Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

Because I’m not General McChrystal (who, in my opinion, should be fired), I have no problem criticizing the way we are executing the War in Afghanistan.  As someone who has had friends killed and injured in the “Wars on Terrorism”, I’m not simply a passive critic.  My friends tell me of the huge ordeal they must endure to do what would be (in previous wars) and should be (in these) routine exercises in killing the enemy and destroying their hiding places.  They are often told that they can’t attack a suspected terrorist/taliban hiding place because it might contain civilians.  In at least one case, the soldiers approached it, having been denied permission to destroy it, and when they did, the Taliban fighter opened fire killing one soldier and wounding others.  A simple, 60-second missile attack would have saved the life of an American soldier — but it was not politically correct to do so.

Additionally, even those we are bent on “liberating” have a hatred for our faith, our values and our culture that is every bit as extreme as those who crashed planes across our landscape on September 11th, nearly a decade ago.  Take a few moments and read THIS article from Mindy Belz at World Magazine.  It certainly makes me ask the question, “Why are we fighting to liberate people who despise us?”.  I, for one, would have no interest in sending my sons into a battle where their lives would be risked so that those we are protecting could call for the murder of our Christian family.

If we’re not going to fight this war right — then bring the boys home.  This is ludicrous!

Reprinted with Permission

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The Tragic Legacy and disaster of America’s health care system to American Veterans

By Tim Lee
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“It’s a travesty. The greatness of a nation will be judged by how it treats its veterans.” –Daniel Crocker, Michigan service director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars

Due to my grave concern for this nation’s treatment of its military veterans, please allow me friend to give you a brief composite of our so-called “government health care system” as it has impacted me personally. This is not someone else’s story–this is my story. As most of you are aware, on 8 March, 1971, in Quang Nam Province in Vietnam I lost two good legs in a land mine explosion. My left leg measures 3 inches, my right leg measures 10 inches. Had it not been for the forceful intervention of my father I would have undergone a procedure known as a hip-de-articulation, where they completely remove you’re legs and your hips. That would have forced me to lie on my stomach or my back for the rest of my life. It is not that my injuries are more important than any other Marines’ injuries, who served his country, but my injuries were very profound and because they occurred during a time of war, any wounded or severely wounded American soldier has the right to expect his country’s health system to respond accordingly and professionally.

One thing I immediately determined was that I would not set around and feel sorry for myself. In these last 34 years of ministry I have flown well over 3 million miles and traveled another 400,000 miles by vehicle performing the duties of my calling. Never have I desired government hand outs or special treatment of any kind, but I have expected my government to live up to their responsibilities and promises. If we can provide free healthcare for non-citizen people who illegally flood our borders every day, then we certainly should be able to expect adequate and professional services to be rendered on behalf of the fighting men and women of our military services! One of the promises almost every president has stated during his campaigning process was that America’s veterans “deserve the best health care possible.” That is both just and fair. All of the politicians of all the major parties have expressed that commitment to America’s military personnel.

Why have they never kept those promises?

There is no judgment being passed on the other major cities of this nation when it comes to veteran healthcare, but this American veteran can tell you first hand about the deplorable conditions of veteran health care in the city of Dallas, Texas. The VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas is one of the most comical excuses for a hospital I’ve ever encountered anywhere in the world! As Doug J. Swanson of the Dallas Morning News wrote in 2005, “The Dallas veterans hospital is so dirty, dangerous and poorly managed, federal investigators have found, that it ranks as the WORST (emphasis ours) such medical center in the country.” Mr. Swanson went on to give the inspector general’s report findings by saying “We concluded there was no evidence of planned, collaborative effort to improve organizational performance” in the hospital.*

Please allow me to give you a personal example. Several years ago I developed a serious kidney stone. I thought I was dying. My son rushed me to Baylor Hospital in Garland, TX. They informed me that I had a large irregular shaped kidney stone. When I inquired about the expense of the treatment necessary the answer was $12,000.00! That kind of money wasn’t available in my personal banking account so I went to the VA Hospital in Dallas, expecting to receive “the best health care that America has to offer.”

