just a reminder.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a president in the White House who referred to Americans who disagree with him as 'our enemies.' Think about that. He actually used that word. When Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush used the word 'enemy,' they reserved it for global terrorists and foreign dictators -- enemies of the United States. Enemies of freedom. Enemies of our country. Today, sadly, we have president who uses the word 'enemy' for fellow Americans -- fellow citizens. He uses it for people who disagree with his agenda of bigger government -- people speaking out for a smaller, more accountable government that respects freedom and allows small businesses to create jobs. Mr. President, there's a word for people who have the audacity to speak up in defense of freedom, the Constitution, and the values of limited government that made our country great. We don't call them 'enemies.' We call them 'patriots.'"

- House Republican Leader John Boehner

GET OUT AND VOTE.

(via AoS)

a new reality

They say that a liberal is just a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet.

Well, honey, welcome to the GOP. So sorry about your wallet.

bigotry and BS

While I don't deny that there is still much to be done for gay rights*...

(from SOTM)

...no one will ever call the cops on you if you walk down the street holding hands with your boyfriend.

__________________

*& speaking of...a bigwig member of the GOP who just came out this week had this to say:

"What I will try to do is to persuade people, whenI have conversations with them, that it is consistent with our party's philosophy, whether it's the principle of individual freedom, or limited government, or encouraging adults who love each other and whowant to make a lifelong committment to each other to get married."

Yes. More of this, please.

yes, yes, yes...

You have seriously misjudged how to deal with The Girl in the Room.

(oh, hell yes! & "The girl in the room" ? - whatever that is, I want to be it.)

newsflash!

Cool! It seems we might not be racists after all!

"...the meme that conservatives won’t vote for minority candidates is crumbling this year. What we’re seeing is that conservatives will vote candidates who share their political values, regardless of heritage or skin color."

Imagine that - we like women, people with varying degrees of melanin, and hey, gay people too! But big government? Not so much.

full circle

There are events that, when looked upon through the scope of history, seem miraculous and yet somehow inevitable.

The special election this past Tuesday seems to be one of those cases. Now, don't get me wrong - I fully realize that this is politics and that Scott Brown is just another cog in a very crooked wheel but the Tea Party parallels are just so...sublime that if I was a more religious person I'd be tempted to credit divine intervention.

Imagine...an assumed underdog is propelled to victory over an entrenched superpower by a grassroots movement enraged at being overtaxed by a government that isn't listening.

In Massachusetts.

Again.

judge not...

I suppose I need to chime in about Sonia Sotomayor, Obama's pick for the Supreme Court. Turns out she's a typical liberal, obsessed with meaningless identity politics and Leftist ideology - for example, she makes racist statements (but don't worry it's ok - they're about white people) and thinks that individual ownership of guns is illegal (and always has been). Plus it seems she has the Socialist tendencies required to be part of the Obama administration. None of this surprises me - but then again, what do I know? I'm just a white person, bitterly clinging to my guns, without any of that Latina "richness of experience."

Naturally, she is being celebrated as the first Hispanic nominated for the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she's be the third woman Justice. So win-win! Brown skin and a vagina! (Never mind that 60% of her rulings get overturned.)

Somehow I don't remember the same type of reaction for Condoleezza Rice when she became the first African-American woman who served as Secretary of State. I don't remember anyone being warned to be careful in criticising her...

(imagine the outrage if this comic was about Michelle Obama)

Oh, that's right...
you're only a real woman or a real minority if you're a liberal.

oh, you rebel

I'll one up you, Meghan McCain.*

I have a piercing.

*15 minutes up yet? Tick tock, sweetcheeks.

example

There are a lot of mean things I could say about those who deliberately misrepresent the largely uncelebrated work and quiet grace of Laura Bush.

There are many ugly names I could call Michelle Obama, who has lately been acting like an ignorant, self-absorbed, bitter, vindictive human being.

But I won't.

