RIP Leslie Nielsen

It's always sad when one of the great ones pass away, and such is the case with the passing of Leslie Nielsen.

The #1 reason why we Americans should be forever grateful to Canada, I grew up remembering Mr. Nielsen as Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant in Police Squad!, later in The Naked Gun films, and, of course, as Dr. Rumack in the classic Airplane!.  The memorable lines from that film alone could fill up an essay:

“This woman has to be gotten to a hospital. A hospital; what is it? It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.”
“How soon can we land? I can't tell. You can tell me, I'm a doctor. No, I mean I 'm just not sure. Well, can't you take a guess? Well, not for another two hours. You can't take a guess for another two hours?”
“What was it we had for dinner tonight? Well, we had a choice, steak or fish. Yes, yes, I remember, I had lasagna.”
“Can you fly this plane and land it? Surely, you can't be serious! I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.”

Looking at his career as an actor, it amazes me that for thirty years, he appeared in numerous films and television programs, most of them playing dramatic roles.  With the exception of The Reluctant Astronaut and Tammy And The Bachelor, I can't think of any other comedy he was in prior to 1980 (although in both films, he played it straight).  Once Airplane! came out, Leslie Nielsen, the hilarious comedic actor, was unleashed.

In addition to Airplane! and The Naked Gun, Mr. Nielsen also appeared in hilarious films like Spy Hard, Mr. Magoo and Dracula: Dead And Loving It.  I also remember him in a string of commercials he did for Medicare and this one I've always remembered:

Leslie Nielsen kept us in stitches for years, and I'm forever grateful for the memories (and the laughs!).  Rest in peace, Mr. Nielsen.

Ohhhhh Brother No. 32: Celebrate Reason? Sounds Stupid!

Thanks to Scott Baker at The Blaze, I just found out the organization American Atheists has had a billboard in New Jersey put up in an attempt to motivate atheists to stop celebrating Christmas.  The billboard reads, “You KNOW it's a Myth; This Season, Celebrate REASON!”

Now aside from the glaring omission of claiming the Jewish observation of Hanukkah and the Islamic observation of Eid are myths, I find it funny to see this organization trying to get other atheists to celebrate human reason.  When I contemplate our universe, our planet, the ecosystems which exist, the animal species which have existed and still exist, the forms of plant life which exist, the intricacies of the human body and the history of mankind through the millennia, I find the idea of God not existing to require a far greater leap of faith than to believe in the existence of God.

They may call it being reasonable, but I call it being stupid!

And without further adieu, Ohhhhh brother!

Now Isn't That Interesting, Chapter 36

In case you missed it, Sarah Palin wrote up one of her best Facebook notes:

A Thanksgiving Message to All 57 States

My fellow Americans in all 57 states, the time has changed for come. With our country founded more than 20 centuries ago, we have much to celebrate – from the FBI’s 100 days to the reforms that bring greater inefficiencies to our health care system. We know that countries like Europe are willing to stand with us in our fight to halt the rise of privacy, and Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s. And let’s face it, everybody knows that it makes no sense that you send a kid to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma and they end up taking up a hospital bed. It costs, when, if you, they just gave, you gave them treatment early, and they got some treatment, and ah, a breathalyzer, or an inhalator. I mean, not a breathalyzer, ah, I don’t know what the term is in Austrian for that…  

Of course, the paragraph above is based on a series of misstatements and verbal gaffes made by Barack Obama (I didn’t have enough time to do one for Joe Biden). YouTube links are provided just in case you doubt the accuracy of these all too human slips-of-the-tongue. If you can’t remember hearing about them, that’s because for the most part the media didn’t consider them newsworthy. I have no complaint about that. Everybody makes the occasional verbal gaffe – even news anchors.  

Obviously, I would have been even more impressed if the media showed some consistency on this issue. Unfortunately, it seems they couldn’t resist the temptation to turn a simple one word slip-of-the-tongue of mine into a major political headline. The one word slip occurred yesterday during one of my seven back-to-back interviews wherein I was privileged to speak to the American public about the important, world-changing issues before us.

