As you know all too well, 2009 has been a year fraught with frontal assaults on our Constitution. But this has also been a year of great opportunity, as millions of Americans, who have previously taken liberty for granted, are awakening to the reality that they must join our ranks in order to extend our legacy of liberty to the next generation.

Support the 2009 Patriot Annual Fund today!

The Senate voted Tuesday to reject an amendment barring federal funding of abortion in the health care takeover bill. But is forced taxpayer funding of abortion morally right?

Since our first year in circulation in 1996, Patriots like you have always ensured that The Patriot ended each year in the black. We are getting close this year. As of this morning, we have raised nearly 70 percent of our 2009 Annual Fund budget, but there are only 23 days left to meet our budget commitments and we still must raise $203,921 before year's end.

Amid much fanfare the Chosen One finally issued orders Tuesday to send roughly 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, bringing total U.S. forces to about 100,000. This decision arrives in deep trail of a request over two months ago from General Stanley McChrystal -- commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan -- for 40- to 60,000 additional troops.

As of this morning, we have raised approximately 65 percent of our 2009 Annual Fund budget. There are only 30 days left to meet our budget commitments.

The case for man-made global warming took a major hit last week when 62 megabytes of data, including e-mail messages and model codes (searchable here), were stolen from the UK's University of East Anglia and then made public. The new information tells us much that we already suspected -- warming scaremongers are cooking the books and suppressing dissent in order to push their agenda.

Endeavoring to improve the production at Plymouth Plantation after the First Thanksgiving, in 1622 Governor William Bradford implemented a collectivist policy, which almost destroyed the Plymouth settlement. In theory, Bradford thought the colony would thrive because each family would receive equal share of produce without regard to their contribution. Unfortunately, then as always, collectivism only works in theory. They decided to trade their collectivist plan for a free market approach, and in 1623, Bradford wrote, "This had very good success."

In this, the week of our national Thanksgiving observance, please know that we are most grateful to count you among the growing ranks of our Patriot readers. By virtue of your patronage, we know that you are already standing on many frontlines in honor and defense of our nation's proud heritage of justice and liberty.

Senate Democrats succeeded Saturday night in reaching 60 votes in favor of beginning debate on the Upper Chamber's version of the health care takeover. However, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) didn't reach 60 votes without some serious schmoozing, cajoling and even bribing.

As of this morning, we have raised nearly 60 percent of the funds toward our 2009 Annual Fund budget. We still must raise $279,147 before year's end.

Our prayers go out to the families, friends and comrades in arms of those killed and wounded at Fort Hood last Thursday. Here are the 14 who died:

As of this morning, we have raised 55 percent of the funds toward our 2009 Annual Fund budget. We still must raise $295,863 before year's end.

When the dust settled after Saturday night's House vote on Democrats' scheme to take over health care, an interesting back story came to light. It seems that pro-life groups won a battle only to lose a war.

When we think of the Berlin Wall, we think of one man: Ronald Reagan. It was the American president who, on June 12, 1987, stood at the Brandenburg Gate and said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

For what it's worth, House Republicans have introduced their own health care reform plan. The 230-page draft is far shorter than the Democrats' 2,000-page mammoth bill, and focuses on reducing the cost of care rather than providing it for everyone.