Veteran's Day: The Real War

I've been hearing a lot from certain "conservatives" about how "we are in a war" and "I have battle scars" and that sort of rhetorical baloney.  Can I just say here and now: THAT IS THE MOST STUPID THING I'VE EVER HEARD!  It is insulting to the men who died on the beaches of Normandy, in the jungles of Guadalcanal, in the deserts of Iraq, the hills around Gettysburg, the towns in the colonies, or wherever our brave young men were the last stand against tyranny.  They lost their lives, they lost their buddies they lost their youth and innocence.  My standing on a corner speaking to a "tea party" group just doesn't quite sound as desparate.  I love our veterans so much and am so grateful and thankful for them.  I can't imagine putting myself anywhere near them.  

I'm a radio guy so the only thing I can do that in some small way shows my gratitude is to dedicate a day to them.

Once again this year we have the special privilege of talking to Veterans of all eras on our radio show.  We have done this for 4 years now and it has become my favorite day of the year.  I laugh, I cry and I just flat out enjoy every minute.
What we do is invite any Veteran to call in and tell us their branch, the years they served and a short story of their service.

We of course push the World War II vets to the front of the line as, sadly, we are losing 1,500 or so a day right now (Korean vets are joining them at a pretty fast pace now too).  For many of them, this is the one time they tell their stories and over the years we have had some incredible stories of sacrifice and heroics!

One of our favorites is Dan Brady, a Navy vet who calls us every year.  He is a wonderful man who's stories have warmed the hearts of our listeners for years.  He is facing, as he said: "The big C" right now and might not be able to be with us today.  I am praying that Ol' Dan can join us.

Then there's Vern from Stayton.  A great man who always has something great to tell us about.  He suffered greatly in World War II.  

I also love hearing from Fred Thompson, a Vietnam Vet who carried a lot of body bags out of hot spots.  A true American Hero! 

Last year I met Herb Weatherwax, a Pearl Harbor vet.  We hope to have him call today as well.
Here is a short bio on Herb and a picture of me with him last February.

Herb Weatherwax was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i on June 3, 1917. He was drafted into the United States Army on June 6, 1941. After basic training, he was assigned to the 298th Infantry regiment located at Schofield Barracks on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i.
On December 7, 1941, Private Weatherwax was on a weekend pass when he heard an announcement over a local radio station that Pearl Harbor was under attack by Japanese forces. The announcement instructed all military personnel to report immediately to their duty stations. On his way to Schofield Barracks Mr. Weatherwax witnessed the destruction at Pearl Harbor and Wheeler Army Airfield.
In 1944, Mr. Weatherwax left Hawai’i for training in the Signal Corps. He was reassigned to the 272nd Infantry regiment, 69 th Division, located at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Shipped to Europe, the 69 th entered combat at the Eifel Forest in Belgium in early 1945. From Belgium Mr. Weatherwax’s regiment moved inland to join up with Russian troops at a town called Torgau located on the west bank of the Elbe River in western Germany.
In 1996, Mr. Weatherwax joined the National Park Service Volunteer program. He has also been an active participant in the Pearl Harbor Survivor Series part of the Witness to History videoconferencing program. This series enables students on both a national and international level to learn about the December 7 the attack by directly communicating with Survivors.

 Also at Pearl Harbor

                                                                                                                     More great Pearl Harbor vets

So, if you have some time today from Noon to Three and you might be a little tired of the usual endless political yak, tune to AM 1430 KYKN or listen online at www.1430kykn.com or watch our webcam at www.bpshow.com sit back, relax and enjoy listening to the men and women who made it possible for us to have the freedoms that we have.  
God Bless America and God Bless Our Veterans! 
     

Isn't This Fun? The Democrats Keep Bashing Away!

I actually got this from an Obama supporter! Haha! Rush Limbaugh's rather dubious "operation chaos" is actually working.

John McCain is now either tied or leading in polls over either Democrat as they just keep killing each other.

Now if only we could get Fred D. Thompson to get back into it!!!

