A Conservative's 'Highlights' of the Democratic National Convention

Given the intensity of the season upon which we now embark, I thought it necessary to bring some clarity to important events that have just recently transpired.

Sometime during the week of the DNC I heard it stated that the Democratic Party is the party of faith and family values and being both a family man and deeply interested in matters of faith I've decided to look at this claim. The result became my "Highlights of the Democratic National Convention."

Bill Clinton, famous for telling us that “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,” was at it again.

• Mr. Clinton assured the attendees of the Democratic Convention, and the nation by extension, in his Wednesday night speech that, “I want Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States and I proudly nominate him as the standard bearer of the Democratic Party.”
• This is the same Clinton who, when trying to secure Ted Kennedy’s endorsement for his wife, Hillary Clinton, in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary had this to say to Ted Kennedy about opponent Barack Obama, “A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.” (This is by no means an isolated instance of how the Clintons view Barack Obama.)
• As governor of Arkansas, Clinton belonged to an exclusively all-white country club. I don’t imagine you would often see Bill and Barry knocking the little white ball around together.
• Does Bill Clinton really believe that Mr. Obama is qualified to serve as president for another four years? Can we believe Bill Clinton?

And how does Bill Clinton see Mr. Obama’s Republican opponents?

• On Romney: “The man who has been governor and had a sterling business career crosses the qualification threshold.”
• Bill Clinton was overheard on a live microphone in May 2011 essentially telling Paul Ryan that he hoped the Democrats wouldn’t demagogue the Ryan budget proposal and his Medicare reforms.

And speaking of Ted Kennedy:

• Ted Kennedy was again "adored" by the Democratic faithful who were treated to some old video footage in which Kennedy mocked fellow Massachusetts’political opponent Romney.
• This is the same man that tried for years to make us forget about Chappaquiddick.
• And who can ever forget the famous Ted Kennedy/Chris Dodd double-teaming of a La Brasserie Restaurant waitress while their dates were in the restroom in what later came to be known as the famous “waitress sandwich” sexcapade?

And speaking of family values:

• Abortion – Not only do the radicals who direct the Democratic Party demand unfettered access to abortion, including late-term abortion extending all the way up to and including the last minute before birth, but, indeed, they want the American taxpayer to fund such activity, as well. Such views are not consistent with the beliefs of the majority of Americans and, far from being a stand for family values, are a contradiction of family which is the backbone of America. When a civilization sanctions the wanton destruction of its young and destroys the next generation that is a sure sign that the end of that civilization is near.
• The war against traditional marriage – Again, the radicals who have captured control of the Democratic Party have decided that not only will we acknowledge same-sex relationships (and very few argue against this view) but we will raise such relationships to the level of the long time-honored position that has traditionally been given only to marriage between one man and one woman—a relationship that has been the backbone of America since day one. It is in the interest of all to give special recognition and support to what holds for us the future of America—the traditional family unit. That is the only relationship that can continue to bring growth and health to the American population through procreation.
• Same-sex marriage cannot naturally procreate and if anyone is anxious to debate the merits of same-sex parents over the traditional father-mother parental model…bring it on!

Comedy. That’s right, you can’t have a successful convention without some levity and that requires a little time to step back from all the important business of selecting a candidate and provide a little comedic relief to the faithful.

• The set-up for the comedy skit is that we are asked to believe that Mr. Obama, through an oversight, allowed the language of the DNC platform to dismiss the use of the name of “God” and ignore our only Middle Eastern friend and ally, Israel. (Btw, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Amongst the other missing parts of the DNC platform were such things as the traditional condemnation of such acknowledged terrorist groups such as Hamas.)
• Understand that recognition of God and Israel has been something that both Republicans and Democrats have included in mission statements for years, but we are being asked to believe that the omission of such language escaped the notice of the ever omniscient Obama. (This all really points to something else about the "family-values party of the little guy," but we’ll ignore the obvious for the more subtle shades of color that have been exposed by this fiasco.)
• Step forward emcee Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to entertain the troops and deliver the punch line.
• Rules call for a two-thirds majority to change any platform language so, in an attempt to fix an "obvious to the most casual observer" faux pas in the DNC platform language, Mr. Villaraigosa called for a floor vote to put “God” and Israel back into the Democratic platform statement.
• Not once, not twice, but three times, Mr. Villaraigosa called for a "yea" or "nay" voice vote to garner the two-thirds required majority to change the platform. When it became obvious that the change could not pass muster and the objections were becoming more boisterous, Mr. Villaraigosa grabbed the teleprompter by the horns and obeyed the message he read there to pass the language change and to hell with the rules requirements. All of this was just too funny for anybody fortunate enough to be tuned in at the time.
• Almost as humorous as Mr. Villaraigosa’s act, for those who saw it, was Sen. Dick Durbin trying to blame the questions surrounding the language faux pas on Brett Baier, Fox News journalist, who was only trying to get Durbin to answer as to why he thought the language was omitted.

