Veteran's Day

Today, November 11th, 2008 is Veteran's Day. This day is set aside to honor those who have served this Nation in both war and in peace.

If you know someone who was in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy or Coast Guard, tell them "Thank you!". They deserve it, for they have given up the soft life of a civilian to endure the rigors of military life to stand watch over all of us, to protect us from those who would do us harm, guarding our liberty and the freedoms we all enjoy.

To those veteran's who may see this post, I say Thank You!

Parallels

With the election of Sen. Barack Obama to the Presidency, I want to draw your attention to some parallels that I see between this election, and one that took place 32 years ago.

First, a brief history lesson -

1973 - VP Spiro Agnew resigns, Rep. Gerald R. Ford appointed as VP.

1974 - Nixon resigns over Watergate scandal (the beginning of "gotcha! journalism"), VP Ford sworn in as President; Democrats vote to de-fund military aid to South Viet Nam.

1975 - Saigon falls to North Viet Nam in April.

1976 - a virtual "unknown" peanut farmer turned Governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, wins Democrat nomination promising "change" and "hope", runs against Ford, and wins; next four years sees change - major economic chaos (20+% prime interest rates, double digit unemployment), and an international crisis involving Iran, as they occupy the US Embassy in Teheran, and hold US hostages captive for 444 days. Nation gripped by ennui and angst, believing what Carter has said - that the good old days are gone forever, and everyone must learn to get along with less of everything, and loses "hope".

Fast forward to recent history, up to the present -

2000 - Governor of Texas George W. Bush is elected President, defeating VP Al Gore; Democrats claim he stole the election due to US Supreme Court intervening in Florida vote debacle (which claim was disproved by studies conducted by the liberal media showing Bush won Florida); beginning of "Bush Derangement Syndrome".

2001 - Worst terrorist attack in US history occurs on September 11; Nation comes together in support of GWB - briefly; Dems talk the talk, but don't walk the walk due to "BDS"; US invades Afghanistan, ousts Taliban and helps set up democratic government, which Dems "support".

2003 - US invades Iraq; Bush declares reason for invasion is WMD, although there were other reasons stated as well; liberal media fixates on WMD, and when "none" is found, begins assault on Bush; Democrats first vote in support of war in Iraq, and then attempt to undermine policies of Bush/Cheney, due to "BDS".

2004 - Bush wins second term as President over Sen. John Kerry; liberal media continues with false "Bush lied, people died" meme; Democrats continue efforts at undermining Bush/Cheney domestic and foreign policies; "BDS" reaches epidemic proportions.

2005 - War in Iraq starting to not go so well, due to inadequate planning on the part of Rumsfeld and General Staff; Democrats proclaim war is "quagmire" and "lost", therefore US should abandon Iraq (just like Viet Nam).

2006 - War in Iraq getting worse; Democrats call for abandoning Iraq getting louder; Bush calls for new strategy; liberal media discounts talks of new strategy; virtual "unknown" Senator Barack Obama from Illinois declares for Presidency.

2007 - Due to new strategy - surge in troop levels, and different tactics - war in Iraq begins to dramatically turn around; Democrats still claim war is "lost" (Reid), a "quagmire" (Kennedy), and continue to call for abandoning Iraq (most of the rest of them); liberal media complicit with Democrats in description of how the war is going, continuing their drumbeat of negativity, refusing to report on gains; Obama defeats Hillary Clinton for Democrat nomination, promises to bring "change" and "hope"; Senator John McCain wins Republican nomination; liberal media in tank for Obama, and refuses to even consider looking into negatives about Obama, while conducting a despicable "witch hunt" on McCain's running mate, Governor Sarah Palin.

2008 - Surge in Iraq successful, and more and more areas of Iraq are turned over to complete Iraqi control; Obama defeats McCain, and wins US Presidency; liberal media complicit in getting Obama elected.

Parallels

Carter comes on the scene at the end of an unpopular war (Viet Nam), and takes advantage of electorate disgust with Republicans.

Obama comes on the scene towards the end of another unpopular war (Iraq), and with liberal media complicity, takes advantage of electorate disgust with Republicans

Both proclaim they are the one to bring about "change" and "hope".

Carter brings "change" in the form of economic chaos, and causes America to lose "hope" in his inept handling of the international crisis in Iran, allowing American citizens to be held hostage for 444 days.

