Ironworker's ritual touches the heart

By Mike M. AhlersCNN

An ironworker looks at the unfurled American flag he placed atop a new building.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- I almost didn't notice.
But last week, while standing with a CNN cameraman in the lobby of a Washington-area airport, I glanced out a window and saw an ironworker walking atop a newly constructed building. He was holding something in his hand.
My cameraman saw it too, and swung his camera around, zooming in tight.
The ironworker planted the object -- a pole -- on the exposed steel. He held it steady while a colleague bent over and welded it there. When they were done, the ironworker unfurled an American flag and let it flap in the strong wind. Watch what the CNN crew saw »
This town is no stranger to overt displays of patriotism. In fact, we excel at it. There is a statue to every Civil War general of consequence here, and you could go broke feeding copper oats to all their bronze horses. The city's grand avenues were designed with grand parades in mind, and on certain holidays -- notably the Fourth of July -- our patriotism erupts in fiery displays of nationalistic pride.
We are masters of the majestic, princes of pageantry. It's what we do. Washington inhales the triumphs and tragedies of the American experience, and exhales the traditions we remember them by.
Ironworkers, it turns out, also have their traditions. And one ironworker tradition is to "top off" newly completed structures with flags, if the spirit moves them.

So, his work done, the ironworker stepped back and faced the flag. He stood up straight. He squared his shoulders.
And it occurred to me that some of this town's most heartfelt rituals aren't those we put on public display, but rather are those we rarely see -- a young widow's visit to Arlington, a old man lighting a candle in a dark vestibule, and a ironworker's solitary salute.

What am I thankful for?

I am thankful that I have God who loves me despite my many faults and mistakes. Thankful for the opportunity to live in the greatest country on earth, where I have freedom of worship, speech, and family,
I am a guy who has made many, many mistakes from drugs, to divorce and yet my God still loves me and has blessed me with a wonderful wife and six (yes 6..) great kids; her’s mine and ours; all of whom I love very, very much.
I am thankful that I have a good job and I can put food on table, pay my bills, put kids through school and plan for a retirement (I hope…)
I am thankful that I have my health; albeit somewhat diminished from what it has been; but I am still thankful that I can play with my kids and enjoy life.

I am thankful that I am American by birth and Christian by choice!

Huckabee tells Republicans how to recover

By Kristi KeckCNN (CNN) --

If the Republican Party wants to get back on track, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says GOP leaders must first restore voters' confidence in the government.
Mike Huckabee shakes hands with a supporter during a book signing last week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"People will forgive you for being a little left or a little right, but they won't forgive you for not taking them up instead of down," he told CNN in between appearances on his 56-city tour to promote his new book, "Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America."
Huckabee said Republicans have lost their reputation as people who believe in curtailing spending and attempting to balance the budget and have a new label: the "budget busters," who spend more than they can pay back while priding themselves in not raising taxes.
"But it's not that they do it by curbing spending, they just kick the can down the road and put the burden on our grandchildren," he said, adding that he considers it "morally wrong" to indebt future generations.
Huckabee boiled down the blueprint for his party's future to a three-step plan: "Clarify what the principles are that we want to govern by; get elected on those principles because we are authentic in believing them; and thirdly, when elected -- implement those principles and show the benefits."
He add, "I think when it comes to politics, the answer is 'show me the results.' "

Read the rest of the story on CNN

On the road again....

From Governor Huckabee.....



I’m now in the midst of traveling to 56 cities in the next 2 ½ weeks to promote and sign my latest book, “Do the Right Thing.” You can get the detailed schedule on the front page of http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ by clicking on the icon about the book. There are lots of stories from the campaign and some behind the scenes photos, but it’s really about what do we need to do now to get the conservative movement back on track.Many of the things I talk about are the crystallization of the things you heard me say during the campaign. You’ll meet some of the amazing people who actually gave our campaign it’s capacity to overcome huge financial disadvantages to end up in 2nd place in the GOP nomination process.I hope I’m coming near you. The stops are brief and sadly, I’ve already been warned that I won’t get to spend a lot of time just enjoying leisurely visits, but will try to accommodate as many people as possible in personally signing their books. Today was the first signing in Virginia and it was great seeing a lot of friends, supporters, and new people interested in the stories. Many were buying copies as Christmas gifts.

Where did we go wrong??

Well if you listen to the media and the political pundits the 2008 Presidential election was in part lost because the republican party has lost its way, that the GOP is incompetent or that conservatives are un-relatable to certain demographics and that we need to ‘re-tool’ and find a new face of the GOP.
And whereas I agree in part with those statements; because I do think we lost our way and tried to please everyone and we lost our message. But, I don’t think that it is solely the fault of the GOP; I believe this country has lost its way, has gotten off message and needs to ‘re-tool’.

