One of these people is Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who along with myself, is a graduate of the "Boat School" as we like to call it.  Put simply, McCain feels that types of "degrading and humiliating treatment" should not be applied to captured TERRORISTS who are undergoing interrogation by the CIA because this is akin to torture and violates agreements in the Geneva Conventions Act.   Although THIRTY years stand between our attendance, this blurred distinction includes some of the same treatments the Senator and I received during our plebe (freshman) years at Annapolis.

Thus, following the logic of McCain and others, torture is occurring at a nation's service academy and the institution should be shut down until the behavior is investigated and stopped.  This week, I will be writing letters to local newpapers and the Secretary of the Navy, asking for this to happen ASAP.  What's fair is fair!  If we are going to blur the lines and use backwards logic with captured terrorists, we must use that same logic with our own citizens.  Midshipmen are being "tortured" at Senator McCain's alma mater and he's done nothing about it!  

A calendar is a handy tool to remind us of important events but sometimes they can remind us of far more important things, we forgot long ago.  A thoughtful friend brought me the first gift I'd received in several years, a calendar from the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA.  Seemingly trivial and not all that expensive, it sat on a kitchen countertop for several days before I finally got a "round tuit' and placed it on the wall.  Now, I can't stop looking at it and help but get a tad misty.  The question is: Why?  Is it a reminder of my now deceased parents and grandparents, all of which were big Reagan fans (and we were from Massachusetts!)?  Is it a reminder of my youth, when I was all "starry-eyed" and driven to join the U.S. Navy as a pilot (which didn't end up happening)?  Maybe it's just that the calendar is a reminder of Reagan's vision for America, his optimism, his undaunted spirit and his ability to give one humdinger of a speech!  Reagan reminded us of American greatness which has been attained through freedom and perhaps I get a little moist in the eye because I wish I could bring that feeling back!

January features a picture of Reagan's inaugural with a quote from his inaugural speech on January 20th 1981.  "Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."  What has happened to our moral courage since his words were spoken?  We have things falling apart in this country that nobody wants to talk about.  A hi-jacked education system, a national debt that eclipsed 9 trillion dollars, global competition that has our jobs leaving in droves and an entitlement system (social security, welfare, medicare and medicaid) that is headed towards financial implosion.  Only one presidential candidate wanted to talk about these issues and he's out of the race now.  Reagan would be absolutely crestfallen, of this I am sure.

For now, my coveted Reagan calendar will stay on January and though I feel the need to look ahead, I will resist it with all my might.  That way each month will be a new gift of old memories for me to cherish.  Only by looking to the past can we sometimes see the future. 

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Move over Chernobyl.........there's a new meltdown in town!  A "nuclear reactor gone wild", the Bill Clinton performance on Fox News Sunday IS the talk of the nation and will go down in the history books as "classic Bill"! 

Oh yes, classic in so many ways.  The sophistry, the alternate reality, the righteous indignation and of course, the outright lies!  Claiming that Chris Wallace was on a right wing jihad of sorts just like Hillary claimed about the GOP response to "Monica-Gate" of the mid to late 90's?  Oh, that was rich!  But even better was the repeated claims by Slick that he wanted to kill Bin Laden.  If that's the case, then why did he refuse to give the CIA permission to do just that in late 1998 when they had him surrounded?  Could it be that the draft dodging wimp flinched when times got tough?   According to the NY Times bestseller "Dereliction of Duty" by Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson, that was indeed the case. (page 130-131)

The 1990's will be remembered as a decade where America stuck it's head in the sand (thanks to a "lapdog" US media that kept us ignorant about  threats to our security) while an indecisive Bill Clinton worried about what other countries thought of us.  After 9/11 happened, we all learned that such a policy would lead to our own destruction by suicidal maniacs who use their religion to justify killing us!  Evidently, Bill Clinton hasn't learned this lesson and only thinks that scrutiny of his utterly ineffectual terrorism policy is driven by politics, nothing more.  Wake-up Bill, I know this will come as a shocker, but its not about you, its about our precious country!

And from another blog I wrote about Clinton's legacy, which he earned on 9/11:

Suffering internally with guilt, he exhibited a complete lack of composure in September 2006 when he appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and made a complete fool of himself.  In fact, almost every time he appears in public these days for SHrill-ary, he is being bombastic or otherwise finding it hard to project a favorable demeanor.  This man is a tormented soul folks and there's a singular reason why:  The Father of 9/11 knows his legacy is inaction about terrorism while he was out "catting around" and having a good time in his position of influence and power.  Oh, if he could only turn back the clock and do things differently but he cannot. 

Watch as our presidential candidates have a 3-way socialistic orgy.

We're against illegal wiretapping, unless we need to snoop on the tramps that Bill slept with!

The Democrat party:  Stupid ignoramuses need to belong to something, right?

We're not happy until you're not happy.

Sure we're pusssies, but we're also liars and hypocrites, what's your point?

We change our position because one position is just too uncomfortable.

We're for free speech, until you disagree with us, then we'll shut you up.

Equal rights matter, particularly when it comes to terrorists and criminals.

We'd rather concern ourselves with the spotted owl than an unborn child.

If we can lose this war, things can be just like they were after Vietnam!

We've done more for the cigar industry than Fidel Castro!

Truth is relative, facts are boring, just make stuff up!

And a few more for you to snicker at:

Obama, Clinton and Edwards:  Reminding us of a movie called "Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest"

Liberalism:  Its like putting together a jigsaw puzzle where none of the pieces fit!

Democrats are the good-hands people, put out your hands and say to everyone: "I'm a Democrat today, fill up my hands, FILL UP MY HANDS!!!"

There's nothing democratic about the Democrat party.

Hey Hillary, C U Next Tuesday!

Future book I'm working on about Democrats:
Snobs, Liars and Hypocrites (oh yeah...and cowards too!)

What's the difference between a Republican and Democrat voter?  A Republican asks a candidate "What are you going to do for my country?" while a Democrat says "What are you going to do for ME?"

How many of you Meat and Potatoes Loyalists know of my deep fondness for the Space Alien on Fox News Channel, otherwise known as Alan Colmes?  Oh yes, its a warm relationship indeed.  Not long ago I made all of you privy to Alan's Top 10 Leisure Time Activities.  Feast your eyes on this:

Fred quit just now. I think I can hear Reagan’s soul crying in heaven. My only hope and prayer now is that Mitt Romney can blow "The Tunnel Rat" and "Captain Cliche" out of the water. Those are Meat and Potatoes Nicknames for McCain and Huckabee, by the way.  :-)

I don’t know about the other conservative-traditionalists out there but my vote will not go for McCain, he has done too much to sabotage our movement over the years. Those wounds will NEVER HEAL and if I have to accept a Clinton or Obama presidency, so be it. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to begin a recovery. “Let’s hit rock bottom, vote for Rodham!”

All I can say in closing is that today is a sad day for conservatism.  If Reagan's soul isn't crying, mine surely will be, sooner or later.  The only reason I can accept for Thompson's departure is an absence of money.  Sure his mother is sick but I'm sure she didn't get that way after SC.

Go Mitt Romney!!!!  You are the last and best hope for conservatism in the near term.

Perhaps work bummed you out today?  Keep these funny nicknames handy and have a laugh at these infamous liberals' expense! :)

John McCain (AZ Senator) - John McLAME, the Tunnel Rat

Mike Huckabee (AR Governor) - Captain Cliche, Suck-A-Bee, Huck-a-phony

Sandy Berger (NSA under Slick Willie) - Sandy Bur-glar, Uncle of 9/11

Madeline Albright - Half-bright, Not-so-bright, Mother of 9/11

Nancy Pelosi (California) - Blinky, Stretch, the Tuna Lover

Harry Reid (Nevada) - Dingy Harry, the Body, the Mendacious Pipsqueak

Barak Obama (Illinois) - Osama Obama, Dumbo the Elephant, the King of Vagaries

Ted Kennedy (Mass.) - the Swimmer, the Drunken Sot, Mr. Manslaughter

John Edwards (North Carolina) - the Breck girl, Slip 'n fall lawyer, Mr. Hypocrisy

Bill Clinton - Father of 9/11, Mr. Perjury, Slick Willie, Der Schleikmeister, "BJ" Clinton

Al Gore - the Tennessee 2 x 4, An Inconvenient Windbag

Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) - the Melting Clown, Loser-man

Joseph Biden (Delaware) - Plugs, the Human Copier, Mr. Hoof in Mouth

Bill Richardson (NM Governor) - the BIG Enchilada

John F'ing Kerry (Mass.) - the Great Equivocator, Lerch, the Human Drone

Hillary Clinton (NY) - Her Thighness, Queen Shrill-ery, the Artful Dodger, Aunt of 9/11

Chuck Hagel (Nebraska) - Senator Betray-Us, Schmagel

Barney Frank (Mass.) - the Fenway "Frank" Lover, The Rear Admiral

Chuck Schumer (NY) - Chucky, the TV Asswhole

Harold Ford, Jr. - the Tennessee Reject, the Punk Legislator, Junior

Patrick Leahy (Vermont) - Leaky Leahy

Jim McDermott - Baghdad Jim

Al Sharpton - Not-So-Sharpton

Jesse Jackson - "Hi-Jack"-son

Jane Fonda (Outer space) - Hanoi Jane

Sean Penn (La La land) - the Dwarf

David Letterman (Twilight Zone) - Crusty the Clown, Ignorant Dufus

Barbara Boxer (California) - the Chihauha

David Bonoir (Michigan) - the Pit Yorkie

Jack Murtha (Pennsylvania) - the Big Mouthed Curmudgeon

Last but not least, a name for ALL the ignorant liberal jackasses who think:  Bush knocked down the towers, the Iraq war is about oil and our armed forces are evil.  These people are known by me as.......

THE VIET-WRONG

Note:  Nicknames in bold-face print are ones that belong to the Meat and Potatoes Blog :)