The Biggest Little Dog

His name is Skipper. When Mom and Dad got him in 1990 at the age of six weeks, they (Dad) wanted to name him Spunky. Well a direct and animated campaign by we three kids and Mom and Dad saw the wisdom of not scarring a puppy with an inane moniker, and Spunky blessedly became Skipper. Dad wanted a toy fox terrier like the one he had at age ten (that terrier was named Jo-Jo). Well, Skipper was a fox terrier, not a toy fox terrier. Regardless, a terrier is a turbo-charged dog. A terrier puppy is turbo-charged on nitromethane. A seemingly inexhaustible supply of nitromethane. I became convinced that the root word for "terrorist" was "terrier". And it occurred to me "I'm going to have to put this dog out of everybody's misery". Well, like grandparents with grandchildren, I could walk away. Good luck Dad!
I've always believed that dogs grow to be like two year olds...forever. When Skipper reached late adolescence/young adulthood, he had become a great dog. Dad died in 1993. And Skipper became Mom's great friend and companion. He always followed Mom around. Was always where people were. Never underfoot. When my brother or I went to Mom's house, Skipper became so excited to see us that he lost bladder control. My brother commented what a great feeling it was to have someone so happy to see you that he wet himself. I agreed.
Skipper was also a guard dog. He had two barks. The bark I heard when I came to visit and rang the doorbell four, five, six times quickly. And then there was that other bark. If it could be described as a bark. More like the soul chilling warning from a hell hound. I heard it a few times. When a stranger rang the doorbell. You would never believe that that bark came from a thirty pound fox terrier. It was a bark that sounded as if that dog you heard on the other side of the door was going to come through the front door and screen door to tear your throat out and spit it back in your face as you crumpled to the ground. And then for good measure kick dirt in your face as he walked away. Good dog, Skipper!
Just what Mom needed.
And Skipper was a face licker. The boy next door (who is now an adult) described Skipper as "lickety". And he was.
I had many nicknames for Skipper: Skippy Flips, Skippum Flippums, Skippio Flippio, Nipwads... The one I landed on was Muttzoid (with an occasional Nipwads. I'm a sentimentalist after all). Don't ask me why I settled on Muttzoid. Probably a consequence of playing rugby for twenty three years. Last Saturday my Aunt Karen was at Mom's. I stopped by to do a couple things around the house. I came upstairs and said "Muttzoid!" and scratched Skipper's chest. My aunt said to Mom "He calls him Muttzoid. Not Buttzoid." I was crushed. Crushed! How could my Mom think that I could or would call Skipper "Buttzoid"? Yup. That sealed it. Now I know what I had always suspected: I'm adopted. The evidence is in.
When I stayed at Mom's house (to take care of Skipper) when she needed to go to the hospital or went on a short vacation, Skipper was quite clear that he was always going to sleep with me. I called, he came a' running and jumped on the bed and curled up behind my legs. Or jumped up and layed down beside me on the davenport.
But, we all grow old. So it was with Skipper. He started to lose his hearing a few years back, but not his playful spirit. He still ran around the house when I showed up. And we played with his rope toy. Then Mom noticed that he was slipping from time to time on the stairs going up. And then he fell backwards downstairs a few times. Mom had to help him upstairs last year. This winter we took him in for evaluation. The vet thought there may be some neurological failing. And I asked about a small lump on his shoulder. It was cancer (that was successfully removed). We took Skipper to get acupuncture from Dr. Rachel Stephensen at Plymouth Heights Pet Hospital. There was some remediation. But, we all knew that as Skipper's weight fell and he became less and less mobile and that there was evidence he might very well be experiencing canine dementia, that the end for this wonderful dog was approaching.
I had brought the subject up twice, obliquely, very gently, with Mom. My brother and I were very clear, that when that decision needed to be made, only Mom would make it. My brother and I were now silent, and listened to what Mom had to say.
Skipper needed nearly constant care. He was not getting better, at all. He hadn't been outside in two months. And Mom made the heavy, the unwanted decision last week. She called Dr. Stephensen and set the appointment for Thursday, yesterday.
We took Skipper on his last car trip and his last visit to Dr. Stephensen.
I asked what to expect. Dr. Stephensen said that she would administer an anesthetic overdose. That Skipper would go to sleep. And then his heart would stop and he'd stop breathing. I gently picked up Mom's, my brother's, my friend Skipper and put him on Mom's lap. My brother sat close nearby. Mom held Skipper. I sat on the floor and stroked his nose and rubbed him between his eyes as he so quietly left us. And then our life began without this wonderful little dog. It is so hard. Dr. Stephensen cried. Dr. Stephensen was so kind, gentle, sensitive. Skipper touched so many lives. Even people who had never met him.
Skipper will be cremated and his ashes will be at Mom's.
But, I now know why people who go through this say they will never get another dog.
Last night I could not get to sleep. I was so tired. I had dreams this last week about the coming Thursday, and now couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned. I kept trying to find that cool spot on the sheets and that calm spot in a dark night. I kept replaying the scene at the vets. But, then I also found myself thinking of ringing the doorbell and hearing Skipper barking and Mom saying "Skipper-who is that? Who's here?" Mom's opening the door and Skipper pushing himself out , tail a' wagging. Then running up the stairs to push his nose out between the wrought iron railing at Mom's to lick my face. And running around and barking, wanting to play. Down on his elbows, haunches up, tail still a' wagging. And I caught myself smiling at the thoughts. That Skipper hasn't been there for about two years. But, young or old, playful or paralyzed, Skipper loved and was loved. By many. He was loyal to us. And we to him. All the way to the end.
We are the ones who love Skipper enough to put us through this emptiness of pain. We're the ones who are left behind.
I'm reminded of a statement from the pastor who presided at my Grandma's funeral a quarter century ago. I've repeated it's essence and sentiment at all the funerals and memorials where I've spoken:"Your relationship with your mother, your grandmother, your friend didn't end three days ago. It just changed."
And so it is with Skipper. My, our relationship with Skipper didn't end yesterday...it just changed.
I once heard it said that you don't own a dog. He owns you. That statement is well supported by Skipper.
My Mom commented we've survived and lived, and lived well through losing others. And so it will also be with Skipper.
I've said over the past years that if anyone ever challenged me to name evidence of God's love and wisdom, it would be Skipper. Dad, you thought you were buying Skipper for yourself. Nah. Not at all. Not even close Dad. God was guiding you to buy Skipper for Mom for when you left us.
Farewell Skipper.
You are the biggest little dog.

The bridge...

