THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The yellow ribbons are tied around the trees. The flags are flying high. The hot dogs are on the grill. Lee Greenwood is singing “God Bless the USA” on the radio.

The kids are celebrating a day off from school.

Decent adults are honoring the heroes that make such days off possible.

To all the American soldiers and their loved ones, I wish you a peaceful Veterans Day.

I also have a simple message to every veteran on American soil.

Thank you. Thank you, and welcome home.

Welcome home.

http://www.opgratitude.com/

http://www.soldiersangels.com/

http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/default.aspx

http://sempermax.com/

http://www.blackfive.net/

http://www.oursoldiersspeak.org/

We tell each other how much we support the troops.

Tell them.

In college I once said “Thank you and welcome home” to a Vietnam veteran. He began crying, saying that I was the first person in 20 years that said that to him.

My Rabbi often tells me that one small good deed can change the world, so I should make it a good one.

Send a care package. Videotape a statement. Send a written note. Help a homeless vet with a blanket or some food or help them find a shelter.

After what they did for us, it is the least we can do for them.

They don’t ask. They shouldn’t have to ask. We can still offer.

Give them that hearty handshake.

They lay it all on the line, and when they come back, deserve to hear it again and again.

So I will say it again.

Thank you and welcome home.

eric

I recently attended another Israel-bashing seminar at UCLA, the University of Crooked Lying Arabists.

The column is at Front Page Magazine.

http://frontpagemag.com/2009/11/10/israel-bashing-at-ucla-by-eric-golub/

eric

My column today can be found at the Republican Jewish Coalition website.

http://www.rjchq.org

Pop singer Prince was off by 10 years. Today the Germans are going to party like it’s 1989.

Included in the festivities will be the German rock band “the Scorpions.”

Their song “Wind of Change” was specifically dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

“The world is closing in…but did you ever think…that we could be so close…like brothers.”

In a world where much has gone mad and wrong, today is a celebration of everything that is decent and right with this world.

Ronald Reagan told Mr. Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall.”

For those who need to be reminded of what can happen when true greatness dares to dream, read President Reagan’s entire remarks.

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/reagan-tear-down.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8

Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall came down.

Within months, millions of people that had been living in captivity were given the God given gifts of freedom and liberty.

Some have said that without love, there is no life.

Perhaps. Yet without liberty, there is nothing at all.

While we rightly celebrate Ronald Reagan’s greatness, the best way we can honor his memory is by continuing what he started.

Some will say that George W. Bush was evil. Others will say he was well intentioned but wrong.

I will loudly stand up and say that he was right.

He is right because liberty is right. It is right morally, politically, and strategically.

Strategically we know that free nations do not attack each other. Nations basking in liberty do not bomb each other or kill innocent civilians. Never in history has any true democracy ever attacked another one.

Politically we know that leaders who free people from slavery and bondage are treated as heroes. Moses led the Jews out of Egypt. Nelson Mandela ended Apartheid in South Africa. Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation. Ronald Reagan gave real hope to Eastern Europe. George W. Bush liberated two nations in the Middle East.

It was not just flowery rhetoric, since neither Moses nor George W. Bush possessed the eloquence of Lincoln or Reagan. It was noble deeds by men with noble hearts.

They did not need polls or focus groups to tell them what people in every corner of the world know.

Every human being is a creature of God. No human was meant to own another human.

We were meant to have dignity, which can only come with freedom and liberty.

It is worth dying for. Ask the survivors of Germans killed trying to cross over the wall.

Twenty years after the fall of the wall, we are at a critical moment in history.

Will we as Americans continue to fight for liberty, or will we give up?

Will we “bear any burden, pay any price?”

Are we up to the challenge?

We have to be.

Millions of people world wide are standing up.

We are at our best when we stand with them. Yet we have not always stood up.

We stood down when Tienamen Square happened. We stood down when the Kurds needed us. We initially stood down when we allowed blacks to be seen as three fifths of a human being.

Yet most of the time, we get it right. It just takes leadership that believes in liberty. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Ronald Reagan won the Cold War. George W. Bush will one day get credit for bringing liberty to the Middle East.

Iranians are standing up. They want to be free of the Mullahs. Will we stand up?

Iraqis are waving their purple stained fingers. Will we stand up?

Afghanis hate the Taliban. They want to be free. Will we stand up?

We stood up against slavery, Communism, and Nazism. Islamofacism is not insurmountable. It will be tough, but as Ronald Reagan reminded us in his inaugural address, we are up to the challenge. He summed it up in three words.

“We are Americans.”

The road ahead to spread liberty will not be easy. Yet being American is not about doing what is easy. It is about standing tall and doing what is right.

Liberty is right.

Tyranny kills. Liberty breathes life into people.

Liberty gives people their humanity. It is every bit as vital to the human as blood, water, and plasma.

Twenty years ago Europe saw the beauty of liberty.

Middle Easterners are human beings loved by God. They deserve liberty as well.

Twenty years from now, they will love us the same way that Eastern Europeans and most Americans love and admire Ronald Reagan.

L’chaim to liberty. L’chaim to life.

eric

From Arizona, I look for a sportsbar. The last time I was in Arizona was to watch one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Thrill and danger in the desert almost kept me from making it home.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2008/02/thrill-and-danger-in-the-desert/

This weekend should be smoother. Actually know it won’t. Between the drive from Los Angeles to Arizona followed by 5 book signings and speeches in 3 days, this NFL Recap will be way behind schedule.

For those in Arizona, here is my itinerary.

Sunday, November 8—I will be speaking to the Arizona chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition at 2pm in Scottsdale. Please contact Amy Laff for details.

http://www.rjchq.org/Chapters/chapterdetail.aspx?id=13371fe4-92c4-4c6d-9278-1f2bf3747508

Monday, November 9—I will be speaking to the Huachuca Chapter of the Republican Women’s Federated in Cochise County, Arizona, at Noon. Windermire Hotel, 2047 S Hwy 92, Sierra Vista, 85650. Please contact Vera Hylsky (520) 803-1718 for details.

Monday, November 9—I will be speaking to the Arizona Group Coalition for a Conservative Majority at 6:30pm at the Italian American Club, 7509 North 12th st, Phoenix. Please contact Ted Naeckel for details.

Tuesday, November 10—I will be speaking to the Pima County Republican Club in Arizona at 11:30am. El Parador, 2744 East Broadway. Contact Mike Ebert for details.

Tuesday, November 10—I will be speaking to the Superstition Mountain Republican Club in Arizona at 5:30pm. Feed Bag Restaurant 300 S. Phelps Apache Junction, AZ. Please contact Merle Palmer 480-671-8310.

At least my rental car has NFL Sirius Satellite Radio.

With that, here is the NFL 2009 Week 9 Recap.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars–The Chiefs began their opening drive on their own 43, and after failing to convert on 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 28, settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. Yet when Jennings ran for a 28 yard touchdown, the Jaguars were up 7-3. In the second quarter the Jaguars missed a long field goal, and later in the period fumbled the ball away at their own 20. The Chiefs reached the 3 yard line before settling for a field goal and a 7-6 game. Yet David Garrard then went deep to Sims-Walker for a 61 yard touchdown pass to put the Jaguars up 14-6 at halftime as the Chiefs also missed a long field goal at the gun.

