The last time, this country was confronted with the possibility of electing a Socialist leaning President was in 1972, and George McGovern was the candidate.  I was assigned to the United States Air Force Academy as an AOC (Air Officer Commanding) at the time.  At a weekly meeting with the Commandant of Cadets, the Brigadier General said, "Gentleman, during this election, you again have the opportunity to do something good for your country".  He did not tell us how to vote, but we all understood what he meant.  George McGovern would dismantle the US military, as was done immediately following WWII.  This did not quite make sense, as we were still in the middle of a war in Vietnam from which I had just returned.  There were forty young patriots in that room, and all exhaled Red, White, and Blue.  We understood that such a philosophy would seriously jeopardize the welfare and the security of our country.  Guess where we stood???

The American People soundly rejected George McGovern's politics, and the Democratic Party learned a valuable lesson.  America was not ready for Socialism, so the Democrats moved the party closer to the center.

The question remains, where does the country stand today?  Faced with the same option, will a sleepy American people allow the disaster to occur in 2008?  There have been some changes since 1972 that may allow the unthinkable to happen.  I spent my entire working life-time training to defend, or defending, this great nation against the threat of Socialism, which I define as "practice Communism".  My greatest fear today is that even though the external threat was unable to accomplish the unthinkable, it might be possible from within.

During the McCarthy years of the 1950s, Socialists in this country were forced to hide or find cover.  Blacklists were prevalent in Hollywood, and the mood of the country left little room for the left-leaning.  As could be predicted, the far-left found refuge for most part in the Democratic Party.  Occasionally, they raised their heads, such as in 1972, but just as often they were met with rejection.  It appears that the trend has run its course.  Extreme amounts of money from the far-left have energized the Democratic Party, the Hollywood elite and the enriched main-stream media.  Blitzed by the constant ranting from these sources, it appears the American people are equally divided between the two major political parties.  This is frightening to me.

I must admit to being a present day conservative, which was not always the case.  I remember in 1960 casting my very first vote in a Presidential election, for JFK.  I was right out of college and a new electrical engineer ready to conquer the world.  Looking back, JFK would make a pretty good Republican in this day and age.  So, things change, and the Democratic Party left me.  I did not leave it.  The party moved so far left, that I could no longer support its outlandish pursuits, such as redistribution of wealth, over taxation, and government control of everything.  It has become obvious that the present day Democratic Party was not the one our Fathers knew and supported.

Look with an open mind at the Democratic Party over the past 12 months, and it is revealing.  The American people are tired of the war in Iraq, but not those fighting it, which is reflected in the polls.  The Democrats are totally poll driven, so they have gone overboard in degrading the war effort, and unfortunately, those who are fighting it.  Let's look at a few who run our country now and in the past.

Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, knows that the tide has turned in Iraqi war, which is absolutely the heart of the War-On-Terror in the broader picture.  His prediction that "the war is lost", at a time our troops were giving their lives in pursuit of success, was totally wrong.  Yet, he still attempts to send legislation to the President demanding immediate surrender and with-drawl.  This is the work of a traitor in my opinion.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, continues to sport the deer-in-the-headlight smile and support Reid.  My question is simply, will she ever get over her elevated position of being third in line for the Presidency, and start thinking of more important issues? In my opinion, Ms Pelosi is the classic, closet Socialist, but then, she has an enormous amount of company in the Democratic Party.  It is tough remaining number one.

John Murtha served in Korea, but I understand he never made it to the war zone.  He plays the war hero card, yet he does nothing but oppose, and degrade, our men and women in uniform.

John Kerry (I realize you are tired of hearing about this guy, but he is the Democratic-mold in my opinion) voted against the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M-1 Abrams Tank, every Aircraft Carrier since 1988, the Aegis anti-aircraft system, the F-15 Strike Eagle, newer F-16 upgrades, the P-3 Orion upgrade, and to kill the B-1 Bomber.  He is truly anti-military and a liar to boot, which detrimentally affected our efforts in Vietnam, and now the Middle-East.  This guy actually had the audacity to run for President of this great nation.  Again, the people were smart enough to reject such nonsense.

I understand Dick Durbine has accused our troops at Guantomino of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and bad as Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people.  Yea, these guys sure support our troops.

