The following blog entry is by no means meant to be an indictment of the Republican Party or the administration of President George W. Bush, although in all candor, the Institute is leaning towards endorsing Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, the first mustached U.S. Presidential candidate since Republican Thomas E. Dewey in 1944 and 1948 (this will obviously depend upon whether Commandant Barr willingly submits to the AMI Monthly Interview, which at this time is being negotiated with his staff).

That being the case, it was a lazy Saturday and we chose to forsake planning for the 2008 nuclear mustacheology course work and instead sat around the AMI campus administration offices watching the fine Charles Bronson vigilante vehicle "Death Wish III." Sadly, edition three of the "Death Wish" family of films doesn't have enough blue three-piece suits as Bronson had commonly worn throughout his cinematic career while stalking bad guys. There are, however, plenty of sharp looking sweatshirts, and of course, his trademark mustache and understated demeanor.

As we watched each scene with great anticipation of a gun blast or a life-altering karate chop to the back of the neck, we were intrigued by the parallels between the film's ending and the hopes of the Bush administration in its hot pursuit of Osama Bin Laden.

In the final battle scene of "Death Wish III," which you can watch here, Bronson aptly fires a bazooka at his antagonist - a sharp looking character named "Fraker" - and thus blows him out of the window of the apartment they were in, his charred remains falling to the street below. Seeing what remains of Fraker, his gang of followers - who at the time are pillaging the neighborhood - drop their arms and walk away. This little part of 1985-era New York is saved. Thank goodness!

Here's the question: if the American military and intelligence community is pursuing Bin Laden, do we expect that if we do kill or bring him to justice, militant Muslims and/or the rest of Al-Qaeda will simply cease hating America and drop their arms? 

Just asking. Otherwise, this was merely an excuse to pen a blog about the late Bronson - who was one of the baddest man on the planet in the 1970s and 1980s.

And on an unrelated note, if you like the interview stylings of the AMI, our new Monthly Mustache Interview is up with actor Hemky Madera of the Showtime hit series "Weeds." You can listen to it here.