Rudy's Out...Who to Support Now?

Now that Rudy is officially out, several people have been asking me my thoughts on the race now. I'm in a slight funk, so I'm still working out my thoughts. Officially there are still four candidates left: McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Paul.

Paul has never been a factor and never had a chance and still doesn't.

Huckabee also is done. After big losses in SC and FL, he has no chance because if he couldn't win in the friendly south, no way he can win the bigger blue states versus McCain.

The race is now down to McCain and Romney. McCain seems to have the most momentum, especially now with Giuliani and Arnold endorsing him. Also, with Huckabee staying in the race it is pulling some support from Romney, which some are suggesting is part of a strategy for Huck to get the VP nod. If I had to make a prediction right now, I'd predict it is McCain's to lose barring some Dean scream moment.

Being I had to cast my vote by abseentee due to being over here, I've already voted for Rudy in VA. However, who would I vote for between these two and why if I had the chance? That is a very good question and not one I can answer easily.

If you look back at my endorsement post where I ranked all the current candidates in the order that I like them, I have McCain ahead of Romney. My reasoning back then was due to all of Romney's flip-flops on issues of importance. Like I said of Rudy, at least with McCain, I know where he stands and where we disagree. He was also at the time sounding like he was learning some lessons that made him slightly more palatable. For example on immigration he was saying he heard the American people and that the fence needs to be built first before any other option of his plan can have a chance. That to me at least showed a little that he can learn from his mistakes.

However, now that he is clearly the front runner and apparently doesn't think he needs to appeal as much to the conservative base, he is very quickly going back to the McCain we all know and have convulsions over. That is a huge hit for him for me b/c one thing he had going for him was his "straight talk." I didn't agree with him on a lot of things, but I knew where he stood.

All that to say, right now I'm leaning more towards Romney. I still hold to my statement that he hasn't passed the smell test due to his previous statements of being to the left of Kennedy, but he has put himself on a very short limb with his statements in the campaign. If he doesn't live up to his new found conservative values, he knows he has absolutely no shot to be re-elected were he to win in Novemeber as it would be a "read my lips" campaign made in heaven for the Dems in 2012.

Finally, as I've said all along, no matter who the eventual Repub nominee is, I will support that person b/c as I also laid out in my endorsement post, every single one of them is a better option to either of the two Dems left in the race. And if it comes down to McCain vs Clinton, all I'll have to do is put a picture on my desk of her with the title, Madam President, and I'll have all the motivation I need.

Woody Jenkins for Congress

I just found out that Woody Jenkins is running in the special election to replace retiring Congressman Richard Baker. The first campaign I ever worked on was back in 1996 when Woody ran for US Senate. I can't believe that was 12 years ago!!!

If you are in Baton Rouge, get out and help any way you can. For everyone else, this is one race you want to support as much as possible. Woody is definitely the type of man we desperately need in Washington. The primary is March 8th, so time is short. Let's do our best to see that he gets there this time as he should have in '96.

Mud Pics

A couple of days ago I posted the snow pics...nothing so pretty today. Today is MUD!!! The mud here is your typical US mud. It is like sticky peanut butter that gets all over everything. Here is a close up.

Below is the road in front of our work trailers

Now there are a lot of sidewalks and cement. The only problem is that most paths to get to the cement is like the picture below

And so then the sidewalks end up looking like the one below

Don't worry though as in fine military fashion, they find ways to fix things in their own ways as shown in this pic leading to our work trailers from the sidewalk

And like this one where stones have been placed to make steps across the mud

The Army's answer is to put rocks everywhere like for this path. The only problem with this is the same as the sidewalks except now you have mud and rocks cacked under your boots.

