I have some bad news for all of you holding out for the "perfect" presidential candidate: He's not running. Only one perfect man has ever walked this earth and He certainly didn't run for political office. Oh and here's more bad news: Ronald Reagan is dead. I know you think I'm being harsh but it's time that some of you face reality. You can pretend to be taking the "moral high ground" and you can chatter about "not compromising your principles" all you like but when it comes time to support a candidate and cast a vote you need to do the right thing.

Not voting in this presidential election will be the equivalent of handing over our country, and the command of our troops, to Hillary Clinton. Do you really want to be responsible for putting that woman in charge of the lives of all of our fine fighting men and women? Not me. When it comes down to it, I'll hold my nose and fill in the bubble for whatever candidate the Republican party puts on the ballot. Not because I'm a blind follower of the right, nope, my eyes are wide open. I'll do it because I know exactly what kind of damage a President Clinton can do.

Charles Krauthammer has a rundown on the candidates and points out that things aren't nearly as bad as you'd like to think:

Major grumbling among conservatives about the Republican field. So many candidates, so many flaws. Rudy Giuliani, abortion apostate. Mitt Romney, flip-flopper. John McCain, Mr. Amnesty. Fred Thompson, lazy boy. Where is the paragon? Where is Ronald Reagan?

Well, what about Reagan? This president, renowned for his naps, granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants in the 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli bill. As governor of California, he signed the most liberal abortion legalization bill in America, then flip-flopped and became an abortion opponent. What did he do about it as president? Gave us Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy, the two swing votes that upheld and enshrined Roe v. Wade for the past quarter-century.

The point is not to denigrate Reagan but to bring a little realism to the gauzy idol worship that fuels today's discontent. And to argue that in 2007 we have, by any reasonable historical standard, a fine Republican field: One of the great big-city mayors of the past century; a former governor of extraordinary executive talent; a war hero, highly principled and deeply schooled in national security; and a former senator with impeccable conservative credentials. So why all the angst?

Read the rest of Dr. Krauthammer's column "A Fine Field of 4 1/2" and share in the serenity.

Undoubtedly, the most thunderous applause at the Orlando debate was reserved for John McCain poking fun at Hillary Clinton's Woodstock museum.

It's only good advertising to make that into a campaign commercial.

Not Exactly Rocket Science directs us to a brave blogger liveblogging the fires. Our prayers are with Da Goddess and her family.

Beth of Blue Star Chronicles has a daughter on the area and she's providing photos you won't see anywhere else.

Darleen's Place points us to a good resource for fire coverage and an interactive map.

RightWingSparkle has a salute to the firefighters.

MaxedOutMama has a roundup of useful links.

Wild Thing has a story on the Camp Pendleton Marines lending aid.

The American Princess writes that "Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires" - it's global warming, doncha' know.

Are you interested in donating to help the families displaced by the wildfires? The Salvation Army is on the scene.

[photo credit]

Which of the 2008 GOP Presidential contenders do you think has the highest paid campaign manager? I would have guessed Michael DuHaime of Rudy Giuliani's team or maybe Beth Meyers from Mitt Romney's camp. Nope. The payroll winner is Chip Saltsman who collects about $15,000 per month, after taxes, from Mike Huckabee.

Whether or not Saltsman is worth his paycheck only time will tell. Meanwhile I see that Huckabee has raised $450,000 in the last 22 days.

Last week I wrote about Great Britain's problem with obese citizens. Certain people in government positions over there have determined that it's no longer the personal responsibility of the peasants- staying at a healthy weight- and that the government must take over this area in life.


Half jokingly I mused:

What’s a government to do though? Mandate that everyone march to and from work and or school? Outlaw remote controls, cell phones and the like? Force employers to hold exercise sessions every two hours for the workers?

Today I found this article:

Make all staff exercise for an hour, says top health adviser
A radical plan to improve the nation's health - including a workplace "exercise hour" - has been unveiled by a leading Government

New figures today show England is the fattest country in the EU. Now Professor Julian Le Grand, chairman of Health England, hopes to encourage people to improve their diets, give up smoking and exercise more.

