"OBAMA NATION" a Must Read for All

In sociological and psychological circles it is generally unassailable that we are each influenced, often profoundly, by our youthful experiences and associations.

Authored by Dr. J. Corsi, Obama Nation has come under intense liberal fire for his having penetrated Obama's pre-30 experiences. Amazingly, though predictably, many of Dr. Corsi's detractors assert that Sen. Obama's youthful experiences and associations are irrelevant and that exposing them is somehow unjustly intrusive and vile by its very nature.

I say these detractors are either willfully ignorant and intellectually dishonest or congenitally averse to logical dialogue and reasoned argument.

Were a McCain Nation to be published which portrayed his pre-30 years with similar analytical and objective astuteness, the book simply wouldn't sell. Why? Because there's precious little in Sen. McCain's background which would be either alarming or disturbing, or which would cast serious doubts on his beliefs, character, world view and, therefore, his suitability for the Presidency.

Dr. Corsi's well-documented expose is extremely disturbing and should persuade the most ardent Obama sycophant that Sen. Obama is nothing more than a self-consumed fraud and utterly unfit to be President of the United States of America.

If nothing more, the expose should stir Obama supporters to take an objective and honest look at their candidate and, in the process of that careful analysis, not be bamboozled by all the blinding glitter. And, of course, they should carefully avoid invective and ad hominems as a substitute for objective argumentation.

I urge everyone to carefully read Obama Nation and to as carefully vet Dr. Corsi's sources as much as possible to determine the truth to one's own satisfaction. As for me, a retiree, I have been intensively enaged in that unpleasant examination now for nearly 6 months. And only after careful analysis have I become unqualifiedly convinced that Sen. Obama is absolutely unfit for the high office he seeks.

Frankly, the man genuinely scares me. And I'm not easily frightened.

(Within the next two months, I plan to post additional information about Sen. Obama. And should significantly negative background information about Sen. McCain come to light, that too will be posted.)

Russian Bear Upstages Olympics

In contrast to the more decorous competitions in Beijing, a classic David and Goliath military standoff is unfolding today between tiny Georgia, a democracy and strong ally of the United States situated on the eastern edge of the Black Sea, and the mightier Russian bear.

Russia's suspiciously well-planned and entirely unprovoked invasion of S. Ossetia, a separatist province of independent Georgia, shouldn't really be all that surprising.

While many in S. Ossetia have pushed for unification with N. Ossetia, a Russian province, many more have pressed for outright autonomy and have done so since 1921. (Why Georgia was granted autonomy at the time of the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991 and S. Ossetia wasn't may, in time, be worthy of further study. But, as of today, it is internationally recognized as being a part of Georgia.)

Easily gleaned from today's newsprint, it was S. Ossetian separatist attacks on Georgia which precipitated Georgia's crackdown and the subsequent Russian intervention.

However, what may not be as obvious is the fact that S. Ossetia is strategically positioned as a corridor through which both gas and oil may be transported from Georgia via Ukraine to Europe outside the control of both Russia and Iran. (This is why in recent years Russia has been carefully cultivating and intensifying ties with S. Ossetian separatists.) Anyway, Russia can't blackmail Europe with oil and gas cut-offs if there's a viable alternative transport system available to them, right? Thus, the underlying reason for Russia's invasion to "protect" the poor victimized people of S. Ossetia.

Sound familiar yet?

And let's not forget that Russia is also intent upon reasserting hegemony over its lost territories now strategically ringing the moribund Soviet Union. For Russia, it's a historical imperative. The burgeoning coziness between many of the former Soviet-dominated republics, like Georgia, and the West as well as the specter of NATO members "surrounding" a shrunken Russia is nothing short of viscerally alarming to our friends in Moscow.

So, control of oil to hold Europe at bay + a primeval need for buffer zones = Russian invasion of neighbor

How history does repeat itself. And who says history is dead or of no practical relevance to the modern world? If innocents weren't being killed, it would be almost laughable. And, of course, all the diplomats of the world are scurrying about and wringing their hands with a keen sense of powerlessness in order to stanch the flow of blood and to restore order in Georgia.

In all sincerity, though, I hope the diplomats will again successfully blunder through and restore peace and stability there. And I hope the United States adopts a persuasively firm stance to protect its ally.

All Americans should know that with Georgia, a tiny country of about 5 million strong who deeply appreciate the fruits of their hard-won independence and liberty, we have enjoyed an extraordinarily close friendship and alliance. We should also be thankful for this tiny democracy's generous commitment of 2,000 troops to the coalition's successful struggle in Iraq. Faced with a Russian invasion, of course, this week Georgia was compelled to recall its contingent from Iraq. With America's help, these valiant Georgian soldiers are being hastily transported from Iraq to their beleaguered homeland.

Godspeed, Georgia. America is praying for you.

Congressional Disdain for "We the People" Once Again

While it's axiomatic that we "can't drill our way" or "conserve our way" out of the energy crisis in which we find ourselves, our representatives' simply abandoning their posts on August 1st without properly debating, fashioning and voting on a reasonable solution to this energy crisis before going on their ill-deserved 5-week vacation convinces me--as never before--that "we the people" must ensure that those who perpetrated and supported this unconscionable recess are taken to task.

Abandoning their legislative posts during what could be arguably characterized as a national economic and security crisis was grossly irresponsible, and the culpable should deservedly pay a heavy political price for their callous and reprehensible behavior.

As Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) declared, "This is the people's house; this is not Pelosi's Polituro."

For me, that pretty much sums up my view of the shameful events on August 1st. And this is but a taste of the tyranny which will ensue should the liberals achieve a stranglehold on the "people's house" in November.

While I strongly favor censuring the Democratic leadership in congress for their having abandoned their posts in the midst of this crisis merely for parochial political advantage, I know that won't happen. So, what can "we the people" on the local level do which may have any material impact?

For starters, we can all overload "Rep." Louise Slaughter's local office with phone calls and emails to protest her callous and self-serving dereliction of duty (232-4850; www.louise.house.gov). Protests in front of her office would also be a persuasive way to let her know who's in charge. Let her vacation be a memorable one.

(Oh, yes. In case you are unaware, "Rep." Slaughter is stealthily helping to lead the effort to re-impose the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a cold, calculating, cynical attempt by liberals to effectively silence conservative talk radio once the Democrats have achieved firm control of congress in November.)

Like so many of my friends and neighbors, I am utterly fed up with and increasingly frightened by the likes of Louise Slaughter, a career politician, and her self-serving party-first loyalist hacks on Capitol Hill.

Once an awesome and sacred symbol of American pride and democratic traditions, the illustrious Capitol Dome is being rapidly transformed into a symbol of tyranny from where "we the people" are disdainfully and imperiously ruled by an aristocracy of elites who have forgotten--indeed ignored--those whom they have pledged to responsibly represent.

If we really want to restore power to the people, our community's ridding itself of political hacks and party-first types like Louise Slaughter should be high on our agenda this year. The specter of a dominant and blatantly unresponsive Democratic elite in D.C. is too unbearable to contemplate. But this may the case if we choose to sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to act.

I would like to see the local Republican and Conservative committees step up to the plate and help lead this local protest effort. I would be among the first to volunteer to help where and when I can. And I'm sure many of you would also pitch in with enthusiasm.

Yes, I am genuinely exercised and deeply concerned about the longer term meaning of the insidious events which unfolded on August 1st. I am sure that most of you are as well.

("When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, then there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson)