significant turn of events

A stunning statement.

Blue states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire have flipped. President Obama's former Senate seat was filled by a Republican. A grassroots movement organized itself, rallied, and made a difference.

Last January, Ohio representative and House Minority Leader John Boehner said the following:

"Many people believe that teams are judged by how many games they win," Boehner said. "I would suggest that the best way to judge a team is to look at how they handle losing."

Yesterday, the Republican Party orchestrated the biggest pick-up of House seats, by any party, since 1948. A rather staggering feat, considering this country is only two years removed from a supposed revolution of "hope and change," speculated by many to be a permanent alteration in this nation's government and ideology.

Oops.

The citizens of the United States have spoken ... loudly: STOP spending. Listen to the people. We've come to take our country back. This nation was built by independent, hard-working people, not by a big protosocialist government and Washington takeovers. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, you represent us, not your own interests.

Oh, and by the way ... we're paying attention.

i may not agree with his politics

... but I'm proud of the warm reception President Obama received at my beloved Alma Mater, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. I'm sure it didn't hurt that he was flanked by Aggie favorite (and legend in his own time around our parts), former Texas A&M University President and now Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates.

According to student newspaper, The Battalion:

President Barack Obama received a hearty "Howdy" from more than 2,000 attendees at the Presidential Forum on community service on Friday afternoon in Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M.

"Service isn't separate from our national priorities or second to our national priorities, it's integral to achieving our national priorities," Obama said. "It's how we will meet the challenges of our time."

Aggies are known for their dedication to service, so this non-political speech on a subject that we could all get behind made it easy to temporarily put aside ideological differences.

Mr. Obama was treated with respect, yet dissenting opinions were peacefully on display outside the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum where Obama was invited to speak as a guest of former President, George H. W. Bush.

The First Lady of Texas A&M, Reveille (our beautiful collie mascot) was there to greet the President as well. And one resourceful Aggie football fan even managed to get in a plug for our quarterback, Jerrod Johnson (and a pie-in-the-sky hope at a Heisman).

All in all, a great fall day in the Lone Star State.

file this one under sad, but true

my faculty meeting ran late ...

... so I didn't get to join my dear friend, Missy, at the Tea Party in Downtown Houston. Dammit. And Dammit some more. I try not to get too political on my blog, but I obviously voice my feelings from time to time, because its important to me. Today is one of those days.

I support my President, and I respect the will of the people. It's called a democracy, and it's a beautiful thing. But I've been increasingly concerned with the trend of events recently, mainly and primarily events revolving around more and more big government.

I'm so, so proud of all the folks who DID make their voices heard today, despite the bashing from the "main stream" media. So, instead of making a long rambling post about why I felt so strongly and passionately about the Tea Parties today, I thought I'd post some of my favorite Tea Party quotes from my browsing around the 'net today ...

"Your fair share is NOT in my wallet."

"Spread my ambition, not my wealth."

...at the Greenville, S.C., Tea Party, "They will be selling the 'Obama burger' — you pay for one and they cut it in half and give the rest to the guy behind you for free!"

"Next time read the bill."

"Member of the the irrelevant, lunatic fringe!"

"Your only HOPE is that I'm paying your mortgage."

It's been a while

... about a month and a half, in fact, since I last blogged.

Hurricane Ike was my last subject. The killer storm had a huge impact on our city, and personally, was a very exhausting time for me and my family. I kind of lost some of my desire to sit and write for a while afterwards. That happens from time to time, I know. But there's no point in writing if you just don't feel like it.

But here I am. Back in the saddle again. Today is the day after Barack Obama's historic win for POTUS. It is my hope and prayer that he truly will be a uniter and not a divider. Although I have immense fears regarding his extremist liberal record, his policies and his overt socialist beliefs, I was raised to respect the office of the Presidency, and I will continue to do so, despite the fact that he did not receive my support.

I was proud at the grace and humility displayed by John McCain in his acceptance of defeat last night. And rather than riot or claim unfairness or hidden agendas, Republican voters appear to also be handling last night's results as an opportunity to regroup, rethink, and move forward -- the very best mentality of what makes our country great.

So, I guess it's the dawning of a new day. To all the democrats who have been crying, complaining and bitching for the past eight years, here's your opportunity to step up. At a dangerous time in world history when firm and consistent leadership is a must, let's hope our new President has what it takes.

Mr. Obama, let's see what you can do.

God bless America.

Bitter? Not me

Pssst ... Mr. Obama. I'm a gun owner, and I'm a Christian. I'm not bitter.

But then again, I don't live in Pennsylvania. Texans, as a rule, aren't bitter people I guess.

Speaking of guns, I think you just shot yourself in the foot. Again.

The Audacity of Selling Hope

One of my favorite columnists nailed it. Bravo, Mr. Krauthammer.

ABC's Jake Tapper notes the "Helter-Skelter cult-ish qualities" of "Obama worshipers," what Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times calls "the Cult of Obama." Obama's Super Tuesday victory speech was a classic of the genre. Its effect was electric, eliciting a rhythmic fervor in the audience -- to such rhetorical nonsense as "We are the ones we've been waiting for. (Cheers, applause.) We are the change that we seek."

That was too much for Time's Joe Klein. "There was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism," he wrote. "The message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is."