KEITH OLBERMANN IS AN IDIOT

I just thought Id let you know how I feel. Thanks bye.

-Brad

READ MY COLUMN

I was asked to write a column in the Avon Lake Press about the president and why he is doing a good job. It should be in Wednesday's addition, so check it out and let me know what you think.

-Brad

BUSH'S APPROVAL

The Presidents approval rating remains in the low 40's according to a new CNN poll. Almost all the recent polls have his numbers on the rise. Thats good news by the way.

-Brad

MEMO TO JOURNALISTS:

DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT ask former president Bill Clinton any tough questions about terrorism. He cannot handle it. He might lose his temper and freak out on you while spewing out untrue facts. Hes a bit hot under the collar that one is, so if you plan to ask anything that isnt a softball you might want to bring a taser. Thank you.

-Brad Michael Negulescu

DEWINE v. BROWN

Sherrod Brown and Mike DeWine will debate today on the Triv Show. The show starts at 3:30 and is on WTAM 1100. This should be great and I hope everyone listens. This could be huge for DeWine who should be able to wipe the floor with Brown. Lets all hope he comes through. Enjoy.

-Brad

CRAIG FOLTIN BLOGGING ON CLEVELAND.COM

Cleveland.com is doing something very neat. They are allowing candidates to blog for a few days at at a time, to really explain themselves to the voters on a more personal level. Congressional candidate Craig Foltin is blogging right now, and you can read it here. I hope you all check it out because its a good way to learn about the people we should vote for. Bye.

-Brad

HEY HUGO....F-YOU

Today at the United Nations, Hugo Chavez called President Bush 'the devil'. Here is what I want to know, why do we let this man come to our country anyway? I dont care if he was at the UN or not, he should not be in the United States of America. He is the enemy. Chavez has some sort of chip on his shoulder because he has oil in his country. Im not sure who he is trying to kid, but he does not scare anyone. If he makes one false move, he will be obliderated within a matter of minutes. His military is pathetic and wouldnt be able to stand up to us for a week.

I hope that every American politician, regardless of party, comes out and denounces these ridiculous comments. We should not have to put up with this kind of crap, and if we stand united against our enemies, like Chavez, we wont. Cindy Sheehan and Harry Belafonte should be proud of their best friend. Im almost positive they are gitty tonight at what Chavez said, which just proves how nutty those types of people are. I hope that Hugo Chavez is never allowed back within the United States, except to kiss George W. Bush's feet. I know thats not likely, but it sure would be a great picture.

-Brad

More Polls!

Ok some new polls are out today which always gets my blood pumping since I consider myself a poll whore. With that said, lets get into the numbers shall we?

Governor

Quinnipiac poll

Strickland (D) 53%
Blackwell (R) 35.7%
Undecided 8%

University of Cincinnati Poll

Strickland (D) 50%
Blackwell (R) 38%
Undecided 7%


U.S Senator

Quinnipiac Poll

Brown (D) 45%
DeWine (R) 44%
Undecided 11%

University of Cinci Poll

Brown (D) 51%
DeWine (R) 47%
Undecided 2%



The polls are all over the map, and with a different one coming out everyday, interpret them at your own disgression. My feelings, Blackwell continues to fall while DeWine shows some momentum. I still think that Blackwell will lose and DeWine will win. Thats That.

-Brad

MOVIN' ON UP

A new USA Today/Gallup poll is out today with very good news for Republicans. Its about time right? In this poll, President Bush's approval rating is up to 44%, with 51% disapproval. That is up alot over the past few weeks. I guess his speeches on the war are paying off, plus the anniversary of 9/11 will always help him.

Another important number in the poll is the generic congressional ballot. According to Gallup, the generic vote is now even between Republicans and Democrats. This is a crucial development as far as 2006 is concerned. I hope the president can continue to get his numbers up, because if so, I feel very confident the GOP will do just fine in November.

CLARETT'S GOIN TO JAIL

Never in my life have I seen a person lose as much as Maurice Clarett has over the past four years. The kid had the world at his disposal, with millions of dollars guarenteed to him as long as he just played football. Today, the guy is a disaters. For at least the next three and a half years, Clarett will be locked up because of his numerous run-ins with the law. Maybe, just maybe this stint in the clink will straighten him out, because if not, if he continues to lead this life, he will eventually end up dead, which im surprised he hasnt already. This story is a shame, but its a perfect example of what can happen when people get fame and fortune in a matter of weeks. Clarett aint the first and he wont be the last.

-Brad

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Im no huge fan of Hillary Clinton, but something she said recently was very impressive. I dont know exactly where she said this and I dont really care, all I know is that its about time somebody from the Democratic Party bashed the hell out of the movie that depicts the assassination of President Bush. Here are her comments:

"I think its despicable," Clinton said of "Death of a President," a fictional film that features a staged assassination of the president in 2007. "I think its absolutely outrageous. That anyone would even attempt to profit on such a horrible scenario makes me sick."

Thats awesome. She does herself some serious justice when talking like that. I just hope it doesnt happen to often!

-Brad

AIR-HEAD AMERICA GOING BELLY UP

Well...what can I say, it was only a matter of time before Air-America faded away. Nobody, not even liberals want to listen to a bunch of rich elitests bitching and complaining twenty-four hours a day about how horrible the United States is. The hosts on this radio station are not entertaining enough to keep an audience, and their money went down the toilet. Its pathetic really, but it was inevitable. Another interesting fact about this, no liberal media outlet, not a single one, is reporting this story. It started on a liberal blog and has now gone through the conservative media. That shouldnt shock you...really it shouldnt. Aidos Air-Head America, you failed.

-Brad

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO COMMON SENSE?

The mainstream media is thrilled tonight. They are hoping and praying for a showdown between Republicans in the Senate over whether or not terror suspects should be given military tribunals when captured. I hate to burst their bubbles, but it aint gonna happen. The GOP is finally making serious headway when it comes to the fall elections. The Presidents approval ratings are also going up, so it would be political suicide for Republicans in the Senate to get in a fight over this issue. Dont let me make you think that this issue is not important, because it is. Its extremely important actually. Ya know what I wish? I just wish lawmakers would use common sense when it comes to the war on terror.

What are we talking about here? Well, we are talking about terrorists that are being picked up off the battlefield all over the Middle East. These people are planning, plotting, and carrying out attacks that are killing and wounding are troops. And now, people want to give them rights once they are captured. These are not soldiers of a particular Army, the kind for which the Geneva Convention was intended. These are murderers who routinely and purposly use terrorist tactics to kill innocent men, women, and children.

People on the left in this country want them treated humanly, regardless of the situation, even if the suspect has knowledge of an imminent attack on the United States that could kill thousands of people or more. I find that way of thinking disturbing and irresponsible. Why shouldnt we be able to use coercive interigation if these people know of attacks? If its going to keep my family safe, I couldnt careless how the scumbag is treated that wants to murder innocent Americans. The enemy sure doesnt care, they arent abiding by the Geneva Conventions. They bombing residential buildings and behead journalists and soldiers, but now we want to give them the same rights as convicted felons. I just dont get it.

This war will be won or lost on intelligence information. We have obviously had our share of problems with intel in the past, but if it takes a little torture to be able to protect this country, I say go right ahead. Im not saying torture any innocent person off the street, but if there is someone who is trying to kill US troops and is an enemy of this country, give him the works. This isnt a situation where being nice will gain us any ground. Its not like by doing what I advise, the enemy will get meaner, they already torture and murder their enemies. Military tribunals of terrorists will not help us win the war on terror, and I know that the Republicans in the Senate realize the completely. Again, dont expect to see the GOP split on this one. Sorry CNN.

-Brad

NATALIE MAINES = DUMB F#%K

Ya know what is just precious, when the pot calls the kettle black. Allow me to digress. Remember a few years back when the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks said she was ashamed of the President while giving a concert in Britain which costed her and her band mates their careers? And then remember how they came back this year after being in hiding to release an album that had only one single, which once again was supposed to be a shot at the President and conservatives? I think its safe to say that their career choices up till now have not been exactly lucrative, since they cant even put together a tour in the United States. Once again, the Chicks just cannot learn to shut their mouths. It unbelievable really how dumb these three are. Just amazing.

They evidentally have a documentary coming out soon. Yay! Now who in the hell would want to watch a movie about the Dixie Chicks? If you raised your hand, you need to get a life. And Im serious about that. In this documentary, there apparently is a part where the DC's are shown a clip of President Bush discussing all their hoop-la and their reaction is puuuuure gold.