The reach of the disaster is far and long. A client of mine, with whom I have a great relationship and who lives in the Pacific Northwest called me Thursday and left a message "Call me when you get this message." I did. I told him that I'd been using that bridge since it was dedicated. That I'd crossed it thousands of times, sometimes over ten times a day. The last time was, well, sometime within the week before it collapsed. For forty years, I've never given the bridge a thought. I always looked at the cityscape at night going south. I look at the four smokestacks at the NSP plant (or Excel or whatever their calling themselves now) just north of the bridge and think of my grandfather. But now come the harpies of the lack of logic loony and bile and vitriol consumed left.
I race sailboats. On Saturday as we gathered, one of the members of our group is a professional, registered engineer who also owns a nationally known and well respected engineering testing company. I asked him if he'd been contacted about the 35W bridge. Oh yes. To be an expert witness for plaintiffs and defendants. Our resident screaming radical lefty came up and asked him about his thoughts. My engineering friend said that it's going to take a long time to find out what failed. He commented that it was more than likely a metal fatigue failure. But where, what and why will take time. And the lefty screamer? Who has an engineering undergraduate degree...but is also an attorney...he knew exactly why that bridge failed. He kept hammering at me three times "What did Pawlenty do with the gas tax increase??? What did Pawlenty do..." I finally responded "He vetoed it". At which point Mr. Screamer screamed "MY POINT EXACTLY!!!" as he stormed off. As I screamed at his back side (where all his reasoning and discernment ability reside) "And in which direction did the sun rise that day? The EAST! MY POINT EXACTLY!!!" Made as much sense as did his diatribe. (Ever notice that lefties love two dia words and loathe one? They love diatribe and diarrhea of the mouth but loathe dialogue).
Lefties' logic always seems to go from point A to point Q with no intervening connections at all. And/or, they present correlation as causation (as I sarcastically did with my where did the sun raise comment and all lefties do with global warming, crime, and many other of their wasted causes). So, the questions I'd ask The Screamer would be: Okay, fill me in on how the gas tax increase veto felled the bridge or how blame is attached-

1. Did the veto this year mean that we didn't have money over the past decades or years to do inspections? Uh, no. Inspections went on as scheduled. The last one being in May 2007. No immediate concerns were raised. My engineering friend even commented about a test done in either 2000 or 2001 by the University of MN where the engineers put stress detectors on the bridge and ran fully loaded semis across the bridge. The result? No discernible concern about over stress on the bridge.)
   
2. Well, then, did the veto this year mean that we don't and didn't have the money to do the requested or suggested repairs and maintenance? Ah, again, no. All suggested repairs were done. As were any maintenance suggestions.
   
3. Well, then, were there engineers in the past that knew that there would be a Republican governor elected and re-elected and be serving in 2007, and so plotted...well, with the mindset of the lefties, who knows whether or not this could be considered true.
   

And will Mr. Screamer ever say that the money that went down the Ventura/Mondale Memorial Choo-choo sinkhole would have been better used for bridge maintenance/repair? Oh, no. He extols the virtue of the Choo-choo. The $1 billion dollars wasted this year on "transit" rather than used for highways, roads and bridges? Ha! Yah. And will the voters of Minnesota realize the huge mistake they made in voting a constitutional amendment where at least, at least 40% of all monies from vehicle sales tax would fund anything but bridges and roads. And the way the amendment is worded, 100% of vehicle taxes could go to "transit", NOT motorized vehicle infrastructure, such as the 35W bridge.
But, to show how out of touch Mr. Screamer is, he commented that it would take years to clear the river. His support? "Why, have they even cleared Ground Zero?" (The World Trade Center site). My reply-"It took about 6-7 months. It's been done for years." (BTW, I remember a few years ago we were talking about some market function where the market was buying or doing something where Mr. Screamer stated with great conviction "Well, the market is WRONG!" Yup, millions of people making independent decisions on what was good for them were wrong. Only Mr. Screamer is right and the market should be controlled by his decisions. And he sees to it that government is in charge, not you and me.) He then went on to say it would take at least 5 years to complete a new bridge. If you get the government out of the way, I'd be willing to bet it could be done in under 2 years, easy, with months to spare. And it appears that that may be much closer to the truth than Mr. Screamers' prognostications.
So, a highly repsected and regarded engineer doesn't know why the bridge fell. But every brain dead lefty does: Iraq, Bush, Pawlenty, Carol Molnau, Grover Nordquist, David Strom.
But, as Jason Lewis commented last week, it's never government. Only the Republicans.

Flying on history

I've written a number of times that I'm a member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society, the guys who flew in WWII. This weekend we've brought in three of the surviving WWII bombers (owned by The Collings Foundation ) to Holman Field in St. Paul. Yesterday after they flew in the pilots let me do some minor work on the B-17. At the end of the day, the Chief Pilot Rob Collings put me on the last flight of the day on the B-17. It's my second time flying on the Flying Fortress. I took pictures of my second time flying history.

The B-17 nose canopy with the chin turret and cheek guns

















Throttles and flaps



















The Norden bomb sight



















The bomb bay
















"Flying the ball"- the ball turret or belly turret.



































The B-24 , nose on. There were more B-24's produced than B-17's. The B-17 received the bulk of the publicity as it preceded the B-24 as America's first four engine heavy bomber. However, the B-24 flew faster and carried a heavier bomb load. Collings B-24 is the only fully operational B-24 flying.
Any how, come out to Holman Field Sunday and Monday. Walk around and see the planes. Talk to the men who flew them in combat. And for the ultimate, take a ride in history ($425 for a half hour flight). $10 and you can go through all three planes (The B-17 Flying Fortress. B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell). You'll be at about 1,500 feet and in a shirt sleeve environment; not 25,000 feet and -50 degrees, breathing through an oxygen mask and wearing a flak helmet and a flask vest... and, of course no one will be trying to kill you.
So, come on out. It is certainly worth the trip. And time very well spent.

Umar Bill and gratitude

So, this afternoon I played hooky. I surfed the internet with abandon. Well, with abandon with an eye to liberty. I spent time on Michael Yon's website . He is a forty something former Green Beret who has taken it upon himself to cover the war at a distance from the Green Zone (I've written about this in my prior post). And at his own expense. One of his dispatches I read is titled "'Hello Ameriki!'" from the Kurds". Yon is up in Northern Iraq and is invited to a picnic outside a Kurdish village named Umar Bill. The general who has called the picnic asks Yon if he'd like to meet and talk to a man who has lived his entire life in Umar Bill. Yon says absolutely. And he is ushered into a world of gratitude, genuine gratitude, for America, for Americans that has not been reported here. The man's name is Saamad. He is fifty-four. He tells of Saddam Hussein's troops coming to attack the village. Saadam tells of the village's resistance. And temporary victory. Until more troops return. And Saadam tells of what happens next.
Saadam also speaks of the coming of the Americans. He says of the Americans:"The Kurds are so happy to see you. The Americans are like the angels from God.” But his expression changed dramatically to one of hidden anger: “The Arabs accuse the Americans of being murderers and criminals,” he said with finality, “but when Americans came, they brought justice."
Yon goes on to speak of the Kurds and their affection for Americans is definitely returned:"The Kurds are becoming stronger by the hour. But make no mistake about it: the Kurds are not getting stronger by the hour because the Americans like them. Americans like them because they are the kind of people who get stronger by the hour."
It's a very interesting read about the difference between the Kurdish north and the Arab (Sunni and Shia) south.
Go and read this dispatch on what is really happening in Iraq.
And shame on the MSM (including Fox News) for not reporting this type of news.
P.S.- On another dispatch, Yon relates about questions that he is asked. One of the questions is "Why didn't you write about that?" Yon replies:"The answer is simple. Often I am asked to withhold information due to the immediate sensitivity. And so, I never release the slightest hint. But then somebody in Baghdad - three steps removed from the action here in Mosul - releases it to CNN and the rest of the world. What is seen on television and in the papers is practically always inaccurate, or is at least poorly framed. But I rarely waste a breath trying to correct the information. It’s too late. Life is busy here." And so the war of bad information or disinformation runs like fast flowing sewage from the MSM.
My next blog "Radical patience" will be about how the MSM's reporting is not just bad, but dangerous and treasonous.

The other side of the hill

I've never hidden the fact that I'm a WWII history buff. Thirty years ago I took the entire year long study of WWII history at the U of M through extension classes (night school) where there were a number of similar amateur historians. One of our course books was the two volume "History of the Second World War ". Though not exhaustive, it is complete and the best short history of the war. After the war, Liddell-Hart had an opportunity to interview the captured German generals and the High Command of the Wermacht. He titled his book "The Other Side of the Hill". He took the title from a quote from Napoleon that what Napoleon wanted to do was to get into the mind of his opponent, that what he desired was to see on the "other side of the hill" as to how and what the enemy was thinking. This style of thinking is grossly, and dangerously lacking on the left. The left has no reason or logic, especially when it comes to war, economics, and well, reality. The reason I bring this up is two fold: Israel and Iraq (and by logical extension, the wider war on radical Islamic terrorism).
In America and Israel (because of incredible pressure from idiot American politicians, including GWB on this one), people and the politicians keep thinking there is hope for peace in the Mid-East. Sheer folly. What do the Islamists want: All Israelites and Jews dead. What do the Jews and Israelites want: not to die. OK, you brain trusts on the left and all the brains inside the Beltway, where's the middle position that can be negotiated between those positions? Einstein's definition of insanity seems to amply apply in spades in the Mid-East. Wait a minute... Nobel Peace Prize winner Little Jimmie Carter knows, I'm sure. (Since little Jimmie got his NPP, I've been buying Cracker Jack's by the palette looking for another one. Probably no check though. Dang!)
Now, Iraq. Ask any lefty point blank if we (the West) are in a war against radical Islam. And up or down, yes or no. If no, ask about the bombings in Bali (in 2002, where a nightclub was attacked and 202 young Australians were killed, and again in 2005). And the London attacks last week where innocent club goers were targeted? I'm sure that they'll slobber all over themselves trying to explain why these attacks don't constitute a war on the West. BTW, if you've ever seen pictures of a nail shrapnel bomb, well...
So now, I'll refer you to Michael Yon's website. He is former Special Forces. He is a true imbed at his own expense (rather than hiding in the Green Zone and reporting from the hotel balcony while having cold drinks while keeping the thermostat at 70). He's been involved in a firefight while out with the troop. There are so many, many things that he reports on that you never hear from any other source, including, to their great shame, Fox News. Reports such as this or this or this (that I blogged about here in my Memorial Day blogs last year).
The story about Farah and Major Beiger came rapidly to mind when I read the this dispatch from Michael Yon. Troops from a nearby FOB went into a village outside of Baqubah (where Operation Arrowhead Ripper is being fought). The village had been taken over by AQ and the FOB nearby was being constantly attacked from the village. As the troop entered the village, the question was "Where are the villagers?" The answer was pieced together as the troop proceeded further. The troop were leery of finding dead bodies as AQ was known to put bombs into bodies, especially the bodies of children, knowing that American soldiers, sailors and Marines have a real soft spot for children. The village was known to be small and the villagers peaceful farmers. So, again, where were the villagers? As Colonel Martin and his men entered the village in The Patriot, that question was asked, to which he replied as he looked at the embers that were all that was left of the church "They're here." The incredible stench from a palm grove answered the question where the villagers were. They were here. And so were their children. Beheaded children.
I've come across another blogger who takes a less direct approach to the evil that AQ represents. AQ attacks, tortures and beheads children. There was no report in the mainstream press when over fifty mass unmarked graves were located in Iraq a few months after we invaded. One grave had over 1,500 children in it. One thousand five hundred murdered children. Same with the children in this village. A murder bomber in Jerusalem was on his way to a synagogue when he saw a group of women with children in carriages. The bomber turned to kill them instead.
The left never speaks out on the death of children (why would they when they support the procedure of opening the skull of an unborn child and sucking their brains out). You never hear them speak out about the evils of Islam with anywhere near the bile and vein popping energy and screams that they reserve for American soldiers who place themselves in harms way to save these very same children that AQ butchers with abandon and clear consciences.
And so Michael Yon shows us "the other side of the hill" to show us how AQ operates and how radical Islam has operated ever since Yasser Arafat (hot enough for you yet Yasser buddy ?).
So, read and support Michael Yon.
We need at least another dozen like him.
P.S. Rep. Michelle Bachman reports exactly what I've just blogged, that the real story of the overwhelming successes that the soldiers, sailors and Marines have accomplished have been ignored (deliberately so IMHO) by the press. And that includes Fox News.

To Claify Cloture Yes = Amnesty = No Norm

Norm is saying that he voted for cloture to see if they could get the good amendments added. (enforcement etc..)
B as in B
S as in S.

They do not need any new laws. The laws are already on the books just not being enforced.

This is the kind of RINO BS I have come to expect from Norm.

-- Now that he finally voted against Cloture, some are saying we should reward Norm for doing the right thing.

I will believe he did the right things when he does the right thing.
When I see him doing something to build the fence (Second) and start enforcing the laws and going after the people hiring illegals (first) then I will believe he is doing the right thing.

Call me skeptical.

Amnesty Yes = Norm No

I hope the rumors are true and Joe runs against Norm.
All I know is that I will not pound one sign, will not make one call and will not walk in one parade that has anything to do with Norm Coleman.

Show some class - Take it down

I have written before (in my column in the Savage Pacer) about the new gotcha politics.
Well, the MN GOP's own pit bull has sunk to a new low (maybe not a new low, maybe just a low).
I have no problem exposing candidates illegal or immoral deeds. And if a candidate is having relations with subordinates or outside of marriage that is fair political game.

But Michael Brodkorb of Minnesota Democrats Exposed has decided that digging into a single ex-candidates posting on Match.com is good politics.
(Post is: MDE EXCLUSIVE: WEB PAGE LISTS FORMER U.S. SENATOR AND POTENTIAL 6TH DISTRICT CANDIDATE DEAN BARKLEY’S TURN-ONS)

I think no other words are necessary.
This is bad politics.
This is bad behavior.
And I am embarrassed that the man who help run our current Party chairmans campaign is responsible for this post.

Take it down Michael.
For us, for the party and for your own reputation Take it down.

Enough said.

I'm With Fred

Are you?
http://www.imwithfred.com

Carey Win Re-Election

Quick update - Ron wins re-election.

More Quick thoughts:
-If you tell a joke make sure it not over 20 years old.
-Evie is the best joke teller in the party (Sorry KJ)
-No, when I made my motion I did not really want to give a chance for each and every delegate to ask a question - I was trying to make a point (I learn from Mark Buesgens and the if we are going to ban smoking, lets ban it everywhere legislation) Most people got it, but I had a few ask me if I realized how long that would take.
-I want to learn sign language
-I will miss Deputy Eric - He keep the meeting moving right along (as best he could)
-When will people learn that if it is a close contested election that we will have issues with seating alternates and ballots. Someone has to find a better way to make sure the right number of people are there to vote
-Holding up your candidates sign while the other candidate is speaking is bush league at best, ignorant and rude at worse - Does anyone think they will get someone to change there mind by holding up a sign so you can't see the speak??
-Have fun at the convention. Too many people just sit there and give the golf clap and get up and down with the restof the group. If an elected official says something you like, give a good "Right on" or "Amen brother" and a polite hiss or cough lets them know they are way off track.

