Anyway, I found the following article, and it’s worth the entire read:

Like Reagan Without the New Ideas
by Jennifer Rubin
Published: June 5, 2007
Tags: Opinion, Fred Thompson, Ronald Reagan
This article was published in the June 10, 2007, edition of The New York Observer.

Republican angst has created an opening for Fred Thompson.

As G.O.P. voters’ concern has turned to panic—hastened by the much-criticized immigration bill—they now recognize that the Bush Presidency may rank with Hoover’s and Carter’s, and that their 2008 Presidential pick will therefore have to offer not only competency but the promise of change.

Mr. Thompson will enter the race as the focus of many conservatives’ fixation to find an unblemished candidate. On the one hand, he seems to please many conservatives: no offense offered on social issues, sound foreign policy and soothing to the ears. However, it’s not clear that Mr. Thompson has either the experience or the ideas to rescue the G.O.P. from its current plight.

His “elder statesman” screen persona obscures the fact he is the most inexperienced of the major G.O.P. contenders, with seven dimly remembered years as U.S. Senator, no area of expertise, no executive experience and no major legislative achievements bearing his name.

Nor is it apparent—not yet, at least—that he is offering any original ideas to qualify him as the “change” candidate that Republican voters could sorely use.

Grassfire.org Alliance
Bush-Kennedy Amnesty Bill Update
To: Angelina Lenahan

Angelina,

The Senate is aggressively using the media to openly mislead
our nation by outrageously reporting that most Americans
support amnesty! That’s why Grassfire is taking the battle
to stop amnesty directly to the media.

I am thrilled to announce that today, after two months of
development, Grassfire is launching a major new TV ad
campaign opposing the Bush-Kennedy amnesty bill called
“Where’s The Fence?”

You simply have to see the “Where’s The Fence?” ads for
yourself. Go here and then let me know what you think:

http://www.grassfire.org/20042/offer.asp?rid=12439715

+ + They lied about 700 miles of fence…

Let’s face it--Congress and the President never intended to
build the 700 miles of fence they promised last year.
Frankly, it’s all part of a political con job that continues
with the Bush-Kennedy amnesty bill.

Angelina, we’re not going to accept it. That’s why we’re
launching these ads that call the amnesty Senators out, asking:

“Where’s The Fence?”

+ + Ads running on Fox News, CNN across the country

Grassfire’s new ads will be running nationally on both FoxNews
and CNN’s Glen Beck show. We’ve also created state-specific
versions targeting key amnesty Senators—including McCain,
Kyl, Isakson and others—and are running those ads in several
states.

You simply MUST see what we did to John McCain and
Jon Kyl. We literally “pin” amnesty on these two architects
of this amnesty bill. Go here and click in the left column:

http://www.grassfire.org/20042/offer.asp?rid=12439715

+ + We’re all going the extra mile.

This is the largest campaign in Grassfire’s history, involving
dozens of people, and tens of thousands of dollars. Since this
bill was “rushed” in the Senate, our team has been working
every day to get these amazing spots ready.

In fact, we’ve created seven different versions to air this
week during the Senate debate and reach more than 15 million
people!

Angelina, I’m fighting this amnesty bill with everything
I have. I know you are as well. I believe we can win this battle
if we can create a massive groundswell of citizens bombarding
the Senate and saying, “Where’s The Fence?”

I need your help.

I know you’ve already done so much and I am extremely grateful.
I would hesitate to ask for your help again, but the stakes are
exceptionally high. Please go here:

http://www.grassfire.org/20042/offer.asp?rid=12439715

If we lose this fight, there will be no turning back. Tens of
millions of illegals will get immediate amnesty, trillions
in welfare, trillions more in Social Security, and a clear
path to citizenship.

This is our last line of defense. Thank you in advance for
your help launching this campaign.

Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org

+ + + + +
Grassfire.org Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)4 issues advocacy
organization dedicated to equipping our 1.5 million-strong network
of grassroots conservatives with the tools that give you a real
impact on the key issues of our day. Gifts to Grassfire.org are not
tax deductible.