Or in the case of the trailers the whole lot is covered in rocks

But then all that usually does is make wonderful water puddles like this one in front of my trailer

So, there you have the wonderful mud we face during the rainy season which last usually from December to approximately March. The one positive though is that the rain washes all the dust out of the air which means we can at least breath for a few months dust free. Hey...I take what I can get =)

Dem in Trouble...AP to the Rescue

Looks like once again, the AP is doing its best to help the Dems. Just as I pointed out last June with the Jefferson indictment not having one mention of his party, they have done it again for the Mayor of Detroit who was caught lying to a jury over an affair with his chief-of-staff. In 931 words, not one mention of his party. Not evidence of bias? Well, I decided to do a search of the AP website for the latest Repub sex-related scandal of Senator Craig. Every single article had at least one reference to Republican and usually several. They almost all had the obligatory (R-ID). Then in other paragraphs it wasn't just the senator, it was the Republican senator or the Idaho Republican. Gotta love the balance and fairness of the MSM. Thank God for FoxNews, talk radio and the blogosphere!!!

Hat tip: WSJ's BOTW

Snow Pics

Below are a couple of pics I snapped two weeks ago when it snowed. If you look good you can see the flakes. It was so pretty to see and as I said in my post two weeks ago, definitely lightened everyone's day as it was the talk of the base on Camp Victory and I'm sure all around the country. If you click on the pics to make them full size you can see the snow a lot better.

The Case for Rudy

Dennis Prager has written a great article laying out the case for Rudy being the best Repub candidate, especially versus McCain. If you are still on the fence or now that Thompson is out of the race and you need more reasons to support Rudy, I'd highly recommend it.

Down to Three After SC

The First in the South primary is done in South Carolina. Results: McCain 1st; Huckabee 2nd; Thompson 3rd. Here are my thoughts:

Thompson put all his chips in on SC and needed a very strong showing. Finishing 3rd is a very poor finish for all the effort. My prediction is that he will drop out before Florida. Rumor has it that he will endorse McCain...I certainly hope that isn't true.

Huckabee needed to win b/c SC is one of the most evangelical states and by not being able to win there, I don't see any other state he can win. He will stay in until FL and if he doesn't finish in the top 2, which I don't think he will, he will be out before Super Tuesday or at least should be if he is facing reality.

McCain's win will give him a major bump in FL and now in my opinion it is down to a three man race; McCain, Romeny and Rudy.

Next stop...Florida. If Rudy doesn't win FL he will be done b/c he is staking his whole big state strategy on winning FL first and rolling on from there and then it will be down to two.

Ice INCREASES in Greenland???

Now here I was thinking that Greenland was supposed to becoming Green Land again due to manmade global warming, yet the waters are freezing again for the first time in a decade and they are experiencing plummeting temperatures.

Then over in Siberia, the Russians are issuing emergency warnings because the temparture is dropping to -67F which is unusally cold for the region. Also in the same article is a paragraph about a lake in the country of Georgia that is freezing over for the first time in 50 years.

And finally, God continues to have fun with these alarmist as once again a global warming protest is in the middle of a snow storm in Maryland. Yet don't think that is stopping the Dems in Maryland from trying to pass some of the strictist government regulations thus ensuring that all businesses will flee Maryland for greener pastures and cooler minds.

Here is a quote from a Greenlander that should say it all, "'We Greenlanders have acclimated to changing conditions over the past 1100 years,' said Frederiksen. 'Temperatures change at regular intervals.'

Ok, all together now...WEATHER CYCLES...see how easy that was =)

Fiscal Conservative Leaders Unite Behind Rudy

Installment #2 - Persecution Watch - India

In India, 5 Christian workers were beaten by Hindu extremists. This is unfortunately a normal occurrence in India. However, a disturbing trend is that the police are aiding these attacks according to this report. In this recent case, the Christians were arrested and the attackers were not. The charges: hurting religious sentiments of Hindus. People don't normally think of India as a place of persecution, but unfortunately it happens way more than it should for the so called world's largest democracy.

