Not sure this is a good idea, Nancy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you actually want the U.S. Air Force to provide transportation for you, your staff, family and the CA delegation?  Free?  At your beck and call?

You actually want the military -- whom you've criticized, threatened and basically undercut -- to provide YOU with free air service?  Cross-country?  At tax-payer expense? 

I have a suggestion.  (OK -- scratch that one.  Here's another.)

Do what most of us did who worked for the government in Vietnam. Go stand-by.  Hop a flight -- any flight -- that is going in the direction you want to go.  Rub elbows with the troops who also ride these flights.  Carry your own luggage AND pillow; secure your behind in a cargo net or one of those flip-down metal seats.  Hear the roar of the engines .... pack your own lunch .... relieve yourself behind a drape in the back of the plane.

Maybe THEN you will gain a better understanding and appreciation of the U.S. military. 

But know what?  I betcha Bush gives in.  Sure, the former SotH traveled with a communications system, but I don't think he demanded that his family, staff and state delegation fly along with him.

I only hope someone keeps an account of the mileage AND who the Air Force is chauffeuring in your name.  Maybe we can deduct the incurred expense from the military budget.

Makes me wanna frow'up.

The Anchoress posts a cute coffee caper by the President at the National Prayer Breakfast this morning.   It won't be "cute" if your perspective is dampened by B.D.S., however .... What a shame.

One of the qualities which I admire in Mitt Romney IS his sense of humor.  Check out the videos.  Not that Romney should give up his day job, but he's never at loss for a chuckle -- even at his own expense.

And that, by the way -- is one indication of confidence ...

 I'm impressed with the voting at Pajamas Media thus far -- even though it's only a straw vote.  But then I've been a Romney supporter for months .... A man of integrity, faith, intellect, knowledge and proven leadership.  With time and exposure, I'm confident he will soon be earning the title "the communicator."  Two of his strongest suits (although he looks mighty fine in any of them ..... errrrrrr ..... sorry, Ann) are 1) he doesn't have the DC trappings and 2) he is both articulate and convincing. 

Visit his website.  Look through his videos.  I know -- anyone can put together a sound-byte or video clip.  But listen to Mitt Romney discuss his goals and strategies.  Listen to him interact with others.  Then review what he did as a Republican governor in a Democrat state. 

His critics?  You'll find them in mainstream media.  You'll find them among Republicans who prefer McCain or Rudy or one of the lesser-known candidates.  You'll find them among bloggers and citizen journalists.  You'll find them among naysayers and fanatics.  You'll find them among the hierarchy of blogdom whose forte is planting seeds of dissension and doubt.  But you'll especially find them among Democrats who fear facing Mitt Romney.  

I have repeatedly stated that when the debates begin, there will be no equal to Mitt Romney.  And no one knows this better or fears him more than Democrats.

In his SOTU address, Bush referred to the role of civilians in supporting our military efforts.  Michelle Malkin offers her take on the idea in this  video.

Interestingly -- a couple of weeks ago, I raised a similar question about civilian-support roles in Iraq for Empty-Nesters.

For those who want to know more ..... 

Mitt Romney talks with the Captain about Iraq, Iran, immigration and other topics.

Jack Langer just made my day. 

Or at least he confirmed my previous post on Protesting Just Ain't the Same Anymore .....

Makes me tired just to think of walking around the block beating a tambourine against my varicose veins.  

Huh????  A senior-citizen sit-in? 

Now you're talking!

Farewell, Valiant horse. 

Obviously folks hear what they want to hear.  Maybe some weren't really listening -- too busy nursing their drinks or sitting with critical pen in hand -- focusing only on how "he-should-have-said-it-this-way."  I'm also confident that those fixated on other presidential candidates didn't WANT to hear what he said.

Fortunately, someone else (who was present) heard what I heard in the audio tape.  Thanks, to Kevin Mooney for confirming my observations.

Mitt Romney Buffs His Conservative Credentials
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
January 29, 2007

America is at risk of becoming "the France of the 21st Century" unless policymakers curtail burdensome government policies and extravagant entitlement spending that work against the creative energies of free people, said former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Romney, who recently formed a presidential exploratory committee, delivered his remarks on Saturday at the National Review Conservative Summit, a gathering of conservative activists, lawmakers and pundits in Washington, D.C.

Romney said the "bar must be raised" in both domestic and foreign affairs at a time when Asian nations stand poised to challenge American primacy. The growing threat of "radical violent Islam" and the specter of a nuclear Iran also figured prominently in Romney's talk.

