Despot in Waiting

Disabled a Target

2012-02-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

My Father was without a doubt handicapped. Since early November 2011, he needed the assistance of others to live. Dad had accumulated sufficient resources that he would never necessarily have become a burden whose care was funded by the state. Father's death was deliberately hastened and surely he is not the only patient so targeted.

A Merciless Machine

2012-02-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hospitals were not established to orchestrate death. To have nutrition and hydration denied to those who have the most urgent need for it is beyond bestial. There are Terri Schiavo-type cases going unreported in US healthcare facilities.

Ageism in Practice

2012-02-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

At what chronological age should patients be denied care? How old is too old to maintain life sustaining measures? I would contend the aged and infirm, the halt and the lame, the weak and weary need and merit society's protection most.

Words Ring Hollow

2012-02-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Dad was determined to make it home. Tomorrow, Father returns in an urn. Things will never be the same.

Patient Please Beware

2012-02-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Dear reader, you owe it to yourself and your family to research "futile care policy". In this case, what you don't know can very literally kill you.

Counting for Something

2012-02-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

What is a life worth? How do you measure the value of a human being? When one's productive capacity diminishes, does that negate one's very humanity? When did we relinquish our right to live to the none to tender mercies of health care providers? Patients and their families beware!

No Old Times

2012-02-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

When the young are given fiat to terminate their elders, civilization has fallen into barbarism. Physicians can not be permitted the power of death without due process, a protection given even the most heinous murderer. Innocent life must have at least the same protection.

Fight for Life

2012-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Are my readers aware that medical care may be withheld because a physician asserts "medical futility"? My family had not heard of this odious concept until it was too late.

A Broken Promise

2012-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Chronological age should not be a measure of worth. Being handicapped should not place one in automatic jeopardy. All innocent human life has value.

Our Providential Masters

2012-02-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Euthanasia should not be tolerated in America. Eugenics should never be permitted (again). The aged and infirm deserve our care and protection. Resources are not so finite as to deny possibly life saving care. The culture of life must be defended.

Medicine or Manslaughter?

2012-02-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

Does the patient or patient's family have any say in the course of treatment or is it now the function of doctor(s) to control destiny? When did it become acceptable for physicians to play God?

A Killing Kind

2012-02-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Learning the difference between losing a loved one and having someone taken is the most bitter education one can experience. We will never have peace with recent events.

Truth Will Out

2012-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Someone dear to me always used to say "God's mill grinds slow but grinds to a fine powder". Those who play God will eventually be judged by Him.

Integrity and Courage

2012-01-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

My Father always told me "make your word your bond". Dad always did. My Father pulled someone from a burning car. Dad caught a runaway rampaging stallion that had trampled people at a Civil War reenactment.My Father never feared death but loved life and wanted to be there for and with us.

Seymour Goodman Remembered

2012-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

My Father has passed from this mortal coil. Thank you for your prayers.

The Fading Hours

2012-01-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

An endless night or eternal sunshine/ Pain of loss or pleasure of memory/ Fondly remembered and never forgotten

Sort of Rally

2012-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

After being non-communicative yesterday, by grace, my Dad's faculty of speech returned today. Dad has called out to "love me", "hold me", "baby me" and we will so long as God allows.

At Death's Door

2012-01-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

After an arduous ordeal, we are told my Father's life is now measured in hours or at most, days. Please pray for Seymour Goodman and my Mother Sherry.

What Happens Next?

2012-01-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

My Father experienced a "desaturation crisis" where his oxygen saturation dropped precipitously and he almost had to be ventilated for a second time. Dad was spared (thanks be to God) and the plan remains for him to be placed in a nursing home as soon as Saturday. We need the aid of the Lord now more than ever.

No Real Change

2012-01-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

Despite a named diagnosis that includes a terminal prognosis, I could sense very little different in my Father's condition. Dad is still possessed of a certain logic (after a fashion anyway) but quite confused. He managed to sit in a chair a couple of hours each of the last two days but obviously, he is very weak. The strongest part of Dad that remains is his faith.

Asking for Guidance

2012-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

According to his doctors, my Father has entered a process of terminal wasting called "cachexia" wherein his body is essentially eating itself. If any reader knows of any way a patient already on a feeding tube with a hole remaining in his neck from a tracheotomy can receive additional nourishment to forestall Dad's passing, please share them as comments to this post or email me at servant2none@gmail.com or call me directly at (615)352-7458 and leave a message with any suggestions. Thanks in advance, and please, keep the prayers coming.

