Rookie Political Commentator

Disgusted

2010-03-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

I am so disgusted by the politics of our generation that I am taking a leave of absence from this blog. The insanity that is the American left and their obsession with controlling us is leaving me nauseous. I am not quitting the fight, just choosing another way to engage that can be more effective. I now believe that raising money to fight these Bolsheviks is how I can best serve the cause of the American dream and freedom.

Diversity

2010-03-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

What is behind the obsession with diversity that liberals have? Where is the virtue in diversity? I have no objection to it; I just fail to see any particular good or bad in diversity or lack thereof. It seems as if our liberal friends believe that "divided we stand" is somehow a good thing.

Actual Mug Shots

2010-03-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

What do these mug shots have in common? It isn't race, it isn't gender; so what is it (hint: look at their clothing)?

We Must Be Crazy

2010-03-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

I recently received news about oil reserves in the US that is staggering. Here's the quote.

Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this mother lode of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?

They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:

- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia

- 18-times as much oil as Iraq

- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait

- 22-times as much oil as Iran

- 500-times as much oil as Yemen

- and it's all right here in the Western United States .

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study, says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.

If this is true, then that is astounding. We are allowing ourselves to be held captive by a few crazy environmentalists and judges. Are we nuts? H/T Gary.

The President and Malcolm X

2010-03-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

President Obama has been quoted that the autobiography of Malcolm X resonated with him. Here is the actual quote.

Only Malcolm X’s autobiography seemed to offer something different. His repeated acts of self-creation spoke to me. The blunt poetry of his words. His unadorned insistence on respect. He promised a new and uncompromising order, martial in its discipline.

That is high praise from a man who is quite a wordsmith himself. Lets examine some of the quotes in that book. Our first quote is short, but seems to be the Obama playbook.

By any means necessary.

The second quote worries me even more.

You will never get real freedom and recognition between black and white people in this country without destroying the country, without destroying the present political system, without destroying the present economic system, without rewriting the entire constitution. It will be a complete destruction of everything that America supposedly stands for.

Any questions about what is really going on?

Corruption

2010-03-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

Michelle Malkin has a story that shows "the Chicago Way" that the Obama administration uses to get things done. In this instance they are blatantly trying to buy the vote of a Utah Democrat.

Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he’s obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson’s brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Taking the most charitable possible interpretation; one that this is just a coincidence, she writes:

Is the White House so fantastically blind and tone-deaf that it failed to detect the blood-red flags and blaring alarm bells that Scott Matheson’s judicial nomination would raise coming on the very day President Obama is wooing his brother, Jim?

I am so grateful for the alternate sources of news like blogs, talk radio, and other Internet resources. ABC, NBC, and CBS would never report about such corrupt behavior by their favorite politician.

Contrast

2010-03-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here are photos of the last 2 Presidents, each addressing an elementary school group. Note the differences.

An Interesting Article

2010-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

I ran across an interesting article today ranking the House and Senate members as most liberal or conservative. Surprisingly some of the more well-known characters were not on the list. Among the most liberal senators are John Kerry, Chris Dodd, Dick Durbin, and Barbara Mikulski. President Obama's replacement, Roland Burris is ranked in a tie as the most liberal senator.

The most conservative senators' list has these well-known people: Jim Imhofe (most conservative), Jim Bunning, John Thune (beat Tom Daschle for his seat), and GOP leader Mitch McConnell.

On the most liberal House member list was very few names that I recognized although Jesse Jackson Jr, Henry Waxman, and Louise Slaughter were familiar to me. Among the most conservative House members are California's Tom McClintock, John Shadegg, and Mike Pence.

You have to love Oklahoma. Their two senators, Imhofe and Coburn, are ranked in the top 4 most conservative senators. Arizona and Texas each have two House members ranked in the top 10 most conservative. So my 3 new most favorite states are Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. Utah, often proclaimed as the "most red" of the 50 states did not have a single senator or House member make either list. Utah may be the most Republican, but they are not the most conservative.

The most liberal delegations are all in the Northeast with the exception of Hawaii - Massachusetts (most liberal delegation), Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The most conservative delegations are in order: Idaho, Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia. Once again that "most red" of the states, Utah, is missing from the list.

Democrats' Double Standard

2010-02-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

By now you have heard that the Democrats are threatening to use the "nuclear option" to cram socialized medicine down our throats. My how times have changed. Click here to see a video show Democrats calling such actions an "arrogant power grab". You should recognize several of the faces. The first two even had recent promotions.

