The war in Iraq isn’t just about WMDs, Bush, insurgencies, or oil; its about much more. Since the beginning of this nation, we as Americans have stood up for the rights of all peoples, cultures and creeds.

With the Bush doctrine, we declared that, “America will lead by defending liberty and justice because they are right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere.”

Harry S. Truman declared that, “totalitarian regimes imposed on free people, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine the foundations of international peace and hence the security of the United States.”

FDR looked forward, “to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms… freedom of speech and expression… freedom of every person to worship God in his own way… freedom from want… freedom from fear.”

President Lincoln praised those who, gave the last full measure of devotion,” to these freedoms.

And finally it was James Monroe that declared, “that the American continents by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.”

All the examples above speak of American commitment to freedom and the lengths to which we go for those freedoms. But none of these speeches, proclamations addresses, or doctrines set the goals of the American people in terms of freedom more than a one-page declaration. It said that, “whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government… to effect their safety and happiness.” It is this Declaration of Independence that formally declares that, “all men are created equal,” and it is this natural law that we as Americans see as our most central and vital of ideals.

The people of Iraq, Somalia, Darfur, and Rwanda are all our brothers in this global community and when your brother is in trouble, you do whatever it takes to see that they are treated the way they should be treated.

We can hold ourselves to higher standards and believe that there are moral absolutes, but still suffering continues in these areas. We can create awareness, talk with leaders and even send aid, but until the injustices cease we cannot, WILL NOT, stand by and see the freedoms of these men and women stripped away.

Iraq exemplifies the extent to which we will stand up against tyranny. Dissenters of the war may cite oil, lies, or just plain Presidential idiocy as the reasons we went to Iraq, and with some merit. Wars are never about just an ideal, and it would be naive for me to say that this war is any different. You do not foster good feelings and cooperation through the violence of war. War is ugly. War is hell. All wars, no matter what the context, are crimes. They're crimes against the combatants and crimes against the innocents.

But there is a time where violent means are the way to reach the end we all want: peace. Peace for ourselves, for our children, and for our neighbors. If we violate the sovereignty of a nation that has clearly forfeit their right to rule by oppressing their people, I will sleep better at night knowing we did something about it. And if some good comes out of the ashes of this particular mess in Iraq, then I consider it a job well done.

In the West Wing, just after I finished my presentation, I saw an episode that talked about just this point. President Bartlett said...

We're for freedom of speech everywhere. We're for freedom to worship everywhere. We're for freedom to learn... for everybody. And because in our time, you can build a bomb in your country and bring it to my country, what goes on in your country is very much my business. And so we are for freedom from tyranny, everywhere, whether in the guise of political oppression, Toby, or economic slavery, Josh, or religious fanaticism, CJ. That most fundamental idea cannot be met with merely our support. It has to be met with our strength.

We have come to resent and despise our strength and our morals, and we should be for the freedoms of all people everywhere. Sure, our good boys will die for something they did not start in the first place. But as long as they sign up to defend what they believe in, then people will keep signing up and will gladly put themselves between harm and their neighbors in the global community.

True, those future wars might have high costs monetarily. They may be entered with some alterior motive in mind, and we can't change that. But to every man, woman and child whose lives have been made safe from tyranny, it doesn’t matter under what pretext they received their freedom. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that they are free

Spot on ladies, spot on...

"You've heard of mental depression; this is mental recession... we have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline despite a major export boom that is the primary that growth continues in the economy."

So when I heard Sen. Graham's comments I was stunned and shocked and was ready to stand up and say, "Who are you to call ME a whiner?! I am a hard working, pick yourself up by your bootstraps American like my father and my grandparents before me, and you up there in your ivory tower have no idea of the plight of the working man." And this is the reaction many people took, saying the same thing, all clinging to the notion of America as it was in the first two hundred years of our history.

