Libertarian Ron Paul catches Fox New's Steve Doocy off guard

Complimenting Ron Paul on his phenomenal one day fundraising, Fox News host Steve Doocy asked Paul about Mike Huckabee's heavily slanted ad aimed at Christian voters complete with a floating cross. When you view the video clip linked below you will notice Doocy was not prepared for Paul's answer where he quoted American writer Sinclair Lewis who once said, "When facism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." View Clip After viewing the clip, don't you think, Doocy, in his tone, was just more than a little condescending towards Paul or am I reading too much into it?

ALERT: For you online serial fiction fans, I have just added a new chapter to my novel about a modern American secession movement. The Southern Split.

Greenspan Speaks and it ain't pretty for the middle class and the poor

Even though he is retired as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, when Alan Greenspan speaks, financial managers and economists stop in their tracks. He spoke today in USA Today and here's what he said:

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says the odds the U.S. will fall into a recession are "clearly rising" and he believes economic growth is "getting close to stall speed."
Greenspan, who ran the central bank for 18 1/2 years, until early 2006, offered his views on the economy in an interview on National Public Radio' Morning Edition.

A severe slump in the housing market, a stubborn credit crisis and turbulence on Wall Street are endangering the country's economic health. Growth in the current October through December period is expected to have slowed to a feeble pace of just 1.5%, or less.

Lou Dobbs to appear on Don Imus show

This should prove to be very interesting. Two raucus freethinkers together in the same cramped studio. Lou Dobbs is scheduled to appear on Imus in the Morning which is broadcast on ABC radio and RFD TV. I'm reasonably sure the appearance date is Thursday, December 20. I do not know which segment of the 6-9 am time slot Lou will appear. There are several rural cable outlets that pick up RFD and it is shown on Dish channel 231 and Direct TV channel 370. Tune into the Imus show on RFD on Monday morning or Monday evening to find out when Lou makes his appearance next week.

Will Albert Gore Jr. run for President as an Independent?

Increasingly frustrated by the United State's slow progress in taking the lead in solving the Global Warming crisis, rumor has it that Al Gore is seriously contemplating a run for the White House as an independent candidate. Rumor also has it that Gore recently met with Michael Bloomberg to discuss a ticket that would ride on a billion dollars of Bloomberg's money. Given the lackluster field of Democratic and Republican candidates that will be left standing after March, Gore would match up well with whoever is nominated. I think he could definitely win against Clinton or Obama, and certainly would garner more votes than ANY Republican nominee. Read how Al Gore could win. Americans are so disgusted with the Bush Administration many will go to the polls to vote against ANY Republican. Gore's experience as a senator, two term vice president, and now, a Nobel Prize winner would make him look like a rock star compared to either Hillary or Obama regardless of gender or skin color.

It will interesting to see how this plays out.

James Leroy Wilson

James Leroy Wilson is a fellow columnist of mine at The Partial Observer. When I first started reading Wilson's columns several years ago I found some of them difficult to plow through. JLW is DEEP! If you are a lockstep Democrat, Republican or even a Dobbite (new term found only here at Independent Populist)reading a few James Leroy Wilson articles will stretch your mind and balance your perspective. He is an unabashed Libertarian, but he, in true Libertarian fashion, does not preach a party line. James Leroy Wilson's articles are guaranteed to make you uncomfortable,angry,giggly at times,and refreshed because you reading a point of view that is not neo-con, conservative,liberal,or even populist.

Here are a few columns to get you started. Enjoy!

Inevitable Disappointment - politics will not get us what we want.

The Great Disconnect - We condemn greedy businessmen, but venerate politicians who inflict far more damage.


Why They Fight - If North America was invaded, Americans would resist - just like the insurgents in Iraq.

The Secret of Janet Jackson's Breast - Freedom, government, and a phony culture war.

The Decline and Fall of the United States of America - It began today, when the Fed told the world the dollar is worthless.

Liberalism vs. Conservativism - It comes down to mentality, not policy.

Of Great Quotes and Good Men - And why Bush is worse than Clinton.

To see all of James Leroy Wilson's 235 articles go to Independent Country at the The Partial Observer.

My Tolerance for Anonymous Comments is Zero

As you notice to the left of the page, I put myself out there. You have my name, location,web and print publications, etc. For that reason, my policy forward is that I will not tolerate anonymous comments on this blog. It takes very little time to create a Google account and even if you use a psuedonym I can tolerate that,but to wear an "electronic" mask to hide behind is fine - at other blogs. You can't do it here. If you wish to call me a klansman, racist, or an anti-semite as one anonymous poster did on my Michael Bloomberg post, that's fine too, but come out from behind your own "hood" when you do it. Free speech at this blog is welcomed and criticism tolerated but potshots from the murky depths of anonymity are not. Stand by the courage of your convictions and be counted...

What Do You Have in Common with Michael Bloomberg?

Michael Bloomberg recently enjoyed breakfast with Barack Obama. No one knows what was discussed. Is an endorsement afoot? Some have said that Bloomberg may take a stab at the presidency himself as an independent candidate. Do we want this man?

At a time when America is drowning in foreign goods, mainly from China, Bloomberg had this to say, yesterday:

This week I am meeting with business leaders and government officials in Beijing and Shanghai to discuss the increasingly important relationship between the US and China – and the opportunities that we hold for each other. Some in the west believe that a growing Chinese economy is a threat. As a businessman, and now as mayor of the world’s largest financial capital, I believe the opposite is true: Chinese growth is, in fact, an opportunity for the US and the world, because the global economy is not a zero-sum game. We all share in each other’s success.

Please Lou Dobbs,Pat Buchanan,or someone, as they say in the South, who has "walking around sense," please declare yourself a candidate.

Chinese IT Espionage

December 03, 2007 (Computerworld Australia) -- The U.K. government has accused the Chinese of hacking into the computer systems of some of its leading companies, according reports published by the English press over the weekend.

According to The Times, the Director-General of intelligence agency MI5, Jonathan Evans, sent a confidential letter to 300 chief executives and security chiefs at financial institutions and legal firms last week warning them that they were under attack from Chinese state organizations.

The summary of the letter, which was posted (securely) on the Web site of the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure, warned its recipients of the "electronic espionage attack."

"The contents of the letter highlight the following: the Director-General's concerns about the possible damage to U.K. business resulting from electronic attack sponsored by Chinese state organizations, and the fact that the attacks are designed to defeat best-practice IT security systems.

Obviously this is very troubling to the British, but what is even more troubling and downright frightening is what happened recently at one of our most top secret nuclear laboratories. This from Network World:

The U.S. science and technology lab Oak Ridge National Laboratory yesterday disclosed it has been compromised by what it described as a “sophisticated cyber attack that appears to be part of a coordinated attempt to gain access to computer networks at numerous laboratories and other institutions across the country.

When the employee opened the attachment or accessed an embedded link, the hacker planted a program on the employees’ computers that enabled the hacker to copy and retrieve information,” ORNL said.

ORNL said the compromise has been traced back to Oct. 29, 2007, and that the lab has “reason to believe that data was stolen from a database used for visitors to the Laboratory.”

ORNL, which conducts highly sensitive energy research in the neutron science and high-energy physics as well as biology research, does not believe that classified information was lost. However, ORNL said anyone who visited the lab, which is based in Oak Ridge, Tenn., between the years 1990 and 2004 may have had their name and other personal information, such as Social Security numbers and birth date, stolen by the attackers.

Thom Mason, director of ORNL, on Monday sent an e-mail to staff employees that said, “Our cyber security staff has been working nights and weekends to understand the nature of this attack.”

This from the highly respected Economist magazine:

General James Cartwright, recently promoted from head of Strategic Command to vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said in June that China was carrying out widespread “reconnaissance” of America's networks. This allowed China to steal advanced know-how, so as to skip generations in military and civil technology. A cyberspy can potentially steal much more information than a human one. Others argue that China wants to send a signal to America that a future war would be costly, and would not be limited to the Straits of Taiwan.

The Pentagon is probably better able to protect itself against cyberattacks than most. But in an increasingly internet-connected world, civilian life has become more vulnerable. Earlier this year suspected Russian hackers attacked the websites of ministries, banks and other bodies in Estonia, the tiny but highly-wired Baltic state that had offended the Kremlin by removing a Soviet war monument from the centre of the capital, Tallinn, to a military cemetery. The “denial of service” attack was crude, but disruptive.

Past American exercises to test the computer defences of critical services (such as electricity grids) have found that, without detailed inside information, an external cyberattack would be more disruptive than catastrophic. That assessment may be changing. The psychological effect of a cyberattack on America, in General Cartwright's view, could be as severe as the use of weapons of mass destruction

Are the incidents in Great Britain and Oak Ridge Tennesee related? Why would anyone want personal data about anyone who VISITS the nuclear laboratory. If I were those people I would be highly nervous. What is our government and particularly Homeland Security doing about it?

Worst Commentator in The World - Keith Olbermann!

Keith Olbermann is obviously trying to become the liberal answer to Rush Limbaugh. He's failing. His nemesis, Bill Oreilly, who he attacks in some way ever night, has a viewership of 507,000 nightly viewers compared to Olbermann's 250,000.

I guess the viewership is tiring of the attacks on Oreilly so guess who Olbermann is now attacking - you guessed it, Keith is now throwing puny inaccurate jabs at populist icon - Lou Dobbs. It was bound to happen. Dobbs has forcefully brought the issue of immigration into the political campaigns. No Democrat or Republican candidate can dodge it.

This obviously infuriates Olbermann who is like the little kid perched high up in the limbs of a tree throwing rocks at the big boys. His latest cheap shot was to give his worst person of the year award to Dobbs. In an unproven claim which I think is outright lying, Olbermann accused - get this - not Dobbs, but Dobbs daughters. Here is the Olbermann undocumented misstatement:

but Mr. Dobbs has a problem. He has two daughters who are heavily involved in show jumping, an activity that is heavily dependent on undocumented workers. Basically, Lou threatens undocumented workers on his show, then pays them to clean up after his daughter’s horses. Nice…

Why don't you offer us some proof on that statement Mr. Olbermann? In the same broadcast Olbermann joined the ranks of other left wing neo-liberals(new term invented at this blog)and branded Dobbs(who is married to Mexican-American Debi Segura)a racist. Come on Keith, how far will you go in your propaganda? Apparently as far as a left wing Goebbels can go, hence this glowing note to Keith from the Anti-Defamation League:

On July 28, 2006, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sent an open letter to Olbermann at MSNBC stating, "We are deeply dismayed by your ongoing use of the Nazi 'Sieg Heil' salute, both on your program and in public appearances…" The letter explains that Olbermann's use of the salute prompted many complaints from its members, including Holocaust survivors, and that any use of it "serves to trivialize the Holocaust and the six million Jews and others who died as a result of Hitler's Final Solution." The letter closed by asking Olbermann to "reconsider [his] use of the Nazi salute in the future."[38]

Olbermann had written a year earlier in his weblog that Nazi references have "no place...in this culture" and "the analogies are wrong, offensive, and deeply hurtful" when used in partisan politics

So,with that, Keith Olbermann is nominated "Worst Cable Commentator in the World."

Oh and by the way, Keith, I'm old enough to have listened to CBS News commentator Edward R. Murrow, who you try to emulate, trust me Keith, you haven't had enough crisis in your wannabe life to tie the shoes of Edward R. Murrow...

Good night and good luck...

Pat Buchanan Says:

• Pax Americana, the era of U.S. global dominance, is over. A struggle for global hegemony has begun among the United States, China, a resurgent Russia and radical Islam

• Bush’s invasion of Iraq was a product of hubris and of ideology, a secular religion of “democratism,” to which Bush was converted in the days following 9/11

• Torn asunder by a culture war, America has now begun to break down along class, ethnic and racial lines.

• The greatest threat to U.S. sovereignty and independence is the scheme of a global elite to erase America’s borders and merge the USA, Mexico and Canada into a North American Union.

• Free trade is shipping jobs, factories and technology to China and plunging America into permanent dependency and unpayable debt. One of every six U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished under Bush

• “Sovereign Wealth Funds,” controlled by foreign regimes and stuffed with trillions of dollars from U.S. trade deficits, are buying up strategic corporate assets vital to America’s security

• As U.S. wages are stagnant, corporate CEOs are raking in rising pay and benefits 400 to 500 times that of their workers

• The Third World invasion through Mexico is a graver threat to our survival as one nation than anything happening in Afghanistan or Iraq

* European-Americans, 89% of the nation when JFK took the oath, are now 66% and sinking. Before 2050, America is a Third World nation

• By 2060, America will add 167 million people and 105 million immigrants will be here, triple the 37 million today.

