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From The Federalist Patriot

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THE FOUNDATION

"Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations."  - George Washington

PATRIOT PERSPECTIVE

"The name of American..."

Taking stock of the year just past, and contemplating the new one, two recent poll headlines caught my attention. On 30 December, a report on a national poll was accompanied by the headline: "Americans Optimistic for 2007," and noted that 75 percent of respondents said 2006 was a good year for them, and 89 percent of Americans were optimistic about the coming year.

However, on 31 December, a report on a national poll was accompanied by the headline: "Americans See Doom, Gloom in 2007," and noted "Another terrorist attack, a warmer planet, death and destruction from a natural disaster. These are among Americans' grim predictions for the United States in 2007."

Now, we all know about the precision of polling

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— but how could pollsters reach such dissimilar conclusions - especially since both headlines were referencing the same poll?

It's all in the eye of the beholder, of course, and if I were a betting man, I would take odds that the editor who posted the second headline is a sullen Democrat

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, who has been reading too much of his/her own supercilious claptrap.

Sure, as a nation we face significant constitutional, political, social, economic and national-security challenges this year. But, as any student of history can attest, we have faced such challenges, to varying degrees, in every year since the ratification of our much-maligned Constitution

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Newsflash: We will face similar challenges in every year hereafter.

While some of those challenges are formidable, as regularly outlined in this column, none should divert our attention from the irrefutable fact that we are the most fortunate nation of people in the whole of world history.

Apparently, 89 percent of Americans have some sense of how fortunate we really are, but none of them are among the blathering class of Leftmedia talkingheads and reporters, those "useful idiots"

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, who only seem able to discern what is wrong with America.

One litmus test for judging a nation's standing among other nations is to consider the ratio of immigration to emigration. Now, emigration threats from Leftist Hollywonk Illiterati not withstanding (oh, if only they would leave), the fact is that immigration

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dwarfs emigration by something in excess of 1,000/1 - and for good reason.

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America's standing as the freest nation on earth, and, consequently, the nation of greatest promise and opportunity, is unchallenged.

The plurality of fellow citizens who claim "the name of American," those who retain a strong sense of our national heritage, the sacrifices of our forefathers and the obligations of citizenship, count our blessings.

Indeed, those blessings are manifold.

In 1833, Justice Joseph Story wrote, "Let the American youth never forget, that they possess a noble inheritance, bought by the toils, and sufferings, and blood of their ancestors; and capacity, if wisely improved, and faithfully guarded, of transmitting to their latest posterity all the substantial blessings of life, the peaceful enjoyment of liberty, property, religion, and independence."

Today, 174 years hence, additional generations and countless American Patriots have left to us "a noble inheritance, bought by their toils, and sufferings, and blood..." They did so in defense of a sacred trust - American liberty - which is uniquely ours. That trust's Founders wrote eloquently about the necessary qualifications of their posterity, those charged with extending liberty to the next generation.

On each generation's obligation to the next, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us."

Of our national character, Samuel Adams insisted, "[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Thomas Jefferson added, "It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution."

Understanding that each generation would face its trials, Thomas Paine wrote, "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."

Knowing that liberty would not survive any generation which turned away from its Creator, James Madison wrote, "The belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities impressed with it."

Thomas Jefferson queried, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever."

Regarding liberty in the context of our constitutional republic, James Wilson said, "Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name, and becomes oppression. Without law, liberty also loses its nature and its name, and becomes licentiousness."

On liberty beyond our Republic's borders, George Washington wrote, "It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn."

Indeed, today, American Patriots - Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen - in defense of our national interests, are promoting liberty's promise against what may prove to be its most formidable enemy

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yet. Dare not anyone take an ounce of their sacrifice, or that of generations before them, for granted.

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In 1839, English novelist Edward Lytton wrote, "The pen is mightier than the sword," the implication being that written words have influenced history more than warfare. Long before Lytton's era, another author (circa 65 AD) wrote about the power of words in a book our Founder's relied most heavily upon.

