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THE FOUNDATION

"Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people, commencing demagogues and ending tyrants." --Federalist No. 1

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INSIGHT

"The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink." --George Orwell

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IChThUS IMPRIMIS

"Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things." --Paul of Tarsus

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FAMILY

"History shows the grotesqueries that can happen when medicine becomes unhinged from ethics. This is why the Hippocratic Oath admonishes doctors, 'First do no harm.' We may never harm others for our own benefit. Embryonic-destructive research must be resisted." --George J. Marlin

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CULTURE

"It is politically correct to express compassion for the plight of those who steal into the country under cover of night. It is politically correct to be sensitive to the feelings of those of Middle Eastern descent. It is politically correct to impose black lists, national ID cards, searches of private property without warrants and strip search little old ladies under the excuse of fighting terrorism. But it is NOT politically correct to say these things are a danger to our liberties. Do you feel safer yet?" --Tom DeWeese

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LIBERTY

"The notion that Europe is united in opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq is a myth. Twenty-one European countries have sent troops to Iraq, as have 16 of the 26 NATO member states. The opposition of French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to the liberation of Iraq shouldn't be perceived as representative of Europe as a whole. Indeed, a majority of European governments backed the U.S. decision to liberate Iraq." --Nile Gardiner

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THE GIPPER

"From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price." --Ronald Reagan

OPINION IN BRIEF


"I have discovered the solution to liberal media bias. What mainstream journalism needs are more stupid people. Conservative critics of the journo-industrial complex might dismiss this advice as merely adding more jelly-beans to the jar. Liberal journalists would regard it as absurd, because surely it is their genius that makes them special. Why would the temple want any -- much less, more -- stupid priests? Well, it turns out that having a few stupid people in the group makes the group smarter. ... Now, the argument in favor of hiring stupid people applies even more strongly to hiring conservatives, especially since so many liberals can't tell the difference. ... Now, some of the more obtuse -- er, I mean, brilliant -- liberals might be flummoxed as to how a conservative could be arguing for diversity. Aren't conservatives against diversity? Of course not. We're against the silly ideology that says you've achieved diversity when you have a room full of people who all look different but think alike. Bill Clinton's cabinet may have looked like America, but it thought like a bunch of Ivy League liberal lawyers. For decades, the mandarins of network news and elite newspapers have defined intelligence and wisdom as agreement with their own positions. There's no arguing with that sort of arrogance. But if these guys were smart, they'd hire dumb." --Jonah Goldberg

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GOVERNMENT

"Most people feel overwhelmed when they think about government. Government, especially the federal government, is so large and seemingly remote from average people (except when they want our money) that most people apparently believe that neither their thoughts nor their votes can change much. Perhaps if government were smaller, more manageable and more citizen-friendly, more people would care. ... If ignorance is bliss, there are going to be a lot of happy voters on Nov. 2. Such ignorance has serious implications for the health and welfare of a constitutional republic." --Cal Thomas

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BUSH CAMPAIGN JOURNAL

"It's about national security, and whether President George W. Bush or Sen. John F. Kerry can provide the leadership to safeguard America from terrorism. ... When it comes to the war on terror, President Bush means to keep our military strong and our country secure. John Kerry, on the other hand, has all the attributes of the shape of water when it comes to telling us what he believes and what he'd do for America. Like incoming and outgoing tides, Kerry is content to go with the flow. ... We in Massachusetts know John Kerry. In his 20 years in the U.S. Senate, Kerry [has had an] uninspiring legislative record. He's been inconsistent on major issues. First he's for the 1991 Persian Gulf War, then he opposes it. First he's for the war in Iraq, then he's against it. First he's for a strong U.S. defense, then he votes against military weapons programs. First he's for the U.S. Patriot Act, then he opposes it. Kerry's solution to stop terrorism? He'd go to the UN and build a consensus. How naive. France's Jacques Chirac, Germany's Gerhard Schroeder, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other Iraq oil-for-food scam artists don't want America to succeed. They want us brought down to their level. And more and more, Kerry sounds just like them. In a recent campaign speech, Kerry said America was in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. No doubt John Kerry sincerely wants to serve his country, but we believe he's the wrong man, in the wrong place, at the wrong time." --The Lowell Sun, John Kerry's hometown newspaper, adds its endorsement of President Bush

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JFK DEMO-LITION DERBY

"[T]he Fear Room at Kerry campaign headquarters is on a hair trigger to turn any breaking news into a personal threat. You an oldster? The fearmongers' pitch is that President Bush is plotting to snatch your Social Security check. ... You a youngster? The fearmongers noticed an urban legend floating around the Internet about a 'January surprise' to bring back the draft and throw you into the first wave into Fallujah. ... You got a cough? The Fear Room says it is probably the flu and that anti-health Bush stole your vaccine. ... After approving ads that strike fear into U.S. television viewers by exploiting terrorist beheadings of Americans, John Kerry had the chutzpah to say of Bush's reminders of 9/11: 'He's scaring people.' That was a classic Fear Room maneuver: as soon as editorial revulsion at scare tactics breaks into print, direct that reaction at the other side. ... My advice to voters in this political Year of Fear...is from Joshua 1:9: 'Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.' Courage and freedom will win, and the purveyors of panic will lose." --William Safire

