Bad Judgement - Bad Father

I was going to blog on the topic of being a bad father, but NRO has done so quite well.

Barack's Bumble

Wow.

What an eloquent speech that simply did not address the two major concerns:  1) Senator Obama's poor judgement, and 2) Senator Obama's cluelessness.

On the first point, why did Senator Obama fail to address his close friend and mentor, Rev. Wright, about the hateful and factually incorrect statements that he has made publicly including the ability to buy the "greatest hits" from the church on its website?  Was he afraid, or did he just not care until it was a political liability not to?  Is this the type of judgement we want in a President?  I should hope not!

On the second point, if he was clueless about the depth of Wright's animosity to America and to facts, is that the type of out touch man we want as President?  Once again, I hope not.

On a final note, the same big government "solutions" that have generated most of the problems to which he refers (think Detroit) are not what the country needs.  Senator, that isn't change, that is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result - that is the definition of insanity.

I HATE Daylight Savings Time

It adds pollution, and probably costs us $$$$$$!  Click on this post's title.

Venerable Fr. McGivney

Click on this post's title for the good news!

Vivat Jesus!

More on Jeremiah Wrong... err... Wright

Obama's twenty your spiritual connection with this man should tell us much about how wrong a choice Obama is for America.  Click on the post's link.

What is the Tragedy?

The death of people in fires is a tragedy.  I am not here to make light of that.  However, under the "Local" section of the New York Post and not the "Strange but True" section is this story.

Homeschoolers Take a Big Hit

Click on the title.  Big Government attacks the liberty of parents again as the court rules that it takes village idiots to educate children.

Those Shirts

Obama's Racist Pastor

The Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whom Obama defends, is very scary man. Click on this post's title for more.

The Truth on Taxes

Will the two remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination for president please shut up about the evil tax structure that punishes the average man and let's the rich off easy. Looking at the tax structure for the years 2000 and 2007, you will see that the rates dropped for everyone, but that the richest folks will pay 35% of their income to the Federal government (this does not include what they may owe in their own states). This is a drop of 4.6 % from the year 2000.

If you compare what I made last year and adjust it for inflation and compare it to 2000, my tax rate has dropped 3% from 28% to 25%. Looking at the links in the previous paragraph, you will see that all Americans have benefited contrary to what Billary and Obamarama keep claiming.

Long May She Wave

Senator Obama has CHOSEN not to wear a lapel pin of the American flag as a sign of his protest against the war. Heck, why doesn't he end every campaign rally with a flag burning? (click on posts title)

He is an unpatriotic jackass. He can certainly be against the war in Iraq while still showing respect for the flag and all the good that it represents.

Maybe he can make a trip to visit Bin Laden and have his picture taken with said terrorist. Maybe that would make people forget about Hanoi Jane!

Crazy California Legislators (Democrats)

A couple of days ago, Bill Stall wrote a silly little opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times arguing for an increase in taxes because even Governor Reagan had raised taxes. He also took a swipe at people who buy yachts and get tax credits. What he conveniently ignores are true hard facts: 2% of the population pay over 50% of all taxes; the bottom 50% pays only 3%; our state budget was $105.3 Billion in fiscal year 2004-05; the original proposed budget for 2007-08 was $143.4 Billion. I seriously doubt that our expenses have risen around $38 Billion in three years. Methinks there is too much spending by liberal politicians who think like Bill Stall.

Uncle Gerry: 1927-2008 R.I.P.

Dear Uncle Gerry:

First of all, I am flattered and gratified that you kept asking about when my sister, Maureen, and I would arrive to visit you.

I am lucky that I was able to spend some quality time with you (as you happily ate, in your words, your favorite food of mashed potatoes, gravy, meat and butter - that butter being on the potatoes as you were a "Wisconsin Yankee!").

Conversing with you during your last supper in your R.V. (or "The Box" as your beloved family calls it) was an honor and a privilege for both Maureen and me. I am still in your debt for your spiritual, physical, and emotional help that you gave to my mother (and me), Sylvia, a few short years ago.

I hope and pray (as have my girls) that you now have a prime seat that would make the horsemen at Santa Anita jealous. Give my love to my Mother, Ida, Ralph, Don, Chuck, Cal and all the rest.......................

While in Wisconsin, thanks for treating my family and me like honored guests as we came through Marengo even though we did not stay in the house. Thanks for allowing my two oldest (when they were three and two) to run up and down the stairs, as I did as a child, while you laughed.

Thanks for coming out and sharing the Rose Parade, the VIP Party and game with me.

Thanks for being there after my Mom died.

Thanks for making Mom (Sylvia) proud by your actions after Uncle Vernon died.

Thanks for offering me Ida's "you know what"... that my mom insisted be framed... may it find worthy hands.

Thank you soooooo much for being FAMILY.

May you rest in peace.

God Bless!
Vivat Jesus

Your nephew,
Matthew J.McKinley
SK/PGK

Shootin' for the Moon

While traveling today in Louisiana, I was listening to KEEL AM radio 710 out of Shreveport to radio commentator Moon Griffon who was commentating on the Saturday primary in his state. Perhaps he clarified his views (or maybe a caller did) at a time when I was not able to listen, but, for the sake of this post, I will assume that he did not.

Mr. Griffon was concerned that conservative voters in the GOP might feel the need to vote for Senator McCain tomorrow in order to show party unity. He argued that a protest vote was in order, and, based on the brief time that I was able to listen, implied that the protest vote would be for Mitt Romney.

Now the three of you who read this blog know that I endorsed Mitt ages ago (although the Thompson campaign made me rethink that position), voted for him in California (and by the way, donated to him last week), and still respect him a great deal. My objection with Mr. Griffon's position is that a vote for Romney is not a protest vote; rather, it will send a clear signal to Mr. McCain that his mea culpa (sort of) at the CPAC convention was not enough.

I hope all the conservatives yet to vote choose to vote for Romney (versus Mr. West Virginia back-door winner Huckabee).

Send the RIGHT signal.

(and I hope the knucklehead in the room next to my shuts up soon!)

The Aftermath

The title of this post is a link to Hugh Hewitt who is absolutely correct when he argues that if McCain is the Republican nominee, those of us who don't like him need to hold our noses and vote for him because the War on Terror and the potential to nominate six Supreme Court Justices are issues that cannot be left in the hands of Obama or Clinton. That said, the Dobson Declaration is idiotic. If he really is interested in promoting family values, letting the Democrats take over the Supreme Court is a sure way to see those values critically injured for the next 40 years.

