Congratulations Saxby!

Under reported for whatever reasons, Saxby Chambliss won the runoff election against challenger Jim Martin in Georgia yesterday to retain his Senate seat and prevent the Democrats from owning a filibuster proof Senate. Although the Obama campaign pumped in millions of dollars and kept their Georgia field offices open to support Martin, the extra campaigning that Sarah Palin and John McCain did for Chambliss paid off as he won handily 57% to 42%. Hopefully the Democrats occupying less than 60 Senate seats will help to preserve the checks and balances intended by our founding fathers.

Congratulations Saxby and Good Luck, you'll need it!

Internet Political Censorship Woes

It came as little surprise the other day when I read the article by Chelsea Schilling featured on World Net Daily regarding the censorship by Google of the conservative blog Atlas Shrugs for anti-Obama articles according to it's publisher, Pamela Geller. Daily hits to the website have dropped from as high as 45,000 per day to less than a hundred after Geller featured a story about a certified forensic expert claiming the Barack Obama Certification of Live Birth posted on Daily Kos and other sites a forgery and an obvious fake. Why would that comes as any surprise as Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, prepares to leave the internet giant to assume a position in the Obama cabinet?

I've noticed this political censorship occurring on a much smaller scale during the last several months. I noticed as far back as September that articles I posted that were not favorable toward Obama appeared quickly in top 10 searches but several days later completely disappeared, but yet when I wrote an article during the same time frame about a 1972 Harley shovelhead formerly owned by David Lee Roth of Van Halen fame, the article still appears high on search lists. Many articles that I wrote painting either John McCain or Sarah Palin in a positive light never appeared in the search engines at all.

I've also noticed similar occurrences on sites owned by Google such as YouTube and Blogger. Videos on YouTube that even hinted about Obama's Muslim heritage often disappeared after only a few views. As late as this date, when clicking on Leo Donofrio's blog, Natural Born Citizen, one receives the following warning: "Possible Blogger Terms of Service Violations". I searched the site rather carefully and could find nothing offensive or in violation of Bloggers' Terms of Service.

Almost comedically, Google's partisanship shines through when searching the word "idiot", a YouTube video declaring, "Is Bush an idiot?" displays at number 4 and when searching the word "messiah", "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" rings in at number four on the list. We all realize that the Google censorship team consists of a group of 20-something geeks in cubicles but please try to be a little more center of left. I always thought that liberals despised censorship.

Google, you've done a great job throughout your short but highly successful history so don't let politics become the monkey on your back. Please keep the censors busy scrubbing kiddy porn while the internet remains a free applicable place for debate on American politics.

Pepsi Pepper Palin

I'm surprised that no soft drink manufacturer has recruited Sarah Palin to plug their product, due to her huge advocacy of the industry. During an October big ticket fund raiser in Naples, she declared, "We will win Florida. I'll betcha a Pepsi!" Unfortunately she now owes those $10,000 a plate attendees a Pepsi but what a wonderful promotion of the product. Last week I watched on network television as yet another interviewer grilled her mercilessly over the campaign wardrobe expenditures. She exclaimed, "I never asked for anything from the campaign other than maybe a Diet Dr. Pepper!" for another great large audience plug.

I hope that we will soon see commercials of Ms. Palin promoting one of these products much as Bob Dole advertised for Viagra after his election loss. Hopefully Pepsi-Cola Co. and Dr. Pepper Co. are now in a bidding war to receive her endorsement. Unless of course, Budweiser is seeking her support for their "Joe 6-Pack" campaign. Good luck Sarah! I hope you make millions!

Sarah Palin Visits Fort Myers

My wife and I had a wonderful opportunity today to attend a Republican campaign rally featuring Sarah Palin. Approximately 9,000 people jammed into Germain Arena in Fort Myers, Florida to see the vice presidential hopeful. Palin attended two private fundraisers in Naples earlier in the day before motoring north to the packed stadium. Escorted by Florida heavyweights, Charlie Christ and Mel Martinez, Palin arrived to thunderous applause and a very warm welcome.

I heard nothing overly profound today from Palin's lips. She shows a deep, genuine respect for men and women in uniform and understands the difficulties they face. She addressed the energy crisis and affirmed McCain's stance on developing more renewable resources. Palin also focused on the phony Obama tax cut claim and how impossible it seems with his $1 trillion increase in spending. She also stressed the relationship between Barack Obama and domestic terrorist and 60's radical, Bill Ayers. I've often wondered why the McCain camp has not played that up a bit more. It's a very disturbing fact. Unless I missed it, I did not hear much about the current financial crisis. Maybe that's too depressing to mention during a high energy positive rally.

Apparently, Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott garnered all the controversy by mentioning McCain's opponent's full name, Barack Hussein Obama, during his speech at the rally. By the time I made it home, Scott's address had already received national notoriety. I'm not really sure why Obama's middle name is off limits. I guess because the Hussein name is a clear indication of Muslim heritage. I would think the McCain camp would want to exploit that.

Overall, I'd say it was worth the 1/2 mile hike from the neighboring Miromar Outlet parking lot and the two hour wait in the blistering Florida sun to get inside. Way to go Sarah! Have a safe trip to your next destination.

Please enjoy my amateur video clip of a portion of this event.

Smear the Queer

I remember, as a third-grader during the late 60's, playing "Smear the Queer", a game in which participants attempted to tackle or "smear" the ball handler or "queer". While in possession of the ball, you either succumbed to the tackling or threw the ball to another who would catch it and then become the new "queer". I don't know whether the game is still played by youths but I'm certain, if it is, that the politically incorrect name has been changed.

The political arena now serves as the new venue for the smear game. Apparently, whoever possesses that ball and runs strong becomes the victim of attack by all other participants. For most of this election season, it appears that Barack Obama has possessed the ball the longest. Hillary started the Obama smear by having us question his patriotism, his citizenship, his credentials and his religion.

At times, John McCain's taken the ball from Obama and become the victim. We've heard of his illegitimate black child and that he's milking the story of five years captivity in a Hanoi prison. Jimmy Carter, I thought you had more class than that!

But Mr. Obama retrieved the ball back from McCain for another round of Muslim bashing before handing it to the newcomer, Sarah Palin. We've heard her Down syndrome son is actually her daughter's. We've heard she's involved with the Alaska Independence Party. We've heard democrats calling her "white trash". Sarah, you've taken enough abuse. Please throw the ball to Joe!

VP Smackdown

Stammering Sarah stayed home tonight and Pitbull Palin showed up, proving to be a formidable opponent in tonight's debate. Palin performed extremely well considering that when Joe Biden debated his first political opponent in 1972, she was a seven year old in Wasilla. The small town charm shined through even during the introductions as Palin said, "It's nice to meet you. Can I call you Joe?", which also showed a much greater respect for Senator Biden than Barack Obama dislayed for Senator McCain during last week's debate.

Gwen Ifill at least appeared nonpartisan as she moderated the debate. Although Palin's knowledge and experience on legislative policy and foreign experience pales in comparison to Biden's, she held her own and delivered direct answers without any of the circular reasoning we've seen in recent interviews. Unknowingly, Katie Couric served as the stone that sharpened Sarah's axe.

During the first round of questioning, Palin sounded like any middle class mom you'd see on the streets or at youth sporting events in middle America. She blamed the current financial crisis on greed and corruption on Wall Street while Joe Biden blamed it on George Bush. She stressed the fact that Obama has always voted along party lines and never truly reached across the aisle to either persuade or agree with Republicans. She also noted that Obama, who always voted for higher taxes, seems to have recently converted to a different philosophy of tax cuts. Biden continued to blame Bush and McCain for all of the current trouble.

Ifill turned the questioning toward why would the Democrats raise taxes on people making over $250,00 a year and why would Republicans tax health benefits? Both candidates handled this topic well although Biden held the upper hand stating that the higher taxes were not a redistribution of wealth but that the middle class is the economic engine of America.

The next question dealt with what campaign promises cannot be kept with the financial demands of the Wall Street bailout? Biden admittted that spending would need to be reduced, especially in the area of foreign aid and said that McCain's tax cuts could not be implemented. I'm not sure what he meant by that because if Obama becomes president, it would be his tax plan that would be proposed. Sarah Palin insisted that McCain would be able to keep all of the promises that were conveyed in his plan.

During this point in the debate, Palin's confidence level grew and her replies became her agenda rather than the moderator's. She turned a line of questioning about bankruptcy law into a talk about energy and during another time asked Ifill, "Could we talk more about Afghanistan?"

Both candidates agreed on the definition of marriage being a union between one man and one woman but still believed in allowing civil rights to homosexual couples. They also agreed on protecting the state of Israel and military intervention in Darfur. They differed considerably on the cause of global warming, the exit strategy for Iraq, and diplomacy with enemies.

Palin addressed the fact that Biden has stated that Obama is not ready to be commander-in-chief, an opinion also carried by both Palin and McCain, as well as most Americans. Palin refused to stumble over Achminijad's name like McCain did last week. She was so proud of the proper pronounciation that she said the name at least five times but she mistakenly claimed our general in Afghanistan is McClellen when his name is McKiernan.

All in all, both candidates handled the debate extremely well. Palin asserted herself as confident and informed and Biden toned down the rhetoric and acted the complete gentleman. No real gaffes slipped from either's mouth. The match stayed close all night but with Sarah Palin as the underdog going in, we have to give her the win, 10 to 7. Looks like the race is back on!

