September 11, 2012

My brother, Mark Bigger wrote this in a short time this morning after hearing criticism of President Obama’s response to the September 11 embassy and consulate attacks in Egypt and Libya. He was asked "What Would Romney do differently?"
 

 "What would Romney do differently?”

First, President Romney, or anyone who is striving to be someone other than the Neville Chamberlain of the Middle East, would refrain from apologizing for leading a free nation where little known filmmakers are actually allowed to express unpopular views. Certain hard words, or perhaps even actions would follow this week’s attack on United States sovereign soil. The President of the United States would cancel any trip to Las Vegas that he may have planned, call leaders of different nations to build support for whatever action he may take, and then act like responding to a terrorist attack on 9/11, of all days, is the highest priority.

I should also mention that a President Romney would actually have taken part in his security briefing in the week leading up to 9/11. But this should go without saying. I have observed (from President Obama’s not convening his economic growth team for months at a time during a time of recession), that meetings are not a high priority for him. Rallies are so much more fun and there are almost 17,000 golf courses in the United States to be played. Meetings seem like a waste of time.

To recap, protests started in Egypt and then Libya, over a video made in California that made fun of the founding Muslim prophet. It quickly became violent, the Embassies were attacked, our flag was burned, and then replaced with a flag stating that Allah was the one true God and Muhammad, his prophet. As the attack on the Libyan consulate grew more violent, an evacuation was ordered. During the evacuation, three American Embassy staff members were shot and the Ambassador was suffocated to death. This was the first American Ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979, under the last notably pacifist President, Jimmy Carter.

When word first leaked out of the attack in Egypt, the burning of our flag, and the invasion of our sovereign nation, all done in flagrant disregard of all rules of civilization instituted among nations to govern their dealings with each other, President Obama’s administration responded with mollifying our enemies. On the 11^th anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack ever propagated on American soil, President Obama responded to a new terrorist attack with an apology for opinions held in the United States by private citizens that may be deemed offensive.

This is no surprise. His greatest foreign policy achievement has been to apologize. Which is why the extremist behind these attacks are emboldened to attack in the first place. It should be no surprise that in Libya the violence orchestrated against the consulate extended to killing our diplomats sent to keep the peace. 

Unfortunately, this action by the President means that every American diplomat or support staff serving overseas in a potentially hostile nation will have the certainty of knowing that as they try to represent America with diplomacy, they have a President who does not have their back. Their personal safety is not a priority for the President. The feelings of people sympathetic to a group of extremists who disregard the international rule of law and the well established rules of engagement regarding diplomatic staff and the embassies of foreign nations, are more important than protecting American property and lives.  Our American diplomats have targets on their backs.

What must American soldiers feel like? Perhaps that is why one of the most cited reasons among soldiers for the death of their comrades is that they do not believe they will be backed up for making life and death decisions on the battlefield. If President Obama feels the need to make an apology for some filmmaker, then it’s only logical he will not hesitate to hang soldiers out to dry when they make a mistake and kill the wrong person when confronted with enemy fire.

This attitude of mollification will further serve to embolden extremists to attack Americans, and our allies, such as Israel, England, France, or even Jordan or Turkey, for almost any and every reason. Because if attacks on an embassy because of a film made in American are met with apology, what other justifications to attack us will be adequate?

If you remove the fact that the protesters were extremist Muslim, I suspect you would see a different result. if you made them WASPS, or Catholics, or Jewish, or Atheist, or following geo political, or geographical, or any other form of strategic alignment, this behavior would require a strong announcement demanding the Egyptian and Libyan governments to capture these terrorists who invaded foreign soul, burned our flag, and in Libya, murdered our ambassador. We would have immediately asked for them to be turned over to us to be prosecuted under American laws because most of these actions took place on American sovereign soil or as part of an attack on American soil. But instead, the administration issued an apology.

Now under the direction of Hillary Clinton and other more seasoned foreign policy leaders, a more traditionally American response will be issued.

But it will be too late. We issued an apology for something in the United States that we do not control in a free country.

By apologizing, like Chamberlain did for England, Obama is sentencing American's to die. He is sending a message to Iran that their nuclear program can be converted to use as weapons without a check; that we will not defend our regional allies if they are threatened or attacked. Because if we will not step up for our own sovereign embassy and our representatives abroad, it follows that we certainly will not stand up for our allies.

Perhaps you think that is not what Obama is trying to convey. And perhaps you are right.

But it is the message he conveyed.

It is the message he conveyed to hundreds of millions of people overseas, some our allies, some who seem hell bent on being our enemies. Our allies will be afraid and may make rash decisions that cause unnecessary war. Our enemies will be emboldened and believe they can attack our allies and us without fear of serious economic, diplomatic, or military consequences.