Spanking Berkeley

The leftist nut jobs in Berkeley are at it again. Click on the link above to see Senator De Mint's brilliant idea of how to deal with these nuts.

More Election Blathering

First, let me say that I messed up with the 91 vote as it is a redundant piece of legislation. So, if I had to do it all over again, it would be "No" vote.

Huckabee needs to realize that as much as he might dislike Romney personally, a Romney presidency would be more sympathetic to his core cultural values than a McCain one; thus, Huck needs to get out now. Unfortunately, his ego probably won't let him.

The only good news is that the latest Rasmussen poll shows McCain defeating both Obama and Clinton. McCain would be better than either of those two, but by how much?

My Vote

The title of this post is a link to the CA SOS office and the official voter's guide for the Feb. election.

I voted absentee yesterday:

President - Mitt Romney
With Thompson out, Mitt is the best conservative alternative. Is he perfect? No, but let's face it, the only other person who has a shot at beating the Dems is Rudy, and his campaign maybe dead after Florida. McCain needs to be beaten.

Prop 91
Yes - stop redirecting infrastructure money for the roads.

Prop 92
No - poorly written. On top of that, we need to have a serious discussion on the role of Community Colleges. They should be Colleges, not grades 13 and 14 with silly community driven classes (the old basket weaving joke) added. Vocational education could be accommodated as a branch of CCs while the other branches actually have college rigor.

Prop 93
Yes - this will allow current legislators to extend their time in office. That is a good thing. In fact, term limits should be abolished completely. The current system has allowed lobbyists and staffers to become even more powerful. They are unelected, and their newly found power is undemocratic. The focus should be on reasonably created districts and not term limits.

Props 94 - 97
No - poorly written; non-gaming tribes could see significant reductions in funds received. I could care less about expansions, but I have no interest in awarding tribes who got lucky because Eisenhower created an interstate system. Rewrite and resubmit.

Romney is Winning

Just in case you missed the real news, Romney is winning as he has 30 delegates, Huckabee has 21, and McCain has 10... my favorite, Thompson, has 6. Now, I endorsed Romney ages ago since Fred was unwilling to jump in when the race was heating up early on.

Frankly, I am bitter about Thompson not getting in earlier. Even though I am a fan of absentee balloting, I may wait and submit my vote on election day.

I would have posted this about an hour ago but I gouged my left index finger today at lunch at Joe's Crab Shack due to their error and typing requires on less finger and a lot of corrections.

Thompson-Romney! if that is typed correctly... ouch... typing hurts and my right hand is now out of it... no pun intended.

Don't Tread on Me!

The CVUSD has been blocking webpages because of content... or so they say. Now I understand that some content on the web is reprehensible and has no place in an education setting. However, the blocking includes many political websites that can provide very important information for both students and teachers alike, especially those studying government and politics.

I got tired of fighting with the district, so I bought a Sierra Wireless USB 881 connection and subscribed to AT&T's wireless network service. Teachers often complain that they have to spend money out of their own pockets for basic supplies. In this day and age, isn't relevant information a basic supply?

In Covina-Valley, it is not.

Pete "Barry Switzer" Carroll

Given USC's poor sportsmanship on display yesterday during the Rose Bowl, it appears that the Trojans are starting to behave like Oklahoma and Miami did before their programs imploded from poor behavior. It began with the goofy dancing with each kickoff. Perhaps that was just a way for the players to get up for the game, but when the same players began to mock the Illinois fans by clapping above their heads along with the Illinois fans to one of their bands numbers, it became embarrassing. Add that mocking behavior to the idiocy of Desmond Reed and the others who got unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, and the smell of the Rose was just not as sweet.

How Can Tony Blair be a Catholic?

Or so asks a commentator in the English Press (as seen in the link above). The questions are fair enough, except for one thing- they are based on Blair's behavior and actions from before his official conversion. If Blair continues his anti-Catholic positions now that he has converted, then criticism of him is fair... but only when that happens.

Pakistan

Unstable? Corrupt? Anti-democratic?

Why is ANY of this news. Assassinations are horrid; but, let's be honest, the country is a basket case.

How the Coaches Voted

The BCS championship game should be between two of the following three teams: LSU, Oklahoma and USC. Ohio State, with its lousy non-conference scheduled coupled with a very weak Big 10 (for the second year in a row) does not deserve a shot.

I don't blame Frank Beamer of Va Tech for voting LSU first and his team second.

However, the following is a list of coaches that really need to have their heads examined:

Mike Belotti (Oregon): #1 Ohio State

Bret Bielema (Wisconsin): #1 Ohio State

Larry Blakeney (Troy): #1 Ohio State

Bobby "Senile" Bowden (FSU): #2 Ohio State, #8 Arizona State and #9 USC!!!!!

Tommy Bowden (Clemson): #1 Ohio State

The list goes on and on... the following are knuckleheads who voted for Ohio State either first or second:

Jeff Bower, Mack Brown, Bill "Fired" Callahan, Neil Callaway, Lloyd "Forced to Retire" Carr, Sylvester Croom, Bill Cubit, Mark Dantonio, Bill "Fired" Doba, Randy Edsall, Dennis "Forced to Resign" Franchione, Phillip Fulmer, Jeff Genyk, Jim Grobe, Steve Kragthorpe, Mike Leach, Rocky Long, Sonny "Forced to Retire" Lubbick, Bill Lynch, Doug Martin, Les Miles (setting up a patsy game with his LSU Tigers first, and the Buckeyes second), Shane Montgomery, Hal Mumme (Whoa there Hal! Hawaii #1 and OSU #2????), Joe Novak, Houston "See y'all later" Nutt, Tom O'Brien, George "Liar" O'Leary, Gary Patterson, Chris Petersen, Mark Richt, Mike Riley, Rich Rodriguez, Greg Schiano, Howard "Should be retired" Schnellenberger, Mark Snyder, Frank Solich, Rick Stockstill, Bob Stoops (OK #1 and OSU #2), Jeff Tedford, Joe Tiller, Bob Toledo, Dick Tomey, Jim Tressel (well, you can't blame him), Charlie Weiss, Tyrone Willingham, and Ron Zook.

Now, I have to give some credit to the following (whose names appear above):

Neil Callaway's 2-5: GA, LSU, USC OK.

Tedford, Doba and Willingham had USC second.

Tressel's 2-4: LSU, USC and OK.

And for the coaches who appear to have some sense:

Art Briles (Houston to Baylor) #1 LSU and #2 OK

Butch Davis (North Carolina): #1 LSU and #2 USC.

Joe Glenn (Wyoming): #1 LSU and #2 OK.

Steve Superior (So. Carolina): #1 OK and #2 LSU

Tommy Tuberville (Auburn): #1 LSU and #2 OK.

Fire the Tournament

USC v. Illinois??????

The White Coats should be flogged.

Politics as Usual

I know I have been very delinquent in my postings. Part of the reason is that with three little ones and much reduced internet access at my workplace (they block all blogs out of paranoia), I have don't have much time to post. However, for the three of you who care what I think, I will try to be more diligent once the primaries and caucuses begin.

Although I was hoping that Fred Thompson would light a spark on the GOP side, he simply has not, and I have no reason to back off my very early endorsement of Mitt Romney. This does not mean that I cannot be swayed. I have no fire in the belly, so to speak right now (Turducken not included) for any of the candidates.

But they are all better than Obama, Billary, and Hair Model.

If you have not read The Looming Tower yet, get on it!

Turducken

Turdon't... At least don't buy into the hype. We had it tonight since Granny is leaving for two months holiday in Australia tomorrow, so a traditional Thanksgiving was out of the question.

We got the one that was stuffed with cornbread dressing. Salt lick dressing is more like it; and, it is spicy. I don't think it is a bad idea, but it certainly did not live up to its billing. I hope when we get around to the crab cakes we will be happier.

Bad Coaching

He is a great recruiter, but I really question his ability to check his ego and make good decisions especially when he has a lousy DC and an OC who doesn't seem to know how to manage the clock and timeouts (which has been a problem ever since Pete got hired).

Holt has to go.

Brandon boy has to go.

And Pete needs to listen to Kenny Rogers and know when to hold them, know when to fold them...

And I am writing this with 33 seconds left.

Happy Birthday Packers

On this date in 1919 newswriter George Whitney Calhoun named the Green Bay team the Packers.

And to celebrate, they whacked the Giants!

Sign up!

Move On Dot Kill Us

Click on the above andjudge for yourself!

If you build it, they won't come

It is time to build a "wall" along the entire Mexican border. It should be patrolled by the U.S. Armed Forces including gunships (helicopters). Here is another reason why.

E pluribus unum NOT!

Click on the headline... 'nuff said!

Seattle's Tourists... or Terrorists?

Hey they are. Click on the title above for more.

Winning the War is the Answer

I've got my own Cafe Press Shop!

Are you sick and tired of the "War is not the answer" crowd? Then buy, buy, buy!

Here is the image:

This and that

Barry Bonds should get into the Hall of Fame about 20+ years after Pete Rose.

Why is it that the only people in the Church who are concerned that the return of the Mass in Latin will be divisive are the liberals who have been shoving divisive "innovations" down our throats for the last 30 years or so?

It has been unseasonably cool the last couple of days. Darn that global cooling!

Should we call China's bluff? It is threatening to tank the dollar by dumping their holdings of dollars (in various forms) that might cause a recession in the United States. The threat is a result of our demand for a fair revaluation of the yuan. But the elephant in the room is that if the Chinese put us into a recession, they will lose money since we are their number one buyer of Chinese goods. Perhaps we could offset part of any recession by increasing military sales to Taiwann and allowing Japan to have a full fledged army assuming they purchase their equipment from us.

Happy Anniversary

Thanks for seven great years, Teresa! No itch here (well, except for that spot off my left should blade that I cannot reach!).

Love,
Matthew

Wake up ADL!

I don't know what is worse: the whining uninformed ADL or the liberal press that runs to it to present an "informed" counter view on the release of the Latin Mass from jurisdictional jail.

The whining ADL complains that the Good Friday service in the Latin Rite contains a prayer for the conversion of Jews. In the first place, there is nothing wrong with praying for the conversion of anyone who is not Catholic regardless of their fatih. Secondly, Pope Benedict XVI has gone out of his way (and, due to the reaction of the nuts at the ADL, without good reason it turns out) to explicitly disallow any part of the older version of the Latin rite during the Easter Triduum which obviously includes Good Friday!

"Art. 2 In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum."

Now why the AP would go to someone who is not in the Church and rely on him to tell the world what Catholic theology is beyond comprehension unless one believes, as I do, that the press is biased against the Church.

Heaven help us!

Yes, but...

Pope Benedict writes, "The most sure guarantee that the Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved by them consists in its being celebrated with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives. This will bring out the spiritual richness and the theological depth of this Missal."

Yes, but what is to be done with the priests, bishops, and liturgists who continue to refuse the liturgical directives? That is what has gotten us into this mess in the first place.

The hippie bishops who generally are afraid of a split in the church should be more concerned with the charismatics.

And from the Hermeneutic of Continuity:

It's Better in Latin

Tomorrow is the day! I hope that the release lives up to the hype. Please note that I am not against the vernacular, just the banal liturgy and music that have "evolved" in a Protestant manner over the last 30+years.

It's Been Awhile

I'm sorry that I haven't been blathering lately. The folks at the district office have decided that all blogs are evil and will cause damage to the children of the Covina Valley school district. Thus, my pre-school and lunchtime missives have been killed off. That, of course, is not all bad, but what is bad is that I cannot read commentary from good sources for current events for my social studies students.

One thing of importance that my wife and I have done is opt-out our children from the evil Virtus/TAT program that is being shoved down the throat of parents in the Achdiocese of the child molester protector (Roger Mahony for the rest of you). Even the Catholic Medical Association has come out against it claiming that it damages the children.

But what the heck, since the majority of the stockholders of the group that produces Virtus/TAT programs are church dioceses and archdioceses, what's a little damage when there is a buck to be made?

Straw Poll

Time to Go?

President Bush has stated that the United States of America will leave Iraq if we are asked. Borrowing for Dennis Prager, it is time to organize a plebiscite in Iraq that allows the people of that country to make that decision.

In the meantime, the Congress should provide full funding through a plebscite date (September 1). This would allow the Iraqi's to see whether or not real progress has been made by thier government as well as with the Surge. If the Iraqi's vote to have us leave, then the Congress should renew funding with a timeline for withdrawal that the President should sign. If the Iraqi's vote for us to stay, Congress should provide full-funding, and the Democrats should SHUT UP!

Latin Laughter

I stole this one from romancatholicblog.com.

Welcome Sylvia!

Born May 19 at 12:08 a.m.

Backbone for Roger

Will Cardinal Mahony finally stop coddling the pro-abortion politicians in this state and his arch-diocese (including visitors like Senator John Kerry) now that the Pope appears to be taking a harder line along the lines of ex-communication.

