For Hillary Clinton and The State Department

For godly wisdom to guide President-Elect Barack Obama as he works with Secretary of State (appointee) Hillary Clinton, that our relationships with other nations will be strengthened

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.
—Psalm 34:14-15

All-wise God, thank You that knowledge and understanding are found in You alone. You are the source of all wisdom, and we praise You for offering to us Your endless insight and understanding.

Lord, the position of Secretary of State is pivotal for our nation in this time of international concern. We pray for the President Elect's appointee to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that she will be strengthened by You as she prepares to lead this vital department. May she receive wisdom and grace from You and lead with even temper and calm resolve as she works for reconciliation and unity with the nations of the world. Lord, give Your direction and wisdom to Senator Clinton as she prepares to serve in the new administration. Guide President Elect Obama as he works with Senator Clinton, that together they may work to bring about Your will. We thank You, Lord, for leading our new President, in the name of Jesus, amen.

This is the latest in the series of prayers led by the Presidential Prayer Team for the new President and for our nation. If you are interested in receiving the email with each day's prayer assignment you can click here and sign up.

Want Some Salt With That Crow, Dr. D?

Dr. Dobson has finally come to his senses. About a year ago he said in no uncertain terms that he would rather stay home than vote for John McCain. He has changed his mind. You may recall that I showed the folly of his statement and predicted that this day would come. Well, it has.

In an interview with Dennis Prager, Dobson said:

Well, you know I did a radio program about a month ago with Dr. Albert Mohler, and we talked about what was at stake in this election and our concerns about the policies that Barack Obama would implement. The more I hear the more I learn, the more concerned I am, and so on that program Dr. Mohler and I talked about the fact that John McCain is not the perfect candidate. He’s certainly would not be my choice and, for over a year, I did not feel that I could vote for him. But I said in that radio program that “I can’t say it now”—which was then, because I didn’t know who his vice presidential choice would be, and he if would come up with Lieberman or Tom Ridge or somebody like that, we’d be back in a hole again. But I said for the first time “I might, I might.” And some people call that a flip-flop. If they do, so be it. Campaigns are long. You get information. You find out what the choices are. So I’ve been moving in John McCain’s direction....

...I can tell you that if I had to go into the studio, I mean the voting booth today, I would pull that lever....

...You know, Dennis, the things that concern me about John McCain are still there. I made those comments not just based on emotions, but based on his record and some of the things that took place—embryonic stem cell research, and other things, the campaign finance, and other things. Those are still there. So, there’s still concerns. But I tell you, when I look at the choices that are ahead and what the implications are for this country, and now especially with this selection, with just an outstanding V.P. candidate as a running mate, I tell you what I am relieved and very excited.

So there you have it: Dr. James Dobson has all but endorsed the McCain/Palin ticket for President.

Perhaps Dr. Dobson should leave the emotions completely out of his commenting. That way he wouldn't have to eat his words. It simply wasn't logical or wise to make the statements that he did earlier, knowing who was running on the Democratic side. Even Rudy Giuliani (as liberal as he is) would have been a better choice than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. I hope that he will exercise more wisdom in the future.

John McCain Is A Genius

OK. I'm convinced. John McCain is a genius.

I'll admit that I was a little concerned about his maverick streak when he was picking his running mate. I thought that he may pick someone like Lieberman or Ridge. But when he promised that he was going to hold true to the convictions that he has about the right to life and the protection of the unborn I began to feel much better about things.

I guess that is the problem with a maverick. They aren't status quo. They do things that don't always make the most sense politically. When you don't know the person and their character it can make things a bit nerve-wracking. My fear about John McCain came from my underestimation of his political savvy and intelligence. I couldn't have been more wrong to fear.

John McCain's selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate shows that he has effectively sized up his competition, identified its weaknesses, and recognized the strengths and weaknesses of his own campaign. Sarah Palin is a great answer to all of these things.

Is John McCain too old? Sarah Palin is young. Is McCain eloquent? Not so much, but I think that you will agree that Sarah is. Does Obama have a record of reform? No, but Governor Palin does; something that compliments McCain's platform to bring reform to the government in Washington. And she has as much experience in government as Obama - actually more executive experience.

