Demb & Demberer

These live debates are a real bitch

I'm just watching the Democratic debate here. So...boring...

Allow me to share my impressions:

Hillary. That voice. It's just phenomenal. I was doing dishes with the water on, the kids running around like maniacs, my wife sizzling dinner on the stove (and sizzling herself), and I could hear every word Hillary said. I swear the woman could out-shrill a blender on "liquefy" -- my experiment for the next debate maybe.

John Edwards is such a doof. He actually thinks he can win by slamming Hillary's Senate vote declaring Iran a terrorist state? In his desperation for traction he's just put himself in the position of defending Iran's Qud Force and Revolutionary Guard. Way to make Hillary look good, moron.

B. Hussein Obama... Said something about bringing people together and moving the country forward. I think. (I never remember the words, but oh how says 'em. So clean for a black man in politics too, right Joe?)

Bill Richardson, all talk and proud of it. ("We need to talk to North Korea, we need to talk to Iran, we need to talk to Syria...") Runner-up Richardson highlight -- calling Obama holier-than-thou and unkind to Hillary. Translation: Veep me up, Hilly!

Chris Dodd: "Blah, blah, harrumph! Blah, growwwl! Blaahhh!" [Repeat rapidly as possible without passing out until buzzer sounds.]

Joe Biden... Ouch. Mispronounced "Giuliani" while unleashing his big anti-Rudy zinger. Looking more and more like Burt Bacharach every day. Almost a Vegas lounge singer vibe. Give that man a martini and purple smoking jacket.

Li'l Dennis Kucinich... Aww. Look how cute he is... Give the little feller a phone book to stand on already. I'm suddenly reminded of a line from my friend Mike Rinaldi's latest film script. Kucinich does look like "a little fudge packer." (You know, the ones who live in that tree and make cookies?) And did he just admit to seeing a UFO?

Man what an ordeal. Think I'm swearing these off until the Republican/Democrat debates. Luckily, "Cavemen" starts in 10 minutes. Time to raise the IQ level around here.

Booya, Romney!!

Are you ready ske-deddy?? Mitt Romney was on "Mad Money" Friday. I never miss this show but of course I missed this one. Looks like Cramer wants you to stick with Rommmmneyyyy!

Scrantonicity

Man I wish I was in Scranton right now. Can you imagine all the great swag??

I'd don an Amish beard, put on a beet-stained Jurassic Park t-shirt and run alongside every car as it rolled into town. That, or banjo serenade the ladies in my Cornell beanie.

First choice of accommodations? Gotta be the Irrigation Room at Schrute Farm, which I understand has gone wireless. And just as soon as they find the wires, they'll have that power right back on.

One thing I can guarantee. Chili's will do huge business, with a record number of orders for Awesome Blossoms (extra awesome, please). As should Benihana, aka "Asian Hooters."

And please tell me some proctologist shows up for this thing driving a brown Probe.

In the land of second chances

The resilience and pure class of the American soldier amazes me.

Remember Pvt. Beauchamp, that liberal weasel-in-uniform who some time ago penned a fraudulent smear of his fellow troops that was swallowed hook, line and sinker by the chronically gullible New Republic? He's still in Iraq, and incredibly, he hasn't been strung up by his heels.

War blogger Michael Yon, in Iraq, has filed an update on the situation after encountering Beauchamp's commander recently. The weasel has reportedly shown signs of becoming a man. (I have my doubts.)

But compare the reaction to Beauchamp's true betrayal over there to the vicious, entirely undeserved "General Betray Us" vitriol Gen. Petraeus had to endure from the Left when he came stateside recently.

Compare it to The New Republic's refusal to own it's failures.

Compare it to Hollywood basing its entire slate of Iraq films on Beauchamp-style lies.

The piece contains a couple references, in fact, to the double burden our troops must shoulder -- the physical attacks overseas and the emotional ones inflicted by the mainstream media.

Simply amazing.


On the related topic of Petaeus' truthfulness in testimony, note Yon's conclusion in another post following yesterday's feeble rocket attack on the airport:

"There is very little al Qaeda left in this area. One known al Qaeda operative was found dead last week, shot in the head. Despite these attacks, violence continues to decrease."