GO FRED '08

Republican Debate Last Night

The picture above says it all!
First of all even though Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee were there, they were not really there much. It was 15-20 minutes each of McCain and Romney and about 1-3 minutes each for Paul and Huckabee.
Basically, McCain ducked every strong issue thrown at him, Romney answered very forcefully.
I have to tell you, I was impressed by Mitt Romney. I will be honest, the thought of a cult member as president doesn't thrill me, but at this point, unless Fred comes back, I have to start listening to Mitt.
Today he announced that he may not be spending on ads for Super Tuesday.
McCain is an absolute Liberal and he showed it last night. His over and over bashing at Romney over the issue of "timetables" for Iraq, it was a continuance of his smear tactics used in Florida.
Look, the man said, on the record, that Hillary Clinton would make a "fine president". He reaches across the aisle just fine, he lives on the other side of the aisle. His friends in Congress are all Democrats.
He is a war hero, no doubt about it. That is all I respect him for.
Stay here for more information.
PS: Huckabee and Paul will drop out either during or after Super Tuesday. If Huckabee and Paul stay in, they will be giving votes to McCain by splitting the Christian and Conservative vote.

Goodbye My Friend, Goodbye American Hope

NAPLES, Fla. - Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who attracted more attention as a potential presidential candidate than as a real one, quit the race for the White House on Tuesday after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.
"I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson said. "Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."
Thompson's fate was sealed last Saturday in the South Carolina primary, when he finished third in a state that he had said he needed to win.
In the statement, Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination.
Thompson, best known as the gruff district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order," placed third in Iowa and South Carolina, two states seemingly in line with his right-leaning pitch and laid-back style, and he fared even worse in the four other states that have held contests thus far. Money already tight, he ran out of it altogether as the losses piled up.
Republican race is wide openThompson, 65, departs the most wide open Republican race in half a century; in the six states that have voted, three candidates have scored wins.
In Florida, McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are battling for the lead ahead of its Jan. 29 primary, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee evaluates his next steps amid money troubles of his own.
Thompson's withdrawal capped a turbulent 10 months that saw him go from hot to not in short order.
He began toying with a presidential run last March, emboldened by a fluid Republican nomination fight and a restive conservative GOP base. He also was charmed by resounding calls for him to get into the race — and his meteoric springtime rise to the top of national and state polls.
Fans trying to draft him as a candidate launched an online effort, seizing on his conservative Senate voting record as well as his lumbering 6-foot-5 frame and deep baritone as they argued that he was right out of central casting. They painted him as the second coming of Ronald Reagan and the would-be savior of a Republican Party demoralized after electoral losses in 2006 at all levels of government.
Expectations rose higher — and his standing in polls started to fall as he failed to meet them.
Thompson played coy about his intentions all the while taking steps to prepare for a formal entrance into the race with a flourish. He cut ties with NBC, visited early voting states and delivered high-profile speeches. And, he started raising money and set up a preliminary campaign organization.
He delayed his expected summertime entrance in the race until fall, perhaps missing an opening created by McCain's near campaign implosion.
Lackluster fundraising, staff departuresAs he prepared to officially join the race, Thompson was plagued by lackluster fundraising; high-profile staff departures, including some prompted by the deep involvement in the campaign of his wife, Jeri, and less-than-stellar performances on the stump. Thompson also endured repeated questions about his career as a lobbyist and his thin Senate record.
Thompson formally announced his bid in early September but hit a rocky patch from the get-go.
His easygoing style and reputation for laziness translated into a light campaign schedule that raised questions about whether he wanted to be president badly enough to fight for it. A spate of inartful answers to campaign-trail questions — on everything from the Terri Schiavo case to Osama bin Laden — didn't help matters.
Though his star had faded, Thompson earned positive reviews for a series of debate performances last fall and earned an endorsement by the National Right to Life Committee. He made a strong effort in Iowa as the year ended with a bus tour of the lead-off caucus state.
But he finished third and went South Carolina, where he hoped to turn around his fortunes — but a win, like the nomination, did not materialize.