I wonder if this has anything to do with Congress' historic low approval rating of 10%.

Contract From America

2010-02-19T05:21:00.000-08:00

Sounding like Newt Gingerich's 1994 Contract With America, the Tea Party Movement is drafting a new Contract From America. They are asking for input on the following items that they will be releasing April 15. Items to be voted on are:

Amending the constitution to require a balanced budget and a two-thirds majority for any tax hike.
Permanently repealing all tax hikes scheduled to begin in 2011.
Requiring every bill in Congress to be made public seven days before any vote can be taken and all government expenditures authorized by any bill to be easily accessible on the Internet before the money is spent.
Requiring each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does.
Permitting all health insurance plans to be sold anywhere in the United States through the purchase of insurance across state lines. Allow small businesses and associations to pool together across state lines to buy insurance.
Adopting a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and “replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words — the length of the original Constitution.”
Imposing a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth.
Allowing Americans to opt out of Social Security and Medicare and instead put those same payroll taxes in a personal account “they own, control and can leave to whomever they choose.”
Preventing any regulation or tax on the Internet.
Improving education by eliminating ineffective and wasteful programs, giving parents more choices from pre-school to high school and improving the affordability of higher education.
Authorizing the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation, lowering prices and creating competition.
Prohibiting the Federal Communications Commission from using funds to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.
Creating a Blue Ribbon task force that engages in a complete audit of federal agencies and programs.
Blocking state and local governments that receive federal grants from exercising eminent domain over private property for the primary purpose of economic development or enhancement of tax revenues.
Preventing the EPA from implementing costly new regulations.
Placing a moratorium on all earmarks until the process is fully transparent. Also requiring a two-thirds majority to pass any earmark.
Making all lawmaking regulators, including presidential appointed czars, be affirmatively approved by Congress and signed into law by the president.
Audit the Federal Reserve System.
Making sure the federal government does not bail out private companies. The government should also immediately divest itself of its stake in the private companies it owns from recent bailouts.
Amending the constitution to require congressional term limits. No person shall be elected to the Senate more than twice or to the House of Representatives more than four times.
Making all regulations “sunset” after 10 years unless renewed by congressional vote.
Broadcasting all non-security meetings and votes on C-SPAN and the Internet.

The new contract stands in contrast to the 1994 document, in that it originated with the people and not from elected officials. More than a thousand ideas for the contract were submitted and edited down to 20 through the help of hundreds of Tea Party activists and a series of online surveys.

Personally I find this document much stronger than the Mount Vernon Statement covered in our last post. This document is full of substance; substance that will make a difference. The Mount Vernon Statement is a desperate attempt by the elites to remain elite.

The Mount Vernon Statement

2010-02-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

A group of conservative leaders have drafted a document providing a framework for what they believe called The Mount Vernon Statement. This appears to be a pre-emptive move to retain the leadership of the conservative movement; a move that appears to be designed to not lose their prominence to the rapidly expanding Tea Party Movement's Contract From America.

The key points of the Mount Vernon Statement are as follows:

It applies the principle of limited government based on the rule of law to every proposal.
It honors the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life.
It encourages free enterprise, the individual entrepreneur, and economic reforms grounded in market solutions.
It supports America’s national interest in advancing freedom and opposing tyranny in the world and prudently considers what we can and should do to that end.
It informs conservatism’s firm defense of family, neighborhood, community, and faith.

I think there is more substance to the Tea Party Movement's statement which we will examine in our next post. See you then!

28th Amendment?

2010-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me an email proposing a new amendment to the Constitution - a 28th amendment. I love this one.

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States".

How can you disagree with something so obviously right? What possible argument could there be against this? Its so obvious, so simple, and so needed that it is brilliant. Whoever thought this up deserves a medal.

February 11

2010-02-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

Did anyone notice that February 11 has come and gone without Iran's promised "harsh blow to the global arrogance" promised by Iran's President Ahmadinejad.

You Gotta Love It

2010-02-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

CBS Finally Gets It

2010-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Mark Knoller of CBS finally gets it. He wrote an article entitled Obama Says Bipartisanship, But What He Wants Is GOP Surrender. Essentially he writes that when the President calls for bi-partisanship, it actually is a code word for capitulation. Just like compromise is a code word for giving into liberals. Can you believe it? A journalist at the liberal CBS finally gets it? Amazing!!!!

Ahmadinejad is Mouthing Off Again

2010-02-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

The Iranian President is threatening global power on February 11 of this year. Here is what he is reported to have said in a cabinet meeting.