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RE: THE LEFT

"During World War II, young Rose Will Monroe was the face of American women in adversity: strong, supportive and resolute against the enemy forces that threatened our existence. Tens of thousands like Rosie rolled up their sleeves, gritted their teeth, and flexed their muscles in factories and shipyards and arsenals across the country. They made rockets and rifles and bombs and boats. They painted and drilled and welded. When they got home to their kids, they cooked and cleaned and collapsed in bed after praying for their husbands and brothers and uncles on the battlefield. Rosie and her sisters in arms didn't have the luxury of complaining about their lack of 'me time.' There was a war to be won. And so, as this presidential campaign season has constantly reminded us, there is today. But Rosie is gone. And in her place, we have Hysterical Women for Kerry. They are self-absorbed celebrities who support banning all guns (except the ones their bodyguards use to protect them and their children). They are teachers' union bigwigs who support keeping all children hostage in public schools (except their own sons and daughters who have access to the best private institutions). They are sanctimonious environmentalists who oppose ostentatious energy consumption (except for their air-conditioned Malibu mansions and Gulfstream jets and custom Escalades.) They are anti-war activists who claim to love the troops (except when they're apologizing to the terrorists trying to kill our men and women in uniform). They are peace activists who balk at your son bringing in his 'Star Wars' light saber for the kindergarten Halloween parade (but who have no problem serving as human shields for torture-loving dictators). They are ultra-feminists who purport to speak for all women (but not the unborn ones or the abstinent teenage ones or the minority conservative ones or the newly enfranchised ones in Afghanistan). ... We've come a long way, baby. The wrong way. Get a grip, girls. You are an embarrassment to a nation at war." --Michelle Malkin

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POLITICAL FUTURES

"As if the conflicting polls of 'registered voters,' 'likely voters' and 'national adults' weren't confusing enough, now we have a pair of surveys of American children that show contradictory results: 'Senator John Kerry has been declared the winner of Nickelodeon's "Kids' Vote" according to kids nationwide who exercised their voting power in the network's presidential poll held online Oct. 19.... In this year's vote, Sen. John Kerry received 57% of the vote, and President George W. Bush received 43%.' But Scholastic, a children's publishing company, gives victory to Bush: In the 2004 Scholastic Election Poll, George W. Bush received 52 percent of the votes and the Democrat contender, John F. Kerry, received 47 percent.' Apparently kids who read favor Bush, while those who watch TV prefer Kerry. Hmm, whose parents are more likely to vote?" --James Taranto

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FOR THE RECORD

"Recruits to Muslim terror are made by Muslims who preach evil in God's name and by terrorist victories, not by America fighting back. Just as in the first case, the claim is true, but it undermines the charge. The claim that there are more, indeed many, terrorists in Iraq now is true. But the terrorists are there because they know that if America prevails in establishing a relatively free country where there once stood an America-hating terrorist-supporting Arab regime, they are ultimately doomed. Liberals love to find out the root causes of sociopathological behaviors. Well, one root cause of Islamic terror is the hermetically sealed Arab-Muslim world. Open that up to even some freedom, and the cesspool that produces the terrorist monsters begins to dry up. That is why so many terrorists have moved to Iraq. They agree with President Bush -- the War on Terror is taking place in Iraq." --Dennis Prager

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SELECT READER COMMENTS

"While I agree with you that the missing records are a big question on Kerry's characterization of discharge, that discharge could not be a Dishonorable Discharge. I am a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer of 14 years in the military. A DD is reserved for the worst offender under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and can only be given by a Court-Martial. Moreover, it is a characterization given to enlisted members of the military. Kerry, an officer, could receive a Dismissal as part of a Court-Martial sentence. While this is comparable to a DD, it can also only be given by a Court-Martial. Since it would have been next to impossible to cover up a Kerry Court-Martial, it is highly unlikely that he received a Dismissal. However, a less than honorable discharge characterization could have been given by another means under the Navy Regulations. I like you do find it quite curious that a board was involved in finally giving Kerry an Honorable Discharge after Carter became President. I come to the same conclusion that a less than Honorable Discharge characterization must have been given to Kerry's term of service." Editor's Reply: Obviously the title of this column was designed to draw attention not so much to questions about Kerry's discharge as to put some heat on Kerry to release ALL of his military records -- and it has done just that. As we said, we suspect that Kerry was discharged was "other than honorable." Our concern is that his unreleased records may reference proceedings (at the time he was separated from the Navy) to ongoing classified criminal investigations (which have been confirmed through FOI records) by the Justice Department (FBI) into the connections between the Kerry, the VVAW and Communist Party USA. The FOI documents we have received are so heavily redacted that it is difficult to determine the full extent of Kerry's connections to the CPUSA, and how that connection relates to his later meetings with Communists in Paris. The FBI's case file may have necessitated that a less than honorable discharge be negotiated for Kerry in order to protect ongoing investigations. Bottom line -- as we said, Kerry can dispute this charge by releasing ALL of his records -- NOW. We would be please to write a retraction -- if one is in order!