An Appalling Incident

2012-01-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

Kentucky US Senator Rand Paul was detained by the TSA in the Nashville airport. How inconceivably dumb are the screeners in this program that misdirects so much of our resources? What profile did the Senator fit? Was he spouting some of the more violent verses from the Koran? Did he ask where his seventy-two virgins were located? Singling out Paul is parody and farce. This sort of nonsense dear reader is why I avoid flying.

Almost Lost Him

2012-01-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

My Father had another nearly fatal episode but was rescued by prompt attention. Dad is still in mortal peril and we appreciate your continuing prayers.

Dealing with Delirium

2012-01-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

At times, in battling my Father's health crisis, Dad has been delirious. It is at these times that he reminds us most of an Obama voter.

Dependency Writ Large

2012-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was distressed and saddened by a CBS Manuel Gallegus report on American infants being given diluted formula or even being denied their sustenance, supposedly because the parents are so impoverished in these hard times. Leaving aside that breast milk is a baby's natural food, why in a nation with abundant AFDC and Food Stamps (now available in stigma-free debit card form as EBT) would this even be an issue? Any parent so financially-stressed should already know of the welfare our taxes are already paying for and not taking advantage of these "benefits" is dereliction bordering on neglect. Are these parents perpetually drunk or strung out on crack or meth or selling or converting our largess to them that was intended for their children in some fashion? If these parents are so irresponsible as to short their children the nutrition they need to thrive, they should forfeit custody. Even in the Obama economy, there is no paucity of food available with ample supply to feed the nation's babies.

The Inevitable Candidate?

2012-01-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

If Mitt Romney did not actually win the Iowa GOP Caucus as it now appears (and as the former Massachusetts Governor himself now concedes), how can he possibly be termed "unbeatable"? Old Mitt is no sure bet in heavily evangelical and highly conservative South Carolina either and a loss there should keep the door open for a different front runner to emerge to challenge Obama.

Very Sick System

2012-01-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Much of my Father's care seems to have been predicated on the structure of his insurance more than his medical needs.The patient's condition must be the determining factor, not the cost of treatment or rationed care is already here. Dad will evidently have one more day (today) in critical care to monitor his sugar and sodium levels before he is sent back to a regular medical floor. And we will keep on praying.

In the Word

2012-01-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

I have never accepted that a doctor's opinion is sacrosanct. Throughout this fight we have seen cool professional detachment all too often supplanted with a lack of compassion, callousness, and even occasional cruelty. But throughout it all, I have realized God is Sovereign. Dad was medically stable enough today to sit in a chair in critical care and was wearing hospital pajamas today instead of a gown for the first time since December 6. Every small victory is an affirmation of faith in the Lord.

Wild Eyed Extremist

2012-01-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Perhaps wanting to exhaust every medical option makes one a religious fanatic or even a lunatic. I will gladly wear the labels so long as my Father is in the fight for his life.

Same Road Before

2012-01-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

Many of the same medical errors or mistakes in treatment we encountered at our former hospital are seemingly being repeated in the new setting. My Father is already "brittle" and he can not survive many additional challenges. The atmospherics at first seemed better but even though care was sometimes administered begrudgingly or much worse, haphazardly at St. Thomas, Dad came out alive. I am terrified that might not be the case now in the facility that just yesterday was affording so much renewed hope.

David Without Sling

2012-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

If the Biblical David had no slingshot, could he still have felled Goliath? I would contend, yes, because it was not the stone that made David more than a match for the Philistine giant, but David's faith. We all have battles to face and always have a chance, so long as we maintain our faith.

Back to Emergency

2012-01-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Sadly, we find ourselves in hospital with my Dad, who now weighs at most eighty-eight (88) pounds, rushed back to E.R. This time we are trying Vanderbilt, hoping Dad is not written off the way some doctors at St. Thomas treated us. We really appreciate and need prayer.

Mitt the Moderate

2012-01-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

There is less substantive difference between Mitt Romney and our current President Barack Hussein Obama than dear old Mitt would like to have you believe. Romney is also the only Republican candidate who can not criticize Obamacare with a straight face, having imposed an almost identical program on those in Massachusetts. Romney even lacks the foreign policy and military background of the last GOP nominee who failed, Arizona Senator John McCain. If nominated, Romney will be hard pressed to differentiate himself from Obama as both are progressive, Big Government, anti-gun, and pro-gay. When conservatism would win, why nominate a candidate who is only claiming greater competence than Obama as the strength of his campaign?

Escaping the Saint

2012-01-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

(Note: This column has nothing whatsoever to do with the Roger Moore series from the Sixties.) My Father has finally been discharged from St. Thomas. He is now in the hands of "skilled care" but remains critically ill, weak, and in mortal danger. Dad is in a "Christian" facility about five miles from our home. I thank those who have supported us and declare prayer has helped immensely and is still urgently requested.