Boundaries

I finished this book a week or so ago. It is now on my top 10 must read books. Boundaries discusses the boundaries we should have in our lives on all levels including; family, work, friends, marriage, kids, and others and when to say yes and more importantly when to say no in order to take control of your life. If you have not read it, I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone.

American Thinker for Rudy

An article in the American Thinker really spells out why Rudy is the best choice for the Repub nomination. In 5 areas, he shows how Rudy is the best or at least equal to the other top tier candidates. The 5 areas are: war on terror, economy, immigration, health care, and Supreme Court appointees. It is a very well written and thought out analysis.

First Snow in Over 80 YEARS!!!

Well, when I reported yesterday morning that it was snowing here and that it is a very rare occurrence, I didn't realize it hadn't happened in over 80 YEARS in Baghdad (over 100 by some reports)! However, don't think this is stopping the manmade global warming fanatics, "snowfall in the Middle East can also be signs of warming" There you have it folks...first snow in South Africa in decades this past summer, first snow in Daytona beach in decades a week ago, record breaking snowfall for December in NH, first snow in a century in Baghdad...yep...global warning is still alive and well and it's all our fault!

Well, on behalf of all of us here on Camp Victory and probably the vast majority of Baghdad residents, we'd like to thank all of you CO2 using people out there for giving us a small reprieve yesterday by allowing us to turn our minds from what is happening here and just marvel at the beauty of snow falling from the sky. Maybe next year the kids will be able to even build a snowman, as long as they don't name it Muhammad.

How to Tell a Conservative From a Liberal

This ad is a classic example of the difference between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives cut taxes and liberals raise them. I'll take a conservative every time!

It's Snowing!!!

I woke up this morning to hear my neighbors through the wall (yeah very thin walls in our trailers - speaking of trailers...I finally got my trailer on Camp Victory right before going home for Christmas...will post pics as soon as I can) complaining that it rained overnight. That is not a good thing over here because it is NASTY when it rains due to all the sand/dust turning to this goo like peanut butter sticky mud that gets on everything! So, I wake up and get ready to start my day not looking forward to stepping outside.

However, when I open my door...what do I see??? SNOW!!! It was only a very light flurry that only lasted about 30 minutes but it was still SNOW!!! When I was home I was so hoping that it would snow at least once to no avail. Never in a million years did I think I would see it here.

While it is not uncommon for snow in Northern Iraq in the mountains and higher elevations, it is very rare in Baghdad due to the average low in January of 39 degrees and a record low of only 25...it was 27 this morning!!! I guess Iraq hasn't gotten the Global Warming memo.

I took a few pics, but due to forgetting my card reader in LA I can't upload them yet to see if you can actually see the snow falling. As soon as I get my card reader in a week or so, I'll see how the pics came out and hopefully share the fun.

Installment #13 - Great Iraq News

Being the MSM media is no longer reporting anything about Iraq, I just wanted to let ya'll know that yes we are still here and yes things are still going good and getting better every day. Here are two reports of citizens taking action and supporting the effort.

The first is from the village of Sabbah Nissan and they turned in over 100 20mm mortar rounds, and it was the fourth cache in a month handed over. The second is from the village of Tuwaitha and they turned in one of the largest caches ever including over 100 mortar rounds, nearly 200 rockets, homemade explosives, and two grenade launchers.

Now we all know how the citizens have turned a new leaf in Al Anbar and have turned that province around. These latest citizens are right outside of Baghdad, which is again another huge victory! The places to hide for the enemy is getting smaller and smaller every day.

National Champions Again!!!

GEAUX TIGERS!!! LSU 38 Ohio St. 24!!! National Champions!!!

Totally worth having to wake up at 3am!!! =) I have a feeling Ohio St. doesn't want to face an SEC team in a bowl game any time soon now that this makes them 0-9. It was a great season and couldn't have ended better. GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Consensus No More and Breaking Records

While I was on my Christmas break, I saw this article. It is from a Senate report that has 400 prominent scientist who are disputing man-made global warming. That is 349 more scientist than the UN report. So much for the science being done on this issue. Funny how science works. When you stop relying on consensus, which by the way is no where in the scientific method, and start relying on data and facts, then the truth starts coming out.