In the third quarter Garrard led a 10 play, 5 1/2 minute drive that resulted in a field goal and a 17-6 Jacksonville lead. With 7 minutes left in the game, a long punt return had the Jaguars starting at the Chiefs 22. A 10 yard run by Maurice Jones Drew had the Jaguars up 24-6 with only 4 1/2 minutes left. Yet the Chiefs fought valiantly. Matt Cassel hit Chris Chambers for a 54 yard touchdown pass to pull the Chiefs within 24-13 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Chiefs recovered the onsides kick, and Cassel hit Chambers from 5 yards out. With the 2 point conversion, the Chiefs were within a field goal with one minute remaining. Yet the Jaguars recovered the next onsides kick to preserve the win. 24-21 Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals–While the Bengals are much improved, the Ravens are one year removed from the AFC Title Game. Yet while the Ravens are known for attitude, today it was the Bengals who played smashmouth. On their opening drive, Carson Palmer led the Bengals 12 plays in over 6 minutes to cover 73 yards. A 6 yard touchdown pass to Caldwell had the Bengals up 7-0. After a Baltimore punt, Palmer moved the Bengals 80 yards in 10 plays, with Cedric Benson running it in from one yard out to put the Bengals up 14-0. In the second quarter Palmer led a 12 play, 7 minute drive that led to a field goal as the Bengals led 17-0 at halftime. The second half was all defense. The Ravens eventually cracked the scoreboard, but the Bengals under Marvin Lewis improved to 6-2, 4-0 in the division. 17-7 Bengals

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts–The Texans are much improved at 5-3 under Gary Kubiak, but the Jim Caldwell era in Indy has the Colts at 7-0. The Colts turned it over on downs on their first possession, but got the ball back and marched 12 plays to paydirt as Peyton Manning hit Joseph Addai for a 7 yard touchdown to put the Colts up 7-0. Matt Schaub needed one play to throw an interception, and a short field goal had the Colts up 10-0. The Colts got the ball back again, and Manning led a 10 play drive in the second quarter that led to another Matt Stover field goal. Peyton Manning threw the ball a ridiculous 40 times in the first half, and 50 times in the game. Yet despite dominating statistically, the Colts offense struggled for the second week in a row at home to put the ball in the end zone, as they only led 13-0.

Schaub moved the Texans from their own 11 deep into Indy territory, but a fumble at the goal line resulted in a touchback at the 2 minute warning. Yet the Colts could not run out the clock, since they did not run the ball much of the game. A 56 yard field goal at the gun had the Texans within 13-3 at halftime.

The Texans took the second half kickoff, and Schaub led the Texans 86 yards in 12 plays over 6 1/2 minutes. This time they finished the drive, as Schaub hit Moats from one yard out to get the Texans within 13-10. The Colts failed to pick up a first down, and Schaub then led the Texans 84 yards in 12 plays over another 6 1/2 minutes. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Steve Slaton ran it in from one yard out as the Texans had a 17-13 lead.

On the next Colts possession Manning went deep and was intercepted. Yet the Texans failed to capitalize. The Colts got the ball back with 11 minutes left, and Manning made the Texans pay. A 17 yard completion to Dallas Clark followed by a 16 yard completion to Collie set up Joseph Addai on the ground from 2 yards out. The Colts led by a field goal with 7 minutes left.

Schaub moved the Texans into Indy territory, but with 2:13 left, an interception appeared to seal the game. It didn’t. The Colts used up only 27 seconds, and with 1:46 left the Texans had one last shot from their own 15. Schaub worked the 2 minute drill to perfection, and with one second left, the Texans had the tying field goal attempt from 42 yards out. It was no good, wide left, and for the second week in a row, the Colts had survived a scare at home. The Texans are much improved, and the Colts have looked rickety. Yet they are 8-0, and that is what matters. 20-17 Colts

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons–The Falcons have lost two straight, while the Redskins are on the verge of being impeached. Matt Ryan led a 10 play, 6 minute drive that culminated in a 2 yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez to put the Falcons up 7-0. Jason Campbell then threw a 62 yard touchdown pass to Hill. Unfortunately for Campbell, Hill plays defense for Atlanta. The Falcons led 14-0 and cruised to an easy win against a bad team. The Redskins did manage a second quarter field goal, but a 30 yard touchdown run by Michael Turner had the Falcons up 21-3. The Falcons got the ball back with 2:17 left in the half, and somehow ran 14 plays in that time. A Jason Elam field goal at the gun had the Falcons coasting 24-3.For some reason, the second half was played.

The Redskins showed some life in the second half as Campbell led an 8 minute drive that covered 80 yards and 13 plays. On 4th and goal from the 1, Betts ran it in to make it a 24-10 game. The Redskins got the ball back, and Campbell led another 13 play drive, this one covering 81 yards over 7 minutes. When Campbell hit Yoder from 3 yards out, the Redskins were within 7 points with an entire 13 minutes left in the game. Yet the Redskins had no answer for Michael Turner, and a 58 yard touchdown run iced the game for the Falcons. Turner finished with 166 yards on 18 carries, as Atlanta improved to 5-3. As for Jim Zorn, Sherm Lewis, Daniel Snyder, and their ilk, the apologies shall continue. 31-17 Falcons

Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–For a long time ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman referred to this game as the Bay of Pigs. Then both teams improved, and it became Baywatch. It is now back to being the Bay of Pigs again. The Buccaneers, determined to honor their legacy of starting 0-26, decided that the best way to revive their current 0-7 team was to break out the orange creamsicle pants. Jon Gruden is still in the Monday Night Football booth. Brett Favre spent the weekend relaxing as Minnesota was 7-1.

2 1/2 minutes into the game, Aaron Rodgers hit Jones on a 74 yard touchdown pass, proving that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are geniuses. Later in the quarter Rodgers was intercepted, as the Buccaneers took over at the Green Bay 8. Josh Freeman, making his very first NFL start, hit Ward from 6 yards out to tie the game 7-7. Yet Rodgers brought the Packers right back, and 11 plays and 6 minutes later, Ryan Grant ran it in form 2 yards out to cap the 69 yard drive and put the Packers up 14-7.

In the second quarter the Buccaneers missed a field goal, but despite having an anemic offense all year, found themselves in a 14-14 tie game when Hayes blocked a punt and Ronde Barber returned it 31 yards for a score. Rodgers brought the Pckers back again, and a 3 yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver had Green Bay up 21-14. The pace of the game then slowed, and with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Buccaneers were at their own 6 yard line. All Josh Freeman did in his first start was lead Tampa Bay all the way to the Packers 20, where a field goal had Tampa Bay within 21-17 at intermission.

