First Thanksgiving Proclamation

The first United States Thanksgiving Proclamation, by President George Washington, issued on October 3, 1789. (See the original)

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.


Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.


And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.


Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.



Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of Pres. Bush's last Thanksgiving...

Here are the best pictures of Pres. Bush pardoning the White House turkey over the last 8 years:

Come on, you're gonna miss him, you know you will!

America is Taking Crazy Pills!!!

One of the most frustrating things about the McCain loss is that the reasons I dislike McCain are the same reasons he should have won.  John McCain was the true candidate of change.  He has a long history of defying Republicans and working with Democrats.  As a conservative, this has driven me nuts, but supposedly America was looking for more bipartisan leadership, a unifier ... and they settled on the most liberal Senator with no record of reaching across the aisle.

After the bitter 2000 primary battle, McCain held a grudge against the new President Bush and Republicans.  He voted against the Bush tax cuts.  He worked with Democrats for McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform - which conservatives believe is unconstitutional because it restricts free speech; the McCain-Edwards-Kennedy Patients' Bill of Rights - which conservatives opposed as undue government interference in the free market; McCain-Lieberman global warming - which conservatives do not believe is man-made and thus cannot be stopped; McCain-Kennedy amnesty for illegals - which conservatives are vehemently against.

On all these positions, McCain is more than moderate, he is liberal, joining up with some of the most liberal members of the Senate.  Clearly he can work well with others and make compromises with the left - which I don't like, but America professes to love.  Oh, and I almost forgot - McCain was rumored to be considering changing his party affiliation in 2000 before Sen. Jeffords made the leap and gave the Senate to the Democrats.  McCain was also rumored to be on John F. Kerry's VP list.

He further irked conservatives when he joined the Gang of 14 - the group that forced a compromise in the impasse of judicial confirmations.  When Democrats wouldn't allow the full Senate to vote up or down on judicial confirmations, conservatives wanted to go for the "nuclear option," which would only require a majority, rather than 60 votes to bring them to the floor.  A Republican argument against going nuclear is that when Democrats come into office, they will also use the nuclear option for their judges.  Well, we didn't end up going nuclear, but mark my words, the Dems WILL.  

So these are all the things that have happened over the last 8 years to make me dislike John McCain, but then he became the Republican presidential candidate.  McCain being infinitely

 better than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, I had to put aside my qualms and back him.  I had to continue to defend him even though, through the course of the campaign, he pledged to include Democrats in his cabinet, considered Lieberman for VP, supported the bailout, continued to oppose drilling in ANWR, and attacked Obama for not taking public financing.  All of which are anathema to conservatives, but should have endeared him to Americans looking for change in Washington.

McCain was the anti-Bush candidate, the candidate of change, the unifier, the true maverick, the bipartisan compromiser willing to throw out his ideals in the name of consensus - all of which I HATE and yet I supported him and America, wanting all these qualities, went for OBAMA!

I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

Related posts:

McCain Aides are Taking Crazy Pills!!!

"Republicans" for Obama are Taking Crazy Pills!

The Media are taking Crazy Pills!

Obama Supporters Are Taking Crazy Pills!

I FEEL I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

How to Survive Election Day

...without feeling like you're taking crazy pills!

The best advice I can give is to turn off your tv, computer, and radio (unless you're listening to Rush) for the next 24 hours and focus on one thing: getting to your polling place and voting McCain.

Nothing that the media can say before the polls close means anything.  It's all speculation - pro-Obama speculation based on skewed polls at that.  Republicans are historically underrepresented in election and exit polls - plus many Republicans will lie and say they voted Obama, while many Democrats will lie and say they're Republicans or Independents who voted Obama.  Polls mean nothing, it's the votes that count.  We can still turn this thing around!

The media want Obama to win - you know it and I know it.  So don't torture yourself watching their spin - it is meant to depress and demoralize you so that you give up and don't bother voting.  They'll tell you how bad it looks for McCain and that it will be an early night - maybe inexperienced Obama voters won't go to the polls, but don't let that be you!

