Thanking Our Troops In The Cause For Freedom

This video of former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush welcoming our troops home brought tears to my eyes - for so many reasons. For one thing, respect, honor and trust were in style. Thank you to our brave returning soldiers! And, thank you Mr. and Mrs. GW Bush, for pleasantly surprising our brave soldiers upon their return. They valiantly served our country to liberate the Iraqis from tyranny and oppression! Thank you ALL for keeping America safe and the place where FREEDOM RINGS!



Hat Tip:

ResistNet.com

[Note: Viewing of video might be better at ResistNet.com link above.]

Bush's Liberty vs. Obama's Tyranny

I must have been more tired than usual this evening. I fell asleep on the couch watching T.V. at around 8:00 p.m. I woke up just in time to see the last 15 minutes of tonight's American Idol auditions. One guy, who refused to leave the audition area after singing "Amazing Grace" (very badly, I might add) ended up being escorted out in handcuffs by the security team.

The last guy who auditioned had said he was looking for redemption. At age 15, he had robbed a bank with a b-b gun. He spent four years of his life in jail because of that crime. He belted out the song "Trouble" and received accolades from all three judges. Simon even went so far to say that he was "the best of the night" and that he would most likely make "the top twelve."

The difference between these two contestants was that one was highly arrogant, disrespectful, a coward, phony, and a failure; while the other was humble, respectful, brave, genuine, and triumphant.

At the time I observed the differences between those two Idol contestants, I didn't make any correlation between our current president and our former president. However, after reading the following post at Gateway Pundit, the comparison between those two Idol contestants and the comparison between Obama and Bush in their respective first years of their presidencies was quite evident.

Before closing my browser for the night, I always check to see if there are any comments that need to be published. This evening, at 9:00 p.m., there weren't any comments, but as I mentioned previously, a post over at Gateway Pundit caught my eye. It is entitled, One Year Ago- The World’s Greatest Liberator Since World War II Left Office. Of course, I instinctively knew that the author, Jim Hoft, was sharing a tribute about George W. Bush.

As I read the first few paragraphs, I started to tear up.

It seems like forever.

A year ago President George W. Bush left the White House. Since that time the unemployment has nearly doubled, the national deficit has tripled, government has grown in leaps and bounds, and the current president has blamed his predecessor for every problem he has encountered. President Obama even blamed George Bush for the Coakley loss yesterday in Massachusetts.

Here again is a tribute to President George W. Bush that was posted last year:

* * * * *
“The decision by Bush, with Blair’s support, to sweep the Taliban out of Afghanistan was a brilliant move, one that not all U.S. presidents would have taken. A weaker leader would have gone to the United Nations Security Council and sought a negotiated settlement with Kabul.”

Nile Gardiner
The Telegraph
“George W Bush: winning the war on terror”
December 27, 2008

US President George Bush prepares to speak to supporters in Freedom Square, Tbilisi, Georgia. (SMH)

Don’t expect to read anything this honest in the US papers…George W. Bush liberated 60,000,000 Muslims from tyranny- More than any leader since World War II.

After reading that last sentence, the tears flowed as I sobbed. Tried to read the rest of the post, but had to calm down a bit. I'm not quite sure why I had such a powerful reaction to what I was reading. I guess that it was because I miss the feeling that I had when I knew that a president truly loves this country and its people.

I miss knowing that he would do all that was necessary to keep our country safe; and at the same time, enable our brave military to liberate millions of people who probably took it all for granted.

When I compare the adolescent and dangerous administration that we have suffered through over the past year to the previous administration that conducted itself as brave adults with duty, honor, integrity, ethics, genuine patriotism, and love for the people of the United States of America; it's like comparing night and day and good vs. evil. Now that we are suffering with Obama's tyrannical rule and policies, the liberty that America so dearly loves and works hard to preserve is now in jeopardy. Perhaps that is why I was led to tears tonight.

I never felt that President Bush would EVER mock or disparage We The People! I never heard him apologize for what is perceived by some as America's "shortcomings" to other nations. I never heard him disparage the United States Constitution by calling it a "flawed document" the way that Obama has done. Obama should look in the mirror and instead of giving himself a "B-" grade for his first year, he should be honest and admit how flawed he has been on every single issue.

Of course, no president is ever perfect. I disagreed with several policies of the Bush administration (especially when it came to illegal immigration and the "Land for Peace" deal being brokered between Israel and the Palestinians.) Other than those two flawed policies (IMO), President Bush did an excellent job leading and protecting this country. It has become even more evident now that we have a liberal, Marxist, narcissist who didn't believe that there was a worldwide War on Terror until three successful attacks occurred on U.S. soil in 2009, with one more thwarted attack (thank God and that brave Dutchman who took action) that happened on Christmas Day.

When I think about how terribly President Bush was treated by the Media of Mass Deception and how much the Lamestream media now bows at the feet of arrogant Obama, it sickens me.

How sad, but true, is it that in order to get an honest review of the Bush years, we must go to the press release of a foreign country?

The Telegraph gives an honest review of the Bush years:

Ten or twenty years from now, historians will view Bush’s actions on the world stage in a more favourable light. America’s 43rd president did after all directly liberate more people (over 60 million) from tyranny than any leader since Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Widely seen as his biggest foreign policy error, the decision to invade Iraq could ultimately prove to have been a masterstroke. Today the world is witnessing the birth of the first truly democratic state in the Middle East outside of Israel. Over eight million voted in Iraq’s parliamentary elections in 2005, and the region’s first free Muslim society may become a reality. Iraq might not be Turkey, but it is a powerful demonstration that freedom can flourish in the embers of the most brutal and barbaric of dictatorships.

The success of the surge in Iraq will go down in history as a turning point in the war against al-Qaeda. The stunning defeat of the insurgency was a major blow both militarily and psychologically for the terror network. The West’s most feared enemy suffered thousands of losses in Iraq, including many of their most senior commanders, such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Abu Qaswarah. It was the most successful counter-insurgency operation anywhere in the world since the British victory in Malaya in 1960.

The broader war against Islamist terrorism has also been a success. There has not been a single terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, and for all the global condemnation of pre-emptive strikes, Guantanamo and the use of rendition against terror suspects, the fact remains that Bush’s aggressive strategy actually worked.

Significantly, there have been no successful terrorist attacks in Europe since the July 2005 London bombings, in large part due to the cooperation between U.S., British and other Western intelligence agencies. American intelligence has proved vital in helping prevent an array of planned terror attacks in the UK, a striking demonstration of the value to Britain of its close ties to Washington.

President Bush, in contrast to both his father, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton before him, had a crystal clear, instinctive understanding of the importance of the Anglo-American Special Relationship. Tony Blair may well have been labeled Bush’s “poodle” over his support for the war in Iraq, but his partnership with George W. Bush marked the high point of the Anglo-American alliance since the heady days of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

The decision by Bush, with Blair’s support, to sweep the Taliban out of Afghanistan was a brilliant move, one that not all U.S. presidents would have taken. A weaker leader would have gone to the United Nations Security Council and sought a negotiated settlement with Kabul. It was a risky gambit that was vindicated by a stunning military victory in the space of a month, with a small number of U.S. ground forces involved.

Bush also made a firm commitment to defending the fledgling Afghan government, and succeeded in building a 41-nation NATO-led coalition. The notion that the resurgence of the Taliban is America’s failure is nonsense. The U.S. has more than 30,000 troops in the country under U.S. or NATO command, making up over half of all Allied forces there. Continental European allies have simply failed to step up to the plate with more troops, with almost the entire war-fighting burden placed on the U.S., UK and other English-speaking countries. Afghanistan is not a failure of American leadership, it is a damning indictment of an increasingly pacifist Europe that simply will not fight.

President Bush also recognized the importance of re-shaping the NATO alliance for the 21st Century, backing an ambitious program of NATO expansion, culminating in the addition of seven new members in 2004. He also had the foresight to support the development of a missile defence system in Europe, successfully negotiating deals with both Poland and the Czech Republic. Bush was right to back the eventual inclusion of Georgia and Ukraine in NATO, and both would be well on their way to membership today were it not for the feckless decision of France and Germany to side with Russia in blocking their path to entry.

Bush began his presidency primarily as a domestic leader. He ends it as a war leader who has left a huge imprint internationally. His greatest legacy, the global war against Islamist terror, has left the world a safer place, and his decision to project global power and military might against America’s enemies has made it harder for Islamist terrorists to strike against London, Paris or Berlin.

There is much more at The Telegraph.

Via Free Republic
Jules Crittenden adds that it is also with tremendous grace that George Bush has accepted his designated role as villain, fall guy, punching bag.

Today again we thank President George W. Bush.

We The People patriots of the United States of America sincerely miss you.


Hat Tip:

Gateway Pundit

*******

Update 1/21/10:

Also see Nice Deb: Why the Backlash?

Excerpt:

Mort Zuckerman voted for Obama, though, and clearly Obama is starting to grate on his nerves:

This health-care plan is going to be a fiscal disaster for the country. Most of the country wanted to deal with costs, not expansion of coverage. This is going to raise costs dramatically.

In the campaign, he said he would change politics as usual. He did change them. It’s now worse than it was. I’ve now seen the kind of buying off of politicians that I’ve never seen before. It’s politically corrupt and it’s starting at the top. It’s revolting.

Nice Deb adds:

Whenever Obama starts talking about our “core values”, my stomach turns. What core values do we share? Name one. A woman’s right to choose an abortion even after the baby’s born? “queerizing” elementary schools?, politicizing the arts? Black liberation theology? admiration for Chairman Mao? giving terrorists the same rights as American citizens?, disdain for the Constitution?, expanding the government, “spreading the wealth”, power through any means necessary, a la Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals?, etc, etc, etc…

Yep…Mort Zuckerman is right (now…good thing he wised up!!). He certainly describes Obama’s destructive first year correctly – IT’S REVOLTING!