"The nation will deliver a harsh blow to the 'global arrogance' on this year’s anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

The Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race, which was trapped in the dead ends of materialism. If the Islamic Revolution had not occurred, liberalism and Marxism would have crushed all human dignity in their power-seeking and money-grubbing claws. Nothing would have remained of human and spiritual principles."

How do crazies like this get in power anyhow? H/T Drudge.

What a Great Video!

2010-01-27T04:26:00.000-08:00

This video is just too much. Apparently a young man in the South put it together. I promise, you will love it if you love America like I do. H/T to the Kaysers!

News Liberals Will Hate

2010-01-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

You know how liberals love to bash Fox News? Well a new survey came out and guess what news is trusted most by Americans? You guessed it - Fox News. They won by 10 percentage points over their next closest rivals. America has figured out the liberal bias in the news - liberal whining notwithstanding. Read the whole article here!

Pew Report

2010-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

To anyone living in the real world, the results of the latest Pew Research Report are not surprising. The opening paragraph introduces the obvious.

As Barack Obama begins his second year in office, the public’s priorities for the president and Congress remain much as they were one year ago. Strengthening the nation’s economy and improving the job situation continue to top the list. And, in the wake of the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, defending the country from future terrorist attacks also remains a top priority.

At the same time, the public has shifted the emphasis it assigns to two major policy issues: dealing with the nation’s energy problem and reducing the budget deficit. About half (49%) say that dealing with the nation’s energy problem should be a top priority, down from 60% a year ago. At the same time, there has been a modest rise in the percentage saying that reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority, from 53% to 60%.

Read the whole thing, it is very revealing. Among the things you will discover is that global warming has dropped in importance.

Liberal Reactions to Scott Brown's Victory

2010-01-21T05:34:00.000-08:00

By now you have heard that Scott Brown, a Republican, will finish the term started by Ted Kennedy. This political tsunami has brought out the crazy in our friends the lefties. Here are some examples:

The party of teabags and Michael Steele and Sarah Palin wins Ted Kennedy’s seat. Mass voted in someone who’s only platform is to be sure to say no along with the rest of the repubs. I didn’t really think it possible to dumb down such a large population of a pretty enlightened state, guess I was wrong.
To all the libs who stayed home in protest. Now you’ve done it. It’s going to be like the scene in Ghostbusters when all the demons and ghosts get released except all the damage will be REAL and it WON”T be funny.
Make no doubt that this is the gist of what happenend today: This guy was funded by the tea party lobbtist and republicans (secretly). This was a big money play to shut down healthcare and the democratic agenda by insurance companies and corporate America.
It’s unbelieveable that the citizens of MA have elected a nude, Cosmo Centerfold, teabbager that thinks he is JFK to the same seat in the Senate where Jack and Teddy Kennedy sat.
Apparently, some people in Massachusetts swore a pact to the devil and the devil said “okay, it’s a deal.”
Ignorant Teabagging Fools, and the Independent Voters who stood up with that pathietic, porn star-wannabe b*.
It absolutely sickens me… to see this solid blue state have some sleazeball, degenerate, scumbag filth republican as their “representative”. I’m even more sickened and disgusted to see Ted’s seat, that he held for decades on end go to this piece of garbage, cookie cutter, bottom feeding, dirtbag republican.
Another STOLEN election.
If sanity is a right wing, bigoted, homophobic Nazi, well…yes I guess there will be sanity. Pretty faces often hide monsters within.
They are chanting like Nazis at his victory rally. Chilling. A glimpse of things to come.

These are the people who are always lecturing us on how smart they are and how accepting they are of differences. The only people dumb enough to believe that are already liberal. H/T Cassy Fiano

Charles Krauthammer is Great!

2010-01-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday on FoxNews Charles Krauthammer addressed several subjects. Boy is he right on.

On the Senate race in Massachusetts

Well, if we're going to talk about history, this is a state that hasn't elected a [Republican] senator since 1972, and the seat in question has been ... held by a Kennedy or a Kennedy, let's say, associate, or flunky, or some sort, since ...1952. So this is really astonishing.

And if you look at the internals, what's so interesting is about a tenth of the electorate already has cast a vote as an absentee ... And of those, according to the ARG poll, Brown has a 16-point advantage, 58- 42.

And if you look at independents, which were the swing electorate in Virginia and in New Jersey in November, Coakley is behind by over 20 points.

