Ron Paul: The Future, Should There Be One, of the GOP

Ron Paul gets it. I watched a good portion of the Republican debate from Iowa this morning before I went to church, and this little guy is one tough cookie! You see, tough does not necessarily mean 'all brawn, no brains':

Responding to a video question asking the candidates to clarify their strategies for ending the war in Iraq, Rep. Ron Paul came out swinging in support of immediate withdrawal.
"We went in illegally, and we ought to just come home," Paul charged from the podium to scattered audience cheers.

Congressman Paul is no liberal. Quite frankly, I wouldn't vote for him due to the fact that he is a right wing libertarian - too far right for my comfort. But he's no chicken hawk either, like most of these other clowns (except for McCain, who served too). What Ron Paul said was absolutely true. And I heard more than "scattered audience cheers." I actually wondered if the Democrats stuffed the audience for the very purpose of cheering Ron Paul's 'get out of Iraq now' approach. It was something.

Mike Huckabee, the former governor of the state in which I currently reside, said something worthwhile about health care. ABC News is down at the moment, so I'll paraphrase. He indicated that all Americans should get the same health care plan as members of Congress. I agree (for the first time) with him. Actually Medicare for all would be better, but the FEP (Federal Employee Program) is something I am familiar with also. I work for the Medicare and FEP contractor for the state of Arkansas. It ain't a bad deal! I was surprised that Huckabee put that out there. I had learned to expect nothing from bankrupt right wing politics from the Huckster.

The GOP needs a good strong dose of the likes of Ron Paul and a shot of Mike Huckabee in order to rejuvenate itself. The sooner the party learns this, all the better for them. And, I must admit, I think it's important that America have a strong, respectable Republican party. Given its clown act of current front runners for the nomination, however, it appears rejuvenation is a long way off.

'Dem Bloggers Got It Goin' On! Yearly Kos 2007

You know, the only time I'm ever torn in my support for Hillary Clinton is when I hear or read about John Edwards:

An audience member asked the candidates whether they would hire an official White House blogger. Edwards said yes, "and her name will be Elizabeth Edwards," his wife.

The Yearly Kos Convention of liberal-progressive bloggers runs through Sunday August 5th at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

Who Ever Said The Bible Didn't Belong In Public Schools?

Open Christian minds will recognize this for the blessing that it is. While the fundamentalists may have had something else in mind when they passed laws making Bible classes in public schools legal, The Lord knows how to make it work for everybody:

http://www.au.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr003=k5i3jmts51.app7b&abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9279&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241

You see, Bible education taught from a secular standpoint has real-world value and is completely legal under the U.S. Constitution. And, if you believe that the Gospel has its own inherent power to save, you can appreciate AU.org's God-appointed role in this plan.

Hillary Holds The Democratic Lead

Hillary vs. Rudy? There are a couple of reasons why I see this general election scenario as win-win:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20110840/site/newsweek/

1. Both are 'center' candidates; Hillary leaning left, Rudy leaning right. The best place for an American president to govern from is the center, regardless of personal ideologies.

2. A Hillary-Rudy match up is the scenario most likely to make voters who hold extreme viewpoints stay home on election day. Granted, a voter who knows little about the issues is bad. But a voter who thinks he knows everything is far, far worse.

Miracle On The 35W

This certainly qualifies as a miracle. It is extremely difficult to get out of a car that is partially submerged. The pressure keeps you from pushing open a door or opening a window:

You basically have to wait until the pressure is equalized inside and outside the car, which means letting the vehicle fill completely with water!

Update: 35W bridge to be replaced by 2009?

A Blog Is Born

In order to make this blog one that is reliably positive in its Christian progressive take on the world, I have created a new blog to serve as a antithetic companion to American Emprise. While AE will provide a bright outlook on things, the new blog will serve as "the dark side," exposing the sleazy underbelly of neo-conservative politics, policies and people. Now you can choose to read the kind of news and opinion you want! Or, compare sides for a balanced blend of what is left and wrong with the world! :-) For a glimpse of the new blog and the sleaziness to come, visit http://www.garbageshovel.blogspot.com/. For the upside of the world we live in, hang here with American Emprise!

Bush In Retribution Will Veto Anything Congress Passes

George W. Bush is the ultimate sore loser. He will take anyone he can down with him by vetoing any bill congress passes. This is from USNews.com:

Senior Bush advisers tell the US News Political Bulletin that President Bush's best hope for recovering from his slump in the polls -- and proving he isn't a lame duck -- is to demonstrate that he remains a player on the Washington scene,. "The real problem for Bush now," says a senior administration official, "is that it looks like he doesn't have control over the government." He has endured a series of setbacks recently that suggest he is heading toward irrelevance in Washington -- at least that's the way many mainstream media outlets are portraying his situation. Among setbacks: continuing bad news from Iraq, the defeat of his immigration bill, the continuing harsh criticism of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and this week's contempt citations from the House Judiciary Committee directed at White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former legal counsel Harriet Miers over executive privilege.
White House officials say Bush will emerge from the doldrums as he begins to confront the Democrat-controlled Congress with vetoes of spending bills that he considers excessive. They also expect him to get a lift in the polls for being a strong leader, at least in the view of conservatives, as he continues to block anti-war legislators in Congress from requiring a fast withdrawal from Iraq.

Any supporter of America's armed forces that still supports this president and his 'mission' is worshipping the wrong god. This man is not concerned with any sanctity of life, liberty or anything other than his own historic image. George W. Bush couldn't care less about you or the troops. His reputation is the only thing on his mind.