The New Testament epistle to the Hebrews (4:12) notes, "The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword..."

Though the Leftmedia's contempt for our American heritage spews relentlessly through print and cable networks, and its influence on public opinion should not be underestimated, it is the enduring words of our Creator that have sustained American Patriots for generations.

Today, we are blessed with the sacred trust bequeathed to us by our Founders, and we must honor our obligations, continuing our tireless advocacy for individual liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary and the promotion of free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values.

These principles http://PatriotPost.US/main/principles.asp

are the source of our prosperity, and, in Jefferson's words, "a gift of God."

Every day that we share the name "American" should be a day of thanksgiving, and we should not for one solitary second, amid the political rancor, lose sight of all that is good and right with our great nation.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Congressional Democrats start their engines

Incoming House Speaker San Fran Nan Pelosi has been feted by fellow Democrats, Tony Bennett, and the living members of the Grateful Dead, but now that the much-ballyhooed first 100 hours of the 110th Congress is underway, the real excitement begins. Despite all the talk about bipartisan cooperation with the Republican minority, the Democrat leadership has rejected debate and committee review of the legislation they plan to ram through the next few days. The focus now is to pass bills to hike the minimum wage, price controls on prescription drugs and lobbying reform - and the bonhomie can wait until later.

Demo leaders in the House are not concerned with charges of hypocrisy when it comes to shoving Republican concerns aside. When faced with the charge that they are reneging on their pledge for a more civilized discourse, the stock Demo response has been that the Republicans have some nerve complaining about being left out in the cold after the way they treated Democrats for the last five years. Predictably, liberals have every intention of grinding their axes.

However, the rush to get these bills passed without debate is less about revenge and more about avoiding scrutiny over shoddy legislation. For instance, the minimum wage hike to $7.25 by 2009 will directly affect four percent of the work force, mostly teenagers and college students. The minorities and low-skilled workers that are the focus of the raise will actually face a tighter job market and more competition. Similarly, the retooling of the Medicare prescription-drug plan, allowing the government to negotiate prices with drug companies directly, will lead to restrictions on new drug therapies developed to combat cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. By rejecting drugs that do not make a preset price level established by the government (the current model used by the Department of Veteran Affairs), liberals will end up squashing the pharmaceutical market and reducing the profits that can be put into the R&D of new medicines.

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On lobbying reform, Pelosi's plans may sound good in theory, but they are misguided in practice. Rather than focusing on keeping the lawmakers honest, her reform package calls on reining in the lobbyists, which treads dangerously on the First Amendment right to petition the government. Grassroots lobbying would be redefined as actions taken by any organization that encourage more than 500 people to contact their elected representatives, and require those organizations to file quarterly reports on their expenditures. However, organizations that directly lobby their members, such as unions, would be exempt from filing. Gee, now why would the Democrats want to allow unions to hide lobbying expenses?

This week's ‘Braying Jenny' award

"We [American women] have waited over 200 years for this time to come. In more than 200 years of history, there was an established pecking order and I cut in line. All right, let's hear it for the power!"  - Nancy Pelosi, newly seated House majority leader, bringing into question whether she can behave in a bipartisan manner with men, much less Republicans.

What Congress can do for America

On the eve of the 110th Congress, President George W. Bush published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal to remind Democrats about their responsibilities, as well as his stand on issues that will be up for debate this year and next.

"I have been encouraged by the productive meetings I've had with many of the new leaders in Congress from both parties," Bush wrote. "I believe we share many of the same goals for the people we serve - and with good will and hard effort, we can find practical ways to advance the American Dream and keep our nation safe."

Along with the President's customary optimism came a few words about his fundamental beliefs. "I believe that when America is willing to use her influence abroad, the American people are safer and the world is more secure. I believe that wealth does not come from government. It comes from the hard work of America's workers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. I believe government closest to the people is more responsive and accountable."