Instead, I'll try to be gracious and conduct myself with class. I'll act like a (former first) lady...

...who could probably teach our current one a thing or two.

let's party like it's 1773

Last Friday's Cleveland Tea Party Protest was small but successful. I think the weather kept a lot of people away - temperatures were in the mid-50s during the morning but by the time we had gotten downtown and found parking, the temperature had plummeted at least 25 degrees and the air had turned to an icy mist.

We all gathered in the square, shivering but cheerful. Mike and I saw people we knew from the local gun community. I even got recognized by a blog reader and learned that another had actually tried one of my recipes (cool!). It was nice to see the different groups (Republicans, gunnies, Freepers, Ron Paul followers, Ayn Rand fans, people who want to abolish the Federal Reserve, young punk 10th Amendment folk, etc) that came out for a single cause and to know that we all found each other via the internet. We were all chatting and exchanging information (& I think I need to get business cards made for my blog because I got a bit tired of writing down the web address.) Meeting likeminded people is always fun.

All the protesters were friendly and orderly and I was impressed at how intelligent the signs were. American flags were passed out and proudly displayed - this was far different than the protests we've gotten used to seeing over the past 8 years.

There was a small police presence and we attracted a bit of attention from passersby - from people giving us the thumbs up and honking their horns, to harsh words and menacing glares. My favorite had to be the woman who drove past while leaning out her car window and shouting, "o-BA-ma! o-BA-ma! It's OUR turn now, muthafuckas." Charming.

The entire group walked around the square at one point, our own little parade, and I followed along, just watching. There were quite a few angry looking urban youths standing sentinel around what I'm sure they think is "their" square...I made a point to smile at them as I walked past. Can't scare me, I'm a librarian...and I'm armed.



UPDATE: Welcome Instapundit readers! Have a look around & stop back often - I frequently write about bacon!

bellwether

You know the saying, "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation"? The votes of Ohioans really matter.

Well, this morning I discovered that Lake County, Ohio is the bellwether county in Ohio. Guess where I live?

So, yeah. No pressure. I'm going to go to the GOP headquarters later and see what I can do to help.

Tonight I'll be on Gun Nuts at 9PM EST. I really hope that Caleb gets home from the airport on time because if he doesn't, well...it'll just me talking about...something. Probably while drunk.

If that happens, please feel free to call in and distract me from the election results with some sweet, sexy gun talk*. It'd be much appreciated.

*totally stole this phrase from Bitter. I'm sure she won't mind. Probably.

a woman's woman

What is often called her “confidence” is actually a rarity in national politics: I saw a woman who knows exactly who she is.

- Elaine Lafferty,
Democrat, feminist activist, and former editor-in-chief of Ms. magazine...on Governor Palin in her article titled "Sarah Palin's a Brainiac."*

*watch the video, too. It's a bit long but so worth it - Sarah is totally on her game. Also, did you know that despite all of his claims for "equal pay for equal work" Barack Obama pays his female staff only 83 cents for every dollar that he pays his male staff? $9000 less every year.

On equal rights for women, Obama is all talk while John McCain walks the walk. No surprise - Barack has a pretty miserable history when dealing with women.

for the little guy

When Ben Affleck told MSNBC that "Hollywood loves Obama" he was overstating the obvious. Oprah hosted glitzy celebrity fundraisers for him, Scarlett Johansson visited Iowa to campaign for him, George Clooney proclaimed he has an "aura of a rock star," and Samuel L. Jackson said that Americans need "somebody the world relates to in a very real kind of way."

Celebrities, who get paid millions of dollars for nothing more than pretending to be someone they're not in completely fictional situations*, are lecturing us about what's real. Unreal.

Meanwhile, Tito the builder is introducing Sarah Palin at campaign rallies and Joe the plumber is starring in McCain ads.

Tell me again...which political party is the party of the rich?

*and sometimes not even that well. *cough*Affleck.*cough*

Team Sarah!