They'll tell you about record turnout in heavily Democratic areas - don't listen: they say this every year and this year many Democrats may vote their gut and vote McCain.  They'll talk about court orders to keep Democratic strong hold polls open late - again this happens every year and what can we do about it?  They'll call races too close to call for Obama - people on the West Coast do not pay attention, get out there and vote McCain no matter how it looks, your vote is important, too!

There will be plenty of time to freak out once the votes start coming in if Obama wins, why stress the whole day over nothing?  For your sanity and nerves, stay away from the media until 7 or 8pm - or later if you can stand it - and VOTE MCCAIN!

"Don't give up, don't ever give up." - Jimmy V.

McCain Aides are Taking Crazy Pills!!!

WHY are McCain aides going after Palin with one week left before the election?!

In recent days, the CNN Political Ticker has reported on McCain "advisers" complaining about Palin:

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

Now, today's Politico Playbook says:

In convo with Playbook, a top McCain adviser one-ups the priceless “diva” description, calling her “a whack job.”

Are these advisers insane?! The last thing the campaign needs is public pot shots aimed at one half of the ticket. It seems like, aside from finger pointing at Palin as the problem as the McCain ship is going down, some McCain advisers are upset at the loss of a few moderates and Republicans to Obama because of the Palin pick. Well, it's too late to win them back anyway, but the last way to do it is to throw the supporters you have left, the ones who love Palin, under the bus.

These insulting comments are offensive and demoralizing to the Republican base, and couldn't come at a worse time. With one week left until the election and McCain down in the polls, the base needs to be excited enough to turn out. Instead these comments could pit conservative Palin supporters against moderate McCain at a time when unity is so important.

Hopefully these comments won't end up meaning much, but still, why would McCain aides risk the campaign to make petty comments?! Are they TRYING to make it even harder to win this election?!

I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!
Related posts:

"Republicans" for Obama are Taking Crazy Pills!

The Media are taking Crazy Pills!

Obama Supporters Are Taking Crazy Pills!

I FEEL I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

"Republicans" for Obama are Taking Crazy Pills!

What is up with all these "conservatives" or "Republicans" endorsing Obama because they haven't liked McCain in the last 2 months?!

You're really going to dump McCain after his record of 40 years in public service for someone who is the most inexperienced, unqualified, untested, unaccomplished radical leftist presidential candidate in history?!

How can you complain about McCain being "erratic" (since when is it erratic to go to DC to work with Congress on legislation to address the crisis?) on the economic crisis when Obama's policies have contributed and would only prolong the problems in the economy?!

How can you reject McCain and Palin's true record of change (since when is standing up to one's party on principle and working with Democrats on key legislation NOT true change?) in favor of Obama's empty, unproven words of change?

How can you complain about Palin's inexperience for the VICE-PRESIDENCY (since when is being mayor, oil commissioner, and governor inexperience?) when Obama is as or more inexperienced for the PRESIDENCY?!?!

HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE?!?!?!

WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!?!?!

I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The only problem conservatives or Republicans should have with McCain is that he is too much of a maverick. He defied conservatives on very important issues: campaign finance reform, amnesty for illegal immigrants, global warming, the Gang of 14 compromise on judges, the bailout, drilling in ANWR.

Just listing these makes me upset at how McCain is our nominee! But I ascribe to Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of fellow Republicans - especially in an election year!!! Many of the people abandoning ship claim close ties with Reagan but are ignoring his wise words. I will save all my criticism for Nov. 5.

Any problem with McCain, however, is vastly over-shadowed by Obama and his ideology. Obama and Biden are the most and third most liberal Senators, respectively. Somehow 2 conservatives have recently written that they base their support on their HOPE that Obama would be sensible and abandon his left-wing politics as president:

Ken Adelman:

I sure hope Obama is more open, centrist, sensible—dare I say, Clintonesque—than his liberal record indicates, than his cooperation with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid portends. If not, I will be even more startled by my vote than I am now.