America is the greatest country on Earth! How many times have you heard that? But what makes us great? Why are there thousands of people coming to this country every year; both legally and illegally at great risk to life and limb?

Because they want a better life, they want a place where they can work hard and get ahead, a place with protected freedoms, a place where there is a sense of community and togetherness; of family, where the sanctity of life is cheered and celebrated. It is on these points where I feel America has lost its way.
First and foremost we are a faith based nation; if you don’t believe me just read the Declaration of Independence and it is to that end where we have lost our way.

As a country we have slowly moved away from our faith being the anchor and center of our life as evident by some of the things we’ve allowed to be taken away; such as prayer in school, or 10 Commandment memorials being removed from federal courthouses; you know the place where you place your hand on the bible and swear to tell the truth! We have also built up a tolerance to things that we viewed as immoral and appalling a few decades ago, all of this has contributed to the break down of the American family; which in my opinion is the root of a lot of the issues facing our country today.

With the break down of the American family has come an increase in divorce, increase in crime rates and violent crime, increase in abortions, a change from a community that takes care of each other; to a ME based generation.

Now follow me on this, in the 50’s we had the age of the Cleavers, at the time a traditional family, crime rates were fairly low; we were a nation who took care of one another always; not just during times of tragedy. We used to leave our doors unlocked, we talked to strangers, and waved to them as we passed by. Then the 60’s came and things began to fall apart, drug use increased, liberal attitudes; such as pre-marital sex and rebellion became the norm, fueled in part by a very unpopular war and turmoil of the time.
The attitudes of the 60’s spilled over into the 70’s with Roe v. Wade, disposable marriages and again increased drug use and liberal attitudes took over in music, movies and TV. The 80’s saw this trend increase. Divorces increased as more and more families became dual income families, either out of necessity, out of a desire to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’, or dare I say out of the desire of some wives and mothers wanting to compete in the work force; instead of keeping to a traditional marriage. Whatever the reason the family began to pull apart and kids looked to influences outside of their family for guidance; such as gang’s, drugs, sports figures, etc. We started to become a nation of introverts, we didn’t venture outside the home as much, didn’t get to know our neighbors, locked our doors; all out of fear.
The 90’s saw this trend increase, in addition to the true beginning of the ME generation and the greed on Wall street and with the .com boom. The desire for the all mighty dollar took over and again, the family suffered and kids were left to fend for themselves. Government programs were further developed to give people a ‘hand out’ instead of a ‘hand up’; what did this teach the children of the time?

The children of the 70’s and 80’s who only knew a single parent home with no Christian upbringing began to have kids of their own. And what are they teaching their kids? Are they teaching them to keep God centered in their life? To protect the unborn? To keep to the tradition’s the country and our world was founded on? NO, no they didn’t.

And now the traditional definition of marriage is under attack; a marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman, period. Anything else leads all children astray and will continue to lead to the decline in the American family and destruction of the foundations of this country. And if the foundation crumbles…. So does the house.

So like I said I agree that the conservative party lost its message; the last 8 years has not been the best for our party, but like I have shown here America has really lost its way. What we need now is conservative leaders who have the moxy to stand up for true conservative values such as smaller government, sanctity of life, faith based decision making, fiscal conservatism, entrepreneurship, smaller government and a tax system that is fair and just.

That is the message we need to be selling; not being the end all to be all for every demographic and special interest group. And we need someone who can show ALL age groups how conservative values are a benefit to them; not a hindrance, how taking care of your neighbor and your kids is what we need to focus on first and then we can take care of places like Darfur and such. Mike Huckabee is the right person to do that.

So lets get America back on track; don’t retool the GOP to address all these liberal issues; I think we tried that….and it didn’t work.

Governor Huckabee coming to Iowa on his 'Do The Right Thing' book tour.

Do The Right Thing is his amazing story, in his own words-from making commercials with Chuck Norris to meeting a Michigan woman who insisted on donating her wedding ring. But this is more than just a campaign memoir. It's a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics--"vertical politics"--that focuses on common-sense solutions for education, health care, the economy, and many other issues. It's not about right versus left; it's about taking America up rather than down.


