Stock Idea: Sanofi Aventis (SNY, $34.56)

(May 16, 2011 update: All future stock posts will appear on my new subscription-only website at www.GoodfellowLLC.com. Please visit!)

Sanofi Aventis (SNY) is a healthcare company which produces human pharmaceuticals and vaccines and animal healthcare products.

SNY had a firm trading range of $40-$49 before the stock fell with the crash of 2008. The stock price is now recovering. I expect it to trade in the $34-$40 range in the near-term, and it could break through $40 without too much difficulty if market conditions remain strong.

SNY pays a dividend of $1.099 per share, with an attractive yield of 3.18%. The PE is 8.55 (very low!) and the beta is 0.91. EPS are consistently in the $4.50 area going back to 2009 and forward to 2011. All-in-all, Sanofi Aventis appears to be a good value stock with immediate upside potential.

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Investment Disclaimer

Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using you agree to hold www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and me, Crista Huff, harmless and to completely release www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and Crista Huff from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damage (monetary or otherwise), or injury (monetary or otherwise) that you may incur.

I am not paid to promote nor disparage any investment. My recommendations are based on hypothetical situations of what I would do, not advice on what you should do. The information provided herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. Investments are risky, and can go down in value. Past investment results are not indicative of future returns. I am not a licensed investment advisor nor a tax advisor. Consult with a licensed investment advisor and a tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Stock Idea: Verizon (VZ, $34.95)

(May 16, 2011 update: All future stock posts will appear on my new subscription-only website at www.GoodfellowLLC.com. Please visit!)

Verizon (VZ) has a dividend of 5.58%. What is the bank paying you? My last statement from TCF Bank shows an annual yield of 0.16%. Obviously, stocks are risky and money market funds are not too risky, but the goal is not always to minimize risk. Sometimes the goal is to earn money!

VZ's eps are expected to drop 1% in 2011 and climb 17% in 2012. I bought this stock recently at $32.15, and now it's at $34.95. It could easily bounce around $32 again before a run-up. I expect it to climb to $41/$42, at which point I'll sell.

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Investment Disclaimer

Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using you agree to hold www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and me, Crista Huff, harmless and to completely release www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and Crista Huff from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damage (monetary or otherwise), or injury (monetary or otherwise) that you may incur.

I am not paid to promote nor disparage any investment. My recommendations are based on hypothetical situations of what I would do, not advice on what you should do. The information provided herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. Investments are risky, and can go down in value. Past investment results are not indicative of future returns. I am not a licensed investment advisor nor a tax advisor. Consult with a licensed investment advisor and a tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell any security.

My Investment Background and Today's Stock Idea: Fifth Third Bancorp

(May 16, 2011 update: All future stock posts will appear on my new subscription-only website at www.GoodfellowLLC.com. Please visit!)

Career Experience

I worked in New York City in the 1980's, and had an interest in the stock market. I sent various resumes to financial firms, but couldn't get an interview, presumably because I wasn't aggressive enough and also didn't have the appropriate background: I had a B.A. in English and worked as a wholesaler at Liz Claiborne Inc.

Then I moved to Colorado and got hired by Dean Witter in a heartbeat, presumably because I had serious sales experience in New York City. (Interesting how the same job can be seen as both an advantage and disadvantage, depending on the observer.)

I worked at Dean Witter, which later became Morgan Stanley, and is now Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, from 1988 through 2002, at which time I retired to take care of my children. While at Dean Witter, I enjoyed trading stocks for clients, earned a Vice President title, and served as the Equity Coordinator in my office.

Now the kids are older, and I'm trading stocks in my retirement account. This blog will serve as a discussion of what I'm buying and selling for myself, and why. I will be happy to answer your questions as to what I would do when presented with your favorite stock, but you will have to determine for yourself what you will do with it. I encourage you to consult investment and tax advisors so that you understand the risk and tax implications of investing in stocks.

Today's Stock Idea: Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB, $14.60)

FITB has projected eps growth of 76%, 29% and 6% over the next three years. The beta and PE are high and the dividend is not worth mentioning. The stock is now recovering from a long-term decline. I bought the stock the other day at $14.15 -- I had been waiting for a dip in the price -- but I would be happy to own this anywhere in the $14's to be poised to catch the expected run-up. FITB should meet a little resistance around $20, then climb to the mid-30's before getting stuck again.

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Investment Disclaimer

Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using you agree to hold www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and me, Crista Huff, harmless and to completely release www.TheRightHuff.blogspot.com and Crista Huff from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damage (monetary or otherwise), or injury (monetary or otherwise) that you may incur.

I am not paid to promote nor disparage any investment. My recommendations are based on hypothetical situations of what I would do, not advice on what you should do. The information provided herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. Investments are risky, and can go down in value. Past investment results are not indicative of future returns. I am not a licensed investment advisor nor a tax advisor. Consult with a licensed investment advisor and a tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Second Chances: Good Mommy, Bad Mommy

Dr. Laura says that we have two chances in life for a loving parent-child relationship, meaning that if your parents screwed it up, you can get it right with your own child. I grew up in fear, and one fear was the terror involved in asking my mother for things which needed to be purchased. This included everything from popsicle sticks for a Girl Scout project to shoes because I had outgrown my only pair. Such a request would invariably be met with a bitching diatribe about how "I'm not made of money!", etc., at which I would cower and hide.

One result for me was that when it came time to work on school or Girl Scout projects, I'd procrastinate and also do a terrible job. I never had the materials I needed to complete the projects like the other kids, I had no confidence, and no matter how much effort I made, my mother would, in the end, insult my final result, even if I received an "A" on the project.

Skip to the year 2010. My youngest daughter is super-industrious. If she has a school project to complete which is due in three weeks, she finishes it with two weeks to spare, often asking for no help other than spell-check and asking me to buy posterboard.

Last night, I was blown away when my middle daughter Olivia came home in alarm, announcing that there was a book project due on October 5, which she had apparently not known about. I know she's a fast reader, so I calmed her down and told her she had plenty of time to read the book.

She replied, "Oh, I've already read the book." Then she walked around, gathered a Corn Flakes box, scissors, wrapping paper, tape, and proceeded to work on and complete the three-dimensional book report over the course of the next two hours. Nowadays, kids don't necessarily "write" book reports like we did in the 60's and 70's. They turn them into marketing projects with both writing and artwork.

