More Truth About Benghazi - Obama Did Nothing

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testified today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the Benghazi incident on September 11, 2012.  I wish I had watched it but didn't realize it was on today.  From what I have heard and read, if Panetta is to be believed, his testimony leaves me feeling disturbed.  No, I take that back.  Panetta's testimony leaves me feeling disgusted.  It seems the President was informed soon after the attack began and did nothing about it, just as I have believed for months.  In fact, he didn't even inquire further about it until the next day.

Panetta testified that he did not receive any communication from the White House on the night of the attack after initially informing the president of the situation on the ground in North Africa.

Panetta testified that he did speak directly with the president on the night of the attack. He said he informed Barack Obama of the ongoing situation and was directed to respond appropriately.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) asked if the president made any requests for additional information on American security assets that were in the region which could have responded to the ongoing attack. Panetta replied that the president was generally aware of what regional assets could be deployed, but he did not request any specific information on that night.

“Did you have any further communications with [President Obama] that night?” Ayotte asked.

“No,” Panetta replied.

“Did he ever call you that night to say, ‘how are things going? What’s going on? Where’s the consulate?’” Ayotte followed up.

“No, but we were aware, as we were getting information that was taking place there, particularly when we got information that the ambassador [Chris Stevens] – his life had been lost – we were aware that that information went to the White House,” Panetta added.

“Did you communicate with anyone else at the White House that night?” Ayotte asked.

“No,” Panetta responded.

Interestingly, (or not) CNN reports only that the President was informed and does not post the actual transcript of Panetta's testimony.

MediaMatters reports that Panetta's testimony has been altered and/or taken out of context (even though it's printed word for word) to make Obama look bad but offer no other transcript that verifies their claim.

The bottom line is that the President was informed by Leon Panetta himself who then had no further contact from the President for the rest of the night.

In October 2012, President Obama himself told the media "“The minute I found out what was happening . . . I gave the directive,” he said, “to make sure we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do. I guarantee you everybody in the CIA and military knew the number-one priority was making sure our people are safe.”

According to Leon Panetta that was a straight up lie.  Not that it surprises me but so many of his supporters believed Obama's lame excuse (and still do) that he wasn't questioned thoroughly about it.  The truth is that four people died in Libya that night, the President was informed when it began and he did absolutely nothing.  And for that, in my humble opinion, he needs to resign or be impeached.

We do not need a Commander in Chief who allows our citizens and ambassadors to be attacked by enemy forces and does nothing about it, then lies to the people of America to protect his own butt.

Will the main stream media report the truth that now stares them in the face?  What do you think?

Let's Just Take Away Their Imaginations And Be Done With It!

Dear Lord - when did we do away with common sense in these Unites States of America?

It has happened again.  In Loveland, Colorado, on Friday afternoon, seven year old Alex Watkins, a second grader, was suspended from second grade for saving the world.  Playing on the playground during recess, Alex pretended that a box on the playground was the evil in the world and he threw an imaginary grenade into the box to destroy the evil and save the world.  Apparently it worked – at least in Alex’s imagination. 

Then he was called to the principal’s office where his mother was called and told he was being suspended “for violating one of the school’s absolutes”, whatever that is.  Apparently the school has a policy of no weapons even if they’re only inside the mind of a seven year old.  Alex’s heroism in saving the world apparently counted for naught.

Alex’s mother is having a difficult time with the suspension and says Alex is really confused.  “He got in trouble for trying to save the world from evil,” she told Denver reporters.

For the second time in less than two weeks I ask “What has happened to common sense and talking to children about something they do wrong (that they may not even realize?)  Unless school authorities or his parents sat him down specifically and said “If you play make believe during recess you can’t blow up anything with an imaginary grenade or use an imaginary gun because you’ll get in trouble” – how was the kid to know?  Do we really want to stifle our children’s imaginations over fear of school violence?  Do we tell our kids they can be heroes but only if they fight their battles without weapons of any kind.  Maybe they can pulverize the bad guy with green energy or something….