After four years of "change" and "hope" under Carter, the US electorate wakes up, and elects Republican Ronald Reagan to the US Presidency. Real change happens almost immediately, as Iran releases the US hostages, and the economy begins to rebound and then boom again, bringing real hope to Americans.

Obama brings about "change" in the form of economic chaos even before he became a state Senator through his representing ACORN in their lawsuit to force banks to loan money to people they knew would never be able to pay the loans back, and then backs the risky economic policies of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac after he becomes a US Senator, enabling (with Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd) the sub-prime mortgage crisis, causing many Americans to lose "hope" of keeping their homes.

What will the next four years under Obama bring America? Probably an abandonment of Iraq before they are ready for us to leave, and possibly an international crisis involving Iran. Definitely higher taxes, which will only exacerbate the economic crisis we are in right now. As he has stated, Obama wants to implement various new government programs which will mandate acceptance and forced compliance by the American people. These programs will take away freedom of choice in many areas, diminishing hope for many Americans. Will the liberal media continue to be complicit, or will they wake up and begin to finally ask the hard questions they should have been asking all along?

After four years of Obama, will the American electorate wake up and take back our government, and elect a Republican who will bring real change and hope to America? Only time will tell what will happen, but my hope is that Obama doesn't do permanent damage to America, and that the American electorate will wake up, and elect someone to change the direction Obama wants to take America.

Will the Republicans be able to stop any of Obama's socialistic plans, or will they continue to fold? Will the Republicans present a candidate to run against Obama that will invigorate the American electorate as Reagan did? I believe that the answer to these last two questions is yes. Yes, the Republicans will be able to stop most, if not all, of the more obvious socialistic programs Obama wants to institute, and yes, the Republicans will present a candidate in 2012 who will invigorate not only Republicans, but Independents and even Democrats, someone who will be a truely charismatic leader, who isn't afraid to stand up to Obama and speak the truth, and who will not be afraid of the liberal media.

Last but not least, who will this person be? Will it be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin? Will it be Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal? Or will it be a relative unknown, someone new to the national stage? Only time will give us the answer to that, but don't lose hope, for change - real, positive change - is coming.

Happy 233rd Birthday USMC

From a Vietnam Era vet of the US Navy, Happy 233rd Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

Here's an amusing, but affectionate (affectionate? you bet!) write up on our beloved Corps. Enjoy!

Remember to vote

Tomorrow is November 4th, the day We the People of the United States of America have the opportunity to choose the leaders of our nation. This right to vote should not be squandered by anyone who is legally eligible to vote. Whether you think your candidate is going to win, or whether you think your candidate is going to lose, your vote still matters.

I had originally intended this post to be a rant against the Obama/Biden ticket, as I fully support the McCain/Palin ticket in the race for President and Vice President, but as I sat down to begin composing this post, I realized that those of you who are set to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket were not going to be dissuaded from that objective, no matter what I had to say. I also realized that those of us who are going to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket don't need any persuading to do that.

So I changed my mind.

Instead, what I want to say to everyone who reads this is, vote for whomever you want to - that's your right under the Constitution - but when you vote, vote your conscience. Don't vote for one ticket or the other simply because it's the "thing to do". Think about what you are doing, and before you pull that lever and slip your vote into the ballot box, ask yourself one thing - am I really voting for the right ticket? - and let your conscience be your guide.

Remember to vote tomorrow.

Welcome to all you LGFer's checking out this post!

Thanks for stopping by. I invite you to check out some of my other posts, too. I mean as long as you're here, and all ... ;)

House GOP leader asks Bush to cut off ACORN funds

As reported here, House Republican leader John Boehner on Wednesday urged President Bush to block all federal funds to a grass-roots community group that has been accused of voter registration fraud.

"It is evident that ACORN is incapable of using federal funds in a manner that is consistent with the law," Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote Bush, saying that funds should be blocked until all federal investigations into the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now are completed.

ACORN, a group that has led liberal causes since it was formed in 1970, this year hired more than 13,000 part-time workers to sign up voters in minority and poor neighborhoods in 21 states. Some of the 1.3 million registration cards submitted to local election officials, using the names of cartoon characters or pro football players, were obviously phony, spurring GOP charges of widespread misconduct.

For more on the voter fraud antics of ACORN go here. (Oh, yeah - here, too!)

I was beginning to wonder if this was ever going to happen!

I used to like you, but not any more

I've seen through the veil you hide behind, and what I see is not a pretty sight. I used to like you, but not any more. I used to respect you, but not any more. Because of your prior association with one of the greatest President's this country has ever seen, you used to have "cred" with me, you words carried weight, and I looked forward to reading your thoughts. But not any more. I've seen behind the veil.

This latest example is the straw that broke the camels proverbial back, Peggy. Yes, you, Peggy Noonan, I'm talking about you, to you.

The title of your elitist screed is, "Palin's Failin'", with the subtitle stating, "What is it she stands for? After seven weeks, we don't know." You're wrong, Peggy, when you use the word "we", for we DO know what she stands for. It is, however, quite apparent that you don't. Oh, and if you're going to write something about someone - anyone - you might want to mention that persons name sooner than the FIFTH paragraph, even if that mention is to mention that the Dems consider her a dope, and unqualified. It seems that you hold the same opinion as well, by what you wrote further in your elitist screed. Some choice nuggets -

"But we have seen Mrs. Palin on the national stage for seven weeks now, and there is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office. She is a person of great ambition, but the question remains: What is the purpose of the ambition? She wants to rise, but what for?"

Oh, she has the tools, alright, but you're so far removed from the true halls of power - the People - Peggy, that you wouldn't recognize someone having the tools even if they thunked you up side the head with a hammer. Her aspirations, Peggy? She's made that perfectly clear - to serve the People of the United States of America. Apparently that concept has become foreign to you, now that you're a part of the "power elite".

"For seven weeks I've listened to her, trying to understand if she is Bushian or Reaganite ..."

You, who once walked the same halls as Ronald Reagan, can't figure that out? How far you have fallen, Peggy, how far you have fallen.

"Her supporters accuse her critics of snobbery ..."
BINGO! You're proving us right, Peggy.

"In the past two weeks she has spent her time throwing out tinny lines to crowds she doesn't, really, understand."

I believe she understands us very well, Peggy. However, I also believe that you are the one who doesn't understand us - at all, if you ever really did.

"This is not a leader, this is a follower, and she follows what she imagines is the base, which is in fact a vast and broken-hearted thing whose pain she cannot, actually, imagine."

There you go again - to quote my favorite President. Saying that someone who is a bona fide card carrying member of the base cannot imagine the pain we've felt over the past several years is simply ludicrous, because she's felt it too.

Last but not least, Peggy, trying to keep us from criticizing you for your elitist screed by holding up Christopher Buckley as a paragon of martyrdom, sacrificed on the altar of "Thou shalt not criticize!", is a straw man at best. The real reason he was allowed to resign from the organ his father established? Because he endorsed Barack Obama.

H/T for the link goes to specialrpt, posting in quicknews.

PUMA's* and Conservatives have something in common

That would be a loathing of Obama.

Emperor Mischa and Ace both extend a hand to PUMA's, asking if there is any way we can work together to defeat Obama. I, for one, agree with both of them.

Speaking of PUMA's, this is very interesting (pretty long, too, but read it anyway).

* PUMA = Party Unity My Ass - disaffected Hillary supporters who, for the most part, are going to vote against Obama.

Obama and ACORN

New video from the McCain/Palin campaign, courtesy of my friends at The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.

My Take on the VP debate

First off, I think Gwen Ifill did a professional job as the moderator, which was a pleasant surprise. She kept things moving, without being heavy handed about it, and without letting her own personal bias get in the way. So, kudos to Gwen.

Senator Biden

Senator Biden did as I expected him to - attacking President Bush, and being supportive of his running mate, yet doing so in a way that was not personally hostile to Governor Palin. He made a few statements that, if I had been taking notes, I would be able to refute pretty easily, I think - after I got done crying "BS!". But, I didn't take notes - my bad. One area where I thought he was treading on thin ice was talking about his own record, which in the grand scheme of things ain't so hot. Another area where he definitely was treading on thin ice was in claiming that Obama "has repeatedly reached across the aisle" to work with Republicans in a bi-partisan way. Oh, really? When?