Because of my extreme pain they administered an injection of pain medicine. Two minutes later another “nurse” entered the room to administer a second “pain shot.” When we asked what that shot was for, the nurse informed us “for pain.” “Ma’am, I was just given a pain shot two minutes ago.” “Well” she snapped, “you’ll be feeling really good then won’t you! When the necessary x-rays and tests were concluded they informed me that I would be put on a 2 1/2 month “Waiting list”! I asked if I was suppose to be at the top of the list because of my disability rating (which is 100%) and again I was informed rather quirtly “It will be a 2 ½ month wait. That would have been physically impossible. By that time I was experiencing excruciating pain. I could not wait. We had the surgery done at Baylor Medical Center. I was informed that I possibly would be “reimbursed by the VA”. It has been several years and we have yet to receive any “reimbursement”!

After that experience, we acquired secular medical insurance. It was obvious that myself nor any other American veteran could depend on the VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas for proper medical care.

Eight years ago I had 4 stents put in my heart at Baylor medical center. They gave me heavy doses of a very costly blood pressure medicine. It took several months to get it under control. Again, I turned to the VA Hospital for assistance in the high cost of this medicine. I was required to see a “heart specialist” at the VA hospital in Dallas. I was assigned to “Dr Root.” As I entered her office she made absolutely no acknowledgement as to my presence. There was no “hello” no greeting of any kind. After a long minute I asked her if she was feeling okay. She glared at me and replied “that is none of your business!” I then asked her if it was any of her business that I was a 100% disabled American veteran as the result of war-time injuries. She glared at me a second time and replied “I don’t care if you are 200% disabled”. Without saying another word to this fine “doctor” I rolled out of her office.

This is the best that America has to offer her Veterans?

Years ago when living in Illinois, I had a substantial amount of dental work performed. A private dentist did the work in Mt Vernon, IL and, to their credit, the local VA hospital paid for all of it. They had no qualified dentist to do the work I needed. Thirty years later that work had to be redone. I went to my personal dentist and was told the expense would be between $25000-$30000. Again, I could not afford that kind of out-of-pocket expense so I appealed to the VA hospital in Dallas. I attempted to get them to pay my personal dentist to have the work done. They refused stating that they had a dentist in residence that could do the work. After my examination I was informed that I needed two implants and a procedure called a sinus lift. They did the work. The “dentists” who performed the procedure were young men doing their “student work” with the ultimate goal of becoming private dentists. The implant procedure totally failed and caused me extended problems and multiple complications. The work they performed accomplished absolutely nothing!

They then began working on my crowns. To make a very long complicated story short–(for nearly a year I made repeated trips to the VA hospital to have the work completed). When they finished I still needed additional work done on my front teeth. I was forced to go to a private dentist and was informed that not one of the “crowns” the VA dentists had replaced was done correctly. At the present time I am still looking at $30,000 worth of dental work to be completed and setting again in a dentist’s chair for multiple hours.

Let me assure you this is not all of the stories that I could write about, neither am I the only veteran who has encountered this kind of arrogance and un-professionalism at the hands of a VA Hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, if the so-called government health care that this administration is currently proposing is to be administered like this–we don’t need or want it!

On behalf of our American Veterans, on behalf of honesty and integrity, please write or call your congressmen today! Encourage your friends and family to do the same. We must stop this legislation before it goes into effect!

Very kindly let them know that we do not want government forced health care.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

This one is going to surprise some of my friends, but here goes….

Today’s headlines are reporting that President Obama is going to “strengthen” the Faith-Based Office and programs that funnel government funds to religious organizations for social and humanitarian projects.  Story HERE.

I have a suggestion…Close the whole program down.  Defund it.  Shutter the doors.  End it.

What?  “But you are in the ministry!”  How could this be?

There are two big lies in the world.  (Well, not just two, but these are big ones.)  “The check is in the mail” and “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”

The government has no business being involved in faith-based initiatives or in partnerships with churches and religious organizations.  I opposed this when Bush was in office and I feel no less strongly about it with Obama.  It’s a bad, BAD idea.

With the power to tax comes the power to control.  That’s why I’m against taxing religious charities and churches.

Conversely, when religious charities and churches take government money, they become entangled with the government.  Not smart.  They will become dependent upon it.  Strings will come.  Independence will be ceded in exchange for resources.  It’s just not a good idea.

