Wonderland

Hi, guys!

Is it just me, or is the news from the Obama Administrations becoming "curiouser and curiouser" each day?

First, we discovered that the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which was set to start on July 1st, didn't actually begin until July 24th. Something about it took the Department of Transportation longer to organize than either planned or expected.

Then, with ONE BILLION DOLLARS of funding as of July 24th, the program ran out of money six days later. SIX DAYS, ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Something about unexpected levels of demand for this program in which the taxpayers will give you up to $4500 to get rid of the rust bucket in your carport to buy the new car you were planning to buy anyway. UNEXPECTED DEMAND?

Administration answer? Add another TWO BILLION DOLLARS of taxpayer money, stir briskly and season to taste. Then see if you like it -- or if "more unexpected demand" continues...

Next, the Sunday talk shows with SECTREAS Tim Geithner and ECONOCZAR Larry Summers went as reported by the AP below:

"Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere. (Secretary DUH)

"There is a lot that can happen over time," Summers said, adding that the administration believes "it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what." (Except the closing of Gitmo? - Czar DUH)

During his presidential campaign, Obama repeatedly pledged "you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime." But the simple reality remains that his ambitious overhaul of how Americans receive health care promised without increasing the federal deficit — must be paid for." ("Perhaps I need to recalibrate my words" President DUH)

Finally, we get word from England, via the London Telegraph, that:

The Government's drug rationing watchdog says "therapeutic" injections of steroids, such as cortisone, which are used to reduce inflammation, should no longer be offered to patients suffering from persistent lower back pain when the cause is not known.Instead the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is ordering doctors to offer patients remedies like acupuncture and osteopathy.

Dr Christopher Wells, a leading specialist in pain relief medicine and the founder of the NHS' first specialist pain clinic, said it was "entirely unacceptable" that conventional treatments used by thousands of patients would be stopped.

"I don't mind whether some people want to try acupuncture, or osteopathy. What concerns me is that to pay for these treatments, specialist clinics which offer vital services are going to be forced to close, leaving patients in significant pain, with nowhere to go,"

He said: "The consequences of the NICE decision will be devastating for thousands of patients. It will mean more people on opiates, which are addictive, and kill 2,000 a year. It will mean more people having spinal surgery, which is incredibly risky, and has a 50 per cent failure rate."

So, let's see... The same bureaucrats who can't figure out how to set up a car trade-in program are the very ones that ObamaCare proposes to put in charge of healthcare, ONE SIXTH of the American economy? And the "progressive" Congresscritters pushing for all this are the ones that think the "single payer" programs of government-run healthcare in England and Canada should be the model for our own?

Now do you see why I titled this post "Wonderland?"

As Alice said:

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

She must have been one of the Obama "CZARS."

Head back to the high ground!

Take along your phone and computer to do what is necessary.

Hating Independence Day

Hi, Guys!

America's Independence Day, the 4th of July, is one of my favorite holidays. Yesterday, our family celebrated in the standard variety of ways. Dragonfly's family sponsored a Church picnic breakfast and invited me to speak on "What Liberty Means to Me." The Carlsons (pere) and Carlsons (fils) joined the Leesburg Gang for a late afternoon barbeque and birthday party for America, then most went to the fireworks in the local park. The Honeybee's family had all the kids together for shaving cream fights, fireworks, Wii contests, made to order lunches and a barbeque dinner with more fireworks and a slide show of the day's activities. The Digital Architect and his family were in San Diego, celebrating with the family of Mindelicious. They will join us next week.

So where was President Obama? He had time for a brief appearance in his yard and a helicopter flight (!) to distant Fort McNair (maybe 4 miles away) to be seen with the troops.

Other than that, no statement, no rousing holiday speeches, no parades. I suspect he must have been working hard on getting the teleprompter right for his next set of speeches during this week's extension of the "Apologize for America Tour"which will take him to Russia, Italy and Ghana. You can be sure that there will be lots to apologize for in each place.

While he's gone, the local paper will keep up the Obama drumbeat. My favorite fish wrap, the Washington Compost (rapidly becoming the Washington Ghost) viscerally hates Independence Day. Our nation's birthday involves celebrating those things which the liberal press finds abhorrent - independence, liberty, patriotism, celebration of our fallen heroes, recollection of our glorious history as the world leader in support of freedom.

