Thanks

Tuesday, November 24: I am thankful for music. Nathan plays the guitar wonderfully and it is so delightful to sit and listen to him play. I took piano lessons for years as a kid but really haven't played since I went to college. My parents got me a keyboard for my birthday last year and it has been so fun to start playing again!

Wednesday, November 25: I am thankful for my camera. I splurged before our wedding last year and bought the camera I have been wanting for years. It has been so neat to learn more about photography over the last year or so. Traveling to Paris and London this past year has yielded some great opportunities to take some fantastic pictures and learn more about how to take pictures.

Thanks

Friday, November 20: I am thankful for flowers. Nathan is kind enough to bring me flowers at least twice a month and they most definitely brighten up the apartment.

Saturday, November 21: I am thankful for Shutterfly photo books. I loooooove getting to take our pictures and put them in these fun and creative albums. We have decided to make one every year to recap what we have done and then we might make one or two throughout the year if we have big trips or events. So far we have one for 2008, Paris and London.

Sunday, November 22: I am thankful for Real Simple magazine. This is by far my favorite magazine. Whenever it comes in the mail, Nathan knows he will lose me for the next two hours or so. Their creative solutions to organizing different areas of the home always inspire me and they always have really fun recipes to try out as well. Amazing.

Monday, November 23: I am thankful for Netflix. It's more than just movies coming in the mail - we have recently started using their feature that allows you to stream movies to your computer. Nathan got a cable that that hooks up our laptop to the TV so we can watch fabulous movies and TV show whenever we want. It's great!

A Thankful Heart

Wednesday, November 18: Today, I am thankful for one of my professors who keeps me on my toes by giving me at least one good quote to laugh at each class period. He is one of the most opinionated men I have ever met - which says alot coming from me! He also could care less what you think about him, so he says anything that is on his mind. I love his class. I am actually two more classes from him next semester because I enjoy them so much. I don't agree with everything that he says, but they definitely make me chuckle. Here are some of my favorites so far:

"I'd do the Snoopy dance if they caught Bin Laden"

"Anytime someone tells you their role in life is raising awareness, they really mean they are a parasite." (In reference to the U.N.)

"I don't care if Iran has nuclear weapons. Use them badly or against the U.S., cease to exit [due to U.S. retaliation]!"

Thursday, November 19: I am thankful that Nathan asked me out three years ago today. Crazy, right? So much has happened in three years. We started dating, 5 weeks later I had surgery and he awkwardly met my parents in the waiting room as a tornado ripped the roof off a building across the street, I graduated, I moved to D.C., he stayed in College Station to finish school, he came to visit me in D.C., I came to Texas to visit him, we broke up, we got back together, I moved back to Texas, we got engaged, we both got jobs, we got married, I got laid off, he started traveling to Europe frequently, I started grad school. Wow. Alot can happen in three years. I will say, though, that I wouldn't have wanted to experience the last three years with anyone else!

This picture was taken at Alison and Josh's wedding, the night before he asked if we could start dating.

This picture was taken at their rehearsal dinner that same weekend. I'm wearing his coat because I was cold.....I was seriously hooked by that point!!

Texas A&M

November 17, 2009: Today, I am thankful for Texas A&M University. 10 years ago, a terrible tragedy occurred on campus when the annual Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 Aggies. While I was not yet a student, I vividly remember where I was when I heard the terrible news. Entering my freshman year on campus 4 years later, the memory of that collapse still rang strong with all the students. The tradition, the love and the passion that Texas A&M students exude is different than any other college in the country. I became determined to take full advantage of my time at A&M so that I would walk away a better person, regardless of what I learned academically. I joined student organizations that taught me to lead by serving, to love people whom I don't even know and to love my friends with great abandon. My classes taught me to think critically, to evaluate all aspects of politics and to read voraciously. My professors and mentored challenged me to learn more than I ever thought possible. I loved my 4 years at A&M and look back on them wishing I could experience something like that again, but I know I never will. My 4 years there changed my life and have made me into the person that I am today.

Thanks again

Sunday, November 15: I am thankful for funny websites that can make me smile, regardless of how stressful my day might have been. My most recent discover is mylifeisaverage.com. Some of my favorites....

A few days ago, my 7 year old sister found out that 'math' was short for 'mathematics.' Since then, she's been asking for the longer version of words to sound more intellectual. I had forgotten that I told her that the soda Coke was short for cocaine. I only remembered when she ordered cocaine to go with her dinner at a fancy restaurant with our extended family. MLIA.