Of course, it's always necessary to remind Democrats about the real impact of tax cuts. "The elections have not reversed the laws of economics. It is a fact that economies do best when you reward hard work by allowing people to keep more of what they have earned. And we have seen that businesses can expand and hire more workers when they have more money to invest - and since August 2003, America's employers have added more than seven million new jobs."

President Bush called on Congress to control spending and give him and future presidents the line-item veto. He also offered a subtle piece of advice to the Democrat majority. "If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate. If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation." Of course, it remains to be seen if President Bush will stick to his newfound guns.

Miers steps down, Negroponte and others change roles

Chief White House Counsel Harriet Miers has announced that she will resign effective 31 January to return to the private sector. One of the longest serving members of Bush's inner circle, Miers gained fame, or infamy, for her botched Supreme Court nomination in 2005. Derided by conservatives and liberals alike for her lack of experience, Miers' nomination proved to be one of the most significant mistakes (or strategic efforts

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to rally the conservative base, if you prefer) of the Bush administration. Her resignation comes amid plans to beef up the White House legal team in advance of a slew of investigations promised by the Democratic congressional majority.

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John Negroponte, who has held numerous posts in the Bush White House, will step down as Director of National Intelligence to become the Deputy Secretary of State. This post has been vacant since Robert Zoellick resigned in July. According to some Washington insiders, Negroponte has not been effective at tackling the immense intelligence bureaucracy, and he doesn't want to be around in the spring when Senate Democrats set about legislating tighter congressional oversight of the terrorist-surveillance program. Retired Vice Adm. Mike McConnell, a career intelligence officer, will be nominated to replace Negroponte as DNI.

In Iraq, more changes are afoot. Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, lauded for his previous successes in training Iraqi troops, will replace Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., as ground commander in Iraq. The overall commander for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Gen. John Abizaid, will be replaced by Navy Adm. William Fallon, pending the nomination's confirmation. Making the changeover complete, Ryan Crocker, currently the U.S. envoy to Pakistan, will replace Zalmay Khalilzad as ambassador to Iraq. Like the others, Khalilzad isn't exactly being pushed out the door, as he will be nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a post vacated by the stalwart but congressionally unconfirmed John Bolton. Along with Ambassador Khalilzad, we offer our heartfelt thanks to Generals Abizaid and Petraeus for their great service to our country.

2008 wannabes welcome Edwards and Romney

Former Senator and failed 2004 vice presidential candidate John Edwards has thrown his "everyman" hat into the ring for the 2008 Democrat nomination. Edwards still clings to his "haves vs. have-nots" rhetoric, which may not go far in an economy with four-percent unemployment, record stock-market highs and rising wages. He is also sounding off about Iraq, calling for a drastic reduction in troop levels to demonstrate our intention to leave that country (apparently with our tail between our legs). His vocal populism takes him to the left of Hillary Clinton, which he hopes will give him a fundraising boost going into next year's primaries.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has formed an exploratory committee as a step toward his bid for the Republican nomination. Romney has drawn plenty of controversy lately on questions of his stance on key conservative issues. Research into his statements and actions as governor of arguably the most liberal state in America finds him on both sides of the abortion and homosexual-rights debates. This will prove unsettling to conservative voters and will be a significant obstacle for Romney to overcome.

Campaign plans stolen from Giuliani

In politics, leaks happen and internal documents can fall into the wrong hands; it's a fact of life. Then there is what happened to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. This week, a notebook outlining Giuliani's fundraising and campaign strategies was stolen. The fact that the former New York mayor now runs a top-notch communications and security-consulting firm, of course, did little to ease the embarrassment.

The 140-page document, which spells out fundraising issues in explicit detail, as well as Giuliani's personal and political weaknesses, was given to the New York Daily News by "a source sympathetic to one of Giuliani's rivals for the White House," according to the paper. Giuliani's liberal stances on homosexual rights, abortion and gun control are no secret. Now, the leak of his fundraising model and potential contributors does not spell doom for his campaign, but America's Mayor is likely to feel the sting of this gaffe for some time.


