What's your source for this information, Aaron? Seems to be missing entirely from your post.

I wouldn't be surprised one bit. This is the most brain dead campaign I have ever seen. Please bring in some professionals.

Roger,

That is not kind: Charlie may be losing but I do not think his campaign is brain dead!

John

Let me get this straight. Aren't these the same people who have been screaming about Tom's Per Diem? Now you're going to team up with Perata who is the king of fleecing taxpayers on his own per diem, then going out to $500 a plate dinners on it. This is hypocrisy at its absolute finest. Nice work Charlie.

Bob, you are nothing but a surly swag-bellied mammet!

Once again: What's your source for this information, Aaron? Seems to be missing entirely from your post.

Once again Bob, what's the source of your identity?... it seems to be missing from this post.

BTW: It's obvious you don't read the Sacramento Bee, what kind of Liberal are you? You aren't going to see Perata in CNN, the BBC or your favorite, the Auburn Journal.

I was at the Auburn Fair tonight. The Democrats had two booths right next to each other; one pitching Charlie Brown the other the Auburn Journal. No one offered to sell me any cocaine, and they wouldn't give me Deric Rothe's number to see if I could get some from him.

BLOGGER'S NOTE - I HAVE A POLICY OF NOT EDITING COMMENTS AS THE OWNERS OF RED COUNTY PLACE A HIGH IMPORTANCE ON THE RIGHT TO COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY. THIS COMMENT WAS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WITH A DIFFERENT IP ADDRESS THAN THE "BOB" WHO HAS COMMENTED HERE FOR A WHILE.

What the hell was that!?

BLOGGER'S NOTE - THIS COMMENT WAS POSTED BY THE SAME IP ADDRESS AS USED BY "BOB". AGAIN, IT IS MY POLICY TO NOT EDIT COMMENTS, BUT THIS NOTE IS WARRANTED BY WHAT IS WRITTEN BELOW.

Hello Red County Placer Readers,

My name is Aaron F. Park. [wink]

I am a gutless loser. I will try to drive people off this board through constant intimidation. I will even put up fake posts using their """"name"""" and then respond to them myself to make it look real. I'm not even smart enough to put some time between these posts so that they have even the appearance of being genuine.

I have been outwitted for months and I am getting so tired of it that instead of working on the quality of my arguments I will resort to my tried and true bully tactics. You can count on me to fight dirty. It's who I was and who I am no matter what I say I have learned in my life. The heck with all that morality stuff I have supposedly embraced!

I am a proud standard bearer for the candidate I happen to be backing at this moment in time. I will support that candidate on every single issue regardless of whether it is entirely out of step with the positions of other candidates I have supported in the past with my entire heart and soul. You can count on me to be completely partisan and completely unprincipled in my partisanship.

Welcome to Red County Placer where other ideas besides mine or those of "official" supporters of Tom McClintock (my candidate of choice today, Saturday, September 6, 2008) are unwelcome (at least by me). These ideas and these commenters will be driven off the boards so that I can post my drivel about Charlie Brown, Jennifer Montgomery and Deric Rothe without interruption. At least, unless Jeff Flint steps in and requires Blogpen members to behave like mature adults.

I don't care if this board is subtitled "Grassroots Politics from the Center-Right". I will scorn and abuse anyone who isn't off the chart to the right like me (at least today when my candidate is off the chart to the far right, too).

I welcome anonymous posters who agree with me or--better yet--who don't agree with """"Bob"""" and Lee. People like Tommy J who has SO much to say. Or Davido or Hector or Rocklin Republican or Robert the Red or any number of others who post here often or on occasion using a screen name. I have no issue with any of you because you don't make me look bad by identifying all of the errors and inconsistencies in my posts and because you don't agree with """"Bob"""" and Lee.

My blog, my way, all the time!

Aaron F. Park

Former Chair
Placer County Republican Assembly

Authorized Blogpen Member
Red County Placer

Insurance Agent
Roseville, California

Resident and Registered Voter
Sacramento County, California
(not in the Fourth CD)

Bob - Jesus can help heal you from what troubles you.

If you want, I'd be happy to take you to Church with me anytime.

In the mean time, relax and take your political pounding like a man. Charlie would really help himself if he'd just take some positions on issues.

I had someone complain to me that Aaron has been invoking "Jesus" of late.

This person said, "I go to church every Sunday"

I said, "I go to church every Sunday, too".

I continued, "Aaron is just being Aaron. Don't take the "hook". That is his thing, to try to get people emotionally hooked."

I am not personally offended that Aaron has of late fallen back on weaving "Jesus" into his weird stuff.

I know that the Nazarene is the human face of God, a loving, nurturing, and compassionate God. That is who God is. God has humor too.

___________________________________________________________________

Aaron who uses "Jesus" in hard right political blogs in a bullying sort of way speaks volumes to his grasp of the Way of the Nazarene.

Aaron as a younger fellow initiated nightly bombing raids on his brain. He bombed himself out of college. He then enlisted in the Navy. Those nightly bombing raids quite likely continued. Ego, the Navy deciding he was not their kind of guy when the chips were down. And it is quite likely that there is no province of his brain that is left unscathed.

Aaron was introduced to the Nazarene and the Grace of the Nazarene was given to him to enable Aaron to have the strength to stop the nightly bombing raids. The Nazarene has given that very same Grace to millions of folks who have needed the strength to stop dysfunctional behavior.

What the Nazarene did not give in the Grace package was permission to use His Name to engage in the kind of political rhetoric that implies Aaron is more righteous or holier than thou.

The Nazarene is not Aaron's political wing man as Aaron is wont to imply....

Interesting "blogger's notes" on my I.P. address. My I.P. changes every time I reboot my computer.

Odd.

I thought Charlie Brown was supposed to be some kind of “man of ethics”. What a fraud.

THE DON? Are you kidding me- this has to be fake right? The FBI has been looking at him for YEARS. Rumors circulate every few months that he will be arrested any day. And not just for little things but for outright CORRUPTION.

How can you claim to be above partisanship when you have events with Brad Sherman, Don Perta and Barbara Lee? Talk about partisan! Look at their positions-

1) Immediate withdrawal from Iraq (aka surrender)
2) Massive Tax increases (on everyone not just Charlie’s lame-only the rich- aka $40K+ a year)
3) Pro Homosexual Marriage
4) Promote Socialized Medicine
5) Support Abortion on Demand/ Partial Birth Abortion
6) Pro Homosexual indoctrination in Schools
7) Environmentalist Wakos (don’t cut trees!, don’t drive cars!, Oil is BAD, don’t breath?)
8) Anti- Off Shore Drilling/ Anti- ANWAR Drilling
9) Support allowing the promotion of Communism in CA Schools (a Bill Parta Supported on the Floor of the Senate)
10) Support complete US unilateral nuclear Disarmament

Wow, I don't think any of those issues will work in the 4th CD, so I guess that is why Charlie is always talking about the per diem issue!

John

How's the polling going for Tom? Not so good?

Tom certainly did not start with a 40 point lead like he did in the primary, but after we start contrasting issues I think the result on election day will be much the same!

John

PS: Are you going to give us a scoop on the new poll that Charlie has done or do we have to wait for the press release??

Bob,

Too late: Todd has released the Brown poll.

If a two point lead is the best they can get before any of the issues are discussed in the district than I might be a little conservative with my comparison to the primary!

John

Bob or Lee:

I can't wait to hear your comments on this poll... Will you remember to point out that it was taken on August 21st, BEFORE either convention and certainly before more than ten people in the district knew who Sarah Palin was!

This would have been like McClintock releasing one of his early polls AFTER Mr. Ose had dropped the first few million dollars in attack ads and expecting folks to believe the numbers would still be the same!

Nice try, but this one will not even be a one day story!

John

PS: Anybody checked with Charlie about that drilling quote and whether he attended that rally in uniform??? Day four of the Charlie watch!

Using Jesus and the Bible in a political discussion is not forbidden. It just must be done carefully. In a recent post, I think Mr. Park raised a legitimate issue on how Brown markets his support of veterans so effectively to get into office. I don't doubt that his support his heartfelt, since his family is full of veterans. But he goes a step further and makes veterans his number one talking point, especially in how he sells himself.

I looked at the blogs online and saw the pictures of the Wes Clark event. I think there were enough Brown for Congress campaign signs to build a small aircraft carrier. Mr. Park's point, I believe, was that the best charity is the most anonymous charity, and Brown did not miss his opportunity to promote himself for Congress.

If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Park seemed to be joking when he said that Jesus can heal Bob. I also believe he was commenting on Bob's anonymous status. To attack Mr. Park's religion in turn strikes me as, well, dirty politics.

Hector

John,

I'm not one to think that a poll released by the candidate himself two months away from election day means that the race is in the bag. But the Benensen poll in September 2006 was a very accurate predictor of the winner and much, much more accurate than the poll McClintock released just before the primary that had him clobbering Ose by thirty points (the actual margin was seventeen).

I have wondered why we have heard nothing from the McClintock Campaign after their robo poll a few weeks ago. Lee got a call and my fifteen-year-old daughter took the poll in my household. I suspect the news wasn't that good for Tom.

But let's look at what the new Brown poll says for a moment. Assume the poll is accurate. The race is a statistical dead heat given the margin of error is over 4%.

The poll doesn't include any effect from the national conventions as the polling period was August 21-24. Given that McCain got a good bounce it's possible this would have helped McClintock in this poll. The impact of the national tickets (and Prop 8) on this race is hard to estimate right now. Maybe social conservatives will pour forth for Palin. Or maybe she will fall on her face and these same people will stay home in record numbers. Who knows? So I'll concentrate on the local issues.

