Presidential Endorsement: Sen. Barack Hussein Obama

Despite my earlier post that I would endorse Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for the presidency, recent events have have persuaded me to change my endorsement. I have supported Sen. McCain for a long time, dating back to the 2000 GOP primary for President. I strongly believe that our World would be more peaceful and just and our Republic more vibrant and prosperous were Sen. McCain's term as President expiring 2009-01-20. However, the Sen. McCain I have passionately supported and defended is not running for President this year.

While I have discontinued my support for Sen. McCain for many reasons, one recent event caused me to lose any remaining feelings of support for him. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was discussing how keeping our tires properly inflated would save as much gasoline as, if not more than, that produced through granting additional offshore oil drilling leases (which The Canadian-American opposes). Sen. McCain responded by saying, "My opponent doesn't want to drill, he doesn't want nuclear power, he wants you to inflate your tires." Mocking practical, existing tools to make better use of our energy resources is unacceptable and unbecoming of an individual running for President.

In this and many other examples, Sen. Obama has shown that he has the wisdom and judgement to be the next President of the United States. The Republic needs a President who will reverse the damage caused by 8 y of the destructive polices of the Bush Administration. We need a President who will assertively pursue a peaceful and just World. We need a President who will passionately uphold the Constitution. We need a President who will respect the individual choices of the Republic's citizens and the right of Nations to set their own course, without outside interference. I am confident that Sen. Obama will be that President. Therefore, The Canadian-American is thrilled to endorse him and Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) for election as President and Vice President, respectively, of the United States.

I have updated my sidebar to include a link to Sen. Obama's campaign website and his Republicans for Obama page. I have discontinued the GOP news feed for the duration of the election, as it mostly contains links to anti-Obama material. This blog is staunchly pro-Obama-Biden and will therefore not host such material. Please look for more Obama-Biden content and coverage (including this week's Democratic National Convention) as Election 2008 continues. More endorsements (including those for U. S. House of Representatives and the Connecticut General Assembly) will follow.

In Memoriam: Virginia Tech Massacre Victims

On 2007-04-16, 33 people were murdered at Virginia Tech as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, unleashed what is the worst case of school violence and the most bloody shooting in U. S. history. This senseless, heinous act highlights the need for close and loving communities, which the faculty, staff and students at Virginia Tech have so clearly exemplified over the past 2 d. Our thoughts and prayers should be with all of the victims, their family and friends, Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg, VA community.

God bless Virginia Tech.

Mutual-Link Blogroll Addition: From a Canadian Cadet to an American Soldier

This morning I am proud to introduce an addition to my Mutual-Link Blogroll, From a Canadian Cadet to an American Soldier. Here you'll find "stories by and about a multinational patriot -- an American Soldier -- and a military mom." With all of the broad strategic pronouncements we make on our blogs daily, this wonderful resource shows us very clearly that the War on Terror is being fought by people with families who love them very much.

God bless North America, its fine service-people and those they are working to protect.

In: John McCain Announces Candidacy

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced on the Late Show that he will seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2008. Based on his long history of defending traditional conservatism and his general independence of thought, The Canadian-American is preliminarily endorsing him for the Republican nomination and ultimately the Presidency. While this is subject to change in the unlikely event that a superior Republican candidate emerges, this blog is proud to support his campaign. This page encourages Sen. McCain to stay true to his maverick character and hopes that he will not further compromise his values in his quest for the nomination. Final endorsement for President of the United States, if any, will be given at the conclusion of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, MN.

You can access his campaign website through the sidebar graphic.

Iraq Locks Down: Syrian, Iranian Borders Closed

Responding to a bloody start to the week, Iraq has temporarily shut down its borders with Syria and Iran. The 72 h closure is designed to disrupt the flow of terrorists and materiel from both countries in an effort to reduce the violence which continues to plague central Iraq. Given the length of each border (605 km with Syria and 1 458 km with Iran), extensive aerial reconnaissance and ground enforcement will be necessary to monitor activity in areas between established ports-of-entry. Until the security environment in central Iraq improves to a level which can be managed by law enforcement and the judicial system and effective, lasting agreements are reached with Syria and Iran, this action should be repeated as often as the Iraqi government sees fit. While unfortunate, the economic disruptions generated by this necessary trade barrier may inspire the citizens of the region to step up their efforts to secure their respective nations. In any case, this is a prudent step to take and is an encouraging sign from a government which has had its credibility questioned over the past several months, which needs to be firmly established if Iraq is to regain any sense of stability.