I have to admit that I came away from this actually liking the guy, even though I'm adamantly opposed to what he believes in as far as politics is concerned. I was touched by the emotion he briefly displayed when speaking of his personal family loss, wondering if his son was going to make it, and by his graciousness towards Governor Palin even though he's adamantly opposed to her political beliefs. He took the barbs thrown his way with good humor, and didn't allow himself to resort to "playing dirty" in retaliation.

All in all, I have to concede that Senator Biden did fairly well, so kudos to him.

Governor Palin

Governor Palin came across as determined to get her points across, even if it meant not exactly answering the question that had been posed. Although she seemed to check her notes quite often, I don't see that as a negative (unlike the MSM), as it showed me she wanted to get her response correct, whether it was in answering a question, or offering a rebuttal to something Senator Biden said.

She seemed as if she was prepared to really go on the attack at the start, depending on what Senator Biden said, and how he said it, but relaxed when she realized that she wasn't going to come under personal attack (with the only time that I recall that Senator Biden came close to doing that. was when he used the phrase, "bridge to nowhere).

She had a professional air about her during the debate, which was softened by her "folksiness" as the MSM has called it, which is exactly the right thing for her to have done. She presented herself as a capable, no nonsense, leader - whether in business or politics - yet still showed that she is, after all, a human being with feelings, and empathy for others.

What I liked best was when she looked right into the camera and spoke directly to "Joe Six Pack" and the "Hockey Mom's" - your average American. It made you want to - almost compelled you to - listen very carefully to what she had to say about what she thought was important for America, and how she and McCain were going to work to get us there.

All in all, I thought she did a good job with only one real flub - when she transposed "Main Street" and "Wall Street" (no big deal, as everyone knew what she meant, and like me, probably "fixed" it in their own minds). Kudos go to Governor Palin for her performance in this debate, as well.

So, who's the winner in my mind?

Actually, putting my own bias aside to look at this as objectively as I can, neither VP candidate landed any real knockout blows to the other, and in the grand scheme of things, this debate pretty much just let the American public get a better look at both candidates, and I have to declare it a tie.

Will this debate have a pronounced effect on the outcome of the election? No.

Will this debate have at least some effect on the outcome of this election? Certainly, but how much, and for which ticket is yet to be determined.

Nice Doggie

A new link, folks. The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. If you want 'biting' wit (sorry - couldn't resist) and commentary, check it out.

The outing of Barack Obama

Confederate Yankee has a well written, well sourced, post about Obama and his associates - just in case you're still undecided on whom to vote for this November.

I, for one, have absolutely no doubt whatsoever who I will be voting for.

Autumn Angst: Dems fret about Obama

As reported here, [p]olls showing John McCain tied or even ahead of Barack Obama are stirring angst and second-guessing among some of the Democratic Party's most experienced operatives, who worry that Obama squandered opportunities over the summer and may still be underestimating his challenges this fall.

"It's more than an increased anxiety," said Doug Schoen, who worked as one of Bill Clinton's lead pollsters during his 1996 reelection and has worked for both Democrats and independents in recent years. "It's a palpable frustration. Deep-seated unease in the sense that the message has gotten away from them."

The Dems are positively reeling from the announcement of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCains' running mate, as evidenced by all the vile vitriol being spewed by both the Obama campaign and their surrogates in the MSM and the likes of the DailyKos and DU (and no, I'm not linking to those garbage sites. If you want to go there, look 'em up here).

The Dem "strategists" continue to make mistake after misstep in their arrogance, and can't figure out why they keep losing. Well, keep up the arrogance and the vicious easily debunkable ad hominem attacks, and we'll give you another four years to play the "what if?" game after John McCain and Sarah Palin take the Presidency and Vice Presidency.

H/T Purple Avenger over at Ace of Spades HQ

Never Forget

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11th, 2001. I am reposting what I wrote one year ago today - updated to reflect the current year, as I still feel the same way as I did then.

Today, September 11, 2008 marks the seventh anniversary of the attack, not only on our nation, but on our very way of life by “people” bound and determined to enslave not only us, but the entire world.

These “people” want to return us to the time where they controlled vast swaths of the world, imposing their will, and their so-called “Religion of Peace”, through the sword. This is something that we cannot, must not, allow to happen. If a modern, free society, is to survive, we must fight these “people” at every turn, and never surrender. For if we surrender, we shall die.

Yet, there are those in our society who think that these “people” can be appeased, and that, if appeased, they will stop the violence that they inflict upon the world. This is a fallacy, born of a “head in the sand” wishful thinking.

