A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-07-02

Billie and daisyscarlett

[daisyscarlett]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

What a night!

JohnHuang2

A week ago, I recommended selling Aspirin and underwear in front of DNC headquarters -- a sure-fire way to become a millionaire, overnight.

Now that you're a millionaire, how about billionaire?

Yes?

Good. It's easy: Add Handkerchiefs to your line-up.

First, let's dispense with "Conventional Wisdom" pap, shall we? Let's talk about what this election was -- and was not -- about.

For starters, this election was not about the Senate -- that is, whether Republicans wrest control from Democrats or not. Nor was this election about the House -- whether Democrats wrest control from Republicans or not.

This election was not about Minnesota nor Paul Wellstone nor Walter Mondale nor Missouri nor New Hampshire nor New Jersey nor Colorado.

This election was not about South Dakota, either. Oh, I know, I know -- Thune-Johnson was the Bush-Daschle proxy battle of Campaign 2002, to hear the gaggle of pundits tell it.

Ah, but it wasn't. If it were, it'd be Thune in a cake walk.

Indeed, Sen. Johnson's TV ad strategy illustrated the point perfectly; it was a microcosm of Democrat ad/campaign strategy nationally, to wit: Wrap yourselves around the President. Put photos of you and Bush together in campaign ads. Lots of photos. Tell voters you stand four-square with President Bush. Tell them you can't wait to get back to Washington, roll up your sleeves and help pass the Bush agenda.

There may be no 'new tone' in Washington, but, on the campaign trail at least, Dems were definitely speaking a 'new tone'.

Now, call me dumb, but if both sides -- Democrats and Republicans -- were chanting from every rooftop, 'Viva Bush!' Viva Bush!', how on earth could this election conceivably be a referendum on President Bush?

Forget the 50-50, 'evenly split', deeply divided' nation bunk. America isn't 'deeply divided' about George W. Bush. An overwhelming majority, 14 months after 9/11, still strongly support him -- 65% according to most polls. Americans are, if anything, solidly united behind her Commander-in-Chief.

But if Democrat grand strategy was to blur party lines in regards to supporting the President -- Dems put very little daylight between themselves and Bush -- a torrent of close, 50-50 election results were the likeliest outcome, and Democrats knew it. Hence, the mobilization of legions of lawyers solely to challenge the many anticipated razer-thin margins at the ballot box.

So, if it wasn't the House nor the Senate, then what exactly was this election about?

Answer: Regime change -- hunting down a 'grave and gathering danger'. For Democrats, quick and decisive action was urgently needed to eliminate this grave threat.

Saddam?

No -- Jeb Bush.

(Remember we're dealing with Democrats here.)

In this election -- make no mistake -- Jeb was at the top of the Democrat target/hit list, with no close 2nd. Florida, bear in mind, was the only place a Bush was on the ballot.

DNC chair Terry McAuliffe had 3 goals in mind for Campaign 2002:

1) Toppling Jeb.
2) Toppling Jeb.
3) Toppling Jeb

With polls for many weeks showing a dead-heat in Florida, Dems were salivating the chance of dealing President Bush a death blow by knocking his brother off in the Sunshine State.

Towards this goal, no effort was spared.

It's impossible to overstate the importance Democrats attached to defeating Gov. Jeb Bush -- and the desperation showed.

The Party pulled out all the stops, pouring money and manpower into the state.

But not for reasons you might think -- or that Beltway insiders had suggested.

Democrats, said 'Conventional Wisdom', saw Florida as a chance to 'avenge' Campaign 2000; that Florida '02 was Florida '00 all over again -- a Bush-Gore grudge re-match, with 'energized' Democrats bound and determined to 'reverse' the 'theft' of 2 years ago.

But Florida was more than a chance to 'embarrass' President Bush, or of seizing control over a colossal electoral machinery that comes with running the 4th largest state.

No, the real reason Florida drew such national attention was because the outcome November 5 might well determine the outcome November, 2008.

That's right, 2008.

Nothing petrifies Democrats more than the thought of a so-called Bush family "Dynasty".

