Ted Cruz: Much Like Esther, You Are Called For Such a Time As This

H/T for graphic:  workersforJesus.com


Senator Ted Cruz has given a speech that absolutely rocked the house at the Values Voter Summit today!   I think that what I like most about him is the fact that Senator Cruz believes (and most importantly, reminds us ALL) that the genuine power of this nation is in WE THE PEOPLE!   He stated, "much like Esther (in the Bible), you [WE] are called for such a time as this!" 

If you click on the Esther link above, you can read:

The story of the Jewish queen of Persia who exposed a plot to destroy her people and thus saved all the Jews in that country from destruction.

The parallels between that story and the current fight against the tyranny of the unaffordable care act being forced upon our people and nation are quite evident. 

Next,  readers can watch Senator Ted Cruz's speech in it's entirety below.  As Nice Deb notes in her blog post title - it was really great to see and hear Mr. Cruz "smack down the hecklers" [who showed up];  as well as hear the roar of cheers and applause from the audience when he labeled the rude hecklers "Obama operatives!"

~  Christine


Re-blogged from Nice Deb:

Ted Cruz Rocks The Values Voter Summit – Smacks Down Hecklers He Calls “Obama Operatives”

October, 11, 2013 — nicedeb

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spoke today at the 2013 Values Voter Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Some of Obama’s “paid operatives” showed up to disrupt, but Cruz showed Republicans how to handle hecklers, calling  “Obama’s paid political operatives.”
He wondered aloud if anyone was left at the “Organizing for America’s” Campaign HQ!  ”I’m actually glad that the president’s whole political staff is here instead of actually doing mischief in the country”, he said to raucous laughter and applause.

Excerpts from speech:

“Throughout history we have seen great nations rise and fall. And everyone here today is here today because we are not content for the United States of America to rise and do anything but continue to be the greatest country on the face of this Earth.

“Only the American people can turn this great nation around. Only the American people. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us there is nothing new under the sun. As dire as things are, I want each of us to remember back to 1978 and 1979. Those were dark times with 22 percent interest rates. Double-digit unemployment, gas lines going around the block; our hostages languishing in Iran for 444 days. The President of the United States said: we have to accept malaise, the Soviet Union can’t be stopped; our foreign policy is ‘détente’—which I’m pretty sure is French for surrender. And what were we all told, over and over again? There is nothing you can do about it. It can’t be done. The top marginal tax rate is 70 percent and it will stay 70 percent no matter what. The Soviet Union cannot be defeated. The government will always grow and freedom in America will always recede.

“In 1980, the Reagan Revolution began across this country. I’m looking at a lot of foot soldiers and generals from the Reagan Revolution. A lot of men and women in this room bear the scars and understand the power that when the people rise up, ultimately sovereignty resides in one place and one place only. And that is with We the People.

“I’m going to suggest a model for how we turn this country around in the next couple of years. It is the model we have been following together to stop that train wreck, that nightmare, that disaster that is Obamacare.

“It is because of you that the House of Representatives has been standing strong because the House has been listening to the people; It is because of you that for the past two months the country has been engaged in a national debate about the enormous harms that Obamacare is causing.

“All of the millions of Americans who are losing their jobs, being pushed into part time work, losing their health insurance. It is because of you that the American people are energized, and we see the Obama Administration defending positions that are utterly and completely unreasonable. Repeatedly the House of Representatives has acted to compromise, to fund vital priorities, and repeatedly President Obama and the Democrats have refused to negotiate.

“There are two things I have [an] abiding faith in: One is a benevolent God who loves each and every one of us, and number two is the American people who love liberty and opportunity unlike any nation, any people in the history of this world.

“Each of you is called to be here. Much like Esther, you are called for a time such as this. For hundreds of years every generation of Americans has given to their kids and grandkids greater opportunity, greater prosperity, a greater future. If we keep going down this road, we will become the first generation not to do that. And every man and woman in this room believes in your heart, and your mind and your soul that is utterly and completely unacceptable!! 

As Ronald Reagan famously observed:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

 

Ronald Reagan
40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

 

None of us will ever have to answer that question, because together; we the American people, are going to restore that shining city on the hill that is the United States of America!

 

Thank you and God bless you!

Hat tips: 
Nice Deb
Bartleby.com

Netanyahu: Israel Will Not Allow Iran to get Nuclear Weapons. Israel Will Stand Alone. [Update: Video & link]

There are certainly LOTS of political issues to discuss today.