A scoreless third quarter featured another Aaron Rodgers interception, but when Rodgers ran it in from 1 2yards out on the next Green Bay drive, the Packers led 28-17 with 13 minutes left in the game. Yet SMith returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to the Green Bay 17. Freeman then hit Josh WInslow for the 7 yard score. The 2 point conversion failed, but the creamsicle pirates were within 28-23.

The Packers reached midfield on their next drive before punting, as the Buccaneers took over at their own 28 with 7 minutes left. Freeman immediately hit Winslow for 22 yards to midfield. A 29 yard pass to Clayton had the Bucs at the 13. With 4:20 left, the Bucs faced 4th and 4 at the Green Bay 7. A field goal would have made it a 2 point game with plenty of time left, but at 0-7, Raheem Morris had nothing to lose by going for it. Freeman hit Stroughter for the touchdown, and the 2 point conversion had the Buccaneers up 31-28.

With 52 seconds left in the game the Packers had one last shot. Rodgers needed a miracle touchdown, and a 35 yard score sealed the game. Unfortunately for Rodgers, it was his third interception, this one to Jackson. The Buccaneers finally had a win. Maybe the orange pants made the difference, or maybe the Packers now have a dreadful organization. Brett Favre could not be reached for comment, as he enjoyed his bye week, most likely watching an upset in the Bay of Pigs. 38-28 Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals @ Chicago Bears–the Bears defense is like Fallujah, bombed out and depleted. this is n0t a condition to be in when facing the Greatest Show in the Desert, although the show seems to be better on the road. By the time the game was over, Kurt Warner had thrown for 5 touchdown passes, and Janet Napolitano had four sacks on defense. Just kidding. Janet Napolitano can’t defend anything. Warner had four touchdown passes in the first half alone.

The Cardinals led  31-7 at halftime and 34-7 in the third quarter before giving warner some rest and allowing Matt Leinart to get some playing time. Leinart is less like Kurt Warner and more like Pop Warner. Leinart threw an interception, and a blowout was now 34-21. Ken Whisenhunt had had enough, and brought Warner (old man Kurt, not Pop) back in the game. He threw his fifth touchdown pass to seal the game. The Bears remain a mess because their once vaunted defense is injury riddled. 41-21 Cardinals

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots–After a Tom Brady interception, Chad Henne led the Dolphins 10 plays to a 52 yard field goal and a 3-0 Dolphins lead. Brady came right back and hit Randy Moss for a 36 yard pass down to the Miami one, where Lawrence Maroney took it in to put the Patriots up 7-3. In the second quarter the Patriots added a field goal and the dolphins took over at their own 20 and ripped off some big plays. Pat White came in at quarterback and picked up 33 yards, and Ricky Williams added 12 more. Williams ran for the 15 yard touchdown to tie the game 10-10.

Brady led New England to a field goal, and the Patriots got the ball back at their own 14 with 1:46 left in the half. On 3rd and one from their own 43 Brady found Wes Welker for 14 yards. A 17 yard defensive pass interference penalty was just enough for the Patriots to add another field goal at the gun to lead 16-10 at intermission.

The Dolphins took the second half kickoff at their own 34, and Henne led a staggering 16 play, 10 minute drive. Ronnie Brown took the one yard wildcat snap and hit Haynos for the touchdown as the Dolphins now led 17-16. Yet the Dolphins barely has time to celebrate as Brady went deep to Randy moss for a 71 yard touchdown pass. A successful 2 point conversion had the Patriots up 24-17.

The fourth quarter was all defense as New England clamped down. With 2:54 left, facing 4th and 15 at their own 27,  Tony Sparano decided to go for it rather than punt and rely on a defense that had played reasonably well. Henne threw deep incomplete, and the gift field position allowed for a final field goal to put the game out of reach. The Patriots are 6-2, and even at the midpoint of the season, already seem to have the division locked up. 27-17 Patriots

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints–Last week the Saints fell behind 24-3 before exploding for 36 points in the second half to win. For the second week in a row, an inferior but improving team had the Saints starting in a hole. Jon Fox stuck it out with Jake Delhomme, and the Panthers ran right out of the gate. A 66 yard touchdown run by Deangelo Williams had the Panthers up 7-0. Later in the quarter Drew Brees was sacked and fumbled at his own 11. Williams ran it in from 7 yards out as the Panthers had a stunning 14-0 lead after the first quarter. Yet Sean Payton knows that his 7-0 team is resilient.

In the second quarter, Brees led a 15 play, 8 minute drive that reached the 5 yard line before bogging down. The Saints kicked a field goal to pull to within 14-3. Carolina then fumbled deep in their own territory, but Brees gave it right back with an interception that was returned 41 yards to the 45. 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes later, Delhomme had led the Panthers to another field goal and a 17-3 panthers lead. The Saints got the ball back with 1:43 left in the half, and a field goal had them down 17-6 at intermission.

The second half showed why the Saints are unbeaten. A short pass from Brees to Devry Henderson went for 63 yards, setting up Pierre Thomas from 10 yards out to make it 17-13.  Delhommme then led a ridiculous 19 play drive that ate up almost 10 minutes. The Panthers had 1st and goal at the one, with a chance to do some damage. They did, but the damage was to themselves. Delhomme lost 6 yards on 1st down, and the Panthers ended up kicking a field goal to lead 20-13.  The Saints capitalized, and on 3rd and 5 from their own 46 on the final play of the third quarter, Brees went deep to Meacham for a 54 yard touchdown pass. Despite trailing the entire game, the final quarter began tied 20-20.

Carolina punted, and the Saints took over at their own 2 with 11 minutes left in the game. Brees hit Thomas for 17 yards and Meacham for 21 more as the Saints reached the Carolina 12 before a penalty ended the drive. A John Carney field goal from 40 yards out culminated the 13 play, 7 minute drive and had the Saints leading 23-20 with 4 1/2 minutes left.

With 2:51 left, Delhomme fumbled the ball away, but the Saints could not capitalize and punted. The Panthers took over at their own 2 yard line, and Williams, who had played well all game, fumbled the ball and the game away. Hargrive scored the 1 yard defensive touchdown to end the game. The Saints have been sluggish in consecutive weeks, but like the other sluggish unbeaten team, 8-0 is gorgeous always. 30-20 Saints

Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks–32-20 Seahawks

Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers–34-27 Titans

San Diego Chargers @ New York Giants–21-20 Chargers

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles–20-16 Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

eric

Before getting to football, today I am thinking about what it all means. No, I am not talking about Fort Hood Texas or the shooting in Orlando Florida. I will never make sense of that, and will wait and see like everybody else.

I certainly don’t mean health care because today’s vote means nothing. The President is speaking, as if that will result in real news.

Between all of this and over 10% unemployment, today is a day for escapism. Tonight until 4am there is a group called “Republican Party Animals.” Heaven help us all.

Until then, I am enjoying solace, and I am thinking about what it all means, in my own little way.

I am thinking about power and pressure.

I had the extremely good fortune awhile back of spending time with a brunette whose brains were matched only by a set of (redacted) and (redacted) that I eventually got to play with.

