The 'view from Stonewater

Palin's Secret Weapon: New Film to Premiere in June

2011-05-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

Palin's Secret Weapon: New Film to Premiere in June

The Middle's Heck of a Family - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

2011-03-31T14:11:00.003-04:00

No, this isn't really a review, but it's so rare that I like a modern TV show that actually lasts beyond one season, that I thought I'd feature this great interview and video from TV Guide on the cast of "The Middle":

The Middle's Heck of a Family - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

It's on Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. EST if you want to check it out.

And if you wanna' follow some of the cast on twitter:

Frankie Heck
Axl Heck
Sue Heck

"Bound by Guilt" by C.J. Darlington My Review for the blog tour

2011-03-25T09:21:00.013-04:00

Hi all:

I've finished reading Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington! And what a satisfying read it was ...

Having read and reviewed Darlington's first novel Thicker than Blood, last year, I knew she could write an emotionally compelling story about sympathetic characters firmly located in specific natural environments. But it is amazing the improvement from Book 1 to Book 2 in terms of tighter editing, smoother plotting, and confident storytelling!

From the very first line, "Don't you ever feel guilty?", Darlington develops the twin themes of guilt and forgiveness in the lives of her main characters. It is their respective guilt in their specific circumstances that, in fact, draws their disparate plot lines together in a deftly handled mixing of theme, plot, and character.

The novel takes place in two main locales: the world of antiquarian booksellers and the American Southwest. Many characters from the first novel are back, including sisters Christy and May, married ranchers Jan and Keith, and siblings Hunter and Abby and their father. But the main focus this time around is on newcomer, Roxie Gold, a sixteen-year-old foster child, who is now on the road in an RV with her longlost mother's cousin, Irene, and Irene's teenage son, Diego.

No worries for readers who are not familiar with Thicker than Blood, however, as all the characters receive adequate reintroductions in this new story, and their backstories are divulged only as needed to further the current conflict. Those familiar with the first story will welcome the further character development for Abby Dawson, who is left with her own guilt from the first novel.

Roxie's guilt stems from her part in a crime committed early in the novel in which she is an unwitting accomplice to murder. If that sounds dramatic, consider that Roxie's young life has been quite Dickensian to that point, including a drugged-out mother, a major accident that left her scarred for life at age 8, multiple foster families, group homes, and more. Now that she's found a family of sorts with her mother's cousin and son, Roxie understandably hopes that happiness has found her at last.

Sadly, continuing in Dickensian fashion, Irene is a thief, who enlists her son and foster daughter to assist her in stealing rare books from dealers across the Southwest and then reselling them online. So alas, the idyllic life on the road traveling with family in an RV is not to be for Roxie. It is when one of these robberies goes horribly wrong that the plot kicks into gear.

Meanwhile Abby has problems of her own, including a two-week suspension from the police force after taking out her anger on not being able to visit her daughter (whose father has sole custody) in an arrest of the mayor's wife for drunk driving. Without giving away too much plot, Abby's story almost immediately gets entangled with Roxie's after the crime is committed. And Christy Williams, the main character in Thicker than Blood, is also intertwined in tragic fashion. And she continues to deal with some residual guilt from her former lifestyle - though her newfound faith helps her cope with a new tragedy.

Speaking of Christy, however, I will make one criticism of the novel, which is that Christy's response to the murder is quite underdeveloped. I realize she is not the focus of this story but is rather, serving as a bulwark for Abby this time, as May was a bulwark for Christy in the first novel. But still, I would argue that the tragic murder affects Christy more than it does Abby, and yet we see very little of her grief process or her coping mechanism. We presume her newly strengthened faith is helping her deal more peacefully with her sorrow, but we don't see it much at all. Some of her interactions with Abby, laughing at jokes while unofficially investigating the crime, came off as jarring to me.

Other than some misfires in dealing with Christy's character this time around, Darlington shows magnificent improvement over an impressive first novel. She again ramps up the story to a dramatic, tense, and page-turning conclusion that is satisfying even as we are not left with all the answers as to what will happen next. Perhaps we'll find out in Darlington's next novel ...

Brava!

And bring on Book 3!

Check out what everyone else is saying on the Blog Tour.

"Bound by Guilt" by C.J. Darlington blog tour continues

2011-03-23T11:55:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

I'm still reading ...

... but in the meantime check out what the other bloggers in the tour have to say about Bound by Guilt:

1. My Friend Amy
2. Books, Movies & Chinese Food
3. Backseat Writer
4. All Things Supernatural
5. Andrea Schultz
6. Finding Hope Through Fiction
7. A Fair Substitute for Heaven
8. Daysong Reflections
9. Mocha With Linda
10. All Are Welcome Here
11. Window to My World
12. Life in Review
13. The Surrendered Scribe
14. One Desert Rose
15. Loving Heart Mommy
16. Mom 2 Mom Connection
17. The View From Stone Water
18. A Peak At My Bookshelf
19. Book Lover
20. Thoughts of a Sojourner
21. Never A Dull Moment
22. The Character Therapist
23. Healing Hearts Book Review Blog
24. Reading to Know
25. Word Up!
26. Rocky Mountain Writer
27. Books & Needlepoint
28. Thrifty In Arkansas
29. Reflections In Hindsight
30. Connected2Christ
31. Tea Time with Valerie
32. Ramblin' Roads
33. Craving the Supernatural
34. Stamped with Grace
35. Jane Austen, Chai Tea, and Me
36. Creative Madness Mama
37. Cornhusker Academy
38. Reading Pal
39. My Book Addiction and More
40. Readin N Writin with Patricia
41. Blogging by Liza
42. The Musings of a Book Addict
43. A Christian Writer's World
44. Clicking Her Heels
45. Caitlin Muir
46. Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, Pencildancer
47. Read Write Revamp
48. Terri's Writing Adventures
49. Cindy's Book Reviews
50. Character Counts
51. Divine Detour
52. Pink Sapphire
53. Delores Liesner
54. Dwellings
55. Heidi Main, Writer
56. BarbJan10Blogs
57. Butterfly Journey
58. Write About Now
59. On A Western Trail
60. Deborah M. Piccurelli
61. The Mommy Rambles
62. Christy's Book Blog
63. Carpe Libris
64. Writing Remnants
65. WordVixen
66. My Own Little Corner of the World
67. Andrea's Take
68. Misc Mayzee
69. Book Reviews by Molly
70. Carol's Blog
71. Becca's World
72. Relz Reviewz
73. Quiverfull Family
74. The Koala Bear Writer
75. Wyn is Reading Books
76. Illuminating Fiction
77. Peeking Between the Pages
78. My 5 Monkeys
79. The Barn Door

That should keep you busy until I finish reading and post my own thoughts!

Check out what everyone else is saying on the Blog Tour.

"Bound By Guilt" by C.J. Darlington

2011-03-21T08:41:00.004-04:00

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Bound by Guilt
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Shuttled between foster homes, Roxi Gold will do anything to fit in. Soon she’s traveling the country stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society—and not just at work. One fateful night, both their lives are changed forever. One searches for justice, the other finds herself on the run. Will the power of forgiveness set them free?

***I'll have more information throughout the week ...
including my own review!***

Great job! You kept me turning the pages.
--Francine Rivers, Internationally best selling author

C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . .
--Bodie Thoene, best-selling author of the A.D. Chronicles

This one engages your senses and reaches your heart.
--Jerry B. Jenkins, NY Times best-selling author & owner of The Christian Writers Guild

Watch the book trailer:

About the Author:
C. J. Darlington won the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over twelve years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore. In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site www.TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com

QUICK LINKS:

Check out what everyone else is saying on the Blog Tour.

Together

2010-11-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

2010 Elections: The Palin Effect - HUMAN EVENTS

2010-11-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

2010 Elections: The Palin Effect - HUMAN EVENTS

Woman Overboard by Jo Kadlecek at Title Trakk

2010-07-12T13:06:00.010-04:00

Hi all:

I have a new review at Title Trakk of Jo Kadlecek's nonfiction work Woman Overboard: How Passion Saved My Life:

Here's how my review begins:

As a big fan of author Jo Kadlecek’s Lightfoot trilogy about religion reporter Jonna Lightfoot Maclaughlin and who, in fact, gave a cover endorsement for the final book A Minute Before Friday, I was eager to read Kadlecek’s nonfiction musings in Woman Overboard: How Passion Saved My Life. Full disclosure leads me to confess that I am generally a bigger fan of fiction’s showing than nonfiction’s telling.

Furthermore, I have favorite nonfiction authors and favorite fiction authors but rarely does one cross successfully to the other as far as I’m concerned. For example, I enjoy Frederick Buechner’s and, to a lesser extent, Anne Lamott’s nonfiction books. But I just don’t get their fiction. Rare examples of writers whose fiction and nonfiction are equally enjoyable for me are Madeleine L’Engle and Randy Alcorn. To that list, I can add Jo Kadlecek. At least as far as Woman Overboard is concerned.

In this slim volume’s seven chapters plus prologue, epilogue, and an appended collection of “Life Preservers,” Kadlecek takes a definitive and anecdotal look at the well-lived life. Definitive in that she opens each chapter with etymologies of words, such as “adventure,” “vocation,” “suffer,” and of course, “passion,” with its close companion, “compassion.” Anecdotal in that she frames her musings with biographical anecdotes from her childhood up to the present day. In so doing, Kadlecek combines her gift for storytelling with clear-headed yet emotional brief essays on what gives life meaning, how do we find it, embrace it, and live it with passion when so much of our ordinary days seem bogged down and distracted.

I took about a week to read this less-than-200 page book, because though its chapters are brief, its revelations are not ...

You can read the rest here.

Enjoy!

hrh

Mama Grizzlies

2010-07-08T09:15:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Enjoy!

I'm off to San Diego for this weekend's first C4P Meetup!

Engage!

hrh

The Iron Lady Returns - Margaret Thatcher at No. 10 Downing Street - Could Sarah Palin be the next Iron Lady?

2010-06-08T14:02:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

Lovely sight:New Tory leader David Cameron invited Maggie Thatcher for tea.

Maybe the next Iron Lady?

(Yes, it's photo-shopped. It's been around for about a year. Don't know who did the original.)

Engage!

hrh

Tea Party Member Stuns Crowd!

2010-06-05T16:45:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Wow!

Listen to this former Marine sing out proud!

I love how people spontaneously start standing up. I'm gonna' start blubbing ...

Engage!
hrh

Palin Endorses Murkowski's opponent: 2004 Sarah Palin on Contested Primaries

2010-06-02T14:46:00.007-04:00

Hi all:

In Sarah Palin's Facebook today endorsing Joe Miller for U.S. Senate against Lisa Murkowski, she declares "Competition's Good! Joe Miller for Alaska."

This is not new for Sarah Palin.

Check out this article from 2004, back when Sarah Palin was just a hockey mom.

Contest in primary is nothing to fear

COMPASS: Points of view from the community

By SARAH PALIN

Published: April 16, 2004
Last Modified: April 17, 2004 at 01:57 AM

Granted, my unapologetic passion for sports may play an exceptionable role in shaping my worldview, but I'm convinced the formula for success in the sports arena is essentially the same in the political arena. In fact, I believe all I ever really needed to know I learned on the basketball court. Thus, my zeal for competition in Alaska's primary races.

It would be astonishing to hear anything but enthusiasm for challenges in athletics, so it's puzzling that some are discouraging competition in the selection process for party nominees to move on to the state's general election for U.S. Senate.

Competition defines and refines a person. Character is revealed. It's really nothing to be afraid of. It should be welcomed in order for you to improve as an individual and increase your team's chance of success.

Republicans are known for preaching the benefits of all kinds of competition, including in the business world, for education choices, product pricing and job opportunities in free markets, and even as the principle behind coaches choosing starting lineups. Why, then, deprecate competition when selecting political leaders?

Despite "politico experts" who claim otherwise, it's nonsensical to believe Republicans would shoot themselves in the foot by allowing primary competition. Remember, the dynamics of the new closed primaries don't let "spoilers" advance from party primaries into the general election. Wayward ammunition causes damage when politicians run negative campaigns aimed toward opponents' feet instead of shooting straight with voters. Republican primaries send victorious candidates forward via majority mandate. Pretty simple. Pretty American.

State government spends $1.3 million on primaries so partisans can select candidates. Surely, multiple choices on the ballot help justify this expenditure. Otherwise, what's the sense in tax-funded primaries instead of automatic byes doled out through party conventions?

Competition drives you further than you can push yourself on your own. That's good! Opponents make athletes run faster, work harder, produce more; these are attributes Alaskans want in leaders. Encouraging competition is on par with coaches and teammates believing you can improve, so they advocate competition not to tear you down, but to build the best team possible.

Competitive races allow development of resourcefulness, perseverance, sportsmanship, a larger circle of acquaintances and better responsiveness to issues -- all things needed in elected officials.

Alaska craves leaders who grow stronger when up against the ropes. That's what happens in competition. Champions expose themselves to pressure, ignore fears of defeat and actually relish contests they'll face in the ring where there's no room to shirk from confrontation.

UCLA coach John Wooden reminded his players always to place team welfare above personal desires. He stressed straightforwardness and humility and wasn't impressed with self-claims of competency and qualifications because self-aggrandizement isn't only unimpressive, it's downright annoying. Campaigns: Spare us the same annoyance by welcoming opponents, so results from a trusted selection process can honorably speak for themselves! Then doubts are erased. Victories are earned and legitimized.

I trust that most in the party of Abraham Lincoln have the right agenda for Alaska, but we won't realize GOP-won benefits if Alaskans continue to struggle with questions concerning fairness in the candidate selection process. All the campaign funds in the world won't buy positive results if voters question the integrity of actions that give unearned, unfair advantage to anyone. So instead of fearing contests as dreaded, dangerous affairs, realize the most important thing incumbents and challengers can do to establish themselves and explain their positions is to run inspiring, open campaigns from here on out.

For the good of Alaska's team, let's have healthy debate and voter education opportunities in upcoming races. We'll develop confidence in candidates chosen by majority vote who gain statewide experience. Candidates also benefit by gaining confidence in the public trust they earn as they move into the final round.

Competition. Yeah, it's tough. It's uncomfortable and inconvenient. But as the sports world gives constant reminders that competition makes everyone better, in this land of opportunity Alaskans deserve campaigns that make our state better too.

Sarah Palin is a former mayor of Wasilla and Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. She also was co-captain of a state champion girls basketball team at Wasilla High. She now is an enthusiastic hockey mom and very slow distance runner. Though mentioned as a possible U.S. Senate candidate, she says her chances of winning the Boston Marathon are better than her chances of GOP leadership support for a challenge to Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Engage!

hrh

Brewer & Palin to Obama: Do Your Job

2010-05-15T22:14:00.002-04:00

Daria Novak: The Candidate to Defeat Joe Courtney

2010-05-12T09:04:00.009-04:00

Hi all:

First Alaska. Then Arizona. Now Connecticut.

I'm going local with today's video, which was filmed by the cofounder of the successful "Dump Dodd" movement that has now morphed into "Block Blumy" (Richard Blumenthal, CT AG and Dodd's hand-picked successor).

Daria Novak is the best candidate to unseat Joe Courtney in the huge 2nd congressional district in CT, which includes 65 towns. That's right. SIXTY-FIVE TOWNS!

Watch the vid for some glimpses of yours truly and many other CT tea partiers.

Engage!

hrh

Governor Jan Brewer: "President Obama, No one in Arizona is Laughing"

2010-05-08T20:26:00.002-04:00

Sarah Palin's Alaska

2010-05-04T10:10:00.000-04:00

Title Trakk Blog Tour for "Thicker Than Blood" by C.J. Darlington My Day Four

2010-01-23T16:34:00.004-05:00

Hi all:

Finally! I'm sure you've been eagerly awaiting all week .... ;)

Here's my review of this week's blog tour book Thicker than Blood.

If studying your craft is the key to a good novel, than debut novelist C.J. Darlington should have no trouble getting her engine going. As co-founder of Title Trakk (www.TitleTrakk.com) several years ago, Darlington has been reading, reviewing, and interviewing authors on a regular basis. And if "writing what you know" is the credo of all good writing, then Darlington's decision to write about sisters could have something to do with the fact that her Title Trakk co-founder is her sister Tracy Darlington. But lest you fear that the strained and estranged relationship of Christy and May Williams in Thicker than Blood bears any resemblance to the Darlingtons, your fears are quickly put to rest in the Acknowledgments where the author declares her own sister to be her "best friend."

There's a reason why Thicker than Blood won the 2008 Christian Writers' Guild Operation First Novel award; this first-time novelist has packed her story with compelling characters, nail-biting, cringe-inducing action, and settings both intimate and majestic that would keep any moviegoer pinned in their seats if this were a film script. But in the best tradition of what makes novels such a unique art form, Darlington also delves into the heart-wrenching and mind-bending inner lives of her characters, which wouldn't translate to the big screen - but which does affect readers' own hearts and minds.

The Williams sisters are part of a family that is torn apart by alcoholism and the early deaths of their parents. Teenagers at the time, older sister Christy is old enough to drive, and run she does, leaving little sister May in the care of their great Aunt Edna. For 15 years, the sisters' lives take completely opposite paths. They have no contact with each other, yet both never forget the sister they used to know. Even though the sisters' lives have gone down different roads, they each find themselves at crisis points when the novel begins.

In screenplay terminology, the Inciting Incident to get the sisters back together occurs when Aunt Edna dies - and that's the only plot point I'll give away! Christy's situation, in particular, quickly devolves into chaos, and the danger in her story ratchets up to life and death levels, eventually catching May up into the web of deceit and murder. Through it all the presence of God is debated, doubted, and decisive in the lives of al involved.

If you enjoy character-driven and well-plotted stories full of action and introspection in equal measures, if you wonder whether the family ties of God's children could ever be thicker than blood, or if you just like getting the scoop on a burgeoning new novelist, then check out C.J. Darlington's Thicker than Blood. You'll turn the last page feeling that reading the Williams' sisters story was time well-spent.

Enjoy!

hrh

Title Trakk Blog Tour for "Thicker Than Blood" by C.J. Darlington Day Three

2010-01-22T09:31:00.009-05:00

Hi all:

It's Day Three for me 'cause I missed a few days ... I will have my review up tomorrow. But in the meantime check out this great interview with Thicker Than Blood author C.J. Darlington:

C.J. Darlington's first novel, Thicker Than Blood, was the winner of the 2008 Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest. She is the co-founder of TitleTrakk.com. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania. When she's not writing, she's reading. Her hobbies include book and art collecting, fly fishing, painting and drawing. Visit her Web site at www.cjdarlington.com.

We asked some of our faithful reviewers as well as several published authors to pose a question to C.J. They came up with some great ones! Read on...

Deena Peterson: What sorts of things or places get you in the mood to write? Do you have a special spot in your home or community? Special writing instruments?

If I get out and do things completely unrelated to writing I’m often inspired to write when I get back. Traveling is like that for me. I will see things while driving down the highway that spark ideas. Sometimes it’s just a flash, like seeing a cop on the corner stop a car, or watching a woman sitting on the sidewalk with a sad look on her face.

I don’t have any special place where I write—most of my writing is done on a laptop wherever I can find space. Sometimes at a foldable desk in my bedroom. Right now I’m at the dining room table with headphones and music blaring. Sometimes if I get stuck I’ll pull out my notebook and write notes in longhand.

Vickie McDonough: Where did you get your idea for the story [of Thicker than Blood]?

The germ of an idea came from games my sister, me, and a friend of ours would play as children. We created imaginary characters and made up stories for them which we acted out. One of the characters was named Christy and would often go visit her sister May. I thought it would be neat to write their story. I also loved the concept of one of the sisters being a believer, the other still searching.

Eric Wilson: A number of your characters wrestle with deep issues. Was there a moment while writing when you experienced a catharsis of your own?

Even though I write about deep issues in Thicker than Blood (alcoholism, abuse, abortion, etc.), I have not personally experienced them. I’m thankful for this. However, both of my parents grew up as children of alcoholics, so I was able to ask them questions about that aspect of the story. I’ve always been moved by hearing stories of hurting people discovering the Lord. Perhaps that’s why I was drawn to writing about these types of characters...

Continue reading here.

Enjoy!

hrh

Title Trakk Blog Tour for "Thicker Than Blood" by C.J. Darlington Day Two

2010-01-19T09:58:00.004-05:00

Hi all:

Still reading ... Tea Party meeting tonight ... so here's more information about the author of Thicker Than Blood.

About the Author:
C. J. began writing the story that would become Thicker than Blood (her first novel) when she was a fifteen-year-old homeschool student. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over a decade, scouting for stores similar to the one described in the novel before cofounding her own online bookstore. Thicker than Blood was the winner of the 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel.

C. J. co-founded the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com for more info.

QUICK LINKS:

I'm really enjoying the book and can already recommend it for its great sense of place, including a used bookstore in an old barn and a Colorado cattle ranch. The characters are people that you can care for, too, which is not always the case in fiction.

I hope to have my own full review up before the week it out ...

Enjoy!

hrh

Title Trakk Blog Tour for "Thicker Than Blood" by C.J. Darlington

2010-01-18T10:29:00.006-05:00

Hi all:

A back-to-my-roots sort of post today as I participate in Title Trakk co-founder C.J. Darlington's blog tour for her debut novel, Thicker Than Blood.

I'm still reading the well-crafted and well-placed novel - in between frequent Tea Party meetings and duties! - so today I'm going to give you a sneak preview of the book.

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Thicker than Blood
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Winner of the
2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest!

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late?

And I'll leave you with the book trailer to whet your appetite for this down-to-ranch story of sibling rivalry - and love:

And for old times' sake, I'll sign off with my old signature:

Enjoy!

hrh

America Rising, Part 2

2010-01-18T10:25:00.003-05:00

Hi all:

I don't this one is as powerful as the first one because there are no flash images, just words - but it's still an important message!

Engage!

hrh

America Rising

2010-01-12T10:07:00.002-05:00

Hi all:

I'm a bit late since this video has been making the rounds for a couple of weeks. But it's also keeps disappearing from web sites - mysteriously being pulled down by ... somebody.

Guess who after viewing.

But this one seems to be pretty stable.

Engage!

hrh

In Pictures: Meeting Sarah Palin in Rochester

2009-11-22T18:07:00.018-05:00

Hi all:

Enjoy some pix I drove 811 miles RT to get!

First of all: No, I didn't camp out overnight.
But here are the instructions for those who did:

Question: What other politicians have people camping out
overnight for their book signings?

Sarah's there somewhere!

Stars in her eyes.

Signing.

The man on the left is Jason Recher,
who worked with her on the 2008 campaign.
Looks like he still is.

Chatting with supporters.

Listening to suppporters.

Supporters of all ages.

Shaking hands.

Leaning in.

Here we are! Almost there. Just around the corner we'll get to meet Sarah!
I'm in the middle.

We had to put our cameras on a separate table because no personal pix were allowed of ourselves with Sarah. Shealah Craighead took pix, so I'll be checking there to see if there are any good ones of my meeting.

Engage!

hrh

Factual Response to Democrat National Committee's Attack on Sarah Palin re: Health Care

2009-11-02T12:38:00.007-05:00

Hi all:

Check out this quick video fact check of the Democrat National Committee's (DNC) attack ad trying to debunk Sarah Palin's claims about the horrible health care plans currently being forced upon us Americans:

(BTW, I thought Palin was an irrelevant, light-weight quitter? Why is the official DNC attacking a private citizen? ...)

ACTION ITEM

Join Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and actor Jon Voight and a few thousand or so (more if you can go) this Thursday (November 5) at high noon on the West Steps of the Capitol in DC to walk the halls and let our congressman and women - you know, those people we sent to DC to represent our policy preferences - that we do not want these health care plans foisted upon us.

Click here for all the details.

Engage!

hrh

ATTENTION: Vital Health Care Alternatives from House Minority Leader John Boehner

2009-10-30T19:47:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

Please listen to tomorrow's weekly GOP address. Why? Well, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi just released another health care bill from the House. And guess what?

Abortion coverage is back in.
Coverage for illegal immigrants is back in.
Mandatory end of life counseling alongside mandates for doctors to cut spending - which means they are incentivized to counsel seniors to not get the best care because it's too expensive - is back in.
Penalties for not having health insurance are back in.
The government "public" option is back in.

Talk about a scary Halloween nightmare!!!

So in tomorrow's weekly GOP address, House Minority Leader John Boehner will outline the right way to fix the parts of health care that are broken.

Here are my comments on the subject:

Because, really if you think of health care as a house, the house of U.S. health care is a mansion, the best in the world. 85% of American citizens are covered, and of those people, 75% or so are happy with their care. That's pretty darn good!

So to cover the 15% or so who want to be covered, all we need to do is finish off the basement, renovate the attic, or put in a room over the garage. We do NOT need to come in with a wrecking ball and knock the whole house down!!! Which is exactly what the Dem plan does!

Let's see:

Finish off the basement with medical malpractice lawsuit reform.
Renovate the attic by lifting the government restrictions on buying healthcare nationally across state lines. That's how we buy automobile, life, and home insurance. The Dems say the government option is necessary for choice and competition, but it will give us only one more choice. If they would lift the barrier to buy across state lines, that would give us around 1,500 choices, which is the number of health insurance companies in America!!
Put in a room over the garage by incentivizing Health Savings Accounts with high deductible, low cost catastrophic health insurance policies! (That's what I have and more than 13 million others across American and it's great! It's my bank account that goes with me if I leave this job. Pretax deposits, interest bearing, used for healthcare expenses.)

Here's what Sarah Palin just wrote in her Facebook note:

TUNE IN TOMORROW TO HEAR A HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN THAT WILL PROVE TO BE THE GAME CHANGER

Today at 6:28pm

Mark my words - tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America's health care challenges.

If you're like me, shaking your head wondering why all the miscommunication between Washington and the American people who have been saying, "Please hear what we're saying about our desire for health care reform," then tomorrow will be a refreshing time of clarity for all.

All Americans, and especially colleagues of House Republican Leader John Boehner: please listen to tomorrow's weekly GOP national address. Rep. Boehner will highlight a common sense alternative to Speaker Pelosi's 1,990-page government takeover of health care. I urge you to watch for it. For a preview, go to: http://HealthCare.GOP.gov

You'll hear solutions. You'll hear of real choices based on America's proven free-market principles. You'll know once and for all what the GOP and Independents have been saying all along about alternatives to another big government take over. After tomorrow, you'll know that accusations against the GOP and Independents for not providing solutions are false. Those claims are bogus. There are alternatives. Tune in to Rep. Boehner's address tomorrow to hear them.

I look forward to the game changer!

- Sarah Palin

BTW, good news from at least one of Connecticut's senators: Joe Lieberman will vote with the GOP bills with public options! Thanks, Joe!

Engage!

hrh

Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin agree: "Good Intentions Aren't Enough with Health Care Reform"

2009-10-18T17:20:00.011-04:00

Hi all:

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann came to Connecticut yesterday to speak to the CT Liberty Forum. I had the privilege to both hear her speak and meet her, because she came and spent 20 minutes or so with Connecticut for Sarah, of which I'm one of the state organizers. We were glad to make her an honorary member of our group:

(The woman to Bachmann's right is Daria Novak, who will defeat Congressman Joe Courtney in 2010. Yes, she will! But I digress ...)

Congresswoman Bachmann was informed and inspiring about the need for us to CALL OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS to stop this health care takeover. She compared it to the federal government's getting a federal "public option" for student loans 20 years ago.

It may have taken two decades, but last week President Obama nationalized all student loans - there are now no private student loans.

THAT IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH OUR HEALTH CARE.

President Obama is on record saying that "it may take 10, 15, or 20 years but we will get a single payer option."

The Democrats are patient; they took 20 years to nationalize student financial aid.

They CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO GET THIS TROJAN HORSE OF A BILL PASSED, which allows anything close to a public option in health care.

If it passes, in 20 years or fewer, we will have completely NATIONALIZED HEALTH CARE, with no private options allowed.

On the same day that I was privileged to meet and be inspired by Congresswoman Bachmann to continue the fight, I got home and found that Sarah Palin had also written another call to action on health care:

GOOD INTENTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH WITH HEALTH CARE REFORM

Yesterday at 11:57pm

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law.

The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders.

However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2] Even factoring in government subsidies, the cost of purchasing a plan is much more than $750. The result: many people, especially the young and healthy, will simply not buy coverage, choosing to pay the fine instead. They’ll wait until they’re sick to buy health insurance, confident in the knowledge that insurance companies can’t deny them coverage. Such a scenario is a perfect storm for increasing the cost of health care and creating an unsustainable mandate program.

Those driving this plan no doubt have good intentions, but good intentions aren’t enough. There were good intentions behind the drive to increase home ownership for lower-income Americans, but forcing financial institutions to give loans to people who couldn’t afford them had terrible unintended consequences. We all felt those consequences during the financial collapse last year. Unintended consequences always result from top-down big government plans like the current health care proposals, and we can’t afford to ignore that fact again.

Supposedly the Senate Finance bill will be paid for by cutting Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars and by taxing the so-called “Cadillac” health care plans enjoyed by many union members. The plan will also impose heavy taxes on insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and clinical labs. [3] The result of all of these taxes is clear. As Douglas Holtz-Eakin noted in the Wall Street Journal, these new taxes “will be passed on to consumers by either directly raising insurance premiums, or by fueling higher health-care costs that inevitably lead to higher premiums.” [4] Unfortunately, it will lead to lower wages too, as employees will have to sacrifice a greater percentage of their paychecks to cover these higher premiums. [5] In other words, if the Democrats succeed in overhauling health care, we’ll all bear the costs. The Senate Finance bill is effectively a middle class tax increase, and as Holtz-Eakin points out, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation those making less than $200,000 will be hit hardest. [6]

With our country’s debt and deficits growing at an alarming rate, many of us can’t help but wonder how we can afford a new trillion dollar entitlement program. The president has promised that he won’t sign a health care bill if it “adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade.” [7] But his administration also promised that his nearly trillion dollar stimulus plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8%. [8] Last month, our unemployment rate was 9.8%, the highest it’s been in 26 years. [9] At first the current administration promised that the stimulus would save or create 3 to 4 million jobs. [10] Then they declared that it created 1 million jobs, but the stimulus reports released this week showed that a mere 30,083 jobs have been created, while nearly 3.4 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was passed. [11] Should we believe the administration’s claims about health care when their promises have proven so unreliable about the stimulus?

In January 2008, presidential candidate Obama promised not to negotiate behind closed doors with health care lobbyists. In fact, he committed to “broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are. Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists...” [12] However, last February, after serving only a few weeks in office, President Obama met privately at the White House with health care industry executives and lobbyists. [13] Yesterday, POLITICO reported that aides to President Obama and Democrat Senator Max Baucus met with corporate lobbyists in April to help “set in motion a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, primarily financed by industry groups, that has played a key role in bolstering public support for health care reform.” [14] Needless to say, their negotiations were not broadcast on C-SPAN for the American people to see.

Presidential candidate Obama also promised that he would not “sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days.” [15] PolitiFact reports that this promise has already been broken three times by the current administration. [16] We can only hope that it won’t be broken again with health care reform.

All of this certainly gives the appearance of politics-as-usual in Washington with no change in sight.

Americans want health care reform because we want affordable health care. We don’t need subsidies or a public option. We don’t need a nationalized health care industry. We need to reduce health care costs. But the Senate Finance plan will dramatically increase those costs, all the while ignoring common sense cost-saving measures like tort reform. Though a Congressional Budget Office report confirmed that reforming medical malpractice and liability laws could save as much as $54 billion over the next ten years, tort reform is nowhere to be found in the Senate Finance bill. [17]

Here’s a novel idea. Instead of working contrary to the free market, let’s embrace the free market. Instead of going to war with certain private sector companies, let’s embrace real private-sector competition and allow consumers to purchase plans across state lines. Instead of taxing the so-called “Cadillac” plans that people get through their employers, let’s give individuals who purchase their own health care the same tax benefits we currently give employer-provided health care recipients. Instead of crippling Medicare, let’s reform it by providing recipients with vouchers so that they can purchase their own coverage.

Now is the time to make your voices heard before it’s too late. If we don’t fight for the market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven reform plan that we deserve, we’ll be left with the disastrous unintended consequences of the plans currently being cooked up in Washington.

- Sarah Palin

[1] See http://tinyurl.com/yjs3mgf
[2] See http://tinyurl.com/yfuw3k3
[3] See http://tinyurl.com/yfxq8ca
[4] See http://tinyurl.com/ykefsk6
[5] See http://tinyurl.com/ygf42fj
[6] See http://tinyurl.com/ykefsk6
[7] See http://tinyurl.com/lkvgsp
[8] See http://tinyurl.com/nx4nh6
[9] See ibid.
[10] See http://tinyurl.com/yhhr56v
[11] See ibid.
[12] See http://tinyurl.com/yhzhkvg and http://tinyurl.com/lhyr9o
[13] See http://tinyurl.com/yksd6h3
[14] See http://tinyurl.com/yl9gg27
[15] See http://tinyurl.com/yknpxd6
[16] See http://tinyurl.com/d2k5hb
[17] See http://tinyurl.com/yf8qmfh

ACTION ITEMS

Click here or here to support Michele Bachmann as she fights to save our freedoms.
Click here or here to support Sarah Palin and like-minded patriots who are fighting to save our freedoms.
Click here to CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. Congresswoman Bachmann says they do pay attention if they get thousands of calls a day.

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin says "Drill" in National Review article

2009-10-16T12:45:00.007-04:00

Hi all:

In the interest of getting this well-reasoned and common sense article spread across every corner of the Internet, I'm doing my part by reposting it here. The original piece with all due credit was published by National Review Magazine, conservative extraordinaire, William F. Buckley's, legacy.

Drill

Petroleum is a major part of America’s energy picture. Shall we get it here or abroad?

By Sarah Palin

Given that we’re spending billions of stimulus dollars to rebuild our highways, it makes sense to think about what we’ll be driving on them. For years to come, most of what we drive will be powered, at least in part, by diesel fuel or gasoline. To fuel that driving, we need access to oil. The less use we make of our own reserves, the more we will have to import, which leads to a number of harmful consequences. That means we need to drill here and drill now.

We rely on petroleum for much more than just powering our vehicles: It is essential in everything from jet fuel to petrochemicals, plastics to fertilizers, pesticides to pharmaceuticals. According to the Energy Information Administration, our total domestic petroleum consumption last year was 19.5 million barrels per day (bpd). Motor gasoline and diesel fuel accounted for less than 13 million bpd of that. Meanwhile, we produced only 4.95 million bpd of domestic crude. In other words, even if we ran all our vehicles on something else (which won’t happen anytime soon), we would still have to depend on imported oil. And we’ll continue that dependence until we develop our own oil resources to their fullest extent.

Those who oppose domestic drilling are motivated primarily by environmental considerations, but many of the countries we’re forced to import from have few if any environmental-protection laws, and those that do exist often go unenforced. In effect, American environmentalists are preventing responsible development here at home while supporting irresponsible development overseas.

My home state of Alaska shows how it’s possible to be both pro-environment and pro-resource-development. Alaskans would never support anything that endangered our pristine air, clean water, and abundant wildlife (which, among other things, provides many of us with our livelihood). The state’s government has made safeguarding resources a priority; when I was governor, for instance, we created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor our oil and gas infrastructure for any potential environmental risks.

Alaska also shows how oil drilling is thoroughly compatible with energy conservation and renewable-energy development. Over 20 percent of Alaska’s electricity currently comes from renewable sources, and as governor I put forward a long-term plan to increase that figure to 50 percent by 2025. Alaska’s comprehensive plan identifies renewable options across the state that can help rural villages transition away from expensive diesel-generated electricity — allowing each community to choose the solution that best fits its needs. That’s important in any energy plan: Tempting as they may be to central planners, top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions are recipes for failure.