Seriously – this is the fourth kid under the age of 8 suspended this year (and it’s only February) for pretending to have finger guns, a picture of a gun or, in this case, an imaginary grenade.  I wonder – does that school also have an absolute no smoking policy?  If so, do you think if a first grader was leaning against the playground fence smoking an imaginary cigarette and trying to act cool he’d be suspended?  Of course he wouldn’t.  The principal would probably talk to him and call the parents but suspend?  Probably not.  And before anyone gets indignant and says “Well, guns kill people” – so do cigarettes.  Certainly there’s a difference but there’s a reason many schools have a zero tolerance for smoking.  But I can tell you without a doubt that imaginary finger guns and imaginary grenades don’t kill or threaten any more people than imaginary cigarettes.  Suspending a child for either is just plain silly.

It’s funny – schools, educators and counselors these days are always worried about a child’s self-esteem.  What do they think they’re doing to the self-esteem of a child when they suspend him for using his imagination?  This kid was fantasizing about saving the world.  Now he thinks he’s a bad kid who did something wrong.  How’s that working toward building his self-esteem?  And the school will wonder why the kid keeps getting in trouble as he gets older.

What ever happened to sitting down with a child and their parents and helping them understand what they did wrong?  This kid is seven years old!!  These days it seems suspension is automatic for everything – no questions or alternative solutions offered.  Let’s not help identify the problem and make the child understand what he did wrong.  Oh, no – that would be too difficult.  Let’s just get rid of the problem for a while.  It won’t solve the problem but it will get it out of our hair for a while. 

When I was a kid I was taught the way to tell the word principal from the word principle was that the guy at your school was your pal.  It seems in this day and age that’s no longer true.  My first principal knew my parents by name and he pulled my first tooth one day in the lunch room.  It seems there aren’t too many like that anymore.  

I fully respect teachers, educators and school principals.  I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression.  Unfortunately, these days many are so busy having to be politically correct they have to stick to rigid and sometimes overzealous rules and can’t be bothered with doing what's right for the child.  And that’s truly a shame.

The Ever Increasing Power Of The Obama Administration

Soon after the Al Quaeda attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, the Bush administration signed the Patriot Act into law in an effort to effect more expedient and efficient intelligence information about terrorist organizations working against the United States.  One of the most controversial aspects of the legislation was the ability of the U.S. government to perform wiretaps on terror suspects without a warrant.

Even though Democrats in both the House and Senate voted to approve the Patriot Act (as they did the war in Iraq), it did not take long before outcries from the liberal base and the liberal media decried the wiretapping as being unconstitutional and a violation of their civil rights.  That same complaint still goes on today in some liberal circles.  Liberals still talk about how Bush took away their rights.  So where are they now?

In the last year President Obama has given himself the authority to arrest and indefinitely detain anyone in America the government decides is a terrorist or supports terrorist activities.  They need no proof and the victim gets no due process – they just disappear.  Gee – that’s a little different than a wiretap, isn’t it?

On Monday, a confidential Justice Department memo obtained and released by NBC (a surprise in and of itself) concluded that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens overseas, and foreign nationals, if they are “believed to be senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” -- even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.  They can be killed with drone strikes if they are “believed to be” senior operational leaders.

Attorney General Eric Holder specifically endorsed the constitutionality of targeted killings of Americans, saying they could be justified if government officials determine the target poses “an imminent threat of violent attack.”

But the confidential Justice Department “white paper” introduces a more expansive definition of self-defense or imminent attack than originally described by Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, John Brennan, or Holder, in their public speeches.  It refers, for example, to what it calls a “broader concept of imminence” than actual intelligence about any ongoing plot against the U.S. homeland.

“The condition that an operational  leader presents an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the memo states.

So according to the Attorney General, the President can legally order the arrest, indefinite detention of just about anyone here in this country and the arrest, indefinite detention and/or killing of just about anyone outside the country.  And before people get indignant and say “No, he can’t do that” or “He wouldn’t do that” remember – he already is and has.  Anwar Al-Awlaki was an American citizen.

In the case of Anwar Al-Awlaki – I have no problem with him being taken out.  Not only had he left the United States but he was actively waging jihad against us.  By his words and actions he had declared war on the United States.  Taking him out was a good thing.

