Iran, Iraq, and Useful Idiots

Would it surprise anyone to learn that we are engaged in combat with Iran even now?


Rumors persist that Iran is secretly sending men and materiel across the porous border in southern Iraq. Coalition forces, including British forces have been working diligently to plugs the holes in that border and cut off the flow of so-called “insurgents”, bombs, and bomb making material across that border.

If the rumors are true, the war will soon widen into Iran.

We had thought the next invasion by US, and coalition troops, would be across the Iraq/Syria border. But more and more it is beginning to look as if our troops will be moving into Iran.

Iran is very unhappy with US troops in Iraq. Their “Theocracy” is threatened. The Mullahs will do, and apparently are doing, all in their power to entangle the US and Coalition forces in a “brushfire war” while banking on the political Left in the US to break the will of the American people to support the war in Iraq.

What Iran is not winning on the battlefield they ARE winning with the American Political Left.

The Anti-War Movement is playing right into the hands of the Mullahs in Iran. It is exactly what they had hoped for. It would seem their hope was not misplaced.

The North Vietnamese used the same tactics. The anti-war movement in the States was the best weapon the North Vietnamese had. Often referred to as “useful idiots”, the anti-war fanatics are responsible for prolonging the war in Iraq, just as they were for prolonging the war in Vietnam. The longer the war, the more casualties. How difficult is this to figure out. It’s elementary.

So, while the Anti-war movement protests, and their willing accomplices in the MSM report their every breath, more American troops die. The cycle continues until the will of the American people is broken.

It is a sad thing to watch a great nation commit suicide. All great nations throughout history have died by suicide. America is in the downward spiral towards that oft referred to “Dustbin of History”.

Who do we thank for our untimely demise?

The American Political Left. Who else?

“Longstreet”

A Nation Divided Cannot Stand

That Texas prosecutor, in Travis County may have just done the Republican party a huge favor.

The indictment of Representative Tom Delay on Conspiracy charges may have opened the door for Fiscal Conservatives to, once again, take control of the Republican Party.

Fiscal responsibility has been a growing problem for the Republican Party. Many Conservative Republicans have been concerned, and vocal, about the unaccountable penchant for spending this Congress has shown. Maybe… just maybe.

As to the charges against Delay, I heard, and saw, a number of lawyers, and ex-judges, try to wade thru the indictment and tear it part. I found a copy of the indictment, on the net, and carefully read it myself and I must say… it is shallow.

Now, I’m neither an attorney, nor a judge, and I know only so much law as is necessary to keep me out of jail, but it seemed to me, after reading the indictment, there was not much there. Having said that let me be clear about one thing: If Mr. Delay broke the law… he must pay the consequences. We cannot have anyone setting themselves up above the law… not even Presidents.

In the meantime, the Republicans in the House have a chance to pull it together, so to speak, and get out from under all these spending bills, do some real cutting of the budget, and bring some sense back to the US House. It would appear, from appointing Roy Blunt of Missouri, as the temporary Majority Leader yesterday, that is what they intend to do. Let's hope so.

In the meantime the drama will play out in Texas over the next weeks, and months, and we will see what happens. It won’t be pretty. Plus, we may see some indictments, soon, of US House Democrats in leadership positions in their party. Once a Hard Ball Event, like this, gets rolling, things, otherwise unnoticed, have a tendency to find themselves exposed to the light. I do not like the game of “Gottcha” but it looks as if that is where we are headed.

The US is so politically divided these days… that there is simply no way to do much of anything without politics coming into it. The only other time in out history I have read, and heard, of such divisiveness, was in the last years just prior to the, as we Southerners call it: “The War of Northern Aggression”. Officially, the law calls it the “War Between the States”. It leads one to believe that things, here in the US, will get much worse before they begin to get any better.

The US really has become two nations. It becomes clearer every day. Nations cannot survive divided as we are. Even the Bible says, “A house divided will not stand”. The debacle in Texas between, the Democrat prosecutor and the Republican Congressman, is only one tiny indication of how deep the divide is. It will serve to only make matters worse between the two sides of the US political spectrum… no matter who wins, or who loses. It is only a small indication of the deep, deep, trouble smoldering just beneath the surface of the US.

How do we save our Republic? I don’t think we can. Looking at a map 100 years from today, I would expect to see, not one country, but two, or even three, where the US is represented today.

As difficult as it is to say it, I now believe the US is in its declining years. And, as so many have said before, the demise of the US will be an act of suicide.

“Longstreet”

Even the Appearance of Impropriety Cannot be Tolerated!

Well, it would appear that Doctor Frist… uh… Senator Frist has stepped in it again. Selling stocks a couple of weeks before the bottom fell out, well, it just looks strange. It may be perfectly legit, but there are doubts and you can bet the MSM is going to explode those doubts into a major, major, problem for Senator Frist and… if we aren’t very careful… the Republican Party.

Already the MSM is billing Senator Frist as a possible Republican Presidential candidate. It would seem they neglected to ask the rank and file Republicans about that before they decided to run with it. Had they taken the time to talk with a few of us, not in DC, they would have learned that a goodly portion of us would never vote for Senator Frist. Why? We wouldn’t vote for Frist because of his awful lack of leadership abilities he displayed as Majority Leader in the Senate.

Senator Frist has made some gigantic fumbles while Majority Leader and it has cost him any chance of capturing the Republican nomination as our Presidential candidate in 2008. The recent problems with selling the stock have only put the last nail in the coffin of Frist’s political career.

We Conservatives mouth repeatedly about family values, about good character, and moral integrity. That can be very dangerous … if you’re a Republican. You see, everyone expects a Democrat to be, shall we say, of less that sterling character. (Bill Clinton secured that characteristic for Democrats for at least a generation to come.) But, Republicans do not have that luxury.

When we spout off about good moral character, we are held to the highest level of moral turpitude possible. Conservatives have glued themselves to the center of the bull’s eye. Pot shots come from all sides. When one of us slips, and falls, from our lofty perch, we are going to get hammered by the Left and by their minions in the MSM.

So, that is where we are with the Senator Frist problem.

The good Senator from Tennessee is not to be a senatorial candidate when his current term ends. Good. In the meantime time, it would behoove him to stay as clean, and shiny, as he possibly can.

We Conservatives often say that even the “appearance of Impropriety” is not to be tolerated in the Republican Party. That being the case, Senator Frist should immediately resign his position as Majority Leader in the US Senate and allow a fellow senator to take over the duties of that office.

Finally, a word to the other Republican Senators… This time, give us a good, solid, hard-charging conservative as Majority Leader, ya hear?

“Longstreet”

Bring Back the Sedition Act!

Did you see that bunch in DC... at the Anti-war demonstration?

“War is not the Answer”, they shout. Well, what was the question… again? Does anybody remember? It had something to do with… what? Freedom? I seem to hear a faint echo rolling in from eons ago. Something about freedom. Something long forgotten. The price, I believe it was, of freedom. Or have we had freedom so long we no longer value it? Could that be it?

I realize there are a few who have lost all contact with reality and no longer know who they are…that is… who Americans are.

This nation was born as the end result of war… war against a tyrant. We came into this world with a musket in our hands. Americans were born in the crucible of war. We are, like it, or not, a warrior nation. We always have been. The day we decide to be other than a warrior nation is the day we cease to be a nation worthy of existence.

Look around you. Look at the races of Americans. Look at the nations represented by the ancestors of current day Americans. We ARE the world. Anytime injustice occurs anywhere on the globe it affects America.

Americans are rejects, if you will. Our ancestors were rejected by the various societies they came from, and in turn they rejected those societies. They came here, to this land, to create a nation unique in the annals of time… a nation where men, and woman, could be free to think, and to do, and simply… to be. They built this nation with their bare hands. And they protected it. They shed their blood to see that you and I had a future. Whatever it took… they paid the price.

What happened to the Sedition laws? Why, the Sedition Law was repealed!

Here is a portion of the Sedition Act, which was repealed in 1921:

16 May, 1918 The U.S. Sedition Act
SECTION 3. Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States, or to promote the success of its enemies, or shall willfully make or convey false reports, or false statements, . . . or incite insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct . . . the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, or . . . shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States . . . or shall willfully display the flag of any foreign enemy, or shall willfully . . . urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production . . . or advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated and whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both....

There you have it. Isn't it about time to reinstate it?

Yes, I’m angry! I’m angry that a mob, any mob, can influence policy in this nation. I’m angry that our lawmakers have such weak spines as to allow them to influence their lawmaking! Where is the leadership? Enough is enough!

John Stewart Mill had it about right when he said:

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling, which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” --- John Stewart Mill

And finally, from the Holy Bible:

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. (KJV)

Here endth the lesson for today!

“Longstreet”

Slick Willie is Back, Slimier Than Ever!

Bill Clinton is back! Yep, Ole Willie is back on the scene doing what he does best… sticking a knife in the back of anyone stupid enough to do him a kindness.

While cozying up to Bush the First, he ambushes the President from the rear. This is 100% Clintonian.

Without a doubt the sleaziest President this nation has ever had is trying for a comeback. Well, actually he is trying to set the stage for his wife’s run at the White House while he runs for the job of Secretary General of the United Nations. The tactics are the same. They will climb to the top over anyone who gets in their way or anyone they perceive may cause them a problem.

My Lord, how can this nation seriously even consider allowing, “those people” anywhere near the White House… AGAIN??? One must be mentally ill to support such a notion. There is no other explanation.

And, horror of horrors, can you even fathom the danger this country would be in if Mrs. Clinton won the White House and Bill became Secretary General of the UN?? My Lord, lock up your daughters... and your treasury!

But, wait a minute! Consider the UN’s current state. Would not Mr. Clinton fit in nicely? You have an entire building filled with crooks, brigands, and thieves. Could anything be more fitting? Maybe, after considering this, we ought to send Mrs. Clinton to the UN as the Ambassador from the United States. (Well, actually, just the blue states!) That would be even more fitting.

Then, if we could only convince the UN to move their headquarters to, say, Paris. Anywhere out of the US and... out of sight.

I get physically ill when I see the TV promo with Bush the First, and Clinton the First, shilling for the Katrina victims. We conservatives are having a difficult enough task of trying to swallow the President’s massive spending without having him wave Slick Willie in or faces. It is a disgrace! No, it is a shame and a disgrace. (This is about as strong as I can get without profanity, and vulgarity, in which case, I would have to delete this blog posting!)

That’s another reason I will never be a “compassionate conservative”. If being compassionate means I have to forgive, and accept, the Clintons, then forget it! It ain’t gonna happen!

The shame and embarrassment of having that… that… person in the White House was a burden no American should have to bear. And now our current President Bush shoves in back in our faces?

How long, oh, Lord? How long?

“Longstreet”

Voting NO on Judge Roberts

It came as no surprise that Senator Harry Reid, and Senator Hillary Clinton, will vote NO on confirming Judge Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I can honestly say, I am not surprised in the least. Neither should you be. It’s Reid's job, as the minority leader in the Senate. Clinton... is, well, running for President! Basically, their job descriptions call for obstructing, obfuscating, and delaying anything, and everything, the Republicans may be trying to do… without offering any suggestions from the Democratic side of the aisle. I mean, you have noticed the total lack of ideas from the Left, haven’t you. It’s very difficult to miss. It appears their sole purpose for "being" is to fence-in the Republicans, and the Bush Administration, until they can regain power in the Congress and White House. They’re in for a very long wait.

In any event, Senator Reid’s, and Senator Clinton's, reluctance to vote for Judge Roberts is just one more of the "child like" maneuvers of the Left. It won’t work. Roberts will be confirmed.

Now, understand me, I STILL have reservations about Judge Roberts. My primary concern is... that he is not conservative enough! That’s right. I was looking for a nominee in the mold of Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, and Judge Robert Bork. I still am.

With one, and possibly two, more slots to be filled on the Court, the Bush Administration has an opportunity to change the Court and remake it in our image, a conservative court. That is my dream.

Several names are being floated, but nobody really knows whom the President will choose. But it is looking as if the next nominee will be more in the conservative mold that Judge Roberts appears to be.

Republicans are gearing up for the Armageddon to come. The next confirmation process will be “the fight from Hell”. We’re ready.

Look, Republicans know that, at some point in the future, we will lose the White House and/or, the Congress. That will be OK with us… IF… we retain control of the Supreme Court.

If I may speak plainly, conservative Republicans understand that REAL control of the government lies in the Judiciary Branch. That’s not the way it was designed by the Founders, but that is what we have. We intend to play the hand we have been dealt.

Republicans have long memories and a lot of patience.

“Longstreet”

Leave the Posse Comitatus Act alone!

OK, so now the US government is looking at the possibility of amending or, in some other way... gutting, or as we say down south: “doing away with” the "Posse Comitatus Act" of 1878.

That should be the last thing freedom loving Americans should want! We Southerners remember and understand what the "Posse Comitatus Act" did for us during "Reconstruction". If Americans are so weak as to drop the one thing standing between US citizens and a military takeover of the local, state, and eventually, the US government, then we are in even worse trouble than I think we are! Right thinking Americans will fight any attempt to amend or, in any way, change the PCA as it is currently written.

Let’s take a look at the PCA itself:

June 18, 1878 US Code

CHAP. 263 - An act making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, and for other purposes.

SEC. 15. From and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful to employ any part of the Army of the United States, as a posse comitatus, or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the laws, except in such cases and under such circumstances as such employment of said force may be expressly authorized by the Constitution or by act of Congress; and no money appropriated by this act shall be used to pay any of the expenses incurred in the employment of any troops in violation of this section And any person willfully violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years or by both such fine and imprisonment.

10 U.S.C. (United States Code) 375
Sec. 375. Restriction on direct participation by military personnel: The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure that any activity (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment or detail of any personnel) under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in a search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law.

18 U.S.C. 1385
Sec. 1385. Use of Army and Air Force as posse comitatus Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

The PCA is an act, passed by Congress, to ensure the separation of military and civilian authority. Under the Act, the military cannot enforce civilian laws. Look, this is a fundamental building block of the American form of government! In America civilians control the military, not the other way around.

I don’t know about you, but I have major concerns about the overreaching of Federal law enforcement as it is. Well, Dear Reader, do away with the "Posse Comitatus Act" and, as Al Jolson said: “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Two things would immediately happen; the line, which currently divides military and civilian law, would become blurred. Believe me, those of you of the Liberal persuasion, especially, do not want that... in your wildest dreams! There are much fewer "gray areas" in military enforecement of the law than enforcement of civilian law.

The other thing, which should also concern every American, is the effectiveness, and readiness of our military to fight, and win, wars would be greatly impaired. If the military is doing anything, at all, other than fighting wars, or training to fight wars, they are not fully trained, and they are not ready to go to war. We cannot allow that to happen.

After the fiasco in Louisiana before, during, and after hurricane Katrina, Americans saw how effective the US Military is, and, can be, handling major logistical problems. They moved quickly to stifle the violence and bring comfort to those suffering as a result of the storm. But do not be misled. This is not their mission. It cannot be their mission if we are to remain free Americans.