Present-day superpower status will not necessarily transfer over the long term, he said, if American policy-makers entertain false notions about the true source of the nation's strength.

Romney invoked the historical example of France to show how quickly once-great nations can lose power and influence when the wrong polices are embraced. To drive the point home, Romney quoted his father, who said, "Nothing is as vulnerable as entrenched success."

Unlike liberal Democrats who view government as the greatest source of American strength, Republicans understand that it is the "hard-working, innovative, risk-taking, God-fearing, family-loving and freedom-loving" American people who make the nation great and ensure its superpower status, Romney said.

Americans are fully capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st Century, he continued, so long as they have greater individual freedom, lower rates of taxation, less cumbersome investment opportunities and a more efficient government.

Romney expressed support for making the Bush tax cuts permanent and pointed out that has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

He also expressed concern over what he termed a "disinvestment in technology" by corporations, driven in part by a high number of lawsuits. Americans corporations spent more money defending tort claims last year, Romney contends, than they did on research and development.

He also addressed the growth of entitlement programs.

"Spending in Washington is simply out of control," Romney said. America's long-term vitality is threatened by a mix of "pork-barrel" projects and extravagant entitlement expenditures, he argued.

Over two-thirds of federal spending will be directed to entitlement spending and the interest expense that goes with it by the time the next president finishes his second term, Romney claimed.

"How can we remain the world's military and economic superpower with that kind of entitlement expense trajectory?" he asked.

While he was governor, Romney said he pursued free-market reforms in health care and "choice" initiatives in education that could be applied on the national level. He also detailed efforts aimed at eliminating unnecessary and wasteful spending in the state budget.

Foreign policy

Romney said the threat of "jihadism" is "woefully misunderstood" and in some respects underestimated.

A network of radical elements -- including al Qaeda, Hizballah, the Muslim Brotherhood and others - is able to reach millions of people with a message that is "devastating to civilization," and those radicals are working "to replace all moderate Islamic governments with a single caliphate and to govern all nations that have ever been touched by Islam," he said.

"For that to happen, they need to crush the superpower that keeps the world order in check, [and] that's the U.S. They want to collapse our economy, our government and our military."

While this may seem like a far-fetched proposition to some, Romney argued that the jihad elements are "crazy but not stupid," and have identified certain points of vulnerability, such as the "interdependent" nature of the U.S. economy.

Romney said Iran is "at the heart of the jihadist threat" and "must be stopped."

Some of the key policy proposals Romney discussed included a call to indict Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for "incitement to genocide."

He also outlined steps that could be taken both diplomatically and financially to isolate the regime in Iran. Romney, for instance, favors the imposition of restrictions on investments that would go to corporations doing business in Iran.

"Military options are not off the table," he added. "Nor are they coming off the table."

Cultural issues

Several high-profile issues assumed center stage in Massachusetts during Romney's term as governor, including same-sex marriage and the role of the judiciary.

At a time when the state supreme court was ruling in favor of homosexual marriage, Romney said he did "everything within my power and within the law to stand up for traditional marriage." He also expressed the view that marriage is not primarily about adults and adult rights but rather about "the development and nurturing of children."

While he acknowledged he was once "pro-choice" and not always a "Ronald Reagan conservative" on the question of abortion, Romney said he has "changed his view."

The turning point came, he explained, when he began to study stem cell research and found that a "bright line" could be crossed making it possible to create life simply for purpose of "experimentation and destruction," he added.

From that point forward, Romney said he squarely aligned himself with the pro-life cause and sought to advance measures as governor that would protect the "sanctity of life."

Nicely said, Mitt Romney. 

Updated:  Speech videos added.

Little Green Footballs had an interesting debate this afternoon.  Folks were trying to figure out what those floats and banners in today's Washington protest march symbolized.

I think I've figured it out.                

But first a little background.

For anyone who's never been to a REAL protest, simply re-wind that anti-war rally scene from Forrest Gump.  Now THAT was a protest, baby.  And today's speakers?  Errrrrrr .... well .... they were basically the same ones  speaking at protests 40-some years ago. 

Their tone seems to have mellowed a bit, though ... Was it just me or didn't  those voices from the past seem to be more "preachy" than inciting?   

In her time -- Jane Fonda could rouse a crowd into a frothing mob. (Including Vietnam vets.)  While I've never been able to decipher Jesse Jackson, I assure you that Tim Robbins didn't used to talk about God, either.  (What the heck was that all about, anyway?) 

