Obama's Katrina... or is it his 9-11?

It's day 56. The oil is still gushing. And is starting to come on shore, resulting in dead animals, dead tourism, and a dead economy.

What has the President done about it? Nothing, actually, except use flowery rhetoric (including the ridiculous comparison of the oil spill to 9-11) and draw accusations away from himself. Two months later, has he finally come to his senses???

Well, the President announced yesterday that he will hold a prime time news press conference tomorrow night, after spending two days down in the Gulf. Now, I want you to understand, that his intentions for this press conference will be to spin the story to make it SOUND like he is doing the responsible thing that leaders do. That he has a plan of how to fix this. That he is empathetic to the folks who live in the Gulf. That he is on top of things. But you know what? If he truly was a leader, if he truly was "on top of things", he would have held this press conference on day 3. Not day 57.

This speech will be hailed as the greatest speech ever given - as the second sermon on the mount, or perhaps similar to Martin Luther's "I Have a Dream" - by all the liberal left. He will be cheered on and touted as the man to fix this travesty. But I hope that the American people see that if he truly was "the man", this would have happened weeks ago.

Obama said himself that this will shape how we think about the environment and energy for years to come, but not only will it do that, it will DRAMATICALLY impact the Gulf and the people who live in the Gulf for years to come.

If the President was really set on fixing the problem, perhaps he would have accepted the numerous offers that have come his way in order to help him solve this crisis. We have smart, energetic, and willing entrepreneurs who are offering their ideas and services to both the federal government and BP. We have the Dutch, who offered their skimmers, ON DAY 3, that pumps 50 MILLION gallons of oil a day! That totals removal of over 20,000 tons of oil and sludge. And instead of accepting their help, there was this response:

“The embassy got a nice letter from the administration that said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,'” said Geert Visser, consul general for the Netherlands in Houston.

So tomorrow, as you watch the press conference, keep in mind what Sean Hannity said on the air today, "It's all a little too late, and a little too phony."

Mitch McConnell: Americans Are Common Sense Conservatives

In a speech reminiscent of George Allen, the Senate Minority leader talked about common sense conservativism at the FRC Action Conference.

"Most Americans are common sense conservatives, while most running D.C. are not."

He took Obama to task on two issues on healthcare.

1. The idea Americans can keep their own coverage under the plan
2. The idea abortions will not be funded under the plan.

He spoke of the triumph of common sense conservatives in America. The three examples he used were the slow down of the health care bill, the fight on Guantanamo, and the fight over spending.

McConnell made the point that in the first 50 days Obama cost America more money than Iraq, Afghanistan, and Katrina combined.

I hope McConnell continues to be successful in his opposition to the many things Obama is trying to Rahm through this congress.

How Can Anyone Still Support Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

Frozen embryo survives Katrina flood: Noah is born

Reuters | Friday, 19 January 2007

WASHINGTON: A baby boy who as a frozen embryo was saved from the flood spawned by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been born in a hospital in the New Orleans area and named for Noah, who safely navigated the biblical flood.

Noah Benton Markham was born on Tuesday in St Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington, Louisiana, a hospital spokeswoman said on Wednesday. He weighed 8 pounds, 6½ ounces (3.8 kg), and was delivered by Caesarean section with no complications, the spokeswoman said.

His parents, Rebekah and Glen Markham, were unable to have children and created embryos at a fertility clinic to be implanted in the mother's womb.

After the hurricane, authorities saved his embryo and others stored at a hospital where they had been in danger of thawing amid the flood engulfing the area.

Baby Noah has a 2-year-old brother whose embryo was created at the same time but was implanted earlier.

Embryonic stem cell research truly is murder. Every time a human embryo is used in the cause of science another Noah Markham is denied his right to life. Besides after twenty years of intense research, no positive results have come from the destruction of human embryos. Congressional debates over embryonic stemm cell research aren't simply debates over ethics. They are debates over whether the government will fund a form of research, that has never been proven to work, and simultaneously denies thousands the ability to see the light of day.

I'm disgusted that our congress wants to encourage such destructive research. Many blessings on young Noah, and his elated family.