If the media had bothered to actually listen to all of my remarks on Glenn Beck’s radio show, they would have noticed that I refer to South Korea as our ally throughout, that I corrected myself seconds after my slip-of-the-tongue, and that I made it abundantly clear that pressure should be put on China to restrict energy exports to the North Korean regime. The media could even have done due diligence and checked my previous statements on the subject, which have always been consistent, and in fact even ahead of the curve. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story? (And for that matter, why not just make up stories out of thin air – like the totally false hard news story which has run for three days now reporting that I lobbied the producers of “Dancing with the Stars” to cast a former Senate candidate on their show. That lie is further clear proof that the media completely makes things up without doing even rudimentary fact-checking.)

“Hope springs eternal” as the poet says. Let’s hope that perhaps, just maybe, they might get it right next time. When we the people are effective in holding America’s free press accountable for responsible and truthful reporting, then we shall all have even more to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

- Sarah Palin

What's interesting about her note, though, is the reaction from her critics.  Stacy Drake at Conservatives4Palin has a great post about the criticism lobbed at Sarah via Twitter, with screen shots of some of the critical tweets.  It's simply hilarious to see these Palin-haters make jackasses of themselves for trying to pounce on Sarah over something they didn't get.

Of course, most Palin-haters are decidedly from the Left, and the Left has never been known for having much of a sense of humor (although calling Janeane Garafalo & Sandra Bernhard funny can be considered a joke in itself).  Anyway, at least my day has been well spent with laughter.

Norm Coleman's Advice

With the legal battle taking place in the race for the U.S. Senate in Alaska between Joe Miller and his joke of an opponent, Senator Lisa Murkowski, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a former U.S. Senator with a similar experience put his two cents in the debate.

Former Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota, who lost nearly eighteen months years ago in a contentious race for re-election with another joke, Al Franken, spoke on C-SPAN recently (his appearance is supposed to air this coming Sunday), in which he says Mr. Miller should just give up, believing all of the votes have been counted, resulting in Senator Murkowski's re-election, and isn't worth the legal battle.

With respect to Senator Coleman, there is no guarantee Lisa Murkowski has the majority of the votes (among other things).  And more importantly, the legal battle is about ensuring the votes are properly counted, with those votes which don't follow the requirements established by law in Alaska be disqualified.

Much like the legal battle in Minnesota last year, this legal battle in Alaska needs to be fought.

Tom DeLay convicted

Former Congressman Tom DeLay's state trial ended with his conviction this past Wednesday, on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  The sentence could be anywhere from five years to life imprisonment.

The former Congressman has called the verdict a miscarriage of justice, and I agree.  Federal inquiries resulted in no charges being filed against him, but why the charges in state court?  There's also another question: was Tom DeLay charged with something that occurred before it became illegal?  If so, why the prosecution in the first place?

Knowing how the Left has been going after Tom DeLay for many years now, this verdict sounds much less like justice and more like a political crucifixion.

Thankful

I'm thankful on this Thanksgiving for the blessings God has bestowed on me: my family, my friends, my liberty, my life.

I'm thankful for being an American (a citizen of the greatest nation ever created), for being a vigilant citizen (having learned the true price for liberty), for being a Christian (especially a Lutheran), and for our troops (as I say repeatedly, I can never thank them enough for all they do).

Before I end this post, I also wanted to provide links to other (and better) Thanksgiving tributes from Rush Limbaugh, Pamela Geller, Michelle Malkin, Wyatt Earp, and Laughing Wolf.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

She said, She said

Hillary Clinton says she has no intention of running for President in 2012 or 2016.  She said she had no intention of running in 2008, either.

She said she had always been a Yankees fan, while saying she had been a Cubs fan.

Yeah, why don't we all just take Hillary Clinton at her word, huh?  After all, she is a woman of her word.  Isn't she?