(Hence the words “extremely good fortune.”)

She was over 40, but was no cougar. If anything, it took a decent amount of persuading on my part. Yet as I was trying to explain to her through my actions that she needed to remove her clothing, she made some comments that led to a deep conversation.

Yes, when the conversation was over, I finally got to play body bongo drums with her (redacted). Yet while that memory will stay with me for some time, the conversation will stay with me much longer.

(Or at least almost as long.)

She remarked that I lived in a very nice place. She lamented that so many people like me got to live in nice places while so many like her struggled.

While I have been accused (justifiably so) of letting anything a hot woman says go unchallenged, on this night substance would trump style. Her comment bothered me, and it needed to be challenged.

Yes, I live in the wealthiest nation on Earth, America. I live in one of the most glamorous cities, Los Angeles. It has poor parts, but I live in the nice area of LA. The very street I live on is the dividing line that everybody asks about. When a girl wants to know a guy, they ask if I live North or South of this street. I tell them I live on it.

They react with pleasant surprise, making me reiterate that, yes, I live right on the street that divides the city. I am three blocks from Beverly Hills, but Beverly Hills is rich people that want to be seen. Three blocks away means my postal address says Los Angeles. This is for the wealthy people that nobody knows.

I live in a high rise condo building. The penthouse people have a view of the city. I have a great view of others who have a better view. I wish the Mayor would get rid of the building across the street. Yet I am facing the city, and do have a good enough view.

At no time has this ever let me lose perspective. Yes, this is a wealthy area, but I was never wealthy. In fact, like most people, I was broke when I graduated college.

When I moved into this area in 1996, I did not even have my own bedroom. Four guys lived in a two bedroom apartment. I could have gotten a studio apartment (the equivalent of a “loft” that only starving artists could glorify), but I wanted a big living room. Not having my own bedroom was a non-issue, even though I had my own room my whole life growing up and in college. It was like being in a fraternity house, which I never did.

The building has a heated pool, a jacuzzi and tennis courts. It has 24 hour security guards. Yet I was broke. When one of the guys had a girl come over, the other three guys would scatter. A woman would come over, see one guy in a two bedroom condo, and be impressed. My having a jacuzzi allowed me to entertain women far more beautiful than I ever had a right to be around.

Somebody once asked me if it was wrong to use my place to attract women. I remembered advice from my Orthodox Rabbi grandfather (rest his soul). He used to sell indulgences. When asked if it was unethical for him to sell passes into Heaven, he responded, “No. It is unethical for people to buy them.” I miss him. So when asked if it was shallow for me to use my place to attract women, I would reply, “No. It was wrong for them to be impressed.”

13 years later, I still live in the same building, although in a bigger place on a higher floor. I have my own large master bedroom with closet space that makes women envious. It never occurred to me, but in the stockbrokerage industry, the phrase “fake it until you make it” is common. My friend remarked to me two years ago that somewhere along the line I “really did become that guy living in the highrise condo.”

Until he said it, it did not hit me. I was not faking it any more. I had actually achieved the status I was striving for.

It did not come easy. I worked hard. When I started out as a 22 year old stockbroker, I arrived in the office at 5am and stayed until 7pm. Four days of 14 hours was followed by a half day on Friday, which was still eight hours. Come 1pm, we were out for the weekend. I had the whole Friday to play, which I spent sleeping before going out.

Like anyone, I scratched and clawed. If it was not for the jacuzzi, I am not sure I would have gotten a single date, certainly not from the caliber of women that came over. The security guards were incredibly kind to me. It made an impression when the woman would arrive in her car, and the guard would say, “Ms. (name redacted) is here.” Nobody came up without a phone call. That gave me a few extra minutes to make sure the place was spotless clean.

One time a woman that I was pursuing for two years finally came over. The guard called up and said, “Ms. (name redacted) is here…and she is very beautiful. You are one lucky man.” She was in a great mood before she even reached my door.

Yet as much as this appears to be a story about women, it is not.

It is about life, and what it takes to live in this area.

It costs a high price. Everything comes at a price.

At any minute, anything and everything could be taken away from me. It can happen to any of us.

The greater the power, the greater the pressure.

The stock market collapse of 2000 did not wipe me out, but it could have. I was lucky. The collapse of 2008 was even tougher, but through a combination of luck and skill I am still in the game.

I have always kept my expenses low, but financial time bombs hit all of us. I have loaned money to friends and borrowed money from them. Everything was paid back.

I have had the same friends my whole life. When we are sitting around the dinner table at a restaurant, some make more than me and some make less. It is impossible to tell who is who, which is how it should be.

Spending money does not mean wasting it. I bought a $2,000 black leather sofa set for $600. The couple getting rid of it was simply too rich to care. One person in my building was throwing out a gorgeous marble table. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I still can’t believe they got rid of it. My big screen television was worth $3,000 at the time. I bought it for $800 factory refurbished after doing much research on factory refurbished and getting a warranty.

I do not have a million dollars in the bank. Far from it. Yet I am surviving, and at times, thriving. More importantly, at the risk of excessive rhyming, I am always hard driving. Sometimes I am too hard driving.

Fear of failure drives me to succeed. I do not want what I have taken from me.

When I explained this to the 40+ woman in my condo that night, we reached a very clear melding of the minds. She had had a rough life, and knew what it was like to struggle. It does get easier, but it is never easy.

When we were done tasting the sweetness of life (and the rest), she got up, straightened herself up, and went to the balcony to look at the view. I stared at her to look at the view. She said that what she saw was amazing. I, still staring at her, let her know that I thought she was amazing.

She gave me that look that told me to focus on something besides her fabulous (redacteds).

Yet at this point I was staring at her because I did not want to look out the window. A few weeks later I would finally look outside and get some perspective. On this night I did not want to think about it.

Playing with her body brought me a brief respite from my worries. I wanted to just enjoy the moment, but as I told her, in 48 hours I had some business to take care of, and I regretted having to wait two days to get started.

I just can’t go back to being broke. When one is older, it is harder. I am only 37, but it goes by rapidly.

As I kissed her goodnight, we both realized that what had overwhelmed us an hour earlier was just another metaphor for life.

The greater the power, the greater the pressure.

I have little relaxation, but zero regrets. This is the life I chose.

Everything must be earned. I am still learning and still working.

Otherwise the view and everything that comes along with it will be fleeting.

Getting it is tough. Keeping it is tougher.

She saw power. I felt pressure.

eric

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars by 6½

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

Ravens by 3

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts

Colts by 9

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons

Falcons by 10

Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Packers by 10

Arizona Cardinals @ Chicago Bears

Bears by 3

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

Patriots by 10½

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints

Saints by 13½

Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks by 10

Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers

49ers by 4

San Diego Chargers @ New York Giants

Giants by 5

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles by 3

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

Broncos by 3

One of the sad things about being a blogger and living in a free democracy is that real life intervenes. We complain about the silly season in politics on light news days, when we should be thankful. Light news means nothing tragic is happening.