More later

My thoughts on Ron Carey for State Chair

On Saturday, I will be giving up a beautiful Saturday to go pick leadership for MN GOP.
After listening to the candidates and watching their actions since the CD meetings, I am voting to keep Ron Carey as our chair.

This decision was based on a number of reasons.

1) When I called for change in 2005, one of my concerns is that we could not wait until now to make a change. The 2008 elections have already started and we do not need someone without experience trying to learn the job and help run a parties campaign strategy.

2) Even after reason 1, I still thought a change might be needed based on the loses - but a look at other states (Colorado for one) shows that the GOP party hurt the base of support country wide and the results in MN were no worse (and actually better) then a lot of other places.

3) Ron seems to really want the job and has been responsive to requests. When I needed his help in 2006 he was there. And while he has not done everything I asked, when I talked to discuss policy or strategy, I understood that he did have a plan (and most of the time it worked.)

4) Even if I wanted to change, the other candidate while exciting at first mention has failed to show me any reason to vote for and a few reasons to vote against - specifically

4) Joe started his speech at the CD complaining about anyone making too much money.
I thought it was the start of a DFL tax increase speech.
(Something like "anyone who makes over x dollars raise you hand")
Now I know he was trying to show off that he would work for less than the current chair - but insulting anyone who is successful and has achieved shows a tin ear. Class warfare against the party is not something I want for a chair.

5) The McCain factor. I think it is no shock that I am not a RINO lover, so when I heard that Joe was going to lead the Veterans for McCain in MN I nearly fell off my chair. Say it ain't so Joe?
When I confirmed it, I shook my head. Now he may have done it to support a fellow veteran, but I want leaders who look at candidates based on party principals - and from the recent polls, so do lots of Republicans (McCain 3rd in polls)

6) Leadership experience - I looked around and could not find any political leadership. Part of that is because he was busy being a real leader (And for that I give him my sincere admiration and thanks) but leading men in combat is not the same as leading volunteers. Joe is a great PR guy for the party but not the greatest campaigner. Slogans and signs are one thing - herding a campaign committee is another

Which leads me to

7) His campaign. Joe either by choice or lack of control has had an odd array of folks be the face of his campaign. Allegations that his supporters leaked party documents to the press (which they continue to deny - and to which some say "thou doth protest too much" or "if you are playing defense you are not playing offense") Carey got ahead of the problem, Joe didn't and if Joe thinks things are going to be easier from the DFL??
His supporters range from the Angry, to the nasty, to the truly bizarre (a local leader is reported to claim Carey leaked the documents himself to help his campaign). But none of which have show any sort of unified front. This campaign has run him.

So if anyone cares what I think, on Saturday I will be voting for Ron Carey.

And the divorce decree states...

My fellow blogger Savage Republican and I have never been wont to be shy when it comes to criticizing Republicans. He and I worked pretty hard down here in Scott County running the Bush/Cheney '04 campaign and also working to get Republicans elected in 2000, '02, '04 and '06. I've been a conservative (not ever to be confused, and certainly not to be confused with the current crop of Republicans) for decades. Oh, and I'm a radical...one of those who wants his liberties back! Savage Republican and I chafed at the appointment of Harriet Miers as a Supreme. We said that McCain/Feingold was and is a bad idea (here's a concept: you want money and influence out of politics? Just have Congress honor their oath of office to adhere to the 10th Amendment). We said that the Prescription Drug Act was throwing gas on an out-of-control fire called Medicare bankruptcy. No Child Left Behind? Another nice sounding disaster. But, now, I have irreconcilable differences. The nice, easy title from GWB is "Immigration Reform". Now, what it appears to reform is the concept that illegal activity should be penalized. The reform: It rewards law breaking. The New Left (what I used to call RINO's) even says that if I oppose the "Immigration Reform" bill, why I'm not Christian and I'm a racist as I'm unwilling to forgive these ILLEGAL immigrants. I heard a pundit say that that statement is the equivalent of saying that it's like "forgiving" a carjacker by letting him keep the car, not prosecuting him so he stays out of jail, then giving him an yearly check for $22,000... that the original car owner has to pay.
Well, I'm here to say that it appears many GWB with his illegal immigration supporters and I have reached irreconcilable differences. If I didn't know better, I'd say the evidence would suggest that GWB is a radical left wing plant to destroy the Republican party by thoroughly and completely estranging the conservatives from the party.
Peggy Noonan has written an excellent article on the dangers of what GWB and other Republicans are risking to the Republican Party and what we as conservatives need to do. She has also written about the squandering of a great legacy by both GWB and his father:
"One of the things I have come to think the past few years is that the Bushes, father and son, though different in many ways, are great wasters of political inheritance. They throw it away as if they'd earned it and could do with it what they liked. Bush senior inherited a vibrant country and a party at peace with itself. He won the leadership of a party that had finally, at great cost, by 1980, fought itself through to unity and come together on shared principles. Mr. Bush won in 1988 by saying he would govern as Reagan had. Yet he did not understand he'd been elected to Reagan's third term. He thought he'd been elected because they liked him. And so he raised taxes, sundered a hard-won coalition, and found himself shocked to lose his party the presidency, and for eight long and consequential years. He had many virtues, but he wasted his inheritance.

Bush the younger came forward, presented himself as a conservative, garnered all the frustrated hopes of his party, turned them into victory, and not nine months later was handed a historical trauma that left his country rallied around him, lifting him, and his party bonded to him. He was disciplined and often daring, but in time he sundered the party that rallied to him, and broke his coalition into pieces. He threw away his inheritance. I do not understand such squandering." And neither do I. She goes on to say that we conservatives need to do what we accomplished in 1980: take the Republican Party back from the Rockefeller Country Club Republicans. And time is very, very short.

I have absolutely no clue as to why GWB and the others are doing what they are. And at this point I don't care. At all. (When somebody's attempting to carjack me, trust me, I will not be contemplating "My lands...why would they be doing this?""They have pilloried all who have taken the time to go through the bill page by page (Robert Rector [also here], Hugh Hewitt and World Net Daily to name a few. And they make great points). And how do GWB and his supporters in criminalization legalization respond to the point by point arguments? They parrot the radical left wing in their screeds and demagoguery while refusing to answer our argument.

Time to scar my knuckles in a knock down.

Memorial Day

Yikes...it's been over a month since I blogged? Yup. Sorry. Memorial Day, however, has snapped me back to my senses.
First of all, I need to quote a stunningly accurate statement about America: The Star Spangled Banner (1st verse) ends with "o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." The accurate statement is "The land of the free because of the brave."
I'm listening to Dennis Prager broadcast live as he always does on national holidays. As his compatriots on talk radio usually do a "Best of" Dennis rises head and shoulders above the rest by doing live radio. And I compliment him for it. Today he is talking about taking a minute, today, at 3:00 p.m. local time to remember those who died in defense of the rights we enjoy. He was referring to a website that refers and talks about refreshing National Remembrance Day. The reason for 3:00 p.m.? It was reasoned that at that time Americans are most likely to be fully enjoying the rights and liberties that others have fought and died for. And the saddest parts of the website are where the Commsion's director asked a group of school children what Memorial Day means. Their reply: "That's the day the pool opens!" And the second part is where a gallup poll shows that only 28% of Americans know what Memorial Day means. One out of four Americans. Yup, government run schools have certainly done exactly what they , the Democrats and their supporting teachers unions have set out to do. To incredible shame of which they all have none of.
As I once heard about those who serve "Because you and your brothers-in-arms risked and often gave up all their tomorrows, I live today in the greatest nation on earth. And I owe you and them a debt that I can never hope to repay except only by token by also defending those God given rights and liberties to hand down to my children as a sacred trust."