OK, let’s round this up with a role call of the bright lights present. Here are a few of the more important people that found themselves as guest speakers at the convention.

• Former President Jimmy Carter via large screen video – Does anyone still believe that Jimmy Carter’s presidency was a successful one, or was the idea here to try to create a comparison between Carter and Obama that could possibly make Obama’s reign…er, presidency, look good?
• Former President Bill Clinton – Am I correct in saying that former presidents don’t speak at conventions and that this was a first? With all the baggage that Bill Clinton has to carry around one wonders why anyone would take this chance, unless the level of desperation is actually higher than most of us think.
• Sen. Dick Durbin who embarrassed himself by going off on Fox News journalist Brett Baier. Practice a little more reserve next time, Dick, especially when you might have to eat crow the next day when your party does an about-face.
• Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel – Some think the only reason he showed up was to get away from all the violence he presides over in Chicago. One would think that Emanuel has his hands full trying to keep the murder rate in Chicago from reaching epidemic proportions and maybe he should have stayed home. At least he didn’t call for another boycott of Chick-fil-A.
• Sandra Fluke – This is a celebrity worthy of time to speak at a national convention? Another cause célèbre in the ongoing case to prove the Democrats are the party of family values? Let’s force religious institutions to provide free birth control against their stated beliefs, because, after all, the Democrats are the party of faith and family values, right? Does it somehow escape the notice of Americans that Sandra Fluke, a 30-something lifetime student receiving a $250,000 education via taxpayer subsidized loans in order to land a $160,000/year starting salary while yet clamoring for free taxpayer-funded contraception, was scamming the system? She had access to all the free contraception she needed from Planned Parenthood right down the street? I personally question whether she and we are getting our money’s worth.
• Nancy Keenan – President of NARAL – another family values protagonist extraordinaire.
• Barney Frank – The ultimate family values example, Barney Frank (71), has announced his plans to marry his live-in companion since 2007, Jim Ready (42), after his retirement from Congress. What I’m sure Mr. Frank doesn’t want us to remember is the male prostitute, Steven Gobie, found living in his apartment and selling drugs and running a male prostitution service out of Frank’s apartment. Of course, Gobie testified that he was doing so with Mr. Frank’s approval while Mr. Frank denied such knowledge (wink – wink). Oh, did I forget to mention that Mr. Frank had earlier availed himself of Mr. Gobie's specialty services? Now that’s family values on display for all to see!
• Mayor Tom Menino of Boston – Famous for "We don’t want no Chick-fil-A here in Boston. Ooppps, yes we do."
• Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland – Famous for "Americans are not better off today than four years ago. Ooppps, nevermind, they are better off." Seriously, are they or aren’t they, Guv?
• Nancy Pelosi – Need anybody say anything about San Fran Nan? I wonder how Nan’s husband’s business ventures are doing with all the insider help she provided.
• Harry Reid – It keeps getting worse. Can anybody take this guy seriously?
• Cecile Richards – President of Planned Parenthood (largest provider of abortion services in the U.S.) Action Fund. More family values gone wild.
• Elizabeth Warren – Congressional candidate from Massachusetts who is rumored to be 1/64th part Cherokee Indian. Not really, but it makes it easier to get accepted into Harvard and then land a job when you make such claims. For most of us that would be considered lying.
• And finally, did anybody see any of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s speech? Man, she rocks! I’d put her right up there with Madonna when it comes to entertainment value. Just for context, in the 2010 census, Michigan was the only state in the union to lose population and accomplished that under Granholm’s guidance. Furthermore, the state’s economy under her leadership was an unmitigated disaster. That qualified her then to serve as an economic advisor to President Obama and landed her a speaking engagement at the convention. Some are even considering giving her speech the Howard Dean Speech of the Year award.

There you have it. Just remember, when you start thinking too highly of yourself, and start to think you’re smarter than others and that you’re a big deal because you have been successful in business…”You didn’t build that.” And furthermore, “Government is the only thing that we all belong to.”