In one memorable scene, Maines watches news footage of the president being interviewed about the furor that followed the singer's on-stage comment that she was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas," which resulted in the group being dropped from most radio stations, as well as protests and plummeting sales. "The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind," Bush told Tom Brokaw at the time, adding, "They shouldnt have their feelings hurt because some people dont want to buy their records when they speak out. You know, freedom is a two-way street."

After watching the footage, Maines repeats the president's comment about how the group shouldnt have their "feelings hurt," incredulous, and then says, "What a dumb f---." She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, "You're a dumb f---."

How nice. I gotta tell you, if I was the other two girls in the band, I would seriously be about ready to strangle that idiot. She has single-handedly ruined their careers. I just dont understand how somebody could be so stupid. If she thinks Bush is dumb, maybe she should look at her own pathetic situation. I mean if you want an analogy, the DC's are a musical equivilant to Maurice Clarett. They were on top of the world three years ago, now they cant even play a concert in most US cities and many radio stations wont even play their music. Now I ask you, whose the real dumb f---?

-Brad

NEW POLLS

Oh how I love new poll numbers. These come to us courtesy of Zogby, whom by the way I have my doubts about. But regardless, its a little bit of good news for the GOP.

Ohio Governor's Race
Strickland (D) 48%
Blackwell (R) 42%


Ohio Senate Race
Brown (D) 45%
DeWine (R) 41%


I still think that DeWine will win, but lets just hope that the numbers show it by election day.

-Brad

IN REMEMBERANCE

President Bush will address the nation tonight at 9:00. I hope his speech is as good tonight as it was 5 years ago. He said on 9/11/01, "A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."

Today we remember all those who died five years ago. You will never be forgotten.

-Brad

A Little Bit of Perspective

Can you believe its been five years since 9/11? I cant. I dont know about you, but I remember that morning like it was this morning. The anniversary's are always kind of tough on me. I know that might sound stupid but its true. I was 18 in 2001. I had just left for college, to sow my wild oats if you will. It was my third week of school when everything happened, and it really affected me. Maybe it was because I was so young. I guess I was old enough to realize the severity of the situation, but still not mature enough control my emotions. I can honestly say that that day forever changed the way that I think. Prior to 9/11, I wasnt very politically involved. I was always up to date on current events, but mostly because my dad would watch the news every single night, and I just sat there, usually against my will. But as I watched those events unfold, I felt so completely helpless. I was totally paralyzed by fear and sorrow. I could not sleep that night, it was the first time I was ever afraid to be an American.

Those feelings have stuck with me to this day. Following 9/11, I found a new interest in politics and how our government operated. I guess you could say its become an obsession for me over the past five years, but I consider that a good thing. My knowledge in politics has helped me become a better person, and has driven me to not only major in political science, but also to hopefully work for the government in some shape or form. Its an irony that I dont take for granted. Out of those horrific events in 2001, came an opportunity for me, and Ive seized it. There wouldnt be a bradsjournal.com without 9/11.

I just wish more people were like me. We all remember the events and the exact place we were when we heard the news, but many forget how they felt that day, and thats a tragedy in it of itself. I guess time has healed those wounds for some, but not for me. The images of innocent people being forced to jump 100 stories to their deaths have been forever etched into my mind, which does not allow me to become complacit. Some people call what I just said scare-tactics. Let me ask you, doesnt it scare you to think you might be forced to jump out of a high rise building to your death because someone hates the way you live your life? Does it scare you that a family member could on any given day meet that same fate? Terrorism is called Terrorism because its supposed to scare you. Its not coincidence that the root of the word itself is terror. Look it up in the dictionary if you dont know what it means. Terrorists use fear as their primary weapon. Its supposed to scare all people into submission, but that plan backfired on them the minute that first plan hit that first tower five years ago tomorrow.

Almost every generation of Americans has had their lives altered by some major geo-political event; from the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, to the assassination of another president in 1963, and finally to the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Those before us have been able take tragedy and turn it into truimph. Now its our turn. The struggle that started five years ago continues, and victory is attainable. But we must go back to that morning, and remember the emotions felt, because only with that will and resolve will we be able to come out of these troubled times with the defeat of our enemies. Tomorrow, remember how your body responded to what your eyes were showing you that morning, and that should give you a little perpective.

-Brad

A New Look

Well, I hope you all enjoy the new look to Bradsjournal.com. The truth is that I accidentally deleted my entire template, so I had to start from scratch. And rather than trying to make it look exactly the same as it did, I decided to change things up a bit. I am still working on it and hope to have all the kinks out soon. Please let me know what you think, and any changes you might think I should make. The content will still be the same, and I will still be annoying liberals everywhere. Thanks.

-Brad

*New bradsjournal.com Poll*

VOTE NOW

Ok I have posted a new poll and its just right of these words. Its a very simple and important question, will the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives following the November 7th election? As of now, I dont think so. Yes, they will pick up seats, but I think that once the debates play out in many of the hotly contested races this fall, the GOP will be able to maintain its majority. But I want to hear what you think. So please vote and leave comments if you want. Thanks in advance.

-Brad

The Democrats and Iraq

WHO SAID WHAT?!?!

I recently came across some quotes made by some prominent Democrats prior to the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003. If you hear them talk today, the constantly complain about how the President lied about WMD's and how we were misled into this war and blah blah blah. Well lets take trip back in time shall we to a time when the Democrats also knew the threat Saddam Hussein posed to our country. The media will never ask these people to explain their comments, but I would sure like them to. Here we go:

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY): "I voted for the Iraqi resolution. I consider the prospect of a nuclear-armed Saddam Hussein who can threaten not only his neighbors, but the stability of the region and the world, a very serious threat to the United States. 1/22/03

Senator John Francis Kerry (D-Mass): "According to the CIA's report, all the US intelligence experts agree that Iraq is seeking nuclear weapons. There is little question that Saddam Hussein wants to develop nuclear weapons." 10/9/02

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal): "Others have talked about this threat that is posed by Saddam Hussein. Yes, he has chemical weapons, he has biological weapons, he is trying to get nuclear weapons." 10/10/02

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Cal): "What will happen not just with al-qaeda but with Hezbollah and Hamas and all the other terrorist groups around the world if Iraq is permitted to continue to amass weapons of mass destruction and to develop nuclear capabilities." 2/16/03

Its funny how they got it back then, but now that the war has been difficult, they have changed their minds for political gain, regardless of the effect it might have on the effort of the troops on the ground still trying to win. These people are hypocrits of the worst kind, and could very well be in power come November. Now there is a scare tactic for ya.

-Brad

In Memoriam

STEVE IRWIN 1962-2006

Im sure by now most of you have heard that the 'Crocodile Hunter' Stever Irwin was killed today by a sting ray. The ray apparently stabbed Irwin in the heart while he was diving in Australia. I dont know why, but its sad whenever someone like him dies a freakish and untimely death. I especially feel bad for his wife and two young kids. But, Irwin lived his life dangerously. Im sure no one thought a sting ray would cause his eventual demise, he was bound to get seriously injured by either a poisionous snake or crocodile at some point and time. We see this time and time again when humans try to tame mother nature. Remember a few years back with the guy from Siegfried and Roy was mauled by a friggin tiger. Its incredibly dangerous to do that type of work, but it pays off financially for these people. Regardless, Steve Irwin died doing what he loved, which I hope comforts his family. Live by the sword and die by the sword. Rest in Peace Steve, you will be missed.

-Brad

What Would the Democrats Do?

SANTORUM EXPOSES DEMS PLAN FOR 2006

Today on Meet The Press, Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum took his opponent, Democrat Bob Casey, to schoooooool. It was great to finally watch a Republican not only hold his own on a show like this, but also not apologize for being a Republican. We keed hearing about how GOP incumbants are running away from the President this year because of his unpopularity and blah blah blah, but Santorum supports Bush almost 100% of the time, and he isnt afraid to admit it. Santorum was able to illustrate just how dumb many Democratic candidates are this year. Obviously, many of them are opportunists who think they can capitalize on public opinion and get elected while not having to really have a plan for any issues that are important to every day Americans. I think it has worked up until know, but the debates this fall will be extremely telling.

