Free Republic

Hey MJY.....

No complaints. I think we are in for a dirty camapaign by the democrats, but i think they are quickly running out of steam on the urban legend suggesting that president Bush was awol in the air national guard.

For anyone who has not seen it.....There is an article on newsmax.com that debunks the bush-haters "why has nobody come forward that recalls seeing bush on the base at the time in question" rants. Well, someone has come forward, today.
Stangely the newsmax.com web site appears to be down right now, however not to worry, I had already cut and pasted the article. Here it is:

NewsMax.com Wires Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 A retired Alabama Air National Guard officer said Friday that he remembered George W. Bush showing up for duty in Alabama in 1972, reading safety magazines and flight manuals in an office as he performed his weekend obligations. "I saw him each drill period," retired Lt. Col. John "Bill" Calhoun said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Daytona Beach, Fla., where he is preparing to watch this weekend's big NASCAR race.

"He was very aggressive about doing his duty there. He never complained about it. ... He was very dedicated to what he was doing in the Guard. He showed up on time, and he left at the end of the day."

Calhoun, whose name was supplied to the AP by a Republican close to Bush, is the first member of the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to recall Bush distinctly at the Alabama base in the period of 1972-1973. He was the unit's flight safety officer.

The 69-year-old president of an Atlanta insulation company said Bush showed up for work at Dannelly Air National Guard Base for drills on at least six occasions. Bush and Calhoun had been trained as fighter pilots, and Calhoun said the two would swap "war stories" and even eat lunch together on base.

Calhoun is named in 187th unit rosters obtained by the AP as serving under the deputy commander of operations plans. Bush was in Alabama on non-flying status.

"He sat in my office most of the time. He would read," Calhoun said. "He had your training manuals from your aircraft he was flying. He'd study those some. He'd read safety magazines, which is a common thing for pilots."

Democrats have asked for proof that Bush, then a 1st lieutenant with the Texas Air National Guard, turned up for duty in Alabama, where Bush had asked to be assigned while he worked on the U.S. Senate campaign of family friend Winton "Red" Blount.

The White House released pay and medical records this week.

The 187th's former commander, retired Brig. Gen. William Turnipseed, has said he doesn't remember Bush turning up on base, and more than a dozen members of the 800-person unit, including its commander, told The Associated Press this week they had no recollection of Bush. Critics have made much of the fact that the White House had not produced anyone who could remember seeing Bush there.

Calhoun said he contacted Texas GOP leaders with his story in 2000 when the issue was raised just before the November election.

But if Dems Repeat a Lie Often Enough ...

"I got on the phone and got information and called Austin, Texas, and talked to the Republican campaign. They said I was talking to the campaign manager," he said. "I told him my story and said I would be glad to provide information to that effect. At that time they said ... the story is not true. And we don't think it's got enough weight to stay out as a story.' And they said, 'But if it does we'll call you back.' And I never heard from them again."

Last week Calhoun sent an e-mail to the White House offering to tell his story. "I got a response back, one of those automatic responses," he said. It wasn't until his wife contacted Georgia GOP officials that Calhoun's name surfaced.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday that the White House was not making any effort to locate people who might have served with Bush. He accused reporters of trying to raise new lines of questioning, beyond whether Bush served in Alabama.

Critics have suggested that Bush used his family connections to get the safe Guard assignment ahead of thousands of others. But Calhoun said Bush never mentioned his congressman father while they sat together at Dannelly.

"I knew he was working in the senatorial campaign, and I asked him if he was going to be a politician," said Calhoun, a staunch Republican. "And he said: 'I don't know. Probably.'"

Calhoun has not made any donations to Bush this election season or during the 2000 season, according to campaign finance records

A
Soldier's Prayer

Whenever you see this star, please pray for me,
For on a lonely journey, I will be.
Serving my country by protecting this land,
Created so uniquely by the Master's Hand.

Pray for my protection and safety as I go,
Deliverance from the evil snares of my foes.
Pray for my courage to stand brave and strong,
But humbleness to remember to whom I belong.

Pray I'll be the man God created me to be,
Cleansed by the blood on the cross at Calvary.
Pray that I'll take up daily the full Armor of God,
To guide and protect my footsteps wherever I may trod.

Pray for wisdom and discernment in every decision I make,
That I'll seek His will before each step that I take.
Pray I'll find comfort in knowing He's always there,
Trusting Him completely with all my burdens to bear.

Pray for endurance as I bravely answer this call,
Remembering that for me, He gave His One and All.
Pray that I'll lean not on my own understanding,
For only in Him is victory and true honor gained.