Sorry, libs. The Surge be working.

Illegal immigration by the numbers

Coming soon to a street corner near you

I caught a segment on Glenn Beck the other day featuring a Texas congressman whose name I didn't catch (and didn't find in my lazy Google for the info).

It was the usual story -- numerous hospitals closing in Texas, over a billion dollars per year being spent to educate illegals in Texas schools, 80 percent of babies born at LBJ General Hospital being born to illegals -- you know, the universe-shifting story the MSM refuses to cover.

But those figures had me wondering... What are the current stats?

I found 'em. And they're terrifying. Click here.

Pass this link on, particularly to those in interior states who don't see the tidal wave coming and won't until it's too late.

'24' Season 7 trailer up!

I'm still trying to get the taste of last season out of my mouth, but the first glimpse of January's premier of '24' looks promising. (Can it really be seven seasons already??)

"CTU is gone." Good call. The Jack Cave was getting tired. Besides, every nut job with a suitcase bomb or unaccounted-for can of nerve gas had already been there anyway. It was easier to crash than Lindsay Lohan's car.

Hopefully it's more than just a first-hour gimmick.

The biggest twist? Tony is back -- as the villain. Stroke of genius.

So it appears to be a complete retooling with a fresh new production design. Apart from that other ugly rumor, I'm optimistic. See what you think.

(Thanks to D.C. Jill the heads-up.)

With a name like Dumbledore...

...he had to be gay.

Talk about your old poofters...

" 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling confirmed to TIME Magazine Friday at a public appearance that Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the father figure to Harry in the successful series, is gay."

Explains all the purple satin, don't it?

"...More relevant is that Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character."

Nice. Studios will battle conservative authors like Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler to the death on every niggling point, political or creative, but when it comes to the noble cause of pushing the gay agenda on legions of nerdy kids in need of an imaginary literary friend, Hollywood will cave to the slightest whim of the author.

You ask me, the whole Harry Potter phenomenon is gay. But personally, based on name alone, I would have voted Cornelius Fudge -- wink, wink -- most likely 'light in the loafers.'

Hollywood finally supports the troops?

Gone, but not forgotten

Wow... Nice to have some good news to report for a change. It seems "Time of Your Life" will be the first film to portray real military men and a real military family in a positive (read: accurate) light.

"'In a world where hopelessness and cynicism rule, this family found healing through celebration, and their story reminds us of the heroism and patriotism that mark the best this country has to offer,' Godfrey said."

This is the producing team who gave us Nativity Story last year. They have the talent, the clout and the heart to do this right.

We who complain about the lack of true diversity in Hollywood nearly damned their career by not backing Nativity. Let's get behind this one and start spreading the word now any way we can.

Say you want a revolution. Please.

Government efforts to enforce the law have again been thwarted...by the government.

"A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the government cannot use mismatched Social Security data to root out illegal immigrants from the workforce, declaring that such enforcement actions would do 'irreparable harm to innocent workers and employers.' "

Are you depressed at this point? I am.

Here we had a rare plan by federal officials to enforce immigration law. It was beautiful in its simplicity. Could have ended illegal immigration overnight simply by penalizing employers for knowingly supplying the paychecks that draw and keep illegals here.

In short, it was the fastest, easiest, most effective and least expensive way to sever the golden cord dangling that greenback carrot over the Rio Grande.

Now...? Nope. Chaos, sweet chaos, continues to reign.

You'd be right in cursing the usual suspects here: a dictator in black robes... Racist Latino activists... The ACLU... But the other member of this unholy alliance may surprise you -- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That's right. Big Business. Big Bad Business as I now like to call it.

I hate to go there. I feel like a traitor. But the day has come at last for conservatives to wake up from the Cold War and realize Capitalism is no longer the good guy.

Back in 1985 I recall reading in my (conservative Christian) high school textbook that "pure Capitalism could be as dangerous as pure Communism." That sounded even more blasphemous at the time, but now I get it.

Big Business is functionally amoral. It's pragmatic, self-sustaining. Were it a giant, heavily armed, sci-fi robot, it would be programmed to take out any perceived threat to its own survival. Were it right-wing billionaire Rupert Murdoch, it would help finance Hillary Clinton's campaign juuuust in case. (Recently happened, by the way.)

