America, Who Are You Now?

Hawkeye® -- View From Above -- June 29, 2005
As we begin making plans to celebrate 229 years of American independence next week, it is worth stopping for a moment to look back at those 229 years and see how far we have come... and how far we have fallen, as a nation.

From its humble beginnings as 13 colonies, America has grown to 50 states stretching "from sea to shining sea". Founded on Biblical principles and the Judeo-Christian heritage, our nation's forefathers created the longest-lasting democracy in history.

At its birth, America was a nation that embraced God, embraced Christianity, and embraced even unfamiliar religions. Being a Christian nation, America opened its arms to welcome refugees from foreign oppression. The American people, many of them immigrants, overcame tremendous obstacles to share in the American dream. They became part of the "great melting pot" that produced "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many One). Most immigrants worked hard to learn the English language, to assimilate into the American culture, and to make sure that their children were assimilated -- even if they still promoted a pride in their ancestral roots.

Through the freedom of capitalism, economic enterprise flourished. With ingenuity and hard work, the American people created the most robust economy on the face of the earth. Even today, Americans have the highest standard of living, the most economic choices, the largest middle-class, and the greatest number of wealthy individuals in the world. And despite the claims of some, we are not stingy when it comes to sharing that wealth. America gives the most money away of any country on earth. We give the most foreign aid in absolute numbers. We give the most in the form of charity. We still have some poor among us, but we are working on that too.

America has the best educational system in the world. It is not always equal in all places, but those who want to learn can learn. Those who strive to excel will find opportunity. We have the best colleges and universities in the world. Students from nearly every country in the world come here to be educated.

When faced with the challenge of foreign wars, America responded. We fought two World Wars and freed millions from fascism. We fought a Cold War and freed millions from communism. Our brave men and women of the armed forces and their families have sacrificed much over the years in the name of freedom. They served at famous places like Normandy and Anzio. They served in jungles and deserts and God-forsaken places all over the globe. We owe them so much and have given them precious little. Because of them, America has the mightiest military in the world. Because of them, we are the only superpower in the world.

And if I stopped there, you'd think... Wow. That's great. What's so bad about that? And in truth, there's nothing wrong with THAT. But there is something wrong. And it's getting worse. Ronald Reagan may have been right when he said that our best days are yet before us, but there have been a few bad days since then as well. And I fear that more are coming.

America has forgotten its Judeo-Christian heritage. America has distanced itself from God, from Christianity and from the Bible. America has subverted the meanings of the words in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. America has created a "wall of separation" between God-Bible-Christianity and government that never existed in the minds of the Founders. So now, all religions EXCEPT Christianity are OK. Now, any scripture EXCEPT the Bible is OK. Now, any God EXCEPT the God of the Bible is OK. Instead, we worship the god of sex, the god of violence, the god of diversity.

We opened our arms to refugees and immigrants, and they came. At first, they sought to assimilate in the "great melting pot". Today, they don't do that. Instead, they want us to post signs everywhere in their languages. Today, they want us to teach their children in OUR schools using their language. Today, they have no intention of learning our language. They bring their foreign religions to this country and tell us to ignore ours, because they feel "excluded" when we practice ours. We are supposed to respect their religions and their scriptures, but they have no respect for ours. Today, it is "E Unum Pluribus" (From One Many). Today, it is "Diversity". Today, it is glorification of the different, the radical, the extreme. Conversely, today we denigrate conformity, tradition, and values.

Our economy is sapped by taxes. The government takes, but it does not want to give back. Businesses are hamstrung by rules and regulations, paperwork and bureaucracy. Ingenuity and hard work are stifled when success must be shared with an ungrateful government. Washington fat cats take our hard-earned money and put it into the pockets of their friends.

The Judicial Branch of the government has become the ruling oligarchy. They have trampled on the Constitution and the will of the people. They no longer uphold the law... they MAKE the law. They use foreign law to recreate our law. They change the meaning of the words to impose their agenda and their philosophy on America. They change the meaning of words to take our private property and give it others... their friends. The Constitution of the United States has been rendered moot.

The America of today, with its government, its judiciary, its principles, its culture, its values, its economy, and its media, is no longer a reflection of the one established by our Founding Fathers. America has begun its descent. God have mercy on us.

Allstate Fires Christian For Beliefs

Allstate (the insurance company) has fired a manager because he expressed his Christian beliefs concerning homosexuality. Matt Barber was a manager in Allstate's Corporate Security Division. On his own time, and without identifying himself as an employee of Allstate, he wrote a column posted on several websites which was critical of same-sex marriage.

An outside homosexual group complained to Allstate about the column. Because of their support for the homosexual agenda, Barber was immediately fired and ushered off company property.

The message is clear: To work for Allstate one must not publicly express their Christian belief in the Bible's teaching on homosexuality. Barber was fired because he did. Homosexuals can criticize and condemn the Bible's teaching and they are welcomed, but Christians must remain silent.

To read the complete WorldNetDaily.com article, click here.

Tell Allstate what you think about this. Click on the image below and send an E-mail to Allstate.

20 Lessons For Next Dem Campaign

Posted at www.freerepublic.com today. Decided to reprint it here in it's entirety. (Only slightly edited) It's long, but worth it...