Pray for my family while I'm away from home,
Help them to remember that they're never alone.
Pray they'll trust the Sovereignty of His unseen Hand,
Focusing on the One who has a Master Plan.

Pray I'll find hope renewed and in Him, the strength,
If my spirit begins to grow weary and faint.
Pray that on wings like eagles, I will soar,
If I begin to feel that I can take no more.

Now, as this nation's freedom I go to defend,
Pray for my swift and safe return in the end.
Pray that in Him, I completely trust and obey,
As I fulfill the mission of "Enduring Freedom" for the USA!


Michele Shiver

This has been an amazing several weeks! First the good news on the economy, then President Bush at considerable personal risk visiting the troops in Bagdad at thanksgiving, giving them such a morale boost, and now...the capture of saddam! God Bless President Bush and the troops of the greatest military in the world. I do believe the prayers are having an effect.

You are very welcome. After reading the poem, this is the first and best place to share it.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.



My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.



Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.



The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.



My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep

in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.



The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.



Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.



My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

and I crept to the door just to see who was near.



Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.



A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old

perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.



Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.



"What are you doing?" I asked without fear

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!



Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

you should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"



For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,

to the window that danced with a warm fire's light

then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night"



"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,

that separates you! from the darkest of times.



No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.



My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"

then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."



My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam

and now it is my turn and so, here I am.



I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

but my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.



Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

the red white and blue... an American flag.



"I can live through the cold and the being alone,

away from my family, my house and my home,



I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,



I can carry the weight of killing another

or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers

who stand at the front against any and all,

to insure for all time that this flag will not fall."



"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."



"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?



It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."



Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget

to fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.



For when we come home, either standing or dead,

to know you remember we fought and we bled

is payment enough, and with that we will trust.

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.



WE ALL NEED TO PRAY FOR OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL EVERY NIGHT, THEY ARE IN SOME

VERY VERY TIGHT PLACES.

Author-unknown

Hello all...Great pictures for Easter Sunday!

The link is to a tribute to the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia astronauts. It is mostly directed to the Columbia seven. Make sure your sound is turned on.
http://lb.wnd.com/columbia.html

I think the following has been on the dose before, not too long after 9-11-01, but I thought many might enjoy reading it again. I apologise for the length.......


THE SALUTE
>
>
>Have you noticed a difference in the salute given by our
>military men and women as President Bush walks by? Most folks would not
>notice anything, but military people see it right away. Watch: When
>President Bush leaves his helicopter or Air Force One, the honor guards
>salute and face him as he disembarks, then turn their faces towards him
>as he passes by. They continue to salute his back as he walks away. This
>kind of salute has not been seen in the previous eight years, though it
>is customary courtesy to the Commander-in-Chief. You see, soldiers aren't
>required to turn and face the President as they salute. They are not
>required to salute his back. They are only required to salute. They can
>remain face-forward the entire time. And that is what they did during
>Bill Clinton's entire Presidency.Our soldiers were forced to obey
>Clinton's orders, but they were not forced to respect him. From their
>salutes, we can surmise that they did not. Why is such respect afforded
>to President Bush? He doesn't even know how to bite his lower lip and not
>get teary-eyed whenever he speaks! The following incident from Major
>General Van Antwerp may give us an insight. Gen. Antwerp is president of
>the Officers' Christian Fellowship. He lost nearly all his staff when the
>Pentagon was attacked Sept. 11. His executive officer LTC Brian Birdwell
>was badly burned and in the hospital when President Bush visited him. Our
>President spent time and prayed with Brian. As he was getting ready to
>leave, he went to the foot of Brian's bed and saluted. He held his salute
>until Brian was able to raise his burned and bandaged arm, ever so
>slowly, in return. The Commander-in-Chief never initiates a salute,
>except in the case of a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. The injured
>soldier did not have to return the salute. But he did, out of respect to
>his President--a soldiers' President. Congressman JC Watts (R. Oklahoma)
>said, "Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking." The
>nation and world learned some of what our last President did when nobody
>was looking. That President has been disbarred this week--the worst
>disgrace (other than imprisonment) to a lawyer. CNN will have a difficult
>time shining his or his wife's tarnished images. In this time of war and
>danger, I am so grateful to have a President whom the soldiers
>salute--fully. On Special Report with Brit Hume, (hosted by Jim Angle
>this evening), at the close of the show when they normally have some
>funny video clip, they showed President Bush and the First Lady on their
>way to Marine One to leave for Camp David for the weekend. As the video
>starts, the First Lady is leading the way into the helicopter with the
>spaniel dog on the leash, and the President is right behind her with the
>Scottie on the leash. As the First Lady entered the chopper, the Marine
>at the gangway saluted and held his salute. The Scottie the President was
>walking decided it wanted to squat right when he got to the steps. The
>President pulled on its leash, but the stubborn Scottie persisted in
>squatting. The President bent down and scooped up the pooch and entered
>Marine One. After he entered, the Marine cut his salute and returned to
>the position of attention. Moments later the President emerged from the
>helicopter and out onto the steps. The Marine was standing at attention,
>head and eyes straight ahead. The President leaned over and tapped him on
>the left arm. The startled Marine turned his body toward the President
>and received his returned salute! I was so impressed by this true act of
>respect for our military people by our President! He really does get it.
>Most any other person of his stature would have just continued his
>journey, disregarding the neglected return salute. Not George W. Bush. He
>is earning the respect of the military community, not expecting it--as
>most have and would. Please take a moment after you read this to pray
>for the President. He truly does have the weight of the world on his
>shoulders. Pray that God will sustain him and give him wisdom and
>discernment in his decisions. Pray for his protection and that of his
>family. After you have prayed, send this to everyone on your e-mail list.
>Our President needs Christians around the world to be praying for him.
>As this makes the e-mail rounds, eventually there could literally be
>millions of people praying for him.
>