Labor Day is tomorrow, and it signifies the official beginning of campaign season. You will start to see numerous campaign adds on your television sets, and you will also start to get alot of literature mailing from candidates. This is when things start getting real exciting for dorks like me. I love it. But I ask you to pay attention to the debates especially. Dont let the Democratic Party win the Congress without explaining what they want to do for our nation. Make them be specific, because otherwise they wont. Bob Casey this morning would not offer any solutions to problems, he simply spewed the same talking points that Howard Dean says on a daily basis. I urge you to watch this mornings Meet The Press and see if for yourself. Santorum got grilled, as Republicans usually do, be he gave great answers to almost every question, and proved why he deserves to be reelected. The show runs about an hour in length, but is worth it. Click here to watch it.

I expect, and hope for that matter, that the GOP will gain substantial ground by election day. Once the Democrats are finally forced to answer the tough questions, I have total faith they will sink themselves. I still think that liberals are the Republicans best weapon in national elections, because they have absolutely no clue as to how to run this country. They wont keep this country safe, they have no idea what to do about Iraq, they will raise taxes, and they will make it impossible for President Bush to get anything done in his last two years in office, regardless of what it is. Yes, they hate him that much. I say again, do yourself a favor and watch the debates this fall, because if they go anything like the one between Rick Santorum and Bob Casey, the GOP should be just fine on November 7th.

-Brad

Just A Good Picture

BRAYLON DOES HIS PART

I came across the picture on the Army.mil website. Thats Browns wide-receiver Braylon Edwards signing the prosthetic leg of Spc. Terry Dean from the Ohio National Guard, who lost his leg after an IED exploded in Iraq. I dont know the story of why this soldier was visiting the Browns, and I really dont care, I just think its really cool to see a pro-athlete taking time out of his practice to do something nice for a guy who sacrificed so much for this country.


The only part about this picture that I dont particularly care for is the big Michigan connection these two men have, however with everything Spc. Dean has done for us all, I guess I can let that one go. If you want to see more pictures from the United States Army, go to www.army.mil and check them out. Later.

-Brad

Kerry is Still Crying over '04

WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

Ted Strickland should know better than to seek the help of a guy like John Kerry. Kerry no asset to Stricklands campaign and will only hurt his chances in my opinion. Here is the proof: Kerry is still complaining about the fact he lost Ohio in 2004, which luckily cost him the election. He now lays the blame with Ken Blackwell, how nice. Having John Kerry blame Blackwell for defeat will only rile up the conservative base, which is obviously beneficial to Republicans. Here is the hilarious story:

Sen. John Kerry didnt contest the results at the time, but now that he's considering another run for the White House, hes alleging election improprieties by the Ohio Republican who oversaw the deciding vote in 2004.

An e-mail from Kerry will be sent to 100,000 Democratic donors Tuesday asking them to support U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland for governor of Ohio. The bulk of the e-mail criticizes Strickland's opponent, GOP Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, for his dual role in 2004 as President Bush's honorary Ohio campaign co-chairman and the state's top election official.

"He used the power of his state office to try to intimidate Ohioans and suppress the Democratic cote," Kerry says in the e-mail, according to a copy provided in advance.

Kerry, D-Massachusetts, conceded thet election when he lost Ohio and its 20 electoral votes. A recount requested by minor-party candidates showed Bush won by about 118,000 votes out of 5.5 million cast. But Kerry's e-mail says Blackwell "used his office to abuse our democracy and threaten basic voting rights."

Multiple lawsuits by outside groups were unsuccessful in challenging Ohio's 2004 election. One case filed by the League of Women Voters is still in U.S. District Court in Toledo. It claims Ohio's election system discriminates against minority voters.

Blackwell, who is black, says the election was run fairly, citing 1 million more votes cast than in 2000 and record turnout among black voters.

"People will say anything for money," Blackwell campaign spokesman Carlo LoParo said. "Fortunately, the historical record contradicts Senator Kerry."

Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said the campaign welcomes Kerry's support.

Normally I would call Kerry and idiot and tell him to shut the hell up, but in this case, him spewing this ridiculous garbage only makes the GOP and Ken Blackwell for that matter, look damn good. So I say, keep on talkin Johnnie-boy. And by the way, anyone out there think Kerry has a shot in 2008? Yeah me neither.

-Brad

The 1O most Contended Senate Seats

AS OF TODAY

Most people with endless political knowledge, like myself, figure there are 11 Senate races that are currently up for grabs. I am going to make my first predictions about these races and I plan to do so numerous times before the election. Everyone knows that 10 weeks is an eternity in politics, but if the election was today, here is now I believe these races are leaning:

Connecticut: Leaning Lieberman
Joe Lieberman is ahead in the polls and should win this race. The GOP candidate hasnt a chance so many republicans are throwing their support, and even their money, to Lieberman. Believe it or not, Ned Lamont is just too liberal, even for Connecticut.

Ohio: Leaning Democratic
Well the polls are showing a small lead for Sherrod Brown. This race is getting the most attention in Ohio, and will get really interesting when the debates start. I believe the first one will be on Meet The Press, and that will be huge. DeWine still can win this thing and hopefully will, but right now I have to go with the polls and give Brown the minute advantage.

Minnesota: Likely Democratic
Minnesota is becoming a pretty Democratic State, and I believe Klobuchar will win this race without much of a problem. Most polls have him with a double digit lead, which makes a win for the GOP very improbable.

Missouri: Leaning Republican
The polls have this one very close, but I think that Sen. Jim Talent will keep his seat. This is another race that will rely heavily on the debates, and I think that incumbants will do very well when facing the challengers. Look for Talent to win.

Montana: Dead Heat
This one is very very close. I hope that Conrad Burns can pull it out, but it will be difficult. I think out of all the Republican Senators, he is the one in the most trouble of getting the boot. This one should get interesting.

New Jersey: Leaning Democratic
I cant believe Im saying this but the GOP has a shot in New Jersey! Bob Menendez, who was appointed after John Corzine became Governor, is in deeeeep trouble over there. That state has been ravaged by scandel in the Democratic Party. Basically, the Dems are in the same situation in New Jersey as Republicans are in Ohio. Tom Kean, who has a famous name in New Jersey, could actually win this thing, although I think that Menendez still has a very small edge.

Pennsylvania: Leaning Democratic
This race is still leaning Democratic, but incumbant Rick Santorum has been steadily gaining ground in the polls, and I am not ready to count him out just yet. There are plenty of Republican voters in PA to pull this one out for Santorum, who is a good Senator. If he continues on this recent tear, he should be able to pull this one out. But he still has a bit of an uphill battle.

Virginia: Likely Republican
I think George Allen will still win this race even after all the hoopla surrounding his recent comments. Im not even exactly sure what he said and I dont care, he should just be more careful about what comes out of his mouth. While he should win his Senate race easily, I think his presidential aspiration have all but sailed away.

Washington: Likely Democratic
This one is easy, Washington is a Democratic stronghold, and while Republicans have contested some high profile races lately, like the 2004 Governor race up there, I still think the Dems will rule the day.

Rhode Island: Dead Heat
Yes, Lincoln Chafee is in trouble, but I think he can pull this out. The polls have this one basically even, but with Chafee's recent call for a timetable to withdrawl US troops from Iraq, he is doing just what the liberals in Rhode Island want him to do. As he distances himself from Bush, he will do better in the polls. He should win, but could still lose.

There you have it as of August 28th, I will be updating this periodically. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks.

-Brad

Good News from the Middle East

DID I SERIOUSLY JUST SAY THAT?

Im not a big fan of the Muslim world. I think the majority of those people over there are ignorant, arrogant, and violent. However, today they took a step in the right direction by releasing the two FOX NEWS journalists that were kidnapped in Gaza about two weeks ago. From the beginning, Palestinian leaders, both political and religious, called for the realease of the two men, and it appears their calls for a peaceful release paid off huge. Both men, Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig should be on their way back to the United States within a matter of hours to reunited with their families. Its good to finally report a positive story from the Middle East, since they are so few and far between. I give credit to everyone involved in getting these two men out of the hands of terrorists safely, awesome job.

-Brad

Dem Congressman Takes Trip Paid for by Terrorists

PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED

Yes an Illinois Congressman took a trip to Sri Lanka in 2005 which was paid for by a group of rebels on the U.S. Governments terror list. Appearently this group uses suicide bombers and child soldiers to do their dirty work...sound familiar? I dont think this will help his reelection campaign, but I guess you never know when dealing with them liberals. You can read the complete story here. I would type the whole thing out but I am just too lazy to be quite honest with you. But its worth a look considering these are the kinds of people expected to take over the House come November. I feel like Im on the Titanic.