The inner libertarian in me

I see Steven Crowder in a video, and I'm still surprised he used to be the voice of The Brain on the PBS series Arthur, but his latest one has led me to respond:



Whenever I hear about government flirting with the idea of a smoking ban, or hear about government wanting to ban salt in their city's restaurants, the inner libertarian in me comes out raging in full force.  Okay, maybe I'm being dramatic, but there are times when the inner libertarian in me comes out, and this story about the TSA and body scanners is the latest example.

I don't like the idea of any stranger seeing me naked in an airport for any reason; even if it proved useful in stopping terrorism, this is still security gone amok.  Thankfully, there are better alternatives, with the Israelis said to have a better approach when it comes to airport security.  If that's the case, why not follow the Israelis' example?

I may be a guy who hasn't been on a plane in nearly 20 years, but this kind of stuff is government going too far.  It should be stopped right now.

Grassroots News Minute (November 19th)

Remembering the Gettysburg Address

It's amazing to think that almost a century and a half ago, Abraham Lincoln rose up to speak to the people at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, more than four months after the great and terrible battle fought there, and give what would become one of the greatest speeches of all time; a moving tribute to the courage and sacrifice given by our troops, North and South.

He was there to give a speech at what was to be the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery, and was to follow the keynote speaker, Edward Everett.  A former Congressman, Governor, President at Harvard University, U.S. Senator, Vice Presidential nominee and well-known orator, Mr. Everett spoke for two hours to the crowd (nowadays, it's equally amazing to think anybody could have so much to say, it would take two hours to say it!).  Then came President Lincoln's turn, and what followed in just two minutes had more of an effect on the 15,000 people said to be there (including six sitting Governors) than any orator's speech ever could:



The reaction from the crowd, it is said, was complete silence, as they were deeply moved by the words their President had spoken.  How could you not be, I ask you?

And now, 147 years later, we still remember those same words; may we ever continue to remember those words, and may we ever continue to remember with honor the courage and sacrifice of our American troops, from the American Revolution to today in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(A special thanks to the people of Skyline Productions for the making of a wonderful video)

Congressman Marlin Stutzman

Finally, after almost six months of not having any representation in the House of Representatives, I'm finally getting a Congressman, with Marlin Stutzman to be sworn in today.

Sure, it saved us, the residents of Indiana's 3rd Congressional District, upwards of almost a million dollars to pay for holding a special election after Mark Souder's resignation this past May, but it was aggravating at times when I couldn't call my Congressman about a bill coming up on the House floor because there was nobody to call.  Thankfully, with Congressman Stutzman sworn in, there's no longer a vacancy; the fact that our new Congressman is a strong conservative makes me doubly thankful.

The swearing in also brings an added bonus, as Congressman Stutzman will have seniority over his fellow freshmen Congressmen (another freshman from New York is supposed to be sworn in today, but had to be recently hospitalized).  Because seniority holds weight in Congress, this should put him in a better position for a chairmanship on a subcommittee or a committee in the future.

It's a shame I couldn't be there in D.C. for the ceremony (the look on Nancy Pelosi's face as she swears in Congressman Stutzman would've been priceless!).  Congratulations, Congressman Stutzman!

From Gates of Vienna: Elisabeth’s Voice: An Update

Baron Bodissey has just posted the latest news about Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff:

Gates of Vienna: Elisabeth’s Voice: An Update: "One week from today Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff will go on trial in Vienna for “hate speech” — or, more precisely, for “denigrating religious teachings"...

As with Geert Wilders's trial, Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff will be using her own material for her defense:

Elisabeth is using the seminar transcript to prepare a point-by-point rebuttal of the charges filed against her. She will demonstrate that her statements represent an accurate account of sharia as established through a consensus of the scholars of Islamic law. Reliance of the Traveller by al-Misri, the most authoritative treatise in the Shafi’ite School of Islamic Law, will be one of her primary sources.

If you wish to financially assist Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff's legal battle, visit this website.

The Lady Is Free

She has been the symbol of freedom for her nation and her people; she has also spent most of the last 21 years of her life under house arrest by the tyrannical regime which rules her nation.  Now, Aung San Suu Kyi has been freed from house arrest in Burma.