Cedar Rapids, IA
Thursday, 11/2012:00-1:00 PM
Barnes & NobleNorthland Square SC333 Collins Rd NE, Bldg 1Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
(319)393-4800

Des Moines, IA
Thursday, 11/206:00-8:00 PM
Sam's Club ** Free Pass1101 73rd StDes Moines, IA 50311
(515)255-2252

Governor Huckabee coming to ABC Radio Networks in January with the 'The Huckabee Report'

Thursday November 13, 2008 Edition ABC Radio Networks has signed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for The Huckabee Report which will be broadcast weekday mornings and afternoons and provide listeners with the top news stories of the day while also drawing on Huckabee’s experiences as a former governor and presidential candidate and launches on January 5th ABC Radio Networks to Launch ''The Huckabee Report''

ABC Radio Networks has signed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to its roster of News/Talk talent. "The Huckabee Report" will air weekday mornings and afternoons and is set to launch on January 5. The former Republican presidential candidate has also authored six books and hosts "Huckabee" on Fox News Channel.

"It's truly an honor to add someone of Governor Huckabee's stature to our portfolio," said ABC Radio Networks President Jim Robinson. "His perspective on the day's leading issues and events as they relate to American culture and policies is sure to resonate with radio audiences looking for the latest headlines mixed with a bit of humor and common sense. This partnership has tremendous potential and will be a key win for our affiliates in the coming year."

"My first job at the age of 14 was reading the early morning news, sports, weather and even commercials at our local radio station, so in a sense, this is an opportunity for me to return to my roots," said Governor Huckabee. "I worked my way through high school and college in radio and loved every minute of it. The team at ABC Radio Networks has a stellar reputation for syndicating news programming and I'm pleased that I'll be partnering with them as I reach out to Americans across the airwaves."

Okay if this dont beat all....

Ok now I think I’ve seen it all. President-Elect Obama; who himself has many questionable relationships and associations in his past, now has a 7 page, 63 question questionnaire that all of his prospect candidates are required to fill out.Now on the surface I can understand and somewhat agree with this; but again when you ‘peel back the onion’ you again get to see the ideology of this man.He is asking questions such as…




My basic question is….why? Especially the questions listed above; you want to know about my emails, diaries, WEB sites and if I own a gun. The questions about electronic communications are out of line and something that the President-Elect hasn’t even provided and I believe the gun is a right under the second amendment and is not something he should be asking.

So why…why is he doing this and where will it stop?

Link to the questionnaire…http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/13apply_questionnaire.pdf

Thank you Veterans...

I am an Air Force Veteran who served for 11+ years during the last years of the Cold War (1981 – 1992); I flew onboard both the SAC Airborne Command Post (Looking Glass) and National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP, Nightwatch) for almost 10 of my 11 years. This time, while relatively short compared to my time here on earth (I’m 46 now), is by far the most important.

It was a time where I created life long bonds with my fellow service men and woman, a time when we as a team formed a deterrent against the Soviet Union and others who wished to launch a nuclear attack against the US, a time when you looked around the aircraft’s communications department and you realize that you are the oldest and most experienced person of a 10 person team…at the ripe old age of 23.

But it doesn’t matter because you have the upmost confidence in yourself, your aircraft and your team; and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is nothing….NOTHING that can trip you up. It was a time of upmost pride and an amazing sense of accomplishment that you didn’t really realize how important it was to you until years later when you are in the civilian workforce where it is dog eat dog and you sense something is missing.

Then imagine if you will; a reunion with your brothers and sisters in arms at a retirement ceremony of your aircraft (EC-135) where you exchange ‘There I was…’ stories and meet the outstanding group of young Airman who have taken over the missions you loved so much. And as you talk you realize that this new guard has heard of the old guard and their accomplishments, even though you have never met and it has been 8 years since your last mission; they know what you did, how you did it and why; and that sense of pride and accomplishment comes flooding back; ‘I’ve made a difference in a positive way…wow!’.

Then as the old guard and the new guard stand shoulder to shoulder and listen to and watch a re-enactment of a mission, followed by the playing of the Lee Greenwood ‘Proud to be an American’ song…there isn’t a dry eye in the house. And why is that… because we are proud of what we did and have that sense of accomplishment again.
Those feeling’s are not reserved to those of us who served during our time, but to all who have served and who are serving today; they are proud of what they are doing and what to accomplish their mission.

To those of you that have served I am proud to share the name Veteran with you; and to those of you that are serving today; I will welcome you with open arms when it is your time and we’ll lift a glass, share our stories and help the new guard accomplish their missions.

God Bless!

Mike Huckabee's Vertical Politics Institute

The Vertical Politics Institute is dedicated to finding solutions to the many challenges our nation faces today. We will focus on the following issues: Tax Reform, Energy Independence, Controlling Spending, Health Care Reform, Arts and Education, Sanctity of Life, Traditional Marriage, Environment and Nation Security.

You can also expect the Vertical Politics Institute to take the lead in fighting across the nation for our ideas wherever they are challenged.

http://www.verticalpoliticsinstitute.com

Open Blog… What are your thoughts of the 2008 election and what does the GOP need to do better in the future?