He proposed the introduction of a smoking permit, which smokers would be required to show each time they bought tobacco. It is then their choice to go smoke free and not buy a permit.

Companies with more than 500 staff would have an " exercise hour". Employees would have to deliberately choose not to join in. The proposals are the opposite of the Government's approach which requires people to opt in to healthy lifestyles. Instead it would be up to them to make the unhealthy choice.

In his speech to the Royal Statistical Society last night the professor, a former aide to Tony Blair said: "It is not like banning something, it's a softer form of paternalism."

Oh puleeze. It's more than this. It's more than government interference and meddling. And it's more than socialism...I doubt the people of Britain will tolerate such non sense but one never knows. Remember all this when Hillary Care comes. She will try to change the way we live- and every aspect of our lives.

...but not the ugliest of things.

Of all the people acutely aware of the health care crisis, doctors are in the front of the battle. Here we have an MD who has decided to do things differently.

WHEELING, W.Va. -- Vic Wood's walk-in clinic here sees patients six days a week and logs roughly 15,000 visits a year. Its sparsely furnished waiting room is packed much of the 11-hour day with people seeking care for conditions ranging from sore throats to chest pains.

Despite the booming business, Dr. Wood and his staff -- another doctor and four physician assistants -- have battled strong head winds to keep the clinic going. Rising administrative costs and flat insurance-reimbursement rates make it tough to cover basic expenses. One in five patients lacks insurance; others are saddled with sky-high deductibles. Last year, Dr. Wood even cut his annual salary by half to help keep the clinic afloat.

In an attempt to turn the tide, Dr. Wood is trying a new approach -- one that he hopes will one day sustain his practice.

For a monthly fee of $83 per individual or $125 for a family, the clinic provides unlimited primary and urgent care. Those who enroll in the prepaid plan get office visits, lab work, X-rays and as many generic drugs as the clinic can provide.

Dr. Wood is one of several hundred doctors across the country offering flat-rate, pay-in-advance plans. Though still experimental, proponents argue that the approach tackles two crises in U.S. health care: the rapid decline of doctors practicing primary-care medicine and the growing number of Americans who are either uninsured or underinsured.

I like the idea. A lot. And that's a pretty good bargain if you ask me. I pay more for my health insurance each month. I realize I would have to pick up the so called catastrophic coverage, but I suspect even that wouldn't cost as much as my insurance does right now. I am fairly sure most middle class families could afford a plan like this- for $125.00 a month they get family coverage.

I don't have the link but there is a doctor in Concord NH who is offering this service; for $1500/yr a person gets routine and urgent care coverage 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Most routine meds are included; as are diagnostic tests and lab works. It's less than many of us pay now though our employer. Add the new walk in clinics to the picture, and we see more options for people to take charge of their own health care needs. Without the government meddling and/or paying.

While some on the leftside of the aisle send out high fives to Portland, Maine because

the truth is that girls and boys aged 11, 12, 13, and 14 years are hooking up, performing oral sex, and having intercourse.

... so what can a school do but hand out The Pill to girls who still play with Barbie? Just think of the business opportunities for Ortho to market a chewable, bubblegum-flavored pill to 11 year olds!

On the other hand, schools have no problem under the selective "zero tolerance" nonsense to enforce their own political agenda

DENNIS TOWNSHIP: A second-grader's artistic effort has got him in trouble.
Seven-year-old Kyle Walker was suspended for one day last week by school officials in Cape May County for drawing a stick figure shooting a gun.

His mother told The Press of Atlantic City that officials at Dennis Township Primary School told her the drawing violated a zero-tolerance policy for guns. Shirley McDevitt said the boy told her the drawing showed a water gun and not a firearm.

Four kindergarten boys were suspended in 2000 for playing cops and robbers, even though they were using their fingers as guns.

Love them priorities!

Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters


....but it's funny. Especially the end.