Ted Kennedy appears to be anti-military, anti-America, and should have served hard time over the death of Mary Jo Kopeckni years ago.  I honestly don't think he has had a clear thought in 20 years---Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

In my opinion the bottom of this barrel may be Al Gore.  Gore is a loser, and a poor one at that.  He now needs a cause.  What better than an emotional issue like global warming, which cannot be proven one way or the other.  He is smart, but could care less about this nation.  Gore is becoming a very rich man with this single-minded idea, and when he feels he might win, we will see him again running hard from the far-left.

Jimmy Carter, the father of the Radical-Islam movement, aided the downfall of the Shah of Iran in 1979, allowing the Ayatollah Khomeini to begin the Radical-Islam resurgence we are witnessing today.  No need to mention the 18% inflation and 18% interest rates during his tax-raising term.  Will they ever learn that tax breaks fuel the economy?

I think the following far-left names are self explanatory:  Russ Feingold, Chuck Schumer, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Carl Levine, George Soros, Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, George Clooney (now there is an intellect), Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Danny Glover, and the list goes on, and on, and on.  There is no shame.

The collective stupidity of these clowns has the potential to destroy this country, after they turn it into a Socialist, then Communist State.  Putin is smiling right now.  The politicians above are self-serving fools who despise President Bush, and whose insane drive to regain political power guides their actions, not what is good for the country or the people.  Again, it is my opinion.  Some may think I am wrong.

Now, after all those words, what is the point to this story?---Hillary Clinton!!!  I smile when I hear Hillary speak about other candidate's lack of experience.  Hillary has no experience at all, except as under-study to her husband, Bill Clinton.  Now there is a role model.  Let's take a look at who was her teacher.

Bill Clinton signed enlistment papers and took an oath to serve in Sept, 1969, then failed to show at his military duty station.  He was reclassified 1-A on Oct 30, 1969, as his enlistment with the Reserves was revoked making him officially AWOL.  He avoided all the consequences of those misdeeds, and received a pardon by President Jimmy Carter Jan 21, 1977.  Bill Clinton was the first President of the Untied States who was a pardoned FELON, and then he went on to be IMPEACHED.

When you hear the Democrats preach about our troops serving long, multiple tours in Iraq, please keep this in mind.  As memory serves me, Bill Clinton reduced our military by:

-----709,000 Regular Active Duty Personnel

-----293,000 Reserve Troops

-----Eight Army Divisions

-----20 Air Force and Navy Air Wings with 2,000 Combat Aircraft

-----232 Strategic Bombers

-----19 Strategic Missile Submarines

-----Four Aircraft Carriers and 121 Surface Combat Ships and Submarines

-----and on, and on, and on.

I must admit to being one who truly believes it is time this country includes women as prospective choices for President of the United States, but Hillary Clinton is not one of them.

I must ask the question of even those real Democrats (not the far-left who embrace Socialism), do we really want to see, hear and smell the Clintons again, and for possibly another eight years.  I am in great hope that the answer to that question is the same as it was for George McGovern---a very firm, yet loud---NO.

In conclusion, let me say again, no country in the world can present a true conventional threat to this great nation.  The threat comes from apathy---Apathy from good, American people, who are paddling as fast as they can.  There is little time left to get deeply involved with politics after taking care of family and the daily grind of making a living.

However, we are at the McGovern cross-roads again.  The outcome of the 2008 election will affect every breathing individual in this country.  Socialized medicine, doing away with the Bush tax cuts, increasing taxes, reducing the military at a time this country faces possibly the biggest threat in its history, cutting and running in the Middle-East, allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons and becoming dominant in the Middle-East, bowing to the will of George Soros, the Hollywood Elite, and enriched far-left news organizations, and living with the risk of more Clinton level scandals and indiscretions is beyond comprehension to me.

My plea is for all Americans to look closely at what has occurred during the past 12 months in the Democratic Congress, and visualize the state of our country after four years of President Hillary Clinton, backed by a Democrat controlled House and Senate.  I think that is scary enough to awaken the good Democrats, and even an apathetic nation.

Jim Cash, B/G, USAF. Ret.

Lakeside, Montana