No surprise then, Big Business isn't remotely "pro-American" either. Instead, it's deeply committed to internationalism, to wide-open borders, the erasure of national boundaries (because if labor and resources are cheaper there than they are here, what's so great about here after all?)

No, America, Big Business isn't your friend anymore. You've outgrown your usefulness. Small business isn't your friend either for that matter. Farmer Jones down the road...? Forget it. They've already got a friend. It's called the bottom line, and it demands cheap labor at any cost.

Some claim many in both parties are quietly pushing for a de facto North American Union. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada all one big, happy, consumer family.

Given Bush's prosecution of our border agents, the vendetta against Duane Chapman, and yesterday's heroics to free a Mexican gang member who raped, tortured and murdered two teens in Texas and laer bragged about it, I have to believe at this point that's exactly what he's all about.

"...Bush administration lawyers said that Texas cannot execute Jose Ernesto Medellin for the rape and murder of two teenage girls because state authorities failed to notify him of his Vienna Convention rights to contact Mexican consular officials after his arrest."

Bush administration? Actually...

"The ICJ, also known as the World Court, ordered the United States to review Medellin's conviction and sentence.

After Texas initially balked, Mr. Bush personally intervened by issuing a presidential order in February, 2005, instructing the state to comply with the ICJ ruling."

Bringing me to the question of the day...

Where do I sign for my pitchfork and torch?

Seriously. I'm done with Dubya. DONE. Consider me at last part of the 70 percent of the country that can't stand the sight of him. If it comes to it, I could be done with the Republicans -- unless by some miracle Tom Tancredo makes it to the next round. (Hey, even that whackjob Ron Paul is looking better and better right about now.)

Yeah, bring on the third party. After today, I'll swamp their little GOP canoe in '08 with a smile.

If you care to join me in at least rocking the boat, start here:

Nancy Pelosi, Devil's handmaiden

It's official. We're circling the drain.

Fresh off her blessing of the unspeakably vile and illegal Folsom Street Fair -- and its S&M treatment of both high art and Christ -- U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has now come out in support of banning God, even in word, from Washington D.C.

But hey, Nancy Pelosi doesn't really represent America, right? Uh... Last I checked, roughly 50 percent of the U.S. population helped put her party in power, then applauded when she took the gavel.

Circling...the...drain...

"President Hillary Clinton" of course would represent the final whump of the plunger, but we'll cross that Tidy Bowl canyon when we come to it.

Though it seems to have mysteriously disappeared from YouTube overnight, online postings elsewhere prove Saturday Night Live stumbled onto the hard truth a year ago. Enjoy. Or throw up. Your choice.

(Beware, mature (i.e. 'pervert') themes in skit. Also, random videos to follow do not necessarily reflect the views of management or this station.)

From Crackle: SNL Nancy Pelosi Parody 11.11.06

Back to work!

"I think this says it all... I bought it at Spencer's Gifts."

A new season of 'The Office' kicked off last night. Life is good.

Along with the premier of 'Lost' this is an event night for our family. If we actually knew anybody in this town yet who watches it too, we would've thrown a party.

Not only did we get a full hour that included the answer to all your Jim and Pam romantic cliffhanger questions, but we also got to watch Michael hit someone with his car and host a killer "race for the cure" fun run...for rabies, complete with rubber wrist bands and a "big check" made out to "Science" for $345, handed to a stripper "nurse" Michael mistakes for the real thing.

A few top moments in case you missed "Fun Run":

• Michael ties his get-well-soon balloons to Meredith's IV tubes, tries to reinsert IV, gets yelled at by nurse.

• Michael orders Phyllis to assemble an "until there's a cure" rabies quilt. The first couple squares feature a raccoon foaming at the mouth and a wild dog with a cat in its mouth.

• Andy employs Scotch tape in the age-old battle against nipple chafing.

• Andy drafts off Kevin during the race, shortly before nipples begin to bleed.

• Dwight's .357 Magnum "starter gun."

• Michael "carbo-loads" pre-race on two pounds of fettuccine.

• Michael vomits on the finish line, garage-sale lamp "trophy" held high.

