Fred's Message to Iowa Voters

Fred is the conservative choice. Please consider giving him your vote:

Movie recommendation...

Can you dig ol' Sachmo swinging in the beautiful High Society!

High Society is seriously one of our favorite movies of all-time. Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly (her last movie) and Bing Crosby - plus the awesome Louis Armstrong - all singing songs by Cole Porter in beautiful old Newport, RI. What else could you possibly want?

The movie was released in July of 1956. It's an oldie but a goodie. Definately worth checking out if you're looking for something to put a smile on your face.

Click the image to the right for the trailer hosted by Bing Crosby.

It's tough to choose one, but this is probably my favorite scene in the movie with Frank and Bing... awesome:

Book recommendation...

Star Parker says Carson is a man worth listening to, and I'll take her word for it:

Here are a few snippets I've extracted from a lengthy interview done with Carson by the Academy of Achievement, in which he was inducted a number of years ago:

Growing up poor and "at risk": "Once I recognized that I had the ability to pretty much map out my own future based on the choices that I made and the degree of energy that I put into it, life was wonderful at that point. I used to hate my life up until that point because I hated being poor."

Personal responsibility: "My mother was a person who would never accept an excuse from my brother or myself. It didn't matter what the situation was. If you came with an excuse, she would also say, 'Do you have a brain?' After a while it became clear to us that no excuse was acceptable, so we became pretty creative."

Family: "The more solid the family foundation, the more likely you are to be able to resist peer pressure. Human beings are social creatures. We all want to belong, we all have that desire. If the family doesn't provide that, the peers will, or the gang will."

Priorities: "The most important thing to me is taking your God-given talents and developing them to the utmost, so that you can be useful to your fellow man."

God and America: "(God) has become an essential part of my life and my being. ... When we created this nation, we believed in God. ... .I believe that's one of the reasons ... we got to be so great, so quickly."

It'll be my next purchase.

Frederalism

Sorry for the lame title, but I thought you may want to check out Fred Thompson on Federalism:


Thanks to Jay for the tip.

Update: Here are some comments from Fred up in Iowa:

"I will not be devastated if I don’t do this. I want people to have the best President that they can have," Thompson said, adding later, "I’m offering myself up."

He explained it further in his usual plain-spoken manner, using the analogy of a "marriage" between him and voters.

"You know, if one side of the marriage has to really be talked into the marriage, it probably ain't going to be a good deal for either one of them. But, if you mutually think this is a good thing, in this case, if you think this is a good thing for a country, we can have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together," Thompson said of his presidential hopes.

And if the country accepts Thompson’s "proposal?"

"You’ll probably have the disadvantage of someone who probably can't jump up and click their heels three times, but [I] will tell you the truth and you’ll know where your President stands all times," Thompson said.

And here's Fred talking sense on H&C a couple of nights ago:


And here is a highlight reel from last night with Chris Wallace:

The Huckablundering Train Wreck

(Click the pic to the right for a good article from Doug Giles)

I've been overwhelmed with things at home of late, so there hasn't been much time or energy left for much-needed blog therapy. Things are looking up this week though, so hopefully there will be some therapeutic posting in the near future.

As Ann Coulter says:

Huckabee is a "compassionate conservative" only in the sense that calling him a conservative is being compassionate.

Anyway, this slow-motion Huckabee train wreck is fascinating. I'd like to do my small part in speeding it up for everyone's sake. Seriously, for all of those people who are considering Mike Huckabee for President... please reconsider:


Normally, a negative CNN piece on a Republican candidate woundn't be surprising, but he's gotten a pass from the MSM recently and this clumsiness on foreign policy is frightening.

Round-ups worth checking out are all over the place, but start here and here at STACLU and then go here at HotAir.

I was excited about Huckabee early on, but I want a conservative president before a Christian one... and Mike has had so many blunders lately it's painfully obvious that he's not the man I'm looking for (that doesn't sound right). Foreign policy and national security are huge, as is cutting taxes and fiscal conservatism. The only candidate I see with the conservative creds out there is Fred, and I agree with John Hawkins:


As usual, I agree with Thomas Sowell:

... Republicans, as usual, seem to have more people who would make good presidents than people who would make good presidential candidates. Unfortunately for them, we have elections instead of coronations.

Fred Thompson seems to have the best policy positions and the best political track record among the Republican candidates -- and the least effective presentation of himself.

If Senator Thompson can beat the odds and become president, he would probably be better than most of those who have been in the White House in recent times -- though that is not extravagant praise. ...

Please consider Fred Thompson for President:

Christmas Ads...

Huck kicked 'em off with the now-famous "floating cross" that was really just a well-positioned and well-lit bookcase:


Very strong, but we now expect nothing less from Mike. Don't know what the big deal about the cross in the background is. Some people are surprised to find that Christmas has something to do with... Christ. It's a well-done ad. He's clearly got a good marketing team doing the video. Very strong.

Now let's go to Rudy with a little less Christmas (although that sweater is about as Christmas as you can get), and a little more ass-kick...


Sticking with the strength. Not bad. Could he look any more odd in that sweater though?

McCain skips Christmas altogether and promises it won't be easy:

Update... the McCain Christmas ad is here:


(sigh) Sorry John, but it's (still) over.

Silky Edwards goes for what will possibily go down as the all-time worst Christmas ad/message:


Wasn't that awful? On message, just pathetic though.

Obama invites the whole family... what, no O?


Happy Happy!

Now if this ad from Chillary doesn't terrify you, nothing will:


That is unbelievable. Liberalism Socialism right there for all to see... giving us big government gifts we don't want, but yet are forced to pay for. Isn't she wonderful horrifying?

Mitt? Fred?

Update: Fred adds his holiday ad to the mix... my favorite:


Well done Fred. That was great!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Update: Nathan Tabor writes a column titled Culture, Character and Christmas Ads where he concludes:

Now, it would be extrapolating a bit much from these ads to determine on their basis alone who is and is not fit for higher office. However, in the midst of the scripted world of presidential campaigns, it is often the little moments which betray flashes of a candidate’s character or innermost thoughts.

When it comes to selecting one from among ourselves for the office of President of the United States, other qualities are subordinate to the content of the candidate’s character. It is character which allows men and women in high office to face difficult decisions without buckling, and where the future of our nation is concerned, nothing less than the best will do.

Right on.

Rep. Steve King on Fred Thompson...

A strong endorsement:

There are things I like about Romney and Huckabee... and many things I like about Duncan Hunter, but I've decided that I'm with Fred.

Update: An unauthorized, but outstanding ad from John Hawkins at Right Wing News:


From John:

If Fred wants to win the election, all he has to do is put this in constant rotation in Iowa and his victory would be guaranteed...or he would actually drop into last place. One or the other.

RedState agrees:

We have waited a long time for a candidate who puts substance over style. Now is the time for him and for his supporters to put their noses to the grindstone and realize his vision.

Fred Thompson for President.

So does PoliPundit:

Fred Thompson would be one of our great presidents, and he would change the political landscape of the United States. He should be the Republican nominee in 2008.

Yes!

Ronald Reagan on Christmas...

From the Patriot Post:

“The Nativity story of nearly twenty centuries ago is known by all faiths as a hymn to the brotherhood of man. For Christians, it is the fulfillment of age-old prophecies and the reaffirmation of God’s great love for all of us. Through a generous Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son, hope and compassion entered a world weary with fear and despair and changed it for all time. On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ with prayer, feasting, and great merriment. But, most of all, we experience it in our hearts. For, more than just a day, Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to the hearts of their fellow man. The feeling is seen in the wondrous faces of children and in the hopeful eyes of the aged. It overflows the hearts of cheerful givers and the souls of the caring. And it is reflected in the brilliant colors, joyful sounds, and beauty of the winter season. Let us resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout the year.” - Ronald Reagan

Amen.