Another Unbelievable Day

2012-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

The situation becomes intolerable when medical professionals charged with saving life become cavalier or worse yet, antagonistic to that mission. This goes beyond offending the families of patients to actually compromising patient safety. Suffice it to say since my Father's admission to St. Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee, these have become the most trying days of my life.

Now New Hampshire

2012-01-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

A state that should be statistically-irrelevant due to lack of population alone has suddenly taken on enormous importance- that state being New Hampshire- and the reason being that it is the first state where the actual votes count as it is a primary rather than an arcane caucus. New Hampshire used to be a bedrock of traditional values but still with a libertarian streak and a great deal of independence-mindedness. Now, the state has become somewhat infested with hippy types from Massachusetts and New York state who found their former states of residence too constraining for their "live free" lifestyles. These new New Hampshire voters may participate in the GOP primary because they wish to throw a monkey wrench into the Republican works or because they are actually simpatico with Ron Paul's radical libertarianism. No serious impediment exists in the Granite State to break Mitt Romney's momentum as he was the Governor of a neighboring state and has expended considerable time and resources in New Hampshire to hold his support there. As New Hampshire lacks Christian conservatives in large numbers, the primary does not look promising for Rick Santorum. Jon Huntsman is playing all or none in the state but even if his finish is better than predicted, his campaign is doomed to crash in South Carolina and Florida, Southern states that will not abide a moderate. Newt Gingrich does not seem to be striking accord with voters, and Ron Paul will continue to attract the "troubled twenty" percent of conspiracy theorists and Jew-haters. I think Romney romps when the ballots are all counted later this week.

A Friend Passes

2012-01-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Johnny Bacon died last night. We did not have the privilege of his acquaintance until his stay in St. Thomas Hospital, that turned out to be his last. His family are among the most welcoming, generous folk we have ever met, and I know they are devastated. We will keep Johnny and his lovely wife Judy, and wonderful (now adult) children in our prayers.

A Sleepless Saturday

2012-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

Some distressing events have transpired during my Dad's stay in Nashville's St. Thomas Hospital. We tried to stay positive but have reached the point where what is happening to my Father (and the rest of the family) is no longer tolerable. We will be transferring to a different facility as soon as possible.

Not So Good

2012-01-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

While many staff members have been diligent and professional in the care of my Father, others have been less so. Certain physicians have discouraged us all along from further intervention to preserve Dad's life and even questioned what my Dad had left to do, leaving us to justify his continuing existence. One physician said he could deliver Father "a gentle exit", which to me is precariously close to euthanasia. One nurse has compromised my Dad's prospect for recovery, if not survival, missing a scheduled blood sugar check on Sunday, allowing Father's sugar to fall to thirty-four (34) in an intensive care unit, causing or worsening his situational psychosis and leaving the door closed to his room, enabling him to extricate himself from soft restraints and detach both his trache collar and tube later that same day. The same registered nurse treated him today, and we had further issues. I pray we make the right decisions regarding my Father's future treatment but I see no way to remain at St. Thomas.

Obligation or Opportunity

2012-01-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Service, whether in the community, the US military, or simply to our fellow man may be seen in two lights. I have never felt it was a burden to serve and I have seen the joy in many individuals helping to care for my Dad. I thank them.

Seeing Seymour Struggle

2012-01-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

My Father has been weaned from a ventilator, which many did not expect to happen, but he remains critically ill. We have limited options of where he will be sent upon his discharge from St. Thomas hospital. We pray his care is not set back by transferring him to a new facility.

Such Stark Contrasts

2012-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Rick Santorum was never for abortion before he was against it. Santorum never favored gay marriage. Santorum never supported assaults on our Second Amendment rights. Santorum certainly never instituted a system of socialized medicine in his Commonwealth. Another candidate has been "pro-choice", gay-friendly, anti-gun, and instituted "Romney Care" in Massachusetts. Guess which choice I prefer?

That Peaceful Faith

2012-01-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Islam has been termed by Western elites as a "religion of peace". Some events such as this Tajik "Santa slaughter" tend to point to the contrary: http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/01/03/63323280.html. (With thanks to "The Voice of Russia" website and Michael Savage for the link.)

Santorum Stands Strong

2012-01-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

I reenter the political fray now for the first time since my Father's prolonged and critical illness to say former Pennsylvania US Senator Rick Santorum is an unwavering conservative who I would be proud to vote for in the primaries and of course, in the general election. Santorum has always championed original intent, our founding ethos, a strong national defense, and limited government. Santorum has always opposed abortion on demand and the perversion of the covenant of marriage by homosexuals. Rick Santorum and Alfonse D'Amoto were the strongest supporters of the nation of Israel during their service in the Senate. Santorum lives his values, and these are the bedrock values that built our Republic.

Really Rough Sledding

2012-01-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

We are on precarious terrain in regard to Father. His hospitalist physician today warns that Dad may be on a feeding tube for the rest of his life. We keep praying and believe the Lord is sovereign.

A Sorry Adventure

2012-01-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

My Father had detached his trache collar and tube somehow today, but I happened in after our shift change eviction and alerted staff. Fortunately, they promptly rescued him after I sounded the alarm.

A New Device

2011-12-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

My Father said his first clearly audible words in over three weeks after his trache was lessened from 8mm to 6 and a new device inserted. On the down side, Dad was administered narcotics again which we had been told he would not be, making him groggy and less responsive.

Progress Being Made

2011-12-30T19:56:00.000-08:00

My Father is off the ventilator entirely (thank God) and on a trache collar. He and we continue to need and appreciate your prayers.

Acute Care Awaits

2011-12-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

For good or for ill, my Father will likely leave the hospital soon for rehabilitation. He will evidently be sent by the middle of next week, if not earlier.

Keep Counting Blessings

2011-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

My Dad was off the ventilator only being supported with oxygen for three hours (or so) today. He does not yet meet the numerical parameters for weaning but is being eased off the breathing machine just the same.

Miracle or Misery

2011-12-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

We heard again today of my Father's dire prognosis. Dad also sat with his legs over the edge of the bed for the first time in three weeks with the assistance of two physical therapists.

Justify Your Existence

2011-12-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

Disturbingly, health care already seems to be rationed. Other patients and their families seem to be battling for treatment just as we have.

Without a Voice

2011-12-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

My Father has not spoken since moments after he entered the emergency room where he had to be placed on a ventilator, but one of the most painful things for the family is watching the tears from this tough and stoic man's eyes.

Hope Over Experience

2011-12-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

My Father may be transferred from his hospital to a so-called "acute care facility". We are filled with trepidation but are left to pray for the best.

Seymour Struggles On

2011-12-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

My Father sat up today for just the second time since he was placed on a ventilator. My Mom described it best. She said,"He is fighting like a champ".

The Problem's Nature

2011-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

My father smoked for forty years but quit forty years ago. Among the challenges confronting him, his anxiety causing him to breathe too rapidly seems to be the most perplexing. He can not be weaned off the ventilator because he panics and hyperventilates. He is then sedated which makes it that much harder to breathe on his own. He is obviously still quite critically ill and he and we need and thank you for your continuing prayers.

Really Suffering Now

2011-12-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

My Dad is in quite a bit of pain when he is conscious. He is breathing on his own somewhat when he is not so doped up. Thank you for your continuing support.

Surgery Went Well

2011-12-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Thank the Lord, my Dad's procedures appear to have gone flawlessly. Thank you readers for your warm wishes and prayers. A long road remains ahead for him and us and your continuing support is deeply appreciated.

Out It Comes

2011-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Today, my father's ventilator will be removed from his mouth and a tracheotomy will replace it. His feeding tube will exit his nose and be inserted into his belly. Please continue to pray for him (Seymour Goodman).

Fight Goes On

2011-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

My Dad sustained a setback as he was too weak to be weaned from his ventilator and instead will be given a tracheotomy in an attempt to expedite the weaning. Please keep him (us) in your prayers.

Touch and Go

2011-12-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Medical staff will extubate tomorrow. We are informed the prospects of my father breathing on his own are fifty-fifty. Now more than ever, your prayers are needed and appreciated.

Days of Decision

2011-12-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

The care team will attempt to wean my father off his ventilator today, Sunday, and/or Monday. We are so grateful for your continuing support.

Prayer Chain Expands

2011-12-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

Though my father never visited Wyoming or Idaho, I am informed his prayer chain has now entered those great Western states. Thank you so much.

Keep on Praying

2011-12-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

An expression of the seventies that has become quaint is "keep on trucking". I implore those who care to send up a prayer for my critically-ill father Seymour Goodman.

Holding His Own

2011-12-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

We accept as a blessing that my father's condition did not deteriorate during the night. The prayer chain now reaches Baltimore.

Power of Prayer

2011-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Faith is a powerful ally in the fight for life. The ultimate gift is a thing that can never be taken for granted or squandered.

Struggle Goes Forward

2011-12-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

The administration of steroids has started tonight in an attempt to boost my father's lung function. Once again, prayers for Seymour Goodman are and will be greatly appreciated.

A Status Update

2011-12-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

My father's fight continues as he remains on a ventilator and feeding tube. For the kind notes and prayers, thank you so much.