The most amazing piece of data from this poll is how many Republicans say they will vote for Brown. This is what I have been saying here for months. If Brown can capture one-third of Ose's voters and one-third don't vote for either Brown or McClintock then Brown wins and this scenario is very plausible. This appears to be what's happening. 17% of Republicans polled say they will vote for Brown. That is much more than a third of the 39% of Republican primary voters who voted for Ose. And 13% of Republicans in this survey--one third of Ose's votes--are undecided. McClintock gains only 14% over the Republican primary voting percentage moving from 56% in the primary to 70% of Republicans in this poll. That's weak!

The second item of note is the large percentage of Independents that are still undecided (27%). I'll bet there's a block of Libertarians in that group who are stuck between voting for a Democrat or voting for a Republican who wants to legislate individual rights. I'll bet there's another, larger block who just haven't made up their minds and are waiting on the debates and the fall campaign.

Voters who are undecided today and who are waiting on the campaign for information are a good thing for Brown because he wins on the issues according to this poll. That's why everyone here on Red County is so quick to paint Brown as a liberal when he is actually a middle-of-the road politician. You know you are going to reply right now and say so, don't you? That's been the McClintock message since the general election campaign started but it's not taking hold. Maybe voters are wary after the 2006 election when they bought the B.S. and then the guy they voted for had his house raided by the FBI a few months later. Maybe Charlie's relentless campaigning has let them know who he really is instead of only seeing him as a Republican caricature. Brown's financial advantage will certainly help drive his message home, as well. This poll ought to generate even more cash.

At a certain level these poll results could be all about Tom. Voters in this district know Tom McClintock. He has 76% name recognition. Yet look at the 2003 special election for governor. McClintock got just 16% of the votes in CD4 while moderate Schwarzenegger got over 60%. People in CD4 know Tom McClintock but they just don't like him very much.

The other thing is the question of whether CD4 voters are red or crimson. The 2003 gubernatorial election was a good data point. And in 2006 Brown barely lost to Doolittle; Doolittle didn't even get all the Republican registered voters and did poorly among Independents. Looks like recent history shows that a majority of CD4 voters are just red. They are conservatives but not so far to the right that they can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat if they don't like the Republican offering.

This poll makes this point very clearly. Almost one out of five Republicans are willing to vote for a Democrat over California's Conservative Icon. 13% are still undecided--what more do they need to know about Tom McClintock to decide whether to vote for him or not?

I'm not going to make any bets--it's early days--but things look pretty good for Charlie Brown. The veteran's rallies and Wes Clark visit should provide some bounce, too.

Interesting!

Bob

Mr. Reed,

I think your substitution of the Roman Julian for McClintock is a rather bizarre connection. I don't think McClintock would be devastated to read what I guess was intended as an attack. I, however, delight in referencing Roman history. Can we just make it more relevant?

Bob,

As you barely mention, these poll results are rather old, politically speaking. They don't take into account the mailer and how hard it hit Brown on the big issues, they don't take into account Ose's prominent endorsement, they don't take into account that the McClintock campaign seems to have been much busier and more productive compared to the Brown team in the past few weeks, and they don't take into account the well-established political reality of congressional candidates rising and falling with their presidential nominee (who by the way is doing very well right now, with a far larger convention bump than his opponent).

You break down the numbers with the skill of a seasoned political analyst, and I unfortunately lack that ability due to my relative youth and inexperience. But even if this poll is correct, it is old now, and it will seem ancient November 4th, which is the date of the only poll that matters.

And what about all the non-partisan reports rating the district as at least "leans Republican"? I haven't heard of even one that rates it a tossup.

Hector

Hector,

You bet, it's old news. In addition to what you mention, there's this:

**Breaking News**

John Doolittle's former Chief of Staff, Kevin Ring, arrested by the FBI and charged with ten counts of corruption.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i-qkrK9za4BZ6guqk2RQa6PAUYkgD932QO080

How do you think a Doolittle indictment in October will go over for dear old Tom? Check your theater listings...

Bob

Bob,

Just a couple of quick points: First a question. Do you think the mailer to all those Republicans who are not sure about Tom will change this poll?

A Doolittle scandal does not hurt Tom because voters to not want to switch parities because of one bad apple.

John

I just got the latest McClintock flyer today. It's very funny! Oil and gas prices have fallen 30% since July yet McClintock is beating this dead horse mercilessly. Not only that but even in July only 31% of voters believed Democrats in Congress were to blame for high oil prices compared to 60% who said it was oil companies who were at fault (pollingreports.com).