I doubt it!

Tommy Thompson

One of the great things about looking at candidates this early is that you have time to change your mind. Although I haven't jumped off the Mitt bandwagon, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson looked and sounded good after the debate last week.

For more on him, click here. Also, to take a look at all the candidates, and potential candidates, for both parties, check out this site which will also allow you to search other candidates in other races.

The Problem with Penner

There has been some discussion locally about the decision of Mike Penner, Los Angeles Times sports writer, to become Christine Daniels. In his own words Mr. Penner tries to explain his decision.

Moral issues aside, two points bug me about all this. 1) After reading his article, there was a distinct feeling that this was a selfish person. With his new name choice, he has decided to insult and forget the family that brought him into the world as he is forgoing the family name. Additionally, why not "Michelle"? Perhaps there are some hard feelings either now or in the past between Mike and his parents, but the lack of comment on the issue is glaring.

2) Later during the day on which the article was published, I learned from Air America (yes, the liberal station) that Mr. Penner is also married (and, now going through a divorce). Where is the public apology to his wife?

So long as he remains silent on these issues, he will continue to be seen as a selfish individual regaradless of what a surgical knife does to his genetalia.

Rosie's outta here!

I guess the folks at The View finally got tired of the nut job as she is to leave the program at the end of the season in June.

A Step in the Right-Moral Direction

The Supreme Court finally got one RIGHT!

Will They Still Come?

In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, Shannon O'Neil (a political science professor at Columbia) wrote that the United States will have a major employment problem in the future because of the changing demographics in Mexico. Mexicans are no longer having large families; rather, they are now having children at a rate just above the replacement rate.

Interesting, but written in the dark. In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, David Luhnow reports that Mexico's oil production is dropping in a rather alarming manner due to the fact that Mexico is simply running out of oil. Given the fact that the revenue from oil is the number one source of income for Mexico, the country will need to find other sources of income or increase there current sources. According to a recent video on migration and geography that I showed in my class, (available at learner.org) the money sent back to Mexico from migrants is the fourth largest source of revenue for Mexico behind oil, tourism and agriculture.

It appears that the best possibility for an increase in revenue for Mexico is to increase funds coming back from migrant workers in the United States.

We shall find the answer in the future.

No Dentist Left Behind

My sister and fellow teacher, Molly, forwarded this to me over the weekend.


No Dentist Left Behind

My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He
uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've
got all my teeth.

When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about
the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.

"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of
dentists with their young patients?" I said.

"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"

"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities
each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a
dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below
average, and unsatisfactory.. That way parents will know which are the best
dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get
better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses
to practice."

"That's terrible," he said.

"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try
to improve children's dental health in this state?"

"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is
practicing good dentistry."

"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."

"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all
work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't
control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage
of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper
middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring
their children to see me until there is some kind of
problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the
parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age,
unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship
between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well
water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how
much difference early use of fluoride can make?"

"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you,
my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you
needn't fear a little accountability."

"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as
anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is
going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose
to work where I am needed most."

"Don't' get touchy," I said.

"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was
clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his
teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated
average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see
these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my
ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the
most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top
of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and
other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"

"I think you are overreacting," I said. "'Complaining, excuse-making and
stonewalling won't improve dental health'... I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I
noted.

"What's the DOC?" he asked.

"It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly
lay persons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved"

"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it,"
he said hopefully.

The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you
measure good dentistry?"

"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."

"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities
are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an
absolute measure."

"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This
can't be happening," he said despairingly.

"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."

"How?" he asked.

If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent
to help straighten you out," I said brightly.

"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to
show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have
probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"

"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."

"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and
teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no
regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that.
Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."

I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my
representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely
they will see the point."

He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger
that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.

Marquette is anti-Catholic

Click on the post's title. If you have yahoos like this on "tenure" (dissenting ex-priests who have links on their official Catholic University website) then your school is not Catholic.

If you have children, don't send them to Marquette.

If you went to Marquette or have sent them money in the past, stop.

I guess "shame, shame on ol' Notre Dame'" needs to be extended around Lake Michigan on the highway to the northwest. Of course, it has a "Jesuit identity."

And they used to be the Warriors (now the Golden Calves... err Eagles"!.

Methodist Showdown Averted

The the conspiracy of liberal Jesuits, Georgetown has "defeated" Vanderbilt, thus preventing a showdown between two schools who were originally founded with strong Methodist ties (Vandy v. USC) assuming the Trojans can hold on to their half-time lead.

The G-Town player TRAVELLED before hitting the game winning shot.

What a crock!

Mahony's "Mass"

Click on the title above... and stop giving money to the Archdiocese, or to your parish unless you earmark it for parish use only.

BTW: the mass was invalid based on what Rohr said and not prayed.

Sean Hannity - Bad Catholic

For those of you who think I only point out bad liberal Catholics, Sean Hannity is now on my radar screen. There are others who are more eloquent and influential than I on this issue, so click here to get a good priest's take (as well as a bad one listed at the bottom of the same page) on Mr. Hannity's anti-life stance.

Here is the good Father's take on his appearance on thew show.

Well, done Fr. E!

FS Bob on the Republican Presidential Candidates

It appears that one of my readers cannot post replies anymore. Anyway, here it is (via e-mail):

I too support Romney, but I am also a pragmatist.  I want a Republican in office.  Therefore I support the Republican candidate.  If, however, McCain is the nominee, this would create a serious concern that the process has gone seriously wrong.  Regardless of what liberals believe or profess to believe, there is a serious fight between good and evil for which many in this country do not have to sacrifice.  As a result, this country borders on the free love experiment of the '60's.  Back then though the military was supported by a draft.
Romney presents an interesting case of someone who won the governship in a definite blue state.  Despite being surrounded by the left, he was able to reform the government and left it in better shape than when he started.  I believe he can do it again with the Fed.  I am also a strong supported of Guiliani.  He is a case of not getting everything you want, but you still get a lot of good things.
 
FS Bob

Segregation - The Gay Way?

Hat tip to Fr. Toborowsky for his mentioning this article on his website. It seems that heterosexual couples are moving into the predominantly gay Castro district of the city of San Francisco. Many gays are disturbed that their community is being invaded.

Segregation anyone?

Benedict v. Mahony

Pope Benedict tabbed the very conservative Cardinal Biffi to give the annual Lenten retreat lecture. Cardinal Biffi focused on the fact that the anti-Christ and his minions walk amongst us, and their work can be identified in their "liberal" approach to religion.