Obama is weak militarily. Palin has a son getting ready to deploy to Iraq. Obama has a bunch of shady characters in his path to the Presidential nomination, whereas Palin has stood up to shady characters. Obama doesn't want the nation to avail itself of domestic energy resources. Sarah Palin's government in Alaska has already taken steps to help make it easier to utilize those resources.

Also consider the demographics that she covers. She's pro-life, and to her it is more than words. When faced with the knowledge that one of her children had a birth defect, she decided to keep the child no matter what. In fact, there wasn't even a question. She gives the women disappointed with the outcome of the Clinton campaign a choice. Her parents were educators, so she has an insider's perspective on the problems in the education system. And both she and her husband have been union members. She hunts and fishes. She's a member of the NRA. I wonder if she has a sister?

I don't know what John McCain's grade was when he got out of the Navy, but he would have made a fine Admiral. He has completely flanked the Obama campaign and delivered a broadside that has made this a race worth watching. Hopefully the Republican convention this week will provide a Midway style decimation for the Obama camp that will prove the handwriting on the wall for the Democrats as surely as that battle did for the Japanese in World War II.

Obama says McCain doesn't know who he is messing with? No, Barack, I think John McCain knows EXACTLY who he is dealing with, and I think that your hubris has caused you to underestimate your opponent, hopefully resulting in your defeat in November.

Champions Of The Middle Class?

I read the other day that Hillary has loaned her campaign 6.5 million dollars... again. That makes over $12 million that she has made to her own campaign. She lives in very expensive digs in New York, and certainly lacks for nothing.

Earlier in the campaign she was accused of not leaving a tip for a waitress that she later exploited in a campaign speech. Of course she has denied doing this and the waitress confirmed that a member of her staff later brought a tip to her.

By all of the accounts that I have read about her by secret service people she is elitist, condescending, and downright hateful to the people who are serving and protecting her.

Yet somehow she is trying to convince everyone that she is a friend to the little guy - that she understands our pain and is going to bring relief if only we will put her in the White House... again. Once there she will stick it to all of those "rich" people and give their wealth to us.

Things really aren't that different for Barack Obama. From what I have heard he had a fairly privileged life. He certainly isn't hurting for money now. In fact, both he and Hillary are millionaires.

Unfortunately, I don't know as much about Obama's story, but I would be willing to bet that it really isn't all that different from Hillary's. We do know about his church and the notions that it has. We know that his wife is ashamed of the United States. I think the thing that is kind of hard for me to grasp in all of this is how he can possibly understand the plight of the average Joe. Has he ever known lack? Has he ever been unemployed? Has he ever owned a business that wasn't making enough money to live on while being taxed like a "rich" man?

How about Obama's charitable giving? According to an article I just found it would appear that he isn't all that generous - except in an election year.

...according to their 2000-2004 tax returns, Barack and Michelle Obama gave less than 1% of their income to charity, Obama campaign spox Tommy Vietor writes to note that even though their 2007 tax return is not yet ready, the Obamas "gave $240,000 to charity in 2007."

What does this say about our "champion's" true concern for the less fortunate?

I find the actions of these "saviors" of the middle class greatly incongruous with their words.

Did You Ever Ask Yourself...

why, if all of these guys' ideas are so great, have none of them have been implemented while in the Senate?

I guess it all makes sense when you understand what has to be done. I have, for the first time in my life, gotten a view of the contorted inner workings of our Legislative branch over the past few weeks. It is frankly a wonder that any bills ever get passed by the Congress.

Our Representatives never stop campaigning, and about a third of our Senators are campaigning at any given time. Besides that, every national holiday merits at least a one week recess. Plus there's summer break to consider. Then you have to factor in all of the "very important" hearings about whether some baseball or football player has been using steroids, whether there is enough minority representation in NASCAR, professional sports management, or team ownership, or whether Oprah's new diet is working safely and effectively. When you add all of the partisan sniping that goes on, the required social events to take bribes, er, accept contributions from the Chinese and big oil, I mean, private interests, and otherwise chase tails (theirs or someone else's) they are just swamped.

So please forgive me if I am somewhat cynical when one of these candidates tells me that he or she has the great panacea of our ills all worked out. All three of our potential candidates have had the opportunity to show us what they could do, and I'm afraid it doesn't amount to much. And if they can't find a way to rally a strong majority of the country to their policies and ideas they won't get a thing done. We've already seen under President Bush that the "Bully Pulpit" doesn't have that kind of power against partisan stonewalling.