For the same reason, the federal government shouldn’t push a single, universal approach to alternative-powered vehicles. Electric cars might work in Los Angeles, but they don’t work in Alaska, where you can drive hundreds of miles without seeing many people, let alone many electrical sockets. And while electric and hybrid cars have their advantages, producing the electricity to power them still requires an energy source. For the sake of the environment, that energy should be generated from the cleanest source available.

Natural gas is one promising clean alternative. It contains fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels, it’s easier to collect and process, and it is found throughout our country. In Alaska, we’re developing the largest private-sector energy project in history — a 3,000-mile, $40 billion pipeline to transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas to markets across the United States. Onshore and offshore natural gas from Alaska and the Lower 48 can satisfy a large part of our energy needs for decades, bringing us closer to energy independence. Whether we use it to power natural-gas cars or to run natural-gas power plants that charge electric cars — or ideally for both — natural gas can act as a clean “bridge fuel” to a future when more renewable sources are available.

In addition to drilling, we need to build new refineries. America currently has roughly 150 refineries, down from over 300 in the 1970s. Due mainly to environmental regulations, we haven’t built a major new refinery since 1976, though our oil consumption has increased significantly since then. That’s no way to secure our energy supply. The post-Katrina jump in gas prices proved that we can’t leave ourselves at the mercy of a hurricane that knocks a few refineries out of commission.

Building an energy-independent America will mean a real economic stimulus. It will mean American jobs that can never be shipped overseas. Think about how much of our trade deficit is fueled by the oil we import — sometimes as much as half of the total. Through this massive transfer of wealth, we lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year that could be invested in our economy. Instead it goes to foreign countries, including some repressive regimes that use it to fund activities that threaten our security.

Reliance on foreign sources of energy weakens America. When a riot breaks out in an OPEC nation, or a developing country talks about nationalizing its oil industry, or a petro-dictator threatens to cut off exports, the probability is great that the price of oil will shoot up. Even in friendly nations, business and financial decisions made for local reasons can destabilize America’s energy market, since the price we pay for foreign oil is subject to rising and falling exchange rates. Decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of energy will reduce the impact of world events on our economy.

In the end, energy independence is not just about the environment or the economy. It’s about freedom and confidence. It’s about building a more secure and peaceful America, an America in which our energy needs will not be subject to the whims of nature, currency speculators, or madmen in possession of vast oil reserves.

Alternative sources of energy are part of the answer, but only part. There’s no getting around the fact that we still need to “drill, baby, drill!” And if those in D.C. say otherwise, we need to tell them: “Yes, we can!”

— Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009, and the Republican candidate for vice president in 2008. This article appears in the November 2, 2009, issue of National Review.

I'm getting ready to attend the Connecticut Liberty Forum event tomorrow to hear Minnesota Republican Congressman Michelle Bachmann.
I've emailed all 3 of my Congressional delegation regarding healthcare legislation.
I've written up an Information Sheet for Connecticut for Sarah, our conservative activitist group.

What are you doing?

Engage!

hrh

9/12 March on DC

2009-09-18T10:12:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

I had the privilege of being involved with a million or more fellow Americans last Saturday in our nation's capitol to protest Big Government, Big Spending, and Little Leadership. In fact, as we ascended from the Metro onto the Mall, we saw our Fearful Leader's helicopter taking off for Minneapolis so he could avoid actually listening to us who came all this way to see him. Not a very gracious host.

Anyhoo, I haven't uploaded my pix yet, so in the meantime check out this fantastic 6-minute video from Reason Magazine:

Looking forward to more activities here at home in CT - and more in the swamps of DC!

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin on President Obama's healthcare speech

2009-09-10T10:18:00.006-04:00

Hi all:

For those of you watching the U.S. Open in NYC this week, there's another back and forth battle going on in DC that's also a must see.

Hours before the President gave his speech on health care - unnecessarily before a joint session of Congress since he didn't say anything new - Sarah Palin gave a third guide to watching the event (Guides 1 and 2 are here and here.):

Response to the White House

Yesterday at 5:55pm

I'm pleased that the White House is finally responding to Republican health care ideas instead of pretending they don't exist.[1] But in doing so President Obama should follow his own sound advice and avoid making "wild misrepresentations".[2] Medicare vouchers would give everyone on Medicare the chance to decide for themselves which health plan to use, rather than leave that decision to government bureaucrats. Such proposals are the kind of health care reform that Republicans stand for: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven.

The White House talking points leave the rest of my arguments unanswered. They don't respond to the idea that all individuals should get the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; that we must reform our tort laws; and that we should allow Americans to buy insurance across state lines. The White House also fails to respond to the Nyce/Schieber study indicating that wages will fall if the government expands coverage without reducing health care inflation rates.

One last thing: after President Obama's speech tonight, listen for which pundits use the words "false", "scary", and "risky" in describing the proposals I put forward. That's how you'll be able to tell who the White House counted as "allies" worthy of receiving its talking points.

-Sarah Palin

[1] See http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0909/White_House_talking_points_blast_Palin.html.
[2] See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16obama.html.

Hours after the speech, she responded thusly:

Response to the President's Health Care Speech

Today at 12:25am

After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through President Obama’s speech tonight: that increased government involvement in health care can solve its problems.

Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will not provide us with “more stability and security,” but just the opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do things right if only we’ll take them at their word.

Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere “bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more will die” if his proposals do not pass.

In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I’ve raised about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns “bogus,” “irresponsible,” and “a lie” -- so much for civility. After all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the arguments we’ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have agreed have merit.

In fact, after promising to “make sure that no government bureaucrat .... gets between you and the health care you need,” the President repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council -- an unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost ... the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives....” He did not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I’ve made, I’m going to call him out too.

It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession shouldn’t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats’ proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better health care. It’s this kind of “healthy skepticism of government” that truly reflects a “concern and regard for the plight of others.” We can’t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working with you on tort reform.

Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them as having had too high a price tag.

Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people. Forcing a conclusion in order to claim a “victory” is not healthy for our country. We hear you say government isn’t always the answer; now hear us -- that’s what we’ve been saying all along.

- Sarah Palin

Couple notes from me:

Since Rep Joe Wilson has apologized to the President for calling him a liar last night, I'm wondering when the President will apologize to the American people for calling US - and anyone who disagrees with him - liars?
When is the President going to apologize to the American people for lying to US? For example:

We'll be able to keep our health care. That's a lie. We will only be able to keep our current health care TEMPORARILY. At some point, we will not be allowed to renew our healthcare coverage.
Illegal immigrants are not covered. To my knowledge there is no verbiage in any of the current bills (no, I have not read every word of the thousands of pages) that specifically prohibits coverage. Therefore if an illegal challenges a provider for not taking care of him or her, the courts will have to point out that no where in the bill is covering illegals specifically prohibited - therefore providers will have to cover them.
Abortion is not covered. Same argument as above, nowhere is paying for abortions with taxpayer money specifically prohibited so challenges in a court of law would not succeed.
"I won't sign any bill that adds one cent to the deficit." We don't believe you, Mr. President, since in 9 months you have signed bills collectively that have increased our deficit to unprecedented levels in the 230-year history of our country. And you underestimated your deficit levels by TWO TRILLION DOLLARS, first stating that it would be $7 trillion and revising to $9 trillion. In this case, you may be lying to yourself, but you are certainly lying to the American people, who believe that ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin's Health Care Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal

2009-09-08T22:07:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

And for those of you who don't subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, here's Sarah Palin's OpEd posted online at 7:45 p.m. September 8. I hope it's published in the print edition on September 9, the day of Obama's speech before Congress.

Obama and the Bureaucractization of Health Care

Writing in the New York Times last month, President Barack Obama asked that Americans "talk with one another, and not over one another" as our health-care debate moves forward.

I couldn't agree more. Let's engage the other side's arguments, and let's allow Americans to decide for themselves whether the Democrats' health-care proposals should become governing law.

Some 45 years ago Ronald Reagan said that "no one in this country should be denied medical care because of a lack of funds." Each of us knows that we have an obligation to care for the old, the young and the sick. We stand strongest when we stand with the weakest among us.

We also know that our current health-care system too often burdens individuals and businesses—particularly small businesses—with crippling expenses. And we know that allowing government health-care spending to continue at current rates will only add to our ever-expanding deficit.

How can we ensure that those who need medical care receive it while also reducing health-care costs? The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree.

Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones. Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy. And common sense tells us to be skeptical when President Obama promises that the Democrats' proposals "will provide more stability and security to every American."

With all due respect, Americans are used to this kind of sweeping promise from Washington. And we know from long experience that it's a promise Washington can't keep ...

Read the rest here, including her list of better solutions than the Congress or President are proposing. Keep this one handy for tomorrow night's address from the President, too.

I know I'm looking forward to being at the 9/12 March on Washington this Saturday. Come on down if you can!

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin's Testimony on Health Care For the New York State Senate

2009-09-08T17:11:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

New York State Senator, prolife Democrat Ruben Diaz, had invited Governor Sarah Palin to come to his district and talk about health care. She was unable to attend in person, but she submitted this testimony to the New York State Senate for their public hearing on health care:

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
Chair, New York Senate Aging Committee
Legislative Office Building
Room 307
Albany, NY 12247

Transmitted via email to: diaz@senate.state.ny.us

September 8, 2009

RE: H.R. 3200: America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and Its Impact on Senior Citizens

Dear Senator Diaz,

Thank you for asking me to participate in the New York State Senate Aging Committee’s hearing regarding H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.” You and I share a commitment to ensuring that our health care system is not “reformed” at the expense of America’s senior citizens.

I have been vocal in my opposition to Section 1233 of H.R.3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation.”[1] Proponents of the bill have described this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients. That is misleading. The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context.

Section 1233 authorizes advanced care planning consultations for senior citizens on Medicare every five years, and more often “if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual ... or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility... or a hospice program.”[2] During those consultations, practitioners are to explain “the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice,” and the government benefits available to pay for such services.[3]

To understand this provision fully, it must be read in context. These consultations are authorized whenever a Medicare recipient’s health changes significantly or when they enter a nursing home, and they are part of a bill whose stated purpose is “to reduce the growth in health care spending.”[4] Is it any wonder that senior citizens might view such consultations as attempts to convince them to help reduce health care costs by accepting minimal end-of-life care? As one commentator has noted, Section 1233 “addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones.... If it’s all about obviating suffering, emotional or physical, what’s it doing in a measure to ‘bend the curve’ on health-care costs?”[5]

As you stated in your letter to Congressman Henry Waxman of California:

Section 1233 of House Resolution 3200 puts our senior citizens on a slippery slope and may diminish respect for the inherent dignity of each of their lives.... It is egregious to consider that any senior citizen ... should be placed in a situation where he or she would feel pressured to save the government money by dying a little sooner than he or she otherwise would, be required to be counseled about the supposed benefits of killing oneself, or be encouraged to sign any end of life directives that they would not otherwise sign.[6]

It is unclear whether section 1233 or a provision like it will remain part of any final health care bill. Regardless of its fate, the larger issue of rationed health care remains.

A great deal of attention was given to my use of the phrase “death panel” in discussing such rationing.[7] Despite repeated attempts by many in the media to dismiss this phrase as a “myth”, its accuracy has been vindicated. In the face of a nationwide public outcry, the Senate Finance Committee agreed to “drop end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly.”[8] Jim Towey, the former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, then called attention to what’s already occurring at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, where “government bureaucrats are greasing the slippery slope that can start with cost containment but quickly become a systematic denial of care.”[9] Even Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, a strong supporter of President Obama, agreed that “if the government says it has to control health care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending.”[10] And of course President Obama has not backed away from his support for the creation of an unelected, largely unaccountable Independent Medicare Advisory Council to help control Medicare costs; he had previously suggested that such a group should guide decisions regarding “that huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives….”[11]

The fact is that any group of government bureaucrats that makes decisions affecting life or death is essentially a “death panel.” The work of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, President Obama’s health policy advisor and the brother of his chief of staff, is particularly disturbing on this score. Dr. Emanuel has written extensively on the topic of rationed health care, describing a “Complete Lives System” for allotting medical care based on “a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.”[12] He also has written that some medical services should not be guaranteed to those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens.... An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.”[13]

Such ideas are shocking, but they could ultimately be used by government bureaucrats to help determine the treatment of our loved ones. We must ensure that human dignity remains at the center of any proposed health care reform. Real health care reform would also follow free market principles, including the encouragement of health savings accounts; would remove the barriers to purchasing health insurance across state lines; and would include tort reform so as to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending connected to the filing of frivolous lawsuits. H.R. 3200 is not the reform we are looking for.

Thank you for calling attention to this important matter. I look forward to working with you again to ensure that we keep the dignity of our senior citizens foremost in any health care discussion.

Sincerely,

Governor Sarah Palin

1 See http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
2 See HR 3200 sec. 1233 (hhh)(1); sec. 1233 (hhh)(3)(B)(1), above.
3 See HR 3200 sec. 1233 (hhh)(1)(E), above.
4 See http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
5 See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080703043.html
6 See http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/letter-congressman-henry-waxman-re-section-1233-hr-3200
7 See http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=113851103434
8 See http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/54617-finance-committee-to-drop-end-of-life-provision
9 See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204683204574358590107981718.html
10 See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/10/AR2009081002455.html
11 See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazine/03Obama-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1
12 See http://www.scribd.com/doc/18280675/Principles-for-Allocation-of-Scarce-Medical-Interventions
13 See http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/Where_Civic_Republicanism_and_Deliberative_Democracy_Meet.pdf

Keep this testimony - and the footnoted sources - nearby during President Obama's health care speech Wednesday night before a joint session of Congress.

Engage!

hrh

h/t C4P and Palin's Facebook

Ted Dekker graphic novels review

2009-09-07T16:23:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

Title Trakk just came out with my review of two graphic novels by Ted Dekker.

Here's how my review begins:

I must begin my comments with the disclaimer that I am at two disadvantages:

I have not read the original Ted Dekker novels upon which these graphic novels are based.
I have not read the first two graphic novels in this series, Chosen and Infidel.

This being the case, I have to say that I was somewhat lost as to plot and character since Renegade, the third novel in the series, starts in medias res with one of the characters falling through a twilight zone. As I read along, I find out that he apparently dropped blood on a historical book that gives power to travel through time and space. Apparently there are seven of these historical books, and if someone owns all seven, they will possess powers to rule the universe and other such superhero antics. At one point, a bad guy seduces the conflicted good guy to take "suhupow," superhero slang for "Super! Human! Powers!"

Yes, this graphic novel is full of "Oof!" "Bam!" "Pow!" moments.

Despite not quite following the storyline, I can see that these novels are well drawn, colored, and lettered. I enjoyed the various camera angles framing scenes and the variety of layouts to emphasize key points, such as occasional full 2-page spreads, and some small frames to focus on a key plot point. Graphic novels are much more like films than novels, and combine the best of both media formats ...

Read the rest here.

Enjoy!

hrh

Something Fishy About DC

2009-08-18T10:47:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin on Health Care

2009-08-14T11:02:00.018-04:00

Hi all:

Private Citizen Sarah Palin has been on a tear lately, writing up well-researched and documented essays on the current healthcare proposals.

It all started last Friday when she released this statement, which I'll post in its entirety because 1) it's short and 2) it's been grossly misrepresented in the media:

Statement on the Current Health Care Debate

Friday, August 7, 2009 at 4:26pm

As more Americans delve into the disturbing details of the nationalized health care plan that the current administration is rushing through Congress, our collective jaw is dropping, and we’re saying not just no, but hell no!

The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion.

Rep. Michele Bachmann highlighted the Orwellian thinking of the president’s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the White House chief of staff, in a floor speech to the House of Representatives. I commend her for being a voice for the most precious members of our society, our children and our seniors.

We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Ronald Reagan once wrote, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late.

- Sarah Palin

Rep. Bachmann's speech can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CHBvKGmevI

Sarah Palin's Notes link: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#/note.php?note_id=113851103434

Of course, the media keyed in on the "death panels," which was deliberately put in quotation marks because that term isn't in the bill. But the dunderhead media didn't get it and began screeching from the rooftops that "death panels aren't in the bill!"

So Sarah followed up the next day with a dozen or so articles, panels, and videos backing up her point that rationing to keep costs low will lead to death panels, or bureaucrats advising older people to consider taking less healthcare and either suffering more or dying sooner in order to save money for the younger, fitter, more productive set.

Here's the beginning of that post and the link if you want to consider all her sources:

Some Useful Commentary on the Health Care Debate

Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 5:50pm

As Americans spend the next few weeks discussing health care reform, I thought it might be helpful to share some articles (and one panel discussion video) that I’ve found especially insightful.

Washington Post editorial, July 26, 2009
“The Health-Care Sacrifice: What President Obama needs to tell the public about the cost of reform”

But Mr. Obama's soothing bedside manner masks the reality that getting health costs under control will require making difficult choices about what procedures and medications to cover. It will require saying no, or having the patient pay more, at times when the extra expense is not justified by the marginal improvement in care.

*********

Click the link below to read the rest of the sources and watch the video panel.

Sarah Palin's Notes link: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#/note.php?note_id=114345578434

Those who support this monstrostiy of a government takeover of health care and our private lives couldn't argue in the face of that mountain of evidence - so they took to personal attacks instead, saying that as Governor, Palin didn't care about seniors.

So she posted her record of governance regarding seniors:

Palin Reduced Medicaid Backlog 83% In Two Years

Tue at 9:37 pm

Contrary to some assertions, Sarah Palin has a strong record supporting Alaskan seniors. For example, Governor Palin successfully obtained approval for a five year extension of a state program that provided monthly cash payments to low-income seniors.

