Unfortunately, there is a leftist mindset that contends that Bush is an unintelligent buffoon who meandered his way into the White House. Not only is this incredibly simplistic, but it flies in the face of rational thought. One cannot become president – I repeat – one cannot assume the highest post in the nation — if he or she is certifiably idiotic. It takes intelligence, charisma and a sharp mind to survive reporters, primaries, debates and other electoral mayhem. Winning over the American public is a wretchedly difficult task. George W. Bush accomplished all of this, and more – twice (or for those who still believe that Bush “stole” the 2000 election we can contend that he accomplished all of this at least once).

No one is perfect; presidents aren’t immune to the fallible nature of the human spirit. Surely, President Bush made mistakes along the way. The mismanagement of the War on Terror. Increased government spending. The list goes on. There are certainly fair criticisms, as there would be for any leader. That in mind, many liberals fail to afford Bush the grace and gratitude he’s due. This, in itself, is disturbing, disrespectful and vehemently vicious all wrapped into a detestable package of partisan rot. The man kept America safe for the majority of his tenure. Shouldn’t that count for something?

While his national security record stands for itself (and I’ll touch upon it later), perhaps the most attractive attribute our former president demonstrated was his stellar character. Now, before those on the left cardiac arrest at the audacity of my compliment, consider, as an anecdotal, the admirable decision Bush made in the wake of President Obama’s historic victory. For the past 19 months, instead of responding to Obama and the Democrats’ childish attacks and incessant blame for everything from financial meltdowns to the very destruction of the American ideal, Bush has remained quiet, composed and observant. Rather that criticize, he has allowed Obama to govern as he see fits. Even the most ardent Bush-basher must admire the sheer class and composure that governed our former president’s silence.

Sharply contrasting the unity Bush fostered in the days following 9/11 and the classy sentiment through which he approached his successor’s presidency, Obama has exploited every opportunity to drive a partisan wedge into the heart of American electorate; he has continually blamed Bush and the Republicans for our nation’s ills. Yet, everyone with one cent’s worth of a brain knows that both parties have contributed to America’s dramatic and grandiose sociopolitical ills. Obama’s railing on against the Republicans has been reminiscent of a campaign stump speech stuck on repeat. It’s unneeded and, frankly, it’s un-presidential.

At the end of the day, George W. Bush possesses a level of class that is superior to both Clinton and Obama. Anyone who argues the contrary needs to remove the partisan blinders and learn some fair assessment skills. I’m not asking that you like the guy, but I am asking for you to give credit where it’s due.

After Bush’s stellar character comes his conviction. His belief in freedom colored his presidency and was often the focal point of his most contentious policy decisions. It was his conviction that led America (back) to the Middle East following 9/11. His tireless goal to democratize theocratic and radical regimes was rooted in a thirst for improved human rights and lasting peace and prosperity in a region that has been strewn with violence since the beginning of time. Feel free to agree or disagree with his decision to invade, then stay the course, but one fact is undeniable: George W. Bush protected domestic interests and American lives.

He refused to give up on the notion that America could and inevitably would make a difference in the Middle East. At worst, he was determined to finish the job he set out to complete in the first place. In the end, he kept his promise to Iraq, which is surely respectable. He’s a man of his word (another reason I admire him). Oh, and for my liberal detractors: Bush never lied about WMD; Saddam Hussein did.

Here in America, it was Bush’s conviction and determination that also made it possible for citizens to carry about their daily business without suffering any post-9/11 attacks at the hands of terrorist nutjobs. And for those Democrats and liberal elite who accused Bush and the Republicans of overstating the terror threat for political gain, I point you to the countless domestic plots we’ve seen since Bush left office. Terror was and continues to be a real threat. President Bush understood this and worked to his utmost to protect the public, while continuously refining the systems through which he accomplished the task.

Following Bush’s character, conviction and determination comes his leadership style. While many on the left contend that Bush was a puppet whose strings were controlled by Cheney and Co., this is figment comprised of “sheet inaccuracy.” Bush was decisive and at the helm; his decisions were controversial. When Bush left office, his approval rating was abysmal. It was at that time that the American public had become weary. Despite a lack of support from the American people on the War on Terror, Iraq and other policy decisions, the president pushed forward in light of his principles and ideals.

While we can agree that there are certainly downsides to this sort of leadership style, there’s also something admirable about it. When we elect officials, we place our utmost trust in them. A president must make tough decisions for the welfare and benefit of the people whom he represents. By these same standards, I must give President Obama credit for his tireless work. While I disagreed with the stimulus and the health care overhaul (as did the majority of the American public), I can respect the determination and goodwill through which he pushed those measures. Obama believed fully in both causes, as Bush did in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War on Terror. In this regard, the presidents certainly share similarities in their leadership styles.

In the end, Bush was realistic in recognizing and reiterating the notion that radical Islamic fundamentalists hate America because of what she stands for. And let’s not forget President’s Bush’s historic assistance in fighting global HIV/AIDS, his accomplishments in the chronic homelessness arena and his attempt to reform Social Security. These are a few specific accomplishments our former president deserves accolades for. But most of all, President Bush has always had a way with the American people. He’s upfront, transparent and open. His recent media interviews reflect these sentiments and set him apart from other politicians. While I disagreed with some of his presidential actions and inactions, I can’t help but love the guy. Plus, I’ve yet to hear compelling reasons why I shouldn’t.

On Sunday, my wife and my friend Bridget joined me in our backyard to try out my new helicopter from Brookstone (it’s a remote-controlled unit that, in my view, is super cool).  Okay, I know what you’re thinking — this soon-to-be 27-year-old shouldn’t be playing with children’s toys.  That’s neither here nor there.  I have a penchant for technology, regardless of the recommended age of usage.

Anyway, we headed outside, I turned on the remote control and before I had a second to collect my scruples the helicopter shot up over our big white fence and landed in our neighbor’s backyard.  After trying to figure out how to conspicuously get the toy — and failing — I realized I had no choice but to knock on my neighbor’s door.  So, I did just that.

Upon knocking, my neighbor and I got into a discussion about nearly every topic under the sun (and fortunately, she willingly let me into the yard to collect the helicopter).  My neighbor (we’ll call her Ellen) ended up bringing some excellent words of truth to my ears.

See, Ellen suffers from a rare and painful disease.  She’s also in her eighties (though she’d easily pass for 50).  Over the course of 45 minutes or so, Ellen shared many of the struggles she’s had in her life, while I sat and listened patiently.  While this would typically be an extremely depressing experience, there was something captivating about the way she spoke.  Unlike so many others who have been scorned and battered, Ellen seemed happy.  Even in discussing various travesties, she was bubbly and seemed to have a very positive outlook.  She said,

You know, many people see me in pain.  Then, they see me the next day out working in the yard and they say, ‘Ellen, what are you doing?! You were so ill yesterday! You need to rest.’  I tell them, ‘Today is today and yesterday was yesterday.’”

See, it’s Ellen’s philosophy that we need to prevent ourselves from allowing the pain of yesterday to permeate our life experiences today.  This concept truly stuck out to me.  If God commands us to forgive and move on (which He does), Ellen’s theory rings true.  However, it’s often extremely difficult to simply move on and forget.  Furthermore, when we have a bad or painful experience, many of us (myself included) carry negative emotions for days, weeks, months — even years.

In listening to her life’s pain, Ellen described how she’s used betrayal and disappointment to learn to take care of herself, while ensuring she becomes a stronger person. In the end, I was glad to hear Ellen’s story and to soak in some of her wisdom.

Personally, I struggle with worry, though I know the promises God has made through Jesus Christ. Still, I worry about life circumstances I cannot control. Perhaps control, itself, is the issue. I know I am not alone in this struggle, but hearing Ellen’s testimony of sorts made me more aware of my own deficiencies in the areas of forgiveness and reliance upon the Lord.

“Today is today and yesterday was yesterday” is an excellent philosophy.  Rather than dwelling on the worries and pain of yesterday, we should be ready and willing to move forward, with each day starting on a clean slate.  What started out as a lost toy in my neighbor’s backyard ended in some unexpected wisdom. I always love when God gives us words of wisdom in, from and at the most unlikely of places.

The now infamous mosque project has become a sore for Democrats in a hotly contested election year. Perhaps this is one reason why Halperin pleads so mightily for Republicans to leave the issue alone. Unfortunately for the left, the GOP has little control over public perception on this issue. Americans disagree with the mosque’s placement near Ground Zero, regardless of what conservatives say (or don’t say, for that matter). Even Harry Reid is hip to this reality. Halperin seems to believe that Republicans are driving public perception; this is incorrect on all counts. The American people are outraged and they want answers, explanations and assurance that nothing is awry.

Aside from the aforementioned tenants, there are a number of irritating elements in Halperin’s article. Of course, no words at all are devoted to questioning why the Cordoba Initiative has chosen to build a massive monument to Islam just blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood. Halperin’s article is limited to telling Republicans why they should silence themselves on the issue. Before I continue, allow me to clarify something. I’m all for religious freedom; I’m not attacking Islam, but I am questioning the intention, knowing the sensitivities involved, of planning to build a mosque at that location. Naturally, Halperin is more concerned with providing advice to Republicans than he is in actually getting to the bottom of the issue at hand — why the Cordoba Initiative is obsessed with placing an Islamic beacon at the center of America’s greatest travesty.