And if someone is offering free rainbow stew, you might better check the pot.

Vote Day

Well, today is my chance to take part in the electoral process. I never dreamed May would get here so soon, and I certainly never thought that Senator Clinton would still be doggedly hanging in there. I hope she wins today.

I know that this must be shocking for anyone who has read my blog at all. In earlier days I didn't conceal my disdain for the Clintons. I am trying to be nicer these days. I doubt that Hillary can win the nomination, but I hope that she hangs in there until August to force Senator Obama to spend his resources fighting her instead of Senator McCain.

My support certainly doesn't indicate that I approve of anything that Senator Clinton stands for or that I believe ANYTHING that she has to say. It is more that I distrust Obama even more than I do her. Say what he will about his connection to Wright and Wright's church, I fully believe that he gives assent to all of those audacious things that Wright has been saying. Obama has distanced himself from Wright because it is politically expedient to do so.

Senator Obama is an amazing orator. I have heard some of his speeches and they are breath-taking, but his content is as whack as the ideas coming out of his church. He acts as if the American public will just believe that he is America's messiah without paying attention to any of the things that he supports. He may be a messiah to the left, but God help us if he comes into office.

Actually, God help us if either one comes into office, but at least if Hillary were to win (God forbid) I think that she has sense enough to realize that some things are necessary - even if she pretends they aren't. For example, I think Senator Clinton at least realizes that there may some merit to having a military presence strategically located in the Middle East. I don't think Senator Obama does.

Please don't think that this is about race with me. I wouldn't care if he was purple if he was on board with my make-or-break issues. There are quite a few non-white people that I would be glad to support for the Presidency if they mounted a competitive campaign. One that comes immediately to mind is the former congressman from Oklahoma, J. C. Watts, Jr. I would also consider supporting Alan Keyes if he ever made a concerted run at the White House.

I had actually thought about switching parties so I could vote between the two of them, but it is too late now. I'll just have to leave it in God's hands. (Which is where I was going to have to leave it anyway!)

One of the wonderful things about this internet age in which we live is that it is much easier to get information about candidates. Any candidate with the sense to put up a website can easily get his message out there for his potential constituency to read about it. This is especially helpful in the lesser-publicized races that don't attract the media coverage that the others do. There is really no excuse to go to the polls ignorant.

So even though the Republican nomination is sealed, I'm still going to vote. Hope you will too!

And Then There Was One...

Well, it is all but official, John McCain is going to be the next Republican nominee for President. Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race.

I'm a little disappointed that my primary vote in May will be virtually meaningless. I'll still probably vote though. I may still make a protest vote just to let Senator McCain know that he has some bridge building to do and to let it be known that I will be watching very carefully.

It looks like Hillary is done. It isn't official yet, but with her losing Texas, it doesn't look possible for her - even if she wins Ohio as projected. I can't say that I am disappointed, although I tend to think that she would be a more competent president than Senator Obama.

I have been staying away from keeping up with too much of this political stuff this time around. It isn't like anyone will change my mind by anything that they have to say. I WILL be voting Republican. The only things that could change that would be: a) an audible voice from God or b) an angelic visitation from God.

Now I suppose that it is possible that I may not end up voting for Senator McCain. If Mr. Gingrich enters the race I'd vote for him. I don't think that is very likely, though. I will be curious to see if all of those uber-conservative naysayers follow through with their foolish notion to cross lines. That is too bizarre a thought for words.

It will also be interesting to see if either candidate wins the endorsement of the NRA. The NRA has been no friend to Senator McCain since McCain/Feingold.

That's enough politics for now. I don't have much of a stomach for it anymore.

UPDATE: March 5, 2008 10:38 am That'll teach me...

It turns out that the news last night was WRONG. Hillary won both Texas and Ohio. I don't think that it will really change anything, but it does make it more interesting.

And Then There Were Two

So, Mitt Romney has gracefully bowed out of the Presidential race. I saw that coming before Super Tuesday. So that leaves McCain, Huckabee, and Paul - two candidates (one whole and two halves.) By the time the North Carolina primaries hit in May, there won't be any point going to the polls. It will have been settled long before then.

My prediction? McCain and Obama. Hillary is in deep trouble. I doubt that she can make it to the end of March. She'll never beat Obama between here and the convention without having him killed. (And I wouldn't put it past her. By the way, when does her Senate seat expire?)