You know the ol’ cliche’ about the “Golden Rule”?  “He who has the gold gets to make the rules.”  Well, (and I don’t blame them for trying) when the government give money away, they almost always try to get some control with it.  (Wouldn’t you?)  Already, there are those who want to require certain hiring practices among those who are faith-based and take federal money.  In California, that means not being able to discriminate in hiring Gay/Lesbian/Bi-sexual/Transgender folks even if your faith considers that wrong.  The policy is now under review at the federal level.  (See the article above.)

Churches and the government can work in tandem.  On some things like humanitarian crises, they can even work in partnership.  But if we don’t want government intrusion on our religious faith, we need to stay out of the money.  I don’t want my tax dollars supporting Islamic charities or Mormon building projects.  My liberal non-religious friends don’t want their tax dollars building evangelical day schools and supporting Baptist rescue missions either.  That’s fine.

What about my article from yesterday decrying the effort to stop funding for schools that have religious organizations using their facilities?  Different issue.  There is rent involved.  If the Muslims want to rent a school auditorium, I don’t have a problem with that as long as they have to pay the same rate as the Athiests, the Baptists and the Cub Scouts.  You shouldn’t be excluded or given a different rate simply because you are religious.

But we need to be consistent.  The government needs to keep their money and smart faith-based organizations should refuse it.  Our Father owns it all anyway — or so we say.  If we really believe that, then He’ll meet our needs.  We don’t need a Sugar Daddy in Washington helping us out.  Maybe we need to be a lot more like George Mueller and simply pray it in.  Better yet, when the offering plate comes by, put something in it.  What was it James told us about “True Religion”?  We should put our money where our mouth is and where we say our heart is.

Every week, thousands of churches of all kinds meet in the cafeterias, gymnasiums and auditoriums of public schools that are built with the tax dollars of American citizens.  Not only churches, but scout groups, community activist associations, neighborhood programs and other community organizations.  But Nancy Pelosi and her band of liberal extremists have an agenda and that is to punish anyone who would practice their faith in a public school by cutting off federal funding to those schools who RENT their facilities to religious organizations.  (As in, they pay for the privilege of using buildings that are already vacant on that day of the week.)

With all the myriad problems in this country, Nancy, Barney and the libs took the time to specifically threaten and intimidate public schools who would need access to federal bucks and still want to rent their facilities to start-up religious groups.  Read this news report HERE.

This is the bill that Barak Obama wants the Democrat-controlled houses of Congress to pass hurriedly to avoid “catastrophe”.  Or is it because every day of study further reveals what a ridiculous boondoggle this “Stimulus” bill really is?  Either way, leftists everywhere should sleep better tonight knowing that prayers are now excluded from public schools SEVEN days a week if Nancy and Barak and Harry get their way.

Elections have consequences.  Here’s one more example.

I won’t pretend — I’m pretty sick of all my Christian friends sending me those insipid touchy-feely emails imploring all good evangelicals to pray for President Obama like there’s reason to be optimistic that we’ve surruptisiously elected a closeted evangelical conservative to the White House who is going to fulfill all of our right-wing fantasies.  Unless Mr. Obama pretty much does a complete 180 turn on all the positions he held in the Senate and pronounced during his Presidential campaign, I’m confident that I’m going to be fairly irritated and discouraged over the next 8 years. (Yes, I’m already predicting he’ll be a two-termer.)  And no, I’m not going to be intimidated into silence when he does things that violate a Biblical Worldview just because someone might call me a racist.  My disdain for Mr. Obama’s political views have absolutely, positively nothing to do with the fact that he is black.

But will I pray for Mr. Obama?  Yes, I will.  I will probably end up praying more for our President, our government and our nation in the future than I have for the last eight years.

How will I pray?  Let me share some of my prayers with you…

• I will pray that he changes his mind and has mercy on the unborn as he moves to make abortions easier to obtain and underwritten by our tax dollars.

• I will pray that he shows some of his “centrist” governance ideals as he begins to appoint judges and justices to our nation’s highest courts and that he will avoid the temptation to appoint people that see the constitution as some kind of morphing play thing for social manipulation and the courts as a tool for legislation apart from elected representation.