On President Obama's deciding to campaign in Massachusetts:

His risks are huge. It could be a Copenhagen III. He goes [to] Copenhagen, he loses the Chicago Olympics. He returns [to Copenhagen], and he doesn't get anything on climate change. And now he [goes to] Massachusetts, which is even friendlier. He's got to come back with a victory.

On Obama’s deal with unions on taxing health-care plans:

It is a bribe, and that's why it is so unpopular. Look, it's not just a question of it depriving the Treasury of revenue. It's question of equity.

You've got two workers, same type of job, same plan, same income, one of whom is a member of a union. And the guy who isn't [a union member] is going to end up having a tax of 40 percent on his plan, and the other guy is not. And that's simply incredibly unfair. And obviously, it's a corrupt bargain.

What's really hurting the bill here isn't only the opposition on the substance, the half a trillion in cuts in ... Medicare, and half a trillion in taxes. It's the process.

That deals are [being] made corruptly and so openly is astonishing: the "Louisiana Purchase," a cool $300 million for the Landrieu vote; the — what happened in Nebraska, this eternal exemption that Nebraska would have on paying for the extra Medicaid cost; and now the unions.

The reason it's hurting Obama is he ran on the idea that he would change our politics. It would not be driven by special interest. There would not be the secret deals.

And he's done it with the unions, with the pharmaceutical companies, with the doctors, with the hospitals, all in a way that everybody can see. And that's why he's hurting so much in the [personal] polls and on the health care issue itself.

H/T NRO Online.

An Australian Dentist?

2010-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

I received the following in an email. It supposedly was written by an Australian dentist in response to an Islamic terrorist call to kill Americans. Whether that part of the story is true or not is irrelevant to me. As someone who believes in American exceptionalism it speaks some sacred truths that I hold dear. Hat tip to Marsha.

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish , Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian , or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion.. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous.. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan .

The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11 , 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo , and Stalin , and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself . Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

I know in some circles it is considered gauche to be patriotic. I don't care. These words, whether written by an Australian dentist or a Canadian public relations person, speak the truth.

A Great Article By Ben Stein

2010-01-09T11:24:00.001-08:00

I don't know how I missed this but Ben Stein wrote a great article about President Obama several months ago. It might be the best answer to the question I posed in my last post about the true reason behind the health care push.

Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth.

Read the rest of the article here. It is worth the 2 minutes of your time.

Thoughts for a New Year

2010-01-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

Some random things I have been pondering:

Why is Washington focusing on health care when people are losing houses and jobs?
Why is the President focusing on health care when we are fighting 2 wars?
Why is anyone focusing on health care when the polls show time after time that over 87% of people are happy with their health care?
Other than liberals, does anyone really believe in global warming any more? Has that hoax been shown up sufficiently that we can now laugh whenever anyone brings it up in our presence?
Is laughter and mockery the best way to handle silly liberal ideas since you can't reason with them?
Other than liberals, has everyone else finally figured out that Obama is an empty suit? An eloquent and good-looking speaker, but pretty thin in the depth department?
Why are liberals so inflexible? They talk about being open-minded constantly but seem to be so close-minded to facts. Feelings - open; facts - closed.
Is the difference between liberals and conservatives two words - common sense?
What really is behind the obsession with health care and global warming that we see among liberals?
Why don't we secure our borders?

What do you think?

Question

2009-12-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

One of the consistent pleas of the liberal is to "keep an open mind". But do they keep their own counsel? Have any of you ever known a liberal to change their mind?

Every liberal I have known seems to be incapable to revisit the facts, to revise their views. Their defenses are so high that it is impossible to get them to even see things a different way, much less change their viewpoint. Is that also your experience?

Day By Day Cartoon

2009-12-22T16:34:00.001-08:00

This pretty much says it all. Compliments of Day By Day. If it is too small, click on the cartoon above to get a larger view of it.

God Surely Has a Sense of Humor

2009-12-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have noticed how often extreme weather has occurred in the middle of human meddling in the environment. I suspect it is evidence of God's sense of humor. You've got to love it when a blizzard descends on Copenhagen during a global warming conference. It is too funny! I can imagine God up there laughing at our silly attempts to pretend we have any control over this world and its environment. They are probably having a good laugh right now.

More Bad News for Global Warmers

2009-12-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

Facts are stubborn things especially when they come in conflict with one's politics. Most people will hold to their politics more than their religion. Their faith they will question, but heaven forbid questioning my politics! For the few who have the wherewithal to look at the facts behind this global warming hoax here is more bad news.