To Dems, Election '02 was an opportunity to nip that threat in the bud.

Topple Jeb, and voila! gone is the "Dynasty" menace.

With Jeb's landslide victory Tuesday, however, that "threat" becomes very real and very present. Jeb now emerges as President Bush's heir-apparent -- the odds-on-favorite to win the GOP nomination in '08.

A term-limited George W. Bush won't be on the Presidential ballot 6 years from now, but brother Jeb most likely will be.

Given the importance of Florida, Janet Reno never had a chance -- not if the Florida Democrat Party had any say in the matter.

Democrats were worried that Janet, hopelessly unelectable, might bring the whole party down in flames. In other words, she'd do to the Party in Florida what she did to the Branch Davidians in Waco, Tex.

So Party Bosses annointed Bill McBride, a millionaire Tampa Bay area trial lawyer.

To ensure he got the nod, countless shenanigans were pulled on Primary Day throughout Dade and Broward Counties, Reno bastions both.

What kind of shenanigans? There were numerous reports of precincts in Dade and Broward mysteriously closed hours after 7:00 a.m., when polls officially were to open; tales of "malfunctioning" touch-screen machines; stories of poll workers with little or no "training"; complaints of excessively long lines, etc., etc.

But all these problems, oddly enough, surfaced only in Reno bastions -- none in McBride strongholds.

Golly, gee ... what a *fluke*, eh?

It was soooooooo obvious that Party Bosses had engineered Reno's defeat, the only thing missing were road signs warning a vote for Janet could give you herpes.

Oh, and that, for Reno voters, Election-Day had been moved to Wednesday, September 11th.

Party insiders essentially cheated Reno out of the nomination.

Yet, out of 1.3 million primary ballots cast, Reno "lost" by a "whopping" 4,800 votes, according to official results.

With McBride, however, the Party had bought a pig in the poke.

As a candidate, he proved disastrous.

He stumbled repeatedly, spoke haltingly, was horrible on the hustings and even worse in debates. McBride was in way over his head.

Despite wall-to-wall fawning, rock-star-esque media coverage, worth hundreds of millions in free advertisement, the campaign never got off the ground.

Polls in the closing week showed a crippled candidate, barely limping along.

His base firm as a wet noodle, McBride threatened to drag the whole Democrat ticket down statewide. Nothing seemed to work. The nationally televised Haitian invasion at Key Biscayne last week only energized Republicans.

Party Bosses hit the panic button.

Then something really, really weird happened Saturday.

From Miami to Pensacola, from Jacksonville to Key West, parents suddenly hid their daughters.

I flick on the local TV news, and it dawned on me what was happening.

'Bill Clinton is in Florida!'

Even the 'Monica vote' needed stimulating, apparently.

As Clinton waltzed slowly down the stairs of his Lippo-chartered plane, emblazoned across with 'Win One For The Zipper!', he took questions from reporters.

"Mr Clinton, do you think, in retrospect, sir, you could have done more about Osama bin Laden?" a brave reporter asked.

Clinton blew a gasket.

"Here, read this!", he shot back.

He points to his red, bedizened Tee-Shirt, inscribed with: "I came within less than an hour of getting Osama! So Bug-Off!"

Then things really got hot.

Noting that Bush had stumped in Georgia on Saturday, another reporter asked Clinton if he planned to do Georgia, too.

He bristled at the question.

"I want to say one thing to the American people," he fumed. "I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again." His face a thick crimson, he shakes his finger at reporters and shouts, "I did not have sex with that woman, Georgia!"

Al Gore wasn't dancing the Macarena, either.

At a stop in Orlando, Al lashes out at voters in Florida, accusing them of stealing the 2000 Election by giving more votes to rival George W. Bush, than to him.

Well, duh.

"This is an outrage!", he bellowed. "Those votes belonged to me, not Shrub!"

He demands yet another recount. Make that another re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-count.

Then he stuns reporters by whipping out this freaky looking insect net with a 42" handle, swinging the thing back and forth in the air like a madman.

"What the heck is that for?" someone asked.