This morning, Olivia brought the project to school, six days before it was due. On the way home from dropping her off at school, I cried. All the terror from my childhood came flooding back, and I was comparing it to the ease with which Olivia approached her school project, knowing that Mommy would help her with any part of the project that she couldn't complete alone. "Where do we keep the wrapping paper?" "How do I wrap a box?" Etc.

I want to tell Dr. Laura that I've checked another box on the list of "Second Chances: Getting Things Right With Your Own Kids." What a relief.

Douglas County GOP By-Laws and the Governor's Race

by John Ransom, former Chairman of Douglas County Republicans


There has been quite a bit of controversy regarding what the bylaws say about support of the GOP nominee, Dan Maes.

Let's first look at what the bylaws don't say.

While the language is very general, a plain reading of the bylaws does not say that precinct people and district captains must resign if they support another candidate besides the GOP nominee. And they certainly contain no provision for officers or other members to demand that members of the central committee or executive committee resign if they refuse to support the GOP nominee. It's no more proper for others to demand resignations than it is to demand that Maes drop out of the race.

I would argue, quite the opposite. Officers who demand that others resign are violating the bylaws in fact. They have no authority anywhere in the bylaws to demand resignations. The only authority to remove members of the GOP from positions as Officers, PCP or DC is vested in the executive committee and the central committee under the bylaws. There are clearly prescribed procedures for such removals and those procedures don't include the chairman of the county party demanding resignations.

So what exactly do the bylaws say about supporting a Republican candidate?

The bylaws say that the central committee "acting as an entity" may not oppose the GOP nominee in a general election. The words "acting as an entity" defines what may not be done (that is, oppose a GOP nominee as an entity) and by implication defines what may be done. Because it excludes all other cases, such as individual endorsements, one could reasonably argue that a PCP or a district captain then can individually endorse candidates.

In other words, precinct people, district captains can individually endorse whoever they wish as long as they are not "acting as an entity" as the central committee.

The bylaws were written this way on purpose in order to take into account unique situations where healthy public opinion prohibits members of the GOP from supporting a nominee, as in the case of Maes. Instead of tying the hands of members, the bylaws leave the definition of what is permissible by individuals to the executive committee and the central committee to define on a case by case basis. There is nothing hypothetical about the vesting of the authority to define on a case by case basis by the executive committee and the central committee how to act in these cases . It is an accomplished fact in the way the bylaws define the role of executive committee and the central committee.

What about removing members?

The word in the bylaws "may" regarding removal (as in: "Any elected officer (PCP, DC) of the DCR may be removed for good cause which shall include the following,") does not mean that an officer, precinct person or DC must resign, should resign or will be asked to resign or be removed. In fact, it is up to the executive committee to vote to remove a PCP, district captain or officer. A two-thirds vote is required to remove someone via executive committee and a majority vote via central committee.

Then even if the person is removed, there is no provision preventing precinct people from re-electing officers, district captains or re-appointing those removed.

I would strongly urge everyone to please read the bylaws before demanding what clearly violates the procedures, spirit and intent of the bylaws. Remember please that Officers, PCP and District Captains all are elected by peers to represent us. We should respect that, and let everyone be animated by the desire to do what their conscience dictates is in the best interest of the party.

Then they can explain what they did at election time, as is proper.

Why Would I Campaign for Tom Tancredo?

A GOP friend of mine asked me if I will step down as GOP District Captain if I were to campaign for the non-GOP candidate for Governor of Colorado, former Congressman Tom Tancredo. Here was my response:

"If I were to campaign for Tancredo and also a variety of Republicans....well, I would just do it. If somebody wanted to bring me up on charges of breaking by-laws, then they would just do it. Then the Central Committee would vote for or against me. Most of them would make a personal assessment as to whether I brought much value to the Party or not. Some of them would vote along the lines of whether they liked me or didn't like me. Others would vote based on which candidate they had preferred, e.g., was I helping their guy win. For me, it would be a crapshoot.

I'm trying to help save our country by electing people who can pull it back from the brink of socialism. I need to elect people who seem capable of doing that, and avoid the others. My country's future is more important than this local issue. I'm not wavering at all from my original intention when I got into politics, after the illegal alien attack. I realized that nobody was going to do anything about illegal immigration until we elected Presidents and Governors who were adamantly against it. I have achieved much toward that goal. I helped launch the entire Tea Party movement in CO....I helped put enough pressure on Ritter to step down....I helped teach the masses how to have their voices be heard...and if I campaign for Tancredo, I will be campaigning for the very man who gave me hope in the first place.

If I campaign for Tancredo, I will be doing exactly what I've been doing since becoming a District Captain in October 2007. If I campaign for Maes, who the hell would I be? My children would be ashamed of me. They know what happened to me. One of them saw it. (No, it wasn't rape.) All of them lost me for two years. I need to stick to my plan.

I respect everybody else's choice(s) on this, but they've got to respect mine, too."

Why Are We Giving Money To Countries That Hate the United States?

(These statistics came from an email I received, and can be verified on Snopes.)

How they vote in the United Nations:

Below are the actual voting records of various Arabic/Islamic States which are recorded in both the U.S. State Department and United Nations records:

Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time.
Qatar votes against the United States 67% of the time.
Morocco votes against the United States 70% of the time.
United Arab Emirates votes against the U. S. 70% of the time.
Jordan votes against the United States 71% of the time.
Tunisia votes against the United States 71% of the time.
Saudi Arabia votes against the United States 73% of the time.
Yemen votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Algeria votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Oman votes against the United States 74% of the time.
Sudan votes against the United States 75% of the time.
Pakistan votes against the United States 75% of the time.
Libya votes against the United States 76% of the time.
Egypt votes against the United States 79% of the time.
Lebanon votes against the United States 80% of the time.
India votes against the United States 81% of the time.
Syria votes against the United States 84% of the time.
Mauritania votes against the United States 87% of the time.

U.S. Foreign Aid to those that hate us:

Egypt, for example, after voting 79% of the time against the United States, still receives $2 billion annually in U.S. Foreign Aid.

Jordan votes 71% against the United States and receives $192,814,000 annually in U.S. Foreign Aid.

Pakistan votes 75% against the United States and receives $6,721,000 annually in U.S. Foreign Aid.

India votes 81% against the United States and receives $143,699,000 annually.

