Damascus Road

2007-02-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

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Changes Coming

2004-12-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Like rats leaving a sinking ship....The time has come to make the jump. Look for a new web design, domain name, and web host in the days to come. Stay tuned for more fun stuff.

The Kingdom of Heaven

2004-12-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Matthew 19

13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

It’s been many, many years since that fateful day so long ago. However, I remember it as if it were just yesterday.

He came into our town that hot, dusty, late summer afternoon. As I remember, it was just before the women of our village gathered at the community well to draw water for the evening. He was surrounded by a group of very course looking men. They were all sweaty and grimy from a long day on the road. It was obvious, even to me as a young child, that they had been traveling for a long time and were weary from their journey. Usually, when travelers passed thru our village, I would avoid them. There were all kinds of desperate men that traveled the road between our town and the next. You could never be too careful. Why, I heard once of a young boy that took up with a group of these fellows and was carried off into slavery. However, there was something different about this group of men. They carried themselves with a quiet assurance that seemed to be born of confidence in the young man that was very obviously their leader. He had dark, soft eyes that sparkled in the late afternoon sun. His smile was one that I’ll never forget; and his voice was the most amazing thing I had ever heard in my short life.

Out of the corner of one eye, I saw my mother motioning me to come to her. She, as well as the other women of the village, were gathering their children together as a group. They were going to take us to the stranger in order that he might lay hands on us and pray for us. His friends had other ideas though. They told my mother and the others that they were all much too tired from their journey to deal with us. They told us to run along and not bother their leader. From a distance, I saw the slightest frown cross the brow of their young leader. He then spoke quietly, but with great authority. With an intensity in His voice that I had never heard before or since, he instructed his friends to allow us to approach. As we gathered around him, he laughed and smiled; very obviously enjoying himself. It was plain to see that he enjoyed the presence of children. The effects of the long journey seemed to lift at once. After a short time of joking and playing with us, he became very quiet and bade us come near. As I approached, I saw the look of peace in his eyes and on his face. I knew that a special time had arrived. I felt his hand upon my head--as light as a feather. In a soft, gentle voice he began to pray. Even as a small child, I understood the import of his words. I couldn’t believe it. He was praying for me. He was praying that I might be part the kingdom of heaven. I felt at peace, at peace like one feels in the presence of quiet, deep waters. I knew from that very moment that my life would never be the same.

That was long, long time ago. As events would have it, I was even present when he was crucified on a terrible Roman cross. As I grew older, I began to follow the stranger’s teachings. I came to know him as the Son of God. He impacted my life in a way I will never forget. To the day I die, I will never forget the day Yeshua visited my village.

You too, can come to know the stranger that entered that small village. His name is Jesus Christ. All He asks is for us to take the gift the he so freely offers. Why not accept his gift today?

Lord, how I thank you that you are Immanuel, God with us. I thank you, that you willingly came to earth in order to walk the hot, dusty roads of our lives with us. Thank you for the promise that one day we too, will be part of the kingdom of heaven. Lord, I love you and desperately want to be a part of your kingdom. I do gladly accept your gift of love and ask that you would enter my heart today...Amen

Christmas Thoughts

2004-12-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

As they peered with searching eyes into the manger, what did the shepherds see? I mean, what did they really see? As they looked into the crude manger, did they see in the Christ child’s intent gaze, the love and compassion that must surely have been there? Did they see the calloused feet that would walk the dusty roads of Galilee? Did they notice the strong hands that, as a carpenter, would ever so lovingly work with the wood in Joseph’s shop and that would eventually, with tender loving care, heal the sick and bring sight to the blind? Could they discern that searching, compelling look, that seeks out the hearts of all men? Were they privy to the look of pain and agony that He would one day have as He was beaten, spat upon, scorned, and then crucified? Could they detect the confident look that foretold His resurrection and eventual return to a fallen world.

From the perspective of two thousand years, we gaze into that same manger. What do we see? What do we really see? Do we see just the son of a humble carpenter? Do we , with a self-righteous cluck of our tongues, say, “ Surely, because of His lowly estate, He will live in squalor and poverty all His life and amount to nothing?” Do we see a rebel and rabble rouser destined for nothing but a horrible death? Do we see just a self-proclaimed king? Do we intone, “He must be destined for naught. Do we ask, just like His disciple Nathanael , “ What good can come out of Nazareth?” Do we say , as His detractors did, “Surely a troublemaker such as this will come to no account.” Are we perhaps a bit more optimistic and see a respected prophet? Do we intone with a condescending smirk, “Hmmm... maybe he’ll amount to something after all?” Or do we, as He intended, see the nail-scarred hands, that down thru the centuries, have reached out to a fallen world? More importantly, are we willing to grasp those hands and to take up His cross and follow Him? Do we see the love in His eyes? A love, that was so great that He willingly allowed himself to be nailed to a Roman cross and pay the price that we, so justly, deserved to pay. And finally, do we see the Creator of the universe, a risen Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and soon coming King?

Oil For Food

2004-12-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out GotDesign's take on the UN oil for food scandal. He's spot on.

Redemption

2004-12-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

As usual, Oswald Chambers gets right to the heart of the issue of sin in our lives.

Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all
—James 2:10

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The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died" ( Romans 7:9 ). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless—". . . sold under sin" ( Romans 7:14 ). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God—it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!

We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

Father, thank you for the moral law that you have set in place in our lives. Thank you, that thru our inability to live up to your standards, we are drawn to Christ as our Reedeemer.

Weariness

2004-11-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

It would be real difficult to add much of anything to these words of Henry Blackaby. He pretty much says it all.

WEARINESS
11/30/2004

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
-- MATTHEW 11:28-29

If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying a relationship. Jesus said that a relationship with Him would bring rest to your soul. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life. Hard work or lack of sleep can make you tired. This fatigue can usually be remedied by a good rest. But there is a deeper fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness. There is an emotional exhaustion that comes from experiencing heavy burdens and draining crises. There is a tiredness deep within your soul that comes from carrying the weight of the needs of others. You can go on a vacation, but your soul will not be restored. This condition can only be rectified by finding rest in Christ. Some zealous Christians want to do all they can to serve Christ, and they exhaust themselves in the process. It was to these that Jesus extended His invitation to go to Him and learn from Him. Jesus spent most of His earthly ministry surrounded by needy multitudes. He faced relentless opposition, He often prayed throughout the night, and He rarely had any privacy, yet He always received the rest and strength that came from His Father. It was not that Jesus did not work hard but that He knew the path to spiritual rest. Are you weary? Go to Jesus and let Him give you His rest. His rest will restore your soul as nothing else can.

Father, thank you that you allow us to drink from the well of Living Water that will never run dry. Thank you that you are able to restore us with your healing, refreshing waters. Thank you that we can find rest, in you, for our weary souls.

Peace Amidst The Storm

2004-11-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

This hymn was written after two major traumas in Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain
It is well, with my soul
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

What a comfort to know that, as believers, we have that incredible peace that our Lord speaks of available to us.

House Keys

2004-11-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Barrels of ink have been used trying to explain why Democrats lost the 2004 elections. Residents of the red states are pretty particular about who they give their house keys to. As long as the ACLU is engaged in activities like this, the left will continue to have a difficult time taking possession of the keys to the White House or regaining control of Congress. What follows, is the money quote:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois sued the Pentagon and other government agencies in 1999, saying their funding of the Boy Scouts was unconstitutional because the organization excluded people who did not swear an oath to God.

"It is critical that the Pentagon send this very clear signal to its units across the globe to insure that government officials are not engaged in religious discrimination in their official capacity," said Charles Peters, a lawyer with the firm Schiff Hardin, who assisted the ACLU of Illinois.

Intercession

2004-11-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:26-27

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Have you ever gotten to the point where you felt as if you had walked your last mile? You weren't able to go another step; either physically, emotionally, or spititually? Have you ever been at a place in life where things were so mixed up and confused that you didn't even know how to pray; let alone what to pray for? I have. However, Paul assures us that even though we may have reached the end of our rope, the Holy Spirit is there to rescue us. The Holy Spirit discerns our every thought and need. The relationship between the Father and the Holy Spirit is so close that the prayers of the Holy Spirit need not even be audible. What a comfort to know that even in our utmost extremity, the Lord, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is there to comfort, guide, and intercede for us.

Lord, how I thank you for your loving care. Thank you that I need not rely on my own strength. How I praise you that in my weakness, your strength is made evident.

Agenda

2004-11-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly afraid that the leaders of the evangelical community, in their rush to have their agenda inacted by President Bush, just don't get it.

"The president could have paused to thank all those good people who poured in and gave him power again," James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, told U.S. News & World Report. "The GOP has been given four years to deliver on marriage and life and family, and if they fumble it … (we'll) stay home next time."

The Rev. Jerry Falwell announced plans to form a new organization called The Faith and Values Coalition. Modeled after Moral Majority, the now-defunct group he founded in 1979, one of its missions will be to lobby the Bush administration to take ever-firmer stances against abortion, gay marriage, limits on prayer in schools and other hot-button Christian issues.

As an evangelical Christian, I want judges in our courts that are strict constructionists; not judicial activists. I am solidly pro-life and am opposed to gay marriage and civil unions (a discussion for another time) of any kind, homosexual or heterosexual. And, I want Christians to have a place at the table when public policy is the issue. Contrary to what many on the left would have people believe, we are not ignorant bumpkins that just fell off the turnip truck last night. We are American citizens; and , as such, are entitled to voice our opinion on all matters of public policy.

That having been said, if the Christian community attempts to have it's morals and values enforced by legislative fiat, we run not only the risk of alienating the remainder of the citizenry; but, more importantly, we are at risk of being in direct oppostion to many of the teachings of Jesus Christ. God's word, in several different places, gives us very clear instructions as to the role that we, as God's people, are to play in society. II Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 5:13-16, II Corinthians 10:3-5, and Philippians 1:27 are all very clear in their instructions to the Christian.

In conclusion...Yes, we as Christians need to play a very definite role in the application of a Christian world view, as it pertains to a cultural agenda, for our country. However, if we are to have any success at all in influencing society over the long haul, we must, at all costs, adhere to the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christianity and Public Policy

2004-11-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Please read Phil's posts here and here regarding the place of Christians at the table of public policy. It's a must read for all Evangelicals that are concerned about Christianity in the arena of public policy.

Money quote:

The bottom line is, as I see it, is that while political power is important, it is not foundational to our success as Christian citizens. Christianity has survived despots, persecution, policy disadvantages, and debased cultures before.

I have no doubt that we need to advance on ALL fronts in this culture war. But we must understand that in the political arena that all we’ve gained is a seat at the table of public policy, not the throne. We won’t be successful in our society until we see that and act accordingly.

We must remember that as Christians, we are called to salt and light in a world that desperately needs Christ's seasoning.

Praise

2004-11-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith . A psalm of David.

1 O LORD , our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD , our Lord,
how majestic is your name

We are told in God's word that if we fail to praise Him, even the stones will cry out in their praise for him. Upon consideration of this magnificent psalm, how can we do anything other than lift our hands in praise to our Lord; the Creator of all?

Lord God, we praise you for who you are; and all that you are. Father, we acknowledge that you are the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End. We rejoice in the fact that you came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name.

Our Rock, A Strong Tower

2004-11-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Psalm 46:1-3

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According toalamoth. A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

Where do we turn when trouble surrounds us? To whom do we cry out to in our despair? When all else has failed, where do we look for succor? The words of the psalmist leave no doubt as to who is our refuge and strength. God, and God alone, remains faithful in times of desperation.

Martin Luther, in this great hymn of the faith, reminds us of the strength that is written about in Psalms.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Thank you Lord that you are a mighty rock; a fortress where shelter is to be found in times of trial and distress. Thank you Father that we don't have to rely on our own strength; but that, in our weakness, we can cry out to you for protection.

The Gift

2004-11-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ummm...pardon me; but I can't resist the temptation. There have been thousands of words written regarding the reasons for the defeat of John Kerry and his compatriots. I, and I alone, have come up with the answer. It can be summed up in two words. Maureen Dowd. She alone, stands as the prime example of what is wrong with the Democrat party.

The president got re-elected by dividing the country along fault lines of fear, intolerance, ignorance and religious rule. He doesn't want to heal rifts; he wants to bring any riffraff who disagree to heel.

It's amazing how she so easily falls into the role of accusing Bush of the very thing that Dems, themselves, are guilty of. The Dems have made a career of spreading the virus of fear among its' would be constituents. They blathered endlessly about senior citizens losing Social Security; they expended gallons of ink and untold thousands of words trying to convince young people that, if elected, Bush would re-introduce the draft; and, spent weeks trying to convince minorities that the Republicans were trying to disenfranchise them. Dowd speaks of intolerance. How many comments, by the left, have you read and heard regarding the Evangelical Christian community. Remember what they said? Need I remind you?

Mr. Bush, whose administration drummed up fake evidence to trick us into war with Iraq, sticking our troops in an immoral position with no exit strategy, won on "moral issues."

Ummm...Poppycock!

"He'll be a lot more aggressive in Iraq now," one Bush insider predicts. "He'll raze Falluja if he has to. He feels that the election results endorsed his version of the war."

I say, "Go for it"! Great idea.

Seeing the exit polls, the Democrats immediately started talking about values and religion. Their sudden passion for wooing Southern white Christian soldiers may put a crimp in Hillary's 2008 campaign (nothing but a wooden stake would stop it). Meanwhile, the blue puddle is comforting itself with the expectation that this loony bunch will fatally overreach, just as Newt Gingrich did in the 90's.

Maureen Dowd...the gift that keeps on giving. As long as Dowd and her ilk are around to spread their venom, reasoned people will continue to vote for those that support conservative issues.

Amazing Grace

2004-11-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Psalm 66:16-20
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

Surely this scripture must have been on the mind of John Newton as he penned the words to this great hymn of the faith:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun

Father, how I thank you that in my misery and sin, you reached out to me and extended your offer of unmerited favor. Thank you Lord for loving me and saving me.

Operation Torch/Operation Phantom Fury

2004-11-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sixty-two years ago today, the Allies launched Operation Torch, their campaign against Germany in North Africa. How fitting is it that once again, the armed forces of the United States have once again launched an attack against the enemies of freedom?

Lost Election

2004-11-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I drift into the world of politics again. This self-absorbed, breast-beating analysis, better than anything else I have read to date, explains why liberals were left waiting at the alter for a wedding that never took place.

Money quote:

The system of checks and balances has broken down, but the country remains divided—right down the nonexistent, powerless middle.

— Hendrik Hertzberg

What drivle!

God's Love

2004-11-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How wonderful to know that we can never get beyond God's reach. No event in life is destructive enough to tear us from the loving hands of our Lord. Even in death, those of us that love the Lord, can never be separated from God's love.

The psalmist said, " As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore."

Lord, thank you for your never-ending love. Thank you, that even during the worst storms of life, your love, like an anchor, holds us secure.

Omniscience

2004-11-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Psalm 139:1-6

For the director of music. A Psalm Of David.

1 O LORD , you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD .

5 You hem me in-behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain

.
How incredible is it that we serve an omniscient God? How comforting to know that because of His omniscience, we can rest in the assurance that the Lord is in control and that His plans for those that love Him have been laid since the foundation of the earth.

Thank you Lord for your all encompassing wisdom and knowledge . Thank you that you have charted our paths for us; but, yet, have given us the freedom to make our own choices in life.

Important Things

2004-11-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Philippians 3:8,10
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Readers of this site have noted that there has been a distinct change in the emphasis of this column. Several weeks ago, I was very clearly impressed with the fact that in my enthusiasm for things political, I had strayed from the original intent of this column; which was to lift up Jesus Christ thru the written word and to make the occasional comment on the events of life, mixed in with some political commentary. In my enthusiasm for politics, I veered drastically from the path that I believe the Lord had set before me. Paul's words in Philippians are just another reminder to me that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important than having a meaningful relationship with our Lord.

Lord, I do want, more than anything to know you. Help me Lord to allow nothing to become more important in my life than my pursuit of You.

Concession

2004-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS
At 9:09 Rocky Mountain Time, ABC news is repoting that Senator Kerry will concede in two hours. Developing......

Our Future

2004-11-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 7-14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We have just come thru, with the exception of the Civil War, the most divisive period in our nation's history. For many, it was a referendum on the job performance of a sitting president and the furtherance of a progressive agenda. The globalists among us, insisted upon approval by the rest of the world of our actions abroad.

For others, it was a period in which, with great moral clarity, the notion of higher taxes and government intrusion into private lives needed to be rejected. Our safety and sovereignty as an independent nation was vitally important; and more than anything else, needed to be protected.

The result of these ideological clashes has split our nation along divisive, partisan lines. In some cases, just as during the Civil War, brother has turned against brother and father against son. Now, perhaps more than at any other period in the history of our great nation, it is time to heed the command of our Lord as written in II Chronicles. If healing is to take place, we must, regardless of the cost, individually and corporately, turn to Him, confess our sins and shortcomings, seek His forgiveness and look for guidance and direction as we seek to right the ship of state.

Finally

2004-11-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Before Election Day, this final note from the Federalist Patriot:

A vote for John Kerry is a vote AGAINST the U.S. military personnel who liberated Iraq -- those Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines -- who are now on the frontline defending our critical national interests in the region against Jihadi terrorists. It is also a vote against those who have already provided the last measure on that front in service to our great nation.

Indeed, there is a direct correlation between Kerry's efforts to politicize dissent against U.S. resolve in the war against terrorism
-- specifically on the Iraqi warfront -- and American and Allied causalities on that front. Those forces, including countless Iraqis, are being injured and killed in ever-increasing numbers because of the political discord Kerry and his ilk are fomenting.

If you think there is not a connection between Kerry's campaign rhetoric and U.S. casualties, read on....

Kerry has reduced the war to liberate Iraq to nothing more than political fodder, which has emboldened our Jihadi enemies. As noted recently by Professor Mohammad Amin Bashar at Baghdad's Islamic University, "If the U.S. Army suffered numerous humiliating losses, Kerry would emerge as the superman of the American people." To that end, Abu Jalal, an influential Iraqi resistance leader, said last month, "American elections and Iraq are linked tightly together. We've got to work to change the election, and we've done so. With our strikes, we've dragged Bush into the mud."

The net effect of Kerry's dissention can certainly be felt in terms of increased numbers of American and Allied casualties. A few weeks ago, John Edwards unwittingly provided the evidence for this very
correlation: "We lost more troops in September than we lost in August; lost more in August than we lost in July; lost more in July than we lost in June."

This was, and remains, the unavoidable consequence of Kerry's reckless campaign rhetoric. The blood of those American Patriots (like the blood of his "brothers" in Vietnam, after he used that war as fodder for his 1972 congressional campaign), is on John Kerry's hands.

To be sure, this is the harshest of all condemnations. But it is also the truth.

Now, Osama bin Laden, who planned the 9/11 attack killing 3,000 of our countrymen -- men, women and children -- has emerged from his rat hole, and issued a statement which is, unquestionably, timed to support John Kerry.

In that light, the most challenging question that can be asked on this, the eve of the 2004 Presidential Election, is not so much, "For whom will you vote?" but "With whom will you vote?"

Will you vote with Osama bin Laden, Abu Jalal, Saddam Hussein and Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi? How about Kim Jong-Il, Mohammad Khatami, Moammar al-Ghadafi and Hu Jingtao. All of these tyrants support John Kerry.

or...

Will you vote with America's fighting forces, who, according to a
just- published Army Times poll, overwhelmingly support President George W. Bush. In fact, 82 percent of our Armed Forces said they do not want John Kerry as their Commander in Chief.

On Tuesday, SUPPORT OUR TROOPS -- VOTE FOR GEORGE W. BUSH!

Restoration

2004-11-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 51:10-12

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

These words by King David, when confronted by the prophet Nathan, are a plea to a righteous, holy God for the restoration of a right relationship with his heavenly Father. David realizes that because of unconfessed sin in his life, his relationship with God has been severed. At the same time, he realizes that the only way that his relationship with God can be restored is thru the confession of his misdeeds. How truly wonderful it is that we, like David, can approach our Lord with contrition and repentance in our hearts, ask for forgiveness, and be assured that our sins are forgiven; and that our Lord, out of His abundant store of grace and mercy, is willing to restore that lost relationship.

Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for your willingness to restore lost relationships.

Any Lengths

2004-11-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have purposefully stayed away from political blogging for the last several days. However, as a resident of the city of Arvada, I could not let this pass. If true, this is proof that Democrats, including elected officials, will go to any lengths in order to accomplish their grab for power.

A KOA radio report had the good mayor attired in a black hooded sweatshirt. Ummm...maybe it was a Halloween costume.

Responsibility

2004-11-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." --Samuel Adams

Hat Tip: Federalist Patriot

Faultless Before The Throne

2004-10-29T08:30:00.000-06:00

Colossians 1:21-22

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--

How wonderful to know, that in spite of our sin, Christ loved us so much that he was willing to suffer the pain and indignity that we so richly deserve; and, because of his death, burial, and resurrection, we now can stand without accusation or blemish before the throne of the Creator of the universe.

Thank you Lord for your boundless, unending love. Thank you Lord, that your love and redeeming power is available to all that earnestly seek you.

Compatible Belief Systems?

2004-10-28T11:08:00.000-06:00

Thanks to La Shawn for this thought provoking link. Regardless of which side of this issue you come down on, as Christians, it is vitally important that we prayerfully and thoughtfully consider the implications surrounding the issue in this column.

Conduct

2004-10-28T10:23:00.000-06:00

Phil. 1:27

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Umm...This is a tough one for me. How about last night when I got cut off in traffic? How about yesterday when I was negotiating the price of a new car? Or closer to home, how about when I loose patience with a loved one? The Lord, thru Paul, doesn't leave me any wiggle room. He very specifically says, whatever happens. Unlike my purchase of the new car, He doesn't negotiate when He spells out His expectations regarding my behavior. My behavior is to be such that it honors and glorifies my Savior at all times; regardless of the circumstances.

Lord, help me to deny self and to follow your commands. Strengthen and equip me to honor you in all that I say and do.

Choices

2004-10-28T07:45:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Phil for this great piece by Matthew Manweller. It spells out with tremendous clarity the choices regarding the presidential election. It's a must read.

By the way, while you're at Phil's site, spend a few minutes, and avail youself of his "prairie wisdom".

RMA Dinner

2004-10-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

Many thanks to the Aurora Outback Steakhouse for hosting the dinner for the Rocky Mountain Alliance and Hugh Hewitt. Also, many thanks to Rich from the East Aurora Outback Steakhouse for his generoosity as well. Great evening, great food, great fellowship, But most of all, great folks.

Sacrice of Praise

2004-10-27T07:10:00.000-06:00

Habakkuk 3:17-18

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD ,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

We all go thru times such as the prophet Habakkuk has described. Death, job loss, illness, financial reversal. These are all things that we must endure as we follow Him thru life's journey. However, I must ask myself if my walk with Him is close enough that I can echo Habakkuk's sentiments. Do I allow selfishness and self pity during difficult times to interfere with my worship of Him? Am I able to praise Him in the difficult times as well as the good times?

Lord, you are so faithful to me. Help me Lord, to remain as faithful to You, as You are to me. Father, grant that my praise would be acceptable to you.

Self Reliance

2004-10-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

2 Corinthians 1:8-9

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

Have you ever been at a place in life where you felt that there was no hope? When you had expended all of your available energy....had run the string. All of the doors in your life had slammed shut with terrible finality. Have you, like Paul, even feared for life itself? Often, the Lord allows events in our lives to conspire in such a manner that we have no choice, just like Paul, but to rely on Him, and Him alone. God's grace is always sufficient. It is in our weakness that he is most able to display His power and sufficiency.

Lord, help me to stay so close to you that when those terrible storms occur in life, I don't depend upon self-reliance, but, immediately turn to you; my Hope, my Refuge, and Redeemer.

Comfort

2004-10-25T07:01:00.000-06:00

These are wonderful words of comfort to all that would read them. Look however, at verse four and the instruction that we are given. How many times I've missed those marching orders!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

The God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

As a Christian, how often have I sat back and basked in the comfort that trusting in the Lord brings, without sharing that same comfort with those that are near...those friends, neighbors, and acquaintances that are living lives without an awareness of the Lord's goodness and grace?

Lord God, help me to be a willing vessel, used by you; that others might experience your love, grace, and comfort.

Fanny Crosby

2004-10-24T06:37:00.000-06:00

If you have the time, take a moment to read this short piece on Fanny Crosby. Then, if you will, take a moment to read and reflect upon the first verse and refrain from her beloved hymn, Blessed Assurance.

Fanny Crosby was probably the most prolific hymnist in history. Though blinded by an incompetent doctor at six weeks of age, she wrote over 8,000 hymns. About her blindness, she said:
It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.

In her lifetime, Fanny Crosby was one of the best known women in the United States. To this day, the vast majority of American hymnals contain her work.

When she died, her tombstone carried the words, “Aunt Fanny” and “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.”

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

What an incredible testimony! Blind from birth, yet still able to pen such words of comfort and solace.

Trust

2004-10-23T07:03:00.000-06:00

Oswald Chambers brings these words to us today:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
—2 Corinthians 5:17

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Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We even say to ourselves, "God has to deal with other people in a very strict way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right." But we must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life! Instead of being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately removing them from us. It is part of our moral education to see our prejudices put to death by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is nothing remaining of the old life. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and "all things are of God" ( 2 Corinthians 5:18 ). How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that "is kind . . . is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil"? ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God—such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself. Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected? Once we truly see God at work, we will never be concerned again about the things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.

Difficult words, these. "Lord, I know you are sovereign and I truly accept your will; in, and for my life. But, can you please just give me a hint as to what you're up to"?

How about you? Have you been in this place before?

Refiners Fire

2004-10-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

When I posted yesterday morning regarding the Refiner's fire, I had no idea that I and the rest of my family would be subjected to that same fire within mere moments of my posting. My son Jim, as some of you know, was very seriously ill two years ago. After several months on life support and many months of physical rehab he has been able to return to a relatively normal lifestyle. After finishing my post yesterday morning, I went into his bedroom to check on him and found him in a near comatose condition. We immediately called 911. Fortunately, they arrived very quickly; and, with the administration of high flow oxygen were able to partially arose him. He was immediately taken to the hospital and admitted to ICU. As I write this morning, while still very sick, he is much improved.

After all the excitement died down and Jim was safely in the hospital, that still small voice, that I believe is the Holy Spirit, spoke in a soft and gentle way reminding me of my recent post. Naturally, my response was, "But Lord, I've been thru all of this before. I've already felt the white-hot heat of your refining fire. I've been in the crucible already." Then He reminded me that,while I am saved and a child of His forever, if I'm to be a worthy vessel, fit for His use and worthy to offer Him praise, I must be willing to submit myself on a daily basis to His scrutiny and to His cleansing, refining fire.

Worship

2004-10-20T06:57:00.000-06:00

This morning, Henry Blackaby tells us:

The quality of our worship is not based on our activities but on our character. Churches can mistakenly assume that the better the music, the more impressive the building, and the more eloquent the preaching, the more worshipful the experience will be. Genuine worship, however, originates from within our hearts. If our relationship with God is not healthy, all these things are nothing more than religious pageantry.

* How genuine is my worship?
* How healthy is my relationship with the Lord, today?
* Have I made mysely completely vulnerable; so that the Refiner's fire can do it's purifying work within my heart?

Public Usefulness

2004-10-19T07:11:00.000-06:00

Oswald Chambers states:

"The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others"

Some thoughts:

* How much time do I spend on a daily basis, scurrying around attempting to be of public use to others?

* What is my motive for trying to become "publicly useful"?

* Is it more comfortable to do that, than develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ?

* If so, my priorities are terribly misplaced.

Victory

2004-10-18T11:09:00.000-06:00

For those of you that care, my beloved Longhorns bounced back this week end from their ignominius defeat by the hated Sooners.

Longhorns 28
Missouri 20

Faithfulness

2004-10-18T07:21:00.000-06:00

Henry Blackaby gives us this today:

SEEING WITH YOUR EYES
10/18/2004

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.
-- JOB 42:5

In his time, Job was the most righteous person on earth. He was so godly that the Lord took pleasure in pointing him out to Satan (job 1:8). Yet, despite his love for God and his diligent obedience to His commands, even Job had not fully come to know God. The blessings God had given to Job had not revealed everything about God's character. There were characteristics that Job would come to realize only through adversity. So the Lord allowed Satan to test Job through suffering. Although Job lost everything he had, even his seven children, Job discovered that God was still with him. Though he faced the most difficult and bewildering tribulations imaginable, Job came to understand that God was infinitely wiser than he (job 42:1-4). As Job endured the insensitivity of his friends, he learned that God is the only One who is absolutely trustworthy. Job learned much about God through his anguish. Finally, he confessed that at first he had only heard about God, but now, through his suffering, he had come to see God (job 42:5). When you are in the midst of your trials, your Lord will reveal His character to you in ways you never knew. You will experience His strong and comforting presence. Like Job, you will learn that your Lord will remain, even when everyone else abandons you. You will see God more clearly as He takes you through the dark times. Then you will experience God in ways you had previously only heard about from others.

As I go thru times of adversity in my life, am I in tune enough with what God is saying and doing, that I see Him for who He is and what He is trying to teach me?

My prayer today is: Lord, when I struggle thru those dark times in life, never allow me to become blinded to your never-ending love and faithfulness.

Overload

2004-10-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

Okay, here it is. Is it just me, or is there anyone else sick of politics? I mean really sick. Understand now, I really enjoy the back and forth of the political season. It's akin to a great military campaign. It's all about attack and counter-attack. It's about retreat, gathering one's forces, and then launching a new offensive. But, I've had it this year.

Jared, at Exultate Justi said it best:

"Talking past each other. Plugging our fingers in our ears, and doing the old, "La, la, la, la, I can't hear you!".

Meaningful political discourse seems to have taken a back seat to vicious political infighting; where hammering out the talking points and scoring the ultimate political 'gotcha' are the "be all and end all".

Don't get me wrong. I'm a homer too. I'm as guilty as anyone. I want to see George Bush win as much as the next fellow. Readers of this site will give a hearty amen to that. However, there are days when I realize, that on all too many occasions, I have strayed from the original purpose of these pages in order to advance my own political ideology. Then, that still, small voice speaks and I am reminded that were it not for His grace, I wouldn't even be writing these words.

I am thoroughly convinced that our Lord has a plan for this nation. Because of my faith, I believe that it was ordained and planned in exquisite detail before time ever existed. I would not presume to predict whether it includes George Bush or John Kerry as president. I do know though, that in His infinite wisdom He will use this plan to further His agenda and not mine or any other mortal's.

So, with these things in mind, I'm going to drastically reduce, if not entirely eliminate, political blogging between now and election day. Yes, I will continue to comment on issues that I feel are culturally relevant because I feel that as Christians, we are called to be "salt and light" to a world that desperately needs His seasoning.

For now....Have a great day!

VDH

2004-10-15T07:10:00.000-06:00

Victor Davis Hanson is at his finest in this piece at NRO. In typical VDH fashion, he spells out the choices open to Americans during this election cycle.