Praying for Improvement

2011-12-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

The hospital staff are attempting to ween my father off the ventilator today. Please keep him in your prayers.

The Right Thing?

2011-12-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Of course, we will always err on the side of preserving life but are left to wonder at times if we are only prolonging death as my father's already grave condition seems to cascade downward- ever downward. Thanks to all for the warm wishes and prayers.

Battle Goes On

2011-12-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers and support as my father continues his struggle. Though politics and strategic affairs march on relentlessly, my attention by sad necessity is elsewhere.

Time of Crisis

2011-12-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Whether or not my father emerges from his current medical distress, I am heartened by some of his recent words to me: "Fear not boy, the Republic shall survive". May his words prove prophetic.

Lamentation for Father

2011-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Gentle readers, my ninety year old father is critically ill. His name is Seymour Goodman and I and my family greatly appreciate your prayers. I hope you can forgive my seeming brevity and lack of attention in allowing this commentary to lapse but family naturally comes first. God bless you all.

Pondering Nashville's "Homeless"

2011-12-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have nothing but empathy for those with some real physical or mental disability that actually precludes work and for those who have made every effort to find a job but in the Obama economy could not and nothing but contempt for those who could find gainful employment but opt to become parasites on society. In my life I have had various and sundry interaction with the supposedly dispossessed in my hometown. I recently saw an older black man sitting at a gas station in an old "airborne" uniform with an old GI duffel bag and a piece of cardboard on which "Atlanta" was written in red ink. He did not engage me and asked me for nothing. Of my own volition, I handed him a five dollar bill. On an occasion many years ago, I left a downtown restaurant to find myself surrounded by several young black men who prevented me from entering my car. They asked for money and feeling "compelled", I gave them some. These youth claimed to have been staying at the "Mission", so I had to conclude they were homeless. Also, years ago I was mugged when I was still young by a thirty-five (or so) year old white man who threatened me with what he claimed was an "AIDS" needle. I was more recently dining downtown where hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent over the years on so-called urban renewal and three million dollars had been spent refurbishing an old performance venue into a shining new eatery. A vagrant attempted to impose a dining tax because I had the temerity to leave the confines of my own house. A nasty confrontation ensued. I have come to find out that the "homeless" are now a protected class. No society can long endure in a situation where the dole dweller has more rights than the earner and the parasite is legally-protected in imposing his will on the host.

Who Benefits Now?

2011-12-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

With Herman Cain gone, where will his former supporters throw their support? The conventional wisdom says to Newt Gingrich, but others think Michele Bachmann or Rick Santorum may draw off some of Cain's followers. On this occasion, I have to say only time will tell.

Pain From Cain

2011-12-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine the over-inflated ego, conceive of such blatant hubris as Herman Cain evidently possesses as to engage in a long-term sexual liaison breaking his marriage vows and be so self-deluded as to think that under the microscopic scrutiny of a Presidential campaign that the affair would not come out? What could possibly possess him to think that he could get away with it? In any event, Cain was found out and could not possibly remain in the race. Today, he fell on his proverbial sword and quit his pursuit of the nation's highest office. His buoyant personality may be missed but his scandalous conduct put paid to his run.

America, the Vanquished

2011-12-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

From the era of Teddy Roosevelt, through the First and Second World Wars, until the Presidency of the present day, America was the broad-shouldered leader of the so-called "free world". Our current President Barack Hussein Obama has deliberately relinquished that, abandoning the mantle of leadership for his preferred course of "leading from behind". Obama has spoiled the ethos that shaped the greatest republic there has ever been with this active oxymoron, and instead of fostering liberty, Obama has presided over rapid Islamization from Morocco to Egypt, in much the same bumbling way in which Jimmy Carter lost Iran. This development will prove over time to have been catastrophic with groups rising to power with Obama's blessing who will work against the interests of the United States and the West. Sadly, in less than one term of the Obama Presidency, we have been transformed from the greatest source of liberation the world has ever known into a follower and the great enabler of expansionist Islam.

Watching America Surrender

2011-12-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden, second fiddle to the American Nero, delivered the good news to Shia Islamists in person today in Baghdad. Biden declared to Iraq that our troop presence there is over, our sacrifice there futile, the white flag delivered to Iran's proxies, the Mahdi Army and Hezbollah in Iraq. Biden talked about the stable democracy that we are leaving for Iraqis as a bomb killed more than a dozen there. The United States has lost thousands of service personnel killed in Iraq and also, though almost never mentioned, thousands more US contractors. Here though, America finds herself snatching defeat from the jaws of victory with the cold breath of Iranian influence blowing out real hopes for a democracy in Iraq friendly to America's interests. Those who seek chaos in the region will be heartened by our ill-timed departure after so much blood and treasure had been expended to do real good.