We look back with fond memories of times we never have seen. We look back to the Pilgrims surviving the harsh winters of Massachusetts. We look back to the Wild West and the Industrialized East at the turn of the century. And we remember the Depression and WWII and how our grandparents and great grandparents fought off hunger, famine, and unemployment and survived to defeat one of the greatest threats the world has ever known in Adolf Hitler. We see these times as the best and always consider ourselves as cut from the cloth of those tough workers. But I got news for you... we're not.

I worked this summer in a dairy with a bunch of people who have either been jumping around from job to job and were older or younger guys who had jumped a bit but haven't had the years of work these older guys did. The work was tiring, but not hard; mostly it was repetitive motion and a lot of standing. We got paid very well, and came home with a good amount of money in one week. In addition to forty hours, we got a ton of overtime, and that helped a ton with the payday. It was a good job that paid well, and I'm sure that the paycheck would make our hardworking ancestors fall over in shock.

So what did my coworkers think of the job? Well, they had an opinion about it, and never ceased in reminding everyone what it was. They always had a problem with something. They didn't want to work a full day, but complained when they didn't get overtime pay. They liked not having to get up early for the shift, but complained that we got home so late. They liked the bosses and joked around with them and then complained about them all the time and complained about how ignorant or unfair they were. It seemed that no matter what they did, the job wasn't what they wanted. Some came for a few days and quit, some a few weeks. One guy came for one day, then never returned. I know these people were just a sample, but I've seen it before, and this is the normal reaction of today's worker... nothing but whining and complaining.

So that's what we have become, exactly pegged by Sen Graham... a nation of whiners. He might have been talking about us complaining about jobs being lost overseas, but the truth is there's work out there and Americans won't stoop to doing those jobs. That's why we have illegal immigrants coming to do those jobs, that's why I have a new employee every week, and that's why we're falling behind in the world in production and economy. We need to stand up once again and take responsibility for our actions, not complain about others'. You can't control anyone or anything but your own actions, and if you haven't done everything you can to make a good living and done a good day's work, then you can sit down and shut up.

The arguments for and against Global Warming are well known, and I don't need to delve in them right now. Suffice to say, I don't believe in Global Warming. The article starts out with a real "feel good" situation:

The world needs to invest $45 trillion in energy in coming decades, build some 1,400 nuclear power plants and vastly expand wind power in order to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to an energy study released Friday.

And wind power? Ted Kennedy didn't want them by his estate, because they ruin the skyline. We'd have to put these out in the middle of nowhere, minimizing their effectiveness as well. Anyone traveling on Route 30 towards Bedford can see these turbines on both sides of the road, and while they are an eye sore, they provide energy to the neighboring towns that would have to pay top dollar for natural gas or other means of heating and electric utilities. And with wind turbines costing one fifth what they did in the 1980s, we can swallow the eyesore that they would be to get the energy they provide. But they're not the whole answer, and we'd have to produce 17,000 turbines annually, (714,000 by 2050), would be quite a tall task for an industry not suited for such large scale production.

I think that this is a step to far, and Congress agrees with me, (I'm surprised they could agree with anybody). They blocked the first bill on this subject that hit the floor. Its not okay to saddle the American taxpayer with the burden of the world's transgressions upon nature, when China and other industrialized nations have no restrictions on pollution. Watch the Summer Olympics this summer and tell me that they do their part to fight global warming. We take on responsibilities that make us an example for the world, but when those who mock and scorn our role in the world as the world's police say that we need to take on this burden of environmental war, it is a step too far. We should be stewards of the earth and do what we can to take care of it, but we shouldn't have to make men, women and children poor because of our need to clear our consciouses for the way we have abused the Earth to this point in history. We must move on and make the best of a bad situation, and ride out the storm if that is our future.

Sen. DeMint is trying to pass an amendment (a rider on another bill) that would place a BAN on pork-barrel spending (which is when your representatives in Congress hand out your tax dollars to benefit their campaign contributors).

The really exciting thing about the DeMint amendment is that if it passes, it'll help keep some money in the Social Security trust fund so that we might actually get some of our Social Security when we retire!

PLEASE call your two senators tomorrow. Each call will take thirty seconds, maximum. All you have to say is something along the lines of, " "Hi I'm a young voter in Pennsylvania and I hope Senator ____ will vote YES on DeMint's budget amendment."