What is the Difference Between the Characters of a Conservative and a Liberal?

from an email I received:
"If a Conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn’t buy one. If a Liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a Conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat. If a Liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a Conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A Liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a Conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a Conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A Liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
If a Conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A Liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a Conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A Liberal will delete it because he's "offended"."

The Pursuit of Happiness

Today I was speaking with a friend about happiness amidst our boisterous laughter.

You might think of happiness as a characteristic that's borne of an Ozzie and Harriet-style upbringing, but I think happiness is more of a decision borne of the horror of tragedy. Ofttimes we don't appreciate something until we lose it for an extended period of time--money, joy, love, a good job, a dog. Then, when we finally regain it again, we're perhaps more careful to keep it, tend to it, savor it.

I didn't have happiness as a child. And when I reached adulthood, I decided that being happy would be a worthy goal. Well, that backfired, and I'm not going to get into all the gruesome details, but happiness is not a product, it's a byproduct. You've got to have loftier, more altruistic goals, and upon reaching them, a peace settles in that can lead you to happiness.

So I changed my goals around; stopped reaching for happiness and instead began reaching for knowledge, charity, self-improvement, caretaking and community. Finally, I achieved happiness.

Then one day, I was arrested by the local Sheriff Department. And as I stood on my front porch, surrounded by officers and not knowing what was going on, who'd accused me of a crime, and what exactly the accusation was, you would think that I would have been panicked about being set up and going to jail. But no, even though I knew I'd been set up to be arrested, I still had an inherent trust in the officers that they were not going to harm me. (Okay, maybe that was naive, but that was my state of mind at the time.)

The horror entered the picture as, standing on my porch with the dawning realization that I was truly about to be arrested, a dreaded thought crossed my mind, "There goes my joy." I can't begin to explain the finality of that thought. How did I instinctively know the extent that I would be terrorized for the next two years? Why did I focus on the impending loss of joy -- as opposed to focusing on the legalities, the financial cost, my children, my reputation, my loss of freedom?

And sure enough, my constant friendliness and laughter disappeared as if accidentally dropped down the garbage disposal and demolished. Oh, come back! Please!

It was gone. And I was left to despair.

The next two years were a complete waste of a formerly productive life. But I lived. My old life is gone; sent through the wood chipper. The only thing to do was to forge ahead in prayer and hope that whatever came next would somehow fill my days. The Lord was kind enough to send some interesting projects my way--nothing that I could have anticipated, but fulfilling nonetheless.

Now that I have my happiness back, I fight harder to keep it. People wonder about my intensity, but I'll tell you, I know what I had and I know what I lost and I know that it could happen to my neighbor tomorrow. As far as it's within my power, I will jealously guard my neighbor's happiness and defend him against any forces that would steal it from him.

You are my neighbor.

Review of a Recent Douglas County Town Hall Meeting

(written by Pauline Olvera)

Two 9.12ers and I accidently stumbled on an impromptu town hall meeting in Douglas County Saturday, February 27th hosted by State Representative Carole Murray (R) District 45 and State Senator Mark Scheffel (R) District 4.

They talked a lot about how taxes and fees were burdening our small businesses and driving them out of business and/or driving businesses out of the state. They talked about how they were attempting to fight those taxes and trying to make it easier for small businesses to continue driving our economy and creating jobs.

When asked about the Medical Marijuana issue, most constituents in the room were extremely upset about the passage of this law.

There was some debate regarding whether we should fight to repeal the law, make the laws stricter etc… When someone suggested the idea that we should “tax this business out of our state or out of business", Sheffel answered (and Murray agreed) something to the effect that we should be careful in taxing these business because taxing marijuana distributors could legitimize their business.

Education was a subject that was discussed as well. Carole Murray mentioned that both President Obama and our state Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll (D-HD7) were both in favor of Charter Schools. I asked for clarification and she reiterated that “Yes. President Obama and Terrance Carroll were both in favor of and supported Charter Schools.”

I had a brief discussion with Carole Murray after the event.

I mentioned to her that I believed health care costs were rising partly because of non-tax paying people with no insurance that use the ER’s for basic, non-emergency health care, (i.e. sore throats, etc…) An idea I offered was possibly retracting state law that mandates ER’s to treat these non-emergency patients. To this she responded, “that would be inhumane and no one would agree to that.”

A follow-up idea offered by another 9.12er was to give emergency rooms the authority to guide NON-emergency patients to urgent care clinics for treatment whereby they could be charged a fee based on a sliding scale and she answered, “that’s an idea I might look into.”

Another Jane Norton "Moment in Political Folly"

as witnessed and written by Steve Crites....

We were at our precinct caucus meeting at Hope United Methodist on Dayton at Belleview and Jane Norton (who lives in the next precinct south) came by to address our group. She stated that she is conservative in her stump speech to us, where she explained that she was a "fiscal conservative" based on her time in the state office and was a "right to life conservative and didn't support abortions."

She was then asked to address her "conservatism" by a constituent. He asked "Are you a conservative like Michelle Bachmann?" Jane looked puzzled and was a little taken back by the question. But the citizen asked her again, "Are you a Michelle Bachman Conservative though?", to which she replied "I don't know who that is. Please tell me who you are talking about?"

We all looked at her aghast, not quite believing that she was this disconnected, especially after she had just told us that she relates to the movement out here, but she never used the terms "grass roots" or "tea party" though - which I thought was interesting. We all were waiting for the punch line to follow like "Well of course I'm a Michelle Bachman Conservative. I love her. Speak to her regularly. Loved her speech at the convention and on the Capitol steps" But it never came. People started chiding her, asking if she ever watched Fox News and why she didn't know who Bachmann was -- considering she is a top Republican Congresswoman and is on Fox News and radio often.

Norton was definitely on her heels and then just started to back away, getting her stuff together, and was escorted out by a man, who I believe was her husband. Many of us sat there stunned in disbelief that this was a "chosen one" by the Republican Party and that she is so disconnected to what is being promoted out here at the grass roots level. Unbelievable...I just wish we were better on our game to really nail her down on this moment in political folly, but I think we were truly too stunned as to what we had just witnessed.

This woman is truly scary: should she get elected, it would be a sad day for our country, even if she is "electable" in terms of how the establishment Republicans see her.

What Does a Republican Precinct Committee Person Do?

