Friday, October 22, 2004

368 Economists Against Kerrynomics
http://www.freedomworks.org/informed/issues_template.php?issue_id=2108
The piece originally appeared on National Review Online.
Leading economists have a message for America: “John Kerry favors economic policies that, if implemented, would lead to bigger and more intrusive government and a lower standard of living for the American people.”

Bush pitches for Catholic vote
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041021-113313-8881r.htm
HERSHEY, Pa. — President Bush yesterday met with Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia, as he continued his election pitch to the nation's 65 million Catholic voters.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Worried about the the federal budget deficit?
Deficit declines $100 billion
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jackkemp/jk20041018.shtml
Jack Kemp
"The media and all too many political elites, it seems, never learn. For at least 20 of the past 25 years, there has been constant hand-wringing over the federal budget deficit. Well, they're at it again."
"When the federal budget deficit is measured properly as a share of the economy - 3.5 percent - at this stage of the business cycle it is absolutely nothing to worry about."
Zarqawi Is Using Hostages to Ransom Old Friends, Drs Germ and Anthrax
http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=908
"The two remaining hostages, the American Jack Hensley and British Kenneth Bigley, now face the same dread fate as Armstrong within 24 hours unless Iraqi women prisoners are released from Baghdad jails.
In the White House and 10 Downing Street, president George W. Bush nor prime minister Tony Blair are holding firm against surrendering to the demands of al Qaeda’s operations chief in Iraq. But they are quietly questioning why Zarqawi attaches so much importance to securing the release of the only five Iraqi women left in American hands.
DEBKAfile’s Washington sources say the answer comes in two interrelated parts:
1. Zarqawi is smart enough not to pose wild ransom demands, such as the release of Saddam Hussein or top-flight Iraqi ex-generals like Chemical Ali Majid to buy the lives of hostages, because then, Bush and Blair’s refusal would be fully backed by Western opinion. He is therefore setting the seeming inconsequential price of five Iraqi women. He reckons that if he keeps on snatching hostages and meting out the same barbaric treatment as he did to Eugene Armstrong on a series of videotapes, public pressure will build up and force the two Western leaders to put a stop to the savage slaughter by abandoning their dogged resistance to the hostage-takers’ demands and setting the women free. Such surrender would then be hailed as a major triumph for the al Qaeda terrorist chief and augur a rising scale of increasingly steep demands.
2. The only five Iraqi women held by the Americans are a long way from being inconsequential. They include two senior scientists attached to Saddam Hussein’s biological weapons program: Dr. Rihab Taha, a microbiologist known as Dr. Germ, and Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, head of his anthrax project and member of the Baath ruling command council.
"Scott Taylor's most startling experience was being handed over by members of the US-funded, newly constituted Iraqi Police Service to his captors. A police officer at the Tal Afar checkpoint instructed him to climb into a car full of masked gunmen. Only too late, he realized they were not a special police unit but terrorists who later claimed that many of the police in Mosul donate part of their US salaries to anti-US forces."


Catholics here get controversial voters guide
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/election2004/story/EB06578E4F81449B86256F3400105DC6?OpenDocument&Headline=Catholics+here+get+controversial+voters+guide
My reply to the author was this:
Dear Mr. Townsend:
Since when does a bishop not have the right to guide his flock in moral choices? This election is a crossroads in the moral character of our nation and state. Archbishop Burke not only has the right to guide his flock, it is his duty. I've been disappointed in previous years by the silence of the shepherds, so I am one Catholic who is thrilled that Burke is finally doing the right thing. I don't think I am alone.
You imply that the pocketbook issues like workers rights, environmental issues, housing and education are more important than abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem-cell research and same-sex marriage. This ignores what is at stake. Over 1.3 million babies are killed by abortion every year. How can workers rights, environmental issues, housing and education be more important than saving 1.3 million lives a year for the past 31 years and who knows how many more years to come?
The Post-Dispatch gloated over the immorality of the clergy last year. Now you blast the bishop who is acting in a moral way and encouraging Catholics to act morally? How hypocritical of you!