-Brad

Cleveland Rocks the RNC

A Pictorial

Here are a few pictures I shot last night at the ROCKIN THE RNC party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was a hell of a good time, and a lot of big names showed up for the event. Now, without further adue, here are the pics:


This was a shot of the Rock Hall as we were walking up to it. The outside decorations were not as elaborate as I would have liked, but it still looked pretty good.

This is Don King posing with a friend of a friend of mine. Ya gotta love Don King just because of how much the man loves his country. Evidentally he is a diehard Republican, and also a Clevelander. I dont know how much his presence will help us land the convention, but it was still cool of him to show up.

That there is the stage inside the Rock Hall. If you look closely you can see a guy talking at a podium. There also was various singers and entertainers who wow'ed the crowd throughout the night from that there stage. The entertainers were better than I expected to be honest, even though it wasnt my type of music.

This is just a random picture I took from inside the Hall. I thought it was cool with the city in the backround.
Above is about the extent of the outside decorations which I mentioned earlier. Even up close, its not so great.
I thought this was pretty cool. You cant really beat a 12 foot elephant while being around hundreds of fellow Republicans. The elephant was a good touch.

And finally here is a picture I snapped of myself without knowing that balloon was directly over my big head. It really looks like Im balancing a ball there, but Im not. Awesome.

Overall I think it was a great night. I hope that the committee who will ultimately decide who gets to host the convention was impressed, because they should be. Cleveland has many venues, like the Rock Hall, that no other city has. I heard that they could make their final decision earlier than the previously believed deadline of December or January, but it still probably wont be before the November elections. Getting the convention here in 2008 would be great for our city, just ask Democratic Mayor Frank Jackson, who showed up last night and gave a speech. I think having this bipartisan support is a huge plus for our city. With the road to the White House truly running through Ohio, Cleveland is the only logical choice for the RNC in 2008. Lets show the world why we are the best location in the nation.

-Brad

A Picture Truly Worth A Thousand Words

JOE ROSENTHAUL 1911-2006



Few photographs really stand the test of time. This one, where US Marines are hoisting the stars and stripes in Iwo Jima, on February 23, 1945, will forever live as a vision of victory for our great country. The man who shot the photo died today at the age of 94. Its incredible how few people know the mans name who shot this famous photo considering it has become such an important part of our nations history. It was again popularized after 9/11 when a group of New York City firefighters raised the flag atop the smokey remains of the World Trade Center. This picture gave people hope during the Second World War, and also follwing September 11th, so we owe a debt of gratitude to Joe Rosenthal. Although his name might never be historical, his contribution to the United States of America will never be forgotten. Thanks Joe.

-Brad

3 Ladies I just Dont Care About

AND YOU SHOULDNT EITHER

Ok the media has been going nuts over a few people and its really getting on my nerves. There are numerous more importent events to be covering these days, so their obsession with the follwing women is unfortunate to us as the views, not to mention freakin boring as all hell. The first women who I could care less about is Katie Couric. Now I understand she is about to become the very first full time female news anchor in network news, and I guess that is significant, but other than that, who cares? The show will be the same boring thing it was when Dan Rather hosted it, and they news will be the same as on FOX and CNN and the rest of them. To me, she has nothing about her that is interesting enough for me to tune in and watch her read a teleprompter. If she was in a bikini, I might watch. Maybe thats me being sexist but I dont care, its the truth. CBS is really hyping her arrival, hoping it will get their broadcast out of the ratings basement. My prediction, she will probably do well the first few nights, but after a week or so, the hype will die down and so will her ratings. She wont beat Brian Williams and she wont beat Charlie Gibson by October. Best of luck to ya Kate.

The second woman that I dont care about is Jill Carroll. You might remember her because she was kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq a few months ago. Now, for some reason, the media is going crazy over this women. CNN especially has been playing up her story on their website almost daily. That shouldnt surprise anyone. Why dont I care about this woman...let me induldge you. First, allow me to express my jubilation that she was not killed while she was captive. I was actually shocked she made it out alive, and Im grateful for that. On the flip side however, she should not have been in Iraq in the first place. Her presence in that country, and her subsequent kidnapping only made the job harder for our troops, who then had to go rescue her butt. These are the same troops I might add that whom she criticized before her trip there. People like her do not belong in a warzone, because they always run the risk of getting kidnapped or killed. Like I said, I am glad she is ok, but I had no sympothy for her while she was captive. If anything, it shows just how cruel and stupid the enemy is that we are fighting. My advice to her: stay home Jill and write some memoirs of your heroing experience in Iraq so you can make money off of you dumb liberal friends, and dont forget to write about how the US military saved your ass.

Finally, the last woman, or girl in this matter that I dont care about is JonBenet Ramsey. Again, the media is going nuts over this idiot who says he killed her. I personally think the guy is full of crap, yes he is a bizarre looking psycho, but thats not a reason to cover this story 24/7. Let the investigators do their jobs, and if at the end of the day, he is the one, then cover the story, but do I really care what the guy had to drink on his flight back to the states yesterday? Nope. Its just a circus these days in the media. Even if this jerk is found guilty, its not going to bring that little girl back. Sure, it will be closure for her family, but what do I care. This is the type of story that should be discussed on the third segment of a news show or in the 8th page of a newspaper, but in todays media its the top story. Remember, this murder happened ten years ago, so I should care today because?

-Brad

Woodrow Wilson and Terrorism

THE LAST DEMOCRAT WITH A FOREIGN POLICY

I want to post a speech given by President Woodrow Wilson back in 1917, which sent the United States to battle in World War I. The speech is amazing, and has a very appropriate for the war we are currently fighting against terrorism. Wilson was a visionary when it came to foreign policy. Maybe with the exception of FDR and JFK, he is that last Democrat to oversee a successful policy on the worlds stage. Im going to take out any reference to Germany in the speech and add the words terrorism, so you can relate it to today. With those few changes, you will be able to really see how ahead of his time Wilson truly was. I wish President Bush could give a speech like this. Anyways, please read this and enjoy it.

The present terrorist actions against [our interests] is a warfare against all mankind. It is war against all nations...The challenge is to all mankind.

Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for ourselves must be made with the moderation of councel and temperateness of judgement befitting our character and our motives as a nation. We must put excited feeling away. Our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion.

...Armed neutrality is ineffectual enough at best; in such circumstances and in the face of such pretensions it is worse that ineffectual; it is likely only to produce what it was meant to prevent; it is practically certain to draw us into [a] war without either the rights or the effectiveness of belligerents. There is one choice we cannot make, we are incapable of making: we will not choose the path of submission and suffer the most sacred rights of our nation and our people to be ignored and violated. The wrongs against which we now array ourselves are no common wrongs: they cut to the very roots of human life.

With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragical character of the step I am taking...I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the terrorists to be in fact nothing less that war against the government and people of the United States; that it formally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon it; and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the terrorists to terms and end the war.

...We should keep constantly in mind the wisdoms of interfering as little as possible in our own preperation and in the equipment of our own military forces with the duty -- for it will be a very practical duty -- of supplying the nations already at war with terrorism with the materials which they can obtain only from us or by our assistance. They are in the field and we should help them in every way to be effective there.

...While we do these things, these deeply momentous things, let us be very clear, and make very clear to all the world what our motives and our objects are...Our object...is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world as against selfish and autocratic power and to set up amongst the really free and self-governed peoples of the world such a concert of purpose and of action as will henceforth ensure the observance of those principles.

...A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. It must be a league of honor, a partnership of opinion.

..The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon and tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve.

We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall cheerfully make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them.

...It is a distressing and oppresive duty, Gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance.

But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest to our hearts, for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world at last free.

To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.

We once again, now in the year 2006, find ourselves thrusted into a monumental struggle of survival and sacrifice. Woodrow Wilson understood the threat his world faced, but he didnt become weakened by dissenters. Wilson knew what had to be done, even if it costed American lives and spilled American blood, because freedom itself depended on it. The past can always teach us valuble lessons as long as we are patient enough and willing to seek its wisdom. Lets learn from our mistakes and benefit from our triumphs. Let us be emboldened by our track record of victories through the ages, and let us have the power, both physically and spiritually, to see this new struggle to an ending beneficial to the entire free world. If we do this, we will undoubtedly prevail.

