Friday, September 3, 2010
Investor's Business Daily Editorial
Who 'Won' Iraq?
Posted 09/01/2010 06:38 PM ET
Leadership: President Obama told the nation Tuesday night that he fulfilled "my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office" by ending combat in Iraq. Fulfilling his oath of office requires more.
The president may have re-imaged the Oval Office with modernistic lamps and a rug made from recycled fibers, but his ego remained a big part of the decor as he announced on Tuesday night the withdrawal of combat brigades from Iraq.
This drawdown is almost certainly premature, especially considering that Iraq's political situation is in a fragile limbo, but why was he able to do it without all hell breaking loose?
The president's political advisers obviously considered it inconceivable to announce an end to Operation Iraqi Freedom without a tip of the hat to its initiator. And so, the president told viewers that "this afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush."
But let's parse what follows. "It's well-known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset," President Obama notes. Who, though, was right and who was misguided?
Had Barack Obama's advice been followed in 2003, Saddam Hussein would be in power today, routinely murdering innocent Iraqis and oppressing the rest.
Had his advice been followed in 2007, there would have been no surge — which Sen. Obama claimed would not "solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse" — and Iraq today would be awash in the blood of rampant terrorism, with al-Qaida and Iran vying for control of the oil-rich power.
According to President Obama, "no one can doubt President Bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security." What was doubted was not Bush's patriotism, but his judgment. And the self-absorbed Obama never bothers to give him the judgmental credit he deserves. That's OK; in the end, history will.
"As I've said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it," the president added. But it's a strange brand of patriotism to want to repeat the ignominy of Vietnam, and the cut-and-runners dominating the Democratic Party were proposing to do just that three short years ago — a repeat performance of the Democratic Congress of the mid-1970s.
The trait of a genuine statesman is to realize that, as Ronald Reagan said, "there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit." (That's not one of the presidential quotes Obama had embossed onto his new Oval Rug.)
Commentators on the left are exactly right when, like Salon's Joe Conason, they point out that "peace in Iraq is tenuous, and bloody civil conflict could soon break out again" — and that the president chose to leave that fact unsaid to the American people.
Could it be that President Obama did not thank President Bush because when Iraq descends back into chaos, thanks to Obama's premature departure, this administration is going to be in search of someone to blame?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Great Video By Tea Party of West Michigan
Janice Daniels, of the Traveling Tea Party Patriots, tipped me off to this well-done video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JRsgihmTY4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JRsgihmTY4
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
CTV James Muffett Opinion
I received the following email recently, and I think it's a "common sense" approach to the elections this coming November.
Moving Forward ...
Analysis on the August 3rd Gubernatorial Election
By James Muffett, President of Citizens for Traditional Values
I have been asked my opinion on what took place Tuesday, August 3, 2010 regarding the outcome of the gubernatorial primary election.
I believe that leaders are appointed and chosen: both by the people and by God. Sometimes the results are very disappointing and leave us with questions about going forward from here. How should we continue the battle for our ideas, our values and our issues? The worst choice is inactivity, retirement from citizen participation and a sad retrieval from cultural engagement at all.
In thinking about the upcoming November General Election, as responsible Christian citizens, we should be mindful of a few things.
TWO WINDOWS: In every election there are two windows through which we must look. In the primary, which often provides a variety of options, we pick the candidate we like the most and work for them, contribute to them, campaign for them and vote for them. The problem is that our candidate does not always win.
In the most recent Republican Gubernatorial Primary, social conservatives split their vote four ways, with a sizeable majority (64%) of the Republican voters choosing a conservative candidate. So when you hear the media talk about the Michigan Republican party moving more moderate that is simply not true.
The rank and file are overwhelmingly pro-life and pro-family.
This same situation also happened a few years ago in the 7th Congressional District when four conservative Republicans divided the vote allowing the moderate to win. Open seats often attract multiple candidates and no one can tell them not to run. In this race, conservatives were unable to agree on the best standard bearer, and by default, with only 36% of the vote, the more moderate candidate won.
After the primary, however, a recalculation is necessary for the General election. The window of comparison has now changed. In this new window, if you wish to support a viable candidate, your options are narrowed considerably, and it often appears that there are no "good" choices.
When given this kind of decision, it is my philosophy to choose the candidate who has the best chance to do the least harm (considering our philosophy of limited government), or the candidate who lines up closest to your values. I have never come across a perfect candidate yet!