On May 23, 2007, using a rarely invoked emergency regulation, Governor Palin ordered assistance benefits to continue for Alaska’s neediest seniors after the Alaska legislature failed to fund the SeniorCare Program. After her action, the legislature responded, and on July 28, 2007, Governor Palin signed Senate Bill 4 to continue support for low-income Alaskan seniors by adopting the Senior Benefits Program. “This program continues important assistance to Alaska seniors,” Governor Palin said. “I promised that seniors would not go hungry, and we worked with the Alaska Legislature to address this critical need.” It was estimated that 10,700 Alaskan seniors would be able to benefit under the program ...

Read the rest for more #s and graphs of the Medicare backlog, etc.

Sarah Palin's Notes link: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#/note.php?note_id=115884633434

Then the President at his stage show in Portsmouth, NH, began bringing up death panels in answer to questions that had nothing to do with death panels. And Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called out Sarah Palin by name as the one who is spreading misinformation.

So Sarah responded with an in-depth, endnoted essay backing up her initial post, you know, the one that got everyone talking - including the President of the United States:

Concerning the "Death Panels"

Wed at 11:55pm

Yesterday President Obama responded to my statement that Democratic health care proposals would lead to rationed care; that the sick, the elderly, and the disabled would suffer the most under such rationing; and that under such a system these “unproductive” members of society could face the prospect of government bureaucrats determining whether they deserve health care.

The President made light of these concerns. He said:

“Let me just be specific about some things that I’ve been hearing lately that we just need to dispose of here. The rumor that’s been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the House of Representatives voted for death panels that will basically pull the plug on grandma because we’ve decided that we don’t, it’s too expensive to let her live anymore....It turns out that I guess this arose out of a provision in one of the House bills that allowed Medicare to reimburse people for consultations about end-of-life care, setting up living wills, the availability of hospice, etc. So the intention of the members of Congress was to give people more information so that they could handle issues of end-of-life care when they’re ready on their own terms. It wasn’t forcing anybody to do anything.” [1]

The provision that President Obama refers to is Section 1233 of HR 3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation.” [2] With all due respect, it’s misleading for the President to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients. The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context ...

Read the rest for more cogent and sourced arguments.

Sarah Palin's Notes link: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#/note.php?note_id=116471698434

And then, guess what happened?

The Senate Committe working on the bill decided to drop the end-of-life provision! As U.S. News & World Report put it:

In what can fairly be described as an admission that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin knew what she was talking about, the Senate Finance Committee Thursday dropped language from its bipartisan healthcare reform package that Palin and others had suggested would eventually lead to mandated end-of-life counseling sessions for seniors.

Supporters of Obamacare, including President Barack Obama, had accused Palin and others of being dishonest in suggesting the counseling sessions would somehow lead to the government encouraging euthanasia as a cost-cutting measure as part of rationed care.

Check out more details at C4P here: http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/08/senate-to-drop-end-of-life-provision.html

But those death panels are only one part of the onerous and ominous provisions in the 1,000 page bureacratic nightmare known as health care reform. So Sarah continues to analyze the bill:

Troubling Questions Remain About Obama's Health Care Plan

Today at 1:11am

I join millions of Americans in expressing appreciation for the Senate Finance Committee’s decision to remove the provision in the pending health care bill that authorizes end-of-life consultations (Section 1233 of HR 3200). It’s gratifying that the voice of the people is getting through to Congress; however, that provision was not the only disturbing detail in this legislation; it was just one of the more obvious ones.

As I noted in my statement last week, nationalized health care inevitably leads to rationing. There is simply no way to cover everyone and hold down the costs at the same time. The rationing system proposed by one of President Obama’s key health care advisors is particularly disturbing. I’m speaking of the “Complete Lives System” advocated by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the president’s chief of staff. President Obama has not yet stated any opposition to the “Complete Lives System,” a system which, if enacted, would refuse to allocate medical resources to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who have less economic potential. [1] Why the silence from the president on this aspect of his nationalization of health care? Does he agree with the “Complete Lives System”? If not, then why is Dr. Emanuel his policy advisor? What is he advising the president on? I just learned that Dr. Emanuel is now distancing himself from his own work and claiming that his “thinking has evolved” on the question of rationing care to benefit the strong and deny the weak. [2] How convenient that he disavowed his own work only after the nature of his scholarship was revealed to the public at large.

The president is busy assuring us that we can keep our private insurance plans, but common sense (and basic economics) tells us otherwise. The public option in the Democratic health care plan will crowd out private insurers, and that’s what it’s intended to do. A single payer health care plan has been President Obama’s agenda all along, though he is now claiming otherwise. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what he said back in 2003:

“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan.... A single payer health care plan – universal health care plan – that’s what I would like to see.” [3] ...

Read on for more endnoted analysis.

Sarah Palin's Notes link: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#/note.php?note_id=116979483434

And that's how it stands now.

If your congresspeople are holding town halls near you, consider going to one and voicing your opposition. Health care is one of the most private areas one can have. It's between oneself, one's God, one's family, and one's physician. Not one's government.

Let's keep it that way.

Engage!

hrh

Why Did Governor Palin Resign?

2009-07-31T09:26:00.011-04:00

Hi all:

UPDATE: 7/30/09

See what I mean? Apparently the host site has taken the video down. If you search for it though, I believe it is back on youtube and other sites online.

Watch this video. Then you decide.

Find more videos like this on Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy

You also need to know that this video was first posted on YouTube. Where it was removed.
Then it was posted on Sevenload. Where it was again removed.
Then someone posted it on Twitvid. Where it was removed again.
Now I'm posting it here from a copy at this Ning site. I suggest watching it quickly, because it may be removed from that site, too. Which means it won't play here either.

[H/T JP for the above info.]

Again I ask, "Why did Governor Palin resign? What has happened to our free and fair democracy?"

What do you think? And what are we going to do about it?

Remember this:

"Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." Matthew 10:26

Engage,
hrh

CSSF Blog Tour Day Three - Karen Hancock's "The Enclave"

2009-07-22T11:49:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

Life is intervening on the best-laid plans of mice and bloggers, so I don't have time for more original thoughts of my own on Karen Hancock's The Enclave.

But I point you to these other great CSFF Blog Tour bloggers:

Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Heather R. Hunt
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Elizabeth Williams

And also to my reviews of Hancock's wonderful Legends of the Guardian King series:

Enjoy!

hrh

CSFF Blog Tour Day Two - Karen Hancock's "The Enclave"

2009-07-21T09:09:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

Day Two of the CSFF Blog Tour for Karen Hancock's The Enclave.

Yesterday I mentioned that The Enclave reminded me of Stargate, particularly the movie and the first four or five years of the TV program. That franchise explained ancient sarcaphogi in a science fiction way as having been used by aliens called gou'ald, or some such spelling.

Hancock's sarcophagi have a similar sinister origin, but she takes a totally different tack from a totally different historical line. Don't want to give away any spoilers here! I found her ideas fascinating. In fact, I used some of her ideas in a similar way for a Stargate spec script I wrote 5 years ago! But I didn't think of the sacrcophagus angle. Here's a link to that script BTW. Don't go to that link, however, if you don't want spoilers for The Enclave!

Click here or scroll down for my Day One entry, which lists all the other participants in this month's CSFF Blog Tour.

Enjoy!

hrh

CSFF Blog Tour - Karen Hancock's "The Enclave"

2009-07-20T08:39:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

And now ... a blast from the past!

Remember when I used to post reviews here regularly? Well, for the next three days, I'm participating in another Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) Blog Tour, because they're featuring one of my favorite authors, Karen Hancock, and her latest novel, The Enclave.

I finished reading it last night at midnight and wow, it's not a book to read right before going to bed! What a boffo ending! Edge of your seat, gasping, cringing, and worrying up to the last few pages.

It's quite a departure from Hancock's four-book, Christy-award winning fantasy series, "Legends of the Guardian King," which shows just how imaginative Hancock is. Though she does manage to pull in a sword and scabbard at one point. ;)

This book is much more of a science fiction than fantasy book, because it is set in a genetics research compound in the Arizona desert and includes much lingo about the field of genetics, labwork, research grants, etc. Quite fascinating. Much more Michael Crichton than Frank Herbert.

It also reminds me of the Stargate movie and TV series in the way it brings ancient sarcaphogi into modern times, thus making this tale both a historical novel and a science fiction story at the same time. Great stuff!

Check out Karen Hancock's website and blog for more information about her new book and the wonderful "Legends of the Guardian King" series. I'll post links to my reviews of this wonderful series later in the tour.

I'll elaborate on my thoughts re: Michael Crichton and Stargate over the next three days, but in the meantime, here are links to the other blogs participating in the tour:

Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Heather R. Hunt
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Elizabeth Williams

For the duration of the tour, I'll revert to my reviewing sign-off:

Enjoy!

hrh

IBD's Ed on Gov Palin's Op Ed on Cap and Trade

2009-07-17T11:12:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

Here's what the Investor's Business Daily (IBD) editorial board has to say in response to Senator John Kerry's hit piece about Governor Palin's Washington Post OpEd:

Palin Vs. Kerry (And MoveOn.org)

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 4:20 PM PT

Politics: John Kerry, replying to an op-ed Sarah Palin wrote on cap-and-trade, suggests the Alaska governor "check the view from her front porch." What she sees from there, senator, is energy wealth going to waste.

The political death of Sarah Palin has been greatly exaggerated. In a devastating op-ed in the Washington Post, Alaska's governor exposes the cap-and-tax fraud that has nothing to do with earth's temperature and everything to do with government control of the economy.

She also exposes the stealth socialism ambitions of the Democratic left and once again points out the availability of abundant "shovel-ready" resources under America's soil, off America's shores and even in America's rocks.

Judging from the reaction from Sen. Kerry and the political arm of George Soros, one must ask: If Palin is spent as a political force, why is everyone on the left so worried and talking about her?

Kerry took to the ultraliberal Web site Huffington Post to object to Palin's description of "the president's cap-and-trade energy tax" as "an enormous threat to our economy." In Alaska, she wrote, "we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, energy and security."

Kerry, who opposed the Cape Wind project off breezy Cape Cod because a wind farm capturing energy from ocean breezes might spoil his view, went ballistic. In a thinly veiled reference to Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" skit, he repeated the warm-monger mantra that the "global climate change crisis threatens our economy and national security in profound ways" and that "Gov. Palin need look no further than the view from her front porch in Alaska to see how destructive this crisis can be."

What Palin sees is a cap-and-tax plan that will result in a "dried-up energy sector" that even the sponsors of the Waxman-Markey bill anticipate, or they wouldn't have included a provision providing $4.2 billion over eight years for newly unemployed energy workers.

It's not just the energy sector that will be devastated. Palin notes that "even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan." We have cited an analysis of Waxman-Markey by the Heritage Foundation that found unemployment will increase by nearly 2 million in 2012, the first year of the program, and reach nearly 2.5 million in 2035. Total GDP loss by 2035 would be $9.4 trillion.

Kerry responded that Palin failed to mention that "jobs in our emerging clean energy economy grew nearly 2 1/2 times faster than overall jobs since 1998." That's easy when you start from almost zero. Note that 1998 is also the year the earth started cooling, with not a warmer year since. There's even been snow in Malibu.

From Palin's front porch, senator, she can see "the largest private-sector energy project in history" — her "3,000-mile natural gas pipeline (that) will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America."

From Palin's front porch you can also see the 2,000-acre part of ANWR's frozen tundra that contains 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil (such estimates often underestimate actual yields) and that could supply all the oil needs of Kerry's Massachusetts for 75 years.

And from her front porch, Palin can see the Chukchi Sea northwest of Alaska's landmass. Awaiting development there, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, are 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or 30% of the world's supply, and 83 billion barrels of oil, 4% of global conventional resources.

MoveOn.org began e-mailing members Tuesday, asking them to fund a rapid response ad blasting Palin's op-ed. Soros' group said Palin was positioning herself as the face of conservative opposition to Obama's energy policy, telling supporters her op-ed was "a marvel of misinformation and outright lies."

What really hurts is Palin's truth. Kerry and MoveOn.org say Sarah Palin must be stopped. We say, drill, baby, drill.

IBD has published many editorials that are supportive of Governor Palin's energy independence efforts and specifically, the natural gas pipeline, as well as her national security views. In fact, they've coined the term "the Palin way" when talking about achieving energy independence.

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin's OpEd on Cap n' Trade in the Washington Post

2009-07-14T10:10:00.010-04:00

Hi all:

Here ya' go, cap and trade in a nutshell in the fact-based opinion of Governor Palin. My comments:

As a writer and compulsive copy editor, let me say that I heart the proper usage of "affect" versus "effect" in paragraph 4. :)

I also love the use of the word "clobber" in paragraph 15 (or paragraph 3 from the end). I think that word choice hits the nail on the head of what a whack we'll receive if this appalling bill goes through.

And in the last paragraph, I'm amused by her claim that "yes, we can" achieve energy independence - just NOT with Obama's plan. Double :) :)

The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End

By Sarah Palin
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy. Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president's cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.

There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America's economy.

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

The Americans hit hardest will be those already struggling to make ends meet. As the president eloquently puts it, their electricity bills will "necessarily skyrocket." So much for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.

Even Warren Buffett, an ardent Obama supporter, admitted that under the cap-and-tax scheme, "poor people are going to pay a lot more for electricity."

We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.

In Alaska, we are progressing on the largest private-sector energy project in history. Our 3,000-mile natural gas pipeline will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America. We can safely drill for U.S. oil offshore and in a tiny, 2,000-acre corner of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if ever given the go-ahead by Washington bureaucrats.

Of course, Alaska is not the sole source of American energy. Many states have abundant coal, whose technology is continuously making it into a cleaner energy source. Westerners literally sit on mountains of oil and gas, and every state can consider the possibility of nuclear energy.

We have an important choice to make. Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama's plan will result in the latter.

For so many reasons, we can't afford to kill responsible domestic energy production or clobber every American consumer with higher prices.

Can America produce more of its own energy through strategic investments that protect the environment, revive our economy and secure our nation?

Yes, we can. Just not with Barack Obama's energy cap-and-tax plan.

The writer, a Republican, is governor of Alaska.

Here's the link to the story if you want to read other readers' comments.

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin Resigns - Partial Comments Roundup

2009-07-04T10:12:00.010-04:00

Hi all:

You've heard that Governor Palin is resigning. What do you think?

Consider these recent comments from people whose opinion I value:

Fred Malek (Republican DC mover and shaker, McCain's campaign finance guy):

# Sarah Palin took the high + courageous road, putting family, party, Alaska, + country ahead of all else. We'll hear much more from this star

# My blogged response to Vanity Fair, because I have seen myself how smart and serious Sarah Palin really is: http://bit.ly/1iMNkL

# Highly recommend @jimgeraghty's take on VF Sarah Palin hit piece: http://bit.ly/17Bw1n

Glenn Beck (radio and TV host, author):
* True about Palin dropping out and stepping down. GOOD. Get out of the system. Be a CREATIVE extremist as MLK said.

Mark R. Levin (Lawyer, radio host and author):
Palin is running for president, get used to it. (Audio below.)

Adam Brinkley (he of the Draft Sarah Palin for VP blog that is now archived in the Library of Congress):

Palin actually EXPANDED her Influence in Alaska Today

Are you ready to engage?

hrh

Governor Palin Speaks to the Troops at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo

2009-06-26T12:21:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

Here's a video bootlegged by a soldier of Governor Palin speaking to the troops in Kosovo on June 26, 2009:

BTW, I've also updated the Alaska Fund Trust Webathon logo to the right.

Engage!

hrh

The Alaska Fund Trust Webathon for Governor Palin

2009-06-23T08:54:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

It begins June 15. And continues through June 22. This post will stay at the top of my blog for the week. Scroll down for new videos and keep checking the graphic on the right for the progress of the fundraising.

Here's the full 3:30 video announcing the purpose of the Webathon:

Go ahead and check out C4P, it's a great resource with lots of info., witty posters and commentators (click "Comments" at the bottom of posts), and a creative, upbeat view of America.

If you are able to donate to the Alaska Fund Trust, remember to email C4P your donation amount so they can fill up the Alaska state graphic.

I also want to make you aware of www.FireDavidLetterman.com, which has over 5,500 signatures for their petition and are having a protest outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC Tuesday June 16 from 4:30 to 7:30 in protest of his continued vulgar comments about the Palin women.

Engage!

hrh

Alaska Fund Trust Webathon Day 7

2009-06-21T19:38:00.001-04:00

Hi all:

Day Seven arrives! I'm traveling so I've been a bit spotty on updates, but here's the Day Seven video, called "What Governor Palin Stands For:"

Donate if you can!

Engage!

hrh

Alaska Fund Trust Webathon Day 5

2009-06-19T08:01:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

We've crossed $100,000! That's pretty neat considering the maximum donation is $150, which means we need an awful lot of donors to reach this number.

If you consider that many legal defense funds have a max of $5,000 or $10,000, you'd need only 20 or 10 donors to get to $100K. But at $150 - whew!! And probably not everyone is even giving the max.

So thanks to the many grassroots supporters out there who are giving what they can!

Here's today's video, entitled "Arctic Cat:"

Donate if you can.

Engage!

hrh

Alaska Fund Trust Webathon Day 4

2009-06-18T08:47:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Here's today's video called "Ankle Biting," which details another ethics complaint:

Donate if you can.

Engage!

hrh

C4P Webathon for Gov Palin Day Three

2009-06-17T08:41:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Check out the banner on the left; we're making progress!

Here's today's video entitled "Nice Try":

It's about the ethics charge filed against her for her trip to Indiana for her speech at the Evansville Right to Life annual banquet.

Donate if you can to stop these tactics.

Engage!

hrh

C4P Webathon for Governor Palin's Legal Debts Day 2

2009-06-16T08:14:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

Check out the graphic to the right; we're at 11% with 6 days to go!

Here's the 36-second Day 2 video entitled "Food and a Hockey Stick:"

This refers to her speech at the Evansville, Indiana Right to Life annual banquet which I've posted here.

Unbelievable the pettiness of some people. But let's make sure they're not effective with this tactic. Donate if you can. And if you do, please email the C4P site so they can add your contribution to fill up the Alaska state graphic!

