 24, Buellton

Dec. 21 – Lance Cpl. Thomas Reilly Jr., 19, London, Ky.

“Two of the Marines, Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21, and Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, earned the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest award for valor. On guard together at the front gate of a base in Ramadi, the two men stood their ground and opened fire as a truck loaded with 2,000 pounds of explosives weaved around concrete barricades toward them.”

Today’s show, February 7th, 2009, is dedicated to these Marines.  Pro Deo et pro patria!

(signonsandiego.com)