The role of Precinct Committee Person (precinct chairman, precinct leader, etc.) is a self-styled creative marketing role for the local Republican Party. You can acquire computerized access to precinct voter lists from your County's Republican Executive Committee (or your District Captain).

You can think up different ways and different reasons to contact local voters. Until you start gathering email addresses, this will mostly be by phone, or door-to-door.

At your leisure, spend 5 - 60 minutes here and there contacting local voters and finding out which political topics and volunteerism they're interested in. You can offer them:

...invitations to conservative/GOP events, meetings, rallies, debates, protests...
...hand out flyers re: such events or issues (e.g. healthcare, TABOR, guns...)....
...hand out pocket Constitutions....
...plug people into political campaigns...
...make introductions between the voters and candidates, legislators or group leaders...
...ask them to march in parades....

etc.

Collect email addresses and take notes on the people you meet. Find an organized way to keep track of these people on your computer. Send them a relevant email every two-four weeks.

One key aspect of this role is that you want to find a way to stay in touch with the people you meet. Otherwise, your first contact with them is almost pointless.

I took down email addresses and notes, and started a newsletter. That was exactly two years ago. I now have 800 names on my mailing list and sort of became famous just by opening my mouth and saying stuff to this audience. Crazy, huh? If you don't know what to say to your new audience, always offer a short variety of information. You can invite them to the next monthly GOP meeting, invite them to a political event, forward something interesting from a political email, and ask for a specific type of volunteer. People will slowly start to respond after each newsletter goes out.

The folks who respond will become your precinct volunteers. They'll help you when it's time to go door-to-door and make phone calls for a specific purpose.

Call later when you're ready for more ideas, and also add me to your brand new political mailing list.

Good luck!

Crista Huff
District 6 Captain
Douglas County Republicans

The Judge and the Shoebomber

from an email I received...NOT written by Crista Huff. :)

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it? Did you know his trial is over? Did you know he was sentenced? Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio? Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say.

His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid.

Judge Young: 'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you. On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.) On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed.

The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not...you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice. So war talk is way out of line in this court.

You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders.

In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.' You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today? I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom, so that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties.

Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure. Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done.

The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

Review of Introduction to Colorado Politics Class by Pauline Olvera

(clarification: This is a review of a class taught by Crista Huff and Chris Holbert. The class was attended and reviewed by Pauline Olvera.)

I attended the caucus training event last night and wanted to share a brief overview of what I learned.

It was extremely informative. The speakers were well-organized and knowledgeable. They gave a brief introduction of themselves and what events drove them to become involved in the caucus. I found it interesting that they are ordinary people just like you and me.

They explained the Two-Year Election Cycle, the Caucus procedures, the activities that take place and the purpose of the event.

One issue of particular importance was the explanation of registered party voter vs. unaffiliated voter vs. delegate.

As a registered affiliated voter we usually cast two votes per year, one during the primary and one in the general election. As an unaffiliated voter, since you cannot vote in the primary, you only have one vote. Because of this our efforts are rarely realized.

However, as a delegate in the caucus, you cast several votes throughout the year on issues that are most important to you. Because of this, you effect change directly.

In this capacity we ensure that the issues we care about most get on the ballot. We can change laws! We can change laws by changing who votes for those laws. As delegates, WE choose those candidates who best represent our values to run on our ticket.

In essence, we BECOME the GOP. No more leaving it up to “them”!

The best part about becoming a delegate or a committee member is that it didn’t seem all that difficult. For the amount of influence exuded in those positions, becoming involved is relatively simple and the time commitment is very low. The whole process was much less intimidating than I had ever imagined.

Overall, what I came away with is that caucusing is where the control and power of our elections and our entire political system occurs. This is where REAL change happens.

This area of our political system is, in my opinion, a more powerful and influential office than that of the President of the United States.

I have talked with many of you who have expressed the desire to “do whatever it takes to take our country back, for ourselves, for our kids.” Well here’s your chance.

For those of you thinking a third party might be the answer, consider this. If you are not willing to become involved at this level in the GOP then the same thing is going to happen in any third party that is created. You are going to “leave it up to others in your party” to decide your candidates for you and you’ll eventually be back at this same place, except that creating a third party will also have divided our Republican party giving the Democrats a free ride to stay in control.

The quickest and best way to make a difference right now is to become involved at this level of the GOP and take our party back! It is through the caucus that we will take over the GOP--we are not going to fall in line with them but rather they are going to fall in line with us. There are tons of us out there, we can do this. We need you at the caucus. We need you as election judges. We need you to help take our party back right now!

I encourage everyone to make an effort to attend at least one caucus training event. Get an idea about what’s involved, and go from there. It’s a small price to pay to preserve our freedoms, liberties and our country. With that in mind, let us never forget…

“…the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln

Guest Post on Healthcare Reform by Dr. Michael Schneider, founder of Vail Valley 9.12 Project

Speaker Pelosi announced today (10/29) that a (1,990 page)Healthcare Reform Bill was on its way to the Senate. It includes a public option and will finally insure 90+% of the people in the United States. She claimed that it will cover the 36 million uninsured in this country. Is it 36 million, 47 million, or 50 million? How about 20 million or 12 million? I know that the number is somewhere in there...maybe.

Speaker Pelosi's televised announcement was followed by another televised announcement by President Obama speaking to, what was said to be, a representation of small business owners from across America. He told us once again that “if you like your insurance, you can keep it without any changes to coverage.” He told us that there will be insurance pools from which you can choose an insurer if you do not already have insurance for your business employees. I interpreted this to mean that businesses will be mandated to cover their employees. President Obama said that this reform will pay for itself.

Well... I thought... if this is so then I have been oh-so-wrong in my assessment of what the financial impact and reduction of quality healthcare on Americans, our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and..on and on will be if the Congress passes this healthcare reform bill. If what Speaker Pelosi and President Obama said is true then I am “on board” with the whole program and I will issue another “mea culpa”. Oh!...you ask...what if that old adage that if someone in authority tells you something (not factual) to your face enough times that you will actually believe it? Well then...if that is the case...I am on board with Rep. Joe “you lie” Wilson.

The President has told us that cracking down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud will be a large part of the savings in paying for healthcare reform. My question is, "has the crackdown begun?" If not, why not? 60 Minutes televised a special recently in which a convicted felon admitted stealing over $20 million from Medicare through fraudulent claims. That person said that it was a no brainer and is being done every day.