I’m very afraid there is a move afoot to revoke or, in some other way, gut the PCA. Don’t allow it to happen. Insist that your Congressperson, and Senator, stand against any such action to revise the "Posse Comitatus Act".

If the citizens of the US want a national organization to stand ready to respond to civilian disasters then let us organizes, fund, and equip a National Disaster Response Corp… or some such. But leave the military out of this. We seem to be able to create a Peace Corp to send aid overseas and Americorp to do... something... or other. I have yet to figure out what Americorp does! The point is… we can do this without the military.

We are living in a very dangerous world. We can be attacked at any moment, as 9-11 taught us. We need the US military in top “war fighting” condition. We do not need them sloppy as a result of doing disaster relief work.

The President hinted at my concerns in a speech, in New Orleans, a short time ago. We need to stay aware of the undercurrents in Washington. I am convinced this Revised Posse Comitatus Act is swiftly flowing in those undercurrents and will surface soon.

“Longstreet”

Texas Won't Fold !

Texas is about to be slammed by a CAT-4 or CAT-5 Hurricane. Don’t expect Texas to fold, and roll over, as Louisiana did. It won’t happen.

Texas is not a "Welfare State". Texas takes pride in itself, and in it’s independence. Texas remains the only state in the Union which reserved the right to secede and form it’s own country! That’s how independent Texas is! It also reserved the right to split into five states from the one. That again is indicative of the “can do” spirit of Texans.

Oh well, you may say, sure Texas won’t do as Louisiana did because they have seen what happened in Louisiana and vowed it won’t happen to them, plus the President is a Texan. You miss the point, entirely.

Louisiana is a first class example of a welfare state collapsing of it’s own weight. It was doomed, and remains so, if we can’t save it. Generations of dependence on the government, for everything, paid off in a citizenry completely overwhelmed, and desperate, with no inkling that they were responsible for themselves. They have been taught otherwise from their birth. “Wards of the Government” about covers it.

Texas is nobody’s ward! Texans are proud, Independent, people many of whose ancestors migrated from the Carolinas and Tennessee to populate that great state, liberate it from Mexico, create their own country... and later sue for statehood in the US.

Do not expect the catastrophe of emergency services to happen when Rita hits Texas. It won’t. To even suggest that is insulting to Texans. And it should be.
Louisiana, if it were not a state, would be, in fact, a third world country.

Louisianans lived up to expectations. So will Texas! The difference is… much, much more is expected of Texas. And Texas will deliver.

The words of the old song say “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You”. But, right now, the eyes of the world are upon Texas!

When the screaming winds of Rita have passed to be replaced by the calming breezes from the Gulf, watch for “Old Glory” to suddenly appear… and right alongside her… the “Lone Star” flag.

It’s called PRIDE, folks! Texans know “from whence cometh their strength”… from God… not from government.

“Longstreet”

200 Billion! You're Kidding... Right?

Where are we going to get 200 billion dollars? That’s the question most often asked these days. The 200 billion being the estimated recovery costs for the damage done to the Gulf States as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

I happen to think the actual costs will be much more than the estimated 200 billion. If you have ever remodeled an old house, you find that one problem leads to another, and another, ad infinitum. So, The US is about to remodel New Orleans and the other Gulf States sustaining damage as a result of Katrina. A good deal of the damage is not viewable… yet. That will come. When it does, the 200 billion is going to look very small, indeed.

So where DO we get the 200 billion? Why from you and me! That’s where!

I know, no more tax increase! My sentiments exactly. But we have no choice.

Now, when I say we have no choice, I don’t mean that as sentimental Americans we must rebuild the unique city of New Orleans. I mean… Federal Law dictates that we pay for it. Yep. The “little ole” Stafford Act declares that we will pay for it. I took the opportunity to take a look at the Act, itself. It can be found at:
http://www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm

Take a look for yourself. It is very illuminating.

Now couple the Stafford Act with the Urban Homestead Act found at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.+485:

…. and we have a formula for a drain on the treasury of the United States for many, many years to come.

So, Mr. and Ms. American… open your wallets and prepare to spend!

I can see the battles forming up, already, in the Congress between the fiscal conservatives … and …everybody else. To dare question the spending is to be called heartless, and bigoted, and racists and, well, you get the idea. To unquestioningly spend the vast amounts of money that will be required is setting yourself up to be referred to as” spending like a drunken sailor” and that’s just the epithet I can print! Political careers will be made and ended over this disaster.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but I sort of have to question the spending of large sums of money, more particularly… the WAY it is spent. If the American taxpayer is to be expected to pay the bills for this massive Urban Renewal Project shouldn’t we have some say in the way the “urban is renewed”? I mean, certainly we will not rebuild New Orleans in that sinkhole it currently occupies… Will we? If we do, the next time this happens… and it will happen again… it will cost us 500 billion dollars.

American taxpayers should demand a say in how the Gulf Coast is to be rebuilt. And, while we’re at it, let us reconsider building, and insuring building, on our coasts… period. Maybe the US government should own the first ¼ mile of the shoreline, from the water’s edge, and declare it a National Park, or some such.

Something must be done. We cannot continue to sustain damage, and the costs of those damages, as a result of ill-considered construction along our coasts.

We now have our 18th storm this season churning along… headed for the US coast. Climatologic data tells us we are at the beginning of a 30-year cycle during which the number of storms will increase. Now is the time to consider our options for our US coasts for the future. Taking no measures to off set the costs to Americans, for the folly of a relatively small number of us, is unthinkable.

“Longstreet”

Another Chance to Vote Against John Edwards?

John Edwards is still campaigning. This time for President. If would seem Mr. Edwards only stopped long enough to change shirts and launched immediately into his 2008 Presidential Campaign before the Kerry/Edwards train wreak had stopped smoking!

He is becoming a frequent visitor to the state of Iowa. In 2008 the Iowa precinct caucuses will open the nominating season for Presidential candidates.

Somehow, Mr. Edwards has completely missed the message American sent in 2004. The American electorate knows his name and, what’s even more important and telling, they know his politics and his policies. It cost Mr. Edwards, and Mr. Kerry, the election in 2004. The unfortunate truth, for Mr. Edwards is, that his message did get out. Americans did hear it and they rejected it.

Nothing much has changed as far as the electorate is concerned. They are prepared to reject Mr. Edwards and his message… again. I would point out that his home state of South Carolina and his adopted home state of North Carolina rejected Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry in 2004. Neither of those two states is prepared to vote for him… if given a second chance in 2008

Tar Heels are still angry over what is perceived as his personal ambition to be President when he ran for the US Senate the first time. We are convinced that the bulk of the six years he was in Washington, to represent the state of North Carolina, he was representing himself, positioning himself for a run at the top spot in American politics. That speaks volumes about him… none of it good.

So, he has not given up his quest for the holy grail of American politics. Mr. Edwards has about as much chance of corralling the Democratic nomination for President as a snowball has in Hades in August. That is… if Hillary decides to claim the prize. And she will. The Democratic nomination is hers. All she has to do is nod her acceptance.

Ah well, Mr. Edwards, maybe in 2012? How about 2016. Huh?

“Longstreet”

The Looney Lady of the Left Strikes Again!

Now New Orleans is occupied by the US Military!

Well, the Left seems to think so… if their spokeswoman is to be believed.

Ms. Sheehan has visited New Orleans and come away with an entirely different view of the situation there than anyone I have heard… so far. I hastened to add “so far”, because nothing much surprises me from the Political Left in America.

