Good News for Americans Is More Bad News for Dems

There is good news for Americans about the economy in 2006.

Check out the article entitled "2006 Economy Looks Solid" by Mark Trumbull, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

"A fifth straight year of economic expansion in 2006 promises to mean new jobs, higher pay, and maybe even fatter investment portfolios for millions of Americans."

Read the full article here.

Could it be that George Bush's economic policy is working? I wonder how the "Bad News Dems" will spin this one?

Bad News For Dems

Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters weighed in today on the attack on George Bush by Howard Dean, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi over the New York Times NSA story. (See my previous post The Gift That Keeps on Giving) He points to a Rasmussen Reports survey that spells bad news for the Dems:

"Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans believe the National Security Agency (NSA) should be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States...23% disagree."

The breakdown of the survey is even more illuminating.

51% of Dems and 57% of independents approve of the NSA program while 81% of Republicans approve.

The Captain concludes:

"Bush has a solid mandate to continue using all the tools at his disposal to protect the nation...I think we can expect to see the end of this particular line of attack."

Read the post by Captain Ed titled "Dems Pick Another Winner" here. Michelle Malkin is also reporting on this today in her post titled "Sorry, New York Times: America is OK with NSA".

It will be fun to watch the Dem backpedaling. The question will be: Can they backpedal fast enough to save the 2006 election?

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Paul Mirengoff of Powerline has hit the nail on the head again in his post titled The New York Times to The Rescue concerning the most recent assault of 'The Old Grey Lady' on President Bush.

"By breaking and emphasizing the story of Bush's efforts to spy on terrorists, The New York Times and the liberal congressional Democrats have reinforced the first image of Bush (the leader who responded so vigorously to 9/11) just as it was beginning to fade from public consciousness."

The 'New York Times created uproar' is about the National Security Agency program of spying on terrorists without a court order if, for example, a terrorist in a foreign country calls a suspected terrorist in the USA.

Many Dems have gladly jumped on the 'Bush is Bad' bandwagon droning that Bush spied without a court order. Some Dems on the fringe in Congress are even calling for or hinting about impeachment. Never mind that many reputable legal authorities say that such spying is perfectly legal and has been done before by Dem Presidents.

Paul's point is that inadvertently, the paper (and the Dems) have reinforced the public image of the President as the 'defender of the country' post 9-11. Why would you not spy on bad guys - duh? Common Sense 101.

However, Bush, as 'defender of the country', is the main reason I voted for President Bush in 2004 as did a record number of other Americans. In fact, more than 3,000,000 more voted for George W. Bush than the other candidate - John 'US Troops Are Terrorists' Kerry.

I still shudder when I think about John Kerry or anyone like him as President.

Where am I going here? In New York Times and liberal Dem 'think', the NSA would hang up on a phone or cell phone conversation if Osama called a bad guy in America and then rush off to a court to get permission to seize an opportunity that had already passed. Absurd.

When Americans think this issue through, I agree with Paul and believe a vast majority will also see the absurdity and support the President once again. Hillary, are you listening?

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Where Do You Stand on Jesus?

Where do you stand on Christmas this year, or the Christmas tree; or the manger? But even more important, where do you stand on Jesus?

I have been disturbed at the apparent increased attempt in our culture this year to minimize Christmas as a holiday or to push Jesus, Christmas and Bible believing Christians back into church buildings and out of the public square.

On the other hand, I have been encouraged at the "push back" by Christians who are demanding their rights in the public square to proclaim both their belief in Jesus and the importance of celebrating His birth in the true spirit of Christmas.

After thinking about these things, I did a Yahoo Search on "Christmas without Jesus" and found the following article in the Pontiac, IL Daily Leader titled "Pastoral Perspective: Is there room for Christ this Christmas?" by Rev. Brian Bill/Senior Pastor/Pontiac Bible Church. Rev Bill's article is excellent and I'd like to share it as my Christmas gift to you.

The article leads us to consider the true meaning of Christmas and calls us to make a decision on how we stand on Jesus. I especially like the ending:

"I urge you to attend a church service tonight and tomorrow morning. Enjoy opening your presents but also take time to go to church to be reminded of the Greatest Gift of all. And make sure you receive what He wants to give you. Do you have room for Him?

You can read the complete article here.*

I stand for Jesus and I hope you do too.

Merry Christmas!!!


*Rev. Bill has a blog, Blogging with Pastor Brian

What's Good For The Goose Isn't Good For The Gander

Drudge's eye-opening report on two Dem Presidents:

"FLASHBACK: CLINTON, CARTER SEARCH 'N SURVEILLANCE WITHOUT COURT ORDER"

Read the full report on this here.

Question: If Dem President's can authorize secret searches and electronic surveillance without a court order during peace time, why are Dems so outraged now at Bush's intelligence gathering program during war time?

Hmmm, could it be to gain political advantage?

Judge The President Based On The Truth

If you only read the headlines about the program authorizing the interception of international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations, you get the idea that the President has authorized a broad program of spying on Americans.

The fact is that the program is very limited and only affects communications initiated oversees to Americans with links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations.

Take a look at these misleading and slanted headlines:

Bush Defends Domestic Spying - AP story on CBS.com

Bush Defends Secret Spying in the U.S. - AP Story on Yahoo

Bush Vigorously Defends Domestic Spying - AP Story on Yahoo

The truth about the program can be found in sections of a transcript of the President's press conference on the White House site.

The President:

"...consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, I authorized the interception of international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations...

...Leaders in the United States Congress have been briefed more than a dozen times on this program...

...This program is limited in nature to those that are known al Qaeda ties and/or affiliates...

...it's a program that's limited...these calls are not intercepted within the country. They are from outside the country to in the country, or vice versa... -- if you're calling from Houston to L.A., that call is not monitored..."

Read the full transcript of the press conference here.

I pray and hope that more people will look beyond the headlines in the news and judge the President and his policies based on truth.

'God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men.'

The President gave a prime time address to the nation tonight on Iraq. He made a plea for national unity on the war effort and argued that victory is essential.

His tone was non-confrontational, but it was resolute. There is no doubt that he believes that his decision to invade Iraq was the right one - and that his critics are wrong and are using the war for political advantage.

"Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: Not only can we win the war in Iraq - we are winning the war in Iraq."

The end of the President's address was powerful and moving.

"I know that some of my decisions have led to terrible loss - and not one of those decisions has been taken lightly. I know this war is controversial - yet being your President requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the consequences. And I have never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens, and will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.

Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home - in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other dangerous places. Our Nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: 'God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men.'

Thank you, and good night."

Read the transcript of the address here.

Let's Stop Playing Games That Threaten The Survival of Our Nation

The same familiar faces and voices are at crying out again over the latest New York Times "revelations" about the "mean old" Bush administration.

This time the uproar is over a "special collection program" of international communications between those outside the USA and those in the USA without the normal court order by the National Security Agency. This program was authorized by the President after the Sept. 11 attacks. The agency still gets court orders to monitor entirely domestic communications.

Michelle Malkin has compiled much information on the program and the uproar about it which you can read here.

I am sure you can find lawyers on both side of the legal fence of this issue.

However, I agree with a statement made by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, who was speaking in general terms about the need to gather intelligence:

"Well, let me just say winning the war on terror requires winning the war of information. We are dealing with a very dangerous, very patient, very diabolical enemy who wants to harm America, and in order to be effective in dealing with this enemy, we need to have information."

Read the full story on CNN.com which includes Gonzalez's statement here.

It's a familiar sick game being played, with a twist: damned if you don't, damned if you do.

Right after 9-11, the President was blamed for not having enough good intelligence to prevent the attacks, now he's being blamed for getting too much intelligence which has undoubtedly prevented more attacks.

Let's hope Americans get wise to this game and throw those out of office - both Republican and Democrat, who are playing it. The survival of our nation depends on it.

Former Top Israel General Says Iraq WMDs Moved

"He (Saddam) transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria...No one went to Syria to find it." - Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon.

General Yaalon, now retired, was Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Force From July 2002 to June 2005.

Read the New York Sun story about this here.

Iraq Election A Success

The election in Iraq today was a success by almost any measure.

Turnout was estimated at 70% with 11 million of 15 million registered voters taking part. Read the AP story about this here.

Pajamas Media has an excellent "blogs eye" summary that includes links to blogs and other media reporting on the election. Read their post here.

It's a dark day for Howard Dean, John Kerry and Dick Durbin.

The Holocaust Happened

The President of Iran made an incredible statement about the Holocaust:

"They have fabricated a legend under the name 'Massacre of the Jews', and they hold it higher than God himself, religion itself and the prophets themselves..."

Read the full story here.

It is more incredible that many also believe that the Holocaust never happened.

Even if I hadn't read numerous accounts of the Holocaust or seen the pictures of the atrocities, I would have no doubt that it occurred.

My father was in the U.S. Army during World War 2 in Europe. He was an officer in a medical battalion. We often visited about World War II and after he and my Mom died, I read many of the letters he had sent home and I looked at pictures that he had taken.

He had no doubt that the Holocaust happened because he had seen the evidence. Near the end of the war, his division liberated the Jews in one of the death camps.

I believe that the Holocaust happened because of my Father. That is enough for me.

Poll - "Surprising Levels of Optimism Prevail in Iraq"

Apparently people in Iraq have not been paying attention to the Dem "Defeatocrats" about conditions in Iraq (See my post titled Dems: Retreat and Defeat).

Even the liberal MSM didn't expect the results that were found in a poll in Iraq that was conducted by ABC News with Time Magazine and other members of the MSM. ABC reported:

"Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high...seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead."

Read the full story here.

It looks like the President's plan for Iraq is right on track and his own poll numbers should continue to rise as the news of the positive mood in Iraq spreads.

A Review of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Our family went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe today. It is a great movie that will become a blockbuster.

Since I had never read the story by C.S. Lewis it was all new and fresh to me. The plot was exciting; the characters - both human and non-human were engaging; and the cinematography was breathtaking.

Lewis created an almost perfect allegory of the Gospel story that serious Christians will identify quickly. Aslan the Lion came across clearly as the Jesus figure. He freely gave his life to save the life of Edmund, one of the children in the story who had betrayed his brothers and sisters.

In the dramatic ending battle scene, Aslan comes back to life to lead the forces of good to victory over the witch and the forces of evil.

Now I want to read the book and see the movie again.

Read more reviews of this movie at Radio Blogger here.


This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

The Stores That Sold Out Christmas

If you would like to see a list of stores that have taken a stand on Christmas - pro or con, check out the list at BillOreilly.com by clicking here .

A note - I went into Best Buy yesterday and didn't see anything about Christmas. They are not on Bill's list either way. I called the home office to complain and just got PC talk.

Merry Christmas!!!

Dems: Retreat and Defeat

The Republican National Committee released a new web ad: Democrats: Retreat and Defeat on Iraq. Read about it in a Powerline post entitled Defeatocrats.

How about these "white flag waving" quotes from top Dems?

Howard Dean:

"The idea that we're going to win this war is an idea that unfortunately is just plain wrong." (San Antonio's WOAI's Website, www.woai.com, Accessed 12/5/05)

Barbara Boxer:

"So there's no specific timeframe but I would say the withdrawal ought to start now, right after the elections December 15th." (Fox News, Fox News Sunday, 12/4/05)

John Kerry:

"There is no reason Bob that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night terrorizing kids and children, you know, women." (CBS, Face The Nation, 12/4/05)

Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters sums up the dilemma of the Dems best in his post titled Hoist Upon Their Own Petard.

"The irony for the Democrats is that they have relied so heavily on making George Bush the focus of their electoral strategy that literally any good news from Iraq now completely discredits them."


Also, check out a great picture of Howard Dean in a post by Michelle Malkin titled True Colors.

Bias in the Media Coverage of Murtha vs Lieberman?

Kathleen Parker, in her column today titled All The News That's Fit to Ignore exposes the liberal bias in the news by comparing the unequal coverage of Congressman "Withdraw from Iraq" Murtha and Senator Joe "Stand Fast" Lieberman.

I like her opening line:

"Murtha, Murtha, Murtha, Murtha, Murtha, Murtha, (Lieberman), Murtha, Murtha, Murtha."

Read my recent post titled Joe Lieberman - "America can't abandon 27 million Iraqis to 10,000 terrorists" here on the Senator's excellent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

Where Is The Understanding For Christians?

Drudge is reporting that a girl in the UK was sent home from school for wearing a cross. In today's anti-Christian world, not too surprising.

However, in the same school, Sikh males have been given a pass for wearing the Kara, a religious symbol of their faith.

What caught my eye in the article was the rationalization given by Sinfin, UK Community School deputy head teacher, Howard Jones for sending the Christian girl home for wearing a cross while allowing the Kara to be worn by Sikh males:

"As a Christian I don't have to wear a crucifix but Sikhs don't have that option and we have to be understanding. We live in a multi-faith society." (emphasis added)

Amazing! Where is the understanding for Christians?

Read the full story from the Drudge Report here.

Special Tree?

There is much talk these days about the frontal attack on Christmas in all forms. The wild eyed libs led by the ACLU have intimidated cities and towns to rename "Christmas" trees as "Holiday" trees, school boards to replace "Christmas" Carols with "Holiday" songs like Frosty The Snowman, and stores to replace advertising and even greetings to their customers from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays".

My wife and I are fighting back. We are not going to buy presents this year from stores who have shucked Christmas. We even made a recent decision to buy a new washer based on store loyalty to "Christmas".

But then I got thinking. If the Christmas naysayers have their way and blot out Christmas from the public square, they will surely turn elsewhere in their crusade against God. Like the dog chasing it's own tail, the anti-Christmas grinches may turn on the word "Holiday" itself.

Just consider this. Where does the word come from and what does it mean?

I found the following explanation of the origination of the word "Holiday" at Reference.com. Holiday is: "...Based on the English words holy and day, holidays originally represented special days of the Christian Church calendar." (emphasis added)

Surely the ACLU will eventually figure this out and an attack on the "Holiday Tree" and everything else "Holiday" will start with the same gusto as the attack on "Christmas". "Holiday", i.e. Holy Day, will have to go.

Special Tree? Special Song? Happy Special Days?


This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Bush's Poll Numbers Up

The President's job approval rating has increased from 36 percent earlier this month to 42 percent today according to a FOX News poll. Read the story about this here.

It appears that the President's message on Iraq is getting out.

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq

"The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people. Yet, we will ensure that one brutal dictator is not replaced by another. All Iraqis must have a voice in the new government, and all citizens must have their rights protected.

Rebuilding Iraq will require a sustained commitment from many nations, including our own: we will remain in Iraq as long as necessary, and not a day more."

President George W. Bush
February 26, 2003

Read the complete "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" on the White House website here.