Eight Republican Presidential candidates took to the stage last night in Orlando, Florida. The candidates battled it out in front of 4,000 Republican activists, over 50 elected officials, and 300 credentialed media (including yours truly).

You've had the opportunity to watch the debate, analyze the transcripts or even read any number of other bloggers opinion of the events. I doubt that I have anything earth shattering to add to what you've already learned on that front so what I'm going to give you glimpse at is the supporters of each candidate. Most candidates had tables set up where supporters and campaign staff handed out literature, bumper stickers, yard signs and pitches for their guy with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Here are my impressions:

Mitt Romney - Romney's supporters seemed oddly comfortable, as if his people feel secure with his position in the various polls. Asked about Romney's perceived weakness as a social conservative they were unruffled and unconcerned. They pointed to the recent results from the FRC Straw Poll as proof that their candidate has what it takes to win over values voters.

Rudy Giuliani - By far Giuliani had the largest number of supporters. Where most other candidates had small clusters of supporters here and there with the occasional sign, large crowds of Giuliani supporters were present in every public area of the venue. They waved their printed and homemade signs enthusiastically and cheered almost constantly. His candidate table had the most goodies to pass out, the most printed literature and they were the best organized. His people were passionate.

[Another interesting note, last night I spoke to very few people who were undecided but I pressed those that were into picking a candidate. Almost every single one picked Rudy Giuliani.]

Fred Thompson - I'm a Fred supporter so I was eager to hear what the Thompson people had to say, too bad they weren't more eager to tell me. Maybe I'm being more harsh on them exactly because I want too root for their guy but I was, let's just say, underwhelmed by their presence and their enthusiasm. They knew their stuff, they could quote polling statistics right back at me but there just didn't seem to be any attempt to fire up support for Fred. I caught a glimpse of Jeri Thompson but she was swamped by people and I couldn't get near her for a comment.

John McCain - Cindy McCain doesn't believe in polls. Period. So don't bother trying to ask her about them. According to her John McCain is the only true and proven Conservative in the field, he's the toughest on the War on Terror and he's learned his lesson on immigration reform. Really! McCain's campaign people are quick and business like, they want your support but they aren't going to beg for it. They're convinced that the smart voters will vote for their guy.

Mike Huckabee - Mike Huckabee was represented by one lonely soul, an enthusiastic yet clearly overwhelmed young gentleman who passionately believes that his candidate is the only true Conservative in the bunch.

Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo - I'm lumping them together because at this point, support-wise, they're one and the same. Support and enthusiasm for both was minimal and consensus among most people at the event was that it's time for them both to drop out and free up resources for viable candidates. Note that with the other candidates I've linked to their site and their camp's summary of comments around the web about the debate last night. As of now Hunter's site hasn't updated with any summary or reaction from last night's debate. As matter of fact it looks as thought the site hasn't been updated at all since Oct. 15th. Tom Tancredo's site is only concerned with, what else? Illegal immigration.

Ron Paul - Ron Paul had huge printed presence at the debate. The street on the drive in was lined with Ron Paul signage and there were quite a few signs up in the hotel. So where were his supporters? It took me a while but I finally found two. One was Jessie Benton, a spokesman for the Ron Paul campaign, he was young, smart, articulate and friendly. Jessie wanted to talk primarily about Ron Paul being a Libertarian and fiscal conservative and he was passionate about his candidate. The other fellow I ran into, well let's just say he was a different sort. His primary beef was what he called the MSM's suppression of Ron Paul's popularity which he thinks should be clearly evident from all of Paul's online and telephone poll wins. When I asked him why, if Paul is so popular, there weren't more supporters in attendance he assured me that there were "legions" of supporters outside. I commented that it was currently pouring rain and he told me "That just shows how devoted they are." Okay. When he tried to convince me that all of the other Republican candidates are communists and only running to ensure a Hillary Clinton win I pulled my tinfoil cap more firmly onto my head and retreated to the media room.

More photos, peeks behind the scenes and fashion commentary from The Radio Patriot.