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin Webathon Fundraiser

2009-06-13T21:50:00.006-04:00

Hi all:

Check out this one-minute video about this week's Webathon:

Participate and donate if you can. Remember, the maximum donation is $150.

Let's make sure devious and underhanded tactics are never allowed to scare honest politicians from public service.

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Speaks for Autism Speaks!

2009-06-09T09:15:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

The day after her Auburn celebration of Alaska's purchase by William Seward, Governor Palin traveled to Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York with her sister Heather (great name :) ) and Heather's autistic 14-year-old son, Karcher, to do a charity walk with the group Autism Speaks!

Find more videos like this on Team Sarah

Word on the street is that she walked for a bit, as you can see in the video, but that the authorities actually asked her not to walk the whole 2-mile route because she would slow the procession down! As you can see, too many people wanted pix taken, etc., which would cause a logjam.

I believe 12,000 people walked and they raised $1.4 million.

Bonus video: Later that night Governor Palin was honored by the Independent Group Home Living organization at their annual fundraiser. The video is a bit scratchy, but well worth watching.

Find more videos like this on Team Sarah

"Second of two." Ha ha!

And notice no teleprompter. How could she ever be President? /sarcasm

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin in Central New York

2009-06-06T21:14:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

Governor Palin traveled to Auburn, New York, for their Founder's Day, which is celebrating Alaska's 50th anniversary of statehood, because Secretary of State William Seward from Auburn negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia. She participated in the parade, spoke at city hall, and again at a Seward House fundraiser.

More than 20,000 showed up on the parade route, 5x what they had expected. Here is the brief speech at City Hall:

The event at Seward House was sold out. Enjoy the great speech there:

This is Part 1 of the speech. At the conclusion the other parts should pop up, so you can click to continue. There are 5 parts total, the speech is about 25 minutes.

Visit Conservatives4Palin (C4P) for great pictures and local reports of the Palins' visit to Central New York. Thanks for all the good work, C4P!

Engage!

hrh

President Palin's First 100 Days

2009-05-15T10:50:00.009-04:00

Hi all:

Victor Davis Hanson (VDH) is a writer for National Review magazine, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, and a recipient of the 2007 Humanities Medal. Here's his column about President Palin's First 100 Days: (He's in green, I'm in black.):

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first 100 days of the Palin presidency, according to a consensus of media commentators, have proven a near disaster. Perhaps it was Palin’s scant two years’ experience in a major government position that has eroded her gravitas, or maybe it was her flirty reliance on looks and informal chit-chat. In any case, the press has had a field day, and it is hard to see how President Palin can ever recover from the Quayle/potatoe syndrome. Here is a roundup of this week’s pundit mockery.

He then goes on to divide up his commentary under headings, such as:

LET THEM EAT MOOSE
WASILLA CHIC
ANCHORAGE STYLE
etc.

Oh, I can't resist quoting more:

LET THEM EAT MOOSE
“Ted Stevens may have gotten off,” wrote Bob Herbert in the New York Times, “but he taught our Sarah something first — like using $100-a-pound beef for her state dinners. And what’s this $50 mil for her inauguration gala? Since when do you fly in your favorite pizza-maker from across the country on our dime? Or send the presidential 747 for a spin over the Big Apple for a third-of-a-million-dollar joyride? Does Palin think she’s still in Alaska and has to have everything flown in from the South 48 by jumbo jet?”

WASILLA CHIC
Also in the Times, Gail Collins weighed in on the already-tired yokelism of the new commander in chief. “What we’re getting is Wasilla chic. That’s what we’re getting. She arrives in the Oval Office, and first thing sends back Blair’s gift of the Churchill bust as if it’s a once-worn Penney’s outfit. Then she gives the Brits some unwatchable DVDs as a booby prize — as if she idled the old Yukon and ran into Target’s sale aisle. Did Sarah send Bristol into Wal-Mart back in Anchorage for that ‘engraved’ iPod for the queen? And what’s this don’t-bow-to-the-queen stuff, but curtsy for a Saudi sheik? Maybe that explains why she brags to Stephanopoulos about her ‘Muslim faith.’ So far, the best things going for her are Todd’s biceps.”

Do you get how this is going yet? [HINT: Todd's biceps = Michelle's upper arms.]

Isn't it rather BRILLIANT? OK, here's some more ...

IT'S THE MATH, STUPID!
“Well,” lectured Paul Krugman, again in the Times, “we were worried that they didn’t teach math at Idaho U., and now we know for sure they don’t. Is it $1.6 trillion, $1.7 trillion, or $2 trillion in red ink this year? Are we supposed to be impressed that she offers ‘fiscal sobriety’ by cutting 0.003 percent of the budget? She gives out money to those who don’t pay taxes and calls it a tax cut. And now Queen Sarah tells us that in four years she’ll ‘halve’ the deficit, as if she hasn’t borrowed another $5 trillion in the meantime. Does she think we’re morons? How many ‘Drill, baby, drill!’ oil wells can she tap into up there in Alaska to pay for the extra $11 trillion in debt she’s saddling us with?”

WORSE THAN 'NUCULAR'
ABC’s Katie Couric summed up the general disappointment with the president’s communication skills. “I tried to warn the American people in that interview a few years back what they would get if they voted for her. Let’s face it: She’s a walking embarrassment. I mean just count ’em up: The mayor of Wasilla thinks Austrians speak some lingo called ‘Austrian.’ Then she tries her hand at Spanish and comes up with some concoction, ‘Cinco de Cuatro.’ Next thing she’ll walk into the window of the Oval Office and expect it to open — oops, she’s already done that. No wonder that when her Teleprompter stalls, she shuts her mouth until it catches up. I’m surprised she managed to get sworn in. And did she think that tasteless ‘Special Olympics’ slur was funny? Or making fun of octogenarian Nancy Reagan’s séances? No wonder Wanda Sykes feels at home.”

Actually, it's rather frightening when seen all together, isn't it?

What President Obama has done in just over 100 days?

And how the media is carrying his water for him?

Incidentally, apparently Ms. Couric was on David Letterman last night, speaking about the Walter Cronkite award she received last month specifically for her influence on the 2008 campaign with her Sarah Palin interview. [See how a filmmaker was handcuffed and arrested at the event for trying to hand out his "Media Malpractice" documentary about the 2008 media coverage.]

On Letterman's show, Ms. Couric actually said that she "took her out," meaning Sarah Palin's VP candidacy. Un. be. liev. able.

But more from VDH:

ANCHORAGE STYLE
A “dragon lady in heels” is what President Palin is, according to the NYT’s Frank Rich. “Don’t fall for this pageant nice-girl stuff. Our former beauty queen is a ward hack. Look at her nominations. Can’t Palin find anyone who has paid his taxes — or do they simply ignore that stuff in no-tax Alaska? Does ‘No more lobbyists’ mean ‘More lobbyists than ever’? Her chief performance overseer doesn’t perform too well herself — and, like Daschle, Geithner, and the rest, skips out on her taxes. When Palin brags about fiscal sobriety, it really means record deficits. In Sarahland, not wanting to take over banks and car companies translates into, ‘She already has.’ Highest ethical standards equates to ‘There are none.’ Calling herself the VA president means she’s just told vets to use their own health insurance.”

GUTTER TRASH
“Pretty crude, pretty petty,” Sally Quinn sighed in the Washington Post. “No manners at all. Does our new mom in chief think it’s neat to laugh when her court jester at the correspondents’ dinner calls Michael Moore a traitor and a terrorist — and hopes he dies of kidney failure? Is that funny? Ask those on dialysis. Is that what Alaskan hockey moms do — scream out at every talk-show host who hurts their itty-bitty feelings? Limbaugh, Hannity — who will it will be next? Poor old Jim Cramer?”

Wow. The weight of our current President's incompetence and petty thuggery is becoming overbearing, isn't it?

NEOCON CON
“She’s a Bush clone,” the Times’s Maureen Dowd chimed in. “Bush is out, Palin is in — but we keep getting renditions, military tribunals, wiretaps, e-mail intercepts, Predator drone executions over Pakistan, the same in Iraq, and even more of the same in Afghanistan — all retrofitted with new ‘hope and change’ banalities. I mean, who’s putting Mommy Dearest up to this — Wolfie, Perlie, Cheney?”

TINGLE FOR HUGO?
“There is no foreign policy,” Chris Matthews said on Hardball, his voice dripping with scorn. “She just tours the world and nods, as if her good looks and serial apologies are going to win us a collective tingle abroad. I don’t think Hugo Chávez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad care much that she’s got great legs and a nice wink. How many times can Ms. Vapid say, ‘We’re sorry’ and ‘Hit that old reset button’ and expect thugs to make nice?”

Mr. Chavez recently succeeded in having himself elected as president for life. Excuse me, but that's not a president; if the people can not ever vote him out of office, then he is a dictator, straight up.

Meanwhile back in the United States, you need to know that a Democrat Representative is trying to reissue a bill revoking the 22nd Amendment: presidential term limits.

Oh, and another note on our current President and dictators. VDH doesn't mention Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, but our leader sat through almost an hour of anti-American ranting from Ortega last month without seeming to flinch. My take on that is that Mr. Obama felt like he was at Sunday-go-to-meetin', since he listened to this kind of diatribe from Jeremiah Wright for 20 years without flinching.

VDH concludes:

RACE, ALL THE TIME
Eugene Robinson worried in the Washington Post about Palin’s emphasis on race. “Look, she gets 95 percent of the working-class white vote. She promises next month to talk to the ‘Christian world’ from Estonia, of all places. Hello? She goes to the Summit of the Americas and immediately puts race on the table — as if we are supposed to separate those with European heritage from those without. Then she tells al Arabiyya that she hopes to heal the rift with Europe ‘because of my own shared European heritage that seems to resonate in ways I hadn’t imagined throughout the EU.’ I guess we’re learning that those ‘gaffes’ last year on the campaign trail, like her ‘typical black person’ remark and Todd’s ‘I am finally proud of my country again’ nonsense were not gaffes at all.”

WHERE IS THE PRESS?
Howard Kurtz summed up the press cynicism the best in his Washington Post column. “How long does she think she can keep picking on her right-wing plants in the audience for these softball Q-and-A sessions? I mean, there are only so many pukey ‘What has surprised you the most about this office? What has enchanted you the most about serving in this office?’ questions you can lob.”

Bingo. I call President Obama's press conferences mini-speechathons. BTW, Fox was the only network not to carry the last press conference ... and they won the ratings. Will the other networks take a clue, operate as the businesses they are, and refuse to show another prime time press conference - or will they continue to carry the President's water?

Brilliant, brilliant stuff from VDH. I hope you made it all the way through this long blog.

I emailed Mr. Hanson my gratefulness for his fresh, funny, and prophetic piece.

Engage,
hrh

The Bear Vs. The Bore?

2009-05-03T15:34:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

Check out this old 1980 Reagan ad called "The Bear in the Woods."
Remember that Russia is identified with the bear.
This ad has been updated with a new twist:

And check out this old Romney ad from 2008:

Some bloggers have labeled this ad, "The Bore in the Woods."

You decide. The Bear or The Bore?

You have about three years to figure it out because Palin and Romney may be the Republican front runners in 2012 ...

This might help: Can you imagine Romney reclining on a grizzly bear hide that his father shot and gave to him as a gift? BTW, that's Palin's governor's office.

Engage,
hrh

Governor Palin's Speech in Indiana on April 16, 2009

2009-04-17T14:05:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

I invite you to watch this speech. IMHO, it's even better than the RNC speech on September 4, 2008. Why? Because it's all Sarah. She wrote it. She owns it. It's personal, it's funny, it's honest, it's gutwrenching, it's prescient about the state of the country.

Watch the whole thing for an Alaskan geography lesson, including that the biggest earthquake in North America happened in Alaska the year she was born 196 ..., at which point she stares at the microphone and taps it, "is this thing on?" It was pretty hilarious, you have to see it. :) (HINT: It's in Part Two.)

You'll also hear her views on the stimulus, our indebtedness to China, missile defense, North Korea, and, of course, abortion, since this was a prolife event.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

Part Five:

I was particularly moved by Part Six when she goes into great detail about Trig's arrival and her struggles dealing with the news. When she chokes up, I choke up. Here it is if you don't have time to watch the whole speech (about 35 minutes):

Part Seven:

Really Great Stuff.

See if you don't like it even better than the RNC speech.

Engage,
hrh

Schoolhouse Rock - No More Kings (even ones named Obama)

2009-04-03T14:06:00.008-04:00

Hi all:

Here's both a blast from the past and a timely reminder for what America is all about. Let's stand up for our rights again. Get thee to a Tea Party.

As the video says:

"Back in England, he [the king] didn't give them any voice. That's called 'taxation without representation' and that's not fair. But when the colonies complained, the king said 'I don't care.'" Sound familiar? Like our current President and Congress?

"They wanted no more Mother England. They knew the time had come for them to take command." That's what the Tea Parties are all about. We the people want our representation back!

"It's very clear you're being unfair, King [Obama] ... Gonna hold a revolution now, King [Obama], and we're gonna' run it all our way, King [Obama]."

[Everybody sing along!] "With No More Kinnnggggng [Obama]."

"We're gonna' elect a President."

[Join in now.] "No More King!"

"He's [or she's] gonna' do what the people want."

[Come in now, chorus.] "No More King!"

"We're gonna' run things our way."

[Really get into it now.] "No More King!"

"He's not gonna' tell us what to do."

[All together now!] "No more king!"

[And the Big Finale!] "Looks like it's going to be A FREE COUNTRY! Yayyyyyyyyy!"

I hope this song runs through your head all day. [Evil chuckle.]

And just to stop yourself from singing it you get thee to your local Tea Party. I'm planning on going to the Norwich, CT one.

Engage,
hrh

Governor Palin Rejects Nonstimulus Money from the Feds

2009-03-20T14:33:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

Governor Palin has accepted federal stimulus money for stimulus capital projects, such as roads, bridges, and defense infrastructure. Here is her press conference announcing the types of projects and the ideology behind her decisions.

NOTE no teleprompter in sight and her quoting of Thomas Jefferson.

Here is the Governor's press release with more information and a link to Alaska's "Stimulus Plan Info" site.

Engage.

hrh

Governor Palin's Address to the Special Olympics

2009-03-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

Watch the taped message that Governor Palin recorded with Piper and Trig and sent to the Idaho Special Olympics for their Opening Ceremonies:

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin Urges President Obama to VETO the Stimulus Bill!

2009-02-17T09:42:00.005-05:00

Hi all:

Watch this 5-minute video for the interview:

Bonus videos

Bristol Palin talks about being a teenage mom:

Governor-Grandma Palin introduces Bristol's son, Tripp:

[E-mail subscribers need to go the the blog to see videos.]

Enjoy and engage!

hrh

P.S. According to Gretawire, Part 2 will be tonight. Although the FoxNews page for her show does not list any more ...

Sarah Palin book reviews at Title Trakk

2009-02-15T18:35:00.002-05:00

Hi all:

I have a new review up at Title Trakk of a few Sarah Palin biographies.

Here's how my review begins:

The interminable 2008 presidential election may have finally dragged to a stop on November 4, but the historic nature of having a minority on each ticket guarantees that the election will be talked about for years to come. To that end, it's a good time to review the best biography of the first female Republican nominee for vice president. Kaylene Johnson's Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned the Political Establishment Upside Down is currently the most worthwhile book to read about Governor Sarah Palin's career for two reasons:

1. It was written before the Governor was selected by Senator John McCain, so it's free of the breathless hype or hammering that often accompanies stories about the former VP nominee these days, and

2. Johnson is a fellow Alaskan, who lives outside of Palin's hometown of Wasilla, and so has seen the political rise of the former VP nominee firsthand. Unlike the several other authors who jumped on the publishing bandwagon and came out with Palin books, including the February 2009 release of Trailblazer by People Magazine's assistant editor Lorenzo Benet ...

You can read the rest of my review here, which includes two other Palin biographies that focus on her religious life and her battle with oil companies.

Engage!

hrh

Michael Steele, Governor Palin, and the Stimulus Package

2009-02-03T11:59:00.005-05:00

Hi all:

First of all, congratulations to Michael Steele for winning the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. He's fairly conservative and, perhaps most importantly, a good communicator with a strong media presence. That's important because really, who knew that the former head was Mike Duncan? Mike who?

Here's a good take from JP's blog. Click on his cool logo below to go to the post:

Second of all, if any of you have heard the Lamestream Media (as Laura Ingraham dubs it) report that Governor Palin supports the nonstimulus package and in fact, traveled to DC this weekend to lobby for it, let me give you the truth, since they - including even Fox News and Glenn Beck - aren't doing so.

Let's go straight to the source, shall we, and look at a statement Gov Palin issued on JANUARY 12. Click on the date to read the whole piece, but here's a clip:

“We also have to be mindful about the effect of the stimulus package on the national debt and the future economic health of the country. We won’t achieve long-term stability if we continue borrowing massive sums from foreign countries and remain dependent on foreign sources of oil and gas ...”

Regarding her trip to DC, here's a clip from the statement she released immediately upon her return Sunday February 1:

Governor Sarah Palin this weekend met with business, economic and political leaders in the nation’s capital to discuss problems she sees for Alaska with the pending economic stimulus package in Congress.

"Alaska and other states need to be treated fairly,” Governor Palin said. “Much of the stimulus plan we've seen focuses on spending for government programs that would be a burden on states to continue funding, and doesn't focus enough on spending that actually does put people back to work and stimulate the economy. Working with our D.C. staff, I took advantage of the opportunity to speak with Democrats and Republicans to voice my concerns. I appreciate their time and assistance in paying attention to our state ..."

The governor continues to express concerns first identified in a Jan. 7 letter to the Alaska congressional delegation about the overall level of spending and the hugely increased deficit our nation is growing. Under the legislation, the U.S. would continue sending money to OPEC nations even as it continues to borrow and miss opportunities to develop domestic supplies of energy ...

And here's a clip from a joint statement from the Gov and the leaders of the Alaskan state legislature to the Alaskan senators and representative in DC regarding the nonstimulus package dated February 2.