A while ago I introduced my father to my first boyfriend. The only thing my dad said to him was "If you hurt my daughter, remember I have a shovel and woods. No one will find the body." Several months later, he broke up with me. Today, my dad and I were at Home Depot buying a shovel. my ex saw us, and my dad pointed to the shovel. The look on my ex's face was priceless. MLIA

The other day I was thinking about how not all the MLIAs about old people could be true. Then today I got a call from my grandfathers nursing home saying that he faked a heart attack around some of the new nurses scaring the life out of them. Apparently he does this to every batch of new employees.MLIA

Today, the sinks flooded in the girls bathroom, somebody wrote in lipstick "the chamber of secrets has been opened", I love my school. MLIA

If you are looking for another way to waste time I would recommend peopleofwalmart.com. Amazing.

Monday, November 16: Today, I am thankful for Gilmore Girls. I love the small town charm, quick wit and characters who I secretly wish were my best friends. I am fairly convinced that if I ever ran into Alexis Bledel or Lauren Graham we would instantly becomes friends. It's so delightful to come home at the end of a long day of studying to find multiple episodes recorded on our DVR (which I am also very very thankful for....)

Thankful Again

Thursday, November 12: I am thankful for CraigsList. Today, I found a beautiful new dining room table listed on it! For the last year and a half, we have been using an old desk that we sanded down and painted. It was a good temporary fix, but adults couldn't really fit under the table while sitting in the chairs. I finally had enough and started looking for a new one. On my first try, I found a gorgeous table from Pottery Barn for a ridiculously cheap price! It honestly was exactly what I was looking for! Isn't it gorgeous?? It matches our current chairs and everything.




Friday, November 13: I am thankful for Outlet Malls! I know this sounds silly, but they seriously save us so much money. We honestly only buy clothes at Outlet Malls because they are at such a discounted price. The styles may be a few months late and the clothes might not be exactly what I want, but otherwise I wouldn't be buying new clothes at all. I am especially grateful today, because on top of the great deals they already offer, a sweet friend shared with me a 30% off your total purchase at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. We were able to buy so many Christmas presents and needed clothes.

Saturday, November 14: I am thankful for childhood friends. I was so blessed as a child to have a great group of friends around me. Our moms were friends, so we were always playing together. When we moved from Dallas in '98, I lost touch with all those friends. Over the last year or so, so many of my childhood friends have moved back to Dallas. It is such a treat to reconnect with them and rekindle our relationships! I am so loving getting to know them again, this time as adults. What a blessing.

Hallie, Me, Sarah.....just two of the friends I have been able to reconnect with here in Dallas!

Thankfulness

November 11, 2009: I am thankful for country music. Silly? Maybe, but I love it! When I moved to Tyler in 8th grade I didn't have many friends, so country music became my lifeline. In part because I simply loved that their music told stories and in part because it was the only radio station we got. In 10th grade when I started driving myself to school, country singers became my friends on the 30 minutes each way drive. To this day if I am alone in our apartment, you will usually find me singing or humming a country song. In my other life, I would have been a country music super star. My ideal vacation would be spent in Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee looking for country stars. I'm convinced that if I ever met Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley or Kellie Pickler we would be BFF's. I may or may not follow my favorites on Twitter......

Thankful Heart.....

November 10, 2009: I am thankful for my wonderful friends! I have been so blessed to have so many wonderful friends surrounding me. So many times it is easy to bemoan the fact that they are spread out all across the country and that the fun days of living in the same town or going to the same college are over. Even though all my friends live so spread out, I am thankful for the sweet phone conversations and weekend trips to visit them.

The best bridesmaids a girl could ask for! Allison, Kristen, Laura, MaryClaire, Hannah, Alison, Laura



Wonderful high school Bible study girls: Lindsay, Lindsey, Jennifer, Sarah



Delightful college roommates Junior year: Laura, Alison and Courtney



Crazy roommates Senior year: Brittany, Abbey, Meredith



Summer 2004 Wild Woods - best summer working at camp! Emily and I

A Thankful Heart

November 7, 2009: I am thankful for books. My little sister aptly reminded me this weekend that I used to get grounded from reading when I was a kid. Most kids get grounded from TV or playing outside or their friends. Not me. Nope, my mom would take away my books and I would cry for days. My recent favorite books are the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.

November 8, 2009: I am thankful for my iPhone. I resisted for a long time but finally gave in when Nathan bought one for me in September. I love having Facebook and Twitter in my fingertips during a boring class. I love having Google maps with me in my car when I am lost. Most importantly, I love Tetris. It's my new favorite game to play. Seriously, I might be obsessed. I dare you to break my high score.