The drug had not been FDA-approved for use in children in the United States but was cleared for adults and was already banned in Europe. The Pfizer trial in Nigeria was not regulated nor was it enforced to adhere to the same guidelines set forth by the FDA, hospital, research facility and/or pharmaceutical companies who conduct clinical trials in the United States. There was no regulatory commission, such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

An IRB is a committee comprised of physicians, statisticians, researchers and research nurses, patient advocates, and data coordinators, all of whom ensure that the ethics of the clinical trial, and the rights of the participants are protected throughout the study. Every institution that supports a clinical trial involving a human participant must have an IRB at the initiation of the study, and also to periodically review the research data to protect the rights of the participants. This is federal law.

Pfizer has conducted clinical trials in the United States and in other countries. They know the rules. Do no harm is the code in health care. In the United States, during a clinical trial, if a participant experiences any toxicities from the study drug, the research doctor and/or treating doctor is mandated by the protocol guidelines to remove the patient from the study and return the patient to the treatment of standard care. Pfizer had full knowledge of the life threatening effects this particular antibiotic posed to children, and the risks it took administering it to children and infants because this drug had never been used on children with meningitis. Pfizer never told their parents that an alternative treatment was available to the children, nor did they explain to the parents what the side effects were, thereby never obtaining an informed written consent. There is no excuse for what Pfizer did to these innocent children, their parents, and the Nigerian government. Pfizer should be held accountable for its unethical and criminal negligence.

The lawsuit says that the researchers did not obtain consent from the children’s families and that the researchers knew Trovan to be an experimental drug with life-threatening side effects that was unfit for human use. Parents were banned from the ward where the drug trial occurred, the suit says, and the company left no medical records in Nigeria. Pfizer and its doctors agreed to do an illegal act, the criminal charges state, and behaved in a manner so rash and negligent as to endanger human life. Joe Stephens, Washington Post

]]> 2007-05-31T16:33:00-08:00 http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/born_in_theusa/ angelina If you’re about the same age as I am, give or take a decade, then you remember Bruce Springfield strutting around the stage, wearing a flagged bandana on his sweating curls, leading the audience in the chorus with his raspy, synergistic wailing: “Born in the…USA...Born in the…USA!!!”

I confess to not remembering the rest of the song, or why it was so popular.  I could tell you all about Bob Dylan’s lyrics, and his era of singer songwriters, but it seems that The Boss was actually at one time proud to be “born in the…USA.”

I wonder how many of us take this privilege of our natural citizenship for granted, and how many of us are really examining our roots of our grandparents and other ancestors who came here legally when the system of immigration actually worked for this country, and worked well, because it testified to the entire world that the United States of America really was the Land of the Free. 

We heard from our ancestors about the feeling in their hearts when they saw the Statue of Liberty, the feeling of incredible accomplishment and pride when they were sworn in as a United States Citizen after studying about our country’s history and government, and we listened to their stories of how hard they labored, day and night, in addition to learning the language of this country. 

My mother’s parents came separately to this country from Italy while they were teenagers.  All immigrants during that time were detained in New York for many weeks while their backgrounds were being checked by our government.  They had to have sponsors, a relative or friend in this country already established in America.  Once they were cleared, they were free to live and work, while studying to become a citizen. 

My grandmother was very young, and taught herself to read and write English.  She was a very intelligent woman in the “old country”, an intellectual, a person who valued the arts, culture, and the opera.  She loved politics and history.  I thought she was stupid, because she could not speak English.  To me, she was just “an immigrant”.  I wasn’t close to her at all until after she died, when my mother told me about her, and I realized how intelligent my grandmother really was. 

I never met my grandfather because he died before I was born.  He did not learn the language.  He felt it wasn’t necessary because he was a laborer and worked with his Italian friends indoors at the leather tannery, and outside on the farms.  He did not complain.  He was grateful that he had even a job to take care of his family.  He loved America.  One of his pleasures was listening to the fights on the radio.  My mother would sit with him and translate all the action from English to Italian. 

My father’s parents came to America from Canada.  They spoke Canadian French, and broken English.  They established themselves in America, became citizens, and owned a farm and a boarding house.  They died before I was born, but my father was very proud of both of them, because they worked very hard on American soil, and provided jobs to other immigrants on their farm, as well as a place to live. 

