Today is the day of the fair.

I am not doing it because it is cool or because someone said I should do my civic duty or for any glory. I volunteered to help our honorable veterans (and I want to marry a soldier, but that’s a different story). Don’t just volunteer just to volunteer. Find something you think is a cause worth doing and do it. Go and make a difference in this world your way, not because someone’s else way.

BigGator5.net

Update: (1:24pm) Suspect is Jason Rodriguez. May be former employee in building. Will have link when I get it.

He is consider armed and dangerous. They are looking for him in the building. See below.

Update: (1:30pm) Get-a-away car: 2002 Silver Nissan SUV, TAG Number D119UX

Update: (1:36pm) WESH (NBC) is reporting at least 8 shot. WOFL (FOX) confirms.

Personal thoughts: Gah! This is just plain horrible. Two mass shootings in two days. So senseless. This is not the answer people.

Update: (1:46pm) Jason Rodriguez is said to be wearing Blue Shirt and Jeans.

Update: (1:50pm) Listen to live updates at WFLA.

Update: (2:05pm) FBI is involved.

Update: (2:10pm) OPD says 6 Shooting Victims, not 8. Some people had barricade themselves in their offices. People are being questioned.

Update: (2:30pm) Jason Rodriguez has been apprehended! OPD Chief thanks all who worked to get this guy.

No more updates. You can check out FOX News for the latest updates or listen to local radio WFLA.

BigGator5.net

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats lost a key vote in the health-care debate Thursday, when U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D- New Smyrna Beach, said she would go against her party and oppose its $1 trillion-or-more plan to cover more uninsured Americans.

The defection comes just shy of an expected Saturday vote on the plan and makes it tougher for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to corral the necessary 218 votes, as nearly every Republican is expected to vote against the proposal.

“As the bill stands right now, I am not going to be able to support it,” said Kosmas, who added that the measure is too expensive and doesn’t do enough to curb the rising cost of U.S. health care. “This is an extremely difficult decision, as you can well imagine.”

She joins Bart Gordon of Tennessee and Ike Skelton of Missouri, both House committee chairmen , in rejecting Pelosicare. Earl Pomeroy has no excuse now for going back on his word. Let’s give these three, three cheers for standing up for the people and rejecting this massive take-over of health care! Let’s hope more Democrats join them!

I want to note that I did see this on the front page of the Orlando Sentinal today. The local editorial people kind of lean left, but they are fair and have printed many Conservative columnists including, but not limited to, Charles Krauthammer. I would read the paper more often if I didn’t get most of my news off the internet.

BigGator5.net

Call me a RINO, but I think a case can be made that Civil Unions is compatible with Republican values. However Maine’s vote is not lost on me. You see, Maine is the Thirty-First state to ban Gay Marriage:

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state—31 in all—in which it has been put to a popular vote.

Only a handful have allowed Gay Marriage not by a popular vote:

Five other states have legalized gay marriage—starting with Massachusetts in 2004, and followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa—but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote.

Now you might be scratching your head and wondering why this is huge. Well, as you know, people have been trying to pass a Gay Marriage Ban Amendment and they may now have a case that it could pass.

I like to think of myself as an amateur Constitutional Scholar and I know a few things about passing amendments. One of the ways an amendment can start, is if two-thirds (currently 33) of the state legislatures may apply to Congress for a constitutional convention. Writen into the amendment, can be a clause that it should be ratify by popular vote by three-fourths (currently 38) of the states.

There is currently a majority of states in which a majority of the people have chosen to ban Gay Marriage. A super majority has not been tested, but I believe that the people should be given that vote. I would personally vote against such an amendment, but I think the vote needs to happen (as long as it was a popular vote ratification instead of it being left up to the state legislatures).

BigGator5.net

PS: While I agree with Moe Lane that this vote in Maine was unfortunate, I have to admit that I voted for the Gay Marriage ban in Florida. I voted for the ban mainly because of what happen in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Iowa. I rather a ban by popular vote over it being forced upon us by the few or by judges writing law from the bench. Bad law can always be repeal down the road, while activist judges/legislatures hurt us all. The first words of the Constitution says “We The People” and not “We The Judges/Few”.

Yesterday, the Marco campaign emailed me that they were lunching a new fundrasing website that “will be the most powerful online fundraising tool in Florida’s political history.” They did not disappoint.

It’s damning in it’s simplicity. The email I got said this about the site:

This site is a stark, moving and motivating reminder of what’s at stake in this election. It demonstrates how a picture worth 787 billion words can deliver a powerful message about the consequences of big government policies that threaten our economy and health care system, among other areas of American life.

“President Obama is my guy now!” And he will be Obama’s newest token “Republican” in the US Senate. Bad enough he is the Governor of Florida (barf), but if he goes to the US Senate he’ll be everyone’s problem.

I also like how CharlieandObama.com makes no bones about it being set-up and paid for by the Marco Rubio campaign. Unlike the “Truth About Rubio” site and the Charlie Crist “Downfall” video, in which cowards hide behind anonymous attacks.

BigGator5.net

PS: The real truth comes from Rush Limbaugh, who sums up Rubio as a “down-the-line Reagan conservative”. You cannot get a better endorsement if I do say so myself.

I’m an averge joe guy who has had it up to his nose of all the doctors and lawyers taxing his paycheck and not having a say.

I am currently 29-years-old (will be 30 next year) and have been a citizen of Florida all my life. So under Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, I certainly qualify to hold office. The Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to me since I have not held any form of public office, state of federal. I’m an unemployed and barely a penny to my name. Like most people I normally go to work and then go home, so I am barely known outside my street. I want to run as a Fiscal Conservative as a Republican.

For this thought experiment, I want to hire people for some roles. Some of you may be called for down the road, so keep an eye out for my entires. Rivals will be called out for debates only:

My Campaign Manager (handles all day-to-day campaign functions, top advisor):
My Press Secretary (handles media, ads, and website):
Republican Rival #1 (Moderate, but not Liberal, Republican):
Republican Rival #2 (better well known Social Conservative candidate):
Democrat Rival (Blue Dog for general election):

Ok, so this is the questions for part one of this experiment. I have decided I wanted to run for United States House of Representatives. Now what? What do I need? How am I going to get in the Republican Primary (remember, this is Florida)? What kind of website am I going to create (will make a mock campaign site later down the road)?

Remember, this a thought experiment where we ask questions, do research and come up with answers. Most times, there will be no wrong answers. Anyone want to take part in some roles, sign-up here.

BigGator5.net

PS: Happy Halloween Everyone!

US drone strikes against suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan could be breaking international laws against summary executions, the UN’s top investigator of such crimes said.

“The problem with the United States is that it is making an increased use of drones/Predators (which are) particularly prominently used now in relation to Pakistan and Afghanistan,” UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston told a press conference.

“My concern is that drones/Predators are being operated in a framework which may well violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” he said.

US strikes with remote-controlled aircraft against Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan have often resulted in civilian deaths and drawn bitter criticism from local populations.

“The onus is really on the United States government to reveal more about the ways in which it makes sure that arbitrary extrajudicial executions aren’t in fact being carried out through the use of these weapons,” he added.

I agree with Ed Morrissey, this bad comedy. However Ed really shouldn’t be all that surprised. This is what you get when you turn the War On Terror into a law-enforcement action. Obama has been trying to push us into that direction since he got into the US Senate. The real surprise would be if Obama tell the UN to go [redacted] themselves.

I want to repeat what people have said since Obama has been elected: Elections matter. Every single one of them. From NY-23, to the upcoming Florida primary, and beyond.

BigGator5.net

For some time, I have been plugged into Representative* Ginny Brown-Waite’s (R FL-05) official website to keep track of her press releases since I live in her district.

I just got an update that just floored me.

Basicly, Ginny Brown-Waite congratulates the President on being chosen to get the Nobel Peace Prize:

I congratulate President Obama on receiving this distinguished honor. This award is a testament to America’s continuing importance as a broker of peace and a promoter of democracy.

But…

With every great honor, however, comes great responsibility, not the least of which is the President’s constitutional responsibility to receive the consent of Congress before formally accepting this award.

Article I, Section 9 (or the Emolument Clause) of the Constitution clearly states: “no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.”

I urge President Obama to affirm his devotion to our Constitution and seek the consent of Congress before accepting the award in Oslo, Norway on December 10.

Most, if not everyone knows that this was included to prevent foreign states from influencing US office holders through gifts or titles. However I have to wonder if the Nobel Peace Prize falls into the Emolument Clause. People who win are known as a Laureate, thus a title is being given to President Obama. Our next question is if this title of “Laureate” is given by a King, Prince, or Foreign State? In order to answer that question, lets look at how the prize is awarded:

“The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, currently Thorbjørn Jagland, presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the King of Norway on December 10 each year. [1]”

Umm, it says “in the presence” of the King of Normay and not on his behalf. Thorbjørn Jagland is just a politician of no nobility and currently holds no public elected office. What about the Norwegian Nobel Committee?

“Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and roughly represent the political makeup of that body.”

I am going to say that the Norwegian Nobel Committee is indeed a political motivated committee, since they do indeed answer to a political body and thus part of a foreign state. So I think Ginny Brown-Waite has correctly identify that the title of “Nobel Peace Prize Laureate” does indeed fall into the Emolument Clause of the US Constitution. President Obama would do well to go to congress and get their ok.

I mean, he does not have both houses in his pocket and he shouldn’t have a problem getting this done by December 10th… Right?

UPDATE: According to Fox News, Representative Cliff Stearns (R FL-06) and Representative Ron Paul (R TX-14) join the call for President Obama to seek Congressal approval for this award.

BigGator5.net

*No, I am not doing the Congressman or Congresswoman. They are Representatives or Senators, thank you very much.

Now to set this up, I have more or less been supporting him over Charile Crist because I am mad at how Uncle Crist has been running this state. To support Mr Rubio, I thought I needed to see this guy in action and he didn’t disappoint.

I got there just in time and I got settled in. There was an option to buy lunch there, but I passed. Vicki Case of the Conservative Women’s Movement sponsor the event and she introduced the former Florida House Speaker. He then went on to talked about American Exceptionalism and how passionately he believes in it. Rubio goes on to say that American Exceptionalism is our common heritage and culture. We are a nation in which we can open a business in our garage and either succeed or fail base on our exceptionalism (not the government). We have spent blood, sweat, and treasure to free people (not to conquer them). I did take video of the speech, but here’s this nice video of Marco Rubio that boils down what he said to just six minutes:

He then answered questions with about as much fiery passion as his speech on American Exceptionalism. I won’t go into any, except mine.

I haven’t said much about it, but DragonGate is heading off to Iraq in February (when I got my picture with him later, Mr Rubio said he will be praying for her and I thanked him). Since my thoughts of late are turned to that part of the world, I asked him his thoughts on Afghanistan. While he acknowledge Obama may have more facts than he does, Rubio doesn’t understand the hesitation. He hopes Obama will make a decision (and one recommended by General McChrystal) very soon, adding it is important to not only the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, but to our troops.

Highly impressed, I fully support Marco Rubio. This man is a principle Republican and this Moderate thinks he will be a great US Senator. But he will be, after all, just one man out of one hundred. So I think you should also help Pat Toomey, Chuck DeVore, and Michael Williams as well. Let’s start sending people who will work for us and not for themselves!

Let me be brutally honest with you. Since Henry VIII got his hands on marriage, it hasn’t been the same. We all know the story. Henry didn’t get a son from his first wife and so he wanted a divorce. Rome at the time didn’t think that was a good enough reason and so did not oblige the King of England. So Henry threw a fit and cut off relations with Rome. He then set up the Church of England and made himself head of a religion, thus why we have separation of church and state. However we made the same mistake of making what should be a religious institution, a state institution.

Henry VIII’s legacy is damning. Today, marriage has more to do with politicians and lawyers than your local clergy. Marriage has become a joke and vows are ignored. It’s bottom of the barrel nonsense and you know it. The state has taken something good and twisted it into something rotten. I find it poetic that California’s proposition shared a title with the man who destroyed marriage.

Again, I want to put out the idea of Civil Unions for everyone. Let’s give marriage back to church/temple/mosque and let them marry anyone they want. Let politicians and lawyers deal with Civil Unions and leave marriage a sacred religious institution. I want to make it clear that I don’t think people should stay married if they don’t love each other. I am just saying that a priest is more willing to save a marriage than the government, because it is way to easy to get a divorce through the state. They don’t care if you stayed married, because lawyers make too much money on divorce and many politicians are lawyers. Give everyone Civil Unions and let’s be done with it. If the gay community is still up in arms after getting the equal rights they have wanted, then they are just in it to annoy the religious right and we can call them on it.

However, that is not what I came to talk about. I came here to talk about repealing the 17th Amendment (please read this before going forward).

I asked before if the amendment should be repeal, but now I think we should definitely work to repeal this injustice to the United States Constitution and States’ Rights.

Today, state governments are nothing more than glorified lobbying groups trying to get any scraps of power and money from the federal government. Sure we should have a strong central government, but power should come from the bottom up and not the other way around. Senators are elected, sorry, chosen with a popularity contest every six years at a time and not accountable to anyone. The Average Joe doesn’t know what their Senators are doing in those six years, just look at Ted Stevens. The guy would not be re-elected by the Alaskan State Legislature, no matter what kind of pork he brought home. I guarantee you that a person will be elected to the US Senate no more than three times if the 17th is repealed.

You ever watch C-SPAN and see some poor sap get grilled by US Senators? What is good for the goose, is good for the gander. I would love to see them grilled for their actives and laws that they voted for/against. State legislatures are more equipped to hold a fourth of the federal government accountable than we will ever have (think about the $700 Billion Crap Sandwich). State elections will also become more important than they are today.

Zell Miller once said that the 17th Amendment has “allowed Washington’s special interests to call the shots, whether it is filling judicial vacancies, passing laws, or issuing regulations.” If we are really serious about reforming government, let us start with the US Senate. Nowadays, more lobbyist money is spent on the US Senate than any body of government. It is way too easy to focus on corrupting just 100 people. You would need billions to corrupt 50 full state legislatures. Senators also will not need those millions just to get elected/re-elected.

So in closing, repealing the 17th Amendment would do three things for us: (1) give more accountability to the US Senate, (2) give more power to the states, and (3) reform campaign finance. If you disagree, then please, it better be a very good reason as to why more of the same is a good idea.

BigGator5.net

Sure we all may have had family in the military. My Grandfather was an Army MP in Germany shortly after the war. My father never join the military, but he confessed to me that he wished he had when he was younger. My dad was also young for Vietnam. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to join the military, but it never crossed his path. My sister was, until recently, an officer in the US Navy.

I myself tried to join the Army. However I am not much of a runner and couldn’t pass the run part of the physical. I could do the push-ups and the sit-ups, but the run always got me. My First Sergent said there is no shame in failing, because that is what Basic is all about. I’ve resign myself to being a productive member of society in order to serve my country.

Never did I expect to fall in love with a soldier myself. I’ll call her DragonGate, because that is what I call her online. Such a pretty name?

I first meet her on a forum sometime in 2006 ((Jeez, has it really been that long?)). At that time she was in college and not really enjoying herself there. She once let her roommates dress her up and this was the result. Then, I lost contact with her. “Such is life” I thought to myself and went on with my life.

Several months go by and out of nowhere she tells me that she had joined the Army and is in South Korea. DragonGate had join up in the Signal Corps ((”Talk all you want about Signal Corps, but you can’t talk without us! Hoo-Raa!”)) which, surprisingly, was the same job I had sign-up for when I tried to join the Army. It was at this time that I started to have feelings for DragonGate. She return state-side last August.

Up until this point, I have not publicly shared my feelings about her. I think she knows, but won’t call me out on it. I love her and I have not even meet her yet. This will change on the first of December when I go visit her ((Click here and help me pay for this trip, thanks.)) and tell DragonGate how I really feel. She can easily pick some hunky Army guy and I have nothing to offer her except my devotion and my love.

That is what this Veteran’s Day means to me. So when you talk down about our troops, you talk down about the love of my life.

“Wars come and go, but my soldier stay eternal.”

BigGator5.net

WV4Hillary

Hi guys,

I’ve been a member of this forum for so long, it seems like a part of my life. First we fought for Hillary, then for McCain, it was great! But…it seems Obama’s election has caused everything to crumble - including this forum.

One thing I always loved about this place was that we were all supportive. We all knew each other, and we never fought. I went to DU and saw how they had to constantly fight “trolls” and just a constant mentality to “be on the lookout”…it looked awful.

Now that we’ve become “Common Ground Politics”, we’re no different. We now have to argue with Obama supporters, and this place has been ruined. I mean, I know that Murray secretly supported Obama ((Note: Later refuted by Murray.)) after Hillary dropped out (notice he rarely posted, and when he did he seemed to be on neither side), and I thought it was nice he let us go on supporting McCain in his forum, but that’s over now. Longtime members, who viewed this Forum as a place of safety and refuge, a place for real “moderates” have seen the whole atmosphere change. One by one, we’re leaving…and today I join their ranks.

Thank you everyone…it was great while it lasted…maybe one day we will again find each other in cyberspace…joining together over Hillary’s next campaign. Until then, goodbye..

So basicly what happen, is that Murray (owner of the Hillary Clinton Forum) invited Obama supporters and has abandon PUMA. He now calls the forum ‘Common Ground Politics’. Which got me thinking of PUMA. What has happen to them? Have they folded like HCF?

Luckily, they are still up and running. PUMA is still ground zero for Democratic Party members who are resisting Dear Leader. I wish to reaffirm my support to PUMA and their fight against the far-left politics of Prez-Elect Barack Obama. Please donate if you can. I also like their new nickname for the mass media (So Called Free Press (SCFP)).

Can one of the Directors maybe invite some PUMA leaders over here? I know registering here is no problem, but maybe they don’t know we like and support them.