• Hispanics will be over 100 million in 2050 and concentrated in a Southwest most Mexicans believe belongs to them

Buchanan’s Recommendations:

• A new foreign-defense policy that closes most of the 1000 bases overseas, reviews all alliances, and brings home U.S. troops

• A purge of neoconservative ideology and the “Cakewalk” crowd” from national power.

• To avert a second Cold War, the United States should “get out of Russia’s space and get out of Russia’s face,” and shut down all U.S. bases on the soil of the former Soviet Union

• To reach a cold peace in the culture war, Buchanan urges a return to federalism and the overthrow of our judicial dictatorship by Congressionally mandated restrictions on the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

• To end the trade deficits and save the dollar, Buchanan urges a Hamiltonian solution: a 20% Border Equity Tax on imports, with the $500 billion raised to be used to end taxation on American producers

• To prevent America becoming “a tangle of squabbling nationalities” Buchanan urges: No amnesty for the 12-20 million illegal aliens; a border fence from San Diego to Brownsville; Congressional declarations that children born to illegal aliens are not citizens and English is the language of the United States; and a “timeout” on all immigration.

President Hillary + Supreme Court Ban on Guns = ?

The United States Supreme Court decided today to hear a Washington D.C. case that challenges D.C.'s ban on handguns. Potentially, when the justices rule, the fate of all private firearm possession hangs in the balance. The issue is the interpretation of the "militia clause" or the 2nd Amendent of the Constitution of the United States which says,

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

The Roman Catholic Church has a well known position against the posession of firearms. Here is a statement by some pro-gun Catholics here in Virginia,

The St. Gabriel Possenti Society, a Virginia-based organization devoted to protecting the individual's right to self-defense, criticized statements by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's representative at the UN, endorsing "the promotion of disarmament" and calling for stiffer international controls on the sale and possession of firearms.

John Snyder, the founder and chairman of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, said the archbishop's words pointed to a "terribly misguided secular political initiative." He urged Catholics in the US to protest that initiative.

"History has shown that government is the world’s greatest mass murderer, responsible for modern genocide," Snyder argued. "For example, the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis, Soviets and Chinese Communists, were all made possible by first disarming the people."

Why is a guy,like me, who was baptized Roman Catholic and has a Roman Catholic spouse formerly on the MIT pistol team bringing up the Roman Catholic position on firearms? Namely because there are five Roman Catholics on the U.S. Supreme Court. See Five Catholics on The Supreme Court.

Dick Morris former advisor to the Clintons in a recent interview spoke of Hillary Clinton's proclivity to hire private detectives when digging up dirt on political enemies. To paraphrase Morris, he said, "You certainly don't want someone like Hillary in charge of the IRS or the CIA."

I would add that you certainly wouldn't want someone like Hillary enforcing a Supreme Court decision banning firearms. Here are some of her past statements:

We need to stand firm on behalf of sensible gun control legislation. We have to enact laws that will keep guns out of the hand of children and criminals and mentally unbalanced persons. Congress should have acted before our children started going back to school. I realize the NRA is a formidable political group; but I believe the American people are ready to come together as a nation and do whatever it takes to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them.
Source: www.hillary2000.org, “Gun Safety” Sep 9, 2000

I think it does once again urge us to think hard about what we can do to make sure that we keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals and mentally unbalanced people. I hope we will come together as a nation and do whatever it takes to keep guns away from people who have no business with them.
Source: Press Release Jul 31, 1999

Having a non-populist Supreme Court and a non-populist president could equal disaster.

Define: Independent Populist;What is an Independent Populist?

Webster's defines "populist" as "a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people" "Independent populist" is a leadership term. An independent populist leader is one who is led by the voice of the people and is independent and suspicious of forces led by lobbyists,multinational corporations,religious demagogues,political parties, political action committees(PACS),or powerful individuals(example: Bill Gates) seeking to steer government in their narrow direction. An independent populist president,for example, would not hestitate to balk at a congress dominated by his/her own party if they wanted a bill contrary to the will of the people. Just saying you are an "independent populist" does not make you one. You have to be committed to the will of the people even if that will is contrary to your own. You must be independent of influences that would cause you to stray from the will of the people.

This is my own definition. You will not find one in the dictionary, and although "independent populist" guru Lou Dobbs uses the term quite a bit, he has not totally defined it.

If you agree with my definition and it fits yours, feel free to submit it to wikipedia so these web queries such as "What is an Independent Populist?" can be more definitively answered. We haven't had an independent populist leader for such a lengthy period, that the concept is almost lost.

Caveat: Our government is a constitution based federal republic, any populist leader would have to operate within this framework or successfully change the constitution, which is highly unlikely.

Andrew Jackson, our first independent populist president

Franklin D. Roosevelt was a blueblood who became afflicted with a terrible disease - Polio. In the process of overcoming his handicap he had to rub shoulders with common people suffering the same affliction. He swam with them, ate with them, suffered and cried with them at the institute he and his wife Eleanor founded in Warm Springs,Georgia. Roosevelt eventually left Warm Springs and launced a 17 year political career that resulted in Roosevelt being our longest serving president during a time when the nation was threatened by the poverty of the Great Depression and the twin evils of Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan. Was Roosevelt a populist? I would say yes only from what he gained from his Warm Springs rehabilitation which lasted for several years i.e. the blueblood New Yorker learned a lot from common people while strapped in his wheelchair in Georgia. His influence on the American Public was immense. He knew what to say and when to say it during a time when America faced situations that could have destroyed her. Our country has been looking for a Roosevelt ever since. But that actually isn't true. The model of the populist president America has been looking for is found in Andrew Jackson. He was our first populist president.

When we hear someone speaking or writing about our "forefathers," they are usually speaking of Jefferson,Washington,Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin and others who were there to draft the Declaration of Independence. Don't get upset with me when I tell you these men were not populists or advocates of democracy as we know it. Most would be horrified by today's universal sufferage where everyone over the age of 18 is allowed to vote. These men were enlightened,far-sighted revolutionaries whose vision was of a self-governing democracy which did not share the rich American pie with the British monarchy. If you have ever visited Mount Vernon, our first president's plantation in Northern Virginia, you would be shocked to learn that when he died in 1799, Washington had 316 slaves living on his estate! Don't ever think our "forefathers" were regular "joes" like you and me. Andrew Jackson had absolutely nothing in common with the "forefathers."