Once again, the truth is that government has never successfully run any type of program. I know you all have heard it before, but let me refresh your memories. There is Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak, all of which are broken and broke. If the government competes with private insurers the private insurers will disappear. Those who know me know that I have no love lost for the private insurers, but this is the United States of America. The home of capitalism. The greatest republic* in the history of civilization. That being said, there is great room for health insurer reform starting with portability and the ability for individuals and businesses to purchase insurance across state lines. All the government has to do is print some more money to compete and the competition goes away and the quality goes down.

President Obama also neglected to remind us of the $500 BILLION cuts to Medicare and the pending 21.5% Medicare cuts to physician reimbursements in 2010 if this bill gets passed. If you would like to read the bill you can download it at:

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

I wonder if all of our elected House of Representatives officials have read it.

* Benjamin Franklin said “I give you a republic if you can hold on to it”. By definition a republic is a political unit governed by a charter (The U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence are U.S. Federal Charter Documents), while a democracy is a government whose prevailing force is always that of the majority. One of the difficulties in defining these two words, democracy and republic, stems from the fact that many people consider them to be synonyms, which they are not. They are no more alike than Nancy Pelosi and Puff the Magic Dragon, and yet they are often used interchangeably

Dr. Michael Schneider

“Real Change” in 2010
Vail Valley 9.12 Project
www.meetup.com/vailvalley912project.com/

Activism Today!

1. Healthcare Activism: Call Senators and tell them to vote NO on the healthcare bill!

From Hugh Hewitt on 10/01/09: "Medicare benefits will be slashed (by about $500 billion) and Medicare Advantage costs will skyrocket under all the versions of Obamacare."

Federally-funded abortion is still in the healthcare bills: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains in a Sept. 30 letter sent to members of the Senate, “So far, the health reform bills considered in committee, including the new Senate Finance Committee bill, have not met President Obama’s challenge of barring use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws,” states the letter.

Phone these U.S. Senators to say NO to cloture and ObamaCare :

Evan Bayh (IN) – Phone: (202) 224-5623; Web Contact (Leadership) Vulnerable on healthcare as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Max Baucus (MT), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-6361; Web Contact; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Mark Begich (AK) – Phone: (202) 224-3004; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09.
Michael Bennet (CO) – Phone: (202) 224-5852, Denver Metro office: 303.455.7600; Web Contact. Vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Cannot win in 2010 AND CO Democrats may float a different candidate.
Jeff Bingaman (NM), Senate Finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-5521
Robert Byrd (VA) -- DC Phone: (202) 224-3954.
Maria Cantwell (WA), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-3441; Web Contact; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Tom Carper (DE), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-2441; Web Contact (Leadership); somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200
Kent Conrad (N.D.), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-2043; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 09/21/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)202-224-2551 is vulnerable on healthcare as of 09/21/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Russ Feingold (D-WI) 202-224-5323 is vulnerable on healthcare as of 09/21/09.
Dianne Feinstein (CA) – Phone: (202) 224-3841; Web Contact; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Kay Hagan (NC) – Phone: (202) 224-6342; Web Contact
Tim Johnson (SD) DC Phone: (202) 224-5842. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
John Kerry (MA), Senate Finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-2742
Herb Kohl (WI) – Phone: (202) 224-5653; Web Contact
Mary Landrieu (LA) – Phone: (202) 224-5824; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Joe Lieberman (CT) – Phone: (202) 224-4041; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Blanche Lincoln (AR), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-4814 or (202) 224-4843; Web Contact (Leadership) (Note: Liberal blog Daily Kos reports that Sen. Lincoln is somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.) Sept. 15: Arkansas school board elections went resoundingly to conservative candidates. Still vulnerable as of 09/21/09. Up for re-election Nov. 2010.
Claire McCaskill (MO) – Phone: (202) 224-6154; Web Contact
Robert Menendez (NJ), Senate Finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-4744
Ben Nelson (NE) – Phone: (202) 224-5274; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Bill Nelson (FL), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-6551; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 09/21/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Mark Pryor (AR) – Phone: (202) 224-2353; Web Contact Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election Nov. 2010; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Harry Reid (NV) DC Phone: (202) 224-3542. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Jay Rockefeller (WV), Senate finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-6472
Charles Schumer (NY), Senate Finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-6542
Jeanne Shaheen (NH) – Phone: (202) 224-2841; Web Contact
Debbie Stabenow (MI), Senate Finance Committee -- Phone 202-224-4822
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) 202-224-5344 Still vulnerable as of 09/21/09; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
John Tester (D-MT) 202-224-2644 Still vulnerable as of 10/02/09. Up for re-election in Nov. 2010.
Mark Udall (CO) – Phone: (202) 224-5941; Web Contact
Mark Warner (VA) – Phone: (202) 224-2023; Web Contact Vulnerable as of 10/02/09.
Ron Wyden (OR), Senate Finance Committee – Phone: (202) 224-5244; Web Contact; somewhat opposed to H.R. 3200.
Jim Webb (VA) Vulnerable as of 10/02/09.

2. The Senate Conservatives Fund has a petition which you can sign if you believe that Republican legislators should not compromise on ObamaCare.

3. To fight illegal immigration, visit http://www.numbersusa.com/. Sign up for their Action Buffet. Everytime you visit the website, there will be 15 or so types of protest or support letters waiting for you to click and send to your Congressman and Senators--at no cost!

4. Abortion is not healthcare! Sign the petition to Congress to take abortion out of the healthcare bill. This petition is organized by Susan B. Anthony List.

5. Say "no" to government-controlled access to healthcare! Call these Colorado Congressmen and Senators:

Dianna DeGette, 1st Congressional District
Denver office: 303.844.4988
Washington, D.C. office: 202.225.4431

Jared Polis, 2nd Congressional District
Boulder office: 303.484.9596
Washington, D.C. office: 202.225.2161

John Salazar, 3rd Congressional District
Grand Junction office: 970.245.7107
Washington, D.C. office: 202.225.4761

Betsy Markey, 4th Congressional District
Fort Collins office: 970.221.7110
Washington, D.C. office: 202.225.4676

Ed Perlmutter, 7th Congressional District
Lakewood office: 303.274.7944
Washington, D.C. office: 202.225.2645

Michael Bennet, U.S. Senate
Denver Metro office: 303.455.7600
Washington, D.C. office: 202.224.5852

Mark Udall, U.S. Senate
Denver Metro office: 303.650.7820
Washington, D.C. office: 202.224.5941

6. I received an email from American Family Association telling me about the provision in H.R. 3200 to put Planned Parenthood clinics in schools beginning Fall 2010. They made it easy for me to sign letters in opposition to this plan, and they will send them via email to my Senators and Congressman. If you visit their website and enter your email to receive AFA Action Alerts (top right corner), you will also receive similar pro-life activism assistance.


Recent results:

9/14/09 We were successful in protesting ACORN. The U.S. Senate voted 83-7 to stop giving ACORN Federal housing funds due to repeated criminal charges and additional evidence of criminal goings-on. In addition, the U.S. Census has severed ties with ACORN. Next step: get ACORN out of the healthcare bill!

9/9/09 The "Free Our Health Care Now" petition garnered over 1.3 million signatures, and was delivered to Congress today.

9/5/09 Van Jones has stepped down from his job, so you no longer need to sign the petition.

Would National Groups and Personalities Kindly Let Coloradans Pick Our Own Candidates? Please?!

We recently had a little political hullabaloo in Colorado as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) purportedly planned to endorse former Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton for U.S. Senate. Coloradans were up in arms that such an endorsement might take place. Candidates were reassessing their abilities to raise campaign funds in light of such an endorsement. And all the tea party-types who are newer to the political process--albeit wholeheartedly engaged--were stunned that an out-of-state entity could sway our U.S. Senate race.

The tumult has died down, only to be replaced by the irritating good intentions of none other than Hugh Hewitt, radio conservative extraordinaire. I am a fan of Hugh, and Hugh is a fan of Colorado. I have worked tirelessly against HR 3200 and Cap and Trade, with great encouragement from Hugh. I disagree with Hugh on the FairTax and on the birth certificate. I love his radio guests, and am willing to forgive almost anything when he airs Mark Steyn or Andrew Breitbart.

So what's the beef? Hugh Hewitt has correctly assessed that Colorado Republicans have a solid opportunity to take back the Governor's seat, a U.S. Senate seat, and at least one Congressional seat (CD4) in November 2010. He talks about Colorado legislative races frequently. But he's backing the wrong candidates!

Okay, that's not polite. I don't have much of a beef with Hugh's recommendations of Scott McInnis for Governor, Jane Norton for U.S. Senate, nor Tom Lucero for CD4, except for this one little detail: 95% of the conservative voters with whom I interact are planning to vote for the other key Republican candidates in those races, primarily Josh Penry for Governor, Ken Buck or Ryan Frazier for U.S. Senate, and hands down Cory Gardner for CD4. Is it possible that McInnis, Norton and Lucero have a big fan base somewhere in Colorado which I'm not privy to? Absolutely. But the point is that we want to work this out ourselves, without national interference, from the NRSC, from Hugh Hewitt, or from any well-known person or entity.

The net effect of Hugh's candidate recommendations could be that McInnis, Norton or Lucero receive nationwide contributions to the chagrin of all the Colorado activists who are currently working diligently for their opponents. We in Colorado would really like to slug this out in-state, without nationwide interference, as good as those intentions are. We're not bumpkins here. We understand the opportunity before us, and we're getting the voters engaged and prepared for 2010. Are you aware that we had 10,000 people at the Tea Party at the Denver Capitol on April 15?! And that we had Tea Parties in at least 17 Colorado cities and towns that day?! Believe me, we're on a roll in Colorado.

Take action! Please use your social networking cites, e.g. Facebook and Twitter, to talk about Hugh Hewitt's interference in the Colorado 2010 Legislative Races. Use the Twitter hashtag #hhrs to protest Hugh's involvement during the radio show, when you're most likely to have Hewitt fans read your concerns. (Hugh Hewitt's radio show airs 4 - 7 PM MST.) Be polite. Hugh is a great asset to the conservative team. But we'd sure love it if he'd back away from the Colorado legislative races and just mention them casually as he might any other state's politics.

Thank you for listening. Again, I honor all the candidates, although I obviously have my preferences. We are really enjoying the political landscape in Colorado this year, and would be thrilled to continue to participate and watch it play out without Hugh's assistance. God Bless Hugh Hewitt and God Bless America!

* * * * * * *
In a related piece of correspondence, my friend Nikki Mata wrote a letter to Hugh Hewitt within hours of this blog post:

Dear Hugh,

Great program yesterday at CCU - and how thrilled I was to hear not just Matt Arnold, but two other friends, Isaac Smith & Hollis Moore. All three are regular attendees to R Block Party meetings. (We don't have a "membership" - we're free & open to anyone.)

But I also heard the close of the show. How disappointing to hear you say that we all just have to "get over it" - referencing the NRSC.

First off, thanks for keeping your promise to read the article. But that article is just the tip of the iceberg as to why the NRSC needs to stay out of our primary/caucus process. And if I had had more time to explain to you what is going on here in Colorado & why it is so critical, I know that you would have second thoughts.

It's not really about the NRSC. And it's not about ego. It's what DC & media types just "don't get" about what is going on at the Tea Parties, the Town Halls, the 9-12 groups. It's the mood & the energy. It's why one third of Colorado voters are now unaffiliated.

It's why we started R Block Party, why Peoples Press Collective and Clear the Bench exist. And none of us are funded. But we are driven. And we really don't need more obstacles put in our path by our own side.

All those people in that Tax Day Tea Party poster that I gave you? They are not going to support & vote for anyone who has the appearance of having been chosen & promoted by Washington and the party elite. It's just same old, same old to them.

They will turn away from that in droves. It will demoralize them, they will not support the Republican candidates, and that will split the vote. And Colorado will stay a Blue State.

We have a chance to rebuild the Republican party - right here in Colorado - into a party with a viable future. A party that is vibrant & alive. A party that people are excited to be a part of. Because they ARE the party.

I could give you a hundred examples, articles and postings to read to support my case. There is a huge activist movement happening here. And we are all connecting. Would love to plug you into it, so you could see for yourself.