Now if you believe all the hype from the media and Al Gore, we are having year after year of record heat. Well, not so fast my friend.

NH breaks a record in December...the previous record was set in 1876!!! Wanna guess what record was broken...nope not the warmest month...the most snow! That's right folks...the state of NH has just had the most snow in the month of December SINCE 1876. The ski lodges up there must be loving this global warming.

Here is another one for you that throws snow in the face of the manmade warming alarmists. Snow at Daytona Beach for first time in two years...guess they haven't gotten the global warming memo either.

And finally this must really be getting under their skin as it throws a huge wrench in their plans. A Russian scientist says global warming is done and we are entering the next global cooling cycle...hmmm...a cycle...who would have thunk it??? He is saying that we need to put the Kyoto goals on whole because it will cause an even colder cycle. Man...the hits just keep coming!

Rekindling Ministries

A very good friend of mine, Shannon Kirkpatrick, has found his calling in life. And that calling is to help others find their calling. He has been extremely influential in my life in determining how God has designed me and what He desires of me.

The ministry Shannon has started is called Rekindling. It is designed to take you to the next level in your life no matter where you are now. The key verse is 2 Tim 1:6, "That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God, the inner fire that is in you."

Shannon was on the Kazakhstan team that I was a part of summer of '05. After that trip he felt led to start some classes to help people find their calling. Those classes have led to Rekindling Ministries. I highly encourage you to check out the site and also the Rekindling blog, which is also now on my blogroll under fav blogs.

If you see something that is of interest to you or that you think your church would be interested in, then either let me know or contact Shannon through the site. Also if you feel this is something you would like to support financially, Rekindling is a 501c3 organization, so all contributions are tax deductible.

CajunTiger's Presidential Endorsement

As I have said on here several times, I take all high profile endorsements with a grain of salt because they rarely amount to anything when it comes to actual support. With that in mind, knowing my endorsement means even less, it's time for me to weigh in on who I'm supporting and why. My criteria is someone who has proven leadership, understands the times we are in, has a proven track record, a conservative, and is electable.

First, I'll go through the candidates I'm not supporting and why. The order is in reverse, from least favorite to most favorite.

All Democrats: It doesn't matter who the eventual Republican nominee will be, as I have done in the past, I publicly pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. Any effort to support a third party candidate if your Repub nominee isn't chosen is extremely shortsighted and flat out dangerous.

There is not one Dem who understands the threat we face as a nation post 9-11, nor how to confront that threat in order to keep us safe. There is not one Dem who understands the huge damage tax increases will cause to the economy. There is not one Dem who understands how national healthcare will cripple the health care industry. For those reason and many many more, there is not one Dem in this race I can support.

Ron Paul: There is a lot that I like about Dr. No. He is hands down one of the most fiscally conservative and strict constitutional constructionist in Congress. However, he is flat out wrong on foreign policy. His isolationist policy is not what is needed, especially now. For that reason, I cannot support him.

Mitt Romney: He is a great business mind and would be a great manager. I just don't see him as a leader, and I just don't trust him. He has flipped on way too many issues that he needed to flip on to have any chance. For someone to say he is to the left of Ted Kennedy in one election and then say he is a conservative in another one doesn't pass the smell test.

Mike Huckabee: He says all the right things. He has all the trappings of someone I should love. In fact, he was my first choice for quite awhile. That is until he made it to the top tier and his record as Governor starting surfacing. As much as some are saying that Rudy would destroy the Republican party, Huckabee might be closer to that possibility. He is a big government supporter in the clothes of compassionate conservatism. He raised taxes way too much. His in-state tuition for illegal aliens was not smart. His pledge to ban smoking nationwide is nanny state government to the max. And one of his biggest faults in my book is his embracing of manmade global warming with all the government regulations that go along with it. He says most of the right things, but his track record says otherwise. He is also extremely weak on foreign policy as his latest gaffes on Pakistan have proved.