It seems Ms. Sheehan sees soldiers with, God forbid! Weapons!!! She describes seeing “machine gun nests” in New Orleans. I must tell you, I really doubt the poor lady would recognize a true machine gun nest if one bit her on her derriere.

I have a lasting impression of seeing a 30-caliber machine gun firing tracers over my head as I lay hugging the ground and trying, with all my willpower, to will myself even deeper into it. That kind of experience sorta leaves a deep impression on your brain cells… ya know?

In any event, she has now proclaimed that George Bush, must get the US Military out of Iraq, out of Afghanistan, and out of, you guessed it…Louisiana!

I’m not making this up. It’s too good! This has the stamp of the Looney Left all over it!

I wonder if they ever step back and try to see themselves as the rest of us do? Of course not! The truth would be unbearable. And beside, they think WE’RE the nuts!

It has been said often, by others, that the left is hilarious when they’re out of power and dangerous when they’re in power. Sadly, it is true. It is clear the Left can never be trusted with the security of this country, ever, again. They have no concept of the true evil ever lurking near with the intention of ripping and tearing at the fabric of this republic. Or do they?

On the Right we suffer these comedians, and comediennes, as a parent would a pouting child… by ignoring them. And, like a child, they try even harder to get our attention by screaming even louder. It seems the only people paying any attention to them are… their fellow travelers in the Mainstream Media. They insist on telling us how important the shenanigans of the Left are.

Tis a sad thing to see a once great political party implode as the Democrat Party seems bent on doing… right before our very eyes. How embarrassing it must be to be associated with them at this point in their self-destruction.

How truly sad!

“Longstreet”

Hurricanes Getting More Powerful? No!

Sitting here, in the "Hurricane Alley" of the Carolinas, as I am, with Ophelia churning to my northeast, as I write this, I have become something of a student of hurricanes… as all residents of the Carolina coast must. It is a self-defense measure.

All the “Chicken Littles” running around yelling that Hurricanes are becoming more powerful are just wrong. This year’s storms are well within the bounds of the Saffir-Simpson scale. The Saffir-Simpson scale categorizes hurricane intensity on a scale of one to five. (CAT-5 storms have winds above 155 mph.) Although Katrina’s winds reached, at one point, 175 mph, they didn’t remain there for long. She was a Cat-4 when she made landfall.

The increase in damage costs are escalating, for one reason, and one reason only… the rise in building along the southern coasts. The more property there is for a storm to destroy, the higher the cost of that storm. It’s just common sense.

Lives lost, as the result of a storm, is, altogether, another thing. That can be laid at the feet of local governments and in many cases, the individuals who died.

One out of every 4, or 5, hurricanes to develop in the Atlantic strikes the shore near where I live. Residents in this part of the US have deep respect for these monsters of nature and we do not take them likely. We treat every one as a potential killer. Each storm is different. They may look alike, and they may have characteristics similar, but, always, they are different. They are near totally unpredictable. We like to think we can predict what they are going to do, and when, but we can only hazard educated guesses.

Look, when we are sitting, huddled in our homes, and the very house is vibrating from the power of the winds and horizontal rains, we recognize just how infinitesimal we are in the face of the power of Nature and Nature’s God. It is then we understand that no matter how strong we may become, no matter how self sufficient we become, just one act of God can bring us to our knees. This is brought home to those of us in the Southeastern states every year.

Science is a wonderful thing and I have all the respect in the world for it. But, science cannot create a hurricane. Science cannot disrupt a hurricane. It is all science can do to give us an "approximate" point of landfall. More often than not, they even get that wrong.

As we rush to rebuild the city of New Orleans, I would warn that we should not be surprised if, before this season is over, another storm pays a call on the “sunken city”.
One would have to be a fool to bet otherwise.

“Longstreet”

Mushrooms in the Desert

The world’s media is reporting that the US Pentagon has plans for using nuclear weapons, peremptorily, as a deterrent to the use of WMD’s against the US, or US interests around the world. Reports say the US Military has been told to prepare to use nuclear weapons, in their Theatre of Operations, effectively.

This new approach by the Pentagon is titled “Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations” and is said to be an attempt by the US Military to adapt to today’s threats not only from unfriendly States, but from “non state entities” as well.

Commanders of US forces, around the world, are directed to make plans and prepare for using nuclear weapons in their geographic areas. The directive would allow US forces to use nuclear weapons even when there is no threat of WMD’s.

News sources are reporting that Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, has not signed the directive. Presidential approval for the nuclear strike would be required before the nuclear weapons are actually used.

Our reaction? It’s about time!

There is no real purpose served by having our men, and women, slaughtered on battlefields anymore. Tactical nukes can get the job done with little, if any loss of personnel on our part.

We could stop that search in the mountains of “Tora-Bora” and just nuke the place. That’s much more effective… not to mention quick, as well.

I have been expecting this action for some time now. This is one of the unintended consequences of the “anti-war movement”. They raise Cain and make life miserable for the politicians of the country and, assisted by the MSM, around the world, they work together to stir up the public’s anger if a war lasts more than three weeks. If we have a handful of American soldiers killed, or wounded, they use that as fuel for the fire they keep burning under the feet of the President and Congress. So, the politicians have to do something to ensure that all future wars are short and as near to ”injury free” as is possible.

Enter nuclear weapons!

This just points up the dangers of the non-military types continually applying pressure on the Pentagon. Eventually, the Pentagon will answer. Chances are nearly 100% against the anti-war crowd’s approval of the Pentagon’s answer.

So, the Pentagon has issued this new directive. A directive I happen to like, actually.

Now, if we can only get our military disengaged from the program of “Nation Building”, I’d be even happier!

We, here at Insight, urge the Sec. Def. to sign this directive, post haste.

“Longstreet”

Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional AGAIN

Well, here we go again!

A federal Judge has ruled that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school is unconstitutional. This is, of course, federal Judge in California. (Who would have guessed?)

This judge says the clause “One Nation Under God” is a violation of the student’s right to be, quote “Free from a coercive requirement to affirm God”. (Since when did God need AFFIRMING???)

Two families have been granted “legal standing” to bring the suit. An atheist, who sued the first time, and ultimately lost because the Supreme Court ruled he did not have “standing” to bring the suit, will represent them.

If the Judge’s decision is affirmed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, it would apply to the students in schools in nine (9) western states in the US.

The California judges ruling goes against the ruling of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia just last month (August) which upheld a laws in Virginia which required public schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis.

The Court’s three-judge panel said the pledge is a patriotic exercise and not a religious affirmation such as a prayer. They went on to say:

"Undoubtedly, the pledge contains a religious phrase, and it is demeaning to persons of any faith to assert that the words `under God' contain no religious significance," (Judge Karen Williams wrote for the 4th Circuit.) "The inclusion of those two words, however, does not alter the nature of the pledge as a patriotic activity."

A religious rights group has stepped in and declares they will appeal this judge’s ruling all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

Now, having read this far, do you see why the confirmation of Judge Roberts is necessary? Do you begin to understand how critical it is that President Bush nominates a hard-shelled conservative for the O’Connor seat? And, hopefully another, when Justice Ginsburg moves on. Although Judge Roberts is not as conservative as I would like, I am forced into supporting him in defense of conservative values.

The “madness”, a foot in this nation, fomented by the “Loony Left” is no longer funny. It has become so serious as to split this country into factions, which are constantly at each other’s throats.

It was this kind of religious oppression, which caused the founders to leave their homes in Europe and sail the width of the Atlantic to come here and settle. It appears we have learned nothing from history. We are right back where we were nearly 400 years ago.
The only chance we have of stemming the anti-religious tide is the Supreme Court and to do that we must have conservative justices.