The real purpose of this flyer is to continue to beat the "Liberal Democrat Charlie Brown" drum. It's the only instrument Tom McClintock has and getting enough voters to believe it is his only chance of winning. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the voters are buying it. They know B.S. when they see it because Brown has spent a TON of time getting to know the people of this district and allowing them to get to know him. They won't be fooled by flyers like they were in 2006.

The flyer is a good poop scooper, though.

Bob

Bob,

Very simple for Charlie to avoid the "liberal" label: Take a position on the issues that Aaron has outlined. IF he takes the conservative positions then even I might start calling him a conservative like his radio ad does!

Otherwise, you should be more concerned about him concealing his real agenda than anyone else on this list.

John

Bob,

Prove to me that this Doolittle staffer has any connection to McClintock beyond a hopeful weapon for Charlie Brown and I'll care.

Weren't you the one who was arguing a little bit ago that oil prices will always be high and therefore we must move away from petroleum as a source of energy? Except now you're pointing out that oil prices have dropped and that McClintock is "beating this dead horse mercilessly." Why the switch in positions?

Because I think you'll say anything to attack McClintock. You obviously hate the man, and it seems to be affecting your presentation of the facts.

Isn't energy such an important issue that we should be debating it all the time, in anticipation of the next price spike to come? These things can't be solved in a couple months' time. Why shouldn't McClintock's campaign stay on it?

That, or dependence on foreign oil isn't much of a problem for America. I don't recall you ever making that case.

McClintock is pointing out that Brown is a liberal Democrat because he knows that Brown's strategy is the complete opposite: avoid the dreaded l-word and even the d-word and come up with a good slogan to make a heavily Republican district forget that you're a Democrat, something maybe that attacks partisanship? The same strategy worked wonders for the Democrats in 2006... excepting Brown's district.

Better luck the second time around?

Hector

Hector,

Charlie Brown is a liberal Democrat???

I am shocked, simply SHOCKED to find this out.

Next thing I know you will be telling me that this veteran is attending anti-war rallies.

John

Hector,

The point I made earlier is that decreasing demand is a far better way to reduce oil prices than increasing supply.

Why do you think prices fell in the last three months? Did a huge new oil field come on line? Did Congress pass any groundbreaking legislation opening up supply?

No. Demand fell as a result of high prices and an expectation of reduced demand in the face of the expectation of high prices. Real reductions in demand cause a real reduction in prices.

But forecasts of world economic growth show that the demand decrease we are experiencing now is temporary. If we don't invest in structural demand reduction programs and alternative energies high prices will come back and this debate will heat up again. There is not enough oil in the U.S. to impact world supply enough to reduce prices much. There is not enough oil in the world to meet the world's demand over the lives of my children and their children without dramatic increases in price that will force demand reductions in the most painful ways.

The Republican Party's policies on energy and McClintock's unthinking cheerleading for these policies are just whistling by the graveyard. The focus is on short-term political power over good solutions for the United States. It's just shameful.

Bob

Tom McClintock:

An extremist who consorts with extremists.

Tom's immigration policies cater to the most extreme members of his party and to fringe groups led by very shady characters he embraces in person.

McClintock's stripes were well known to CD4 voters even back in 2003 when just 16% voted for him versus 60% who voted for the moderate Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. McClintock barely got a majority of votes in the Republican Primary last spring; recent polls show he is having trouble appealing to voters in his own party. Seems like these voters have figured out who Tom is.

Tom McClintock. Extreme. Out of touch with our priorities. Wrong guy for Congress. Ready for retirement.

Bob

Bob,

Prices fell this summer because the oil futures market didn't look so good. President Bush rescinded the executive ban on offshore drilling in the middle of July, and the price per barrel plummeted within days. In fact, one local (occasional) commentator on energy policy recently noted how present actions affect the oil futures market:

"This phenomenon is not without precedent. Just last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake’s [sic] comments about dropping demand from U.S. consumers due to limited purchasing power yielded a $6 dollar drop in the price of oil. Similarly, President George H.W. Bush’s announcement that America was tapping its Strategic Petroleum Reserve prior to the first Gulf War yielded a 33% drop in oil prices."

My guess is the Republicans hammering the Democrats in Congress also made it look like we would drill domestically and increase supply down the line. That would mean the Republicans were responsible for the prices coming down.

It couldn't have been the Democrats. They were on vacation.

Lastly on energy, if the US supply is so tiny that it has no impact on world markets, why is that the historical releases of petroleum from the SPR had such a major positive impact? Think maybe that minor fluctuations can make a big difference in the world market? Think perception is a huge part of investing, and therefore becomes reality?

As for your second comment, people who hate McClintock call him an extremist. People who like him call him dedicated. I wonder which category you fall into Bob? Why the step-up in vicious rhetoric against McClintock, just when Mr. Reed settles into a mellow routine of posting articles from other people?