Yesterday I ran a column making fun of the President, comparing him to a toddler. I will continue to have those light columns on light news days. However, while we have the freedom to poke fun, and we should, we must be prepared and act in a responsible manner when when the situation calls for us to rally around each other.

Barack Obama is my president, and while there is little he can do at all regarding the awful events in Texas, healing words are highly appropriate. I don’t expect him to “do something.” I do want him to “say something,” in the same way that Bill Clinton spoke after the Oklahoma City Bombing and George W. Bush spoke after 9/11.

I have been sharply critical of President Obama’s words, but he must summon his best rhetorical flourish in the days to come. Like all good Americans, these words will be comforting and sincere.

Yesterday he rightly called the events “horrifying.” While some have accused him of being cool, aloof, and detached, it is also highly possible that he simply copes in a different way than I do. I wear my heart on my sleeve. He doesn’t. I have no idea what pain he feels, and hope that he can help us all heal.

I look at the news about Fort Hood, and like the Virginia Tech tragedy, the only question I can even begin to ask is “why?” Why would somebody do this?

There are so many questions, some of them legitimate, and some of them unworthy of being asked. There are many calls to action, some misplaced and some completely fair.

As I try to make sense of all of this, I am keeping the loved ones of the victims in my heart.

As for the rest of my thoughts, they are as jumbled and disjointed as this situation itself.

First of all, I have heard rumblings that “This did not happen on George W. Bush’s watch.”

This argument is toxic, and I want no part of it. I advance it not to plant the seed, but to outright reject it. President Obama is not to blame for this tragedy.

As for Attorney General Eric Holder, the argument is less implausible, but should only be advanced if there is rock hard evidence. Eric Holder does with to overturn many intelligence techniques that have kept us safe. Did he overturn any specific Bush Administration policies that led to this tragedy?

Since my question is only speculation, it does not deserve to be investigated at this time, and I mean at this time. Eric Holder wants to investigate Bush Administration officials. The temptation to want to launch an investigation against him is just as destructive. Those that feel that “without investigations, we can’t get to the evidence” follow a school of thought that leads to wild fishing expeditions.

Another question that deserves to be asked, even though it is heartbreaking to do so as soldiers are grieving, is whether the military is partly to blame for this tragedy?

Could they have done a better job seeing that one of their own was a ticking time bomb, or was he good enough at hiding it?

Was this man abused by fellow soldiers? Did superiors know about it and do nothing? Or was this soldier a crybaby? Obviously there was something not right with him, and nothing justifies his actions. Yet was he triggered by something real or imagined?

Another question is why the people at this military medical facility were unarmed. I know that “this is their home,” but is this military policy? Does the administration ban guns at these facilities?

I don’t know the answers. I just want them.

Is Nidal Hasan a terrorist? Is he an Islamofascist?

Yes, he is, and yes, he is.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fort_hood_xjP9yGrJN7gl7zdsJ31vnJ

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/06/the-massacre-at-fort-hood-and-muslim-soldiers-with-attitude/

There is no evidence at this time that he belongs to any official terrorist group or sleeper cell. He appears to have acted alone. However, that does not make him anything other than one single terrorist who acted due to a warped view of Islam.

He compared suicide bombers to soldiers who dive on grenades to save their fellow soldiers. Comparing suicide bombers to heroes is every bit as fanatical as any suicide bomber himself.

Some will try to blame George W. Bush for this, because they blame George W. Bush for everything. In the same way President Obama is not to blame, neither is President Bush, those who claim that the stress of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to this are playing partisan games. This was one man committing an evil act. People do not protest war by using violence, unless they belong to fringe groups.

Some will try to use this tragedy to advance a political agenda. On the left they will push gun control laws, as they did with Columbine, Oklahoma City, and 9/11. This should be immediately condemned when, not if, but when, attempted.

Others will try to use this as a reason to end the war due to psychological strain on our soldiers. Absolutely not, no how, no way, no how.

On the far right, nativists may end up hurting innocent Muslims. After 9/11, a Seikh was attacked, even though India is an ally. There cannot be anti-Muslim rage. If an isolated incident happens, it must be condemned, and liberals had better not try to blame all conservatives for an isolated incident that conservatives condemn.

The main issue that makes this a powderkeg is that the killer lived.

He knows the truth. We need answers.

Did he kill to avoid being deployed? Is he a disgruntled employee that just did not like a bad performance review? Was this Islamofascist rage, or anti-boss rage?

Was he a true believer of radical Islam, or was that a cover for something else? There were no notes about “Death to America” or “Death to Israel.” While it is refreshing for once to not have the Jews blamed for something, a lack of blaming Israel shows an inconsistency with most Islamofascists.

We need the truth. Yet what if he does not wish to tell us?

Do we torture him?

We may have to do so.

If we don’t, and another attack occurs, then what?

We need to try and break Mr. Hasan using all legal methods, and if everything else fails, we need to leave the room and let somebody we will never know about go Jack Bauer on him.

12 people are dead and 31 are wounded. What if 43 could be 4300?

This was an act of war, but the person who committed the terrorist attack was born and raised in the United States. It was treason, and treason is punishable by death, if he is convicted or found guilty.

Also, at the risk of stereotyping, I was less reflective of the Muslim angle than I was of the psychiatry angle. Why the heck are so many d@mn psychiatrists crazy? The only people more crazy are the children of psychiatrists.

Yet stereotypes aside, all industries have good and bad apples, and we now know this includes the military and psychiatry professions. We are at war, and war is hell. We need more psychiatrists and other professionals to help our soldiers cope. Most of them do not kill like this, but there is no denying that stress leads to higher rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, marital breakups, and despair that can lead to suicide.

As I said, my thoughts remain jumbled. I just want answers. I am aware that we may never get them.

I just want everybody, from the President on down to the last soldier and civilian, to find a way to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.

It is one thing to die in battle. It is another to be murdered in your home.

May God bless the families who lost loved ones, and may we somehow, some way, find an ounce of a sliver of good news in this terrible, senseless, and possibly avoidable tragedy.

eric

America’s adorable lil Cherub in Chief just turned one. Today is therefore Toddler Thursday.

Happy birthday young President Obambi.

I have observed this sweet little boy try to enter an adult world with as much success as most liberal children. Conservatives, like parents, are always the bad guys that are hated for not giving away free candy that belongs to somebody else and is not really free.

Yet as we prepare to celebrate his presidency birthday, I am amazed by the similarities between Mr. Obama and my close friend’s baby son. “The boy,” as we affectionately call him, is two years old, and apparently age comes with maturity.

It is tough to get mad at the boy for acting like a two year old. For one thing, he is one. Yet when President Obama acts this way, it is tiresome.

One similarity is that both Obama and the boy are gasbags. Yet lil el gaso bago (The boy, not the President) is being potty trained, and soon will not be a little gasbag. As for the President, he continues to spew nonsense.

My unofficial nickname for the boy is “3M,” after the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. I call him 3M because some of the first words he learned were “me,” “mine,” and “more.” The President is an expert with these words, especially the word “me.”

