TGIF

Does anyone know of anywhere online besides Swoozie's that I can get monogrammed TERVIS tumblers???

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Well, I had planned to stay out of the political arena on my blog...I'll admit I am a republican, and my first choice was not the nominee, and I don't always vote party lines anyway. I have my beliefs and vote on what I know about a candidate, what I believe out of a candidate's mouth, and how a candidate's beliefs match up with my beliefs. However, I have been following the democratic race because of the 2 final candidates prior to this week would both make history if they received their party's nomination. A NC political insider recently made the point after the NC primary that the state that gave you Jesse Helms, and was such a hotspot during integration, would be the one to give a political party it's first African-American candidate.

But actually, one thing I have paid close attention to is who would be our first lady or first lad??? had Hilary won the nomination. And all along I have had my doubts about Michelle Obama. She really ticked me off (as a flag waving true American, born bred be here till I'm dead American citizen) when she stated that she had not been a proud American or not proud to be American until it became clear that her husband was a front runner in the nomination for presidential candidacy! Now, the first lady may seem just like a wife with a very prominent husband BUT look at first ladies in the past. You can go to whitehouse.gov and learn quite a bit about the first ladies. Many of them give political advice or personal advice to the President and guess what America, these men trust their wives, and they listen and they take it!! Hillary had prominent positions working to health care reform. Laura Bush has done much with reading and education. Now that it appears that we have our 2 nominees for the general election in November...let's compare the 2 based on fact and not something I made up. And we aren't going to calculate in who makes the best cookies like the talk shows do prior to the elections.

What do you really know about Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama??? (This is something I did receive in email and from what I can find online, this is indeed true.) I do remember hearing great things about Cindy McCain when McCain ran for presidentil nominee years ago.

Not just another pretty face! The "Other" McCain.......(More than meets the eye.)

While Obama's wife has been hating America, complaining about the war and undermining our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, McCain's wife has been worrying about her sons who actually are fighting or planning to fight in the war on terror. One, in fact, was until a few months ago deployed in Iraq during some of the worst violence. You don't hear the McCains talk about it, but their 19-year-old Marine, Jimmy, is preparing for his second tour of duty. Their 21-year-old son, Jack, is poised to graduate from Annapolis and also could join the Marines as a second lieutenant. The couple made the decision not to draw attention to their sons out of respect for other families with sons and daughters in harm's' way. (Now I know people passing around this email, and it landing on many blogs, does draw attention but it is not from the McCain's)

Cindy also says she doesn't want to risk falling apart on the campaign trail talking about Jimmy who was so young when he enlisted she had to sign consent forms for his medical tests before he could report for duty and potentially upsetting parents of soldiers who are serving or have been killed. The McCains want to make sure their boys get no special treatment.

Same goes for their five other children, including a daughter they adopted from Bangladesh. During a visit to Mother Teresa's orphanage, there, Cindy noticed a dying baby. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life. So she brought the child home to America for the surgery she desperately needed. The baby is now their healthy, 16-year-old daughter, Bridget.

Though all seven McCain children including two Senator McCain adopted from his first marriage are supportive of their father, they prefer their privacy to the glare of the campaign trail. Another daughter, Meghan, 23, helps him behind the scenes.

Cindy McCain not only cherishes her children, but also her country, which in an election year filled with America-bashing, is a refreshing novelty. She seethed when she heard Michelle Obama's unpatriotic remarks that she only recently grew proud of America. 'I am very proud of my country,' Mrs. McCain asserted.

She also may be tougher than the other women in the race. While Hillary thinks she's come under sniper fire on mission trips abroad, Cindy has actually seen violence. She witnessed a boy get blown up by a mine in Kuwait during a trip with an international group that removes land mines from war-torn countries.

Mrs. McCain also is a hands-on philanthropist. She sits on the board of Operation Smile, which arranges for plastic surgeons to fix cleft palates and other birth defects. She also has helped organize relief missions to Micronesia. During a scuba-diving vacation to the islands, Mrs. McCain took a friend to a local hospital to have a cut treated. She was shocked, and saddened, by what she saw. 'They opened the door to the OR, where the supplies were, and there were two cats and a whole bunch of rats climbing out of the sterile supplies,' she recalled. 'They had no X-ray machine, no beds. To me, it was devastating because it was a U.S. Trust territory.' As soon as she returned home, she arranged for medical equipment and teams of doctors to be sent to treat the island children.

Michelle Obama may contribute to CARE, which fights global poverty and works to empower poor women. Cindy sits on its board.

While the Democrat women talk about helping the poor and needy, Cindy McCain actually rolls up her sleeves and does it.

Who's the out-of-touch elitist?

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!!!!!!

PS...and to think yesterday on the news, I heard Michelle Obama being positively compared to Jackie Kennedy!?!?!?!?

Please don't flame me....I'm just sharing a little info I received and please do comment if you know where I can find the monogrammed Tervis Tumblers!