OUR CHOICES: In this recent primary, next to all of the other Republicans, Rick Snyder was not my choice. Compared to Virg Bernero, however, he looks pretty good. It is important to note, that as of the writing of this analysis, Mr. Bernero has already received prestigious endorsements from pro-gay rights groups, anti-life organizations and pro-union status quo networks. For more information click here. And there are still over 70 days left of the campaign so who knows what is coming next!
I understand that some people will find it very difficult to vote for someone who does not represent their views in full. However, in this case, with only two viable candidates, if you choose not to vote, the mathematical effect will be a vote for Bernero. That is something my conscience would never allow me to do, but I understand fully that others might have a different view.
MANY BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN: Regardless of your choice for Governor, remember that there are many other crucial races being decided in November. The ballot this fall will include contests for State House, State Senate, State Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State School Board and University Boards. Certainly among all of those races, everyone should be able to find a candidate to support.
Congress There are 3 Congressional Seats in play this fall. Tim Walberg in the 7th, Rocky Raczkowski in the 9th and Dan Benishek in the 1st, are all conservative and viable candidates. Wouldn't you rather have a conservative standing guard for you in Washington DC to fight the current liberal agenda?
State Senate We currently have a narrow conservative majority in the State Senate, but because of term limits, 29 of the 38 Districts have open seats. The Senate has been an incredibly important conservative firewall against the liberal agenda, and continues to be critical in supporting our values of life, family and limited government.
State House Although the liberals have controlled the State House since 2006, there are an incredible number of great conservative candidates running in districts throughout Michigan.
Michigan Supreme Court This Court will once again take center stage in the November elections. News stories are flying all over the country as to how liberal judges with empathetic philosophies are ignoring the Constitution and taking the law into their own hands. We have had an incredibly conservative Supreme Court for over a decade now, and that majority is now on the line. Justice Young has been a stalwart defender of the idea that a judge must "interpret" the law-not "make" the law. We must pay attention to the judiciary and support justices with conservative philosophies!
MOVING FORWARD There are many important battle lines this November. I urge all conservatives to stop finger pointing, casting blame, being distracted by confusion or stop thinking "if only." Now is the time for statesmanship and diplomacy.
I urge everyone to follow their own conscience, while not condemning others for following theirs. Find candidates at all levels who share your values and get involved in their campaigns.
Let us all become citizens of excellence who work to build a community that is stronger next time. And remember, elections like the one we just went through are part of what makes America great-the opportunity to choose!
In God, not government, do we trust. Providence, in the end, will determine the outcomes and our duty as Responsible Christian Citizens does not change no matter who is in office. Let our aim always be righteousness, our manner love and respect, our olive branch dignity and our purpose to continue to restore the brilliant bedrock of sacrifice and reliance on God our founding fathers so willingly established so long ago.
God bless America and God bless these next few days of selecting leaders for our fine state of Michigan.
James Muffett
President
Citizens for Traditional Values (PAC)
Moving Forward ...
Analysis on the August 3rd Gubernatorial Election
By James Muffett, President of Citizens for Traditional Values
I have been asked my opinion on what took place Tuesday, August 3, 2010 regarding the outcome of the gubernatorial primary election.
I believe that leaders are appointed and chosen: both by the people and by God. Sometimes the results are very disappointing and leave us with questions about going forward from here. How should we continue the battle for our ideas, our values and our issues? The worst choice is inactivity, retirement from citizen participation and a sad retrieval from cultural engagement at all.
In thinking about the upcoming November General Election, as responsible Christian citizens, we should be mindful of a few things.
TWO WINDOWS: In every election there are two windows through which we must look. In the primary, which often provides a variety of options, we pick the candidate we like the most and work for them, contribute to them, campaign for them and vote for them. The problem is that our candidate does not always win.
In the most recent Republican Gubernatorial Primary, social conservatives split their vote four ways, with a sizeable majority (64%) of the Republican voters choosing a conservative candidate. So when you hear the media talk about the Michigan Republican party moving more moderate that is simply not true.
The rank and file are overwhelmingly pro-life and pro-family.
This same situation also happened a few years ago in the 7th Congressional District when four conservative Republicans divided the vote allowing the moderate to win. Open seats often attract multiple candidates and no one can tell them not to run. In this race, conservatives were unable to agree on the best standard bearer, and by default, with only 36% of the vote, the more moderate candidate won.
