Bush may be uncouth... but he speaks the truth.

Bush lied, people died? No... that's not the problem that the Socialist-Internationalist-Appeasers have with W.

We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." President George W. Bush, September 20, 2001.

The problem they have with him is that he said what he was going to do and then did it. Not perfectly, granted. War is a inexact science, to say the least. But bear in mind that he, his cabinet and advisors chose to ACT.

In slightly less than three years of combat operations, we have lost less than a third the number of people we lost on own home soil on September 11th. These casualties were soldiers - not secretaries, busboys and middle managers. Yes, it has not been without cost. Consider however, any number of alternatives had we NOT ACTED.

Give me a argument that the United States is not more secure for this course of action that does not couch itself in new-age, feel good nonsense like "unilateralism". Come up with a reasoned debate point that is not a Kerry/Edwards detour into post modernist denial and self-analysis paralysis.

Yes I know...

The pandering to the religious right that the Republicans are using to stir up their base can be revolting. The recklessness the Republicans show with the Constitution with their FMA makes me want to vomit. Their Luddite position on embryonic stem cell research is short sighted and definitely not pro-life in the broader sense. The DOJ's utter disregard for states rights (something the Republicans embrace or bash as it suits them...) in the handling of medical marijuana is ALMOST a deal breaker for me.

However...

Technology marches on... even for a culture that wants to return us to the 8th Century.

A single individual with the appropriate portable device can kill tens-of-thousands in hours, minutes or seconds. You can spout all the "religion of peace" blah-blah you want. Radical Islam wants to turn back the clock. In their eyes, that requires Western Civilization to take a powder. Many "moderate" Muslims turn away from this ugliness in their own house and rage or mumble about Israel.

No, they're not going to wipe us out. But if they kill 30,000 of us next time... well peaceniks, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I fear we will be the ones to get medieval on THEIR ass.

The War on Terror is still issue one. Yes, I'll have to hold my nose to vote for Bush. But vote for him I will.

It will be my first time voting for a Republican in a national election. But - like it or not - we live in the time we live in. Despite what the "September 10th Ticket" would have us believe, there is a real, live, active, shooting war on.

We ignore it at our peril.