Possibly this video will also  "move" you to re-examine your priorities for the coming year .... to be kinder, more understanding, more accepting, more appreciative of our friends and families, our freedoms, our blessings -- and of those who have historically defended our rights to believe, to cherish, to hope, to pray, to love, to share ....

Happy New Year, America!

Don't be fooled by the swagger or the boots ---

I've always held the Vietnam vet in high esteem.  I was with them -- literally and figuratively -- and experienced first-hand the harassment and spite they have endured.  That being said -- I have historically distrusted John McCain for how he has used his military service (particularly as a POW) as a crutch to further his political career. 

His political career always has that subliminal disclaimer: "...yeah, but he was a military hero ..."   As if he's "entitled" to forgiveness when straying from his conservative roots.

My contention is that, had his father not been an admiral, his lack-luster record (including the loss of at least 2 airplanes) would have gotten him thrown out of the military or notably demoted.  For whatever he didn't accomplish -- it was not until his POW status that he gained any esteem. 

Is this relevant to his run for an office to which he has always aspired?

I think so.  There are too many correlations and incidents of self-service, entitlements and compromise in his background to qualify him as a reliable conservative candidate for POTUS.  Much less as commander-in-chief in a volatile time.
 

If you choose to disagree -- fine.  But when you do, keep in mind his voting record, his defense of amnesty, his history of sanctions by his peers, his emotional instability, his flip-flops and inconsistencies in promoting basic conservative tenets. 

----------------

From Pat Murphy:

Those who've known John McCain since he began his Arizona political career two decades ago made two mistakes. First, we underestimated the Washington media's gullibility for a political schmooze job. Second, we underestimated McCain's mastery in reincarnating himself as a lovable maverick glowing with political virtue and amiable charm while camouflaging his bullyboy and deceitful ways.

If McCain were to become president, Americans would wake up to more than a commander-in-chief with a prickly temperament and a low boiling point. McCain is a man who carries get-even grudges. He cannot endure criticism. He threatens. He controls by fear.  He's consumed with self-importance. He shifts blame. McCain's thin skin and demand to have it his way have been obvious since infancy, when he held his breath until he was unconscious, and later in Washington, where he has resorted to pushing and shoving colleagues when irritated.

McCain is a man obsessed with political ambitions but plagued by self-destructive petty impulses. It was vintage McCain who exploded when the Arizona Republic questioned whether the man dubbed "Senator Hothead" in Washington is fit to be entrusted with presidential powers. Instead of conceding what's common knowledge about his volcanic personality, McCain exploded in denial, blaming a newspaper vendetta and George W. Bush for "orchestrating" the criticism. When his claims drew snickers, McCain shifted to another explanation: He explodes when he sees "injustice."

But this sort of blame-fixing works where it counts--with reporters who've come to blindly lionize McCain as a high-minded champion of political virtue fighting demons of political corruption. Perhaps McCain's master stroke in inoculating himself from serious media

scrutiny was his early fusillade of confessions--his adultery ruined his first marriage, the Keating Five scandal was a blemish on his reputation, he indulged in wild and reckless misbehavior as an Annapolis midshipman. He finally endeared himself to the media with

his Quixotic promise to reform campaign financing and by holding court with reporters aboard his "Straight Talk Express" bus.

The new journalism of dwelling on personalities rather than tedious investigative digging gives McCain a free ride from the national media. Swooning media ensure McCain special treatment in the right places: 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace cooed on the air that he likes McCain so much, he might leave TV to become his press secretary. Salon's Jake Tapper dubbed him "basically just a cool dude." Newsmen of another generation note that reporters covering McCain also are reluctant to seem tough on a man with McCain's painful experience as a prisoner of war.

One who hasn't been so quick to fall in line is Washington Post columnist David Broder, who warned on NBC's Meet the Press that "after the experience we all had with President Clinton [ignoring Arkansas reports of his misdeeds], I'm not inclined to discount the view of home-state reporters and journalists who have covered a candidate over the years." A few enterprising non-Arizona journalists have peeled back the McCain veneer. Boston Globe reporter Walter Robinson spent several weeks digging into McCain's Arizona behavior and reporting his dark side. Ditto Ted Rose of Brill's Content. And the acknowledged Arizona media expert on

McCain, reporter Amy Silverman of the Phoenix New Times (more on her later), gave readers of Playboy a McCain portrait not found elsewhere. ABC's Sam Donaldson came close to giving millions of viewers a clearer picture in a taped interview with Silverman for 20/20. But

the segment was canceled the night before airing, fueling speculation that McCain's oversight of broadcasters as Senate Commerce Committee chairman makes the networks wary of offending him. Several years ago, when NBC refused to support his TV-rating system, McCain wrote a letter to NBC President Robert Wright, threatening to ask the FCC to review licenses of the network's locally owned stations.