The Times of London writes about the inconvenient truths Al Gore is encountering in Copenhagen.
Canada is under some severe winter weather. (PS They are really close to the polar ice cap.)
It is snowing in Australia. Remember, it is summertime down under.

This hoax has got to stop. Defenders of global warming are looking sillier and sillier as each day goes by. For your own self respect, just admit you were wrong and lets get beyond this. Insisting that you are right in light of the rapidly growing body of evidence is just ridiculous.

Edmonton Shatters Cold Record

2009-12-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada experienced the coldest December 13th in its history on Sunday beating the previous low by 10 degrees! The second coldest December 13th was in 2008. I guess Al Gore was wrong 5 years ago when he said the polar ice cap would be gone in 5 years. Here's the entire story. The last 2 years have been the coldest on record in a city that is about as close to the polar ice cap as any major city in North America.

P.S. Former Vice President Gore started making this prediction in 1995. I guess he's lost track of how much time has passed since then.

Independent American Party Principles

2009-12-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

As you know I have had it with the current two parties in power. The Democrats are blatantly seeking to enslave us under the false cover of "caring for the poor". Many good and decent people have fallen for this deceit. The Republicans are only slightly better. They are not as guilty of trying to control us, but they are guilty of refusing to stand strong against the Democrats and their various power grabs. The only good thing about the Republicans that I can find is their stand on defending this country. In that one area, I agree with them.

So I have been checking out the Independent American Party. I find its name appealing - The Independent American. What a great name! As our country slides deeper and deeper under the control of these dishonest politicians what we need are more people with an independent spirit - people who do not look to government (or anyone else) to solve life's challenges. In life we have a choice - to be part of the problem, or part of the solution. Dependent people are part of the problem; independent people are the solution.

Here are the principles of the Independent American Party. I like most of it.

1. We believe that to maintain freedom, our political institutions must be founded upon faith in God and moral laws as declared in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution for the United States and the Bill of Rights.

2. We believe that God has endowed men with certain unalienable rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and that no citizen, group of citizens or government may limit or destroy these rights. The function of government is to protect life, liberty, and property; anything more than this is usurpation and oppression.

3. We believe that the Constitution for the United States was prepared and adopted by men under inspiration from Almighty God; that it is a solemn compact created by the people of the states of this nation, which all officers of government are duty-bound to obey; that the separation of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches must remain well defined.

4. We believe the proper functions of government include the duty to:

Punish crime and provide for the administration of justice;
Protect the right and control of private property;
Wage defensive war and provide for the nation’s defense.

5. We affirm that the Constitution denies government the power to take from the individual either his life, liberty, or his property except by due process of law in accordance with moral law; that the same moral law which governs the actions of men when acting alone is also applicable when they act in concert with others.

6. We are hereby resolved that under no circumstances shall the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights be infringed. We are opposed to any attempt to deny the people of their right to bear arms, to practice their religion, to worship and pray to God as they choose, and to own and control private property.

7. We are unalterably opposed to and regard it as an unconstitutional usurpation of power for government to own or control the means of producing and distributing goods and services in competition with private enterprise.

8. Article I Section 8 of the Constitution for the United States grants Congress the power: "To coin money, regulate the value thereof, ....", and that this power to coin money has been illegally transferred to the Federal Reserve System which has established a money system based on debt and bondage. We call for the abolishment of the unconstitutional Federal Reserve System and a restoration of a debt-free money system in accordance with the Constitution for the United States.

9. We believe that each state is sovereign in performing those functions reserved to it by the U.S. Constitution and it is a usurpation of power for the Federal Government to regulate or control the states in performing their functions.

10. We consider it a violation of the Constitution for the Federal Government to levy taxes for the support of state or local government; that no state or local government can accept funds from the Federal Government and remain independent in performing its functions, nor can the citizens exercise their rights of self-government under such conditions.

11. We deem it a violation of the right of private property guaranteed under the Constitution for the Federal Government to forcibly deprive the citizens of this nation of their property through taxation or otherwise, and make a gift thereof to foreign governments or to their citizens.

12. We declare that all treaties or agreements with other countries must not deprive our citizens of rights guaranteed them by the Constitution. We further declare that it is treason to use such instruments to aid or comfort an enemy.

13. We consider it treason for the Federal Government to dismantle or weaken our military establishment below that point required for the protection of the states against invasion, or to surrender or commit our men, arms, and money to the control of foreign or world organizations or governments; or to allow foreign military bases on American land.