Stain on Cain

2011-11-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

If Herman Cain had either a "noble benefactor" to a "downtrodden ward" or even a simply innocent relationship as some sort of sponsor and mentor with the Atlanta woman who alleges an affair, then why was she not standing beside him in any campaign event? Why was she hidden away and not mentioned as one of the candidate's good works? Cain seems to be a Republican Gary Hart with too many skeletons closeted away to maintain a campaign. Even with his personal and credibility issues, he remains a better choice than the current occupant of the Oval Office.

A Realpolitik Demarche

2011-11-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

There is an answer to the "Pakistan Crisis" and that is the credible threat of massive and overwhelming force. Kissinger and Metternich both recognized the shortcomings of diplomacy- that being that without the iron fist inside it, the velvet glove is found wanting- and this is never more true than in diplomatic efforts with basket case double-dealers like Pakistan. A nation (particularly, the last superpower) must answer a two-faced country with a credible ultimatum and grave consequence for ignoring it.

Cain Train Derails

2011-11-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

Herman Cain seems to have met his Waterloo. After numerous unsubstantiated and vehemently denied claims of sexual harassment, Cain did not wholeheartedly refute an assertion by an Atlanta woman of a thirteen year extramarital liaison. Cain has obviously been less than candid with the American people and evidently and more importantly, with his own wife. Cain already had some difficulty in answering even relatively simple foreign policy questions and this emerging scandal would seem to end any possibility of a viable Presidential campaign.

No New Newt

2011-11-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich has experienced a meteoric resurgence in his campaign for the Republican nomination to contest Obama for the Presidency. Gingrich has some good ideas and articulates them in a cogent and persuasive way. Newt also has risen to criticize the overt media anti-GOP bias. But Gingrich also has a track record of shifting from right-wing firebrand and real revolutionary as an insurgent Congressman to midway moderate making common cause with Hillary Clinton on health care and even appearing in a "green" commercial with Nancy Pelosi. Now Gingrich once again attempts to assume the mantle of conservative leader but with just enough equivocation to gain some Hispanic support with an immigration stance that I believe is far too nuanced for GOP primary voters. Along with his reputed extravagant spending (lavishing his wife with Tiffany), personal baggage from two divorces, and payments from Freddie Mac reputed to be more than a million dollars, Gingrich's tilting left on medicine and the environment in the not too distant past and now pandering to illegal aliens will disqualify him with real Right voters.

Reckoning With Pakistan

2011-11-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a couple of dozen Pakistani troops were reportedly killed in a NATO strike which brought forth copious public US mea culpas. Why are American politicians across the political spectrum apologizing so profusely to a nation that gladly takes US military assistance and our foreign aid but continues to support Islamist terror directed against the Karzai government of Afghanistan, against our forces and our international force allies there, and against India in particular? Why say sorry to the nation that brought the world the so-called "Islamic Bomb" and the accompanying proliferation effort, particularly being instrumental in arming up North Korea with nukes? Pakistan is a nation that if the West had rational leaders would be trembling in fear and living on sufferance.

Labor Troubles Ending

2011-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

We were all on tenterhooks awaiting the end of the National Basketball Association wage dispute. I mean, who would not be utterly engrossed in how a bunch of early twenties millionaires solved their problem with the ego-fueled billionaires who own the teams? Who does not want to see semi-literates with great leaping ability prosper and seven foot tall East Europeans do well? If these upstanding young dunkers did not have basketball to rely on, think of the success they may have made as street thugs. Along with the sundry drug and domestic violence charges on many a "playa's" rap sheet, we find former NBA guard Javaris Crittenton up on a murder charge. In any event, since Michael Jordan left the league, watching the pro game has been about as exiting as watching paint dry. I did not even notice the lack of games being broadcast, and certainly did not miss them.

The Green Caprice

2011-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

No this column does not concern any incarnation of a Chevy but the arbitrary way in which the Obama administration has shut down the attempt to construct a new pipeline between Canada and the United States which would have created around two hundred thousand jobs and provided an abundant source of energy much cheaper than the petroleum being imported from the Middle East. The supposed hitch is an "environmentally-sensitive" area in Nebraska which would purportedly be irrevocably befouled if a pipe ran through it. Team Obama is so committed to replacing the real economy with a "green economy" that they are happy sacrificing real jobs and forcing high fuel costs on the American people to maintain the illusion. Solar and wind energy are a "pipe dream" but an efficient pipeline would be a real answer providing gainful employment across many states and cheaper gas for all of us.

Giving Thanks For . . .