Those Singing Grannies?  If you can find an old Woodstock video, you might recognize some of them.  (And no -- the second lady from the end is neither Joan Biaz, Judy Collins nor Janis-Joplin-reincarnated.) 

Protest sponsors just aren't what they used to be, either.  Ever hear of the SDS?  Black Panthers?  Weathermen?  Yippies?  The original NOW group?   Believe me -- no hippy worth his/her stash would wear pink (by any hippy code) unless it was a tie-dye color blend on a tee shirt.  (Exception:  Dennis Kucinich's wife wore a pink coat today, but she looked much younger than Dennis.)  Good grief -- if you've ever been to an SDS-sponsored rally -- you'd know what a protest really was, comrade.  And you'd definitely know how to dress.  Jeans, tee shirts, cotton hippy moo-moo dresses, love beads, second-hand military jackets, floppy hats and flowers.  Lots of flowers.  And headbands.  Humph -- no real hippy would be caught outside the VW van dressed like some of the freaks you saw today.

You younger folks will just have to trust me on this:  What you saw today was a demonstration -- not activism as it was in its heyday -- but what happens when  well-beyond-their-prime'ers try to revive those ole activist juices.  Won't work.  I'm not implying that Jesse Jackson, Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon,Tim Robbins or any other has-been's burned their brains out or anything.  I'm just suggesting that their promotional-time would best be  utilized hawking TV commercials for the geriatric crowd.  LIke Viagra.  Electric scooters.  Pill crushers.  Metamucil.  Depends.  Laxatives.   Botox. Supplemental medical Insurance.

And those protest floats and banners from today's march simply validate my premise(s) about elder-hippies -- in general and in particular.

Here we have a float supposedly  representing the spineless nature of Congress in not doing something congressional about the war. 

To the elder-hippy, however, this is a facsimile of a colon. 

See Metamucil and laxative commercials referenced above.

While designers may want you to think "dove," this symbolic sheeted fowl is either a loon (denoting Fonda's shallow-water back-flip performance in On Golden Pond) or an insurance-promoting duck.  

Same difference. 

AFLAC:  In over-the-hill protest-speak, this means Aging Female Liberal Against Constipation. 

This sign not only confirms my assessment, but literally AND figuratively sez it all --

   Just Poop.

Photo Credits:  C-Span and Little Green Footballs

Not sure why Alexandra Pelosi had to come to the "Bible Belt" to learn about evangelical beliefs and lifestyles. 

Few fringe personalities are hardly indicative of the actual beliefs and lifestyles of a practicing evangelical.  (It's not like they DON'T walk amongst us ....)  She could have saved the air-fare and driven to Southern California to get that scoop!

But filming southerners doing and saying things "southern" in the south  connotes credibility, yes?

Wrong.

For two years I attended a Sunday morning evangelical music program  smack-dab in the hills of Hollywood-land.  Great music by aspiring musicians (paid and volunteer) .... hundreds in attendance .... replete with waste-basket collection plates, testimonies, and a to-die-for massive video screen and professional video tech staff -- flashing lyrics (for those not closing their eyes while waving hands and arms skyward) or to span the faces of  musicians and fixated parishioners who mouthed silent prayers while swaying to the music. 

The music was awe-inspiring .... a holistic blend of new age Christian rock and classic gospel hymns.  Which is why I attended.  Back in my bible-belt youth, I attended all-night "singings" (in my grandfather's living room) or at the high school gym.  Even today, I often rise early to listen to gospel music programs ....

But I digress.

And after the singing, Southern California folks would do what most church-going folks in the bible-belt-and-beyond do.  They served coffee and cookies in the social hall.  Real-time religious congregations might even return to the sanctuary for some evangelical teachings.  Others likely just chat with friends as they amble toward the parking lot and then head home to have lunch, watch football, play golf, pick up a book or browse the Sunday paper again, maybe take a nap, etc. 

Similar to Alexandra Pelosi (who refers to her self as a "lapsed" Catholic), hell-fire-and-brimstone expositions by fringe fanatics ain't my thang.

Unlike Alexandra Pelosi, however, in all my evangelical exposures -- I've never heard the term "Hell's Box Office."   Come to think of  it -- I don't even know any evangelicals who subscribe to HBO!

But then, I'm more a Showtime-Encore/Starz! gal.  How else could I "ace" this test or find monthly re-runs of Elmer Gantry?