[Photos here thanks to Ken Anthony of Rainfall.com. Thanks Ken! Ken is undecided, leaning towards Ron Paul and surprisingly normal!]

In the Family Research Council's Straw Poll Mitt Romney wins (27.62%). The pleasant surprise here is Mike Huckabee's performance, second place by 30 votes (27.15%). Ron Paul came in third with 15% of the vote and Fred Thompson was fourth with 9.77%.

Results of note: John McCain 1.40% (81 votes out of 5,775). That's 10th place, just ahead of "not voting" and Barack Obama.

Some good news from the GOP:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mel Martinez, the public face of the Republican National Committee as its general chairman, announced Friday he was stepping down from his post after serving only 10 months.

''I believe that our future as a party and nation is bright and I have every intention of continuing to fight for our president, our party and our candidates,'' the Florida senator said in a statement.

His resignation came months earlier than anticipated. Martinez wasn't expected to step down until a Republican presidential nominee was selected, and the earliest that could occur is February.

Martinez said he was relinquishing the job to spend more time focusing on his constituents and because the RNC had achieved the objective he set when he assumed the job in January.

''It was my goal as general chairman to lead the party as it established the structure and raised the resources necessary to support our presidential candidate and ensure Republican victories next November. I believe we have accomplished those goals,'' Martinez said.

Yeah? It seems to me that the RNC needs to have a leader who inspires it's members and who works for the values of the GOP.
Mr. Martinez did neither. A supporter of illegal immigration, this man did little to bring unity to the GOP as evidenced by the lack of fundraising for the party, among other things. I hope the RNC can find a replacement who is able to spark the dimmed light our party has experienced recently. And start standing up for the RIGHT and not the special interest groups. I for one am quite pleased to hear Martinez has stepped down.

Cross Posted @ ARS

From around the world of The Cotillion:

Not Exactly Rocket Science says "My Mother always told me that people who pick on you are just jealous. Same applies to the Presidential race." Why Fred Thompson Rulz

Wild Thing reports that Sam Brownback is expected to drop out of the Presidential Race on Friday.

MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy has More Evidence That Ron Paul Supporters are Painfully Ignorant.

Something...and Half of Something wishes she hadn't seen the latest news on Gilad Shalit.

The American Princess has the Best News Ever.

Rightwingsparkle wonders if Hillary can show us her softer side.

Important election news!

First, the launch of Slatecard.com. I'm really psyched about this.

Slatecard is a utility to support and enhance Republican activism.

The goal of Slatecard was always to be much more than just a top-down, ‘online shopping cart’ which would likely only be used the last few months of a campaign.

Instead, the Slatecard utility embraces effective Web 2.0 technologies and collaborative principles to provide a robust directory of candidate information which will not only be used by a financial donor, but by anyone looking for more information about a candidate’s online activity.

Slatecard will help bridge the chasm between modern online activists and Republican candidates by not only encouraging candidates to be more active online, but also increase support by placing a premium on the issues which cause supporters to give to a candidate.

What this means to you: You can create a list--a "slatecard"--of candidates you're supporting and for whom you want to raise funds, and then get a widget to put on your blog or website. Like this one, which has eighteen key races in 2008 to get back the majority in Congress--my main priority, along with the Presidential election. (Sorry, I can't embed the widget in the post on this site. You can see it down in the sidebar.)

I'll be building some more Slatecards, as well, which focus on certain issues and/or regions (i.e. Alabama candidates, veteran candidates, foreign policy hawks, immigration reformers, pro-lifers, whatever). Of course, YOU can do this as well.

Some of the buzz around the internets about Slatecard:

Marc Ambinder:

Slatecard.com fills a real need: an online donation and information aggregation site for Republicans, modeled off ACT Blue, a net-based bundling PAC founded in 2004 for Democrats.

"A real need" being the understatement of the year, if not the decade.

Red State:

This allows you to pick your favorite challengers and incumbents and solicit small donations for all of them. It empowers the individual rather than a top-down list selected by the site itself as RightRoots did last year (with 20 site selected candidates).