Christopher Buckley:

But having a first-class temperament and a first-class intellect, President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren’t going to get us out of this pit we’ve dug for ourselves. If he raises taxes and throws up tariff walls and opens the coffers of the DNC to bribe-money from the special interest groups against whom he has (somewhat disingenuously) railed during the campaign trail, then he will almost certainly reap a whirlwind that will make Katrina look like a balmy summer zephyr.

That is FAR too great a leap of faith in this political unknown! There is NOTHING in Obama's past to indicate that he will suddenly become moderate and stand up to Pelosi and Reid's liberal Congressional majority! This election is too important to rest on unfounded wishful thinking that Obama will see the light and come around to your own policies!

WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!

The future of our country is at stake!!!

Related posts:

The Media are taking Crazy Pills!

Obama Supporters Are Taking Crazy Pills!

I FEEL I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

The Media are taking Crazy Pills!

The behavior of the media has been the most appalling and frightening thing to come out of this election so far. Their unabashed championing of Obama and undercutting of McCain has become a serious problem and will be even more troubling if Obama is elected and it continues. Witness the way they went after Joe the Plumber - an ordinary citizen who challenged Obama. That will have a chilling effect on anyone who dares questions Obama now or in the future. It's one thing to have bloggers after you, but the media and a potential administration is downright scary!

On a less serious note, the New York Times gave FRONT PAGE coverage today to this major, earth-shattering election issue: "$150,000 Wardrobe for Palin May Alter Tailor-Made Image"! Gee, think this "news" story was trying to drive a wedge between Palin and her base? They also had three front page stories on Palin's personal life and that of her family when she was originally chosen for VP. Meanwhile, they put out a whitewash article on Obama's connection to unrepentent terrorist Ayers on a Saturday, the slowest news day of the week. And don't forget the hit piece on McCain that implied he was having an affair with a lobbyist! The New York Times has sunk so low, the have less than zero credibility - negative credibility!

The media is even covering for Obama and the Democrats on the biggest financial issue of our time. Here's an excerpt from a great article on the negligence of the media in covering the economic collapse, directed to the media:

You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

SOOOO TRUE!!! The current financial crisis is directly attributable to Democrats and Obama and yet Republicans are getting the blame and McCain is suffering because of it!

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS COUNTRY?!?! I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!


Update 10/26/08: Michael Malone of ABC says:

The traditional media are playing a very, very dangerous game -- with their readers, with the Constitution and with their own fates. ...

If the current polls are correct, we are about to elect as president of the United States a man who is essentially a cipher, who has left almost no paper trail, seems to have few friends (that at least will talk) and has entire years missing out of his biography.

That isn't Sen. Obama's fault: His job is to put his best face forward. No, it is the traditional media's fault, for it alone (unlike the alternative media) has had the resources to cover this story properly, and has systematically refused to do so.

He offers insight into WHY editors are so supportive of Obama - to save their jobs and their industry:

With luck, this monolithic, single-party government will crush the alternative media via a revived fairness doctrine, re-invigorate unions by getting rid of secret votes, and just maybe be beholden to people like you in the traditional media for getting it there.

Great article!

Related posts:

Obama Supporters Are Taking Crazy Pills!

I FEEL I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

Obama Supporters Are Taking Crazy Pills!

So last week the media was all over the meme that McCain-Palin supporters are angry and violent. But that quietly faded away AFTER we learned the Secret Service could find no evidence of anyone yelling "Kill Him!,"and ...

a McCain support was smacked in the face with a sign and wooden stick by an Obama supporter,


a car with a McCain sticker was keyed with KKK,


a SC Republican Party HQ was vandalized with the words "Republican means slavery,"

Obama supporters wore "Sarah Palin is a C**T" shirts,


Molotov cocktails were thrown at a McCain sign in front of a house,


people are posing for pictures with guns aimed at Sarah Palin,



and those are only the ones I've heard about recently!

