Thorpe dives into race for US Senate seat, brings listening tour to Jacksonville

Dr. Marion Thorpe was a popular figure at the Republican Liberty Caucus national convention in Jacksonville this weekend.

(Jacksonville, Fla.)—Dr. Marion Thorpe had a hard time breaking away from guests at the Republican Liberty Caucus national convention at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Jacksonville. He’s an easy person to talk to and he knows how to listen. As both a doctor and healthcare administrator, Thorpe brings a unique set of skills to the table where the costliest, most vital issue is healthcare, especially in his home state of Florida. “We can’t fix the economy,” he said, “until we get a grip on healthcare.” As insurance premiums and medical costs skyrocket, that’s a perspective most of us can appreciate. Healthcare costs are an issue for small businesses and for large ones like the big three automakers. Perhaps more than any candidate, Thorpe has solid credentials on this issue. [Click link below photo to continue reading.]

Dr. Marion Thorpe talked to many guests at the Republican Liberty Caucus National Convention.

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Al Jazeera reports 'military giants' meeting between U.S., China in Hawaii

(Pearl Harbor)--Al Jazeera, the Middle Eastern news agency, scooped a story about a military meeting between the U.S. and China that hasn’t appeared in a newspaper in either country. The headline said, ‘Military Giants Meet in Hawaii,’ and the story dated Oct. 20, 2008 revealed, “Major-General Zhong Zhiming [Chinese People’s Liberation Army] was leading a delegation of Chinese military officers on one of the first of many planned high-level exchanges, part of a new effort to break down barriers between these two military giants.”  Zhong told Al Jazeera, "The frequent exchanges between the US and Chinese military are good for our future development and I think they'll happen more and more and the relationship will get better."

Chief Master Sergeant James A Roy [U.S.] said “informal discussions” had helped to break down suspicions on both sides. "We're interested in what their intentions are, and obviously as China, we want them to partake in the peace and stability across the Asia Pacific region," Roy told Al Jazeera. The news service pointed out that similar meetings planned for the near future were cancelled by China for now because the U.S. government sold $5 billion worth of missiles and attack helicopters to Taiwan.

Al Jazeera noted the Pentagon has complained about transparency from China in regards to the country’s military buildup. The news service reported, “There are also concerns that China's aggressive pursuit of energy resources in Africa and other areas well beyond Asia, could create areas of conflict with the Unites States.”

The only story of note in relation to Hawaii recently is presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama’s break from his campaign to visit the state to see his maternal grandmother who is elderly and according to The Honolulu Advertiser, seriously ill.

Anchor does Rodney King as Townhall Presidential Debate approaches

There’s a wistful tone in an article at the CNN blog by anchor Campbell Brown as she asks our presidential candidates to stop the negative campaigning. You can tell she’s earnest, and there’s an echo of Rodney King’s famous, ‘Can we all just get along?” But the truth is the presidential election of 2008 is a race that has not only drawn record voter registrations. This race, beginning with the primaries, has evoked a verbal bullet spray of tipping points, from accusations of gender bias, media bias, age bias, racial bias and a governor from Alaska who reminds me very much of the enduring lead female character in the drama ‘Fargo.’ Toss in another vice president who thought Franklin D. Roosevelt talked to America about the stock market crash of 1929 on TV and you begin to feel a bit like you’re in a Woody Allen movie. On the top of one ticket and on the bottom of another are two basically unknown quantities in politics on the federal level. To ask for kindness may be a laudable goal, but to expect it is naïve. This election has as many twists and turns as a backcountry road during a blizzard and really isn't very different from past elections in that regard.

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Sebelius whips out race card and Philly columnist predicts race war (again)

White Governor Kathleen Sebelius (Kan.) stands with two black people and two white people at a ceremony. Did you notice the various complexions?What is it with Democrats? Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius tossed the race card at the audience at a campaign appearance on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama, “Have any of you noticed that Barack Obama is part African-American?” Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, a columnist for a daily newspaper is again forecasting a race war if Obama doesn’t win. Scare tactics? Stooping to any level to ensure a vote for your candidate, using guilt and fear to corner votes where possible? Such tactics are dangerous because those same tactics encourage hate and fear-mongering in people of all colors. Strikes me Sebelius hasn’t noticed anything of note in the news lately, and there’s been plenty out there to dissuade me from voting for anyone who’d bring in 4 more years of Pelosi and Reid.

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