Just like in World War II, pacifying those who do not follow the same rules of engagement and who are bent on destruction will only lead to more destruction. It is a sad day. Not only because of the American lives lost serving our country, and the attack on our embassy and what that means for diplomatic relations in the middle east. But what the American response means for our future.

Now that deaths have occurred the administration will make a show of force. They will bluster, or maybe even take some significant action.

But when the cards are dealt, it is the first tell that counts. Hundreds of millions of people overseas have seen that tell in response to this crisis. No matter how tough the administration tries to sound now, it is too late. The damage is done. Our friends and our enemies know that President Obama’s heart is not into defending our interests, or soldiers, or our diplomats.  President Obama is a lightweight President leading a heavy weight country.  His reluctance to stand up to bullies ensures that more people will want a piece of the champ.

Romney will be different. Any good President would.

The Dads and ObamaCare

Our dads were both home from the hospital mid-week, which was a great relief to all.

Last night Mike served as moderator for a team of experts speaking on ObamaCare. I was able to have Sarah (our wonder sitter) babysit and drive up in excruciating traffic to be there. The three experts all had very different expertise: Karen Harned, spoke as an advocate for small business and as a member of the legal team that presented the arguments against ObamaCare in the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month; John Graham is a policy expert on healthcare; and Dr. Tim Chestnut was a physician until he retired for medical reasons and is now a consultant on healthcare issues.

They each addressed the implications of ObamaCare from their background: legal, policy, and physician/patient. It was a lively evening with the line of the night going to Dr. Chestnut who when asked how he would fix the bill (ObamaCare) replied "with a match." I was encouraged that there may be real reform in healthcare and that the chances of Obama's grand regulatory dream becoming reality are slim to none.

Suffice it to say, with dads whose health has suffered this year, there is no way this bill would make their situations better.

For more on what the experts said, go here.

Thank You Mr. President

And I do mean the one who's policies were determined, steadfast, and whose words motivated our military to do their utmost to find this man. He's in Dallas, these days.

I can not really celebrate the death of a man who will see hell, but I am grateful if lives will be saved.

And for the intelligence and military people who made this happen. Hoo-ah!

Russian Roulette

Monday I broke down and submitted an online complaint to the United States Postal Service (USPS). This after months of horrible service. We could go way back to Christmas when Amazon sent me a package with tracking and it was "delivered" to my address. Only I never received it. They sent me out a new package and two days after I received the second one, the first one appeared in my box. (LOCKED BOX)

Then on May 14th I found a yellow "VACANT" sign in my mail box, two weeks before our forwarding order was scheduled to begin. Since then I know of at least six pieces of mail I was supposed to have received in late May/early June that have never arrived. And I've received no more than a dozen pieces of forwarded mail. (And again, I have a LOCKED box.)

I called twice to complain (spacing the calls over a week apart) and was told twice that someone would call me. No call ever came. I talked to my new carrier who gave me names and said he hadn't seen things coming with yellow forwarding stickers. Mike went in and talked a supervisor at our local post office. I waited a couple more weeks and called and spoke to the station manager who abruptly took my complaint and said, "Yeah, that must be frustrating. I'll go and talk to the carrier." I never heard anything. My mail still did not appear.

Finally I submitted my request. Today (three days later) I received one of those email responses that said "We'll contact you in the next 2-5 business days." You know the email you usually get within a minutes after submitting a request.

But, ah, what a pleasant surprise. Teresa called me today to find out more and assured me that the station manager had assured her he had the utmost confidence in both our previous mail carrier and our current one. When we got to the bottom of it, she said, "Oh, we don't track mail and sometimes forwarded mail just doesn't get through." I let her know I wondered where exactly my mail (a late Amazon purchase, magazines) had gone. "Well, it isn't at the station." She assured me it was hopelessly lost but that she was glad I changed my address on things so quickly so they wouldn't keep losing it. Hello.

But what can you do? It's a government monopoly. Which is exactly what the current administration thinks would improve our healthcare system. You gotta laugh. I mean really. I can hear it now. "Well, sometimes Mrs. Smith, we give the wrong medication to the wrong patient and kill them. But that's just the way it works. Please feel free to call us at this number if we should kill your next husband too."