Gore seemed genuinely puzzled.

"Well, haven't you heard of butterfly ballots? That's what this net's for -- to catch them butterflies and see that every vote is counted!"

Poor fella. It was obvious Gore had gone completely bananas.

Suddenly, an ambulance pulls up, doors swing open, out come three men wearing white shirts, one of them carrying what looked like a straight-jacket. They approach Gore very slowly, and try to get him to submit to restraints willingly.

"Yes, I will," says Gore, but only on one condition. "Tell me, do you remember where you were and what you were doing on December 12, 2000 -- the day the Supreme Court stopped the recount?"

Kidding aside, Tuesday night was a glorious triumph, not just for Republicans, but for America itself.

Humbled pundits will study and debate Campaign 2002 for years to come, wondering how they failed to catch the looming tsunami.

But the biggest thanks, of course, belongs to our President, George W. Bush. He laid it all on the line for our team, fighting in the trenches, district-by-district, state-by-state, mano-a-mano. Had things gone the other way, no-one had more to lose.

But 'losing' isn't in Bush's vocabulary.

Great job, Mr. President!

Anyway, that's...

My two cents...

THIS WEEK'S THREADs

11-04-02 Surprise
11-05-02 Profile Pages#6
11-06-02 How Sweet It Is

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

     1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
     2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.

     3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
     4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
     5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[daisyscarlett]

[daisyscarlett]

[daisyscarlett]

Good morning, John. Good take on the Tuesday elections. I can live with a Bush dynasty...Jeb and then one or two of the kids...

All:Please join us for some coffee and pastry as we read John's Two Cents today...

[daisyscarlett]

Good morning ladies. Nice calendar page for today...

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks, my friend =^)

...Jeb and then one or two of the kids...

...there's a certain law school student at the University of Texas who happens to be Jeb's oldest son....hehehe

[daisyscarlett]

That would be George P...and Barbara Bush is a Yale student and has worked in the WH at least one summer break....Wouldn't that be cool to have the first woman President be a Bush....

[JohnHuang2]

Wouldn't that be cool to have the first woman President be a Bush....

Cool, indeed =^)

[.45MAN]

Great post John,funny but true, thanks for the ping daisyscarlett. It's another wonderful day in the USA..

[JustAmy]

Excellent!!

[JustAmy]

Happy 4th Anniversary, mlmr!

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Daisy.

[Mudboy Slim]

"(Slick's) ChiCom Spies!!"
(To be sung to the Eagles' "Lyin' Eyes")

Lib'ral Pols just seem so gawl-durned squirrelly...
SlickWillie's Whore'd says, "Trust the Commies' Bile!!"
Effete ol' men, will go now to the Jury...
They'll fess up and disgrace Left's Elite Style.
Late last night, most DemonRATS felt lonely...
Reckon every Dolt knows Clinton isn't Right!!
And it breaks MUD's heart to think RATS' love is only...
Given to Dem folks who stand fer Rape and Vice!!
So RATS tell Slick they must Vote NOW fer their Country...
To support their Nation that the Left's torn down...
But Slick knows where RATS're goin' as they're leavin'...
Left is headed for the FReepin' side of town!!

{start_of_chorus}
You can't hide yer ChiComSpies!!
Yes...Left's Vile and lost, passion-wise!!
I thought by now RATS'd realize...
There ain't no way to hide Slick's Brazen Lies!!

On the other side of town, Mudboy is waitin'...
With fiery eyes and dreams no RAT shall steal!!
He types on through the night, anticipatin'...
'Cuz Slick makes MUD FReep away RATS' sleazy schpiel!!
Left rushes to Slick's arms, they'll fall together!!
MUD whispers that Bill's goin' to be tried!!
RATS swear that soon they'll be comin' back, emboldened...
MUD laughs away and sings "McAuliffe's FRIED!!"

RATS can't hide their ChiCom Spies...
And Slick's guile is a thin disguise!!
I thought by now Left'd realize...
There ain't no way to hide Slick's Brazen Lies!!