• I will pray that he does not destroy our free-enterprise system by abandoning his socialistic view of economics and does not utilize the current economic crisis (as has our current President) to justify violating fundamental principles of a free-market society.

• I will pray that he changes his mind about what constitutes a family and instead embraces the idea that marriage and its equivalents are reserved for a man and a woman as has every civilization in recorded history.

• I will pray that he fights the liberal extremists who see him as their chance to implement radical social policy that would silence conservatives, criminalize free speech that they deem “hateful”, instill civil rights protections for homosexuals even when people of faith hold religious views to the contrary and which would prevent parents from homeschooling their children.

• I will pray for his protection against Islamic terrorists, racist bigots and others who would do him harm.

• I will pray that he does not tie the hands of our soldiers and military leadership in fighting to keep our citizens save from Islamic extremists.

• I will pray that he does not secretly embrace the theology, beliefs and philosophy of his long term minister, Jeremiah Wright.

• I will pray that his family will remain intact under the ridiculous kleiglight intensity that is “journalism” today.

• I will pray that he will not allow his administration to seek revenge on conservatives, evangelicals and others who have held the reins of power in the past and that he will instead choose to dialogue with them in order to see the basis for their beliefs.

• I will pray that those who see him as some sort of messiah on whom they have placed all of their hopes, aspirations and expectations will filter those same wishes as the reality of our political process begins to unfold to their disappointment.

As for this blog, I will continue to use it as my personal pulpit of commentary on all kinds of topics — including the Obama administration.

OK, I absolutely, positively do NOT have time to write a blog article today which is why I wrote my earlier article well in advance.  But, I’m going to take 10 minutes and pound out a quick one in order to save me time giving pep talks to a bunch of discouraged conservatives during the next few days.  Now I can just say…. “Go read my blog.”

I am not looking for my Prozac this morning.  I am not booking flights to some other country.  I am not pouting like the pigs just ate my toy poodle.  I’m quite happy this morning.  And I’ve got plenty of reasons to be happy in spite of the way the election turned out yesterday.  Let me share a few…

1. I’m happy for my African-American friends.  Seriously.  Thrilled for them.  I don’t know of a single black friend of mine who didn’t vote for Obama (though there may be a few, but you don’t have to justify your vote to me or anyone else.)  I don’t understand how they could vote for someone who, in many cases, represents values that I know they don’t believe or practice.  But I do understand that I don’t understand and can’t understand what the election of an African-American means to them on a deeply personal level.  And because I understand that I don’t understand, I’m quite content to be happy that it means something very special to them.  I am excited that every person of color now has a legitimate reason to believe that when they grow up, they can aspire to any job in this country and know that it is within their grasp.  That is a colossal shift and one that’s long over-due.  That makes me happy.

2. I’m happy for the Obama girls.  How cool is it to be able to move into the White House when you are still in elementary school?  AND they get a new puppy!  Good for them.  I hope they also ask for a pony too.  And then I hope they both poop on the White House lawn (the puppy and the pony, I mean) and that they run ruts in the grass and that they all just have the best time kids and their pets can ever have.  It’s the people’s house and I’m delighted that two adorable little girls like the Obama sisters get to live in a house like the White House!  That makes me happy.

3. I’m happy that Amendment 2 passed on Florida.  I’m also kind of excited about being happy that Proposition 8 is winning in California — but don’t want to get too happy too soon as it’s still close.  It’s reassuring that a majority of Americans still believe that the institution of marriage as traditionally defined is sacred and important.  That tells me we haven’t completely lost our minds or our souls and that makes me happy.

4. I’m happy to live in a constitutional republic that practices the ideals of democracy.  I’ll be in a country later this week where they don’t get to do what we did yesterday and if they did, you can bet they would vote for change.  But instead, they are in bondage.  It’s an awesome thing to live in a time when people actually get to choose their leadership and that’s something that is relatively new in terms of world history.  Being able to vote and even lose that vote is a great thing.  That makes me happy.