NATIONAL SECURITY
UN rebukes, Iran balks

Last Saturday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1737, officially sanctioning Iran's nuclear program by limiting nuclear-related imports and freezing the assets of a dozen individuals - but only after removing anything from the resolution that might actually cause Iran any pain. As a result of Russian maneuvering, for example, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is exempt from the limits of UNSCR 1737 and should go on line in late 2007 after Russia delivers the plant's fuel rods.

What was Iran's reaction to UNSCR 1737? Open derision from President Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad: "[T]hey said, ‘We will do so and so if you do not give in.' We say, ‘Thank you very much. We will not give in.' Finally they said, ‘We will impose sanctions on Iran and not give you parts for nuclear things and long-range missiles.' We say, ‘Thank you very much. We do not want that from you.'... I am telling you that the nation of Iran not only is not upset by this resolution, but will become happy."

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We have done the math, and the result is not encouraging. More than three years of diplomacy results in one watered-down excuse for a resolution, and President Bush has only two years left in office and must now work with a pacifistic, Democrat-controlled Congress. Worse, Iran may need as little as three years of work before producing a nuclear weapon. If this is what we can expect from following the multilateral approach, we say let's try some good old unilateralism before it's too late.

More troops, aid in the offing for Iraq

The "troubling circumstances" surrounding Saddam Hussein's execution, to tell the truth, haven't troubled us at all. Suffice it to say that the thug got what he deserved. If a few catcalls from the crowd are a problem, we can't understand why. Perhaps Saddam's mourners would have preferred that the executioners had taken a page from the dictator's own book, inserting the condemned into a shredder - feet first - rather than sticking to the banality of the hangman's noose.

With the old dictator permanently hung out to dry, the Bush administration - so often accused of intransigence over the question of Iraq - is preparing to raise troop levels temporarily and provide economic aid to improve stability on the ground. The administration is considering a troop increase of 17,000 to 20,000, with most of the additional troops stationed in and around Baghdad. "The mission... has to do with using them in a security role to quell violence in Baghdad and the surrounding area," according to one senior Pentagon official.

The economic package would focus on relieving Iraq's high rate of unemployment, providing short-term jobs for Iraqis and micro loans to Iraqi entrepreneurs. In addition, the Treasury Department is reviewing Iraq's now-dormant state-owned industries, with the goal of reopening those deemed economically viable. Between an increased troop presence and increased economic opportunity, the Bush team hopes to drain support from Iraq's militants, bringing the country sustainable stability sooner rather than later.

This week's ‘Alpha Jackass' award

"There's something much worse than being accused of ‘flip-flopping': refusing to flip when it's obvious that your course of action is a flop... I say this to President Bush as someone who learned the hard way how embracing the world's complexity can be twisted into a crude political shorthand. Barbed words can make for great politics. But with U.S. troops in Iraq in the middle of an escalating civil war, this is no time for politics. Refusing to change course for fear of the political fallout is not only dangerous - it is immoral."  - John F. Kerry, from his Christmas Eve op-ed in The Washington Post, "The Case for Flip-Flopping".

Undoing immigration reform progress

Some Democrat and Republican lawmakers are joining forces to rewrite immigration-reform legislation that was passed by the Senate last year. The idea this time around is to provide illegal aliens with an easier path to citizenship by repealing the requirement that compels illegals to leave the United States before becoming eligible. There are also calls to withhold financing of the border fence that was approved by a large number of Republicans and Democrats last session.

These changes fly in the face of calls by conservatives last year to provide tighter border security and account for the 12-million illegals currently living and working in the U.S. However, after the shellacking that immigration-reform-minded Republicans took in the elections last year, there is a strong urge to backtrack on the progress already made in order to court Hispanic voters. Now legislators may be sacrificing too much to keep them happy.

Not only is America's border security up for grabs, but Social Security appears to be on the table. An agreement between the Bush administration and the Mexican government, if signed into law, would allow illegals who become citizens to collect Social Security benefits for the time spent in the United States illegally. Congress has yet to see this agreement and vote on it, but the fact that such a move is even being considered is chilling. There isn't even enough money in the Social Security fund to see the Baby Boom generation comfortably through retirement. Any attempt to extend this entitlement to illegal aliens, regardless of country of origin, should not be allowed.