By contrast, the DOJ Memo says “even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.”  So all the government has to do is declare someone an Al Quaeda member or suspect and he becomes a target for death.  It also says “does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,”

And once again, it says “It refers to what it calls a “broader concept of imminence” than actual intelligence about any ongoing plot against the U.S. homeland.”

So in other words, the President and his administration not only get to decide who is or is not an Al Quaeda member and/or who represents a threat to the USA but they are judge, jury and executioner and that person will either disappear or be killed at the direction of the President.

Again I ask – where is the outrage from the left??  Why are they not screaming about civil rights and human rights violations by the President of the United States?  At least the ACLU is questioning it.  I’m not a huge fan of that particular organization but someone has to challenge this type of pronouncement!

When the GW Bush administration approved waterboarding the left went crazy.  Even then-Senator Obama denounced waterboarding as torture.  The Bush administration waterboarded a total of three people (and got information that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden – even though Obama will never, ever admit it.)  All of them are still alive.  President Obama skips capture, waterboarding, due process, formal charges and detention.  He simply has them killed.  Where is the outrage from the left??????

It is reported that the Department of Homeland Security has recently ordered 7000+ AR-15 “Personal Protection Weapons” (their words, not mine.)  Personal protection from whom?  In the last year the U.S. government has also purchased over 1 billion rounds of ammunition for everyone from the Department of the Interior to the Social Security Administration to the IRS.  Are they gearing up for something major in this country?  One can’t help but wonder.

It is also rumored that in picking his military leaders for his next term the President is asking them if they would fire on American citizens if so ordered.  The rumor says those answering in the negative are being replaced by those who answer in the affirmative.  Why would a President feel the need to ask that question unless he is seriously considering that possibility?

If people who oppose the President begin disappearing in this country in the next few years, how long do you think it will take to become public knowledge?  Will federal agents raid homes in the middle of the night and haul everyone in the house away?  Will they snatch individuals off the street?  Will FOX News be silenced by the administration to keep it quiet?  God knows the main stream, state run media won’t report it.

It’s a scary world we live in and unlike four years ago, it’s now more scary inside the USA than outside.  When the government becomes the biggest threat to our freedom it’s time for a change.  And President Obama has taken far more of our freedoms away (and continues to do so) than any other President in history.  If he succeeds in taking away our guns, as was the case in Germany, China, Russia, etc.,  – the United States of America will cease to exist as we know it.

Cruising Main Street - Conclusion....

This one hasn't been quite as popular as some (most) of my political blogs but I enjoyed writing it.  Here is the conclusion.  On Thursday I'll get back to normal...   :)


Cruising Main Street - Part 2

I remember one night my parents were out of town and I decided to have a small party.  Jon, Jeff, Bumble, Andy, John, and a few others, plus some of the girls, were all invited.  We had a great family room in the basement and that’s where the party was going to be.  Unfortunately, as the evening went on more and more kids heard about it and by the time it was in full swing there must have been 50 or 60 people there – most of which I didn’t know.  My buddies helped me keep things under control, ensuring no one went wandering through the house upstairs and helping me make sure that if they were smoking (anything) they did it outside.  Surprisingly I got through the party with little to no damage and nothing missing (that I ever knew of.)  And to my knowledge my parents never knew about it. 

In the winter of 76, the day after a really good snow storm, the four of us went out into the country to do some bumper surfing.  We found a small housing development far away from the city limits with only a handful of houses.  Being outside the city meant the streets were not plowed and the cars coming and going had packed the snow down to make it very slippery – perfect for bumper surfing.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with bumper surfing – it’s when you drive down an icy road with one or more people holding onto your back bumper sliding on the ice behind the car.  It’s a lot of fun but very illegal…

Someone in the neighborhood apparently called the Sheriff’s Office and reported us.  We had finished our bumper surfing and were headed back to town when I got pulled over by a deputy.  He told me I’d been reported for bumper surfing (not the words he used) and said “We don’t go for that type of shenanigans in this county.”  He made me sit in his car while he checked my license and registration but then he let me go with a warning not to get caught doing it again.  I assured him I wouldn’t.