Why I Love Fred!

This is the way to respond to a nut like Michael Moore:

Fred answers Moore's call for a debate: http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=611

Also coming Soon - The Republican Candidates which ones I have eliminated from my list.

Fred Thompson for President

As I promised those at the CD2 convention.
I will post links to information about the Draft Fred Thompson work.

For now, please use the Request Info link and I will update you as information is made available.

More info will be up later, but wanted to address a question in comments (and that some else mentioned about Fred and McCain-Feingold).

Here is what Fred has said about his support:

Many on the right remain angry he supported the campaign finance

"There are problems with people giving politicians large sums of money and then asking them to pass legislation," Mr. Thompson says. Still, he notes he proposed the amendment to raise the $1,000 per person "hard money" federal contribution limit.

Conceding that McCain-Feingold hasn't worked as intended, and is being riddled with new loopholes, he throws his hands open in exasperation. "I'm not prepared to go there yet, but I wonder if we shouldn't just take off the limits and have full disclosure with harsh penalties for not reporting everything on the Internet immediately."

John McCain's response - We need to pass new laws.
So while I was not happy with his original support, I am happy with his explanation and his stance on it.

LLOLLL and a futile debate

Much to do, little time. So, in conclusion, the 7 marched to Lagoon where the amorphous mass joined a larger amorphous mass at Lagoon and Hennepin. And there we were confronted by charter members of LLOLLL.

















In an attempt to engage us, there were sporadic encounters. One woman came up to me (notice that members of LLOLLL can usually be readily identified by their eyeglasses?) and asked me if I were a veteran. I said no. I returned the question...blank thousand mile stare. Well, what about the fact that we're losing? My reply was what's your evidence? Another thousand mile stare. The ensuing conversation solidifies the proverb "never argue with a fool". All I heard around me were the same tired, discredited, repeated ad nauseum lies, myths, half-truths that we've heard for years:"We've made more enemies" (as logical as"My rapist will hate me and I'll be raped more if I defend myself"), "I support the troops but not the mission" ("Hey trooper-you're an idiot on an idiot's mission, dying and being maimed for no reason...But I support you!"), "Iraq had no role in 9-11" (ever hear of Salman Pak?), "The were no WMD's" (except here and here ). And to top it off, another protester challenged Mitch Berg and me with the long repeated lies "Why did GWB go AWOL? Where was he for 18 months? Why did he miss his physical?" To which Mitch and I basically said "You don't know what you're talking about!" We mentioned that the F-102 was the most dangerous fighter ever put into the US military inventory (nearly 1/3 of which crashed). Then Mitch repeated something I hadn't heard "Did you know that GWB volunteered to go to Vietnam?" My reply "Mitch, that would have been a full year long tour wouldn't it, rather than the four month tour that John Kerry experienced?" "Right you are Randy!" Mitch went on to relate the reason GWB wasn't assigned? It was 1972. The war was winding down. The US military needed ground support aircraft. The F-102 was an interceptor. It would have taken a year to train GWB in a ground support fighter. Not enough time, and no need as we were de-escalating our involvement.
As I was walking back to Dunn Brothers for a post protest-protest coffee, I reflected on Miss Left Wing Eyeglasses "I support the troops by bringing them home!" She's never directly asked any currently deployed trooper, sailor, Marine what they need. She has never asked how best she can support the military, how to best support the men and women who are "boots on the ground". Nope, she decided what was best for the troopers, sailors, Marines, airmen. No discussion with them. She had made up her mind, she knew best. Her moral arrogance on parade. She and all her ilk just repeat the same old tired lies and just like they know best how to run your life, my life, the health care system, Social security, Medicare and every other aspect of life, they also know exactly what the troops need as far as support.
They never change. Same lyrics, different tune.

The "Brain Boy" Incident

The LLOLLL (languishing lack of logic loony left), after dutifully blocking traffic for a few blocks, disappeared into Calhoun Square, near Figlio's, which caused us to wonder if the patrons would be losing their lunch. Mitch and James disappeared into the building. I was with my four remaining patriots when I heard a brusque "EXCUSE ME!!!" and turned to promptly be shouldered by this oxygen wasting biped(with the red backpack:



















I immediately addressed Bosco the Bloviating Biped, to which his rapid retort was "You didn't clear the ramp!" I was standing near the curb cut-out used by bicyclists, wheelchairs and the like. He continued to scream "YOU DIDN'T CLEAR THE RAMP!" My reply was "You assaulted me." His reply "I SAID EXCUSE ME! I HAD BRAIN SURGERY TWO WEEKS AGO!" My thoughts immediately were that "Lands! As there are no scars, sutures present and he has a full head of hair...WOW, arthroscopic brain surgery!" My reply "Brain surgery! So, they GAVE you a brain? Any good reason you're not using it?" His reply "I SAID EXCUSE ME! I RECORDED IT! IT'S RIGHT HERE!"(brandishing his cell phone. Well, one cell phone digital record is certainly worth another). While taking out my evidence recording device, he screamed again "I SAID EXCUSE ME! I RECORDED IT! YOU MOTHERF****R". My reply "Sooooo, you think you can get your money back on that surgery?" Well, I hope he gets that refund as his only comeback at that point was a stream of obscenity, at which point Mitch spoke up "Hey man, there are children here!" More obscenities from Bosco the Bloviating Biped, who later became known as "Brain Boy".
Alas, my cheap entertainment for the day walked away just as I was finding the range to bring up the heavy artillery.
Next: I futilely attempt a debate with a LLOLLL charter member.

Visiting in the land of intellectual and reasoning vacuity

I read Mitch Berg's Shot in the Dark blog and saw that he was inviting people to join him in protesting the protesters. I wrote a few comments and off I went. Little did I know that was a major protest, not just a small protest in front of the recruiting office on Lake and Lyndale. In for a penny in for a dollar.
Here's the starter protest:













Notice the woman with the apron. She was trying to sell Mitch a Che Guevara button. For only a buck. Leave it to the lefties to take a murderer and a thug as their hero. When Mitch, after ooing and ahhing over the button, asked if the vendor knew that Che murdered children with abandon, she looked puzzled and walked away. This little incident prompted me to repeat a quote I'd once heard-"socialism always needs capitalism to pay the bills."
We moved our group across the street to separate ourselves from the lack of logic loony left rabble. We were joined by Diamond Dog (who wrote a very readable entry)and Doug Dagget with some first class signage (the best being JFK's quote "We will bear any burden, we will pay any price"(the full quote Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty). Stalwart men, Diamond Dog and Doug. And as I looked at this gaggle on no logic, no reason I commented "this is evidence of America's greatness."
A KSTP reporter showed up. There was a report on their website.
This mass of, well, mass could not be contained and off they went to congeal with their fellow amorphous masses. James Lileks joined us and became our roving videographer.

















James and the rest of us are following the protesters as they show little concern for others having moved directly into the street blocking traffic:




















Next: The "Brain Boy Incident".