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Jobs Americans don't want?

A recent raid on a Colorado meat-processing plant netted not only the alleged leaders of an identification-theft ring which allowed illegal aliens to work there, but unexpected job openings created by the dismissal of involved workers. The line of jobseekers to replace 261 workers arrested during the operation "stretched out the door" at the Swift & Company plant, with one grateful applicant noting, "I feel bad for the kids [of the Swift employees caught in the raid] but good for me."

As always, the dismissed (and allegedly illegal) workers were backed by a reliable defender - the United Food and Commercial Workers union. UFCW Local 7 spokesman Dave Minshall countered the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claim that workers were advised of their rights, stating that "you don't have to be a lawyer to poke holes in the government's case... [They] just used the ID-theft ring as an excuse to hit the plant."

While just 10 workers were charged with identity theft in the ICE raid, union lawyers represented 38 defendants during their bail hearings, and UFCW Local 7 vowed to continue to represent those legally in the country.

Economy churns out more jobs

December saw the addition of 167,000 new jobs as steady growth continues month after month. Unemployment remains at an almost too low 4.5 percent. Payrolls increased by 1.8-million jobs in 2006. Further, hourly earnings are up 4.2 percent from December 2005 - now at $17.04 an hour. Enter Democrats to "save the day" with a minimum-wage increase. (We suppose they're just doing their part to get the unemployment rate back up to around five percent...) The only economic sectors that remain in a slump are housing and manufacturing, with both construction and manufacturing continuing to shed jobs in December.

Another look at consumer-driven healthcare

Health and policy leaders recently gathered at the National Consumer-Driven Healthcare Summit with the goal of providing research and anecdotal evidence that consumer-driven health plans are desirable. CDHPs (consumer-driven healthcare plans) are not, the summit concludes, only for the young and rich. About one fourth of workers age 25-34 are enrolled in HSAs. Another one fourth are covered by traditional plans and yet another quarter have CDHPs without an HSA. Also, low-wage employers such as Whole Foods and Wendy's have switched to HSAs. Other noteworthy stats: 62 percent of HSA purchasers are over age 40, and 42 percent make less than $50,000 per year.

Unusual problems face the healthcare industry, and the transition to a more free-market system will be long and difficult. Beth Bierbower, vice president of product design and development for Humana, notes, "Health care is the only system where you can come in, receive services, have no idea what they cost and then leave without paying." A survey sponsored by HealthMarket revealed as much. Respondents had no idea that the range in price for a CT scan was $298 to $2,858, or that a knee replacement ran from $22,000 to $66,000. Even a simple visit to the office can range from $60 to $261. CDHPs are one way to provide customers (or at least goad them to get) the information they need to begin turning that around.

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Embryonic stem cells can... never mind

In 2004, voters in the People's Republic of California bought into a sales pitch that is now being exposed as nothing more than very expensive hot air. Proposition 71 passed handily on the promise of giving $3 billion to fund embryonic-stem-cell research in the Golden State. But now, even scientists involved in the research say it is unlikely that any cures will be found in ten years for even a single disease on the long list for which cures were promised (including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's). Prop 71's backers also promised Californians lower medical costs (or at least steady ones) for their $3 billion. Already, however, the result has been an increase in medical costs of nearly eight percent. Oh, and that $3 billion on the price tag actually comes to $6 billion after interest from the state bonds purchased by medical groups is factored in. Not surprisingly, Proposition 71 has turned into a windfall for certain medical-research groups, while everyone else is left holding the lump of coal. Whatever happened to the Lemon Law?

One last note: To date, 72 treatments using adult and umbilical stem cells have been tested successfully; zero for embryonic stem cells.