He was born in poverty, orphaned young,struggled against the British overlords in his native South Carolina. Taken prisoner at swordpoint at 13 by British dragoons, young Andrew Jackson maintained his dignity and managed to evade the traitorous demands of his captors. After the Revolution, Jackson followed the path of the military and became a militia officer fighting fierce battles with the Indians in the raw American frontier. His toughness got him the nickname "Old Hickory."

The nickname “Old Hickory” has stayed with him, but in 19th century America, Andrew Jackson was commonly known as simply, “The Hero.”Vive Griffith

The United States’ seventh president and the first “everyman” to be elected to our highest office, Jackson was early America’s most vocal champion of democracy. His legacy can be seen every day in contemporary politics—when candidates roll up their sleeves and don hard hats to demonstrate that they are regular folks, when America’s foreign policy heralds the spread of democracy across the planet. Vive Griffith

“Jackson adopted the view that this was going to be a government not simply of the people, but by the people... that there was nothing so difficult about running the country that ordinary people couldn’t figure out and do it. It was a rather unusual notion, but it was the path the U.S. took and the path that we’ve followed until now.” Andrew Jackson, His Life and Times, by H.W. Brands

Washington D.C., prior to Andrew Jackson, had tried to be in tune with the customs of nobility in Europe, there were dress and social codes for every occasion and a penchant for snobbish behavior.

"Jackson's appeal to the American people was the appeal of the chieftan to the tribe. They loved him because he was their protector,their hero. But they also loved him because he embodied their hopes and fears,their passions and prejudices, their insight and their ignorance, better than anyone before him." H.W. Brands

At Jackson's inaugural reception in 1829 the "tribe" of thousands of "common" Americans showed up. Proper and prim Washington D.C. society had never seen anything like it. People wearing homespun clothing and buckskin frills were all over the place celebrating the victory of their hero, the people's populist "everyman" who was "independent" from the wealthy and proper gentlemen who had ruled our small nation until that time.

Wouldn't that be a nice history to revisit in 2009?

Read the best book ever written about populist Andrew Jackson

Columba Bush and Debi Dobbs

Two men, both mentioned as possible presidential candidates have something in common. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and journalist/activist Lou Dobbs both have Mexican-American wives.

Columba Bush was born Columba Garnica Gallo in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, where she grew up and attended high school. Her parents were Jose Maria Garnica, a migrant worker, and Josefina (or Josephina) Gallo. She met Jeb Bush in 1971 in León, where he was teaching English as part of a foreign exchange program.

Not much information is available about Debi Dobbs who was once known as Debi Segura, a former CNN Sports anchor. Lou Dobbs has acknowledged that his wife is Mexican-American by heritage. It drives the pro-illegal immigration forces wild especially those that label Lou Dobbs as racist. Read the comments of this anti-Dobbs pundit.

Columba Bush and Debi Dobbs have something else in common other than their heritage. Both have minor scrapes with the law on their record.

Columba made headlines when she failed to report $19,000.00 worth new clothing and jewelry that she brought into the country. Then there is this item about Debi Dobbs:

About 4 years ago Debi Dobbs was arrested at the Newark Liberty International Airport after airport security found a loaded gun she was carrying in her handbag. She was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. After being fingerprinted and photographed by Port Authority Police, Debi Dobbs was released without bail. Mrs. Dobbs faced arraignment in a Newark court but the outcome of the case is not generally known.

The gun Debi Dobbs carried was a .25 caliber pistol. I have one of those in my arsenal. They are so small it could be very easy to forget you had it. At least that's what she told gun advocate Don Imus as reported in Media Life Magazine:

Dobbs' wife didn't know she was packing heat
Ever gotten busted for having a nail file in your carry-on bag? Don't feel bad. Lou Dobbs' wife Debi says she was unaware she was carrying an unlicensed, loaded, .25 caliber semiautomatic pistol in her purse when she arrived at the Newark airport Wednesday. Dobbs was scheduled to take a flight to Florida with her twin daughters to meet up with her husband, host of CNN's "Moneyline." On Don Imus's radio talk show yesterday, Lou Dobbs explained that she had the gun in her purse from a trip to Vermont last fall and had forgotten about it. Dobbs said that while his wife doesn't have a license to carry a gun, she needs it for security reasons at the family's isolated horse farm in Sussex, N.J. After being fingerprinted and photographed by Port Authority Police, Debi Dobbs was released without bail (and without the gun) to take a later flight to Florida. After her return, Mrs. Dobbs will face arraignment in a Newark court. Lou Dobbs joked about the incident with Imus, saying that a husband is unlikely to stray "when you do have a wife who knows how to use a handgun."

If this is the only "dirt" that opponents can dig up on Jeb Bush or Lou Dobbs, I would say they don't have much...

The Hillary Clinton Campaign Staff Loved Wolf... and said so!

I didn't go to sleep, but I should have. Once again we have a presidential debate where nothing is said, issues that concern Americans are ignored, and a moderator who was clearing hedging his bets and sucking up to the perceived winner. Wolf Blitzer probably already has his exclusive interviews with Hillary Clinton lined up through 2012.

There were candidates participating in the debate that I the viewer would liked to have listened to if Wolf Blitzer had given them the opportunity to speak. Joe Biden, for instance, showed more command presence than any of the front runners, but Blitzer deliberately kept cutting in when Biden was speaking as he did with Chris Dodd and "wild man" Dennis Kucinich.

"Oh, no, don't make me speak," Biden said in mock horror when moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN called on him roughly 15 minutes into the proceedings.

Possibly the most controversial question that Wolf could have asked, he totally passed over. The subject of Hillary Clinton's flip-flop on the illegal immigrant driver's license issue that was very current news this week. He asked Hillary if she favored giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses and she gave a simple "No" answer which was a 180 degree turn about from what she was saying two weeks ago.

