Mrs. Clinton and the 22nd Amendment....

It sure will feel like 3 terms of Clinton if Mrs. Clinton is elected. The more she touts the 8 years as First Lady as "experience", the more the public perceives her as the extension of her husband she really is. Had she left Bill, and struck out on her own, she might be coming across as more honest and legitimate, however less formidable a candidate she might then be sans Bill. The ultra left Huffington Report ran an interesting piece today by Stephen Kaus which concludes:

....The more Hillary tries to use Bill's presidency as experience, the more we feel like it is the same old, same old and the closer it approaches the 22nd Amendment situation, as Ann Althouse points out at the end of this clip. The idea that we have had enough of the Clintons and the Bushes is deeply rooted in our feelings about government. If Hillary had left Bill and were striking out on her own, we would feel less this way, but that is not what she is doing. She is campaigning for a third term while invoking executive privilege as to what she did during the first two.

It is now apparent that Hillary will have trouble surviving this and being nominated Ironically, if she does, the Republicans, the party that has been in almost total power for the past eight years, will have landed jelly side up. Hillary will seem like the continuation of the same old, same old and the GOP will have a fresh face unfettered by the ghost of administrations past.

Source: Huffington Report

The Great Christmas Night Raid: 1776

“My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than could be reasonably expected, but your country is at stake … The present is emphatically the crisis which is to decide our destiny.”
Gen. George Washington in an appeal to his troops following the surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776

A must read is this article by W. Thomas Smith Jr. about the "special operation" that changed the course of history and turned the war in favor of the continentals 230 years ago. Excerpts:

Continental Army General George Washington’s celebrated “Crossing of the Delaware” has been dubbed in some military circles, “America’s first special operation.” Though there were certainly many small-unit actions, raids, and Ranger operations during the Colonial Wars – and there was a special Marine landing in Nassau in the early months of the American Revolution – no special mission by America’s first army has been more heralded than that which took place on Christmas night exactly 230 years ago........The factors in Washington’s favor were clear: The weather was so bad that no one believed the Continentals would attempt a river crossing followed by a forced march, much less at night. The Continentals were numerically – and perceived to be qualitatively – inferior to the British Army. The Hessians, mercenaries allied to the British and who were garrisoned in Trenton, had a battlefield reputation that far exceeded their actual combat prowess. And no one believed the weary Americans would want to attempt anything with anyone on Christmas.

Here is an illustrated account of the Battle of Trenton from the BritishBattles.com website.



Listen to an excerpt from the stirring conclusion to David McCullough's "1776" read by the author. Here he tells of the perilous crossing of the Delaware and the victory over the Hessians at Trenton. Battle of Trenton MP3 35:00

There Must Be a Santa Claus....

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Hillary Clinton predicted Saturday that just electing her President will cut the price of oil.

When the world hears her commitment at her inauguration about ending American dependence on foreign fuel, Clinton says, oil-pumping countries will lower prices to stifle America's incentive to develop alternative energy.

"I predict to you, the oil-producing countries will drop the price of oil," Clinton said, speaking at the Manchester YWCA."

Source: Daily News (NY)

Folks, if you can believe this you will certainly believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy! Further proof that a Clinton will say anything to get elected.

Mrs. Clinton Presents: PRESENTS

The "present" you're going to get from Mrs. Bill Clinton is SOCIALISM folks! That plus your bonus "president/present"; "Slick Willie's" third term. It's really all about Bill and not about her. So let's face facts here. It will be a co-presidency. Hell, according to one reading of the statutes der Schlickmeister could be elected Vice-President , although without the legal ability of succession to the Presidency.So here is what you get with Mrs. Clinton:
1 - Universal Health Care (socialized medicine). Oh, and universal does not mean FREE; Someone's got to pay for it.
2 - Alternative Energy. This a pipe dream and is years away from actuality. We need to be recovering our own plentiful resources of fossil fuels which are going to be the main fuels for years to come.
3 - Bring the Troops Home. This is not going to happen in any full scale manner in the next administration, no matter who is elected. She know this and has stated this.
4 - Universal Pre-K: (more socialism); again, universal does not mean FREE.

Oh, and what about her socialist scheme to cripple our oil industry. Remember the "We'll take those profits" speech?

I've put up a little poll on one of my blogs, so go here and cast your ballot. Sorry, only 2 choices in this one! OK, if you really need to choose someone other than those 2 you can email me your pick.

VFF's Person of Year: David Petraeus

General David Petraeus, who earlier this year made complete fools of his inquisitors in Congress, is Vets For Freedom organization "Person of the Year". The amazing success of the troop surge under his leadership has even the blatantly liberal Washington Post taking notice. (". It’s looking more and more as though those in and outside of Congress who last month were assailing Gen. Petraeus’s credibility and insisting that there was no letup in Iraq’s bloodshed were - to put it simply - wrong.")

See Steady Habits (9/15/07) and Washington Post (12/8/07)

General Petraeus was also one of several runners-up in Time magazine's annual assessment of the most influential personages world wide, settling on V. Putin for the top spot. The VFF blog comments...

"Time magazine .... announced its pick for “man of the year” yet, but we certainly know ours: Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multinational force in Iraq and architect of the surge strategy that is turning the tide in the war. Petraeus formulated a brilliant counterinsurgency plan. He executed it with care and diligence. And when much of the country didn’t want to notice the security gains that the surge had wrought, he took the national media spotlight to defend his strategy and his honor. In all this, he was nothing less than masterly."