My Commentary: this is very sad for the Republican Party. Mitt Romney is a Democrat in sheep's clothing, Mike Huckabee has run a very dirty campaign that does not allow me to be proud to associate with his style of Christianity, John McCain will never have conservatives behind him due to the McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy bills and Ron Paul is a nut.

I hope you all like the sound of Hillary Clinton/John Edwards as your new President/Vice President.

God Help Us All!

Rush Limbaugh and Fred Thompson Together!!

Today is the day in South Carolina. Could this be the end for Fred? I cannot believe American Conservatives do not see what I see in Fred.

Last week Mike Huckabee insulted Fred with the following statement: "Perhaps Senator Thompson could use a little more Metamucil". Haha. Fred's reply: "I guess if Americans want a funny guy with one liners for President than Governor Huckabee is your man, if you want prosperity, unity and security, than you might vote for me".

That is a humble man.

Today it was reported that Rush Limbaugh has thrown his considerable political clout into Fred's arena.

You can hear the excitement in Rush’s voice when he talks about the South Carolina primary. It’s “The Passion.” The passion of conservatism emerging when he talks about that primary. Why, you ask? Because, for the first time since the primaries have begun, conservative Republicans will be voting for fellow conservative Republicans.That very fact gives Limbaugh hope. The very promise of a conservative Republican candidate, a candidate with a record of consistent, conservative credentials, credentials that will shake the very foundations of America, brining back that agenda of conservatism that President Reagan expressed so well. How do you know? How is it that some second-rate hack knows what Limbaugh is thinking? I’ll tell you how. It’s because I believe the same thing. It’s because I believe in America, from the Founding Fathers and into the future. Rush Limbaugh believes in conservatism. It’s engrained in his soul. It’s as obvious as that. I recognize it in Senator Fred Thompson, and so does Rush Limbaugh. He’s hinted, he’s implied, and he’s even begged conservatives to see what he sees in Fred Thompson. He sees conservatism, the same kind of conservatism he saw in Ronald Reagan. He doesn’t want long, bloated policy. He wants simple, effervescent conservatism for Americans to unfold before their very eyes. Rush has mentioned Fred Thompson many times behind the Golden EIB microphone. Behind the microphone, his animation and passion for conservatism have been heard and seen many times for Senator Fred Dalton Thompson.

This Presidential Election is getting Crazy!!

As your Salem-Keizer political reporter, I am back with more information on the 2008 Elections.

Please be patient and read all of this post and you may be suprised at how things are shaking out.

So we're back to square one in the Republican Party.

Mitt Romney beat John McCain handily in Michigan, which means there have now been three major GOP contests and three different comeback winners. At this rate, Thompson will win South Carolina and Giuliani Florida. The GOP primary is starting to look like a Pee Wee soccer tournament: Everyone gets a trophy!

After Romney's losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, he offered the flaccid boast that he had won the silver medal, but Tuesday night he was finally able to claim that he had won a genuinely hard-fought primary. Until now he had done nothing but watch his leads in the polls diminish, but in Michigan he trailed McCain and battled back to win. Yes, he had long ties to the state, which voters said influenced their vote; and yes, he bought nearly three times as much TV time in Michigan as his nearest rival, but McCain had advantages too. He won the state in 2000 and had momentum coming into the primary from his New Hampshire victory.
The state was essentially do-or-die for Romney. After two big losses, it was starting to look like no matter how much money, organization, and rigid smiles he threw into the race, none of it was enough to make voters like him. Romney would have had the resources to continue after a Michigan loss, but it would have been a sad death march.

The issue terrain will be different in South Carolina. The economic downturn is on the minds of voters in South Carolina, and the key bloc of voters is social conservatives, who make up 40 percent to 60 percent of the GOP electorate. Their influence will make Mike Huckabee a much stronger presence than he was in Michigan, where he came in a distant third. McCain might be able to bounce back from his loss by exploiting his strong ties to the state's considerable veteran community, as well as by winning over ex-Giuliani supporters.

And then there's Fred Thompson, long left for dead, who—while he's not climbing in the polls—is nevertheless getting aggressive in a way that might cause trouble for Huckabee and Romney.