We will either win our country, or lose our country, at the doorstep of the US Supreme Court.

“Longstreet”

In the Path of the Storm

I am sitting here at 4:25 in the morning awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Ophelia. Currently she is “wobbling” some 100 miles to my south, still at sea.

The areas along the northeastern South Carolina Beaches, including Myrtle Beach, and the areas along the southeastern North Carolina beaches have done everything they are supposed to do. This is not something we are not used to. In fact, over the centuries it has become a way of life. Every few years we find ourselves devastated by the cruelties of one of nature’s most deadly storms. And we survive. We pick up the pieces and we put everything back together again and we get back to what is normal for us.

Here, in NC, our state office of Emergency Preparedness has been opened, manned, and operating, for well over a week. Voluntary evacuations along certain portions of our coastline have been carried out and some mandatory evacuations as well. The same holds true for South Carolina, our sister to the south. Our National Guard units have been placed on alert and our municipal and county, as well as state law enforcement personnel, have been given their orders and they WILL carry them out.

Sometime in the next few hours the screaming winds of Ophelia will arrive. We will hunker down and wait her out. Then… we will begin the clean up. All the while keeping our eyes turned toward the east, and the Atlantic Ocean, the birthplace of these storms for which we have come to have great respect.

My home, a near 100-year-old, hip-roofed structure, with two huge magnolia trees out front, will become the refuge for my small family. Today this old house will be filled with the sounds of screaming children and worried adults keeping a wary eye, and ear, on the Weather Channel, the Internet and police scanners.

This is a very common occurrence for all the residents of the southeastern coast of the US. It comes every year. We know it is coming… and we stayed prepared.

Once, in 1956, we were caught not looking, not prepared, and we were slammed… by Hurricane Hazel. The scenes of devastation looked very similar to those we see today in Mississippi and Louisiana. We vowed it would not happen again. Next time we would be prepared. So far, we have been.

So, as the rain beats upon my windows and pounds the roof of this old storm tossed house I sit and wait. I am many miles, by land, but a few short miles by air, from the ocean, but right in the path of the oncoming storm. I’m just glad that I’m not on the right front quadrant.

Such is life here in “Hurricane Alley” in the summer and fall.

“Longstreet”

The New Atlantis!

OK, I’m going to break the rules of Political Correctness and dare to ask… has anyone noticed the difference in the way Mississippi is “handling” the destruction of their state and the way Louisiana is “handling” theirs?

Lord help me, I can hear the “hate mail” now!

It has been troubling me that I haven’t heard any comparisons by the MSM about this obvious difference in the way the two states met this emergency and took immediate action, or not. It is also fascinating how the Mississippians seem to have immediately grabbed the bull by the horns, not waiting for the Federal Government, and began the clean-up and restoration of their state and their homes.

What do you suppose this demonstrates?

There are two different kinds of mentality; it seems to me, at work in these two states. One is the old “plantation mentality” and the other is the “We’ll take care of business ourselves” mentality. I’ll leave it to you to decide which state has which mentality.

Now, the thing REALLY troubling me is… I’m convinced they will rebuild that “underwater city” right where it is. They will rebuild it with our money… yours and mine. I mean we know, for a scientific fact, that the ground, upon which the city currently resides, is sinking (as in ATLANTIS sinking!). Why in the world would any right thinking person rebuild in a known sinkhole? What kind of reasoning is that? Then, what has reason got to do with it!

You see, if reason was implemented, that city, what’s left of it, would be left to the fishes, cottonmouth moccasins, and ‘gaters. The “new city” of New Orleans would be built on high, dry, ground, ground, which after much testing, is proven to be stable and not sinking! See? The Mississippi River would be allowed to follow its natural course and not an artificial one. In a hundred years, or so, glass bottom boats could be rented out to tourists to view “The Sunken City of New Orleans” beneath the ocean waves of the Gulf.

I’m only half-joking about this. Rebuilding that city in that disaster area is, well, a disaster waiting to happen… again!

The other problem, is how the heck are they going to get those folks, moved to other parts of the US, to come back? Many are seeing, for the first time in their lives, the way the other half lives… and they like it! They’ll have to drag many of them, kicking and screaming, back to New Orleans after this!

I was sort of hoping France could be convinced to take it back! But, I was disabused of that idea by a friend of mine who retorted, “now that we have bought it, we have to keep it”!

“Longstreet”

From My Cold, Dead, Hands....

Has anyone, other than me, noticed that the Law Enforcement in New Orleans was/is confiscating guns from homeowners there?

Where is the outrage? That is a flat-out violation of the second amendment! They can’t plead; “Martial Law” because there is none… can’t be any, either. So how are they getting away with it?

Now, I’m not talking about ONLY those weapons in the possession of hooligans, but they are confiscating legally registered weapons as well. Police officials say no one will be allowed to possess firearms in New Orleans but law enforcement officers. But, news reports tell us there are hundreds of security guards, paid by businesses and some of the more “well off” individuals of New Orleans, who are openly carrying weapons… some described as M-16 assault rifles.

Here we go again! The Lefties are taking advantage of a “situation” to slip unconstitutional actions into easy acceptance by a population, which finds itself in a state of shock. How many of those folks will EVER see those legally owned and registered firearms again.

This is an excellent example of why it is risky to register your firearms. They know you have them, and they know where you live. They WILL come and get them.

I’m not advocating illegal firearm possession, but I am trying to point out the fallacies in such a system.

In my estimation, the New Orleans Police Department ought to be handing out firearms to every head of household still remaining in New Orleans. Then watch the looting come to a screeching halt!

Look, what we have here is a violation of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. It needs to be halted and reversed. Where is the NRA? The National Rifle Association has a vested interest in seeing this illegal action overturned by the courts at the earliest opportunity.

This is the old “camel’s nose under the tent” syndrome. Pretty soon the entire camel will be under the tent. Pretty soon the confiscation of firearms, by law enforcement, will be practiced anywhere there is a natural disaster.

My neck of the country is starring down the barrel of a hurricane, which is approaching as I write this. One of the preparations I am making is seeing that my weapons are in good working order and I have a good stock of ammunition. In this state you only need a permit to carry a concealed weapon. You can strap a six-shooter to your hip and walk down Main Street, in broad daylight, and it is legal. If you place in under your coat, or in your pocket, it is considered concealed… and you must have a “Concealed Carry” permit. But, we are a “conservative" state. Our politics are nothing like the state of Louisiana. We do not bow to the federal government’s every whim. We even have our own state militia, which is separate from the National Guard, and under the authority of the Governor. We are, probably, next to Texas, one of the heaviest armed states in the Union. We would not, for one second, even contemplate relinquishing our firearms to law enforcement. You see, the people in this state know about that thing called the US Constitution and we abide by it and we expect the government to abide by it, as well.

Somebody needs to make it clear to those folks in New Orleans that they did not give up their Constitutional rights when Katrina came calling.

”From my cold, dead, hands….” Charlton Heston.

“Longstreet”

Fourth Anniversary of 9/11

Today is the fourth anniversary of 9/11.

Take a moment today to remember those who died at the hands of despicable terrorists.

Remember, it can, and will, happen again. We must be ready and we must not stand by, heads bowed, waiting for the next attack. We must, as Americans always have, look our attacker in the eyes and take him down!

A simple prayer of remembrance is called for today.

“Longstreet”


The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil:For thou art with me;Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou annointest my head with oil;My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

23rd Psalm (The Bible)

Compassionate Conservative

What is a “Compassionate Conservative” anyway? I’m a conservative, but I don’t think I can be filed under “Compassionate Conservative” .

