Congressman Boehner,

Congratulations on your election to a 10th term in the United States House of Representatives. As a current resident of Hilliard who was born and raised in Miami County, it’s reassuring to see another Boehner victory approaching 70% when the GOP in central Ohio has been on its heels for the last three elections. I can only imagine how discouraging it must be to watch the conservative ranks thin around you because of losses both in conviction and at the polls.

It’s a sad state of affairs when, after being routed in the Presidential election by the most liberal member of the Senate, we’re stuck rooting for Ted Stevens and waiting for a recount to keep Al Franken out of Washington. It’s ridiculous that we can scarcely hope the national media will do anything the next four years besides provide continuous in-kind assistance to the cause of Barack Obama’s re-election. With the Democrats so close to a filibuster-proof majority and the media moving ever more shamelessly to the left, there is little room for error in either house of Congress.

I hope and pray that you’ll continue your role as a happy warrior for lower taxes, individual freedom, and traditional American values. While it’s obvious that an inability to present and promote conservative ideals is a weakness that extends far beyond President Bush himself, you’ve been one of few exceptions in the short time I’ve followed politics. The cause of conservatism needs you now, as it did in 1994. Remind those who would forget that bigger government is not better government.

Keep your nose clean and your message clear, as the Democrats in Washington - so quick to decry divisiveness and negative politics - leave no stone unturned and no words untwisted when it comes to silencing dissent. Keep your head up as President Obama pushes ever more dependence-producing entitlements, citing a mandate for “Change” that would knock our founding fathers right out of their powdered wigs. Continue to be an example by your faith in God and the Constitution; continue to be a thorn in the side of Nancy Pelosi, for whom bipartisanship means cooperation with the progressive agenda.

I realize you’re well aware of the portions of this that make sense, but this is mostly a therapeutic exercise anyway. A lot has changed since I was a student in Mr. Worth’s class at Miami East High School, helping cover George W. Bush’s first inauguration for the Troy Daily News. There is much good work to be done. Thank you, Congressman, for all your efforts to date — America needs your principled leadership and consistent conservatism.

Godspeed,

Jason A. Hart

If the facts behind this story are half as awful as they sound… the word “treason” comes to mind. Bob Woodward’s latest book about the Bush administration reveals that the American government has conducted covert surveillance of many Iraqi leaders. Revealing this, understandably, pisses off Iraqi leaders - the type of thing you’d think we could maybe agree doesn’t benefit anyone. Oh wait, silly me; it benefits all the Defeat At Any Cost Democrats running for election this fall.

From The Washington Post (registration required):

Given Bush’s efforts to earn Maliki’s trust, the surveillance of the Iraqi prime minister caused some consternation among several senior U.S. officials, who questioned whether it was worth the risk, Woodward reports. One official knowledgeable about the surveillance “recognized the sensitivity of the issue and then asked, ‘Would it be better if we didn’t?’ “

Apparently Woodward had no such concerns when it came to publishing such a sensitive topic in his upcoming The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008. So what’s more important - the stability of an entire country, or Bob Woodward’s book sales? Everyone who’s anyone has been assuring themselves for years that Bush is a stubborn, clueless, grating leader, but where the surge is concerned I’m sure Bob Woodward figures His Obamaness could benefit from beating that dead horse. Truly the ego of the Western journalist knows no bounds.

This is one of those house-related entries you were promised and have been awaiting with bated breath. As common sense and common knowledge suggested, I got the nicest place I could comfortably afford. All things considered it’s a nice place indeed, thanks to a quarter century’s worth of outlandish and unwarranted generosity from my family. In fact, I bought it thinking I would not need to do anything for a few months at the very least. No small feat, given my perfectionism.

Well, since early June I’ve spent over a grand at Lowe’s and nearly as much at Home Depot. The front flowerbed sits higher than the sidewalk, so I put in edging blocks to keep the topsoil from washing away.

The grass directly behind (and south of) the house was dead (as opposed to the rest of the yard, which is only mostly-dead), which seemed a great excuse to turn the space into a flowerbed.

The deck, I realized, looked as if it hadn’t been stained or sealed since the house was built 12 years ago. And I wanted a grill. And some patio furniture.

One evening before I coughed up a wad of cash to have Sullivan Tree & Yard Service (their work is mediocre given the price - take your business elsewhere) trim the tree nearest the house, I was locked in an epic struggle with the garden hose and hose reel. I heard a small but frantic fluttering and could not find the source. Then, I looked up - there in the tree was a small grey bird with orange wing tips, hanging upside down. I worked my way up the (at most 25 foot tall) tree with my trusty side cutters and trimmed away whatever stringy plastic stuff the little guy was tangled in. For the first time ever, a use for my carefully honed tree-climbing skills!

