Captain's Quarters -

Captain, I have tagged you for the Thinking Blogger Award Meme. You got me started on this whole blogging thing, and I can't think of a more worthy recipient of the award. Thanks for your inspiration!

The first video here (link below) is a 2-minute campaign ad for Rudy--looking right in the camera. I'm not on Rudy's bandwagon, but this ad has just the right tone. Message: in a dangerous world, you need an experienced grownup in charge.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RudyGiulianiHQ

Make sure to thank our buddy Patrick for McVain's skillful use of the war funding supplemental to provide cover for the fact that on every OTHER ISSUE that matters to even the most passive of Republicans, he is completely AWOL.

HE WAS ONE HEROIC BASTARD, no doubt. This Marine Officer's Wife can appreciate that.

But I said "WAS HEROIC".

Please ask Mr. Hynes about national security as it is applied to our borders and what the Senator is doing about applying approved funds to build a fence. In his capacity to oversee the use of federal monies obligated to be used for material end product, are they being spent on barriers of any sort? If not, why not? If so, how is it progressing? Does the Senator see any change in illegal immigration patterns in places where these physical borders are installed? Is he willing to do more? Or is he still of the open borders coalition wedded to prejudicing policy and oversight in support of illegal aliens over legal immigrants and American citizens? And does he support the new "Hokey-Pokey Amnesty" being created right now?

Along the same lines, please ask Mr. Dyke if Giuliani supports financing/constructing physical borders to ensure our national security and control immigration. Does Giuliani support a sandbag tossed about here or there like a throw pillow and call it a wall and a good day's work? Or does he want virtual tech to record from all angles the number of illegal aliens just so we have an accurate record of the totals, nevermind whether they are ever stopped? Or does he want physical and technical barriers backed by adequate personnel to fill the cracks and rules of conduct whereby stopping of illegals by security agents doesn't land them in jail for doing their job? Or land them in court via a justice system that would stack its prosecution deck on the words of drug-smuggling felons over the undermanned agents facing heavily armed traffickers?

To follow up, their (McCain's and Giuliani's, among everyone's) attitudes and policy towards this immigration issue becomes more critical every day. We are in the midst of a battle to decide whether or not we are willing to finish the job against jihidists. There is no guarantee that the country has the stomach for the fight as evidenced by the Democrat votes to get the soldiers home now no matter what is happening on the ground overseas.

So, what is our security backup plan should we bail on Iraq/Afghanistan and should Iran (or other terrorist empathizing collective) move in? Since the war will exceedingly likely try to shift to our shores, isn't a secure border rather important? And isn't implementing such a policy a time-consuming endeavor? Would it not be a dereliction of duty to not have sufficient plans for national defense on our own border? Or are we just a territory now, a throwback to the wide open West? And is it wise to delay any action, kick another can, and hope for the best - until 9/11 redux visits the mainland - and then raise our fists in indignation?

The twin McCain deal killers for me, are campaign finance reform, and McCain's despicable kneejerk slander of John O'Neill in 2004. John O'Neill had good evidence and had real first-person testimony--and lots of the most conflicting evidence from Kerry himself, collected over the years. Meanwhile, Kerry was busy hiding the military evidence from critics, and using ignorant-flack surrogates to put out ad hominem attacks on the SBVTs--veterans who actually earned all their Purple Hearts, and didn't bug out eight months early from the War. Many of them worked with Lt. John F. Kerry in places like the Mekong River, and they found his character to be abysmal. Most didn't even know the laundry list of lies that Kerry was telling about his role in Vietnam till they read it for themselves--in "Tour of Duty." It was a work of fiction. They obviously knew about Kerry's lies to Congress in 1971, but Kerry's justification for his Purple Hearts, and his other lies about his "bravery" were the straw that broke the camel's back. Thank God John F. Kerry lost the race. There's no telling who Kerry would be surrendering to today if he was our President. McCain is a rotten judge of character.