They are a bit heavy-handed in their use of the word "treason" and that makes me nervous. I'm also not crazy about abolishing the Federal Reserve but most of their principles are sound. Now what we need are some honest, pragmatic, non-political types to change the extreme language (i.e. treason and abolishing the Federal Reserve), and then some PR types to polish this rough stone. With a little cleaning up this could be a viable alternative to the two parties in power. At least they have a good start on it. Who's with me?

Obama's School Czar

2009-12-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

The President's School Czar, Kevin Jennings is the founder of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network). Here are some of the things from Breitbart that GLSEN has done.

Held a workshop for 14-year old kids on "Spit or swallow?… Is it rude?"
Held another workshop for kids 14-21 on "fisting" a dangerous homosexual practice
Given 400 student attendees at one conference their own “fisting kit.”
Published a sex lesson manual for children on man/boy sex

Mass News had another article that described the contents of the “fisting kits” given to the students.

Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts distributed kits for fisting and oral sex. They contained a single plastic glove, a package of K-Y lubricant and instructions on how to make a “dental dam” out of the material.

The instructions explained how to cut up the glove with scissors until all that remains is a rubber rectangle with the “thumb” portion protruding from the middle. “Use the thumb space for your tongue,” say the directions.

The label on the ziplocked package says, “protects against STD’s,” and bears the Planned Parenthood logo and phone number.

GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network) got into trouble last year for hosting a workshop that gave young teens explicit how-to instructions on homosexual sex practices such as “fisting.” The ensuing scandal was subsequently dubbed “Fistgate.”

Regarding “dental dams,” Dr. John Diggs, a specialist in internal medicine who lectures about STDs, said that the kits create a false sense of security. “I’ve written a brochure about this whole thing,” he said. “The way I describe it is, I ask ‘How many people want to take a bite of a sandwich without taking the wrapper off?’ ‘How many people want to suck on balloons?’ Nobody does.”

Today Kevin Jennings is running the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools in theUS Department of Education. Is this the change America wanted when they elected President Obama? Is this guy qualified to run The Office of Safe anything much less schools? It seems to me that he is exactly the kind of person we should be protected our children from. The fox is definitely in the henhouse now.

Independent American Party Overview

2009-12-07T07:30:00.001-08:00

I know that many people question the wisdom of third parties and their reasoning is quite sound. For a long time I agreed with that logic and still understand why most people would not be willing to abandon the two major parties, feeling that it gives the opposition party an open road with no real opposition. Historically that has been true and it is a very valid point.

But I have learned that there actually is an Independent American Party. Wikipedia writes the following:

The Independent American Party is a Protestant political party in the United States that has several state affiliates. It was founded in 1998. This should not be confused with the Independent American Party of Nevada, the Nevada affiliate of the Constitution Party. As of 2006, only three of its candidates have achieved elected office.

The party traces its roots back to George Wallace's American Independent movement of 1968. They are against the concept of the New World Order, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations. They also oppose secularism, abortion, and the welfare state.

At their 2008 Convention on September 12, 2008, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the IAP endorsed Constitution Party Presidential Candidate Chuck Baldwin for President

I always get nervous when I hear people talking about the New World Order, the Trilateral Commission, and the Council on Foreign Relations. That talk is usually followed by a conspiracy theory or two so I'm going to have to check these guys out. I've read about the Constitution Party in the past and agree with a lot of their positions. So I will check these guys out and report back to you what I find. I'm going to be wary as I do this investigation. There are often nutcases in third party movements; especially ones concerned with the Trilateral Commission.

By the way, this party is not the same as the Independent American Party in California. The name is the same, apparently the affiliation is different.

Germany is no longer impressed by Obama

2009-12-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Read this blistering German critique of President Obama. Ouch! And I thought that all Europeans just loved him. This author in Der Spiegel is honest, but brutal in his analysis of the President's speech last night. I guess Germany is now going to be considered part of the "vast right-wing conspiracy".

The Independent American Party

2009-12-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have spent a number of years increasingly disappointed in the two major political parties in this country. Occasionally I have hope that the Republicans will get their act together, but that usually ends in disappointment. Every once in awhile the Democrats manage to get something right and hope flickers for a few seconds. I have come to the conclusion that each party is more interested in retaining their power base (and in the case of Democrats, increasing their power over us) instead of serving the people who elected them. For that reason I am proposing a new political party - The Independent American.