-Brad

Betty Sutton and Abortion

SHE'S A BIG FAN

Congressional candidate Betty Sutton isnt hiding the fact that she is a huge supporter of abortion. To date, she has received more than $600,000 of campaign contributions from 'Emily's List' which is a very pro abortion group. Even worse, Sutton supports the brutal and horriying practice of partial birth abortion. I dont really know how somebody with a conscience could agree with killing a fetus in the third trimester, considering the fact that by then it is a child and could survive outside the womb. Whether or not you agree with regular abortion, supporting it until birth is vial. Living in the 13th district, I think it is important that people understand her views on this controversial subject, because I think it could really help the Republican in the race, Lorain Mayor Craig Foltin.

Foltin is a Catholic and staunch opponent of abortion. I think Mr. Foltin understand that there are many alternatives to abortion which should be exercised before a fetus is murdered. I hope that Foltin nails Sutton on this issue whenever they debate face to face, because in this district, which is quite religious, opposing abortion will get you votes. I hope that everyone out there spreads the word about Sutton's unfettered support of both regular abortion and partial birth abortion, because I doubt you will ever hear it come out of her mouth. We dont need more people like her in Congress. She is a liberal on just about every issue there is. She will weakin national security and moral security in our country. Please, go to www.foltinforcongress.com and do whatever you can to support Mayor Foltin. Dont allow a person like Betty Sutton to support this district and our state.

-Brad

Two FOX NEWS Employees Kidnapped in Gaza

PRAY FOR THEM

**UPDATE** Here is what some Democrats think about these brave men getting kidnapped. Would you really expect anything else from the likes of these people. Unreal.


FOX NEWS reporter Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were kidnapped someplace in Gaza today. FNC senior VP confirmed this terrible news with an internal message to FOX NEWS employees:

"The rumors are true: two of our employees have been abducted in Gaza. We will report this fact via our Israel correspondents. Do NOT do any other segments on it. Do not book guests on this topic. Do not comment officially and of course, not on the air, about it. DO pray for their release. I will keep you posted."

How terrible. FOX NEWS is doing what the VP said and not covering the story at all. Its not on their website or on the air. I think I saw something about it on CNN earlier, but I just checked and it was gone. Hopefully they took it down out of respect for a collegue. Lets just hope these two men make it home alive. It just proves once again the kind of animals that live in the Middle East. Please keep Steve and Olaf in your prayers. Ill keep you posted.

-Brad

3 Major Victories in One Week

ITS ON

Im still not extremely optimistic about November as far as the GOP is concerned, but recent developments have really helped Republicans in my opinion. The first major even is the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Even Bill Mahar said that as far as that issue is concerned, Bush is the best president we have ever had. All of Bush's predecessors have failed miserably when it came to brokering a peace between Israel and its hostile neighbors. One can only hold off the inevitable for so long. President Bush realizes that they are going to have to fight it out to show is has the upper hand. Allowing Israel to dismantle much of Hezbollah is brilliant, even thought the Israeli campaign has been far from perfect. Bush has impressed alot of people, especially some on the left. You cannot count the crowd who will disagree with any type of armed conflict. They are truly crazy. But many influential liberals in this country are Jewish, and they obviously want to see Israel prevail. Unfortunately, a cease fire is supposed to be put into effect in a matter of hours from now, but reports show that the war is still raging on. Regardless of what happens, Bush scored big on the mid-east. Kudos to him.

The next victory for the GOP is an unlikely one, and you really have to see between the lines to see the positives. Ned Lamont winning the Democratic primary in Connecticut is a Godsend for Republicans, because it shows just how liberal the mainstream Democratic Party has become. Joe Lieberman got thrown aside by his party because of one issue, and now Joe is fighting back and is running as an Independent, and the last poll had him up six points. Liberals just do not win national elections, so the more Ned Lamonts we see elected, the more the Dems are shooting themselves in the foot not just for 2006, but especially for 2008. This also should scare Hillary Clinton. It would be great for Republicans if she is challenged in '08 by someone to the left of her, which will happen. With the Dems tending so far to the left, the primary two years from now for president could be extremely nasty. Basically the Democrats will sink themselves while the GOP candidate, whomever it might be, should safely sail to the White House. I cant wait for '08.

Lastly, the thwarted terror attack of last week will certainly help Republicans. I hate to politicize terrorism, but lets face it, the Democrats have no clue on how to defeat this global enemy. It was almost comical to see many influential Dems come out and bash the president over what happened last week. Now lets see, we successfully thwarted an 9/11 type terror attack, and have stayed terror free in the US since 2001, yet Bush has failed and this country is less safe. Can someone translate that for me? Republicans are the anti-terror party, and Bush is a terror-warrior. If the 2006 elections come down to terrorism, I see another victory for the GOP.
Terrorism should still be a huge issue on the mind of every American. We have made major strides in combating terror, but we still are not completely safe, as we saw last week. We must not allow the Dems to take back this country to ruin five years of progress. If we do, the consequences could be deathly, and yes, I am trying to scare you, because terrorism is a scary thing. This country needs Republican Leadership, and I think people will realize that as we get closer to November 7th. At least I hope so.

-Brad

Lieberman's Loss and the Terror Threat

THE BIG PICTURE

As many people predicted, both Joe Lieberman and Cynthia McKinney lost their primary bids on Tuesday. McKinney lost because she is an incompotent moran. But Lieberman was a victim of an extremely dirty campaign and the far left agenda in this country. There are not many better people in Congress than Joe Lieberman, but liberals dont care about character. They are so obsessed with power that they will throw anyone under the bus because of one single issue, disregarding their record that goes back decades. Lieberman is a liberal, he votes with his party 90% of the time, but his support for Iraq sunk him. His hawkish attitude toward terrorism is grounds for impeachment according to most liberals, and they proved that on Tuesday. In a turn of sad Irony for Joe, today's thwarted terror attack proves that this nation is still very much at war and risk. I believe if this had happened on Monday, Lieberman would have won.

People like Ned Lamont cannot and will not protect this nation. Lamont has no idea what he is doing or talking about. He continuously uses talking points over and over again, but thats what liberals love. Im not sure if he issued any kind of statements about todays activities, but Id love to hear his thoughts. This country needs men like Joe Lieberman in congress, and the Democratic Party especially needs him. If they continue to move to the left, as they have been since 2004, they will continue to lose national elections. I think Lieberman will win in November inspite of what happened the other day. Joe has appeal to moderates and Republicans, while Lamont is stuck with the far left. I dont see Ned Lamont getting many more votes on November 7th than he did on Tuesday, where as Lieberman, who only lost by about 10,000 votes, has the ability to really capitolize. The Next few months should be very interesting in Connecticut.

Lieberman's troubles should scare many moderate Democrats, and especially those who support the war. Hillary Clinton imparticular should be rethinking her political strategy. As the part drifts leftward, she will be alone. We all know that somebody much more liberal will challenge her in 2008, and judging by what happened to Lieberman, that person could actually win the nomination. We saw this same sort of atmosphere in 1972 when George McGovern ran for President as the far left, antiwar candidate. He got slaughtered, as will the liberal candidate in 2008, so Republicans should be very happy about these developments.

Recapping, today's terror arrests prove Joe Lieberman right, but nobody on the left will admit that. He deserves his seat in the Senate, because he fully understands the threats we face everyday as Americans. This is not Vietnam. Anyday we could be attacked just like we were on 9/11, or even worse. But luckily, we have George W. Bush, and even people Lieberman, who are not scared to take tough stands when the fate the country is on the line. All of this shows that we are safer today than we were five years ago. So regardless of what that mainstream media says, and the kookie liberal bloggers, and the out of touch members of congress, we have made progress over the past half decade, and if the Democrats are able to regain power anytime soon, prepare to go back to the 9/10 mentality. And yes, that is meant to scare you, because it should.

-Brad

Lieberman and McKinney Both Lose

1-1

I will recap all of this later.


Staaaaaaaay tuned.

-Brad

The Media's War on War

THE TRUTH DONT MATTER NO MORE

The mainstream media in this country and around the world has begun to take matters into their own hands while reporting war stories. Recently, Reuters, a very powerful and influential news agency, was busted doctoring photos of the destruction in Lebanon. The did not only do it once by the way, and I have even heard reports saying they actually have software to screw with their pictures. Amazingly, the liberal media in this country isnt not really reporting this story, they are much more interested in every single civilian death in Lebanon and what Mel Gibson does on his weekends. Above is the reason why it is almost impossible to win a war in a world that has 24 hour constant news media with embedded journalists. When every single war plan, every shot fired, and every death is reported and obsessed over, nobody can prevail.