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Canon Lawyer seeking to have Senator John Kerry excommunicated
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/19/politics/campaign/19catholic.html?ei=5006&en=b622b6e310a31251&ex=1098849600&adxnnl=1&partner=ALTAVISTA1&adxnnlx=1098191168-rikNpRJ/mVca520364Dutw&pagewanted=print&position=
Letter Supports Anti-Kerry Bid Over AbortionBy PAM BELLUCK BOSTON, Oct. 18 - A canon lawyer seeking to have Senator John Kerry excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church because of his support for abortion rights said on Monday that he had ammunition in the form of a letter issued at the request of a senior Vatican official.
"For a guy who's been known derisively to the Bush crowd as the Breck girl," observes Shearer, vice presidential candidate John Edwards seems "way too interested in his hair." Watch this video.http://slate.msn.com/id/2108216/slideshow/2108085/entry/2108087/speed/100

How Catholicism Can Renew Democracy
http://www.zenit.org/english/

Vote!
This was written in the Daily Record (Ellensburg's paper) on Wed. Oct. 6, 2004. It was written by Mathew (only one t) Manweller who is a Central Washington University political science professor.
The title of the article was "Election determines fate of nation."
"In that this will be my last column before the presidential election there will be no sarcasm, no attempts at witty repartee. The topic is too serious, and the stakes are too high.
This November we will vote in the only election during our lifetime that will truly matter. Because America is at a once-in-a-generation crossroads, more than an election hangs in the balance. Down one path lies retreat, abdication and a reign of ambivalence.
Down the other lies a nation that is aware of its past and accepts the daunting obligation its future demands. If we choose poorly, the consequences will echo through the next 50 years of history.
If we, in a spasm of frustration, turn out the current occupant of the White House, the message to the world and ourselves will be twofold. First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us. But more significantly, we will signal to future presidents that as voters, we are unwilling to tackle difficult challenges, preferring caution to boldness, embracing the mediocrity that has characterized other civilizations.
The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions. America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. If we turn away from that legacy, we turn away from who we are.
Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don't need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom. They learned that a wounded America can become a defeated America. Twenty-four-hour news stations and daily tracing polls will do the heavy lifting, turning a cut into a fatal blow. Except that Iraq is Somalia times 10. The election of John Kerry will serve notice to every terrorist in every cave that the soft underbelly of American power is the timidity of American voters. Terrorists will know that a steady stream of grizzly photos for CNN is all you need to break the will of the American people. Our own self-doubt will take it from there. Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland.
It is said that America's W.W.II generation is its 'greatest generation.' But my greatest fear is that it will become known as America's 'last generation.' Born in the bleakness of the Great Depression and hardened in the fire of WW II, they may be the last American generation that understands the meaning of duty, honor and sacrifice. It is difficult to admit, but I know these terms are spoken with only hollow detachment by many (but not all) in my generation. Too many citizens today mistake 'living in America' as 'being an American.' But America has always been more of an idea than a place. When you sign on, you do more than buy real estate. You accept a set of values and responsibilities.
This November, my generation, which has been absent too long, must grasp the obligation that comes with being an American, or fade into the oblivion they may deserve. I believe that 100 years from now historians will look back at the election of 2004 and see it as the decisive election of our century. Depending on the outcome, they will describe it as the moment America joined the ranks of ordinary nations; or they will describe it as the moment the prodigal sons and daughters of the greatest generation accepted their burden as caretakers of the City on the Hill."
Pro-life Campaigning Idea
I have an idea to help Bush improve his standing among church-going Christians.
How about encouraging Bush supporters to wear a "Bush/Cheny is pro-life. Volunteer to help get out the vote" T-shirt to church on Sunday or to church events? The one who wears it would have the goal of recruiting volunteers. You might be able to recruit more volunteers because there will be someone visible they can talk to about opportunities over coffee and donuts. It would avoid the church vs. state issue because individual church members have a right to free speech and I doubt there is any rule against wearing political T-shirts to church. The Democrat candidates preach in churches, so why not witness your pro-life views on a T-shirt at church?
It might need to be long-sleeve this time of year. It's getting chilly here, so I'd have to wear a coat to stay warm if it were short-sleeved. That would cover up the message.
I wore Bush/Cheny T-shirt to church this Sunday. I had a few people ask me about pro-life candidates. I sent them info by e-mail. It was very easy to do.

Monday, October 18, 2004

Who's Ahead in the Polls?
RealClearPolitics Electoral CountMonday, October 18: Bush 254 - Kerry 220
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Presidential_04/RCP_EC.html
Our earlier analysis suggesting that the race basically boils down to Florida and Ohio stands. However, it looks as if the aftermath of the hurricanes may have given President Bush a decisive edge there, so in reality it is now all about Ohio. If Kerry doesn't win Ohio he will not be President.

http://www.debka.com/
"Day after final US public debate, Bush opens 4-point lead over Democratic challenger Kerry, gaining most among undecideds - according to Reuter-Zogby poll. Bush leads in 42 out of 65 polls conducted in last 24 hours, Kerry in 15. Eight polls record a tie. Pew Research predicts a 16 % win for Bush in Nov. 2 election, Time Magazine – 11%. "

Hit the Streets
I went out Saturday canvassing for Bush/Cheney. I found some undecided voters to talk to, which I enjoyed very much. I just ask them, "What issue is most important for you?" It surprises me how much people want to talk about it with a complete stranger. It's awesome to see them turn toward the Bush camp by the time I'm done. I think I've won a dozen votes, probably. I've become a Republican apologist. I usually hate to talk to strangers, but not about pro-life. Oh, the things my zeal for the pro-life cause will make me do!

Planned Parenthood Unveils TV Ads Backing John Kerry on Abortion
http://www.lifenews.com/nat876.html
Minneapolis, MN (LifeNews.com) -- The political arm of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, today unveiled its initial television advertising campaign on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

For the Undecided
http://www.presidentialguidester.com/Default.aspx
Zogby International & Decidia Inc. Announce The Launch Of Online Decision Tool: Presidential GuidesterTM(Utica, NY)- Undecided voters now have a tool to help them choose a candidate for president. Polling firm Zogby International and Decidia Inc., the leading producer of web-based decision systems, announced today the launch of the free online tool, Presidential Guidester.

Voters, do your homework!
http://www.time.com/time/question/20041014.html
Viewers of the debates won't get a good idea of the issues from the debates alone. You have to know Kerry's ultra-liberal record to know how much he is a fake and how much it conflicts with what he said in the debates. He will promise anything to get elected even if we have to pay for it (whether we want it or not), not him. He lies with statistics that sound good, but totally distort. He says he never flip-flops, but did it repeatedly during the debate. You have to know the other things he has said to know how waffly this guy is. I don't think Americans are so foolish to fall for the bunk he dished out or the polished airs he put on. I can't believe anybody believing the spin about the debates either. Voters, do your homework! Vote for substance, not spin and false impressions.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Pro-life Witness at Kerry post-debate rally in St. Louis by Kendrick Seminarians
Read about it at:
The Meandering Mind of a Seminarian
http://priesthood.motime.com/
I really admire those guys.

Bush post-debate rally
My husband and I went to the Bush post-debate rally at Queeny Park. I was excited to see the President. There were no such protests there, though it was a tickets-only event and the location was not disclosed in the media or on the tickets. Only the invited knew where to go, but we were not told that Bush would be there until after we were inside. We knew a special guest was coming. My first clue was all the metal detectors outside.

The place was packed. There were thousands (5000?) of us there all cheering for Bush during the debate. This was a really fired up crowd. The respect for the President was palpable. I don't think a lot of Kerry's supporters are that fired up. I think they are motivated by hatred for Bush, but not love for their candidate as the Bush folks are. I hope that translates into apathy for Kerry voters at the polls Nov. 2. I would crawl over broken glass to vote for Bush.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Why Democrats fear Bush's domestic agenda
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/georgewill/gw20041007.shtml
George Will If Sept. 11 had never happened -- if debate about domestic policy had not been drowned out by the roar of war -- the potential domestic ramifications of this election would give it unusual nation-shaping power. To understand why is to understand some of the Democratic rage about the specter of a second term for George W. Bush.