However, we are all in agreement that economic stimulus should generate new private sector jobs immediately on projects that truly benefit the nation and the state in the long term. But, we caution that unrestrained spending, initiating new programs that the states may be asked to continue after the federal stimulus money is gone, and borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars to pay for it may result in serious economic problems in the future ...

All italics are mine.

I'm doing my part to get the correct word out there on the Internet since more and more Americans are getting their news here. And no wonder, when the Lamestream media has no interest in reporting the Who, What, Where, When, and How, but instead in advancing their agenda.

Engage,

hrh

John Ziegler interviews Governor Sarah Palin 1/5/09

2009-01-07T19:48:00.012-05:00

Hi all:

Here's an excerpt from an interview John Ziegler - who put together the "How Obama Got Elected" documentary after the November election - did with Governor Palin on January 5 as part of his new documentary, "Media Malpractice."

The video excerpt is about 9 minutes long. About halfway through, the audio and video get out of sync, but it's still a great interview.

Pay particular attention to what Governor Palin says about Katie Couric!

And watch her reaction to a particularly nasty bit from one of Tina Fey's Saturday Night Live hit pieces ... :(

NOTE: E-mail subscribers may not see the embedded video in the e-mail. You'll need to click on the title of the entry to go my blog and watch it there.

Here's a photo of one of the producers of the video. Click on the photo for a bigger image, and go to her site on TeamSarah to read more about their visit and see a slideshow of the interview.

Engage!

hrh

CNN's "dark of night" apology to Governor Sarah Palin

2009-01-06T14:02:00.004-05:00

Hi all:

Here's an update from Greta Van Susteren's GretaWire blog. Note that Greta used to work for CNN before she came to Fox - and promptly beats CNN every year in the ratings for the 10 o'clock hour.

“CNN-GATE” - why not a PUBLIC apology? and why not equal in exposure to the unfair trashing?

by Greta Van Susteren

MORE ON CNN-GATE: (and, yes, I am having some light hearted fun calling it CNN-GATE…this IS Washington, DC!)

I just talked to a source who told me that CNN, from its Political Director, through a Wolf Blitzer producer Jill Chappell emailed a PRIVATE apology to the Governor of Alaska for putting her (unfairly trashing her) on the list with Senator John (”my wife is in cancer remission so I figured it was ok to cheat on her”), Governor Elliott (” has anyone seen my other black sock? the dryer again?”) and others….and then blasting the unfair trashing around the world ! The producer emailed that she did not know about the trashing and neither did Wolf nor the Political Director.

so now two questions:

1/ why didn’t CNN PUBLICLY apologize for this one? they sure unfairly trashed her publicly on that list….should not exposure of the apology equal the round the world exposure of the unfair trashing? That is what is done in court - you do what is necessary to make the person whole in the damage done to the person…and then it is over.

2/ a producer? why did she get stuck doing the dirty work on this one? why didn’t someone higher up the corporate food chain send the message of apology if CNN really means it? the job stature of the person making the apology can mean much. This IS the Governor of the largest state…a former candidate for VP….and the trashing went world wide and was really lousy….

(and yes, mistakes can be made….but how you respond to your mistakes says much about the person or the news organization.)

Engage!

hrh

Keeping CNN honest regarding Governor Sarah Palin

2009-01-06T10:19:00.004-05:00

Hi all:

You may be familiar with CNN's tagline "keeping them honest," which their reporters like to say over and over again. But somebody needs to keep CNN honest - particularly in regards to Governor Sarah Palin.

First we had Drew Griffin's interview with the VP candidate during the election in which he misquoted another reporter who had written that after reading some commentators, a voter wouldn't know whether Palin was corrupt, evil, incompetent, or worse.

Griffin asked Palin what she thought about the writer who said she was corrupt, evil, incompetent, or worse. She asked Griffin who had written it, and he flubbed some nonanswer, so she said she'd like to meet that person to talk with them.

Griffin later apologized to the original writer for misquoting him. And apparently when CNN reran the interview they cut that question out.

But they never came on-air to admit their mistake. And no one apologized to the Governor herself.

And now, two months after the election, CNN is still dishonest. And still making some corrections, literally in the dark of night, with no public acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

I'm copying the Newsbusters article in its entirety below. BTW, I recommend checking Newsbusters.org every day to keep on top of the blatant bias in ALL of the mainstream media ...

Published on NewsBusters.org (http://newsbusters.org)

CNN Scrubs Palin from NewsBusters Covered Criminal Politicians Story

By Warner Todd Huston

Created 2009-01-06 02:23

As most of you know, I originally posted this story on Sunday under the headline CNN Places Sarah Palin With 2008's Criminals, Sex Addicts, and the Corrupt [1] here at NewsBusters. It raged all day Sunday in the Blogosphere and into the night among Palin fans and center right bloggers. Gretta Van Susteren [2] even posted about it on her FoxNews blog (It garnered 4 pages of comments there, too). A quick Google of the title of my NewsBusters piece gives several pages of hits all across the web. FreeRepublic, Lucianne.com, dozens of blogs and message boards took CNN to task for their outrageous inclusion of Sarah Palin's name among the year's worst criminal politicians.

Well by the time Monday morning arrived, CNN quietly and without explanation or apology erased Sarah Palin from the article I describe earlier.

So, it appears that CNN has thought better of including Governor Sarah Palin's name among the other criminal politicians of 2008. They quietly and without explanation removed her from their slide show. We have a small victory for holding the Old Media accountable here, I suppose, but it is awfully interesting that CNN just rewrote history without explanation. Don't you think?

Josh Painter of RedState [3] also wrote of this scrubbing:

An outcry immediately went up from the Sarah Palin blogging community, and other conservative bloggers quickly followed suit... Now, without posting an apology, retraction or even a single word of explanation, Sarah Palin’s name has been completely removed from the piece as it now appears on CNN’s website. Such “scrubbing” is a familiar tactic employed by the left, as they take their cue from the Communist Party style book. The damage has already been done, so a retraction wouldn’t mean much, except to demonstrate that CNN has at least a modicum of journalistic integrity left... Apparently it does not.

I can't say I disagree with a word Josh wrote there!

Not liking, even hating Palin -- like a choice few here at NB do -- is one thing. But it is simply illegitimate to place her among the criminals that CNN grouped her with. It is just beyond that pale plain and simple. Even CNN finally came to realize that.

So, what say you NewsBusters readers? A victory, or even more proof of bias and underhandedness from CNN?

Source URL:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/01/06/cnn-scrubs-palin-newsbusters-covered-criminal-politicians-story

Links:
[1] http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/01/04/cnn-places-sarah-palin-2008s-criminals-sex-addicts-corrupt

[2] http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2009/01/04/what-is-with-cnn-keeping-them-cnn-honest-guess-what-cnn-did-cnn-put-gov-sarah-palin-in-same-category-as-john-edwards-elliott-spitzer-gov-blago-and-more/#comment-3685528

[3] http://www.redstate.com/josh_painter/2009/01/05/cnn-quietly-scrubs-palins-name-from-article/

Sarah Palin's Faith, Part 4

2009-01-02T11:14:00.006-05:00

Hi all:

Here's the final part of Julian Lukins' cover story "The Faith of Sarah Palin" in the January 2009 Charisma Magazine:

A Bright Future

Palin certainly needed prayer warriors during the grueling months leading up to Election Day. She was vilified by angry abortion activists (one blogger wrote that Palin's son Trig probably wished he had been aborted), and voters criticized her for using GOP funds to buy a $150,000 campaign wardrobe.

She was also torpedoed by journalists. The New York Times admitted after the election that a report of Palin's alleged ignorance of African geography was traced to a policy adviser who does not exist.

Many voters turned against Palin because of her pro-life stance, her eagerness to drill for Alaskan oil or her embarrassing interview in September with Katie Couric of CBS. Some evangelical leaders also opposed her, including theologian John Piper—who chastised Palin because he believed she neglected her domestic role.

The question in the minds of millions today is obvious: Where is Palin's political career headed? For now she will remain Alaska's governor, but her name has been floated as a possible GOP nominee for president in 2012. She had considered running in a special election to replace U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska—who was convicted of ethics violations—but he was defeated by his Democratic opponent.

Biographer Joe Hilley says Palin's faith is intertwined with every aspect of her life—so her faith will determine her future.

"[Palin's] commitment to Christ forms the core of what I refer to as her moral center," says Hilley, author of Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader (Zondervan). "Around that core are three basic beliefs: the authority of Scripture, a clear sense of justice and an unavoidable ethic of personal responsibility."

Hilley told Charisma that Palin's relationship with Jesus is an integral part of who she is. "One could not adequately define her commitment to Christ without including family and politics, nor could one define her political life without including her relationship to God," he says.

Moreover, some black and Hispanic Charismatic leaders say Palin's passionate faith appeals to minorities in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.

"It's huge," says Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of the 3,000-member Hope Christian Church near Washington, D.C. "[Palin's rise] marks the fact that Charismatics have become mainstream." And even though McCain lost the election, Palin's candidacy was "a watershed moment for our movement," Jackson adds.

California-based Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, told Charisma: "Hispanic Pentecostals are excited about Palin. ... She resonates with us. She understands what it is to have a Charismatic experience."

Describing Palin as a "kindred spirit," Rodriguez says many Hispanics identified with the news that Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant. "We understood her journey," Rodriguez says. "We identify with what she's going through."

Palin herself told journalists after the election that she's looking for divine direction. In an interview with Larry King on CNN in November, she said her life is in God's hands.

"If He's got open doors for me that I believe are in our state's best interest, the nation's best interest, I'm going to go through those doors."

Certainly, those who know Palin best believe she has the resolve—and the faith—to go as far as God ordains.

Julian Lukins is a writer based in Sequim, Washington, and a former daily newspaper reporter in the U.K.

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin's Faith, Part 3

2009-01-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

Hi all:

Here's Part 3 of Charisma Magazine's cover story on Sarah Palin in the January 2009 issue. The article is written by Julian Lukins.

A Modern-Day Esther?

Palin's sudden appearance on the national stage during the campaign excited many evangelicals who viewed her as a present-day Esther—hand-picked by God for "such a time as this." The comparison between Palin and Esther—the Old Testament queen chosen by God to save the Jews from genocide—was made by several church leaders interviewed by Charisma.

Prophetic minister Barbara Yoder, senior pastor of Shekinah Christian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says: "I believe this is a time of incredible breakthrough for women. I am simple enough to believe that we don't know everything about the way God moves and that [Palin] just might be an Esther."

Mark Arnold, a Charismatic pastor in Hamilton, Ohio, would have to agree. In fact, he felt the Holy Spirit had given him a message for Palin about being an Esther, but he had no idea how he would deliver it. His opportunity came at a McCain-Palin campaign stop in Ohio last September. Incredibly, Arnold found himself just feet away from Palin and McCain at the podium after being asked to escort a group of Boy Scouts to the front—even though he was not a Boy Scout leader.

What happened next was remarkable. "[Palin] was on her knees, hugging a lady who had lost her son in Iraq," Arnold told Charisma. "She spun around, looking right at me, and I told her: 'God wants me to tell you that you are a present-day Esther.' She began to cry and shake my hand in an affirming way. She said, 'Yes, I receive that. ... Please keep praying for me,'" says 47-year-old Arnold.

Barbara Wentroble, founder of International Breakthrough Ministries, describes Palin as "a picture of what God is doing with Christian women" as He calls them to positions of influence. "We need Christian women to make a bold stand for righteousness," she says.

Others point to Palin as a woman of prayer.

Mary Glazier heads an Alaska-based prayer ministry called Windwalkers International. Charisma caught up with her on her way to a prayer meeting in Anchorage, the purpose of which was to pray specifically for Palin. This is nothing new, according to Glazier. "We actually began to pray for [Palin] before she became mayor of Wasilla," Glazier says. "We felt then that she was the one God had selected."

For several years, Glazier and other members of Windwalkers have prayed for Palin regularly—first when she was the mayor, then when she was the governor of Alaska, and when she was a vice presidential candidate. Last spring, Palin called Glazier and asked her to pray with her over the phone, and they met at the governor's prayer breakfast.

"She asked me to pray with her for wisdom and direction," Glazier recalls. "I sensed a real heart of surrender to the will of God in her. God often chooses the least likely people to be at the forefront, and I do believe that God has equipped [Palin] for this hour."

Glazier told Charisma that members of Windwalkers had received words of knowledge about Palin being "called to impact the nation." At that point, they had no idea she would be running for the office of vice president of the United States.

Palin's public prayer life in the Pentecostal arena caused a stir when a video surfaced that showed her being prayed over by a Kenyan bishop. In the video, Bishop Thomas Muthee is seen laying hands on Palin in 2004 and asking God to protect her from "every form of witchcraft." Liberal commentators and bloggers described the video as "terrifying" and claimed it made Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's controversial ex-pastor, appear "pretty mainstream" in comparison.

The episode reinforced the fact that Palin's faith, and Pentecostalism especially, is at best misunderstood and at worst deliberately ridiculed by a large segment of the media.

Part 4 tomorrow ...

Engage!

hrh

Sarah Palin's Faith, Part 2

2008-12-31T18:14:00.002-05:00

Hi all:

Here's Part 2 of "The Faith of Sarah Palin" by Julian Lukins in Charisma Magazine.

Pentecostal Underpinnings

Within hours of Palin's nomination as the Republican vice presidential candidate, the video of her 10-minute address at Wasilla AG was doing the rounds on the Internet. News reporters immediately picked up on Palin's plea to pray for those serving in the military: "Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," Palin told the congregation. "That's what we have to make sure we are praying for, that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan."

Suddenly, in the media frenzy that followed her nomination, every church Palin had attended came under scrutiny. Eager to unearth controversy, reporters probed into the Charismatic practices at Wasilla AG, especially the experience of speaking in tongues, which commentators often presented as bizarre.

"I don't know if [Palin] has ever spoken in tongues," Riley told Charisma. "I know she is a very strong Christian."

In the video, Palin quips about the Charismatic-style worship she experienced at Wasilla AG. She tells the congregation that she jokingly reassured the pastor of another church: "I grew up at Wasilla Assembly of God. ... Nothing freaks me out about [your] worship service!"

Following the vice-presidential nod, though, the McCain campaign seemed perplexed by the media attention directed at Palin's Pentecostal roots. Campaign staff told reporters that Palin—who stopped attending Wasilla AG in 2002—did not consider herself to be a Pentecostal.

In fact, since 2002, Palin has attended several different churches—nondenominational evangelical and Charismatic—in Wasilla and in Juneau, her base as Alaska governor. Most recently, when at home, she has attended Wasilla Bible Church, a nondenominational evangelical congregation with an emphasis on the Word, prayer and—according to the church Web site—fostering a close relationship with God.

How deep do Palin's Pentecostal convictions go?

"I think it's important to recognize how [Palin] herself answers questions like this," says Michael Leahy, author of What Does Sarah Palin Believe? (Harpeth River Press). "She is pretty clear in stating that she does not belong to any particular denomination but is a Bible-believing Christian. I don't think there is any evidence that she places the same emphasis on the Charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit that some members of the Pentecostal tradition do. On these matters, [Palin] is very private in her thoughts."

Former pastor Riley has no doubt about the authenticity of her spiritual walk. Asked if he feels God's hand is upon Palin's life, Riley responds: "Yes, I very definitely do."

Other church leaders in Alaska who know Palin or have known her in the past attest to the genuineness of her faith.

Ted Boatsman was a youth pastor at Wasilla AG 31 years ago and remembers Palin as a young teenager in the church. "It was a very active youth group, and she was with the junior high," he recalls. "I remember this very nice, impressive young lady ... one you just enjoyed being around. She had a grounded sense of God."

That "grounded" faith continues today, Boatsman says, as is evidenced by her words and actions. Boatsman, who went on to become district superintendent for the Assemblies of God in Alaska, told Charisma that last April Gov. Palin attended the denominational banquet.

"She shared a little bit about her faith and some of the issues she was going through," he recalls. "We were thrilled to be able to pray with her. She seemed very comfortable with that and she said, 'I could always use your prayers.' I asked the Lord to protect her and keep His hand upon her."

Boatsman says Palin's faith is real. "Her faith is very consistent, and she does not go off on tangents," he says. "She has taken her honesty and lack of arrogance and turned them into real strengths. She's the same person now as when she was Wasilla's mayor. She treats people just the same ... and she is completely comfortable around prayer."

David Pepper, pastor of the 1,500-member Church on the Rock in Wasilla, told Charisma that Palin was a regular attendee at the Charismatic church in 2005, before she ran for the position of Alaska's governor.

"My take is that she is a Spirit-filled believer," 41-year-old Pepper says. "She was very comfortable in the environment of our church." That environment, Pepper explains, sometimes involves dancing before the Lord and other Charismatic expressions of worship. "She still comes here occasionally," he added.

Pepper grew up in Wasilla and remembers Palin as a senior in high school when he was a freshman. "I'd say she is very genuine, very authentic, and her values resonate with so many of us," he says.

Pepper told Charisma that although Palin did not teach a Sunday School class or lead a Bible study, he believed she was involved in ministry "beyond being just an attender," although he did not elaborate.

"I believe there is definitely a sense of destiny over her life," Pepper says of Palin. Taking a line from the biblical story of Esther, Pepper adds: "There's a sense that she is here for such a time as this."

Part 3 tomorrow ...

Engage!
hrh

Sarah Palin's Faith in "Charisma Magazine" Part 1

2008-12-30T21:13:00.010-05:00

Hi all:

The January 2009 cover of Charisma Magazine asks "What's Next for Sarah Palin?" The article is called "The Faith of Sarah Palin" and is written by Julian Lukins. Since I think the faith of politicians is an important factor to consider for where they look for wisdom and how they go about making decisions, I'm going to copy the article here. All credit goes to Charisma and the writer, Julian Lukins.