The Republican contest is a muddle, and it's only going to get more so as the campaign heads to South Carolina. But for one night at least, the most orderly man in the race sits atop the chaos.

Now what many fear will happen by the end of this primary season is a "brokered convention". This is the worst and yet most fun way to elect a nominee. This is the old smoked filled rooms where deals are made based on who has how many delegates.

I will quote from wikipedia to explain "brokered convention better".

Brokered convention
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A brokered convention refers to a situation in United States politics where there are not enough delegates obtained during the presidential primary and caucus process for a single candidate to obtain a majority for the presidential nominating convention. Since no candidates receive enough votes on the first ballot to win the nomination, the convention is brokered through political horse-trading and multiple ballots.

Background
Before the era of presidential primaries, conventions were routinely brokered. Adlai Stevenson in 1952 for the Democratic Party and Thomas Dewey in 1948 for the Republican Party were the last two candidates elected through a brokered convention. The last seriously contested convention was the 1976 Republican convention, where Gerald Ford beat Ronald Reagan on the first ballot without obtaining a majority of delegates through the primary and caucus process.
Since then, there have been many years where brokered conventions were projected, but did not come to pass. In 1988, a brokered convention was predicted for the Democrats since multiple candidates won the Super Tuesday primaries that year.[1]

Difficulty
The possibility of a brokered convention is seen as more likely for the Democratic Party because of its proportional representation system and the large number of "superdelegates" (almost 20% of the 2008 total), who are Democratic elected officials, former elected officials, and other important figures in the Party. [2]
In the 2008 election cycle, the possibility of a brokered convention remains for both parties. On the Republican side, although some states award delegates using the winner take all system, many large states are dividing their delegation by congressional district, which will result in easier splitting of delegates. [3] Pundits argue that with the lack of a front runner in the Republican field and the number of competitive candidates, voters will not coalesce around one or two candidates and a brokered convention could result. [4] On the Democratic side, the current split of support for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and the announcement by John Edwards that he will remain in the race until the convention could result in a 3-way race where no candidate receives a majority of delegates on the first ballot. [5] Many Al Gore supporters have stated that a brokered convention would be the last chance for Gore to enter the race; some see his book, "The Assault on Reason," as implicity suggesting this strategy.
Several factors encourage decision in the primary process. First, candidates tend to get momentum as they go through the process, due to the bandwagon effect. Thus, one or two candidates will be seen by the media and voters as the front runner due to their placement in the first primaries and caucuses, and as also-ran candidates drop out, their supporters will tend to vote for the leaders. [6] Theorists have identified two types of political momentum, piecemeal and all-at-once, with different impacts on front-runners and those right behind them. [7] Secondly, political parties wish to avoid the negative publicity from a brokered convention, which has turned the nominating conventions from the rough-and-tumble affairs to the infomercial-type occasions they are today. [8] Thus, a candidate nominated from the brokered convention will be seen as weak and must climb additional hurdles to gain election.

So there you guys fans, this could be going right up to the conventions. Stay tuned to this site for more information in the months to come.

Remember I told you a Thompson-Romney ticket could be possible. Also a Clinton-Edwards ticket.

Are you a Betting Man or Woman???

So, professional gamblers are not always quoted when it comes to politics, but being the hardworking political junkie that I am, I found out what the professional gamblers are saying about the 2008 Presidential campaign.
Now remember, just like football, basketball, horse racing or any other sport, these guys don't lose very often. They know what they are doing.
So, for your amusement or perhaps to scare you a bit, below is the numbers according to the world's only Political Gambling website are the numbers:

DUBLIN, January 7, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ireland's largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, are today claiming that the Democratic Nomination race is well and truly over and are already paying out on Barack Obama to be the successful Democratic nominee. The early payout signals a massive EUR50,000 ($75,000) payday to lucky punters who backed Obama over the recent number of weeks at various odds ranging from 4/1 to 4/9.
The unexpected decision by the Irish bookmaking firm comes almost a week after the Iowa primary election and just a day before the New Hampshire primary election where Barack is now the odds on favourite at 1/12 to demolish his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Paddy Power, said: "From a betting point of view we reckon that it's game over for Hillary. With each passing day Obama is looking more like a certainty to get the Democratic vote and as far as we're concerned he's already past the post. So well done to all who backed him, your winnings await!"