A message to Dems *FROM* a former Dem - 20 Lessons for your Next Campaign (sarcasm alert) Posted on 06/27/2005 9:36:23 AM PDT by StinkyDilly


Here's a few friendly tips for my fellow Democrats on what to do in your next campaign:

1) If you want me to vote for somebody that is supposed to represent me, middle class Jane average, and then try to portray your opponent as a filthy rich stooge for the corporations and lobbyists, try not running somebody that's about a 1000 times more wealthy and has about 1000 times more connections to the very corporations and lobbyists you're talking about.

2) If you want me to vote for somebody that is supposed to represent me, middle class Jane average, try to make sure he or she at least appears like they pay the same kind of taxes that I do, and doesn't have most of their money (and spouse's and running mate's) tied up in every tax dodge known to man. Particularly, when your candidate starts talking about raising taxes and spending money. You might be surprised to know that we can add and subtract, too, down here in the red state of Missouri, and your magical mathematics didn't add up.

3) If you want me to vote for somebody that is supposed to represent me, middle class Jane average, try not to pick somebody who sounds like they are lecturing their children on their bad behavior and how much we've disappointed them. I've already got one father and mother and that is certainly enough. Mr. or Mrs. Next Democrat Nominee for President at least ought to act like I'm their equal and not their child. Because I am equal. I can equally vote them into office and equally vote them out. (PS...When your lackey's call us stupid, we don't like that too much either; PSS...I might live in the Midwest, but my name's not Mary Anne and I don't really care to be stranded on the island with two people that sound like Mr. And Mrs. Thurston Howell III. I'd rather commit suicide with the dull edge of a coconut shell)


4) I live in the "show me state". If your candidate has a plan, show me the plan. Don't tell me to run off to blankblank.com and look it up for myself. It sounds down right arrogant. I know a lot of people, older than I am, that don't have access to the internet. How do they know what the plan is if they can't read it? Not to mention that I'm in management and if you can't articulate your plan in a five point bulletin in two minutes or less, it's probably so darn convoluted it won't even get out of the gate much less have a chance to succeed. You'll be spending your entire time re-writing and revising your plan and you won't get anything done. We know you think it's cool to hypnotize your audience and send them subliminal messages, but really, they aren't hypnotized, they're just sleeping. (PS...If your candidate sounds like the candidate in item #3, suicide might be preferable)

5) We like "real" people. Don't try to show your candidate as some sports loving, tractor driving, goose shooting, gun toting he-man when he'd rather be skiing in Aspen or wind surfing off of Nantucket. And for the love of God, if he's playing catch with a football, throwing a baseball or fielding a soccer ball that he's never done before in his life, at least take the cameras away from the journalists or ask them to leave. Photos of your guy looking like he's about to be shot by the firing squad isn't very inspiring.


I mean, seriously, my five year old niece can catch, throw and take a head shot better than that. And, she plays with dolls. (PS...if your candidate is a woman, don't try to pass off some cookie recipe as theirs when we know damn well they don't spend any time in the kitchen perfecting their "stay at home mom" culinary arts. We've seen that Rice Krispy commercial, too, and throwing flour and water on her face isn't going to work)

6) If your candidate has a crazy spouse, say so. We'll understand. Might even get the sympathy vote. If you're candidate is not inclined to share their family medical problems with us, at least make sure their spouse is heavily medicated before you send them out in public.


7) Message. Let me say that again. Message. Get a message and stay on message. Don't take a poll shot once a week and give us the talking points you think we want to hear because we are actually smart enough to remember what your candidate said the week before. While the elderly might not have access to the internet, people like me can fact check your ass into next week.

8) Speaking of message, if your candidate says "integrity, integrity, integrity" you best make sure they aren't the biggest, lying sack of crap on the campaign trail. Also, you might actually try to put a little "integrity, integrity, integrity" into your message. Particularly if you are going to try to scare the crap out of college students with rumors of the draft. Or, scare the crap out of old people with rumors of the demise of their social security checks. Or, snuggle up to some fat, ugly, smelly, white guy who makes a film full of lies and then tries to pass it off as the truth. Particularly when that guy reminds us of that little creep that used to pick his nose and eat his boogers in front of us, dump red tempera paint on our favorite white dress or fill our locker up with lizards, snakes and other creepy crawly things. One other thing, don't have him sit in the president's box and then deliver your talking points on TV when he reminds us of that slimy peeping Tom we caught with his hand down his pants outside the girl's locker room. It's bad Karma.

9) Star power. Your candidate should have their own star power, not hang out with stars. We really don't find it comforting that the next President might be getting his domestic and foreign policy from Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins or Bruce Springsteen. In the words infamous words of a notable pundit: Shut up and sing! I mean, really, do you think we want our President to be getting donations from a guy that had a photo op with a mass murdering, serial rapist dictator? You know, having hour long chats with Barbara Striesand might work out for Billy Bob Arkansas, he had his own little charisma thing going, but it doesn't look too good when your candidate looks like a cast member of the Adams family and talks like one, too. We stupid people might get confused about who is running for president.


10) Speaking of Billy Bob, I think we're long past the self indulgent, cigar twirling, sex addict stage. If you think your candidate has a problem, don't run them. And if it's just an ex president you're using as a prop, after he narrowly defeated impeachment for lying under oath, screwed everything that walked or crawled into the oval office while he turns down the offer to get the country's number one most wanted future killer of Americans, he isn't as popular as you might think. Think the word "distance".

11) We're over the Viet Nam war. War is war. When we're at war, it's not the right war, it's not the wrong war. It's our war and we like to win. We want the enemies crushed in a timely manner and our men and women home as quick as possible. Barring that, a quick victory, we want our enemies crushed. We don't like "nuanced" endings to our wars. We've been brought up on John Wayne, Patton, the Alamo, Independence Day. Our enemies don't stand a chance and we don't give them any. If you are going to run a candidate during war time, remember "W" stands for winner and not wussie. (PS..if our alleged allies stab us in the back, we want somebody that will at least give the impression of giving them the finger. PSS...We never defer to the UN in a time of war. This isn't the UNA, this is USA. Everything else is second. If your candidate wins, that's what that oath means. PSSS...Dictators are bad. Freedom is good)


12) Speaking of war, if your candidate is an ex hippie anti-war protestor, don't try to pass them of as GI JOE or Jane. Even if your candidate served in the military, if they can't release all of their military records, there's something wrong. Like they were dishonorably discharged and stripped of their medals. Or they consorted with the enemy in a time of war while being an officer or enlisted in the service. If your candidate is a college graduate, you should make sure they know enough geography to know that the Mekong Delta and Se Doc are not Cambodia. You're better off running somebody with no military experience than a faker. Did I mention we don't like fakes?

13) Fish stories. Hey, it's one thing for your candidate to tell a little white lie about the fish that got away, but stories about Christmas in far away places like Mars, or aliens that give them hats, secret meetings that never happened or being at the battle of Waterloo means they are either a pathological liar or delusional enough that they should be taking their spouse's medication. Better yet, don't nominate them for candidate. Remember, "integrity, integrity, integrity".


14) This is not the Peoples Socialist Republic of America. While some of us don't mind giving some of our money for the common good, you shouldn't take that as a mandate to tax us into oblivion. Try a little moderation, for Pete's sake. And if your candidate is going to espouse theories about the "Two Americas" and the "haves and the have nots", you might want to make sure that they aren't richer than the Czar or the Czar's great, great, great nephew. The last candidate that tried to sell us that rotten piece of cheese and claim it came from the moon got his ass ridden out of town on a rail.

15) Talking heads. Speaking of the "common good", if your little messenger talking heads tell us that you want more of our money when we are paying $2 gallon for gas; $3 Gallon for Milk, our house just got assessed for higher taxes the second year in a row and our local government wants to raise our sales tax by a penny to build an "arts and culture center" we've already been taxed "for the common good". So f*!& off!.

16) Ummm...I think you know about the scream thing. Don't do it. No matter what. Even if your candidate gets stung by a bee while he's dropping his pants to take a piss. Silence is golden.


17) If your "base" and "talking heads" are going to refer to us over here in fly over country as stupid, fanatical, fascist, flag waving, evangelical, neo Nazi, digital brownshirts, marching off into kristalnacht, carrying torches and burning books while making a flaming sign of the cross with our torches, we probably aren't going to vote for you anyway, so just forget what I was going to suggest. However, if your base resembles all of the above (exempting the evangelical part), you are in deep shit and should throw away your autographed copies of Mein Kampf and Karl Marx and tell the dry cleaner you won't be picking up your super, duper secret white sheet with the glow in the dark swastika over an anarchists sign and extra panel sown in for your secret plans to sell out the Jews for a piece of (or is that Peace in?)Palestine and give those mean mullahs some fissile material, you don't want to miss that plane to France.

18) Geography, Math and the Electoral College. Take a look at that electoral map. The one with all the red and the splotches of blue? Yeah, the blue spots are highly populated areas. Your team does pretty good there. Of course, it might be because it has the highest concentration of poor, drop outs, union members, anarchist college students and elitists that think they know more than the rest of the world because their professor made them read Noam Chomsky until they could regurgitate it like Romans at the vomittarium. Repeatedly watch films of alleged American "crimes" including the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; marines using flame throwers on the island of Iwo Jima; fire bombing Dresden; napalm in Viet Nam (extra credit if they read your candidate's book); the starving children of Africa; the tears of the last Soviet Premier at the end of Glasnost and the melting of the polar ice caps. Ok. Now that you understand that demographic, you might have noticed in this last election, they were less than 50% of the voting population. We know you think there were more of them than there was of us, but you sincerely misunderestimated.


That red stuff there? I know you think that's fly over country with a population of one hick..er...Person per every square mile, but it's a lot of square miles and that's a lot of people. Heck, I know those states only carry about 5 or so electoral votes a piece, but 20 of them equals about 250 electoral votes. A few others carry about 20 each. When you add them all together, it means that we elect the president. So, it's probably not a good thing to send your candidate into a campaign without really knowing who we are or what we want because he's going to need us next time. Just to show you how friendly we are, I wrote this list of 20 things you need to know the next time you run a campaign. My final contribution will be a little description of the constituency so you might understand what we want next time.