If you one of those people that curl up into the fetal position anytime the word Jesus or Christ is mentioned, then you DO NOT want to listen to the free audio of Glenn's stirring rendition of the Christmas story. FREE AUDIO.

Send the ACLU a Christmas Card...

(Crossposted from Stop The ACLU)
Its become a popular yearly tradition now to send the Anti-Christian Liars Union grinches a Christmas card. I personally think its ineffective, and that the money you waste on a stamp for the organization to toss in the shredder would be better served towards a good cause. So, I encourage you to save that money, dig a little deeper, and contribute to an organization that fights the ACLU and defends Christmas. The Alliance Defense Fund, and the ACLJ are both great organizations that defend Christmas each year. The Alliance Defense Fund does it for free. Why not help groups like that out this year?

However, from experience last year...I know that many will insist on sending the ACLU a Christmas card. Afterall, it is tradition. If that is how you want to make your message...we have some great greeting cards and postcards available at our online store. Plenty of other great Christmas gifts too.

Send your Christmas card to the ACLU at:

ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York , NY 10004

Revisiting the Clinton Record...

John Hawkins: 14 Questions I'd Ask Hillary After I Hooked Her Up to a Lie Detector:

Few politicians in America have as much scandal, sleaze, and controversy surrounding them as Hillary Clinton and perhaps none of them, with the exception of her husband, has been given a bigger free pass.

As Peggy Noonan once said, "People have pointed out (Hillary's) ethical lapses for so long that they seem boring, or impossible to believe. ‘That couldn't be true or she wouldn't be running for president.’ This thought collides with ‘And we already know all this anyway.’ Her campaign uses the latter to squash the latest: ‘old news,’ ‘cash for rehash.’"

With that in mind, here are 14 yes or no questions I'd like to ask Hillary after I hooked her up to a polygraph machine, assuming that she hasn't gotten so good at lying that she could beat the machine.

Read the great questions here.

(John's latest column breaks down all five of the top tier GOP contenders if you're intereseted)

Brent Bozell also wants to revisit the Clinton record:

How easy it would be to make a list of all the things the press could do to clear the cobwebs with thorough investigations (as opposed to the infrequent and incomplete spurt of a few negative stories). Reporters could draw up a quick list of "old news" about Hillary Clinton's record of public malfeasance that Bill knows full well have never been resolved:

1. Hillary ordering around the White House staff to fire seven workers in the White House Travel Office for financial mismanagement, with Billy Dale accused of embezzlement. Hillary then lied to a grand jury about how she was not really involved in the firing scheme, even though staffers were writing there would be "hell to pay" if they didn't do Hillary's bidding. Billy Dale's life was ruined. Two years later, it took a jury two hours to acquit him of all charges. Why did she do that? What would voters think, Mr. President?

2. Hillary making a mysterious $100,000 profit off a $1,000 investment in cattle futures with Tyson Foods lawyer Jim Blair making her trades. Was this a bribe for the governor's wife? It certainly didn't fit Hillary's first fairytale explanation: that she made the trades just reading the Wall Street Journal. Would more focus on this still-unresolved scandal help Hillary's campaign, Mr. President?

3. Hillary's staffers rifling through Vince Foster's office for documents in the hours after Foster's death in Fort Marcy Park. One man seen leaving the scene with documents was White House aide and Hillary protege Craig Livingstone. What was he taking away? Why won't anyone in your administration give an honest answer, Mr. President?

4. Hillary's Rose Law Firm records "disappeared," only to reappear in the White House residence after years of requests for documents from the independent counsel investigating her lawyering for her corrupt business partner Jim McDougal. What were they doing right outside Hillary's private office, Mr. President?

5. Hillary demanding the need for a White House database of friends and enemies. The Clinton White House was found to be in possession of over 1,000 FBI files of Republican White House employees. At the center of the controversy again: Craig Livingstone, who told friends he was Hillary's hire. Why were they there? How were they used?

