Kowabunga

Hugh Hewitt has brought the following article to the forefront of discussion today. On his own website, Hewitt asks the following question:

There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who will react with horror and alarm to this story; those who will applaud it; and those who will shrug it off as of no interest to them. I am uncertain which of the latter two groups is in worse moral condition.

The Netherlands is taking the path of Germany in the 1930's when Hitler began a program to euthanize children with birth defects, the mentally retarded and others that were deemed "unfit" to survive. At the time, there was only mild outrage over such a program. Today it appears to be much the same, little outrage.

Who are we to determine who is to live and who is to die based genetics? God? I think not.

I do not know first hand what it is like to raise children with severe handicaps, and I hope that I never have to.

Germany followed up the killing of children with the Wannsee Conference, where they moved to executing millions of people based on their religion: the Holocaust. One must now ask, is the first step down this same, evil, road? I pray it is not, and that the Government of the Netherlands will realize how dangerous this road they are now traveling is.

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Yes, I've been reading Hugh Hewitt's blog today, and it shows. He has posted an article calling for the construction of a War Memorial dedicated to our brave men and women under arms who have given their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, for our Country, and the liberation of the people in two Countries, Afghanistan and Iraq, fighting terrorism and tyranny. He is absolutely right.

This is the email I have sent to my Congressman:

Dear Congressman Kline:

I wanted to write a brief note to you in regards to a proposed memorial dedicated to the Men and Women who have given their lives in the fight against terrorism. This proposal is currently floating around the internet. The idea is to build a memorial at the sight where United Airlines Flight 93 went down in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. This is where the fight against terrorism began for the United States, and so it is a fitting site. I would not advocate the use of public monies for this memorial, but rather that a fund be set up to facilitate donations for the building of this memorial. I, for one, would gladly give money to such a project.

Further, I would advocate that the survivors of those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our Liberties, and bring freedom to the oppressed peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, be the committee designated to approve the designs for such a monument.

Sincerely,

Todd C. Hansen

For those of you in MN Congressional District 2, you can reach Congressman Kline via his .

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Hugh Hewitt is running an interesting challenge on the Blogosphere: What modern novels have you read more than once? Good question. My list is not overly long, and I am sure I am not alone in some of my choices:

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. These books need no explanation. They are rich in texture, and the characters are vivid. Heroism at its best.

Dune by Frank Herbert. I've read the novel Dune somewhere around 15 times since I was a kid. It is one of the most complex novels I have read, combining science, ecology, politics and sociology. I can't say I have reread the other novels in the series, and must confess I have not even read many of the others, however Dune is one of the greatest SF novels ever written.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. I first read this one when I was a teenager, and read it for the second time shortly before the movie based (loosely) on this novel was released. I've read it a couple of times since then.

The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein. Heinlein's future history stories and short novels. Much of it is a bit dated, but still worth reading, and leads to the next entry.

Time Enough For Love by Robert A. Heinlein. This is the BIG novel about the life of Lazarus Long, Heinlein's best known character.

Nova by Samuel R. Delany is another fine choice. Intriguing storyline about taking a spaceship thru the center of a Nova to collect a rare ore that is the ultimate in power sources.

I've also read most of the Conan books by Robert E. Howard several times. Although there is some contemporary stuff written by other authors, they don't stand up to Howard's story telling. I'll sometimes go on a binge where I will read five or six of Howard's books (including his other works) at a stretch.

The Green Berets by Robin Moore. Read this is a kid way back when, and recently read it for the second time. A great read.

Although not a novel, another book that is quite enthralling is The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by John H. Patterson. This is history and adventure rolled up into one. It's the book that the Val Kilmer film, The Ghost and the Darkness, was based on. Patterson writes about his exploits in Africa hunting a pair of man-eating lions that were terrorizing the workers building a bridge across the Tsavo. If you thought King Solomon's Mines was a good read, this book will knock you flat!

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Over at the University of Queensland Laser Diagnostics Department, they have a report on how well the U.S.S. Enterprise holds up in a wind tunnel up to mach 5, including what happens when space debris impacts the hull.