Barack Obama has also overtaken Hillary Clinton for the first time in the betting to become the next US President. vvPaddy Power now make him the odds on favourite at 10/11 to become the first African-American President over Hillary Clinton who has now drifted to an incredible 5/2.

LATEST 2008 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BETTING http://www.electionbetting.com

New Hampshire

Democratic Primary
1/20 Barack Obama
7/1 Hillary Clinton
40/1 John Edwards
150/1 Any Other Democratic candidate New Hampshire

Republican Primary
1/14 John McCain
6/1 Mitt Romney
16/1 Any Other

Michigan

Democratic Primary
4/7 Hillary Clinton
5/4 Barack Obama
14/1 John Edwards
40/1
Any other Democratic candidate

Michigan

Republican Primary
6/4 John McCain
2/1 Mitt Romney
9/4 Rudy Giuliani
7/2 Mike Huckabee
33/1 Any other Republican candidate

Democratic Nominee for President 2008
4/9 Barack Obama
13/8 Hillary Clinton
14/1 John Edwards
25/1 Al Gore
100/1 Evan Bayh
100/1 Bill Richardson
100/1 Tom Daschle

Republican Nominee for President 2008
11/8 John McCain
5/2 Rudolph Giuliani
7/2 Mike Huckabee
4/1 Mitt Romney
12/1 Ron Paul
25/1 Fred Thompson
125/1 Sam Brownback

Next President?
10/11 Barack Obama
5/2 Hillary Clinton
11/2 John McCain
10/1 Rudolph Giuliani
11/1 Mike Huckabee
14/1 Mitt Romney
25/1 Ron Paul
25/1 John Edwards
33/1 Al Gore
50/1 Fred Thompson
125/1 Bill Richardson
125/1 Tom Daschle
125/1 Evan Bayh

Winning Party
2/5 Democrats
7/4 Republicans

Name the final two candidates to contest the 2008 US Presidential Election
5/2 Obama v McCain 4
/1 Obama v Giuliani
5/1 Clinton v McCain
11/2 Obama v Huckabee
6/1 Obama v Romney
8/1 Clinton v Giuliani
10/1 Clinton v Huckabee
12/1 Clinton v Romney
16/1 Obama v Paul
33/1 Clinton v Paul
33/1 Obama v Thompson
33/1 Edwards v McCain
50/1 Edwards v Giuliani
66/1 Clinton v Thompson
66/1 Edwards v Romney
66/1 Edwards v Huckabee
150/1 Obama v Brownback
180/1 Edwards v Paul
300/1 Clinton v Brownback
350/1 Edwards v Thompson
1000/1 Edwards v Brownback

For all the latest in US Politics visit our dedicated microsite - http://www.electionbetting.com

How I see New Hampshire Shaping Up

After viewing the debates in New Hampshire Saturday, I saw several things that were interesting.
1. Mitt Romney finally stopped looking like "Father Knows Best" and actually got down and dirty a bit. He really went after Huckabee on a couple occasions.
2. Mike Huckabee was not smiling quite as much as before, as I think he knows that now the "ah shucks" thing is not going to work and he is going to have to slug it out with the other candidates.
3. Fred Thompson got left out, but he reminded my of why I love him, he shows his disdain for the whole process and he reminded me of Walther Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men".
4. John McCain looked Presidential.
5. Barack Obama looked cool and confident.
6. Hillary Clinton looked very very panicked.

So, I believe on the Republican side this will be the New Hampshire outcome:
John McCain
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Mike Huckabee
Rudy Giuliani

Democrats:
Barack Obama narrowly wins
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards

After New Hampshire comes Super Tuesday, and before that, I think at least one Republican will bow out, but I think that Republican may be a Vice Presidential candidate.
So, let the voting begin in New Hampshire!

Breaking Down the Iowa Caucus

Can you count how many plates were thrown on the Ex-Presidential Plane flying home to New York? haha. Hillary is having fits right now. She HAD the FREAKIN LEAD and LOST!! You think you have ever seen a P.O.'d lady before????

America is not ready for a candidate as divisive and nasty as this person is. Riding the fumes of her popular husband will not get you in.
In her concession speech last night she spent more time pimping her "It takes a village" book then any substance as usual.

Congratulations to both Sen. Obama and Gov. Huckabee.

On the Republican side, Huckabee did what should not have surprised anyone who follows politics.
Iowa Republicans that turn out for caucus are predominately Evangelical so he won. In exit polling over 75% said they were Born Again or Evangelical in belief. There are no Mormons in Iowa and the other candidates just didn't spend time or money there.
Huckabee will not be able to carry this to New Hampshire or definitely Super Tuesday, he doesn't have the money nor is he a true Conservative Republican. I am of course encouraged by Sen. Thompson's strong showing tied for 3rd in Iowa considering his late start and not having spent anywhere near the $10million that Mitt Romney spent. I am also encouraged by John McCain's showing again for the same reasons. McCain and Thompson are TRUE Republicans and they are the best choices for all Republicans.

One more interesting note, from today's Statesman-Journal, if you support your guy you should put your money where your mouth is. Apparently Mormons do.

Here is the breakdown of money given in the 973xx zip codes:

Democrats:

$14, 706 to Obama

$3,666 to Clinton

Republicans:

$25,035 to Romney

$500 to Huckabee

$750 to Thompson ( hey I wonder who led that one?)

Look for Obama to move on this momentum and I will venture to say now, that on the Republican side you may see a Thompson-Romney ticket this summer or perhaps a Giuliani-McCain ticket.

Why Fred Thompson is the Best Choice

This 30 second ad is just that, an ad. It does show a little about Fred.

I urge you to go to http://www.fred08.com/ and learn more. Watch the video he did for the people of Iowa. He was also on Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity today, all endorsing him officially.

These are very very bright people who are strong on the Conservative issues we hold dear.

Only Fred upholds these issues.

Fred Thompson is endorsed by Conservative Weslyan Church

Thompson criticizes Huckabee's position on Cuban embargo
Herald Tribune

Thompson criticizes Huckabee's position on Cuban embargo

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson toured a Bay of Pigs museum in Little Havana on Monday and then criticized rival Mike Huckabee for previously saying the Cuban trade embargo should be lifted.

"He's been a long opponent of the embargo against (Cuban President Fidel) Castro. He thinks we should lift the embargo against Castro, and I disagree with that," said Thompson, whose campaign put out a statement the day before attacking Huckabee on the issue.

As Arkansas governor, Huckabee said the embargo should be lifted, saying it hurt the state's farmers. But before Thompson's event, he told reporters in Miami that he has come to understand Cuban-Americans' perspective on the embargo and said as president he would veto any legislation attempting to lift it.

Thompson said that was a political move.

"People take the views they've had all their political lives and when they decide they want to run for president, they change them. So the question is, where are you going to be in your future?" Thompson said. "It raises issues when politicians change their view on a dime to appeal to a particular group of people right before an election."

Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and star of "Law & Order," made his remarks after touring a museum honoring men who participated in the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. He was shown a gun that once belonged to Fidel Castro's brother, Raul, a bullet removed from a man executed during the invasion, photos of those killed in the invasion and historic Cuban flags.

"I've been a strong, consistent, commonsense, anti-Castro conservative my entire career. That's where I've always been, that's where I'll be in the future," Thompson said.

He told Cuban-Americans gathered at the museum that he looks forward to Castro's demise.

"My greatest wish is to be the president of the United States when Cuba is free, and free Cubans put on trial those who need to be put on trial," he told them.

Fidel Castro, 81, hasn't been seen publicly since undergoing surgery in July 2006, when he ceded power to Raul.

Thompson later told The Associated Press that Castro's death will be a part of bringing change to Cuba, though he cautioned that change may not be immediate.

"The leadership there is old. His brother is no spring chicken, either," Thompson said. "The Cuban people themselves, with the right kind of assistance, ultimately will be the source of their own freedom."