CULTURE
Massachusetts voters hope to vote on marriage

In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court suddenly found a "constitutional right" for same-sex marriage, making the land of the Puritans the first to allow such a mockery of civilization. Conveniently, the Court's ruling came with the "right" of the Court (with a 180-day limit, no less) to order the state legislature to legalize such unions.

The pendulum is swinging in the other direction now, however, as the legislature approved a measure that could place the issue of same-sex marriage before voters next year. The constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman must endure another vote in the legislature before being put on the ballot, though it only needs 50 of 185 votes. Last time, it received 62. It is not clear whether voters would restore traditional marriage, but as we've said before, as "laboratories for democracy," the states are entitled to fail. In the meantime, we can hold out hope that Massachusetts voters will bring order to this judicially dictated chaos.

Affirmative action fire finally put out

Minneapolis' openly homosexual fire chief has been placed in the proverbial closet, as it were, for discrimination and sexual harassment. Bonnie Bleskachek was not fired so as to avoid further legal challenges, but she was permanently demoted and banned from future supervisory positions with the city, and her pay will be cut by $40,000 a year. The city had already spent over $400,000 on the investigation, legal settlements with the claimants and compensation for Bleskachek after she went on paid leave in March. The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights found that the chief had discriminated against and/or sexually harassed three women and one man in the fire department, while giving preferential treatment to other homosexuals and their supporters. We're quite surprised by even this small action taken against Bleskachek considering the muzzle that is put on anyone even criticizing an affirmative-action pick of any kind. Kudos to our new favorite Twin City.

Another ice cube in the global warming Kool-Aid

We at The Patriot remain among the skeptics of man-made global warming, as we've none-too-subtly hinted in the past. Another recent report by a British researcher further challenges the dogma of the disciples of Al Gore. Christopher Monckton, a policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher, first points to two United Nations studies as proof of the hysteria surrounding the subject. In 1996, the UN (rightly) noted that during the medieval period, there was a warming trend with temperatures as much as five degrees Fahrenheit warmer than now. Obviously, Vikings farmed in Greenland, not to mention the Chinese sailing through the Arctic Ocean in 1421 and finding no ice.

However, in 2001, the UN's report inexplicably erased the medieval warm period, making the 20th Century the warmest in a thousand years. (Imagine if the UN could just erase the stats on poverty and disease to "prove" they're good for something.) Monckton's conclusion is that of all things, the sun might have something to do with any warming taking place now. Ever hear that mentioned in a "news" report?

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Barna recaps, predicts faith trends

Wanting religion without responsibility, Americans are trading Scriptural doctrine for a culture-based creed. A recent report by Christianity researcher George Barna indicates that "millions of Christians invest more... mental energy in cultural literacy than in biblical literacy."

While most people claim "deep" spirituality, fewer than one-fifth place highest priority on their relationship with God. Moreover, Barna notes, "The notion of personal holiness has slipped out of the consciousness of the vast majority of Christians," with only 35 percent believing God requires holiness and most unable even to define the term.

Barna predicts Biblical doctrine will slip farther as new faith-oriented subcultures emerge. "Alternative" lifestyles and experience will continue to trump creed and doctrine. Nevertheless, in this Protestant Dark Age, Barna predicts that there is light. A "bifurcation" will emerge, he says, between those who see faith as the core of their identify and those who casually adapt religion to suit their existing lifestyle.

And last...

Our good friend John F. Kerry made a holiday visit to the troops in Iraq

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, but the reception was reportedly in need of some help. While Kerry was at the U.S. Embassy one morning for breakfast, one lucky photographer got this shot

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of the erstwhile presidential hopeful eating while surrounded by several empty chairs. Kerry also had to cancel a press conference - because no one came. On a visit to a gym with several troops present, Kerry wasn't offered so much as a word of greeting, much less asked for an autograph. We seem to remember some incident

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a while back in which Kerry "botched" a joke at the expense of America's finest. Now, it doesn't seem that our troops are the ones finding themselves "stuck in Iraq."

Lex et Libertas - Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for the editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families, especially those of our fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who have died in defense of American liberty while prosecuting the war with Jihadistan.)