To all you of the therapeutic mindset, listen up. We can no more reason with the Islamic fascists than we could sympathize with the Nazis' demands over supposedly exploited Germans in Czechoslovakia or the problem of Tojo's Japan's not getting its timely scrap-metal shipments from Roosevelt's America. Their pouts and gripes are not intended to be adjudicated as much as to weaken the resolve of many in the United States who find the entire "war against terror" too big, or the wrong kind, of a nuisance

Debate/Voter Fraud

2004-10-14T08:24:00.000-06:00

Missed the debate last night due to a late night recording session. The choir I sing in is involved in a two night project for a new CD that will be released later this fall. However, Hugh, Power Line , and Captain's Quarters can be trusted to provide a riveting analysis of last night's goin's on.

No one in the Rocky Mountain region has followed the voter fraud issue more closely that Joshua. He is all over this issue. Check out his most recent posts. If you have the time, search out some of his older posts on the issue. No one has done it better.

Presidential Visit

2004-10-12T07:40:00.000-06:00

The President was in town yesterday. Thanks to Michele, Nicol, and Carolyn from the Bush/Cheney campaign, we were issued press credentials and afforded the opportunity of covering the event.Jonathan, Rich, Ben, and Joshua represented the Alliance with their on the spot coverage. Read 'em all.

Presidential Debate...Who Cares?

2004-10-09T07:43:00.000-06:00

Bush. Kerry. Who won? Don't care. The only scorecard that matters is the one that will be generated once the war on terror is complete.

Sadly, we've gotten bogged down in scoring debate points, fact checking, talking about who looked the best (manicure aside), or who was the most relaxed. The only thing that is truly debatable, the one and only thing, is the war against Islamofascism and how we wage it [Eyes roll into back of head...Tongue lolls out....Here he goes again]. I've posted regarding this before, here and here. I'll say it again. The. Only. Thing. That. Matters. Is. The. War. Against. Islamofascism. Whether I get to keep my tax cut or not is of no importance if there's a suitcase nuke hidden away in downtown Denver. The color of the sunflower on John Kerry's ski jacket doesn't matter if my grandchildren have to face the specter of being blown into small pieces by a terrorist who has his sights set on acquiring seventy-two virgins. Whether or not George Bush can pronounce nuclear is of no matter if we all fall victim to the chemical agent, Ricin.

I will say it once again, these bastards don't care if we're black, white, brown, yellow, young, old, rich, poor, gay, straight, Democrat, or Republican. Their only goals in life are the spreading of a virulent, perverted brand of their religion,dying as martyrs, and in the process, taking as many of us with them as they can. If, as a nation, we fail to accept these facts and act accordingly, we will end up a forgotten relic in the scrapyard of history; a once great nation, that cared more about manicures, government largesse, and political correctness.

God help us!

Australia

2004-10-08T17:12:00.000-06:00

Hmm...Looks as if our election is not the only one where the candidates are running neck and neck. For the sake of the war against terror, let's pray that Prime Minister Howard emerges from this race as the victor.

UPDATE:It's now 8.57 p.m. EST on Saturday October 9 here in East Coast Australia. The Australian federal election took place today. The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, a strong supporter of George Bush, was defending his Premiership against huge criticism from the Australian mainstream media and from the Australian Labor Party (the left-wing federal opposition) over his support for the war in Iraq. The polls closed less than 3 hours ago but already it is clear that Prime Minister Howard has not only retained government but has also increased his majority. This is the best possible news for the Coalition of the Willing and, hopefully, a harbinger for George W.'s defence of his Presidency. All of the best from all True Blue Aussies - yippee!

Hat Tip: Boss Hog via Power Line

Friday Recommendation

2004-10-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

If you're in the mood for a real great read, check out Phil at Another Man's Meat. In reading his blog, you'll find a man that loves the Lord, has a great intellect, and a wonderful way of expressing himself. You won't be disappointed.

Flip-Flop

2004-10-08T08:07:00.000-06:00

It could be that Senator Kerry will have to make another unplanned flip-flop. It appears as if Paul Bremmer has taken exception to being quoted out of context.

The president was right when he concluded that Saddam Hussein was a menace who needed to be removed from power. He understands that our enemies are not confined to Al Qaeda, and certainly not just to Osama bin Laden, who is probably trapped in his hide-out in Afghanistan. As the bipartisan 9/11 commission reported, there were contacts between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's regime going back a decade. We will win the war against global terror only by staying on the offensive and confronting terrorists and state sponsors of terror - wherever they are. Right now, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Qaeda ally, is a dangerous threat. He is in Iraq.

Mr. Kerry is free to quote my comments about Iraq. But for the sake of honesty he should also point out that I have repeatedly said, including in all my speeches in recent weeks, that President Bush made a correct and courageous decision to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein's brutality, and that the president is correct to see the war in Iraq as a central front in the war on terrorism.

Senator Kerry, do you have any more to add to this?

"Nurse, scalpel please!"

2004-10-06T07:47:00.000-06:00

When there are columnists like David Frum in the business, it is an utter waste of time to even attempt an analysis of last night's debate. Here's the money quote.

OCT. 6, 2004: MANSLAUGHTER
OK just caught debate rerun on CNN. What can one say about John Edwards' performance? He certainly did not make Al Gore's error in 1996: With his repeated and worshipful descriptions of John Kerry--not to mention Edwards' moist good looks--you have to say that he would fill the role of First Lady much better than Teresa Heinz is likely to do. It would all have been very impressive--if Cheney's scalpel had not so swiftly and mercilessly sliced Edwards' living liver out of his body, impaled it quivering on a stick, and paraded it before Edwards' soulful eyes before the poor man expired.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the entire piece.

Love....Hate

2004-10-06T07:13:00.000-06:00

Claudia Rosett of the Opinion Journal has firmly planted her finger on the problem with the love/hate affair that the world has with America.

America asks...

"Could you (please) love us as we love you?"

The answer, of course, is no. Not right now. Apart from rare spells of relative world peace, or joyous interludes in the immediate aftermath of American troops liberating nations such as France, or more recently Afghanistan, the answer from various quarters over the years has often been no. The worst friction tends to come at precisely those times when America stands up for its own principles, looking less to win love than to defend liberty. [-ed emphasis mine]Today, no American president can safely avoid taking that stand, and making that choice--at least not for long.

News vs. Opinion

2004-10-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Over the course of this morning, I've exchanged multiple emails with Cindy Rodriguez of The Denver Post on the approprietness of this column, appearing in today's online edition. Even to the casual reader, it quickly becomes very obvious that Ms. Rodriguez has an agenda and it definitely doesn't include the election of Pete Coors to the Senate. Ms. Rodriguez certaily has the right to her own opinions and I have no objection to her setting her own agenda. However, expressing those opinions as a political hit piece and using the words of others to convey her political "druthers" in a features column, I feel, is over the top.

My question to you, the readers of this site is: Should Ms. Rodriguez, who is neither a pure news journalist or an editorial columnist, but, a features writer, interject her own personal political biases into this type of column?

Please read her entire column before commenting.

Terrorist/WMD Connection?

2004-10-04T14:28:00.000-06:00

If this is true, it could completely change the tenor of the foreign policy debate that now rages. Can you say complete vindication?

Cheat Sheet

2004-10-03T19:19:00.000-06:00

It looks as if the blogosphere is on the prowl again. INDC is all over this rapidly breaking story.

What's Really Happening?

2004-10-03T07:33:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning....don't usually post this time of day; but, I ran across a don't miss piece by Oliver North.

Despite what's being written, we, the Iraqis and the Coalition, are getting ahead of the terrorists' game. The Iraqi people want to have an election, and we're going to help make that happen. Terrorists like [Abu Musab] Zarqawi and Muqtada al-Sadr are doing everything in their power to stop it. They can't.

"After you were out here in July and August, we helped the Iraqis clean up Najaf. It was an al- Sadr stronghold. His goons dragged Iraqi citizens off the streets, put them in front of his 'courts' then beheaded and shot men, women, even children for infractions of 'Islamic law.' That isn't happening any more. The people of Najaf helped us fight back. They are now free to walk their streets, shops and businesses have reopened, and al-Sadr's thugs are either dead or looking for a new line of work.

"Remember Samarra? You've been there. A few weeks ago, Samarra was off-limits to U.S. troops. It's not any more. The locals got fed up with living in fear of terrorists and foreign radicals, let them know they weren't welcome, and today Samarra is again a thriving city all without us firing a shot. You would never know that from the press."

Statements, such as the above, from a US Navy SEAL never make the MSM. This is the type of news that John Kerry and the gloom and doom crowd on the left, just as soon you and I did not hear. They sit gleefully on the sidelines while their willing minions in the main stream press continue to barrage the American public with prophetic prognostications of failure. However, little by little, day by day... messages like this one, that show evidence of success, are beginning to reach the American public.

New Site

2004-10-02T10:35:00.000-06:00

Folks, let me point you in the direction of a great Colorado blogger. His site, The Drum and Cannon, is a great read. Please spend some time there.

The Cheney Rally

2004-10-01T09:41:00.000-06:00

Check out Jonathan's account of the RMA at the Cheney rally. The money quote comes from his description of the MSM's attitude toward bloggers.

The looks are not unlike the kind that a socialite would give upon finding she stepped on something unseemly in the yard and tracked it into the house; disgust with the event, and resignation that she will inevitably have to deal with this problem that has managed to invade her happy home despite all her precautions

The Morning After

2004-10-01T07:59:00.000-06:00

I put off writing about the debate until this morning because I wanted a chance to rid my mind of initial impressions.

Okay, it was a beauty contest and Senator Kerry won. He appeared relaxed, polished, well manicured and on top of his game. He was able, on several occasions, to take advantage of a lapse or two on the President's part. The President looked tired and not particularly well engaged. Some of the cut-away shots from Fox's camera caught the President looking frustrated and angry.

All that being said, nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed. Senator Kerry still was not able to articulate a clear plan regarding the battle for Iraq. And yes, for those of you that have forgotten or never realized it, Iraq is a battle, just like Guadalcanal or Iwo Jima were battles in WWII. It is not the do-all or end-all in the war against terrorism. There are many more battles to be waged. We will, in all likelihood, loose some. But ultimately, we will win the World War against Islamofascism. Senator Kerry was completely unable to present his vision on how that war is to be won.

On the other hand, President Bush spelled out in the same steady, rock-hard terms, his plan for America's struggle against the Jihadists. Once again, he reminded us that it is a far better thing to engage the enemy on his own turf, rather than in the streets of New York City, or on the playground of an elementary school in small town USA. The President, in a sincere, very believable way, pointed out that we, as a nation, did not need or want the world's approval in order to protect our safety and sovereignty. More than anything though, the President reminded me and the rest of the nation that he is a decent, honest, God-fearing man who has the best interests of the nation at heart.

So, Senator Kerry, you won the beauty contest. You looked quite pampered and well coiffed. Even your tan-in-a-can was not particularly noticeable. However, you didn't pass the laugh test. You're still the same flip-flopping, irresolute, condescending, and self centered individual that you were the day before the debate. Better luck next time.

VP Cheney Event

2004-09-30T15:29:00.000-06:00

The good folks at Bush/Cheney have very graciously offered the crew at RMA press credentials for the gathering with VP Cheney tonight. Stay in touch for all the details as several of our group attend.

[ed- I wonder if pajamas are considered appropriate attire?]

Progress

2004-09-30T15:22:00.000-06:00

The Generalissimo at Radio Blogger shows us what is actually being accomplised in Iraq. The pictures speak so eloquently of the hard work that is being done. Incidentally, if you haven't added Dwayne to your daily must read list, do it now please.

Jimmy

2004-09-27T13:15:00.000-06:00

Would someone please get the restraints. He's off his medication again. It's stuff like this that just drives me nuts.

Amendment 36

2004-09-24T15:23:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been reading Tyroblog concerning Amendment 36, you are not as informed as you should be. Read it!

Islam

2004-09-24T07:28:00.000-06:00

Noted Mid-East scholar, Daniel Pipes, takes a serious look at Islam and its ultimate goals in this thought provoking piece.

The hardest thing for Westerners to understand is not that a war with militant Islam is underway but that the nature of the enemy's ultimate goal. That goal is to apply the Islamic law (the Shari‘a) globally. In U.S. terms, it intends to replace the Constitution with the Qur'an.

Please read the entire piece with an open mind and a willingness to entertain his ideas.

Draft?

2004-09-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Mr. Kerry seems to be working in concert with the Congressional Black Caucus. In this recent report, Mr. Kerry attempts to stir up fears regarding the re-instatement of the draft. There is only one problem though. He doesn't bother to tell us the entire truth. Fellow RMA blogger, Jim, at Thinking Right, uncovered this bit of information yesterday.

Glub, Glub....Help Me!

2004-09-21T11:07:00.000-06:00

Quick, somebody toss the guys at Daily Kos some aspirin and a life preserver. They're drowning in the fever swamps. Perhaps a cooling beverage such as Kerry Kool Aid would help.

The Real Truth

2004-09-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

This email was sent to Hugh by a Major in the USMC. In it, he describes the true situation in Iraq. In that he requested that Hugh pass it along and that Hugh's readers pass it along, I offer it for your reading. Read the whole thing...now.
From a Marine Corps Major in Baghdad:

"A thought from Iraq - "Doom & Gloom about Iraq's future....I don't see it from where I'm sitting."

[For those of you who haven't gotten my "Thoughts" before, I'm a Major in the USMC on the Multi-National Corps staff in Baghdad. The analysts and pundits who don't see what I see on a daily basis, in my opinion, have very little credibility to talk about the situation - especially if they have yet to set foot in Iraq. Everything Americans believe about Iraq is simply perception filtered through one's latent prejudices until you are face-to-face with reality. If you haven't seen, or don't remember, the John Wayne movie, The Green Berets , you should watch it this weekend. Pay special attention to the character of the reporter, Mr. Beckwith (the Journalist in the movie) . His characters experience is directly related to the situation here. You'll have a different perspective on Iraq after the movie is over.]

The US media is abuzz today with the news of an intelligence report that is very negative about the prospects for Iraq's future. CNN's website says, "[The] National Intelligence Estimate was sent to the White House in July with a classified warning predicting the best case for Iraq was 'tenuous stability' and the worst case was civil war." That report, along with the car bombings and kidnappings in Baghdad in the past couple days are being portrayed in the media as more proof of absolute chaos and the intransigence of the insurgency.

From where I sit, at the Operational Headquarters in Baghdad, that just isn't the case. Let's lay out some background, first about the "National Intelligence Estimate." The most glaring issue with its relevance is the fact that it was delivered to the White House in July . That means that the information that was used to derive the intelligence was gathered in the Spring - in the immediate aftermath of the April battle for Fallujah, and other events. The report doesn't cover what has happened in July or August, let alone September.

The naysayers will point to the recent battles in Najaf and draw parallels between that and what happened in Fallujah in April. They aren't even close. The bad guys did us a HUGE favor by gathering together in one place and trying to make a stand. It allowed us to focus on them and defeat them. Make no mistake, Al Sadr's troops were thoroughly smashed. The estimated enemy killed in action is huge. Before the battles, the residents of the city were afraid to walk the streets. Al Sadr's enforcers would seize people and bring them to his Islamic court where sentence was passed for religious or other violations. Long before the battles people were looking for their lost loved ones who had been taken to "court" and never seen again. Now Najafians can and do walk their streets in safety. Commerce has returned and the city is being rebuilt. Iraqi security forces and US troops are welcomed and smiled upon. That city was liberated again. It was not like Fallujah - the bad guys lost and are in hiding or dead.

You may not have even heard about the city of Samarra. Two weeks ago, that Sunni Triangle city was a "No-go" area for US troops. But guess what? The locals got sick of living in fear from the insurgents and foreign fighters that were there and let them know they weren't welcome. They stopped hosting them in their houses and the mayor of the town brokered a deal with the US commander to return Iraqi government sovereignty to the city without a fight. The people saw what was on the horizon and decided they didn't want their city looking like Fallujah in April or Najaf in August.

Boom, boom, just like that two major "hot spots" cool down in rapid succession. Does that mean that those towns are completely pacified? No. What it does mean is that we are learning how to do this the right way. The US commander in Samarra saw an opportunity and took it - probably the biggest victory of his military career and nary a shot was fired in anger. Things will still happen in those cities, and you can be sure that the bad guys really want to take them back. Those achievements, more than anything else in my opinion, account for the surge in violence in recent days - especially the violence directed at Iraqis by the insurgents. Both in Najaf and Samarra ordinary people stepped out and took sides with the Iraqi government against the insurgents, and the bad guys are hopping mad. They are trying to instill fear once again. The worst thing we could do now is pull back and let that scum back into people's homes and lives.

So, you may hear analysts and prognosticators on CNN, ABC and the like in the next few days talking about how bleak the situation is here in Iraq, but from where I sit, it's looking significantly better now than when I got here. The momentum is moving in our favor, and all Americans need to know that, so please, please, pass this on to those who care and will pass it on to others. It is very demoralizing for us here in uniform to read & hear such negativity in our press. It is fodder for our enemies to use against us and against the vast majority of Iraqis who want their new government to succeed. It causes the American public to start thinking about the acceptability of "cutting our losses" and pulling out, which would be devastating for Iraq for generations to come, and Muslim militants would claim a huge victory, causing us to have to continue to fight them elsewhere (remember, in war "Away" games are always preferable to "Home" games). Reports like that also cause Iraqis begin to fear that we will pull out before we finish the job, and thus less willing to openly support their interim government and US/Coalition activities. We are realizing significant progress here - not propaganda progress, but real strides are being made. It's terrible to see our national morale, and support for what we're doing here, jeopardized by sensationalized stories hyped by media giants whose #1 priority is advertising income followed closely by their political agenda; getting the story straight falls much further down on their priority scale, as Dan Rather and CBS News have so aptly demonstrated in the last week.

Thanks for listening. Feedback is always welcome, though I can't promise an immediate response...."

Hat Tip: Hugh Hewitt

Lovable Little Teddy Bear

2004-09-20T16:00:00.000-06:00

I think the Kerry campaign may have just hoisted the white flag. If this quote from a senior campaign adviser is any indication, it's all over but the shoutin':

We have to reach a comfort level with the American people--they have to view John with a certain level of respect, an appreciation of his own strength, values, and character, a feeling that they can trust this person for the next four years," said the senior adviser in Kerry's inner circle. "I don't know how you do all that. It's an evolving process. But we need to do it quickly."

Hat Tip:James Taranto

Ask me no questions....

2004-09-20T13:22:00.000-06:00

Hindrocket asks the only question that really matters:

And Rather's statement studiously avoids the only question that remains open: where did CBS get the forged documents? Specifically, did they come from the Kerry campaign? As we've noted, an email from Bill Burkett indicates that he gave materials to Max Cleland for use in the campaign. Those materials are presumably the forged documents. So Rather can't go much longer without answering the obvious question: did you get the forgeries from Max Cleland?

David Harsanyi

2004-09-20T08:37:00.000-06:00

In a most telling piece, David Harsanyi, of the Denver Post, exposes the fact that Ken Salazar's populist notions are not really populist at all; but, only standard Democrat boilerplate.

At the conclusion of the article, David asks one very searching question,"Salazar is right on when he points to the out-of-control spending in Washington. But what programs would he cut? Well, that's still a mystery."

My guess is that Ken Salazar would reduce the size of government in the same fashion as ex-President Clinton...gut the military and drastically reduce spending on national defense matters. Not a good idea in light of our current war on Islamofascism.

Cross-posted at Salazar Vs. Coors

Questions

2004-09-20T07:39:00.000-06:00

Mr. Salazar...just a couple of quick questions for you today...

Would you have supported the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the Federal bench? Or, would you, in the finest tradition of Democrat obstructionism, have voted with Tom Daschle, and prevented this fine jurist from realizing his potential?

How do you feel about our Constitution? Would you support the nomination of judges that are strict constructionists? Or do you, as so many other Democrats, believe that our Constitution is a living, breathing document that should be interpreted according to the whims of the day?

Should judges only interpret laws that are passed by Congress? Or, should they, as their own personal agendas allow, legislate from the bench?

Mr. Salazar, these are questions that I and many other Coloradans would like answered before we cast our ballots on November 2nd. What say you?

Cross posted at Salazar v. Coors

Time Out

2004-09-13T08:35:00.000-06:00

Okay, back to the blogosphere. I noticed yesterday that it had been over a week since I last posted. Um...uh...no excuses. Just plain lazy and not willing to expend the mental energy necessary for a coherent post[ed-Who says your posts are coherent anyway?]. The only valid excuse I can come up with is that I needed a short break. Anyway, the pay is lousy.

Last night, the RMA, in the finest tradition of the mountain west, gathered at the palatial estate of Jared for an end of the summer Rendezvous. What a great time! The chile served by Natalie was top notch and was enjoyed by all. Fortunately, the presence of'wimmin' and children kept the celebration at civilized levels.