Whenever he says, “this is not about me,” he means it is completely about him. The boy is too young to know what a narcissist is, but at age two it is ok to be one.

The boy likes to stare at himself in the mirror with fascination. I suspect the President does likewise.

(I have no evidence that the President bathes with a rubber ducky.)

The boy likes to watch a children’s program called “The Wiggles.” He gets up and dances, zigs, and zags, and contorts himself into various shapes.

So does the President, when asked a question he does not want to answer. He wiggles and wriggles, and uses big words to make it look like he answered the question. He has a bigger vocabulary than the boy, but he says less in terms of substance.

The boy also watches Charles Krauthammer when his dad is watching, although that is more like being with dad. He would rather watch the Wiggles. President Obama would rather watch anything else but Charles Krauthammer, but we would all be better off if he did.

When the boy gets cranky, his parents count to three. Reaching three means he sits in the corner and takes a “timeout.” In all the times I have been at their house, the last number was two, and a timeout was averted.

The President pressed the reset button with regards to the rest of the world. Now he needs to reset his own self. He needs a do-over. Yet first he needs to take some deep breaths and take a timeout. After all, he is not getting his way, since the punishment for defying him is absolutely nothing.

Come to think of it, the President has as much influence over the world as the boy.. The boy at least doesn’t claim otherwise.

Yet beneath all the jokes is the fact that while the President talks about the future, the boy is the future. The President is on the verge of being irrelevant. The boy is as relevant as it gets.

More importantly, if the President does not keep America safe, the boy may not have the same joys in life that his father and his de facto Uncle have. There is a scary world out there. The boy right now will probably not worry about anything in the coming years more sinister than monsters under the bed. The President has to worry about real monsters that want to kill us all.

The boy lives in a pre-school world where the kids care and share and play well with others. There are adults to make sure that the kids are nice to each other. The President does not have somebody to make the bad guys behave. He has to be the one to do it.

The main difference is that the boy should act like a child. He should be allowed to believe in rainbows and lollipops and all that other good stuff.

The President needs to grow up in a hurry. He needs to lead by example. He needs to stop demonizing fellow Americans and start going after our enemies hard. If he gets this stuff wrong, there might not be a world for any of us.

Both the boy and the President came into our lives with stars in their eyes. Yet the boy will not be allowed to remain this way if the President doesn’t snap out of it.

It is time for Obambi to grow a pair. He needs to stop whining, end his toddler temper tantrums, and fulfill his job responsibilities. My friend will do his part. He will make sure along with his wife that the boy has a loving mother and father, food on the table, clothing on his body, and a roof over his head.

As for the President, he seems to be a good father. Yet unlike my friend, he is having trouble balancing work and family. Given that the President’s wife and mother-in-law help with the kids, the President needs to start focusing on his job.

Even though he will only be two next year from a presidential standpoint, he needs to start acting above his age. Unlike the boy, who should grow and learn at his own leisurely pace, the President must grow up right now this minute.

Children grow up way too fast. Some adults never grow up at all.

May Toddler Thursday be about the boy, and not about our Peter Pan President.

eric

Election 2009 has come and gone. Step one is the descriptive. Step two is the 2009 analytical. Step three is my 2010 wish, which is that everybody ignores the results of the 2009 election.

The descriptive is as simplistic as most leftist kids on college campuses. The Democrats got b*tchslapped.

They can sugarcoat it all they want. They got their clocks cleaned. Virginia was a triple crown, with each Republican winning by 15 to 20 points. It was a shellacking.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg took one step closer toward being dictator for life by having the city constitution changed so he could run for a third term. He beat a liberal, although by a much narrower than expected margin. He still desperately needed help from Rudy Giuliani, proving who the real Mayor was.

Most importantly, billionaire socialist Jon Corzine went down in left-wing flames.

Is that descriptive enough? Good, Let’s talk analysis.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Lessons-from-the-2009-election-results-69054827.html

I could care less about Virginia from an emotional standpoint. Politically, I am delighted. However, it was not personal. I was in Virginia a couple of weeks ago and the GOP energy was palpable.

New Jersey was personal. I admit. I look at Jon Corzine, and I dislike the man.

No, it has nothing to do with the fact that I think he resembles cro-magnon man. Yes, he is bald with a sinister looking beard, and yes in the thirteenth century a phrenologist would have declared him to fit the profile of a mass murderer. Yes, I still think he is secretly frequenting my swimming pool. I can let that go for now.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2009/06/governor-corzine-please-vacate-my-swimming-pool/

(Also, yes, his concession speech was very gracious and classy. His remark about his 93 year old mother being a registered Republican was touching.)

I just don’t like the fact that the former head of Goldman Sachs became a socialist after making his own millions.

I don’t like that he brought more corruption to New Jersey, although the difference was negligible between him and other New Jersey officials. He put his lover on the payroll, and was never held accountable for it.

I don’t like the fact that he acted like he was not bound by the rules that commoners have to obey, such as not driving 91 miles per hour and getting into auto accidents on the highway and putting lives at risk.

Yet my biggest objection with him (ok fine, the beard really is sinister) is that I can’t stand wealthy liberals who preach to everybody else. If a person is poor and on the left, I can understand this. Even being wealthy and liberal is fine if done quietly. Yet being wealthy and liberal by taking advantage of tax breaks and deregulation and then drowning the middle class in excessive taxes and regulations is as hypocritical as it is destructive.

I don’t mind Corzine’s wealth. I mind his arrogance in trying to prevent me from achieving that wealth. I was born and raised in New York, and Wall Street has been good to me. I will pay more blood money in taxes the day he writes a check to pay my student loans. All I ask for is a chance, and Corzine will no longer be stifling people with dreams under the fake guise of compassion.

As for the 23rd New York Congressional district, every right of center politician involved should be waterboarded. The Democrats did not win the seat. The Republicans threw it away.

I said that as much as I can’t stand third party candidates, I would be ok with Hoffman if he won. He lost. Close doesn’t cut it. He is now as useless as Ned Lamont.

Congratulations to all of those third party supporters who cut off their noses to spite their faces.

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/04/the-gop-elites-1-million-object-lesson-and-the-message-of-ny-23/

Yet the GOP establishment also deserves plenty of blame. By nominating a leftist that was not even close to being a Republican, they enraged the base.

So if the Republican candidate was so awful, why not go third party?

Because they lose. What the base should have done is pressured the Republican to drop out the very moment she was given the nomination. Even better, they could have made sure she was never appointed by applying pressure before, not after. She could have been replaced with another Republican. Heck, it could have been Hoffman. Yet the party and the base both betrayed each other. Now a Democrat holds a seat in a year where Republicans won everything else.

As for Virginia, the landslides speak for themselves.

Now for 2010. I pray that everybody ignores the 2009 results. Pretend like they never happened.

I want the Jayson Blair Times and the Los Angeles Palestinian Times to run front page stories extolling the 23rd New York Congressional race. I want it to be seen as a vindication of President Obama.