Government Inefficiency

• We have just set a record for longest number of days without hitting 75 degrees. Here in the NW, we haven't seen 75 since September. Global warming anyone? (Today is supposed to end the streak.)
• I asked the post office to begin forwarding mail from the old address on May 28. First, they tried to start doing it on May 14. I corrected that. But for the nearly four weeks the order has been in effect, our old carrier can't seem to manage to send us any forwarded mail. Turns out our post office has reviews....and they aren't good ones. I've called twice now....Last Friday I was supposed to get a call back; still waiting. Annoyed.
• After propping up the housing market with a redistribution of wealth (which I readily admit we took advantage of), the Washington Post reports that new home sales dropped 33% in May, the slowest month on record since records started being kept in 1963.
  
• Health care anyone?
  

Favorite Title from Today

Voters to Obama: "We should see other people." Classic. Read the article here. And this one gives me hope too.

Tomorrow at the Capitol

One of the things I like best about my past is that for a short time I was connected to some of the most intelligent and lovely human beings entering the world of government and politics. And reading Leeann's post asking for prayer as she faces a big day tomorrow on Capitol Hill in the health care reform battle encouraged me in what has been a depressing year for a conservative. Whatever the outcome, knowing Leeann is there, is a guarantee that there are people working hard and doing their best with intelligence and humility. They may be in the minority, but I still believe David can top Goliath. Be praying July 16 for Leeann and for her boss. (I am not sure I'm supposed to disclose who he is but you can find it if you know how to search congressional representatives and their staffers.)

Grand 'Ol Gang by Andy Thomas

So I said to him, "Barack, I know Abe Lincoln, and you ain't Abe Lincoln."

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred..
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

.....Abraham Lincoln

Buy it here.

Rant

I don't have time to be leaving comments but this post made me really hot. I hate it when women respond with emotion instead of brains to issues. I know plenty of women who can think through multiple sides of an issue but I suspect we are in the minority. Don't worry. I'm not sexist. Men do it too.

Tea Party

Photo: Washington State Patrol

We joined about 5,000 at our state Capitol for Tax Day TEA (Taxed Enough Already)Party today. Hundreds of thousands more partied across the nation at other locations to stand in opposition to our government's continued march toward socialism and fiscal irresponsibility. Ben can yell "No More Taxes" with the best of them.

Mike had taken the kids to the Children's Museum in the morning while I went to the dentist so I met them there. As I was walking from the parking lot two ladies next to me were on a cell phone telling someone how they couldn't believe there were so many people there. I smiled and said, "I didn't know there were this many sane people in Washington." And one responded, "I know, huh."

The Washington State Patrol told one of our representatives that this was the biggest rally they've seen and also the best crowd. Supposedly there were going to be counter-protesters (I guess the people who want us to pay more taxes so they can get more services) but if they were there, I didn't spot anyone.

My Busy Legislators

This is what the legislature does in my state: create a bill that bans campaign lies. Beyond just the obvious stupidity, how do you know the difference between a lie and a campaign promise that was obstructed? And really, we pay you for this? Couldn't we just end the session now and send everyone home and not pay them for the last month? Obviously they have run out of reasonable ideas.

Where Are We Again?

I caught just a couple of minutes of the President's address to Congress before becoming disoriented ("Where are we again? I thought I was in the USA.") and having to leave the room. Mike has better tolerance for things than I do but even he looked about ready to throw his shoe at the television set. We concluded it is going to be a long painful four years. And the DOW agreed with us and slid another 176 points after the speech.

Today I listened to Bobby Jindal's response and felt renewed hope. Jindal is effecting change in Louisiana, a state known for having "half the population under water and the other half under indictment." (And that my friends is the quote of the night.) It is Jindal, and not Obama who brings to mind the qualities of Reagan that made for a great leader, a great President, and bring hope to the sane few.

Changing of the Guard

Ben was rather distraught to turn on PBS yesterday and find "the news" instead of "Curious George." My life went on without the television as we went to the park to take advantage of the rare sunshine and went about daily tasks. But Ben and I did read a presidential book at story time: a book on Ronald Reagan.

I did catch some glimpes of news last night and from friend's photos and notes. I was humbled and awed by the great civility of the Bushes as they passed the torch. Despite my own frustration with aspects of the Bush legacy, I know George W. Bush did much to keep this country safe and I respect him as a person. President Obama is wiser now than he was on November 4 about all Bush did for us behind the scenes. In a week or so, he will know even more.

While I am discouraged by the tone the country has taken toward greater and greater government control and regulation and concerned by the ongoing lack of priority given the unborn and family, I will peacefully support and pray for President Obama and hope that he really intends to make good on his promises of bringing the country together and overcoming bi-partisan bickering. Time will tell.

I'm happy for the Bushes as they start a new life. I wish them peace, happiness, and health in their post-presidential years. I expect their lives just got much better.