Flush toilets and Democrat's military strategy

Well, now I'm into it. After being on The Northern Alliance Radio Network a few minutes ago, I'm now honor bound to explore the postulate of flush toilet technology and Democratic plans for Iraq.
I have a 1.6 gallon flush toilet. It is ineffective at best. I spend time to be sure that when I flush the thing that it doesn't clog or back up. It has clogged over a dozen times in the year I've been here. It has overflowed twice. And all this to save one quarter of a penny (the cost of a gallon of water here in Savage). My mother works at a elderly care facility. She says that the staff and residents know which toilets are 1.6 gallon vs. real working toilets. But, this "we know best how to save water. We're THE CONGRESS!" toilet that's been forced on us wastes my time.
And, I ask, if these 535 people in Congress can't get flush toilet technology right, how on earth do they think they can get a complicated military strategy correct facing the most critical battle against Islamic terrorists in Iraq? Short answer: they can't! Don't try. Leave the strategy to the experts and the adults. We trust you to tie your shoes. Nothing else. Yah know, on second thought, we recommend that you change to slip-ons as your attempted use of shoelaces poses a danger to you and others.

The Sword of Damocles

After reading Savage Republican's post, he makes some great points.
We seem to be experiencing the "Death of a thousand cuts" as it concerns taxes, regulations, liberty. The Republican Party has a platform. Is it merely a list of suggestions or the guide for what Republicans believe and execute politically? When someone calls themselves a "Republican" what does that mean? What would a voter expect from that person over their elected term? Seems that people who call themselves Republicans (and in some cases a "conservative") are willing to take the party over another cliff in 2008.
Savage Republican and I keep hearing the same thing from the state party leadership and the same cry down here in Scott County-"We have to elect Republicans". That's been the cry for the eight years I've lived on Scott County and been involved in Republican politics here in the county . And that same philosophy that was sown for years reaped the disastrous results last election day. And that piled onto the disastrous results in Minnesota in 2004. And now, again, the platform, the constitution are seemingly and merely lightly held suggestions.
After the drubbing the Republicans experienced in November, what have the Republicans done? Elected the same leadership that was in power before and during that drubbing. Same philosophy "Elect Republicans!". Not "Platform Republicans" as my favorite Scott County Republican senior citizen proclaims with her button.No being held accountable. No political Sword of Damocles always hanging over the candidates/elected officials heads letting them know that they are being watched and are answerable for their performance and actions.
I again refer to the Pat Toomey article on a survey by Basswood Research whereby Republicans are now seen as the party of Big Government when the electorate still wants less government. And the critical swing voters in the middle and nearly 30% of Republicans see the Republican party that way.
And this summation is a stern and ominous reminder to the state and local party leaders: "if the Republicans continue to present voters with no reason to prefer them to the Democrats on fiscal issues, they likely will fail to reclaim these lost swing districts."
And Republican leadership appears willing to strictly adhere to the principle :"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
Prepare for another hard landing in 2008 (and for the next decade as re-districting starts after the 2010 census).

So why do I pick on Jim Ramstad if I live in Savage

Some have asked why I have a beef with Jim Ramstad when he doesn't represent Savage right now.
Well thank you for asking:
First he "claims" to be a Minnesota Republican and such he has gets the limited to resources of the MN Republican Party - resources that could be used to help support real Republicans, so any Republican is fair game.

But more importantly, I have lived under his representation before.
Back when I was just The guy in Savage, I got involved in SD41 politics, back when Savage was part of SD41.
We were "represented" by Jim Ramstad and Bill Belanger.
It was during that time that a group of us were named the Savage Mafia because we threatened candidates with withdrawing support if they did not actually start representing us and the party. (Life Issues and Taxes being just a few of the concerns we had with them.)
Well redistricting came along and surprise, surprise Bill who was on the redistricting committee, gerrymandered ,most of Savage out of his district and also a few neighborhoods of other committee members in Bloomington. (So it was some joy to see Bill gone, partly because he got rid of his Republican base).
Anyway, with John Kline's strong conservative stands and Savage being a strong conservative district, it is within the realm of possibilities that in order to weaken him,
Savage will once again have Jim Ramstad as our representative again in 4 years.
And the MN Republican Party has made it clear that incumbent candidates will be protected regardless of their principals or support for the party.

And regardless, I will never feel it is my Duty to support Jim Ramstad!

Yes, it is quite entertaining!

I saw this poll on Prairie Pravda:
Should the U of M give Al Gore an honorary doctorate?

# of votes		% of votes
Yes. He's done important work to save the environment	1400		37	%
No. He's a master of junk science	2329		61	%
Don't know	80		2	%
Total Votes	3809

The disclaimer is that these polls are for entertainment purposes only.
Prairie Pravda succeeded as I was most certainly entertained.

SD35 to Support Jim Ramstad and Work Hard for his continued re-elction.

Jim Ramstad may not have felt the love from the Republican leadership meeting this past weekend, but I found one place where he will always get all kinds of love and support -
SD35 Republican Party, Scott County MN.

Yes the same district that elects the great conservative Mark Buesgens is planning on changing their constitution to make sure that Jim Ramstad will always get their support (and yours too.)

The changes they are proposing are to water down requiring candidates to support the platform and add this:
"It is the duty and responsibility of the SD35 Republican Party to support the election of all endorsed Republican candidates at the national, state and local level"

So if you live in SD35 and are concerned that Jim Ramstad voted 6 for 6 with Nancy's 100 hours agenda - if you didn't like his vote in favor failure in Iraq -

Well tough - It is your DUTY to support him. No questions asked!

They want us to suppor everyone with R - Ideals, our conservative philosophy are unimportant - we must win with an R.

Or maybe every Republican in Scott County will show up March 3rd at 9:30am at the Prior Lake VFW and find out who suggested this nonsense and tell them the party belongs to you.

So you decide, show up and be heard or stay home and let Jim Ramstad run your party, start pounding sign for Lincoln Chafee and Olympia Snowe.

Who cares about principal, who cares about position - We stand for the R!

Speak now of forever hold you nose!

Why we need the French as our allies

The newest French anti-tank missile shows it's frightening capability in this recent field test.

From Savage Republican: It appears those may be French Canadians testing a french missle, which makes this even more appropriate.

Free the Krispy Kreme!

As many know, The Savage Republican is a fan of Krispy Kreme and Twinkies (and airstreams, which are homemade twinkies wrapped in foil - but more on those at another time).

So our RINO Governor and RINO Senator have been pushing these stupid ethanol mandates.
Now, besides the mountain of evidince that they do nothing to help energy costs or supply, they are having on big effect. Like most government programs - the unintended consequences.

Right now for various reasons, I have been keeping an eye on the Fed reports and CPI.
Well the new numbers came out and inflation is a concern. Why? Well here is a quote from one of my favorite Mortage brokers blogs:

"Slice and dice these numbers as you please, the reality is that inflation remains a problem for the Fed," economist Joel Naroff sums up. He points out that the demand for fuel ethanol (which is a byproduct of corn) is making corn syrup more expensive. So your price at the pump goes down while the price of sugar, soda, candy and doughnuts goes up.

Wow, artificially increase demand and the price goes up - who would have thought.

So what we are doing is taking candy from a baby and giving it to buy votes in Iowa.

Good thing we elected Republicans - If those democrats were in charge they would be raising our taxes - instead we are lucky to have republicans who just raise the cost of everything.