After the primary, however, a recalculation is necessary for the General election. The window of comparison has now changed. In this new window, if you wish to support a viable candidate, your options are narrowed considerably, and it often appears that there are no "good" choices.
When given this kind of decision, it is my philosophy to choose the candidate who has the best chance to do the least harm (considering our philosophy of limited government), or the candidate who lines up closest to your values. I have never come across a perfect candidate yet!
OUR CHOICES: In this recent primary, next to all of the other Republicans, Rick Snyder was not my choice. Compared to Virg Bernero, however, he looks pretty good. It is important to note, that as of the writing of this analysis, Mr. Bernero has already received prestigious endorsements from pro-gay rights groups, anti-life organizations and pro-union status quo networks. For more information click here. And there are still over 70 days left of the campaign so who knows what is coming next!
I understand that some people will find it very difficult to vote for someone who does not represent their views in full. However, in this case, with only two viable candidates, if you choose not to vote, the mathematical effect will be a vote for Bernero. That is something my conscience would never allow me to do, but I understand fully that others might have a different view.
MANY BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN: Regardless of your choice for Governor, remember that there are many other crucial races being decided in November. The ballot this fall will include contests for State House, State Senate, State Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State School Board and University Boards. Certainly among all of those races, everyone should be able to find a candidate to support.
Congress There are 3 Congressional Seats in play this fall. Tim Walberg in the 7th, Rocky Raczkowski in the 9th and Dan Benishek in the 1st, are all conservative and viable candidates. Wouldn't you rather have a conservative standing guard for you in Washington DC to fight the current liberal agenda?
State Senate We currently have a narrow conservative majority in the State Senate, but because of term limits, 29 of the 38 Districts have open seats. The Senate has been an incredibly important conservative firewall against the liberal agenda, and continues to be critical in supporting our values of life, family and limited government.
State House Although the liberals have controlled the State House since 2006, there are an incredible number of great conservative candidates running in districts throughout Michigan.
Michigan Supreme Court This Court will once again take center stage in the November elections. News stories are flying all over the country as to how liberal judges with empathetic philosophies are ignoring the Constitution and taking the law into their own hands. We have had an incredibly conservative Supreme Court for over a decade now, and that majority is now on the line. Justice Young has been a stalwart defender of the idea that a judge must "interpret" the law-not "make" the law. We must pay attention to the judiciary and support justices with conservative philosophies!
MOVING FORWARD There are many important battle lines this November. I urge all conservatives to stop finger pointing, casting blame, being distracted by confusion or stop thinking "if only." Now is the time for statesmanship and diplomacy.
I urge everyone to follow their own conscience, while not condemning others for following theirs. Find candidates at all levels who share your values and get involved in their campaigns.
Let us all become citizens of excellence who work to build a community that is stronger next time. And remember, elections like the one we just went through are part of what makes America great-the opportunity to choose!
In God, not government, do we trust. Providence, in the end, will determine the outcomes and our duty as Responsible Christian Citizens does not change no matter who is in office. Let our aim always be righteousness, our manner love and respect, our olive branch dignity and our purpose to continue to restore the brilliant bedrock of sacrifice and reliance on God our founding fathers so willingly established so long ago.
God bless America and God bless these next few days of selecting leaders for our fine state of Michigan.
James Muffett
President
Citizens for Traditional Values (PAC)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Troy Area Tea Party Meeting
The Troy Area Tea Party is having their monthly meeting Tuesday evening August 10th at the American Polish Cultural Center., 15 Mile and Dequindre @ 7:00pm. Featured speaker will be Ron Edwards, syndicated radio commentator and host of "The Edwards Notebook", who will be speaking on "Not Giving Up The Fight". Also speaking, will be several Republican candidates. If you value your freedom and you believe in American exceptionalism and limited government, you should attend and bring a friend.
For more information, visit www.TroyAreaTeaParty.org.
For more information, visit www.TroyAreaTeaParty.org.
Friday, August 6, 2010
DO YOU LOVE YOUR FREEDOM?
WHAT'S YOUR FREEDOM WORTH TO YOU?
WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO TO PRESERVE IT?
While we've been sleeping, the radical left has seized power, and is determined to forever change the greatest country in the history of the world into just another second-rate failing Socialist experiment.
Our best chance to stop this is to work very hard between now & November, and oust the radical & self-serving politicians wherever we find them, and replace them with conservative Republican patriots.
Here's some suggestions of things you can do to make a difference.
CAN YOU MAKE A 90-DAY-COMMITMENT?
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