Now that fact has taken a turn for the worse, it thats possible. Now, not only will news outlets harp over every issue that hurts the cause, they will take it upon themselves to make the news. Obviously this is very dangerous. Neither the United States, nor Israel, will ever get a fair shake in the media, especially overseas. Unfortunetaly, many world leaders, including here in the states, sincerely care about what other people think. This is a war where we must look past the fact much of the world either sypmothizes with terrorists, or are terrorists themselves. We must look at successful wars of the past, and use those harsh tactics to defeat terror, even if those tactics are bloody and unpopular. Liberals cannot keep this country safe, I honestly do not know what will happen if they get into power. Negotiating doesnt work, and all those people want to do is talk. Talk to Hezbollah, talk to Hamas, talk to Syria, talk to Iran, talk to North Korean, Id even be willing to be that they would want to talk to Bin Laden. Britain negotiated with Hitler in 1938, and thank God they did. It saved the world a terrible war and millions of lives. Oh wait, nevermind. Keep negotiating.

-Brad

Tuesday = Big Day

LIEBERMAN AND MCKINNEY ON THE ROPES

This Tuesday will showcase two of the biggest primary's of the entire summer. Both Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will be watching the results roll in as their political lives hang in the balance. Both are down in the latest polls, which never is a good sign for an incumbant with the vote only days away. The reasons for their low numbers couldnt be more different, Lieberman is in trouble for his politics, while McKinney could get the boot because she is an inconsiderate idiot.

Joe Lieberman is one of the few Democrats in the Senate that I have any respect for. He tends to be a more moderate voice, which is refreshing when the rest of his caucus are flaming liberals. However, he is a Democrat, and he votes with his party about 90% of the time. He is liberal on the environment, taxes, and other important issues, but one imparticular has gotten him in a heap of trouble...Iraq. His challenger, Ned Lamont, has come out as the crazy anti-war candidate. Lieberman understand Iraq. He supports it, and unlike most in his party, he wants us to be victorious over there. Its looking like Joe is going to lose on Tuesday, and lose big. I personally like Lieberman, but his troubles illustrate just how left-wing his party has become. I mean he was the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee just six years ago, now hes been completely abondoned by his party. The Democrats need a guy like Lieberman just to balance out the rest of the whack jobs out there, but things dont look good. He says if he loses he will run as an independent, and I hope he does because that could split the vote and let a Republican win that seat. Thats probably wishful thinking, but its happened before. Good Luck Joe.

Now on to Cynthia McKinney. Shes the psycho who smacked a Capitol Hill police officer a few months back. She represents the 4th congressional district in Georgia, but not for long. This is also a Democratic primary election but is a runoff. Her opponent is a black man who used to be a county commissioner, and the guy is smart. I watched a debate between the two of them yesterday on C-SPAN and the guy just mopped the floor with her. She comes off as such a B-word that Ill be surprised to see her get 20% of the vote. Shes trying to play the anti-Bush card, saying shes the number one critic of the Adminstration, but its not getting her anywhere. Her opponent is just a better candidate, and a better person than her, and the voters know it. I cannot wait to see her face on Tuesday night, if she has the balls to make a public statement after the schlacking that awaits. She does not deserve to represent this country. Adios Cynthia.

-Brad

The Assassination of Mel Gibson

HIS CHARACTER THAT IS

The media is going wild over Mel Gibson's arrest and subsequent anti-semitic tirade last weekend. For proof, just google the word tirade and see what comes up. CNN imparticular has basically consumed its weekend coverage with Gibson's problems. But why? The honest truth is that I have no idea. Obviously Mel Gibson needs some serious help. The man is an alcoholic and has had problems with booze for much of his adult life. Fine. Now comes the question of whether or not he truly hates Jewish people...I think so. Someone who isnt filled with hate would not blurt out comments like that upon being arrested, and I am a believer that you tend to be more honest when you're hammered.

With that said, I think its time that the media leave the guy alone so that he can hopefully persue some help for his problems. Its one thing to report a story, but its another thing to ram it down the throats of a public who really could careless about Mel Gibson and his feelings toward those of the Jewish faith. If you hate Gibson now, its understandable, dont go see his movies. Im not even sure if I will after all this bru-ha-ha, but again, we need to move on from it. There are much bigger problems going on in the world than the opinions of A-list celebrities, although many times one wouldnt think so. I think that Mel Gibson is the victim of a racist father, who has publically denied the Holocaust. While I can sympothize with that fact, it still does not excuse his actions last weekend, and he will be held accountable. But again I say, get over it.

-Brad

Iraq War Update

HOW THINGS REALLY ARE GOING

The war in Iraq has largely been ignored over the past three weeks by the media. Their obsession with whats going on in Israel in Lebanon has put Iraq on the backburner, but the war does continue. Violence is up in Baghdad by most accounts. The city is still under siege by insurgents and terrorists, blowing up car bombs and IED, and using other various cowardly methods to kill US troops and innocent Iraqis. However, according to globalsecurity.org, US military deaths in Iraq were way down in July. A total of 41 brave US troops were killed in Iraq last month, and zero so far in August. Lets all hope and pray that not another single troop is murdered by those animals over there.

As I said earlier, the violence in Baghdad has escalated lately, but it seems that the rest of the country as become more stable. Last week, the Pentagon announced that it would be moving more US troops into Baghdad from other areas of the country. To me, this is proof that other areas have calmed down. The Northern part of Iraq is run by the Kurds, and they are very pro-American. That area is probably the least violent part of the entire country. The south, including Basra, is under British watch, and that section is also relatively stable. The only current hotbed for attacks is Baghdad and its surrouding cities. Unfortunately, those areas consist of more than 25% of the entire population of Iraqi's, so policeing that many people is extremely difficult.

Many had hoped that the United States could begin withdrawling troops from Iraq by the end of the year. Recent events however seem to indicate the contrary, but nobody is certain. A couple of days ago, the Iraqi President said that he believes Iraqi security forces will be able to completely police his country by the beginning of 2007, but thats probably wishful thinking. All I know is that it is a positive development that US casualities are down over there. Im not sure if we have adapted better to the tactives of the terrorists, or why the number is down, but who really cares. I believe that once we can clean up Baghdad, we will win the war, and our service people can come home. The media has forgotten about Iraq, but you can be sure that they will remember it come election time. Dont give up on the effort, it was still the right thing to do, and we are and will be better off for the hard work that has been accomplished. God Bless the troops.

-Brad

The World Has Gone Mad

AND YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST

If you follow the news, you have probably heard about the bombing in Lebanon yesterday that killed more than 50 people including children. That is a tragedy, but dont let people brain wash you into thinking that it is Israel's fault. Israel is beginning to see how hard it is to fight a war with the media covering its every move. A media by the way which hates war and will harp about every single civilian casualty. It is extremely difficult to be successful in a campaign like this, and I think Israel is learning this the hard way. But we cannot allow the media to side track us on the real issue here, which is terrorism. Israel is fighting against the same extremists that we are in Iraq and Afghanistan. The enemy is full of cowards. They hide behind innocent people exactly for the purpose of swaying public opinion. They need that opinion. If the Muslim world would wake up, terrorism would be ended tomorrow. But they are too full of hatred of Israel and the west to realize that they are being held captive by Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Hamas and others.

The big story yesterday was the civilian deaths, yet little attention was paid to the fact that Hezbollah was firing rockets at Israel from just behind that building. The international community is quick to condemn Israel and the US for harming civilians, yet the terrorists use killling civlians as their number one weapon. Israel is trying to blow up Hezbollah, but regular people get in the way, while Hezbollah has fired more than one thousand rockets aimed directly at heavily populated Israeli towns. They are not targeting any military installations, they just want to kill innocent Jews. But, that story gets lost in the agenda of the news media, and other nations who constantly give the terrorists the benefit of the doubt. I do feel bad for the innocent people killed in the Middle East, but if they are willing to harbor these terrorist groups, who live amongst them and fire weapons from city streets and houses, then they will continue to do until they themselves throw the terrorists out. And that is the way it should be.

