So there I was.

Wondering about my next post, searching the internet, when I happened upon a San Jose Mercury News article about an heretofore unknown Congressman, at least to me. I read to the end and thought: no one knows this. No one has heard his words. This Sam Johnson guy is a hero. And I thought: I already have a negative award, the Moonbat of the Week; why not a positive award: Today’s Hero?

So:

The award goes to:

Congressman Sam Johnson, (R), Texas (3rd District), is an incredibly-decorated Air Force veteran of 29 years who flew 50 F-86 missions in the Korean War, flew 26 combat missions in the F-4, was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966, spent 7 years as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton,” 42 months in solitary confinement, and was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions Of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts and many other decorations.

Already a hero.

But in response to our presence in Iraq and in direct counterpoint to John “Moonbat” Murtha, on November 18th Congressman Johnson said:

“Mr. Speaker – I rise today on behalf of the American men and women in uniform – and their families.

“I spent 29 years in the Air Force – served in Korea and Vietnam… and spent seven years as a POW in Vietnam – more than half of that time in solitary confinement.

“I know what it’s like to be far from home – serving your country – risking your life – and hearing that America doesn’t care about you… Your Congress doesn’t care about you. Your Congress just cut all funding for your war. They’re packing up and going home – and leaving you here.

“When I was a POW, I was scared to death when our Congress talked about pulling the plug that I would be left there forever.

“I know what it does to morale – I know what it does to the mission – and so help me God, I will never, ever let our nation make those mistakes again. Never.

“Our men and women in uniform need our full support. They need to know that when they’re in Iraq driving from Camp Blue Diamond to Camp Victory that the Congress is behind them – to give them the best armored trucks they can drive, the best weapons they can fire, and the best ammunition they can use.

“They need to have full faith that a few nay-sayers in Washington won’t cut and run – and leave them high and dry. They need to know these things because that’s mandatory for mission success and troop morale.

“America – and the Congress – must stand behind our men and women in uniform because they stand up for us every minute of every day!

“Any talk – even so much as a murmur – of leaving now– just emboldens the enemy and weakens the resolve of our of troops in the field. That’s dangerous! If you don’t believe me – check out Al Jazeera. This story is on the front page. We can’t do that to our fellow Americans over there.

Just a plain, home-grown American Hero.

Today’s Hero.

Unfortunately, rather self-explanatory.

Your American Civil Liberties Union at work:

A group of atheists in Salt Lake City is taking on the State of Utah and the Utah Highway Patrol over the law enforcement agency’s use of crosses on roadways to memorialize troopers killed in the line of duty.

The lawsuit has triggered a debate about whether a cross is an appropriate way of honoring troopers killed in the line of duty.

The American atheists filing the lawsuit said they respect the sacrifices the troopers have made, but they are offended by the used of what they call a religious symbol to honor them.

“Government should not endorse religion in general, nor should a government endorse a particular religion,” attorney Brain Barnard said. “For a Jew to look at it, for a Muslim to look at it, for a Buddhist to look at it, they are not going to say that’s a neutral symbol.”

In my opinion, this has absolutely nothing to do with people’s sensitivities and everything to do with making as forceful a statement as possible because religion is inexorably linked with judgmentalism, the Right wing, conservatism and the like. The Left is determined to remove religion completely from sight, period. The start is at the governmental level. Once that is accomplished, well, the level will change. Trust me on this.

Are you offended when you see a cross honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty, either soldiers or law officers?

Do the logical extension: what about Arlington Cemetary?

And the award goes to:

Our first two-time recipient, Congressman John P. “Jack” Murtha.

Murtha is a retired Marine Colonel and deserves respect for serving in the Marines in the early 1950’s, for re-enlisting in 1966 and serving in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry. My respect, however, ends there.

First, Murtha advocated an entire pullout from Iraq and, for having done so, earned my previous Moonbat Award.

Now, speaking before a civic group in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Thursday, December 1st, Murtha said that most U.S. troops will leave Iraq within a year because the Army is “broken, worn out” and “living hand to mouth.”

I’m sorry, but that’s simply a flat-out lie.

Our armed services are the best equipped they’ve ever been, better than in Vietnam, Korea or World War II. You would expect that, would you not?

We are making progress in Iraq. Progress you don’t hear about. Did you know there are:

– 120 Iraqi Army and Police combat battalions
– Batallions are comprised of between 350 and 800 Iraqi forces
– 80 Iraqi battalions are fighting side-by-side with coalition forces
– 40 others are taking the lead in the fight
– 90 square miles of Baghdad province turned over to Iraqi security forces
– Over a dozen bases in Iraq handed over to the Iraqi government
– Iraq has now six basic police academies, and one in Jordan
– They produce over 3,500 new police officers every ten weeks

And this isn’t even taking into account the December 15th elections.

We are in Iraq. We should not leave, unless we don’t mind dumping millions of people back into a confusing and dangerous maelstrom and creating an horrendous vacuum — which would be filled only by the most powerfully treacherous of killers; i.e., read: terrorists.

Let me distill it down even further, Mr. Murtha: “withdrawing” troops from Iraq on a timetable palatable to yourself or other defeatists would not only be tactically beyond stupid, it would be, in a word:

Surrender.

It’s not quite Saturday yet and the bats have insisted I proffer my MOTWA:

And the award goes to:

House of Representatives John “Jack” Murtha (D), Pennsylvania.

Once again!!