Earlier, Huckabee was endorsed by Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is Cuban-American. Both candidates were campaigning in Miami the day after a Spanish-language debate.

Multiple calls to two Huckabee spokeswomen seeking comment about Thompson's remarks went unanswered. Messages couldn't be left because their voice mailboxes were full.

Huckabee son arraigned in Dog Killing
Governor’s son 1 of 2; fired at Scout camp; after stray dog killed

ELIZABETH McFARLAND, ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The younger son of Gov. Mike Huckabee and another teen were fired last month from jobs at a Boy Scout camp after the killing of a stray dog.

Marcal Young of Texarkana, scout executive of the Caddo Area Council that operates the camp where the dog was killed, said this week that two boys violated a Scout law, “A Scout is kind.”

Young would not release the names of the boys nor explain how the dog, “probably a mixed breed,” was killed.

The two teens reported the event immediately and said they had made a mistake.
“They felt it [the dog] was ill and what have you, still our policy is it was inappropriate behavior,” Young said.

He would not say what the boys thought was wrong with the dog, but he said they did not suspect rabies.

Members of the camp staff receive training before camp starts and are told what it means to be “a good role model,” Young said.

An anonymous, unconfirmed report describing a particular process of killing the dog and naming young Huckabee as a participant was sent by fax machine this week by an organization against cruelty to animals to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. That report was described by Young and the governor as inaccurate.

Both men declined to say how the dog had been killed or who did it.

The dog was killed July 11 at Camp Pioneer near Hatfield. Only employees witnessed the incident. Not many of them were on hand, one source said.

Young said he chose not to reveal the names of the employees because “I just think that they’re due privacy. These are young people. They make mistakes occasionally, but I’m not covering for them.”

Young said the council’s board gives him the authority to take care of personnel decisions. He said the council believes it took appropriate action and the matter is closed. He said he did not report it to law enforcement authorities.

A source who asked to remain unnamed said David Huckabee, who turned 18 on July 22 and was 17 at the time of the incident, was one of those fired over it.

A reporter’s message left at the Governor’s Mansion for David Huckabee was not returned.

Danny Frady of Texarkana said his son, Clayton, 19, was the other staff member who was fired.

The elder Frady said his son told him he came upon one or more Scouts who had the dog “hung over a limb and choking” so the younger Frady helped “put it out of its misery.”

“I think the boy has paid his dues because he lost his job. He was one of the better counselors. He’s made a mistake, and he’s paid for it,” Danny Frady said. “I don’t think he did anything wrong to put an animal out of its misery.”

Danny Frady said killing a stray dog that has become a nuisance is common in rural areas. The mistake was doing it in front of other youth staff members, Frady said.

Young said the fired employees might be required to undergo counseling if they applied to be employees again. Danny Frady said he doesn’t think his son needs counseling because “he’s not cruel to animals.”

Polk County Sheriff Mike Oglesby said neither he nor his deputies had heard of the incident. A complaint should have been made, he said.

Prosecuting Attorney Tim Williamson of Mena said cruelty to animals is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $ 1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. “We regularly charge cruelty to animals. That’s kind of my pet peeve,” he said.

Oglesby and Williamson said they didn’t intend to investigate because no one had lodged a complaint.

Camp Pioneer in Polk County served 2,026 campers for week-long stints from May 31 through July 25.

The camp employed 65 staff members. Caddo Area Council includes eight Arkansas counties and two Texas counties.

Fred Thompson looked great in the debate

Fred looked great in this debate and I was not impressed with Mike Huckabee outside of his strong Biblical answers. His immigration stance really bothered me.
Fred is gaining in the polls, looking like a strong second place right now in the early states and of course leading in all of the Southern states.
If you want lower taxes, a strong military, social security reform, Conservative Justices on the Supreme Court, anti-abortion, strong law leadership and more of the wonderful Ronald Reagan style Republican Party, you need to look at Fred.

