Wow!! Is this the Best We Can Do?

In a country of over 300 million people, is this the best we could come up with for the most important job in the United States? Is this the best we could come up with for the leader of the free world?

For the first time in my adult life I am totally uninspired as a voter. This will be my eighth Presidential election and the first time that I don't even care to vote. As a proud American, and one who takes her voting privileges very seriously, I am so disappointed in our choices for President. I am having a real hard time getting behind the candidate of my own party, while I could never get behind the extreme liberal candidate of the other.

As a true conservative I feel, and have felt for several years, abandoned by my party. There are so many more conventional conservatives out there, yet where are they? Where are the true conservatives who will stand up for the values we hold dear? Where are the conservatives who will keep taxes low, keep government small, keep capitalism alive, keep family values a priority, and keep individual responsibility a must? I certainly don't see McCain as a conventional conservative, and much to my chagrin, either is Bush and the Republicans who lost control of both houses of Congress. If they were, and had acted appropriately, they would still have control.

My only hope for McCain is that he will take seriously the worries of his conservative constituents and choose a true conservative running mate to balance out his ticket. If he doesn't, I fear many conservative will stay home, not vote and through their country's future to the wolves.

Drill Here...Drill Now!!!

The new battle cry for two-thirds of all Americans is "DRILL HERE...DRILL NOW"! Not because we think it will decrease gas prices today, but because it makes sense for the future. Yet Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues just don't get it. They act like they're concerned. But are they? Their stated energy policy, in answer to this popular and getting very loud request is only two fold.

First, they are demanding that President Bush immediately tap into part of our Startegic Petroleum Reserve. Will this really do any good to lower prices? The reserve has approximately 700 millions barrels of oil available. Since Americans use about 20 million barrels of oil per day, the reserve has a total of about 35 days worth of oil. How much are they wanting to remove..one-quarter, one-half? If they remove half of it, that's about a two weeks supply. In two weeks, the average family will probably fill-up once, maybe twice. That would save the average family about as much money as the proposed "Gas Tax Holiday" and it would probably do nothing to lower the prices of the commodities that have gone up as a result of the higher gas prices.

Second, Nancy Pelosi states, "We need to put in place a real energy policy...one that frees us from dependence on foreign oil, uses American ingenuity and innovation to power our country with new clean technologies, and creates hundreds of thousands of new jobs while reducing climate change." The last time I checked cars do not run on solar or wind power. Very few homes are powered by these sources either. That's not to say that they won't in the future, but what about right now? If we drill here at home using the newest technologies we have at our disposal, we WILL decrease our dependency on foreign oil and we WILL create more jobs.

Yes, alternative energy sources like wind power, solar energy and natural gas, must be a major part of any sound energy policy. And yes, we must do all we can to develop these sources for the near future. However, it is also imperative that we act intelligently when it comes to our own oil sources. We must take action now by drilling here at home and helping to decrease our dependency on foreign oil. Because, let's face it, unless the government and environmentalists are going to buy every American a new hybrid or natural gas powered car, we will be needing oil for a long time to come.

President Bush has tried several times during his administration to get Congress to allow drilling here at home. Each time his efforts have been thwarted by the Democrats. So I ask again, are the Democrats really serious about decreasing our depenency on foreign oil? I don't think so. I think it sounds good to voters so they keep repeating it in hopes we will believe them. Are we that gullible?

Proud To Be An American

"I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A."

Chorus from Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A."

What does it mean to be American? To live in America? It all depends on who you ask. But for me, a conservative, single, upper middle class woman, it means a great deal. It means freedom to live my life as I choose. It means worshiping the Almighty God in the church of my choosing (or not if I so choose). It means being free to write or say whatever comes to mind without fear of government retaliation or imprisonment. It means, as a woman, being free to own my own home and have a job that provides for my needs and wants. It means having the freedom to succeed at whatever I set my mind to and being able to choose my own path in life. It means remembering the lives of so many who, while defending this country, gave the ultimate sacrifice. It means thanking any soldier I see who is, or who has, defended this country. It means joy, hope, prosperity, and most of all FREEDOM!

Today we celebrated the birth of this great nation. For one day, as we attended parades, barbecues, family gatherings, community or church celebrations, and fireworks displays, we put all of our differences aside and stood together to remember and reflect upon what this country means to each of us.

Is this nation perfect? No, not be a long shot. But given the choice I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world. I thank God everyday for the privilege of living in this great land, because, you see, I am proud to be an American.

Goodbye Seattle SuperSonics

An end to the long standing I-5 rivalry between the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle SuperSonics has been brought to a sad conclusion with today's official announcement that the Sonics are being moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For this massive betrayal, the city of Seattle will receive $45 million in exchange for losing the NBA team that has been in their city since 1967 and will be allowed to keep the Sonics' name and history for a possible future NBA team.

Hmmmm....let's see if I understand this correctly. $45 million to strip the Seattle fans of the joy they've experienced over the years while cheering for, and supporting, their favorite NBA team. $45 million to strip a city of forty-one years of NBA affiliation and history. $45 million to tell the Seattle fans that their long-time support and dedication to their team just doesn't matter. Does this seem worth it to anyone other than the team owner and the mayor of Seattle? It doesn't seem worth it to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a basketball fan.

My heart goes out to the fans in Seattle. I watched the last game played in the KeyArena and saw how hard the fans were trying to keep their team in Seattle. There were chants of "SAVE OUR SONICS" being echoed throughout the arena during the game...most especially during the timeouts and at the end of the game. There were signs bearing this same sentiment being hoisted by fans of all ages everywhere. I think deep down most of those fans knew they were fighting a losing battle...that their pleas were falling on deaf ears...but they were determined not to quit. Afterall, miracles do happen.

As I watched those fans fighting so hard to keep their team...the team they had stood by and supported...in Seattle, I couldn't help but think how betrayed and disappointed I would be if one day Paul Allen decided to move my beloved Trailblazers out of Portland. Now that there is an empty slot in Seattle, and in hopes of getting another NBA franchise there, will Seattle start courting Mr. Allen and offering him special incentives to move his team...our team...to the North? Would Mr. Allen even consider it? I'd like to think not, but anything is possible. Just ask the Seattle fans.