• Back when President Bush was in office, near the send of his second term his low approval rating in opinion polls was the lead story on an almost nightly basis. So how come now when three out of four people disapprove of the job Congress is doing, nary a peep is being heard from the media? Just sayin’.

• This duly noted, memo to Republicans: if you wouldn’t have grown fat, lazy and corrupted while in power, we wouldn’t be in this mess. That’s the whole point of the tea party movement. We have principles and guiding political philosophies we actually follow. What’s your excuse?

• Then again, we elected these people. So what’s our excuse?

• Back to Congress. Really enjoying the maneuvering going on to get some kind of health care bill (let’s face it, folks, we shouldn’t be calling this reform as it’s anything but) out of Congress. My current favorite is having the House pass the Senate version of the bill without actually voting on it. Brings a whole new meaning to Nancy Pelosi’s claims of transparency in government. Yes, we do see right through you, thanks.

• Then again, we are talking about someone who believes she’s more Catholic than the Pope.

• Hmm. Palestinians rioting over the reopening of a synagogue. One would think they’d be more inclined to get cranky over the fact that the rest of the Arab world really could care less about them, they haven’t done squat nationally except throw bombs and temper tantrums since 1948, and their “leadership” has a better chance of discovering the moon is a giant dusty grapefruit than accomplishing anything other than getting their brainwashed minions killed. But to each their own.

• Helpful hint, kids: Israel isn’t going away. Deal.

• On a personal note, timing is everything. After weeks of moderate to severe hand pain I finally schedule a doctor’s visit for later this morning to have it examined. Naturally, this morning it feels the best it has since I first started having problems.

Former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush made a private visit to Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft. Hood Friday evening.

The former president and first lady visited with soldiers wounded in the incident on Thursday, as well as some of their family members.

“They also had a chance to thank Lieutenant General Cone, Colonel Braverman, and many of the hospital staff for the amazing care they are providing,” Bush spokesman David Sherzer told ABC News.

The man had his shortcomings as President, but compassion was never one of them.

As to the inauguration today, didn’t watch or listen.  Thus, no comment other than observing how ideological differences are not a license to hate or disrespect.  (Not that this has ever stopped an alarmingly large number of people on the left, but that’s their problem.)  My prayers are for the new President that he governs wisely.  And that the loyal opposition, including myself, conduct itself with honor.  The “the right hated Clinton and the left hated Bush even more so now…” cycle must end.  If for no one else, it ends for me.

I have nothing but contempt for the media’s naked hatred for President Bush and unadulterated worship of Obama, but as has been said earlier what is there to do but do the media’s job for it, since it refuses to do it for itself, and whenever possible report the news with honestly and impartiality?  The world has enough opinion, thank you.  It needs facts.

G’night.

The Christian knows these things, forever a stranger in a strange land no matter where they roam.  The world is incapable of understanding clear certainty when it comes to matters of faith, rendered unable to comprehend this by its inability to grasp the truth that Jesus is.  Meanwhile, the church often shakes its head in disapproving bewilderment when one or more of its members behave in a manner deemed unseemly, such as hanging out with publicans and sinners.

Both of these factors come into play when considering President Bush.  He has been blasted by the left for his aggressive pursuit of the war on terror via the elimination of Iraq as an active supporter of same while being ripped on by the right for not practicing party politics (or at least the pundit’s definition of same) in matters such as immigration.  He has been blamed for the country’s and to a degree the world’s present economic woes; never mind the primary cause being a Democratic-led policy of handing out housing loans like candy to those who had no possible means of repaying said loans once the insane upward climb of home prices came to a halt.  Finally, he has been roundly criticized for following his own instincts and beliefs no matter their unpopularity.  In short, President Bush is hated for actually leading in a world that says it wants one yet cannot abide actually having one.

An op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal by Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, an investigative journalist and lawyer (now there’s a combo that’ll scare people who cross him) who interned with John Kerry’s legal team during the 2004 presidential election minces no words in commenting on this:

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty — a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

‘Nuff said.

The time will come when this country and the world will deeply regret not having a leader who says and acts upon what he believes without regard for polls or pundits.  A true leader demonstrates courage by sticking to their convictions.  We have such a leader now.  He who is next in line?  Who knows.

P.S.  Continuing the tradition (of one post) of tacking a music video not really having all that much to do with the post other than the title…