Let the "Barracuda" swim

Sarah Palin has been getting it from all sides and I am impressed that she hasn't "caved in" or lashed out at her enemies. Her recent interview with Katie Couric was not good. Just like the Charles Gibson interview Couric seemed to be just trying to come up with questions that the "Barracuda" could not answer. That is not necessarily a bad thing; candidates need to be tough; but it seems to me these interviews should be directed toward trying to find out what kind of a person Governor Palin is.

I believe the McCain "handlers" are trying to box her in, and make her look like something she is not because they don't want her to make a mistake. She is the 44 year old governor of Alaska and of course she doesn't have much foreign policy experience. Why not say so? When Couric asked her about her foreign policy experience and she talked about how "Alaska was close to Russia", and "When Vladimir Putin flies to the USA he flies over Alaska", that was not a good response (or image) for someone that could be the next Vice President. The McCain handlers must have known that the foreign policy question would be asked, so I can only conclude that the "Russia proximity" and "Putin fly over" answers were prepared.

This is how Sarah Palin should have answered the question on foreign policy: "Katie it should be obvious to everyone that as a young Governor of Alaska I do not have a lot of foreign policy experience, especially compared to Senator Biden who has been in the congress for 22 years. But I am strong in many other areas such as energy and management experience. In this interview you should be trying to find out what kind of a person I am, what kind of an executive I am, and what kind of a leader I am. I have more executive management experience than both Senators Biden and Obama, and even though I may not be strong in certain areas like foreign policy that is not necessarily a problem. As Vice President I will most likely be surrounded with very talented people and I learn very quickly".

Let's remember that the McCain campaign was "brought back from the dead" by Sarah Palin so they should quit rehearsing her and trying to make her into just another politician.
Let the "Barracuda" swim.

Will taxpayers take it on the chin again?

We are among the millions of Americans that have bought homes over the years - homes that we could afford; and we rarely missed a mortgage payment. We used credit cards, but rarely got over extended. If we could not afford to get a loan to buy a new car we bought used cars. If we could not take that "dream" vacation because it was too expensive, we went camping or on a driving trip. We rarely took out an equity loan and rarely bought "risky" investments just to get a higher return.

Now we are asked to bail out the millions that did just the opposite. From the bottom up, home buyers, mortgage banks, financial institutions and corporations took the big risks believing that the real estate market would continue to rise. But that did not happen. Now we are told that we "have no choice" but for the taxpayers to pay a trillion dollars to bail out the risk takers and "save the economy".

I believe the economy can work its way through this problem even if it is a painful process. If Americans suffer financially, that might be just what it takes for people to get things in perspective in their lives. The "I want it now" generation took the risks, they should accept the consequences. Requiring the US taxpayer to bail out all of these bad loans is against the fundamental credo my depression era parents taught me: "Take personal responsibility for your actions no matter how difficult your situation becomes". Maybe the pain will develop some character in a society that thinks everything is easy and if you get in trouble the government will take care of you. Our family stands to feel the pain as much as anyone, but this country needs to get back to the fundamentals - work hard, stay within your financial means, and if you make a bad decision, take responsibility for it. This proposed bailout is nothing more than another step toward socialism.

Hurricane Sarah

"Hurricane Sarah" has swept in from Alaska and knocked the Democrats and the liberal media back on their heels. They are now trying to regroup and are in full attack mode. I'm sure as a Conservative Republican I look at the situation through somewhat biased eyes, but the personal attacks on Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin have been unbelievable. The liberals like to talk about what a tough lady Hillary is, but if she had had half of the criticism the "Barracuda" has taken so far she would have crumbled. Remember Hillary's breakdown in New Hampshire when she started crying because the campaign was "so difficult"? Well Hillary, this "hockey mom" from Alaska is showing you what tough is.