Quotes:

ANGELA: Dwight said he put Sprinkles in the freezer after she died, but there was fur everywhere and my frozen French fries were torn to shreds.

CREED: Ive been involved in a number of cults, both as a leader and follower... You have more fun as a follower, but you make more money as a leader.

MICHAEL: Attention, everybody. I have an important announcement--
OSCAR: You pushed Darrel out a window.
MICHAEL: No--
PHYLLIS: You shot Dwight.
MICHAEL: Not funny. I love my employees. Even though I ran over one of you with my car.

DWIGHT: At least it was only Meredith.
MICHAEL: Yes it was only Meredith, thank God. but did you see the way they were looking at me? Like I was a murderer or something.

MICHAEL: Kelly, you're a Hindu so you worship Buddha, right?
KELLY: No, Buddhists worship Buddha.
MICHAEL: Are you sure?
KELLY: No.

PAM: [into phone] Hello, Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run Race for The Cure, May I help you?
MICHAEL: [whispers urgently] Pro-Am!
PAM: What?
MICHAEL: Pro! Am!
PAM: [into phone] Pro-Am fun race... They hung up.

DWIGHT: Meredith, just blink twice if you want me to pull your plug.
MEREDITH: Please don't unplug anything, Dwight.
[Dwight frowns.]

Oh yeah... We're in for another good season.

Catch the full "Fun Run" episode here.

Dear...

More Libertas goodness. Funniest thing I've read in a long time. A simple plea for fiscal sanity sure to be ignored by Tinseltown despite the minimal grasp of basic logic required. Don't ask, just click here.

Jesse James is dead

Are we having fun yet?

Believe it or not, we now have two, count 'em, two westerns in American movie theaters, not just in the same decade, but at the same time.

Dirty Harry over at Libertas has written a glowing review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

"Through methodical pacing and meticulous cinematography and sound design writer/director Andrew Dominik mesmerizes with his story of the final year in the life of Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and his death at the hands of Robert Ford..."

"Each shot of the film is like a painting [framed] deliberately using candlelight to its maximum effect to create any mood the scene calls for. ... Even more impressive is the sound design that brings you right onto the vast wintry plains and into the echoey wood floored cabins of the day."

DH considers it a masterpiece.

[Jesse James is not] only the best film I’ve seen all year, but in many years. It was more than a film, it’s what all great films are: an experience. One I look forward to reliving again many times.

Given the fact snobbier reviewers were praising the 2 hour, 40 minute experience as a "mournful ballad" and "probing character essay" of "lyrical fatalism," I wasn't eager to see this -- particularly since negative reviews preferred comparisons like "endurance test" and "watching a book on tape."

DH seems to acknowledge some of this:

"This isn’t a film for everyone. It’s a moody character piece that takes its time with very little action and draws drama from the movement of an eye. In many ways it’s reminiscent of Scorsese’s Age of Innocence..."

Age of Innocence was a brilliant, brilliant film that has never really been given its due, either in following or its rightful place in Scorsese's catalog. But we're talking about a western, of which DH has this to say:

The Western wasn’t killed by an indifferent audience but rather at the hands of political correctness. Straight-forward stories like Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma, and Open Range, still put as many butts in seats as any zombie film. It’s only when stricken with the modernism of a Silverado, the grating feminism of Bad Girls, and the hand-wringing self-loathing of Geronimo that they die well-deserved premature deaths. Other than touching on the fascination of celebrity — something as old as mankind – Jesse James is about the universal themes we all relate to. How refreshing not to once hear about the plight of the Indian."

So all in all, a brilliant Film, but another moody downer in the tradition of Unforgiven.

Me? I'll take the Open Range end of the Western spectrum over depth and artistry every time.

Give me Tombstone -- historically and artistically challenged, but the last shoot-'em-up with a sense of adventure and real fun. I want something that revisits the West and delivers not only black hat/white hat thrills but also views the setting as an exciting land of opportunity, not a decaying page in a forgotten history book.

Even action-packed Yuma was too grubby and introspective to really put those butts in the seats in a major way.

Don't get me wrong. Dirty Harry won't lead us astray. He knows his stuff and is relatively stingy with the ole thumbs-up. I'll therefor surely give Jesse James a shot, pun intended.

But whatever the reason, viewer indifference -- i.e. the very real prospect of NOT having a good time at the movies -- really is what killed the western. And despite two really quality films in the blessed space of a month, I think we can all agree the western is as dead as it was a year ago.

Bye bye, Barry

UPDATE: I was wrong. I caught Barry's curtain call last night courtesy of the great Jon Miller on KNBR (which truly does run all the way to Canada). Got a little choked up after all. Got worse later when it was reported his locker was already cleaned out, including the name plate, before the game was over. End of an era, one with a ton of good memories.

I've worn his jersey to the games almost since he arrived in San Francisco, but even I can't say I'll shed many tears when Barry Bonds departs the Giants soon, as it was announced Friday he in fact, after long assumption, would.

The only real surprise was how early and emphatic the Giants made the decision.

It's been a dismal season. One largely sacrificed for The Almighty 756 (which a Mets fan walked off with) and for the McCovey Cove boatloads of money that one swing of the bat brought the organization.

But at a record of 69-89 (game is tied 2-2 tonight, for what it's worth), this year was uglier than Peter McGowan envisioned and he's clearly ready to get it over with.

Don't miss Ray Ratto's San Francisco Chronicle column on the topic. A smart and funny outline of the situation and Barry's uphill battle to find a new home for his price tag and aging ego. (Barry a Texas Ranger...? If he's lucky.)

Andruw "Male Gigolo" Jones is rumored as his possible replacement. That would be my worst nightmare. I won't let Jones on my fantasy team. For all the headache he became, Barry at least had the benefit of my (blind, willful) doubt. Andruw (stupid name for starters) admitted in court to being a sex perv, apparently with at least as much ego as Barry ever had. Hopefully this comes to nothing and will disappear like a bad dream in the morning.

Also depressing is Ratto's point about Randy Winn's trade value. As Kruk and Kuip like to say, Winn is as classy as they come and -- along with some young pitching and late-season acquisitions like Rajai Davis -- one of the few bright spots this season.

Personally, I loved the '07 Giants. Sure they sucked, but without the media circus distraction to keep them from gelling most of the year, things might have been different. Definitely an easy squad to root for and fun to watch...apart from the, er, scoreboard, with some great guys who had me watching more games this year than I have in many a season.

Thankfully, sounds like Omar Vizquel will be making magic in a Giants' uni again next season. And if Sabean and Co make good on the promise to go younger, faster and smarter next year, Andruw Jones, who is none of the above, won't make the cut.

That will leave us with a capable (and politically conservative) manager in Bruce Bochy; a young, starting rotation with a rosy future; another Barry with plenty of upside potential; and if we're lucky, another round of Good-time Ryan Klesko and that hi-yahh! follow-through swing. (Ask Kruk and Kuip.)

As for Barry, I thank him for the memories and wish him well. Hope things work out wherever he lands. Gonna be weird without the 'Bonds Squad,' the rubber chickens, the flashbulbs and the body armor, the attitude (perhaps prophetically?) the size of Texas reigning supreme in left field...

But then again, maybe the curse is finally gone too. Like I always say about this time of the Giants' season, there's always next year.

Keys to 'The Kingdom' II

Oooo, baby... The early reviews for Peter Berg's The Kingdom are rolling in, and I like what I see.

Emanuel Levy writes:

"...Some critics may have reservations about the movie's gung-ho politics and its pro-American slant in both text and subtext. However, with the right marketing and handling "The Kingdom" should become the first bona fide hit of the fall season, and more significantly, the first 9/11 movie that's a commercial hit, embraced by the large populace regardless of specific political orientations..."

Did he say "gung-ho" and "pro-American"???

Next, from CinemaBlend:

"...This movie is real and the brutal terrorist attack you’ve just witnessed is something that could happen tomorrow, or might even be happening right now. ... We follow an FBI team trying to hunt down the types of terrorists responsible for attacks like the one those brave [United 93] victims suffered."

Oh but it gets better.

"...Steering clear of hot-button religious or political issues, "The Kingdom" instead centers on a wild bunch of pros trying to do their best to battle violence—-and in the process make the world a better place to live. As such, it encourages the audience to root for the triumph of good over evil, which explains why at the end of the screening there was enthusiastic applause. But "The Kingdom" does have a political agenda, evident in verbal and non-verbal scenes, suggesting that only Americans can do the job well, quickly, and effectively."