John McCain: I have a lot of respect for McCain. He paid a high price to serve our nation. However, he has been wrong on too many issues. Just to name a few: campaign finance, illegal immigration, gang of 14, waterboarding, and several others.

Fred Thompson: He is good on nearly every issue, campaign finance not being one of them. He would be very easy to support. However, he does absolutely nothing for me. He has no drive that I can see. He has no passion that I can see. And this isn't just in his presidential run. Talk to staffers on the Hill and they will tell you that was exactly the same when he was Senator. He was always a very consistent vote, but never lead or did much of anything other than vote right.

Duncan Hunter: There is only one issue that I disagree with Hunter on and that is his stance against free trade. Other than that, he is hands down the candidate that is the closest to my positions on all issues. However, he just has done nothing to raise his profile. I don't know if it is a personality issue or a campaign staff issue, but either way he has remained in the bottom tier and won't win the nomination. I really hope he gets a high cabinet position, Sec Def, to raise his profile for the future.

So, if you are keeping tabs, that only leaves on candidate.

Rudy Giuliani:

1. He has a very proven track record. What he did to turn around NYC, a city labeled as ungovernable, is remarkable. From crime capital of the country to the safest large city is nothing to shake a stick at.

2. He is a proven leader. His handling of 9-11 was just what the city and country needed. He isn't labeled America's Mayor for nothing.

3. He understands the times. He has been very involved on multiple levels of facing the reality of the threat we face. He will not pander and will not care who likes us or not. His first priority, as all Presidents should be, will be to keep us safe.

4. He is a conservative. I know this is the area he gets hit on the most. However, social issues are only one of the planks of the Republican party. On taxes, on states' rights, on foreign policy, on size of federal government, on immigration, judges he has a proven record of being a conservative.

On the one plank, social issues, he is weak on, his support of states' rights and strict constructionist judges takes care of that for me. It is because of liberal judges that we have abortion on demand. It is because of liberal judges, we have gay marriage in a few states. It is because of liberal judges, that prayer in school and the ten commandments are ruled as unconstitutional. Giuliani has pledged judges in the mold of Scalia, Thomas and Roberts, and because he hasn't flipped on the social issues just to appease the base, I trust him to stay true on that commitment as well.

For people like Dr. Dobson to say that if he is the nominee they will go third party is ridiculous. All that will do is hand the election over to the Dem. That is so dangerous, especially post 9-11. One of the arguments they use is that we survived 8 years of a Clinton already and we can do it again. The problem with that theory is that Bill just wanted everyone to like him, and so he completely followed the polls and voted that way. Hillary is a true believer in all of the socialist agenda tenets and will fight to see every single one of them enacted. We can't take that chance, especially if we don't win back Congress. If Dobson were to hold the standard he is holding Giuliani to, he would have not voted for Reagan due to his support of abortion as governor of California. I have a feeling, back in 1980, he was a very strong supporter of Reagan as he should be a supporter of Giuliani over any of the Dems.

5. He is electable. If Giuliani is the nominee, that immediately puts states like NY, PA, CA and NJ as well as many other blue states in play. I don't think he could win any of them, but he will force the Dem to spend money there that they could use in red states with other nominees.

So far all those reasons and just a gut feeling that he is the right person for the job at this time, I support Rudy Giuliani for President!

Well, that's my two cents. If you want to read another endorsement of Giuliani that is way more elegant than mine, surf on over to Mike's America. Also endorsing on my blogroll: Wordsmith and LMC. If I missed anyone's endorsement of Giuliani, let me know.

Engagement Photos

Happy New Year!

On Friday, Mimi and I were able to take some engagement pics thanks to Dan and his sister meeting us and taking some great pics for us. Here are a few of them. Click here if you would like to see the album.