Keep in mind that Charisma is a pentecostal magazine so by editorial bent this article emphasizes Palin's pentecostal background. It's also important to note that Palin's mother was a practicing Catholic when Sarah was born and had her baptized in a Catholic church as an infant. And for the last several years, Palin seems to have become more nondenominational, attending Wasilla Bible Church fairly regularly when governing from Anchorage and Juneau Christian Center when in the capitol city of Juneau.

It also seems a good time to note that the very same Wasilla Bible Church was the victim of arson a couple of weeks ago. For which Palin apologized if the fire was in any way related to her notoriety during the presidential campaign. Here's a video on the situation:

But I digress ... Charisma's article is pretty long, so I'm going to divide it into 4 parts. Here's Part 1:

SARAH PALIN WAS A LITTLE GIRL HOLDING on to her mom's hand when she first attended Wasilla Assembly of God (AG) Church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. The church's founding pastor, Paul Riley, remembers the pigtailed second-grader—then Sarah Heath—coming with her mom, Sally. They established a pattern of faithful attendance that continued through Sarah's childhood and teenage years.

Every week, Riley recalls, Sarah attended Missionettes, the church's program for girls. During those formative years, Sarah learned about the Pentecostal tradition, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, divine healing and the importance of living out her faith in the world.

By the age of 12, Sarah showed depth in her personal faith, Riley told Charisma. "She began to have a strong desire for the Lord," he says.

One summer's day in 1976, 12-year-old Sarah waded into the chilly waters of Beaver Lake, a popular location for church camps. She had committed her life to Jesus and wanted to be baptized along with her mom and sister. Riley immersed Sarah in the lake, baptizing her in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. "I wish I could remember more about that moment," reminisces the retired pastor, now 78. "I know that she loved the Lord with all her heart."

At that moment, though, no one, including Riley, had any inkling of what the future held for the small-town Alaskan girl.

After her baptism, Sarah continued to attend Wasilla AG, growing in her faith and singing in the choir, Riley recalls. "I know that she did receive an experience of the Holy Spirit," he told Charisma, "and that she received a calling on her life." That spiritual turning point came when Sarah's youth pastor told her: "You are called by God for a purpose." Years later, Palin confided that the pastor's words were etched on her mind.

Last June, Palin spoke fondly of her years growing up in Wasilla AG when she appeared at a ceremony for graduating ministry students. "It was so cool growing up in this church and getting saved here, getting baptized by Pastor Riley ... my whole family getting baptized," she told the congregation, just two months before her vice presidential nomination.

Speaking to the ministry graduates, 44-year-old Palin said: "Just be amazed ... the umbrella of this church here, where God is going to send you from this church. Believe me, I know what I am saying, where God has sent me from underneath the umbrella of this church."

As she continued, Palin spoke of a "spirit of prophecy ... a spirit of revelation" that would "bubble over." Then, she told the ministry students: "Thank you so much for dedicating your lives to Jesus Christ."

Part 2 tomorrow ...

Engage!

hrh

Second Most Admired Woman in America? Governor Sarah Palin

2008-12-27T16:52:00.008-05:00

Hi all:

In this year's annual USA Today/Gallup poll of Most Admired Woman in America, Governor Sarah Palin - in her first year in the poll - soared to second place, ahead of perennial second place winner, Oprah Winfrey. According to the article:

Palin, McCain's 2008 vice presidential pick and the first woman ever to run on a Republican presidential ticket, makes a strong second place debut, named by 11% of Americans. Her entrance on the list crowds Oprah Winfrey out of second place, a position she held each year from 2002 through 2007.

And if you're still looking for a 2009 wall calendar, why not get the #1 office item on Amazon.com?

Created by Governor Palin's longtime friend and her Deputy Mayor of Wasilla, Judy Patrick, this calendar has big day squares to keep track of all your appointments. It contains three or four photos per month of the Palins from Sarah's mayoral days to her "welcome home" in September 2008 when, as the new VP candidate, she returned to Alaska to execute her commander-in-chief duties as commander of the permanently deployed Alaska National Guard, to see the Alaska Stryker Brigade off to Iraq.

Patrick is a professional photographer, and you can see more of her shots of the Alaska energy industry in Sarah Takes on Big Oil, which I reviewed here a couple of weeks ago ...

Engage,

hrh

Freedom's Defense Fund Thanks Sarah Palin

2008-12-19T10:57:00.007-05:00

Hi all:

Another national organization supports Governor Palin's conservatism:

Freedom's Defense Fund Launches Thank You Sarah Palin Campaign

Cable buys in New Hampshire, Iowa and Alaska make this the first campaign to rebuild a conservative majority in America.

Washington, DC – The Freedom's Defense Fund launched an on-going campaign to stand with principled political leaders to rebuild a mainstream conservative movement across America. The current effort includes ads in New Hampshire, Iowa and Alaska that thank governor Sarah Palin for her service to our country and the conservative principles that make America the greatest country in the world.

"Sarah Palin has demonstrated a commitment to traditional values, capitalism and supporting the troops that defend our freedom," said Todd Zirkle, executive director of the Freedom's Defense Fund. "This ad campaign and the virtual thank you card on our website are to recognize that Sarah Palin is a leader in the conservative movement and embraces the political values central to our American way of life."

To view the ad and sign the virtual thank you card, visit www.freedomsdefensefund.org.

"We focus on New Hampshire and Iowa as they will play a critical role in selecting the next leader of the conservative movement during the 2012 primary process," continued Zirkle. "We will expand the campaign to other states and focus on other conservative allies as circumstances dictate and our donors permit."

FDF is a political action committee (PAC). We are dedicated to the principles of limited government as the Founders understood them. We stand with conservative, pro-freedom candidates against the radical left and their elitist allies in Washington. FDF was established in 2004 and has over 20,000 supporters nationwide. We ran more than 10,000 ads in the past four months, the most well-known focusing on Barack Obama and the company he keeps.

Click on the image below to go directly to the video:

Engage!

hrh

Obama's Unpaid Bills ...

2008-12-12T21:38:00.005-05:00

Hi all:

I read that the Obama campaign is pondering what to do with the $30 million they have left from their campaign. Perhaps pay their outstanding bills?*

If he's unwilling to do that, how about giving the $30 million to the auto companies and save the taxpayers some $$$? ...

*Here's the story from Akron.com:

By Pam Lifke

The Obama for America campaign’s Nov. 3 rally at Copley High School, which brought then-vice presidential candidate Joe Biden to the area, cost Copley Township approximately $12,000 in police, fire and service department fees.

Photo: Ken Crisafi

COPLEY — Copley Township Fiscal Officer Janice Marshall is looking for a little something extra in the township’s Christmas stocking this year — about $12,000 from the Obama for America campaign.

Vice President-Elect Joe Biden made a last-minute campaign stop Nov. 3 at Copley High School. With only a day to prepare, the local police, fire and service departments racked up $12,375 in labor and material costs for security and other duties, such as traffic control, Marshall said. She sent an invoice for that amount to the campaign Nov. 26.

According to district Treasurer John Wheadon, Obama for America campaign officials contacted Copley-Fairlawn City Schools Business Manager Steve Robinson the evening of Nov. 1, about a day-and-a-half before the rally. He and Wheadon negotiated with campaign officials that night and signed a $3,000 contract for the use of the high school facility. The district’s invoice was paid this month.

U.S. Secret Service personnel contacted Copley Police Chief Michael Mier for assistance with security. Between his own personnel and members of the Metro SWAT unit, Mier provided 60 officers for crowd control and security. The Secret Service provided another 10 agents, Mier told Copley Township trustees at a recent meeting.

Marshall said she decided to try to bill the campaign after reading a news story about the city of Cleveland billing a political campaign for $55,000 it incurred for a rally.

On a scale of 1-10, Marshall said she thought the township’s chances of being reimbursed for its expenses were about a 5.

“It’s not impossible, particularly since we have some names of campaign people,” she said.

Marshall said U.S. Rep Betty Sutton’s (D-District 13) aides had been very helpful by providing names of contacts within the Obama for America Campaign.

Marshall said campaign officials did not contact any of the township trustees prior to scheduling the rally, so there was no opportunity to negotiate a contract. She said she thought township officials should have been contacted, but the timeframe was so short there was no time for approvals.

“You get a call and you respond,” she said.

By contrast, the John McCain-Sarah Palin presidential campaign gave Green Local Schools a little more time and a lot more money for its political rally Oct. 22 at Green Memorial Stadium. Superintendent Wade Lucas said the campaign contacted district officials a week before the rally to let them know the site was being considered. After the Green facility was selected, negotiations began, and the district settled on $18,000 in rental for four days. The district received a check for $21,462 Oct. 30, Lucas said. The payment included about $3,000 to cover minor damages to the facility, Lucas said.

City of Green Finance Director Larry Rush said he did not expect the city to have incurred any additional expenses for security during the rally. Green contracts with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office for its police services, and security for the rally should be covered under the contract, he said ...

And now Obama's in charge of the country ... Wonder who's going to pay the bills now?

Engage,
hrh

"Sarah Takes On Big Oil" by Kay Cashman and Kristen Nelson

2008-12-09T08:55:00.004-05:00

Hi all:

Published in October 2008 in the middle of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, Sarah Takes on Big Oil should have gotten more press coverage, because it is a no-nonsense reportorial account of the state of Alaska versus the Big Three oil companies regarding tapping into the hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of natural gas that are available in Alaska. It focuses in particular on the success of the Sarah Palin administration to pass three important pieces of legislation to move the natural gas pipeline project forward.

Certainly, this story, if given proper play in the media - or any play at all - would have gone a long way towards stifling the notion that this woman is dumb and uninformed.

I use the word reportorial with great purpose here, because Kay Cashman is the publisher and executive editor of "Petroleum News", and Kristen Nelson is the editor in chief of this weekly newspaper that covers the energy industry in Alaska. As such, you know you are getting the facts. Occasionally, however, those facts can bog down the general interest reader with so many details that it becomes a bit dry to those of us not up on the minutiae of the energy industry.

Nevertheless, Cashman and Nelson do provide helpful graphs and sidebars to define some of the terms and numbers. They also include head shots of all of the key players, which serves to differentiate and humanize what would otherwise be a parade of faceless names that would be hard to keep track of. There is also a center spread of beautiful photographs by Judy Patrick along with a helpful map of Alaska's oil and gas fields.

Sarah Takes on Big Oil is comprised largely of a collection of the stories "Petroleum News" has published over the last three or four years and indeed, some articles are lifted verbatim at the ends of chapters with links to the website to get the longer story. But the basic outline of the quest for a pipeline to take natural gas from Alaska down through Canada to "the lower 48" is told here with all its political drama intact.

Cashman and Nelson choose to begin the story before Palin's election to give the reader the context of Palin's gubernatorial run against the incumbent Republican, Frank Murkowski, and his behind-closed-doors negotiations with the Big Three for a pipeline. Negotiations in which he basically gave away the store for Alaskans, surrendering Alaskan's right to tax and receive a profit percentage on their natural resources for up to 45 years!

Alaska's situation is somewhat unique in that according to their Constitution, all Alaskans own their natural resources so they lease their lands to private operators to develop, and then they all receive a cut of the profits. The state's role is to negotiate the leases on behalf of all Alaskans and get a deal that benefits them while still being profitable to the Big Three.

Murkowski's deal - called the Stranded Gas Development Act, because he determined that getting the gas would not be a profitable business enterprise - failed miserably on that front and he knew it! According to the reports in this book, he even wanted the legislature to pass his bill without seeing it!

Palin ran her campaign on changing the negotiation process to be open, transparent, and competitive. As such, she beat the incumbent Republican in the primaries in a landslide (click for 5-min video story of primary). And then went on to win the governorship against a former Democratic governor and a strong independent candidate.

Once in office she followed through on her promise to change the process and in less than 2 years her administration passed:

AGIA - the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, which outlined Alaska's interests that need to be met by any company applying for the gas pipeline project, and ensuring a negotiation process open to the public
ACES - Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share, which raised Alaska's share of energy profits by raising the tax rate on energy company profits
TransCanada license - approved to be the independent company to build the Alaska pipeline and connect it to the already existing pipeline in Canada

Number 3 passed the legislature August 1, less than a month before Palin was picked by Senator John McCain to be his vice presidential nominee. The lease signing ceremony was just held on December 5 in Fairbanks, AK (click for 5-min video of ceremony).

I recommend Sarah Takes On Big Oil for those interested in the whole story that the media did not tell you. As a bonus, the publishers are offering a FREE 2-year online subscription to "Petroleum News" for readers to keep up with the energy independence projects happening in Alaska that will benefit all of these United States. In addition, the authors promise Chapter 12 to be published online on December 30 to bring the story up to date.

Why is it important to keep up on these issues? Governor Palin has not ruled out running for higher national office in the future. But if she receives the same treatment by the media then as she did this time around, concerned voters need to already know the facts for themselves. Are you a concerned voter?

Engage,
hrh

Changing Blog and Sarah Palin Radio

2008-11-25T10:10:00.003-05:00

Hi all:

I know I've been MIA for a while, but I'm back with a different emphasis. I started this blog three years ago to be a central collection site for the reviews I write for various publications. And I'm leaving those reviews here.

But longtime readers noticed how I got caught up in this current election and began posting about it. Well, the election is over (actually not in Georgia or Minnesota, but I digress), and I'm pretty disappointed with the results. Instead of throwing my hands up, however, I'm taking the opposite tack and keeping informed and getting involved to make sure our country doesn't go the way I fear under the current powers in Washington. And to make sure it doesn't happen again in 4 years ...

The current president-elect essentially began his run for president with his speech at the 2004 Democrat National Convention. Seemed to work out well for him.

This year Sarah Palin gave her own landmark speech at the Republican National Convention and though she has made no commitments for four years from now, there are several groups organizing on her behalf. These groups are also advocating action now for conservative causes, such as helping Senator Saxby Chambliss retain his U.S. Senate seat in the run-off election in Georgia, in addition to encouraging Governor Palin to consider a 2012 run.

We can't skip being involved in the next 4 years - or our country may be so changed that it's beyond fixing. For example, rumors are swirling that the president-elect is considering removing term limits for the President ... Not to mention bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, otherwise known as government censorship, and signing the Freedom of Choice Act, which removes any and all restrictions on abortion, including parental consent, partial birth abortions, etc.

So anyhoo, this blog will have a bit of a different slant for the foreseeable future. I hope others feel compelled to get involved as well. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people can only be as good as the people who get involved!!

To that end, let me conclude this post with a new Internet radio station courtesy of wsradio called Sarah Palin Radio. They've got two 30-minute shows up now interviewing people who have started TeamSarah.org and DraftSarahforPresident.com, groups that have over 60,000 and over 100,000 members respectively so far - a population growth that has happend AFTER the current election.

At the Sarah Palin Radio page, you can add your e-mail to be notified of new broadcasts. And you can click the "Listen to Sarah Palin Radio 24/7" link to get to the current broadcasts.

Engage,
hrh

Sarah Palin speaks to Florida TV 10/6/08

2008-10-07T09:08:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

One of the frustrating things for me this election season is how much the talking heads and print journalists in the mainstream media (MSM) are telling us what to think. I realize I've been doing a lot of that in this blog - along with printing stories, such as Sarah Palin's radio interview last week - that let the candidates speak for themselves.

So I'm going to do more of letting the candidates speak for themselves here on my blog. Pointing readers to interviews so they can hear and judge for themselves rather than me telling people what to think. When I say candidates, I do mean primarily Sarah Palin, because I feel the Obama/Biden candidacy is given lots of play in the MSM ...

So here's a link to a local TV interview that Sarah Palin did with a Florida station on October 6 during her 2-day swing through that critical battleground. Click on the pic of Palin arriving in Jacksonville to get to the video interview.

It's about 8 minutes long. And watch to the end to hear what she thinks of Tina Fey's impressions!!

Engage!

hrh

My VP Debate Takeaways: Sarah Palin is ready to be Vice President, Barack Obama is not ready to be President

2008-10-03T09:51:00.006-04:00

Hi all:

Several people asked me ahead of time what I thought of the debates. I'll gather my thoughts here and refer everyone here. Please share your thoughts on the debate and/or my takeaways in the comments section. Thanks!

Here are comments I left at a couple of newspapers this morning. Click on the newspaper titles for links to the original articles and to read comments from other readers.

At the New London Day:

Posted - 10/3/2008 8:49:08 AM

Two things:
1) This debate was miles better than the 1st presidential. Both Palin and Biden seemed to be enjoying the exchange and each other. What I take from this is that Palin will work comfortably "across the aisle" in Washington. Check out the before and after debate exchanges between the candidates. Particularly afterwards when they stood for several minutes with Palin's daughter between them and had what looked like a meaningful exchange. So if McCain/Palin do go to Washington look for Palin to forge amicable ties with Biden immediately.

2) What was that Biden said about the role of the VP? And particularly him as VP? "I will be sitting right next to Obama in all top-level meetings giving him advice." "But Barack's the president, yes, he is," Biden immediately sought to reassure us. But if Obama's ready to be president, why does he need Biden sitting next to him at all top-level meetings giving advice? Talk about increasing the powers of the Vice Presidency!! Biden just about declared that he will be the Co-President! And yet he had to drop out of the primaries fairly early 'cause his own party doesn't want him to be president ...

Heather H
Ledyard, CT

At the Boston Globe:

A couple of points here:
1) Can all of you who keep chirping that Palin was preprogrammed, etc., please acknowledge that Biden spent the same amount of time prepping for the debate as Palin? That both candidates basically took this whole week off from campaigning to prep for the debate? Please acknowledge the whole story! And Biden's a 36-year Washington insider, why did he need all that prep time anyway?

