Wall Street looks strong and put together compared with the fracturing coalitions and down right hostility within the Republican Party. Members calling each other names. Members lying about votes. If there are two men who have the most solid pink slips in America be assured they are John Boehner and Roy Blunt. With what is expected to be huge loses for the party come November and I have said time and time again I expect the house in particular to be the most bloody, Boehner and Blunt are going to be out of job in leadership positions. It's about time. Neither man should have been picked to begin with, the party needs fresh blood with new ideas less concerned about social issues and really focused and the economic and foreign policy of this country.

I know how much the presidential election is everyone's focus but obviously it's important to realize that we'll be electing a new Senate and House as well. Republicans will lose another 24 house seats, if I'm right and eight, yes, eight Senate seats. Let's see the data of the first two seats that will be lost by the Republicans.

The Sure Losers

First of all even though I am an Obama supporter, I am so excited about Sarah Palin being the VP choice of McCain. She is a brillant wonderful woman who I personally like very much. While I think at the last moments, he should have picked Carly Fiorina, Palin was a far better choice than either Lieberman, Pawlently, and espically Romney. Good job, Senator!

I also have a personal note to mention: I'm an uncle! My sister gave birth to a beautiful  baby boy, named Jake, (actually name Jacob, but Jake is so cool). I love that name. He is as cute as can be.

Now for the acutal post:

My father has been out of the picture for a long time and as the oldest child I have a very, very close relationship with my siblings. I love them so much. I also steped in as the father role, trying to protect them from a world that seeks to harm them far too often. So when my 17 year old sister got pregnant at 16, I took it hard. I took it as I know Sarah Palin did, as a moral failure not on our family members but on ourselves.

Perhaps it's just me but doesn't every state think that "they" will be the ones to pick the winner. The candidates must focus exclusively on "them" if they are to win, "we are the swing state that will determine it all". Michigan, my state, is not immune. However a closer look will tell you that it's colored blue for a reason.

                                                                

                       

Many on the Christian Right get angry or tired when they hear how many believe religion should be out of politics. It's understandable because as a Christian you realize that your faith is your most important component, it forms you daily and the love we feel from God is so strong we want to follow him the best we can. That's how I feel at least. Whenever I talk with some of my atheist friends, I pity them because I know many things the first being that God exists. I also know how much he loves all of us and the life we lead after accepting God's love is nothing compared to the one before.

My faith is my life. I falter daily, and realize that while I can never get close to Christ's perfection that doesn't mean we don't try daily. With all of my strong feelings, beliefs and knowledge, I also know that America can only survive if we keep religion out of government. The reason for this is simple, every person's view of God is different and in order to allow the free will that God put us on this earth to enjoy and suffer with, free will must remain a component.

As a country that brags about being a beacon of light to the rest of the world for always giving it's citizens the most freedom and allowing them to fight for more, there is no freedom greater than freedom of religion. The right to practice my faith is one I like many others would be willing to die to protect. That right is what makes our country great.

So when some want to implement their faith into government, no matter how well intentioned it must be fought with every fiber of our being. We've seen what's happened when faith enters government in the lands of the Middle East, where rape victims are stoned by their fathers and brothers and where twisted ideology spews hatred in members of Westboro Baptist. We've also seen many more examples of the love a community has and how much good churches do daily across the country from my church to I suspect yours.

I want every one to know the love of Christ and to follow him daily, but it must be their choice neither mine nor the government. It is not the job of government to legislate immorality but protect the freedom to commit it as long as it does not infringe of the right's of other citizens. To this we can become a great Judean/Christian country by choice not by force and let faith be real not false.

                       

Barbara Bush: A Memoir is one of the best edited political autobiographies, avoid the usually pratfalls that doom many a reader. One always it seems starts page 1 hearing about how some famous person was born in a barn and how doing farm chores made them a better Senator. At that point, it becomes a better sleep aid than Advil PM. One suspects, Bush also one wanted to write about her childhood and young girlhood at length but the editor knew better. Her early life before meeting George Bush covers only 25 pages in a 532 page book. In it we learn everything we want and nothing we don't.

One suspects that Barbara Bush's memoir would be better than the former President himself (as he has never written one). He would have wanted to point out the political implications of this and the ramifications of that and overall it wouldn't have stood out some 13 years later. With the first lady's perspective you get to the social side of important meetings and conferences and realize the art to all these things. Of course President Bush had a very busy life from Special Envoy to China, Congressman, CIA Director, VP and President not to mention oil man. All of which let's us the reader meet some fascinating people who we only read about in history books.

Barbara Bush kids about her writing style and indeed she repeats some words more times than I care to count. Her tone is one of unrelenting politeness but you do get that famous "Barbara-chill" effect in certain passages. It's clear that like many children born into wealth she has no idea what it's like to struggle or suffer in terms of finances. And her most controversial statement in the book was when she criticizes a husband of an Army reservist who tells about how his family is suffering with the loss of income from his wife's regular job, in which she says she was offended over the statement because "they knew what they were getting into when they signed up". That may be true but I'd like to see Mrs. Bush's reaction in the former President was called up and she had to survive and a reservist pay. I don't say that with anger but her worldview in terms of economics is sheltered but not malicious.

We learn interesting things about her and the President and their views on certain issues. Such as the fact that she confirms that she is pro-choice (though conservative pro-choice) and for certain forms of gun control. She also confirms that the 92 convention was a disaster and that she and the President were very disturbed about the gay bashing that took place writing "It didn't represent George's views at all".

Her biggest flaw is the most common in political autobiographies especially female ones and that is the constant name dropping. It's not to inflate one self like so many do but instead to cover the party circuit and not make any waves in certain circles. Really though it's the fact that many women are taught from age 5 to always do their thank you notes. Overall the memoir is fun, enjoyable and informative. The best thing to be said for it is it's editing which makes the heavy book faster paced than one expects. *** Out of ****.

                                                               

Which brings me to the point of how angry I am at the current situation in Pakistan. Yesterday, 9 of our soliders were killed by the Taliban alongside the Afghanistan border. The enemies' base camp location? Pakistan. On the front page, side by side, The New York Times, had to articles to showcase the mockery of our anti-terrorism campaign in Pakistan.