Here are some excerpts from the Compost's front page article this AM. The full article is available at Washington Post.com (WARNING -HAVE A BARF BAG HANDY):

"Washingtonians gathered yesterday to celebrate Independence Day in a country transformed by recession, war and a shift in political winds, events that have affected their outlook on the nation's fate and their own..."

"Until yesterday, Helen Ingallis had never wanted to wave an American flag.

She felt that the country was too aggressive in its foreign policy, that its leaders were irrational and self serving. This year, adorned in patriotic red, white and blue, the District native...paraded flag in hand. 'I feel like there is finally hope..."

"Surviving Marines also gathered, about 80 of them, some still close shaven, others wearing their hair long. They remembered their fallen, 21 young men, 17 of whom were killed in the 2004 battle for Fallujah, Iraq... Karen Cox started by pointing out that the hotel staff had provided a box of tissues for each row of chairs in the room. 'It's okay to let the tears fall -

don't fight it too hard...."

" Vera Nathan and her (same sex) partner, Sheneva Willingham, sat in the park, drinking Schlitz High Gravity Lagers, sharing cigarettes and taking in their new neighborhood...On the table was the couple's wallet, along with a picture of the president and the first lady on election night... Neither Nathan nor Willingham has a job. Recession has made their hard lives harder. 'I've had to fight for everything, Nathan said. Just got me a place

and I'm still scrambling to get to eat.' "

In my view, this Administration and its sycophant liberal press hate Independence Day -

after all, they are rapidly trying to make Americans more dependent. More dependent on

international approval, more dependent on foreign oil, more dependent on junk science climate change policies and - most of all - more dependent on the government for everything from banking to automobile manufacture to healthcare to temperature control in our homes, and on and on... And this sudden dependence on the government to run every aspect of our lives must happen immediately! Don't read the warning labels on any of these bills...

Now I understand what Candidate Teleprompter meant when he said as he accepted his party's nomination on June 3rd of last year:

"This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals."

Whose very best selves? Whose highest ideals? Not mine, that's for sure.

"Extreme Makeover", indeed. I want the TV rights.

Fortifying the high ground, I remain sincerely yours...

Thoughts on 14 Fathers

On this Father's Day weekend, I would like to share with you some thoughts on 14 fathers for whom I am grateful.

First, of course, is my father, Gunnar, shown above on his wedding day in 1932. Dad has now been gone from us for 26 years, yet there never passes a day when I don't think about him and all he meant to me.

Second is a father named David, who raised my daughter when I believed, under the circumstances, I could not . David did a magnificent job and then provided his exceptional daughter the opportunity to find the Queen and me. I am forever thankful for his efforts, his achievements and his willingness to share.

Next are the four fathers I am privileged to call my sons. Christopher, Thomas, Travis and Matthew are shown below in their monkey suits with gorgeous brides. Each of these men are now fathers as well, and excellent ones at that. I am thankful that all of them have done so well in leading and loving their families.

Well, that's six of the fourteen fathers I want to thank. Who could possibly be next?

The next seven are my six grandsons and my grandson-to-be. While not yet fathers, they are fathers-in-waiting. So Christopher, Owen, Jonah, Soren, Samuel, Hugo and (can you hear me?) Baby Boy X - pay attention to your Dads and learn from them how to be the great fathers you are destined to be. I'll be watching...

Finally, at Number 14 but actually at Number 1, I want to thank my Father in Heaven for the many blessings he has bestowed upon both me and my family. Last year at this time, my condition was pretty bad. Now, thanks to the tender mercies of my Heavenly Father and the prayers from all of you, I am happy and much more healthy. There are still challenges ahead, but I have confidence in the future.

So, Happy Father's Day to each and every one of you who have earned the title, "Dad."

Of all my degrees, ranks, awards and decorations, "Dad" will always be my proudest

achievement.

As the current country music song goes,

"Fathers don't just love their children

Every now and then...

It's a love without end,

Amen."

Remember Them - They Died for Your Freedom....

• 
  
• 

• OPINION
• JUNE 5, 2009

The Meaning of Bloody Omaha

On D-Day, the U.S. saved Europe from itself.

By HERBERT LONDON

The skies over Normandy are invariably filled with dark rain clouds. But on one day in late April the sky was cloudless and the English Channel tranquil. Youngsters built sand castles on Omaha Beach and dogs romped in the surf. It was a vastly different scene from the bloodshed and violence that occurred on this same beach 65 years ago.