What is driving the liberals crazy is the more they attack, the happier Sarah seems to be...they cannot understand why she is not getting angry. When she faced ABC's Charles Gibson last week, he was obviously in the "attack mode". Yes, it was his job to find out more about her qualifications, but you could tell he was just trying to make her stumble. She did very well; not perfect; but experience in those kinds of interviews will make her even stronger. The more they attack, the more she smiles and seems comfortable. They have made fun of her on Saturday Night Live, those morons on the "View" television program have criticized her almost daily, Hollywood hates her, she gets negative front page articles in the New York Times and Washington Post - the liberals are frustrated...why?... FEAR. Here is a Conservative Republican who could become the first female Vice President and she speaks openly about God, she is pro life, she is pro business, pro energy, she loves large families, she loves guns, hunting, and fishing, she believes in lower taxes, free enterprise , small government...of course the liberals are afraid.


The "Barracuda" seems to be tough and is facing all the attacks head on - we will see how she does during the next month because the attacks are going to get vicious. If she does become the first woman Vice President, it will be a great day for women. Can you imagine the empowerment it will give other conservative women? Watch out you male "elite" politicians, if Sarah wins, there may be more "hurricanes" on the way to Washington.

Cold War II?

Our children were too young to remember the "Cold War", and it was over before our grandchildren were born. After World War II the Russians began to annex countries all through Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union was born. Millions of people in Poland, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Lithuania, and many other small eastern bloc countries who were previously dominated by the Germans, succumbed to Russian communist rule. As communism spread throughout Eastern Europe, fear started to spread here in the USA as the Russians expanded their empire. So the Cold War began - USA vs Russians; who could "out threat" the other; who could outspend the other on their military build up; the nuclear race was on and an incredible number of nuclear weapons were developed. In the USA, missiles in silos were aimed at Russia, in Russia similar missiles were aimed at the USA. Both countries developed nuclear submarines that could go anywhere in the world and wait for the order to fire their arsenal of nuclear weapons. I recall people building bomb shelters in their backyards in the event of a nuclear attack. As a teenager I became a "civil air" volunteer working one night a week tracking and reporting all aircraft sightings over our small town in Florida. Everyone thought a nuclear attack from Russia was possible.

War threats went back and forth during the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Diplomacy was the order of the day; promises and treaties, but nothing changed. Both countries were on a collision course. Then something happened - Ronald Reagan was elected President and decided that the only approach to the Russian threat was to build our military up to a strength that would discourage any enemy. So each side continued to build up their militaries; then another thing happened - the Russians went broke. Their economy was breaking down, citizens were protesting for more freedom, there was civil unrest in all the satellite countries, and the so-called "Soviet Union" broke down - symbolized in history by the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Millions of people throughout Eastern Europe became free and finally controlled their own destiny. Russia withdrew to their original borders and tried to repair their society. Ronald Reagan had won the cold war.

The Russians began rebuilding their economy and even installed a "quasi" democracy. They started developing their vast natural resources, especially oil and natural gas. Now they are totally energy self-sufficient and have Europe in their grasp, supplying a significant portion of Europe's energy. During this same period, we knuckled under to the "Eco Extremists" here in our country, limited our drilling and development of nuclear and other energy resources, and today we are dependent on 70% foreign sources for our energy, and many of these foreign sources do not like us.

Now that the price of oil has reached $100 + per barrel Russia is flush with "liquid gold" and are able to laugh at the rest of the world. They have money and are building a large military again. The recent invasion of Georgia had no real response from Europe or the USA. We and Europe issued all the classic diplomatic cliches - "This was unfortunate", "This is unacceptable", "Russia needs to recognize the sovereignty of Georgia". The truth is, the USA is bogged down in the Mid East and Europe is so dependent on energy from Russia, neither of us had any choice but to "walk softly" when criticizing the Russian invasion.

Russia seems to be on an expansion program again, refusing to withdraw from Georgia and claiming that South Ossetia (which is within Georgian borders) is now "sovereign" territory. Recently their President said "We are not afraid of another cold war" - why not, they are now rich in oil. One of their top generals even recently said "The installation of USA defensive missiles in Poland could justify a nuclear response". So the military bluster begins again, reminiscent of the old cold war.