I want to see Creigh Deeds in Virginia blamed as a terrible candidate despite nearly beating McDonnell in the Attorney General race when they last faced off. I want Corzine thrown under the bus as the worst Governor since Jim Florio. I want President Obama to be totally blameless.

I want President Obama and his supporters to do what he always does. I want him taking full credit for the wins and taking no blame for the losses.

The media loves Barack Obama. They worship him. They will try to spin the results in his favor. Republicans should shut up and let this happen.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/11/04/west_wing_sees_little_national.html?hpid=topnews

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-plouffe/president-obama-and-candi_b_343985.html

You see, Barack Obama is like Julius Caesar. Until Caesar was stabbed by Casca, he was convinced that everybody loved him. Barack Obama has good qualities and many strengths. Yet his major weakness is his arrogance. I have often said that he is a world class athlete. He can jump 20 feet in the air just to reach his own nose. I have also often said that every morning he puts on a cologne called “Eau D’Obama Anus.”

Bill Clinton lost hius arrogance after a good political humbling. Bill Clinton ignored the 1993 results. He then got clocked in 1994. By finally getting the message in 1994, Bill Clinton reacted in time to save himself in 1996.

If Barack Obama gets rocked in 2010, he will begin adapting before 2012. Yet we might not even win 2010 if Mr. Obama begins adapting in 2009.

Some people will say that he will adapt, because he is such a bright guy. Only a stupid man would fail to get the message.

This is wrong thinking. Bill Clinton was intelligent. The issue is not one of brains or I.Q, It is one of ego.

I used to see a t-shirt that said, “I’m not arrogant. I’m just better than you.”

Barack Obama will have some honest advisers that will try to have him in a panic. Yet many of his advisers are complete toadies who will tell him what he wants to hear. He will be very tempted to listen to the toadies.

Members of Congress are gutless. They may start running away from him to avoid being fired. Yet 1994 did not hurt Clinton because they failed to get bills passed. It was because they did pass bad bills. It was not the collapse of health care reform. It was the passing of the gun control legislation that doomed them, in addition to the tax hikes.

If Barack Obama decides to force his agenda, it will show that he has a tin ear. Again, one can be a very bright person, which he is, and still be myopic.

George W. Bush fired Donald Rumsfeld after 2006 brought Nancy Pelosi into the speakership. Bill Clinton was forced to adapt due to the rise of Newt Gingrich.

Barack Obama will adapt if confronted by a Speaker John Boehner or a Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Yet if he adapts before then, those two men will remain in the minority.

President Obama must be allowed to stay in the political bubble, oblivious to the notion that the 2009 election was in any way a message. His strength of book smarts must be allowed to give way to his weakness of hubris.

Therefore, I am declaring the 2009 elections a complete victory for the Democratic Party. The tiny Republican victories were insignificant.

From this day forward, unless and until Republicans win in 2010, there is to be no more mentioning about how badly the Democrats got b*tchslapped.

Self-restraint is difficult, but after today, no more celebrating even the fact that a leftist billionaire hypocrite who is bald and has a sinister looking beard finally got fired. Goldman Sachs was better off after firing him, and so was New Jersey.

Now if only Mr. Corzine would get out of my swimming pool.

eric

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Hugh Hewitt at an event in San Diego put on by CALA, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.

http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/

http://www.cala.com/

Hugh Hewitt was interviewing Philip K. Howard about his new book, “Life Without Lawyers.”

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1874370,00.html

The event itself was fun because it was more than just a quick meet and greet. It was actually an entire day in beautiful San Diego.

Although Hugh Hewitt is a celebrity in political circles, he has no airs about him. He is a genuinely nice person. He has shown much personal kindness to me. He has linked to one of my columns without telling me. It was a nice surprise. He also had me on his radio show once, and will be having me on again at some point. Yet what I like about him most is that when he makes promises, he keeps them. So many people have no interest in helping others make it in this world. I am still a fledgling, and Hugh Hewitt has been willing to help me improve my lot in life.

As for the event itself, after plenty of time to mingle, there was a luncheon. I sat at the table with Hugh over lunch, as he prepared for going on the stage.

While the topic of lawsuit abuse is very serious, Hugh interviewed Philip Howard with an easy style that made for a fun event. This is not surprising given that Hugh is a radio host. Yet what many people do not know is that he has a “real” job during the day. He is not a guy spouting opinions. He knows this topic well.

While Shakespeare is attributed with the quote that we should “kill all the lawyers,” Mr. Howard was not interested in violence. He is not even reflexively anti-lawyer. He is just somebody who has seen California get crushed under litigation, regulation, and other forms of small business strangulation.

With that, I present some snippets from Hugh Hewitt.

“This is just like doing a real talk show, except today I have a tie on.”

“Unlike others in the media, I am the only one that goes to work during the day and then goes to the studio.”

“I am a practicing attorney. My firm focuses on two areas, product liability and defending landowners.”

“Michael Medved does have a law degree, but of all the radio hosts, I am the only one that currently practices law in addition to my radio program.”

“A sad part of America today is that everybody speaks lawyer.”

“For those that have never spent three hours watching C-Span, it is the broadcast equivalent of waterboarding.”

“The economy will never be fixed without tort reform. Lawsuits are an additional tax. They are a job killing cancer.”

“‘Life without Lawyers’ shows that we are at a tipping point.”

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is a failed Governor. I hate to say it, but he is. Texas Governor Rick perry gets it. Perry beats on lawyers. Arnold doesn’t.”

“Between Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner, and Tom Campbell, whoever grabs onto the mantle of legal reform will win the California Governorship.”

“You should all do three things.

First, buy ‘Life without Lawyers.’ Then give it to lawyers you know. Consider it an intervention.

Then, Join associations like CALA.

Lastly, pay attention to the Governor’s race.”

“I am almost in Colorado. California is almost past the point of recovery. I would go to Texas, but it has bad weather. For those staying in California, the next Governor’s race is everything.”

While the luncheon was enjoyable, unlike most events, this day was not concluding. It was just getting started.

After some more socializing after lunch, many of the people went to a carpet store in the greater San Diego area. Hugh was broadcasting his radio show from a makeshift studio in the back of this carpet store. For those who have never spent hours in a carpet store, it is quiet. Outside noise was a non-issue. The owner of the carpet store is your typical American small business owner. Lawsuit abuse is a major issue.

While Hugh normally covers many topics on his radio show, the entire three hours was dedicated to lawsuit abuse. He spoke to Governor Perry by telephone, interviewed Philip K. Howard again, and interviewed other members of CALA. Several lighthearted moments came when he told politicians in other states that he would leave California that day if they could have a state of the art studio built for him by the end of his program. No promises were made.

Even after the broadcast was done, the day still was not done. There was a post broadcast mixer, and then Hugh spoke to the audience along with Assembly candidate Nathan Fletcher. Both Hugh and Nathan took questions.

I was stunned when Hugh, who likes to do nice things with an element of surprise, mentioned me in the audience and mentioned my blog.