Audiences cheering? For the good guys? Americans???

"These chauvinistic elements about the vigor the American military institution, the American know-how, may prove problematic for some viewers..."

Not me.

"...The messages are stated explicitly in several agit-prop speeches, where Fleury says: "Let us teach you how we Americans can help resolve your problems." The movie implies that Saudi Arabia, and by extension other foreign countries, of both the First World and Third World, are not strong, rational, and skillful enough to fight terrorism."

Preach it, brother!

More evidence, from from CHUD:

"...The small team of FBI agents [is depicted] trying to do the best investigative work possible to capture the monsters responsible for killing hundreds of Americans. ...

[Foxx's] Fleury, a good father and good agent who won’t settle for the obstructionist bulls---t the Saudis throw at him. Chris Cooper remains the most reliable character actor in Hollywood, and he’s completely believable whether dispensing homespun Southern wisdom or aerating bad guys with an automatic weapon."

I now have goosebumps. More CHUD:

"...I want a film that will make me sit on the edge of my seat, applaud some righteous ass-kicking and send me home mulling deeper thoughts. God bless Peter Berg, Matthew Carnahan and Universal for giving me exactly that."

And -- this is fun for a change, isn't it, folks? -- from Deep-Focus.com's review:

"...It's that type of movie -- the protagonists have got it going on in every possible way ... The only real help our white-hatted heroes get from the locals comes when the police colonel assigned to protect them (Ashraf Barhom) -- perhaps sick of Foxx's condescension -- suddenly takes an active interest in catching the culprits. ...

"...the body count is spectacularly high, and everyone in a thobe, it seems, is fair game. It may be a bad neighborhood, but is everyone in sight really culpable in mass murder? Mostly, Berg and Carnahan ignore the question."

At last. Somebody in town gets it. Could this be the movie we've been waiting for?

For further evidence this is going to be fun, check out the more obviously liberal aspects of some of these reviews at the link above. (The openly liberal reviewers don't like it at all.)

"...The last scene depicts Fleury consoling a Saudi Arabian boy ... in the patronizing manner that John Wayne used to behave in his war pictures with Filipino boys during WWII and then Vietnamese kids in his Vietnam action flicks ("Back to Bataan," "Green Berets")."

To recap: Gung-ho...pro-American...third world sucks...righteous ass-kicking...John Wayne.

Case closed. This is gonna be good.

Now excuse me while I click over and enjoy the trailer again.

Have fun storming the castle!

This is completely random, but I haven't posted in a while. It's entertaining. It's educational. It's the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg. Enjoy.

G.I. Joe to become U.N. Joe

Rumors have been flying for months about the possible fate of perhaps the most American comic book hero this side of Captain America.

What would commie pinko Hollywood do to mess this up? Because it had to do something. Because a model for children dressed in camouflage and dog tags? Whose sole purpose is to fight the enemies of America? Right now, during time of war? Can't happen.

And it won't. The rumors are confirmed.

In the politically correct new millennium, G.I. Joe bears no resemblance to the original.

Paramount has confirmed that in the movie, the name G.I. Joe will become an acronym for "Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity" — an international, coed task force charged with defeating bad guys. It will no longer stand for government issued, as in issued by the American government.

So there you have it. International... Coed... The one-two punch of guaranteed floppage and the 157th time Hollywood has shot itself in the foot this year.

Imperialism, in their own words

At the risk of this blog becoming a one-trick pony, let me post a link to this excellent piece on the timeline of the Mexican government's intent to erase our borders.

This is for those of you who, like President Bush's current spokesman this week, choose to believe President Felipe Calderon's recent comments were not as odious as many in the U.S. found them.

Contains direct quotes from several Mexican leaders on what they hope to achieve by undermining control of our national boundaries.

"In June 2004, President Vicente Fox took the Zedillo road to the Mexican-American community in Chicago. There, he, too, declared: 'We are Mexicans that live in our territories, and we are Mexicans that live in other territories. In reality, there are 120 million that live together and are working together to construct a nation.'