Back in the “day”, there was an expression I thought was extremely truthful. It went something lie this: “There is nothing so dangerous as a liberal with a guilt complex”. Well, I think that ought to be revised. Remove the word "Liberal" and replace it with "Compassionate Conservative".

Now... let me see if I understand what a Compassionate Conservative is, or... is supposed to be. If it means that I, as a conservative, must see to the support of an entire segment of American society who believe themselves, somehow, wronged by American society and are entitled to become wards of the government, as a right… then no, I’m not a Compassionate Conservative.

If making sure that same group of people have rights equal to the rest of us and have opportunities for education and the right to vie in the market place for jobs, right alongside everybody else, then I am a Compassionate Conservative.

I don’t like to be called a Compassionate Conservative. Not that I think there is any chance of that happening. I have been called a lot of things on this site, the most recent of which was “evil”. That’s fine. I’m a Republican and we Republicans have become accustomed to the Left’s name calling. Name-calling is what impotent people do. It’s all they have left. So, it doesn’t matter.

I voted for the Compassionate Conservative in the Whitehouse... twice. If he were able to run again, I’d vote for him again. But I would insist that he stop the spending. The Administration, and the Congress, are spending money like drunken sailors, like there is no tomorrow. We have to stop it. We have to get the hemorrhage of money from the coffers of the US stopped.

It is no longer enough to reduce the rate of the increase in the nation’s budget, it is now necessary that we actually begin to cut funding for the various agencies until there is "zero" rate of increase. Then... we look for ways to reduce it even more.

Compassionate Conservatism can’t do that. Liberalism can’t do that. It will take a hard-nosed businessman, or businesswoman, to do that. I don’t see a man, or a woman, in either the Republican or Democrat parties capable of making the hard choices and saving our treasury from exsanguinating.

Only a few months are left before the flat out, full voiced, campaign for the US Presidency begins. The Left never stopped their campaign. So the right will need to do some catching up, but when one considers the messages, from both camps, catching up will not be a problem for Republicans.

The candidate, I’m hoping for, has yet to announce, publicly, his intention to run. But, he’s out there, making “the rounds”, quietly drumming up support, even today.

Here it is, only 10 months since our last Presidential election, and we are at it again.

“Longstreet”

Definition of an Extremist... Revisited.

Let’s see… so far, in the past few days, I have been called an extremist, a Nazi, a facist, a 3 year-old child, a nutcase, crazy, a dictator, red-neck, ignorant…and these are just the names I can print! WOW! And all the name-calling is coming from the Political Left, those wonderful folks who gave us “tolerance”. We, here at Insight, must be striking in the ‘quick”. Which means we are right on target.

Gosh, it really trouble me that all these years, when we thought we were just average folks, we were so out of touch with the “average” Joe.

So let me take stock:

Let’s see…. I’m a Southern American male, Caucasian, 64 years old, a military veteran, a Lutheran, a member of the American Legion, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a Republican, a writer, a wood worker, a 30 year retiree of the broadcasting business, A husband, a father, and a grandfather. I shop at Wal-Mart and K-mart. I drive a pick-up, which is parked, beside my wife’s GM sedan. I own my own home. I have a fairly good education, including a trade school and some college. And I vote… in every election.

I support the death penalty.

I believe there are absolutes… absolutely right and absolutely wrong. I believe in good and evil. I do not believe in “relativism”. I am not a "moderate".

I do not support abortion, except… to save the life of the mother, or in case of rape, or incest.

So far as homosexuality is concerned … what you do in your own bedroom is YOUR business. Just stay out of my face, with it, and don’t insist that I like it.

I believe the Constitution was written by a group of men who meant what they said and said what they meant. I think the Supreme Court does us no favors by ”finding” rights in the Constitution what clearly are not there. I believe the constitution should be interpreted as it was originally meant…which is simply… as it was written. I’m an “Originalist”.

Separation of Church and State…if it was in the Constitution, I would have no problem with it. As it is, there is no such clause and the clause so often referred to… is meant to prevent the establishment of a State Church. I believe religion and politics should remain apart. I also understand that each will influence the other and there is no way to insure that does not occur.

I believe in a strong military. I could easily become an isolationist, but I know the remainder of the world will not allow that. So we must keep our guard up and as we have one of the smallest military forces we have had in a very long time, we may often have to strike first. I’m OK with that. I hope the draft will not be necessary, but I believe it will… and this time it will draft both men and women.

I have a rock solid belief that Americans have a right to bear arms. As long as the citizenry of this country is armed we have less to fear from our government.

Now, these are just a few of the attributes of an “extremist” like me… at least according to the Political Left.

Now, I leave it up to you to decide, exactly where the line falls between the Political Left’s view of “extremism” and that of the Political Right.

Which presents the least threat to America?

One other thing, in closing, as you read the attributes above... just remember that not too long ago, in the US, that would have described a Democrat! What happened?

“Longstreet”

It's God's Fault!

Ok, they’re going to have a commission, right? A commission to see who is at fault for the Hurricane damage in New Orleans… right? So we’ll spend several million dollars and give the Democrats a national soapbox to climb onto and bash the heck out of George W. Bush, whom they hate with all their being, and all the while we already know the answer to the question.

For the next few months we will all be treated to wall-to-wall coverage of “Get Bush” and “Get the Republicans” as the bitter bile of hate roils up the throats of Democrats and is spewed upon our TV screens. The continual race baiting of the Left is bad enough, on any given day, but to take it to a level at which the American taxpayer has to pay for it, is even worse.

All we need is another “Investigation”… another “Special Prosecutor”, another “Special Commission”. We’ll appoint a bunch of "has-been political hacks" to go to Washington, put them up in plush hotels and feed them expensive meals and stroke their egos until they virtually burst the buttons off their shirts, and blouses, and wait, breathlessly, for their collective wisdom to tell us who is at fault. How ridiculous is this?

I am sick to death of hearing the whining and complaining coming from the political Left in this country. Their shrill carping, and teeth grinding has gotten onto my last nerve.

Look, you have a Democratic government, from the top to the bottom, in Louisiana. A Democrat paradise! Like the city of New Orleans it was an accident just .looking for a place to happen. Guess what? It happened! And they could not handle it. They folded! It is as simple as that. And, if we aren’t very careful… it will fold the next time a major storm comes ashore in New Orleans.

How difficult is it to understand that man is no match for Nature? How hard is that? Had that storm come ashore at any other spot on the US Coast the devastation would have been beyond belief. But it didn’t! It came ashore into the closest state to a welfare state we have in the entire Union. And Big Daddy wasn’t there to take charge. Big Daddy couldn’t get there! Why? Because of the storm! So, the thing we knew was going to happen… happened!

We humans failed… again. And we will fail again, and again, when we come up against the force of Nature. But, some among us, cannot face the fact that man can do little to stay God’s hand and must look for a scapegoat to make themselves feel less small, less impotent.

I seem to recall a story from the Bible about a group of people warned that an impending flood was coming and, out of all those people, only one family had the good sense to do something about it. They built a boat… and they survived.

Now, it you really, really, absolutely must, blame someone, then blame God. He’s big enough not to be intimidated by you shaking your fist in His face. Besides, the last time I dared look, He was the only one able to create a hurricane, direct a hurricane, and dissipate a hurricane. Anybody in Washington care to try his, or her, hand at that? Well, until you are, and can accomplish it, just shut the heck up!

“Longstreet”

"Easy Come, Easy Go"! The Big Easy Is Gone!

Let’s take a cold, objective, look at the situation in New Orleans.

