Forget about Freddie, give me Huckabee...

I have been trying to figure out just whom I want for the GOP presidential nomination. I was highly impressed with Mike Huckabee after the first presidential debate, but then Fred Thompson entered the race.

It has pretty much been a toss up for me between those two, with me leaning towards Thompson. I have really just been waiting for Thompson to say something clear about if he is going to support the FairTax or not. That became clear as the blue sky on Sunday as Thompson laid out his tax plan on “Fox News Sunday”

Thompson tax proposal would allow Americans to choose a simplified tax system with only two rates of 10 percent or 25 percent. The plan keeps the IRS intact unlike the FairTax and allows filers to remain under the current tax code or use the flat tax rates.

I agree this plan would be simpler than the current system, but the FairTax would be even more simplified. It eliminates the IRS and replaces it with a national sales tax, no more invasion of privacy to personal information, no more forms to fill out in April, and you get to keep your whole check on payday. It doesn’t get any simpler, does it? Learn more about the FairTax here.

So, Huckabee supports the FairTax, Thompson doesn’t. Forget about Freddie give me Huckabee.

Of course there is still plenty of time for me to change my mind…hmmm. I have never had this hard of a time picking a candidate.

Agreeing with Jesse Jackson Jr.:competion in school systems

Quick someone check to see if hell is freezing over! I am agreeing with Liberal U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.! (D) Illinois.
At an event held by a new group, Democrats for Education Reform, Jackson discussed the “alarming drop out rates” and the dangers of a “monopoly” with failing schools.

“We must explore options,” he said. “Every option for every American child so that every child might have the high-quality education they deserve in their lifetime…We need more competition in the system.”

This is good news for education reform and school choice. The democrats have always bowed down before the National Education Association. They have always made the claim that government schools were great, but failing because the lack of money. Now it looks like some democrats are starting to come around.

It should be no surprise that black representatives like Jackson are leading the charge. On average, black Americans support the idea of school choice, even when the NAACP does not.

A public opinion poll from 2002, conducted by the Joint Center for Political Economical studies in DC showed 57 percent of blacks support school choice as a whole. If they had children that number jumps to 67 percent and 70 percent of blacks ages 25-35 are school choice supporters.

If the NAACP is correct in there stance that school choice does not benefit black children, then why do black parents continue to participate and put their names on waiting lists for school choice programs.

There is no doubt parents are looking for a way out of failing inner-city schools. The numbers are staggering everywhere it has been offered.

In Milwaukee, the school choice program grew from 341 students in l990-91 to a mandated cap of more than 15,000 in 2005-06. The Cleveland, Ohio scholarship program grew from 1,994 students in l996-97 to more than 6,000 in 2002-2003. In l999, the private New York City based Children's Scholarship Fund endorsed by former Congressman Rev. Floyd Flake received 1.25 million applicants for only 40,000 scholarships to attend private schools.

Perhaps the NAACP should start paying attention to the community they supposedly represent and not the special interest groups like the NEA where they get their money.

Thompson says no to Huckabee challenge.

Fred Thompson advocated for Lincoln/Douglas style debates. Mike Huckabee agrees to take the challenge. Thompson changes his mind and says no.

Thompson claims there are to many candidates, and it wouldn’t be fair to pair just the two of them.

“We have the greatest respect for Gov. Huckabee and respect his desire to elevate the discourse in this campaign,” Thompson said. “But there are nine people running for the GOP nomination and an arbitrary pairing of just two of them does a disservice to the voters. We will push hard for Lincoln-Douglas style debates once we get into the General Election, when there are only two candidates running.”

I would love to see this kind of throw down debate. If I were running the Huckabee campaign; I would steal Thompson’s thunder and challenge every republican candidate to this kind of debate.

How bout we throw all nine candidates in. It could be like a royal rumble of words. If anything, it would be the most entertaining debate ever.

Mike Huckabee is Chuck Norris approved.

I feel a new Chuck Norris fact coming on. Voters don't pick the president, Chuck Norris does.

Chuck Norris endorsed Mike Huckabee back in October when he wrote an Op Ed Column ‘My Choice For President.’ In the column Norris writes:

“Though Giuliani might be savvy enough to lead people, Fred Thompson wise enough to wade through the tides of politics, McCain tough enough to fight terrorism and Romney business-minded enough to grow our economy, I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.”

Now Huckabee has a new ad out featuring Norris. Does celebrity endorsements always transfer into votes though? You can see the ad on you tube.

I guess ads like this can’t hurt; after all John Wayne campaigned for Ronald Reagan in California. Check out the Duke's 1966 Campaign Commercial: Reagan for Governor.

Country Boy's suggested reading and viewing from around the web

A county in Maryland says get your kids vaccinated or risk going to jail. Get use to this with national health care on the way. After all we are like cattle owned by the government, not individuals with the right to make decisions on our own.

Looks like Mike Huckabee will be packing heat at the CNN/You Tube debate Wednesday night. He is bringing his recent endorsement, Chuck Norris.

Speaking of endorsements, Dennis Hof, owner of the famous or infamous depending how you look at it, Bunny Ranch brothel in Las Vegas has endorsed Ron Paul. I doubt Paul will be bringing the pimp to the debate.

Oprah Winfrey hitting the campaign trail with Barack Obama. Can she draw enough female vote away from Hilary Clinton? I wonder what celebrities Hilary is going to roll out?

Ted Kennedy is getting an advance of more than $8 million to write his memoirs. I can't wait for the part where he describes the night he let Mary Jo Kopechne to drown in his car. I have a funny feeling that part will be left out.

Osama bin Ladin will address the people of Europe with an Internet message "soon." To let them know he has defeated the Americans and tyrants. Hey Osama, since you have defeated us why don’t you stick your head out of the cave your hiding in? Didn’t think so…

Hezbollah says that it is ready to launch "a bloody reprisal" in Britain if there is any Western attack on Iran. Islamic terrorists threatening a bloody attack, shocking!!! Let me alert the media.

On Friday Pakistani President Musharraf will quit as army chief and take an oath of office as civilian president. Hopefully, things will calm down over there.

Republican Minority Whip leader Trent Lott is resigning from the Senate. Good riddance Trent. Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you on the way out. We are now rid of Lott, Bill Frist and Dennis Hastert. Their leadership in the GOP brought us out of control government expansion and spending responsible for the republicans losing the majority in the first place.

The IRS has failed to refund $4 billion in improperly collected taxes from 165 million taxpayers. Hmmm. Wonder what happens when the shoe is on the other foot. Oh yeah, they confiscate everything you own in back taxes and interest. Isn’t it time to banish the IRS forever and pass the FairTax.

These two women will not have babies in order to help save the planet. One of them actually had an abortion and then became sterilized. She says having children is selfish and is about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet. What a loon! Perhaps it is good she sterilized herself, now she can’t contaminate the rest of the world with her offspring. I wish more environmentalist loons would follow her lead.

Happy Thanksgiving

Even while in Afghanistan Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday

Ah, the smell of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy coming from the kitchen. Family members begin to arrive from their travels for the holiday feast. Football on the TV in the living room tuned in for the annual spanking of the Detroit Lions by Brett Farve and the Green Bay Packers. Is it any wonder why this is my favorite holiday?

Although I will still have turkey with all the fixings, I will not be at home to share in the festivities this year. Instead, I will be eating with my other family, my brothers and sisters of the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

I am actually thankful for having the pleasure to be in such great company in such a rough place. Afghanistan truly reminds me just what America and I have to be thankful for, and it is a lot.

The one thing I am truly thankful for, and forever will be is that I am an American. I don’t have to live in a place like Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a country that has been oppressed and torn apart by political strife and war for more than 20 years. A lot of people in Afghanistan have no running water or adequate housing. They live in houses with dirt floors, no electricity, air conditioning or heat. It is truly hard to grasp this without seeing it for yourself, but they are truly doing without.

The majority of the poorest in America have access to housing with running water, heat and food. Go to the poorest neighborhoods in America you will find most have cell phones, computers and televisions.

You will never hear me complain about having to do without again, because for me in America doing without probably means not buying that new car I really want and settling for the used car. The United States of America is God’s greatest gift to mankind and for that I am thankful.

So sometime between football and dinner you should take a moment and think about how thankful you are for what you have been blessed with. We truly do live in the greatest nation on Earth.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Now would someone please pass the mashed potatoes and gravy and Go Packers!

President Bush carries out traditional pardoning of turkeys

President Bush carries on the traditional pardoning of the turkeys dating back to the Truman Administration in the Rose Garden. The turkeys were named on a “May” and “Flower” on a online poll. I preferred Vice President Cheney’s suggested names of “Lunch” and “Dinner” better.

MTCW Pic of the Day

Rough Time for Hillary

It's been a rough time for Hillary Clinton -- a tough debate performance, a lost voice, accusations of illegal campaign funding and the Clinton campaign caught coaching questioners at events.

Then at the end of a Veterans Day press conference, American flags attacked Hillary as they started falling down around her. What I am interested to see is how the media will treat the Clinton campaign coaching questioners at events. I wonder if this will be a weeklong mediagasm like it was for President Bush when the media accused his aides of coaching Soldiers in Iraq for a photo op? You don’t remember that? Let’s go back into the My Two Cents Worth archives and refresh your memory.