I just joined up at Team Sarah(.org) - it's a really neat little website. Members can share their personal photos, upload videos, and even join in on discussions on the site's forum page. I was checking out some members' blogs and found this...


Here's the full story of Rebekah, who asked Governor Palin to sign her prosthesis. It is so lovely and heartfelt - and, honestly, I am deeply moved.

And lucky us, there's even video. It made me cry.


(thank you, Rebekah, for sharing this glimpse of the very real Sarah Palin.)

Death & taxes

Barack Obama thinks that when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody.

Note he says "the wealth." What wealth does he mean?

Yours.

(And don't forget, Joe Biden thinks that the government taking your money in the form of taxes is patriotic. )

So everyone, right now, get out your checkbooks. I want you to write a check to The U.S. Department of the Treasury. They say that "collecting taxes in a fair and consistent manner" is their core mission. You trust that, don't you? So make out the check for say, $1000 and sign it. Now get an envelope, put the check in it and seal it up. Address it (Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20220) and put a stamp on it. Now walk to the nearest post office and drop it in the mailbox. Watch that envelope leave your hand. Remember, your hard-earned money is inside. Think about how many hours you had to work to make that $1000.

And now, know this...someone else will spend your money.

There now, don't you feel patriotic? (what, no?)

Anyway, we hear a lot about taxes, especially at election time. Tax cuts, tax credits, tax plans, tax benefits...all those percentages and numbers and wow, it can really get confusing, right? (okay, maybe it's just me.) So while I was strolling through the grocery store the other day I was pondering the whole mess and I think came up with an analogy...

Let's say you have this acquaintance. Let's call him Sam. In the past, Sam's been willing to lend a hand to neighbors and has even saved you in a bar fight. He's that sort of guy - seems to be a decent chap. So, one day, Sam shows up on your doorstep and you let him inside. "Hey," he says. "I have a membership to this awesome new store. I can get you stuff no one else can!"

"Um...okay. Sounds great," you say.

Sam takes a step toward you and pulls out a gun, aiming it at your head. "Give me money. NOW. You look hungry and I want to go buy you some food."

Naturally at this point, you're frightened and handing over your wallet. "Awesome!" Sam says. "This is going to be great. I'm going to take care of you."

A little while later, Sam returns, shopping bags in hand. You know that he is still armed, so you don't even try to resist him. You look in the bags and find only beets and peanut butter.

You say, "Hey, wait a minute! I hate beets...and I have a severe peanut allergy. You spent my money on things that I can't use!"

"Oh, no. You're wrong. I know what's best for you. Peanuts butter and beets." Sam says, taking out his gun again. "Give me some more money. I forgot to get you some milk."

"But I'm lactose intolerant!"

"Don't be silly," he says, pressing the muzzle of his gun against your temple. "I really do know what's best for you. Oh, and while you're at it, I want some extra money this time. I want to buy some steaks and beer for the homeless guy on the corner."

So Sam's just spreading the wealth. It's patriotic! It's good for everybody! (except, perhaps, you.)

haha.

Jon Stewart is such a funny man. Too bad that today I'm laughing at him, not with him.

Apparently, he got his tender little feelings hurt when Sarah Palin said:

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe...that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit..."

Mr. Stewart, a Manhattan native, accused the Republicans of "writing off whole swaths of the country."

Does the term "flyover country" ring a bell? At all?

I have lived my entire life surrounded by those same small-town people the liberal media, entertainment industry and trendy urbanites find so laughable. I've found them to be mostly hardworking people who try their best to be kind, usually shrugging off disagreements (political or otherwise) with a simple "Ah, well. Live and let live" because that's exactly what they hope for themselves. Freedom. Liberty.

So big bad Sarah dares to question the greatness of the big-city elite and Jon Stewart gets his panties in a bunch. It must sting.

But we the illiterate, knuckledraggin', Bible-thumpin', gun-totin', cousin-humpin', Walmart-shoppin' rednecks out here in the backwoods can sympathize. All of us small town folk who have been clinging "to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them" (because, of course, we're racist homophobes too)...we feel your pain, Jon.