And another note — I recognize that most Muslims are peaceful. That’s not the point here. In the end, the Cordoba Initiative has every legal right to build, but the moral implications of doing so at, near or around Ground Zero are evident. Whether leftists agree, the vast majority of the public sees the move as insensitive; it is widely opposed by nearly every measure. Should plans for the mosque forge on, there will be a great deal of resentment, which will, in turn, damage reconciliation efforts. If those individuals who wish to build truly care about bridging divides between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans as they’ve stated, they’ll choose another location. Wouldn’t this spread the goodwill that Halperin seems to believe can only come if conservatives remain silent?

Aside from the asinine notion that conservatives should simply back away from questioning the mosque’s moral implications, Halperin inserted a number of slaps, digs and generalizations. For instance, he claims that the GOP has avoided dealing with social issues, while focusing wholeheartedly on Obama’s spending habits. In his letter to Republicans he writes,

Up until now, you have restricted yourself as much as possible to an economic message, eschewing social issues and foreign policy as you try to establish contrasts for the electorate between your brand and the Obama-Pelosi-Reid record.

Unfortunately for this political analyst/journalist, who has obviously paid little attention to conservative proposals, the GOP offered a detailed alternative to ObamaCare, which the administration and members of the leftist media brigade simultaneously ignored. But, the bombshell (allow me to channel Nancy Grace) comes at the end of the piece, as Halperin writes,

It isn’t clear how the battle over the proposed center should or will end. But two things are profoundly clear: Republicans have a strong chance to win the midterm elections without picking a fight over President Obama’s measured words. And a national political fight conducted on the terms we have seen in the past few days will lead to a chain reaction at home and abroad that will have one winner — the very extreme and violent jihadists we all can claim as our true enemy.

Did you catch that, America? Holding a president accountable for his own words will literally hand victory over to our enemies. When leftists and their enthusiasts in the media are prepared to allow students to recite the pledge without designating the words “under God” unconstitutional, idiotic or bordering on the illegal, I’ll take their advice on matters of religious freedom. Until then, I’ll stick with the notion that the Cordoba mosque is perfectly legal, but overtly insensitive and morally damaging to reconciliation efforts. Moving the mosque would be a sign of goodwill and would do wonders for Muslim/non-Muslim relations in our post-9/11 world.

With that in mind, don’t give up. Make your voices heard, but do so respectfully and without making Islam the target. Focusing on the Constitutional and legal rights of the Cordoba Initiative, while illustrating the moral conundrums the project will create is a viable and common sense way to treat this issue. Don’t let Halperin or anyone else for that matter tell you otherwise.

(Originally published at HuffingtonPost.com)

“I AM FOR A SATANIC DEATH CULT CENTER AT FOX NEWS HQ AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICES ORDICK ARMEYAND NEWT GINGRICH-and all the GOP WELFARE FREAKS.”

How’s that for a dose of sanity?  A number of well-respected conservative pundits responded to Cusack and, of course, he belittled them.  Then, in a bizarre move, he blocked everyone who tried to engage him in conversation.  I was among those blocked after I sent requests for a fair interview with Cusack (one in which I pledged to allow him ample respect to describe his opinions).

Interesting how leftist celebs rail on and on about freedom of speech.  Then, when they’re challenged, they act out to silence anyone who disagrees with them.  Hypocritical isn’t it?  I will say this: Perez didn’t bury the story; he published it and posted the word “Cuckoo?” over Cusack’s picture (a truly ample description if you ask me).

Special props go out to Perez.  Cusack – get a grip!  Getting too political is a sure-fire way to lose fans and supporters. FOX News has more…

The debate over the Pledge of Allegiance has intensified over the past decade, with atheists and their leftist enthusiasts insisting that the proclamation be banned from the public square. While these individuals claim that they have no problem with the Pledge’s general patriotic tenants, the words “under God” are the objects of their intense scrutiny.

Click here to read the rest.

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.  When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each.  Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

Considering that James had already been murdered, the situation looked pretty grim for Peter.  But, just when Peter’s life was placed on the chopping block, God sent an angel to the rescue.  The angel appeared in the cell, smacked Peter to wake him up, told him to grab his stuff, released his chains and guided him past the guards and away from the jail.

Talk about being saved by the bell.  In Peter’s hour of need, God came through.  While we won’t always be rescued by angels, the knowledge that God is in control and that He knows the best path for our lives should never escape us.  We may be faced with tough situations in which we must ensure some pain (not everyone has such a heroic and angelic rescue), but if we maintain our faith and knowledge that the Lord is at the helm, those dead-end dilemmas won’t overtake our lives.  The Lord really can — and often will — rescue us in our hour of need.

Verse nine reads, “Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.”  We may not recognize that the Lord is at work in the midst of personal chaos (hindsight is always much more accurate than our perceptions while dealing with life’s dramas), but we should remain faithful and follow God’s calls, as Peter did in Acts.  What an awesome lesson to retain and practice.  Anything truly is possible with and through Christ.