Victory is near

We remain a nation at war. Al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq -- but the terrorists remain dangerous, and they are determined to strike our country and our allies again. In this time of war, America is grateful to all the men and women who have stepped forward to defend us. They understand that we have no greater responsibility than to stop the terrorists before they launch another attack on our homeland. And every day they make great sacrifices to keep the American people safe here at home. We owe our thanks to all those who wear the uniform -- and their families who support them in their vital work. And the best way to honor them is to support their mission -- and bring them home with victory.

From President Bush statement today here.

McCain on the Surge with Hannity

Che Flag in Obama campaign office

Half-Blood Prince trailer

Who will be the Commander in Chief?

With the flap on not visiting the wounded solders at Landstuhl Hospital, here is a statement from the from Command Sergeant Major Craig Layton, USA (Ret.):

"Having spent two years as the Command Sergeant Major at Landstuhl Hospital, I am always grateful for the attention that facility receives from members of Congress. There is no more important work done by the United States Army than to care for those who have been wounded in the service our country. While Americans troops remain engaged in two hot wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a steady stream of casualties to the hospital, and a steady stream of visitors who wish to meet with those troops and thank them for their service.

"Senator Obama has explained his decision to cancel a scheduled visit there by blaming the military, which would not allow one of his political advisers to join him in a tour of the facility. Why Senator Obama felt he needed an adviser with him to visit U.S. troops is unclear, but if Senator Obama isn't comfortable meeting wounded American troops without his entourage, perhaps he does not have the experience necessary to serve as commander in chief."

From The McCain Report here.

The WaPo takes the angle that McCain is questioning Obama's patriotism. I think that McCain is questioning Obama's ability to assume the role of Commander In Chief. McCain is saying why could you not go by yourself and visit the wounded solders? Because it goes against your base Mr. Obama, the anti-military types (Code Pink, ANSWER and ACORN etc.) and it was not a campaign photo op. And the MSM (Obama cheerleaders) skirts the issue. They cover up the real issues that Obama can't possibly be the leader of our troops in a time of Global Terrorism!

The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation whose aim is to portray the Democratic presidential candidate as a craven politician more interested in his image than in ailing soldiers, a senior McCain adviser said. They come despite repeated pledges by the Republican that he will never question his rival's patriotism.

The essence of McCain's allegation is that Obama planned to take a media entourage, including television cameras, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during his week-long foreign trip, and that he canceled the visit when he learned he could not do so. "I know that, according to reports, that he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers," McCain said Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

McCain is smart to attack Obama on the ability to lead. Keep it up McCain. Focus on any issue that Obama shows lack on leadership. I know the voters will pick up on that. The Berlin bounce proves it. (nil, not, nine!)

From NYT here:

Assertions in early news reports that the Pentagon had told Mr. Obama he could not visit the medical center were incorrect, said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the military personnel in Germany had made arrangements for Mr. Obama’s visit and were surprised when it was called off.

The cancellation provided one of the few sour notes in an overseas trip that otherwise seemed to be well orchestrated. It offered an opening on a subject, military affairs, that the McCain campaign believes Mr. Obama is vulnerable on.

If the story behind the story of the canceled troop visit has run its course, one question remains: Why didn’t Mr. Obama leave his aides behind, even the retired general, and make the visit by himself?

“Even him going alone would likely be characterized by some as a political event,” Mr. Gibbs said in an interview on Monday, adding, “He decided not to put the troops in that position.”

President Bush, Senators and Congress go and visit the troops all the time. And it is never a campaign issue at all. It is just going to visit those who have served their country and have been wounded while serving. And Thanking the wounded for their service. Thats all! And Sen. McCain has a right to question and attack Sen. Obama on his ability to be a leader to the troops. Which apparently is lacking.

Campaign slogans

Here is one I like, reminiscent of 'I Like Ike' back in 1952. From McCainiac and Don't give up the Ship here.
An interesting comparison of Obama to Adlai Stevenson here.

There are superficial similarities between these two upstarts from Illinois. Both deliver visionary, sometimes windy speeches; both are witty and appeal to a group of educated liberals whom Stevenson cultivated. (Stevenson called them “his Shakespeare vote,” complaining after his loss to Eisenhower in 1952 that they had failed the final exam.) Both Stevenson and Obama ascended rapidly into the highest party circles with slight resumes, the beneficiaries of fortuitous events.