You DO NOT have to try to convince the staff member who answers your call why their senator should support the amendment. All you have to do is register your support. TRUST ME, it will matter.

Sen. Arlen Specter's number is 202-224-4254
Sen. Robert Casey's number is 202-224-6324 or toll-free 866-802-2833

(If you're not from PA, email me at MRitter1776@gmail.com and I'll be glad to help you find contact info for your senators!)

You can also email them using this easy form! http://www.secureourfuture.org/issuealerts.php

If you're feeling REALLY ambitious, we also really need people to call these senators, all of whom are on the fence and can be swayed wither way, depending on how much public support they see for the amendment.
Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine) 202-224-5344
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island) 202-224-2921
Sen. Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) 202-224-4041
Sen. Barack Obama (Illinois) 202-224-2854

THANK YOU!

Just a Few Thoughts:
-Republicans will have a nominee after Tuesday
-Democrats won't have a nominee
-Giuliani set himself up for VP if McCain wins by endorsing him
-Edwards set himself up for VP by NOT endorsing anyone
-I had said Florida would decide the Republican nominee... I stand by that
-California will decide the Democratic nomination

Republicans

1. John McCain- Sen of AZ- He won Florida, and possibly with it the nomination. With endorsements coming from all over, especially from former front-runner Giuliani, he is looking good going into Tuesday's contest. Can he survive the firestorm from Conservative talk show hosts like Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity? If he can, he's in the clear.

2. Mitt Romney- Fm. Gov of MA- He's won Michigan, showed up well in South Carolina and Florida, and looks good going into Tuesday despite the McCain surge. He'd be in trouble if it wasn't for his deep pocketbook. He might be able to pay his way to victory, which would make McCain regret his limitations to campaign finance laws.

3. Mike Huckabee- Fm. Gov of AR- He's come from third tier to first tier, and now back down to second tier as McCain and Romney run away with this thing. But Huckabee has shown resiliency by staying in the race with no free media (like McCain), and without a lot of money (like Romney). If he can carry the south, keep reinforcing the social conservative wing in his camp, and keep the other candidates from running away with it, he's got a shot... but a long one.

4. Ron Paul- Cong. of TX- His R3volution is really something I've never seen before, but its more of a joke to the party establishment than anything else. He's got no chance to win a State on Tuesday, but don't tell his supporters that. Maybe if he had tried to appeal to the Republican base a bit more or come a little closer to center as he garnered his far-Right support, he might have had a shot.

Democrats

1. Hillary Clinton- Sen of NY- She's been accused of being weak, racist, a puppet, unfit, too liberal, and a liar... but she's risen above it all to continue to lead in the national polls, and looks good going into Tuesday. Republicans beware, she'll be more fit to take on a general than anyone else because of all the flak she's gone through to get this far. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

2. Barack Obama- Sen of IL- He's been right in the thick of the mud-slinging and stayed clean. Is that because of his race, or his charisma? I think a bit more of the latter, believing that he transcends race, and that makes him a dangerous candidate. The endorsements from the Kennedys help a ton, solidifying the JFK heir persona. Win the majority of races on Tuesday, and I think he wins.

Just a few thoughts:
- Will race or sex turn the Democratic race into a full out brawl?
- Is the press driving the huge lead changes that we're seeing? Come from behind wins in all races makes for better TV
- Florida will determine who the Republican nominee is.

Republicans
1. John McCain- Sen of AZ- Left for dead for weeks, McCain’s campaign has come out of nowhere to lead the pack in almost all Republican polls. If he wins South Carolina, a state that eluded him in 2000, he may have enough steam to power him all the way to the nomination.

2. Mike Huckabee- Fm. Gov. of AR- After an impressive win in Iowa, Huckabee moved into New Hampshire and made a good showing, and looks like the odds on favorite for South Carolina. His next step is Florida, which is going to be a dogfight between McCain, Giuliani, and himself. Thank YOU, Chuck Norris.