(No, I was not in the audience doing jumping jacks to get him to do this. He did it of his own volition.)

My only regret of the entire 7 hours I spent with Hugh is that I did not get to say goodbye or thank him. I had an 8pm speech I was giving to the UCSD College Republicans.

Besides, I know I will run into Hugh again. He has too many important things to say and is too nice a guy for me to not see him again.

He is also the Godfather of blogging, and I have learned a lot from him.

For everything he has done for me, the least I can do for him is mention that if you want to show kindness to Hugh Hewitt while also improving American society, help stop the flood of frivolous lawsuits.

Hugh Hewitt has radio talent and the speaking circuit to fall back on. On a smaller scale, so do I. As for those who don’t, they will get crushed under taxes, regulations, and lawsuits if we do not stand up for them.

To quote James A. Baker III during the 2000 election recount process, “There comes a time, and we are at that time, for all the lawyers to go home.”

Indeed it is. The tipping point is upon us.

eric

Tuesday is election day, and one very closely watched race is the 23rd New York Congressional district.

For those not following, the district is described as “conservative” despite being carried by President Obama in 2008. The seat became vacant when the Republican occupant took a cabinet job. The Republican nominee was a woman whose name reminded me of Fozzie Bear from the Muppets.

(After less than extensive research, it seems her name is Dede Scozzafava or something like that.)

The problem is, conservatives did not get a warm feeling from Scozzie. Scozzie Wozzy simply wasn’t Fozzy, or fuzzy, or something like that.

Ok, as much fun as it is to do that, the serious issue is that She was seen as a very liberal Republican. Given that this is New York, this seems normal.

Yet conservatives were so up in arms that they decided to throw their support behind Doug Hoffman, who until then was known for…well, nothing really.

Third parties usually run, and quickly fade. Yet everything changed when Sarah Palin endorsed Hoffman. Fred Thompson and Sean Hannity lined up behind him as well.

Days before the election, Scozzafava dropped out. The conservative candidate knocked out the Republican candidate, as they both faced off against the Democrat, who is known for…well, nothing.

The question I am asking myself as a conservative Republican is this.

Is this a good thing?

The answer?

I really honestly don’t know.

I have thought about this on a general level and specifically related to this particular race.

On a genera level, it bothers me when somebody says, “I’m not a Republican. I’m a conservative.” For one thing, many of them say this with a smugness that is normally reserved for liberals. Then again, you will not hear any of them claim they are a liberal or a leftist. They hide behind phony words like “progressive.” At least the conservatives are bragging about who they are, rather than denying who they are.

Yet it still bothers me because in general I can’t stand third party candidates.

I love these right of center people that brag about voting for the Constitution Pasrty candidate, or the Libertarian, or the American Independent. These same people also voted for Ralph Nader in some cases. They like the attention of being “rebels.” Ask a Ron Paul supporter why he is a Republican, and they have no idea.

We are a two party system. It works. We don’t have coalition governments, which is why we are not like Israel or Italy changing governments every few minutes.

I am a conservative. I also believe in the Republican Party. It is the party committed to low taxes and dead terrorists. It is the party of individual freedom and liberty. The party has had people who have strayed from the ideals, but the ideals are still noble.

Most importantly, I am not interested in ideological purity. I am interested in winning. Conservatives that spend every waking night praying for the next Ronald Reagan fail to grasp that Reagan did not become Reagan until he was elected.

Winners get to govern. Losers get to obstruct. Republicans and conservatives are currently trying to slow liberalism. That is not the same as advancing conservatism.

I speak around the country, and I bring up what Rahm Emanuel did in 2006. He went around the country recruiting right-wing Democrats. He did not care if they were George McGovern or George Wallace Democrats. a “D” was good enough.

I don’t care if somebody is to the right of the late Jesse Helms, or barely right of center like Susan Collins. If you have an “R” next to your name, I support you. We are a family.

California will not elect an Idaho Republican. Massachusetts and New York have had GOP governors, but they were not Alabama or Mississippi Republicans.

This is not to say that we throw out conservative principles. We just make sure t spend more time focusing on what unites us, such as low taxes and dead terrorists, and stop fighting over red meat social issues that split us apart. This angers many social conservatives, but anybody that thinks that a moderate Republican i the same as a liberal Democrat needs to have their head examined.

So what does all of this mean for the special election in New York? Is this rise of Hoffman good or bad?

Ask me on Wednesday. If he wins, it is fine. If he loses, it is a disaster.

That is it. There are no moral victories.

In this specific situation, I am ok with the developments for two reasons.

First of all, after Scozzi Fozzie (I can’t help it, it’s fun.) dropped out and then endorsed the Democrats. This was an act of spitefulness not seen since Betsy McCaughey Ross was fired as the Republican Lieutenant Governor and then became a Democrat.

I will stand up for moderate and liberal Republicans, but ocne they leave the party, like Arlen Specter, I am done with them. That is betrayal.

Yet the second reason I am ok with Hoffman is because he did something that Ron Paul never did. Hoffman showed allegiance to the GOP even while running on the Conservative Party ticket. He stated that if he is elected, he will run for reelection as a Republican. He is willing to join the party. That is good enough for me.

There is a difference between being somebody who works from within and someone who is just an attention seeking gadfly.

Ross Perot broke up the Reagan coalition and elected Bill Clinton. Before Perot, Pat Buchanan tore apart the GOP. Clinton signed many bills that bothered me. I vocalized my opinions. Yet I also told those that voted Libertarian to shut up and stop complaining because they elected him by not supporting President George HW Bush.

The issue is viability. Doug Hoffman has proven his viability. Winning would truly help his credibility.

The same cannot be said of the Governor’s race in New Jersey. John Corzine is a socialist and a disaster, although those are redundant. In a two party race he would get his clock cleaned. Yet a third party candidate with no chance of winning is hurting Chris Christie.

I disagree with Christie on gun control. Yet again, this is New Jersey. He is the type of Republican that can win. If Corzine wins, it will be because conservatives cut off their elephant noses to spite their puritanical faces. This is nuts.

Leftists blame Ralph Nader for George W. Bush defeating Al Gore. Well conservatives should slap the independent voters silly if that reelects Jon Corzine.

Some people say that it takes a Carter to bring about a Reagan, and that Obama has united conservatives. This is insane. I don’t need to elect a liberal to know they will be dreadful. Football teams claim that they learn from losing. This argument is garbage. The goal is to try and win everything.

I do not know enough about any of the candidates in the 23rd New York special election to offer much more. What I do know is that a Hoffman win may cause conservatives to cannibalize Republicans around the country. If that happens, we will become an ideologically pure minority.

Yes, Ronald Reagan was a conservative, but he treated every Republican as a member of the family.

I will root for Doug Hoffman to win on Tuesday, but I want the “conservatives” to help fix the Republican Party, not destroy it.

I am a principled conservative Republican. I am ideologically conservative, and the only viable place to pass a conservative agenda is to go through the Republican Party.

Right of center individuals can either fall off a cliff or fall into line.

eric