In an effort to understand what the GIs experienced on that fateful day of June 6, 1944, I climbed up a steep hill to the plain above the beach. Unlike the soldiers, I didn't carry an 80-pound pack on my back. And even though I observed German fortifications on my way, no one was firing at me.

These fortifications are a reminder that despite feints to Calais and bombing along the coast prior to the invasion, Nazi forces were well ensconced when the U.S. and its allies landed. Most of the bombs aimed at these German installations landed several kilometers inland -- a condition that distinguished Omaha Beach from Utah Beach. Omaha Beach was Bloody Omaha, a scene of so much death that it was unprecedented in American history. One soldier noted "there were body parts everywhere and the sea turned red with blood."

Many never made it to the shore from their landing crafts. Some were shot and some drowned, not realizing that if you wear a flotation device around your waist instead of under your arms it may not be possible to stand in the turbulent surf with a heavy pack. There was panic, confusion, camaraderie and bravery on the beach that day that changed the world.

The cemetery for the fallen overlooks Omaha Beach. It was noon when I stood at the edge of the cemetery, looking out at row after row of the graves. The bells played "God Bless America." There was a burly fellow wearing steel- frame glasses standing in front of me, most likely an octogenarian. As the bells sounded our eyes met. I wanted to say something to him, but he removed his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. Words were unnecessary; he and I shared a silent understanding.

There is simply no way to describe the sacrifice Americans made on the D-Day invasion to reclaim Europe from the grip of totalitarianism. Even the notoriously dispassionate Europeans realize that this is consecrated ground, a place where angels spread their wings to honor the deeds of youthful warriors. No St. Crispin speeches were necessary here, for this Band of Brothers knew what need not be stated: They were saving Europe from enslavement.

As a local Normandy resident wrote during the occupation, "A German lieutenant said 'we are your masters.' Well they were, until the Americans arrived." Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a 20th century Moses. Gen. George Patton's Third Army fanned out across the northern tier of France. Though he had his detractors, Gen. Patton knew how to fight and win.

We have grown complacent as a people in the last six and a half decades since the war in Europe reached the beginning of the end. But it is hard to remain unemotional at the hilltop cemetery that honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom.

Though we owe these men a debt we can never repay, what we can do is honor them. Their bravery can still inspire if the story of D-Day is told with passion and honesty.

The world offers challenges each year since freedom is tested in each generation by new pharaohs. We need the guardians of liberty to remind us how precarious that freedom is. We need to rise to the occasion the way young American soldiers did on June 6, 1944. They are a constant reminder that liberty requires vigilance and courage if it is to survive.

Mr. London is president of the Hudson Institute and professor emeritus at New York University. He is the author of "Decade of Denial" (Lexington Books, 2001) and "America's Secular Challenge" (Encounter Books, 2008).

Intergenerational Wealth Transfer

Above is a picture of some young guy and the first car he ever owned, a Chevrolet Corvair Corsa.  Not nearly as sporty as the Corvettes, GTO's and Pontiac Le Mans

that many of my West Point classmates bought, but for $2300, pretty cool.

Of course, that was purchased before Ralph Nader wrote Unsafe at Any Speed.

Turns out, old Ralph was right - putting the engine in the back was something that only Volkswagen knew how to do.  The General Motors attempt at that made for a dicey ride in which the car seemed to want to spin around with a mind of its own.

The Corvair was taken to Germany and sold when I left for Vietnam.  Some unsuspecting German bought it for more than I had paid two years earlier, and that was after two accidents, both spin outs!  I told him that it was very temperamental and needed to be driven with care, but he wanted it anyway...

That, however, was the last General Motors car I ever owned.  From there, several Ford products and a Mercedes in Germany until the Queen discovered a used Honda Accord.  Since then, we have bought nine Hondas in a row, and I have now graduated to an Acura.  Change the oil and those cars run like a Swiss watch.  Plus, most are made in Ohio!

But several months ago, I did buy another General Motors product - their common stock.  Just could not bring myself to believe that GM could go under.  After all, talk about too big to fail...