I'll leave you with an excerpt of a piece I wrote about Jane Norton for the Peoples Press Collective:

Is she a candidate that can generate excitement and mobilize the grassroots? Can her message reach the Tea Partiers & Town Hallers? How about the 9-12ers?

Who amongst the many candidates for Senate can offer the proud members of The Angry Mob a place to come home to?

That’s for the voters to decide.

What is clear is that we need to hear what each candidate has to say – without the roar of the political machine behind them, drowning them out.

Yes, we all understand that a candidate needs money – and lots of it – to mount a successful bid next year. But right now? We need a candidate that has the fire to match the mood of the American people.

And money can’t buy that.

Save the money for 2010. Right now, let’s listen to the message.

You have a huge bully pulpit here. I know I speak for all of us when I ask you to use it wisely.

Thanks for listening & GO BUCKS!

Nikki Mata
R Block Party

(Thank you Nikki!)

An Open Letter to the Second in Command of Al-Queda by Dr. Tawfik Hamid, www.tawfikhamid.com

Dr. Al-Zawherri, many years ago, as a student at University of Cairo Medical School Mosque, when I joined Jammaa Islamia, I sat in front of you, and listened fervently to you sermons. At that time, I looked up to you as my mentor who was going to guide me through the correct path to the divine. I can not forget your fiery speeches, enthusiastic, extraordinary charisma and your dedication to the cause of Islam.

Once, I remember you placing your hand over my shoulder, telling me that my generation is the hope for Islam. I was truly captivated; I was so young and mislead by your appealing charm as many others were. As I looked deeply into your eyes, I hoped that you would lead me to find my path to spirituality. Instead, you led me into the corridor of hatred and violence. I was deceived by your sharp authoritative look and your powerful e speeches, but after all, I was fortunate to recognize early enough that I was on the wrong course.

You taught me and other members of the JI that the west is evil because it does not implement Sharia law. You explained that they allow women to dress as they wish, and provide them full freedom. Back then, I was deceived by your statements. But let me ask you now which is preferable; the western system that respects basic values of freedom for women or the Salafi Islamic system that you follow which suppresses and justifies beating women, allows polygamy, permits slavery and still promotes stoning women to death for adultery?

Dr Al-Zawaheri, after all these years, I discovered that the values that you promoted for 'modesty' of our Muslim women are not sincerely values of modesty as you claimed, but rather immoral means to enslave them. According to our Sharia system, a Muslim woman engaged sexually with a man on her free will, should be punished by death, yet, if a man sold the same woman as a slave to the same man to engage in sex with him - against her free will - it is until now acceptable in our Islamic laws. Do you consider that moral or just? Obviously, the entire issue is not modesty for Muslim women as you claimed but rather a way to control them.

Through your video tapes, you try to sway the west against America, blaming the "evil" US foreign policies against the Islamic world. If the US is truly as wicked as you claim, it could have used its devastating military power to rape the land of Arabia and get its oil for free as our Islamic ancestors did under the banner of spreading Islam! Or probably is it American evil foreign policy that saved millions of Muslims in Kosovo and is trying to do the same in Darfur? Or is it the evil Americans who saved Kuwait from the Iraqi vicious despot Saddam Hussein?

If it's only the "others" causing the Muslims misery, why then didn't you ever protest against the Pakistani Mullas who issued a fatwa to justify for Pakistani Muslim soldiers to rape the Bangladeshi women as concubines in the name of Allah during the war between the two countries in the 1970s? Is that because of the damage done to Muslims by the west?

Through your publicized videotapes you claim that your Muslim "brothers" suffer in Iraq. Don't your Muslim "brothers" suffer in Iraq primarily because your Sunni Islamic thugs "brothers" are torturing, killing other Muslims and mutilating the dead bodies of their fellow Muslim "brothers" Sheiia? Maybe If you ordered your Muslim Sunni "brothers" to suspend their barbaric acts, the Iraqi people would enjoy the fruit of democracy that was offered to them with American soldiers' blood, scarifying their lives to provide them with such dignified opportunity.

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, in many of your tapes, you maintain that Israel is oppressing the Palestinians. You should know that, the Jewish state that you so despise allows Muslims to build Mosques and practice their religion freely. Compare it to Saudi Arabia which denies basic rights to Christians or other non Muslims to build churches or practice freely their religion. Compare it to your Taliban system which destroyed the historical statues of Buddha. You are merely lucky that your evil acts against civilized people have not been countered by destroying our sacred places in Mecca and Medina.

I vividly remember you teaching us in our JI Mosque that the Jews are the world's worst enemies; that they are "pigs and monkeys." To my pleasant surprise, I must share with you that I later found out that unlike you and your followers, Jews have brought immense constructive contribution to our civilization.

You repeatedly taught us that the US and the West are oppressing Muslims. I used to believe it when I first met you, but after living in the West and having seen how Muslims are treated in the US, I can openly say to you; Dr. Al-Zawaherri, you are a liar! The US has allowed Muslims to build mosques, to practice freely our religion, to enjoy economic opportunities, to thrive in their education as any American citizen does. US constitution simply does not allow discrimination against minority. If this is what you call "oppressed Muslims in the west" then I wish Islamic systems like Saudi Arabia, the Taliban and Iran treat their non Muslims in the same way US treats its Muslim population!

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, your heinous attacks on innocents all over the world have deprived our world of tremendous amount of resources as an attempt to protect ourselves from people like you. So instead of diverting the money of the world to build, to cure disease and to improve the environment, we now need to direct a major portion of our budget to protect our nations from your evil acts.

I am asking you to remember the orphans who lost their parents because of you, the parents who lost their children because of you, and the innocents who still suffer because of you. Use your conscience if it still exists and remember them even for a moment as an opportunity to evaluate your deeds. After all these years, I tell you vociferously that if "the hope of Islam" is cultivated by the damage you cause to the world then never blame anyone for questioning Islam's nature, genuine motives and criticizing it.

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, I must confess that I am not sure whether I should blame only solely you for your crimes or should I also hold responsible the entire culture and our religious system that have been guiding you and millions other to hate the "others". Should I only blame you or also my fellow Muslims who have been passively watching your dreadful actions with minimal expression of dismay over your brutality? Or maybe I should also blame those in the West who still try to find irrational justifications for your terrorist acts instead of confronting its true cause which is the Ideology that changed an innocent child that you were, into a beast who deprived others of their life.