Hector

Hector,

You have got to be joking. Bush's actions caused world oil prices to drop? No objective oil industry analyst buys that. It's purely a Republican talking point and a bad one at that. Bernanke was appointed by Bush; he's giving him a nod Bush doesn't deserve.

60% of people surveyed believe the oil companies are responsible for high oil prices, Hector. Twice as many who believe--after months of Republican blabvertising--that Democrats are to blame.

The timing of releasing oil from our strategic reserve always follows a sharp spike in prices. You are confusing cause and effect. The cause of the price drop is reduced demand caused by the high prices. The release of oil from the reserve--trivial in the world's demand and supply equation--coincides with the drop in prices from the drop in demand and benefits from the appearance that it is related.

Why am I stepping up my attacks on McClintock? Because he is llying to voters. I have two glossy flyers on my desk that prove it. I'm sick of it so I decided to take off the gloves.

Bob

Bob

You are talking with someone who wastes your time. Hector is a very busy boy for McClintock. He blew his cover some time ago. He be no student at UCD.

Lee

Lee,

You're right. Moving "Hector" to Ignore.

Bob

Bob,

In case you miss my other post: How about naming one of the "lies" that you keep finding in the McClintock mail. Inquiring minds want to know!

John

Oh really Mr. Reed? Back to the "He's not a student at UCD" eh? Fifth time's a charm? Well I'd LOVE to find out just how I "blew my cover" since I have no cover. What's the juicy evidence? I'm eagerly awaiting for this one.

Few instances of anticipation are so enjoyable as telling the truth when someone calls you a liar.

And if you're so sure I'm some poser because I consistently support McClintock, then that opens the door right up for you two as well. Working for Brown! Shame on you!

Feel free not to respond if I point out foolishness. See how that goes on your conscience, and whether I go away. Of course, if you do work for Brown, then there wouldn't be much conscience involved I bet, so that'd be a hollow threat on my part.

Hector

John Stoos

Your little game is up....go back to trashing my wife, that's what you are better at.

Lee Reed

Lee,

No one, including me has "trashed" your wife, but you on the other hand are avoiding the tough questions!

John

Yes, John, you trashed my wife yesterday...

poor judgement on your part

Lee Reed

Lee,

Again, I am at a loss: Please explain this comment

John

My Lady

First, in response to a story of how my wife and my lives were dramatically and painfully affected by Howard Ahmanson's intrusion into a internal church family fight...

John Stoos said:

Without giving any specifics about which church or what issues were involved, how can we judge who took the right action here? If Howard is defending someone who is fighting for the orthodox Christian faith, say by standing up against ordaining homosexuals, then he is on the right side, and his actions should be praised.

The story I told and John Stoos' comment is here:
http://www.redcounty.com/placercountyca/2008/09/ott-mcclintock-urges-cutting-o/

___________________________________________________________________

John, it the story from which my charge that you attacked my wife derives. As noted above, Ahmanson has been cited numerously as providing funding to promote schism within mainline churches that can not be counted upon to provide foot soldiers for right wing political causes. Billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife is also of his ilk

Avenging angel of the religious right

Quirky millionaire Howard Ahmanson Jr. is on a mission from God to stop gay marriage, fight evolution, defeat "liberal" churches -- and reelect George W. Bush.
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/01/06/ahmanson/index.html

You essentially said my wife who poured her heart and her soul and her treasure into her church (readers are very much encouraged to read the entire story at the top link) was in the wrong. Ahmanson was right according to you to intrude. You failed to give the whole agenda of Ahmanson and Scaife, their mission to tear asunder mainline "liberal" churches. You used a self-serving frame that he (and Scaife) are merely defending conservative religious orthodoxy.
That is both mendacious and enables the smear on my wife.
_____________________________________________________________________

My Lady

Unlike Howard Ahmanson Jr, she did not inherit millions of dollars when her father died at age 16. She inherited the role of parental child in a family of poor circumstances with the loss of her father's income. She worked after school at various jobs, one was shoveling snow after snow storms where she lived in Minot North Dakota (the Minot joke, Why not Minot, freezin' is the reason).

She worked her way through Minot State Teachers College. She later did a masters degree at UND in Grand Forks North Dakota. She went on to work 34 years as a speech pathologist in the Grand Forks school system.

She is a very devout Christian. She holds from San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction.
This program is very selective re admission and very very rigorous academically. It is the crema de la creme of Spiritual Direction graduate programs. She did this flying back and forth to St. Anselmo from Grand Forks.

She breadth of reading of matters of Christianity fills book shelves holding hundreds of books. She attends workshops on religion matters many many times a year. She is the close personal friend of two Priests and countless other devout Christians. She provides Spiritual Direction free of charge to atleast a half dozen directees. This past Saturday she was named in the inaugural award, one of five Diosean Womam of the Year.

