Tuck and Rolle

A Job Well Done

Today is a day of relief, joy, closure and patriotism.

It is also a day of remembrance, sadness and mixed emotions.

But today is a day we are ALL Americans.

First and foremost, let me say that I applaud President Obama for having the balls to sign off on this operation. This mission was clearly well planned and executed to precision. We’ve all been Jack Bauerized to think this sort of stuff happens all the time. But the fact is this could have gone VERY wrong and it didn’t. I also think that the President’s speech was very well done.

I also applaud the CIA for it’s incredible intelligence gathering and it’s relentlessness in finding this monster and bringing him to some sort of justice. I also would be remiss if I didn’t applaud President Bush for helping to make the intelligence community what it is today. His administration completely revamped our intelligence operations and without him and the players he put in place, this would not have been possible. I give President Obama a lot of credit for keeping many of those players in place after his election and for realizing after he took office that he would have to break campaign promises for the betterment of our Nation (most importantly, not closing Gitmo, which is where we were able to gather invaluable information that helped make this mission possible).

President Bush started these wheels in motion, and President Obama dutifully carried them through to fruition. It was a team effort that crossed party lines and deserves full appreciation from ALL Americans.

And of course you have to applaud the dozens of Special Forces soldiers who dropped from helicopters and carried out a mission from which they could not have known if they would come out alive. Their bravery is something I cannot even begin to comprehend. They are the REAL heroes here.

It brings a smile to my face to know that Osama Bin Laden was sitting in this home and knew that his time was up. He KNEW America was there. He knew this was it. Before he met his death he had to feel fear, had to know America was finally there, that we hadn’t given up, and that no matter who was Commander-in-Chief of the United States, he was going to die by OUR hand at a moment of OUR choosing. This, to me, is the greatest victory of them all. He did not die in a cave by a drone strike, or in a pile of rubble by a missile fired from hundreds of miles away without knowing what was coming. He died at the hands of Americans, and he KNEW it was coming.

In may have taken way too long, but if nothing else it shows that no matter how long it takes, we will not waiver in our commitment to bring terrorists to justice and will never lose sight of our goals.

Today I am proud of America, I am proud of President Obama, I am proud of all of our service men and women who risk their lives for our country, and I am proud how we have taken the events of 9/11 and turned them into a way to make our country smarter, stronger, and better prepared for all threats.

We all realize that threats will continue for years to come from Al Qaeda and other factions that fear freedom and democracy. But we have seen in recent months that people in the Middle East desire to be free. Democracy is spreading at a rapid pace through the region and that is no coincidence.

Democrat or Republican, today is a day we should be proud as One Nation. Without President Obama, without President Bush, without Democrats, without Republicans we would not be celebrating this small but immeasurably important victory in the war on terror.

As our President eloquently said last night:

One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.

Fantastic Obama Stickers

Shape up or Ship out

WW II Battleship sailor tells Obama to shape up or ship out!

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

"We're no longer a Christian nation"
"America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world," America is mean-
spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a
whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for

to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands,

and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole

lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend

Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life,

but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you

for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get

out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
Snopes confirms as true:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp

Shape up or Ship out.

Obviously not my rant, but too good not to share.

95 year old hero!

Letter To Obama at Whitehouse Sent from 95 year Old Pearl Harbor Survivor!! Fantastic!!

WW II Battleship sailor tells Obama to shape up or ship out! This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president. Dear President Obama, My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert. I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country. One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man. So here goes. I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like: "We're no longer a Christian nation" "America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world," America is mean- spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.) I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House. After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected. Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves. And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists. One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of. You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president. You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle... Sincerely, Harold B. Estes Snopes confirms as true: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp

State of the Union - The Good, The Bad, and the Socialist

OK I don't have a ton of time but let's be fair. I have not made up any facts or figures. This is all taken directly from the transcript or other news outlets.

He said some good things. He said some stupid things. I've laid out the most important to me here. If you don't like it, too bad. But feel free to comment! I love a good debate.

Pros:

• Allowing Gays in the military. Fine. Great. I'm all for equal rights. The gays I'm friends with have no desire to be in the military! But for those that do, I say go for it. Let them marry, let them get dogs, let them have joint bank accounts, whatever. Gay rights: cool with me.
• Budget Freeze: Doesn't make much sense to me, considering he's the one who's made our budget completely out of control in the 1st place. Maybe he's trying to reverse course a little. But its a small step and I'll take it.
• The Bail-Out. He's right, we all hated it. But he's also right in saying it was necessary. And if you read the transcript, he tried to "blame" the previous administration (SHOCKER!) but he actually gives them credit. Kudos.
• Share of the blame: In my little drinking game I said "chug" if he actually takes responsibility for something. I took a half chug here because he only took a "Share of the blame" for not explaining the Health Care bill more clearly. Well, its only a share, but again, we'll take it.
• Energy and Climate bill. All for it. Let's save our planet.
  
• Jobs: Yes we need to create jobs. Actually YOU need to create jobs. Why wasn't this your #1 priority when you took office???
  

Cons:

• Let's pick up where we left off. Jobs. I knew he would talk about it last night because he HAD to talk about it. Because he hasn't done anything to help create jobs. He's been so wrapped up in this awful health care bill to think about anything else. This country needs jobs, Mr. President. Thanks for taking 372 days to finally talk about them.
• Railroad. Really? That's what this country needs, a railroad in Florida?? What year is it?? This isn't the wild west, Mr. President. No one takes the rail anymore! The Railroad industry is failing. Who's brilliant idea was it to build a new railroad in Florida. Really glad my taxpayer dollars are going into that.
  
• What is this college loan thing? Does that mean we're off the hook? So if you take out a loan and wait 10 years you just don't have to pay it back? That should help our banks out. Good one.
• Health Care. He explained it perfectly. I'm glad he took some blame for not explaining it, but quite frankly I think the problem is we all get it too well. It sucks. It does absolutely nothing for most people besides raise our taxes and force us to pay for other people to have health insurance. Why do I have to pay for it? Luckily no one, even his democratic congress, wants this bill. I think its time he puts his pride and ego aside and realize he's lost this one
• 95% of working families got tax cuts. REALLY? 95% That's 9.5 out of every 10 people. I've asked old people, young people, families, couples... not one person I spoke to had their taxes cut. This is just a blatant lie. Show me a stat that proves this.
  
• The deficit: He blamed the previous administration for the $1 trillion deficit. Guess what it is since he took over? $3 trillion. Hmmmmmmmm......
• Trying terrorists in civilian courts. Come on man. Military courts for war criminals. Ever heard of the Geneva Convention? Why are we reading terrorists Miranda rights and allowing them to be tried in civilian courts???
• Keeping our country safe: What have you done? You say you're working on "responding faster to bioterrorism" Why aren't you working on PREVENTING it?? A bipartisan panel just gave your administration and F on this very subject this week. You should try reading that.
  

State of the Union Drinking Game

OK here it is. Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas and to the Huffington Post (and Dave Brown) for letting me steal some as well.

1) Every time Obama pauses to read the teleprompter - DRINK until he starts talking again
2) Any time Obama takes responsibility for an issue, CHUG and restart your heart from the shock.
3) Obama mentions Health Care, DRINK
4) Obama mentions a campaign promise that is no where near fruition, DRINK (ex: Closing Guantamo, creating jobs, closing the partisan gap, the list goes on and on so use your discretion)
5) Obama says "reform", DRINK
6) Obama says "jobs" DRINK
7) Everytime he says "the previous administration" DRINK and throw things at the television
8) Obama says "change" DRINK, then ask "WHERE IS THIS FREAKIN CHANGE YOU PROMISED??"
9) Obama says "let me clear" DRINK
10) Joe Biden nods-off/laughs inappropriately/starts talking before the speech is over, DRINK
(thanks Huffington Post)
11) Nancy Pelosi's surgically altered face cracks from smiling, DRINK and roll around on the floor laughing.
12) When you hear the word "bailout", DRINK, then immediately purge.
13) If Obama says "i'm working hard to keep this country safe" take a sip, then spit it out as you crack up laughing
14) If Obama says "i'm fighting for you" take a shot. If you actually believe him take 2 (thanks again Huffington Post)