At his annual train wRECk conference, Cardinal Mahony, once again, brought out the loonies whose speeches would seem to identify them as those who adhere to the anti-Christ message identified by Cardinal Biffi. (Note: you'll have to scroll down a bit to get to past former speakers to this years list in the linked .pdf file.)

I strongly urge you to protest Mahony's blatantly anti-Catholic message by not giving a single penny to Together in Mission. Rather, give it directly to the poor (as my wife and I are in the process of doing by helping out loyal Catholics in Samoa), or give money to the Bishop Appeal's Fund in other areas of the country that have a loyal catholic bishop as their leader (a couple are permanently linked in the sidebar to the left of this post.)

Hot Air Al

Gore's mansion uses over $1000 per month in electricity. People, please, stop giving this cretin any respect!

Musical Torture

If you simply are tired of the sappy music played in your church, you may want to join the petition to ban the awful noise as my wife and I have.

Here is one of the parodies (sung to "Here I am, Lord") you can find on the site:

Here I Am, Lord, Where Are You, Lord?

See the Blessed Sacrament
where the tabernacle went
in that little alcove there off to the side.
When folks come into the nave,
they don't know how to behave:
should they genuflect or not?
They can't decide.

Here I am, Lord. Where are You, Lord?
Are You in that niche way over there?
Once You were, Lord, front and center.
Now I cannot see You anywhere.

The Traditionalist Mass

The quote below is from an interview that can be found here with a Domincian Abbot in New Mexico:


But is the traditionalist world so important that the Holy Father should risk his pontificate by giving them a motu proprio?

Abbot: Jesus Christ, when talking about the Good Shepherd and the lost sheep, spoke about leaving the ninety-nine in order to seek out the one. We are talking about one percent. But we are also talking about the very vocation of the Good Shepherd. It is interesting to note that some Bishops speak about the Traditionalists as a “drop in the ocean.” As a matter of fact, the traditionalist world constitute a little over one percent of the Catholic Population. How Christ-like indeed it would be to offer a gesture of pastoral love in the form of a motu proprio!

Play by the Rules

The yellow flag rule in NASCAR is in effect for the safety of drivers. Why wasn't it put out after the last crash on Sunday? Weren't their drivers behind the crash who were in potential danger? The answer, of course, is "yes."

Shame on NASCAR.

A Sensible Man

Oh, Al Gore, will you now attack the great Cardinal of Sydney, Australia?

My guess is that Cardinal Pell will not be at any one of nut-job's backed global warming concerts!

Click here for Pell's latest common sense post. Remember, that there is a direct link to his Archdiocese on the left hand side of this page.

Now what, Roger?

Cardinal Mahony's consistently soft stance has failed once again to prevent an allegedly Catholic politician from further promote the culture of death. California Speaker Fabian Nunez is now fully on board with assisted suicide for the terminally ill under the belief that pain and suffering need to be eliminated even if it means hastening death.

Tell that to the crucified Christ.

Sick of Marriage

This last Sunday was World Day for the Sick and the World Day of Marriage in the Catholic Church. Am I the only to notice the odd combination?

Two Down

The other Edwards' knucklehead has resigned.

One down

The Edwards campaign has accepted the resignation of one bigot, who, by the way, simply blames one Catholic for harassing her... but, alas, it wasn't me!

My Letter to John Edwards

I just sent this one off via his website's e-mail program:

Dear Mr. Edwards:

Your disgusting decision to stand by the bigots on your staff is probably causing John F. Kennedy to spin in his grave.

As a teacher in a mixed school (ethnicity, religion, etc.) I teach about tolerance. I can only point to your recent example as the type of intolerance that still exists in society that needs to be eradicated.

Shake Your Booty!

Cardinal Mahony is at it again. The annual train wreck conference is upon us - check out the disastorous schedule of some of the events at the Cafeteria is Closed blog.

I only hope that the person in charge of music at my parish doesn't go. The "hymn" selections chosen now often (but to be fair, not always) are so insipid that I just want to get into the fetal position. I was thinking along those lines last Sunday as the congregation sang the goofy gathering song that seems to get sung at so many L.A. parishes these days. While the song celebrates the fact that we have gathered to celebrate our togetherness, I was quietly going in a different direction as I mentally recited the entrance antiphon for the day which was entirely more appropriate:

Come, let us worship the Lord. Let us bow down in the presence of our maker, for he is the Lord our God.

Of course this antiphon goes against the Mahony mandate that we, the congregation, should turn and welcome the "presider" as as he saunters down the aisle. My wife and I face forward toward the tabernacle, and this past week's antiphon seems to point that maybe that is what we should all be doing.

Saint Blaise

I should be the first to admit that I had forgotten that tomorrow is Saint Blaise's Feast Day. I remember how when I was young we always went to church for the blessing of the throats. It's not mentioned in the bulletin of my chruch either (I went to a different one last week as can be seen in the post below on language). It wasn't in the bulletin of the church in San Dimas.

Another fine tradition and spiritual experience bites the dust in the Mahonified church of Los Angeles.

How sad.

Name that Language!

The Janauary 28 edition of the Holy Name of Mary Parish bulletin (not yet published on the site) is, well, amazing for very one reason: it demonstrates how ignorant many have become of the official language of the Church (it's Latin in case your are one of the ignorant). In the article Liturgy/Music Corner that appears on page 7, the author feels the need to add the following explanation about the words (in Latin) to the Agnus Dei: "Please note that when we sing Agnus Dei we are NOT singing in Spanish" (emphasis in the original).

If you get around to actually reading the piece, I am that the violations of the GIRM will astound you, but the bit about Latin and Spanish was shocking. I actually laughed out loud prior to Mass while reading it. If you have ever had to suffer through a "Mass" at this parish I have empathy for you. If you are a parishonier, you have my sympathy. Get out while you still have your faith!

My New Favorite Blog

Keeping with the the theme of the day!

Hand Holding at Mass

From Catholic Answers in April of '06:

ORIGINS OF HAND-HOLDING

The current issue of the "Adoremus Bulletin" says this in response to a query from a priest in the Bronx:

"No gesture for the people during the Lord's Prayer is mentioned in the official documents. The late liturgist Fr. Robert Hovda promoted holding hands during this prayer, a practice he said originated in Alcoholics Anonymous. Some 'charismatic' groups took up the practice."