She walked away from an investment in the tens of thousands of dollars in the building fund of the church that Ahmanson funded schismatic tampering. She made this money the old fashioned North Dakota way, hard work, and then work harder, and keep on keeping on until you drop. Ahmanson inherited Easy Street for life when his father died when he was 18.

She worked her behind off to keep the church together when the Priest who fell for Ahmanson's glitter had a massive heart attack in the UK. She was Senior Warden, the highest lay position in the church, at the time. She even spent hours on her hands and knees weeding flower boxes in front of the church. She did everything from the proverbial soup to nuts.

That is the story of My Lady...

but there is more...The Promise...

THE PROMISE

My wife and I were married in that church 7 years ago. We made promises to each other at the alter. All of our church family as well as our immediate family was there.

We invited our dearest and closet to a reception, a sit down dinner at the Timbers Lodge. At that reception I stood and said this to My Lady...

I always knew
that you would find me,
no clock needed to remind
me that it would happen.
I planned on it, worked it out
hid in plain sight every day
knowing you would pass,
that way or this, come along,
go by, pause in moving to
here or somewhere; near or
far it did not matter. You
would arrive.

It kept the heart
alive and thriving in the clatter
of times' travel to know
that you would turn and see me
then not turn away.You here
or coming, unraveling the puzzle,
kept me whole and safe
and driving on toward this day.

When the evenings, like forever,
started fleeting, going fast
I could see you at some distance
disappearing in the mist.
In the mass of fondled faces
one imagines in a lifetime
yours was there just out of grasp.

As you fluttered in my future,
fled throughout my lifelong past
I expected every spring to bring you
to my arms, to my side. When
the autumns started coming thick
and firm and fast, I never once
gave up believing you'd arrive
with winters passing, you would
be here as the moon fell.

As the sun rose we would clasp
hands at first, then bodies closing
up that awful gap that life without
a life long partner leaves between
the noon and night line. Did I
falter in my faith? Once or twice
perhaps, but never long enough
to leave you languishing in some
dream that wasn't mine. Because
I always knew that you would
find me, I never sent out distress
signals, never tapped out SOS.

I was blessed
with growing knowledge, something
whispered do not worry, it will
happen, it's been planned. Nothing
here is happenstance. Do not hurry.
Do not pause to catch your breath.
So it was I always knew

A nocturne for The King of Naples,
A serenade or two for those who
got me through some fearful midnights.
Sonatas for some faces time erases but
does not forget. A double wind concerto
for the wind itself; it could have blown
me anywhere, but wouldn't, didn't. I
dropped some songs along the way in
laps of strangers, even laps I knew. But
this music you see spread around you
these notes and half notes, planted long
ago, that grew and grew was/were saved,
because I always knew that you would
find me and help me with the harvest.

The strongholds, the havens that
proved weak and wanting, lessons
learned, prizes earned, not always
given. Paths I paved, paths unpaved.
The rest of what I have to offer, little
things this life's amassed; for you,
for you, it was for you I saved
the best for last.

Rod McKuen stanzas cut...

(The Lady of the Priest who fell for Ahmanson's glitter leaned toward him and said, "You never say these things to me")

The last stanza is THE PROMISE

The strongholds, the havens that
proved weak and wanting, lessons
learned, prizes earned, not always
given. Paths I paved, paths unpaved.
The rest of what I have to offer, little
things this life's amassed; for you,
for you, it was for you I saved
the best for last.

Sometimes I have been weak and wanting, but I have tried my best to keep the promise...

for you,
for you, it was for you I saved
the best for last.

Lee,

I am truly glad that you love, adore and defend your wife. If she is anything like mine, she would defend you even better!

However, I have not made a single personal attack on your wife, which would be very unfair since I do not know her. You on the other hand have spread vicious lies and rumors about another Godly man and his wife, the Amandsons.

I may disagree with your wife if she sides with those who support ordaining homosexuals in the church but it should not include personal attacks and should be based on facts, which by the way you still have not provided.

You may disagree with Howard and I when we say that the Bible is to be believed when it says that Jesus is the only way of salvation and that any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong: I would expect you to take us to task, but again not with straw-man arguments that Bob likes to use or with personal attacks.

Just like we have been trying to say with this campaign, the discussion should be based on the issues!

So, IF your wife takes the position that practicing homosexuals can be ordained, please have her explain how that squares with Romans chapter one if we are going to be faithful to the Scriptures? Not a personal attack, just an honest question.

John

I will not descend to Ahmanson and your level. Especially on today. And especially with one who did not see fit to wear the uniform.

You choose to divide churches and defend those who seek to divide churches by stealth, leveraging small numbers of unwitting foot soldiers drawn in by the most primitive propaganda techniques.

