While our military in Iraq goes underfunded and at risk,  Pelosi goes shopping.  The House is on a two week break,  leaving the emergency funding bill for the War on Terror unfinished.   Nancy also did not appoint conferees who could work on this during the recess . Our troops are at risk, thanks to Nancy.  Gen. Peter Schoomaker, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, said, " without approval of the supplemental funds in April, we will be forced to take increasingly draconian measures which will impact Army readiness and impose hardships on our soldiers and their families."

    Nancy doesn't care.  She and the Dems don't support the war.  They are doing this on purpose.  De-funding the war led to the U.S withdrawal from Vietnam.   She's just following the playbook.

   In other news,  Nancy's next big adventure may be in Iran.   She and Rep. Lantos, a survivor of the Holocaust , went to Syria to embarass Bush recently and made fools of themselves.  At a recent press conference,  Lantos was asked by the media  if he and Nancy would go to Iran next.  He said we need to have a dialogue and that if he could he'd be on a plane tomorrow.  Speaking for Nancy,  he said Nancy would go too.     Rep. Lantos said they need to find out if Iran is developing nuclear tech for peaceful purposes.  If so,  he said that Congress would give them nuclear fuel!!!!!!!!!   (Seriously!!!  He really said that!!  )   There is a bill in Congress right now that would create a "nuclear fuel bank", enabling the U.S. to give fuel for "peaceful purposes" to any country, including Iran.   This news would really make me laugh, if I hadn't read this.

I thought I'd never say this, but there is a good article in the New York Times:

It says that many in the GOP are worried about the current crop of Presidential candidates.  The top 3 are changing their political positions to appeal to conservatives.  There is a lot of dissatisfaction with who is out there.  The solution is to have a candidate who EXCITES the GOP base.

It's true that Bush and Iraq's "bad news" are like  vacuums for us, right now.   What we need is something so spontaneous, so empowering , that it energizes all of us and reminds us why we are Republicans.  Condoleezza Rice is the one candidate who can give the GOP a shot of adrenaline.   The draft movement is the fuel for this .   If we build it,  Dr. Rice will respond.

   We need to give this a chance. 

      

Nancy Pelosi went to Syria this week and demonstrated why Democrats should never be in charge of foreign policy or diplomacy. She told Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad that Israel was ready for peace talks with Syria. She told him she was delivering a message directly from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
One problem, Prime Minister gave her no such message. Another problem , the message is the exact opposite of Israel's position!!! Israel is NOT ready for peace talks! Yet another problem, foreign relations and diplomacy are jobs for the Secretary of State!!!!! Jeez!!! She could at least have read this before going on the trip!

The U.S. has not changed its position on relations with Syria. Syria harbors terrorists. What Pelosi did was an attempt to undermine the foreign policy of President Bush. She believed she knew better how to handle relations with Syria. Will liberals never learn? You can't stop terrorists by being nice to them!!!

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice already has a plan for the Middle East , and it is working . Palestine and Israel have agreed to bi-weekly talks regarding humanitarian, security, and political issues. The Arab league is pursuing Bush's peace-for-land proposal, ignored when it was first created in 2002. Condi's diplomacy has made them looka t this from a new perspective. This plan may lead to the Arab League's recognition of Israel. Sec. Rice has been renewing the interest of Middle Eastern states. They hope that the U.S. can diminish terrorism and radicals in their own countries. With neo-cons such as Rumsfeld now out of the picture, U.S. diplomacy has a kinder , more pallatable image for the Middle East.

This process is not one that will be solved by one Congresswoman making nice with terrorists. Sec. Rice says this is a careful, meticulous process. "My approach has been, I admit, careful ," she says, "It's been step by step. I've not been willing to try for the big bang."

Sec. Rice's process for peace is on the right track, but it will take more than a couple of years to reap its rewards. Maybe Secretary Rice should be given more time to complete the job.

    

      While I was at CPAC,  I met Michelle Malkin,  live and in person ,  at  Bloggers' Row.  She was very friendly, but I was very belligerent.  I was so star struck that I stuttered , trying to express my admiration:  "You have b-been an...inspiration.  I...  st-started blogging last year.....  You g-gave me c-courage to spek my mind...."  I was a total mess.  She tilted her head and smiled sympathetically.  She is a very kind and gracious person.  (I imagine Ann Coulter would have had one of her goons drag me away if I stuttered like that in front of her.)