Absolutely. After what the country went through for eight years, it is just such a relief to get decent human being for president. A man that is not on an ego trip, and knows that his master is his creator. A man that connects with the rich man and the common man alike, rather then depending on scripted photo-ops as the previous occupant did. A man that is as true to his family as he is to the american people. The fact that President Bush is a conservative is icing on the cake.

I have not seen or heard from serpent head carville since the correspondents dinner at the white house when comedian drew carey zinged him.
I think he has passed the "idiot's mantle over to terry mcauliffe for now.

{""I also remembering listening to Drudge on the old Mary Matalin radio show, another person I used to like, but no longer trust for some strange reason. (some REALLY strange reason). (ha, ha)""}

LOL...could it be that bald serpent heade snake that she is married to?

I agree...Drudge started out as a decent alternate news site to get an unfiltered heads up on news that the metworks would ignore...but it seems that in the last several months, drudge has morphed into a tabloid type reporter and is now resorting to sensationalist type headlines based on no0thing stories.

Freedom...your very welcome.

You know you're a democrat if.....
Virtually anyone can be a democrat if they simply quit thinking and vote that way. But to be a good democrat you must have these prerequisites.

You have to believe the AIDS virus is spread by lack of federal funding.

You have to be against capital punishment but strongly support abortion-on-demand.

You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

You have to believe that self-esteem is more important then actually doing something to earn it.

You have to believe that the military and not corrupt politicians start wars.

You have to believe that the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports parts of the constitution.

You have to believe that illegal democratic party funding by the Chinese is somehow in the best interest of the united states.
So vote democratic...it's easier then getting a job

Whatever happens, regarding iraq, and whenever it happens, one thing I am sure of is that President Bush and Rumsfeld, will again use the media's stupidity against Iraq. It is no secret that the media lacks any virtue of common sense, and if they could, they would have cameras and a news anchor set up at the invasion point. It is my opinion that the battles will take place more in the cities, like bagdad, then the desert, and most of the troops used will be special forces. The air campaign will be devastating, as our bomb technology has vastly improved since desert storm, including the bunker busters and the fuel air bombs. I expect that it will be a cake walk.

{""3) I wish he would just go away""}

Amen to that!

X42 clinton recently made the following statement. Does anyone believe him? I don't.


"Should the Iraqis ever cross over the Israeli border for aggression, "I would personally get in a ditch, grab a rifle, and fight and die."

Siegelman has a whiney voice, slightly similar to senator leiberman. Truth is that siegalman is not very good at speaking off the cuff and is usually under tight control by his handlers. He really has nothing to run on this time and alot to run from. He is latching re-election hopes on passing a Lottery bill in the middle of the "bible belt"
BamaTom

The independant counsel law did expire. After all the clintongate scandals, the dems in congress wanted nothing to do with renewing it. The best they can do is hold senate or house hearings which would be for nothing but political gains in the november elections. or they can beg attorney general ashcroft to start a justice dept investigation. But the truth is that the public is weary of scandals after the clinton admin and the demo-rats will not likely risk making that big a fuss this close to the elections. TomBama