At least we know our local party leadership is doing something to keep the politicians in line (or not ... more to come on this later)

Technology is our Friend

LadiesLogic.com which spun off from SavageRepublican.com but was being hosted under same account structure.
Well Lady got herself setup to run it on her own, so I transfered it over to her - or thought I did.

Now if you go there you see some insurance company????

Domain is still owned, so must be a ghost from web past.

So if you go to ladieslogic, it's not dead - it's just lost???

Hopefully it will get fixed soon

and repeat:
Technology is our friend!
Technology is our friend!
Techn.......
Abort, Retry, Fail!!!!

The Republican eclipse

I've always enjoyed Calvin and Hobbs. I was at my Mom's the other day and while looking for something entirely different I came across a box of items that I thought I had lost. In this box was a Sunday Stribune cartoon page I'd saved fifteen years ago. It's a take off on Montaigne's expression "Ignorance is bliss". I liked the cartoon so much I taught a Sunday School lesson on it, complete with copies. As I re-read it, I thought that it so clearly encapsulates the left wing.(Click on the image to get a larger version to read):
That was, until yesterday.

Saturday was a Republican Leadership Summit called by MN Republican Executive Chair Ron Carey. Ron responded to the November Massacre with a call for four task forces to regain seats lost. So, Savage Republican and I went. There were 6,000 letters to go out and maybe 250-300 attendees. And Savage Republican and I seemingly were the only ones from SD35. Ron Carey opened up the Leadership Summit. Republican House members talked. As did Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Congressman John Kline. Congressman Jim "White Flag of Surrender" Ramstad was conspicuously absent.
We then broke out into the four task forces. However, before that I knew the Republican Party was in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. And the same leadership that was at the helm as we went over the cliff last November is still at the wheel
On our chairs was an eight page booklet from the MN House Republicans. At the bottom it proudly broadcasts that though outnumbered 2-1, the House Republicans "stood up for taxpayers...farm families"(oh,oh)"and fiscal responsibility in January 2007."
So, I started paging through the booklet. And there on page 6, left hand side of the page was this headline "RENEWABLE ENERGY IS A KEY FOR HOUSE GOP". In a bill sponsored by farmer special interest representative Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont) it's nothing but mandated programs and subsidies for every failed alternative energy attempt that's been tried for three decades. Oh, and an attempt to find an alternative to the alternative ethanol fuel source, corn. And all this for Minnesota energy independence. Wow! I didn't know that we were at risk for going to war with Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska. Good thing I went to the summit. Now, on the same page was another article "MARKET-BASED POLICIES FOR AGRICULTURE". And I thought that was certainly an ironic juxtaposition of headlines and articles-government mandates versus market based policies. Ah, silly me. Upon further reading beyond the headline, it was all about subsidizing the farmers for corn/ethanol/biomass, etc. And there are the two money quotes (pun intended) "Helping farmers improve their economic viability is the main goal of an agricultural proposal..." proposed by another farmland lobbyist posing as a Republican House member (Rod Hamilton R-Mountain Lake). The second quote:"Realizing that there is a corn price issue at play for farmers, and understanding that corn alone will not be able to fulfill all ethanol needs...the plan would expand research and focus on cellulosic-based ethanol to help meet Minnesota's future demands."
And one more, of course, "To keep the dairy industry competitive..."
There is so,so much wrong here. And this whole page could have easily been written by the DFL (Democratic FARMER Labor).
I am not interested in "the farmers economic viability" as planned by any politician. The market will do an excellent job: I get hungry. Farmers grow food. Instant market! Where's the problem? Absolutely no need for any politician to get between the two of us. Or to be involved at all.
Corn prices in play? Yah, because of ethanol mandates by politicians who can not cite a single study that shows that ethanol or "biomass" is effective, efficient or economical. Food prices increase as the price of corn increases due to mandates and subsidies.The only "biomass" that's effective? Coal. There is a theory that oil comes from the interaction of heat, pressure and carbon and/or compression of methane (abiotic theory of oil formation). But, the House Republicans publish this and are proud? And the top irony prize of the booklet? Right across from these articles is a little article title "5 Governing Principles: 1. Common sense 2. Fiscal Responsibility and lower taxes 3. Personal responsibility and individual freedom 4. Stronger families 5. Safety and security.
Ethanol is anything but sensible. Fiscal responsibility and lower taxes with mandates,subsides for ethanol and farmers to prop up an industry that would fail on its own? Individual freedom with this Republican sponsored boondoggle? Stronger families as the House Republicans pile on with this tripe to the taxpayer?
Now, for the leadership Summit: The task force I went to was involved taking back the suburbs. And a good part of the meeting was the members of the committee telling us what they thought. And the chair was a member of the committee that was instrumental in keeping Sue Jeffers from talking-a tactic that Republicans regularly excoriate Democrats for. If what I saw in that one committee was representative of the other three, the Minnesota Republican Party is in deep trouble. And the leadership seems to be making one huge error in judgment: mistaking energy expended and furious and serious activity for progress.
Note to leadership: you need new leadership. You need new blood. Too many people who voiced their opinions looked back to the days of Reagan and think that that's the way to win again. That was a quarter century ago. We certainly need Reagan like leadership today. A man or woman who's not afraid to engage. Who's not afraid to fight. We need a Reagan for the times. It seems that the current leadership is much more interested in just electing Republicans, which is exactly how we got into this spot. You/we need task force committee members who are willing to fight and challenge the entrenched establishment that seems to be trying to take a different route to the top of the same mountain. Believe me kids, the view from that mountain top will be exactly the same as it was the morning of November 8th, 2006. And it will not be pretty.We need committee leadership that has had or will have a paradigm shift.
However, I will urge the Republicans to follow the lead of Rep. Dean Simpson (New York Mills): Ever wonder why we pay 6 and ONE HALF % sales tax? I repeated this for years. In 1992 Governor Arne Carlson proposed, and the MN Legislature passed a 90 day TEMPOARY emergency one half percent increase in the sales tax. As Rep. Simpson accurately points out, with over $2,000,000,000 in overtaxation, the emergency is obviously over (and it only took fifteen years. I guess we were still in an emergency in 1998 when we ran those huge over-taxation surpluses that were all spent. The new emergency is that we committed to spending all that extra money year after year). This is exactly what the House Republicans need to do if they ever want any to have any hope of seeing the Speakers gavel in the hands of a Republican ever again.
"You can not solve a problem at the same consciousness that created it"- Einstein
And it seems that the House Republicans and Republican leadership are at that same consciousness they were at two to four years ago.

It's time

As many have written and noticed, I have not posted as much as usual.
Well after yesterday, that will change.

I had a chance to see the future of the MN GOP and I am inspired.
Not but what I saw, but what I didn't see.

The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results and yesterday I had a tour of the insane asylum.

While there is lots of talk of the need to change, I saw a long parade of the same old, same old.

For the past year, I have taken a less active role in order to concentrate on getting key conservatives re-elected - well that is going to change.

I am going to campaign hard to regain a more active leadership role in CD2 and will work to help like minded leaders through out the state.

The time is now. The place is here. We must stand up and be counted.