19) We love our country. We love our flag. We fly it on most days, not just holidays. I guess that makes us flag waving fanatics in your eyes. We know that some of your folks think it's ok to burn the flag. Freedom of speech and all that. We understand, but you might understand that it's our right not to like it either. You'll get over it, but I'm not sure we will. We love our soldiers. We know some of your supporters think they're just poor, dumb farm boys and girls with barely any education, but that's what you get when you let those folks think. I know this might scare the hell out of you, but.....[pppssssttt] we have bibles, too.


Before I move on to lesson #20, let me share the words of the great sage and country western singer, Hank Williams Jr.:

We say grace, We say Ma'am, If you ain't into that, We don't give a damn!

20) This is a direct message for the future Democrat Candidate for President.

If you think you might ever decide that you need us again, and we think you will, you will need to do something very, very important after learning the first nineteen lessons. I want you to think Donald Trump. Turn to the jackass that is running the Democrat National Committee and say: You're Fired!

Supreme Court Split on Ten Commandments

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In two separate rulings today by the U.S. Supreme Court on the subject of Ten Commandments displays, justices appeared to be self-contradictory in their rulings. In both cases the rulings were 5-4, with Sandra Day O'Connor being the swing voter, voting first FOR a display of the Ten Commandments, and then AGAINST. "I learned that trick from John Kerry", said Justice O'Connor. "It's easy to show ambivalence. First vote FOR something, and then AGAINST it. It makes others around you feel that you are nuanced".

Asked to explain her different rulings, O'Connor said that it was important to address the needs of both the Red States and the Blue States. "For people living in Red States, their Judeo-Christian heritage is very important and should be respected. In Blue States however, not only is religion secondary, but people there are more likely to be other than your stereo-typical Judeo-Christian", said O'Connor. "I mean, according to some religions, theft and murder are even condoned", she went on. "We don't want to suggest religious bigotry in our courts under those circumstances, now do we?"

President Bush is actively reviewing potential candidates to replace Justice O'Connor who was last seen leaving the Supreme Court building in an ambulance wearing a fashionable white jacket without cuffs.

Petition To Prevent Flag Desecration

Please click on the image below and sign the petition urging support of the Constitutional Amendment to protect the American flag.

Rumsfeld: Senate Insurgency Could Last Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a series of interviews on various Sunday talk shows, Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, said yesterday that the insurgency in the U.S. Sentate could go on for years. (See View From Above story dated June 23, 2005.)

"There seems to be an endless supply of 'homicide ranters' in the Senate that are willing to strap on an explosive filibuster and wipe out anyone in hearing distance with a blast of hot air", said Rumsfeld. "There is no quagmire in Iraq, but there is definitely a quagmire in the Senate", he continued.

Rumsfeld also fielded questions regarding allegations that he is to blame for the quagmire in the Senate. "That's just total nonsense", said Rumsfeld. "This situation was caused by the insurgents in the Senate, and it's a problem that the Senators will have to deal with themselves. Sure, we could send in troops and try to restore order, but then we would be labeled an 'occupying power'."

When asked if he felt that the insurgents in the Senate should be sent to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Rumsfeld responded in the negative. "I don't think our fine men and women in uniform should be exposed to that much abuse".

Bush To Clean Up Guantanamo

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President George W. Bush today announced plans to "clean up" Camp X-Ray, the detention center for Islamic terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Often referred to as "Gitmo", the detention center at Guantanamo has become the weapon of choice for liberals on Capitol Hill and in the Mainstream Media (MSM). This Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy (VLWC) has relentlessly attacked the Bush administration, the Pentagon, and the military personnel who run Camp X-Ray with false claims of murder and torture. The VLWC has even compared Gitmo to Nazi concentration camps, Stalinist gulags, and the killing fields of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

According to Bush, the government is planning to spend upwards of $27 million to renovate the facility at Gitmo. Hotel planners from Sheraton and Hilton are now in talks with the Pentagon outlining future amenities for the detention center. "We have suggested brightly colored pastel wallpapers based on a Caribbean theme, complete with a full entertainment center, Internet access, mini-bar, unlimited long distance calls, and Free-For-View movie selection in every cell", said one of the hotel planners. "Each cell will have it's own balcony with a wonderful view of the beach below. The beach itself will be provided with free cabana and towel service."

"Let's face it", said President Bush. "This will not be a true 4-star hotel. But at least it will be one step up from what detainees have now. I think this upgrade will help us to win hearts and minds on the Arab street".

Dean: Bold New Plan For Success

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, today spoke before a group of party faithful and he surprised his audience with a bold new plan for winning future elections. "The Democratic Party needs more votes to win", said Dean. "We cannot continue to let the Republicans get more votes than we do, if we intend to take back the Presidency, the House of Representatives and the Senate".


"Unbelievably brilliant!", said a Democratic strategist who heard the speech. "Dean's medical background has clearly paid off for the Democratic Party. He's a regular 'brain surgeon' of the first magnitude".

"We need more Latino votes", said Dean. "We need more military votes. We need more Jewish votes. We need more votes from dead people. We need more votes from illegal aliens. We need votes in Ohio. We need votes in Florida. EEEEEAAAAAGGHHHHHHH!!!!"

Kennedy Says Rumsfeld Caused Quagmire in Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At a hearing today in the Senate, Donald Rumsfeld (Secretary of Defense) along with a number of high-ranking generals, described the situation in the Senate as "encouraging" and "far from hopeless".