Meanwhile we fight and argue amongst ourselves and come up with no energy plan. Better to not disturb the Caribou in Anwar than to work toward USA energy independence. So we will see what the future brings, but those of us that lived through the last cold war realize this could be serious, and the USA must develop more energy security. As for me, I want John McCain in the White House if the "Russian Bear" comes calling again.

The Anti-War Party?

Liberal Democrats pride themselves on being fiercely anti-war and violence. They tell us disagreements should be solved by debating the issues, and diplomacy. Then why are some liberal Democrat protesters so violent?

The so called "anarchists" in St. Paul for the Republican Convention protested, which is their legal right. Their protests included rioting, breaking windows, smashing cars, and generally destroying any property they encountered. They threw sand and cement bags off bridges at buses carrying Republican delegates, making a direct hit on one of the buses. They threw rocks, bags of urine, and even sprayed some delegates with water heavily laced with chlorine; a 70 year old delegate from Connecticut doused in chlorine had to be taken to the hospital. Police arrested 300 protesters, over 100 of them on felony charges. Many of the protesters wore masks, which are against the law in many states; in my opinion it should be against law everywhere in these days of terrorism. If you are proud to be a protester why not show your face for the television cameras?

This behavior is a classic example of the difference in our parties. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, answer this question - when have you ever seen Independents, Republicans or even right wing Conservatives protest violently and destroy property? I can only conclude that these liberal morons find it difficult to protest or debate intellectually and therefore view violence and destruction as their only alternative.

During VP nominee Sarah Palin's speech, an Obama "Code Pink" female protester who had been given credentials by the media, tried to run up on the stage, but was stopped by security. Too bad this "Code Pinko" protester didn't make it onto the stage, it would have been beautiful to see the "Barracuda" close the deal in front of 38 million people.

There's blood in the water

During the last few days the liberal media have trashed Sarah Palin and her family. But if you saw her speech this evening, the "Barracuda" has smelled blood in the water and attacked. She bloodied Barack Obama with words that were real and sincere and took the Vice Presidential nomination with nothing but a signal to the left - "Let's get it on 'old boys'".

Maybe I am biased, but her speech was a knockout punch that has put the liberals on their heels.

Isn't it interesting that this election has become a battle between Obama and the "Barracuda". John McCain will speak tomorrow night, but he has no worries, the ticket already has a leader.

The War Horse and The Barracuda

I have seen some interesting presidential tickets in my lifetime but John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, rookie Governor of Alaska, was a surprise to just about everyone. The left wing media immediately attacked the selection and has been vicious during the few days since the announcement; even attacking her family. But from what little I have seen so far, they may be attacking the wrong lady.

Sarah Palin has been a fighter for a long time and two years ago pulled off an election in Alaska that was unheard of in US political history - as a mayor from a small town, she beat the incumbent Republican governor in a primary election and then went on to win the election at age 42. She has since reformed the government in Alaska, which was rife with corruption and "old boy" political favoring.

During her high school years Governor Palin was an aggressive soccer player and starting point guard on her high school basketball team. Her aggressive play earned her the nickname "Sarah Barracuda". Now the "Barracuda" will be facing the most biased national media we have ever seen and she will have to be tough. They are in a panic over the prospect of the first woman Vice President in history being a Conservative Republican. Palin is the antithesis of everything the liberal media stands for - she is pro family, pro life, pro gun, pro oil drilling, pro business, and did I mention as a former beauty queen, she is "hot". She is also anti-large government, anti-pork barrel spending, and anti- Global Warming (which should be interesting since the "War Horse" is pro- GW).

So after the Republican Convention finishes this week the race to the finish line will begin. We will learn more about the "Barracuda" during the convention and her future debate with Senator Joe Biden should be interesting. Her only problem in the debate may be getting airtime since Biden is the most arrogant of the "old boys" in Washington, and a blowhard that will simply not stop talking. As someone once said "Ask Biden what time it is, and he tells you how to build a clock".

It should be an interesting few months.