ConservaChick

Today is the first day of the time change back to Standard time. I despise the way we mess with the clock. It's hard enough for night owls to be on the same time as everyone else in the working world, so must we tinker with it? Really. It's pitch black outside at 7pm now. Is that really necessary? It was fine when it got dark at 8pm but this is ridiculous. I don't do well with the time change, in case you couldn't tell. As much as I hate the time change, I do love the autumn though. The leaves on the trees here have turned anywhere from a lemon yellow to a flame red and all colors in between. It is absolutely gorgeous! The wind blows and the temperature is just chilly enough to remind you that you're vital, you're alive. It's a wonderful season!

Okay, Scooter , so you've been indicted by the grand jury convened in the Plame investigation. If you did what the indictment says you did then this ConservaChick believes you should be convicted. Just as with Clinton, I do not look kindly on obstructionists and liars at the top levels of my government. However, I heard Fitzgerald 's statements on the radio today. You know what he never said? "We found out who 'outted' the 'undercover' CIA operative, Valerie Plame. That indictment is forthcoming." Hmmm. I wonder why he didn't say that? Wouldn't they have charged you with that if you had indeed been guilty of anything close to "outting" an undercover operative and endangering her and our national security?! So, Scooter, if you did obstruct justice, etc. then I can't support you, dude; however, if you didn't do it, I hope to heck you fight these charges in court and embarrass the bejeezus out of Fitzgerald. As a matter of fact,...

Honestly, I don't know whether to be proud that Conservatives still have a voice in their own party or to thank the Washington Post (of all things!) for publishing writings and opinions of Harriet Miers from the 1990s. Whichever it was that prompted her to withdraw her name from the nomination, it's a win for Conservatives who truly understand how important it is for President Bush to nominate someone who has stood up for his/her Conservative values consistently throughout a distinguished career. I am waiting with baited breath for the next nomination. All I can say is that it had better not come with the qualifier "Trust me" and a wink. C'mon, W. Let's get it right this time! Evidently, you'd better get your money in the pool now as odds on the next nominee are being given ...

Is there any more famous picture than that of Rosa Parks riding the bus? Possibly, but this picture has come to represent an American awakening. Without Rosa Parks's defiance that day in Montgomery, Alabama, I have to wonder what it might have taken to finally spark the movement toward desegregation and civil rights in this nation. She has been rightly called "the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement;" however, in my mind she is the woman who awakened a nation. On the occasion of her death, I thought it might be fitting to remember that the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other black leaders was one of color-blindness. Unfortunately, today's black leaders use color to keep their communities divided from "white America." It's a shame that the message has been lost. From an interview in 1996 , in Rosa's own words, that's not the vision she had: "... February, Black History Month, seemed a relevant time to evaluate youth and their sense o...

The Iraqis finally have their constitution! After the October 15th vote seemed to be a majority for the new constitution, allegations of fraud were immediately made by a few Sunni leaders who had tried to get out the "no" vote for this election. The UN elections chief praised election officials in Iraq for having done a "very good job" with the audit of results. So, it would seem that the Iraqis held a fair election where a majority of its citizens voted for their new constitution. Good news! However, I fear that some of the Iraqis who were out-voted on the constitution have adopted the same "sore loser" tactics that the Dems used after the 2000 election and yet again in 2004. ...But Saleh al-Mutlaq, a Sunni Arab member of the committee that drafted the constitution, called the referendum "a farce" and accused government forces of stealing ballot boxes to reduce the percentage of "no" votes in several mostly Sunni-Arab provinces. "...

"How long it will take for this revolution to run its course, and turn the world we live in upside-down, cannot be known. It may be this year or it may be fifty years. But this much we do know: those of us committed to the building of an intellectual infrastructure necessary to overturn the despotism of a government-managed society must never let up. Never let anyone tell you that what you believe is an anachronism. The Left does not own the future." While we Conservatives continue our healthy debate on the choices made by our President, while we voice our dissatisfaction with the current apathetic approach to protecting our borders, and while we call B.S. on any Republican who claims to be Conservative but doesn't follow word with deed, I am reminded of something I read a few years ago: " The Transformation of American Opinion ," written before the events of 9/11. It could not possibly be more relevant that it is today. I enjoy reading Lew Rockwell 's opini...

First let me say that I respect John McCain for his service to our country. He and the other POWs gave more for our country during the Vietnam war than any of us could imagine. As we all know, his service to our country did not end after his ordeal there. He is still in service to this country as a congressman. Even though I respect his service during wartime and do agree with him on some issues, he does not get a free pass to show disregard for Conservative ideals and Conservative constituents. I received the following email today from Brandon (a fellow ProtestWarrior) who wrote to McCain to voice his concern over the total non-management by our Republican congress of the immigration issue and to provide some suggestions for action. This email was too funny and too informative not to share with you all. ---------------------------- "Finally received my response from John McCain’s office concerning my suggestions for immigration reform, automated unfortunately, which means my let...

Saddam Hussein began his trial today with defiance. Good for him. You show 'em, Saddam. No one is in charge but you, old buddy. Where's Baghdad Bob when you need him? The Iraqi people, according to the Guardian , were glued to their TV sets today as the trial began. Sunnis were sure to be cheering Saddam on as the rest of Iraq cheered for justice that will have been a long time coming: "Iraq's soil has its pride. It won't accept Saddam's body once they execute him. I hope they throw his body to the dogs, not bury it,'' said Shanan, slapping his fist into his palm nervously. " Iraq is becoming a sovereign nation again under democratic rule. It no longer has a place for an egomaniacal dictator. There are sure to be great media moments ahead...

The political strategy group, Democracy Corps , run by Democrat bigwigs James Carville, Stanley Greenberg, and Robert Shrum has issued a memo to the party. It's a revealing glimpse into the thinking of party's top strategists . I'm pretty sure it's a long shot but if Dems take advice like this (below), we could be in for a few tough races next year. "2006 will only produce an upheaval if Democrats make a break with the forces that have put them just short of a majority in the country," they argue. "The Democrats should revisit the Perot voters and their concerns, even if Perot himself has faded from view. His voters were the most anti-political and anti-elitist, anti-big government and big corporations, anti-free trade and anti-immigration. They were pro-military but anti-foreign entanglements. They were libertarian and secular, pro-gun and pro-choice." I can't speak for all Conservatives but I certainly hope the Republican party gets its house i...

Well, of course, it had to happen. It was not that long coming either. The Democrat party in the state of Kentucky does not cotton much to having Republicans in charge. Now, in addition to lawsuits and other such Liberal antics, they are striving to shut down the freedom of speech of a fine American who has a political opinion that happens to be Conservative. Since when in this country is it illegal to express your political opinions on your own time? Because an accomplished attorney (previously an accomplished blogger as well) happens to have opinions that differ from Liberals, he is to be fired? Someone remind me again, please, what country is this?? Yes, he was appointed to filter job applications to ensure that the merit process was being followed to the letter. He is, after all, an attorney. Is he supposed to be denied that job because of his political ideology? Not that he needs testimonials, but I can attest to the fact that Dodd Harris is tolerant, open-minded, and objective. ...

If you blink today, you may very well miss any media coverage of the Iraqis voting again on their Constitution. Thanks to FoxNews though for their fantastic coverage of the days leading up to this vote and the polling today. As I watch the coverage, I'm encouraged. The moral of today's vote is that the Sunnis have now gotten the hang of the political process. They boycotted the last vote and found that democracy rolled right on without them. This time, guess who has turned out their vote? Yep, the Sunnis. Even if they vote the latest Constitution down, the lesson of democracy has been learned and quickly. Nice job, Iraq! Godspeed and many well wishes on your vote today. You have many cousins in freedom right here in the States!!

ConservaChick had a one-year blog anniversary this month and now it's her "air-breathing human" anniversary. Thanks to the humorous genius of Douglas Adams , this year has special meaning: it is, after all, the meaning of life. Evidently, I will find enlightenment this year. "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." -- George Bernard Shaw Thanks, George. According to you, I have led an honorable and useful life so far.

I will admit that I have more research to do on this but it has just come to my attention, via a letter I received today that The Club for Growth (of which I am a member) is being sued by the FEC for allegedly violating some aspect or another of the campaign finance reform law with regard to 527s. Of course, a Conservative group would be targeted while the Liberal MoveOn type 527s get a free pass. Nice job, McCain. Thanks a million. ? The press reports (which I have just pulled up and one of which I've linked in the above paragraph) are quoting FEC officials calling this suit a "test case." Excuse me? Testing for what?... how many more of our rights that can be stripped away during elections? This is an assault on on our rights and those of every American as is the McCain-Feingold bill . The Club has consulted with legal counsel every step of the way and has followed the letter of the law. In our fight to help elect pro-growth, small government advocates we have become ...

It was inevitable. I've been hearing the undercurrent of "harrumph" from fellow Conservatives as they watch Republican leadership make too many missteps on the path of true Conservatism ever since President Reagan left office. The time was coming when we would have to demand that our government return to governance according to the founding documents. And today, my friends, that time seems to be upon us. A citizens' petition to restore Constitutional integrity to government, and entreat the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches to confine their actions to comport with the limits of Constitutional law is now being circulated via the internet. The text of the Petition to Restore Constitutional Integrity is as follows: To President George Bush, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, House Majority Leader Roy Blunt and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist: Whereas you have, in some notable cases, neglected your oaths to support and defend the Constitution of the United...

Professor Robert F. Turner has written a well-referenced and well-written piece on " The Fonda Fallacies ." It is published on the Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation website. It's a shame that it won't be picked up and published in a more mainstream medium for others who don't delve as far into issues as the rest of us. However, for anyone who believes, as I do, that Jane Fonda committed treason during the Vietnam war, this is required (and absorbing) reading. Here's an excerpt: " My Life So Far is Fonda’s attempt to justify the first six decades of her existence. She tells us far more than most would care to know about her difficult childhood, her battles with eating disorders to maintain her trim figure, and her various problems with a series of failed marriages. There are few acknowledged regrets, [2] considerably more efforts to rationalize and spin behavior by leaving out essential facts, and an underlying theme that almost seems calculated to be ...

I'm not a Christian but I don't fear or begrudge anyone to worship as they please and *gasp* even to talk about their religion! Why are Liberals so extremely scared of Christians? There is a giant gaping hole in our southern border. Many Conservatives are talking and acting on the issue. Why is my president so resistant to enforcing immigration laws? Why in the freakin' world would we leave this issue open for a smart Democrat (okay, oxymoron there!) to take the lead on? In days gone by, people used to talk politics just like they'd talk about a Monday Night Football game. It seemed that folks used to view politics as a sport, a horse race where the best horse won. What in the heck ever happened to those days? It used to be fun. Why is it so emotionally-charged and nasty now? I am so tired of Libs whining about the government (aka "society") not doing enough for people. What ever happened to families taking care of their own? What ever happened to small commun...

I've resisted blogging anything about the current embroglio with Tom DeLay and the Libs who'd love to take him out. Yes, he's been indicted but, as any good Dem knows, that doesn't make him guilty of anything. We'll see. It's tempting but I'd like to reserve judgment at this time. We do, however, have the privilege of a few poetic words on the subject from my favorite political poet, Russ Vaughn. Thanks, Russ -- you rule! ----------------------------------------- Dogged DeLay It appears to me this Ronnie feller, Thinks he might be a new Old Yeller, Fearless defender of all that’s good, Chasing skunks out of our neighborhood. But some observers of this hound, Believe he should be in the pound. That telltale frothing round his muzzle, To those who know him is no puzzle. This dog’s deranged and quick to bite, But he seldom ever wins a fight; A surly cur who snaps and growls, Whose bite’s less painful than his howls. Beware you masters he drools to please, This ...

If you're having problems with the formatting of my blog in your browser, please email me or comment to let me know. I understand that there may be a problem viewing it in Firefox browsers. I have a new template and will simply need to escalate the priority on putting it in place if that will help the problem. On a completely separate note (I am the Queen of non sequiturs, after all): It's becoming a tradition for a number of the "women folk" in my family to get together one weekend a year in Tennessee. That's happens to be this weekend. It's time again for a lotta girl talk and a bit o' moonshine. ;) So, I'm officially outta here until at least Monday. Have a great weekend! 'night y'all!

In the days following 9/11 I first heard, really heard, the Prime Minister of Britain speak. He was so forthright, so earnestly on the side of good in this world, and such a warming force to the hearts of Americans who were in dire need of a solid friend. It took a while for the full picture of Tony Blair to form for me... My God! This man is a social democrat! He is the first and probably will be the last social democrat that I've ever revered. Tony Blair is a study in how contradictions can sometimes gently fold together into wonderful works of art and wonderful artistic moments in history. As I catch up on my reading of the Weekly Standard tonight, I was struck by this article by Irwin M. Stelzer: " Labour's Pain... and Blair's Achievement ." Here's an excerpt but the entire article is a must read for anyone who admires Prime Minister Blair: "To students of social democratic history in Europe, this was only one of several striking changes from the day...

From last week's Weekly Standard comes yet another superbly-written article by Jonathan Karl on yet another reason to be proud to be of the same political ideology as people like Karen Hughes . "...After just a few minutes, there was a surprise announcement: All the reporters, men included, would be allowed into the auditorium. U.S. Embassy officials couldn't believe it. One called it "historic." Men and women together in public. A shocking thought in the Saudi world. Gamal Helal, a longtime Arabic interpreter and adviser to Democratic and Republican presidents, told Hughes it was "a Rosa Parks moment."... " I knew I liked Karen Hughes. I had no idea just exactly how much... now, I do! With people like her representing this nation to our new friends in the Middle East and elsewhere, we are in fine shape indeed. Way to go, Karen. You make this Conservative proud!

A preview of the 60 Minutes interview with Louis Freeh that will be televised this Sunday (October 9th) is enough to send me in search of his new book: "Aside from scandals and investigations, Freeh says Clinton let down the American people and the families of victims of the 1996 Khobar Towers terror attack in Saudi Arabia. After promising to bring to justice those responsible for the bombing that killed 19 and injured hundreds, Freeh says Clinton refused to personally ask Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to allow the FBI to question bombing suspects the kingdom had in custody — the only way the bureau could secure the interviews, according to Freeh. Freeh writes in the book, 'Bill Clinton raised the subject only to tell the crown prince that he understood the Saudis’ reluctance to cooperate and then he hit Abdullah up for a contribution to the Clinton Presidential Library.' " I'm looking forward to this interview!

It occurred to me as I'm listening to talk radio today that the hubbub over the nomination of Harriet Miers is not wasted effort on behalf of all thinking Conservatives. The Liberal mainstream press is overjoyed by the dispute at hand but we know that it is truly representative of our party that such a dispute would be had. We're a large bunch and it's rare that any two Conservatives agree on everything! I'm happy for the rest of America to see that we are a thinking person's party. If Ms. Miers is indeed confirmed by the committee, she will be mindful of the complaints that were issued by many good Conservatives. (None of which, I might add, were personal.) The concerns being raised should inspire her to be sure that she does the best job she can possibly do. She should come through this with a better education on the Conservative ideology. I sincerely hope that she sees that Conservatives are more than just the Religious Right; we are a vast bunch differing in our...

My return to college online is becoming more and more a test of tolerance. In person, one-on-one, I'm a pretty nice people person; however, online where my attitude is "get it done," I am not a good people person. Trading six emails to get one simple answer has finally grated on my last nerve! I've got a class in one of the "soft skills" that is led by an instructor who is either lazy, obtuse, or both. I won't name this instructor here but, suffice to say, if I ever meet her in person, I will be compelled to give her a detailed description of her job, a dictionary, and a smack on the forehead. Simple questions require simple effort and simple answers on your part, Dr. X. I'm the customer. Hello? Anyone home?? GRRRR. Let's rumble. On the other hand, I'm enjoying Economics class. It's led by a very logical and responsive instructor. She is easy to work with and on the ball. Economics is not a soft skill, of course, so she's probably a s...

Today is the one-year anniversary of this blog! Some of you may remember when the blog was called "SWF with Attitude." I was so humbled by the mention it received on Hugh Hewitt's blog way back in November of last year. After sitting in on his show from the Frasier Historical Arms Museum, I became known for a short time as "the girl in the second row." :) It occurred to me one day (for no apparent reason) that the name of my blog seemed more like a personals ad than a statement of my political ideology. So "ConservaChick" was born. It's been a fun name and I'll keep it until it is wrenched from my lifeless hands. So far, so good. I'm looking forward to another year of blogging and hope you all will be with me for the ride. 2006 promises to hold forth some interesting blog-fodder!

Being sick for a few days does wonders for the pile of magazines that have piled up over the past few weeks! So, don't be surprised to find this blog growing with tidbits from my reading. Have you ever wondered at the relaxed attitudes of foreign workers, especially when you're driving at it hard and trying to meet a deadline? Ever wonder why the US is almost always at or near the top of the list of most productive workers globally? Take a gander at how many days of vacation per year are taken by workers in other countries compared to the US: Italy -- 42 days France -- 37 days Germany -- 35 days Great Britain -- 28 days Canada -- 26 days Japan -- 25 days United States -- 13 days Surprising that many of us here in the States struggle to use up our vacation days, isn't it?!

"We should remember that it is no honor or profit merely to appear in the arena, but the wreath is for those who contend aright." —President James Garfield Would that President Bush had remembered this quote before nominating a milque toast candidate for the SCOTUS.

I have good news to report thanks to Deborah Burlingame and everyone who rallied around the " Take Back the Memorial " effort. The "blame America first" weasels behind the "International Freedom Center" (IFC) who wanted to co-opt the memorial at Ground Zero for their America-is-evil messages have finally been booted ! Thank you, Governor Pataki!! Interestingly, the people behind the IFC who sought to overshadow the loss of all Americans on 9/11/01 to build a monument to their hatred of American freedom have decided to scrap the project altogether. If they can't build it at Ground Zero, they won't build it at all. Seems like a parasitic attitude to me. If their vision of a museum honoring freedom in the world is compelling enough to stir up such a bruhaha at Ground Zero, why not build it elsewhere? I think we all (at least those of us who love this country) know the answer to that.

Had the Swiftboat Veterans and POWs for Truth maintained their years of silence about the lies laced throughout John Kerry's naval "career" and his treasonous behavior afterward, many good Americans may have been mislead into voting for him. Thanks in part to these brave swiftboat veterans and POWs the scourge known as Kerry/Edwards was defeated in 2004. Now, apparently, the POWs who spoke out in the film " Stolen Honor " are under fire and they could sure use our help. I received this email today and am sharing it because it is our turn to help: John O’Neill Houston, Texas Dear Friend, Last year, when my fellow Swift Boat veterans and I spoke out about John Kerry, you rallied to our side. We will never forget your faith in our cause and your belief in our honesty. It made all the difference. Together we made history. Like most of you, I believed our mission was over. We could all move on with our lives, return to our families and homes secure in the knowledge...

Click to view the picture full-size. A picture is worth a thousand words but two pictures side-by-side? Priceless! (Thanks for sending this one my way, Kraig.)

I generally prefer to take some time to mull over a situation and learn a little something before chiming in on a current issue or event. And, therein lies the rub with regard to the Miers nomination to the Supreme Court. Other than her standard bio , there's not much to learn about Harriet Miers. And this is the very down-tempo beat that President Bush seems to be playing to of late. First Roberts, of whom little was known, and now Miers of whom even less is known. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the President toying with the Libs like a giant cat batting about a tiny mouse. I'm a fan of the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" theme especially in fields where intellect is necessary to make one a player. However, I'm darned tired of the passive tactics. You see, that giant cat analogy assumes that the cat has taken the fight to the mouse and is toying with whether to deal the final death blow to end the game. In this case, it seems to me that the cat first...

Thanks to my relatively unknown presence on an email list, I was privy just today to a whiny Liberal complaint. I have to share this because it's ironic that the Left would complain about lack of media coverage! "In case you blinked and didn't see the coverage on your news channel, Truthout has some excellent short films to give the flavor of the day for the September 24 march and mass civil disobedience on September 25th. Go to http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm For an excellent analysis of "why" this event nearly disappeared from media coverage: Norman Solomon The News Media and the Anti-War Movement http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/092605S.shtml Over the weekend, many TV news watchers saw little or nothing about the anti-war protests. What's crucial is that the movement not allow its momentum to be interrupted by media treatment." I encourage anyone who hasn't experience the whiny rantings of the Left to check out the links above. It's ...

The weekend started out just right: a trip to Floyd Knobs (yes, that's really the name of a city in Indiana) to hear my new favorite band "The Funk Junkies." Then, a reprise of the same on Saturday night. And then, WHAM! as if to remind me that I cannot have that much fun without paying the piper, I was down for the count all day Sunday and today with a fever of 102 and a sore throat. My Mom, being the good Mom that she is, has insisted that I pay a visit to the doc tomorrow to have it checked out. We're thinking strep-throat. Bleck! I hate to let so many days pass by without a post to my favorite form of therapy but yours truly will be posting again as soon as the fog lifts. In the meantime, I'd sure appreciate it if someone would bring my homework by after school... UPDATE: It's official. The doc confirms that I've got strep throat. So, if you happened to drink out of that cup I leave near my bathroom sink or if you've been reading posts that I'v...