On to other news....CBS continues it's meltdown. I'll not even attempt to summarize all that's been said and written over the last few days. However, these gents, here, here, and here have taken on MSM with devestating results.

Last, but certainly not least, the Kerry campaign continues it's downward spiral in the polls. How much longer until we find the smoking ruins of Kerry Campaign 2004?

Islamofascism

2004-09-03T09:22:00.000-06:00

Everytime you are tempted to loose sight of why we are fighting the war against Islamicism,pull up this picture, take a real good close look, and thank God that we have leaders that are willing to take the fight to the enemy. With the exception of 9/11, we've not been faced with the horrible spectre of Americans dying on American soil. The sub-humans that perpetrated this act deserve to be hunted down and destroyed like the worthless vermin that they are.

The Therapeutic Anarchist

2004-09-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Gimme a break! This had to happen sooner or later. It's so comforting to know that there is a softer , more gentle side to anarchism.

Paul Bame, a Fort Collins software engineer, spent much of the day Tuesday massaging and counseling fellow activists rattled by their run-ins with police.

"Some people talk. Some people just need to cry and be held for a while," said Bame, 45, a self-proclaimed anarchist who was questioned by the FBI about his plans to protest here.

There was a time, back in the "good ole" days, when a self-respecting protester was willing to take a lung full of tear gas or a club up side the head. I guess those days are gone though. 1968 it ain't!

Hate/Love

2004-08-31T08:48:00.000-06:00

I've been looking for a succinct way to sum up the content of last night's Republican fest. Deacon, at Powerline found it for me. Read his and all the other guys at Powerline. They're all over it. What great coverage.

8636

2004-08-28T13:57:00.000-06:00

Tyroblog has launched a one man frontal assault on Amendment 36. Be sure to visit his new sight, 86 Amendment 36. Join this patriot as he sounds the alarm on what would surely be a disaster for the state of Colorado.

Military Friday

2004-08-27T15:31:00.000-06:00

Modern Military Terms:

Engage the Enemy means "to blow something up."

Surgical Strike means "to blow up something small."

Decapitate means "to blow up their leaders."

Collateral Damage means "to accidentally blow up something of theirs."

Friendly Fire means "to accidentally blow up something of ours."

Target of Opportunity means "to blow something up on a whim"

Kinetic Targeting means "to blow up something that's moving"

Ordnance is "something that that does the blowing up"

An Asset is "something that can be blown up"

Embedded Media means "a report that's blown out of proportion

Until next week..Carry On!

Job Creation vs. Job Welfare

2004-08-27T07:31:00.000-06:00

I'm worn out today and don't have the energy or patience to tackle this article by Mark Couch. This "hit piece", masquerading as a news story, is so blatantly obvious in it's intent as to be laughable. However, the most telling of the quotes from the piece is as follows:

The numbers tell the story of a company more concerned with profits than people, say union officials who have tried to organize workers at the company's Golden plant.

One quick word for the union organizers...Corporations [ed-according to Websters Dictionary, evil is not a synonym for corporation], because it suits their best interests must be concerned about individuals. However, they are not in the business of acting as welfare agencies for the unemployed. The board of directors of any large company is responsible to the shareholders of the company, not union bosses.

Perhaps one of the other members of the highly esteemed RMA would care take up the baton of truth and run with it.

UPDATE: KOA AM850 radio talk show host, Mike Rosen has picked up on the afore mentioned article by Mark Couch....I'm gonna enjoy this!

Cross Post at Salazar v Coors

Weight Watchers

2004-08-26T06:52:00.000-06:00

What's next...tofu?

Forget lugging chocolate cupcakes to school on your first-grader's birthday. Bad snacks have been banished.

How about sending a fruit bowl instead?

Food service employees and vendors have been preparing for months for new state restrictions in school fare that began this school year. But for principals and PTAs, the realities of refusing traditional birthday treats and fund-raising foods are just now setting in.

The food police are alive and well.

2004-08-25T08:47:00.000-06:00

Pardon me while I indulge myself with some primal scream therapy..........Okay, there, that's better...but not much. What on earth is the Bush campaign and Karl Rove up to?Um...let me say that again. What on earth is going on?

During a rally in Davenport, Iowa on Tuesday, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked by a woman "What do you think about homosexual marriage?"

"Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very familiar with. With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.

If this is truly the way Cheney feels, then Karl Rove, et al needs to pull Mr. Cheny aside and have a heart-to- heart talk explaining the basics of Conservative Politics 101 to the Vice President. Don't. Alienate. The. Base.

If it's a misguided attempt to attract moderate Republican voters, then someone needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with Karl Rove. Dont. Alienate. The Base. Mr. Rove, no matter how much you wish it were so, this kind of tactic will never attract the twenty-something mid-town Manhattan voter. It's sheer lunacy!

To quote the erudite Bear Bryant, "You gotta dance with the one what brung ya".

Double Standard

2004-08-25T08:07:00.000-06:00

It looks as if Ken Salazar is taking a play from Senator Kerry's playbook.

U.S. Senate candidate Ken Salazar challenged his opponent, Pete Coors, to have the "guts" to stand up to a secretly funded political group that launched a television attack ad targeting the state attorney general Tuesday.

In an attempt to stifle free speech, Salazar has attacked the Coors camp over a 527 advertisement that criticizes Salazar's handling of the Summitville mine. Mr. Salazar, my question to you is: Will you condemn Moveon.org, as well as Michael Moore, for their ad hominem attacks against George Bush? Will you ask Teresa Hines Kerry to withdraw her financial support of Democrat shadow groups? Or, will you, in the tradition of John Kerry, send a delegation to the brewery demanding that Coors denounce the ads?

Cross Post at Salazar v. Coors

Battle Fatigue

2004-08-25T07:26:00.000-06:00

This morning on Fox and Friends I watched as Eleanor Clift, normally a stout-hearted Democratic defender-of-the-realm, squared off against Mike Gallagher in another no holds barred slugfest concerning Senator Kerry's Vietnam service. The content of the debate was not near so important as was Eleanor's demeanor. There was a term used to describe Marines in WWII that had been in the Pacific too long, under too much stress...."Asiatic". Yep, it fit her to a tee. She had that "quivery" voice and the thousand yard stare that was so common to many over stressed combat veterans. Called upon one too many times to defend the indefensible, she was at the end of her rope.

Is this another sign that the armor plate, supplied by the media, has been penetrated? We'll see. Perhaps it won't be long.

Over The Hill

2004-08-24T11:20:00.000-06:00

Oops! If I'm John Kerry and I read something like this from a guy who would normally be in my camp, I begin to get a bit twitchy.

I have reservations about voting for George W. Bush. But I have no reservations about voting against John Kerry. And I'm not alone.

Hat Tip: Michelle

Rude Awakening

2004-08-24T07:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, it's five-thirty in the morning. Barely awake, not having had my first cup of coffee, I turn on Channel 9 KUSA for the local weather forecast and am greeted by an ad in which a black lady is proclaiming discrimination. She speaks of her educational qualifications, her hard work, and her professional qualifications. She tells of loosing jobs and of discrimination in housing. Hmm...okay,I agree, that's not right. We gotta do something. However, once we reach the end of the add, we are informed that the discrimination is not racial in nature; but, is due to the fact that she is a lesbian.

Let's forget for a moment what I consider to be a lack of good taste on Channel Nine's part and consider the fact, that on an increasing basis, we are being asssailed by propaganda from the gay and lesbian community proclaiming discrimination. Last week, in the on-line versions of both the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News, there were pop-up ads focusing on the gay and lesbian agenda. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of being confronted with this nonsense by people who define themselves by their sexual orientation and who have chosen a lifestyle that is contrary to that of the rest of society and to the laws of nature. There has been much research regarding the genetic aspect of homosexuality with no conclusive evidence that it is anything other than a lifestyle choice. At the risk of mind numbing boredom and mental paralysis read this and this.

The elite among us, and those that consider themselves annointed, tell us that in order to be approved by society, we must accept, without question, the vacuous propaganda that they attempt to force feed us. Channel Nine, if you're gonna assault me with this drivel, at least let me have my first cup of coffee.

Military Friday

2004-08-20T13:29:00.000-06:00

For those of you that had to endure boot camp, here are some picures from USNTC, San Diego. These were taken in the early 1960's, about the time I was there. Needless to say, these fired up the memory banks.

Hat Tip: Chainfall

Lest I wax too nostalgic, I'll move on to a bit of humor:

Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.
Translation: When catapults are outlawed, only outlaws will have catapults.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
Translation: I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

Why Did the Chicken cross the Road?

Coalition Provisional Authority: The fact that the Iraqi chicken crossed the road affirmatively demonstrates that decision-making authority has been transferred to the chicken well in advance of the scheduled June 30th transition of power. From now on the chicken is responsible for its own decisions.

Halliburton: We were asked to help the chicken cross the road. Given the inherent risk of road crossing and the rarity of chickens, this operation will only cost the US government $326,004.

Muqtada al-Sadr: The chicken was a tool of the evil Coalition and will be killed.

US Army Military Police: We were directed to prepare the chicken to cross the road. As part of these preparations, individual soldiers ran over the chicken repeatedly and then plucked the chicken. We deeply regret the occurrence of any chicken rights violations.

Peshmerga: The chicken crossed the road, and will continue to cross the road, to show its independence and to transport the weapons it needs to defend itself. However, in future, to avoid problems, the chicken will be called a duck, and will wear a plastic bill.

1st Cav: The chicken was not authorized to cross the road without displaying two forms of picture identification. Thus, the chicken was appropriately detained and searched in accordance with current SOP?s. We apologize for any embarrassment to the chicken. As a result of this unfortunate incident, the command has instituted a gender sensitivity training program and all future chicken searches will be conducted by female soldiers.

Al Jazeera: The chicken was forced to cross the road multiple times at gunpoint by a large group of occupation soldiers, according to eye-witnesses. The chicken was then fired upon intentionally, in yet another example of the abuse of innocent Iraqi chickens.

Blackwater: We cannot confirm any involvement in the chicken-road-crossing incident.

Translators: Chicken he cross street because bad she tangle regulation. Future chicken table against my request.

U.S. Marine Corps: The chicken is dead.

Navy: The chicken upon crossing the road was painted and lashed to the curb.

Kerry: "The chicken crossed the road before it did not"

Baghdad Bob: The chicken never crossed the road! He is safe in Baghdad, miles from the marauding vehicles of the infidel! THERE IS NO ROAD!

