AFTER TODAY .. SEE YA NEXT YEAR!

We'll be on the air today .. .but then we head home for the Christmas Holidays.  Next week we'll have some carefully-chosen "best of" shows and some surprises.  Rest assured that if all hell breaks loose I'll be rushing back into the studio and on the air.

As the year ends I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to my listeners out there; those who like pretty much everything they hear, those who like some of what I have to say, and those who listen because they can't believe someone as depraved as I can actually last on the radio. I love you all, and I thank you for the time you spend with Belinda, Royal and myself. 

Now I'm not trying to step on any toes here, but I have a special affection for those listeners who stick around even though they disagree with much of what they hear.  I applaud you for your willingness to listen to ideas that you do not share, and for the challenging calls you make to the show.  Hopefully you are challenged by what you hear, and I know I'm challenged by your calls.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas -- or whatever you're celebrating -- and a great New Year.  We'll see you on the 2nd.

Oh ... and I will be posting some notes and reading assignments next week.  So don't be a stranger!

CONGRESSMAN NOT APOLOGIZING

This Virginia Congressman is causing quite a big stir over his recent comments in which he said more Muslims will be sworn into Congress unless immigration laws are changed.   As you might imagine, the politically correct class in Washington is up in arms.  But the best part is this:  Virgil Goode refuses to retract his comments and will not apologize for what he said.  Priceless.

Really, the controversy is over nothing.  What he was talking about was the Muslim up in Minnesota that was elected to Congress in the last election...and who is going to use a Koran at his personal swearing-in, rather than Bible.  Who cares.  Members are officially sworn in together on the floor, with no Bible or anything.  Who cares if Keith Ellison puts his hand on the Minneapolis phone book when he takes the oath and says "So help me Allah."  Whatever. It's a free country.  Evidently the people in his district thought enough of him to put him in office. That's the process.

But the best part about all of this is that Republican Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia is flipping the bird at the media and the Left in Washington.  He said what he said, means it and if they don't like it, then that's their problem.  CAIR is naturally wetting their pants over the whole thing, but Goode isn't budging.  Could this be the first case of a politician actually saying something controversial, then not apologizing?

We'll see how long he holds out.

REALLY ..... EVERYBODY IS MISSING THE POINT HERE

Can we just give this whole Keith Ellison swearing-in question to rest?  Who cares if Ellison puts his hands on the Quran during the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony.  What is that going to change?  He's a Muslim.  Deal with it.  He can grab his crotch for all I care.  The issue here isn't how Keith Ellison is going to pose for a ceremonial picture, the issue is how he's going to vote as a member of congress!

Nobody is asking Ellison the right question.

From what I've read of and in the Quran, it is the duty of every devout Muslim to bring Islamic law and teachings to the country in which he lives.  Many of the leaders of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) have openly expressed their desire to see the United States under Islamic Law.  It is part of their devotion to Islam.

Instead of asking Keith Ellison what he's going to place his hand on during a meaningless ceremony, how about asking him if he would like to see the U.S. under Islamic law?

Come on, all you brave souls in the media.  Do your job!  The question is simple:

"Mr. Ellison.  As a devout Muslim would you like to see the United States under Islamic law, and how would you reconcile that with your oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States?"

I will bet you that you can't get a yes or no answer on that one.

EIGHT CHARGED IN HADITHA "MASSACRE"

Four Marines and four officers were charged yesterday for their roles in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha last year.  The soldiers say they were just following the rules of engagement after a roadside bomb killed one of their fellow servicemen.  

So what did these eight supposedly do?  Well, the four Marines are accused of rampaging through Iraqi houses and killing civilians.  The four officers are accused of covering it up.  The Marines were reacting to the death of one of their own, killed in a roadside bombing.  They say they were following the rules of the war.  They were fired upon from the houses where they were attacked, so they used standard house-clearing techniques.  There is an argument that they did the right thing.  In fact, one of those charged was later recommended for a medal...and now this.

Are these men being sold out because some Iraqis are upset with what happened?  Maybe.  But one thing is clear:  there is no shortage of people, including John Al-Murtha who are willing to try and convict them in the court of public opinion before a single witness takes the stand.

FINALLY GETTING TOUGH ON IMMIGRATION

This is rich.  A U.S. District Judge has ordered the deportation of a Saudi princess for mistreating her domestic workers.  Something about locking up their passports and forcing them to work for low pay.  Sounds like a real treat of a lady to be around.  Anyway, so we can deport a Saudi princess but we can't do anything about 12 million Mexicans that are here illegally?  Unbelievable.

We can't even stop the illegal alien invasion, but we sure can deport the mean, evil Saudi princess at once.  And now with the 110th Congress ready to swing into action, eager to rubber-stamp George Bush's amnesty program, the problem is only going to get worse.   But at least this woman had one thing going for her:  she didn't work at a meat-packing plant.  Imagine what would have happened then!

The immigration laws in this country are a joke...this is just the latest example.

What do you call the deportation of one Saudi Princess?

A start.

POT SHOTS

The lack of any natural disasters in this country last year made 2006 the least expensive year for property insurers in many, many years.  That's great, isn't it?  The insurance premium on the building where my condo is located in Naples, Florida went up about $240,000 this year.  That's not the total.  That's the increase.  There are 57 condos there.  Do the math.

Miss Nevada U.S.A. has been fired.  Yet another Miss U.S.A. contest caught swapping spit with other young flat-bellies in public.  Now we have a new TV show debuting called "The L Word."  What the hell is going on around here?

READING ASSIGNMENTS

It seems just about everybody is acknowledging these days that the war in Iraq is a complete disaster.  Everybody, that is, except Kevin  McCullough.  He says Iraq is succeeding, and people who think otherwise are lying.

Is universal health care now going to happen?  David Limbaugh thinks so....he says the unthinkable is now upon us.  Get ready for socialized medicine unless people realize the problem with the current health care system is a lack of free market pressures.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the world needs to wake up to Iran's extremism.  Too bad nobody is waking up to it...and in fact, are tolerating it.  We can't even get sanctions through the U.N. security council.

So why is President Bush now calling for more troops in Iraq?  Rowan Scarborough says it's because the generals on the ground and in the Joint Chiefs told him that was what was needed.  Imagine that...listening to the generals that are actually fighting the war.  What a concept!

Nancy Pelosi is planning quite the celebration for her swearing-in as the new Speaker of the House.  Even Tony Bennett will be part of the show.  Talk about depressing...but the Republicans did it to themselves.

Oliver North has been in Iraq recently, and he reports from aboard an aircraft as it is leaving an airbase.  He talks about what it is like for the troops to be serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom during the holidays in the latest installment of his war diary.

Larry Kudlow is speaking out in support of John McCain, who has been pushing the unpopular position that we need more troops in Iraq.  He calls him "Senator Backbone" for this and his stand on other issues.

Rudy Giuliani, although he is not popular with social conservatives for his stands on a host of issues, may be just what America needs.  So says Jonah Goldberg, who makes the case that it is Rudy's time.  The real question is are Republicans listening?

Pat Buchanan reports on the break-up of the Episcopal church in Northern Virginia.  So just what is all the hub-bub about?  Evidently something about the policies of the national church. 

Burt Prelutsky asks a question that's actually on many people's minds.....when is Jimmy Carter going to just go away?  He wonders why people pay so much attention to somebody whose 4 years in office were such a presidential disaster.
 

You've heard Herman Cain fill in for Neal Boortz. Read his latest online column.

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