Released yesterday and received by thousands of supporters, Ms. Suu Kyi spoke of continuing the fight for human rights and the rule of law in Burma (they call it Myanmar, but I prefer Burma).

The news is wonderful; Aung San Suu Kyi has been leading the fight for freedom and the rule of law in Burma for decades.  However, because Burma is still being run by the same regime that has kept her under house arrest for so many years, I'm not holding my breath that things in Burma will be changing for the better, and Burmese refugees in the Fort Wayne area are also not holding their breath either.

There's no way of knowing what will happen out there in Burma.  I suspect, like the Burmese here in northeast Indiana, Aung San Soo Kyi could very well be back under house arrest in no time.  She has no intention of acquiescing to the ruling regime, and I'm not aware of any sign freedom is coming back to Burma, so I expect the worst, but hope for the best.

And to Aung San Soo Kyi, keep fighting the good fight.

Targeted: Free Speech

With the trial of Geert Wilders continuing, it is in effect a trial in which freedom of speech, especially the freedom to tell the truth, is being prosecuted.  Not as well known but no less important is two other cases where free speech is being put on trial once again.

The first is in Europe, where an Austrian named Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff has been charged with hate speech because she has spoken out about the truth of Islam and the Islamization of Europe.  The other case is here in America, with none other than Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs fame being sued by Omar Tarazi, the lawyer for the parents of Rifqa Bary.  The charge cited is defamation.

This has proven to be the most dangerous weapon used by the Islamists in their jihad: the courts.  Just tell the truth about the dangers of Islam, of Sharia law, and of individual jihadists, and next thing you know, you could be subjected to a lawsuit or charged with hate speech.  Whatever happened to free speech?

Pamela Geller has done nothing but tell the truth (bluntly so) and is being sued for hurting the feelings of some lawyer.  Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff has done nothing but tell the truth, and she's being charged for saying something deemed unacceptable by someone else.  I ask again, Whatever happened to free speech?

People like Geert Wilders, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and Pamela Geller deserve our support.

Update (Nov. 18th, 6:44 PM EST): I just realized through an interview with Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at New English Review, she is not a politician, but a private citizen, and I've since corrected my mistake.

Grassroots News Minute (November 12th)

Targeted: Oklahoma

One of the great things that happened on Election Day this year was the passing in Oklahoma of a state constitutional amendment that forbids the state courts from considering either international law or Islamic sharia law in its decisions.  It should, of course, come as no surprise that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has filed a lawsuit to stop the amendment.

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs presents CAIR's latest action as proof of the infamous organization seeking to impose Sharia on the nation, and why it must be defeated.  In addition, Act! For America notes that the lawsuit also serves a purpose in exposing what Sharia is and what CAIR really is.

Naturally, I hope the lawsuit fails, I hope CAIR will be exposed for imposing an oppressive and unconstitutional legal system on America, and I hope all over America, we will see similar amendments ratified into the state constitutions, amendments designed to force the courts to rely only on Constitutional law when ruling in future cases.

Is Nancy for real?

In her time as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has sounded like an idiot on a few occasions (from saying we need to pass ObamaCare so we can “find out what is in it” to responding to a question on the constitutionality of ObamaCare by saying “Are you serious?”), but she recently put the icing on the cake of her idiocy thanks to an interview with Notorious Public Ripoff (NPR).

Reading the transcript of the interview (thanks to The Blaze), I'm actually surprised to see that the soon-to-be-former Speaker doesn't think the election defeat for the Democrats had anything to do with her, but with the still high unemployment rate.  She goes even further in saying she is a target because she has been an effective Speaker.  Effective?!  Really?!

Hey, Nancy, are you serious?  Are you serious?

Newsflash for Lawrence O'Donnell

It wasn't too long ago when Glenn Beck, on his television show, featured a video clip of MSNBC pundit Lawrence O'Donnell describing himself as a socialist.  This past Tuesday, O'Donnell responded with the claim that we're all socialists now.