Former Critics Now Thanking President George W. Bush

Many Americans, even former staunch enemies and critics, are realizing what a good man President George W. Bush genuinely is - and has been - throughout his presidency and beyond. The Lamestream media's horrible, disgusting and often made-up evil portrayal of his 8 years in office was filled with lies. It was a constant and continual smear campaign hoisted upon a man that they personally despised - with no good reason. Now that they have "their guy Obama" in office, they ignore Obama's huge amount of corruption, lies, errors, and terrible policies.

It was so refreshing to see former First Lady, Laura Bush on Greta Van Susteren's show. What a wonderful woman and role model she has been - and still is to this day.

There have been several blog posts about the Bushes this past week. Here are just a few of the best.

Nice Deb: Miss This Guy Yet?

Answer: YES!!!

Eternity Matters: A Post I Never Thought I'd See

Can you even believe that website called "Hillbuzz" would compliment the Bushes in such a wonderful and positive way?

Hillbuzz: Thank You Former President George W. Bush and Former First Lady Laura Bush

There are over 1,000 comments at that blog! After reading just a few, I really liked what "Tammy" had to say:

Tammy Says:

November 10, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Wow.
I am stunned by your post, but so pleased that you can see the Bushes for what they are: real.

Good for you, guys.
Historical perspective is a great thing.

Hat Tips to all links above.


*******

Still haven't gotten through all of the comments at the Hillbuzz site, however, here is a copy of the original blog post. It needs to go viral on all the blogs!

Quote:

We know absolutely no one in Bush family circles and have never met former President George W. Bush or his wife Laura.

If you have been reading us for any length of time, you know that we used to make fun of “Dubya” nearly every day…parroting the same comedic bits we heard in our Democrat circles, where Bush is still, to this day, lampooned as a chimp, a bumbling idiot, and a poor, clumsy public speaker.

Oh, how we RAILED against Bush in 2000…and how we RAILED against the surge in support Bush received post-9/11 when he went to Ground Zero and stood there with his bullhorn in the ruins on that hideous day.

We were convinced that ANYONE who was president would have done what Bush did, and would have set that right tone of leadership in the wake of that disaster. President Gore, President Perot, President Nader, you name it. ANYONE, we assumed, would have filled that role perfectly.

Well, we told you before how much the current president, Dr. Utopia, made us realize just how wrong we were about Bush. We shudder to think what Dr. Utopia would have done post-9/11. He would have not gone there with a bullhorn and struck that right tone. More likely than not, he would have been his usual fey, apologetic self and waxed professorially about how evil America is and how justified Muslims are for attacking us, with a sidebar on how good the attacks were because they would humble us.

Honestly, we don’t think President Gore would have been much better that day. The world needed George W. Bush, his bullhorn, and his indominable spirit that day…and we will forever be grateful to this man for that.

As we will always be grateful for what George and Laura Bush did this week, with no media attention, when they very quietly went to Ft. Hood and met personally with the families of the victims of this terrorist attack.

FOR HOURS.

The Bushes went and met privately with these families for HOURS, hugging them, holding them, comforting them.

If there are any of you out there with any connection at all to the Bushes, we implore you to give them our thanks…you tell them that a bunch of gay Hillary guys in Boystown, Chicago were wrong about the Bushes…and are deeply, deeply sorry for any jokes we told about them in the past, any bad thoughts we had about these good, good people.

You may be as surprised by this as we are ourselves, but from this day forward George W. and Laura Bush are now on the same list for us as the Clintons, Geraldine Ferraro, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and the other political figures we keep in our hearts and never allow anyone to badmouth.
Criticize their policies academically and intelligently and discuss the Bush presidency in historical and political terms…but you mess with the Bushes personally and, from this day forward, you’ll answer to us.

We hope someday to be able to thank George W. and Laura in person for all they’ve done, and continue to do. They didn’t have to head to Ft. Hood. That was not their responsibility.
The Obamas should have done that.

But didn’t.

Wouldn’t.

Thank goodness George W. is still on his watch, with wonderful Laura at his side.
We are blessed as a nation to have these two out there…just as we are blessed to have the Clintons on the job, traveling the world doing the good they do.

And we are blessed to have Dick Cheney, wherever he is, keeping tabs on all that’s going on and speaking out when the current administration does anything too reckless and dangerous.
Cheney’s someone else we villainized and maligned in the past who we were also wrong about. There has never been a Vice President, including Gore, Biden, or Mondale, who was more supportive of gay rights than “Darth Cheney”. There has never been a Vice President more spot-on right about the dangers facing this country from Islamic terrorism.

We live in strange, strange times indeed.

We are now officially committed fans of George W. and Laura Bush. We are fans of Dick Cheney. Our gratitude for them makes us newly protective of them, and the continued role they play in this country.

After the primary battle of 2008, we never thought we’d go back to Texas for anything, but sometime in 2010 we want to find some event in Dallas the Bushes will be at so at least one of us can go up to them, tell them we are deeply sorry for ever thinking ill of them, and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their service to America.

We’re sure they will just stare at us and wonder why these gay Chicagoans are crying, but we don’t think we can get through a meeting with them without being emotional.

What they did at Ft. Hood for those families humbles us. Every day, the Bushes are most likely doing something just like it behind the scenes.

We hope if any of you encounter them you will let them know this is deeply appreciated beyond partisan lines.

We will never look at the Bushes, the Bush presidencies, or their legacies the same again…and someday when his presidential library is built, we will be so proud to visit there and tell anyone will listen about November 10th, 2009, the day we finally appreciated former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura.

Thank you for your service, Mr. President. We’re sorry we didn’t appreciate you while you were in office, but we thank Heaven we’ve wised up and can see the good you are out there doing, under the radar, today.

*******
NOTE: Because some of you wanted to re-read it again and have emailed us to ask for it, here’s what we said to President Bush on January 20th, at the beginning of The Golden Age of Hope and Change and Unicorns.

It’s actually really interesting to read the comments from way back then, to see either how mad at us people were that we dared to say anything nice about Bush or how pleased others out there were that Hillary Dems weren’t being evil to the man as he left office. /quote

National Day of Prayer

While searching for a particular prayer to share on this National Day of Prayer, I ran across an article that shared President Bush's 2005 Commemoration at the White House. Those were the good ole' days!

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 5, 2005

President Commemorates National Day of Prayer at the White House
The East Room


9:26 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, and welcome to the White House. Laura and I are honored to join you on this important occasion.

I want to thank Shirley Dobson, the chairman of the National Day of Prayer. Thank you for organizing this event and thank you for your wonderful comments. I'm glad to see you brought your husband, Jim, with you. (Laughter.) It's good to have Vonette Bright with us, welcome. I appreciate my fellow Texan, Max Lucado, for his wonderful prayer. Thank you very much; welcome. I'm glad you and Denalyn are with us. Rabbi, thank you for your reading of the psalm. It's good to have your family here; welcome. I appreciate Father Charles Pope, pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, here in D.C. Kind of sounded more like a Baptist preacher to me. (Laughter and applause.)

Laura and I are proud Methodists and we're pleased to be here with Bishop Peter Weaver, who is the president of the Council of Methodist Bishops, who will deliver the closing prayer. Thank you.

It's such an honor to be here with the St. Olaf Choir led by Anton Armstrong. You've got such beautiful music, thank you for sharing with us. (Applause.) I'm sure they're having a prayerful moment right now -- (laughter) -- praying that I hurry up and finish because they have been standing for quite a while. (Laughter.)

The National Day of Prayer is an annual event established in 1952 by an Act of the United States Congress. Yet, this day is part of a broader tradition that reaches back to the beginnings of America. From the landing of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, to the launch of the American Revolution, the men and women who founded this nation in freedom relied on prayer to protect and preserve it.

Today, prayer continues to play an important part in the personal lives of many Americans. Every day, millions of us turn to the Almighty in reverence and humility. Every day, our churches and synagogues and mosques and temples are filled with men and women who pray to our Maker. And almost every day, I am given a special reminder of this great generosity of spirit when someone comes up and says, Mr. President, I'm praying for you.

Prayer has been an important part of American public life, as well. Many of our forefathers came to these shores seeking the freedom to worship. The first Continental Congress began by asking the Almighty for the wisdom that would enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. And when our Founders provided that sure foundation in the Declaration of Independence, they declared it a self-evident truth that our right to liberty comes from God.
And so we pray as a nation for three main reasons. We pray to give thanks for our freedom. Freedom is our birthright because the Creator wrote it into our common human nature. No government can ever take a gift from God away. And in our great country, among the freedoms we celebrate is the freedom to pray as you wish, or not at all. And when we offer thanks to our Creator for the gift of freedom, we acknowledge that it was meant for all men and women, and for all times.

Second, we pray for help in defending the gift of freedom from those who seek to destroy it. Washington prayed at Valley Forge. Franklin Roosevelt sent American troops off to liberate a continent with his D-Day prayer. Today, we pray for the troops who are defending our freedom against determined enemies around the globe. We seek God's blessing for the families they have left behind, and we commit to Heaven's care those brave men and women he has called home.

AUDIENCE: Amen.

THE PRESIDENT: Finally, we pray to acknowledge our dependence on the Almighty. Prayerful people understand the limits of human strength. We recognize that our plans are not always God's plans. Yet, we know that a God who created us for freedom is not indifferent to injustice or cruelty or evil. So we ask that our hearts may be aligned with His, and that we may be given the strength to do what is right and help those in need. We who ask for God's help for ourselves, have a particular obligation to care for the least of our brothers and sisters within our midst.

During the funeral for Abraham Lincoln, Bishop Matthew Simpson relayed a story about a minister who told our 16th President that he hoped the Lord was on his side. Lincoln wisely replied that he was more concerned that he was on the side of the Lord, because the Lord was always on the side of right.

Freedom is a divine gift that carries with it a tremendous human responsibility. The National Day of Prayer is a day that we ask that our nation, our leaders and our people use the freedom we have been given wisely. And so we pray as Americans have always prayed: with confidence in God's purpose, with hope for the future, and with the humility to ask God's help to do what is right.

Thank you for coming. May God bless. (Applause.)

END 9:32 A.M. EDT

*******

I'm glad that I copied it in its entirety. The original link to the transcript is gone.

One of my favorite prayers for this day has an unknown author. It is simply labeled, "The Prayer." Now, more than ever before, it is highly appropriate to pray this prayer IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST because the current Resident ObamaFRAUD Admin. in the White House rejects prayer in the name of Jesus.

THE PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe on those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it muliticulturism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn children and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionaist and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighblr's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.Search us. O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will.
I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

You Are Mine - Third Day

Missing Bush, Obama Crisis, Media Malpractice

The three topics in my blog title might not sound like they should be easily connected in any way. However, when you read the two blog posts linked here and view the "Media Malpractice" documentary trailer at "How Obama Got Elected," you will be able to connect the dots. The media's aim was to utterly destroy the candidacy of Governor Sarah Palin in order to get their "chosen one" elected. What's more, when you read the post over at Investigating Obama, you will see how, and why, we are in this terrible economic mess and why Obama keeps using that word "crisis" in his speeches. The crisis was actually brought about through him and his cronies (like George Soros!). You will read about the Cloward-Piven strategy of orchestrated crisis. You will read about Saul Alinksy's methods to force a neo-Marxist philosophy and government into this country.

First, I will share one of the more pleasant subjects of the three. There are many people who are missing President Bush.

One of the best blog posts that I have read in a very long time can be found over at The Anchoress: Yep, I Miss Bush. The following quote tells about the huge difference between Obama's "politics of fear" and former President Bush's declarations of REAL hope and freedom:

Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us.
— G.W. Bush, September 20, 2001

Yes.

Contrast what is written over at the Anchoress blog with what the echoes of "crisis" (at Investigating Obama blog) constantly being pounded into the minds of Americans by Obama. If you take the time to read the entire post (long, but really worth it!), you will learn why, how, when it started and ultimately the reason for what is now happening in our government - which is quite disturbing - to say the least! It is all explained over at Investigating Obama: How to Create a Crisis and Steal a Nation.

How many times has Obama said the word "crisis" in his recent speeches?? So much for any kind of real hope, huh?

Next, see How Obama Got Elected: Media Malpractice.

You will see how the media distorted so much about Sarah Palin. At the same time none of them went about the true journalism techniques of properly vetting Obama. Additionally, you will see how much of the electorate who voted for Obama were terribly ignorant of his past and political positions. They were obviously mesmerized by the "hope" and "change" mantra that was being spouted ad nauseum by Obama on the campaign trail.

Unfortunately, we are now experiencing the ugliness of Obama's evil intentions that he is currently inflicting upon our nation. Just goes to show that people need to pay more attention to what that term "change" really means. The neo-Marxist "change" that Obama is leading us to is not what most people wanted or expected.

It is still my prayer that America won't have to suffer through four long years of this. Exposing Obama for the usurper that he is can still happen. He will then be immediately removed from office. Perhaps Lt. Scott Easterling's case will be the one to do just that!

P.S. While reading an article over at Pajamas Media: Visualizing a World Where We Did Not Remove Saddam I decided to share something that I thought was VERY STRANGE at the new whitehouse.gov website. When you click on “presidents” and then click on George W. Bush's biography, there is NOTHING written about the Iraq war!

My 21 year old daughter had this to say about it:

“What is Obama trying to do…rewrite history?”

Is anyone else bothered to learn about this?

Here's a copy of the biography:


43. GEORGE W. BUSH 2001-2009
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, re-elected on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005. Prior to his Presidency, President Bush served for 6 years as the 46th Governor of the State of Texas, where he earned a reputation for bipartisanship and as a compassionate conservative who shaped public policy based on the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, strong families, and local control.

President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush assembled the group of partners who purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989. On November 8, 1994, President Bush was elected Governor of Texas. He became the first Governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive 4-year terms when he was re-elected on November 3, 1998.

President Bush worked with the Congress to create an ownership society and build a future of security, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans. He signed into law tax relief that helped workers keep more of their hard-earned money, as well as the most comprehensive education reforms in a generation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This legislation ushered in a new era of accountability, flexibility, local control, and more choices for parents, affirming our Nation’s fundamental belief in the promise of every child. President Bush also worked to improve healthcare and modernize Medicare, providing the first-ever prescription drug benefit for seniors; increase homeownership, especially among minorities; conserve our environment; and increase military strength, pay, and benefits. Because President Bush believed the strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens, he supported programs that encourage individuals to help their neighbors in need.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked our Nation. President Bush took unprecedented steps to protect our homeland and create a world free from terror. He was grateful for the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform and their families. The President believed that by helping build free and prosperous societies, our Nation and our friends and allies can succeed in making America more secure and the world more peaceful.

President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian, and they have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes two dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley, and a cat, Willie.



HT's:

The Anchoress

Investigating Obama

How Obama Got Elected

Leftists Rarely Show Conservatives Any Respect

The lack of civility, respect, decorum and truthfulness of the liberal leftist segment of our society knows absolutely no bounds. Their ugliness was in full force yesterday, as the ObamaBorg Bot Kool-Aid drinkers in the crowd jeered and verbally bashed President George W. Bush as he entered the inaugural festivities. These people could not even be respectful enough to just KEEP QUIET if they don't like the former president. But no! They had to show how truly classless they are by verbally abusing and bashing him one last time. Such a shame. Liberalism is indeed a mental disorder.

What is so hypocritical of them is that now that "their guy" is in the White House (fraudulently - but that's another post), they want everyone to be civil towards him. My question. Where was their civility (and Obama's in his speech when he gave a jab at President Bush) for the past eight years of Bush's presidency?

I have found that liberal bloggers don't usually show ANY respect for conservatives, period. This is true especially online. The people over at Digg are some of the worst examples of people who can't be civil and/or respectful towards those with whom they disagree. Instead of debating the issues, they attack the messengers. And don't even get me started on the Media of Mass Deception's treatment of conservatives/Christians!

Some liberals who comment here left some verbally abusive attacks against me and other Christian commenters. They get to say whatever they want and think that they should get away with it. However, if a Christian comes back with some solid and truthful information about - let's say - the Obamessiah, or the "No on Prop. 8 radicals - we are accused of being "hateful" or any other number of names.

The difference is that the leftists attack the person - because of who they are (or who and/or what they voted for); while the conservatives/Christians attack the leftists ideas, ideology, and ignorant rantings.

The leftists don't usually get away with a lot of their truly vile and hateful rhetoric here at this blog because of comment moderation. If you ever read what some "anonymous" bloggers have written, you'd be disgusted.

Occasionally, I will let the more "cleaned up" rants through in order to respond. This is what happened this morning.

I read a comment by GMPilot under the Election Bible Codes thread, and considered not publishing it. Then, I reconsidered and posted the comment. The following is a copy of the conversation between us:

January 20, 2009 3:19:00 PM PST
GMpilot said...
Bible codes, now! Hoo boy!!

What's next...eviscerating a goat and "reading" its entrails?

BTW, Drosnin's code simply showed that Jeffrey's code is too ambiguous to be considered reliable, let alone a hidden message from some supernatural being.
Others have been down that road before, and it's always a dead end.
And what sort of a God who wants to reveal himself to everyone would create a 'code' whereby only certain people would know about him? (Well, a schizophrenic God would, but we won't go there.)

Besides, in December 2012, according to the Mayans and some others, the world will end anyway--just like it did when all the computers rolled over on Jan. 1, 2000 (the infamous Y2K "bug").

What's that? The world didn't end? How about that!

Codes in clothing! Sheesh!

"Plus, look at the ties! The Bushes and Obama are wearing blue ties, and Clinton and Carter are wearing red! Hmmmm...."

This sounds a lot like the old "code" supposedly used by gay men: a colored hankie in the left pocket meant one thing, but in the right pocket it meant something else...and the color of the hankie was also supposed to be significant. You used to be perceptive as well as strident. Now you've come to this: looking for codes in old texts and men's clothing.

Your desperation becomes greater with each succeeding post, hostess. It’s tragic. I’m waiting for when you decide to choose between sacrificing a virgin or a heifer.

Note the mocking tone of his comment. Par for the course - as they say - for this guy. Why do I continue to answer his bitter rantings? I don't really know. I would think by now (after so many years) that he would be tired of the banter. Any guesses why he isn't?

Anyway, here is my reply:

January 21, 2009 12:00:00 AM PST
Christinewjc said...
GM wrote:

"And what sort of a God who wants to reveal himself to everyone would create a 'code' whereby only certain people would know about him? (Well, a schizophrenic God would, but we won't go there.)"

Christine: The text of the Bible alone is sufficient enough for people to discover God and answer the question that Jesus poses, "Who do you say that I am?"

In biblical times when Jesus physically walked the earth and ministered to the people there were plenty of mockers (like you GM) who dismissed Jesus' claims that he is God's Son who came as our Savior to die in our place on the cross at Calvary in order for all believers throughout all time to be reconciled back unto Holy God.

It is written that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me." The Pharisees knew that the use of the terms "I am" was particularly significant. It was Jesus' outright claim to be God. Here was their long-awaited Messiah - God in the flesh - Immanuel. Yet they rejected him.

No one needs the Bible codes to believe in the Truth. However, they do show a mathematical form of genius within the text - particularly within the Torah.

Like I have written before, it matters not what Christian believers think of the Bible codes. What they think of God's written Word - the Bible, and God's Living Word - Jesus are what unites all born again believers in the single cause of evangelism - teaching and preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified.

GM wrote:

"You used to be perceptive as well as strident."

You claim here that I USED to be perceptive, which means you thought:

per·cep·tive (pər-sěp'tĭv) Pronunciation Key
adj.
Of or relating to perception: perceptive faculties.

Having the ability to perceive; keen in discernment.
Marked by discernment and understanding; sensitive.
per·cep'tive·ly adv., per'cep·tiv'i·ty (pûr'sěp-tĭv'ĭ-tē), per·cep'tive·ness (pər-sěp'tĭv-nĭs) n.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
perceptive

adjective
1. of or relating to perception; "perceptive faculties"
2. having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment; "a perceptive eye"; "a perceptive observation" [ant: unperceiving]


WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

You claim that I USED to be "strident," which means:

stri⋅dent   /ˈstraɪdnt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [strahyd-nt] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective 1. making or having a harsh sound; grating; creaking: strident insects; strident hinges.
2. having a shrill, irritating quality or character: a strident tone in his writings.
3. Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) characterized acoustically by noise of relatively high intensity, as sibilants, labiodental and uvular fricatives, and most affricates.


Origin:
1650–60; <>

Well then, if I was "keen in discernment" and also had "a shrill, irritating quality or character: a strident tone in his (her) writings., that must mean that you recognize the fact that through the skill of discernment afforded to me by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, I do share the truth of the Bible. However, being the nemesis that you have been over the years, you also admit to absolutely hating the way I share such revealed truth.

Yep...sounds about right!

There seems to be something that is uniquely strange about labeling me both "perceptive" and "strident" all in the same sentence. It's almost like GM is admitting that yes..."perceptive" Christine is sharing the truth here at this blog. However, since GM can't handle the truth he just loves to reject such truth by hurling an insult my way. Wow...sounds just like a typical liberal left loonie over at Digg!

In a previous blog post, I introduced a new website that I discovered called, American Prophet.org. I sent off an email note to the author of the excellent articles posted there, Rev. M. Bresciani, just to tell him how much I enjoyed and appreciated his essays. How kind of him to write back, thank me, and express appreciation for this blog. He placed a link to Talk Wisdom at his website! I was thrilled!

Last night, I also noticed this commentary placed at the American Prophet website:

I was pleased to find a website that thought so much of this site to make it their choice for "website of the week," and they included a re-print of one of my latest articles. I was even more pleased to find that their blog had some of the most intelligent, decent Christian bloggers I have found anywhere in quite a long time. Finding blogs that are well moderated decent and where you can actually learn something is growing harder each day so I must say I have added their site here as my "Website of the Week." Please enjoy a visit to Talk Wisdom Blogspot.

Thank you for your very kind words, Rev. Bresciani! Certainly appreciate it!

My dear Christian brothers and sisters who comment here at this blog - THANK YOU! Your intelligent, decent, and educational comments have not gone unnoticed by many, many visitors - including Rev. Bresciani!

I hope that readers here have taken the time to read many of the other essays over at American Prophet. They are intelligently written, decently presented, certainly educational and best of all - biblically-based commentaries! Everyone can benefit from reading them!

Take special note of Rev. Bresciani's message about the inauguration:

With the inauguration of Barack Obama looming there are countless millions of Americans who can't believe that the most liberal, un-vetted, un-accomplished little known politician in American history is about to become the 44th President of this great nation. For some it is a nation caught off guard by an unprecedented push of the liberal media who knew full well that America was almost totally distracted by, economic woes, Iraq and Hollywood and media's incessant Bush bashing. Several years of Lettermen's "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" were specifically aimed at Bush and McCain was treated like a circus clown in many references and skits. To ask why such disdain and hatred would draw a blank stare and is much like asking a Nazi or a Muslim just why they have so much hatred for Jews. The answers if any were offered always sounds like a house of cards, flimsy and subject to the shaking of almost any other ideology and driven by raw basic stupidity. Here's my answer in a word, "demonic" or to be more theologically succinct in two words, "demonically driven." It would seem easy just to say "you get what you ask for" but since this nation is important to so many that would be incorrect. Keep up the fight!

We will!

Thanking President Bush

As high noon approaches in the eastern part of the United States of America, and a new president is sworn into office (although NOT the one that I would have wanted!) it is only fitting to post thank-yous and tributes to our soon-to-be former president for eight years - President George W. Bush.

A lot has already been written in various blogs: Nice Deb: Farewell Mr. President. Her blog led me to The Anchoress:

Thank You, Mr. President. Many additional links there.

I love the saying that appears at the top of The Anchoress blog:

The Anchoress
"If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led." -- Pres. George W. Bush

Those words were spoken in his farewell address to the nation on January 15, 2009:


Quote:

January 15, 2009
President Bush's Farewell Address to the Nation
George W. Bush

Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your President. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence - a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey we have traveled together and the future of our Nation.

Five days from now, the world will witness the vitality of American democracy. In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people. Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole Nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.

Tonight I am filled with gratitude - to Vice President Cheney and members of the Administration; to Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to our wonderful daughters, Barbara and Jenna; to my parents, whose examples have provided strength for a lifetime. And above all, I thank the American people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the prayers that have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless acts of courage, generosity, and grace that I have witnessed these past eight years.

This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house - September 11, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93. I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge.

As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before Nine-Eleven. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our Nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.

Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our Nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots. And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school. Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States.

There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who toil day and night to keep us safe - law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Our Nation is blessed to have citizens who volunteer to defend us in this time of danger. I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families. America owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your Commander in Chief.

The battles waged by our troops are part of a broader struggle between two dramatically different systems. Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder. The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God and that liberty and justice light the path to peace.

This is the belief that gave birth to our Nation. And in the long run, advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our citizens. When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror. When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism. So around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights, and human dignity. We are standing with dissidents and young democracies, providing AIDS medicine to bring dying patients back to life, and sparing mothers and babies from malaria. And this great republic born alone in liberty is leading the world toward a new age when freedom belongs to all nations.

For eight years, we have also strived to expand opportunity and hope here at home. Across our country, students are rising to meet higher standards in public schools. A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is bringing peace of mind to seniors and the disabled. Every taxpayer pays lower income taxes. The addicted and suffering are finding new hope through faith-based programs. Vulnerable human life is better protected. Funding for our veterans has nearly doubled. America's air, water, and lands are measurably cleaner. And the Federal bench includes wise new members like Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.

When challenges to our prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them. Facing the prospect of a financial collapse, we took decisive measures to safeguard our economy. These are very tough times for hardworking families, but the toll would be far worse if we had not acted. All Americans are in this together. And together, with determination and hard work, we will restore our economy to the path of growth. We will show the world once again the resilience of America's free enterprise system.

Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.

The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course.

While our Nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard.

At the same time, we must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion, protectionism. Retreating behind our borders would only invite danger. In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.

As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight - America must maintain our moral clarity. I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This Nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace.

President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.

I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a Nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a Nation where citizens show calm in times of danger and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to join us in the White House this evening.

We see America's character in Dr. Tony Recasner, a principal who opened a new charter school from the ruins of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in Julio Medina, a former inmate who leads a faith-based program to help prisoners returning to society. We see it in Staff Sergeant Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines.

We see America's character in Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California. His son Nathan, a Marine, gave his life in Iraq. When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son. This good man was 60 years old - 18 years above the age limit. But his petition for a waiver was granted, and for the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine. Lieutenant Commander Krissoff could not be here tonight, because he will soon deploy to Iraq, where he will help save America's wounded warriors and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.

In citizens like these, we see the best of our country - resilient and hopeful, caring and strong. These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there is more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great Nation will never tire ... never falter ... and never fail.

It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our country and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed to represent this Nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other: citizen of the United States of America.
And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time: Good night. May God bless this house and our next President. And may God bless you and our wonderful country. /quote




President Bush has made mistakes. Who in this world hasn't? However, I truly believe that he has ALWAYS put this great nation of ours and her people FIRST. His policies may not have been popular with the liberal left, however, the same polices that they often railed against has kept us safe from terrorist attacks over the last seven years. President Bush deserves A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT! But will he get such credit from the Lamestream Media? I doubt it.

But here on the Internet, it is WE THE PEOPLE who have the opportunity to share our thoughts, thank-yous and sentiments towards a leader who refused to let opinion and popularity polls affect his decisions and what he thought was best for this country. President Bush is to be commended for that. He never wavered from the goal that people around the world clamor for freedom. It is often the oppressive governments that they are under that have failed the will of such people. I hope and pray that such a government NEVER TAKES HOLD HERE IN AMERICA!!

My husband isn't one to give praise towards people in whom he does not deem deserving of it. However, when President Bush completed his farewell speech to America a few days ago, he simply said, "That's a class act."

I agree.

Thank you, President Bush.


Hat Tips:

Nice Deb

The Anchoress



Re: Photo -

President George W. Bush kisses Arlene Howard on the forehead following his farewell address to the nation, Thursday, January 15, 2009 in the east room of the White House. The President met Ms. Howard shortly September 11, 2001, where she gave him her son's police badge after he perished in the terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center. President Bush still carries the badge with him today as a reminder of all that was lost. (Photo by Eric Draper)

*******
Additional Links:

Flopping Aces: The Long Goodbye Lots of great photos in the Pictorial of the Bush Record post.

Janet Porter: Thank you President Bush

Bush's Man Obama Has Won??

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. Heh heh...I just have to chuckle at my own first line. When I start a conversation like that with any member of my family, their usual response is - Uh oh! The next thing one or more say to me is, "can we have the Cliff Notes version?"
;-)

Well, here at my blog I can decide whether or not to present the "Cliff notes" version or write a forty page dossier on the subject! Of course, many readers may not get through THAT many pages. I am not sure just how long this will turn out to be, but here goes.

There have been a few bloggers who have pointed out how well President Bush and President-elect Obama appear to have been getting along since the election. One blogger, in particular had a very brief but interesting comment at his blog.

Does anyone happen to know who the author of the blog "Lame Cherry" is? This person often writes quite different, often controversial, yet very interesting posts. [Note: some posts mock certain people and are derogatory in nature. Don't claim I didn't warn you!]

Sometimes it is hard to tell which ones are meant to be only satire and which ones are dead serious. He also has a strange habit of using the term "hisself." It seems to be the only obvious grammatically incorrect term that is frequently used. Perhaps he's just trying to be funny? Anyway, in one of his posts where he has the photo of the four living presidents and Barack Obama,he writes:

In noting that, the photo released of Birdie Obama with the 4 Presidents was most interesting as it shows no one wants to be close to the looser [sic] Jimmy Carter. It reveals Bill Clinton is almost in Bush 43's pocket as he wants to be in power so badly again.

43 is amusing in turning his back on the sexual predator Clinton and racist Carter as he is uncomfortable with them and is quite pleased his man Obama has won.

In that Bush 41 is completely at home and within himself with hands in his pockets and leaning into Obama who in turn is leaning into HW Bush, with his hands folded and tilting away from Bush 43 in a clear sign he is telling the world he is retreating within himself and not ready to be President.

Others have noted that in his staff meetings where he has to be presidential he is non stop grinning in a reaction of discomfort in he has no idea what he is doing.

Pay special attention to that sentence in red italics. Did you see that? This Lame Cherry guy is claiming that Bush 43 is "pleased his man Obama has won." Isn't that odd?

Maybe not.

Let me put my tin foil hat back on, but let's go in the opposite direction of former conspiracy theories.

If you look at that photo of the four presidents and Obama, wouldn't you think that Obama would be standing in between two Democratic colleagues, Clinton and Carter?

Plus, look at the ties! The Bushes and Obama are wearing blue ties, and Clinton and Carter are wearing red! Hmmmm....

[FYI, if I knew how to remove the unflattering pics placed at the bottom of photo by Lame Cherry, I would have. Perhaps I can look for an un-doctored photo later.]

Wouldn't that be a hoot if Bush actually did (secretly or otherwise) support Obama over John McCain? Perhaps their differences and virulent rivalry in the Republican presidential primary back in 2000 never really healed. During the election cycle, we were told that Bush kept his distance from McCain's campaign (most likely at the request of McCain) but also because of Bush's "unpopularity." Could it have been for more reasons than that?

I'm just asking questions.

It still bothers me that McCain didn't do all he could have to expose Obama's past relationships. We know why he didn't question the "natural born citizen" issue. McCain seemed to quickly concede the election and was so overly gracious about it - it just seemed to me like he completely expected to lose.

And, why weren't there investigations into the fraud of ACORN and Obama's ties to them? Why weren't the extraordinary amounts of money that went into the Obama campaign coffers investigated by the FEC? Why didn't McCain complain about the fact that his campaign was held accountable for the funds he received but Obama's campaign wasn't? What about the millions of dollars that Obama allegedly received from foreign sources? And - why is the Blagojevich scandal on hold? Is prosecutor Fitzgerald going to immediately get the boot from Obama right after he is sworn in?

So many unanswered questions!

A couple other things that I have noticed.

When President Bush's daughter Jenna got married, the Reverend who married the couple was Kirbyjon Caldwell (?) and he was an open supporter of Barack Obama.

Recall how ballistic the liberal leftists - like the Daily Kossacks - went when Obama decided to keep Gates as Secretary of Defense? Obama had the AUDACITY to keep a Bush war appointee for his own administration? Horrors!

Also, wasn't it mentioned somewhere in the press that Obama and Cheney share some ancestry?

It is painfully obvious that Michele Obama ABSOLUTELY HATES President Bush. She would not even acknowledge him on the day that the Bushes and Obamas met in front of the White House for their first tour. If you watch the YouTube video, she wouldn't even LOOK AT BUSH; no less shake his hand in greeting! Apparently, Mrs. Obama likes Laura Bush and they got along quite well - according to the press coverage.

I don't know what is going to happen with the 33 lawsuits still on the books (including the Berg vs. Obama upcoming decision announcement from the conference previously held on 1/16/09 - as well as the upcoming Orly Taitz lawsuit that is to go to the SCOTUS conference on January 23rd). But I would suspect that there could be several different scenarios.

1. The Supreme Court (and all other courts) dismiss all of them. I fear that a civil war may erupt.

2. The Supreme Court takes one or more of the cases, and Obama is forced to prove natural born citizenship. The outcome of this could be one of the following:

a. Obama is found ineligible and Joe Biden becomes President.

b. Obama is found eligible, due to the fact that his biological father turns out to be someone other than Barack H. Obama, Sr. There have been rumors on the Internet that his father could be either Malcolm X or Frank Marshall Davis. If so, then he would be a "natural born citizen." Many people who voted for him might be REALLY UPSET that they have been lied to about his parentage during this election cycle and for all these years (and, in his books), but since when did lying and deceit and/or even impeachment (e.g. Clinton) get a president booted out of office? Well - that is - except Nixon!

c. Write your own scenario!

One more thing. I can't tell you how many people were outraged about the Chris Wallace/Nancy Pelosi interview on Fox News Sunday. I need to locate a good commentary about her blatant plans for power grabbing and the impression that was given by Pelosi that she would push the Congress to go after President Bush for prosecution purposes.

The anti-gun legislation issue, the power grabbing scenario, and the oxymoronic "Fairness Doctrine" issue have Pelosi salivating. She would love to pass legislation in Congress that would help disarm, completely keep Republicans from having a voice, and/or silence conservatives on talk radio. An excellent essay opinion appeared in the comment section at Digg. Here is a copy:

Reply to this thread +3 diggs +3 / -0 lookingforHim
on 01/18/2009 novenator,
"Obama will NOT take away your guns."
Sure is trying oh his watch.

The Center for Individual Freedom

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi isn't just trying to SILENCE RUSH, HANNITY AND CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO by re-imposing the so-called Fairness Doctrine……Pelosi has also effectively moved to SILENCE CONSERVATIVES in Congress and keep the American public in the dark!

You didn't read about it on the front page of The New York Times, but some have gone as far as to call Pelosi's move outright "tyranny."

Jim Meyers with CNSNews.com simply called it a "naked grab for power." On the very first day of Congress, Pelosi pushed through a change to a House rule known as the "motion to recommit," a rule that was implemented a CENTURY AGO specifically to PROHIBIT the leadership of the majority party from railroading horrendous legislation through Congress under the cover of darkness.

John Fund of The Wall Street Journal aptly described the "motion to recommit" as "a procedural safeguard first given to the minority a century ago after a rebellion against tyrannical GOP Speaker Joe Cannon."

So what is the "motion to recommit" and what are the ramifications of doing away with the it? A real-life example - or rather, 50 real life examples - should suffice. As Fund put it: "Republicans used the tactic 50 times in the last Congress, primarily to block tax increases buried in larger bills."

In other words, on 50 occasions during the last session of Congress, Pelosi and Company tried to sneak tax increases, anti-Second Amendment measures and amnesty for illegal aliens, among other things into unrelated bills.

On those 50 occasions, conservatives exercised their right to send the bills back to committee to FORCE liberal committee members to actually go on record.

Essentially, conservatives said, if you want to pass it... vote on it... go on the record... let the American people see what you're trying to do and let the American people know where you stand... but don't try to sneak measures the American people DO NOT WANT through Congress under the cover of darkness!

Of course, in many cases, Pelosi and Company simply let the bills die rather than forcing fellow liberals to actually go on record. Pelosi's wasn't very happy about being forced into those situations, so she quietly changed the rule. As for the rights of the American people: Who cares -- after all, Nancy knows best.

But now that conservatives in Congress are daring to bring Pelosi's tyranny into the light, Pelosi and her fellow-travelers are screaming bloody murder.

According to The Washington Post; "Republicans had repeatedly abused these motions, wording them to put vulnerable members in a bind by having to choose between killing a bill or taking a politically unpalatable vote destined to turn up in a 30-second attack ad."

Representative Barney Frank said conservatives in Congress are only "interested in game playing."

Representative Jim McGovern chided conservatives; "Congress has to accomplish things. This is designed to help us do just that."

Representative Louise Slaughter called the "motion to recommit," "a gimmick that was used to kill bills."

Shame on those evil conservatives in Congress! They should be flogged for demanding legislative transparency!

How dare they "play games" by stopping liberals from sneaking legislation through Congress under the cover of darkness.

How dare they "abuse" their authority and put liberals in a "bind" by demanding transparency.

How dare they institute a "gimmick" (how one institutes something that has been around for 100 years is anyone's guess) to force liberals to actually vote on the unpalatable laws they want to shove down the throats of the American people.

Tell our elected officials that the American public does indeed know what Nancy Pelosi is trying to do and that she must not be allowed to get away with her tyrannical change of House rules. Tell them you do not want tax increases, amnesty for illegal aliens and other egregious measures passed in the dark of night and under the cover of darkness.

Secrecy Is the Liberals' Favorite Weapon. Seriously, Pelosi and her left-wing cohorts in Congress firmly believe that what YOU don't know won't hurt THEM. They believe that as long as you don't know what they're up to, they can get away with whatever they want to impose on the American people. Pelosi is depending on the cover of darkness and the silence of her allies in the media to keep her shenanigans under wraps.

The last thing Pelosi wants is for the American people to find out what she has done. And that's how we STOP her. We let the cat out of the bag.

They WILL be disabused of the notion that they can: Secretly raise your taxes. Secretly impose amnesty for illegal aliens on your community and your neighborhood. Secretly take away your ability to protect your family by regulating away your right to own and keep a firearm.

Tell our elected officials that the American public does indeed know what Nancy Pelosi is trying to do and that she must not be allowed to get away with her tyrannical change of House rules. Tell them you do not want tax increases, amnesty for illegal aliens and other egregious measures passed in the dark of night and under the cover of darkness.

Is The Media Helping Pelosi Keep The Secret? If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Liberals in the mainstream media are taking that old philosophical adage to heart.

Just because you haven't read about what is happening in your local newspaper or haven’t heard about it on the nightly news, do not think that conservatives in Congress don't understand the horrible implications of what would happen if Pelosi is allowed to quietly get away with taking away the rights of the American people They're hopping mad... they're making their feelings known... but the liberal media simply is NOT reporting it.

You'd better believe that if conservatives moved to SHUT DOWN the voice of the minority, it would be on the front page of The New York Times.

Conservatives are talking and just in case you missed it, here is some of what is being said: House Republicans sent a letter to Pelosi which addressed the hypocrisy and dishonesty of her position. The letter read in part: “This is not the kind of openness and transparency that President-elect Obama promised.” Representative David Dreier of California said the rule change would create “the most closed Congress in history.” House Minority Leader John Boehner complained that Pelosi's little subterfuge “silences the voices of tens of millions of Americans by further shutting down open debate on the House floor and taking away the minority’s right to offer substantive policy alternatives on behalf of the millions of Americans they represent.”

Conservative legislators are trying to get the message out but they need your help to drive the message home Pelosi and liberals in Congress must be made to understand that the American people ARE getting the message and that the liberal media can't give them cover this time around. And they need to know that you ARE NOT happy!

Tell our elected officials that the American public does indeed know what Nancy Pelosi is trying to do and that she must not be allowed to get away with her tyrannical change of House rules. Tell them you do not want tax increases, amnesty for illegal aliens and other egregious measures passed in the dark of night and under the cover of darkness.

A Government of Pelosi, By Pelosi and For Pelosi? Nancy Pelosi changed her tune on a great many things once she assumed the position of Speaker of the House. Two years ago, she said; "Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the minority the right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute."

Even the liberal Washington Post could not help but comment on Pelosi's blatant hypocrisy and her apparent rush to change the rules when it comes to transparency and openness: "When they took over in 2007, Democrats set aside their pledge in order to muscle through their agenda during the first 100 hours; their promises continued to prove hollow in the ensuing months.... Democrats brought more measures to the House floor under closed rules - permitting no amendments - than any of the six previous Republican-controlled congresses."

The Post also wrote: "But there is a legitimate concern about whether the House can return to a semblance of 'regular order': committee hearings and markups rather than measures brought precipitously to the floor with little time for review; reasonable allowance for amendments on the floor rather than closed rules allowing no changes; and conferences to resolve differences between the chambers rather than leadership-dictated products."

Naturally, The Post doesn't quite get it. The issue is about A LOT MORE than Pelosi's apparent hypocrisy! It's not about a choice between a Congress that is orderly versus a Congress that bickers.

It's a choice between a Congress that is accountable to the people or a Congress that simply tries to legislate through stealth. It's a choice between freedom and tyranny.

Will you stand up for your freedoms? That's your choice!

Tell our elected officials that the American public does indeed know what Nancy Pelosi is trying to do and that she must not be allowed to get away with her tyrannical change of House rules. Tell them you do not want tax increases, amnesty for illegal aliens and other egregious measures passed in the dark of night and under the cover of darkness.

Yours In Freedom,
Jeff Mazzella
www.cfif.org

Another Digg user claims:

Reply+1 digg +1 / -0 Beerformyhorses
19 hr 51 min ago Here is a truism. Governments are about power and money. Period. They want your money and want power over you so you cannot resist them robbing you. There is no altruism in government. They want the first right of refusal on every dime you earn. We are fast approaching a tipping point at which many will say ENOUGH! They need to ban and confiscate our weapons before that tipping point or they will lose their power. Resist.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Obama gives Pelosi and her cohorts "their way" on the Bush "investigation" issue and/or the gun issue. If he doesn't side with Pelosi on the Bush investigation issue, then I predict that the liberals will go ballistic - once again (just like they did with the Rick Warren pick for prayer at the inauguration) and start to doubt that Obama is as much of a "Bush hater" as those who have been suffering from "Bush Derangement Syndrome" over the past eight years!

The gun issue I cannot predict. Obama has sent mixed messages about that and there is no predicting what he might do. At least there are many Americans already well armed. Gun sales rose 50% after the election results and prior to tomorrow's inauguration!

Ah...I feel like I am leaving a lot of details out. As I think of additional questions, comments, theories, conspiracies etc. I will add them here and in the comment section.

Any thoughts? Comments? Rantings? Agreements? Disagreements?

We now return you back to the normal Talk Wisdom blog...

P.S. I was SO GLAD to read that the border agents - Ramos and Compean - have been pardoned by President Bush!!!

The Bush Bashing Plays On

Warning! It's time for another Talk Wisdom rant. Yesterday afternoon, I was visually tortured. Let me explain. My daughter and I needed to get pedicures. My toenails were so long they were curling over! (Guys...stay with me...it gets better.) In the summer, I usually keep up with the routine because I wear sandals almost all the time here in CA. It is the one luxury I treat us to on a regular basis. However, in the winter I can hide my feet in boots. Anyway, the salon that we frequent has a big screen T.V. for the customers. Sometimes it is on, sometimes it is not. This time, instead of the usual CNN broadcast that I have seen in the past, they had MSNBC on.

Oh great...

The "we despise and hate Bush" network.

I usually avoid their news shows like the plague. This time, sitting there - three yards away from this big screen T.V. with my feet in a whirlpool bath - I was practically forced to watch it. The show is called "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" and David Shuster was the host.

Once they got past the "overt ObamaBorg Bot flattery of the day" segment about the "can do no wrong" Obama, Shuster interviewed Joe Klein? (I think?) from either Time or Newsweek. Call me lazy for not confirming which news rag it was. OK - just checked. It's in Time ragazine.

Just as they were going to cut to a commercial, the enticement clip mentioned what Klein has written about Bush's "legacy." I thought - oh great....here comes the Wrath of Klein-Klown.

And, just what was the "legacy" that Joke Klein attached to President Bush - calling it "the most despicable act of his administration?"

Abu Graib.

That's right - the actions of a few ignorant, wayward, most likely crazy liberal Democrat "soldiers" were being blamed on President Bush. What's more, the actions of SOME STUPID PEOPLE - who, unfortunately, happened to be in our military long enough to do despicable acts thus, allowing the Media of Mass Deception to tarnish the rest of the TRUE HEROES OF OUR MILITARY at the time - were being attributed to President Bush's eight years in office as his "legacy." Have you ever heard of anything so blatantly false and propagandized (Is that a word? OK - yes it is.) as this??

I looked around the room at the clientele. Many were busy reading magazines, ignoring the broadcast. They were the lucky ones. One woman, across the room was intently watching the news show. She had a look of absolute disbelief on her face. Yep...she was probably livid about the lies and hypocrisy being spewed by this supposed "journalist" who is nothing more than a liberal hack and hate monger of the Bush Administration.

I wonder. What are they going to do at MSNBC once President Bush is out of office? They won't have their "whipping boy" to pick on anymore!

Oh...that's right. They will have their Obamessiah to cherish and lavish praise upon at every turn - while he predictably leads our country down the sewer of immorality (i.e. unrestricted abortion, [Note: Speaking of abortion, read how and why several prominent Democrats changed from the pro-life "moment of conception" view to pro-abortion proponents over at Al Mohler's blog. It's not about women. It's not about their "right to choose." It's about the money. Period.] homosexual indoctrination agenda) and the destructive road into socialism.

Oh wait! I forgot about someone else they can demean, bash, verbally torture and rabidly spew hate at! They can always send dozens of reporters up to Alaska to clobber Governor Palin about the successful sales of her new calendar.

Woo! Hoo! /sarcasm off

No Hat Tips due to extremely ignorant, biased, and hate-spewing reporters, a rag magazine article that only deserves to line a cat litter box, and the hopelessly IGNORANT Media of Mass Deception TV "news" show propaganda of Oberdummy fame.

*******
Update:

Hat Tip: Al Mohler's Blog

State of the Union Address 1/28/08

Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Seven years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum. In that time, our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We have faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens. These issues call for vigorous debate, and I think it's fair to say we've answered that call. Yet history will record that amid our differences, we acted with purpose. And together, we showed the world the power and resilience of American self-government.

All of us were sent to Washington to carry out the people's business. That is the purpose of this body. It is the meaning of our oath. And it remains our charge to keep.

The actions of the 110th Congress will affect the security and prosperity of our Nation long after this session has ended. In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time.

From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we have made good progress. Yet we have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done.

In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our Nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. So in all we do, we must trust in the ability of free people to make wise decisions, and empower them to improve their lives and their futures.

To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy. As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty. America has added jobs for a record 52 straight months, but jobs are now growing at a slower pace. Wages are up, but so are prices for food and gas. Exports are rising, but the housing market has declined. And at kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future.

In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth. But in the short run, we can all see that growth is slowing. So last week, my Administration reached agreement with Speaker Pelosi and Republican Leader Boehner on a robust growth package that includes tax relief for individuals and families and incentives for business investment. The temptation will be to load up the bill. That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable. This is a good agreement that will keep our economy growing and our people working. And this Congress must pass it as soon as possible.

We have other work to do on taxes. Unless the Congress acts, most of the tax relief we have delivered over the past 7 years will be taken away. Some in Washington argue that letting tax relief expire is not a tax increase. Try explaining that to 116 million American taxpayers who would see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800. Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm, and I am pleased to report that the IRS accepts both checks and money orders.

Most Americans think their taxes are high enough. With all the other pressures on their finances, American families should not have to worry about the Federal Government taking a bigger bite out of their paychecks. There is only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: make the tax relief permanent. And Members of Congress should know: If any bill raising taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it.

Just as we trust Americans with their own money, we need to earn their trust by spending their tax dollars wisely. Next week, I will send you a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs totaling more than $18 billion. And this budget will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012. American families have to balance their budgets, and so should their Government.

The people's trust in their Government is undermined by congressional earmarks — special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate. Last year, I asked you to voluntarily cut the number and cost of earmarks in half. I also asked you to stop slipping earmarks into committee reports that never even come to a vote. Unfortunately, neither goal was met. So this time, if you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, I will send it back to you with my veto. And tomorrow, I will issue an Executive Order that directs Federal agencies to ignore any future earmark that is not voted on by the Congress. If these items are truly worth funding, the Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote.

Our shared responsibilities extend beyond matters of taxes and spending.

On housing, we must trust Americans with the responsibility of homeownership and empower them to weather turbulent times in the housing market. My Administration brought together the HOPE NOW alliance, which is helping many struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. The Congress can help even more. Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, modernize the Federal Housing Administration, and allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to help homeowners refinance their mortgages. These are difficult times for many American families, and by taking these steps, we can help more of them keep their homes.

To build a future of quality health care, we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions and empower them with better information and better options. We share a common goal: making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. The best way to achieve that goal is by expanding consumer choice, not government control. So I have proposed ending the bias in the tax code against those who do not get their health insurance through their employer. This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions, and I call on the Congress to pass it this year. The Congress must also expand health savings accounts, create Association Health Plans for small businesses, promote health information technology, and confront the epidemic of junk medical lawsuits. With all these steps, we will help ensure that decisions about your medical care are made in the privacy of your doctor's office — not in the halls of Congress.

On education, we must trust students to learn if given the chance and empower parents to demand results from our schools. In neighborhoods across our country, there are boys and girls with dreams — and a decent education is their only hope of achieving them. Six years ago, we came together to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and today no one can deny its results. Last year, fourth and eighth graders achieved the highest math scores on record. Reading scores are on the rise. And African-American and Hispanic students posted all-time highs. Now we must work together to increase accountability, add flexibility for States and districts, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and provide extra help for struggling schools. Members of Congress: The No Child Left Behind Act is a bipartisan achievement. It is succeeding. And we owe it to America's children, their parents, and their teachers to strengthen this good law.

We must also do more to help children when their schools do not measure up. Thanks to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships you approved, more than 2,600 of the poorest children in our Nation's capital have found new hope at a faith-based or other non-public school. Sadly, these schools are disappearing at an alarming rate in many of America's inner cities. So I will convene a White House summit aimed at strengthening these lifelines of learning. And to open the doors of these schools to more children, I ask you to support a new $300 million program called Pell Grants for Kids. We have seen how Pell Grants help low-income college students realize their full potential. Together, we have expanded the size and reach of these grants. Now let's apply that same spirit to help liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools.

On trade, we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world and empower them by opening up new markets overseas. Today, our economic growth increasingly depends on our ability to sell American goods, crops, and services all over the world. So we are working to break down barriers to trade and investment wherever we can. We are working for a successful Doha round of trade talks, and we must complete a good agreement this year. At the same time, we are pursuing opportunities to open up new markets by passing free trade agreements.

I thank the Congress for approving a good agreement with Peru. Now I ask you to approve agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. Many products from these nations now enter America duty-free, yet many of our products face steep tariffs in their markets. These agreements will level the playing field. They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers. And they will support good jobs for the finest workers in the world: those whose products say "Made in the USA."

These agreements also promote America's strategic interests. The first agreement that will come before you is with Colombia, a friend of America that is confronting violence and terror and fighting drug traffickers. If we fail to pass this agreement, we will embolden the purveyors of false populism in our hemisphere. So we must come together, pass this agreement, and show our neighbors in the region that democracy leads to a better life.

Trade brings better jobs, better choices, and better prices. Yet for some Americans, trade can mean losing a job, and the Federal Government has a responsibility to help. I ask the Congress to reauthorize and reform trade adjustment assistance, so we can help these displaced workers learn new skills and find new jobs.

To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil. Last year, I asked you to pass legislation to reduce oil consumption over the next decade, and you responded. Together we should take the next steps: Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions. Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future. Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more efficient technology.

To keep America competitive into the future, we must trust in the skill of our scientists and engineers and empower them to pursue the breakthroughs of tomorrow. Last year, the Congress passed legislation supporting the American Competitiveness Initiative, but never followed through with the funding. This funding is essential to keeping our scientific edge. So I ask the Congress to double Federal support for critical basic research in the physical sciences and ensure America remains the most dynamic nation on earth.

On matters of science and life, we must trust in the innovative spirit of medical researchers and empower them to discover new treatments while respecting moral boundaries. In November, we witnessed a landmark achievement when scientists discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This breakthrough has the potential to move us beyond the divisive debates of the past by extending the frontiers of medicine without the destruction of human life. So we are expanding funding for this type of ethical medical research. And as we explore promising avenues of research, we must also ensure that all life is treated with the dignity it deserves. So I call on the Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life.

On matters of justice, we must trust in the wisdom of our Founders and empower judges who understand that the Constitution means what it says. I have submitted judicial nominees who will rule by the letter of the law, not the whim of the gavel. Many of these nominees are being unfairly delayed. They are worthy of confirmation, and the Senate should give each of them a prompt up-or-down vote.

In communities across our land, we must trust in the good heart of the American people and empower them to serve their neighbors in need. Over the past 7 years, more of our fellow citizens have discovered that the pursuit of happiness leads to the path of service. Americans have volunteered in record numbers. Charitable donations are higher than ever. Faith-based groups are bringing hope to pockets of despair, with newfound support from the Federal Government. And to help guarantee equal treatment for faith-based organizations when they compete for Federal funds, I ask you to permanently extend Charitable Choice.

Tonight the armies of compassion continue the march to a new day in the Gulf Coast. America honors the strength and resilience of the people of this region. We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and better than before. And tonight I am pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans.

There are two other pressing challenges that I have raised repeatedly before this body, and that this body has failed to address: entitlement spending and immigration.

Every Member in this chamber knows that spending on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is growing faster than we can afford. And we all know the painful choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases, sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, or crippling deficits. I have laid out proposals to reform these programs. Now I ask Members of Congress to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save these vital programs for our children and grandchildren.

The other pressing challenge is immigration. America needs to secure our borders — and with your help, my Administration is taking steps to do so. We are increasing worksite enforcement, we are deploying fences and advanced technologies to stop illegal crossings, we have effectively ended the policy of "catch and release" at the border, and by the end of this year, we will have doubled the number of border patrol agents. Yet we also need to acknowledge that we will never fully secure our border until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy. This will take pressure off the border and allow law enforcement to concentrate on those who mean us harm. We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals.

This is the business of our Nation here at home. Yet building a prosperous future for our citizens also depends on confronting enemies abroad and advancing liberty in troubled regions of the world.

Our foreign policy is based on a clear premise: We trust that people, when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace. In the last 7 years, we have witnessed stirring moments in the history of liberty. We have seen citizens in Georgia and Ukraine stand up for their right to free and fair elections. We have seen people in Lebanon take to the streets to demand their independence. We have seen Afghans emerge from the tyranny of the Taliban to choose a new president and a new parliament. We have seen jubilant Iraqis holding up ink-stained fingers and celebrating their freedom. And these images of liberty have inspired us.

In the past 7 years, we have also seen images that have sobered us. We have watched throngs of mourners in Lebanon and Pakistan carrying the caskets of beloved leaders taken by the assassin's hand. We have seen wedding guests in blood-soaked finery staggering from a hotel in Jordan, Afghans and Iraqis blown up in mosques and markets, and trains in London and Madrid ripped apart by bombs. And on a clear September day, we saw thousands of our fellow citizens taken from us in an instant. These horrific images serve as a grim reminder: The advance of liberty is opposed by terrorists and extremists — evil men who despise freedom, despise America, and aim to subject millions to their violent rule.

Since September 11, we have taken the fight to these terrorists and extremists. We will stay on the offense, we will keep up the pressure, and we will deliver justice to the enemies of America.

We are engaged in the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century. The terrorists oppose every principle of humanity and decency that we hold dear. Yet in this war on terror, there is one thing we and our enemies agree on: In the long run, men and women who are free to determine their own destinies will reject terror and refuse to live in tyranny. That is why the terrorists are fighting to deny this choice to people in Lebanon,

Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Territories. And that is why, for the security of America and the peace of the world, we are spreading the hope of freedom.

In Afghanistan, America, our 25 NATO allies, and 15 partner nations are helping the Afghan people defend their freedom and rebuild their country. Thanks to the courage of these military and civilian personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for al Qaida is now a young democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads and hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with new hope. These successes must continue, so we are adding 3,200 Marines to our forces in Afghanistan, where they will fight the terrorists and train the Afghan Army and police. Defeating the Taliban and al Qaida is critical to our security, and I thank the Congress for supporting America's vital mission in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, the terrorists and extremists are fighting to deny a proud people their liberty and to establish safe havens for attacks across the world. One year ago, our enemies were succeeding in their efforts to plunge Iraq into chaos. So we reviewed our strategy and changed course. We launched a surge of American forces into Iraq. And we gave our troops a new mission: Work with Iraqi forces to protect the Iraqi people, pursue the enemy in its strongholds, and deny the terrorists sanctuary anywhere in the country.

The Iraqi people quickly realized that something dramatic had happened. Those who had worried that America was preparing to abandon them instead saw tens of thousands of American forces flowing into their country. They saw our forces moving into neighborhoods, clearing out the terrorists, and staying behind to ensure the enemy did not return. And they saw our troops, along with Provincial Reconstruction Teams that include Foreign Service Officers and other skilled public servants, coming in to ensure that improved security was followed by improvements in daily life. Our military and civilians in Iraq are performing with courage and distinction, and they have the gratitude of our whole Nation.

The Iraqis launched a surge of their own. In the fall of 2006, Sunni tribal leaders grew tired of al Qaida's brutality and started a popular uprising called "The Anbar Awakening." Over the past year, similar movements have spread across the country. And today, this grassroots surge includes more than 80,000 Iraqi citizens who are fighting the terrorists. The government in Baghdad has stepped forward as well — adding more than 100,000 new Iraqi soldiers and police during the past year.

While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just 1 year ago:

When we met last year, many said containing the violence was impossible. A year later, high profile terrorist attacks are down, civilian deaths are down, and sectarian killings are down.

When we met last year, militia extremists — some armed and trained by Iran — were wreaking havoc in large areas of Iraq. A year later, Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed or captured hundreds of militia fighters. And Iraqis of all backgrounds increasingly realize that defeating these militia fighters is critical to the future of their country.

When we met last year, al Qaida had sanctuaries in many areas of Iraq, and their leaders had just offered American forces safe passage out of the country. Today, it is al Qaida that is searching for safe passage. They have been driven from many of the strongholds they once held, and over the past year, we have captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaida leaders and operatives. Last month, Osama bin Laden released a tape in which he railed against Iraqi tribal leaders who have turned on al Qaida and admitted that Coalition forces are growing stronger in Iraq. Ladies and gentlemen, some may deny the surge is working, but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al Qaida is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated.

When we met last year, our troop levels in Iraq were on the rise. Today, because of the progress just described, we are implementing a policy of "return on success," and the surge forces we sent to Iraq are beginning to come home.

This progress is a credit to the valor of our troops and the brilliance of their commanders. This evening, I want to speak directly to our men and women on the frontlines. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen: In the past year, you have done everything we have asked of you, and more. Our Nation is grateful for your courage. We are proud of your accomplishments. And tonight in this hallowed chamber, with the American people as our witness, we make you a solemn pledge: In the fight ahead, you will have all you need to protect our Nation. And I ask the Congress to meet its responsibilities to these brave men and women by fully funding our troops.

Our enemies in Iraq have been hit hard. They are not yet defeated, and we can still expect tough fighting ahead. Our objective in the coming year is to sustain and build on the gains we made in 2007, while transitioning to the next phase of our strategy. American troops are shifting from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and, eventually, to a protective overwatch mission. As part of this transition, one Army brigade combat team and one Marine Expeditionary Unit have already come home and will not be replaced. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Taken together, this means more than 20,000 of our troops are coming home.

Any further drawdown of U.S. troops will be based on conditions in Iraq and the recommendations of our commanders. General Petraeus has warned that too fast a drawdown could result in the "disintegration of the Iraqi Security Forces, al Qaida-Iraq regaining lost ground, [and] a marked increase in violence." Members of Congress: Having come so far and achieved so much, we must not allow this to happen.

In the coming year, we will work with Iraqi leaders as they build on the progress they are making toward political reconciliation. At the local level, Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds are beginning to come together to reclaim their communities and rebuild their lives. Progress in the provinces must be matched by progress in Baghdad. And we are seeing some encouraging signs. The national government is sharing oil revenues with the provinces. The parliament recently passed both a pension law and de-Ba'athification reform. Now they are debating a provincial powers law. The Iraqis still have a distance to travel. But after decades of dictatorship and the pain of sectarian violence, reconciliation is taking place — and the Iraqi people are taking control of their future.

The mission in Iraq has been difficult and trying for our Nation. But it is in the vital interest of the United States that we succeed. A free Iraq will deny al Qaida a safe haven. A free Iraq will show millions across the Middle East that a future of liberty is possible. And a free Iraq will be a friend of America, a partner in fighting terror, and a source of stability in a dangerous part of the world.

By contrast, a failed Iraq would embolden extremists, strengthen Iran, and give terrorists a base from which to launch new attacks on our friends, our allies, and our homeland. The enemy has made its intentions clear. At a time when the momentum seemed to favor them, al Qaida's top commander in Iraq declared that they will not rest until they have attacked us here in Washington. My fellow Americans: We will not rest either. We will not rest until this enemy has been defeated. We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America.

We are also standing against the forces of extremism in the Holy Land, where we have new cause for hope. Palestinians have elected a president who recognizes that confronting terror is essential to achieving a state where his people can live in dignity and at peace with Israel. Israelis have leaders who recognize that a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state will be a source of lasting security. This month in Ramallah and Jerusalem, I assured leaders from both sides that America will do, and I will do, everything we can to help them achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year. The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace.

We are also standing against the forces of extremism embodied by the regime in Tehran. Iran's rulers oppress a good and talented people. And wherever freedom advances in the Middle East, it seems the Iranian regime is there to oppose it. Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, and backing Hamas' efforts to undermine peace in the Holy Land. Tehran is also developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. Our message to the people of Iran is clear: We have no quarrel with you, we respect your traditions and your history, and we look forward to the day when you have your freedom. Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin. And to rejoin the community of nations, come clean about your nuclear intentions and past actions, stop your oppression at home, and cease your support for terror abroad. But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf.

On the homefront, we will continue to take every lawful and effective measure to protect our country. This is our most solemn duty. We are grateful that there has not been another attack on our soil since September 11. This is not for a lack of desire or effort on the part of the enemy. In the past 6 years, we have stopped numerous attacks, including a plot to fly a plane into the tallest building in Los Angeles and another to blow up passenger jets bound for America over the Atlantic. Dedicated men and women in our Government toil day and night to stop the terrorists from carrying out their plans. These good citizens are saving American lives, and everyone in this chamber owes them our thanks. And we owe them something more: We owe them the tools they need to keep our people safe.

One of the most important tools we can give them is the ability to monitor terrorist communications. To protect America, we need to know who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they are planning. Last year, the Congress passed legislation to help us do that. Unfortunately, the Congress set the legislation to expire on February 1. This means that if you do not act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. The Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America. We have had ample time for debate. The time to act is now.

Protecting our Nation from the dangers of a new century requires more than good intelligence and a strong military. It also requires changing the conditions that breed resentment and allow extremists to prey on despair. So America is using its influence to build a freer, more hopeful, and more compassionate world. This is a reflection of our national interest and the calling of our conscience.

America is opposing genocide in Sudan and supporting freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma.

America is leading the fight against global poverty, with strong education initiatives and humanitarian assistance. We have also changed the way we deliver aid by launching the Millennium Challenge Account. This program strengthens democracy, transparency, and the rule of law in developing nations, and I ask you to fully fund this important initiative.

America is leading the fight against global hunger. Today, more than half the world's food aid comes from the United States. And tonight, I ask the Congress to support an innovative proposal to provide food assistance by purchasing crops directly from farmers in the developing world, so we can build up local agriculture and help break the cycle of famine.

America is leading the fight against disease. With your help, we are working to cut by half the number of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations. And our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is treating 1.4 million people. We can bring healing and hope to many more. So I ask you to maintain the principles that have changed behavior and made this program a success. And I call on you to double our initial commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS by approving an additional $30 billion over the next 5 years.

America is a force for hope in the world because we are a compassionate people, and some of the most compassionate Americans are those who have stepped forward to protect us. We must keep faith with all who have risked life and limb so that we might live in freedom and peace. Over the past 7 years, we have increased funding for veterans by more than 95 percent. As we increase funding, we must also reform our veterans system to meet the needs of a new war and a new generation. I call on the Congress to enact the reforms recommended by Senator Bob Dole and Secretary Donna Shalala, so we can improve the system of care for our wounded warriors and help them build lives of hope, promise, and dignity.

Our military families also sacrifice for America. They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of providing for children while a loved one is serving far from home. We have a responsibility to provide for them. So I ask you to join me in expanding their access to childcare, creating new hiring preferences for military spouses across the Federal Government, and allowing our troops to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouses or children. Our military families serve our Nation, they inspire our Nation, and tonight our Nation honors them.

The secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our Government, but in the spirit and determination of our people. When the Federal Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787, our Nation was bound by the Articles of Confederation, which began with the words, "We the undersigned delegates." When Gouverneur Morris was asked to draft the preamble to our new Constitution, he offered an important revision and opened with words that changed the course of our Nation and the history of the world: "We the people."

By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble Nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful Nation on earth and a beacon of hope for millions. And so long as we continue to trust the people, our Nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the State of our Union will remain strong. So tonight, with confidence in freedom's power, and trust in the people, let us set forth to do their business.