No wonder the Clinton Campaign who wanted Tim Russert shot because of his treatment of Hillary during the last debate said of Wolf Blitzer:

CNN debate moderator Wolf Blitzer did an 'outstanding' job in Vegas, a senior adviser to the Hillary campaign said early Friday. 'He was outstanding, and did not gang up like Russert did in Philadelphia. He avoided the personal attacks, remained professional and ran the best debate so far. Voters were the big winners last night.'

A rival campaign insider charges: 'Wolf turned into a lamb. No follow-up question on Clinton's huge flip on drivers licenses?'

Possible debate issues that never made it past CNN censors:

State TV advises Chinese to dump their dollars

ID cards for illegal migrants divides city

Philadelphia Martin Luther King statue to be "made in China"

Is America too Unwieldy to Govern?

Over the past few years I have traveled extensively in the United States. One conclusion I have drawn is that reality is where you find yourself at the moment.

Yesterday, I was having a discussion with my optometrist and mentioned that I had spent several years in Alabama. She stood back in horror. She had heard so many bad things about Alabama, she couldn't believe for a moment that anyone - like me - had actually lived there. Knowing my optometrist's personality quite well, I kept my thoughts to myself and didn't tell her that there were parts of Alabama where she would undoubtedly be happier than she is in Northern Virginia.

For years I felt the same way about California. I couldn't believe that anyone would actually want to live there. That is until I visited California a few times. I still wouldn't want to live there UNLESS I could reverse the tape of my life and arrive in California when I was twenty years old and take advantage of the unique and amazing opportunities that California has too offer. The problem is that I nor any of us can reverse our tapes.

Our country is so vast that the majority of us only know about the rest of us by way of media - movies, TV, newpapers, books, etc. Except for the occasional vacation to the beach,mountains, or Disney, many of us conduct our lives within 50 miles of our homes. It is within that radius where change takes place in our attitudes, economic conditions, our adaptability to new situations etc. Now take several of those circles formed by the perimeter of that radius and spread them across the three million five hundred and thirty-seven thousand miles that is the area of the United States of America. The people living in the circles in central Alaska are definitey having different lives than the people residing in the circles in Northern Virgina, Vermont, or Tempe, Arizona.

If you live in Idaho,Wyoming,Utah,Nevada, or Arizona it may be very easy for you to understand the culture that surrounds Mormonism, however if you're a Mormon in one of those Mormon friendly areas, it may be difficult for you to see the differences between Baptists(freewill,primitive,missionary,etc),Pentecostals,Methodists,and Presbyterians in the Deep South. The fact that a Roman Catholic Cardinal or Archbishop can influence the politics of places like Boston, New York City, or Philadelphia is totally alien to a member of the First Baptist Church of Brewton, Alabama.

It is not only religion which separates us regionally, locally, and nationally, but also prevailing industries,trades, and even factors such as climate and topography.

It is getting more and more difficult for national political candidates to pull people together to achieve the consensus necessary to be elected. Look how close our last few presidential elections have been,simple labels of Democrat and Republican do not adequately define most of us or who we are. Immigration (legal and illegal) is constantly rocking one dominant culture and replacing it with another. The pace of change is mind-boggling.

Technology - such as this blog, is also widening the divide between technology hip Americans and those in our society who have primitive reading and comprehension skills.

As I write this I have a house full of workers connected with a remodeling project that has stretched into six months. I've gotten to know them well. They are good at what they do as carpenters,electricians,dry wall plasterers, etc. Most of them don't have a clue as to who Lou Dobbs is or how Ron Paul is different from the rest of the Republicans, however they all vote. Who influences them and sways that particular "X" on the ballot at election time? This particular group all hate Hillary, but would not vote for Guilliani because of his stance on abortion. All complain about how the gas price is cutting into their incomes. These guys have very much in common with people who do the same thing in all those 50 mile radius circles I mentioned above, but I guarantee there would be much different opinions dependent upon where the circles are located.

The task of governing the United States has become daunting and the present political parties are failing because they are trying to please and obtain consenus with everybody, and are NOT listening to anybody. Independence and populism are very simple. Surprisingly even within this vast land where we all reside most people want similar things. Polls and surveys tell us what we want. When the government reponds to the people in providing those things, you have populism. Leave people alone in their various states and regions and let them decide among themselves how they will manage the various social and economic issues unique to that locality and, voila, you have independence. Central government for the necessary things and decentralized government for the regional and local differences.

Having a FEDERAL policy, law, or regulation for EVERYTHING is what is killing our Society. Independence means being able to BREATHE!

He's Back! On Radio...And TV!

Don Imus would not call himself an Independent. He has told everyone until now that he is a "registered" Republican. Most people in the U.S. because of voting laws,socio-economic status, and a host of other reasons either declare themselves to be Republicans or Democrats. Don Imus isn't an exception.

Anyone who has watched Imus over the years like I have, knows darn well that Imus is as independent as hell. He has attacked and scorned Republican and Democratic congressmen who have failed to listen to the people on a range of topics such as veterans healthcare,autism, Iraq and social issues that impact the poor and the middle class. Imus despite his notoriety is one of the most independent voices in the media. Despite the recent flap with the Rutgers women basketball players, Don Imus has prevailed.

On December 3rd, Don Imus will return to radio on 77 WABC the biggest talk radio station in the United States. But wait! There's more! RFD TV, a station that is on the lineup with both Dish and Direct Tv, will carry Imus in a simulcast with ABC. RFD TV is a relatively small outlet catering to farmers and ranchers, but expect its ranking to boost significantly once it starts carrying Imus.

Be watching for vendetta from Imus against Hillary Clinton, who criticized him unmercifully when he was down. Trust me if Hillary could stop Imus's comeback on WABC and on RFD TV she would. Thousands of rural Iowans watch RFD TV. The timing couldn't be worse for Hillary.

See Nashville Tennessean story about Imus's debut on RFD TV.

He Caved!

Eliot Spitzer has sadly found out that government by edict doesn't work. Tuesday night after the press cycle had revolved, he announced that he was backing away from his controversial plan to issue driver's licenses to New Yorks estimated 500,000 illegal aliens. Since announcing the plan several weeks ago, Spitzer has tried to swim against a tide of criticism. Even Hillary Clinton's weak efforts of support in a recent debate did not help him. Populist voices like Lou Dobbs have called the plan "idiotic." The Sheriff's and County Clerk's Associations in New York went into outright revolt against the plan.