A couple of times in the Spring before I left we went out to an old strip mine they called “The Pond.”  It was a nice, quiet little pool of water, about 60 by 80 feet and deep enough on one side that we could dive off the rocky cliff.  There was one problem though.  Over on the deep side, about six feet out and a couple of feet to the left, was a big rock under the water that you couldn’t see.  So before anyone started diving off the cliff we had to swim around until we found the rock and one of us had to stand on it while the others were jumping.  The water seeped into the pond from underground so it was very cold.  But it was great fun.

In the Spring of 77, as Easter was approaching, Jon, Bumble and I volunteered our voices in the Coshocton Community Choir, which was performing Handel’s Messiah for their Easter presentation.  (Jeff wasn’t much of a singer.)  Since we all enjoyed singing along with the radio and were all in our own high school choirs, it wasn’t much of a stretch.  (Yesterday morning Jon pointed out the interesting contrast of us “underage, town-cruising, drinking buddies that also sang the Messiah!) 

I was honored to be chosen by our director to sing several solos including “The Trumpet Shall Sound”, a song I loved to sing.  We went to our rehearsals every week and took our music home with us.  I would practice my solos in my truck when I was working.  By the time the evening came for the presentation I had everything mostly memorized and didn’t even need the music anymore.

The night of the performance people packed the church.  We sounded great.  I did the first two solos, very simple tunes really, without a problem.  Then came my big moment – “The Trumpet Shall Sound” in front of a live audience.  I was confident and sure – I knew the song inside out.  I had sung it every day for a couple of months and I was ready. 

I went through the first half of the song, hitting all the high notes strongly and projecting well.  I was showing off and having fun.  Then, about three quarters of the way through the song, I came in about two measures two soon.  Looking back afterward I knew what had happened.  When I sang in my truck I didn’t have the accompaniment – I sang without the background music so I started and stopped whenever it felt right.  So that night, I started in with words at the wrong time.  I glanced at the director’s face and knew instantly that I had messed up.  I finished the measure and then came back in where I was supposed to and very few people even knew I had made the mistake.  But Jon and Bumble did.

After the performance everyone was complimentary.  Jon congratulated me and said “Even though you messed up that one part it sounded good and no one really knew about it.”  Even the director said I covered it well and it was no big deal.  I felt pretty good about the whole thing.  My good friend Bumble was the only one who pulled no punches.  He came over and quietly said “You screwed up.”  He didn’t say it in a mean way or to make me feel bad – he was simply stating a fact.  And he was right.  I responded “I did.”  Then he said “Don’t worry.  No one knew but us.  You covered it well.”  So I was vindicated.  I messed up but my friends didn't care.

A couple of nights before I left for the Air Force (on May 31, 1977) Jeff, Jon, Bumble and I went out to a local creek and camped out for the night.  It was our last night together as a group.  We drank a few beers and talked and laughed and stayed up half the night.  Jon reminded me that we also had fireworks because there was a fireworks manufacturer just up the road from where we were camping.  It was a good time.

It’s interesting – as I have been thinking about Coshocton and the memories I realized I only lived there for about a year and only knew Jon and Bumble for about seven months before I left town for good.  I would come home on leave and we’d hang out again but then, a couple of years later my parents moved from Coshocton so it was no longer home.  And I didn’t get back there for a long time.

In 2009 I stopped in Coshocton to look up Bumble – the only one I knew who still lived in town.  I had searched for him online and discovered he worked for the county so I stopped by his office to see him one day while driving that way.  He wasn’t in but I left him a note that I’d stop by again on my way back through town.  On the way back I didn’t catch him at work but I found Jeff’s address and stopped by his house.  He hadn’t changed at all in 30 years.  He still has the same old 68 Plymouth Satellite convertible (I think that’s what it is) that he bought when I lived there.  He introduced me to his son and said “I’d like you to meet one of the best friends I ever had.”

While he and I were standing outside talking, Bumble drove up.  He lives next door to Jeff.  He no longer has his hair but other than that he looks the same as always.  I still haven’t seen Jon.  The sad thing about this is – when I lived in Columbus, Ohio, in 2009 and part of 2010, he lived on the other side of town.  I found out he was there but it was after I began working full time and we never managed to get together.  I left in August of 07 and even though I’ve been back to town a couple of times for family gatherings I have yet to see him.   I feel badly about that and must remedy it one day.