2011-11-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Rarely do I delve into matters personal on this forum, but please indulge me on this Thanksgiving day. We are blessed in so many ways to be in this nation, even though it may temporarily be Obama's America. We are essentially still free, enjoying a blessing of liberty so rare throughout human history. Even with our Obama-induced economic downturn, America remains a "Land of Plenty" without endemic hunger or starvation on our streets. Now to give thanks for matters of family. Thank you Lord for bringing Kristy into my life, wherever it eventually leads. Thanks for motivating me three weeks ago next Monday to drive the four hundred or so round trip miles to rescue "Cassie" even though she is about as much a Keeshond as I am. (Well, perhaps we are both Kees in spirit at least.) Thank You most of all for strengthening my father in his health crisis since August and particularly since he was hospitalized again earlier this month. Gentle reader please forgive me that my output has suffered but his and my mother's illnesses have been hard to contend with while remaining involved and aware of American and world politics and the geostrategic situation. God bless us all.

Stirring the Pot

2011-11-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich, the former conservative... I mean, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, put out the welcome mat to America's invaders (which would obviously largely be from the South). Suddenly Pablo's dear friend, Gingrich decides to spit in the face of American citizens and those who respect the process of becoming Americans as Gingrich panders to what he perceives as the Hispanic vote and the beck and call of the keep labor cost down crowd by exploiting the undocumented for low wage work. Newt may have picked up these voters but those who want to guard America's borders will find Newt's stance reprehensible.

Same Old Egypt

2011-11-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Great hope was expressed for a new, more democratic Egypt to emerge after Hosni Mubarak was deposed from power by the so-called "Arab Spring". Let us now explore how Mubarak came to lead Egypt and more importantly, how Mubarak retained his power although he was widely despised by the Egyptian people? The answer is glaringly simple- Mubarak was installed and clung to office solely because of his membership in and continuing association with the officer corps of Egypt's military. When it served their interest to change figureheads and remove Mubarak, the generals did, while holding on to all the authority and incumbent force that they had vested in themselves. The old dictator is out of power but the dictatorship behind him remains firmly in place.

Another American Turncoat

2011-11-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

Another US citizen has been accused of plotting murder as part of al-Qaeda's evil mission. Jose Pimentel of New York City was evidently seduced to do terror's bidding on the Internet. Somehow, Mr. Pimentel found something appealing in the nihilistic, "murder thy neighbor" message of an organization which is literally all bad. Of course, Mr. Pimental, if convicted, needs to be confined to protect society, but I would really like to know how his mind was so perverted as to despise America and the opportunity it offers.

Father Coughlin's Candidate

2011-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Isolationism has been tried by the United States before, with disastrous consequences for America and for the world. Ron Paul, the cantankerous Congressman from Texas is an isolationist. America First did not work when oceans separated armies as Coughlin, Lindbergh, and their ilk found out as the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor. In this ICBM and Jet Age era, America can not play ostrich and simply hide from evil because as we saw again on September 11, 2001, even those far away can do us great harm if we ignore their malign intentions. Threat must be answered with force and attack must be met with absolute annihilation. America can not be a fortress within continental shores with our heads buried safely in the sand because Islamists are determined to establish a global caliphate that includes the USA.

"Saif" Not Safe

2011-11-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Repugnant Muammar Qaddafi's last at-large son Saif al-Islam has been captured by the vengeful forces of the people his father and family oppressed for more than a generation. Saif should expect neither justice or mercy from the people of Libya but almost certainly a rapid but painful death. These potentates who seized power like Qaddafi or Assad were never loved but frequently feared and ultimately despised by those who they claimed to protect. No matter how brutal Saif's fate, few tears will be shed for him.

Talking to God

2011-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

A deranged Idahoan allegedly tried to assassinate our President. This person reportedly believed he had a personal channel to the Lord and that the leader of the free world, Barack Obama, is the anti-Christ. Let us hope this gunman is placed where he can do no harm to anyone in society. There are certainly differences between the President's worldview and that of America's conservatives, but the only place to resolve that is the ballot box. There is no place in public discourse for threats and no substitute for change through votes in our Constitutional Republic and our hallowed political process.

Shockingly Misplaced Priorities

2011-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

"Despot in Waiting" is by no means an sports' column, but I am compelled once again by events to touch on athletics now. Penn St. University is one of America's preeminent college football programs but is now justifiably being cast in a completely different light. Allegedly, a long-term assistant coach was involved in the rape of several boys who were participating in his charitable foundation even after another staff member witnessed him in the act and reported the alleged offense to both authorities and superiors within the football program. In what had been purported to be a scrupulous organization committed to the rules, no immediate action was taken against the alleged offender. If someone was caught flagrante delicto violating a child, in other instances, they would be immediately detained on the way to speedy incarceration, or even throttled by those who caught him, but at Penn State, the grotesque sodomy seemed to be ignored with the focus remaining on winning football games. This evident lack of action that allowed sexual assaults on children to go on unabated has tarnished a once glowing organization and must bring calumny and criminal persecution on all those with knowledge of child rape who kept quiet about it.