    The next day I approached her again at Bloggers' Row.  She seemed very occupied and irritated.   I thought it was me,  then I saw this and understand why she was really irritated.  Some liberal from "The Nation" magazine had approached her wanting an autograph on a photo of Japanese behind barbed wire in a WWII internment camp.   Completely disgusting,  but typical moon bat behavior.  This video also shows the same guy asking rude questions to CPAC attendees and making fun of the National Black Republican Association, specifically targeting Frances Rice's husband.  

    This guy is the lowest of the low,  but the behavior is typical of a moonbat.  This proves the age-old adage:  "Don't walk into a person's living room and pee on their coffee table."  

Malkin wrote a book about this phenomenon called "Unhinged".  She also gets the last laugh.  In the Notes section of the book,  she lists the personal e-mail addresses of people who wrote her racist, hate e-mail .   We should follow her lead and write "The Nation" disapproving of Blumenthal's behavior. 

       From the New York Sun :




"Look at Them.  We're going to tax the hell out of them."
- Mondale to Carter at the 1976 Democratic National Convention

This photo illustrates one reason I am not a McCain supporter.  

Feel free to leave your own captions in the Comments section.

 While I was at CPAC a week and a half ago,  I decided to visit my Congressman's office, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL).   Actually,  I decided to visit his office while waiting to have my picture taken with the woman I wish was my Congresswoman, Judy Biggert.  Their offices are close to each other.

     Anyway,  imagine my surprise when I saw a display of photos covering the entire hallway around his office.  After a closer inspection,  I became a little disgusted.  Take a look:



These are pictures of every American soldier killed in Iraq.  Above each column is a quote by a President regarding honoring America's military .      These boards almost completely cover Emanuel's side of the hallway outside his office.   It is a makeshift veterans memorial.   Outside Emanuel's door is a small basket sitting in an office chair.  Attached is a small handwritten sign inviting visitors to write letters to families of the fallen soldiers.

    To the reasonably prudent person,  this seems like a nice tribute to our heroes,  the American soldiers.   I was disturbed not by the display, but by the messenger.   Is Rahm Emanuel suggesting he supports the soldiers, but not the war?   He advocates immediate troop withdrawal.     He opposes the troop surge.   He even supported Murtha's "slow bleed"  plan.

BUT don't question his patriotism.  This makeshift memorial proves he really cares about our soldiers in Iraq.  It also provides good PR and "shields" him from criticism on the most important issue facing our nation this century.  

  Considering that Rahm's brother is Michael Moore's agent, I guess it could've been worse:



 

I got my photos back from the Conservative Political Action Conference.  I want to show off who I met:



This is me with Grover Norquist, Republican consultant and strategist.  He is one of the most important Republicans in Washington, DC.    He is also the one responsible for naming Reagan National Airport in DC.  



This is me with Star Parker,  conservative political analyst and Clare Boothe Luce Institute speaker.   She is the President  and Founder of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education .  She is a highly acclaimed author.  I first saw her on "Oprah" in the '80's .  I have been an avid fan ever since.



This is me with Angela McGlowan.  She was Ms. Washington DC in 1994 , representing the district in the "Miss USA" Pageant that year.   In addition to being one of the most beautiful women in the GOP,  she is a frequent guest on the "FOX News Channel".  She is a Republican strategist and has been featured on "Politically Incorrect" .  Her forthcoming book is called "Bamboozled:  How Americans are being Exploited by the Lies of the Liberal Agenda".  it will be available April 10, 2007. 



The man on the left is Richard Holt,  National Director of "Think Condi" a 527 political organization dedicated to drafting Condoleezza Rice for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.    
The man on the right is Corporal Matt Sanchez,  an American hero and recipient of the Jeane Kirkpatrick Academic Freedom award at CPAC. 

I went to CPAC this past weekend.  When I voted in the straw poll,  I was surprised not to see Condoleezza Rice, a frontrunner in the previous 2 CPAC polls, NOT LISTED ON THE BALLOT!!   I wrote her in, of course. 

    When the media reports the poll results,  they mention Condi doing well in previous years,  but then they mention that she did not place in this year's poll.   To the reasonably prudent person,   this looks like Condi was on the ballot,  but public opinion of her has changed so much that she has fallen in popularity.   Nothing could be further from the truth.

       According to the latest Zogby poll,  Condoleezza Rice finishes fourth behind the big 3:  McCain ,  Giuliani, and Romney.  Among self-identified conservative Republicans,  she finishes third .   In an Ohio poll conducted last week,  she also did well....  and I'll bet the people polled weren't given foam mitts, free convention registrations, or free hotel stays to vote for her.  