CNN covered it, and video from that is here.

Wired:

The online PAC's launch comes as longtime political observers scratch their heads about the Republican presidential campaigns' relatively lackluster fundraising. The Republicans are lagging their Democratic counterparts by $100 million, The Washington Post reported Oct. 5.

The online Democratic PAC ActBlue, meanwhile, has raised more than $30 million since its inception in 2004. Based in Boston, ActBlue has been widely credited with enabling grassroots giving for candidates around the nation.

Emphasis mine, and yes, you read that right. The nutroots have raised over $30 million. I'd be surprised if our side of the blogosphere has raised ONE million in the same time. It's time to catch up--you see what apathy did in 2006.
Let's not let it happen again in 2008.

Now, some URGENT news. There's a special election next Tuesday (October 16th) in Taxachusetts (MA-05), and it's a nail-biter.

Patrick Ruffini sends via email, on behalf of Rightroots:

Did you see what John Kerry said about us in his bid to stop Jim Ogonowski in Massachusetts' 5th Congressional district?

Patrick Ruffini, Bush-Cheney 04 Internet Director, has begun to try to rally the "right roots," as they like to call themselves, to the cause of Niki's opponent. They want to create a moment for Republicans like you have created for Democrats a number of times: a surprise showing (even a surprisingly close loss) that can energize the national Republicans and give that party some small spark of hope.

With your help, we've already raised over $15,000 for Jim, and Democrats are running scared. Jim has already surged to within $20,000 in cash-on-hand of Democrat Niki Tsongas, who has raised nearly $2 million so far. After talking to Democratic insiders, one liberal blogger says "there is real concern here." A visit from Bill Clinton failed to bring the race out of single digits. And the Democrats have already started rolling out nasty attack ads.

Because of these incredible developments, we've set a goal to nearly double our number of donors to Jim's campaign. We need to recruit 200 more donors by Friday and already 68 have pitched in. Can you help?

http://www.RightRoots.com/Ogonowski

As the only Democrat to lose in this district in the last 36 years, John Kerry is getting nervous:

Remember what I learned in Lowell - no race is in the bag till the votes are counted, and we can't give the right and their favorite mouthpieces any room to find vindication anywhere, especially not in Massachusetts.

John Kerry's right. Democrats can't allow a Republican to do well in a safely Democratic seat, sending a clear message from sea-to-shining sea about the failed Democratic Congress. Especially not in Massachusetts.

http://www.Rightroots.com/Ogonowski

Our deadline is Friday. The election is next Tuesday. Can you help?

Sincerely,

Patrick Ruffini
Rightroots.com

P.S. In just under six weeks, Rightroots has raised over $20,000 for Republican candidates and causes. And soon, we'll be opening up the floodgates for you to create your slate for your favorite candidates. Your support has been critical to this early success. When you give to Jim, please consider giving a little extra to Rightroots to support our ongoing efforts.

http://www.Rightroots.com/Ogonowski

More about Jim Ogonowski (a 28-year veteran of the Air Force!) and that race (including video) at Patrick Ruffini's site, here.

At this point, I personally don't even care whether you give through Rightroots, Slatecard, or at Jim Ogonowski's website directly. Just give what you can. Every dollar counts!

One post today.

Why YOU Should Care About Burma

Sign the petitions.

• Stand With The Burmese Protesters


• China Must Support People of Burma, Not the Military Regime


• Petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon


• Email a message to Ban Ki-Moon

Blogs about Burma (English):

Saffron Revolution Updates
burmagenocide
burmanews
ko-htike
soneseayar
burmadigest
dathana
mr-jade
preetamrai
dawn_1o9

News about Burma:

http://www.irrawaddy.org/
Democratic Voice of Burma
VOA - Asia
The Buddhist Channel
Mizzima News

Important Sites:

US Campaign for Burma
The Burma Campaign UK
Free Burma Coalition



From the US Campaign for Burma: