WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, JR. – RIP

Another giant gone from our midst!

I have read virtually every book written by WFB, both fiction and non-fiction. I was a faithful viewer of “Firing Line” and read National Review (with dictionary at hand) from the onset of its publication. Whenever the latest issue arrived, WFB’s column(s) were my first stop within its pages.

There are people who adorn our world with wit, wisdom and pure genius and William F. Buckley, Jr. was one of those. The conservative point of view benefited directly from WFB’s good works throughout his life. One of my favorites of his books is “Inveighing We Will Go” and I think I might wrestle it out of the box in which it is still packed and enjoy it again in his memory! On the other hand, a rollicking good read through one of his 11 Blackford Oakes spy novels might be a fitting epitaph too!

Rest in peace, good and faithful servant. You will be sorely missed.

MY MORMON EXPERIENCES

Here's what I know about Mormons, based solely on my own interactions with them over the years.

A friend with whom I worked at Carnation (now Nestle, U.S.A.) in Los Angeles didn't wish to believe there was caffeine in hot chocolate because he loved hot chocolate. I've known and worked with a number of Mormons and found them all to be forthright (except for that chocolate addiction thingie), moral, cleancut, straightforward and generally, the "salt of the earth" despite their various differences from a Catholic like me.

I learned that you NEVER help a Mormon move. They believe in setting by a store of food to last for many months - so there's one horrendous amount of pantry and often many, many pounds of wheat to make their own bread.

I know that Mormons believe in community in the sense that beyond physical location, a Mormon in trouble or economic turmoil can absolutely count on the assistance of other Mormons to get them through a crisis.

Unlike Scientologists (I encountered way more than my share when I lived in L.A.), the vast majority of Mormons are pretty honest in business, generally quite moral in their lifestyle, and pretty good friends to have. All my Mormon friends are kind, funny and not nearly as boring as Mitt seems to be. They are, in overwhelming percentages, hard working, generous and dependable.

Ignorance is the great impediment to understanding one another - and unfortunately for understanding in this instance, many Americans base all they know about Mormons on The Osmond family!

For those of you who happen to live in Columbus, Ohio - there's a Mormon attorney who drives as though his tailfeathers are on fire! He is, despite that, a good and ethical guy in all other respects. But seriously Theran - Mountain Dew DOES have lots of caffeine.

So would I vote for a Mormon? That depends on the Mormon. I don't choose my favored candidate based on religion, skin color, ethnicity, or gender - I choose my favored candidates based on character, belief system and strength of their dedication to this country's survival.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THIRD WAVE DAVE!

There is a shortage of good guys out there - Dave is one of them and he is cherished by all of his blogging friends for that reason. He has been an inspiration to me on more than one occasion and were it not for him, blogging wouldn't be nearly as much fun for any of us!

Hope the next 52 will be as productive as the first, with twice the joy!

SUPER TUESDAY - COMING TO A STATE NEAR YOU!

Virginia doesn't have its primary scheduled until 2/12/08, but next Tuesday a plethora of states will be holding their primaries on "Super Tuesday". Some outrageously credulous souls in the Republican Party are saying that because of Senator John McCain's 36% showing in Florida (which means that 64% of Republicans did NOT vote for him), the primary contests are basically over and that McCain is inevitable.

John McCain has served our country in a most courageous and significant fashion and nobody can deny the courage he displayed during the five plus years he endured as a much-abused prisoner of the North Vietnamese. Is it any wonder that he regards even the most benign form of aggressive interrogation as leading to a slippery slope? I don’t agree with him, but I understand his reasoning completely.

That being said, what I cannot overcome is my antipathy to his all-out assault on our constitutionally guaranteed free speech in the form of the McCain/Feingold campaign finance law.

I also felt that the Florida primary campaign was waged in an unseemly fashion. Republicans are supposed to be better than that, or so I was raised to believe.

I also find his legendary temper a troublesome problem, as I’m not sure we want a president with anger management issues of that magnitude. And, last, there is his age. There are myriad citizens of this nation who are the same age as Senator McCain or older who are in roaring good health. But those citizens were not guests of the North Vietnamese for more than five years. So yes, I am concerned about residual effects from that experience.

I am 65 years old and while my health is excellent, there is no denying that my physical stamina and strength are not all that they were even 10 years ago. My mental acuity is far beyond that of the average citizen (and I thank my parents for that genetic windfall) – but again, it may not be what it once was, despite my excellent health.

I do not and will never suggest that conservative Republicans stay home if Senator McCain is nominated. Far better “Democrat Lite” than the real thing – particularly if the Dems’ candidate is Shrillery the Socialist Shrew. And I would remind them of how well sitting on their hands worked during the 2006 elections! But I would be a whole lot happier with a nominee named John McCain if I thought he would choose a true conservative as his running mate, preferably someone who is in extraordinary health and considerably (or even kind of) younger than Senator McCain, and that vice presidential nominee should be possessed of considerable spine and a discernable moral compass. Far beyond pacifying the conservative base, that kind of running mate would assure the nation that we would be in good hands, regardless.

Meanwhile, I don't agree with those who believe that Senator McCain is the inevitable nominee. I still think that Mitt Romney has a shot at the nomination and it is for him I will be casting my vote on 2/12/08. I'm not wild about Mitt either, but I like him a whole lot better for the presidency than John McCain.

HOG HEAVEN!

That’s where I was all this past weekend when NBC did a surprisingly good job of broadcasting the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, again from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday and then from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Ice Dancing
This is my favorite part of the event. I only wish that I had ever been 1% of the ice dancer of any of those currently in the top 20 in the world. But it is my opinion – and not even based on national bias – that Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto are superior to any other dance team in the world.

Certainly the controversial results at the European Championships last week give a frisson of déjà vu because it seemed clear to me that once again the judges were giving preferential treatment to the Russian ice dancers Domnina and Shabolin that was wholly undeserved. To me they are all flash and only mediocre technique and unworthy of the high marks they regularly receive.

Belbin & Agosto are the real deal, as are Meryl Davis & Charlie White. They will represent our country well.

Ladies Free Skate
First, let me comment that when only 1 of the top 4 ladies in the competition are even age-eligible to participate in the World Championships or Four Continents, a hard look at the U.S. criteria for this event is needed. Do we really need another wunderkind with endless hip and knee problems, as has been the case with Tara Lipinski? It is my view that there is nothing wrong with these little tiny phenoms gaining a little bit of seasoning and maturity. And, quite honestly, it is irritating as hell to hear them interviewed – they all sound like Minnie Mouse!

All that being said, Mirai Nagasu (gold), Rachael Flatt (silver) and Ashley Wagner (bronze and the only one old enough to actually GO to the World Championships) turned in wonderful performances. Caroline Zhang seemed to falter a bit under the weight of expectations – her own and those of the rest of the skating world – but her joy in her sport was evident in her long program to a far greater extent than in her short program. This is another 14-year old who needs seasoning, despite her beautiful skating.

Kimberly Meissner (former U.S. and World Champion) did herself no favors by skating on a sprained ankle (she placed 7th), but because of the ineligibilities of the children in the competition, she will be going to the World Championships. One can only hope that her ankle has healed somewhat by March. The final member of the U.S. team is Beatrisa Liang, a skater of enormous talent who has had some of the most bizarre bad luck as a skater that I have ever seen. Let’s hope this does not recur in Sweden.

Pairs
Again, the U.S. Pairs Champions are too young to compete at Worlds. However, the skating of Keanu McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker signals the emergence of a brilliant and ultimately highly successful team.

The reliable John Baldwin and Rena Inoue will be competing at the World Championships as the team leaders, but they will most be remembered for John’s actions after the Free Skate, when he dropped to his knees and proposed marriage to his partner! Talk about emotional! They will be joined at the Worlds by Castile & Okolski and Vise & Trent (as alternates).

Men
I respect Johnny Weir (and at age 23 it might be time to be just plain “John”) as an athlete but have always felt he lacked focus and intensity – not to mention plain old common sense. He is so flamboyant he makes Rudi Galindo look conservative by comparison.

Evan Lysacek is another story. Other than my on-going quibble about his ever-present 5 o’clock shadow, I have always both respected and enjoyed his skating. He has enormous courage and intensity, outstanding technical ability and a commanding presence on the ice. He is quite tall for a skater and he uses what could be a disadvantage in his own favor with his exceptional carriage and line.

All that being said, last night’s men’s program was historic. These two men laid down brilliant programs, both ever-so-slightly flawed, and in the end each of them scored a total of 244.77 for a numerical tie, an unprecedented result. Because Lysacek had scored 1.35 points higher in the long program, he was declared the U.S. Champion for the second year in a row.

And this too is one of my quibbles with John Weir – he freaking pouted! For heaven’s sakes. You skated your best; someone else won – get over yourself! Man up, at the very least!

MY SUPPORT AND MY MONEY ARE GOING TO . . . FRED THOMPSON

I have been critical of Thompson in the past (who hasn’t) for running an unfocused campaign. But tonight, he was magnificent. When Fred talks about the future of the party he becomes animated, passionate, and most importantly, makes good sense. His answers to almost every question were thoughtful, measured, and exuded a competence that only perhaps Mitt Romney has ever matched. Here is a serious man thinking deeply about serious issues. No half cocked chest beating on foreign policy questions like those given by Huckabee. No talking points economic blather like that given by Mitt Romney. Fred’s answers penetrated to the heart of the matter and revealed rather than obscured his positions.

Said by Rick Moran in his excellent analysis of last night’s South Carolina GOP debates.

Like Rick Moran, I am definitely rooting for Fred Thompson to achieve the nomination. I have been attempting to psyche myself into being enthusiastic for McCain, but I just cannot do it. His time has come – and GONE. As the man who represents the kind of President I want for our country in these perilous times, Fred Thompson is the only one who makes sense to me. The extraordinary Pam Meister also agrees as you can see here.

TO CONTRIBUTE TO FRED: GO HERE!

UPDATE: 1/22/08: What a great effect my endorsement has had on the campaign. I endorse Fred Thompson and Fred Thompson drops out! And I cannot help pondering the possibility that endorsing someone I really dislike . . . . naw - it won't ever happen!

R.I.P. CHRISTOPHER BOWMAN

He was blessed with good looks and stupendous talent! He was cursed with major drug and alcohol dependency issues which ultimately led to this 2 time U.S. Champion's death at age 40 in a seedy motel in California.

Anyone who has tapes of Christopher Bowman when he was "on" should replay them tonight to remember the incredible raw talent possessed by this still-young man who is now gone forever.

R.I.P. Christopher. A lot of people admired and loved you. I don't think you ever knew how many or how much.

TALK ABOUT THE KISS OF DEATH!

Breitbart reports in an article this morning that Senator John F. Kerry plans to endorse Senator Barack Obama at a press conference today.

Yes indeed, that will make a difference!

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS

So Hillary Rodham Clinton managed to pull her fat out of the fire in New Hampshire! Yes, it was no small feat. No, it doesn’t prove anything other than that, just maybe, people are finally realizing that Barack Obama is an empty suit. A doggone polished empty suit, but full of high flown rhetoric and very little substance, other than his decidedly left-wing mindset – a trait shared with Herself.

This campaign has already lasted 13 months and at the moment I find myself weary of the posturing, the evasions, the egos and the insanity that has occurred on both sides of the political spectrum!

What none of these candidates seem to realize is that whatever damage they do to each other during primary season will continue to hurt their respective parties come the General Election campaign.

So to both sides, I respectfully suggest: He/She may be a son-of-a-bitch/bitch, but he/she is YOUR son-of-a-bitch/bitch and you probably are going to need to work with each other in the future.

And an aside to Bill Clinton: This one isn’t all about YOU and we’re sick of you anyway! Just shut the heck up you has-been! I don’t even LIKE Hillary and I’m sick of you dragging her down! Let her win or lose this one on her own! You never garnered 50% of the national vote anyway – where did your reputation as this great political master come from.

You bet I’m cranky today.

SHE’S JOKING, RIGHT?

"You know for both Sen. Edwards and Obama, they've been given pretty much a free ride and that's fine," Clinton said. "I don't mind having to get up there and take all the scrutiny. But at some point the free ride ends, maybe it ends now, maybe it ends in a month maybe it ends in the general election. You cannot be elected president if you do not withstand the tough questions."

Thus spake Hillary Rodham Clinton during the New Hampshire campaign's closing hours. This is a woman who will not answer substantive questions, who claims interviewers are being unfair and picking on her if they try to ask a tough question, no matter who is posing those questions, so she is hardly in a position to criticize anyone on the basis of a “free ride”!

Thomas Sowell’s latest column is a reminder that we are seeking to elect a PRESIDENT who will serve this country for four years and whoever that president happens to be, the consequences will be with us, for good or ill, for a very long time.

We still must hear from that senile old fart Jimmy Carter far too often. Bill Clinton simply will NOT go away! George H.W. Bush has had the good grace to keep his mouth shut (as all former Presidents used to do before the ill-mannered, self-centered Carter and Clinton occupied the Oval Office). In addition, we are still suffering the results of Carter’s indefensible handling of the Iran situation when he first betrayed a long-time American ally, the Shah, and then utterly mishandled the hostage crisis. And the endless failures of the Clinton administration have led us to the current War on Terror.

Sowell opines that a president’s temperament is a defining factor in our choice. He deems Thompson, Romney and Giuliani to be the most even-tempered of the Republican candidates and John McCain as the least. On the Democratic side, he doesn’t have a good word in this department for ANY of the candidates. Character DOES count and none of the Democrats running have demonstrated to me that they possess ANY character at all.

NICE DREAM, NOW OVER!

The Ohio State Buckeyes is a team comprised of relatively inexperienced players and, as such, were not expected to do much this season. Instead, the team confounded the pundits and made it all the way to the National Championship game last night, where they lost to LSU in what was a really enjoyable football game.

I lived (until May 2007) in Columbus for 13 years and I can tell you that the entire city is in mourning right now, but their love affair (and my own) with the Buckeyes football team will continue. Any city where the classical music station plays the OSU fight song frequently is a city irrevocably in love with its University and that University's football team. So CONGRATULATIONS to LSU. They earned their victory and should enjoy it to the utmost.

There's always next year, folks! And whatever else you can say about OSU football, it's a very dependably strong franchise with a GREAT coach in Jim Tressell!

REALITY MEETS HUBRIS!

And as a result, Herself placed third in Iowa!

Got a question though. Iowa has 0.98% of the U.S. population and New Hampshire has only 0.48%. Why then are their votes considered to be so crucial!?

HE'S KIDDING, RIGHT?

In this article, Robert Novak predicts that the winners in the Iowa caucus will be Obama and Romney. The jaw dropping paragraph however is the following:

Ever since finishing second in the Iowa straw poll last August, Huckabee steadily climbed here in Iowa, aided by his evangelical pedigree, his sincerity and the freshface factor, and less critical press coverage than any other candidate. Polls of likely Republican caucusgoers consistently showed Huckabee ahead throughout December, but more recent surveys are a mixed bag, showing slippage by Huckabee.

Is Novak SERIOUS or just a besotted idiot? The candidate who consistently and long term has had less probing, critical press coverage than any other candidate is Hillary Rodham Clinton, that well known Spawn of Satan, to whom the press never addresses anything other than fawning encomiums! And anyone who DARES ask her even the most mildly probing question is routinely and immediately charged with picking on the little woman!

I find it fascinating that this so-called brilliant feminist is so quick to deploy behind the façade of helpless womanhood when it suits her purposes.

However, she is running for a position that requires brains, will and courage in exceptional quantities. Unless she is willing to DEMONSTRATE those qualities to the electorate by answering substantive questions, she has no moral right to expect our votes. Unless she can demonstrate some actual ACCOMPLISHMENTS in her public life – HER accomplishments, not Billy Jeff’s – then she is guilty of arrogant hubris in seeking our support.

Bottom line, based on my observations, she is only moderately intelligent, hardly a nice human being and a serial liar on all subjects.

BACKLASH IS A BITCH!

I am very fond of looking for the “law of unintended consequences” to kick in and I see two instances where that is either already happening or could soon happen.

First: Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. Her fans (site pests?) are being very vocal on her website (by the thousands) in their opposition to her endorsement. I just spent a fascinated 15 minutes reading through opinions offered by Oprah’s fans and couldn’t really get a clear focus on what upsets them the most: Oprah’s money or the fact that she has an opinion, or something else altogether – but the fact remains, they are upset with her over the endorsement. All the posts were interesting, some of them even bordered on literate, but I must ask – the poster on the discussion board who said that Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich were the most qualified candidates is either demented or kidding, right? The unintended consequence could, however, be a voter stampede to another candidate.

Second: The death of Benazir Bhutto yesterday has generated a great deal of emotional intensity in that very volatile part of the world. Nuclear weapons and excessive, unreasoning emotion are NOT a particularly healthy mix!

The naysayers vis-à-vis the former Prime Minister’s character and point of view are already weighing in and several articles I have read have likened her to a Pakistani version of Hillary Rodham Clinton: leftist, corrupt, money-grubbing and utterly unable to speak the truth under any circumstances. Then there are the columnists who point out that Mrs. Clinton met Benazir Bhutto ONE TIME and that Hillary's claim to have known her for “years” is therefore utterly unbelievable and crass. Seems like textbook First Grifter behavior to me! How do they sleep at night? (Probably very well is my guess.)