He should have taken note that when Congress failed to pass a liberal giveaway immigration bill that the public would be against him. He didn't listen and the once popular New York politician may be spending the rest of his term in damage control. Will he be reelected after showing his original bad judgement? Time will tell, but I doubt it.

I can't wait to tune in to the Lou Dobbs show tonight.

Revolt against a governor who didn't listen to the people

What happens in America is that many politicians become so wrapped up in their successful auras that they forget who created them in the first place. A good example of this is the governor of the Empire State, Eliot Spitzer. The headline grabbing chief executive who made a name for himself as New York's crime busting attorney general, recently tried to be cute by amending the nation's immigration laws on his own. Through an administrative order,not legislation,Spitzer created a pathway where New York's estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants could get New York driver's licenses. This was an arrogant move on Spitzer's part since a New York license is honored by all 50 states and territories and provides essential documentation for everything from credit cards to voter registration.

The governor's failure to listen to his people and the rest of the country has now placed him in a situation that is likely to torpedo his political future.

The opposition to Spitzer's plan is far reaching. "Idiotic" is one of the kinder terms used to describe it. The New York State Association of County Clerks opposes the plan as well as most of New York's County Sheriffs. The New York Post reports:

The statewide Sheriffs' Association took the formal position shortly after Spitzer's homeland-security director, Michael Balboni, tried - and failed - to sell the measure to the group as an upgrade in state and national security.

"We respect and support the governor's efforts to strengthen security in New York and the nation," the Sheriffs' Association said in a statement following the vote behind closed doors.

"However, we do not feel that providing a driver's license to illegal immigrants is appropriate and, as an association, we do not support that program."

Commenting on the opposition Spitzer said,

"I knew there would be opposition," he says. "I don't think anyone predicted quite this level of venom."

USA TODAY reports:

The opposition is vast. The New York State Association of County Clerks opposes the plan, says Kathleen Marchione, association president and Saratoga County Clerk.

If the change goes into effect, 20 of the 51 clerks who run DMV offices say they will refuse to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Three say they will issue the licenses, then turn over names of suspected illegal immigrants to immigration officials, Marchione says.

At least two clerks have filed lawsuits to block the plan, as has James Tedisco, state Assembly Republican leader. They argue that state law requires a driver's license applicant to have a Social Security number, and that giving licenses to illegal immigrants compromises security because, unlike legal immigrants, they did not undergo background checks to enter the USA.

"It only takes one individual in a propane truck to drive into a building with 2,000 people in it and destroy their lives," Tedisco says.

Dutchess County Clerk Bradford Kendall calls the plan "just plain wrong." He says he has to follow the policy if it takes effect, but he is considering reporting applicants who are illegal immigrants to authorities. "It is illegal to aid or abet illegal aliens," he says.

I fully expect the recall petitions for Spitzer to start circulating any day... Another elected political leader with a deaf ear to his constituents.

We are losing control of our lives to a Globalist Elite

That is the subtitle to an article written by Libertarian James Leroy Wilson who writes the column "Independent Country" for The Partial Observer. The title of his article is The Abolition of the Individual. If you are a thinker and look for trends, then by all means you should read Wilson's article.

So Far...

Among the list of possible Independent Candidates, one name stands out so far. That is Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project. He has a fairly substantial base organization and has a lot of money pouring in, especially from the border states. I'm still betting that Lou Dobbs jumps in sometime around February 2008 when America is faced with dismal choices from the Democrats and Republicans. A Dobbs/Gilchrist ticket would be powerful if their egos didn't cancel each other out.

Check out other Independent hopefuls.

Early Lou Dobbs for President website. Until its endorsed by Dobbs, I wouldn't use the Paypal feature.

Political Parties Failure Results in Radical Populists

Prior to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 most of Post WWI America was enjoying the fruits of industrial boom. New cars, washing machines, unheard of labor saving appliances, and a loosening of the strict social mores that had prevailed since the Civil War. That was happening in most of the United States, but was definitely not happening in rural Louisiana where sharecroppers and farmers struggled to survive. Companies like Standard Oil dominated the politics of Louisiana. Labels like Democrat and Republican meant nothing to companies like Standard and the huge sugar companies that dominated Louisiana. If you were on the "in" with these companies, you were a member of the "haves." Most in Louisiana,unfortunately, were in the "have not" category. Hence the meteorial rise of radical populist Huey P. Long who was elected to be Louisiana's governor in 1928 against the wishes of the corporate moguls who dominated the state. Long would become a U.S. Senator and have an almost dictatorial political dominance over the state until his assassination in 1935.

When political parties stop listening to the people, conditions are ripe for the rise of populists of all ilk. That is what's happening in the United States today. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party have quit listening to the people who "brought them to the dance." People see George Bush's failure to protect our borders, our jobs, and our way of life as a betrayal. Hillary,Obama,Rudy,and Mitt repeat themes that are so tired they have moss on them. People in 2008 want a major change of government. They will probably get it, but how radical will it be?

Two years ago, I visited the Versailles Palace in France. I was disgusted by the opulence. It didn't take me long to figure out why the peasants arose and dragged royalty by their heels to the guillotine... As ordinary people are deprived of a quality Christmas by $5.00(last week in California)a gallon gas. America's political guillotine is being pulled out of the barn. Let's hope it doesn't become too bloody...

Does your state allow you to vote as an independent?

I'm not a constitutional scholar - far from it. However, I did take several political sciences courses in college which dealt very specifically with the Constitution of the United States. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that you have to be a Republican or Democrat. In fact it was only after 1800 that parties started showing up on ballots. State election commissions are dominated by the dominant party in their state and basically stack the deck against any oppostion. Political parties would totally eliminate the independent voter if they could. Hillary Clinton, Fred Thompson,Mitt Romney,Barack Obama,and the rest of the candidates are totally fearful of the independent voter. Independents don't vote the party line. During the years I was a party voter I affiliated with the party because it stood for more things I was for than I was against.

Many people register as a Democrat or Republican because they want to have clout in a Democrat or Republican primary. Recently we saw how worthless that was in the reelection of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Very conservative Lieberman became at odds with the Democratic Party establishment both in Connecticut and the rest of the Nation. The party in Connecticut supported someone more in line with their views hoping if this person won that Lieberman would go away. Lieberman lost in the primary and to the dismay of his enemies he ran as an independent totally smoking the Democratic candidate in the general election. Today, Lieberman as an Independent senator finds himself in a more powerful position that he did as a Democrat. The margins are so close in the Senate that both parties suck up to him.