November 9, 2009: I am thankful for my diploma from Texas A&M. There was a huge debacle at the end of the my senior year and I didn't end up getting my diploma for another year and a half. Like I said, huge debacle. I fought and fought for that diploma and am so grateful for it! I wouldn't have chosen to get my diploma the way I did, but I am so much more grateful for it than I would have been any other way!

A Long Year

Wednesday, November 4, of this week marked one year since I have been laid off. One year later I am still jobless. One year later we are still trying to figure out how to get by one salary. One year later we are in a smaller apartment, which is part of trying to get by one salary. One year later and it still hurts. One year later I am still reliving the scenes in my mind from that day.

I thought Wednesday would be harder than it was. I definitely thought about it most of the day, but no snide or sarcastic remarks actually made it from my thoughts to my tongue. But I can feel the bitterness starting to move in. It's like I can feel it crouching in the dark hidden woods around me, waiting to pounce when I am most vulnerable. I can't let it. It's been a tumultuous year to say the least, but I am a better person because of it. There is no way I would want to return to the person I was at this time last year. So in an effort to stay positive and not dwell on the pain of the last year, I have decided to come with one thing I day I am grateful for every day from now until the end of the month. I'll even make it retroactive so that I am forced to find more ways that I have been blessed. So here goes.

November 1, 2009: I am thankful for my wonderful, kind, supportive and handsome husband. There is no way I would have survived the last year without him. Granted, I would likely still be sitting on the couch unshowered and not eating. But in more ways that I can mention, he has dragged, pulled, bribed and loved me through the last 365 days, even when I wanted to give up.



November 2, 2009: I am thankful for my amazing family. They make me laugh so hard that I cry and are always guaranteed to bring a smile to my face. While I do miss when we were all kids and lived carefree lives, I am thankful to be figuring out the grown up world with them by my side. On the topic of them making me laugh, this picture is one of my favorites from the last year. We were trying to take a group picture with a timer but no tripod. As I hit the timer and started running to get in the picture, the camera shifted. So logically, everyone ducked down to still get in the picture. Cause, clearly we would not have all fit otherwise.



November 3, 2009: I am thankful for the opportunity to travel this past year. This last year we have been to Paris, London, and on a cruise to Jamaica and the Grand Caymans. Nathan has started traveling for work and since I didn't have a job, I was able to accompany him to Paris and London. It was fabulous - we now officially have the travel bug. The cruise was for our one year anniversary. Here we are swimming with Sting Rays in the Grand Caymans.





November 4, 2009: I am thankful for the opportunity to go to grad school. I didn't really want to go to grad school - it wasn't in "my" picture of life. I had a bit of a debacle with A&M near graduation so my grades did not end up being very good. But Nathan encouraged me to at least apply so I did. I was accepted to the University of Dallas in their Masters of Politics program. With a 50% scholarship. And with a grant that made up almost the rest of the tuition money. There was no way I could deny at that point that the Lord was clearly pointing me to grad school. And I love it! I am learning so many cool things.



November 5, 2009: I am thankful for a wonderful and comfy apartment to call home. We moved in the middle of the year to save some money but ended up with an even better apartment before. Other than the raccoon that calls our attic home, we love it. Its safe, cozy, close to friends and most importantly within walking distance to Target and our favorite Mexican food restaurant.

November 6, 2009: I am thankful for my new to us car. About 3 months ago I took Max the Maxima in to have her alignment fixed. I walked away with an unaligned car and a suggestion that my car needed $4,500 worth of work. Needless to say, my car was not even worth that much money. So we drove it to a place that buys cars the next day to see what it was worth. The offered us $1,700 which was less than what we thought the car was worth. We walked away from the offer knowing that we had 7 days to think about it. The next morning, my power steering and air conditioning went out. Thinking about the offer over: we took it. The next day Nathan found the most beautiful car I had ever seen. It has been my dream car for about four years and I never thought I would actually own it. My sweet husband traipsed all over Dallas and the internet trying to find one in our price range. We found the perfect car: a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe with 62,000 miles. I love my Fe.

Thoughts on the Tower of London

Last week, I was privileged to be able to go to London with my husband. We had a fabulous time. I was privileged to have visited the city with my Mom in August 2006, but had a fantastic time re-exploring the city with Nathan. On Sunday we went to my favorite site in London - the Tower of London. I will never tire of learning about the history of this fascinating castle and the mysteries that surround it.