I heard another statement by Dr. Dobson today that he will abstain rather than vote for McCain, Clinton, or Obama. I wonder if he would have voted for Romney? I have just found out that he is endorsing Huckabee. I dare say it is too little too late. That endorsement two months ago would have probably gone a long way. It looks like Dr. Dobson won't be voting. How foolish. But the scary thing is that many are actually considering doing just that. Cleta Mitchell, chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation said, "It's a very American privilege not to vote."

Privilege not to vote?! Beg pardon, but those folks that have been dying in the Middle East aren't doing it so that we can pout, take our ball, and go home, leaving our country's leadership to chance. Please don't get me wrong. I have a lot of deep-seated misgivings about McCain, but I would vote for former President Clinton before I would vote for Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. I can say that without reservation.

I suppose we will see if anyone but Senator McCain is still in the race in May. If Huckabee is still in, I may vote for him as a protest vote, but it seems pretty certain that the Senator is the Republican's man - officially anyway even though Rush Limbaugh is still blistering McCain on his show. And Michael Reagan (Ronald Reagan's son) even went so far as to say,

"If you are a newcomer to politics and you're undecided on who you are going to vote for, but know you are going to vote for the candidate who gives you substance instead of mere promises, there is no doubt in my mind you are going to vote for the Democrat nominee because that's where the beef is."

"...Unless Republicans start acting like Reagan and quit talking like Reagan, the only place they are going in November is home."

I have to give Mike this, Obama can speak - wow. Seriously, even with the inherent absurdity of some of the things that he was promoting his speech was inspiring.

McCain isn't without his allies though. Senator Bob Dole has sent a letter to Rush Limbaugh in McCain's defense. McCain reached out to conservatives today, but his statements made it clear that he was not willing to go as far as many of the party base want him to.

Tonight, speaking to the CPAC McCain defended his conservative record and his commitment to a conservative platform.

Speaking just hours after Mitt Romney dropped out of the presidential race, McCain acknowledged he had “the distinction of being the GOP front-runner,” and “intended to keep it.”

As such, he said he had the “responsibility to unite the party, and conceded: “I cannot prevail over the Democrats without conservatives…

“I have defended many positions we share. I am proud to be a conservative … My record is one of a mainstream conservative.”

As a candidate, he promised to “offer a clearly conservative approach to government, and to “stand by my conservative convictions.”

McCain vowed to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, abolish the Alternative Minimum Tax, and protect second-amendment rights. He boasted of his “24-year pro-life record,” and his support of the troop surge in Iraq.

One thing is certain, McCain has a lot of bridge building to do with the conservatives if he has any hope of beating the Democrats in November. The party is too divided right now for him to have a chance.

This consternation should also be as a warning to those in Congress. This conservative angst is running deep. Those in Congress would do well to note the frustration level of their constituents, and represent the party that elected them better. It is high time that they get something done in Washington, lame duck or no. The people of this country won't put up with four more years of this sort of nonsense.

I do hope that whomever eventually wins the nomination will be able to unify the party. The Clinton years were dark years in my memory. I would hate to have to endure even four more years of Democratic leadership.

More On McCain

It would seem that conservatives are fairly divided on McCain. As I reported earlier, Michael Medved is squarely in McCain's corner, but I have since read or heard several absolutely blistering condemnations of him as a candidate only today.

The first that I read was written by Ronald Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, and was entitled John McCain Hates Me. He said in as many words later in the article that the sentiment is echoed back towards the Senator.

The feeling is mutual between McCain and me. I don’t like the way he treats people. You get the impression that he thinks everybody is beneath him. He seems to be saying, “I was a war hero, and you had damn well better treat me as your superior.”

He has contempt for conservatives who he thinks can be duped into thinking he’s one of them, despite such blatantly anti-conservative actions as his support for amnesty for illegal immigrants, his opposition to the Bush tax cuts which got the economy rolling again, and his campaign finance bill which skewed the political process and attacked free speech.

I am appalled by his contempt for the intelligence of his listeners when he flat-out lies and expects them to believe what he says even when the truth is staring them in the face.

So, there you go.

Later I heard Ann Coulter say that she would vote for Hillary Clinton over John McCain. Yes, you heard that right, and she said it with all of the vitriol that she could muster. Sean Hannity wasn't terribly supportive of him either.