The Independent voter in the 2008 election will be in a tremendous power position to sway the election one way or the other. Wouldn't it be nice if we had an Independent Candidate who could win? Are you listening Lou Dobbs?

Lou Dobbs on Populism

Lou Dobbs being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer of CNN comments about the elitists in Congress, business, and academia who feel they have the answers for America:

The fundamental tenet of populism is that none of us is as smart as all of us.

Dobbs has a new book entitled:

Independent's Day: Awakening The American Spirit

Independent Populism Ain't Weird Science

Some event has triggered an unprecedented number of hits to this blog. How do I know? Look at word "Tracker" at the bottom of this page. It tells me who and how many of you have been here. It also tells me the search words that brought you here. The most common question is "what is an independent populist".

"Independent is about 70% of the definition. If you consider yourself independent and separated from the Democratic and Republican herd mentality that characterizes American politics you are probably at the right place. If the word "control" dominates your vocabulary, you more than likely are in the wrong place. If you parse your words to be politically correct, you are also in the wrong place. Example: Andrew Jackson referenced above was a populist and more or less independent. He was not a politically correct figure for his times and to many today. He was popular because he had his ear tuned to the people. This was a very unpopular notion in Jackson's time just as it is now.

I invite all the curious to join this blog and talk. That's what it's for. Let's discuss the recent Ron Paul phenomenon, Why 13% of Vermont's population want to secede, Why "Lou Dobbs Independent" is becoming a catch phrase, Why Hillary got in trouble on the immigration gaffe. You get the idea? Join in, the water's warm and we would like to warm it up more.

Guy Fawkes, Ron Paul, Secessionists, 4.2 Million Bucks

Ron Paul, Libertarian candidate disquised as a Republican managed to raise a historic 4.2 million dollars in campaign funds with no hard work on his own. The occasion was the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th. This sudden infusion of internet cash moves Paul into position as a viable candidate in the upcoming Republican primaries.

Meanwhile, secessionists from the South... and get this ... the North recently met in Chattanooga to make their plans to secede from the good old USA.

It's a different kind of political season folks. Hang on!

Read about The Chattanooga Declaration

Help write a serial fictional novel about a modern day secession movement. Is it possible? Contribute your ideas and tune in each week. Cheer your heroes and boo the villains. See The Southern Split

McCain - Is he Craaazy?

This is not an opinion piece, but a couple of questions. When a man erupts on the senate floor and says, "F... You!" to a fellow colleague of his OWN party...and then viciously attacks the front runner of his own party with snide remarks about the front runners employment of illegal aliens and hunting habits, and has flip-flopped on issues key to his conservative constituency, should this guy - war hero that he is- be considered mature enough be be President of the United States? Ponder those and give me some feedback...

Until next time... MHT

Political Evolution

[Author's note]If you have linked to this site from my article at the Partial Observer, I apologize for your inconvenience of having to see the same article. While you are here think about some recent events in the past few days: (1)Congress is preparing to debate a budget of over 3 trillion dollars. A good chunk of the money will go to a war that a majority of Americans do not support. No matter where you stand on the war, you and your family will have to pay the bill for the war,Homeland Security, Health and Human Services...you know the rest. More taxes, more bureaucracy...ad nauseum.

Meanwhile, our government has just imprisoned two border patrol agents who pursued and shot (but didn't kill) a big time drug smuggler. This week one of those wrongly imprisoned agents was beaten up in a Yazoo City, Mississippi Federal prison by a Mexican drug gang. This prison has 350 Mexican illegals who are there for drug trafficking.

Thousands face layoffs in our major automobile manufacturing centers. This of course will probably trickle down to your town. But guess what! We are about to be flooded with hunks of cheap rolling metal from China!

If you are offended, affected, or just plain mad about the assault on the Middle Class, I encourage you to join or comment at this blogsite. If you have not read the "Political Evolution of Mike Thomson," I urge you to continue:

THE POLITICAL EVOLUTION OF MIKE THOMSON - first appeared in The Partial Observer.

Where do we get our political views? Sometimes we inherit the views of our parents. To be liked we may attach ourselves to the views of our friends, or even our church. How many of you are saying, "been there, done that!"

In my case, my political views have gone through a long convoluted evolution.

As a child, I revered my grandfather, who was a "Roosevelt" Democrat. "Pa" had chased Mexican bandito Pancho Villa, fought in France during WWI, was captured by Germans – escaped, and lived on the lam, hiding out in rural France with sympathetic farmers before being repatriated. His experiences in that war shaped the rest of his life and the lives of his family.

Growing up in such a family it was considered traitorous to say a kind word towards the other side. Republicans were evil, rich, and trampled on the common man. Given the experience my grandfather and my parents had during the Great Depression, it was not too difficult to adopt this viewpoint.

Because of the long military history in my family, ancestors, grandfather, dad, uncles, and cousins – all serving honorably, a military career was viewed as a good way to spend one's life. In the Sixties because of the institution known as the draft, most of my generation of young men faced at least a partial career in the armed service.

Being inclined towards the military was not a popular thing to do during this period. People looked at you funny if you wore a uniform. Some of your brothers in arms were being spat upon and taunted by longhaired freaky people who wore a chicken foot symbol on their t-shirts.

Increasingly the people doing the taunting and the draft dodging were associated with the Democratic Party. Little did I know, then, that some of the worst draft dodgers would be Republican leaders in the future. Nevertheless, my view of the longhaired "chicken foot" people swung me towards the Republicans and away from the views of my grandfather and the rest of the family.

After Vietnam, the now respectable "chicken foot" people did their part to ruin the military. It wasn't until Ronald Reagan came along that restoration began. Again, unsophisticated as I was, I didn't realize that Reagan wasn't really a traditional Republican. As a good actor, he played the part magnificently. Then Rush Limbaugh appeared…

When I first heard Limbaugh in late 1988, like many others, I lapped his words up and incorporated them into my own political philosophy. There were incongruities between my views and Limbaugh's views in some areas, but I chose to ignore them. I eschewed the Clinton's and embraced the Bush family. Then it got weird….