Santa Groped in Danbury + No HO's

A woman on crutches is alleged to have groped Old St. Nick while sitting upon his lap at the Danbury Mall. How one inappropriately touches a heavily dressed Santa while sitting on the bearded one's lap needs some explanation from the authorities who have arrested the miscreant, one Sandrama Lamy who police said:

....inappropriately touched a 65-year-old worker dressed as Santa on Saturday while sitting on his lap, police said. She is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and breach of peace, both misdemeanors.

Source: Hartford Courant (12/17/07)
The accused has rejoined in an update that:

...(she)denies she even sat on the man's lap.

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know if he was confused, it was a false report," Sandrama Lamy, 33, said this morning.

In other Santa woes:

Earlier this month in Missoula, Mont., a mall Santa was assaulted with a pumpkin pie.

Meanwhile, a department store Santa in Australia claims he lost his job earlier this month because he said "Ho, ho, ho."

His bosses had asked him to say "Hi, hi, hi."

Another funny account at Right Pundit

Joe Lieberman to Endorse John McCain

Breaking from Politico:

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.), who was on the national Democratic ticket in 2000, will cross the aisle to endorse Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tomorrow, Republican sources said.

The two will appear together on NBC's "Today" show tomorrow, then at an 8 a.m. town hall in Hillsborough, N.H.

The move, which will help cultivate McCain's moderate status, is an effort to draw attention to the McCain campaign, which needs a splash. Otherwise, it does not make sense for McCain because it will only remind core Republicans why they distrust him.

Vets for Freedom Wash. Post Op-Ed

Vets for Freedom published a column carried by The Washington Post last Saturday. The authors are Maj. Gen. (Ret.) John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq from 2004 to early 2005 and, Lt. Pete Hegseth who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006 and is executive director of Vets for Freedom. Is an important statement and analysis and is quoted here in full.

Getting Beyond Stalemate to Win a War
By John Batiste and Pete Hegseth
Saturday, December 8, 2007

Congress has been entangled in a war-funding debate that pits war "supporters" against antiwar "defeatists." With all sides seemingly entrenched, a stalemate looms. The Pentagon, meanwhile, will soon begin stripping money from its training budget to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our military men and women deserve better than partisan politics; they deserve honest assessments of our nation's performance in fighting the Long War.

We are veterans of the Iraq war with vastly different experiences. Both of us commanded troops in Iraq. We, too, held seemingly entrenched, and incompatible, views upon our return. One of us spoke out against mismanagement of the war -- failed leadership, lack of strategy and misdirection. The other championed the cause of successfully completing our mission.

Our perspectives were different, yet not as stark as the "outspoken general" and "stay-the-course supporter" labels we received. Such labels are oversimplified and inaccurate, and we are united behind a greater purpose.

It's time to discuss the way forward rather than prosecute the past. Congress must do the same, for our nation and the troops.

Overall, this will require learning from our strategic blunders, acknowledging successes achieved by our courageous military and forging a bold path. We believe America can and must rally around five fundamental tenets:

First, the United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism. We have seen this ruthless enemy firsthand, and its global ambitions are undeniable. This struggle, the Long War, will probably take decades to prosecute. Failure is not an option.

Second, whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region. Iraq cannot become a staging ground for Islamic extremism or be dominated by other powers in the region, such as Iran and Syria. A premature or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, without the requisite stability and security, is likely to cause the violence there -- which has decreased substantially but is still present -- to cascade into an even larger humanitarian crisis.

Third, the counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country. Ultimately, however, these military gains must be cemented with regional and global diplomacy, political reconciliation, and economic recovery -- tools yet sufficiently utilized. Today's tactical gains in Iraq -- while a necessary pre-condition for political reconciliation -- will crumble without a deliberate and comprehensive strategy.

Fourth, our strategy in fighting the Long War must address Iran. Much has been made this week of the intelligence judgments that Iran has stopped its weapons program. No matter what, Iran must not be permitted to become a nuclear power. All options should be exhausted before we use military force, but force, nonetheless, should never be off the table. Diplomatic efforts -- from a position of strength, both regionally and globally -- must be used to engage our friends and coerce our enemies to apply pressure on the Iranian regime.

Fifth, our military capabilities need to match our national strategy. Our military is stretched thin and will be hard-pressed to maintain its current cycle of deployments. At this critical juncture, we cannot afford to be weak. Numbers and capacity matter.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, America was not mobilized for the Long War. This was an opportunity lost, but it is not too late. Many Americans are frustrated by the war effort, the burden of which has been shouldered by less than one percent of our citizenry. Our country is accustomed to winning. We deserve a comprehensive strategy that is focused on victory and guided by decisive leadership. America must succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we also cannot focus too narrowly on those conflicts. We need a regional and global strategy to defeat worldwide Islamic extremism to ensure a safer world today and for future generations.

The day after his famous Pearl Harbor speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt again addressed the nation. "I was about to add that ahead there lies sacrifice for all of us," he said. "But it is not correct to use that word. The United States does not consider it a sacrifice to do all one can, to give one's best to our nation, when the nation is fighting for its existence and its future life." His words inspired the "Greatest Generation," and they should inspire us again today.

Americans must mobilize for the Long War -- bolster our strained military, galvanize industry to supply troops with what they need right now and fund the strategy with long-term solutions. We have no doubt that Americans will rally behind a call to arms.

America's veterans -- young and old -- are resolved to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. This commitment, and nothing less, should compel us to stand together, in and out of uniform. Would that Congress finds the courage to bury its pride and do the same.

Thank the Troops Message Form

Nonchalance: At the Heart of Good Manners

"Nonchalance....this is why people always seem to be on their best behavior right before they commit suicide." P.J. O'Rourke

Audio read by Tony Randall