Living history becomes past

I'm fairly straight forward when it comes to how I feel about the military and especially WWII veterans. I'm a member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society of Minnesota. These are the guys who flew and maintained the B-17's, B-24's, C-47's. We have men from the 8th, 12th, 15th, 7th Air Forces along with ground and air crew from the Pacific. And they let hanger-ons like me join. One of those men is Richard "Mac" McCullum. He was a Navy Corsair pilot in the Pacific. Carrier based. Over 120 carrier landings, 24 at night (long before sophisticated radar, GPS and electronics) when night carrier landings were, well, dangerous (unlike all other carrier landings that are described even by Air Force pilots as "a controlled crash"). My friend Mac passed away on Friday.
He had been in failing health for the last few years. So, I'm not shocked, but am certainly sad and saddened.
Mac kept flying well after WWII. He was finally forced to give up his pilots license in the early 1990's after a heart battack and the onset of diabetes, but was somehow able to find the stick in his hand when offered the opportunity on someone else's license.But, Mac was always reluctant to tell his story about WWII. A friend of mine Jon Cermin has committed to putting as many stories as possible on video (CAPS). We tried a few times to interview Mac. Mac said OK, but then declined. I never pressed him after the second time. But Mac was my friend. If he didn't want to talk about WWII, that was more than fine. I just enjoined his company.
At today's luncheon, there was an article that was read. The oldest living veteran in America and the last WWI veteran in Massachusetts passed away. And the comment was that there are now only seven known surviving American WWI veterans. And that the men I have lunch with will also shortly be in small numbers.
When these wonderful men started to pass away shortly after I joined the Society, I was talking to my brother. I told him that we are going to get to know these men better. That we're going to get closer to them. And that it's going to hurt more and more when they pass away. And we agreed that was the price to be paid to get to know and serve these wonderful guys. And we'd have it no other way. As my brother remarked, in a quote from the war "We knew the mission was dangerous when we volunteered".
And I already miss my friend Mac.

From September, 1988:
Preflight















Strap-in
















Contact

Firearms, emotion and knowledge

My fellow blogger Lady Logician has a post about the story of Kenneth Englund and his confrontation with a now admitted gas thief. She pondered why I "wasn't all over" the story.
She makes the following statement: "It seems that Farmer Englund saw a punk stealing from one of his neighbors, grabbed an unloaded shotgun and gave chase. Under Minnesota law, if you catch someone robbing you and he/she flees, you are obliged not to chase them down.

Sigh.....this is Minnesota. Don't get involved, you might get charged with a crime."

Here are my comments on this story and her post:

This is an area where commentary really needs to be left to those with knowledge. Comments about this type of story should not be made briefly, capriciously or flippantly.

My credentials: I have had a Minnesota permit to carry a firearm for five years. My firearm instructors were: a range qualifying officer for six police jurisdictions here in the southern suburbs, an Army Ranger, an NRA certified firearms instructor, an Air Force intelligence officer and the pioneer firearms instructor in Minnesota. One of those instructors is also a BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) certified instructor and the retired sniper for a suburban SWAT team. He has also survived a close quarter’s firefight. I am a certified firearms instructor (AACFI-American Association of Certified Firearms Instructors). I am also a member of a number of pro-liberty, pro-self defense groups here in Minnesota. I do not speak for any of these organizations. My comments reflect only my own opinion(s). Also, all my comments are based upon the current facts as presented and reported in the Star Tribune story.

That being said, there is so much wrong with Mr.Englund’s actions. It's obvious that he is a good citizen and was also trying to also be a good neighbor. It seems the resultant protest firestorm comes from trying to support his intent without questioning at all his methods and actions. I support the former but strongly criticize the latter. It appears that Mr. Englund made decisions based on emotion and very faulty analysis. Once firearms are introduced into any situation, and especially this situation, and with obvious emotion, all the dynamics change radically. When a firearm is carried, it is absolutely incumbent upon the carrier to be aware of how, when, where and why that firearm can be used. It is therefore vitally incumbent upon the carrier to also know how, when, where and why not to use that firearm.

There is a four fold test for the self-defensive use of a firearm in Minnesota. All four must, repeat must be present:

1. You must be an unwilling participant.

2. You must be reasonably in immediate fear of death or great bodily harm (meaning death would occur from the resultant injuries).

3. Reasonable retreat is not practical.

4. No lesser force will do.

Mr. Englund fails first of all as his was not the self-defensive use a firearm. He was not subjected to either harm or danger. He therefore subsequently fails in all four of the requirements for the deadly use of a firearm. Lady Logician states that first of all Mr. Englund saw Mr. Smith stealing from Englund’s neighbor, not from Englund (this statement is not supported at all by Englund’s comments). She then closes her comments saying that “Under Minnesota law, if you catch someone robbing you and he/she flees, you are obliged not to chase them down.” Englund was not the victim. His neighbor was. Englund’s neighbor was not threatened, his property may have been (again because Englund admits that he did not see, at this point, the alleged theft. See comments below). Mr. Englund was not in danger. Mr. Englund chose to confront, at this point, the alleged perpetrator and chose to do so with a firearm. Mr. Englund at this point was not avoiding conflict, but became a willing participant. He introduced a firearm into a situation that he willingly entered into. As he was a willing participant he also had ample opportunity to execute practical retreat. As Smith was not visibly armed, Englund having violated the first three precepts now violated the fourth. But, what if Smith were clandestinely armed, perhaps even with a knife? By taking an unloaded firearm into a situation, Englund may have been attempting to bluff or intimidate Smith. One does not bluff with a firearm. Ever. Repeat: EVER! Englund potentially put his and Smith’s life at risk for $5.00 worth of gasoline. And to make matters even worse, Englund admitted he did not even see the theft. He was only suspicious because Englund said Smith’s car was the same one that was seen at the site where a truck radiator went missing previously.

Englund then proceeded to be involved in a high speed chase that involved a woman and an innocent three year old child. Minnesota law allows the use of deadly force only until the threat ceases. Englund was not threatened at any point, let alone here. Smith was fleeing, thereby ending any threat if it ever existed. Englund jumped into a vehicle to pursue Smith and once again became a willing participant. Four lives, including an innocent child’s life were all put at risk by Englund’s actions in this high speed chase. And Englund similarly put in danger the lives of any passengers in any cars traveling those same roads (remember, Englund had a cell phone all this time. He could have just as easily reported a description of the driver, car, license and direction of flight rather asking if he “should blow them away”). Englund then commits the same act at the end of the chase by pointing his shotgun at Smith. Again, if Smith were armed the potential for deadly consequences were rampant, once more including at the very least the life of a blameless child. As Isanti County Sheriff Ammend said:” There's so many things that could have gone wrong here” (sic). Fortunately, for all involved, they didn’t.

Now, Prairie Pravda does not exactly do justice to the story by stating “A long history of legal decisions runs against people who use force to protect property.” There are certainly both statutory and case law regarding the use of deadly force to defend one’s domicile when one is present or accidentally comes upon an intruder. However, that is not even remotely the case regarding Mr. Englund and his actions.

Again, I applaud Mr. Englund’s sense of civic duty. However, how that duty is implemented and executed must be fashioned and tempered with wisdom, scrutiny, responsibility, prudence and discernment. No matter how lofty his intent, Mr. Englund did not apply those constraints at the risk to himself and to innocent life.

Wanton, impulsive and reckless comments do nothing but inflame the situation. And certainly situations like this. They can easily add to the lethality of a future confrontation. And emotions and firearms are most certainly a deadly mix.