10:30 A.M. Election Update From The Hedgehog Central War Room

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10:30 A.M.

Comfort Food Monitor:
Leftover Halloween candy
Milky Way (snack size)


Los Angeles- Pre-election anxiety creating appetite for chocolate. Scattered complaints across the nation by voters denied privilege to vote. Democratic party operatives in South Dakota won a successful court challenge prohibiting election "monitors" on Indian reservations. Senator Tom Daschle's camp is claiming his constiuents were being intimidated at the polls. Voting machines "pre-packaged" with vote tallies before voters even arrived in parts of Pennsylvania have been taken into custody. Clever, but most Americans of both parties are kind of proud of our tradition of "one man, one vote".

AIRLINE PILOTS STEP FORWARD FOR BUSH

One Delta Pilot, and one U.S Air Pilot stepped forward this week to speak out against the American Pilot's Union's recent endorsement of John Kerry for President. In an open letter to their colleagues and to union leadership provided to Hedgehog Central, Ken Everson, Jr. and Chuck Glauser remind that without a strong, steadfast approach to terrorism, not only is America's safety in jeopardy, but the stability of the American economy is in jeopardy. Hedgehog Central offers a portion of Everson and Glauser's thoughtful letter for your consideration:

An Open Letter To The Airline Pilots Association

We have read recently of our union’s support of Senator Kerry for president. One of the recurring themes, that he would do a better job of protecting our livelihood, strikes us as an absurdity in the face of real threats to the country and the travel industry.

Our livelihood was almost destroyed when terrorists turned airliners into missiles. We are still reeling from the massive blow to our industry and our economy. The planning for such a blow took years, and it all took place while a Democratic administration, never strong on defense, was effectively dismantling our intelligence apparatus, creating all kinds of impediments to the flow of information. When the World Trade Center was attacked the first time, Pres. Clinton’s group treated it as a law enforcement issue, not as an attack orchestrated and financed by foreign entities and states. They didn’t get it, and Mr. Kerry doesn’t get it either. His position is much more French than it is American, and only the foolhardy would follow France’s lead in the area of national security.

Bullies and thugs and monsters who cut flight attendants’ throats and blow up children understand one thing—the projection of power. The idea that the UN, (which has demonstrated the moral leadership of a club for despots, elevating people like Ghaddafi and Saddam to its Human Rights Commission), will effectively fight terrorism is the most wishful of thinking. It is actually silly thinking, and it is Mr. Kerry’s approach. No, it is up to America to lead and to project power against radical Islamic terror everywhere it is incubated and trained and equipped.

Without national security, there is no economic stability and there are no jobs to protect.

The height of foolishness would be to choose a weak and unstable man, whose opinions have shifted with every tide, for the job of protecting us. His Senate record on defense, (the primary responsibility of the Federal government), is pathetic—there are few, if any, that are worse.

Most importantly, one way Mr. Kerry rose to fame and gained his Senate seat was by denigrating his former comrades in arms. He surely earned the right to criticize the war. But, like Jane Fonda and others like her, he went far beyond criticism. To make such a man commander-in-chief, especially in time of war, would be a terrible mistake for the country and a blow to the soldiers defending it.

We don’t believe that his record warrants the confidence Capt. Woerth expresses in saying that “he will be a faithful steward of our nation’s defense.” The facts simply don’t support that hopeful assumption. We will vote for a sure bet.

We hope our fellow pilots recognize that if we protect the country first, our jobs have a chance. John Kerry would be a terrorist’s dream. Wake up, America, and wake up, ALPA.

Signed: Capt. Ken Everson, Jr., Delta
Capt. Chuck Glauser, USAir


Hedgehog Central welcomes the opinions of aviation professionals who understand the real risks involved in underestimating the minds of terrorists. We welcome others.

Sonja Eddings Brown