Winners and Losers

No, I did not watch the debate last night on CNN with the Democrat presidential candidates. I knew the clips on the news today would be enough for me to get the flavor of it. From what I've heard, it was Edwards chiding Obama and Clinton on Iraq votes. Reasonable on his part. The last vote for funding was a chicken session for those two with Obama voting first and Clinton copying his vote. Yes, that's leadership. Clinton style.

I decided as the war on terror has unfolded, despite the fact that Edwards is dangerously blind to anything but his poll numbers, it is not just a bumper sticker term. The far left has hijacked the Democrat party and it is a rush to defeat in Iraq for them. They want it to be Bush's war. Problem is, though, that the war with Iraq, after the first Gulf War, began with the Clinton administration. Time after time our jets were being shot at over the no-fly zone. U.N. resolution after resolution was broken. Clinton kicked the problem down the road and after 9/11 woke everyone up to the threats to us from around the world, Iraq became his problem. All of the politicians with a brain in their head voted to take action in Iraq. Speech after speech, from Clinton, to Allbright, to the new administration under Bush spoke to the chemical and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To go back now and say it's all Bush's war is just not factual. To say the intelligence was cherry picked or cooked to go with the opinion with the administration is flat wrong. Even the 9/11 Commission's final report, the gold standard used by the Democrats whenever they want to criticize this administration, states that was not the case.

Today's Democrat party has returned to the party of McGovern.

I don't know how Hillary will get back to the center of the left to win the national election. She's just another far left talking candidate to remain viable in the primaries. Her husband didn't do that so I'm not sure she's getting the best advice. I don't care, mind you, just an observation. And for her to talk about how Bill will be her worldwide goodwill ambassador, well, it just sounds desperate to me.

Maybe it's just me.

So, I'll never vote for a Democrat again the rest of my life. It's a decision I've made. They have shown themselves to be unacceptably weak on the war on terror. The war on terror is the most important issue for us as a country, as my thinking goes. Call it whatever you want to call it. The threats continue to present themselves. The arrests over the weekend which shut down the plot to disrupt the fuel line to JFK from New Jersey is the latest episode. Last week it was the Fort Dix stooges. And the surveillance and informants used were what made the difference. The very aspects of the Patriot Act that the Democrats have put us on notice that they intend to eliminate.

The war in Iraq, a part of the war on terror, has been mismanaged since the mission was successful the first days of the war. Remember we were welcomed as heroes. The tanks first into Baghdad, in record time, brought soldiers who were welcomed with cheering Iraqis and those expressing gratitude. Iraqis in Michigan and throughout the U.S. cheered and waved American flags along with the Iraqi flag. The statue of Saddam was brought down. Unfortunately, not enough troops were used and the war was planned using less troops, more technology, which didn't work out too well.

For all the things that have gone wrong, the steadfast determination of this administration to go on the offensive is the key to winning the safety of our country. The Islamofacists have told us over and over what the goal is for them.

My decision to wash my hands of the Democrats is a shame, really. The very first campaign I worked on, devoting my time and energy to, not just financial contributions, was for a woman running for mayor in Lafayette. A Democrat. She was a Democrat like the ones I grew up with in Louisiana, formerly called 'yellow dogs'. I am a lifelong Republican, make no mistake, but I am of the old school. I'm socially liberal and fiscally conservative. National security is extremely important to me. I take our place in the world very seriously. I used to find common ground with some Democrats.

Our mayor is a Democrat, even though our mayoral office is supposed to be non-partisan. He was a deputy Energy Security in the Clinton administration. I didn't vote for him the first time around but I did last time. Why? His leadership during Katrina, which turned around to bite us in the ass, and because he does some quality of life projects I appreciate.

When he runs for governor next time around, he won't have my vote.

It's a new world out there.



As a side note: One of my daily reads, Rightwing Nuthouse, is doing donation drive. Rick Moran is a talented, thoughtful writer and is deserving of the chance to continue his dream. His site is on my blogroll. Go visit.