In each of these cases - and so many more! - the Clinton-adoring media pulled a collective hamstring and retired before the scandal was ever resolved.

No time now, but more to come...

Murdock examines Huckabee’s Earthly record

Derek Murdock drops a hammer in Huckabee: Holy Man and Heretic:

The Republican presidential race has devolved into holy war. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney recently told voters he believes “Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind.” Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee subsequently asked a writer, “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”

How this will cut taxes or kill terrorists remains elusive. These theological niceties also distract from the urgent task of examining Huckabee’s Earthly record. His background and positions should scare the hell out of GOP primary voters.

...

Mike Huckabee is smooth, relaxed, and quick-witted. We soon will learn if that is enough to trump Republican heresy on education, taxes, spending, crime, terrorism, and ethics.

Read the rest. I could toss a bunch more links on top of this column, but I think that's enough of a drubbing for one post... ouch.

Update: Couldn't resist adding Peggy Noonan's column (not a Huck slam) from earlier today in which she wonders if Republicans are becoming a different kind of party.

The Republican race looks - at the moment - to be determined primarily by one thing, the question of religious faith. In my lifetime faith has been a significant issue in presidential politics, but not the sole determinative one. Is that changing? If it is, it is not progress.

Read the rest.

Also, Prager has a good article in a recent post that's worth reading if you missed it.

Update #2: The Republican Jimmy Carter? Many comments here at HotAir. Ann Coulter certainly thinks so:


And Mitt responds to the above "Republican Jimmy Carter" Foreign Affairs link by suggesting that the Huckster is running for the wrong party. Indeed.

I would probably/reluctantly vote for Huckabee against Hillary or Obama (unlike some conservatives), but he seems too much like a charismatic George Bush to me, and that's no compliment. No more compassionate, big government conservatives please. As Prager says... compassion is great on the micro/individual/personal level, but on the macro/country/governmental level we need standards - and a strong conviction that there is such a thing as right and wrong that's worth fighting for. I like Mike and admire many of his positions, but this country needs a strong CEO for President, not a Pastor.

Mitt, Fred or Duncan (maybe even others) before Mike.

Update #3: Steven Mosher disagrees:

... Finally and most importantly, Huckabee is right on the issues. He equally and eloquently defends the right to life of the unborn, and the right to bear arms of the people. He is pushing for the abolition of that most-hated American institution, the Internal Revenue Service, and its replacement by a simply and fair levy on consumption. As a former governor, he talks about rejuvenating the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution by ceding authority back to the several states. He is a friend of Jeffersonian democracy and a foe of the centralization of power in Washington. If all this isn't Reaganesque, what is?

I knew Ronald Reagan. I once even had the honor of writing a speech for him. And I admit that Mike Huckabee does not have the same star quality about him as the late great President. Who does? But Huckabee has the same ah-shucks demeanor, the same unforced eloquence, and the same grace and good humor under pressure. And increasing numbers of ordinary Americans-the same good folks who voted for Ronald Reagan by the millions-are mighty impressed.

Check out his website... it's a great one.

More commentary and video of Huck's foreign policy here at HotAir.com.

Martha Zoller at Human Events: "Mike Huckabee is not ready for prime time on foreign policy."

The Charlatan and the Charade...

More on Algore and his incomprehensible ego from Noel Sheppard:

It's one thing to make a movie based almost exclusively on junk science and well-documented falsehoods whilst traveling the world evoking hysteria you yourself are financially benefiting from.

However, it is something else altogether to attend an international meeting, with delegates from every country on the face of the planet present, and disparage the nation you used to serve. (truly disgraceful video available here)

Read the rest of the post here. (above photo takes you to a different Noel Sheppard post)

Barbara Walters shocked to recieve a religious Christmas card...

Yes... it's come to this. A vapid talk show host worrying about offending non-Christians with a Christmas card celebrating the reason there is a Christmas to begin with.