AS TO THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, beloved of me if nobody else. When Al Qaeda attacked us on September 11th, they expected a certain response from the U.S. They had an imperfect understanding of our national character and, worse yet, a complete misunderstanding about who the new United States President really was. It has always been clear to me that Al Qaeda read far too many DNC talking points memos and Al Qaeda truly did believe that our President was stupid. It seems clear to me that they expected our national response to be just as trifling as it had been all the other times they had attacked us. They had not counted on an actual man being Commander in Chief. The unintended consequence was, of course, ultimately the destruction of the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The violence being fomented in Iraq by Al Qaeda, rather than giving them added power, turned off the Sunni Muslims who are now doing everything possible to eject Al Qaeda from Iraq.

Now the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Whatever her past governing skills, or lack thereof, Al Qaeda has claimed “responsibility” (I hate that phrase more than you can imagine) for her death. They should be claiming shame and guilt! It is possible that the people in the provinces wherein the terrorists have traditionally been given sanctuary will be so utterly enraged by this claimed assassination that they will emulate their brethren in Iraq, reject the terrorists and drive them out of their hiding places and – hopefully – into the waiting and welcoming muzzles of American or Coalition weapons!

Well that’s my take on things, at any rate. How accurate? Who knows. Time will tell.

RIP BENAZIR BHUTTO

She was an intelligent woman, so I'm sure she knew that returning to Pakistan was a life-threatening risk. Hugh Hewitt at Townhall.com described her as a woman of uncommon courage. As always, Mr. Hewitt's assessment is entirely accurate.

PREDICTION: Even though Al Qaeda has "claimed responsibility" for the death of Benazir Bhutto, the left idiots will STILL not be willing to acknowledge that WE ARE AT WAR WITH THESE 7th CENTURY MANIACS!

And how on earth does ANYONE think that it's possible to "make nice" with a group of murderous lunatics who are PROUD that they have killed 21 people - 22 if you count the homicide bomber!

A SUPPLEMENTAL RANT!

Something has been imitating fingernails on the blackboard of my mind and it's time to let it out - for my own sake.

What's with the unkempt look that is creeping into the sports and entertainment world. Baseball players with major stubble on their faces. Singers as well. Josh Groban, much as I adore his talents, needs to learn to use both a hairbrush AND a razor. And just a hint to the VERY handsome Steven Cousins - shave before a skating performance!

Female entertainers and skaters - if you're going to color your hair DO YOUR DAMNED ROOTS more than once every 6 months or don't do it at all! Tanith Belbin, you know I absolutely adore you and Ben Agosto - but still, dark roots don't fly chica!

And can we talk about dirty skates - boots AND laces? Flopping laces on those skates? Both Kimmie Meissner and Sasha Cohen are guilty in this area. And Kimmie - you are pretty much all grown up - time to start being "Kim" - you aren't 6 years old and maybe if you started SEEING yourself as an adult, you'd start skating like one? I'm just saying.

Here's the deal: If you are a performer or a sports figure or that delicious combination of the two that is known as figure skating - part of your JOB is good grooming. It shows that you RESPECT yourself and your RESPECT your sport.

Nothing less is acceptable.

WHY DOESN’T THIS SURPRISE ME?

PARIS -- Didier Gailhaguet, one of the main players in the judging scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics, has his old job back as president of the French skating federation. Gailhaguet was elected president of the French Ice Sport Federation on Saturday, receiving more than half of the votes and beating out, among others, disgraced judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne. Gailhaguet also was federation president from 1998 to 2004.

This creep should have been banned from the sport for the rest of his LIFE. Yet here he is again, back doing business at the same old stand. One can only hope and pray that the rule changes instituted since he was poisoning the well back in 1998 are sufficient to keep this slimey toad straight!

Only the French (or the Russians, or the Italians or the - - - well you get my point)!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM MY HANDSOME AND BRILLIANT COUSIN ERNIE

The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental."
-- John Steinbeck

≈≈

1- Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old to fight, he'll just kill you. [Note from Gayle: This also applies to old WOMEN. As my estrogen decreases, my fuse shortens!]
2- If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3- I carry a gun 'cause a cop is too heavy.
4- America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the mall. (Ain't this the gospel truth!)
5- When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away. (shoot first - then call 911).
6- A reporter did a human interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a 45?". The Ranger responded with, "Because they don't make a 46."
7- An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
8- The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. "Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?" "No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle."
9- Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it.

≈≈

Memo to Reid, Pelosi, Murtha, Kucinich, et al.:
If you can't stand behind our troops, try standing in front of them!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!