Neville Chamberlain found that out in 1939, when he attempted to appease one of the vilest monsters that has ever walked this earth, Adolph Hitler, when he proclaimed upon his return to London, “Peace in our time!”. Because of Chamberlain’s ill-fated attempt at appeasing Hitler, countless millions were soon subjugated under the jack boots of the Nazi regime, resulting in the deaths of countless millions more, as the world convulsed in total war.

Just as Adolph Hitler wanted the power to dominate the world, imposing his will, so these “people” want to dominate the world, so they may impose their will upon everyone. Whether you realize it or not, the truth of the matter is that we are once again embroiled in a world war, one that we must win, whatever the cost, if our society, our very way of life is to survive.

On this seventh anniversary, take a moment to reflect on what is at stake, for much is at stake. Do not take the freedoms that we enjoy for granted, for if we lose this war, we will lose those freedoms, which is the ultimate goal of those “people”.

I would rather stand and fight as a free man, and risk the possibility of death, rather than surrender and guarantee my death as a slave.

Never forget.

What if we legalized all drugs?

Yet another attempt to try to "put lipstick on a pig" (sorry - I couldn't resist) by postulating that the American economy would receive a boost through the legalization of all drugs, through decreased crime (unlikely), higher tax revenues from taxes placed on the now legal drugs (potentially), and - get this - increased worker productivity. Excuse me, but that's an outright fallacy.

Based on my own personal experience, when you're stoned you tend not to want to do anything but continue the high until you pass out. You don't want to study if you're in school, and you certainly don't want to work if you have a job - trust me on this kids. Increased productivity does not result from using drugs!

The only "increased productivity" I can foresee would be in farming, as farmers, ever conscious of which crops will garner them the most profit, would turn from growing food crops to growing pot, poppies for heroin, and coca plants for cocaine. But then again, that might not even pan out if farm workers turned to sampling their own crops, but that's not where I want to go here right now. My question is, if farmers abandoned even more food crops than they already have to grow corn for ethanol resulting in higher grain prices and more hunger worldwide, what do you suppose would happen to world food supplies? Human nature being what it is, eventually there wouldn't be any world food supplies - only drug supplies.

The thing that really gets me about these efforts to paint a rosy picture about legalizing drugs is that those who promote this idea claim that "... It's harmless anyway." However, that remains unproved. Not only is it unproved, it's an outright lie. Marijuana has a far higher tar and other carcinogen content than tobacco, for one thing, and although tobacco use isn't a good thing, it doesn't impair your ability to drive or operate machinery like marijuana does. Oh, and don't even try to convince me that heroin, cocaine and meth are "harmless", ok?

Could this happen?

How likely is it that street drugs would be legalized?

The possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized in 12 states, meaning offenders might get fined but won't be jailed or given a criminal record. Nonetheless, full legalization of marijuana is hardly likely. In a 2002 CNN/Time Magazine poll, 59% of respondents opposed legalizing marijuana, and 34% favored it. Although attitudes are getting more liberal, marijuana is not legal anywhere in the world.

As for other street drugs, don't even ask. The question of legalization is no more than an interesting academic exercise. [Emphasis mine]

Nevertheless, an "interesting academic exercise" used by some to try to get all drugs legalized. This would be one of the biggest disasters to ever befall not only America, but the entire world, should we decide to fully open this Pandora's box.

McCain chooses well

Senator John McCain, the presumptive Presidential nominee for the Republican Party has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his VP running mate, a choice that in my opinion was the wisest choice he could have made due to her conservative credentials, and what she has been able to accomplish in Alaska as Governor.

As Governor Palin says in her acceptance speech, if you want real change in Washington, D.C., come join our cause.

H/T for the video link goes to hollie-is-right.

Gunman kills Arkansas Democratic Party chairman

As reported here, [a] man barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters and opened fire Wednesday, fatally shooting the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase.

Police said they don't know the motive of the suspect, who they described as about 50 years old but whose name has not been released. However, they said that moments after the shooting he pointed a handgun at the building manager at the nearby the Arkansas Baptist headquarters. He told the manager "I lost my job," said Dan Jordan, a Baptist convention official.

Chairman Bill Gwatney died four hours after the shooting. The 48-year-old former state senator had been planning to travel to the Democratic National Convention later this month as a superdelegate.