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Finally, we're taking the terrorist problem in Iraq seriously. First the rat's nest in Fallujah has been pacified, and now the rest of the Sunni Triangle.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — About 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi commandos launched a new offensive Tuesday called Operation Plymouth Rock in an effort to quash enemy forces in terror hotbeds south of Baghdad.

The operation kicked off with early morning raids in the town of Jabella (search) in Babil province, netting 32 suspected insurgents, the U.S. military said in a statement. U.S. and Iraqi forces were conducting house-to-house searches and vehicle checkpoints. Jabella is 50 miles south of Baghdad.

In other joint raids conducted in Iskandariyah and Latifiyah, another 45 suspected terrorists were arrested, said Iraqi police Capt. Hadi Hatif.

The new offensive was the third large-scale military assault this month aimed at suppressing Iraq's persistent insurgency ahead of crucial elections set for Jan. 30. Much of the focus this far has been in the Sunni Triangle city of Fallujah.

The rest of the aritcle on Fox News.

We've let this terrorist problem fester for way too long, and it is high time that we let the military go in their and do what they were sent there to do: Liberate Iraq, and clean out all those who would prefer to re-instate tyranny and terror over those who desire Liberty.

My thoughts and prayers are with the troops of the coalition as they carry out this very dangerous mission. I have no doubt that they will succeed; it is the price they are asked to pay that I fear.

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Michael Moore Hates America. That's the name of the new documentary by Minnesotan Michael Wilson.

Why does Michael Moore hate America. This is the question that Wilson asks in his film. Wilson opens with some background on himself, and the values that his father had instilled in him. That you can achieve anything you want, if you work at it. And, indeed, this ends up being the real theme that underscores the entire film.

Wilson traces the footsteps of Moore and his several "documentaries," interviewing many of the same people that Moore interviewed for his last two films. He even catches up to the main subject of his film during a lecture held at the University of Minnesota. He captures the exchange on film, where he is cursed at by Michael Moore, and shouted down. Wilson is not daunted. After leaving the auditorium where Moore was speaking, he interviewed several Moore fans, and although they were still supporters of Moore, they seemed to think that Wilson should indeed get his interview with the large M. and M.

The film and its maker also take us to Canada, the land that Moore claims everyone still leaves their doors unlocked. Wilson tried several doors, and, yes, he did find ONE door unlocked. The rest were secure.

He then visits the same bank that Michael Moore visited in the filming of Bowling for Columbine. You know the one. It's the bank that Moore staged his opening a bank account and walking out of there with a rifle. Now, of course, this has been discussed in the news from time to time, and debunked as a manipulation of what the bank in question was really doing, however, now it is in a documentary, with interviews of the bank staff Moore hoodwinked into co-operating with his film, on his terms. They are not happy with Moore.

It is revealed in this new film that the bank, although it was giving out the bank for opening an account with certain restrictions, the guns were not kept at the bank, but in a secure vault 300 miles away, and that the normal process was that the bank's customer would fill out the required federal background check forms, and the gun would be shipped to a licensed firearms dealer from whom the customer would pick up his chosen rifle. He also lied to them about what the topic of his film, and it was not until the release of Bowling for Columbine that they found out they had been hoodwinked.

Wilson also visits Flint, Michigan, Moore's self-proclaimed hometown. Funny how the residents don't really came him as a native son. Wilson interviews many people here, and none of them seem to think particularly well of him. He spends sometime interviewing a young man who has started his own coffee grinding business, and a woman who is from the distinctly poorer side of town, as well as other area residents. They all believe the same thing: If you work at it, you can make it. It may be difficult, but it can be done.

In Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore used footage of an American soldier returned from duty in the Middle East. Wilson also spends time with this same soldier, a man who lost both of his arms in the service of his (our) country (thank you for your service). It struck me that this soldier was a trifle ticked at how Moore used footage of his hospital stay in his film.

Wilson also covers his crusade to get an interview with Michael Moore, but never succeeds. Moore will not see him

The list of people appearing in interviews for Wilson's film is long, form Penn Jillette (spell) to Dinesh D'Souza and Mark Kennedy (Congressman from Minnesota).