RATS, wake up and pour yerself a strong one...
You know now that Left's Stars just keep on LYIN'!!
Come Join the Right...We're gonna FReep the Wrong Ones!!
Slick's bed is made...we'll hang him fer his crimes!!
Left wonders how it ever got this crazy...
RATS think about the dreams they dreamed in school.
Did Left get tired or were RATS always crazy?!
They're so far gone, Left seems just like they're fools!!
My, oh my, RATS sure seem now like deranged things...
Press set Dems up so well, so carefully...
Ain't it funny how Left's new life didn't change things...
Left's still the SocialistShills they've always been!!

Mudboy Slim

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping

Good morning everyone

[Flyer]

Algore will be the throw-away candidate in 2004. If Jeb runs in 2008 I would guess it would be a Bush vs Clinton rematch.

---

Sorry if I have missed replying to anyone's posts recently. Duties at home, work, elections and the Chapter have kept me occupied. Sometimes I just have to post and run.

All you Texans may have seen the Texas cut outs on the walls of highway overpasses. I been seeing some in the Houston area that are decorated like the one below. It's a very nice touch. I want to find out who is painting them.

---

God Bless America, land of the free, home of the brave. . .

-----

Highway Decoration - 290 at Cypress Rosehill

-----

[lodwick]

Hunt's Mesa Utah sunrise

[Temple Owl]

Good morning,all. The whole world is beautiful.

[GailA]

Good Morning ALL...great essasy John.

News from Tennessee well it is only half good. We elected Lamar Alexander to Thompson's seat, Marsha Blackburn to Ed Bryant's seat, sent a RAT to take Van Hilleary's seat and sent a RAT to the gov chair. We nearly unseated Boss Hogg jimmy naifeh Speaker ot the TN General Assembly. He LOST his home city and his home county. But kept his seat in the end. Was a VERY ungracious winner and refused to accept the Consession of Tony Lopez...told Col Lopez to go back to Mexico where he belonged..Gee the Col is a US Citizen.

I've missed the posting on the thread due to hubby hogging the computer teaching himself to do Html.

[ladtx]

In memory of my fellow Vietnam helicopter pilots who were killed in that war the following were lost on NOV 7. God bless them all.

1969 WO1 David C. Greeson -- B/2/20 ARA 1 CAV, Age 21, Melbourne, Florida

WO1 Greeson of B Battery, 2d Battalion, 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery (Blue Max) was killed when his AH-1G Cobra helicopter (aircraft # 67-15712) was hit by ground fire, crashed and burned. WO1 Greeson was the aircraft commander at the time, the copilot was injured and survived this incident.

B/2/20 ARA (Blue Max)

In memory of WO1 Greeson -- KIA; Phuoc Long, South Vietnam.

From a flight school classmate

We called him "Grinny" and that's how I remember him, smiling. A couple of weeks before we graduated from flight school, his application to West Point was accepted.

Walter Hawn -- Flight school classmate

IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE

SCOUTS OUT!

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! :O)

Sorry for no graphics. I'm still at my Dad's house. I'm taking him to a doctors appt. today in Tyler. It's his new hand doctor. He had skin graft surgery on his hand/arm and the surgeon said he needed it looked at again in about 10 days or so. It looks like he'll keep most of his mobility/motion in his left hand, but he's lucky because it was pretty ugly looking. Anyway......

We got his pictures back yesterday. Picture #24 & 25 here are of his car when I went to get his personal stuff out of it. This is where it was towed to in Flagler, Colorado.

Frame #24 & #25
Click on the frame for enlarged view

Hard for me to imagine he walked away from this. He had to crawl out the drivers side window. None of the doors would open. All the glass was busted out except the front windshield, and, as you can see, it was shattered too.....

[dansangel]

Good morning everyone! 'Tis still a great morning after. May the "warm fuzzy feelings" last a lifetime!

Excellent essay, JH2. As a child, I was taught it was "impolite to gloat." Well, my parents would be awfully disappointed in me if they could have seen me these past couple of days! Your essay was perfect "to gloat by."

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}