More Hillary Clinton Talk

Below is a letter from a Canadian concerning "free" public health:

Hey Guys; I saw on the news up here in Canada where Hillary Clinton introduced her new health care plan. Something similar to what we have in Canada. I also heard that Michael Moore was raving about the health care up here in Canada in his latest movie. As someone who lives with the Canada health care plan I thought I would give you some facts about this great medical plan that we have in Canada. First of all:
1) The health care plan in Canada is not free. We pay a premium every month of $96. For Shirley and I to be covered. Sounds great eh. What they don't tell you is how much we pay in taxes to keep the health care system afloat. I am personally in the 55% tax bracket. Yes 55% of my earnings go to taxes. A large portion of that and I am not sure of the exact amount goes directly to health care our #1 expense.
2) I would not classify what we have as health care plan, it is more like a health diagnosis system. You can get into to see a doctor quick enough so he can tell you "yes indeed you are sick or you need an operation" but now the challenge becomes getting treated or operated on. We have waiting lists out the ying yang some as much as 2 years down the road.
3) Rather than fix what is wrong with you the usual tactic in Canada is to prescribe drugs. Have a pain here is a drug to take- not what is causing the pain and why. No time for checking you out because it is more important to move as many patients thru as possible each hour for Government reimbursement.
4) Many Canadians do not have a family Doctor.
5) Don't require emergency treatment as you may wait for hours in the emergency room waiting for treatment.
6) Shirley's dad cut his hand on a power saw a few weeks back and it required that his hand be put in a splint - to our surprise we had to pay $125 for a splint because it is not covered under health care plus we have to pay $60 for each visit for him to check it out each week.
7) Shirley's cousin was diagnosed with a heart blockage. Put on a waiting list. Died before he could get treatment.
8) Government allots so many operations per year. When that is done no more operations, unless you go to your local newspaper and plead your case and embarrass the government then money suddenly appears.
9) The Government takes great pride in telling us how much more they are increasing the funding for health care but waiting lists never get shorter. Government just keeps throwing money at the problem but it never goes away. But they are good at finding new ways to tax us, but they don't call it a tax anymore it is now a user fee.
10) My mother needs an operation for a blockage in her leg but because she is a smoker they will not do it. Despite her and my father paying into the health care system all these years. My Mom is 80 years of age. Now there is talk that maybe we should not treat fat and obese people either because they are a drain on the health care system. Let me see now, what we want in Canada is a health care system for healthy people only. That should reduce our health care costs.
11) Forget getting a second opinion, what you see is what you get.
12) I can spend what money I have left after taxes on booze, cigarettes, junk food and anything else that could kill me but I am not allowed by law to spend my money on getting an operation I need because that would be jumping the queue. I must wait my turn except if I am a hockey player or athlete then I can get looked at right away. Go figure. Where else in the world can you spend money to kill yourself but not allowed to spend money to get healthy.
13) Oh did I mention that immigrants are covered automatically at tax payer expense having never contributed a dollar to the system and pay no premiums.
14) Oh yeah we now give free needles to drug users to try and keep them healthy. Wouldn't want a sickly druggie breaking into your house and stealing your things. But people with diabetes who pay into the health care system have to pay for their needles because it is not covered but the health care system.
I send this out not looking for sympathy but as the election looms in the states you will be hearing more and more about universal health care down there and the advocates will be pointing to Canada. I just want to make sure that you hear the truth about health care up here and have some food for thought and informed questions to ask when broached with this subject. Step wisely and don't make the same mistakes we have.

Kids, Hillary wants that for us. In this week's US News and World Report as well as in our own local paper a story ran about how the UK's "free" public health is so bad, they are short of dentists who will work on the program and so people are resorting to extracting their own teeth with pliers and using Super Glue to re-attach crowns!!

If you are a Hillary fan, I have one simple question:
She was quoted last night as having said: "I am the most singularly qualified person to be President of the United States".
Name 3 things she has done to "qualify to be President of the United States".
You can't say "good mom, faithful wife and senator of New York" as any woman in America can fill the first two and senator of New York was the easiest election she will ever run, the bluest of the blue states and the wife of a President who lives in the biggest city in that state.
So, tell me what she has done?