Now, before I go any further, let me establish that I live in the "Hurricane Alley" of the Carolinas, so I know a little about hurricanes and the destruction they can bring.

The future is bleak for the once beautiful city of New Orleans. The location of that city was a huge mistake. I suppose we have it’s founders to blame for that. But now nature has presented us with an opportunity to correct their mistake.

Why not allow the sea to reclaim the land area upon which New Orleans stands.

Why not?

Who among us can guarantee that, if rebuilt, the next major storm, to roll in off the Gulf, will not decimate the newly rebuilt city?

Anyone?

And that’s my point. It is very likely that is exactly what will happen. It may be a few weeks, a few months, a few years, but it will happen.

Not to seem crass, but we (the American taxpayers) are going to pay for the damage to the Gulf coast. We understand that. We understood that as we starred down the barrel of the oncoming storm.

Look, anyone who lives on the coast, any coast, knows the sea is fickle. It will give and it will take. Every year we have miles of our oceanfront destroyed, or severely damaged, by storms from the Atlantic. We put back what we can and allow the sea to maintain ownership of that which it is too costly to reclaim.

In the case of New Orleans, the sea never relinquished her claim on that strip of land upon which the founders of that old city decided to build.

So, now the sea has laid claim, once again, to that which was taken from her.

Let her keep it. Let us move on.

As they say: “Easy come, Easy go!”

The “Big Easy” is gone. Let her “rest in peace” beneath the waves of the Gulf from whence she came.

“Longstreet”

The Rise, Decline, and Fall of America

The "finger pointing" began even before the last winds of Hurricane Katrina lay. It was the President’s fault. It was the military’s fault, it was anybody, and everybody’s, fault… save for those whose responsibility was to evacuate those people in New Orleans and see to their safety. That would be who, exactly? Well, exactly, it would be the “local leaders” on the scene… the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana. They are the City Executive and the State Executive. The welfare of the people of their state is THEIR problem.

As I said, in an earlier post, the US government is massive and ponderous. It cannot get up, and moving, in instantaneous fashion. It is impossible for it to do. To expect that to happen shows a “disconnect” with reality. You would expect the average citizen to lack the knowledge that massive rescue operations, run by government, are slow to respond, but extremely efficient when they do. What you would not expect is that Municipal leaders and State leaders would not know this. In fact… I believe they did know. That leaves no room for error in their own local planning.

Look, I can tell you, from personal experience, that you do not “call-up” a company of National Guardsmen, in a few hours, and expect them to show up fully equipped, with all their equipment in complete working order, ready to go to work. Now remember, most of the Louisiana National Guard have homes, and family, right there amidst the storm tossed rubble. They, themselves, were sort of busy.

First you have to “call them up”. That, alone, is a massive undertaking. Once you have the Guard mustered, you have to equip them with everything they’ll need. Then, transportation has to be arranged, food supplies for the troops must be arranged and all the other arrangements for moving a massive number of men and equipment, in a safe manner, and have them arrive on scene. Once on scene, they have to “set-up”. Now, this is an over simplification and I’ve only just scratched the surface here with this little lesson in calling up the troops.

Now, understand, there is a major difference between the National Guard and the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Reservists. The former is under the control of THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE! The Reservists are FEDERAL TROOPS. Those Reservists come from all over the US. The National Guard is “on scene” in the state where the disaster occurs. The President cannot order the National Guard of Louisiana to do anything, unless the Governor of the state gives his, or her, consent for that state’s National Guard to be FEDERALIZED!

Do you begin to get a hint as to where the original mistakes toward preventing and solving this problem lay?

We have all seen the heart stirring scenes of the vast “Air Armada” of US troops ferrying evacuees from the nightmare of what was once a beautiful city.

You cannot pre-position Rescue Ships near the path of a hurricane. Ships, in harbor, are ordered to sea until the threat of a hurricane is past. Aircraft have got be moved as well. You cannot leave aircraft close enough to a passing Hurricane to damage those assets. Ground Transportation must be relocated to safer motor pools away from the storm. All these assets are of no use until the threat is past. Only then can they be moved toward the disaster area.

Now, all this, I have related to you above, is KNOWN to the MUNICIPAL and STATE executives! If they do not know it, or they choose not to act in a manner, which would allow the Military Assets of their city, and state, to be of immediate use, after the devastation of a storm such as Katrina, then THAT is where investigative inquiries should… and WILL begin.

They are going to be called upon to explain their actions, and re-actions, before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina .

Abraham Lincoln is credited with having said: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and allow others to wonder if you are fool, than to open it… and remove all doubt.” When the investigations begin, as they surely will, I expect there will be a number of spokespersons for the Political Left, in the US, who will suddenly be struck with selective amnesia. But, their words, and their actions, are captured on audio, and video, tape for the generations yet unborn to see, and hear, and marvel, as they shake their heads in derision.

From the New Orleans City Hall to the Louisiana State House there needs to be a “general housecleaning”. That will be up to the people of New Orleans and Louisiana.
In the days, weeks, months and years ahead there will be much bickering over whether, or not, to rebuild the city of New Orleans on it’s traditional site. (A site, which is now under water and, if Nature has her way, will remain under water.) Or, to relocate the city to higher, safer, ground. The politics involved with this decision, alone, will be staggering! The common sense answer to this question is simple, as common sense answers tend to be, MOVE THE CITY. No matter the answer eventually arrived at, the city of New Orleans is forever changed. Louisiana families are forever changed. The same is true for Mississippi and Alabama. I would, however, wager that Mississippi, and Alabama, will have much less difficulty getting the jobs done in their states.

I was born just a few months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The first five years of my life, the “formative” years, were during the height of the Second World War and victory over both Germany and Japan. Then came the rebuilding of the country’s economics in the late forties. Then, I had the fantastic good fortune to be a teenager in the 50’s.

Two things marked me for life… America’s "invincibility" and America’s “can do” attitude. As a young student in grammar school, I remember well that uttering the words “I can’t” would bring an instant “paddling”. Such a scenario today would bring the wrath of the ACLU down on the school's collective heads.

America has lost that sense of invincibility, and worse, America has lost that “Can Do” attitude. This fact was brought home to me, in a resounding way, when I saw those helpless dependents on government in New Orleans over the past few days

My heart broke. Not just for the evacuees, but for America. A nation, an ideal, forever lost. That tenuous hold, America had on the future, has been allowed to slip from our grip, as we placed more and more of our faith, and dependence, on the government rather than our God and, ourselves. A nation, which does not believe in itself, cannot long endure.

After viewing the unfolding events in Louisiana, this last week, I am convinced that America has reached, and past, her Zenith. We are now, officially, in our declining years.

Centuries from now, as students of history study the rise, decline, and fall of a once great nation, lost forever in the mists of time, they will doubtless ask how could a great people, the greatest nation on earth, suffer such a fate? The answer will be uncomplicated, simple, and yet as cutting as only the truth can be: They forgot who they were. You see, they were Americans!

“Longstreet”

Roberts to be Chief Justice

Well, President Bush, as we all know, went to his guy…John Roberts, for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

How this will affect the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, at the moment, is anybody’s guess. I expect the Democrats to continue to stall as long as they can. The vote, in the end, will most likely, be along party lines with Republicans voting unanimously for Roberts and Democrats voting unanimously against Roberts. If this turns out to be the case, Roberts will receive the blessings of the committee as Republicans outnumber Democrats 10 to 8.

That leaves us holding our collective breathes as we wait to see whom the President will choose for the O’Connor slot. Word has leaked out that Gonzales has quietly removed his name from consideration, so those in the know, feel the President will stay with those already on the short list, Luttig, Clement, Jones, Owens, and possibly one, or two, we know little about.

