Bin Laden

Do me a favor- ignore him when you vote. His new tape seems to be from a position of weakness, not strength. He has no government in Afghanistan to hide him. He seems to have been knocked down.

So, now that he's down, let's kick him, kick him, and kick him until he and others like him are dead. I lived through September 11th, I saw the smoke, I felt the fear. I dialed my phone over and over again fruitlessly wondering if my father was safe. I went to the candlelight vigil at the White House September 12th. I wept with our nation at the National Prayer Service. I drove past the Pentagon so many times and saw that flag draped over where only days before a proud building had stood.

I thought at the time al Qaeda had awoken a sleeping giant that was America. Now we stand, over 3 years later, bogged down in Iraq, distracted by other issues, and we seem to have lost our "edge." We must never lose focus on this mission- both parts. Winning small victories...in the shadows, in the caves, in anywhere those that would do us harm would hide. But also to win hearts and minds, to make a climate where these manipulators of hatred can find no quarter against our message of hope. This is a battle that with all respect to our allies only America can lead. For so many, for so long, we have been hope. It is why Sam Stuart came here, and Charles Edouard Lepaige. It is why I am here, and why I am proud every day. There has never been a nation like ours, and I would give my life in its defense.

But defense and offense must be balanced- safer at home, and respected again in the world. I think we have lost sight of this recently, the truth is to fight a global War on Terror, we need a globe full of allies, not enemies. We need our word to be accepted, not viewed with skepticism. We need to be America again.