Meanwhile my son who chose to defend his county will observe the ending of 6 year he enlisted and the beginning of 4 more year today. He arrived at Lackland in the wee small hours of this day 6 years ago. He will be spending some of today working out the detail of what to do about his car, which is in mint condition. His father was called by him last evening about this matter. Father becomes smarter as he gets older. He now realizes that time is getting short to work out such matters. He will be flying to Ali al Salem Oct.1st.

But as I have said before, he does this for all Americans, of all political persuasions, races, ethnic groups, and genders. And he does this so you can continue your mission to divide and conquer for a narrow political agenda...

Time to Remember when we were e pluribus unum...

Not an honest question.

Just prejudice and bigotry wrapped in a semi-opaque shroud of faith.

THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST POLITICAL OPERATIVE FOR McCLINTOCK

John Stoos, was this the part of Matthew that you wanted me to review?

You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:5

You first assume you know much more about the Bible. That is sheer arrogance. You direct those whom you assume do not know much about the Bible to passages taken out of context. You do not direct those whom you do not know much about the Bible to the much more encompassing narrative of the Nazarene.

There is a harsh word for what you do...You would not survive the scrutiny of peer review by those who truly have dedicated their life time to matters of the Bible and Theology.

But go ahead and tell the rest of us how we don't get the Way of the Nazarene...

Lee,

I really think you should be spending time with your son rather than posting today, so please pass on my thanks for his service.

However, since you asked, I guess I have to respond: The verses that I had in mind were these from Matthew 28 regarding the discussion of Christians having an influence in politics: "18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore F166 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Those are my marching orders, so as a good soldier I try to follow them.

Since you brought up the verse from Matthew 7:5 I do think it apples here: Please note that Jesus says I must take the LOG out of my own eye, which I pray that He does day after day. But please note, He wants me to do that so I can help someone who has a speck in their eye. So, even though people use this verse to say we should not judge what other people are doing, it really means just the opposite.

As you aptly said, we should all be more and more amazed everyday by the "much more encompassing narrative of the Nazarene!"

John

Bob,

As someone who assumes that everyone who does not agree with is lying, I do not think you are the best judge of what is or is not an honest question.

John

Your statement is an exaggeration, John. Just like your candidate exaggerates and stretches the truth so that it is completely unrecognizable.

For example, I don't think I have called you a liar, John. Saying you ask a dishonest question is different from saying you are a liar. It's on the slippery slope, though. You should watch yourself.

But Tom McClintock is a liar. His flyers are full of lies. I have posted elsewhere specifically what he has lied about. The ball is in your court to prove he isn't a liar since I have pointed out where he has lied and what he has lied about, in writing, in his official campaign correspondence mailed to prospective voters.

I'll also mention the Cuba-China oil drilling lie, also. A lie written by Tom McClintock in an Op Ed published in local papers. He has not retracted this lie or apologized for it, just quietly removed references to it from his campaign website.

The Auburn Journal and the Mountain Democrat have both reported on McClintock's campaign lies. This isn't something coming from me alone.

What did Christ say about liars, John? Do you forgive Tom McClintock for his transgressions? Have you counseled him, at all, regarding this recurring moral problem of his? Aren't you, in fact, willing to overlook his moral failings because he supports some of the same political positions that you do? Wouldn't you say that's hypocritical? Immoral, even? How do you rationalize your actions?

Bob

Bob,

Again you say the McClintock mailers are "full of lies" and yet you have not even shown us one "white lie" so far! No matter how many times you repeat this, it is not going to make it true!

The China/Cuba statement has been corrected and was and error made by quoting Mr. Gingrich who had his facts wrong. I think Tom said China is drilling of the coast of China and the truth is that China is planning to drill off the coast of Cuba. With the price of oil over a hundred bucks a barrel it won't be long.

John

Bob,

Regarding your theological question, liars go to hell, that is what Jesus taught and it is true.

As Christians Tom and I have confessed our sins of lying whether they were intentional or unintentional, whether they were by commission or omission trusting that Jesus has paid the price of those sins. This means He took the punishment due to us and God looks at us through the righteousness of His Son, who I can assured you never lied! That is the Good News or the Gospel.

I hope and trust that you and Lee have done the same.

John

As usual, a demand on this thread to Reed and Bob for evidence against me has gone unanswered. That tells me there is no reply, as has been the case in other exchanges with them on this site -- exchanges on, for example, the issues? Oh, how far that takes me back.

Oh well. Sometimes silence says more than words.

Instead, Reed showed himself a masterful politician by twisting Mr. Stoos' thoughts on church doctrine into "trashing" Reed's wife. That allows Reed to assume the mantle of martyred defender of the woman he loves. Don't get me wrong, I love a happy marriage and I am glad Reed seems to have such a good relationship. But I despise false allegations to change the subject and make it personal. Reed has done this. Mr. Stoos has not. I am amazed at the patience and persistence Mr. Stoos has had in debating Reed and Bob. He is a better man than I.