You seriously can't make this stuff up: (hat tip Allah)


Link: sevenload.com
How will agnostics and atheists and Muslims react? IT'S CHRISTMAS YOU MORON *&%#@! They'll appreciate recieving a Christmas card from President Bush and go on with their days. Sheesh!

Magnificant by Hillsong:

Sen. Tom Coburn on the UN: People who don’t have to file expense reports don’t keep their receipts...

Common sense talk from Sen. Coburn:

We live in an unusual time in which some American politicians are so preoccupied with an anti-President Bush bias that they are willing to oppose common sense transparency measures and look the other way in the face of obvious corruption and mismanagement at the U.N. The greatest threat to the U.N.’s credibility is not our foreign policy, but the U.N. itself.

Congress can take a bold step toward increasing the credibility of U.N., and also itself, by doing the unexpected thing and maintaining this common sense transparency provision. Taxpayers expect elected officials to safeguard their money, not the U.N.’s penchant for secrecy.

I'm not holding my breath.

For ongoing news on the UN, check out Eye on the UN.

Global Warming fear mongering is more about Socialism than saving the planet...

Check in with heroic (IMAO) Senator Inhofe on the latest news from the Senate.

Considering Mitt Romney for President...

Let's start with Dennis Prager who says that it's values that matter, not theology:

[T]he theological beliefs of a public figure should matter only when one is choosing a theological leader, never a political leader - unless those beliefs form the basis of social and moral values that one abhors. It is very important to know the theological beliefs of one's clergyman or the head of one's seminary, but as far as the head of one's country is concerned, only his moral and social values matter. I would much sooner vote for an agnostic whose values I shared than for a believing Christian or Jew whose values I did not share.

I couldn't agree more with that. Spot on.

Now, if you didn't watch/listen to it last week, please take 20 minutes to listen to Romney's "Religion in America" speech:


I was thoroughly impressed with that speech. Awesome. It has me giving Mitt a second look and I'm liking what I'm seeing/hearing. Is he too polished... too slick of a politician? I thought so, but I'm becoming a Mitt fan. I just wish Thompson would make a move!

Finally, click the magazine cover in the top right of the post (or here) for National Review's endorsement. This critique of Huck's foreign policy acumen from yesterday is also worth reading... clearly a primer for the Romney endorsement as Huck and Mitt are the two getting most of the attention at the moment.

I'll add more to this post later. In the mean time, consider Mitt Romney for President.

Update: More commentaty from RedState.com :

... The most important thing for me, however, is that wherever the candidates stand from issue to issue, I believe that Mitt Romney will make the best President of the group. I believe that he will be the best person at managing the monster that is the federal bureaucracy, shrinking its size, and advancing conservative causes wherever there is opportunity.

This country and this Party need Mitt Romney.

Peggy Noonan has some thoughts on the speech too that are worth checking out.

Giles: We're heading for 'more trouble than a naïve, giggly good-looking drunk chick sportin’ a mini skirt at a Tommy Lee keg party'

Doug Giles is (accurately) shooting from the hip again:

Hey America... we’re not invincible. I know it looks like it, but believe it or not there have been powerful civilizations that are now a cartoon of what they use to be, and it would be the height of hubris to think that this party will never end no matter what we do.

...

So what can the young God- and country-loving dude do? Well, you (and 45 year old guys like me) can do the opposite of what the secularist weeds want us to do, namely:

1. Embrace our faith like never before.
2. Revolt against the immoral vomit.
3. Cheer on traditional values.
4. Applaud and own our culture.
5. Quit being squishy wusses and steel up our will.
6. Spit out babies.
7. Tell foreign invaders to come here correctly or go back to their sucky countries.

To be continued...

Check out Doug Giles at www.clashradio.com. Read his weekly columns here.

The Future of the Conservative Movement...

...with Jeff Sessions and Jim DeMint: (Hat tip Allah)


There is hope.