I'm among the swelling ranks of onetime McCain acquaintances ostracized for not being slavishly loyal. After McCain settled in Arizona with his young second wife, a millionaire, he asked me at dinner for help with a political career. As editorial page editor (and later publisher) of the Arizona Republic, I declined to be his political coach. However, we socialized, including dinners at his home. We even discussed writing a book. The relationship ended, however, when our newspaper exposed McCain as a liar who used an underhanded political trick.

Here is what happened: McCain boasted to my wife and me over lunch in Washington that he had planted complex questions with the Senate Interior Committee chairman to sabotage the testimony of Arizona Gov. Rose Mofford, a Democrat, about the Central Arizona Project, the multibillion-dollar Colorado River water delivery system for Arizona urban areas. When I protested to McCain that the project had enjoyed bipartisan support for nearly 50 years, from conservative Barry Goldwater to liberal Morris Udall, McCain retorted: "I'm duty bound to embarrass a Democrat whenever I can."

When reporters later asked McCain about planted questions, he feigned insult and injury and denied any such ploy. Editors in Phoenix were informed of McCain's deceit. After a news story and editorial appeared, McCain went into meltdown, shrieking on the phone: "I know you're out to get me!" (Several years later, McCain admitted the dirty trick and apologized to Mofford, who was then out of office.)

When Barbara Barrett, wife of Intel CEO Craig Barrett, ran against McCain's protégé, Gov. Fife Symington, McCain offered to buy her out of the 1994 GOP primary. She refused. Furious, McCain threatened revenge. Barrett lost, but Symington later was forced out of office after being convicted of seven counts of fraud (his conviction was overturned and is under appeal). McCain's wife was a front-row regular at Symington's criminal trial in Phoenix. McCain still calls Symington "my friend."

While Barrett, a successful attorney, emerged mostly unscathed, others weren't so lucky. Maricopa County (Phoenix) schools superintendent Sandra Dowling, a Republican, refused McCain's demand to abandon support of Barrett. Dowling told Morley Safer during a 60 Minutes interview about Arizona politics (which never aired) that McCain exploded and threatened to "destroy" her. Thereafter, her son lost his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where McCain sits as an ex officio member of the Board of Visitors. McCain denied any connection.

Even former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, McCain's onetime senior aide who

considered succeeding him in Congress, was purged from the senator's circle for investigating Symington and refusing to seek McCain's advice as a loyal understudy.

More of McCain's style:

McCain indulges in hypocrisy with a flair. He attacks tobacco but ignores alcohol. Why? His wife's millions flow from the family beer and wine distributorship, Arizona's largest.

The affable, candid, gregarious candidate, who mingles with reporters and yuks it up in the back of the bus, is no friend of free speech, and merely tolerates and uses the press as part of his political strategy. In Arizona, McCain tries to subdue reporters by threatening to have them fired when he's displeased with their pieces. Upset about critical reporting in the Phoenix New Times by Amy Silverman, McCain complained to her father, Richard, general manager of the Salt River Project, an Arizona hydroelectric utility. McCain's intent seemed clear: muscling the federally chartered SRP in hopes Silverman would pressure his daughter to back off.

One of my Arizona neighbors, Dianne Smith, wrote McCain protesting his criticism of Anita Hill in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. A widow then in her sixties, Smith was flabbergasted when McCain telephoned her, shouting at her for "questioning my integrity."

McCain promised Arizona voters, "I've never tried to exploit my Vietnam service to my country because it would be totally inappropriate." But his presidential campaign is festooned with reminders of his POW years, from campaign videos to speeches to best-selling books, trying to capture the veterans vote.

Even as he moralizes about corrupt corporate money, McCain rakes in hundreds of thousands of dollars from Washington lobbyists and asks corporations for use of their jets for campaigning. Last year, the Washington Post documented thousands of dollars of donations to McCain's political war chest from K Street lobbyists who do business before the Senate Commerce Committee.