   In response to the standard "Pffftt...  she's not running."  comment (which is usually said with a British accent, even from Southerners.)   she has given hints that she will run.   She has repeatedly said "If I finish my term,  it will have been 12 years since a white male was Secretary of State."   She also refused to take the Sherman oath when asked by Tim Russert.  When interviewed by the Perky One, Katie Couric,  she said elected office "probably" isn't for me.  Katie picked up on that right away.    

    Condoleezza Rice almost ran for Governor of California after Gray Davis was ousted.  She also considered a Congressional appointment by then Gov. Pete Wilson when she lived in California.  (This is from the book Condi vs. Hillary:  The Next Great Presidential Race.)   She is not above running for office.  In the "U.S. News & World Report" dated 5/30/05, it was reported that she does want to run for President,  but she wants to be drafted.  As an appointee of the President,  she is prohibited from running for office.  She would have to resign her post before beginning a campaign.

     As long as Condi doesn't take the Sherman oath,  I'll continue to support the "Draft Condoleezza Rice" movement.

      In a meeting last month sponsored by "The American Spectator",  Dick Morris spoke about the 2008 elections.  He gave this speech before  a meeting of "Americans for Tax Reform".  He gave his standard stump speech about Hillary:  She'll be the next President. " ,  "She'll be the worst president ever", etcetera,  etcetera,  etcetera.  I enjoy his commentary and articles about the Clintons because he sounds like someone who has seen the light.  I have read all of his books, and it's very assuring to know that all of our suspicions about the Clintons were true.    (Of course, my favorite Dick Morris book is "Condi vs. Hillary".   Read it, if you haven't already!  )

    There was a portion of Dick's speech that truly disturbed me.  He practically predicted the eventual destruction of the GOP.  He said that the GOP will lose big in 2008 due to Iraq.  Then he said there will only be one more Republican President in the future.  After that,  there will never be another Republican President of the United States....ever.  

    You heard it folks.  Dick Morris has proclaimed it from on high.  We are finished.  Let's all pack up our stuff, cancel our "National Review" subscriptions,   and surrender our country to the DNC.   
  
    I really wonder what ATR members thought as Dick said this.  If I were the emcee of that event,  I would have patted him on his head,  thanked him for his time, and asked him to sit down and let the grown-ups speak.   I know Dick isn't exactly a true believer in the GOP or even a Republican.    I am very surprised, though that he would say things like this in front of a conservative audience.  

   I am just going to take this outburst of his with a grain of salt.  For whatever reason, he is an extremely passionate  crusade against Hillary in 2008.  This alone is admirable, but I think he may be going rabid in order to fire us up.   This was a kind of "reverse psychology" statement.  I don't really think he believes the GOP is dead.  What he was saying is we need to stop Hillary or else.   I can admire the sentiment.  Not any of the GOP Presidential candidates really excite me, or Rush Limbaugh either.   McCain is too liberal for me.   So is Giuliani.    
 
   Isn't there a GOP star who is pro-life, pro-second amendment, and tough on national security????   I'm racking my brain trying to think of someone.  Hmmm....   so close.  

 Hello!

     My name is Wesley Fowler .  I am a law clerk in Chicago, Illinois.  In my spare time, I am an assistant coach for a high school debate team.   I am also active in my local GOP, especially on Election Day.   I am also the Illinois Chair and a blogger for "Americans for Dr. Rice", a 527 group dedicated to drafting Dr. Condoleezza Rice for President in 2008.

     The past year has been really great for me politically.  I have been more active in politics and writing opinion articles.  I am starting my own blog today.  I want to thank Michelle Malkin,  my personal blogging idol.   I check her blog several times a day.  She really finds news not found anywhere else, and she doesn't apologize for being conservative. 

      I first heard about Michelle after reading her book, "In Defense of Internment", a book about Japanese internment camps in World War II .  I was researching the high school debate topic about whether the Federal Government should establish a policy increasing civil liberties in the areas of searching without probable cause or detention without charge.  The most popular topic was Fred Korematsu and the Japanese internment camps.   I used that book as evidence for my debaters, and they did very well.  Michelle's arguments and evidence were completely different from the standard debate fare.   Putting the internment into context as well as debunking all of the myths taught in schools today really was an effective way to open the debate into unchartered territory.   So many children believe what they are taught without a critical eye.   I try to always teach my debaters to be more critical and not accept facts at face value.

    Michelle's website was the first blog I had ever seen.   It was great to see news without the MSM spin.  Michelle's comments always helped me understand the implications to Washington, our troops, and the rest of the country.    After a year of reading blogs and contributing to them,  I am going to try running my own blog.

   I just wanted  to dedicate my first post to the woman who helped me start this new adventure.    If you don't know her, visit her blog and her video blog .   Also check out her books.