A dear friend of mine came to this country in the late 60s because of oppression in his own country.  He came here legally, through sponsorship, and was detained for a few weeks while our government checked his background.  When he was free to leave, he began his journey to becoming a United States Citizen.  He learned our language, went to work, studied here, and has had a very successful life.  He is the smartest man I know, a cultured gentleman, and a most fascinating person. 

These are examples of the immigration process when it worked.  That was then.  This is now.  Why has it evolved into this quagmire of political division, something that necessitates 392 pages of rhetoric to appease Democrats, Republicans, and all those who fall in between?

If you examine the immigration bill being pushed in our faces, you will realize it is only a palliative course and not a curative one.  Woven through it are some very complex and mean-spirited restrictions for a population of immigrants who have been here for decades, and have been working for our country, not collecting from the government, but actually working on farms, in restaurants, in nursing homes, in construction; but slipped through the process 20 or 30 years ago.  They brought their families, their sons and daughters have gone to school here.  That means their families are Americanized, not necessarily citizens.  Can you imagine what hell this bill is going to cause for them? 

I admit something has to be done for “illegals”, and the “illegal criminal immigrants”, but what about the people who came to this country, but could not for some reason, adapt, learn, and become a citizen because it was just too hard for them, maybe because they were working day and night and just didn’t have the time or didn’t truly understand the consequences.  They were blending in too fast, got lost in the shuffle like so many other millions.  Or they were simply not smart enough to pass the exam and they knew it.  Why bother.

What does this immigration bill stand for? Who does it appease?  What makes it right?  What makes it wrong?  Will it rip apart families who are partly Americanized?  Will it create economic vacuums in some job markets?  These are questions we need to ask ourselves, our Senators and Representatives, and our President. 

Just one more question.  What were the rest of those lyrics “Born in the…USA?”

]]> 2007-05-23T12:09:00-08:00 http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/newt_calls_it_for_what_it_is_immigration_shipwreck/ angelina Politics In my personal e-mail box this morning is another letter from Newt G.  I am always impressed with his unpretentious smile, the banner promoting his book, and the summary of his political rhetoric.  I haven’t always agreed with Newt on everything he’s written, but enough to warrant quoting him now and again.  This is one of those times.

Today he is all fired up about the alleged immigration solution, and rightly so.  See for yourself.

“The announcement last week that the White House and a group of senators have reached an agreement on “comprehensive immigration reform” should have the same effect that the word “iceberg” had on the passengers and crew of the Titanic.

This proposed agreement is a disaster of the first order, and it would severely cripple America for the foreseeable future.

You can tell how bad this bill is by the Senate Democratic leadership’s announced goal of trying to pass it before the Memorial Day weekend.
Remember, this bill has not yet been finished. Senators and their staffs were still negotiating over the weekend and many key items were still in confusion. So here’s what we have to do:

TODAY’S ACTION ITEM:

CALL YOUR SENATORS AND LET THEM KNOW HOW ANGRY YOU WILL BE IF THEY PASS A BILL BEFORE IT HAS BEEN PRINTED AND PUT ON THE INTERNET AND EXPOSED FOR THE COUNTRY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND.”

Then he goes on to mention the 1986 Immigration Bill during Reagan’s term (the Simpson-Mazzoli bill) and he’s even more angry about THAT.

“In 1986, I voted for the Simpson-Mazzoli immigration bill. We were promised that in return for amnesty for far fewer than three million illegal immigrants we would get:
1.  Control of the border
2.  Enforcement of laws requiring employers to know someone is here legally before hiring them
3.  No more amnesty and no more tolerance of illegality.

The government broke its word on every one of those provisions.  We eventually amnestied three million people who had broken the law, and we sent a signal to the world that it is okay to break the law and come to America.

Now, 20 years later, we are told to trust Washington while we amnesty 12 to 20 million more people who have broken the law.”

I loved Reagan, but who knew??

I googled the Simpson-Mazolli bill and read through it chapter and verse.  Boring and confusing for someone who is not a political professional.  I scrolled down to Reagan’s statement and THAT was very clear.