McCain himself has acknowledged that he intervenes before regulatory agencies with letters on behalf of campaign donors, but claims he's merely performing a "constituent service"--the same explanation he used when initially defending himself in the Keating Five scandal. As a peevish lobbyist told Newsweek: "He sees no connection between twisting our arms for money and then talking about how corrupt the system is."

The John McCain glamorized by the national media is a total stranger to Arizonans who are painfully familiar with a far coarser and more foreboding man. His victory in the New Hampshire primary may bring greater scrutiny. Instead of treating him as a lovable maverick and quotable long shot, the national media that have been fawning over him are certain to begin digging seriously into the McCain background that has turned so many of his home-state Republicans against him.

Nobody knows tailspins like John McCain knows tailspins.

Other than calling out McCain on his shortcomings, what did Mitt's ad prove? 

It's NOT a new revelation that McC can be so easily prodded to demonstrate his volatile temper by reminding him of his political shortcomings: the Senate sanction for his role in the Keating debacle, his McCain-Feingold first amendment affront, siding with his vacation buddy on the McCain-Kennedy Amnesty shamnesty, his anti-Bush tax votes, his role in the Gang of 14, and his own state party's censure for his "liberal, anti-Republican views and votes."  (The above examples are only the tip of the iceberg.)

He exacerbated the terrorist prison scandals; his own mental dysfunction befuddled the waterboarding brouhaha.  The press caught him in lies about shopping in the streets of Baghdad months before sections of the city were safe.

He's a dysfunctional nutwing masquerading as a dubious war hero and military expert (extended to national security and foreign affairs) -- and on what basis?  His father's and grandfather's status as Navy admirals?  Sitting in committee meetings?  Junkets and travel perks?  And if you wanna refute this by supplying facts, also explain 1) why he retired (get it?) at the rank of capt and 2) why he felt compelled to defended the lies of John Kerry (criticizing the Swiftboaters). Do you think McCain's defense of Kerry might have had anything to do with their role(s) and personal rewards in getting Vietnam on the "favored nation" trade list?

The guy can't win his own state!  He's an errant cannon looking for a fuse.  And if he doesn't get the Republican nomination, watch for him to move to his true left and run as a 3rd party pooper.  Remember when he and John Kerry "discussed" the option of a V-P slot in 2004? 

There are real reasons McCain couldn't respond to Romney's comparison ad with substance. 

First, he has little to nothing in his background to indicate that he IS a conservative.  (Calling him RINO is an insult to RINO's.)  Secondly, his best "reclarification" of HOW his immigration policy is NOW changed is that "he has learned ...."  What a crock. 

What he's learned is that if he gets angry and spouts personal attacks -- he doesn't have to explain anything! 

Why do you think he's receiving endorsements from the Clinton liberal press?  The same press that criticized him earlier???? 

.... maybe he's waiting for Her Thighness to invite him to be her V-P.  Assuming, of course, his pal-in-waiting Fred doesn't join his bandwagon in exchange for a V-P run ....

Ann Coulter deserve a Pulitzer for what she can do with the human language.  Take her on and you better watch out --- better not cry! 

All I want for Christmas is for Christians to listen to what Mike Huckabee says, rather than what the media say about him. The mainstream media keep flogging Huckabee for being a Christian, apparently unaware that this "God" fellow is testing through the roof in focus groups.

Huckabee is a "compassionate conservative" only in the sense that calling him a conservative is being compassionate.

He responded to my column last week -- pointing out that he is on record supporting the Supreme Court's sodomy-is-a-constitutional-right decision -- by saying that he was relying on the word of a caller to his radio show and didn't know the details of the case. Ironically, that's how most people feel about sodomy: They support it until they hear the details.

First, I'd pay a lot of money to hear how a court opinion finding that sodomy is a constitutional right could be made to sound reasonable. But the caller had the right response when Huckabee asked him, "What's your favorite radio station?" So he seemed like a reliable source.

Second, Huckabee's statement that he agreed with the court's sodomy ruling was made one week after the decision. According to Nexis, in that one week, the sodomy decision had been the cover story on every newspaper in the country, including The New York Times. It was the talk of all the Sunday news programs. It had been denounced by every conservative and Christian group in America -- as well as other random groups of sane individuals having no conservative inclinations whatsoever.

The highest court in the land had found sodomy was a constitutional right! That sort of thing tends to make news. (I was going to say the sodomy ruling got publicity up the wazoo, but this is, after all, Christmas week.)