We have been slandered for years.

Walking the walk

I have volunteered again today to go door-to-door for the McCain campaign. The task is simple, takes only two hours, plus you get a little exercise out in the fresh autumn air.

If you are in a battleground state, or even if you're not, call your campaign headquarters and offer to help. They will be so grateful. And so...if a one-legged librarian can be on her feet for two hours, walking alone in an unfamiliar neighborhood, hoping to change hearts and minds, you can do it too.
(& no, I am not above shaming you into action. Call. Now. DO IT.)

And, thanks to Rachel Lucas's Lord of the Rings post (go read it if you haven't already), I am a geek inspired. I will not despair.

An hour of wolves and shattered shields,
when the age of men comes crashing down,
but it is not this day!
This day we fight!!

So that's what I'm going to do... go out there and fight.
What have you done to defeat Barack Obama today?

Sarah Palin! Live!

My friend Caleb is liveblogging the Sarah Palin rally in Indiana. Remember to refresh the page for updates.

(& Yes, I am jealous.)

knockknock

For two hours* yesterday, during a gorgeous autumn afternoon, Mike and I went door-to-door for the GOP campaign and since I like taking walks in the sunshine and meeting new people, it was actually kind of fun.

Except for the dogs - I forgot about the dogs. Being a cat person, I block out forget that other people oftentimes have very large beasts in their homes that will freak out when you ring the bell, throwing themselves at the door and making enough of a ruckus to wake the dead. I had two terriers when I was growing up so I don't dislike dogs, not at all. They are perfectly lovely creatures and fine companions. But after years of living with only cats, to me dogs seem a little...crazy. Unpredictable. All that barking and jumping. And the slobber. (& don't get me started on the crotch sniffing - how rude.)

Anyway, at the third house I went up to, I heard a loud barking. A loud baritone barking. I looked up from my clipboard only to find the dog making eye contact with me though the window. Now, I know I'm not that tall, but when a predator is big enough to look me in the eye I tend to start considering my fight or flight options. But I had a duty, I was volunteering! So I took two steps back and plastered a big, nervous smile on my face, hoping for the best. A very friendly, nice man answered the door, his hand wrapped around the collar of the biggest Great Dane I've ever seen in my life.

"Hi! My name is...umm..." The dog barked right in my face and the little speech I'd prepared flew right out of my head. Right, okay. Deep breath. I tried again. "My name is Breda and I'm volunteering for the Republican party. And, wow. That is one GIANT dog. Ha, ha. Nice doggie. Can I ask you a few really quick questions?" I said this as fast as I could because I was sure the dog could smell my cats (and my fear) and would, at any moment, lunge at me and bite my face clean off my skull.

The man nodded agreeably and then asked, "Don't you like dogs?"

"Oh, no, I like dogs - just usually in much, um...smaller doses." I laughed nervously.

He grinned as the dog settled down to a low growl. "You shouldn't worry. He's really very nice and, honestly, we only let him go after Obama supporters."

Well then. Mark one down for McCain. (and yes, he was kidding. I'm almost 100% sure.)

_______________________

* yes, only 2 hours! You too can volunteer! Call the campaign headquarters today! DO IT.

when "free" isn't.

Free medical care for everyone! Everyone is guaranteed doctors and medicine! No one has to be sick, no one has to suffer, everyone will get the treatment they need - whether they can pay for it or not. Universal healthcare sounds great, right?

Unfortunately universal healthcare, also known as socialized medicine, with its long lines, shortages of medical professionals, and shoddy care* has been shown to be a bad idea. It is also the first step, when instituted, to the government being able to control most aspects of your life. In 1961, Ronald Reagan explained why...

“Back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people would adopt every fragment of the socialist program…"

- Ronald Reagan

* 7-ish minutes showing why the miracle of the free Canadian heathcare system is a lie.