USAF: "As you can see here in the target video, the bomb was locked onto the chicken...and there it goes...the chicken is still moving...still moving...and unfortunately passed out of the parameters of the guidance system so that the bomb completely missed it and hit the weasel instead. Gotta admit thought, it's impressive footage..."

Oops! Ran a bit longer than I planned. Until next week, Carry On!

Boilerplate

2004-08-20T08:18:00.000-06:00

In typical Democrat fashion, Ken Salazar is calling for raises for teachers, smaller classroom size, and new afterschool programs for kids. Ummm... Ken, we've tried all of those and they haven't helped to improve things. A wise man once said that the definition of insanity was repeatedly trying policies that fail and expecting different results. Methinks that's the case here.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ken Salazar on Thursday called for improving the nation's public schools with smaller classes, pay raises for some teachers and new after- school programs.

Salazar proposed giving $5,000 raises to teachers at schools that have trouble recruiting and retaining teachers. He would also give $5,000 annual bonuses to math and science teachers.

The price tag of the Salazar plan: $9.4 billion in 2005.

Hmmm...Reward the teachers; but, no mention of how that will improve learning.

On a brighter note, Pete Coors has proposed vouchers that would allow parents to send their children to a school of their own choosing. In typical fashion, the Denver Post holds Coors accountable for the funding of this program (as they should) but fails to ask the hard questions regarding the funding for the $9.4 billion dollars in federal spending that Salazar proposes.

If Ken Salazar wants to improve education here in Colorado, he's going to have to come up with some new innovative solutions. The same tired old proposals have not worked in the past and show no promise of working in the future.

Cross Posted at Salazar v. Coors

Hic* Hic* Hic*

2004-08-19T14:15:00.000-06:00

Uh, mmm....not sure whether there's a political message in this or not, but at least this guy knows his likes and dislikes.

Voice of Reason

2004-08-19T07:58:00.000-06:00

David Harsanyi, the lone voice of reason in the fevered swamps of the Denver Post, has a great take on Amendment 36.

The conniving rhetoric of Amendment 36 and its proponents masks a simple, irrefutable point: It would dilute Colorado's already faint voice in the presidential contest and make us the lone state to allocate electoral votes in proportion to the popular vote.

The most telling statement is as follows:

You can bet that J. Jorge Klor de Alva, the wealthy liberal activist and resident of California who has helped organized and finance the initiative, couldn't care less about Colorado. His concern is getting his man into office, by any means possible

.
Governor Bill Owens has the following to say regarding the amendment:

He could have done this in California," explains Owens. "They have an initiative process; they have the exact same system we have. If he were doing this for the reasons of good government, the position his hired staff here represents, then he could have done so in his own state instead of trying to do it in our state."

And the final telling stroke:

Amendment 36 proponents are fond of telling us that had Colorado employed a proportional system in 2000, Gore would have won and the world would be in perfect balance.

What they fail to mention is that if New York, California, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania or a host of other states had employed such a system, Bush would have won, easily.

Read the entire piece as well as Joshua's take on the whole situation...Good Stuff!

Dare To Compare

2004-08-18T16:16:00.003-06:00

Compare Laura Bush's remarks with those of Teresa Hines Kerry.

THK:

"My only hope is that, one day soon, women -- who have all earned the right to their opinions -- instead of being labeled opinionated, will be called smart or well-informed, just as men are."

LB:

"Last week, I visited with several women entrepreneurs. I went to a quilt shop in Minnesota, to a temporary employment agency in Wisconsin. I met a woman from Iowa who owns a towing business - the only woman towing business owner in Iowa and maybe in the United States - and another woman in Ohio who owns a construction company. And today, I saw cutting edge technology that's being used in some of the most advanced aerospace equipment."

"Anyone who wonders what women are capable of need only look at American women business owners. Women are working hard to strengthen their communities and their country."

The difference is telling. Who do you want as First Lady?

Lock 'n' Load

2004-08-18T08:24:00.000-06:00

It looks like both candidates are loadin' up for the coming campaign season. Initial reading of the Rocky Mountain News piece would have one believe that Salazar holds all the cards on fund raising. However, reading deeper into the piece shows that Coors will not be left wanting for funds.

Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz said Coors' ability to draw on his personal wealth will be a concern during the general election.

"We know we're going to be outspent many times over during the next 11 weeks," he said, " so we wanted wanted to get a healthy (advertising) buy in."

Watson said the Coors campaign is "aggressively" raising money

Because of the national importance [control of the US Senate] of the Colorado Senate race, there should be no shortage of funds. It's gonna be interesting.

Cross Post at Salazar v. Coors

Flag Display

2004-08-17T09:08:00.000-06:00

Mike Rosen, 850 KOA morning talk show host correctly asks what's wrong with this picture that was taken at Denver's North High School. Should the Mexican flag be as prominently displayed as the American flag? The answer is absolutely no! This is a perfect example of what happens when a school is infected with a politically correct faculty that is more concerned about promoting cultural diversity than it is about fostering a sense of pride in the nation where these children live.

Catch 22

2004-08-17T07:23:00.000-06:00

I usually can find many areas in which to disagree with Jim Spencer. However, there's a lot of truth in his column today.Denver Water Board's equation seems to go something like this:

Drought+lower water consumption-revenues = higher water rates in 2005

Do they lay awake at night trying to think up these things [Pardon the tinfoil hat]?

Hits

2004-08-16T11:45:00.000-06:00

Sometime this morning, this opinionated old man passed 8000 hits since December 2003. Thanks to all of my readers that have put up with my rantings.

Bitterness

2004-08-15T16:37:00.000-06:00

Mike Littwin, after allowing his cup to run over with the bile of bitterness, finally gets around to taking a swing at Pete Coors. Given his druthers, Mike would have us believe that there should be two candidates standing in the center of the ring, armed with nothing but their respective ideologies, preparing to bludgeon one another into mute submission.

Oh, there were a few of you romantics out there - very few, apparently. And you know who you are. You voted for Mike "Keep the Change" Miles. You lined up with Bob "I Really Did Think Bill Owens Was My Friend" Schaffer.
But this was a race that was foretold almost as soon as Ben Nighthorse Campbell dropped out, when Ken Salazar jumped in ahead of his friend, Mark Udall, and the Republicans recruited Coors to save the party from falling on its sword with Schaffer- Owens making the announcement before Coors could change his mind. (And before Owens could get the blame for failing to run himself.)

Come on Mike, lighten up. It's the season ya know. You just can't get away with posing as a political idealist. You're a ~~progressive~~ way left of center homer....always have been , always will be. Just like the rest of us, you want your guy to win; and trying to cover that up with pseudo-objectivity and political idealism is beneath you. I say, let 'em take the gloves off and may the best man win.

Cross Post at Salazar v. Coors

John Kerry, Your Choice?

2004-08-13T17:13:00.000-06:00

Those of you that frequent these pages have probably already noticed that my analytical and word dissection skills are not as keen as many of the other fine conservative bloggers that I hang out with. If anything, I tend to lean toward the grenade throwing side of most issues. However, I feel that I have a pretty good grasp of some objectively verifiable truths regarding those folks that seek to be our leaders for the next four years, as well as, some of the policy issues surrounding their candidacies.

John Kerry

He is soft on national defense and defense spending.

1) In 1996 - Introduced Bill to slash Defense Department Funding by $6.5 Billion.

2) In 1995 - Voted to freeze Defense spending for 7 years, slashing over $34 billion from Defense.
1) In 1996 - Introduced Bill to slash Defense Department Funding by $6.5 Billion.

2) In 1995 - Voted to freeze Defense spending for 7 years, slashing over $34 billion from Defense.

3) Fiscal 1996 Budget Resolution - Defense Freeze. "Harkin, D-Iowa, amendment to freeze defense spending for the next seven years and transfer the $34.8 billion in savings to education and job training."

4) In 1993 - Introduced plan to cut numerous Defense programs, including:
Cut the number of Navy submarines and their crews
Reduce the number of light infantry units in the Army down to one
Reduce tactical fighter wings in the Air Force
Terminate the Navy's coastal mine-hunting ship program
Force the retirement of no less than 60,000 members of the Armed Forces in one year.

He is a typical tax and spend Democrat [Look at his spending proposals. ]

“I’m running for president to roll back George Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy so that we can invest in education and health care,” Kerry proclaims these days in his typical stump speech. “But here’s what I won’t do. I won’t balance the budget on the backs of seniors or veterans or the weakest and poorest people in our country. And I won’t raise taxes on the middle class. Because we know the problem with this country is not that the hard-working people have too much money.”

It appears that he has no core values on important issues of today. He has repeatedly changed his stance on abortion, gay marriage, and his stance on the war in Iraq [He voted for the war before he voted against it.].

April 22, 2004 -Flip
At a Houston “Earth Day” rally, John Kerry told his supporters that he truly dislikes gas-guzzling SUVs because they are poor for the environment. Because of this, he once proposed a 50-cent gas tax increase. Kerry said that he supports increasing fuel economy standards to 36 miles per gallon by 2015 in order to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. He also said that he has talked to Ford about making a hybrid car his new “campaign car.”
April 22, 2004 -Flop
During a conference call the same day, Kerry was asked whether he owned a Chevrolet Suburban. He replied, “I don’t own an SUV…the family has it. I don’t have it.” Did they give you a ride to the Earth Day rally?
10/23/03- Flip
Kerry Said He Will Fight To Keep Tax Relief For Married Couples. “Howard Dean and Gephardt are going to put the marriage penalty back in place. So if you get married in America, we’re going to charge you more taxes. I do not want to do that.” (Fox News’ “Special Report,” 10/23/03)
7/31/03 -Flop
Said Democrats Fought To End Marriage Penalty Tax. “We fought hard to get rid of the marriage penalty.” (MSNBC’s “News Live,” 7/31/03)

7/12/02 - Flip

In 2002, Kerry Signed Letter “Urging” MA Legislature To Reject Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage. “We rarely comment on issues that are wholly within the jurisdiction of the General Court, but there are occasions when matters pending before you are of such significance to all residents of the Commonwealth that we think it appropriate for us to express our opinion. One such matter is the proposed Constitutional amendment that would prohibit or seriously inhibit any legal recognition whatsoever of same-sex relationships. We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in our Constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow residents. … We are therefore united in urging you to reject this Constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.” (Sen. John Kerry, et al, Letter To Members Of The Massachusetts Legislature, 7/12/02)
2/6/04 - Flop
Now, In 2004, Kerry Won’t Rule Out Supporting Similar Amendment. “Asked if he would support a state constitutional amendment barring gay and lesbian marriages, Kerry didn’t rule out the possibility. ‘I’ll have to see what language there is,’ he said.” (Susan Milligan, “Kerry Says GOP May Target Him On ‘Wedge Issue,’” The Boston Globe, 2/6/04)

He would sacrifice our national sovereignty at the alter of the UN.