Pelosi wants to save the planet!

From Politico here:

“I’m trying to save the planet; I’m trying to save the planet,” she says impatiently when questioned. “I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse for their failed policy.”

“I respect the office that I hold,” she says. “And when you win the election, you win the majority, and what is the power of the speaker? To set the agenda, the power of recognition, and I am not giving the gavel away to anyone.”

Let’s face it, Washington: This speaker is different. She’s the first woman ever to hold the post and a very tough one at that, with a penchant for the mystical.

Stuck in the Moment and can't get out of it!

McCain's Prayer

Prayer: I Was Sustained in Times of Trial"

I was finding that prayer helped. It wasn't a question of asking for superhuman strength or for God to strike the North Vietnamese dead. It was asking for moral and physical courage, for guidance and wisdom to do the right thing. I asked for comfort when I was in pain, and sometimes I received relief. I was sustained in many times of trial.

When the pressure was on, you seemed to go one way or the other. Either it was easier for them to break you the next time, or it was harder. In other words, if you are going to make it, you get tougher as time goes by. Part of it is just a transition from our way of life to that way of life. But you get to hate them so bad that it gives you strength.

From John McCain's NewsWeek Article 5/14/73 How the POWs Fought Back here.

Obama's Prayer

The prayer that Obama left at the Wailing wall was taken out. Even in Israel, they have dishonest people! (OMG-d).

"Lord—Protect my family and me," reads the note published in the Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

The Rabbi who is in charge of the Western Wall says that publishing his prayer intruded on his relationship with God. I think so. But I wanted to publish his prayer to show he is just like every believer in christ. We are sinners and will do the will of God. God Bless Obama and his family. But I also say God Bless John McCain and his family too! May they both run great campaigns this November.
Update:
It seems that the Obama campaign has released the prayer to the media. To me the Obama prayer makes him look like a common man. But I still wonder if was for show. He did display a campaign banner at the wall.

From Israeli Insider here:

So, Obama called a play straight out of the Farrakhan playbook. The note is stolen and the Jew did it! The Jews, they are always to be blamed for everything. Who violated the sanctity of the note a man wrote to God? The Jews! Thus, Obama distracted from his visit to the Western Wall and appealed to his Muslim audience by being a victim of the Jews. His message to his Muslim audience: he believes as we do concerning the Jews.

Why the song and dance? It was a passion play designed to win votes. Jewish votes. Christian votes. Muslim votes.

McCain's icons

We are the World

There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on
Pretneding day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

The Victory Column

The Victory Column in Berlin

A map to the Victory Column is here.

The Victory Column (Siegessäule) was constructed to celebrate the military successes of Prussia over Denmark. In 1938 Hitler moved it from its place in front of the Reichstag to the centre of Tiergarten where it stands today.

The Victory Column stands at 61.5m high and provides excellent views of Berlin from the center of Tiergarten. The statue of the victory goddess Viktoria that stands on top of the Victory Column was created by F Drake and weighs an impressive 35 tonnes.

From Major Garrett's Bourbon Room here:

The Obama advisers dodged and weaved about why Obama’s delivering the speech before what could be an audience of tens of thousands - possibly more.
“The senator wants to speak to the people of Europe and it would be inconsistent to exclude the public.”
In the midst of this tense exchange, an adviser said when the president delivers a policy speech it’s not necessarily the same as delivering a red-meat political speech. That’s not an illogical statement, except for the fact that Obama, of course, isn’t the president.
The use of this example, though, perfectly encapsulates the Obama campaign’s dual approach to this trip. Everything is designed to make Obama look presidential and the Berlin speech is by far the one with the most intense head-of-state choreography behind it.
So when the adviser said it was like a presidential speech, it didn’t sound as if the adviser was saying Obama was the president. Before this exchange, advisers said over and over that Obama will set no policy on this trip and seeks only to build relationships, not confuse world leaders about who leads America. This, it seems, is an important bit of context.
What was being said, however, goes to the heart of the internal campaign instinct to make Obama look like a president as often as possible on this trip — and especially at the massive event/speech in Berlin.

Will the military vote be screwed again?

From GOP USA by Robert Novak here.

Rep. Roy Blunt, the House Republican whip, on July 8 introduced a resolution demanding that the Defense Department better enable U.S. military personnel overseas to vote in the November elections. That act was followed by silence. Democrats normally leap on an opportunity to find fault with the Bush Pentagon. But not a single Democrat joined Blunt as a co-sponsor, and an all-Republican proposal cannot pass in the Democratic-controlled House.

Analysis by the federal Election Assistance Commission, rejecting inflated Defense Department voting claims, estimated overseas and absentee military voting for the 2006 midterm elections at a disgracefully low 5.5 percent. The quality of voting statistics is so poor that there is no way to tell how many of the slightly over 330,000 votes actually were sent in by the absentee military voters and their dependents and how many by civilian Americans living abroad -- 6 million all total.

Will the real Birth Certificate please be released!

I am amazed at our MSM for not covering this issue as the Israeli newspaper the Israeli Insider has! HT to Atlas for keeping this issue alive in the blogsphere. The DaliyKos's image of the Birth Certificate is a fake!

Atlas Shrugs publisher Pamela Geller reports that the expert analyst, who goes by the screen name "Techdude", is "an active member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, American College of Forensic Examiners, The International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners, International Information Systems Forensics Association -- the list goes on. He also a board certified as a forensic computer examiner, a certificated legal investigator, and a licensed private investigator. He has been performing computer-based forensic investigations since 1993 (although back then it did not even have a formal name yet) and he has performed countless investigations since then."

I hope the Obama's World Mystery tour in Israel will reveal the real answers.

Perhaps the outspoken Israeli press corps will be able to do what their fawning American counterparts have failed to do so far. Obama's visit this week to Israel will be an opportunity to begin asking the tough questions -- however unpolitically correct -- about his apparently forged birth certificate and what that means for his citizenship status and Constitutional fitness to be the next leader of the free world.

McCain's a proven leader

Since the Gen. Clark gaff on John McCain's being shot down I've been looking up POW's who have served in Vietnam with McCain. HT from RCP McCain's Mettle by Stuart Koehl at the Daily Standard here. He talks about an article by Jim Warner who served with McCain in the Hanoi Hilton and as a domestic policy advisor to President Ronald Reagan.

McCain is like Churchill] who never held a grudge and was prepared to be gracious and magnanimous toward a defeated foe. When McCain led church services, he prayed for the enemy who had tortured him. I have observed Ronald Reagan in the White House and I have observed McCain in the Hanoi Hilton. I have seen that McCain, like Churchill, like Reagan, has courage, prudence, and magnanimity. That is why he is qualified to be president, even if he hadn't ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.

Jim Warner's article can be found here at The Herald-Mail.It is interesting at the bottom is a comment from another POW who served about the same time with John McCain here:

I personally know John McCain and Jim Warner. I was with them in Hanoi. Both are true warriors. The article is well stated and accurate. I was one of those men in the nearby rooms who joined in to sing the songs. The guards called it a riot. We called it patriotism. In 5 years 8 months of incarceration, I never received socks, shoes, medical treatment, a bed, a pencil, pen, paper, reading glasses, let alone a Bible or permission to hold a church service. Our captors were brutal. McCain was strong in his resistance. He was a role model for all of us to admire. I'm proud of him. Captain John M McGrath, USN (Ret), POW in North Vietnam with John McCain

Men who know McCain as a POW and can testify that led his fellow service men.

Op-Ed piece the NYT would not print

Ht to Drudge here in its entirety:

In January 2007, when General David Petraeus took command in Iraq, he called the situation “hard” but not “hopeless.” Today, 18 months later, violence has fallen by up to 80% to the lowest levels in four years, and Sunni and Shiite terrorists are reeling from a string of defeats. The situation now is full of hope, but considerable hard work remains to consolidate our fragile gains.

Progress has been due primarily to an increase in the number of troops and a change in their strategy. I was an early advocate of the surge at a time when it had few supporters in Washington. Senator Barack Obama was an equally vocal opponent. "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there,” he said on January 10, 2007. “In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

Now Senator Obama has been forced to acknowledge that “our troops have performed brilliantly in lowering the level of violence.” But he still denies that any political progress has resulted.

Perhaps he is unaware that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has recently certified that, as one news article put it, “Iraq has met all but three of 18 original benchmarks set by Congress last year to measure security, political and economic progress.” Even more heartening has been progress that’s not measured by the benchmarks. More than 90,000 Iraqis, many of them Sunnis who once fought against the government, have signed up as Sons of Iraq to fight against the terrorists. Nor do they measure Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s new-found willingness to crack down on Shiite extremists in Basra and Sadr City—actions that have done much to dispel suspicions of sectarianism.

The success of the surge has not changed Senator Obama’s determination to pull out all of our combat troops. All that has changed is his rationale. In a New York Times op-ed and a speech this week, he offered his “plan for Iraq” in advance of his first “fact finding” trip to that country in more than three years. It consisted of the same old proposal to pull all of our troops out within 16 months. In 2007 he wanted to withdraw because he thought the war was lost. If we had taken his advice, it would have been. Now he wants to withdraw because he thinks Iraqis no longer need our assistance.

To make this point, he mangles the evidence. He makes it sound as if Prime Minister Maliki has endorsed the Obama timetable, when all he has said is that he would like a plan for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops at some unspecified point in the future.

Senator Obama is also misleading on the Iraqi military's readiness. The Iraqi Army will be equipped and trained by the middle of next year, but this does not, as Senator Obama suggests, mean that they will then be ready to secure their country without a good deal of help. The Iraqi Air Force, for one, still lags behind, and no modern army can operate without air cover. The Iraqis are also still learning how to conduct planning, logistics, command and control, communications, and other complicated functions needed to support frontline troops.

No one favors a permanent U.S. presence, as Senator Obama charges. A partial withdrawal has already occurred with the departure of five “surge” brigades, and more withdrawals can take place as the security situation improves. As we draw down in Iraq, we can beef up our presence on other battlefields, such as Afghanistan, without fear of leaving a failed state behind. I have said that I expect to welcome home most of our troops from Iraq by the end of my first term in office, in 2013.

But I have also said that any draw-downs must be based on a realistic assessment of conditions on the ground, not on an artificial timetable crafted for domestic political reasons. This is the crux of my disagreement with Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has said that he would consult our commanders on the ground and Iraqi leaders, but he did no such thing before releasing his “plan for Iraq.” Perhaps that’s because he doesn’t want to hear what they have to say. During the course of eight visits to Iraq, I have heard many times from our troops what Major General Jeffrey Hammond, commander of coalition forces in Baghdad, recently said: that leaving based on a timetable would be “very dangerous.”

The danger is that extremists supported by Al Qaeda and Iran could stage a comeback, as they have in the past when we’ve had too few troops in Iraq. Senator Obama seems to have learned nothing from recent history. I find it ironic that he is emulating the worst mistake of the Bush administration by waving the “Mission Accomplished” banner prematurely.

I am also dismayed that he never talks about winning the war—only of ending it. But if we don’t win the war, our enemies will. A triumph for the terrorists would be a disaster for us. That is something I will not allow to happen as president. Instead I will continue implementing a proven counterinsurgency strategy not only in Iraq but also in Afghanistan with the goal of creating stable, secure, self-sustaining democratic allies.

I heard about this on Rush first thing this morning. It is so ironic that Obama gets his op-ed printed no problem. But McCain has to do a re-write to mirror Obamas? The whole point for op-eds are to issue an opposing side to an issue. Not to mirror another opinion.

Troop Funding

Winnie the Pooh Foreign Policy

The Obama Presidency

From Michelle Malkin here.
On a side note what should the McCain Presidency look like?
(Major Kong riding the Bomb!)

Fireworks fly when Pelosi speaks

I really love to hear the "love" this woman has for our President Bush.

"You know, God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject."

Yes, I will name the subject. The control of the Democrats over our freedom of leading our way of life, the way we want to live. If we are allowed to drill for Oil off our shores, we don't depend on foreign nationals to supply us and jerk us around with high oil prices. If we are allowed to send our kids to the schools we want them to go to our kids will be a success for life. If we are able to have less governemt spending, we have bigger bank accounts.If we are able to make decisons on our own, we have a better life then depending on government to do it. If we protect the unborn, life is cherished not hated. If we protect marrage, then we protect the family. And without family, were would we be?

A Right winger Mom's sites

I'm getting into the election mode now, being a lone conservative Republican in a Democratic neighborhood. I found some blogs worth noting here:
-The RightOnline conference
-The Next Right here
-Mom's for McCain here
-Mom's In The Right (Just brand new to the bloggosphere!)
-Let's Get This Right here!

The Right is getting into gear to head up the NetNuts! Giv'em hell!

The latest JibJab

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A commander I can trust

In wartime, judgment and experience matter. In a time of war, the commander-in-chief doesn't get a learning curve. If I have that privilege, I will bring to the job many years of military and political experience; experience that gave me the judgment necessary to make the right call in Iraq a year and half ago. I supported the surge because I believed it was our only realistic chance to reverse the disaster our previous strategy had caused, and the right thing to do for our country. And although events have proven me right, my position wasn't popular at the time, and I risked my own political ambitions when I took it. When I tell you, I will put our country's interests -- your interests -- before party; before any special interest; before my own interests, every hour of every day I'm in office, you can believe me. Because for my entire adult life, in war and peace, nothing has ever been more important to me than the security and well-being of the country I love. Thank you.

From John McCain's article at RCP here.

Tony Snow RIP

Tony flying to Bagdad
Tony at his post

Bomb Iran

McCain and Obama on Iran's missle test

Here's what McCain said:

"Working with our European and regional allies is the best way to meet the threat posed by Iran, not unilateral concessions that undermine multilateral diplomacy," McCain said.

"Iran's most recent missile tests demonstrate again the dangers it poses to its neighbors and to the wider region, especially Israel," McCain said.

"Ballistic missile testing coupled with Iran's continued refusal to cease its nuclear activities should unite the international community in efforts to counter Iran's dangerous ambitions."

McCain also said the tests shows the United States needs effective missile defense "now and in the future," including the planned missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Here's what Obama said:

Senator Obama said Iran "must suffer threats of economic sanctions with direct diplomacy opening up channels of communication so we avoid provocation, but we give strong incentives for the Iranians to change their behavior."

"We have to have a kind of aggressive diplomacy which unfortunately has been absent over the last several years," Obama said in an interview with CNN.

(snip)

"Part of the problem that we've got right now is that we've been basically farming out the diplomatic activity to the Europeans. We've got to be actively engaged," Obama said.

My take is Obama wants to engage in more sanctions and McCain wants to supply missile defense to our allies. Right now sanctions are not stopping Iran from building and testing their missiles. A determent is needed and investing in a missile defense is necessary.
From Bretbart here.

Don’t “hope” for a better life.

The new McCain ad about the "Summer of Love" is a great contrast been Obama and McCain. I like the last line, 'Don’t “hope” for a better life. Vote for one. McCain.'

I got one too "Don't Hope, Just Vote!" and "Use your brain and Vote MCCain!"

Columbia's resuce and Trade with US

From Micheal Barone's column here:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's rejection of the Colombia free-trade agreement, by changing House rules in a way that may have destroyed the fast track procedure by which the United States has secured free-trade agreements for more than four decades, seems to me to be the one truly shameful act of this Congress. This rejection of an ally, the third largest country in Latin America, a nation that is threatened by authoritarian and terrorist opponents, and has nonetheless succeeded in strengthening human rights and stimulating economic growth, is as disgusting as anything I've seen Congress do. John McCain hailed Colombia's action; Barack Obama, an opponent of the Colombia trade agreement, unblushingly chimed in a bit later. I wonder how he reconciles this with his message on the Colombia trade pact, summed up aptly in the title of a Washington Post editorial, "Drop Dead, Colombia."

With a McCain presidency we will have free trade with our ally Colombia. We have information that FARC is communicating with Hugo Chavez with the capture of the FARC laptop. The Democrats are destroying our country by paralyzing our ability to obtain agreements between allies. They are driven to destroy what we have gained to obtain the presidency. The dems are so sad they will ruin the goodness of the USA to get the power they want.

What Caroline B. Glick thinks about Obama

In the US, the public’s love affair with Senator Barack Obama, who refuses to acknowledge that there is a jihad going on at all and seems to think that the best way to assert US global leadership is to run around the world apologizing about the US’s assertion of its power to anti-American dictators is also deeply troubling. And our willingness to be led by fabulists comes as our enemies behave more and more aggressively.

From FrontPage Magazine interview of Caroline B. Glick here.

Happy Independence day!

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The last paragraph of The Declaration of Independence at the National Archives here.

Che T-Shirt clad rescue

The rescuers came wearing Che Guevara T-shirts and logos declaring them delegates of some obscure humanitarian organization.

They didn't look much like an international relief brigade. And they weren't.

They were Colombian commandos, pulling off Operation Checkmate, an elaborate ruse that would finally liberate the world's most famous hostage and three American defense contractors from the hands of leftist rebels in the jungle.

Without firing a single shot.

"Who are these people? What kind of international commission is this?" former hostage and once-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt remembered thinking. "Are we clowns in another circus? I didn't want any part of it."

From SacBee here.

Obama's Core

From Hugh Hewitt's article from Townhall.com here:

Here's the core of Obama:

He's hard left.

He wants the marginal rate on total federal taxes, including his social security tax hike, to immediately rise at least 57% on the highest earners. Obama wants to raise taxes even in a weak economy, though this is a recipe not just for recession but worse. Obama also wants to raise taxes on dividend income and to return the death tax to its highs of eight years ago.

Obama has proposed more than a trillion dollars in new spending.

Obama wants to cut and run from Iraq, with withdrawals of crucial forces beginning immediately upon his entry into office. Obama has never met one on one with General Petraeus and has not been to Iraq in more than 900 days. He is indifferent to the incredible progress made by our troops and the Iraqi Defense Forces and the Iraqi government in the last 18 months.

He supports the decision extending habeas rights to Gitmo detainees and he thinks the most liberal member of the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a great model for future Supreme Court appointments.

Obama supports gay marriage, and opposes the California constitutional amendment to restore marriage to the definition overturned by a 4-3 vote of the California Supreme Court in May. He supports abortion on demand, including partial birth abortion.

Obama has the slightest grasp on history, and routinely makes the sort of errors about basic facts that shock knowledgeable observers, like arguing the Kennedy-Khrushchev summit in Vienna was an example of the benefits of one-on-one diplomacy. (i.e. the US of A has 57 states....)

Obama is not a strong friend of Israel. He spent 20 years in a church that was openly hostile to Israel, and he reversed himself on Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel after one day of criticism by Palestinians.

Obama is running a dirty campaign, and the serial assaults on John McCain's service, most visibly by Wesley Clark but by many others closely associated with Obama, is repulsive. These are not hits by independent 527s but by close associates and advisors of Obama.

McCain's fellow supporters against Gen. Clark

At least five Republican senators and retired military officers - four on a conference call arranged by McCain's campaign - cried foul Monday, particularly over Clark's last line.

"I was utterly shocked," Sen. John Warner, R-Va., told the conference call, "... that he would in such a disrespectful way attack one of his fellow career military officers."

"Beyond comprehension ... further erosion of our nation's political discourse," said former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., in a written statement.

"Complete silliness," retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Carl Smith said on the call.

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Orson Swindle said Clark was "denigrating the character and the experience and the integrity and the performance" of McCain.

"A very indecent thing," said retired Air Force Col. Bud Day.

Day's participation on conference call spawned a new round of broadsides as the Democratic National Committee rushed to point out that Day had appeared in the so-called Swift Boat TV ads that cast aspersions during the 2004 election on the medals Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry earned in Vietnam. Committee spokesman Damien LaVera said McCain himself had called the Swift Boat ads "dishonest and dishonorable."

By comparison with these exchanges, the candidates were positively high-minded. Besides Obama's personal remarks disdaining criticism of McCain's military service, the campaign's spokesman, Bill Burton said, "Sen. Obama honors and respects Sen. McCain's service, and of course he rejects yesterday's statement by Gen. Clark."

McCain himself said, "If that's the kind of campaign Sen. Obama and his surrogates and supporters want to engage in, I understand that. But it doesn't reduce the price of gas by one penny. It doesn't achieve our energy independence or make it come any closer. Doesn't make any American stay in their home who's at risk of losing it today. And it certainly doesn't do anything to address the challenges Americans have in keeping their jobs, homes and supporting their families."

Dr. No