My long-time sense had been that hand-holding at the Our Father was an intrusion from charismaticism, but I had not been aware of the possible connection with AA. If this is the real origin of the practice, it makes it doubly odd: first, because hand-holding intrudes a false air of chumminess into the Mass (and undercuts the immediately-following sign of peace), and second, because modifications to liturgical rites ought to arise organically and not be borrowed from secular self-help groups.

Periodically, on "Catholic Answers Live" I am asked about hand-holding during Mass and explain that it is contrary to the rubrics. Usually I get follow-up e-mails from people who say, "But it's my favorite part of the Mass" or "We hold hands as a family, and it makes us feel closer."

About the latter I think, "It's good to feel close as a family, but you can hold hands at home or at the mall. The Mass has a formal structure that should be respected. That means you forgo certain things that you might do on the outside."

About the former comment I think, "If this is the high point of the Mass for you, you need to take Remedial Mass 101. The Mass is not a social event. It is the re-presentation of the sacrifice of Calvary, and it is the loftiest form of prayer. It should be attended with appropriate solemnity."


From Zenit/EWTN comes more detail that it simply is not allowed since it has not been correctly approved by the bishops and the Holy See (and, no, it hasn't been as of the writing of this post even though the info at Zenit is a few years old).

So STOP IT already!!!!!!!

Spanking, Iraq and the Surge

Democrat California legislator Sally Lieber is introducing legislation that would outlaw spanking in the state arguing that it is tantamount to child abuse. Her rationale is a prime example of what is wrong with the far-left Democrats - any form of physical behavior (except for abortion) that might even be remotely considered aggressive or violent is inherently wrong. Thus, it should come as no shock that many of the same knuckleheads on the left are against the so-called Surge in Iraq even though it appears that it is already making a positive impact in Iraq prior to its implementation.

Toynbee argued that great civilizations die from suicide generally as a result of its lack of will; or, rather, great civilizations eventually die because they no longer have the will to use force when necessary in order to ensure its survival. Spanking, at the most basic level, is an example of how a parent can use force to discipline a child and teach that child the difference between right and wrong. Do all children who disobey need to be spanked? No, and not all confrontations with hostile competitors on the world stage need to be resolved with force either. However, it is clear that the use of force needs to be an option if needed, and it can only be an option if the nation has the will to use it.

Romney

I have included a link to the Hewitt blog which contains a letter signed by various representatives of pro-life groups in Massachussetts. Given Romeny's other fine conservative credentials that have been put into action during his tenure as governor of that state, it is time for conservatives to rally behind him so that McCain cannot and will not be the Republican candidate for president in 2008.

For those who are whining about Romney's stances from his previous run against ol' Teddy, please be advised that he has admitted his own shortcomings, and, like Ronald Reagan, fixed his ways.

Romney for President!

Final Top Ten

1) Florida
2) USC
3) LSU
4) OSU
5) Wisconsin
6) Boise State
7) Auburn
8) Louisville
9) Oklahoma
10) Cal
11) (in honor of the Big T1e1n) Michigan

Pathetic

The USC atheltic website seems to have missed the fact that its most recent placekicker is dead. Pathetic (as of 7:41 on Sunday night).

The First Nowell

Really... that is how the modernists spell it. In addition, the modernists keep taking our children away (well, not mine) for a childrens' liturgy whereby they miss the Creed and the part about being "one holy Catholic" etc. So much for ONE. My nightmare tells me that the childrens' liturgy goes something like this:



At least the priest in Poland got enough nerve to not be the next Archbishop of Warsaw.

There is still hope!

Vacation Musings

1) Under "The Vatican Isn't Always Right" Column (well, column 1 of that category), the soon to be installed Archbishop of Warsaw appears to have been a communist spy. Will the Vatican do the right thing and stop this installation? Given that Roger the Responsibility Dodger is still in charge in Los Angeles in spite of his blatant crimes, I doubt it.

2) In the second column under the same title, the Vatican's response to the righfull execution of Saddam Hussein is appaling in that the Vatican Cardinal and others (not the Pope) who initially popped off does not seem to understand either the reality of the situation or the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Let's see if Cardinal Martino can grasp the plain meaning of the following from the Catechism:

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically nonexistent."

Now, the question should be if the killing of Saddam was an absolute necessity. I would argue that the situation with Hussein was so grave, that his return would cause much greater damage given the fact that it is a real possibility given the civil war like situation in Iraq. If you thought Napoleon made a mess in his second stint as emperor of France, just imagine what Hussein would have been able to do. Also, given the widespread loyalty of Baathists to him, it is highly likely that many of the killing committed by Sunni Baathists were done in an attempt to further destabilize the situation so that the U.S. would pull out, and Hussein, backed by the Baathists of Syria, would return to his position of dictator and his murderous ways.

3) USC should have played Ohio state, and, no, not in Glendale, Arizona. It is about time to put the BCS to rest and get back to tradition. Given the fact that USC smoked Michigan in the second half of the Rose Bowl, I really would have liked to have seen the traditional Big Ten - Pac Ten matchup of champions.

4) Will someone please stop giving mediocre Notre Dame football teams big paydays? The Fleeing French gave no indication on the field during the regular season that they belonged in a game of the stature of the Sugar Bowl. LSU confirmed it. If we are to be stuck with the awful BCS, then it should be modified so that Notre Dame cannot go unless they have defeated at least one top ten team as ranked at the end of the regular season. Additionally, they need to have not lost more than one game. Some may call this overly harsh, but since ND refuses to join a conference (a move that would really expose its constant weakness), they should't be granted such an easy pass to any BCS game.

5) I still want Kiflin fired (and you can heave-ho the OL coach too). If SC cannot have a balanced attack, something is dreadfully wrong.

Kwanza Komedy

Click on the post's title. Oh, how politically incorrect of me!

Still Liberal After All Those Subscription Cancellations

As the circulation numbers for the Los Angeles Times continue to drop, the clueless new "leadership" group at the Times continues its liberal drive. Today's lead story on Bush's press conference of yesterday focused on Bush's admitting that it has been a "tough year" in Iraq. Additionally, the tone of the story is one that liberals have been hammering away over the last couple of years: failure.

A conservative, or, at least, pro-American, paper would have focused on something that the Times buried near the end of the story. The President stated,"This war on terror is the calling of a new generation; it is the calling of our generation…"

It is the calling of our generation. There is a new Navy slogan that puts it a different way - Life, Liberty and the pursuit of all who threaten it.

The Times can thank the First Amendment of its protection from the Navy. But, those of who know better cancelled our subscriptions long ago. If you haven't done so, please call and cancel today.