Senator Edward M. Kennedy (who is a man) immediately suggested that the Senate was in a "quagmire" which happened on Rumsfeld's watch, and questioned whether or not Rumsfeld should resign. "In baseball, it's three strikes, you're out. What is it for the Secretary of Defense?" Kennedy asked Rumsfeld. "Isn't it time for you to resign?" Rumsfeld said he'd offered his resignation to President Bush twice, and the President had said no.

Donald Rumsfeld, in a give-and-take session, told the Senate that Iraq was looking pretty good. "There are positive signs in Iraq of people taking democracy into their own hands. Iraqi police and defense forces are fighting and dying for their country. More Iraqis are volunteering everyday to defend their nation", said Rumsfeld.

"The Senate, however, is looking pretty grim", he continued. "If you want to see a quagmire, just look at the Democrats in the Senate. They are doing everything they can to obstruct progress that would benefit the American people. They (the Democrats) have started a filibuster on the Bolton nomination to the United Nations. They (the Democrats) have sought to stall any progress on Social Security reform. They (the Democrats) have sought to undermine the war on terrorism by providing our enemies with anti-American propoganda. They (the Democrats) have compared the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to that of holocaust victims by the Nazis, or to that of Russian dissidents in Soviet gulags, or to that of the victims of the killing fields by Pol Pot."

Rumsfeld continued, "If you want a quagmire, look no further than the Democrats in the Senate. However", he went on, "reforms are possible, which might actually transform the Senate into a real working body."

Gorillas In Our Midst

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- According to Ron Fournier, AP Political Writer, Hillary Clinton and John McCain are 800-pound gorillas. Some have suggested that Fournier is actually referring to how these two individuals stack up as potential presidential candidates in the 2008 election. However, the fact that they both look bad, smell bad, and scratch themselves in unbecoming places at public events has lent some credence to his comparison.

It is clear, now more than ever, that we have in fact ascended from the apes. One look at Teddy Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid (aka "See Evil", "Hear Evil", and "Speak Evil") should convince us of that.

Bolton Baseball: 2 Strikes, No Balls

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senate Republican Baseball Team Coach Bill Frist today said that there are no plans for a third vote on cloture for John Bolton's nomination as the U.S. All-Star Player to the United Nations Baseball Team. "Right now, Bolton has two strikes against him", said Frist. "Another pitch at this point would surely lead to a strikeout".

The Democratic Team has effectively prevented the nomination of Mr. Bolton from coming to a vote by repeatedly calling "TIME OUT!" Using this tactic, the game has been stalled for weeks and most of the fans have gone home. Only a few die-hard pundits and talking heads remain watching to see what the outcome of this twelfth inning bout will be.

Right now the score is tied, no one has hit a homerun, and there are plenty of errors on both sides. Bolton is trying to get to first base, but he's got 2 strikes. I'll leave the second half of the title to your imagination.

UPDATE: It appears that Coach Frist may now actually have found some (base) balls. After a good talking to by Republican Team Manager George W. Bush, Coach Frist has reversed course and may bring Mr. Bolton's name to a third cloture vote.

Dems: Private Accounts Would Hurt Farmers

RALEIGH, NC -- Representative Bob Etheridge (D-NC) said today that President Bush's proposal to allow taxpayers to invest a part of their Social Security taxes into private accounts would have a negative impact on farmers.

According to Etheridge, most farmers don't have access to 401(k) plans and 75% of farmers fund their own retirement. However, the Bush plan will provide younger farmers and their children with the opportunity to have a government-provided 401(k) plan, which seems to have completely eluded Etheridge.

Etheridge went on to say that, "They (farmers) depend on Social Security when the crop yield is low or the weather is bad". One of the elements of President Bush's proposal is to fund the new personal accounts with Social Security money that was originally intended to go directly to farmers. If the Social Security funds intended for farmers during bad years is insufficient to pay for the personal accounts, President Bush proposes to fill the gap by seizing the crops of delinquent farmers during subsequent good years.

Etheridge also said that rural Americans are usually older and more likely to rely on Social Security benefits. Another element of President Bush's plan is reduce Social Security benefits for older Americans to pay for the new personal accounts, especially those over the age of 55.

Lawmakers Ask Terrorists For Withdrawal Timetable

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have begun calling on terrorists for a timetable to begin pulling their forces out of Iraq. According to a Gallup poll taken earlier this month, 6 out of 10 Americans said foreign terrorists in Iraq should start removing some or all of their forces from Iraq before the end of the year, and 72% said all foreign terrorists should be out by October of 2006. Terrorist approval ratings have also reached an all time low of 37%.

In a related poll, the numbers were similar. In that poll, 63% of Americans said Iraqi insurgents and former Baathist Party loyalists should reduce the number of car bombings and homicide attacks to approximately half of their current levels by the end of the year. While 76% said car bombings and homicide attacks should be eliminated completely by October of 2006.

"These are the highest poll numbers we've seen so far", said an unnamed Gallup employee. "The insurgents and terrorists had better start taking American public opinion seriously. If not, it's going to get ugly real fast. The United Nations will be called in... young Iraqi women will be made into sex slaves... Iraqi oil money will be stolen by the U.N. fat cats back in New York... and if you think Iraq is mis-managed now, just wait 'til the U.N. gets involved."

