Nov 15 2008

As goes Chicago goes Illinois

Category: Obama,politics — harmonicminer @ 10:50 pm

In an interesting description of the jockeying involved in trying to get President-elect Obama’s senate seat filled, for the remainder of his term, we find this nugget about the man who will make the decision. Sounds like Illinois politics and Chicago politics were twins, separated at birth, and reconnected shortly after…

And smack dab in the middle of the maelstrom is the current governor, Milorad “Rod” R. Blagojevich, proud Serbian-American. He is also a man on the cusp of becoming the fourth Illinois governor out of the last seven to be indicted for corruption. He was mentioned prominently and not in the best light, during the trial of Obama friend, financier, and patron Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who was convicted of fraud in connection with a statehouse “pay to play” scheme. Federal prosecutors have leaked the information that they think they have enough on the governor for an indictment, largely, it is believed, because Rezko is singing to the feds in exchange for a lighter sentence. There is also a move among members of his own party in the Illinois House to impeach him. The governor is not only unpopular in the state, he is spectacularly and universally hated. A recent poll conducted by the Chicago Tribune found that just 13% of residents approved of the job he was doing.

In short, Governor Blagojevich might want to hurry the process of selecting Obama’s replacement along since he may not be sleeping in the governor’s mansion much longer. He claims he wants to settle the matter before Christmas. If so, he will probably be able to make that deadline, barely, before either resigning in disgrace or being kicked out by members of his own party.

At least the Democrats dislike him, too…. that’s something.

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Nov 15 2008

Evil American Soldiers

Category: military — harmonicminer @ 5:29 pm

Children in Iraq have learned that American soldiers are their best friends and protectors, not to mention plumbers, electricians, carpenters, medical providers, and candy distribution centers. But from another hot spot, here’s a story of another US soldier just doing his job.

Was down talking to friends two friends, military historians who are museum curators. One has a son in the Army. He was until recently on the Korean DMZ, which is more of a no-man’s land, esp. at night.

They’re on a night patrol, about 2 AM, 20 below zero. Coming toward them they can hear, and barely see, are a party of NK refugees, fleeing NK infantry, who are firing on them. Americans move up, and he sees a tiny 4 yr old girl coming toward him thru the gunfire. He grabs her, throws her to the ground, goes prone and rests his M-4 over her back, and opens up. Two NKs go down and the rest flee. They find the two NKs dead the next day.

My friend told his son 70-80 years from now when we’re all gone, that little girl will be telling her great grandkids about you. Every family got its freedom differently. A lot came thru Ellis Island or wherever. This girl’s family got theirs at 2 AM in the DMZ, figuring all hope was lost when American soldiers appeared in the night. She felt the rifle bouncing on her back and smelled the powder smoke as the American cut their pursuers down in the darkness.

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Nov 15 2008

Dobson’s view of our future, or Wallis’?

Category: Obama,religion — harmonicminer @ 9:56 am

Before the election, James Dobson created and circulated an imaginary “letter from the future”: “Letter From 2012 in Obama’s America”

The ability of the letter to sway the election is gone, of course.  We have a little space from the election now, and can take a breath.

But the letter is still a useful document for staking out some territory about some likely outcomes of the Obama adminstration.  For the most part, because these outcomes depend largely on packing the Supreme Court with leftists, and involve known Democrat plans in Congress, there may not be much we can do to avoid these outcomes by political activity, except maybe a successful filibuster of far-left judges.  But maybe forewarned is forearmed, and just maybe there is something we can do by the 2010 congressional elections to slow it all down.

You can read the Dobson letter by clicking the link above: it will download a PDF to your computer, which you can save, print or just view. I have not reproduced it here because it has many formatting features that would be lost, including many footnotes with sources for quotes and policy positions that  Obama and others have taken.  It is a fairly clear distillation of the warnings given by many in the center-Right about the Obama presidency.

Jim Wallis, of Sojourners, and frequent spokesman for the Christian Left, replies here.

The following will only make sense if you read Dobson’s letter and Wallis’ response first.
Continue reading “Dobson’s view of our future, or Wallis’?”

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