I'll end my Christmas Day blogging with this small note of apparent victory. Last year, a listener to my show by the name of Manuel Zamarano called in and voiced his irritation at giant retailer Macy's outlawing of the phrase "Merry Christmas" from its stores. Manny vowed that night to start a campaign to reverse this discrimination. You probably know by now that his "Committee to Save Merry Christmas" became this year's most visible holiday protest group in the national media. He's been getting over 20,000 hits a day on his website.

Some people thought Manny's efforts were quaint but inconsequential. Macy's largely ignored him. Until yesterday, that is, when the giant department store chain ran a full page, full color ad in the Sacramento Bee, and I must assume other major dailies, with a quaint picture of Santa wishing everyone a (you guessed it) "Merry Christmas". It was beautiful.

The headline of the ad said it all:"You gotta keep believing". Well, Manny, here's to you, buddy. It might have been a last minute gesture by Macy's that they'll explain in some convenient way, but I've gotta believe you wore 'em down some, my friend. You believed, and they buckled.

Merry Christmas, Manny. You'll have to re-form your committee next year, I'm sure, to remind these corporate Scrooges once again about the true Name behind the holiday. And when you do, we'll all be with you. But for tonite, I wish you, Manny, and everyone, a Merry Christmas.


Joe Pursch
Host of Real Talk
5-7PM Weeknights
AM 710 KFIA

Ken...I don't doubt that Governor Schwarzenegger would like to remove the debate surrounding 'abortion' and 'stem cell research' from Republican campaigns. I'm sure he would like to see a warmer embrace to the homosexual lifestyle by the California GOP as well.

But Arnold has not demonstrated such and I refuse to read into this "erroneously transcribed quote" content that my friends on the right are 'tripping' over.

I don't read 'moving' here, I see a governor who understands what it means to gain a majority - he's looking for 'reach'.

Ken, is it possible to 'reach' to the center-left, without crossing over or moving the party core?

Arnold said he doesn't want to MOVE the party, just incorporate more center-left voters and members.

Is it leftward movement, or just a leftward reach?

What did Governor Ronald Reagan do to incorporate so many "Reagan Democrats" into his voting circles? Didn't he 'reach out to them' with a tone and tenor (and content) that brought them into the GOP tent?

Is Arnold wrong for trying to mimic the same type of 'reach'?

BTW, I'll take some time and add some to this discussion, send them and I'll post over the Christmas Weekend. Thanks Ken and JP.

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Merry Christmas Everyone...

The AP, Eric, might have inserted the word "left" in its translation, but when Arnold says the Democrats have the left to the center, and the Republicans the right to the center, then advises the Republicans to cross over the center, then, logically, that means he's urging the GOP to go left. Same thing. Now, if there are a few teeny issues on which the left might have gotten things right, free speech issues for example, or sensible immigration policies, then it might just make sense to cross over and achieve that elusive majority. I fear, however, that the governor really wants to keep abortion legal. If so, the party abandons principle, loses its soul. Somebody ought to press Arnold on exactly what he means before we reflexively defend him.

Merry Christmas everybody. What we celebrate today, of course, makes the slaughter of a fetus unthinkable.

Seems that in NYC, the YMCA is a place where common sense is AWOL this Christmas. The AP reports the director there scheduled an all night "Transgender Holiday Ball" only to have the festivities going full tilt when parents and kids arrived for their morning swim lessons. Said director was fired the same day, after outraged parents started scuffling with the cross-dressed partiers. It's obvious that the "tolerance" that gay activists say exists out there isn't too apparent when Mom has to suddenly explain to Janie why a "five o'clock shadow" is not a good accessory with a prom dress.

All of this fits with the comments of Randy Thomasson of Campaign for Children and Families, whom I spoke with when I guest hosted The Eric Hogue Show yesterday. Randy predicted that a full depiction and endorsement of all sexual/marital preferences will be launched in sex-ed classes in our schools if same-sex marriage is legalized here in California. The transgender crowd will get to throw their party in the classroom at our expense, only it will be too late for parents to be outraged. It's a few minutes before midnite, parents. Do you know where your children are?

Joe Pursch
Host of Real Talk
AM 710 KFIA

Reporting in from Alexandria, Virginia, where, along with throngs of other Christmas Eve shoppers, I spent an hour or so in the aisles of the Belle Haven Safeway. Wonder of wonders, the sound system was piping in, not the usual golden oldies, but Handel's "Messiah" and Schubert's "Ave Maria." Which really are Golden Oldies. Nice, very nice. Relieved tensions. People were courteous, cheerful. Take that, Federated.