Happy Fathers Day

No father is perfect. Some are worse than others. Some are real pinheads. But the statistics would seem to suggest that there are a lot good fathers out there. Many are great fathers. Statistics also suggest that fatherless homes are problem homes. Here are some links to articles you might find of interest...
Fathers deserve more than a day

Father Is the Best

Fatherless in America...
Remember your father this Fathers Day. If he is or was a good father, then remember him fondly. Most important of all... remember your Father who is in Heaven. He seeks only for your well-being, your best interests, your prayers, and your love. Embrace Him with open arms.

Kofi Annan Plans Suck-Up Weekend

New York, NY -- Upon hearing the news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would cut U.N. funding by 50%, Kofi Annan -- Secretary General of the U.N. -- has decided that a good "suck-up" weekend is probably in order. The House voted 221-184 for a bill that would withhold one half of assessed U.S. dues, currently around $440 million a year, if the U.N. doesn't achieve nearly 50 steps to improve its accountability and to root out corruption.


Reminiscent of his college days, Kofi Annan learned early that when your parents threaten to cut off your allowance because of bad grades, it's always a good idea to go home and suck-up a bit in order to smooth things over. Kofi plans to call on members of the House this weekend for some intimate meetings where he will generally provide several lame excuses for his failures to-date, admit his shortcomings, reassert his desire to succeed, renounce the folly of his hedonism, and tell the U.S. officials how important they are to him and to the United Nations.

Most House members -- who are known for their gullibility -- are expected to fall for this ruse. After all, it's Kofi's first offense, and he has such a pleasant personality. C'mon, let's give him a break!

Tell Senator Durbin What You Think

Click on the image below and send an E-mail to Senator Dick Durbin and tell him what you think about how he compared U.S. troops to Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot...

Terri Schindler Died of Natural Causes

LARGO, FL -- Terri Schindler, often mistakenly referred to as Terri 'Schiavo', was found to have died of "natural causes" according to autopsy reports. In his report, the medical examiner stated that the witholding of all water and nutrition from a victi... errr, patient... for up to 13 days would "naturally cause death". Like, 'Duh? Is this guy a scientist or what?

It was also determined that Michael Schiavo's denial of the recommended therapy for Terri's condition for nearly 15 years resulted in Terri's brain shrinking to the point beyond which recovery was virtually impossible. It was further discovered that Terri did not suffer from an eating disorder, which many proponents of her early demise had suggested. Likewise, there was no proof that Micahael Schiavo had attempted to strangle his wife... although, it was widely acknowleged that after 15 years, any bruises to her neck might have healed in the interim.

Although Michael Schiavo spent 15 years and several million dollars on attorney fees (money which was originally awarded to him in malpractice lawsuits and intended to be used for her therapy) to make sure that Terri's feeding tube was removed, the coroners ruled out murder as the cause of death. So much for forensics.

According to Michael Schiavo, "I did everything I could for Terri. I even went to the Wizard of Oz to see if I could get her a brain". Too bad that Michael didn't realize what he really needed was a heart.

Denzel Makes Donation

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- In mid-December 2004, Denzel Washington — reportedly at the suggestion of a veteran known as 'Ranger Jones' whom the actor met while filming the 1988 Civil War epic "Glory" — paid a visit to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The popular actor took part in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers who were recovering in the hospital from wounds received in Iraq.


The city's Express-News newspaper described one of the medal recipients' reaction to her encounter with the screen star:

When Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington entered the auditorium at Brooke Army Medical Center, Spc. Connie Spinks, healing from wounds from Iraq, was content to hold his hand, get a gentle peck on the cheek and hear him whisper a sweet nothing in her ear.

"He just told me he was proud of me, and that was enough," said Spinks, who has a broken femur, fractured fibula, shattered ankle, two broken fingers and second- and third-degree burns on her hands and face.

That brief encounter was enough to lift the Asheboro, N.C., native, a world away from her memories of Oct. 13, when a suicide bomber killed two soldiers and injured Spinks, 22, and four others in a convoy.

"If I wasn't already in a wheelchair, I would have fainted" when the screen star kissed her, she said.

Fort Sam Houston, which houses the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), also includes on its property a Fisher House within walking distance of the medical center. Fisher Houses are a network of "comfort homes," essentially low-cost hotels built on the grounds of military medical centers in the U.S. and abroad that provide all the amenities of home and enable family members of servicemen to stay close to loved ones who are undergoing medical treatment for illness, disease, or injury. The modest fees charged by Fisher Houses (about $10 per night) make them accessible even to familes with tight budgets (a situation common to many military families).


As might be expected with the U.S. military's having been engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq for the last few years, the demand for space in Fisher Houses at some military facilities has exceeded their capacities. According to the Fisher House Foundation, when Denzel Washington was at Fort Sam Houston in December 2004, he did visit its Fisher House and learn of their need for additional facilities, and he did later make a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation (amount undisclosed, but it was described as "one of the most significant received in our history" by James Weiskopf, the foundation's vice president for communications), but he did not, as described in some versions of the story, "get out his checkbook" on the spot and write a check for the full amount needed to construct a new building.