3. Mitt Romney- Fm. Gov of MA- Romney would be the fastest falling star in this race if it wasn’t for Giuliani, but Romney’s fall is even more amazing because he has spent so much money just to come in second. Still, he leads in the delegate count. Michigan is a must win.

4. Rudy Giuliani- Fm. Mayor of NYC- How could he have gone from the front-runner in every national poll to obscurity? Rudy has put his faith in the “50 State Strategy,” which could pay off if the Republican landscape stays as chaotic as it has been. Rudy’s the essential wild card team, hoping for Romney or Thompson to come from behind in the next two contests, and then come from behind himself in Florida.

5. Fred Thompson- Fm. Sen. of TN.- With a great showing in the South Carolina debates, this literal sleeper has started to make a showing in South Carolina, and could possibly garner enough support to win there, although he has tough opponents in Huckabee and McCain. He might stick around for awhile, but all accounts say that his campaign will end before the new Law and Order season ends.

6. Ron Paul- Cong. Of TX- He raises a lot of money and has one of the most dedicated supporter bases of any campaign. That being said, he looks like the crazy grandfather up on stage with the other candidates, and has about as much chance to take the Republican nod as Kucinich has to take the Democratic field.

7. Duncan Hunter- Cong. of CA- Known as the conservative that knows what to do with the border, this candidate’s time is up. Stop Kidding yourself, its over. Go home.

Democrats
1. Hillary Clinton- Sen of NY- She went from the top of the race to the surprise loser of Iowa, back on top to the pack with the New Hampshire field. This race, once thought to be just a race to see who’s #1 on the ticket and who’s #2 has now become more than that with comments that hit a little close to home flying on both sides. Whoever can come out looking better will win the nomination.

2. Barack Obama- Sen. of IL- His coronation was put on hold with a Clinton win in NH, but don’t count him out yet. He is probably the most charismatic and engaging candidate we’ve seen since Reagan, and he garners attention from across the pond. Obama has to be careful, because this nomination is his at some point, and he can ruin that inevitability by running a bad and nasty campaign.

3. John Edwards- Fm. Sen. of SC- He would be the “Kennedy” candidate if it wasn’t for Obama, but has hung around and will continue to until Super Tuesday. However, if you can’t win a state that you were once a senator of, how electable are you?

4. Dennis Kucinich- Cong. of OH- The Democrat’s version of Ron Paul, Kucinich has no chance. His fellow Dems should tell him to resign to keep their debates free of crazy leftist rants.

5. Mike Gravel- Fm. Sen. of AL- Mike who?

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and
came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be
true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with
the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is
unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the
citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so
unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer
and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic
Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through
each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we
would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around
the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and
provide services to help all, and
even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You
may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a
group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch
equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your
belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a
burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a
bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack
or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias
raping and pillaging the residents.

Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and
computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy
that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world
has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great
disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed
people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have
, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord
we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no
plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval
rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark
days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of
recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in
the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe
from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-In-Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there
defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news
or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you
couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and
be glad?

Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually
caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was
failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have
volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.
There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general''
discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case
scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of
Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it
bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch
a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling
lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are
for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized,
try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another.
Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a
book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have
done it this way"...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off
the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your
bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country.
There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God
several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,
severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and
with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is
a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

This is a terrific opportunity to talk to your (sole remaining Republican) senator and get his take on the most important issues of the day. Senator Specter supported the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was defeated in the Senate earlier this summer - I encourage everyone to turn out and ask him just why he thinks this bill - which he vehemently denies is an amnesty provision - was such a good idea.

Questions about the event? Please contact Mary Cox at 724-830-1027 or cox@setonhill.edu.

Together with two friends from my summer internship at Students for Saving Social Security, today I was featured on the front page of Time.com. Hoping to get some attention for Social Security reform for next Monday's CNN-YouTube Democratic Debate in Charleston, South Carolina, we went ahead and submitted our own video question!

Out of more than 1300 video questions that have currently been submitted, Time.com is featuring ours as one of "Ten Weirdest YouTube Debate Questions." Go see our brief spotlight here.

Time's snarky comment was, "If standing in front of the White House wearing ostrich costumes spreads awareness about social security reform, then you can bet the AARP is going to buy up all the ostrich costumes."

If my looking like a fool for a national audience will convince a few more people to support personal retirement accounts, I will gladly abandon all dignity.

I created the CR's during the summer following my freshman year. At the time, I never dreamed that the club would be as successful, or be as involved, as we have been these past three years. The amount of support we received from students, staff, and some faculty on campus was incredible. I had been worried about how successful a Republican club on campus would be; however, I soon found out that Seton Hill had conservatives all over, they just needed a reason to speak out.

Over the past three years, the club has participated in local political events, dinners, meetings, and campaigns; the club set up debates, invited guest speakers, and promoted alternative ideas on campus; and the club made itself known on the state and national levels by attending conferences in Lancaster and Washington as well as publish one of the most active club blogs in the state. We accomplished a lot these first few years, and I look forward to seeing what the CR's do in the future.

I would like to thank every member of our College Republican club for making this organization possible. Thank you for coming to the meetings, volunteering at our events, and making a difference on campus. I wish you the best of luck, both with the club and after you graduate. I also would like to thank my original board members, Bryan, GIRL, and Karissa, who always gave their all for the club. The CR's have placed the club in the trustworthy hands of Megan Ritter and Shawn Conway, our new chairwoman and vice chairman. I know that you will always "keep up the fight." And finally, I thank Dr. Joshua Sasmor, the club advisor. He agreed to advise the club before he had ever even met me, and he has been a source of wisdom and guidance ever since.

Being a part of this club has given me so many memories and opportunities. I can only hope that it yields the same results for every one of our members in the future.

Thank you, and God bless,
Mike Rubino
Former Chairman of the Seton Hill University College Republicans

President Bush released a statement yesterday that was brief, but extremely poignant. The copy I read was posted on HumanEvents.com. The President broke down his reason for vetoing the bill into three key points:

First, the bill would mandate a rigid and artificial deadline for American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq. That withdrawal could start as early as July 1st. And it would have to start no later than October 1st, regardless of the situation on the ground.

It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength -- and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq. I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments. Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure -- and that would be irresponsible.

Second, the bill would impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat. After forcing most of our troops to withdraw, the bill would dictate the terms on which the remaining commanders and troops could engage the enemy. That means American commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. This is a prescription for chaos and confusion, and we must not impose it on our troops.

Third, the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror. Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits -- and not as part of an emergency funding bill for our troops.

The first two points that the President talks about are fairly well-understood arguments. Yes, we would be abandoning the mission, destroying any further credibility our troops would have in the world. And yes, the terrorists and insurgents would be waiting, like wolves, for us to leave so that they could feast. And then Congress would also basically be sentencing the remaining military and commanders to death, making them stay back and "hold down the fort" while the majority of the troops are brought home. The Iraqi government will tumble, and we'll have an even greater problem on our hands.

But it's the third point that really got me mad. The news and politicians, when writing and passing these bills, only ever touch on the main aspects of the legislation. "This will bring the troops home"; "This will save lives"; "This will get us out of the quagmire." How about "This pork will get me re-elected!" or "These earmarks are gonna build a new post office in my home town!" I think the best reason to veto any bill is to get the pork out of it!

Too often, the President has let huge, bloated pieces of legislation pass by his desk that include billions of dollars of spending on things that are irrelevant and excessive. This is partially the reason the Republicans lost so badly last November, they couldn't control the pork and earmarks. But the latest bills coming out of Congress show that this problems doesn't just lie with Republicans, it lies with Democrats too. Everyone wants to seize the day and bring home a piece of the pie to their constituents. What better way to do that than with a defense bill that is sure to pass?

So yes, Congress may have been trying to "make a statement" with this bill calling for the withdrawal of troops and the destruction of Iraq... but they were also trying to load it up like a baked potato. Thankfully, we have a Commander in Chief who is sticking by the troops, and his word.