Even after all these years and even though I don’t get to see them often enough, the friends I used to cruise Main Street with were good pals and I have a lot of great memories – especially considering what a short period of time I actually spent with them back then.  I’m hoping one day to arrange a reunion with them.  Have dinner in Coshocton and cruise up and down Main Street again – even if we all pile into a minivan!  

Cruising Main Street....

My posts today and tomorrow will be a little different.  An old childhood friend (and fairly new Facebook friend) has read some of my blogs and recently told me I should stop writing so many negative political posts and write something positive and happy.  I tried to explain to her that writing negative political blogs makes ME happy but she didn’t want to hear it.  I did have an idea that came to me the other day that I wanted to put down in writing.  It’s about memories from 36 years ago…

As I wrote this it grew longer and longer.  I have more memories from that short period of my life than I thought.  So this is Part 1 of my story about my experience with small town life in the mid 70s.  It's dedicated to my buddies from those days...  Jeff Sycks, Jon Kissner and Bumble Jacobs.  I hope you all enjoy my tale but at the least - I hope my old buddies enjoy the trip down memory lane.

Cruising Main Street....

In 1976, when I was 19, my parents moved from Struthers, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown, to Coshocton, Ohio, a small town in farm country in Central Ohio.  Being 18 and having a job that didn’t support me living on my own at the time, I went along with them.  Besides - a new town would be a challenge.  

Coshocton was a nice little town but I didn’t have much to do and didn’t have a job for the first six months I was there.  I did, however, have a friend that came about through our church.  His name is Jeff Sycks and he lived one street over from us on the opposite corner.  He was two years younger than me but we hit it off anyway.  We got to know each other at the church but we started hanging out in the evenings and on weekends and played tennis at the high school courts, which were about two blocks from my house.  I beat him most of the time because I had been playing longer than he.  But it was fun.

In October of ’76 I developed appendicitis and ended up in the hospital for a week.  Jeff came to visit me and brought a couple of his friends along (who I had never met.)  Allow me to introduce you to Jon and Bumble….

Jon Kissner was a friend of Jeff’s from high school who turned out to be a great friend to me as well.  He drove a little Honda Civic at the time – you know – the ones that you could practically pick up and move on your own.  It suited him well.  He played the guitar (as did I) and loved music and we used to listen to various albums (Doobie Brothers, Wild Cherry, Peter Frampton, Kansas and Heart, to name a few) at his house, in the car, wherever we could.  There was also the extremely vulgar (and very popular) Richard Pryor as well as George Carlin and Cheech and Chong.    Good comedy tapes were always a plus and we had them all memorized.

Bumble Jacobs (his first name was really Lynn), was another friend of Jeff and Jon.  He was a year younger than me, graduated in 76, and after we met he and I hung out together more than any of the others because they were still in school.  He worked at the local GE plant but we did a lot of things together on his days off and after he got off work.  One of his special talents was chugging a large mug of A&W root beer in one large gulp.  Anytime we went to A&W to eat we’d be sure and buy him a large mug so he could do it again.  None of the rest of us could ever do it.

There were a couple of others.  Andy Brown – another classmate of Jeff’s who also attended our church, and John Wilt, a year younger than Jeff but he had his own car and he was pretty cool to hang out with.

Coshocton, Ohio, as I said, was/is a small town.  The people are friendly but even in 2010 only 11,000 people lived there.  There wasn’t a lot to do as far as entertainment.  But we always found something fun.  When we weren’t hanging out at someone’s house we were on the road, mostly.  Columbus was about 90 minutes West, Newark was in between Coshocton and Columbus, and Canton was about 90 minutes Northeast.  Columbus and Canton had malls.  Columbus also had Ohio State University located (very appropriately in our way of thinking) on High Street.  We laughed about that every time we drove over there.  

Both Canton and Columbus also had Peaches Records and Tapes, a large store chain that sold every album you could want in record, cassette and 8 track tape form.  Yes, we are that old.  And we hit those stores about once a month, constantly searching for the perfect album.