5. I’m happy for checks and balances.  The system works.  Permanent political change in our country takes a long time because of the wisdom of our forefathers.  The Supreme Court is still in moderately conservative hands and that will serve as a buffer in folks decide to get too ambitious or forget that we live in a country with an amazing constitution.  So that balance of authority and power gives all of us time to make sure this is REALLY the course we want to chart as a nation.  That makes me happy.

6. I’m happy that we have personal freedoms that the government can’t touch.  When I close the door on my house in Pembroke Pines, it’s just me and my family and God and our values.  Politicians can implement a lot of laws that will impact me, but there are some areas where they can’t get to me — at least yet — and I’m thankful for that.  That makes me happy.

7.  I’m happy that we have a free media.  I love to shout at the pundits on TV like they can hear me.  I love reading columnists that make me crazy and at the same time, make me think.  I don’t want to read or listen to people that only say what I was thinking all of the time.   I like it when I can turn the channel and get another point of view.  I like to call them “liberal media elites” like that’s something really sinister…bwhahahahah.  I like it that I can post whatever I want on a blog and a few thousand people will read it in a matter of a week like I’m some sort of journalist or something and some of them will tell me how brilliant I am and then someone will tell me what an idiot I am and depending on the post, both of them are often correct.  This is one great system we have here.  That makes me happy.

8. I’m happy that we get to do this all over again in two and four years.  I know, I know….I need therapy.  I don’t think it’s cool to go around saying “I hate politics, I hate politics” like that makes you smart or intellectual or “above it all”.  I think it makes you sound smarmy.  I love politics.  I love to watch the ebbs and flows of public debate.  I think the strategy is fascinating (and the Obama campaign deserves a GOLD medal for putting on what may well have been the best-managed campaign in American history).  I love the drama, the tension, the anticipation and the Monday-morning quarterbacking that happens the day after the election.  What a country!  That makes me happy.

9. I’m happy that the Republicans got spanked last night.  They earned it.  They’ve been arrogant, inept and unprincipled.  They got EXACTLY what they deserved and probably not as much as they could have gotten.  Now the big question is “what next”?  I’m on the sidelines on this one.  They have to earn my support in any future elections.  I’m no longer involved on that level and don’t anticipate being the party activist I once was again.  But, if they are smart, they’ll do what the Democrats obviously did, and figure out where the wheels fell off and go back and fix it.  The two-party system is wonderful and we need two strong parties.  I’m fairly confident that eventually they’ll deal with the problems and if they do, that will make me happy.

10. I’m glad I’m a Christian.  I’m not trying to sound all “pastorish” or anything, but truly, I have peace and joy this morning.  Happiness is a choice and I chose to be happy today.  Joy is not dependent on circumstances.  I always have my joy, even when I’m not happy.  I’d rather have joy than happiness, but I’m happy to be happy as well.  I want to make a difference in this lifetime.  I love life.  I’m not delusional — but I am happy.  I’m so thankful to be created in the image of God and want to live up to that responsibility and that potential by leaving the world better than when I found entered it.  But the best is yet to come…this is just the introduction.  I’m as sure of that as I am of anything in my life.  And folks, that REALLY makes me happy.

So put a smile on your face, congratulate the winners, get back to work (you’ve got taxes you’re going to need to pay!), be nice to everyone and be HAPPY.

Seriously.

Now that America has decided what direction she wants to take for the next four-to-eight years, let me get out my crystal ball and predict for you what I believe is going to happen during the Obama years.

1. Your taxes are going to go up. Count on it. For those dupes who bought into the idea that they’d get a tax break on the backs of higher taxes for businesses and the wealthy, just to whom do you think they are going to pass on their increased costs as they work to make their usual profit? Yep — that would be YOU. So you might get a little break on your taxes (temporarily, if then) but you’re going to pay more for the goods and services you need to survive. Surprise!

2. Babies are going to die. Don’t give me pathetic arguments about unwanted children and liberals caring about babies “after they’re born”, ad nauseum and so on and so forth. Bottom line…Abortion — any kind, any time, for any reason — is now the law of the land and any chance that Roe vs. Wade would be over-turned (as if there ever was a chance) is now toast. Instead, it will be easier, cheaper and more accessible and woe to the little guy or girl who happens to have his mom change his mind after the point of viability, cuz’ President Obama will ensure that you can have your brains sucked out in an abortionist’s cave or should you be so unfortunate as to be born alive, you can be left shivering on a stainless steel table until you succumb. But, hey….you’re free to choose!