President Fox was saying that the construction of his nation is taking place — inside our nation. Is that not sedition?"

Yup. Sanctioned openly by the Bush administration.

Down with John McCain, Pt. II

Third from right, closest to the Left

We were out looking at houses last night and nearly missed the Republican debate (man, I miss my DVR right now). Saw all but the first 10 minutes, which I caught on the replay.

What floored me was the voter panel and others who have awarded John McCain the win.

"McCain was the most honest and detailed in his answers" was the consensus after the debate.

You've got to be kidding me.

Let me say again, McCain is a sell-out and the epitome of the career politician. And again, even with Ron "Magneto" Paul on stage, McCain said the stupidest thing in these debates from either party so far.

When asked the torture question, McCain again said he opposes it because it would allow our enemies to give us the same back. As if our hacksaw-wielding, suicide-bombing, village-destroying enemies are signatories to the Geneva Convention, at the offending of which the gloves will really come off.

And he's the one with the surest grip on the terror fight??

Then there was his rationale for not signing the tax pledge. "My record is my pledge."

Nice. The old "she knows I love her, why do I need to give her a ring?" defense.

And his record? You mean the record they play every time he's spotted square dancing around the senate floor with Kennedy/Feingold and friends?

Anyone who buys a thing McCain is selling deserves the shoddy goods in his rickety cart.

Ron Paul has a screw loose and he almost filled me with more confidence.

Rudy and previous best in class, Romney, both took it on the chin last night, and both gave better than the recycled robot-speak McCain had to offer.

Brownback was more Grover and Huckabee more Gomer Pyle-esque than ever, and they... Well, you get the picture.

But no matter. Wipe the whole ugly slate clean. Fred Thompson is finally in the race.

And thank God.

One appearance on Leno was enough to convince me he's the real deal. He was sharp, articulate and that rarest of all qualities in politicians...wise.

And if you think it was only the actor in him, a visit to his Web headquarters should convince otherwise.

There you'll find not only the folksy smarts he's usually credited for, but also -- and I'm still in shock -- a spirited exposition of federalism. He nearly out-Reagans Reagan himself. Oh, and he's presented this bit of Federalism 101 online.

The second coming of the Great Communicator? I vote yes, as I will for Fred at the earliest available opportunity.

Thumbs up to Fox News, too, for again demonstrating they understand what these early stage debates are supposed to be: a forum for tough questions the party base wants to hear. Too often these moderators pepper Republican candidates with questions Democrats want asked. Yet another way the MSM subtly gives more credence to the other side, as if liberal "pressing issues" are the only issues the country cares about.

P.S. -- Did I mention John McCain sucks?

Dobbs on Calderon

"That's it, amigos! Keep moving north!"

Along with Glenn Beck on Headline News, CNN's Lou Dobbs has probably been the most vocal about the dangers of unchecked illegal immigration and the miscarriage of justice visited upon railroaded border agents Ramos and Compean.

Dobbs has written a nice piece on the latest attacks on U.S. sovereignty, one from Mexican President Calderon and one from the good old U.S. judicial system.

"In his state of the union address to the Mexican nation, Calderon established his imperialistic imperatives: 'I have said that Mexico does not stop at its border, that wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico.' "

As suspected at his election, 'El Guapo' Calderon is just as useless as his predecessor Fox. The U.S. exists solely as a pressure valve for the multi-million-strong lower class created by the failed national experiment best known as Mexico.

And when DHS makes the rare attempt at actual law enforcement over this issue, yet another activist judge steps in to tell us all how we should be ruling ourselves.

"That U.S. District Court judge ruled as if she were an employee of the Mexican government, rather than the U.S. government. Homeland Security was simply enforcing existing immigration laws. Are we not a nation that follows the rule of law? If not, we're no country at all."

Unfortunately, that's exactly what we're becoming, Lou.

God help us all if the 2008 election doesn't result in some explicit border- and employment-enforcement promises that can't be broken once our next leader takes office. If not, our grandchildren may well be pulling the lever here for Presidente de los Estados Unidos someday.

Speaking of Glenn Beck, check out the T-shirt selling over at his Website: "U.S. Border Patrol -- To Protect and Serve Time." (All proceeds going for the Ramos/Compean defense fund.)