“Distance has not discouraged illegal immigration to the United States from all around the globe. The problem of illegal immigration should not, therefore, be seen as a problem between the United States and its neighbors. Our objective is only to establish a reasonable, fair, orderly, and secure system of immigration into this country and not to discriminate in any way against particular nations or people.

The act I am signing today is the product of one of the longest and most difficult legislative undertakings of recent memory. It has truly been a bipartisan effort, with this administration and the allies of immigration reform in the Congress, of both parties, working together to accomplish these critically important reforms. Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship.”

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/110686b.htm

I wonder if Bush will use similar language…

]]> 2007-05-22T11:09:00-08:00 http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/tighten_up/ angelina


Majority Leader Harry Reid: 202-224-5556

MinorityLeader Mitch McConnell:202-224-3135

Sen. Arlen Specter: 202-224-4254

Sen. Mel Martinez: 202-224-3041

Sen. Lindsay Graham: 202-224-5972

Sen. John McCain: 202-224-2235

Minority Whip Trent Lott: 202-224-2708

If you believe what Senator Kennedy does, that this bill is “the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America”, then tell the Senators you agree.

If you oppose it, tell them not to pass it.

Personally, there were enough conservative foes who built in so many complex compromises, that it would take years before substantial numbers of “illegals” became citizens. For example, illegal immigrants’ access to long-term visas and the new guest-worker program would be contingent upon border crackdown. The government must deploy 18,000 new Border Patrol agents and four unmanned aerial vehicles.  200 miles of vehicle barriers, 370 miles of fencing, and 70 ground-based radar and camera towers!! The government must provide funds for the detention of 27,500 illegal immigrants A DAY; and complete new identification ways to help employers screen out illegal job applicants.  So at this point, I don’t see what all the conservative talk show hosts are getting their boxers twisted over.  This border crackdown policy could take years.  In the meantime, our borders are still being flooded with thousands of illegals daily… think about that. This is what the government should be dealing with first. Tighten up those borders.]]> 2007-05-18T12:39:00-08:00 http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/every_human_life/ angelina Military
The insurance claim to the beneficiaries of an American soldier who dies in the line of duty is $400,000, while a dead Iraqi civilian is reportedly worth up to $2,500 in condolence payments. Bush stated during one of his speeches that “every human life is a precious gift of matchless value.” It really isn’t so in Iraq.

Andrew Bacevich is a professional military man, having attended West Point, obtained a PhD from Princeton, served for 20 years in the U.S. Army,retiring a colonel, and is a Professor of History and International Relations at Boston University. I’ve since read his contributions to the Weekly Standard and National Review, and I just finished his latest book The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War. He has an interesting political viewpoint regarding the war, and the military, which at first glance seem to be in conflict, but after reading the book, I understood how we Americans have placed our trust in our country’s military power, just on the say-so of its generals. Bacevich reminds us of President Eisenhower’s farewell address in 1961, when he warned the country about the development of “the military-industrial complex”. I remember that coined phrase all too well in the 60s.

It was while driving on the expressway last week that I heard the name Bacevich and wondered if he was giving a lecture or maybe appearing on Bill O’Reilly, since BU is O’Reilly’s alma mater. I turned up the volume.

“The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operating Iraqi Freedom. First Lieutenant Andrew J. Bacevich, 27, of Walpole, Massachusetts, died on May 13th, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised device exploded near his unit during combat patrol operations….”

An ironic tragedy it is when a retired colonel, a conservative, now against the war and building up the military machinery, loses his son to the very military machinery he once supported.

No matter how you lose a child, in times of war or peace, it’s a pain that never leaves.


The following is an excerpt of a poem called BASIC from The Dumbbell Nebula (Roundhouse Press) by Steve Kowit.

“One gray morning in the second week of basic training, lacing up his boots, that shy, phlegmatic, red-haired boy who bunked above me whispered,

‘Steve, I don’t believe I’m gonna make it…’

‘No way, man! You’re doing fine! Hey, look, c’mon, we’re late.’

and shrugged him off to race out just in time to make formation in the mist of that Kentucky morning.

--He was right. He didn’t. He took a razor blade that night, and crawling underneath the barracks, slashed his throat.”]]> 2007-05-17T16:48:00-08:00