Johnathon Seidl at The Blaze has the video clip of O'Donnell's response and offers his own two cents on the matter.  My own two cents is this simple newsflash to Lawrence O'Donnell:

1. I am not a socialist.
2. I am not one of your comrades.
3. Your standard for applying the socialist label needs an overhaul.
4. There's no good and bad socialism, but just socialism (all bad) and, oh yeah,
5. I'M NOT A DAMN SOCIALIST!

So ends the newsflash.  Now you can go ahead with your career and your low ratings on MSNBC; have a nice day!

To Our Veterans,

I cannot thank you enough for all you have done so I can enjoy the freedom God endowed to me; I cannot express my gratitude enough for the sacrifices you made for myself, my family, my friends, our countrymen and our nation.  I cannot think of the words to use in order to give an eloquent tribute to you.  All I can say is thank you; from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service.  God bless you.

Proper Spelling Matters In Alaska

Last week's results for the U.S. Senate race in Alaska showed 41% of the voters chose a write-in candidate while roughly 34% went for Joe Miller, with Senator Lisa Murkowski being the write-in candidate.  However, since there is no guarantee all the write-in votes went to Senator Murkowski, the write-in votes have to be sorted out to decide how many the Senator will get.

So, the process of going through the write-in votes started today, and there has been some coverage of Mr. Miller's campaign using legal channels to make sure only write-in votes with Senator Murkowski's name correctly spelled are accepted.  Unsurprisingly, I've noticed some of the tweets written about him, trying to label him as a sore loser.  Patterico at Patterico's Pontifications, on the other hand, notes the clarity of Alaska's laws when it comes to counting write-in votes.

If the law is crystal clear on what can be and cannot be counted as a vote in an election, why shouldn't it be followed?  If Joe Miller is working to insure the law is followed, then why is he being criticized as a sore loser?  Considering it was Senator Murkowski who lost the Republican primary in the first place, why isn't she being called the sore loser in the race?

I won't deny it: I hope Joe Miller wins the race and becomes Alaska's next United States Senator, but I hope more that the law in Alaska is being followed when it comes to the counting of the write-in votes.

Attack of the 50-ft Sarah?!

Well, the left-wing magazine Mother Jones has done something that can be regarded as a headline-grabber.  In their latest issue, they have Sarah Palin on the cover, portrayed as a 50-foot tall woman (Johnathon Seidl at The Blaze gives a bit of cinema-related background).  The idea behind the cover is to portray Sarah as an enemy of middle class Americans, who are seen as too stupid to realize what they were voting “against” in last week's elections.

As for my two cents on the matter, I must say: That is the hottest looking 50-foot tall woman I've ever seen!  I know that's not the point of the people behind the magazine, but what can I say?  With ludicrous claims and asinine contentions from a magazine so wrapped up in its Leftist ideology to bother to look at the facts, why bother debating them?  To expect them to see the light would be as silly as expecting Karl Marx to have seen the error of his ways.

Anyway, for what it's worth, my thanks to the people in charge at Mother Jones for giving us a great picture of a beautiful woman.

Now Isn't That Interesting, Chapter 35

I've lately been visiting the website The Daily Caller, and just now I came across an article best described as interesting.

The article had as its headline NPR chief denounces defunding calls in speech on future of journalism.  The President & CEO of National Public Ripoff..oops, I meant National Public Radio (not really!), Vivian Schiller, stressed the importance of government funding for public broadcasting, going so far as to say, 

“If defunding to public broadcasting were to occur, it would be devastating to public broadcasting. That’s a fact,” Schiller said.

Well, here's another fact, Vivian: You shouldn't have fired Juan Williams for simply stating his personal concerns on another network (namely, Fox News); otherwise, you wouldn't be having the escalation of calls for NPR's de-funding.  Of course, with the article stating that only 9% of the funding member stations get come from tax dollars, how is it essential to staying on the air?  Maybe that's a matter best left between Vivian and her psychiatrist, or publicist, or whatever.