1.  The government partial shut-down. 
2.  The predictable glitch-filled online start of Obamacare exchanges. 
3.  The appeasement prone phone call made by Obama to Iranian leader Rouhani. 

The American people find themselves surrounded by nefarious lions, and tigers, and bears...oh my!

As was predicted, the media of mass deception tries to put the entire blame on Republicans. No surprise there! However, when a poll reveals that only 10% of the American people think that Congress is doing a good job and 90% think they are not - remember this FACT:  That number INCLUDES THE DEMS IN THE SENATE!!!

Well, I don't want to talk about all of that anyway. There are plenty of blogs and posts being written and shared about the ongoing blame-wars and fights between the House and Senate, and between the legislative branch vs. the "no negotiations" creeps of the executive branch in the District of Corruption. 

What I want to focus on is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations today! Unfortunately, I was working online at the time and did not tune in while it was being broadcast live. I searched C-Span for a video of the speech but I could not find it. Perhaps it will be available later and I will post a link to the speech. Fortunately, several columns and posts have revealed the excellent points that Mr. Netanyahu made during his speech.

Update:  video found at sharia unveiled link:

sharia unveiled

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Speech at the UN General Assembly (Video)

 

 

 

Netanyahu: “Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” Excerpts from the speech to the U.N.

joelcrosenberg at Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - 1 hour ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finished addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York City just before 1:00pm eastern time. “Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons,” the PM said in what was one of the most important lines of the speech. “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Yet in standing alone Israel will know that we are defending many, many others.”

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God certainly has His mighty Hand in the affairs of men.  In a post I had written back in 2010, I mentioned how the Providence of God stepped in at a crucial time in history where Israel would need a very strong leader during the time of America's suffering under a weak one. 

 

Excerpt from 2010 post link:

I remember feeling very uneasy when the liberal leaders in Israel (Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert) were Prime Ministers. Their appeasement tactics and the ill-advised "Road map to Peace" (one of the things that I vehemently opposed about President George W. Bush's administration) unnerved me. I always felt that Israel was in danger (in reality - She's always in danger from the radical Islamists!) and that these two men would not have the will or wherewithal to attack Iran before Iminajihad's [Note:  a nick-name I gave to Ahmadinejad] nation gets to the final stage of developing nuclear weapons. Now, with Benjamin Netanyahu in office, I am relieved because I feel that he will take the necessary action needed to destroy Iran's nuclear development facilities.

I also felt that the Bush Administration would attack Iran before they would let them get to the final development stage for creating nuclear weapons. However, the ObaMARXIST, radical Islam terrorist sympathizing administration that we have now chills me to the bone. As the article links you have read above show, they are secretly acting in cahoots with the enemies of Israel who are intent on Her destruction!

This is end times stuff, gang!

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Joel Rosenberg has supplied some great excerpts from Netanyahu's speech today:

Excerpts of the speech (via Fox News):

• “Rouhani didn’t sound like Ahmadinejad, but when it comes to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was the wolf in wolf’s clothing. Rouhani is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Netanyahu said. “A wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of the international community.” 
• “I wish I could believe Rouhani, but I don’t — because facts are stubborn things,” Netanyahu said, adding Iran’s “savage record” contradicts Rouhani’s “soothing rhetoric.” 

Excerpts of the speech (via New York Times):

• “They’ve all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgiving regime,” said Mr. Netanyahu, who regards Iran as Israel’s most potent enemy and its development of a nuclear weapon as an “existential threat.” He said “President Rouhani, like the presidents who came before him, is a loyal servant of the regime.”
• He said the international response to Iran’s entreaties for sanctions relief should be “distrust, dismantle and verify,” and he repeated his warnings that Israel reserved the right to preemptively strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it deemed the Iranians were close to producing nuclear weapons

Excerpts of the speech (via Haaretz):

• If you want to cease Iran’s nuclear program, don’t let up the pressure. The greater the pressure, the greater the change. … Distrust, dismantle and verify.
• Rouhani promises constructive engagement with other countries, yet two years ago Iranian agents tried to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington D.C. and just two weeks ago an Iranian agent was arrested in Israel for trying to plot an attack against the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
• Iran participates in Assad’s murder and massacre of civilians.
• Jewish history has taught us two things: Never give up hope, always remain vigilant.

Israel's Prime Minister is wise not to trust Rouhani's seemingly "soothing rhetoric."  Who can forget the FACT that the Iranians plan to annihilate the Jews?

In case you missed it when posted here back in 2011, we would be wise to heed both the sobering message in this post link, as well as the unmistakable proof that the Jewish people have contributed far more to this world than any Muslim persons! 