I just want to say that this is a tragedy that didn't need to happen. I mean, is this what politics in this country has come to? If you're unemployed, and believe that it's the fault of someone of one political party or the other, the solution to your problem is to shoot them? Certainly not!

In our political system, you can disagree with someone on the opposing side, and those disagreements can become quite heated. Republicans have some major issues with the Democrats, and Democrats have some major issues with Republicans as well. But you know something? That's actually ok - as long as we discuss and/or debate those major differences, and do NOT resort to violence.

I never knew, or even heard of Bill Gwatney before today, but he didn't deserve to die because someone else felt he was at fault for some perceived injustice. My heart goes out to the Gwatney family, and those who were also involved in this tragedy.

Five-star hotel planned for Baghdad

As reported here, Iraqi officials say they have approved plans to build a five-star hotel in the Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone.

In another forum, a friend of mine stated that Fox News was reporting this, and wondered - because this really does show how much the situation in Iraq has improved, an improvement you don't hear about from the MSM - whether any other news organizations had also reported about this. I had just finished reading the above linked article when I saw my friends question, and this is what I replied to him when he expressed surprise:

"The reason this is getting the attention it is, is not because of the positive outlook for conditions on the ground in Iraq. No, it's because the MSM is shocked, shocked I tell you, that anyone would be so foolish as to build something like that when there's a "civil war" going on. The MSM is so focused on the negative in Iraq (of which there is less and less) that they find it inconceivable that something like this would even be contemplated, let alone discussed seriously as something that is going to happen."

Yes, the hotel is being built in the heavily fortified Green Zone, and no, the article does not specify a ground breaking date for the commencement of construction which could be (and probably will be) construed as potential misgivings on the part of the contractor building such a grand project in the heart of a war zone. But the reality is that, just like anywhere else a construction project is built, there is a process that needs to be gone through before the first shovel hits the dirt - plans must be drawn, permits obtained, subcontractors lined up, the work force hired, materials pirchased, and in this case specifically, security measures must be formulated and adopted

But think about this for a minute, folks. Despite what the MSM and the majority members of Congress would have you believe, things on the ground in Iraq have improved, and have improved to such an extent that the Iraqi's are making positive plans for the future that doesn't involve constant conflict.

Iraq needs to rebuild, and not just infrastructure and schools, necessary as those are, but for the future as well. A future where they expect people to travel to Iraq, not to take up arms, but to enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Iraq, and to engage in investing in, and building businesses. Those people need to stay somewhere, right? I expect more hotels to come, and in the very near future, in spite of the incredulity of the MSM and members of the current majority in Congress.

H/T to conservative67 for the idea for this post.

D-Day

Today marks the 64th anniversary of probably the most momentous day in modern history, the day the Allied Powers invaded Nazi occupied territory at the beaches of Normandy, France. Among those Allied Powers were Americans, British, and Canadians, all determined to free Europe from the horror of Nazism. To land those troops on those Normandy beaches that day took the largest Naval armada in history, while overhead planes of the various Allied Powers flew in a seemingly never ending stream of bombers and fighters.

Of the hundreds of thousands of men who landed on that beach that day now so long ago, many never made it off the beach, giving their lives in the fight to liberate an enslaved continent, as the Germans fought fiercely to prevent the Allies from gaining a foothold. But this day belonged to those who fought for freedom, as the Allies did gain a foothold, and from that foothold, eventually pushed the Germans all the way back to Germany in defeat.

Most of those men who landed that day at Normandy were in their early twenties, many even still in their teens. They are now in their eighties and nineties, and we are losing more and more of those gallant warriors - yes, warriors! - as each day passes.

Because of what they accomplished, and the fact that we are losing them at an ever increasing pace, we must never forget their sacrifices in the fight for freedom. For without them, it is highly unlikely we would be enjoying the blessings of freedom as we know them today, and I will be forever grateful to them for what they did.

To those members of the "Greatest Generation" that are still with us, I say thank you.

To those who perished on that fateful day, and those who have passed since, a toast - To Absent Comrades!

Memorial Day

Today we are observing Memorial Day, the national holiday to honor America's war dead. As you go about your day today, please stop for a moment, and think about the freedoms that we all enjoy, that were bought and paid for by the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

For a brief history of Memorial Day, go here (courtesy of The History Channel).