Tucson Part III: Cliff's Notes

I really want to tell you Part III of the Tucson story. It really was totally AWESOME. But I also want to talk Politics. I've decided to just brief you on the Saturday and Sunday pieces of the trip.

Saw Jen play in a championship Soccer game early Saturday morning. She played on a terribly swolen ankle, 'nuther reason NOT to play soccer. Went to lunch with the "gang." Took a nice nap on the air mattress - attacked by Max the Wild Beast. Watched Brandon Webb and the DBacks shut-out the Nationals. Learned that Jeff likes Colbert just as much as I do. Went to Mt Lemmon and now totally believe that Jeff was telling the truth about trees. Was stuck in DFW for a terribly long time, used the time to convert a young Republican to the Correct Side. Sidenote: Check out the Cutest Dellingers to your right. I know we are the cutest because we took a vote and it was unanimous.

Now, what I really want to talk about. We (and I do mean my party) have made History. We have totally gone out of the box. We have given a man that is a first generation American on his father's side the chance at the White House. You all know my first choice was Edwards. I would still like him on the ticket.

We have also made History by the fact that we kept a woman going so far. This has truly been an incredible primary season. I am proud of the fact that we are seemingly looking at the candidates for their beliefs and not the shallow things as in the past. I pray that we can get beyond the fear mongering that is yet to come from the GOP. We are not any less vulnerable to a terrorist attack today than we were on Sept 10, 2001. I'm fairly sure that you can still buy enough fertilizer to blow up a pretty big building. Yet we are now in a debt that my great-grandchildren will be paying back. The World as a whole hates us. We are the laughing stock of this very small planet.

The next president will face a world that has "moved on." He will have to lead us/the world into a global economy that has already begun. He will have to help us embrace this and become leaders. He will also have to squarely face global warming. It is not a myth. Climate change does happen, yet we have accelerated it to an alarming pace that may already be too late to slow. He must also mend a lot of fences. That includes with our best friends, England and Canada. Don't expect the person that you elect to be able to make the price of gas go down, or stop your home foreclosure.

My hope is that in November we elect the person that the world can look to as a true leader and not someone that will continue the deception and arrogance. There is no good preemptive strike. Preemptive means you are the playground bully. No "good" has come from war. Don't go throwing WWII in my face on this one. That was the last and possibly only war that had a true and clear good vs evil ideology going. The only other time in US history that we have started a war - was when we declared our freedom from England. Call me a conservative, but let's go back to those days!

We must also look at the people running for election to the Senate and Congress. Frankly, I think it is time for Inhoffe to go. He is taking total credit for the Tar Creek buy-out. (Pre-tornado) If you look up the facts he didn't give a rat's butt until Congressman Carson started asking questions. He also allows most of Oklahoma's tax money to go to other states for road and highway improvement, even though he is chairman of the committee that oversees that money. We get back less than 50 cents for every dollar we pay in.

Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent - I beg you to begin paying attention, again or for the first time. Whether you agree with my vote or not - Please VOTE.

Long days and pleasant nights...