Hector

Charlie's deranged and a geek.
He's a butt-ugly, genderless freak.
He's a wearisome hog,
A malodorous dog,
He's pretentious, the simian sneak.

My lies concerning what? I was hoping some one would charge me with lying about anything I have put here at Red County Placer.

That could turn into a fund raiser. I have thought about it often. That's why I have taken great care in what I have publicly put up here. I never ever put up anything that I can't back up about myself and my values and beliefs.

So if you want to go there, please do...and I will make the arrangements and name the cost of the challenge...

John,

You know Tom has confessed his sins? Really? How do you know that? I thought you once said you were his political advisor, not his pastor. He's confiding this kind of thing with you? And you're not talkking politics?

Bob

There is this entanglement of lies. I always said it is as much a matter of practicality as morality to be as totally honest as one can. Sound preachy, probably. But it works for me.

It is about credibility. It is the currency of the realm.

AFTER THOUGHT

"Hector" is an example. He blew his credibility. As much as he protests now, he is "gone" as a credible commenter.

He had other options. He could have come on right at the beginning as the partisan that he is. That would have been his credibility. And then he could have commented and paid attention to as such.

My wife just spoke to me about "cheap grace". Maybe more about that later.

Bob,

Christians are often open about the fact that they are Christians. Repentance of ones sins is required to be a Christian and Tom claims to be a Christian so I take him at his word, which you often do not!

John

Just posted elsewhere on this blog by me at 9:19 p.m.

More proof that McClintock Lied Big about oil and energy.

McClintock's word and a $1.50 will get you a tall cup of regular joe at Starbucks, I guess.

Bob,

Takes a $1.55 for that cup of joe these days!

I just checked all your MANY posts from today and still not a word about that anti-war rally that Charlie attended in uniform.

What does Charlie have to say about this: We have defended all of the charges leveled against Senator McClintock and whether you agree with what we argue or not, we made the attempt.

Please explain to all those veterans who are supporting Charlie how supporting people who hang a soldier in effigy is supportive of our veterans?

Seems confusing to me! It would be like Senator McClintock attending a press event where CalTax was supporting the massive sales tax increase... It would be the end of his campaign if it turned out to be true. I would not be able to come up with any rational argument to keep the McClintock supporters from bailing...

MAYBE this is why you and Lee are reluctant to discuss this issue.

John

John

John,

You are desperate, aren't you? You don't have anything good to say about your candidate so you prefer to spread malicious rumors about his opponent? This is the work of a man of God?

I tell you what, this is exactly why politics and religion don't mix well. When a pastor wades into politics with a very specific agenda the usual result is the pastor slides down a slippery slope until he is nothing but another political crony willing to prostitute himself for his cause. The ends justifies the means.

That's what you are doing, John. You can sit at your computer and rationalize about it all day but your willingness to discard the truth and to attack people with rumors and innuendo is despicable. What's even worse is what you will say in response to this: "Who me? Not me!" You don't even know how corrupted you are by your single-minded pursuit of your religious-political agenda.

By any measure McClintock is running a dirty campaign. He is consorting with shady people. And you are part of it.

How do you face your congregation every Sunday? Do you think they would approve of what you are doing to a decorated veteran on this website? Do you, John? Have you talked about this in any of your sermons? Don't tell me they are not in CD4 so of course you wouldn't talk about it with them. Uh-uh. You don't get off the hook that easy. If you were unashamed of what you do here you should be using the charge you make here as an example to your parishioners, to make a case for a biblical point.

I know you are not ashamed. You talked yourself out of that long ago. But let others reading see who you really are. A pastor who attacks good people with rumors and innuendo to further a partisan political goal.

Bob

Bob,

Actually we do meet in the 4th CD, but no I have not done any sermons on this race!

What I have done is try to be factual and accurate in what is presented: IF you are telling me that Charlie did NOT attend that anti-war rally in uniform where a US Soldier was hung in effigy, then you will not hear another word from me on the subject.

IF however, you tell me that Charlie did attend the rally then I think it is a fair question to ask what impact that would have on the support that you and Lee, as well as many other veterans are giving Charlie.

So Bob, the ball, as they say, is in your court. If this makes me a "shady" person, so be it, I have been called worse.

John

Unashamed, John Stoos continues beating his one drum.

He essentially admits that he has not told his congregation what he does in his spare time on this blog. I wonder, when they drop their tithe into the collection basket, do they know how their pastor spends his day? Are they aware he spends a great deal of his day online pushing partisan rumors and innuendo? Is he willing to pass out copies of this string of comments with the time and date stamps to his congregants after the service?

Some of his congregants are no doubt veterans themselves. I don't think they would take too kindly to John's activities. They didn't like it much when Dan Rather tried to discredit George W. Bush's service with a phony story pushed by someone with an agenda. Why would they think what John is doing is honorable and good?

They wouldn't.

Bob