So this little stretch-marked cornpone is either lying, has a closed head injury, is a complete ignoramus -- or all of the above.

Huckabee opposes school choice, earning him the coveted endorsement of the National Education Association of New Hampshire, which is like the sheriff being endorsed by the local whorehouse.

He is, however, in favor of school choice for kids in Mexico: They have the choice of going to school there or here. Huckabee promoted giving in-state tuition in Arkansas to illegal immigrants from Mexico -- but not to U.S. citizens from Ohio. "I don't believe you punish the children," he said, "for the crime and sins of the parents."

Since when is not offering someone lavish taxpayer-funded benefits a form of punishment? That's almost as crazy as a governor pardoning a known sex offender so he can go out and rape and kill.

Huckabee claims he's against punishing children for the crimes of their fathers in the case of illegal immigrants. But in the case of slavery, he believes the children of the children's children should be routinely punished for the crimes of their fathers. Huckabee has said illegal immigration gives Americans a chance to make up for slavery. (I thought letting O.J. walk for murdering two people was payback for slavery.)

Just two years ago, Huckabee cheerfully announced to a meeting of the Hispanic advocacy group League of United Latin American Citizens that "Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority." Who's writing this guy's speeches -- Al Sharpton? (Actually, take out "Southern" and "white," and I agree with Huckabee's sentiment).

He said the transition from Arkansas' Southern traditions would "require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border." But, curiously, most of the efforts Huckabee described would come entirely from this side of the border. Arkansas, he pledged, would celebrate diversity "in culture, in language and in population." He said America would have to "accommodate" those who come here.

All that he expected from those south of the border was that they have a desire to provide better opportunities for their families. Basically, we have to keep accommodating everyone but U.S. citizens.

For those of you keeping score at home, this puts Huckabee just a little to the left of Dennis Kucinich on illegal immigration and border control. The only difference is that Kucinich supports amnesty for aliens from south of the border and north of Saturn.

In a widely quoted remark, Huckabee denounced a Republican bill that would merely require proof of citizenship to vote and receive government benefits as "un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life," according to the Arkansas News Bureau. Now, where have I heard this sort of thing before? Hmmm ... wait, now I remember: It was during the Democratic debates!

In his current attempt to pretend to be against illegal immigration, Huckabee makes a meaningless joke about how the federal government should track illegals the way Federal Express tracks packages. (Can a Mexican fit in one of those little envelopes?)

In other words, Huckabee is going to address the problem of illegal immigration by making jokes. It's called leadership, folks.

Huckabee confirms for liberal TV hosts their image of conservatives as dorks by bragging about how cool he is because he "likes music." What's he doing -- running for president or filling out his Facebook profile? Arkansas former fatty loves to make jokes and play the bass guitar. Remember what happened to the last former fatboy from Arkansas trying to be "cool" by liking music? I'll take "Stained Dresses" for $400, Alex.

According to Huckabee, most people think conservatives don't like music. Who on earth says conservatives don't like music -- other than liberals and Mike Huckabee? This desperate need to be liked by liberals has never led to anything but calamity.

Huckabee wants to get kids involved in music at an early age because he believes it leads to a more balanced and developed brain. You know, as we saw with the Jackson family. Maybe someone should tell him the Osmonds are voting for Romney.

He supports a nationwide smoking ban anyplace where people work, constitutional protection for sodomy, big government, higher taxes and government benefits for illegal aliens. According to my calculations, that puts him about three earmarks away from being Nancy Pelosi.

Liberals take a perverse pleasure in touting Huckabee because they know he will give them everything they want -- big government and a Christian they can roll.

My own humble efforts at seasonal lyrics (borrowing another's score and scheme, of course) are below! 

Hummmm "Angels We Have Heard on High" as you read along ..... 

The Boston Glob Globe is reporting a Huckabee-McCain alliance to upset Mitt Romney in first Iowa and then New Hampshire. 

Move along.  Nothing unusual here, folks.  It's just MSM doing it's best to influence the election. 

Every liberal rag in the country seems to be on a "stop Mitt" run this week.  And now the two most liberal-leaning Republican candidates are joining forces to stop him!

Hillary must be cackling away ..... A tag team match featuring Elmer Gantry (a.k.a. Porky Pig) and Elmer Fudd needs only one slogan: 

Uhbahdeet  Uhbahdeet -- that's all folks!