Now this party would be different from American Independent Party which exists basically for independent-minded people who do not want to affiliate with other parties. The Independent American Party I am imagining would stand for something. In the coming days I will outline my proposal more fully and once I am done, I think you will find that a majority of Americans will agree with my platform. People now registered as Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Constitutional Party members, and Independents will all find much to appreciate in what I will propose. And once it is outlined we will need to organize and find leaders who are not part of the problem. I am done waiting on the two major political parties to be reformed.

Napoleon said that the history of the world has often turned on trifles. Maybe this post will be one of those trifles in American history.

Coming Home to Roost

2009-11-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

The US government is about to get socked with a huge bill - paying back the borrowed money. Now not all of this can be laid at the feet of the President although he has spent like no one before him. President Bush was quite the spendthrift as well. Here is how the NY Times puts it.

The United States government is financing its more than trillion-dollar-a-year borrowing with I.O.U.’s on terms that seem too good to be true.

But that happy situation, aided by ultra-low interest rates, may not last much longer.

Treasury officials now face a trifecta of headaches: a mountain of new debt, a balloon of short-term borrowings that come due in the months ahead, and interest rates that are sure to climb back to normal as soon as the Federal Reserve decides that the emergency has passed.

Even as Treasury officials are racing to lock in today’s low rates by exchanging short-term borrowings for long-term bonds, the government faces a payment shock similar to those that sent legions of overstretched homeowners into default on their mortgages.

With the national debt now topping $12 trillion, the White House estimates that the government’s tab for servicing the debt will exceed $700 billion a year in 2019, up from $202 billion this year, even if annual budget deficits shrink drastically. Other forecasters say the figure could be much higher.

In concrete terms, an additional $500 billion a year in interest expense would total more than the combined federal budgets this year for education, energy, homeland security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The potential for rapidly escalating interest payouts is just one of the wrenching challenges facing the United States after decades of living beyond its means.

How are we ever going to dig out of this hole if the Democrats manage to add more and more programs to the federal budget.

Palin v Obama

2009-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

The first line in this story LA Times Blog story says it all.

Not that it matters politically because obviously she's a female Republican dunce and he's obviously a male Democrat genius.

But Sarah Palin's poll numbers are strengthening.

And President Obama's are sliding.

Guess what? They're about to meet in the 40s.

The handwriting seems to be on the wall but I don't think the Obama Administration or the Democrat-lead Congress can read.

A Reason to Love the French

2009-11-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Here is another reason to love the French. The Telegraph newspaper in Great Britain has an article about a law in Paris that bans women from wearing pants! Oh, I wish that were the law everywhere. Women reading this blog are probably furious right now but speaking on behalf of the male of the species, may I point out that women are most attractive when wearing modest, feminine dresses and skirts. Men, am I right?

Liberal Bias?

2009-11-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press has put 11 reporters to the job of "fact checking" Sarah Palin's new book Going Rogue: An American Life. This FoxNews story points out that the same Associated Press put no reporters to work fact checking many other political books.

The organization did not review for accuracy recent books by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, then - Sen. Joe Biden, either book by Barack Obama released before he was president or autobiographies by Bill or Hillary Clinton. The AP did more traditional news stories on those books.

The attraction to Palin doesn't appear to be partisan, since AP didn't fact-check recent political tomes by Republicans Rudy Giuliani or Newt Gingrich.

Given the moderate political stances of Giuliani and Gingrich could it be because Palin is the only true conservative on the list? You can probably guess what my opinion is.

Recent AP Poll

2009-11-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

As readers of this blog already know, polls can be big news on condition that they report something that props up liberalism or tears down conservatism. Look at results from a November 10 AP poll that you've probably heard nothing about.

38% of people think the country is heading in the right direction
54% approve of the President to some degree, down from 74% only 8 months ago
46% approve of the President's job on the economy
49% approve of the President's job on health care
39% approve of the President's job on immigration
7 % strongly approve of what Congress is doing

In answer to a question on what the Democrats should do about health care, only 31% said they should go ahead and pass a bill without Republicans. 61% said they should keep trying until they make a deal with Republicans.

Why do you think that you can't find a single significant issue where a majority of people believe Barack Obama is right, yet he has majority support (54% approve)? How can you approve of the man, yet disagree with his positions. Personally I have no problem with him. He has a beautiful family, regularly dates his wife, seems to lead a clean life, etc... My disagreements aren't personal.