NannyAlert System Goes Online

It is a commonly held position that one of government's primary responsibilities is affording protection to its citizens which they cannot provide for themselves through legal means. However, in their well-intentioned quest to ensure our safety, many lawmakers cross this line by proposing (and sometimes passing) legislation which creates more restrictions on behavior which is likely best left to the discretion of citizens themselves. As a proponent of limited and efficient government, The Canadian-American is launching the NannyAlert System. The system will flag laws which are unnecessary, insult the general public's intelligence and/or are blatantly intrusive. This past week, the NannyAlert System has detected two of them.

Texas State Representative Wayne Smith (R-Baytown) has authored a bill which would provide a criminal penalty for parents who fail to attend a public school parent-teacher conference without a valid excuse. The fines collected would be used to "(1) provide additional compensation to classroom teachers in the district; or (2) purchase school supplies other than textbooks as defined by Section 31.002." While increasing funding for school teachers and school supplies is a good step for state governments to take, surely there are better ways to do this. It is well-known that clear parent-teacher communication is a key element of the educational process and periodic conferences are a key channel. However, criminalizing lapses in parenting is counter-productive and makes avoiding punishment a motivation for attending parent-teacher conferences, which should be an opportunity for a positive exchange of information. The Canadian-American trusts the wisdom of the Texas Legislature to kill this bill as soon as possible and work on more constructive ways to enhance the educational experience of students in the state.

In New York, State Senator Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) will introduce legislation which would impose a 100 USD fine for using handheld digital technology while crossing a street in selected major state cities. Having observed the (mis)use of digital media players, cell phones and other technology on Cornell University's high-traffic (vehicular and pedestrian) campus, Mr. Kruger's concerns are well-placed. Our "plugged-in" culture has created an oft-impenetrable bubble which blinds us to the blessings and hazards just centimeters away. Sometimes sidewalk greetings are abbreviated because individuals are engaged in a cell phone conversation or off in "the zone" while listening to their digital media players. What is dangerous is being off in that zone while crossing streets (especially intersections) and not having the common sense to turn one's head to check for vehicles in all possible directions of travel. As reasonable citizen, I look all ways while crossing a street and listening to music. Gracious, I even remove my ear-buds when I must cross a street at a blind curve so I can hear if cars are coming! The vast majority of my few close-calls have occurred when I left my player plugged in at home. While NannyAlert would have flagged highway cell-phone restrictions as well, there is a big difference between yakking at 100 km/h and doing the same at 5 km/h. It is the responsibility of parents, not the State, to instill reasonable standards of everyday conduct. This is no exception, and The Canadian-American hopes the New York State Senate will find more productive ways of improving the safety of our sidewalks and highways.

NannyAlert will continue to provide updates on unreasonable legislation, so please keep an eye on this space for additional postings. As a proud New Englander, I believe New Hampshire's motto is one to live by: "Live Free or Die!"

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: One Year Later

Speaking of real leaders, today marks a year since the Rt. Hon. Stephen J. Harper took office as Canada's 22nd Prime Minister. After watching his brilliant years of performance as Leader of the Opposition, it is still a welcome change to see his name prefixed by "Prime Minister." For an enumeration of his minority government's remarkable accomplishments, visit the Conservative Party of Canada's website and click on the video "Getting Things Done: One Year in Office." While there is certainly room for improvement (more aggressive climate change mitigation efforts, reducing towards abolishing the income tax rather than the GST, etc.), his efforts have been overwhelmingly positive. The Canadian-American congratulates Prime Minister Harper on his achievements and wishes him many more productive years in office.

Garth Turner for Liberal Leader

After this morning's news that MP Garth Turner (I-Halton, ON) will join the Liberal Party of Canada, The Canadian-American is recommending him for the post of that party's leader. He brings several assets to Canada's so-called "Natural Governing Party." He has no organic connection with the Chrétien-Martin government, eliminating a critical election liability. Turner has a long history of independent thought, meaning that he might be able to bring the Grits away from the culture of entitlement which has stunted the progress of their previous governments. He is also from Ontario, which would be a geographic innovation for the party as they try to keep up with the westward movement of Canada's population centroid. In all seriousness, The Canadian-American wishes Garth Turner good luck with the Liberals, asks him to say hi to the Hon. Belinda Stronach (L-Newmarket-Aurora, ON) and hopes he enjoys his years in Opposition.