VP Debate Anticipation

Although the second card of the fight and not the main event, the vice presidential debate may prove a bigger draw. Predictability surrounded the McCain-Obama debate. The skilled rhetorical orator versus the seasoned combat veteran left little to speculation. But a lot of uncertainty surrounds the matchup between Pitbull Palin and Bigmouth Biden. Will Sarah Palin hold her ground and not stammer as she did in an interview with a less intimidating Katie Couric? Palin may offer a surprise punch since few outside of Alaska realize her debating skill. Will the more experienced Biden, whose first political debate occured while Palin was in second grade, tone himself down enough to not come across as condescending and rude? All bets are off for this one folks. Tomorrow night's matchup should prove to be very entertaining.

Political Chess

Check but not Checkmate

John McCain proved again yesterday, regardless of intent or motivation, that he shines as the political campaign's master strategist. McCain suspended his campaign, including advertising to travel back to Washington to work with legislature in approving a plan to avert the current financial crisis. Additionally, he asked the Obama campaign to do the same and work toward a nonpartisan solution.

Senator McCain, we respect your intent and understand that you place the integrity of the country's economy before your own political ambition, but by brilliantly moving first, you've placed Senator Obama in a no win situation. Mr. Obama may either choose to agree with your plan and show himself the follower rather than the leader or stand firm as he's chosen and insist that the debate on Friday continue even if he shows as the only participant. By following this path, Senator Obama appears to the public a selfish, immature, whiny baby driven by personal blind ambition and concerned little with the welfare of fellow Americans.

Thank you, Senator McCain for caring more about maintaining America's economy than winning an election. Suspending advertising shouldn't affect momentum because with your bold move, the media spotlight will certainly follow you to Washington.

Senator Obama, please dismount your high horse and travel back to Washington. Our country faces the worst economic crisis it's seen in over 70 years and could use your help. Prove to America that you sincerely are the nonpartisan, change-minded problem solver that you claim. If elected; you'll inherit this crisis, don't you want to be part of the solution?

Senator McCain, if Obama inisists that Friday's debate continues, send Sarah Palin, the Barracuda, as your surrogate. She would serve as a very fine stand-in. Personally solve the big problems and delegate the trivialities. Possibly you could then declare, "Checkmate"!

New Alaska License Plate

I found it impossible to resist the temptation of placing an image of this new license plate on my blog. I received it this morning in an email from a good friend living in Alaska. He also bragged about the fact that this year each Alaskan received a check for $3200 from the state government in shared excess state revenue.

That sounds quite different from the policy in the lower 48!

Less of the Same

How many times have we listened to Barack Obama's recitation, "John McCain is another 4 years of George Bush. It's just more of the same." I don't understand the mantra. In the Republican party, fewer members differ on issues as greatly as McCain and Bush. Yes, they are both pro-life and believe in less big government but on other issues, there are considerable differences. McCain supports embrionic stem cell research, Bush does not. There views are also quite different on illegal immigration, taxes, government spending, treatment of native Americans and gun control. Seems like less of the same to me. Throw Sarah Palin into the mix and the differences increase.

When Senator McCain announced Sarah Palin, a Washington outsider, as his running mate, the repsonse from the Obama camp was, “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies — that’s not the change we need, it’s just more of the same,” quipped Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.

Zero Foreign Policy Experience?

Exactly where did Senator Obama receive his foreign policy experience? I can't see where he has any more than zero. And it seems to me, that as governor of a state that borders two countries, Russia and Canada, Governor Palin must utilize a fair amount of diplomacy.

How do Sarah Palin's views on big issues differ from both Bush and John McCain?

On Abortion:

Palin probably feels more strongly about overturning Roe vs. Wade than either Bush or McCain. McCain appears somewhat ambiguous on the issue. He feels that the supreme court ruling should be made irrelevant but not repealed. Obama is certainly the least compassionate candidate on abortion. In the senate, he supported both partial birth and live birth abortions. Personally, I don't see how a baby born from a botched abortion could be left in a room to die and that not be considered murder.

On the Agenda of Big Oil
An oil man himself, George Bush certainly supports the agenda of big oil. But does Sarah Palin? Her serving as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission led to the resignation of both Randy Reudrich, head of the Alaskan Republican Party, and former Alaska attorney general, Greg Renkes. from the commission due to conflicts of interest in both cases. Sarah Palin shows no fear of either corruption in her own party or big oil. That's a very big case of "less of the same". John McCain seems to favor advancements in nuclear power technology rather than catering to big oil. Additional investment in solar and wind turbine technologies also rank high on his priority list, unlike President Bush.

Failed Economic Policies
Both John McCain and Sarah Palin seem more reminiscent of Ronald Reagan than George Bush in this arena. McCain learned many lessons in economic policy from President Reagan and his staff during his early years in office and seems to carry that knowledge forward. Both McCain and Palin vow to veto bills laden with "pork barrel" spending and distribute excesses to the citizens. Palin has already done this in Alaska with excess revenue from oil and gas taxes.