“I’m an internationalist,” Kerry told The Crimson in 1970. “I’d like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.”

His environmental policies would keep us dependent on Mid-East oil.

"Who do we have to blame for the fact that we find ourselves at the mercy of OPEC and, now the terrorists? Well, a good chunk of the blame goes to the Democrats. Because, were it not for their pandering to leftist environmental constituents, we could be pumping an amount of oil not much less that what we are now begging the Saudi’s to ship to us out of the Arctic National Wildlife Range. But of course Democrats would rather the Bush Administration be in the position of imploring (a diplomatic word for begging) OPEC to not harm our economic recovery with production cutbacks that will raise the price of gas higher than it already is while the Democrats complain that Bush isn’t doing enough about high oil prices. Although the Saudis have pledged that they won’t cutback production and, in fact have increased production, all that may change if the specter of more beheadings continues." -Political Gateway

Salazar and Healthcare

2004-08-13T11:57:00.000-06:00

In the Friday, August 13th edition of the Denver Post, writer Mark Crouch takes a look at Ken Salazar and his stance on healthcare coverage issues.

Mr. Salazar states:

"Unfortunately, what has happened in Washington, D.C., under the gridlock we've seen in the past couple of years is that health care has been ignored," Salazar said.

Mr. Salazar, this is hardly gridlock:

* More than 4.1 million seniors are already using their cards to save money on their medicines. More than 100,000 beneficiaries are signing up every week. Studies conducted by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Kaiser Family Foundation have shown that these cards are delivering real savings to Medicare beneficiaries.
* About one million low-income seniors have qualified for extra assistance. In addition to these savings, low-income seniors struggling with high drug costs are getting a $600 a year credit - a total of $1,200 through the end of 2005 - to help pay for prescriptions. And most major pharmaceutical companies have agreed to make their drugs available for nominal fees once a beneficiary has spent his or her entire subsidy.
* Signing up for the new cards is easy. While millions of seniors already are saving on their prescriptions, millions more are eligible. Beneficiaries can call 1-800-MEDICARE, visit www.medicare.gov , or call their state's Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to sign up for real savings.

As a strong supporter of George W. Bush and Republican policies, Pete Coors is sure to focus on his fellow American's healthcare needs.

Offer companies with fewer than 50 employees a tax credit of up to 50 percent for buying health insurance. The cost - $67 billion over 10 years - would protect coverage for millions of Americans who already get insurance and add an estimated 2.5 million who currently don't have insurance.

Mr. Salazar, where is that $67 billion dollars going to come from? Uh...perhaps increased taxes for middle America?

Expand the Child Health Plan Plus program to 100,000 of the 165,000 Colorado children who don't get insurance, and 6 million of the 8.5 million American children. The cost: $25 billion over 10 years.

Mr. Salazar, with these two proposals, you have committed American taxpayers to an additional $92 billion dollars in spending.

Help offset those costs by lifting the ban on importing prescription drugs, which he projects would save $60 billion over 10 years. Better management and prevention of disease would save $100 billion over 10 years, he said.

Vague, nebulous solutions to a huge potential budget problem. All in all, Mr. Salazar, I'd have to say that your proposals offer nothing more than increased spending and more government regulation. Thanks, but no thanks.

Cross Post at Salazar v. Coors

Military Friday

2004-08-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

An F-16 flies through the sky, dispensing a flare during a combat mission in Iraq, July 23, 2004. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Lee O. Tucker, U.S. Air Force.

And from the humor department:

"When you get right up to the line that you're not supposed to cross, the only person in front of you will be me!" CDR (CENTCOM) on his view of the value of being politically correct in today's military

"There's nothing wrong with crossing that line a little bit, it's jumping over it buck naked that will probably get you in trouble..." Lt Col (EUCOM) responding to the above

"Even if Al-Qaeda nuked this place, the Chief of Staff would approve a 4-star visitor the very next day!" GS-12 (US government employee, grade 12) (EUCOM)

The four most dangerous things in the Army:

1. A Private saying, "I learned this in Basic..."

2. A Sergeant saying, "Trust me, sir..."

3. A Second Lieutenant saying, "Based upon my experience..."

4. A Captain saying, "I was just thinking..."

And finally, this quote in honor of the men and women fighting for our nation and it's continued freedom:

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.
- General George Patton Jr

New Website

2004-08-13T07:12:00.000-06:00

If you haven't already visited the newest addition to the RMA, please check out our contribution to the campaign of Pete Coors for US Senate. At Salazar v. Coors, you'll find pointed, concise, and sometimes witty comment by all eleven members of the RMA on an election that is of great importance to cirtizens of Colorado, and yes, the entire nation.

Hit Piece

2004-08-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

Well, it's good to see that some things never change. The Denver Post is up to it's old tricks in this hit piece on Republican Pete Coors' campaign for US Senate. Mark Couch goes out of his way to cast a nagative light on the relationship between Coors and his adversary in the primaries, Bob Schaffer.

In public, the Republicans were all smiles. But on the bus, they kept their distance.

At first, Schaffer talked on his cellphone in the back of the bus, while Coors talked strategy in the front with Sen. George Allen, R-Va., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Coors moved to the middle of the bus to conduct radio interviews via cellphone. After those interviews, Coors joined Schaffer in the back for a handshake and brief conversation.

"Give us five minutes," Coors said, dismissing reporters who moved to sit closer to the candidate and his vanquished foe on the bus.

They spoke privately on the ride to Fort Collins and then rarely spoke a word - even when they were sitting across the aisle from each other.

I'm gonna give Couch the benefit of the doubt as to whether the above described events actually occurred. But, in light of the tone of the rest of the article, it seems as if he goes out of his way to portray the entire event in an extremely negative light. For instance:

To pass the time, Coors strolled the 16th Street Mall with Allen by his side and a gaggle of Republicans in tow. Schaffer and his wife, Maureen, walked hand-in-hand at a distance from the candidate.

At first, the beer executive in his gray pinstripe suit ambled down the street without greeting people. Then Allen began introducing political newcomer Coors to passers-by, and Coors quickly started asking them for their votes.

Mr. Couch, your blatantly obvious effort to cast Coors as a bumbling campaigner is beneath you. You really need more practice in order to refine your technique.

A few minutes later, still on the 16th Street Mall, Coors got a call from Bush.

"I'm glad you called me Pete instead of Holly's kid," Coors said, referring to his mother. He then promised to help Bush win "four more days" in office before correcting himself: "Four more years."

Mr. Couch, once again your bias is showing. All that's lacking in this piece is some "puff" regarding Ken Salazar. Maybe we'll see that next time.

Cross Posted at Salazar v. Coors

Salazar's Issue Paper

2004-08-11T21:25:00.000-06:00

Okay,...Good start Jonathan. Let me pick up the baton where you handed it off and run for awhile.

Continuing with Salazar's issue paper:

Our military strategies and programs must reflect the changing nature of the threat. While we need to continue to maintain overwhelming technical superiority on the land, in the air, and in the sea, we must be also be responsive to the threat of low-tech, high consequence attack scenarios that international terrorists and their organizations are more likely to pursue.

Duh......'scuz me, I thought that's what we've been doing since 9/11. Ken, have you been to DIA recently. Seems to me that taking one's shoes off pretty much covers many of the "low tech" options available to terrorists.

Iraq reminds us that we also need to pay attention to the needs of our soldiers in the field. High-tech gadgetry and superior weapons systems do not alone guarantee on-the-ground success or maximum safety for our troops. We must provide our troops with all the equipment they need to do the job we have assigned to them. It is simply unfathomable, and unacceptable, that our armed forces in Iraq were forced to have their families ship personal body armor or that it took almost a year before armor was applied to Humvees.

Ken, check Mr. Kerry's voting record on military spending.

It is wrong that we lavish tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans, but we wont provide assistance to our troops and their families. Military pay and benefits for those in uniform, their families, and for veterans must be increased if we are to continue with our volunteer military and National Guard system of national defense. American troops have done an outstanding job in Iraq and Afghanistan and we should rightly be proud of the men and women put in harms' way who have shown the real face of America and its priceless values. In addition, I support imminent danger pay and family separation allowance for our troops in.

See above.

We cannot abandon the Iraqi people. But we must change course. There has not been enough straight talk about Iraq both before the President committed America to the war, and in the challenges and complexity of rebuilding that nation. President Bush convinced the American people that Iraq presented an imminent threat to our national security, with its possession of weapons of mass destruction and a picture that portrayed links between Al Qaeda and Iraq. In committing us to the military invasion of Iraq, President Bush also committed us to the stabilization of Iraq, politically and economically. It is clear that the mission in Iraq has been mishandled, but we must do our best to honor our commitment as the new Iraqi leadership struggles to stabilize the country. We must constantly reevaluate the safety of our troops and the viability of our mission.

And.....just exactly would you do Mr. Salazar. Looks to me as if this is directly out of Senator Kerry's playbook.

It is right to change course and seek international input and assistance in rebuilding a safe Iraq. More international support will improve the likelihood of success and will also reduce the burden on America's troops and taxpayers. I will press to build the international coalition that should have been assembled before invading Iraq, but this effort will take time and much greater diplomatic skill than the administration has demonstrated. A broader international coalition will speed the process of stabilizing Iraq.

Mr. Salazar, let me remind you of the UN oil for food ~~program~~ scandal. Those nations not participating in the coalition have no desire to form a partnership with the US; who, by the way, holds all the cards in this scandal. It would be a much too tenuous relationship. They have no desire to play poker with someone who has just drawn to an inside straight. And this is true, whether you or George Bush is in office...fogitaboutit.

Terrorism is a world-wide threat. Our battle against them must be fought on many fronts and at many levels. We must confront them militarily wherever possible, we must use diplomatic, economic and military tools to confront governments who harbor terrorists, and we must also attack the sources of social and financial support for terrorism. We cannot succeed in these efforts without the cooperation of our traditional allies and without making many new friends. To lead and to win the war on terror, we must move away from the arrogance of power that has sometimes characterized our foreign policy these past few years, reinvigorate our diplomacy, and rebuild our international coalitions.

Ken, you said that before. The Dems keep claiming "arrogance of power". It.Is.Not. Arrogance.Of.Power. It is concern about sovereignty and our national well-being.

Cross Posted at Salazar v. Coors