2) And for those who comment on Palin's statements about the role of the VP, please again tell the whole story. What did Biden say about his role in particular as VP? "I will be sitting beside Obama in all top-level meetings giving him advice and counsel. But he's the president, yes, he would be the president," he felt compelled to immediately qualify. Huh? If Obama's qualified to be president, why does he need you sitting right next to him at all top-level meetings? Talk about increasing the powers of the Vice President!! Sounds to me like Biden is running to be Co-President!

by hrh40 October 03, 9:15 AM

Furthermore:

Just looking at the candidates on stage for 90 minutes, it was clear that Sarah Palin represents change. Joe Biden looks like the typical Washington politician and insider that he is. It will be VERY hard for him to go back to his haunts of 36 years and try to instigate change. Sarah Palin looks like nothing we've seen in the White House - but something it's about time we did - an accomplished, young, professional woman with new energy who can go to Washington as a new face and change things. Because her very presence there represents change.

Sarah Palin, by speaking with a different syntax and not giving the fawning respect to the media that politicians constantly do to woo their support - and therefore, good press - also proves she's about change. She will deal with the media on her own terms. Yes, she will speak with them but not will not let them control the conversation. GOVERNMENT LEADERS DO NOT WORK FOR THE MEDIA, THEY WORK FOR THE VOTERS. Sarah Palin understands that.

Sarah Palin "walked the walk" of bipartisan cooperation and respect in this debate. Several times she said she respected Biden and some of his stances, both against Obama and with McCain. Again I think the exchanges before and after the debate showed two people of opposite parties who could very well be working together in a few months - and who could work together very well. Give credit to both here. I took that away as a powerful image of the bipartisanship that Sarah Palin can bring to Washington.

Joe Biden is running for Co-President. He may "talk the talk" about the dangers of expanding VP powers, but the walk he presented in almost his next sentence was that he would be sitting (or is that babysitting) next to Obama at every top level meeting giving advice and counsel. So, as Joe said several months ago during the primary and doesn't seem to have really changed his mind about: BARACK OBAMA IS NOT READY TO BE PRESIDENT.

Anyhoo, those are some of my thoughts. What are yours?

Engage!

hrh

VP Candidate Sarah Palin's first radio interview

2008-09-30T20:40:00.006-04:00

Hi all:

Here's a partial transcript of VP candidate Sarah Palin's first radio interview:

Hugh Hewitt: Governor, your candidacy has ignited extreme hostility, even some hatred on the left and in some parts of the media. Are you surprised? And what do you attribute this reaction to?

Sarah Palin: I think they’re just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying, “You know what? It’s time that normal Joe six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency.” I think that that’s kind of taken some people off guard, and they’re out of sorts, and they’re ticked off about it, but it’s motivation for John McCain and I to work that much harder to make sure that our ticket is victorious, and we put government back on the side of the people of Joe six-pack like me, and we start doing those things that are expected of our government, and we get rid of corruption, and we commit to the reform that is not only desired, but is deserved by Americans.

Hewitt: Now governor, the Gibson and the Couric interview struck many as sort of pop quizzes designed to embarrass you as opposed to interviews. Do you share that opinion?

Palin: Well, I have a degree in journalism also, so it surprises me that so much has changed since I received my education in journalistic ethics all those years ago. But I’m not going to pick a fight with those who buy ink by the barrelful. I’m going to take those shots and those pop quizzes and just say, “That’s okay.” Those are good testing grounds. And they can continue on in that mode. That’s good. That makes somebody work even harder. It makes somebody be even clearer and more articulate in their positions. So really I don’t fight it. I invite it.

Hewitt: Have you followed the attacks on you, say, via Drudge or the blogs? Some of them are just made up and out of left field, others are just mocking. Do you follow those?

Palin: No, I sure don’t, and thank God I don’t have time to follow those. I think that those shots, too, though, no matter what we’re taking and receiving, it’s nothing compared to what real shots are against Americans in this world. Americans today who are worried about losing their home and figuring out how in the world they’re going to pay their fuel bill next month, and send their kid to college, and may be worried about losing a loved one that they’re sending off to a war zone to protect our rights. Those are the shots that Americans are taking, so all this political nonsense and the lies, the rhetoric that is spun out there about someone just trying to offer themselves up in the name of service to this great country, I’ll take it.

Hewitt: Governor, you mentioned the people who are struggling right now. Have you and your husband, Todd, ever faced tough economic times where you had to sit around a kitchen table and make tough choices?

Palin: Oh my goodness, yes, Hugh. I know what Americans are going through. Todd and I—heck, we’re going through that right now even as we speak, which may put me again kind of on the outs of those Washington elite who don’t like the idea of just an everyday working class American running for such an office. But yes, there’s been a lot of times that Todd and I have had to figure out how we were going to pay for health insurance. We’ve gone through periods of our life here with paying out of pocket for health coverage until Todd and I both landed a couple of good union jobs.

Early on in our marriage, we didn’t have health insurance, ...

Click here to hear the rest of the story on the Palins' health insurance as well as several other issues. And to find the link to listen online to the actual interview.

Engage,
hrh

2008 Election: John McCain - Sarah Palin

2008-09-26T08:55:00.008-04:00

Hi all:

For the next 5 weeks or so I'm going to - for the first time in the almost 4-year existence of this blog - actually get a bit political. I guess you could say I'm "suspending" my Friday cartoons until the November election. I feel that strongly about it this year.

There's so much to say, I'm not sure where to start. But since tonight's debate is supposed to be on foreign policy, let's go there.

If foreign policy is your litmus test, your priority item for your country's president, its commander in chief, then I present to you this list of the current candidates, in order of their foreign policy experience with #1 being the most and #4 being the least:

Senator John McCain, Presidential candidate for the Republicans, 22 years in the U.S. Navy, 26 years in Washington
Senator Joe Biden, Vice Presidential candidate for the Democrats, no military service, 36 years in Washington
Senator Barack Obama, Presidential candidate for the Democrats, no military service, almost 4 years in Washington
Governor Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential candidate for the Republicans, no military service, no years in Washington

Actually, I believe it's not unreasonable to place those last 2 positions as a tie regarding foreign policy experience.

Which means that the most experienced candidate in foreign policy is at the top of the Republican ticket and the third least - or even tied for least - experienced candidate in foreign policy is at the top of the Democratic ticket.

So if foreign policy experience is your priority for our next Commander in Chief, John McCain would be the logical pick.

That's all I'll say on that for right now. But I'll leave you with this story reprinted from today's New York Times. For copyright reasons, I probably can't reprint the whole thing ethically in this space so I'll link to the rest of the article at the end and urge you to click through to read the whole piece.

September 25, 2008, 7:02 pm

Palin’s Parents Helped With 9/11 Recovery Effort

By Katharine Q. Seelye

Gov. Sarah Palin visited ground zero today, and said that her parents had come to New York after 9/11 to help with the recovery effort.

Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, worked at Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island in January and February of 2002 as part of a federal Department of Agriculture program.

In a phone interview this evening, Mr. Heath said that he and his wife worked to keep sea gulls and rats from scavenging. Mr. Heath, who is a retired science teacher and is 70 now, and Mrs. Heath, 68, a retired secretary, have worked for the Agriculture Department for the last 15 years. They travel around the world dealing with “nuisance” animals like rats and bears.

“A lot of people just didn’t like the job, it was kind of a morbid thing,” he said of the work at the Staten Island landfill. “But I thought it was part of history.” He said they worked alongside detectives and firefighters and enjoyed “rubbing elbows” with them and hearing their stories.

While working at Fresh Kills, they stayed in Edison, N.J., about 17 miles away. Mr. Heath said that was the only part of their tour that they did not like, because the traffic was so heavy. “I’m a country boy,” he said.

Ms. Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, spent more than half an hour inside the Tribute W.T.C. Visitor Center, a non-profit museum dedicated to the personal histories of the victims, their families and the first responders. The museum had less than two hours’ notice that Ms. Palin was coming.

She also visited a nearby memorial to firefighters, viewed the pit at ground zero and spoke briefly with reporters, saying she agreed with the Bush administration’s policy of “taking the fight to the terrorists and stopping them over there.”

Ms. Palin toured the museum with Jennifer Adams, chief executive officer of Tribute W.T.C., and Lee Ielpi, president of the September 11th Families Association. Mr. Ielpi’s son Jonathan, a firefighter, was killed that day, and Ms. Adams had worked in Tower One as an investment banker.

During her tour, according who a reporter who accompanied Ms. Palin for part of the time, she listened to audio tapes of calls made from passengers aboard the planes.

“Oh my goodness,” she said, inhaling sharply.

Ms. Adams said in an interview later that Ms. Palin was “very down-to-earth.”

“We get a lot of people who come through here, but she took a lot of time, and she was genuinely moved,” Ms. Adams said. “She wanted to understand the history of what happened here. She asked where the families are today and we shared with her the importance of education. There’s not a state in the country that teaches 9/11 in the curriculum, and she thought that was important.”

At one point, Ms. Palin turned to Ms. Adams and said, “This is why we have to stay vigilant.” She said Ms. Palin seemed especially moved by a child’s series of drawings that showed the towers, a plane hitting them and the towers being rebuilt.

In the last of the museum’s five galleries, Ms. Palin came across a pre-planned book-signing event with Michael Daly, author of “The Book of Mychal,” about Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the New York Fire Department, who was killed on 9/11.

Ms. Palin was introduced to Mr. Daly, a columnist for the Daily News, he said in an interview later, and someone handed her a copy of his book. He said he was suddenly at a loss as to what to inscribe. “You try to figure out what is appropriate but true,” he said.

He opened the book to a well-known picture of Mr. Judge being carried away from the rubble which has been likened to Michelangelo’s “Pieta,” and watched Ms. Palin’s reaction. “You look behind those famous glasses of hers, and her eyes welled up, just as Hillary’s did,” Mr. Daly said.

“I told her Mychal’s favorite saying, which was, ‘If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans for tomorrow,’” he said. “And I said that probably a lot of people in the country had been feeling that way lately.”

He inscribed the book, “To Gov. Palin, who would have loved Mychal.”

On her way out, Ms. Palin signed the museum’s guest book, writing: “God bless New York and all of America, from your 49th state. We will never forget. Thank you for your reminder to America. Gov. Sarah Palin, Alaska.” ...

Read the rest of the article here.

I'm changing my sign-off for these posts as well. Instead of "enjoy," I say

Engage,
hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish makes a big mistake!

2008-09-19T09:51:00.002-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish eats the wrong cake:

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish admits to "little white lies"

2008-09-12T09:17:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

In this week's cartoon, Frederick the Fantastick Fish turns in a take-home lie detector test:

In this political season, it might be a good time to define what constitutes lying - and apply that standard to our politicians ...

Enjoy!

hrh

"Rise of the Apostle" by Robert James Luedke at Title Trakk

2008-09-09T09:10:00.007-04:00

Hi all:

I have a new review up at Title Trakk for Robert James Luedke's graphic novel, Rise of the Apostle.

Here's how my review begins:

Rise of the Apostle, the third graphic novel in the Eye Witness series, continues to impress with its vivid colors, action panels, quality lettering, and thrilling espionage adventures. It is well suited for its target audience of the modern young manga and superhero comics reader. Throw in a bit of Bond/Bourne thriller and Indiana Jones archeology, and you've got an unbeatable combination that will appeal to action-adventure lovers.

When last we left "The Bone Man," world-famous archeologist Terry Harper, the car he's riding in has exploded. Rise of the Apostle begins with a 1996 journal entry from Harper's dig diary mentioning the odd but capable man he hires for dig security. Then we leap to today's "ANN Headline News" reporting Harper's death. By page 2 men in black suits and earpieces are breaking into a high-rise apartment. Guns are drawn and we're on our way!

What does all this have to do with the apostle Paul? Without giving too much away, it seems Harper is somehow connected to the wandering church father, and through Harper we get to see the ancient Mediterranean world as Saul's life is changed on the road to Damascus, in the Arabian Desert, and in the most cosmopolitan of Roman cities ...

Click here to read more about this colorful rendition of a powerful story.

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish continues with the Top Ten

2008-08-29T11:16:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish deals with another commandment.

Today's society doesn't seem to think this one's all that important anymore. It still is!

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish Learns About Cubicle Life

2008-08-22T09:07:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish struggles with another commandment whilst working in the office:

Can you relate?

Enjoy!

hrh

Book Meme

2008-08-15T14:21:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

C.J. from Title Trakk tagged me for a book meme that's going around the blogosphere. I'll try to play though the directions are a bit complicated ...

HOW IT WORKS:

The original poster listed five of her MUST Read novels and five "Keep Your Eyes on These" novels. Then she tagged five bloggers who she asked to post the list on their sites. Those bloggers added one book to each list but also subtracted one book. Finally she tagged five other bloggers, linked her post to A Christian Worldview of Fiction, and commented to the post so visitors knew how the list had changed. I've put my added books in italics.

If you aren’t tagged but want to play, copy the 'how to' paragraph above, make your own list of MUST Reads and Keep Your Eyes on These, and tag away. It will be fun to see if we can generate some book wars … uh, I mean, discussions … good, healthy, respectful discussions!

My five MUST Reads:

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (Revell)
Demon: a Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress)*
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress)*
Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis (Zondervan)

My five Keep Your Eyes On These:

Black Sea Affair by Don Brown
Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce (Moody)
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)
DragonLight by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press)*
The Legend of the FireFish by George Bryan Polivka (Harvest House)

I'm tagging:

Bill Snodgrass
Brandon Barr
Chris Walley
Elliott Hanowski
Steve Rice

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish follows up on the Top Ten

2008-08-15T09:49:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

Frederick the Fantastick Fish decides to follow up on this assignment:

"... so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

This is the first commandment with a promise - so it must be important!

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish needs to get more sleep!

2008-08-08T09:59:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish (playing Herbert) embarrasses his wife with his unique intepretation of the fourth commandment:

Enjoy!

hrh

"A Matter of Wife & Death" by Ginger Kolbaba & Christy Scanell at Title Trakk

2008-08-05T08:40:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

I have a new review up at Title Trakk of A Matter of Wife & Death by Ginger Kolbaba & Christy Scannell.

Here's how my review begins:

Desperate Pastor's Wives Mimi, Lisa, Felicia, and Jennifer are all back in A Matter of Wife & Death, the second book in the Lulu's Cafe series from Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell. The series continues its episodic format with the four ladies' stories rarely overlapping except for their bi-weekly gabfests at Lulu's. This time around a major plot development occurs midway through the book that does affect all four women - and for a few chapters the story takes on the rhythm of a plotted novel and increased my interest level ...

Click here to find out if the novel held my interest.

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish goes exploring

2008-08-01T08:59:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish puts a little light on the subject as he ventures through the woods.

He doesn't seem to realize Who's powering his light, however ...

Do you?

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish's Top Ten

2008-07-25T08:19:00.003-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish dons a welder's mask and gloves to assist on an important job:

Enjoy!

hrh

"The Joys of Love" by Madeleine L'Engle at AbsoluteWrite

2008-07-22T08:24:00.009-04:00

Hi all:

I have a new review up at Absolute Write of an exciting new posthumous novel called The Joys of Love by the wonderful writer, Madeleine L'Engle.

Here's how my review begins:

What a joy it was to learn about The Joys of Love, a brand new posthumous novel by Madeleine L'Engle. As a lifelong reader of L'Engle's works, I was saddened to learn of her death in August 2007, because it meant the world had lost a sensitive and intelligent voice crying in the wilderness. So it's a real treat to be given this "new" story, which is also poignant at this time of L'Engle's death for being a somewhat autobiographical coming of age story.

Lead character Elizabeth Jerrold is a 20-year-old apprentice in a summer stock beach theater where she falls in love for the first time. L'Engle also spent time in the theater when she was very young and ended up marrying the actor Hugh Franklin. She wrote a lovely memoir about their long marriage together called Two-Part Invention.

The Joys of Love is presented here in a lovely hardcover package from L'Engle's longtime publisher, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, with an introduction and tribute from one But I digress.of L'Engle's granddaughters. This novel is a straightforward young adult story in the vein of L'Engle's A Small Rain or Camilla as opposed to her more famous and award-winning science fiction young adult stories, A Wrinkle in Time, and its sequels. It can also be classified as a historical because it evokes a simpler time in the summer of 1946 before television came to dominate the entertainment landscape, and theater or film were the social choices of an evening. It was also a time when the innocence of youth lasted longer in a less media-saturated world ...

Click here to read more about this joy of a novel.

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish takes a computer class

2008-07-17T08:23:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish learns a spiritual truth - in the language of computer users!

Can you log into this account? You can if you can answer "yes" to both login criteria! Why not do so today?

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish needs water!

2008-07-11T09:29:00.006-04:00

Hi all:

Back from a 2-week vaca in Nags Head, NC and Columbia, SC visiting with family, friends, and new baby niece, age 10 weeks! She's 10 1/2 pounds, very huggable, so I carried her around with me as much as I could get away with all week!!

Frederick the Fantastick Fish was also on vacation, but he's back now and trying to survive the heat!

Enjoy!

hrh

"A Minute Before Friday" by Jo Kadlecek - My Endorsement

2008-06-17T09:26:00.015-04:00

Hi all:

A few months ago I was asked by NavPress if I wanted to read the third book in The Lightfoot Trilogy for a possible endorsement.

The request was probably based on my favorable reviews of the first two books A Mile from Sunday and A Quarter After Tuesday.

The arrangement is that the publisher sends me the uncorrected proofs and I'm under no obligation to endorse it if I don't like it. Conversely, they're under no obligation to use my endorsement even if I send them one.

Turns out I liked the book and they liked my endorsement. Click on the back cover below for a readably-sized image.

If you're looking for some summer reading why not try out The Lightfoot Trilogy, which follows religion reporter, Jonna Lightfoot Machlachlan, as she advances in her career from Denver (book 1) to New Orleans (book 2) to New York City (book 3.)

Click on the book covers to go to the author's website and watch a 5-minute video about the series.

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish watches his language

2008-06-13T09:46:00.004-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish revisits one of the Ten Commandments:

Enjoy!

hrh

Frederick the Fantastick Fish researches his genealogy

2008-06-06T10:44:00.005-04:00

Hi all:

This week Frederick the Fantastick Fish looks into his family tree:

Anyone can join Frederick's family. Find out how in Romans 8:9-10.

Enjoy!

hrh