I’m sorry about what has happen to the Hillary Clinton Forum. It was a place of awesome and win, and we will always remember it as it was and not what it has become. However I am glad that PUMA is still with us. Maybe some good can still come out of Obama’s Administration. Like I said on RS2, we have an opening to create a dialog with these people and show them our conservative values. Who knows, we might be able to convert a few of them.

BigGator5.net

So here I am eating dinner with my Grandmother and all I can think about is why did I vote for McCain.

Bush Tax Cuts: He voted against Bush’s tax cuts, but he saids that he now believes they can work if we cut spending. Fair enough. However this is a point against McCain.

Cap & Trade: Is this isn’t the bottom of the barrel crap nonsense if I hadn’t heard one. Both McCain and Obama support some form of this aweful policy. Look, if you want to do this, you don’t punish the polluters because they will only pass the cost to the consumer. You instead reward the non-polluters with tax breaks. If businesses can save a buck without raising the cost of their goods, they will do that any day of the week.

Embryonic Stem Cell: I’ve got two words for you (get ready the barf bag): Axlotl Tank

Closing Gitmo: I might as well go to Iran and get shot between the eyes right now. Closing Gitmo is a really bad idea. No! No! A thousand times no!!

$700 Billion Crap Sandwich: McCain voted for it… Do I have to say more?

Eh, why did I vote for McCain? I just gave myself an upset stomach just writing all that…

~takes some Pepto Bismol*~

Where was I? Oh, yes, why did I vote for McCain? I didn’t so much vote for him, as much as I voted against Obama and that I am scared he might lose tonight.

Let’s be honest with ourselves right now. The left are still fooling themselves into thinking voting against someone is not what did them in during 2004 election. You cannot win an election that way. Who here actually voted for McCain and not just against Obama?

Now it’s still early in the night. We may yet still pull this off. But I am going to go on record right here and now and say that we honestly deserve Obama if he wins! I mean, since 9/11 Republicans have been spending like Democrats. Let’s at least put Democrats in power to do it right!

“But Gator, we have learnt our lession in 2006!” BULL! Less than two months ago, not only did President Bush purpose the idea of the $700 Billion Crap Sandwich, but the entire Republican Leadership folded like a house of cards and let it pass!

I sit here in my room watching Obama win (103 to 45, as I am typing this) and US Senate Republican incumbents lose their seats one by one, but I am ok with it. I say this because the US needs to get the ever loving snot beaten out of us before we wake up. I believe that 11/04/08 will rank along 12/07/41 and 09/11/01 as serious rally call.

“Never again!” We will chant. “11/04/2008! Never again!”

Oh, it might take a year or two for us to realize what we did to ourselves. That’s the most damning aspect of this total loss, we did it to ourselves. School children fifty years from now will be amazed at what we brought upon ourselves. Let me repeat:

WE DID THIS TO OURSELVES!!

BigGator5.net

*((Note: I just made five bucks! No, I’m just kidding. But I am stocking up on the stuff for the next four years.))

Right now however, some quick thoughts:

I do apologize for being harsh on the directors. The bit about “(Michelle Malkin) has more balls than all the RedState Directors put together” was over the line.

Voted some time ago. First day of early voting in Florida, which was October 20. No big deal. There are some popularity contests going on. It all comes down to the same talking heads in the end. I will be posting more about the big race once the polls start closing. One way or the other, I am happier than President Bush that this is coming to a close soon.

I’ve had a lot of time to think, and think. GC and Susannah will testify that I have refine my message through them. I will now be organizing them and then start rolling out my thoughts over the next month. By the end of this month I will make an announcement. Some already know what I am going to do, don’t ruin it for others.

BigGator5.net

No, not me. I don’t want the job even if you paid me. I’m talking about Michelle Malkin. She has more balls than all the RedState Directors put together! She’s not thrown away her values when push comes to shove and neither have I!

Operation Hold The Line is about calling House Republicans who voted against the bailout on Monday, but I believe you should call anyone and everyone in the House!

Prove to me you are fiscal conservatives and loss of leadership here has not phased you, call the The Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask them to transfer you to anyone who is not busy! Talk to those Blue Dog Democrats! They all need to hear from the people! I personally do not want to be force feed a 451 page and $700 Billion Crap Sandwich, do you?!

The Bailout passed in the Senate and the Blue Chips is already down some 210 points as I write this dairy! You know what that tells me? That this $700 Billion bailout won’t save us!

Like the great Margaret Thatcher said: “This is no time to go wobbly.”

BigGator5.net

All I am asking and I have yet to get a striaght answer, is what has happen to our fiscal conservative values? Are they truely for sale at the going price of $777.68?