The feeling is… that the President will choose a woman this time around. If that is the case, it will narrow his selection list even more, to Clement, or Jones. Either of these splendid conservative judges would satisfy those of us here at “Insight”. But, then, we have come to learn that this President has a mind of his own, regardless of what the Democrats would have you believe. Bush may yet choose a name we have heard nothing about. That is certainly a possibility, but with time as short as it is (only a month) it is not likely he will go outside his known list. There is no use to make this process more painful than it already is.

Democrats are expected to drag their feet and try desperately to delay these proceedings as long as they possibly can. If they were against Roberts before, they will have even more reason to be against him now. So it is expected that the hearings will get “down and dirty”, as they say.

It’s a shame, really. It doesn’t have to be this way. The hearings could be completed in two days, max. (One, even.) But, more time and more tax money MUST be wasted in this ritual Kabuki Theatre production.

In any event, the hearings will be interesting to watch, if no other reason than to see just how loopy the Democrats, on that committee, are willing to become. Since the extreme left wing of their party is in the driver’s seat these days, it ought to be a real hoot! I don’t think they have a clue as to how embarrassingly funny they have become to serious minded people.

The President has vowed to make his second choice known in “a timely manner”. If he moves as quickly on this nomination, as he did on Roberts’ nomination, it will be in a day or two. Let’s hope so.

“Longstreet”

Bush Makes Recess Appointment of Chief Justice?

Will President Bush make a recess appointment to the Position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the US before noon on Tuesday, September 6th?

He could. By law it would be legal, and it has been done in the past.

How about Justice Scalia, recess appointed to the Chief Justice’s position until January of 2007, then is either approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee or not. If not, he would not lose his seat on the Court; he’d merely slip back down the pecking order to resume his seat as a Justice of the Supreme Court. (Remember, he was appointed for life!)

There is a lot of speculation on just what the President will do. It is certainly possible to start the court next month with eight members rather than the normal nine. However, the court is reluctant to take cases it feels might wind-up in a four to four tie vote. So, those cases will stand, as they are, with the verdict of the lower court standing as the final ruling.

If the President goes with a recess appointment it is likely he will appoint someone who has already been through the vetting process and the fires of the confirmation hearings. That, then, would narrow his choices, somewhat. Those being looked at, as possible recess appointments, are: Judges Luttig, Clement, Jones, or Owens. Any of these four judges would satisfy the right, either in the role of Chief Justice or just plain Justice.

Now, none of this may happen. There is reason to believe that it won’t. My personal feeling is that the President will go the conventional way and eschew a recess appointment. But, then, I have been fooled many times in the past.

The Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October, so time is definitely growing short. Even though nobody is in the pool yet, the Democrats smell fresh meat and are circling like blood sniffing sharks awaiting an opportunity to pounce and try “Borking” another candidate.

Now, there’s a likely candidate for a recess appointment… Judge Bork!

No matter what the President chooses, the left is going to explode and self emulate, so we should just get out of the way and allow them to self-destruct.
Conservatives have the numbers to get whomever they want. They want a conservative Chief Justice and Associate Justice. If the so-called “Nuclear Option” must be used in the Senate, then so be it.

That will then leave only one more seat to fill to make it a conservative majority on the court. If Conservatives manage that, they will have reached a 40+-year goal.

Here’s to Conservative Victory on the US Supreme Court!

“Longstreet”

Strike While the Iron is Hot

If thee US Congress wants to pass some legislation that will do the US some good, in the long run, pass legislation to drop the environmental restrictions so we can get some new oil refineries built, in this country, in order for us to have the gasoline we need. Plus, legislation to allow drilling in ANWR and off all the coasts of the US. Pass legislation that will give the oil companies the authority to process the coal; we have, to get the petroleum out of it, and to squeeze the shale rock to get that oil. Heck, we have enough oil for about a 100 years… right here in America. The Congress just doesn’t have to guts to go against the “Greenies”, the “environazis” to get it.

We have the world’s largest deposits of coal and we have the world’s largest deposits of shale oil… plus the pools of oil beneath that Artic Desert called ANWR and beneath the continental shelves all along or coasts. Its there! It’s just waiting for somebody to come get it.

If we don’t go get it, we are headed for an economic tragedy, in this country, that will make the 1930’s look like a Sunday School Picnic. Oil is the fuel of our economy, period! Without it, or even with it, at extraordinary prices, our economy will fail.

This “slowdown” is just a precursor for things to come, if we don’t get the oil. Wait ‘til this winter’s “weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth”, when people get their fuel oil bills, or their gas bills, or their electric bills. A lot of us are going to have a cold, cold, winter.

And it doesn’t have to be this way! That’s what makes me so mad!

I’d like to see the President proclaim a National Emergency and send the oil crews up to ANWR and knock holes in that tundra, and suck that oil out, and begin convoying it back to those refineries, we still have operating, while at the same time authorizing the construction of about 12 new refineries… just to handle the increase in oil availability.

And another thing, I’m really P.O’ed at him for asking Clinton to come in, with his Dad, to start a fund raising drive as they did for the tsunami victims! The absolute last thing we need is a CLINTON anywhere near this mess! My God, has the President lost his mind? It took us eight years to get rid of Clinton and now, we have to have him front and center… AGAIN! I don’t know who is advising the President on this matter, but they are wrong! Absolutely wrong!

Let’s hope the Congress, and the President, will strike while the iron is hot and get the necessary legislation passed to put this oil crisis behind us for decades to come.

“Longstreet”

In An Emergency, Your Safety, and that of Your Family, Depends on YOU

What we are seeing, in the American Southeastern Gulf States, is what conservatives have been warning about, and preaching about, for many, many years. That is… that dependence on Government for the welfare of a society will only end in disappointment and ultimately… failure.

Look, government is big and it is ponderous. The bigger the government is… the more ponderous it becomes. It takes a much longer span of time to get anything large moving. “Objects at rest… tend to remain at rest”. It is a law of Nature.

Now we are seeing what happens when an entire sector of our American society places their dependence in government…. disappointment, and failure, to one degree or another.

The US Government is moving as fast as it can. Layer upon layer of bureaucracy only slows a project, any project, down. Our Military is a war-fighting entity. It is not intended, in fact, it is against federal law, to use the US Military to enforce the law anywhere in the United States. Yet, the city officials of the devastated areas are swearing, profanely, publicly, because the US Military has not shown up, in force, to put down the civil disobedience, and out right criminal conduct, going on in what’s left of that swamp that used to be a city. As the troops arrived they were placed under the authority of the local law enforcement officials. That’s the law.

Now, to solve the problems in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, will take the efforts of private citizens, combined with private civic organizations, and religious organizations, to get the immediate help, required, to those affected people in the American Southeast. The government will eventually get through their red tape and begin pitching in to help. Some help has already arrived. More will be on the way in hours and days. But Americans must understand that for those first few, critical, hours, and days, after a disaster of this magnitude, individuals are on their own. The government cannot move. It is simply too big and too complicated.

Conservatives have tried over the years to get Americans to understand this fact, and not place the health and welfare of their family, or themselves, in the hands of a lumbering giant, our federal government.

Put your faith, and trust, in your God, your neighbors, and yourselves. We will all be much better off for it.

"Longstreet">>> For more on the massive screw-up in New Orleans and how, exactly, it happened, we urge you to go to "Red State.org" at:
http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/9/2/151117/6847

For more intelligent commentary on the mess in New Orleans and how it actually got that way go to: http://www.violenceworker.typepad.com/