Canton mall was a good place to go as well.  We would make a day of it since at least three hours was needed for the drive.  We’d find someplace to eat, either on the way up or back, (often it was the Pizza Hut in New Philadelphia, about half way) and it really didn’t matter if we bought anything while we were shopping.  It was an adventure!

In January of ’77 I got a job driving a delivery truck for a small, family owned bakery that was located in the tiny town of Dresden, about 17 miles Southwest of Coshocton.  It took me about 30 minutes to get there because of the country roads.  I’d get my truck, turn around and head back into Coshocton for my route.  It wasn’t a bad job – but the hours sucked.  I had to be at the bakery by 4am so I got up at 3:30, got dressed and headed out.  I’d check my truck, (it was already loaded for me) and head back the same way, making a stop at a grade school in one little town on the way.  I’d hit all the schools in town that had a contract with us, stop at the county jail, then go to a small restaurant/bar around 6am to make a delivery and have breakfast.  The lady who ran that place early in the mornings made the best sausage and eggs.  And she had great coffee.  And every morning there was one gentleman sitting at the bar having a beer before he went to start his day on the farm.  Actually it was usually two or three.  I kid you not.

My work day normally went from 4am until around 4pm.  I was off on Wednesday and Sunday.  On Saturdays I got a little reprieve – I didn’t have to start until 5 (since the schools were closed) and some of my other stops were only during the week.  So I was normally home by around 4pm.  Not a huge difference but it enabled me to get home and take a nap before going out with the guys on Saturday night.

The title says “Cruising Main Street”  because that was one of the major things we did, particularly on Saturday nights.  Similar to “American Graffiti”, all the kids in town with cars would cruise up and down Main Street, music blaring, windows down in the warmer weather, and spend time just looking to see who else was cruising.  Of course, none of us had the car that Harrison Ford or Paul Le Mat had in the movie.  Bumble did have a 72 Olds Cutlass for a while, which he traded for a 76 Trans Am.  But there were no 32 Ford Coupes or 55 Chevys in our group.

We’d cruise Main Street several times to see what was going on.  We’d make a U-turn at the end of the street and head back in case we missed something.  More often than not we’d encounter a train at least once an evening and have to sit and wait for it to pass through.  The train went through the center of town on a north/south track.  On Saturday nights it backed traffic up all the way through town.  Of course, once it was gone we’d have to take a few more trips up and back to see if anything had changed…

Occasionally, if we weren’t all together, we’d see one of the other guys in his car and make plans to meet somewhere.  Often that was either the bowling alley or Wayne’s Freeze – one of the local ice cream/burger joints where a few of our favorite Coshocton girls worked.  We’d go to Wayne’s just about every day at one point or another.  Wayne was a good guy - a small business owner who gave many of the high school girls their first jobs.  His burgers were good and the ice cream and milk shakes were great in the summer!  I delivered burger and hot dog buns to them.  In fact, that’s where I met Tom Cannon, one of the owners of the bakery and the man who gave me my job.

On Wednesdays we’d all meet at the bowling alley.  It was open bowling, no leagues, and we’d spend a couple of hours there just having fun.  Of course, after that we’d head back to Main Street to see who was around.

My bakery delivery job had some great perks as well as drawbacks.  The hours were long but I knew most of the grocery store and restaurant managers in town.  That had its advantages.  For one thing, I could buy alcohol in any of the little family owned stores that I delivered to because they all knew me.  And even though I wasn’t 21, they thought I was.  I never told them otherwise.  So when we needed beer or wine for a party I could get it.  Of course, my parents never knew about it.  I wasn’t stupid.

Ron Paul Comments On The Murder Of Chris Kyle...

Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL and the most successful sniper in the history of the U.S. military, was killed yesterday by another veteran who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.  Kyle was a volunteer at a resort lodge in Texas where PTSD victims were often taken to use firearms in an attempt to get them used to firearms again, without fear or negative reaction.