The 1962 Mass of St. Pius V

Click on the posts title for a link to the latest information about the liberalization of the Mass (I know that "liberalization" is an odd word to use here).

The rumored good news that the request need only be 30 parishoners, down from 50, is welcome. I have become so tired of abuses at Mass, it will be wonderful to have the opportunity to go to one that is actually vertically oriented.

I have only two concerns (and I hope the second one is truly just a joke):

1) There are not enough priests who actually know Latin well enough to conduct the Mass;

2) Banal liberal music will be artificially grafted on to these Masses with the intent of destroying the desire of the faithful to ask for them.

The Realists Who Ignore Reality

Check out Mark Steyn's latest on the Iraq Study Group. These old guys have lost touch with reality. Who in their right mind thinks the governments of Syrai and Iran can be trusted?

Michigan is Your Clubhouse Leader

Just as in professional golf, the clubhouse leader is not the leader. We have to wait until everyone finishes the round to see who the leader really is. In the case of college football this year, the leader in the clubhouse for the #2 spot in the BCS championship game was Michigan. But after all the other teams finished their "rounds" the leader for the #2 spot was Florida - the 12-1 SEC Champion.

Top Ten and the Coaching Debacle

The Coaching Debacle: Blame Pete Carrol for continuing with his junior varsity offensive staff. It's time for him to check his ego, eat some crow, and get Norm back. Of course, I made a similar complaint after last season (and during last season too).

Joke: How many tipped balls does it take to get to Pasadena?
Answer: Two (OSU and UCLA). But the Trojans added several more just make sure.

Top Ten

1) Ohio State
2) Florida
3) Oklahoma
4) Michigan
5) Wisconsin
6) LSU
7) USC
8) Auburn
9) Arkansas
10) Louisville

How to be a Notre Dame Fan

A friend sent this to me on Monday.

Roger, Please RESIGN!

The Archdiocese has agreed to pay 60 million dollars to settle some of the sexual abuse cases that have occurred in Los Angeles.

Why didn't he resign as well today? I can only guess that he thinks his actions have not been criminal. My guess is that he will have to flee to Rome much like the cardinal of Boston had to do.

It's a black day in the archdiocese.

Top Ten

Okay, I know that I am all over the place, but I refuse to be bottled in by previous votes.

1) Ohio State
2) Florida
3) USC
4) Michigan
5) Oklahoma
6) Wisconsin
7) LSU
8) Auburn
9) Arkansas
10) Louisville

My top 10

1) Ohio State
2) Michigan
3) USC
4) Florida
5) Arkansas
6) Wisconsin
7) Auburn
8) Texas
9) Notre Dame
10) Louisville.

Thanksgiving "Dinner"

It's off to the Car for us... they now serve breakfast 24/7 so the kids will get what they want even though the rest of us will be having a late lunch/early dinner/

On a married priesthood

click on the title

Unity?

The French Bishops fear the liberalization of the Tridentine Rite as it will negatively affect the unity of the Church:

“The bishops are afraid that the generalization of the Roman missal of 1962 would attenuate the guidelines of Vatican Council II. Such a decision would also risk endangering the unity among the priests, and among the faithful as well.”

Huh? Given the fact that in France and elsewhere the plethora of goofiness and difference in the liturgy has introduced a vast amount of disunity.

Cardinal Arinze has put the silly French in their place. For more, click here.

Mid-Term Historical Numbers

Click on the link... the historical trend indicates that the Republican loss is not abnormal.

My Top 10

1) Ohio State
2) Michigan
3) USC
4) Arkansas
5) Florida
6) Wisconsin
7) Notre Dame
8) LSU
9) Texas
10) Auburn

Rutgers is a nice story, but does anyone in their right mind think they can beat any top team from a major conference, and, no, the Big East is not a major connference in football anymore.

The Horses Have Reached the Starting Gate

With the elections over and the new leadership already coming up with bad ideas, let's take a quick look at current events.

1) Hugh Hewitt was congratulated by Rush Limbaugh for the former's insight into the Republican debacle of last week. I'd link it but trying to find it on townhall.com is like trying to find a Republican at a CTA leadership retreat. Anyway, Hugh did a masterful job of getting it wrong. He blamed the gang of fourteen and other big events that the base really has either forgotten or didn't prioritize. My guess, and we'll see if I am right when all the date finally gets crunched, is that the base stayed home much like it did in 1976 because it was disheartened that Bush really isn't a conservative.

Now I don't excuse the base since they are getting a much worse situation come January with...

2) Cut and Run - the Democrats are already setting a time table to cut and run. Those of you who simply blame Democrats and/or the instant gratification mentality of many who voted for them are showing your ignorance of history. America has never been a consistently reliable military source. Beginning with the pullout after Reconstruction that led to decades of Jim Crow segregation and lynchings, the U.S. electorate has consistently shown that it is incapable of finishing a long fight - and I define that as being anything over four years. Thus, we have traditionally been "weary of war," and that has only been compounded by the Vietnam syndrome and the graying of the hippies.

Frankly, the base that didn't bother to show up and vote because of "principlel" are no better than a child that takes his ball and goes home because he isn't winning. If you need to be mad, get mad at them first since they are the ones with the final say. After all, this last election showed that George Bush is not the fascist dictator that the the Soros crowd has been claiming, and it reminds us that the true power still resides in the hands of the people... the people who bother to vote.

Election Review Part I

After all the data comes in over the next few days, I will be posting my analysis (yipee!).

I may even have a rant later in the week, but until then, the following is an e-mail I received today from Priests for Life:

Time for Democrats to Prove our Point
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Pendulums swing, and political experts point out that the results of yesterday’s elections are not unusual for the sixth year of a two-term President. I will leave to them the detailed political commentary about the dynamics of this election. Let me share with you, however, some key points for us to keep in mind as a pro-life movement, and as we continue with renewed zeal to press forward with our goals.

1. The Democrats gained power by latching onto our momentum, not theirs. These comments in the Washington Post today are instructive: “The complexion of the Democratic presence in Congress will change as well. Party politics will be shaped by the resurgence of "Blue Dog" Democrats, who come mainly from the South and from rural districts in the Midwest and often vote like Republicans. Top Democrats such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) see these middle-of-the-road lawmakers as the future of the party in a nation that leans slightly right of center. In private talks before the election, Emanuel and other top Democrats told their members they cannot allow the party's liberal wing to dominate the agenda next year.”

And the hear of the “liberal wing” is support for abortion on demand.