Contained in the Tower of London is the pride of the British people - the Crown Jewels. Amazing. I mean, these crowns, scepters and such have been in use in for thousands of years. We think our 100 year old buildings in America are amazing. Everything in England puts that thought to shame.

To see the Crown Jewels you have to snake through this giant exhibit that gives the history of the Royal Family, which is really interesting. Then, you enter into an area that shows various video's of these Crown Jewels in use throughout the years. I found these video's interesting, but I didn't care ti watch them - I wanted to see the real thing!

This is where I began to notice something interesting. The line began to clog here. People were stopping to stare and gape at these video's. They walked closer to the screens for a better look. They were talking in hushed amazement to their friends.

I didn't get it. I wanted to grab their shoulders and say, "Keep walking! Just through that door are the REAL THINGS! Not the video's the ACTUAL, REAL Crown Jewels. Why the heck are you standing here gaping at pictures of them, when the real things are just a few steps away??"

And that's when it hit me.

So many times in my Christian life I am content to sit and look at the pretty pictures of Christian faith. I am content to read stories about missionaries overseas, while sitting in the comfort of my home. I am content to listen to my friends talk about their service to the Lord, while watching TV in my spare time. I am content to buy the newest book about how to seek the Lord the best, instead of picking up my Bible.

I don't seek the Lord's face. I don't take the time to be intimately acquainted with him. I don't take the time to sit in His presence and meditate on His word.

I am content to sit and look at the pretty pictures of the Lord, instead of taking the extra effort to actually know and see Him.

So my challenge to myself since last Sunday has been to get past the comfort of the pretty pictures of the Christian faith and to actually seek to face of Christ. To actually bask in His presence as opposed to reading another book about Christianity.

And as soon as Nathan gets home and figures out what is wrong with iPhoto, I'll blog about the rest of our fabulous time in the U.K.

Cheers!

How to Save A Life

My sister-in-law Allison owes her life to the health care system in America. I’m not kidding. Allison was born with Truncus Arteriosus, an extremely rare congenital heart defect. Only one in a million children are born with this condition. Born October 16, 1986 to David and Karen, she appeared relatively healthy, other than a loud heart murmur. The doctors performed a simple sonogram and sent her home, assuming that it would heal on its own, which it usually does. Allison seemed to adapt to life at home with her two older siblings, but still Karen felt like something was wrong. As time went by, Karen noticed that Allison wasn’t gaining any weight and that she wasn’t crying as much as her other children had. More extensive tests were done in December, but they were inconclusive. In February 1987, Allison caught a slight cold and went to the pediatrician for some antibiotics. The doctor was concerned about her now louder heart murmur, so he suggested that Karen and David take Allison back to a cardiologist just to ensure that nothing additional was wrong with her heart. Two days later, Karen took Allison back to see the pediatric cardiologist. He took one look at her chest x-ray and saw that she was in congestive heart failure at just 4 months old. She was rushed to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas for further tests. After days of testing, the doctors and her parents knew that a radical and risky surgery was the only thing that could save her life. On Monday, Allison was released from the hospital to spend the night at home. The next day, Allison and her parents left for the University of California San Francisco Moffitt Hospital for a life saving surgery to correct the Truncus Arteriosus. It was a hard decision to travel to San Francisco for the surgery - while it had been performed in Dallas, it had only been successfully performed in San Francisco. They arrived there and spent several anxious days waiting for Allison to stabilize for surgery.

The day after they got to Moffitt Hospital, David and Karen met Dan and Debbie. Dan and Debbie had brought their son Derek USCF for the same surgery that Allison was to undergo, with just a slightly different story. Derek was born in Calgary, Canada. He was born with the same condition as Allison, Truncus Arteriosis, and was properly diagnosed, but because of the nationalized healthcare in Canada, there was an extensive time delay in getting the life saving medical care he needed. His doctor was not up to date on current research for infant heart conditions. By the time the doctors took the time to take a hard look at Derek’s case, he was ten months old and very sick. When the doctors realized the severity of his heart defect, he was rushed to UCSF Moffitt’s Hospital.

Derek had his surgery in late February at ten months old. Allison’s followed on February 22, at 4 ½ months old, a mere 9 pounds. She was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for four days and then in the hospital about another week, until she was able to go home, finally a healthy baby girl.

Derek also was in the PICU after his surgery, but he never left. 52 days later, on April 15, 1987, Derek died.