Ronald Reagan & Me

from the mom

For years I worked for a doctor who had graduated from a California medical school when Ronald Reagan was governor. Reagan's signature was on his diploma (as a result) and he caught me looking at it enviously from time to time. He was a liberal and we would spar a little. I always told him I expected a sympathy card when Reagan died.

Like many of my generation, Ronald Reagan shaped my political consciousness. I read the books he read, I digested his worldview, and I saw him as a bright light in a dark political landscape.

We were on our last day of our move west when he passed away on June 5, 2004. I was bitterly disappointed that I couldn't go see his casket in the rotunda of the US Capitol. I made it back from a day of apartment hunting to watch his funeral at the friends' place where we were staying. I remember telling my son how sad I was that he would only be history to him, and he wouldn't have memories of the living, breathing person that I feel like I knew.

I have read quite a few Reagan biographies. (My favorites so far: When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan and A Different Drummer by Michael Deaver.)

Recently I read God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Biography by Paul Kengor. I was comforted by Reagan's intense spiritual faith and his refusal to do anything for the sake of show (even attend church). Kengor uses Reagan's own thoughts from letters in this book, that originally wasn't just about his faith. The material was just so rich that Kengor kept going with it.

In the last ten days I have read Reagan's daughter Patti's books: Angels Don't Die and The Long Goodbye. At some point my husband told me he was disturbed when he heard me weeping next to him as I read.

I may have nothing in common with Patti politically but she writes about her dad with loving feeling. She presents a consistent picture of a man of faith and integrity and optimism whose priorities were faith, family, and country. She shares that the most important gift he gave her was his belief in God, a belief she has come to hold dear as she grows older. She writes of his long goodbye and his "sweetness" even as Alzheimer's claimed his mind.

Somewhere a long the line I realized that while I really do consider Reagan a personal hero, one of the reasons I tear up when I read of him is because reminds me of my Grandpa (who passed away three years ago today). They both were unwavering in their commitment to God and family; they both had sunny dispositions. They each loved their wives with unwavering devotion. They were men of character and integrity who stood above the fray.

I read a headline last week: The End of the Reagan Era. I'm pretty convinced that it is ending not because Reagan's policies weren't useful for our times. We have failed his legacy. So many of our leaders failed to be humble, selfless, and devoted to the big things and not swept up by the small distractions. Many of us have failed to show our love of country by focusing on the positive and instead find ourselves victim to fear of what we see around us. Today I'm remembering that I have nothing to fear from the changing political tides. Patti recounts how her dad told her things would get worse and worse until Jesus came. But, it didn't scare him. His hope was elsewhere. So was my grandpa's. So is mine.

Raising Political Junkies

from the mom

Ben has become an ardent supporter of John McCain in recent days. After hearing him say that "Obama stinks," his dad worked with him to encourage more civil speech. It paid off with him telling anyone he could that he liked "John McCain's policies." At sports class tonight, M worked especially hard to keep him away from a very large man wearing an Obama shirt for his own health and safety.

But I didn't really think it had sunk in much until I told him tonight that we were disappointed but Barack Obama had won and he would be our next President. "No, we want John McCain." He was brushing his teeth and I just stated that it was not to be.

Going to bed was rough. He wouldn't settle down. Finally M went in to talk to him and found him still brooding over election results. They talked for about ten minutes and nothing was working. M finally asked him if he would pray for Barack Obama with him. That seemed to help.

I guess he's a chip off the ole block. And part of the new Conservative Revolution. It starts now.

My Letter to Jeffrey Overstreet

(This response is now listed as Exhibit W.)

I have recently become a regular reader of your blog and have really enjoyed it.

When you asked for feedback on why people were voting for whom I was busy and expected someone else would say it better. It may be too late to influence your vote--as a Washingtonian I've already voted and you may have too. But I feel I must speak out based upon the responses you received.

I like John McCain for a lot of reasons. But I think the main reasons a Christian should vote for him in this election have more to do with Barack Obama than anything else. So I'm going to start with the two major issues I see why a Christian should not in good conscience vote for Obama:

Abortion: I know. So obvious. Tired of the subject. But life is important to God and we can't forget about it. I think there are political reasons to not want Roe v. Wade overturned but as a Christian I have to support life wherever I get the chance.
Obama is fiercely pro-abortion. He has lately talked a more moderate talk, but his voting record is clear. He will ALWAYS support abortion rights. He will not vote to restrict abortions. He hasn't done it before. He claimed in the last debate that if there had been a provision of the life & health of the mother, he would have supported the ban on partial-birth abortion. This is a smokescreen. Physicians testified in committee and on the Senate floor that it is NEVER necessary to conduct a partial-birth abortion for the health and life of the mother. If the baby has reached the point of this procedure, it is easier on the life/health of a mother to conduct a live birth. Obama FULLY supports this horrific procedure.
This is how he really feels about life: "Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." (emphasis mine)
Here is his voting record on abortion.

Charity/Concern for the Poor/Taxes:(It all runs together)
The Bible speaks a lot about the obligation of Christians to help the poor. It never speaks about a government taking on this responsibility. The Democratic platform has eschewed any notion that this is a "Christian nation" and yet (in an effort to pick up evangelical voters) act as if our Christian obligation to give to the poor is that of a Christian government. In fact what we have been charged with is giving as churches and individuals.
Sociology 101: If you come across a person being robbed and you are the only one around, you are more likely to act on behalf of the victim than if you come across someone being robbed and there are 20 people standing around. It is human nature to think someone else will take care of it. The rhetoric I've heard from Democrats is that the rich should do more for the poor. But the rich are always someone else. (Even to Obama who while in the top 2% of US household incomes managed to give less than 1% to charity. He started giving a little more when he started thinking about the presidency.) He has absolutely failed to provide any support to his impoverished family members, even while using them for political gain.
While as a group, conservatives make less than liberals, they still give about 30% more. Talk about hypocritical. We have one group that talks about helping the poor and another that is actually doing it.
The Founding Fathers largely agreed that charity begins at home; they also threw off a nation that taxed them excessively (and without representation). They wouldn't be pleased with our current rate of taxation and they would be disgusted with what we use that money for.
Freedom includes economic freedom. That means that as a Christian I should be able to give to the poor in the name of Christ and to the causes I believe in and not have my money taken from me and given to causes I don't support. Government welfare is anything but charity; charitable giving should affect both giver and receiver in profound ways. Taxing me to death so that I'm limited in what I can give personally decreases my interest in the poor; it removes me having to meet needs proactively. It ends initiative.
Now I know Obama has promised a tax cut to most American families. Again, his rhetoric is completely different than his voting record. He has never voted for tax cuts. His economic plan doesn't allow for tax cuts; it calls for a vast expansion of government spending.
I suspect that Obama will win on Tuesday (though I still hold out hope). My consolation beyond a deep and abiding knowledge that ultimately God is in control, is that it is 1976 all over again. Frustrated with a less-than-stellar administration, with a country in recession and tired of war, everyone looks to the bright hope of a new party leader, of promises of peace. If Obama wins, he'll be just as disappointing as Jimmy Carter, and perhaps finally some will begin to think and usher in REAL change. It was Carter's naive foreign affairs policies that brought us Ronald Reagan, who had the nerve and the knowledge to end the Cold War. The political side of me says let Obama win. It is a guaranteed way to clean my party up and bring about some much-needed reform. But as a Christian I have an obligation to vote for the best candidate, the one who doesn't make me leave my Christian values at the door. And there is no doubt that is John McCain.
If you managed to read all this. Thanks.

SNL

from the mom

Apparently NBC pulled this skit from SNL before it aired. Now it has been pulled from Limbaugh's website. I'm guessing there were threats of lawsuits. But it is close to reality. Here's Limbaugh playing the audio clip:



Last night, SNL had a special Thursday night edition in which they spoke absolute truth about the stupidity surrounding the bailout. In a section called "Really?!Seth and Amy pretty much gave it straight. They even name the stupidity "federal government." Check it out along with this commentary.

They Know The Republican in the House

Bailout

from the mom

And here is why many of don't trust Congress:

Senators quietly tucked in several earmarks into the package, including a $2 million tax benefit to people who make wooden arrows for children and $192 million in rebates on excise taxes for the Puerto Rican and Virgin Islands rum industry. -Christianity Today

Yes, we are desperately in trouble and the American taxpayers are having to shoulder the stupidity of government programs, uh, I mean Wall Street greed, but hey, I'm sure the voters who elected us really want to make certain the wooden arrow industry doesn't dry up. And that they get their rum.

Economics for Dummies

from the mom

I've spent the last year trying to boost my economics knowledge. (Book Recommendation: Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell.) I am not sure what I think of the bailout but I think it goes like this: You have an irresponsible relative who lived on the edge and now it comes down to you kicking them out on the street or bailing them out. You don't really want to help, but you know you have to. I'm just not sure that any proposal by Congress and the Bush administration is going to be anything more than big government. My first recommendation as a part of any bailout package is that Congress take a pay cut. Most of the rest of the country is going to have to. And this did happen because of their lunacy.

This YouTube is thoroughly researched and you can take the time to read the articles that are shown. But it does answer a lot of questions very handily.