Hmmmm...

Now I see that Dr. Dobson won't support him either. He recently reaffirmed his views which were aired months ago. Well, crap.

It looks like McCain will probably wrap up the support he needs to win the nomination on Super Tuesday. Both Huckabee and Romney are fading fast. It's not looking good for the Republicans in November. If the conservative base balks at McCain there is no way that he will win. That leaves us with Hillary or Obama at the helm. (Excuse me while I shudder uncontrollably.)

So what is the answer? Well, I am still pulling for a Gingrich upset at the convention - but I'm not holding my breath either.

Here is the thing. I just cannot vote for either Obama or Hillary. They have way too many stupid ideas. I will not vote for either of them under any circumstances - barring the sudden appearance of the Antichrist as a candidate.

And sorry, I cannot abstain from voting simply because there aren't any perfect - or even nearly perfect candidates to choose from. To abstain is childish, overly-idealistic, and incredibly irresponsible even if you are Dr. Dobson. There is no way that McCain, Huckabee, or even Romney could be worse than Clinton or Obama. No way at all.

I would rather put in a vote for the best of the bad choices than stick my head in the sand, bitching the whole time, and wait for the inevitable bad choice to be elected so that I can bitch about it some more. Guess what, Republican party: Ronald Reagan isn't running for either party's nomination. Get over it and make the best of what you have to work with or provide a better alternative. And if you find someone better then let me know so that I can vote for him too.

Still Learning

I haven't commented in a little while about how things are going with the website design. I must say that I am happy with the progress that I am making - with the exception that I wish I could do it a little faster. I am becoming more and more proficient with HTML which has been very rewarding. I have been progressing through the tutorials pretty well, although I have taken a little bit of a sabbatical from them to gain some practical experience. I have been helping a friend to develop her website and have been creating some HTML forms for it. I hope that we will be able to publish the site early next week, and I'll give you an address where you can check it out.

Today I am fighting off a cold that has been passed around my family now for weeks. I think that I am still winning, but it is taking a lot of my energy reserves to fight. Hopefully, I'll have the energy and the ability to sing at church tomorrow morning.

Tonight I am heading over to my sister's house to have dinner with her family. I hope they like what I have made. I've made a shepherd's pie. I think that it will be good. I'll report back on it later.

Next week I plan to hit the tutorials again hard. Hopefully I can finish the advanced HTML tutorials and move on into the CSS tutorials. If I can do that I should have most of the tools that I need to begin modifying the Joomla site in earnest. I think that I have figured out enough now to begin collecting the components that I will need for the site. Then I can begin to modify the skin to make it look the way I want it to. I suspect that somewhere along the line I will also have to pick up the JavaScript stuff and the SQL. The good news is that each of these skills that I add will increase my marketability.

I have had some responses to my resume and a good friend has let a lot of his friends know that I am looking, which has turned up some good leads. We'll see if they materialize into anything. I used to think that I knew the direction that God was taking me, but now I really have no idea. I still want to go to seminary, but I don't know if I am cut out to be a vocational pastor. There are a couple of elements to the job description that I am not sure that I am comfortable with - like the deathwatch. Not a job that I think that I would like to do - especially if the person dying isn't saved. And I can't imagine trying to do a funeral for a lost person. What comfort can you offer the family? They most certainly AREN'T in a better place. How dreadful. The only thing that you can do is point the way to salvation - but how do you do that without reminding the family of the terrible consequences that their loved one is facing even at that moment? How tragic.

By contrast, I went to a very positive funeral yesterday. It was for a brother in Christ - a friend of my church - who died. It was very uplifting and encouraging. As I have gotten older, I would much rather go to a good funeral than a great wedding. So often with weddings, that is the happiest moment of the relationship. Cynical, I know, but all too often true. At least with the funeral for a Christian it is only the very beginning of their eternal bliss - something that we can't even begin to comprehend on this side of eternity.

I haven't been paying much attention to the political scene lately - bigger fish to fry, but I was a bit surprised by the outcome of the primary the other day. I didn't expect Huckabee to win by such a large margin, and I didn't expect the 3-way split between the Democratic front runners. I REALLY didn't expect Edwards to do so well and for Hillary to finish 3rd. Looks like it is going to be an interesting lead up to November. I would really hate for John Edwards to win the nomination. He is too good a liar. I think he even believes his own lies. I guess it is a necessary skill for trial lawyers.

Well, I guess that is all for now. I need to go and finish up my shepherd's pie. I'm supposed to be over at her house at 6:00. Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Update:

The shepherd's pie turned out very well! It was a big hit.

Words Have A Way Of Coming Back To Haunt You

"The truth is, Barack Obama doesn't need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for president."
- Bill Burton (Barack Obama spokesman)

I'm guessing the Republicans can hardly wait to take a whack at this statement.

Glass Houses...

"So you decide which makes more sense: Entrust our country to someone who is ready on day one ... or to put America in the hands of someone with little national or international experience, who started running for president the day he arrived in the U.S. Senate,"

- Senator Hillary Clinton

I always heard that those living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Seems to me that the pot is calling the kettle black. Of course, she could be getting good mileage from that statement. It applies equally well to John Edwards and Barack Obama (not to mention herself.)

True Colors

Imagine the scene:

I followed Clinton during a recent bus tour across Iowa, when she and her entourage pulled into a Maid-Rite, a greasy spoon famous for its loose-meat sandwich. Clinton settled into a red stool at the counter, ate a sandwich, chatted with her waitress and then was on her way.

The scene gave Clinton perfect fodder for her next few stump speeches. It turns out her waitress was a single, working mom — just the kind of voter Democrats are courting aggressively this year.

Clinton recalled the meeting for an audience up the road in Boone. "The woman waiting on us — it was her first day," she said, adding, "She was a little nervous. Single mom, raised two boys, works at a nursing home and always has a second job."

If she's elected president, Clinton promised, people like her waitress will have it better….

Hillary Clinton, defender of the little guy, savior of the poor, friend to women... not so much.

Enter Exhibit A: It would seem that neither Hillary or anyone in her entourage believes in tipping.



As was surprisingly reported by NPR reporter David Greene neither Hillary nor anyone else in the entourage left a tip. The waitress that waited on and spoke with Hillary said, "I don't think she understood at all what I was saying. I mean, nobody got left a tip that day."

That's not the worst of it either. Hillary's exploitation caused the waitress even more problems than the work without pay.

The local paper ran photos of her with Clinton. She said her supervisor at the nursing home isn't a big Hillary Clinton fan and she thinks that may be related to why her hours were almost totally cut.

Because of the lost hours she has had to get yet another job. (Just like all of us "rich" people will have to if Hillary gets to tax us like she would like to.) She went on to say, "I wished I would have been asked first. I wish she would have asked if she could talk about me later. I didn't like it when someone called me up and said Hillary Clinton is talking about you. It's like, what'd I do now? What's she saying?"

Since this story aired the Clinton camp vehemently denies its veracity:

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer wrote to NPR in an e-mail: "The campaign spent $157 and left a $100 tip at the Maid-Rite Restaurant. Wish you had checked in with us beforehand."

Esterday said "nobody got tipped that day," and NPR should have checked with the Clinton campaign before the story aired to see if any tip was left and how it was done. We regret that this was not done. On Thursday, Esterday was sticking by her story.

"Why would I lie about not getting a tip?" she told NPR. She also maintained that her co-workers at the restaurant had not received tips.

A Clinton campaign staffer called on Esterday at the restaurant Thursday after the story aired. The staff member apologized to her and gave her a $20 bill, according to Esterday. The Clinton campaign confirmed that visit. The campaign also produced photocopies of receipts showing $157.46 was paid to Maid-Rite on a VISA card on Oct. 8 for meals consumed by the candidate's entourage. The tip was supposed to have been paid in cash, and the campaign insisted such a payment was made but has declined to make available a staff member who was present at Maid-Rite and left tip money.

I bet they do wish they had checked beforehand. This whole thing smells like last week's fish. #1 Why would someone who admitted to liking Clinton in her interview claim that she hadn't been tipped? #2 Why, if they HAD actually tipped Ms. Esterday did someone from the Clinton camp return and give her a $20?

Clinton's claim would be a whole lot more plausible if it hadn't happened before. Enter Exhibit B:

February 11, 2000
It's all the buzz in Albion: Hillary stiffs a single mom
By Barbara J. Saffir
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Maybe it's no big deal elsewhere, but it's all the buzz in Albion.

Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped into the Village House, a favorite diner in this upstate farming town, and ordered two orders of scrambled eggs, home fries and rye toast. So far, so good. The locals appreciate a hearty appetite.

Her breakfast was on the house, and when she left the waitress, a single mom, found not a penny at her plate.

The locals have been talking about little else since Tuesday, when she stopped for breakfast after making a speech about how New York's farmers "are really hurting these days."

I rest my case.

The thing that gets me is that in both of these stories the people who were stiffed were still willing to vote for this fraud. No wonder we have so many bad politicians. There are a lot of stupid people out there voting.

Anyone For Chinese?

Apparently Hillary can't get enough Chinese. She's managed to get herself all caught up in another illegal foreign campaign contribution scandal. Why am I not surprised? Why am I even less surprised that the money is coming from the Chinese?

Michelle Malkin wrote about it HERE.

Asian-American groups don't like the increased public scrutiny that Hillary Clinton's mysterious Chinese dishwasher donors are getting….

In the wake of eye-opening investigations by the New York Post and Los Angeles Times of more dubious foreign funny money flowing into Hill's coffers, ethnic grievance organizations are stepping forward to condemn these stories as examples of "negligent journalism." Yep. The newspapers are guilty of "negligence" because they actually broke news instead of covering it up.

Both papers uncovered dishwashers, cooks and other suspect Hillary campaign contributors in New York's Chinatown, Flushing, the Bronx and Brooklyn who were limited-income, limited-English-proficient and smellier than stinky tofu. One Asian donor admitted to the Los Angeles Times "to lacking the legal-resident status required for giving campaign money." Another, Hsiao Wen Yang, told the New York Post she was reimbursed for her $1,000 donation -- setting off clear alarm bells over yet another possible straw donor scheme on the heels of Norman Hsu-gate. …

We've been here so many times before. With convicted DNC fundraiser John Huang and Charlie Trie and Pauline Kanchanalak and Maria Hsia. With the Chinese Buddhist monks and nuns who helped engineer a Gore campaign reimbursement scheme and shredded documents related to their temple fundraiser. With former Chinese-American Democrat governor of Washington, Gary Locke, who also took money from Chinese temple donors who couldn't speak English, couldn't remember when they donated or couldn't be located.

This is treason. It is about time the Republicans start holding the Democrats' feet to the fire over this. The Chinese are trying to buy influence in our government and the Democrats are running to the money fountain.

I have spent the past couple of days talking about the threat that I see posed by China. I have written numerous articles on this blog about it. If the Democrats - or ANY US politician - are found to have taken money from China (or ANY other foreign government) then they should be impeached and at the very least thrown in jail for a VERY long time. If their treason results in the death of even one American citizen then they should receive the death penalty - OLD SCHOOL. I am so totally disgusted by the corruption, utter stupidity and self serving being done by the politicians of this country.

Anyone know Mandarin? If the Democrats have their way, we'll all be speaking it.

The Problem With Lines In The Sand...

I was reading a couple of weeks ago about Dr. James Dobson's adamant stand that he would not support Fred Thompson's bid for the Presidency, and I have to say that I was disappointed in Dr. Dobson. I have always respected him, and that really hasn't changed, but I have to wonder how well he has thought this thing through before making such a bold statement.

Just for the record I haven't decided who I am supporting among the present roster of GOP hopefuls. I do know that I have found it fairly easy to eliminate some candidates from my consideration at this time. Giuliani is WAY too liberal. And Romney has his problems. Tancredo is too right wing. McCain is weak on gun issues and then there is the whole McCain/Feingold issue. This, of course brings us to Fred.

I have a number of issues with Fred Thompson. Probably number 1 to me is the whole McCain/Feingold/Thompson thing. I also sympathize with Dr. Dobson's reservations.

The simple fact of the matter is that I haven't seen anyone who has wowed me. And this is where the question arises. There is only one candidate on the Republican side that I don't think would be any better than Hillary Clinton, and that is Giuliani. However, given the choice who would I vote for? That is a tough question. I absolutely DETEST abortion, so voting for either would almost be unconscionable for me. I would probably vote for an independent over either of those. But it gets a little fuzzier on the other candidates.

Of one thing I am pretty sure: I would vote for a moral, conservative non-Christian over a liberal, amoral "Christian." If my only choices are two evils, I see no other choice. Perhaps Dr. Dobson should consider that this may be the choice that we face next November.