you had to know THIS was coming

FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!

It was an awful dilemma for Army of Mom last night. Do I watch my Cowboys or the opening remarks at the Republican National Convention? What to do? So, I flipped back and forth as any good conservative Cowboys fan would do. The Cowboys won 20-17. SWEET! And I tuned in to the middle of Sen. John McCain's address. He has sort of a goofy voice. Have you noticed that? I don't doubt his manhood after what that man has endured and he isn't in a rubber room. But, that voice ... *shrug*

I wish I was as eloquent of a speaker. I usually get flustered, in person, in political debates. 2 of 5 and me have the best ones because she is a Kerry supporter *boo, hiss* But, we manage to keep them from getting heated because we will actually listen to one another's points even if we don't agree, we understand why the other has her point of view. But, McCain said things so beautifully and conveyed what so many of us feel, so I wanted to share some of it with you:

President Bush made the difficult decision to liberate Iraq. Those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war. But there was no status quo to be left alone.The years of keeping Saddam in a box were coming to a close. The international consensus that he be kept isolated and unarmed had eroded to the point that many critics of military action had decided the time had come again to do business with Saddam, despite his near daily attacks on our pilots, and his refusal, until his last day in power, to allow the unrestricted inspection of his arsenal.Our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war. It was between war and a graver threat. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not our critics abroad. Not our political opponents.And certainly not a disingenuous film maker (my two cents - at this point the crowd erupted into boos and Moore stood and waved to the crowd - he is there as a member of the media *rolling my eyes*) who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass gravesand prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children held inside their walls. Whether or not Saddam possessed the terrible weapons he once had and used, freed from international pressure and the threat of military action, he would have acquired them again.The central security concern of our time is to keep such devastating weapons beyond the reach of terrorists who can't be dissuaded from using them by the threat of mutual destruction.We couldn't afford the risk posed by an unconstrained Saddam in these dangerous times. By destroying his regime we gave hope to people long oppressed that if they have the courage to fight for it, they may live in peace and freedom.Most importantly, our efforts may encourage the people of a region that has never known peace or freedom or lasting stability that they may someday possess these rights. I believe as strongly today as ever, the mission was necessary, achievable and noble. For his determination to undertake it, and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration.

I think McCain felt like a rock star - he had to keep telling the crowd to keep it down so he could finish.


But, the highlight of the night wasn't even Giuliani's comments. To me, it was the heart-wrenching stories of the women who lost loved ones in 9-11. One was the wife of a man on the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. The second had a brother who was the pilot on the plane that hit the Pentagon and the last was the wife of a firefighter who perished in one of the WTC towers. I was in the kitchen packing lunch of Army of Dad when I heard the first woman take to the podium. I instantly started to fight back the sobs. I feel so strongly a connection to these women. I can't imagine the loss. Well, maybe I can and that is why it impacts me so much. But, she spoke of the four phone conversations she had with her husband while he was on that flight and how he was one of the men to overpower the pig-humping terrorists (my words, not hers). He told her he was about to "do something" about what was going on after she told him of all that was happening. She said that phrase has defined her life ... we should all do something to improve our country. That is powerful stuff.

The widow of the firefighter has a son leaving for Iraq in December. For all those critics of the war who say the proponents should send one of their own to the war if they support it so much - guess what? This woman did. She not only lost her husband, but her son is going to fight for what he believes in.

Here is a story from the New York Daily News about these speakers:
BY CELESTE KATZ, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
A firefighter's widow, the wife of a passenger on a hijacked plane and the sister of a slain pilot reminded America last night of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and urged us all to "never forget."

In her emotional tribute to her late husband, Tara Stackpole of Brooklyn first brought the delegates to tears and then to their feet.
"America must never forget the sacrifices of Sept. 11 or those that are made every day by our sons and daughters in the military service," said Stackpole, whose husband, Fire Capt. Timothy Stackpole, died fighting to save others from the burning twin towers.
"Timmy is my hero. I am honored to share him with you," she said, drawing tears at the Republican convention last night. "Just as I am proud to lend America my oldest son, Kevin, who is headed to Iraq (news - web sites) in December with his Navy unit."
The crowd thundered its approval and gave her a standing ovation. She then called for a silent prayer of thanks and remembrance.
Deena Burnett reminded the hushed, darkened hall of the heroics on United Flight 93, which was believed headed for Washington when its passengers took on the terrorists and crashed the jet into an empty Pennsylvania field.
Her husband, Tom, called her four times from the plane.
"On his fourth and final call, I asked him what I could do. He said, 'Pray, Deena. Just pray.' He then said, 'Don't worry. We're going to do something.'"
Those words - "do something" - still resonate, she said, and should be embraced by all Americans.
Debra Burlingame, whose brother Chic Burlingame was captain of American Airlines Flight 77, the plane that hit the Pentagon (news - web sites), said the outpouring of grief and sympathy helped her family get by.
She spoke of spontaneous memorials, the kind letters she read, the pictures children drew. "Thank you for these tender gestures and for the endless generosity which helped us carry on," she said.
None of the three women directly praised, mentioned or endorsed President Bush (news - web sites), in keeping with efforts by the party not to politicize the tragedy itself.
Daniel Rodriguez, the "Singing Policeman" whose rendition of "God Bless America" became a city standard after the attacks, sang "Amazing Grace" to close the brief, solemn tribute.
Addressing the twin towers attacks at the convention was a tricky issue for the Republicans, particularly after Bush met with criticism for showing images of the attacks in his first round of reelection ads.
Jimmy Boyle, who lost his firefighter son, Michael, in the attack, sat in the presidential box with about 20 members of families who lost relatives.
Boyle acknowledged mixed feelings about the President among the 9/11 relatives.
"A lot of families are against him, as you know, and a lot of families feel they're exploiting [9/11], and then there are families like myself who feel that this is important, that the world, that the United States is reminded that we were attacked on 9/11," he said.

"Somebody hated us that day, and they still hate us and they're still trying to kill us."