“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice.” [Harrison Ford in the movie, “Air Force One”]

Memorial Day at the Presidio was as full of pageantry as it was solemnity. The day was bright, but brisk, yet the grounds were packed with visitors of every age, gathered to pay tribute and give thanks to the more than one million American military men and women who have given their lives in our nation’s wars. The Rose and Moore families were given the gift of communal grieving for their sons’ sacrifice in Iraq, and the mothers of these two San Francisco heroes laid wreaths at the feet of the warrior’s battlefield memorial, a rifle upright with a Kevlar helmet atop the weapon. Every mother who has a child in harm’s way is a “Blue Star” mother, but these two women were honored in a way no mother every wants to be honored…by becoming a “Gold Star” mother of a child who has fallen in combat. The community shared some small piece of their pain, and many in the audience who had… Read More

While leading by 88 votes after election, the final count is in and GOP Candidate Roy Burns lost by 238 votes out of over 130,000 votes cast. See previous post here.

Read how the New Majority spent $170,000 to help a Democrat win by 20 points and gave ZERO to Roy Burns here.

It should be pointed out that the Republican Party of Los Angeles County did endorse Burns and the Los Angeles County Lincoln Clubs did contribute to his campaign.

You can read the New Majority Political Consultant’s retort that giving money to Deomcrats and none to Republicans is putting "Kids over Politics" here.… Read More

An interesting piece in VoiceofSanDiego today about AMN Healthcare Exec and former mayoral candidate Steve Francis, including his ongoing efforts to better City Hall and keep his name in play for the future. Francis foes — of course — say such activism is only about thelatter, but as I’ve opined before, positive efforts regarding the City of SD are welcome, regardless of any personal agenda that may also be gained in the process.

The VoSD entry by Evan McLaughlin may focus a bit too much for Francis’ tastes on whether he will take on sitting Mayor Jerry Sanders, but as long as Steve is leaving that option open, the questions are bound to be the focus of any media story.

A friend and local consultant provides the quote in the article that truly hits home, politically, whether one likes the reality or not:

"I don’t expect anyone to run against the mayor. And frankly, anyone thinking about it doesn’t have good political acumen," said Jennifer Jacobs, a Republican political strategist. In reference to Francis, Jacobs added: "I think he would make a great mayor, but… Read More

If you’ve been following the saga of Fresno Unified School District at all, you know that the current Board President, Carol Mills, is involved in an ongoing cold war with the Superintendent, Michael Hanson. Hanson just happens to be one of the best School District CEOs in the United States, and nothing makes the teachers unions more angry than competent District leadership.

Mills is a micromanaging proxy for teachers union President Larry Moore, so there is no surprise about the tension. And if Hanson gets run out of town, there will be hell to pay for not only Mills, but the Board members that have been foolishly supporting her in the face of a growing public resentment of her conduct and a grand jury report to back it up..

Now several elected officials have weighed in, with a diplomatic, yet to the point letter, which asks Mills to get her act together. Although I would have like to have seen stronger language, it is gratifying to see… Read More

Check back in this spot tomorrow!

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

The Antelope Valley Press has a wondeful editorial today. Paying tribute to eight residents of the Antelope Valley who were killed in Iraq. It starts with the Gettysburg Address. Well Done. See it here.… Read More

One of the most influential worldwide moderate Muslims, who lived in Southern California, died of heart failure creating an enormous vacuum.

For a Pakistani immigrant who loved America, he took enormousrisks and was one of the most published Moderate Muslims in the world. Getting buried on America’s Memorial Day weekend, was appropriate. Located at the Harbor Lawn Mount Olive Memorial Park in Costa Mesa, American flags were flying is a predominantly Jewish graveyard.

Tashbih Sayyed, publisher of Modern Muslim Today, has a world wide following of bright scholarly writers and readers. www.paktoday.com/mwtoday/. Tashbih raised his two sons as medical doctors and his daughter is a practicing attorney. However, when Tashbih appeared on 48 hours clearly exposing rabid anti American statements made by a Florida Imam, he earned the enmity of Muslims extremists everywhere. Several fatwas were issued against his life.

Author Robert Spencer a world authority on Jihadists had this to say about Sayyed:

Tashbih Sayyed,… Read More

On this quiet Memorial Day weekend, here is a clip of former Governor Ronald Reagan appearing on the Sonny and Cher show back in the day… Enjoy!

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More