And not the last time my neighbors will look outside and ask “What on earth is that boy doing?”

Got back a little while ago from the LIVESTRONG Summit Presidential Town Hall on campus, and when I went out back to water the plants something caught the corner of my eye: a fluffy white tail, hopping away from the flowerbed. Little bugger hopped just over the property line - we’re talking a matter of inches - and watched me water what I thought were my plants, but which may more accurately be described as his.

Regarding the Town Hall, it was pretty good. I went to see John McCain and Lance Armstrong in person, and was impressed by both. It’s no wonder Obama doesn’t want to be within a country mile of McCain without a prompter. Sure he’s a stubborn old codger, but he’s also sharp and quick of his feet and brimming with experience. He had my vote before and he certainly has it now, although I could have gone without mentions of McCain-Kennedy and McCain-Feingold.

In the vein of continuity (is that what this is?), continued prayers for the Roeths and Chivingtons. I don’t know how long the page will be accessible, but there’s a good article from the 7/18 edition of the Troy Daily News following Carrie’s passing.

Further continuity still, the book o’ Faces tells me the following:

Griffin House’s performance for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is now scheduled for Friday, July 25th.

Tune your TV and watch Griffin performing “The Guy That Says Goodbye To You Is Out Of His Mind” on national TV.

There you have it - a reason to watch Craig Ferguson. Who, apparently, is still on the air? Griffin will be on Conan soon enough, by golly!

Please pray for Carrie Roeth, who loves God and has remained - through a fight with an extremely rare cancer that has gone on for years - one of the most kind and devoted people I know. She is in critical condition and the outlook is bleak.

Pray for Carrie’s family, her husband, and her son. May God bless them in a dark time and may we take refuge in his will.

Since I still get home with a headache 2-3 days a week, I’ve been keeping up a steady regimen of afternoon naps. As a result, I’ve started a bad habit of night-time gardening. See, my Realtor is throwing a housewarming party this Saturday, which has compounded my desire for everything to be exactly the way I want it. The most ambitious project I’ve taken up called for turning the portion of the backyard that’s directly behind the house and adjacent to the deck into a flowerbed. Flower garden? I’m not sure if the designation is determined by size or, if so, what the limit would be.

Even when I don’t feel like laying down for an hour as soon as I get home from work, I also don’t feel like going straight to Lowe’s while it’s still 90. Thus I’ve found myself at Lowe’s a couple of times a week somewhere between dusk and closing time, which remains a fairly narrow window this time of year. By the time I wander a few circuits around the store and get everything I need, it’s well and truly dark, but that hasn’t necessarily stopped me from spreading topsoil or planting a flower or two. Even when I’ve “planned ahead” the fact that I do everything slowly means it’s after 9:00 by the time I decide it’s too dark to accomplish much more.

After about a week on The Flowerbed Project all I need to do is spread mulch, drive rebar to attach the trellis to, and find a glider swing. And then put the glider together, I guess. Tonight upon return from Lowe’s I went to water the flowers and even in the dark noticed that a couple of them looked pretty sorry. I stooped to see why they weren’t doing as well as the other plants, and the problem was that their leaves HAD BEEN EATEN. Bastardos!

And that’s how, roughly a month after purchasing my first home, I turned into Elmer Fudd. Certainly this is one more tick each for the Dog and Fence columns, but sadly the former requires the latter and the latter is crazy expensive.

I woke up at 11:45 to the sound of Hilliard’s tornado siren - something that’s always annoying, but greatly preferred over the potential alternative of waking up to a tornado showering you in broken class and neighborhood refuse. I started to turn on the radio, then thought maybe that was a terrible idea since my bedroom is on the second floor. I unplugged the radio instead, and hurried downstairs to grab my wallet, phone, and keys.

Halfway down the basement steps the siren was ending its cycle but the thunder and lightning would have none of that quitter’s attitude. Fortunately my flashlight was sitting out in the living room from yesterday’s surround sound wiring adventures, and I found room for that in my hands, all the while expecting tree limbs and cattle to come bursting in from all sides. “Why would you turn around for the flashlight?!”, the audience moans. Good thing I don’t live in a big-budget action film.

Short story shorter, there was a sound in the basement I did not ever want to hear: dripping. One of the entry points for what looks like a Brinks wire is also an entry point for water. Doggone it. In the basement CD101 will only come in audibly if I hold the radio, which I realize is probably unacceptable as I’m standing there in a horrendous thunderstorm holding a wired electronic device next to my face. Now that I’m about to go back to bed I can see that the leak downstairs is a result of the north side of the house getting freakin’ steamrolled with rain. This is no consolation.

Man. I thought the worst of the storm was past here 20 minutes ago, but the foundation-rattling thunder just keeps keepin’ on. So much for a good night’s sleep. Is that hail? Delightful.