In my opinion, I don't see any of this as "more of the same"! Both candidates, Obama and McCain propose change, and I believe regardless of who is elected, change is what will see. Keep in mind though, that change is not always good.

When Joe Biden enters the picture, I see quite a bit of "more of the same". Do we need more of the same rhetoric, wasteful spending, higher taxes, big government, liberalism, and erosion of the country's moral fabric? I view the mentor/student relationship between McCain and Palin as perfectly normal but with Biden coaching Obama, don't we get another four years of Cheney and Bush?

Sarah Palin - Political Action Figure

Faster than a speeding snowmobile, more powerful than a Washington lobbyist, able to leap bridges to nowhere in a single bound, it's the Sarah Palin political action figure, available from Hero Builders. By day she battles archenemy Barack Hussein Obama, a Muslim turned Christian turned New Ager and self proclaimed saviour of the world and at night she nurtures 5 lovely children, one with special needs and another recently deployed to fight evil himself. Able to fly under her own power, she had little need for a government jet so listed it on Ebay. Supporters refer to her as pit bull or barracuda but rivals diminish that to pretty pig and smelly fish. The former beauty queen turned gladiator draws strength from quality inner character and strong family values while her nemesis derives power from poison words. We hope to see her soon in the White House, serving as vice president where current President Bush told her, "It's a great job, you get to tell the president what to do."

Also available from Hero Builders is the Barack Obama Pez dispenser. His mouth moves and sweet things fly out. They taste really great and are highly addictive but deeep down inside, we know they're bad for us.

Lipstick on a Pig: Where's the Pork?

"You can put lipstick on a pig," Obama said as the crowd cheered. "It's still a pig."
"You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still gonna stink."
"We've had enough of the same old thing."

Barack Obama's sexist faux pas may cost him an election. Whether or not he aimed that double barreled shot gun at Sarah Palin, his crowd certainly understood it that way. And if unintentional, is Obama not astute enough to cover the misunderstanding? Of course he meant it as a dig on Palin. Maybe it's alright in Indonesia to call a woman a pig or remark that she smells like a fish but my Momma said it's not o.k. in the good ole U.S. of A.

I believe the reactor fueling the democratic national campaign malfunctioned and is now suffering from meltdown. I'm certain the democratic strategists devised a plan to counteract two Washington "good ole boys" like John McCain and anyone else but they've lost their marbles in attempting to overcome the popularity of Sarah Palin. Within 48 hours, we heard the pig and fish comments from Obama, Carol Fowler's comment that McCain chose a running mate "whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn’t had an abortion” and possibly the most insane from Tennessee Rep Steve Cohen, “Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor.” How many voters were alienated during those two days?

The democrats recent attacks also focus on earmark funding, or "pork barrel" spending. Keep in mind that mayors and governors approve none of these funds, they are approved by Congress. Barack Obama and Joe Biden both voted to approve the Ketchikan Bridge, or "bridge to nowhere" defeating a motion proposed by Senator Tom Coburn to shift those funds to Hurricane Katrina relief. For the record, John McCain has never, in 28 years in office, supported earmark funding and proposes to abolish it if elected. Last year, Obama requested $311 million in earmark funds and Biden $120 million for their respective constituenticies, Illinois and Delaware. McCain has voted 0% of the time to approve earmark spending, opposed to Obama's 90% approval of pork barrel spending and astonishingly, Joe Biden has supported wasteful spending 100% of the time during his 35 years in office!

So, let me ask these questions:

Who's the pig?

Where's the pork?

Who smells fishy?

Palin's Popularity Propels McCain Past Obama

Admittedly, when I first heard of John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, the words "McCain's a moron!" foolishly blurted out of my mouth. Why choose a relatively unknown governor from a remote state when there were so many better choices? Now I must face the facts and realize that I'm the moron!

I now believe that McCain's selection will possibly prove to be one of the best strategically calculated moves in political history. This morning's recently released Gallup poll shows McCain with a 48% - 45% lead over Barack Obama and the first lead since the campaign began. And now that I've eaten crow, who better than Sarah Palin could serve as John McCain's running mate. It certainly doesn't take long to realize that in spite of her short career, Sarah Palin stands as a woman and politician of action. A newcomer who fights corruption in her own party sports larger kahunas than most men in office. With her selection, McCain aligns with Christian fundamentalists that could not have supported a Mormon in Mitt Romney on the ticket or a supporter of gay rights and abortion like Rudy Giuliani, yet still maintains ties with moderates and suburban women in a way that Mike Huckabee could not have accomplished. Regardless of the outcome of Presidential Election 2008, Sarah Palin, at only 44 years of age, faces a possible political career spanning another 30 years or more. Beware liberals - the Barracuda's been unleashed! God bless you Sarah Palin!