Jim DeMint is #2 in the list of the most conservative Senators from the American Conservative Union . Check out the others.

It depends on what your definition of 'for' is...

Paul Greenberg - Slick Willie rides again:

Of course Bill Clinton was against the war in Iraq from the beginning. It's proven unpopular. It would be different if the war had gone better, as it has in Afghanistan. Bill Clinton's still for that one.

There's a phrase for someone who'll stick with you through thick and then and in-between: A man to tie to. Bill Clinton's the opposite. Not only does he disappear when the going gets tough, he was never with you from the first --at least to hear him tell it. With him, history is one of the plastic arts.

There is no surer guide to William Jefferson Clinton's view of the past than what is popular in the present. All of his statements supporting the war in Iraq now have become, in a Nixonian word, inoperative. Down the memory hole they go, as if they'd never been uttered.

...

But now that the war had been fought and won, Slick Willie was all for it. He was not about to desert his country in its hour of victory. If a single personal experience made me resolve never again to trust anything Bill Clinton said, that was it.

Was his ex-post-facto support for that war just an innocent lapse of memory, or of character? Me, I've always had the greatest respect for Bill Clinton's memory.

Now he's back playing games with the past again. But never fear, should the long light of history reveal that in the end this long, long struggle in Iraq has bolstered freedom and stability in that always-volatile part of the world, rest assured, Bill Clinton will have been for it all along.

Also, from Bruce Walker:

Bill Clinton is alive and well in his familiar persona as a pathological liar. Bill goes to Iowa and tells a group of Democrats that even if Hillary was not his wife, he would be there to campaign for her to be president – which is to say, he looked Iowans dead in the eye and lied to them. Bill maintains that he always opposed the Iraq War – which is to say, he pretends historical records do not exist, so he lies to us. Bill informs us that he wants his presidential archives released, but that somehow "George Bush" is at fault – which is to say, Bill lies again.

When Bill Clinton lies, his mendacity is not nuanced or weighted anymore. He tells us whoppers. He talks to us like a five year old boy talks to prying parents. He speaks as if he expects people to believe him, even when any sane person would know that he was lying.

...

In our hearts, we expect the Clintons to be crass, bullying liars. So, while it is perfectly thinkable to have a bumper sticker that proclaims "Bush lied, people died," it is perfectly unthinkable to have a bumper sticker that states the truism "Clinton lied, people died." No, because all of us know when Bill or Hillary are lying (it is when their lips are moving.) The only bumper sticker that makes sense of the hypnotic spell that Bill and Hillary have cast upon the American people would be this: Clinton lied, people yawned.

Duh... his mouth was moving.

Randy Travis - On The Other Hand:

Not a Randy Travis fan yet? It's just a matter of time.

The Truth Project - Understanding the Christian Worldview

I've been watching these remarkable videos from Focus on the Family over the past few weeks with some friends. Here is a brief description of The Truth Project:

This is the extended trailer for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project. The Truth Project is an innovative DVD curriculum that teaches viewers how to develop a systematic and comprehensive biblical worldview. Educator Dr. Del Tackett is both engaging and winsome as he teaches Christians to apply biblical truths to every area of life.

Visit www.thetruthproject.org for more information.

Here is the extended trailer/preview:

A couple of informational videos...

Who is Dr. Del Tackett?
What is Worldview?

More videos...how does our culture answer these questions below?

What is Truth?
What is the meaning of Life?
Who is God?
What is church?
What is evil?

What is right and wrong?

Also, here's an article from Del Tacket titled Why Is a Christian Worldview Important?...

[B]y diligently learning, applying and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives, we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture’s non-biblical ideas. If we capture and embrace more of God’s worldview and trust it with unwavering faith, then we begin to make the right decisions and form the appropriate responses to questions on abortion, same-sex marriage, cloning, stem-cell research and even media choices. Because, in the end, it is our decisions and actions that reveal what we really believe.

Click here to learn about getting involved.