Two catch phrases stand out in this film. One interviewee said, "Michael Moore is a culinary Pinocchio. When ever he lies, he gains a pound." Another came up with the line that if you take all the shrillness out of the political dialog, everyone would end up sounding like John Kerry. I think he has something there.

This film is not just for those who hate Michael Moore, but for those who want to be exposed to his true nature, thru the dismantling of his films and thru interviews with many people that were at events depicted in Moore's recent movies.

The film ends with Wilson asking several of his interview subjects the question of what they would ask Moore if they had a chance. Probably the most profound response came from the bank group: Moore identifies all these problems with our society: Why don't you do something to help those in need? Good question. Moore has made an exceptional amount of wealth; so why won't he use it to help these people in need instead of living in the lap of luxury as he does?

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Ran across the Counter Clinton Library. This site, and proposed library, is being set up to counter the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. They intend to set up shop a coupl of blocks from the Bill's Library and it will contain articles showing the facts behind many of the Clinton's antics during their White House years.

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Just read a very negative article on SFGate.com. My first thought was "Where did the SFGate find this guy?" He's a bit wacky, like those folks in Florida who have been receiving counseling for losing the election two weeks back.

The theme of the article is use Hillary Clinton in a "bait and switch" maneuver for the presidency in 2008; you know, the Lautneberg Maneuver. where the Democrats took a losing candidate, Torricelli, and replaced him at the last minute, with the aid of the New Jersey Courts rewriting state election law, because they knew he had no chance of winning. So, this Sorensen character is trying to convince people that: A) Republicans/Conservatives are gullible; and B) that Hillary Clinton can't win. This guy has a lot of very nasty (and very wrong minded) things to say in regards to Republicans and Conservatives.

Here's an excerpt of what he has to say:

Conservative men and women alike think that God created women only on the condition that they stay home, bake cookies and home-school the kids until Daddy earns enough to send them to Christian School.

Egads! Hide your daughters in fear that they may actually be condemned to a life that a few decades ago was considered normal. That is, before the tax and spend Liberals have put so much pressure on families that the stay-at-home mother is all but extinct. And not all Conservatives believe home-schooling is great (all though I support home schooling). Has he considered the fact that the reason so many people are home-schooling is because of the decline of our public school system? And apparently being a full-time Mom is not a job, and shouldn't be a career choice.

Here's another:

So what I'm suggesting is the Democrats offer up Hillary as a target for conservative wrath over the next four years. Let the conservatives, the Republicans, the fascists -- all those people on the other side -- focus their venom on her. They already detest Hillary, so let them have at her.

Then, at the last moment, pull a switcheroo. Thank Mrs. Clinton for her role as stalking horse, and then nominate a real liberal for president.

Fascism is a leftist ideology, not a right-of-center ideology. It's one of the three major forms of Socialism, all of which are left of center.

As for making Hillary a target for right-wing diatribes, I'm willing to bet that Hillary is capable of fighting her own battles over the next four years, and fight them she will. She's got no choice.

Let's not forget that the odds of switching Hillary out of the running is not only less than zero, it is non-existent.

After they dump Hillary (good luck on that score), this is his suggestion:

And then the Democrats should pick as their nominee someone who appears to be as simple-minded as a game of Pong.

That's to get the crossover votes.

Tells you what he thinks of those Americans who are more in the center. He also refers to the American People who voted for Bush as a bunch of "second-grade dropouts."

So this Sorensen guy has suggested that the DNC pick him as Hillary's replacement in 2008. Sounds good to me. Go for it!

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Contrary to popular belief, there are many advantages to living in the country, especially in my neck of the woods. I regularly see quite a bit of wildlife on my morning walks with the dogs, and today was no different. In fact, today was so good, after walking the girls I headed back out with my digital camera. The camera I used is not a spectacular instrument for shooting nature pics, the resolution is 5 Megapixels, and a 3x zoom. Not super stuff, but I figured it will do. And it did.

My main subject is one of the Bald Eagles that nests nearby. I spotted him up in the tree I named Eagle's Perch, as they both regularly use that tree for a place to watch the land.

While I approached him from the East, I spotted a couple of deer nearby and took a shot of them. Not a super great shot, but considering the tools at hand, not a bad shot at all.

As I closed in, the eagle began to stretch his wings, preparing to fly off.

Once in motion in the air, he flew over my head, affording me some very nice shots, before he disappeared into the woods along the river.

On the way back to the house, I spotted another deer hanging around and got a decent shot of him before he also disappeared into the woods.

To me, this is one of the greatest benefits to living in the country, as nature's children abound, playing in the woods, fields and streams.

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It's already a given that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for the Presidency in 2008. The Hill is a left of center, raving, liberal trying her best to be a hawk when it comes from the war on terrorism. By the way, since she has zero experience with the military, doesn't this make her a "chicken hawk," just as the leftists in the DNC have tired to paint V.P. Dick Cheney out to be? Or does it not count since she is a Democrat.

If you haven't read it yet, pick up a copy of Dereliction of Duty by Lt.Col. Patterson for a take on what the Wicked Witch of the East really thinks of our military men and women. It doesn't paint a pretty picture of the former First Lady.

Knowing she will be running in 2008, it is now a question of who will be her running mate. I think she knows there is no way in taking the South with a Southerner who is also a raving liberal, like Kerry attempted in 2004 when he chose Beatle wannbe John Edwards as his running mate. She also knows that she doesn't need a left leaning Northeasterner as a running mate; besides, they've all tried and lost.

She won't choose someone who has a secure seat in the Senate, as that will give the GOP yet another seat, especially if the would be candidate actually did the honorable thing and step down while campaigning for a higher office, like Bob Dole did in 1996, and the Governor of the State is a Republican. That would be too much of a gimme. So, scratch Boxer and Feinstein off of the list.

Hillary will seek out someone to rally the rabid lefties behind her, while she puts on the camouflage of a moderate, centrist, masking her true nature.

So, who will she choose?

It has to be someone on the far left, enjoys a leadership position in either the House or Senate, comes from a left leaning State and is frequently in the limelight, enjoying regular attention from the left-leaning print media juggernauts (dinosaurs?), newspapers.

There can be only one choice for her in 2008.

Hillary's running mate in her bid for the Presidency will be none other than...

(drum roll, please)

Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

Pelosi will bring in the far-left extremists that have inundated a party that was once-upon-a-time a good party, giving their rabid leftie base someone to froth at the mouth for while Hillary attempts to appeal to a wider, more moderate crowd.

It could work, depending on who the GOP candidate is. Hopefully someone who won't prove to be an "also ran" like Dole was in '96. We need someone like Condoleezza Rice, or, if it is to be a Senator vs. Senator match, Rick Santorum.

Remember, you heard it here first.

And, in case I am wrong, the runner up is Barak Obama, the new junior Senator from Illinois. He is far left enough to satisfy the leftist members of the Democratic Party, and could help crack open the Mid-West for the DNC.

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The latest release from Pixar is The Incredibles is, well, incredible. It starts out simple enough; Super Hero, Mr. Incredible is on his way to his own wedding when a call for help comes up on his radio. Deciding he has enough time to help out, he changes into his super-persona and starts helping those in need, from the little old lady whose cat is stuck in a tree to the police on a high speed chase, Mr. Incredible lends a hand.

But he doesn't stop there, as more and more cries for help emanate within the city, and in the process he saves a man who is attempting to kill himself, and prevent a major train wreck.

He makes it to his wedding, gets married, and low and behold, gets sued by the man who was dead set on suicide. This causes a torrent of litigation against superheroes everywhere, and the government steps in, settling the suits, and implementing a "Super Hero Relocation" project, where all those with super powers attempt to live a normal life.

Fifteen years go by, and our hero is stuck in a dead-end job that he hates, while trying to balance out his desire to help people in need. He yearns for the glory days. After accidentally throwing his boss thru several walls, and hospitalizing him in the process, Bob Parr is fired.

As fate would have it, though, he receives a strange message from a beautiful woman with an offer of employment for one Mr. Incredible, working to bring a berserk robot under control. He accepts the offer, and lies to his wife, Elastigirl, and travels to save the day for his undisclosed benefactor on some remote island. He's back at what he loves. Even though Mr. Incredible has reached "middle-age" with all its physical fun, he manages to defeat the robot without destroying it utterly.

Returning home, still unemployed, but with ample money to keep the family going, he begins training again, getting back into shape, looking forward to the day when he can once again don his uniform and do good.

The film has many underlying themes, most significant of which is a pro-family/marriage stand, where wife Elastigirl is a stay-at-home mom taking care of their three children, and managing to keep the home front going. She is as strong and smart as she is tender and loving. The kids are typical kids their age, even though they have super powers of their own.

When Elastigirl discovers her husband has been lying to her, she takes off after him, leaving the kids behind, only to discover that they tagged along, leaving baby Jack-Jack with a sitter.

The movie is full of surprises, good humor, and solid family values. Give it a view. You'll find it Incredible!

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Yes, I was at the Minnesota GOP party last night, watching the results with over a thousand other Bush supporters. It was a blast. Many of the volunteers and RNC folks I had the opportunity to become acquainted with were there.

To give you the scale of the thing, check these out:

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It was huge, and that was only the main ballroom. There were numerous campaign parties, and other organizations holding parties. I did not hit all of them, but the ones I did hit were all good.

Everytime Bush picked up a new state, the crowd broke into the chant, "Four More Years!" When it came down to the wire, a new cheer came out, "One More State!" As the night wore on, I began a modified version of the first as follows: "Four More Beers!" The sentiment, though well received by those around me, did not propogate very far.

When it became clear that John Thune succeeded in unseating Tom Daschle from the U.S. Senate in South Dakota, the crowd erupted in song, "Na-na-na-na, hey hey, goodbye!" A sentiment that I think many Americans across the country shared.

As for the volunteers, here's some shots of some of those I met.

That's me with Allison and some guy named Mark. Allison was one of the staffers running the prep work for the big door-to-door campaign I worked on.

Katie from Canada. She understands that what happens here impacts those North of the border. She is a hard-core campaigner.

Ramstad during his speech to the gathered throng.

Christina (she's a lobbyist), Karen, and Ken.

Me with Karen, Scott of Pink Monkey Bird, and Ken.

Mike (left) and Larry (right), two of the "pros from Dover." They came out from DC as part of the RNC team. Larry grew up in Fresno, CA, just like me, although he went to a different high school. Mike is from Oklahoma. They helped co-ordinate the volunteers working out of the Northfield office.

There were quite a few others that I met during this past few weeks, from Vietnam veterans, to high schoolers and college students, and many others.

It was a blast. Hopefully I'll see some of these same faces in 2006 when we work to unseat Mark Dayton from the U.S. Senate.

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It is 11AM here in Minnesota, and on the radio I just heard a news bulletin that Kerry is conceding the race to President Bush!

AP has the following:

President Bush won a second term from a divided and anxious nation, his promise of steady, strong wartime leadership trumping John Kerry's fresh-start approach to Iraq and joblessness. After a long, tense night of vote counting, the Democrat called Bush Wednesday to concede Ohio and the presidency, The Associated Press learned.

Kerry ended his quest, concluding one of the most expensive and bitterly contested races on record, with a call to the president shortly after 11 a.m. EST, according to two officials familiar with the conversation.

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Somehow, I have managed to get four hours sleep since getting home from the GOP party and watching additional election coverage. Things have not changed much since the wee hours.

Some high points: Eleven States ban same-sex marriage; Daschle is unseated by John Thune; 55 senate seats; increased representation in the House.

There have also been lessons learned. No doubt the "pros from Dover" will be busy looking at what worked and what didn't, especially in Minnesota. This is neccessary as we now have to begin laying the foundation for Minnesota in 2006, as well as the 2008 Presidential race since it is likely we will see a Hillery candidacy from the far-left leaning Dems.

2006 will be important in Minnesota for two, possibly three reasons: We need to re-elect Tim Pawlenty as Governor; Mark Dayton has to be unseated and the man likely to do that is Mark Kennedy, thus leaving an open seat that will be hotly contested, that race becoming reason #3.

Back to the main event.

Bush has a 3.5 million vote lead over Kerry in the popular vote, which translates into a 51% MAJORITY. This is significant as in 2000, nether major candiate came anywhere near the 50% mark, and even Bill Clinton failed to crack 50% to have a majority.

This should end once and for all the leftisit mantra of "Selected, Not Elected" that we have had to put up with for the past four years. Bush one, although the left leaning Democrats are attempting to steal the election just as they attempted to do in Florida 2000. The mantra of the left is now: If at first you don't succeed, sue!

They will fail, as this means subverting the Will of the People, which is is the basis of our election process.

Nevada, though still not called, shows Bush with a clear majority and a 20,000 vote lead over Kerry.

Next in the uncalled is New Mexico, where the race is closer, however Dubya has an 11,000 vote margin over Kerry and a clear majority in the state.

Also on this list is Iowa, which will put Bush over the top, Bush has a 15,000 vote margin over Kerry. It is tight, however even here Dubya enjoys a majority of the popular vote.

Last on the list is Wisconsin, where Bush suffers a deficit of some 13,000 votes. On the flip side, Kerry failed to recieve a majority of the popular vote in this state (thank you Nader).

When these results are finalized, we will see Bush with 286 electoral votes, and Kerry with 252 Electoral votes. Not quite the electoral margin the experts were predicting, but a darn good showing.

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It ain't over 'til it's over! Bush certainly won the popular vote, and it is looking very likely that he will carry the Electoral College as well.

A short while ago, the Kerry Campaign came on and stated that they will make every vote be counted. Odd, I thought they were being counted, and Bush has won with 51% of the popular vote. Current score is: 55,527,025 for Bush; 51,740,035 for Kerry. That's several million votes, not even near as close as the 2000 election between Bush and Gore was.

This also conflicts iwth statements that kerry made earlier this year that this time the man with the most votes will go to the White House. Apparently, he is going back on that pledge. Not surprising.

Meanwhile, on Fox News, they are reporting that the only voter intimidation to take place was AGAINST Bush supporters. Hmmm.

We didn't carry Minesota and I am very disappointed by that. 86% of precincts reporting as of the latest reports available, Bush has 1,195,706 and Kerry has 1,294,808 votes. Bush has a 100,000 vote deficit. There is no way that he'll make up that deficit and carry Minnesota. :-(

We tried, and worked very hard. I know that many of the folks who worked the campaign are upset by the loss, as many of them put in not only many long hours, but also their heart and soul.

On another Minnesota front, my friend, Pat Garofalo has pulled an easy victory fo the Minnesota State House Seat 36B, with 62% of the vote. Congratulations Pat!

Two hard fought Congressional Campaigns ended with victory for both Kennedy and Kline. :-) This is especially good since John Kline is not only my Congressman, but a very fine legislator. One of the best, in fact.

Ohio is a state that the Kerry Campaign intends to contest, inspite of the fact they have a deficit of 145,000 votes, with 99% of precincts reporting.

Also on the Ohio ballot was an amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and this amendment was adopted with a vote of 3,203,268 for and 1,985,433, again with 99% of precincts reporting.

Iowa is close, with Bush in the lead by about 14,000 votes. It's close, and 99% of precincts in, it looks like this will go to Bush. :-)

Dubya wins quite handily in South Dakota, and John Thune defeats Tom Daschle with a 2% margin. This is with 98% of precincts reporting. At the Minesota Republican party in Minnetonka, the crowd roared with cheers at this great victory.

It's late, so I think it is time to wrap this up. More in the morning, and pictures from the party will be coming.

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Adventures in Kerryland. Not sure what else to call the day in Minneapolis. The poll where I was serving as a challenger was in the heart of Kerry territory. Fortunately, it was pretty uneventful, and a smaller precinct.

There was one incident that I must share. Some dweeb came in muttering how it all didnt matter, and something about Standard Oil. Okay, whats this all about. He went on, while collecting his ballot, in an attempt to enlighten those present how the Secretary of State for Eisenhower was the chair (or some such) of the Rockefeller Foundation; then how the Secretary of State for JFK was also at one time the head (or some such) of the Rockefeller Foundation; next on his list of Rockefeller connections was Kissinger. By this time everyone in the place had had enough and the election judges informed him that he could not carry on this line of speech, as that is what he was doing, and I realize now, attempting to influence the vote. No other voters were present. This, um, nutcase proceeded to get rather indignant, and defiant, made some cutting comments before departing. I suppose we can guess who he voted for.

There was also a DFLer there as a poll challenger. This schmuck kept going on how he was there to watch me, and how no one trusts each other any more. Lets see, my job there is to help ensure a fair election. His job is to watch me. He doesnt trust me because I am a Republican, I dont trust him because he is an idiot.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it is time to get ready to go out and party, and celebrate. I have no doubt what tonights outcome will be. Bush will win.

More later tonight. Tine to party.

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It's 5:30, time for me to roll, as I need to be in Minneapolis before 7AM. I've walked the dogs, and could smell it in the air. Victory! I have no doubt President Bush will win his bid for re-election. I know in my heart he can and will carry Minnesota.

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The last two days have been busier than can be, especially for the many volunteers working for the re-election of President Bush.

Saturday morning there was a big gathering of Election Judges and Poll Watchers (I'll be working a Minneapolis precinct on election day), going over things to watch for, what to take, and numbers to call (if you are a poll watcher).

Election Judges run the actual election process in the precinct and work for either their municipality or for the county. No more than 50% of election judges on duty can be from the same political party. Each political party can have only one Poll Challenger in a precinct at any given time.

After the training class was completed, it was back to work for Allison, from fetching more tables from a party supply place, to continuing the prep for the door-to-door campaign.

Mid-afternoon I departed for Northfield to work out of that office, taking with me several stacks of cards for the Northfield area.

Once there, I found out that the cards for Faribult had been done wrong: They had the wrong Congressional Candidate pictured on them. Oops!

A volunteer showed up with some Kline stickers to cover-up the boo-boo, but no where near enough. Fast run up to Burnsville to the Kline HQ, where I was able to get a few rolls of stickers.

Back in Northfield, it had been called "a day", and the team from DC running the ground show there had headed over to Grundy's for beer, where I joined them. We made some plans for an early (after church) start to finish fixing the door-hangers for the ground campaign, and talk about politics in general.

One of the guys, Larry, grew up in Fresno, CA, same as me. He went to Clovis High graduating 90-something. I went to McLane, graduating several years before, so there was little likelyhood that we would know any of the same people. And we didn't.

Larry is a speech writer for a Congressman. Okay, it's not just any Congressman he works for, but the Speaker of the House.

Mike, the other chap from DC, works for the Department of Agriculture, and is well plugged into the Washington circuit, amd would like to run for Congress someday. I beleive he'll be a darn good Representative.

Sunday morning we met as planned, finished fixing the boo-boo on the Faribult cards, and began working on the Game Day phone calling list.

Congressman Kline stopped by for a few minutes to say hello (picture coming later today), and chatted with some of the volunteers, the guys from DC and State Senator Tom Nueville.

After that, it was decided that someone needed to canvas Faribult Precinct 5. I was the likely candidate, so off I went.

There, most of the people I talked to were friendly, or at least courteous, only two were less than so. At least for those that were A) home, and B) willing to answer the door (a few didn't). Some were ready for this election to be over as they were tired of the deluge of literature and phone calls they were receivning. I told them I could relate to that myself.

The campaign for Minnestoa is a hard fought campaign. It has been said that both sides believe they can win in Minnesota. I believe it is more accurate to say that President Bush believes he can (and will) win Minnesota, while Senator Kerry fears he will lose it. I have no doubt that Bush will win Minnesota. There are a lot of people getting out their and doing everything neccessary to make this state go for Bush, and going more than the extra mile, especially now that we are in the home stretch.

Posted by Sqotty at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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