Faith and politics
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20041006-101940-4653r.htm
ByGeorge J. Marlin
Catholic voters have always voted in record numbers for Catholic presidential candidates. From Alfred E. Smith to John F. Kennedy, Catholics have cast their ballots according to cultural standards determined by their faith.

Here Comes the Judge...There Go the People
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1288905.html
Jody Brown and Rusty Pugh
Four out of almost every five voters who cast a ballot in Louisiana's September 18 referendum on a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage voted in favor of the amendment. But one judge in the Bayou State has now overruled the 619,908 Louisiana residents who believe marriage should be the union of one man and one woman.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Letter to the Editor of the St. Louis Post-DispatchRE: St. Louisans help uncover Iraqi massacres
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/world/story/BF28D9614FE19D4186256F23001B6BD1?OpenDocument&Headline=St.+Louisans+help+uncover+Iraqi+massacres&highlight=2%2CSt.%2CLouisans%2Chelp%2Cuncover%2CIraqi%2Cmassacres 10/03/2004
Dear Editor:
I wonder why your article, "St. Louisans help uncover Iraqi massacres" had to include the comment, "Some critics question whether the U.S. administration's zeal to prosecute Saddam for the mass killings is an election-year effort to divert attention from the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, the justification that President George W. Bush used most often in making his case for the war."
While you accuse the U.S. administration of being political, your accusation is just as political. Isn't this a case of the kettle calling the skillet black?
If you want to know why we needed to stop the genocide in Iraq, look at http://massgraves.info/. There are 60 web pages of photos of those graves and the people who are grieving their dead. On page 51 is a map of the mass graves they have found so far. The atrocity is as heart breaking as Hitler's use of gas chambers.
Are Americans so heartless that we have the power to stop genocide, but will not lift a finger to help? Remember that 19,000 Americans died in 40 days during the Battle of the Bulge. Did that stop us from defeating Hitler? What if Saddam Hussein had had nuclear weapons and we sat on our hands and didn't prevent him from blowing up a few million people? How would history judge us? That's a chance I would not want to take.


Electoral College Projections Based Upon Most Recent Rasmussen Reports Survey Data and Election 2000 Results
September 30, 2004--The latest Rasmussen Reports Electoral College projection shows George W. Bush with 213 Electoral Votes and John Kerry with 169. There are now twelve states with 156 Electoral Votes in the Toss-Up category.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Electoral%20College%20Projection.htm

Monday, October 04, 2004

Iraqi Documents Show Saddam Possessed WMD, Had Extensive Terror Ties
Scott Wheeler, CNSNews.com Monday, Oct. 4, 2004
Iraqi intelligence documents, confiscated by U.S. forces and obtained by CNSNews.com, show numerous efforts by Saddam Hussein's regime to work with some of the world's most notorious terror organizations, including al-Qaida, to target Americans.
The documents demonstrate that Saddam's government possessed mustard gas and anthrax, both considered weapons of mass destruction, in the summer of 2000, during the period in which United Nations weapons inspectors were not present in Iraq. And the papers show that Iraq trained dozens of terrorists inside its borders.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/10/4/141421.shtml

Compare the candidates in selected U.S. Senate Races
http://www.nrlc.org/EandP/compareindex.html

Look how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch distorts what is in Archbishop Burke's pastoral letter on voting:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/newswatch/story/B344155F9A1B422786256F2100703DC0?OpenDocument&Headline=When+does+a+vote+become+a+sin+?+http://the-news.net/cgi-local/story.pl?title=Rome%20to%20control%20Fátima?&edition=774

Friday, October 01, 2004

Archbishop Burke's pastoral letter on voting
http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=7051 October 1, 2004 To Christ’s Faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis: ‘On Our Civic Responsibility for the Common Good’ by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke

Debate Facts:
http://www.georgewbush.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=3696
The Real Record