What's more, wherever Islamists reside, there is carnage and chaos; more proof of their intended jihadist ambitions.  Why in the world would ANY INTELLIGENT LEADER think that Iran has changed??  I certainly don't!  In fact, they will NEVER CHANGE because all that is written in their Islamic book reveals their evil intentions!  Rouhani is obviously using the Islamist doctrine of taqiyya to fool the world. Thank God that Benjamin Netanyahu used the analogy of "a wolf in sheep's clothing" when describing this terrorist leader of Iran!

Also see:

VOA News.com: Netanyahu Slams Iran's Nuclear Ambitions in UN Speech  

 

 Excerpt:

Netanyahu is deeply concerned about eased tensions between Iran and the international community, saying Tehran is using talks to try to lessen the crippling sanctions and to buy more time to build a nuclear weapon.

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EXACTLY!!!


Hat tips to all links. 

Ted Cruz’s Real Goal is to Make D.C. Listen.

  




BiasedGirl @BiasedGirl

Ted Cruz stayed awake for at least 21 hours to debate Obamacare. Obama couldn't even stay awake to find out what happened in #Benghazi

6:17 PM - 25 Sep 2013

353 Retweets 135 favorites

Strong contender for Tweet of the Year!

Hat tip:  Legal Insurrection blog  

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Dear Readers,

Near the end of Cruz's 21 hour filibuster-like speech, it was certainly amusing to see the irritation on Harry Reid's face as the heroic U.S. Senator from Texas had granted Reid the opportunity to ask a question.  Of course, Senator Cruz was careful to say that he would do so without giving up the floor.  Reid's body language showed how much he despised Senator Cruz and how annoyed he was when Cruz cut him off for not asking a question.  Cruz was not about to allow Reid to bloviate during the last 15 minutes of his 21 hour ordeal.  It was so delicious to observe Ted Cruz's epic verbal takedown of Dick Durbin and Harry Reid in the Final Moments of His Anti-Obamacare Speech! [Note:  if you missed it, you can view several videos at link.]

That encounter said a lot about the liberal elites in Congress.  What's more, when Senator Cruz left the podium and Reid took to the microphone, the old geezer could not resist insulting the Senator from Texas by claiming that he (and by association, all of We The People who supported Cruz via our phone calls, emails, texts, and tweets) was an "anarchist."

I continue to find great blog posts that reveal just how impressive and important Cruz's efforts were.  The media of mass deception can try to disparage Cruz all they want - but the people who have watched this epic adventure in the Senate chamber on C-Span all know the truth.  Senator Ted Cruz has done something great that I personally think will go down in history as one of the most positive and successful filibuster-like speeches, EVER.

Senator Rand Paul's 13 hour filibuster was terrific, too!  In fact, when you read the following excerpt from Net Right Daily, you will see how great an impact that Senator Paul's filibuster ended up having against the current government drone policy. After Paul's filibuster, seventy-nine percent of the people agreed with Rand that the nomination of CIA Director John Brennan was a disastrous choice. During his speech, Paul explained and exposed how dangerous the Obama Administration's drone policy was, and 79% of the people ended up agreeing with the Senator!

We still do not know the full effects yet of Senator Ted Cruz's speech.  However, I would venture to guess that it will mostly be positive from millions of us who supported all that he stood up for during that 21 hour speech!  Time will tell what will ultimately be the results of his sublime talking points.  He was there for those of us who previously did not feel that we had any voice in Washington D.C.  Now, we have an advocate whose worthy goal is to MAKE D.C. LISTEN!

~  Christine


Excerpt:

Ted Cruz’s real filibuster

By Brad Tidwell

Many in the D.C. establishment misunderstand Ted Cruz’s real goal in speaking for 21 hours straight — his goal is to Make D.C. Listen.

After Ted Cruz’s speech came to an end, 21 hours and 19 minutes after it began, the very next speech that was heard came from Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid. Reid’s summary of the speech (which he’d authorized Cruz to give): a “waste of time”.

Even before the speech, the objections from the usual D.C. corners had come fast and hard, claiming that Cruz’s speech was not a “real” filibuster, that it was merely an elongated speech that happened to last all night, that it wasn’t going to accomplish much, that it wouldn’t stop the vote, and that nobody would care. But what merit do these criticisms have?

The accusations from inside the Beltway that Cruz’s speech would fail because it would be unheard by anyone outside the Beltway are particularly ironic. For the talking heads to claim that speeches unheard by the unpolitical masses aren’t useful is the greatest critique of their existence ever devised. One would hope their newfound focus on utility would result in less chattering, but that’s pretty unlikely.

Cruz’s speech invites comparisons to Rand Paul’s 13 hour filibuster against the Obama nomination of CIA Director John Brennan. Much of Paul’s speech centered around the use of drone strikes rather than the nomination of Brennan, which was an opportunity to bring these important issues into the national conversation. After Senator Paul made his case, a poll showed 79 percent of Americans supported Paul’s position.

Was Rand Paul’s 13 hour speech a “waste of time” because it didn’t defeat the nomination of Brennan? It’s clear that defeating Brennan’s nomination was never Senator Paul’s ultimate goal. The filibuster rallied people around a sense of frustration they felt with the government that they saw as broken and needing change. Obamacare creates a lot of those same tensions, and there is also a clear majority of people who oppose the legislation. But their voices are not being heard.

It seems that despite the hand-wringing about procedural process, Cruz’s speech was, in fact, heard. And the reaction was strong — but not in the way that Democrats might have hoped for. In the physical world, 1.6 million people signed a petition to defund Obamacare. Cruz made constant mention of the phone lines and switchboards in the Senate that were being shut down with calls of those opposing Obamacare.

Online, there were also reports of unprecedented levels of email traffic going in to Senator’s offices. At one point, the hashtag #KeepCruzing was the second highest trending tag worldwide on Twitter. Other tags that also trended were #StandWithCruz, and the very telling #MakeDCListen. That last hashtag is particularly insightful, because if Cruz’s 21 hour speech had to fit into three words, “make D.C. listen” would make a perfect summary.

There has always been a physical goal to Cruz’s speech — to encourage Senate Republicans to vote no on cloture, and to say as he has for the last few days, that a vote for cloture is a vote to allow Obamacare to continue. But Cruz’s real motivation was exposed in the last few hours of his speech — his real goal, in his words, is to “change the broken ways of Washington, and start listening to the American people.”

The problem Cruz is directly addressing is the fact that while a clear majority oppose Obamacare, D.C. seems to be all about business as usual. There are in fact policy bills being proposed by the GOP to replace Obamacare that will likely never get past Harry Reid’s desk. The problem isn’t that the policies aren’t being proposed, the problem is they never get debated because of the partisan politics of the Senate.

That’s the real filibuster in this debate. Like Rand Paul’s filibuster, Cruz’s speech focused on something larger than just the question at hand.  Cruz was given a bully pulpit to talk about the human cost of Obamacare, and he did so eloquently. He escaped the noise, procedure and talking points, and went to the heart of the matter. While the Senate fails to act, he’s standing — and speaking — for those with no voice.

 Read more at Net Right Daily.

Hat tips to all links.

P.S.  Please go to the following link to add your signature to the over 1,814,621 patriots who have already signed the "Do Not Fund Obamacare" petition!

DON'T FUND OBAMACARE

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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)

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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

D-Day: Where The West Held Together

This certainly is a week of historical military significance. As Scylla and Charybdis pointed out in their detailed post yesterday, there are at least 5 historical military anniversaries during the week of June 4-7.

Excerpt:

The first week of June is crammed full of historic military anniversaries. We commemorate the Allied D-Day assault against the Nazis on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. The Israeli-Arab 6-Day War began on June 5, 1967. Israeli jet pilots destroyed Saddam Hussein’s Osirak nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981. The Marshall Plan was introduced as a Cold War defense, on June 5, 1947.

Yet a US Navy battle this same week, just 6 months after Pearl Harbor and a full 2 years before D-Day, goes largely unnoticed, lost down the memory hole; yet it certainly represents "the greatest naval victory in history” and perhaps the pivotal event in world military history since the Battle of Little Round Top at Gettysburg in July 1863.

It is the Battle of Midway, which, like Gettysburg, occurred over a three-day period, June 4-6, 1942.

Doug Powers over at The Powers That Be has provided a detailed post with links in remembrance of D-Day. Thanks Doug! Saved me a lot of typing, my friend!

I agree with Doug that President Ronald Reagan's speech on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day stands out as one of the best, ever!

As Doug pointed out in his blogpost, the words and attitudes of that era seem to be, unfortunately, lost upon the liberal left in this country.

Doug writes:

There’s no better way to help us remember than with the speech that Ronald Reagan spoke to D-Day veterans on June 6th, 1984, on the 40th anniversary of the invasion — a speech that contained these words:

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

More poignant words from the speech:

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

HT: The Powers That Be

Scylla and Charybdis

Reagan Foundation.org

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