Why even Her Thighness wouldn't be able to keep a straight face during a match -- I mean, debate against either (or both) McCain or Huckabee.   That cackle .... McCain getting mad .... Porky -- I mean, Huckie on the curtain ....

Let's just hope the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire don't take their voting cues from the Boston Glob or the LA Slimes.

A touch of something for everyone .... and for those who do not celebrate the season -- enjoy the music!

Peace on Earth ....

I've had a blast commenting back and forth with a group of FredHeads at a prominent web site today.   So much fun, I have labeled a potential Thompson-McPain ticket as the Purple Prune Party.

If the ole Huckster were to join them, I'd have to add a Purple Jesus platform. 

If you were a wild young thang back in the 60's, you'll know that Purple Jusus was a alcoholic concoction unfit for the gods.  But consumed at college campuses through-out the South.

More later.  Just thinking about PJ makes me thirsty ....  Eggnog, anyone?

I was with Mitt Romney when he announced his candidacy. I was with him during the live cam session this week and when he campaigned yesterday. Matter of fact, I'll be with him for the next several years.

And when a few naysayers get beyond this non-story and read  statements of eye-witnesses, maybe we can move on to issues relevant to this nation -- such as immigration, national security, the economy -- for starters.

Oh. Did I mention that I was at the Woolworth's lunch counter in 1961? Yep. I walked to downtown Greensboro with a group of friends. I don't remember what I wore or what the weather was like, but I probably ordered a coke. Or maybe a lemonade. I remember it was crowded.

The original sit-in was actually in 1960, but I was "with" those students then as well .... And so were George Romney and Martin Luther King.

Ann Althouse is the first blogger response I've found on the net. 

Nice commentary.

I share, however, the observation made in a comment from Lucianne.com:

We are in serious trouble when a candidate is too decent, too smart, too articulate, too classy, too accomplished and too devout to support. By all means, let's appeal to the lowest common denominator to choose our candidate.

If Huckabee were to win in Iowa, it would mark the beginning of the destruction of the Republican Party.  Just what liberals and the mainstream media have in mind.

The full Meet the Press video.

The Huckster: “I’m the only guy on that stage with a theology degree.”

Huck's Research Director:  "Governor Huckabee doesn’t have a theology degree. He only spent a year in seminary.

Also, it’s not surprising that he doesn’t know much about the specific beliefs of the LDS church. There aren’t a lot of LDS members in Arkansas; they comprise just .007 percent of the population (about 20,000 out of 2,810,872 people). Most Southern evangelicals don’t have much exposure to that particular religion. Even in seminary you’re not likely to study the LDS faith unless you take a class on apologetics."  [Try to ignore the slam against Mitt and Mormonism if you can.]

No matter how many discrepancies, fallacies and out-right lies we learn about Mike Huckabee [see here and here and here], the more his far-right Fundie following adheres to him. 

Images of Jim Jones come to mind ..... and Jim Bakker .... and Elmer Gantry ... and Jimmy Swaggart ... Get the picture?

Not long ago I read that he wanted to awaken the silent majority again -- to restore Christian ethics to public office .... As I recall, it was the silent majority that joined other conservative factions to revive the Republican party.  As for restoring ethics -- the Huckster needn't worry about carrying that mantle. 

It's my assessment that if he awakens any more resentments and disbelief among Christians and conservatives, he'll be lucky to retain enough credibility to muster an evangelical radio audience post-February 2008.

Theology degree?  Hell -- football coaches have been fired for lying on their resumes.  Some of the brightest minds in the game have ruined careers for falsifying their credentials. 

What's really amazing is that you can buy a degree online for about $50.  They'll throw in a tassel for an extra $5.   A robe with fancy ribbons on the sleeves will set you back about $125.  You can even select a field of expertise!  Heck --- you can buy more than one "expertise," if you want! So what's it gonna be, Huck?  Doctor of Theology .... Doctor of Foreign Policy .... Doctor of International Studies .... Doctor of Comparative Religions .... Doctor of Humanities .... Doctor of Political Science -- and while you're at it, write it off as a campaign expense.  After all -- if you can buy pantyhose and a doghouse with campaign funds, surely you can (could have) bought one of them fancy college diplomas, Mikie!

... and by the way --- the Huckster's Research Director might want to brush up on his math.  20,000 out of 2,810,872 is .07% -- not .007%.  But who's counting, eh? 

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