3. People that plan ahead and are going to lose their Social Security. The dirty little secret that Washington doesn’t want to deal with is that the Social Security Fund is bankrupt. There is no way that we will have the massive expansion of entitlements that Obama has promised AND the reality of millions of baby boomers hitting retirement age AND no changes in Social Security. You think we have financial problems now? So, here comes means testing for Social Security. What does that mean? People like me….people who don’t buy every new flat screen that comes out, drive used cars and don’t take vacations that they can’t afford, but who do save for their retirement and who will have somewhat of a nest egg built up by the time they hit 70 or so will be told that for the good of those who have never thought beyond their current paycheck, we won’t get our Social Security. We already have “enough”.

4. Watch Out AM Radio. I predict that the government is now going to step in and regulate speech on the public airways with the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” which takes away freedom of choice and forces radio and TV stations to present ‘both’ sides of view rather than the free market. Of course, who gets to decide which side and how much? You got it……big brothers in Washington. I hope Rush got a guaranteed contract last time around. They going after him for starters.

5. Activist Judges are on their way. One only has to do 10 minutes of research to find Obama’s stance on the constitution and judges, but with his unshakable majorities in the Senate, you are going to see a wave of liberal, activist judges who will be commissioned to legislate from the bench like nothing you’ve ever seen since FDR expanded the Supreme Court so he could get his way. This alone will haunt American law for a generation and probably means the end of strict constructionism as a viable legal philosophy.

6. Gay Partnerships = Marriage. All it will take is a host of liberal federal judge appointees and two of the right seats on the Supreme Court and it will happen sooner rather than later, but either way, the tide has completely turned against the defense of traditional marriage.

7. A massive expansion of the definition of “Hate”. Extreme liberals are often complete tyrannicals when it comes to “free speech” (as are extreme conservatives.) “Hate Speech” is a pet phrase that hides an agenda intended to silence critics of immoral or impolitic conduct. (See Canada for examples.) Preaching and teaching against homosexuality will be the first target of those who think that offering an opposing point of view is a form of violence. Unless of course you are the editorial board of the New York Times or San Francisco Chronicle or a columnist for the Huffington Post.

8. A complete change in our economic and business system is coming. Mark today as the beginning of the end for free trade and the beginning of the beginning for protectionism. I would not be surprised to see the auto industry, airlines, possibly large sections of the banking industry, large sections of the health care industry and perhaps even some utilities and fuel industries nationalized. Labor Unions are going to come back with a roar and you can expect to see some heavy-handed and intimidating tactics used to resurrect a movement that was all but dead 20 years ago.

9. Home-schoolers and parochial/Christian schools beware. Empowered and confident, Nancy Pelosi and her leftist friends are going to go after educational institutions that don’t help them accomplish their agenda. For twenty-five years, private educators have had it easy. Those days are coming to an end. Those who accepted federal funding had better be prepared to pay the piper as the strings that came with government money get yanked big time. Home-school parents are particularly despised by social manipulators who think they know what is better for children than most parents.

10. They will have an impact on a dispirited and disorganized conservative movement. The tea leaves aren’t clear on this issue. There’s no real leader on the horizon to lead a charge for true blue conservatives. The Republican party is a shambles and a disgrace and may well be finished unless it returns to its roots and quit listening to its insiders who set them up for this catastrophe with their neo-conservative snobbery that disdains social conservatives and promoted an unaccountable military machine and Wall Street robber baron mentality that lead to yesterday’s bloodbath. I predict a civil war within the Republican party and if the real conservatives don’t win, they’lll bolt. Of course, if they do, then you’ll continue to see an exodus of the “Big Tent” people who were never conservative or Republican.

I realize I sound a bit bitter and even more cynical, but I really have a lot of peace. I think we are now what we have been becoming. This is not a triumph of liberalism as much as it is a failure of conservatives. The religious liberals didn’t suddenly gain credibility and the intellectual high-ground, the evangelicals lost theirs and what they didn’t lose, they gave away with compromise of the theological and intellectual kind. The moral vacuum that exists in Washington today is not a Democrat problem. It is a leadership problem and it knows no political affiliation.

