Thank You Mr. President!

You wake up this morning as the Leader of the Free World, but when you go to sleep this evening you will just like the rest of us, a normal citizen of these United States of America.

You have a endured difficult times and have had several shining moments these last 8 years.

Some of the burdens you have borne are only know to the other 42 men to have held that position and I am sure your successor will feel some in the coming days of his administration.

Mr. Bush, you started out on the river of freedom on the USS America with great hopes that our country will be able to expand the democracy in which we sometimes take for granted. Yet, on the beautiful September morn, that river of freedom entered an unforeseen rapids in which for some there would be no escaping.

Yet Mr President you shined in the midst of the pile of rubble:





For all the slings and arrows that came your way, you continued to hold to your beliefs never wavering. As the Marines say you were always faithful to America and her ideals.




I can say with conviction, that you never made me regret my votes and all the hours I devoted to your two elections. I hope that perhaps with your successor that I may one day say that I regretted not voting Obama, but, I am just like you, hopeful, that he will instill the same confidence in America that you had.

Thank you Mr. Bush and I wish you and Laura many more days together to share in more private joys that the both of you so richly deserve.

Tomorrow is the Day 1

The Democrats and the rest of the Angry Left have waited 8 long years to begin to run this country.

The Obama Administration has stubbed its toe with a couple of appointments regarding the Secretary of Commerce and the Treasury Secretary. But, if you don't pay taxes, as a Democrat it should still get you appointed.

I hope that the Democrats will remember that if the Tarp Fund does not recover the economy, that they can not blame everything on the Bush Administration. Since one of the key designers of that plan could very well be sitting as Secretary of Treasury.

I am hopeful that President Obama can persuade the Congress not to open criminal inquiries on various members of the Bush administration, I believe that would be a bad idea and create more hostility for when the GOP retakes control in one or both of the houses.

Should SanFran Nan want to take on the Bush Administration, I would certainly hope that she is open to ethics investigations on Charlie Rangel, Barney Frank and getting Harry Reid to open one on Chris Dodd. It would be a nice bi-partisan look at criminal activity.

With the recent court decision on the wiretapping it will be interesting to see what the Dems will want prosecute.

As to what to expect from the Obama Administration.

Barack Obama tomorrow at 12:15 pm will begin his re-election campaign. He will basically have two years for the rest of America to either continue to stay on the bandwagon or begin to look for new leadership.

The big question is how long before the media tires of Obama.

Annoying the Left

Intelligence Court Rules Wiretapping Power Legal
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: January 15, 2009

WASHINGTON —

A federal intelligence court, in a rare public opinion, issued a major ruling validating the power of the president and Congress to wiretap international phone calls and intercept e-mail messages without a specific court order, even when Americans’ private communications may be involved.
The court decision, made in August 2008 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, came in an unclassified, redacted form.

The decision marks the first time since the disclosure of the National Security Agency’s warrantless eavesdropping program three years ago that an appellate court has addressed the constitutionality of the federal government’s wiretapping powers. In validating the government’s wide authority to collect foreign intelligence, it may offer legal credence to the Bush administration’s repeated assertions that the president has the power to act without specific court approval in ordering national security eavesdropping that may involve Americans.

The Aug. 22 appeals court decision upheld a secret ruling issued last year by the intelligence court that it oversees, known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, or FISA, court. In that initial opinion, the secret court found that Congress had acted within its authority in August 2007 when it passed a hotly debated law known as the Protect America Act, which gave the executive branch broad power to eavesdrop on international communications.

“The Department of Justice is pleased with this important ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which upholds the constitutionality of foreign intelligence surveillance conducted under the Protect America Act of 2007,” a Justice Department statement said.

The court ruling grew out of a previously undisclosed challenge from a telecommunications provider, which questioned the constitutional authority of the executive branch in ordering it to capture and turn over international communications without court approval.

The telecommunications company, which was not identified, refused to comply and instead challenged its legal basis under the 2007 law.

The FISA court rejected the telecommunication companies’ challenge. It found that the Protect America Act did not violate the Constitution because the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, contained an exception for the collection of foreign intelligence information.
The opinion did not directly rule on the legality of the once-secret operation authorized by President Bush between October 2001 and early 2007, which allowed the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the international communications of Americans suspected of ties to terrorists. The disclosure of the program’s existence in The New York Times in December 2005 set off a national debate on wiretapping, privacy and the limits of presidential power. Critics charged that Mr. Bush had violated a 1978 law requiring that the government obtain a court order to listen in on Americans’ communications.