This little guy with big ears and a penchant for charts and pointers arrived on the scene. He made more sense than the Clinton's or the Bush's, or Limbaugh. Later he was branded as "crazy" and I never mentioned to anyone that I voted for him.

It was after Perot that I began the transition to what I am today - an Independent Populist. I had my brushes with cynical business types who were adherents of the "global economy" and whose loyalty to America is a secondary devotion instead of primary. Both political parties are rife with these people.

When I started thinking this way, I glumly accepted the fact that I was odd and was out of step with most of my Democrat and Republican peers. Then I encountered Lou Dobbs.

From the time of the first Gulf War and through the influence of Limbaugh, I had stopped viewing CNN. About two months ago, I visited 202 on Direct TV and found Dobbs.

At first I thought something was screwy because this was the person that used to do the business report, now he was talking politics with an attitude. Then I heard his theme, "War on The Middle Class."

This was why I had been feeling glum. I, like many millions of Americans are at war, not with some foreign potentate, but with traitors to the American Dream.

Traitors who move our jobs overseas, traitors who create conditions that nearly bankrupt companies like GM and Ford, traitors who wink and nod as millions cross our borders and live in our country illegally working for less money than our citizens, and last but not least, traitors who find it offensive and politically incorrect to put America first.

Dobbs is going to be one of the voices I listen to until someone shuts him up.




Kondracke on Dobbs:

Roll Call" Executive Editor Mort Kondracke in his latest column implores President Bush to vigorously defend so-called free trade against alleged protectionist Democrats. Kondracke laments, "A tide of populism, protectionism, nationalism and xenophobia is washing over the country, fueled by right-wing radio talk show hosts, CNN firebrand Lou Dobbs and legitimate concerns that U.S. workers are falling behind in the global struggle for jobs and good wages."


OUR FIRST INDEPENDENT POPULIST: ANDREW JACKSON. Without pouring through the lengthy volumes that exist on Jackson, I refer you to this article by N. Katers on how "Old Hickory" upset the bluebloods of his era. Read Article.

THESE FOLKS AREN'T INDEPENDENTS, BUT THEY'RE MAD TOO! SEND THEM A LETTER

Open Letter to the GOP

6 Feb. 2007

Dear Republican Party,


The GOP has become entirely too liberal for real
conservatives. If things do not change, we will have
no choice but to vote third party, perhaps
Constitution Party.

Regarding the 2008 election, the following candidates
are completely unacceptable: John McCain, Rudolph
Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Sam Brownback,
Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Condoleezza Rice, et al.
They are all neocons, all support the third-world
invasion of the United States, and thus all (at least
in our eyes) are guilty of treason.

Unless a candidate is chosen who is tough on
immigration (like Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, Duncan
Hunter), not only shall we leave the GOP, but we shall
encourage others to leave as well.

Along the lines of Russell Kirk, we support a
traditional conservatism. We especially would like to
address the following four points:

- We oppose the third-world invasion of the United
States, and want drastic reductions in both legal and
illegal immigration, especially from the third world.

- We oppose free trade, as conservatives historically
have done. Our current trade deficit is horrendous,
our economy fading, and our national sovereignty
eroding away.

- We oppose a liberal interventionist government and
thus oppose the illegal neocon war in Iraq. The
transformation of the Middle East to liberal democracy
is Jacobin, not conservative.

- We oppose the outrageous growth of the Federal
government - at all 3 levels. We would like to see
the majority federal programs and offices shut down,
and for most governing authority to be returned to the
states.



Sincerely,



Brian Watkins (Columbus, OH); David L. Hatfield (VA);
Sara Jones Carter (St. Louis, MO); Kathryn Wills
(Dayton, OH); Tony Downly (MO); Jim Shelton
(Fallbrook, CA); B. J. Blackerby (Parkville, MO); Thor
H. Asgardson (Oceanside, CA); John W Lillpop (San
JOse, CA); Hal Washburn (Olalla, WA); James H.
Campbell (Fountain Hills, AZ); Jonathan Grubbs
(Sanford, FL); Kay Emery (Siloam Springs, AR); Gary
Suydam (Kingwood, TX); Gregory Coates; Terry Graham
(ID); Barbara Anderson (Portland, OR); Carol Derbis
(Oceanside, CA); Royce Zook (Austin, TX); Susan
Hoffmann (Aurora, IL); Brian Sears; BJ Marvin
(Hermiston, OR); Diane Alden (Carrollton, GA); Hugh
Bodey (OR); Carl Segvich (Chicago, IL); Eric La
Grange; Tom Craighead (Lubbock,TX); Chris Duncan (Mt.
Vernon, IL); Susan Trevino; Anothony Cicoria (FL);
Carol Suits (Lewisville, TX); Paul & Michelle Klein
(Des Plaines, IL); Roger Guran (Montery Park, CA);
Mark Atkins (West Columbia, TX); Ingrid Nicholson
(NH); Theodore C. Allen (Andewrson, CA); Ken Anderson
(Millinocket, ME); Ray C. Lively (Spring Hill, FL);
Ross L. Gillum (Snohomish, WA); Nedd Kareiva (Chicago,
IL); Margaret Dalton (Philadelphia, PA); Pastor Roger
Anghis; Paul Plasters (Rockford, IL); Jerry
Kranendonk; Sally Davis (SD); Al Doyle; Thomas Porter
(Myrtle Beach, SC); Mike Stiffler (Golden Valley, AZ);
David K. Schumann (Reno, NV); Lauren Kim Frank (Valley
Springs, CA); Burr V Deitz; Hank Coburn (Lennox, CA);
Don R. Bingham (Lebanon, MO); Howard L. Wilson
(Andover, NH); Karen Whalen (Phoenix, AZ); Jennive J.
Ramsey (Florence, MS); Steven Latimer (Richmond, VA);
Leon Donahue (Tacoma, WA); Shirely A. Jorgenson (Royal
Oaks, CA); Alice Smith (Omak, WA); Howard L. Wilson;
Nicole Venable (Yorkville, IL); Teri Harris
(Hermiston, OR); Kevin Harris (Hermiston, OR); Mr. and
Ms. Marcus Blitz (Youngstown, NY); Carl Clark (Mesa,
AZ); Susan Trevino (Pasadena, TX); Roger Campbell
(VA);