In any event, here's another fact for you, Vivian: I don't want any of my tax dollars to go to fund NPR; NPR has never been objective and open-minded, so I hope the renewed calls for de-funding result in actual de-funding.

Ohhhhh Brother No. 31: The Case Of The Mystery Man With Access To George Bush's Brain

So, I pay a visit to The Daily Caller, and find this big headline reading: MISUNDERESTIMATED? Bush thinks Sarah Palin is unqualified to be President, or Vice President.

Taking a look at the article, I noticed it originally appeared in The New York Daily News, claims the former President has “told friends the ex-Alaska governor isn’t qualified to be President and criticizes Arizona Sen. John McCain for putting Palin on the 2008 GOP ticket and handing her a national platform”, and cites the source of this statement as “a Republican official familiar with Bush's thinking”.

Ohhhhh brother!

So, some guy at The New York Daily News, on the basis of an unnamed official who supposedly knows what's going on in the 43rd President's brain, claims said President claimed Sarah Palin is unqualified to be President.  Well, forgive me if I take as much stock in that story as I would a story claiming Elvis was sighted today at a Burger King in Auburn, Indiana!

If the writers at The New York Daily News are expecting people to believe in stories like this with the kind of “reliable” sources they have, I can't wait for them to report on what President Bush thinks about the Houston Astros (according to a Texas Rangers executive familiar with the former President's thinking)!

By the way, if you want to see what President Bush thinks about Sarah and 2012, check out this video.

Together

How right Sarah Palin is; our Morning in America is coming.

My Election Analysis

Alright, here's my take on the election results:

1) Dan Coats's victory in the U.S. Senate race against Brad Ellsworth was the one race I was confident would result in a Republican victory.  With his support of ObamaCare, the stimulus bills, the DISCLOSE Act, and his constant attacking of the Senator-elect over his lobbyist past, Congressman Ellsworth had little chance (if ever) of winning.

2) Marlin Stutzman's win against Tom Hayhurst in the race for Congress here in Indiana's 3rd District was one of the two highlights of Election Day for me, although the Congressman-elect's victory should've come as no surprise to me.  Dr. Hayhurst ran in 2006 for this very seat against Mark Souder amidst a wave of anti-Republican sentiment, and lost by 8 percent.  With the sentiment being all things anti-Democrat and anti-Left, for Dr. Hayhurst to lose by 30 percent in this election, to a strong conservative candidate who does what he says, shows just how much of an uphill battle it was for him.

3) Indiana's 51st House District became one of the most contentious races in the area in the course of this election, with State Rep. Dick Dodge facing his toughest opponent in Democrat Codie Ross.  No question, Ross was a slick talker, and convinced some people he was either a conservative Democrat or a moderate Democrat with “some conservative tendencies”.  He either kept quiet about an issue (like abortion) or he would use a lot of catchphrases to try and sugarcoat his progressive views.  Fortunately, thanks in large part to the DeKalb 9/12 Project, Ross didn't fool enough people, and Rep. Dodge won by 15 percent.  This was the race I was most concerned about, and was immensely relieved to discover the results.

On Election Day 2010

Well, I think I have recovered sufficiently enough from the election that I can blog about my experiences on Election Day, so here it is:

Of the twelve hours during which the polls were open here in Indiana, I spent two-thirds of that time working as a poll book holder, a task designed to help increase voter turnout at the polls.  The poll workers I worked with were accommodating and had no objections to my being there.  Almost near the middle of the day, I was able to go and cast my own vote, where I voted for the Republican candidates in all but one of the elections (I'll have more about that later).  After the polls were closed (thank God!), I was in Auburn with the DeKalb 9/12 Project to discuss our experiences on Election Day and later in Fort Wayne, where the Allen County Republican Party was celebrating the election results.  Marlin Stutzman was there to give his victory speech, and after all the time I had spent as a volunteer (both in his Senate and Congress races), I had to be there.  (click on the link to see the video below)