Allison lived. Derek died. Allison had access to excellent health care for the first four months of her life. Derek received a diagnosis but was told to wait. Allison and was able to have surgery within a week after it was determined she needed it. Derek had to wait ten months for the surgery.

I am not saying our current health care system is perfect. I know that people fall through the cracks every day. But it works. It works for those who choose to buy the healthcare that their companies offer. It works for those who, even when unemployed, buy health insurance options from the many health care providers across the nation. It works for small babies like Allison that need emergency medical care to save their lives. It works for parents who choose to take part in programs like SCHIP, which provides health care for children whose parents cannot currently afford it.

I acknowledge the fact that our system needs to change: it’s not perfect by any means.

But that is no reason to overhaul our system and create a something where you have to wait to receive healthcare that will save your babies life. Compromising our healthcare and jeopardizing the lives of our babies, parents and friends is not an option. It’s a human life. We have to find a way to protect them all.

I Might Be Crazy

I might be crazy. Seriously.

I have decided to get my Master's degree in one year. Actually, two semesters - Fall and Spring.

The reason I applied to the University of Dallas was the fact that they advertised that their Masters in Politics program could be completed in a year. Once I got there and met with my Advisor, I learned that only 4 students have ever completed the program in a year. Yikes. Every Professor I have met with (and by the way they aren't called professors at UD.....they all have their PhD and we refer to them as Dr. such and such, never professor. I actually was slightly chastised for calling one of my Dr.'s, professor, but anyways....) has said that I would be crazy to try and complete this program in a year. They say it can't be done.

I say, bring it on.

So I am taking 15 hours this semester and 15 hours in the Spring. I am actually really excited about my classes. Three of them are the traditional set up: midterm, final and one research paper. One of them simply has one 12 page paper and two 4 page papers (easy!!). The other one has a take home midterm, a final and one paper. Also important to note that only 2 of my classes are strictly graduate only courses. The other 3 are open to Senior Politics majors, which means technically they are undergrad - the only difference for me is that my paper has to be 5 pages longer. Again, easy.

My classes are amazing, so amazing. I will admit that by sharing with you all (and by that I mean my maybe 4 faithful readers) that I will come off as a nerd, but I am really excited about all my classes. So here goes.

Monday
6:00 - 8:50 pm Rousseau

T/R
9:30 - 10:50 Plato's Republic
11:00 - 12:20 Federalists/AntiFederalists
12:30 - 1:50 International Law

Wednesday
7:00 - 9:50 pm Modern Thought

Midterms will be manageable since I only have 3. Finals will be a bit harder as I will have 4. Since I have 5 research papers due between November 24 - December 11, I have decided to start writing them in early October. If I at least start my research and get my topics approved I can work on the papers as I have time for the next 1.5 months instead of waiting til the last minute.

I'm really excited. Possibly more excited that come May 2010 I will have my Masters in Politics, which opens up a whole new range of career possibilities. Maybe in Dallas, but honestly and hopefully in Washington D.C. Sometimes I miss D.C. so much that my heart aches. But now as I sit in these classes I can feel my dream of moving back to D.C. inching back closer and closer.

It's going to be a long two semesters with lots of studying but I am so excited. Bring it.

Win

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11

I know this verse. I have known it since 3rd grade. But it has always just been one of those happy, comforting, tell someone else to make them feel better when things aren't going their way verses.

I've never claimed it for me. Until now.

As many of you know, I was laid off in November. It was a dark time in my life. Then I got a new job....it lasted 6 weeks and I was laid off again. Ouch.

These summer months have passed slowly for me. I've spent many of them discouraged beyond words. I would look for a new job for 4 hours every weekday. On average, I applied to 25 jobs a week. I got one response.

My darkest and most discouraging hour was last Monday night. I was truly convinced that I would never work again. That I would never reach any of my aspirations in life. That I would be stuck in Dallas forever.

And that's when God stepped in and rocked my world.

I got accepted in graduate school to get my Masters in Politics at the University of Dallas. With a 50% scholarship. And was given a significant grant (aka don't have to pay back!) from the state of Texas.

Wow.

I start class today. I am taking 12 fantastic hours of classes that sound marvelous: Abraham Lincoln, Plato's Republic, International Politics, and Federalists/Anti Federalists.

I don't know what will happen come August when I graduate. I don't know if I will ever get to move back to Washington, D.C. I don't know if I will ever get to leave Dallas.

But I do know one thing.

At my lowest and darkest moment, God is still sovereign. He has a plan more masterful and magnificent than I can ever imagine.