Due to the generosity of the American public (including Mr. Washington), the Fisher House Foundation has already collected enough money to build another house, although it will not necessarily be constructed at the Brooke Army Medical Center. Other possible sites for a new Fisher House include the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center in Houston, the Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, the Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington, the VA Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.


It makes me proud to know that there are Great Americans out there like Denzel Washington.

Michael Jackson Going To DisneyWorld

SANTA MARIA, CA -- Michael Jackson was found innocent today of all 10 charges in his child-molestation trial. A reporter stuck a microphone in his face and asked, "You've just been found innocent... what are you going to do now?" Jackson replied, "I'm going to DisneyWorld!"


Michael Jackson, often compared to Shamu the Killer Whale (who is also black and white, and lives in a theme park), has decided that a change of scenery is in order. Michael apparently prefers Disney's version of Fantasyland to his own at Neverland Ranch. It has been suggested that Michael may want get away from Neverland for a few days (with all it's reminders of pornography and child-molestation) in favor of a more family-friendly theme park. Too bad... he just missed 'Gay Days' at Disney.

Schools Look At 'Alternative' Programs

MILWAUKEE, WI -- Public schools in Milwaukee are facing growing problems with drop-outs and attendance problems. In the face of this crisis, school administrators are considering "alternative" programs to combat the problem. These programs would include such radical new ideas as Bible studies, prayer groups and faith clubs.

"We've tried everything else the N.E.A. and the A.C.L.U. had to offer", said a Milwaukee teacher who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Nothing they offered seemed to work."

Faith-based prayer groups were chased out of public schools by a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1962, but were allowed back in by a 2001 Supreme Court decision. That decision is reflected in the new U.S. Department of Education guidelines.

"Until the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow faith-based groups back into the public schools, there was a steady decline of religion-based moral guidelines in U.S. public schools", said Hawkeye® (a NJ-based blogger). "First they removed the 10 Commandments. Then they removed prayers of any type. Then they pushed to eliminate any reference to God whatsoever", he continued. "There was nothing to fill the moral vacuum which this situation created... and the results are clear for all to see".

A local Milwaukee pastor suggested, "When everything else fails, try God."

Google Slants Ads To The Left

GOOGLE.COM, Cyberland -- It appears that "View From Above" was not alone in it's recent discovery that Google seems to be leaning a bit to the left these days when it comes to advertising. In an article at World Net Daily, dated June 11, 2005 a conservative publisher said Google "rejected his ad for a book critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton while continuing to accept anti-Bush themes." Without any explanation, Google said the rejection was due to "unacceptable content."

Not surprising as a tactic among Left-Wing organizations, Google seems to have no problem with similar anti-Bush propaganda. Apparently anti-Bush is "acceptable content", while anti-Clinton is "unacceptable content".

The Internet is supposed to be a place where we can truly exercise the freedom to express our own ideas. Univerisity campuses were supposed to provide that freedom once upon a time, but they were then taken over by the radical left. When a juggernaut of Google proportions attempts to control the Internet political landscape, it sounds to me like we need a response. Maybe it's time to boycott Google?

Petition Against Judicial Tyranny

Submitted for your approval...

If you feel so moved, please sign the petition by clicking on the image below....

Send Your Birthday Greetings To The President

Photo courtesy of the White House.
The Presidential Prayer Team invites you to add joy and blessing to your regular prayers for the President by sending him a birthday greeting. Again this year, we are providing you with the opportunity to send a word of greeting, Scripture or other expression to wish President Bush a happy birthday.

Click HERE to send your greeting.

Just the Facts M'am

NEW YORK, NY -- Senator Hillary Clinton (who is a woman) today continued her attack on the Bush administration. "We are living in a time when the other side doesn't want us to see the facts. Facts are inconvenient — facts about global warming, facts about mercury in the air, facts about people staying unemployed longer," said Clinton (D-NY).

Interestingly, Clinton cited no examples of these facts but used only vague generalizations and cliches in her remarks. In point of fact, the only use of "facts" in her speech was the repetition of the word.

More "fact-free" speeches are expected from Clinton in the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election.

ACLU Prepares For Legal Battle

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been known for years as an organization which stands up for the little guy against big government and big business. It has prided itself on integrity and has generally advocated for strong policies on record retention, from which it has benefited. For example, the ACLU has been able to obtain records from the Pentagon about activities at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The ACLU routinely uses records it obtains, against the organization from which it obtains the records.

It was clear therefore, that when a lawsuit was threatened against the ACLU itself, that the organization should immediately take steps to begin shredding it's own documents. Janet Linde, who oversaw the ACLU's archives for over a decade until she resigned last month, had raised concerns in e-mail messages and memorandums that the use of shredders to destroy documents without supervision violated the spirit and the intent of ACLU policy. Hence, the reason for Ms. Linde's resignation.

"It takes one to know one", said an ACLU insider who wished to remain anonymous. "We won't let those steenkin' conservatives do to us what we've done to them. We're smarter than that."

Democrats To Start Getting Tough

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Representatives from the Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate today met with top Democratic strategists and leaders in the Democratic National Committee. The meeting was quickly called in response to a speech yesterday by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). During the speech, Mrs. Clinton said America can no longer "give in" to the Republican agenda.