Yet somehow it's Republicans who are hateful and dangerous?! I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

Michelle Malkin has a whole list of things deranged liberals have done

I FEEL I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

Sorry for not blogging lately. I've been caught up with microblogging on Twitter, started a new job a few weeks ago, blah, blah, blah - so I'm going to try to blog more often. Starting with:


WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY?!?! The least accomplished, most inexperienced empty-suit of a radical liberal could win the presidency - with even North Carolina leaning blue! I am about to be represented completely by Democrats - in VIRGINIA! Al Bleeping Franken could become a SENATOR!
As Mugatu would say: I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!! Or more accurately, I feel like the only person left NOT taking crazy pills!


Of course I couldn't pass up barrel of gaffes Joe Biden!




JOBS is my favorite 3 letter word! J-O-B-S!

And people are comparing Palin to Quayle?!?!?! I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!


The only religious votive within 20 miles of San Francisco:
People really think Obama is The One, The Messiah. I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!


I was going to make this a whole long post, but instead I'm going to add new bizarre items every day that make me think to myself: "I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!"

Obama's Assault on 1st Amendment Rights

A Preview of His Presidency?

There has been a disturbing pattern of Barack Obama and his campaign attacking the free speech of political opponents through intimidation and lawsuits. Could this be a preview of things to come should he win the election? What kind of damage could he do as the most powerful politician in the world? Questions we should all be asking ourselves, and the answers are not looking pretty.

The Obama Truth Squad:
The most recent example of Obama tampling the 1st Amendment is perhaps the most disturbing: a report by KMOV that "The Barack Obama campaign is asking Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs a misleading TV ad during the presidential campaign." What is meant by "target" is unclear but district attorneys and sheriffs are lined up to help the Obama campaign do it. How can one campaign be allowed to use the intimidation of law enforcement to go after political opponents?! The report says, "They will be reminding voters that Barack Obama is a Christian who wants to cut taxes for anyone making less than $250,000 a year."- That is NOT the job of law enforcement, it is an abuse of taxpayer resources and betrays the public confidence in the fairness of its officials. Furthermore, Obama's definition of "lie" or "mislead" is pretty much anything that comes out of a Republican or conservatives mouth.

The Obama Action Wire:
The Obama campaign has used the "Action Wire," or as the WashTimes calls them Digital Brownshirts, to twice attempt to shut down WGN Chicago's phone lines because National Review writers Stanley Kurtz and David Freddosso were on to talk about their investigations into Obama's past.

Kurtz had been trying unsuccessfully at that point to look at the records of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge which Obama worked on with Ayers. Freddosso has written a book exposing the life of Obama: The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate . So much for free speech and the free exchange of ideas.

Those are two official Obama campaign projects, now on to Obama's attack on political advertisements. Instead of refuting ads against him, Obama tries to use the threat of government force to get them off the air.

American Issues Project - Ayers
According to the Politico, Obama's attorney "called on the Justice Department to open “an investigation of the American Issues Project; its officers and directors; and its anonymous donors, whoever they may be." "The Obama campaign plans to punish the stations that air the ad financially, an Obama aide said, organizing his supporters to target the stations that air it and their advertisers."

Here is the ad:

Obama's lawyer wrote "calls the ad’s attempt to link Obama to terrorism 'an appalling lie, a disgraceful smear of the lowest kind on the senator’s patriotism and commitment to the rule of law.'" What in that ad was a lie? Here's a fact sheet for every line of the ad.

Obama vs. the NRA
Obama, already distrusted by bitter gun-clingers, doesn't like his record on guns being exposed so he's writing to radio and TV stations to threaten their FCC licenses, saying "For the sake of both FCC licensing requirements and the public interest, your station should refuse to continue to air this advertisement."

Here's one of the ads:

Although MSM fact checkers have attempted to support Obama on this here's the NRA's response and some fact checking on the fact checkers.
Jake Tapper has summaries and videos of the other ads.

This is just a peak into what the Obama-machine could do to its political enemies as leader of the free world. With these antics on display just during the campaign, Obama's on track to put Pres. Clinton's IRS audits of opponents to shame.
SCARY STUFF!!!