So bring it on, grad school. I'm ready for this next phase of my life.

One of those days

Do you ever have one of these days?


more Fail Dogs

Do you ever feel so close to finally winning, to finally getting it right, to finally catching that frisbee and then just like that you realize you didn't get it and everyone is watching?

Some days I feel so close to getting a job I am already planning what pictures to put on my desk. Then its given to someone else. Some days I feel like I am a great wife. And then I say something that hurts his feelings. Some days I feel like a great big sister. And then I do something stupid. Some days I feel like a great friend. And then I let a friend down.

And some days I feel like nothing I do turns out right. Even when I try harder, I still mess things up and nothing goes right.

Good thing my life is not up to me. Good thing at the end of the day, it's not really about me. Good thing I serve a God who in the midst of my depravity loves my just as I am, regardless of how useless and worthless I feel.

"But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37



P.S. If you are ever looking for a good laugh or wanting to feel a bit better about yourself, check out failblog.org (It has some sketch material, but you can click on the G rated version) or faildogs.com. Both are a surefire way to get a good laugh.

true story

Communication is a key part of marriage, everyone knows that. There have only been a few times in the last year that we have had a total communication breakdown. Tonight was one of those nights. It was such a fantastic breakdown that I just had to share.

Let me set the scene.

We are driving down 75 heading back to our apartment after a long day of moving and we are totally exhausted.

Laura: Huh, that person [in the car next to us] has dreads. Sigh.
Nathan: Really? You could tell?
Laura: Well, yeah.
Nathan: How?
Laura: I just looked and saw.
Nathan: Was she cursing at herself or yelling?
Laura: Uh, no. Why? Do people with dreads do that? Man, I need dreds; I totally fit that profile.
Nathan: Wait, did you say dreads or tourette's?
Laura: DREADS!

Anyways, hope you enjoy our little communication breakdown. Marriage is totally worth it, even in the non communicating moments.

The War on Terror

We have been safe these last few years since September 11 BECAUSE of the laws and decisions that were made on behalf of the Bush Administration. I am not saying that I agree with all the decisions made, but we are safe due to the fact that the Bush administration has been diligent in the War on Terror. Also just a small note, terrorists are not protected under the Geneva Convention. By definition Al Qaeda does not qualify for protection under the Geneva Convention because they are terrorists (see Article 3). And yes, there have been some instances of abuse in the prisoners that the United States has taken and that is completely intolerable. See the article below if you would like more details.

The fact of the matter is, we have not been attacked again on American soil because the U.S. Military, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI and countless others have been aggressive in the eradication and punishment of those who practice terrorism.

This is a new war where we will have to redefine HOW to fight. We are not battling against a country, our enemies are small people groups within countries. This calls for a new strategy. Just like the US had to create a whole new strategy to fight the Cold War (where most of the war was fought by spies and not a "traditional" shot was fired) so we will have to create a new strategy for the War on Terror. Our enemies are not heads of states, they are the people that live within the borders of other countries. We have not found this new strategy yet, but completely wiping away everything that the Bush administration has done for the last 8 years will not get us closer to winning this war.

The enemies that seek to kill us are ruthless. They tell their children that it is good for American's to die, that they should all hope to have the privilege of slitting Americans throats in the streets, or of watching American children die. Our enemies are radicals who have even been shunned by people in the same religion that they claim to follow.

Please see the following from an article in the National Review:

"Democrats are intent on cultivating a mythology of torture to discredit George W. Bush's administration, and the latest epistle of their faith in Sen. Carl Levin's misleading and relentlessly partisan report, 'Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in the U.S. Custody.' Contrary to the report, the Bush administration did not 'redefine' detainee-treatment law; it undertook to determines precisely what the law says and who it covers. Neither did the Bush administration negate the Geneva Conventions' Common Article 3, which requires that the prisoners it covers be 'treated humanely.' By definition, al-Qaeda is not qualified for Geneva protections because it is a terrorist organization. Nonetheless, the Bush administration made humane treatment of Qaeda prisoners a matter of policy. Three Qaeda captives have been waterboarded during interrogations, a practice that Congress has declined to criminalize. The abuse of prisoners is not to be tolerated - and under the Bush administration it has not been: dozens of U.S. military personnel have been disciplined and a number tried in courts-martial. There is a world of difference between freelance wrongdoing at the hands of a minuscule proportion of soldiers at Abu Ghraib and a government policy of torture. The Democrats' attempt to conflate the two is a shameful elevation of politics over the sometimes unpleasant necessities of national defense."