WHO'S CRYIN NOW?

“Who’s cryin now?”

I think President Lincoln would if he were here, so would John Rusby and Joe Rusby.

Not because we lost the election, oh no! The sadness is for the wasted opportunity!

Let me explain.
About 115 years ago John joined a group with his friends, neighbors and patrons of his small store in what is now Nutley, NJ. That grass roots group was part of a huge group who started a new political party and directed it to do one thing. That one thing was to stop slavery. His grand son, Joe became active in that party, the Republican Party and he worked as a party official organizing and helping wherever he could. I followed and served in elected offices and many volunteer projects.

There have been a number of Republican presidents since Lincoln, actually more than Democrats. But in most cases there was not the control of both houses of congress with the presidency as existed with President Bush.

This was an opportunity that Abe, John, Joe and many other active party members and elected officials would have like to have been a part of. Well, Lincoln did have both houses, so did Teddy Roosevelt and McKinley. Ike had it 25% of his time. Several Democrats had control but Ike was the only Republican in modern times and that was for a short period of his time in office. Gingrich recognized the opportunity and tried to reform the system but he was chastised.

Sure, the president pushed through policies that improved our economy and that is very beneficial. But our congress has missed a wonderful opportunity.
They inserted many special projects into the budget to please their constituency to help get re-elected. Pork barrel.
They continued to negotiate special tax deductions for special groups and accepted campaign assistance and special benefits.
Campaign finance activities continued even though reforms had been introduced. Everyone looked for loopholes.

We have held them in contempt and abandoned them at the polls.

But we stood by and let them do this. Do we have to take some of the blame? We the citizens must insist on a better way to finance campaigns.

Republicans had the chance to make changes. They could have reduced the pork barrel dipping and campaign finance abuses. They could even have done some investigations and started a new way to finance campaigns. They could have even pushed a grass roots program for meaningful tax reform with a bill that was on their desk.

Greed prevented progress. We stood by and did not demand excellence. We let them plod along and satisfy their greed.

It was an opportunity that we trashed. I am sad, I am sure Joe and John and Abe would be disgusted at us for allowing such a rare opportunity to do so much good was wasted.

Totally wasted.

Bush got stuck,Kerry got to go Home

BUSH GOT HIGHER GRADES AT YALE AND GOT STUCK AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF BUT KERRY GOT TO GO HOME.
John Kerry has put on the Dukakis helmet and is driving the tank across our TV screens over and over. I am sure you have all seen the comment.
I went into the Navy a few years before Kerry did. Many of my friends at home were doing that. We had a choice, get drafted and be sent to die crawling through the rice fields of North Korea or enlist in the Navy. In an interview with his college newspaper Kerry indicated the same strategy when he went into the Navy during the Vietnam War.
Kerry was on a ship but heard about the “swift boats” that were to be used near Vietnam to bring out critical personnel. Kerry volunteered and it seemed he was able to imitate his hero, JFK in a safe situation. We all knew that everyone who volunteered was a hero. But if you wanted the glory like he seemed to want, at that time you would join the Marines.
While in training the boats were reassigned to more dangerous duty. Kerry provided his own video camera and managed 3 purple hearts in 3 months in Vietnam (2 have been questioned) and he came home a hero and denounced our troops before congress telling horrendous tales of atrocities he saw in those 3 short months. He is now attacking the troops again and anyone who questions him.
A trial to take place in Pennsylvania in the near future might end his charade or verify his heroism. “The truth will out” and “The evil that man does lives on; the good is oft interred in the bones.” (Or is it the other way around?)
In the meantime, Bush did get a grade point average just above Kerry. But Bush got stuck as the Commander in Chief and Kerry was able to go home.

NORTH KOREA
Let us give thanks to China for its effort to bring North Korea to the discussion table with all parties involved. Now, with any discussion there will be stronger repercussions with more countries to answer to.


OUR PROBLEMS IN IRAQ:
Are the Iraq people any worse than we were?
Frank Waters was a historian and wrote about the lives of our Native American Indians. In his “Book of the Hopi” he recorded the information about how some of our territories would stir up activity of the Native Americans in order to ask the government to send troops. This resulted in increased commercial activity for the territories and it was to their benefit to keep the activity high so that money flowed though the troops to the locals.
Is it the same in Iraq? I have mentioned this before in previous blogs.

The dogs would like you to know that they have lots of friends because they wag their tails and not their tongues.

Bush, Fox and Stem Cells

While reviewing the controversy over stem cell research let us not forget a couple of items.
There are no restrictions against stem cell research.
Bush was the first president to allow government funds to sponsor stem cell research.
Government funding is required because private funding is limited due to the limited success with the research.
The only limitations imposed have been placed on the extent of government involvement and sponsorship as an attempt is made to represent the will of the people.
Everyone will support research with any significant hope of success to cure these terrible diseases.
The major successes in disease curing or prevention have been where the body has been involved.
If you believe in creation then you know you have to search for the system designed by the creator to cure these diseases.
We must search together, help one another and cooperate with each other.
We must be tolerant of those who represent the public and do their bidding.
Thank you.

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