Afghan Slap Down

2011-11-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Hamid Karzai today said that US bases can remain in Afghanistan essentially only if America's troops give up the right to defend themselves. Perhaps some special operator should effect regime change and a true ally of the United States should be installed in Karzai's stead.

A Liar's Truth

2011-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

According to our President Barack Hussein Obama, we America's citizens, our business owners, our laborers are "a little lazy". According to our nation's leader, our own sloth has cost us our competitive edge. If you agree with our President's contentions that the country is failing because you do not work hard enough, by all means, vote for Obama in 2012. If on the other hand, you believe Obama has not worked with sufficient vigor or has focused his energy in ways ultimately detrimental to the United States of America, vote the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue out, and someone who will not insult our work ethic in to save our formerly grand Republic.

Hearing the Supremes

2011-11-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Diana Ross will not hear the case for Obama Care but the Supremes will- the Supreme Court that is. This will be the most significant issue that the highest US court will decide upon since Roe. Depending on the construction of the decision, we will either live fully under socialism, with government dictating our medical destiny- our very lives- or remain the Republic our Founders envisaged with the people retaining a greater degree of self-determination. The stakes literally could not be higher than life in freedom or rationed care death. Disturbingly, the Supreme Court is infested with four doctrinaire Leftists (the two Obama appointees, Kagan, and "Soviet"Sotomayor, former ACLU Counsel "Gams" Ginsberg, and foreign law enthusiast Stephen Breyer). There are four reasonable jurists, Alito, Thomas, Scalia, and Chief Justice Roberts. So, the Court's swing vote Anthony Kennedy holds the nation's destiny in his hands.

Bachmann Still Resonates

2011-11-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

The NBC Sunday morning Gregory wonk program featured an interview with presidential aspirant and Minnesota Republican US Representative Michele Bachmann whose campaign has undeniably lost most of her early momentum. The question of course is "why"? I would contend there is nothing lacking in her consistency as a conservative and that much of the Bachmann energy was sapped when she was forced into the role of attack dog as the only female candidate and mother in regards to the Gardasil controversy as all the GOP opponents sought to take Texas Governor Rick Perry down a peg when he was the flavor of the moment, just-declared rising Republican star before his own shortcomings imploded Perry's chances. Bachmann has not been inconsistent or plagued with flip-flops like moderate Mitt Romney who now makes noises of pandering to conservative primary voters. Bachmann has been down the line "Right" on the issues and could yet regain favor among GOP voters who agree with her social conservatism and fiscal discipline as she has fought for Federal spending restraint throughout her public life. Bachmann could yet attain support of Christian voters with her consistency on values issues and score with value voters as well who recognize the grave danger the US economy still faces under Obama.

Our Own Candidate

2011-11-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

The open primary process for the nomination of Presidential aspirants in several states damages conservatives. John McCain secured the GOP nomination in 2008 somewhat on the strength of Democrats who feared the nomination of a real right winger and decided to throw a wrench in the Republican works by voting in open primaries for the most liberal Republican they could find. The same turn of events could occur in this cycle with Democrats who know Obama will have no serious opposition in the nominating process as an incumbent President, jumping in the GOP voting line and casting for near-Democrat Mitt Romney. This is a win-win for Democrats because if Obama defeats Romney, the Left still controls the nation, and if Romney wins, he will govern as a weak as water moderate and probably leave Obama Care in place, only adjusting it at the margins while not making the conservative case on the social issues that matter to America's political Right.

On Liberty Unbound

2011-11-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

Man's natural yearning is for freedom. Tyrants abhor freedom and so, through the ages, have fought to subdue this most natural aspiration. Until the United States came into being, the despots of the world had largely succeeded in holding liberty at bay. Only the might of the military forces of the United States of America changed this equation. Only the service of many millions under arms for America vouchsafed freedom through America's history including overcoming the Russian Communist threat and winning the Cold War and only the blood-bought sacrifice of many hundreds of thousands dying under the Red, White, and Blue ended the ruthless oppression by Nazis and the sadistic forces of World War II Japan. Thank a veteran today, and do not forget that veteran tomorrow.

A Passing Acquaintance

2011-11-10T17:31:00.001-08:00

Barack Hussein Obama and the truth have met, but they are no longer on speaking terms.