I know, I know….everyone “hates” politics, but get off that tired old cliche. Politics is what leads to power and influence in this system and the conservatives got their tails handed to them because they had less principle when they held the reins of authority than they promised they’d have.

So now it’s Obama and the Democrats chance. I’m not optimistic that they’ll do any better. But, then, in their wisdom, the Founding Father did give us a solution. It begins on the first Tuesday in November….2010.

So we are now what we have been becoming. I am sad for our nation and sad for our future. It will be interesting now to see how people who possess a Biblical worldview respond as light and salt in a world that has dramatically changed.

Unless I have committed the blogging equivalent of declaring that Dewey Defeats Truman, I have prepared a blog article on what we can expect from an Obama administration.  It’s already completed and loaded in the “holding bin”.  As soon as they declare the winner tonight, (and assuming it goes as I suspect), I’ll post it and then you can tell me where I’m wrong.

I did go to vote a few minutes ago.  At the same precinct where my wife waited for over 2 hours, I walked right in and voted without so much as a pause at around 3:00 p.m.  There’s still time to vote and I hope you will.

This is “closed-circuit” for Sunshine State residents.  I get inundated with requests for my personal recommendations on various ballot items and I always try to do some research before heading to the polls myself.  With that in mind, I’m going to list some specific information in this post that may help you.  Remember, this list reflects my own personal opinion and how “I” plan to vote and should not be construed as an endorsement by any organization with which I am affiliated.

FYI - I do hold an Abortion Litmus Test and I’m not going to apologize for it.  If you’ll murder babies or support those that do, you are not worthy of any elected office in my book and given a choice between two pro-abortion candidates of any party, I’ll not vote rather than vote for one who favors abortion on demand.  I’ll vote for someone who would tax my brains out and is pro-life before I’ll vote for someone who is a fiscal conservative and is pro-abortion.  It’s about principle and priorities in my book.

So here’s my recommendations for what they are worth…

FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1 — Vote NO
Amendment 2 — Vote YES
Amendment 3 — Vote YES
Amendment 4 — Vote YES
Amendment 6 — Vote NO
Amendment 7 — Vote NO

MIAMI - DADE QUESTIONS

County Question 1 - Vote NO
County Question 2 - Vote YES
County Question 3 - Vote YES
County Question 4- Vote NO
County Question 5 - Vote NO
County Question 6 - Vote NO

SOUTH FLORIDA US HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES

Vote for:

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Lincoln Diaz- Balart
Mario Diax-Balart

(All are Pro-life)

SOUTH FLORIDA STATE SENATE

District 35 — Both Gelber and Santoro are pro-abortion; no recommendation.

SOUTH FLORIDA STATE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES

District 107 - Lopez
District 110 - Bovo
District 111 - Fresen
District 112 - Rivera
District 113 - Lopez-Cantera
District 119 - Zapata

JUDGES

11th Circuit, Group 19 — Millan

UNITED STATES PRESIDENT

McCain/Palin

Feel free to forward or link this to your friends in Florida.

For additional information, here are some sites to explore:

For the state of Florida one of the most comprehensive voter sites may be found at:

American Policy Roundtable

http://www.aproundtable.org/

Additional valuable web Sites that may be reviewed and resources downloaded for disbursement to your constituents are:

                                American Family Association

                                http://action.afa.net/voterguide2008/Default.aspx

                                Family Research Council

                                http://www.frcaction.org/get.cfm?i=VR08G01

                                National Right to Life

                                http://www.nrlc.org/

                                Focus on the Family

                                Focusvoter.com

                                http://www.focusvoter.com

                                Wall Builders

                                http://wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=5386

                                Defense of Marriage Act

                                http://www.domawatch.org/index.php

                                Liberty Council

                                http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=16245

The Value  Voters web site has an excellent video that may be used for educational purposes. The key is to use this opportunity to wake-up a sleeping and confused Christian community to the urgency of the hour to make a difference and not be fooled by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

                                http://97.74.65.228/index.php or http://www.valuevotersusa.com/

‘Twas the night before election and all through the house, another attack ad was blaring and it’s made me a grouch…..

So, I’ll blow off a little steam by listing a few of my predictions, observations and rants about this latest election cycle.  Hold onto your wigs…..

I’ve predicted for 18 months that Obama would win his election this year.  Admittedly, I thought he’d be running as Vice-President with Hillary at the top of the ticket, but I’m still correct in predicting that he will win.

Tomorrow night, I believe that Obama will hit 300 Electoral Votes and will then claim a mandate — something that Bush 43  or Clinton could never really do.  If he hits 320 (and I think that is highly likely) then he will call it a landslide and you can expect an even more dramatic shift in his agenda which will, of course, take a hard left turn.

I predict that the Senate will end up with 58/59 Democratic votes — including the socialist, Bernie Sanders of VT who will fit in dandily with the new administration.  When you realize the number of RINO (Republicans in Name Only) like the gals from Maine and this year’s Republican Presidential nominee — it will in all effect be a fillibuster-proof Senate and Obama’s appointments and legislation will fly through like a hot knife through warm butter.

Within weeks of Bush 43 taking office, he was inviting Teddy Kennedy over for dinner and embracing his liberal educational policies like “No Child Left Behind” and the massive expansion of Medicare — all in the name of bipartisonship.  I wonder if anyone will hold their breath until Obama invites ANY real Republicans over to the White House for tea and announces his support for a bill that, would say for example….that you can’t go ahead and murder a baby that has accidentally survived an abortion.  Don’t hold your breath.  You see, Democrats understand that what it means to really “believe” what you say unlike most Republican office holders.  Plus, they don’t go all “wobbly” (to quote England’s greatest Grand Dame, Lady Margaret Thatcher) because they have such a high need to be “liked”.

If Obama plays his cards right, his Presidency will secure the White House for leftists and liberals for a generation.  All he will need to do is “redistribute enough wealth” to ensure that 51% of the American population is on the government teat and we all know that once you get that Big Gov check you are more addicted than a crack whore to those who promise you another “fix” every four years.

Evangelicalism in the United States is a mess.  (So is fundamentalism, but that’s another story.) The watered-down Truth and the embracement of relativist philosophy produces a “disciple” that will throw Biblical values under the bus anytime someone with a pretty face, plan to make them richer or personal eloquence comes along.  It doesn’t have to be a politician, it can be Joel Olsteen, Oprah or Saw IV.  Name your kool-aid….for most evangelicals, Absolute Truths are rhetorical flourishes that hold little meaning and less value to them.

When Republicans want to lose an election, they elect an old man with tired ideas to run for President.  When Democrats want to win an election, they select someone younger and good looking who has learned the idea of speaking in lofty terms about “hope” and “change” and who doesn’t reveal his real agenda until he’s in office.

I used to think Jeb Bush would make a good President.  However, considering the genetic pool from which he emerged, I’m really not interested.  Sadly, I don’t see anyone else in the entire Republican party that would do any better.

Let’s talk Sarah Palin for a minute.  First — what the media and liberal elites have done to her is the most savage thing I’ve seen in my lifetime.  It is simply reprehensible.  With that aside, what does it say about a party when there is more enthusiasm about the VP candidate than anyone who ran for President in that part in the first place. Plus, for all her homespun, girl-next-door appeal, seriously — does ANY one really think she is ready to sit in the Oval Office?  And, just for the record, the fact that she has as much or more experience than Obama does not make her more qualified anymore than Obama is qualified.  Maybe in eight years, but she’s going to need to prove herself and we’ll see if the residual damage done to her by the leftist attacks are surmountable.  They weren’t for Dan Quayle.

Joe Biden is undoubtably one of the most arrogant and obnoxious Vice-Presidents we will ever have.  I can’t imagine that he will make a viable candidate for the Presidency in 2012.

I’m going to refrain from posting a post-election “Sovereignty of God” article on Wednesday.  Enough people will be doing that.  Read theirs.

Plenty more to rant about…but I’m more than out of time.  Do go vote tomorrow.  I’ll be posting information for Florida voters later this afternoon if you want to check back.