Dr. Al-Zawaherri -as a surgeon your hands were supposed to heal and help reduce suffering, but instead, you caused anguish to thousands if not millions of our human race. Therefore, the blood on your hands is the blood of your victims rather than your patients during surgical operations.

Now, I live too far from you geographically, and more importantly, ideologically. Unlike you, based on fresh interpretation of the Quran, I preach a message of love and respect to all humans; regardless of their religion, race or nationality. It is a peaceful and non conventional interpretation which attempts to heal the world that you have injured. One day, the Muslim world will have to decide if they should follow my path or your path. Our paths can not converge.

Dr. Al-Zawaherri....Awake before it is too late!
Your old colleague in the JI
Dr. Tawfik Hamid

(Dr. Tawfik Hamid is the author of The Roots of Jihad. Considering that the study of Jihad and muslim culture can be intimidating for most Americans, I was grateful for Dr. Hamid's excellent writing. With large print, wide spacing, and under 200 pages in length, this book makes a daunting topic very clear and readable. -- Crista Huff)

I Love My Health Care

Written by guest bloggers: James and Joni Kelly, Douglas County, Colorado

I am one of the 95 out of a hundred Americans that are very happy with their health care. Obama said “if you like what you have you can keep it” so all’s good right? No change for me?

Wrong – if the liberals succeed my health care, your health care, indeed everyone’s health care is going to change dramatically, and not for the better.

The government health care takeover can be stopped. There are three people who can kill it dead. Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. So it’s all over right?…not so fast. Obama is a Marxist ideologue and would consider signing a health care bill a success even if it costs him the presidency in 2012. Pelosi is not going to lose an election in Berkeley, California. But Reid is showing cracks.

Harry Reid is the Senate Majority Leader from Nevada. He is up for re-election in 2010 is presently down double digits in polling to his Republican challenger, Danny Tarkanian. Harry Reid’s son, Rory Reid appears ready to make a run for Governor of Nevada. If Harry loses in 2010, so will Rory. My gut tells me that Harry will kill the government health care takeover if he thinks it will cost him and his son their elections.

I have been looking for something real I can do to protect my health care from the government takeover. Here is something real. Send Danny Tarkanian a contribution. It is too early to know if Danny can win or not but Reid will notice Danny’s war chest swell and rethink his position on the health care takeover. You don’t need to give a lot. Ten or twenty bucks is fine. The amount matters but what matters more is how many people contribute to Danny. Politicians are nothing if not shrewd (Harry is the king of shrewd) and they measure everything. Harry will know not just how much Danny is putting up but how many people contributed to Danny, kind of a mini-election.

Help make Harry Reid sweat! Here is a link to the Danny Tarkanian site. You can contribute there--I did: www.tark2010.org.

* * * *

Addendum from Crista: I also donated $10. online. Here's one more way to stick it to Harry Reid: take your online donation receipt, or a photocopy of the check that you wrote, and fax it to Harry Reid's Reno, NV office at 775-686-5757 or his Washington D.C. office at 202-224-7327.

Special thanks to James and Joni Kelly, fellow American patriots who are committed to saving our country from socialism, fiscal irresponsibility, and the trashing of the U.S. Constitution.

So This is What Astro-Turf Looks Like...

Guest article by Sean Doherty, Publisher of The Constitutional Reporter www.TheConstitutionalReporter.com

The left and the right have been engaged lately in a battle of policies and ideas and…name-calling? Each side has been eager to prove that the other is engaged in “Astro-Turfing,” a clever name used to imply fake grassroots.

The Left accuses the anti-public option crowd of being bought and paid for by Big Pharma, while the Tea Party crowds are obviously contrived by Big Oil (according to the Left). Meanwhile, the Right has pointed to the organizational structure, efforts, and approach of political groups such as Progress Now, MoveOn.org, and Acorn. The evidence submitted is the nice, printed signs held by pro-public option supporters, the emails sent out by these and similar organizations, as well as buses bearing those proud political organizations names and supporters to Obama’s town hall meeting.

So who is right and who is wrong when it comes to labeling the other side as ‘astro-turf?’ Or is this really just a case of “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence?”

Well, the Constitutional Reporter looked into this and dug up some good seeds. Sow these and tell us what you think:

The Right

Yes, the Right is talking about ObamaCare. So are the Libertarians and Independents. And they’re legitimately afraid. This has made them active. The politically active Republicans are encouraging people to oppose ObamaCare. You can see their activity in the blogosphere. But there is no money trail. Nowhere have we been able to find any money being paid out here. And what’s even more interesting, the vast majority of people who attend the protests have been, to our surprise, not connected to any GOP leaders. Having attended several Lincoln Day dinners, GOP breakfast clubs, etc., this year, our staff was surprised to see so many new faces at the protests who probably didn’t even know that there are local breakfast clubs held weekly to talk about how bad ObamaCare and Democrat proposals are going to be!!

The Left

Here’s where it gets interesting… The Constitutional Reporter sat in at an important activism meeting held by some Democrat organizers. They were looking to hire some field reps to go out and spread the word about Cap and Trade. Here is their game plan:

Environmental Defense Fund has hired a national political consulting firm called Field Works. They want to lobby the ‘blue dog’ Democratic US Senators to convince them to vote ‘yes’ on Cap and Trade.

Field Works is hiring 12 people at $90/day. Each person will then go out and for 40 hours a week, their job is to talk to people about supporting Cap and Trade to protect the environment. Each of these 12 people will be responsible for finding 12 other people, per day, to make a phone call directly to Senator Michael Bennet’s office to urge him to support Cap and Trade. Additionally, each of those 12 field reps will be working to get 28 people, every day, to fill out a post card to be sent to Senator Bennet. (Field Works is providing the cell phones and post cards as well as postage)

This process will be continued, week in and week out, until October 2nd, and will also be conducted in six other states.

Now, if this isn’t “Astro-Turf” then what is it--fertilizer?

Folks on the Right better be prepared for the well-oiled machine of the Left. This piece just gives a small taste of what happens when this well-funded machine is put to work. If there was ever a time to call Senator Bennet and tell him to oppose Cap and Trade, then you better do it before October 2nd. Ask Senator Bennet to grow some productive, free market solutions, instead of growing our taxes.

(This was a guest article by Sean Doherty, Publisher of The Constitutional Reporter. www.TheConstitutionalReporter.com)