I dont know what it will take for the Muslim world to realize what is happening to them. We, meaning the United States and Israel, are once again fighting against fascism. These terror groups want to take over the world, much like Hitler and his buddies did. They will kill anyone who gets in their way, whether it is Americans, Jews, or even other Muslims. Look at Iraq for example, about 6 times more Muslims have been killed by terrorists there than Americans, but we are still the bad guy. Everything is our and Bush's fault. Nobody can blame the true perpetrators.

I dont know how this will all end. All I know is that we have to do one of two things. We must either completely commit ourselves to ending terror by aggressively stopping it, and I mean much more aggressively than we are now, or we must pull all our troops out of the area and hope and pray we do not get attacked again. I certainly support the first part of that, but many around the world would rather do the ladder. Rememeber when George Bush said after 9/11 that we would go after not only terrorist groups, but those who harbor them? What ever happened to that? We cannot be worried about civilian casualities if those civilans support the enemy, that makes them the enemy too. Until the Muslim world rids themselves of the cancer among them, they will have to feel the wrath of the United States and Israel. We cannot allow this problem to grow and spread any longer. And also I say to you, remember who the real enemy is. Remember who blew up the trade towers, and remember who kidnapped the Israeli soldiers, and remember who is blowing up American troops around the world as we speak. Just remember that.

-Brad

Sometimes Art Says it Better

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED



Enough said.

-Brad

Why Bolton Should be Confirmed

DEMS = OBSTRUCTIONISTS

I was just reading a story on CNN that was headlined this way: "Democrats: Bolton Still A Bully." It really is laughable. Today, Mr. Bolton went before a Senate committee to be permanently assigned the U.S. ambassador to the worthless United Nations. When John Bolton was first nominated last year by President Bush, many people had their reservations about the man. Even GOP Senator George Voinovich sided with Democrats in opposing Bolton's nomination. But in the short time he's been in New York, I believe that most American's would agree that he has done a great job trying to push the United Nations to do anything constructive, including Voinovich by the way who says he will support Bolton this time around. Obviously, he cannot do it alone. He is only one small piece in a large organization of appeasers and terrorist sympothizers. Bolton was criticized last year for being to brash, and having a bit of an attitude problem. Those are exactly the reasons I supported him, and also the reasons he has been successful thus far.

The Democrats would rather have somebody representing the US over there who are more intouch with their diplomatic beliefs, which are negotiate with anybody and everybody all the time. Democrats will threaten to use force and action all day long, but they will never back it up, never. Proof of this was evident today, when Democrats called Bolton a bully. They must not have gotten the memo that a bully is exactly what we need in the UN. The UN has been impotent for years, especially during the Clinton years when Billy relied on them for everything, and nothing got done unless the United States took the lead.

The prolems involving the UN will not stop even with John Bolton in there representing the United States. Then only way to reform that organization is to get Kofi Annan's butt out of there. Luckily, I believe Annan's term as Secretary General will expire by the end of this. While I have not decided on who I would like his successor to be, one name I like currently is Tony Blair. Im getting ahead of myself. The bottom line is that we need John Bolton in the UN, especially with all the crap going on as we speak in the Middle East. I fully expect him to be confirmed in the very near future, even with the whiney Democrats complaining about how meaaaaaaaan he is. Somebody call the wahhh-mbulance.

*New bradsjournal.com Poll*

DO YOUR DUTY AND VOTE!

Ok its been awhile since Ive posted a new poll, but this one should be interesting. Im asking you, the consumer, who you personally think is responsible for the outrageous gas prices we see today in the USA. I know that everybody has an opinion on this one, so tell everyone you know to vote. You have a variety of options to choose from, and I dont think Ive left anybody out. So please vote. Thanks.

-Brad

'The Hill' Interviews Craig Foltin

OUR ONLY HOPE

'The Hill', which is a very respected organization when it comes to national politics, recently interviewed Craig Foltin, who is running congress in my 13th Ohio Congressional district. As this good article illustrates, Foltin is facing an uphill battle as the 13th district is overwhelmingly Democratic. Sherrod Brown has been our congressman for 14 years now, and has watched this part of the state erode, while doing nothing about. While Foltin is a Republican, he was able to win the job of Mayor in the city of Lorain, a feat that was deemed impossible.

He is respected there and had done alot to better that struggling community. Many Republicans, including myself, see Foltin as an opportunity for the GOP to pick up a much needed spot in congress this year. Foltin is not the most conservative of Republicans, but still will serve our party well if elected. Recent polls show him down to his Democratic challenger Betty Sutton by double-digit margins. But with more than three months left until election day, anything can happen. I hope you will all read this article, because it is very informative and well written.

-Brad

Just Another Manic Monday

BIAS AT THE DISPATCH?

Some new polls came out today that are rather alarming if ya ask me. Both show the Democrats ahead in the two biggest races that Ohioans will vote for in November. According to the poll, which was conducted by the Columbus Dispatch, Ted Strickland has a 20 point lead over Ken Blackwell in the Governor's race, while Sherrod Brown is beating Mike DeWine by 7 points. For the record, neither Democrat is getting 50% of the vote, and both polls show about 1/4 of those asked are undecided. So what does this mean? Well its not good. I honestly do not think that either is entirely accurate, but regardless people are going to see these polls and use these polls to their advantage. I do believe that Blackwell has an uphill battle, but he should be able to gain alot of ground once the debates begin. About the Senate race, I simply cannot believe that DeWine would be losing this race. Sherrod Brown really has no name recognition in most of Ohio, and he is a far left-wing guy. DeWine should win it easily, so this particular poll doesnt make much sense. The bottom line is that I have a hard time believing that a state that has elected George W. Bush twice would be so willing to vote in such liberal people. That is why Im still confident about November.

As I wrote about yesterday, Condoleeza Rice is in the Middle East trying to work some diplomatic magic to calm down the situation over there. In a shrewd and brilliant move, she made a surprise visit to Beirut today to pledge millions of dollars in aide to that hurting country. She will now go on to Israel to talk with Prime Minister Olmert about their current situation. It seems to me that Condi is more worried about the humanitarian aspects of this conflict, rather that bringing it to an obrupt end. And that is just fine with me. Let them fight.

In today's worst person in the world segment, we honor jackass of the year Keith Olbermann. Olbermann whipped out a mask of Bill O'Reilly at some breakfast party on Saturday, then proceeded to raise his right arm into a Nazi salute. I fully understand why Keith would not like O'reilly, because The Factor's 4 a.m. show gets more viewers than The Countdown's 8 p.m. broadcast. But its not O'Reilly's fault that Keith's show is an unentertaining piece of liberal garbage, with all due respect of course. Nothing like blazing the Hitler salute while Israel is involved in a war to defend itself. Lets hear it for Keith Olbermann's judgement ladies and gentlemen. What a bafooooooooon.

And finally today, the violence in the Middle East continues, with no real end in sight. Israel continues to launch airstrikes and limited ground invasions against Hezbollah strongholds, while the terrorists continue to send missles into Israeli cities. I just wish Israel would land a huge punch to Hezbollah already, but it seems they want to keep going the route of surgical warfare. Well whatever, maybe they know something I dont. Imagine that. Alright Im out, but Ill be back if anything significant happens. Bye.

-Brad

Condi Goin to the War Zone

I WOULDN'T EXPECT MUCH

President Bush is sending Secretary of State Condi Rice to Israel this weekend. The world seems to be on Bush's butt to do something about the ever escalating situation over there, but so far he has done the right thing and simply stayed out of it. Condi is going over there for PR, and not to get anything done. Why you ask? We have seen over the past 30 years how worthless diplomacy is in that part of the world. Cease-fire after cease-fire has been attempted, and numerous UN resolutions have been passed, but nothing has been accomplished. When will the world realize that negotiating with terrorists simply doesnt work. Madeline Albright to this day is clueless on how to confront the evil of terror. People like her would rather run their mouths than flex their muscle.

The Israeli's on the other hand understand how worthless another arbitrary peace offering would be. They are the ones gettin kidnapped. They are the ones getting blown up by suicide bombers. They are the ones constantly under the threat of rocket attacks from an invisible enemy, whom is being supplied and financed by two enemies of peace whom thus far havent been held accountable by anyone. The rest of the world could learn alot of lessons from Israel. Obviously their geography plays a huge role in their level of aggresivness. But this time, I think they realize that just pushing back Hezbollah wont solve the problem, rather it will only delay they next round of attacks which will definetaly come.