According to rumors coming out of the big meeting, Democrats are now preparing to "get tough" and to begin a new strategy of "obstructionism". "We have been like possums playing dead up 'til now", said one Democrat who wished to remain anonymous. "Now the gloves will really come off."

John Kerry -- Rocket Scientist

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- John F. Kerry's college transcript from Yale University was released today, which was included along with some of his naval records. This is the first time Kerry's grades were made public as Mr. Kerry has sought to keep them private. "I am always a little embarrassed by my academic achievements", said Kerry. "I don't like to brag, and just want to be considered one of the guys."

Mr. Kerry's grades reveal that he was truly qualified to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon rather than the flip-flopping politician he has become. With only four D's in his freshman year, his average throughout all four years of college was a soaring 76, and only slightly lower than George W. Bush's average of 77 at the same institution. Mr. Bush graduated from Yale just two years after Mr. Kerry.

Under Yale's grading system in effect at the time, grades between 90 and 100 equaled an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and anything below that was a failing grade. On learning the news, President Bush called Mr. Kerry to congratulate him. "Good work John. It looks like those elite prep schools you attended did the trick. Your parents must have been very proud."

AFA Suspends Ford Boycott for 6 Months

The following is a message from the American Family Association about their boycott of Ford Motor Company...

Following a meeting with a group of Ford dealers on June 5, AFA has suspended its boycott of Ford Motor Company until December 1, 2005. In the meeting, the dealers asked for time to see if the concerns raised by AFA in their boycott announcement could be addressed by them in cooperation with officials from Ford Motor Company.

AFA felt that the dealers were making a good faith effort and agreed to accept their request. Therefore, the suspension request was accepted by AFA. During the remaining period AFA will work with the dealers in attempting to resolve our differences.

We urge those supporting the boycott to disregard the boycott until December 1, 2005.

On or about December 1 we will notify our supporters as to status of the boycott.

Thanks to all who contacted their local dealers. Your involvement made a difference!

Sincerely,

Don

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

You're Outta Here!

Hello Viewers. Google Ad-Sense is gone... history... outta here! As far as I'm concerned, Ad-Sense is Nonsense. I had ads for anti-Bush merchandise, links to Bush-bashing websites, links to liberal websites... Sheeesh! And there appears to be no way to fine-tune Ad-Sense. All you can do is block up to 200 websites... and at the rate I was going, I would have used up my 200 before I got some ads that I could live with. If you've had better luck, then God bless ya.

Gulag of the Year Award

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- American military leaders at the Guantanamo Bay detention center (Gitmo) were surprised to learn today that they have been awarded the prestigious "Gulag of the Year" Award. The award is presented annually by J.D. Power and Associates™. Established in 1968, J.D. Power and Associates™ is a global marketing information firm that conducts independent and unbiased surveys of customer satisfaction.

"According to the data released in a report on Friday by the Pentagon, the statistics clearly show that Gitmo is the gulag of choice with the highest satisfaction rating among inmates anywhere", said an unnamed representative from J.D. Power.

Charles Krauthammer, nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group, also rated the detention center. In an article dated yesterday, he rates criminal behavior by Gitmo guards as very low indeed... "On the scale of human crimes, where, say, 10 is the killing of 2,973 innocent people in one day and 0 is jaywalking, this ranks as perhaps a 0.01." Editor's Note: A perfect score would have been 0.0, but they missed it by... that much (holding up thumb and forefinger separated by less than 1").

Note to "Viewers" About Google Ads

Hello Viewers... Please note that I have just implemented the Google Ad-Sense program which installs ads in my sidebar. So far, I have seen a few ads which Google has apparently not "sensed" correctly. Please do not be offended by any of these ads. Hopefully Google will begin "sensing" correctly in the near future. If not, Ad-Sense will be history. Thanks for your understanding.

Cox Seeks Advice From Bolton

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Bush today nominated Rep. Christopher Cox (R-CA) to fill the position left vacant by William Donaldson as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). President Bush asked the Senate to move quickly and confirm Cox "at the earliest possible date."


Horrified at the announcement, Cox immediately sought out John R. Bolton, President Bush's nominee for the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton's nomination has been held hostage for months in the Senate Foreign Relations committee by Democratic insurgents. The insurgents are demanding ransom payments and withdrawal by Republicans from Capitol Hill territory before they will set the nominee free to be voted on by the full Senate.

"What's it like being held captive by angry insurgents?", Cox asked. Bolton replied,"It's no fun, that's for sure. They've threatened to chop off my... mustache. But I'm a big boy and I can take it."

"Any other advice?", asked Cox. "Yeah, be sure to bring a good book", said Bolton.

Bush Thanks Senate For Bolton Work

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Bush today thanked Democrats on a Senate committee for their hard work in reviewing John R. Bolton, Mr. Bush's nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. "It's clear they want to do a really good job", said Mr. Bush. "That's why they are taking so long to do it", he continued.

There is general agreement that Mr. Bolton will be approved for the position when the full Senate gets a chance to vote on his nomination, and that delaying a vote is not necessary at this point. "That's OK", said President Bush. "Those Senators are doin' one heck of a job... working night and day, right through the holiday recess, just so's they make sure they do the job right."

Mr. Bolton's nomination is expected to leave committee sometime before the end of Mr. Bush's second term.