Well, on Monday, my GM stock became worthless but my grandchildren and great grandchildren now own 60% of whatever the "new" General Motors will be.  Their co-owners are the few remaining bondholders who successfully argued that a secured GM bond ought to be ahead of the UAW pension fund, but lost out to the Obama Administration's Automobile Restructuring Committee, who know how to count votes rather than preserve bankruptcy law hierarchy.

I can only "hope" that my small loss will become a great gain for the grandkids and great grandkids, since my best guess is that they will own GM for a long time, with direct payments being made to the "New Government Motors" from their tax dollars, as well as the interest they will have to pay on the ongoing and incredible process of doubling the National Debt.

I also "hope" that all this money being created from thin air by the Fed can somehow be removed from the economy at exactly  the right moment so as to avoid a massive dose of inflation.

However, as my former boss, General Gordon Sullivan, was fond of saying, "Hope is not a course of action."  

Pay attention, folks...  Maybe we are going to need some of the change that these tax and spend policies ought to cause.  2010 elections are not too distant to consider.

D'ya think?

Right Wing Extremist - C'est Moi!

Last week, Secretary Janet (from another Planet) Napolitano released a report which both stated and implied that returning veterans are a significant threat to the security of the United States.  

Included in the nine page DHS Intelligence Report was this: “The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.”

Thought I would share with you a video clip from the Country Music Awards of 23 April.  This performance brought the house down unlike any other.  I guess all those in the audience, to include Nicole Kidman, are part of the right wing terrorist recruiting network.  As are Trace Adkins, The West Point Glee Club and LT Andrew Kinard, USMC, enroute to Harvard Law in the Fall.

I was unable to imbed this video, so here is the URL to paste in your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9zXIQq5HI

In case Secretary Napolitano needs more intelligence on this "veteran threat", I have also included the location of a list of 58,260 names of likely suspects at the top of this page.  Included are 30 of my West Point Classmates, three of my roommates and three soldiers who were killed in action while I was in command.

Perhaps the Secretary could walk the several blocks from her headquarters to this location and tell the visiting families that their sons and daughters, had they survived, would have been likely terrorists.  Perhaps...

Or maybe the high ground would cause her to become dizzy and faint.

Surprise! Are You Surprised?

April seems to be the month for surprises.  After all, it begins with April Fool's Day, the day for surprising your friends with faux surprises.

Sometimes surprises that come in April can be delightful.  Just after I finished cancer therapy last year, The Queen and I were at the beginning of a very lengthy and painful recovery process when we were given a wonderful surprise which many/most of you know.  That's the kind of event in which we were really, happily surprised!

But this April, it seems we have surprises each day on the news which are not so surprising, and certainly not very delightful.

Yesterday, the North Koreans launched their long expected missile over Japan, the event that had been specifically prohibited by the UN Security Council.  Today, the United States, which had warned that such a launch would be "a provocative act," will announce a White House ordered 20% reduction in its spending on our missile defense system.  Surprise!  But are you surprised?

Several weeks ago, when President Obama signed the $410 Billion spending bill, he announced that the earmarks contained in that bill would mark "the end of the old way of doing business." Today, as the House Appropriations Committee begins putting together the new bills which will make up the more than $ 1 Trillion budget for this year, the committee has accepted requests for more than 3,000 additional earmarks which have never been evaluated by any authorization committee.  Surprise!  But, after gagging, are you surprised?

Yesterday's Washington Compost reported the following concerning the proposed Congressional vote to give Washington D.C. a voting Representative in the Congress:

"Eleanor Holmes Norton, the non-voting D.C. delegate to the House who aspire to be its voting representative, has made clear that she regards questions of constitutionality as irrelevant and she thinks members of the House and Senate do, too. 'I don't think members are in the least bit affected in their votes on the on the question of its constitutionality,' she said just last week. 'People vote their politics in the House and in the Senate.'  "

Surprise!  But, besides feeling ill, are you surprised?

There was a great quote at the start of Mary O'Grady's opinion piece in today's Wall Street Journal:

"We have sunk to such a depth that the restatement of the

   obvious has become the first duty of intelligent men."

George Orwell, 1939

So, here is the obvious, a paraphrase attributed to Edmund Burke:

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that enough good men do nothing.

Head to the high ground, armed with your teabags, stamps, envelopes and both email and snail mail addresses for the people who claim to represent you.  Restate the obvious to them.  Don't be among the good men who do nothing.  Please.

Surprise them. Perhaps for change you can believe in...