Israel wants peace. Terrorists dont. Until people like Kofi Annan are willing to understand that fact, nothing will be accomplished. Besides the United States, England, and Israel, the world is more than willing to appease terrorists. We see it on a daily basis. If the free world would come together and be as aggresive against terror as Israel is, we wouldnt have this problem. Their would be no nuclear standoff with Iran, or North Korea. Economic interests have become more important than national and global security to more nations. Its a shame, because the problem of terrorism isnt a hard one to solve, yet most are unwilling solve it. Ask yourselves why.

-Brad

Indians Trade Bob Wickman

FOR ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NOTHING

I want to take a break from politics to discuss a truly pathetic subject...the Cleveland Indians. Today, the Indians traded away their all-time leader in saves to the Atlanta Braves for a single A catcher. Yes, single A. This is just an extension of a pattern we have seen from the tribe over the past decade. They consistantly trade away impact players for a bunch of nobody's. Im sure this catcher they got is a decent young player, but come on, why not just start giving people a way.

The team has been on a downward spiral ever since Larry Dolan took over the team from Dick Jacobs. Most people, including myself from time time, like to blame GM Mark Shapiro for their horrible record, but at the end of the day, the buck stops at the owner. Whats the point in owning a major league team of any kind if you are unwilling to spend the money to get good players. I am not saying we have to spend like Steinbrenner, but at least be willing sign a big name from time to time.

I really wish Dolan would sell the team to someone willing to bring winning baseball back to Cleveland. Maybe we were all spoiled in the late 90's when we had all-stars up and down the batting order. But whatever the case may be, we cannot rely on luck while our division continues to get tougher and tougher. Detroit should be an example to all MLB teams currently near the bottom of the standings. Two years ago they were the worst team in baseball, and now they have the best record. Larry Dolan should take notes, and start spending some dead presidents to buy a winning team, because just praying that a team full of young prospects will get you to the World Series is completely dillusional. Its time for Larry to put up or shut up.

-Brad

Media: Blame Bush for Everything

WE'VE SEEN THIS DANCE BEFORE

I was just watching CNN and they are unbelieveable. Since the liberal media is obviously hesitant to come out and completely condemn Israel for the the violence in the Mid-East, even though most would like to, they once again have decided to lay the blame for everything going on over there on the door steps of the White House. Whether it be the length of time it takes to evacuate Americans from Lebanon, or even the reason for the violence itself, Bush gets the blame.

Its getting quite comical really. The media is up in arms over the fact that Condi Rice wasnt over there the first day a bomb was dropped. This shows the fact that liberals just dont understand how you effectivly fight terrorism in the world. Their obsession with peace has blinded their judgement. Isnt in the interest of the world to let Israel dismantle as much of Hezbollah as possible? Wouldnt that not only help the Israeli's, but also the Lebanese citizens, the same Lebanese citizen they are care so much for. Nobody, including Israel wants to kill innocent people in Beirut and the surrounding areas, but Hezbollah, and terrorists in general as we see in Iraq, have their infrastructure withing major metro areas.

The U.S. is absolutely doing the right thing by letting the Israeli's play this one out for themselves. We really have no right to tell them what the appropriate response is for the acts of terror that have been committed against them. The media in this country does care about that, they are just waiting to jump on anything they possibly can to bash the Bush administration. Like I said earlier, the newest beef is about the evactuations of people out of Lebanon. The media seems to think that getting 5,000 people out of a warzone half way around the world is an overnight process. Remember, this conflict is not even a week old, however according to liberals in the media, we should have already flown each and every person willing to leave outta there. Luckily for us who love this country, and support the president, the blame Bush media is actually losing the fight. Today, the New York Times announced it was cutting about 25% of its workforce...this is no coincidence. The fact that paper has undermind this country and this war has taken a significant toll on that paper and other like it. To them, I say with the utmost respect, naah nah naaaaah nah nah nah.

-Brad

World Leaders Feel the Heat

WHY I LIKE GEORGE W. BUSH

I took the weekend off from blogging, but I have still been keeping aprised of what is going on in the Middle East. Perhaps the only funny thing about the situation is the way that the leaders of the world, who are gathered in Russia for the G8, are trying to spin the situation. Well, all the leaders except ours that is. President Bush this morning, without his knowledge, said a swear word to Prime Minister Tony Blair while discussing Syria. The media is abuzz about this, I personally just think it was extremely funny. You can watch it here, and I recommend you do. I really wish Bush would talk like this publically, because it is the truth. Here is the exchange:

Blair: Well...its only if I mean...you know. If shes got a..., or if she needs the ground prepared as it were...Because obviously if she goes out, shes got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talk.

Bush: You see, the...thing is what they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and its over.

Awesome. Sure, Bush didnt know the mic was on, but I still love the candor.

Now, about the actual war. Israel is still pledging no mercy on the enemy until their soldiers are returned. I dont even know if the Israelis are sure those who were captured are still alive. Maybe they know, but I dont. Israel actually sent ground troops into southern Lebanon last night to attack some Hezbollah targets, but the IDF still says that an all out ground attack in Lebanon wont happen. We shall see about that. The conflict continues to heat up, along with the pressure on both sides to stop the fighting. Everyone seems to want to jump to peace, when some of us see an opportunity to cut this snake off at its head. Israel should not relent until they end Hezbollah, and the world should unite behind them by getting rid of the Iranian regime. I know that will never happen, because many world leaders sympothize with the terrorsts, while others are completely impotant, like the United Nations. If you want more on the backround of this violence, read here, so you can understand the severity of the situation, and why it must be dealt with now.

In some other news, the space shuttle Discovery returned this morning safely after almost 2 weeks in space. I have to admit I was wrong, NASA pulled this one together without a problem. I still think that the space program is a waste of time and money because they arent doing anything new, but I am very glad that the astronauts were able to successfully complete their little mission and return home safe and sound.

Another big story today is the freakin heat. Goooooooood Lord its hot. The temp could top out at 96 today in cleveland, with a heat index, which is the heat plus the humidity, could go over 100! Make sure you keep an eye on babies and old people, because they are obviously the most vulnerable in this kind of weather. The forcast shows a bit of a cool down for the rest of the week, but its still gonna be in the upper 80's. Thats about it for now, Ill post again if anything major happens. Stay cool.

-Brad

The Fight Continues

TIME FOR U.S. INVOLVEMENT?

For a third straight day, the Israeli's and Arab terrorists have traded bombings as no solution appears in sight. The horizon is extremely dark if you are someone who wants this to end peacefully, but for those of you who are like me, and want the Israeli's to spank Hamas, Hezbollah, and any nation who helps and harbor's them, then you're in luck. During the fighting today, an Israeli warship was struck by a Hezballah missile, some crew are reported missing. Meanwhile, Israel was busy doing some bombing of their own, completely distroying the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, but missing the leader of the organization, who said today he is ready to wage an open war against Israel. Of course, Syria pledged their support of Hezbollah, and even French President Jacques Chirac got in on the criticizm of Israel. Chirac is a complete idiot by the way.

Now that you are up to date on the news, let me give you some opinion. I think it is time for the United States to join Israel in the airstrikes against terrorist targets. Hezbollah has long been an enemy of the US, but we have yet to do anything to the group, even after they killed hundreds of marines twenty years ago. These types of groups have been around for far too long without any consequences, and now that the Israeli's are acting, I say we join the fight. I understand the situation in Iraq, and I do not support sending in American ground forces, but we have plenty of aircraft ready and able to hit targets all throughout the effected region. Its time to get tough once and for all. I actually see this as a golden opportunity to give terrorism a serious blow in that part of the world, I just wish the Bush administration was willing to do the right thing in this case. Sure, it wouldnt be popular with the rest of the world, but I say screw 'em, we must defend ourselves and our allies. Lets get down to business.

In some other news, Valerie Plame, whom I briefly mentioned yesterday, is going ahead with a lawsuit against the VP, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby. She says that the government betrayed her, and now she wants them to pay. First of all, shes out of her mind, and her husband is an even bigger looney. But can I just say quickly that she is very hot! I saw her speaking on TV today and she is a veeeeeery attractive women. Too bad shes out of her mind. But that dont matter.

And finally, a little local news. Mike DeWine's campaign has made a new website called brownvotes.com. Its brilliant. It illustrates just how wrong and out of touch Sherrod Brown is when it comes to the security of our nation and the war on terror, two of the most important issues in the country. Im very pleased with what they are doing, and I hope that everyone will pass it along to expose the truth about Sherrod. We cant let this guy win. Its imperative. Bye.

-Brad