"If Kerry's original discharge was covered by Executive Order 4483, was a board of review necessary? Or, put another way, did EO 4483 require subsequent review of each forgiven discharge to see if a particular discharge was not covered? I can't see the requirement for review if the EO gave blanket amnesty. --Orlando, Florida Editor's Reply: As we noted, Executive Order 4483 pertained to civilian draft evaders and protestors. The DoD's corresponding guidelines authorized "case by case" review of military discharges by appeal related to protests.

"As a lawyer, I am intrigued by your references to the Claytor letter regarding Kerry's discharge review subject to 10 USC Sections 1162 and 1163. When attempting to find out more about these sections of law, I found the two statutes were repealed 10/5/94 by Section 1662(i)(2) of Pub.L. 100-337. After finding the texts in older published legal references, I determined that 10 USC Section 1163 dealt with limitations on involuntary separations. As you noted, Kerry does have an Honorable Discharge, but one is left to draw a wide range of conclusions regarding Kerry's original discharge in the absence of his AWOL military records. There may be nothing to this, but if not, why not release those records?" --Hartford, Connecticut

"As a two-tour Vietnam veteran, (real tours -- 23 months on the ground, including fighting with the First Infantry Division -- unlike 'JFK') I thank you from the bottom of my heart for pursuing Kerry to the ends of the earth, and holding him accountable." --Sacramento, California

"The Patriot's 'Petition for Investigation and Indictment' of John Kerry for treason should be 'required-reading' for anyone who wants to vote -- and I'm not a Bush backer...." --Boston, Massachusetts (Read it at http://www.patriotpetitions.us/ )

"Here in south Florida, the Bush campaign has urged folks to vote absentee -- vote early in the event of 'confusion at the polls.' My wife and I just got our absentee ballots and found it is on heavy paper. Because of the weight, it requires MORE than one 37 cent stamp (our ballots require 60 cents each). Conservative absentee voters everywhere need to be warned that they should check the weight of their ballots before mailing them...or their vote may be returned uncounted! Keep up the good work Patriots!" --Miami, Florida

"I would sincerely like to know the answer to this question: How did John Kerry manage to hunt and supposedly bag a Canada Goose on October 21, 2004 in Ohio without being issued a citation by a Federal Game Warden? The season on Canada Geese does not even open until November 6, 2004. Did he even have a hunting license?" --Akron, Ohio

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THE LAST WORD

Last week, Maria Teresa Thiersten Simoes-Ferreira Heinz Kerry, when asked if she would make a better First Lady than Mrs. Bush, replied, "Well, you know, I don't know Laura Bush. But I don't know that she's ever had a real job -- I mean, since she's been grown up." Friend of The Patriot, Rich Galen replies by way of Memo to Maria Teresa: "When you said that Mrs. Bush has never had a real job, you were speaking on behalf of the Beacon Hill/Upper West Side rich people who truly believe that running a foundation which sponsors black-tie dinners with other rich people is a real job. These are people who never worry about how they will pay for the airline ticket to get grandma to their house for Christmas because there are not that many Christmases left for grandma and the grandchildren to get together. The very rich just send the plane. These are people who never worry about getting the kids up in time to catch the school bus. The very rich send their kids to boarding school. Nor do they worry about ferrying them to soccer/swimming/baseball/softball/hockey or whatever practice much less how to pay for uniforms or equipment. The very rich have 'people' to do the ferrying. By the way. The very rich don't have kids. They have children. In your world Theresa, either you run the foundation (or the women's magazine, or the museum board) -- read: Have a job -- or you sit at the spa with the other rich women. There is no such thing, in your world as women worrying about paying the monthly bills, while planning the travel schedule for Thanksgiving, while looking for specials on the toys the kids will want for Christmas, after running out to the Safeway to pick up food for dinner which must be prepared in such a way that something is ready for each member of the family when they have the two-minutes-thirty-seven seconds to actually eat before needing to run out to the mall/friend's house/play rehearsal/Boy or Girl scout, lodge or church meeting all of which happens before checking everyone's homework. The very rich go over the weekly menus with 'cook,' assign their 'personal assistant' to deal with the toys, have drivers to get the various members of the family to their appointments and assume it will all be taken care of. In real life, going out to dinner is not much less complex than planning D-Day. Baby sitters have to be arranged for, reservations have to be made, credit card balances have to be checked. The very rich get the best table at the best restaurants and sign for the bill which will be paid by a retainer who will also have made certain the nanny will stay the night and get the children put to bed." --Rich Galen

Lex et Libertas -- Semper Vigilo, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for the editors and staff. (Please pray on this day, and every day, for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world in defense of our liberty, and for the families awaiting their safe return.)

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Link to -- http://FederalistPatriot.US/current2004a.asp