Still, the new ruling is expected to have broad implications for federal wiretapping law, because it is the first time that any appeals court has ruled on the constitutional question of the president’s wiretapping power.

It could also influence a number of court challenges now pending in federal court in California against telecommunications companies that took part in the N.S.A. program. Last year, Congress approved legal immunity against lawsuits for the telecommunications companies, but a federal judge has yet to decide whether the lawsuits should be thrown out.

The Protect America Act was a temporary, six-month measure that gave the president the authority to collect international phone calls and e-mail messages in large batches in search of possible terrorist connections without getting individual warrants. The international communications of Americans could be collected, so long as the target of the wiretapping operations was outside the United States.
The law drew strong objections from congressional Democrats, who blocked its renewal in early 2008 despite repeated warnings from President Bush that national security would be compromised. Ultimately, Congress approved a plan last June that authorized the same basic framework for international eavesdropping — along with long-sought immunity for the phone companies — but added some restrictions.

Barack Obama, then a United States senator, was highly critical of the presidential wiretapping power claimed by Mr. Bush, and threatened to filibuster the final bill. But he ultimately voted for it, angering some of his liberal supporters. His administration is expected to examine possible changes in wiretapping law and operations, a review that will probably be affected by the findings of the FISA appeals court.

The FISA court and the review court operate in secrecy. The appellate court has issued only one other major ruling in its 30-year history.

Looks like if President Obama would like keep this, he now has legal cover to continue this program, even if he and other Liberals may publicly abhor it.

Although since the New York Times disclosed this intelligence avenue several years ago, I wonder how effective it will continue to be.

Change is Coming to America

Thank God, some believe that we need change in leadership in Washington.

On Tuesday, January 20th 2009 at 12:01pm that change will occur for the 44th time.

What will it look like:

Here is a small snippet:

Working in New Computer

The old laptop was just about done, now configuring new one and while I am at it a new all in one printer.

Heard some background on the School board selection and so far everyone seems to be happy with it.

Received a call from Ryan Demro while on his way to Ft. Jackson. According to him he was somewhere in the Carolinas. He will be finishing up his final phase of Officer Training. Unless Uncle Sam sends him somewhere else, he should be returning mid-March.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to All

One of my favorite versions of the Little Drummer Boy

Please Remember Those on the Front Lines

Straight No Chaser - Friday

Since we are nearing Christmas and it seems that a Friday needs to be a little lighter then some of the others that I want to write about, so here is Straight No Chaser.

Lakewood is in a tizzy - Decisions to make

Topic # 1

City Hall

Well, it seems that one of the many golden geese in Lakewood is about to be put aside. What is that you ask?

Why its backyard pickup for all the residents.

Several months ago the City announced that all multi-tenant apartments above five (5) units was going to lose its garbage pickup, the City claiming as a cost cutting measure announced that it was to drop the service. That is one goose that died, it doesn't really save a lot of money, but with the state the city's finances are in anything right now is a help.

Then just a couple of weeks ago, it was floated that the city was going to drop the backyard pickup in favor of a more automated system with all the garbage being picked up at curbside by an articulating armed truck.

Once again, the initial costs may not save a lot, but in the long run I bet it will save the city several hundred thousand dollars each fiscal year.

I believe that a lot of people will be upset by this move, but I thought 4 years ago this was a necessary move as a cost cutting issue.

I applaud Mayor FitzGerald and the City Council for taking a bold move into reducing costs. There is still few more things that could be done, but this is a major move forward for the City.

Topic # 2

Lakewood Library

Ken Warren has announced his retirement from the Library. Ken has done a magnificent job along with the board in creating a fine institution and now a spectacular facility in which to browse the literary world or words.

Personally, I think very highly of Ken, who occasionally stops in at this site and will offer his comments either here or via email.

Ken, Good Luck and I will be curious to hear what books you might be reading and if you are going to write one.

Topic # 3

Lakewood School Board

Chaz Geiger stunned the community by announcing his retirement from the Board, some are angered that he is leaving after only finishing one year of his 4 year term.
Quite frankly, I think he a right to step aside anytime he feels necessary.

Now the School is scrambling to not only to fill the the Superintendent's seat, but now finding someone to fill Mr. Geiger's seat until the November election.

So as I said Lakewood is a tizzy and people are having to make decisions, political ones and financial ones.

The political ones are who is going to step up for the School Board and coming into 2009, who might give a run at City Council.

The financial question - will there be even more cost cutting at City Hall?

There are some interesting time coming up! Stay tuned