There's a special on PBS tonight about Lincoln

The author stated Lincoln suspended the right of habeus corpus and the constitution to justify his causes....so maybe this is why O is following along those lines.

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However, he does seem to be influenced by Lincoln's approach to government--the same argument that pubs made that he was influenced by Ayers.

This might be a good time to do some research on the Civil War and it's causes. It actually started years before the war. The agricultural South demanded cheap labor (sound familiar?) and the more industrialized North trampled States rights (sound familiar???) Members of Congress whupped up on each other (Republicans vs. Democrats???) Eomotions ran high (sound familiar?????). End result: The saddest war of all time with brother fighting against brother, father against son.

My G-Grandfather died on the battlefield where the December re-enactment takes place, one of some 2700 soldiers on both sides to die. Family stories handed down tell that my G-Grandmother and other women would carry food to the soldiers in the evening when they stopped fighting and the Union and Confederate soldiers would talk and exchange tobacco together. The Civil War was not entirely about slavery.

Do we see history about to repeat itself? I think it is a serious possibility. We had all better stop fighting about Republican/Democrat and get to the issues. No one is talking in this election about serious issues...like illegal immigration and its impact on jobs and the economy.

To the poster below with whom I have been talking about good ole Southern food, our menu will be pinto beans, johnny cakes and dried apple cobbler, prepared in cast iron pots, way better than the maggot-infested salt pork and hard-tack the soldiers ate as food was in very short supply. There will be other food vendors preparing more modern fare.

Although you are correct that Lincoln was a Republican, in those days, Republican was not what it is today, nor Democrat, no Tory nor Whig, etc. How could it be, the times they have-a-changed. He called himself a Democrat many times during his career and was extremely anti-slavery but did not fall in with the abolitionists. What with Republicans, Democrats, Whigs, Jacobins, etc. it would be really difficult to say one party abolished slavery.People from all sides supported and opposed it. Lincoln just happened to be president and the **War of Northern Aggression** quelled those who had seceded.

Lincoln was very anti-war, did not like the idea at all so the civil war was distasteful to say the least. He did, however, have no problem enlisting and personally fighting in the European versus Sac Indians war which makes him not my most favorite president...but then, everyone makes mistakes. He did that in his younger years.

The civil rights act I have always believed rests with LBJ. He is not my favorite either. In fact, I did not like him much at all, but he did, in his predecessor's memory, carry the civil rights act to fruition. I remember him saying on the day that he signed it, the south is lost to Democrats as of this day. Here is a link of the timeline. It is pretty straightforward, comes from LBJ for kids site so it is not overly lengthy or boring.

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

(1863)

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

By The President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

Hannity's America, FNC. It's on now, but will be repeated at 11PM (CST, I think).

I saw (but didn't read) a post in passing about Alaska and its meth labs. Shoot, I grew up in Nebraska, and back in the 70s it was totally out of control. Rural areas seem to be magnets for them, regardless of who's in office, so in my opinion neither party who is in control at this time or another can't and won't stop it. It's sad, but true.

The Texas state supreme court ruled unanimously on Friday that a town which had altered its zoning to ban two church-sponsored halfway houses in a residential neighborhood was in violation of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

That act, which was passed in 1999 and endorsed by then-Governor George W. Bush, affords greater legal protection to religious operations than to equivalent secular operations.

Under its provisions, cities have to prove that zoning regulations � like the one passed by the town of Sinton to ban jails and rehabs within 1000 feet of a home, school, or church � further a �compelling� interest, such as protecting public safety, and do not place a �substantial burden� on the free exercise of religion.

Town officials asserted that the zoning regulations placed no restrictions on worship or the practice of religion and were merely intended to protect the safety of residents. This position was upheld at the local and appeals court levels.

However, the all-Republican and generally conservative state supreme court agreed with Pastor Richard Barr�s claim that because the town of Sinton is so small, the regulation had the effect of excluding him from operating his �ministry� for parolees anywhere.

Barr�s case was argued by the conservative Liberty Legal Institute (LLI) and was also supported by the American Center for Law and Justice � founded by Pat Robertson � and by the ACLU.

LLI was involved several years ago in a widely-noted case against a Texas school district which its litigation director, Hiram Sasser, claimed had demonstrated �pervasive religious hostility� by banning the distribution at Christmas time of candy canes with a religious message.

According to Sasser, today�s decision �means that in zoning cases you have to give churches special treatment. � You have to have very special reasons for telling a church you can�t locate here and locate there. That�s going to be a touch burden for cities.�

�This is a home run,� Sasser proclaimed. �I think it will be a model for other states.�

Katie Couric will ask her to discuss any supreme court case other than Roe v Wade. She sits there blankly. She knows of no other cases. Nobody makes her appear anything. They ask her questions relevant to history and our government and she demonstrates her lack of knowledge.

mr Mcclain said he had no problem with going to war with Russia as per NATO if they attack Georgia again. I dont know even where Georgia is so I was not sure I would agree the US should have a war with the big country over some were I don't know even where it is. Aren't we enough war already?

I actually come here for some stimulating conversation and lately it has gotten to where I wonder why I do it anyway -- nothing but ranting and raving and bashing - YES, FROM BOTH SIDES -- but what is on here tonight is just ridiculous!!!

Who cares if there is a spelling mistake? When you are a beautician, do you always fix your own hair when you are off work? When you are a mechanic, is your car always in perfect condition? If you are a janitor, is your house always perfect? If you are a carpenter, is your home always in perfect repair? My goodness, what is the problem? I come here to unwind and have a conversation with somebody besides the cat and the dog and who cares if I have a problem typing the correct spelling sometimes?

And why can't we discuss what we want to discuss without someone telling us how wrong we are, or how we are going to be regretting the decisions we made in a few months, or how terrible Obama is, or what he is doing wrong already (when he is not even the POTUS yet), or how big a mistake it was for McCain to pick Palin, or how terrible it was that she spent all that money on clothes?

Issues, folks! Issues and answers - that is what we should be worrying about. How many of us are going to be homeless ourselves in a few months through no fault of our own? How many of us are going to be losing what little we have left in a few months through no fault of our own?

Have any of you took a minute to think that when people can't eat, they don't go to the doctor, and when people don't go to the doctor, we have no work? That means no pay for most of us... that is what I am worrying about - my pay has already gone down about $50 a day in the last month because the hospital I work for has no work for me... I am worried about losing my home that I bought "responsibly", I am worried about not eating one day soon because I have no money to buy groceries...

Let's talk about these things and figure out where to go or what to do from here to build our country up and our friends up, to help the person that is reading the next message you post to have some hope that things are going to get better, or at least that they are not getting worse - quit tearing each other down and fussing and arguing all the time!!!

on MSNBC, there's a wonderful interview with parents of one of the Marines who was killed in the last couple days in Iraq.

These people gave the ultimate sacrifice, and IMHO their voices are very important.

Charlies Gibson had a personal interview with JM about Sarah. Very interesting. He has the utmost confidence in her as VP.