Congressman Ron Paul, who has run three times (and failed, thank God) for President, posted the following comment on Twitter today.  “Chris Kyle's death seems to confirm that "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword." Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.”  Congressman Paul apparently believes he knows what is best for people suffering from PTSD but seems to know the details of the program the suspect was in.  At least he should if he's making comments like that.

I must say I also question if the shooting suspect, who has been arrested and charged with murder, was ready to be on the firing range yesterday.  But unlike Ron Paul, I am waiting to hear more details of the case before I make any decisions on that.  In my opinion, Paul’s comment echoes that of President Obama when he said  "I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts.... but I think it’s fair to say... that the Cambridge police acted stupidly..."  in the case involving the President’s friend, Professor Louis Gates and the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Police Department.  How can you pass judgment on someone, or on the program he was in, until you know all the facts?  Maybe Ron Paul has all the facts but I’m guessing, from the vagueness of his comment, that he’s simply speaking out of ignorance.

Chris Kyle was a true American hero.  He spent four tours in Iraq serving his country.  Regardless of whether or not his killer should or should not have been on that firing range yesterday his death is a tragedy and Ron Paul should show a little respect for the man and his history, particularly being former military himself.  Maybe his time in Washington has allowed him to become cold hearted when it comes to our military.  He is, after all, in favor of isolationism when it comes to foreign relations.  Either way, Chris Kyle deserves respect and honor given his service to his country. 

Chris Kyle served four tours in a combat zone.  Ron Paul served for two years as an active duty flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force then an additional three years in the reserves as an Obstetrician.  While his service is noteworthy – it simply doesn’t compare to Mr. Kyle’s.  Maybe he has forgotten what military service is about.

I guess it’s obvious by now that I’m a little irritated by Ron Paul’s flippant attitude toward an American hero.  Those who knew Kyle have offered that not only was he a hero but a genuinely good man.  To have a former Congressman make snide comments about his murder is shameful, to say the least.  Mr. Paul should apologize to Chris Kyle and his family.  Mr. Kyle deserves better from someone who served in office as a Republican.  Paul’s comment sounded like it came from a liberal.

A Little Trivia.... Do You Know The Correct Answer?

The following trivia questions were posted on Facebook by my good friend Mark Atterson.  He wanted to see how much history we knew or could at least guess.  I didn’t know the correct answer to any of the questions.  I was somewhat surprised at the correct answers of who actually made each statement and it was a little disheartening.  I will let you all read the questions and take your best guess before revealing the correct answers. 

Please try to answer all the questions before looking at the answers.

Who said it?

1) "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

A. Karl Marx

B. Adolph Hitler

C. Joseph Stalin

D. None of the above

2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few....  and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."

A. Lenin

B. Mussolini

C. Idi Amin

D. N one of the Above

3) "(We) .....can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."

A. Nikita Khrushev

B. Josef Goebbels

C. Boris Yeltsin

D. None of the above

4) "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own ... in order to create this common ground."

A. Mao Tse Dung

B. Hugo Chavez

C. Kim Jong Il

D. None of the above

5) "I certainly think the free-market has failed."

A. Karl Marx

B. Lenin

C. Molotov

D. None of the above

6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched."

A. Pinochet

B. Milosevic

C. Saddam Hussein

D. None of the above

How many did you get right?  Was it an easy quiz or a difficult one?  There have been so many dictatorial and tyrannical leaders in history that it’s difficult to keep them straight sometimes, isn’t it?

Here are the correct answers to the questions.  Check your score….

(1)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   6/29/2004

(2)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   5/29/2007

(3)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   6/4/2007

(4)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   6/4/2007

(5)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   6/4/2007

(6)  D.  None of the above.  Statement was made by Hillary Clinton   9/2/2005

This is the woman who will most likely be the next Democrat candidate for President – possibly as early as 2016.  (I say possibly because there are already Democrats who are working on a plan to keep Obama in office for a third term.)   President Obama all but endorsed Mrs. Clinton the other night in that lame interview on 60 Minutes, (much to the chagrin of Joe Biden, I’m sure.)

The fact that Mrs. Clinton said all these things in the last five to ten years kind of surprises me.  Then again – it really doesn’t. 

Be afraid.  Be very afraid…