The Democrats did not (and could not) gain any control in Congress by opposing the pro-life position, but rather by having enough candidates who claimed to embrace it (like Bob Casey, Jr.). Neither party made abortion a top campaign issue; meanwhile, on issues like the war or taxes or spending, pro-life people take various positions. Democratic advances are no indication that people buy into the party’s platform on abortion, which in fact the American public has never supported.

2. Unless pro-life wins, nobody wins. The Democrats’ continued failure to affirm that government must protect unborn children from the violence of abortion calls into serious question their ability to speak credibly about war. In 1994, Mother Teresa asked President Clinton, and all America, “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?” (Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, February 3, 1994).

The Washington Post reports today that exit polls found 41 percent of voters rated corruption "extremely important" to their decision. Yet corruption cuts both political ways. The willingness to permit, under law, the dismemberment of children in the womb without so much as supporting measures to give them pain relief represents a deep corruption of the mind and heart. In fact, one of the first questions I have for the new House leadership is, “What action will you take on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, that would require a mother to be given the option of providing pain relief for her unborn child at 20 or more weeks of pregnancy before killing that child by abortion?”

Indeed, it’s time for Democrats to prove our point. Every effort to build a just society will fail until we eliminate the most fundamental injustice. We cannot welcome the poor or the immigrant without welcoming our own children, and we cannot advance peace in the world until there’s peace in the womb.

3. Culturally, we continue to have the momentum. The fact is, we are well on our way to re-establishing peace in the womb, despite the Democratic extremism on abortion.

Today, I will be in the Supreme Court to listen to the oral arguments in which the Bush Administration will defend the Federal Ban on Partial-birth abortion. This law represents the first time the United States has banned an abortion procedure since Roe vs. Wade. That would not have happened except for the election victories of the last six years. Moreover, the law is being considered by a Supreme Court with two new Justices, placed there again as a result of electoral progress over the last six years and likely to be favorable to upholding the ban.

Every trend continues to move in our direction:
* opinion polls about abortion
* the declining number of abortions, abortionists, and abortion mills
* the strong new motivation of our young pro-life activists who know they are abortion survivors
* the growing voice of women and men harmed by abortion, who contradict its promise of “benefit”
* the evidence in science about who the child is
* the medical evidence that abortion is no benefit to women
* the sociological evidence that abortion is no benefit to society
* a new wave of clergy who are more ready for the pro-life battle than ever
* a new wave of reporters and other professionals who are far more pro-life than their predecessors

and much more.

4. The vote on the South Dakota ban does not mean what abortion supporters want it to mean. The American people continue to oppose all but a small fraction of the abortions that are permitted. The circumstances in which most of the American public supports the legality of abortion are the circumstances of rape, incest, or a threat to the mother’s life or physical health – circumstances which account for a few percentage points of the total numbers of abortion. This, in fact, explains why there was not majority support at the ballot box for the South Dakota abortion ban. Pro-abortion forces, bringing most of their money in from outside of the state, bargained on being able to get the people to reject a “no rape exception policy,” and hence miss the forest for the trees. The people of South Dakota don’t support the Planned Parenthood policy of abortion on demand, and neither does the rest of America. But don’t hold your breath waiting for abortion supporters to tell you that.

5. Keep politics in perspective. Ultimately, what are we seeking when we try to put pro-life public officials into office? We are not looking to them to do our work for us. We are looking to them to do their work and to let us do ours. Ultimately, the People of God have the responsibility for ending abortion, and will do so. The only question is how many obstacles public officials will put in their way, not whether public officials will stop them. The work of public officials is, first and foremost, to protect the public. Yet it is that same duty that falls to the People of God as they continue to expose the truth about abortion, promote alternatives, heal those wounded by abortion and help them speak out, close abortion facilities, and continue to work within the legislative and political arena to challenge government to fulfill the purpose for which it was established.

6. Start working now for 2008. Pendulums swing, and elections are about people getting involved. The time to begin the effort to elect people in 2008, including a pro-life president, is now. Mobilize, educate, grow your lists, and be more vocal and confident than ever before. I look forward to working together with you to pick up the slack, awaken our fellow citizens and believers with the enduring message of truth and life, and restoring, in culture and in law, the protection of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. Remember, we are not just working for victory; we are working from victory. Victory is our starting point, because Christ is Risen. The outcome of the battle for life has already been decided. It only remains for us to be sure to do our part to proclaim, celebrate, and serve that victory, and bring its transforming power to every segment of our society!

God bless you!
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

My top 10

1) Ohio State
2) Florida
3) Auburn
4) Michigan
5) USC
6) CAL
7) Texas
8) Wisconsin
9) Louisville
10) Notre Dame

Endorsements

Click on the title to see my endorsements. I am running it again since it has now been archived, but the election is not over.

Thanks.

Education Fraud

The State of California, like those of the rest of the Union it seems, continues to teach a fraudulent theory in our science classrooms - Darwinism/Evolution.

Now before you reach the conclusion that I have gone off the deep end, please rest assured that I am not suggesting any other theory replace it in our textbooks. Rather, evolution as a theory should be dropped completely since it is so ridiculously wrong.

Ann Coulter, in her latest book The Church of Liberalism: Godless supports (through thorough research) seven truths that should be taught so longs as the knucklehead evolutionists are in the classroom:

1) the truth about the entire fossil record, which shows a very non-Darwinian progression, noticeably lacking the vast number of transitional species we ought to see;

2) the truth about the Cambrian (time period), in which virtually all the animal phyla suddenly appeared, with no Darwinian ancestors;

3) the truth about the Galapagos finch population changing not one (significant) bit since Darwin first observed finces more than 170 years ago;

4) the truth about the peppered moth experiment (which was a fraud);

5) the truth about Haeckel's embryos being a fraud perpetrated by a leading German eugenicist;

6) the truth about the Miller-Urey experiment being based on premises that are no longer accepted; and

7) the truth about the nonexistence of computer simulations of the evolution of the eye.

In the current regular-track biology textbook used at the school where I work, Haeckel is downplayed, but still included in a way that appears that he was on to something "right." The Miller-Urey experiment is still presented (with an illustration) as having great merit.

And, of course, the book (Modern Biology by Towle - published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston) bows down to Darwin and his theory of Evolution. The Cambrian Period explosion is mentioned, but is mentioned in such a way that it seems to not contradict anything that Darwin and his followers have spewed forth.

Our schools aren't teaching science in this area. They are teaching fantasy and it is mandated in the state content standards of the State of California.