If this poll supported the President or Congress in any way, I'm sure it would have been headlines everywhere. Since it doesn't, it gets shelved. Typical left-wing media bias at work.

Scandal in the White House?

2009-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Vice President Joe Biden is in a bit of hot water. It seems that he has used his position to enrich a friend of his, Peter W. Galbraith. Galbraith who is the son of renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith, stands to earn perhaps a hundred million or more dollars. The Washington Examiner puts it this way - "It seems that Galbraith used his political influence to get rich off Iraqi oil money."

The article then marvels at the great lengths that the New York Times goes in order to distance this from the Vice President.

As the scope of Mr. Galbraith’s financial interests in Kurdistan become clear, they have the potential to inflame some of Iraqis’ deepest fears, including conspiracy theories that the true reason for the American invasion of their country was to take its oil. It may not help that outside Kurdistan, Mr. Galbraith’s influential view that Iraq should be broken up along ethnic lines is considered offensive to many Iraqis’ nationalism. Mr. Biden and Mr. Kerry, who have been influenced by Mr. Galbraith’s thinking but do not advocate such a partitioning of the country, were not aware of Mr. Galbraith’s oil dealings in Iraq, aides to both politicians say.

The Times needs to read its own paper. Of course Joe Biden advocated this view. He wrote about it in this May 2006 article printed in the New York Times! Or how about this Times article written by Galbraith himself admitting that Biden advocated a plan that enriched Galbraith. The key part is this paragraph.

IN a surge of realism, the Senate has voted 75-23 to acknowledge that Iraq has broken up and cannot be put back together. The measure, co-sponsored by Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate, and Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, supports a plan for Iraq to become a loose confederation of three regions — a Kurdish area in the north, a Shiite region in the south and a Sunni enclave in the center — with the national government in Baghdad having few powers other than to manage the equitable distribution of oil revenues.

Does anyone believe that if this had happened when President Bush was in office that Dick Cheney would have had the New York Times making excuses for them? Would they have accepted the word of "aides to both politicians" as the final word?

The Washington Examiner concludes its story with the following paragraph.

What happened here is clear -- Joe Biden advocated policies in Iraq that his adviser Galbraith also advocated. Galbraith profited handsomely off those policies through close ties to oil companies. Does anyone think that if this story were about an adviser to Dick Cheney profiteering as a nexus between powerful politicians and oil companies that the paper would dishonestly obscure the relationship between the two men?

Would anyone want to bet that this story never becomes a scandal, that the mainstream press virtually ignores it? The odds are in favor of this being swept under the rug. This is as blatant a display of partisan, dishonest media corruption that I have ever seen in this country.

Hat tip to Instapundit.

Obama's Double Standard

2009-11-10T03:02:00.000-08:00

The President’s reaction to the shooting at Fort Hood by an Islamic officer who had been in touch with Al Quaeda was that we not leap to conclusions. 13 dead and 30 wounded is not nearly as important as maintaining a politically correct posture. But what did he do a few months back when there was that incident at Harvard wherein a white police officer arrested a black professor?

A liberal blogger explained it like this. President Obama "accused Sgt. Crowley of “acting stupidly” by arresting his good ole’ buddy from Harvard for his disorderly conduct". Does this sound like restraint? How about avoiding pre-judging? Apparently the President’s attitude about restraint and pre-judging a situation only applies to political correctness. Since it is politically correct to accuse white cops of racism, he went ahead and pre-judged the situation. But since political correctness is all about liberalism, and liberals have decided that it is not appropriate to equate Islam with terrorism, then we can’t “rush to judgement” about Major Hassan. It must be nice to be a liberal. You make up the rules and change them whenever it suits you. How these people cannot see the rank hypocrisy of their own positions boggles the mind.

In retrospect it isn’t that surprising. It’s simply Alinsky’s Rule #8 on display, although some of us call it a double-standard or even hypocrisy. Liberals call it politics.

Saul Alinksy

2009-11-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

In a recent post I pointed out the practical application of Saul Alinksy's Rules for Radicals as practiced by modern liberals. So who was Saul Alinksy? Born in 1909 Alinsky was an American community organizer and writer. He is generally considered to be the founder of modern community organizing, one of our President's past jobs. In summary here are his rules for radicals.

Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
Never go outside the experience of your people.
Whenever possible, go outside of the experience of the enemy.
Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.
Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.
A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.
A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.
Keep the pressure on with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose.
The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside.
The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

Notice the absence of truth in his arguments. Truth is not even a consideration. Its all about what you can sell. Smoke and mirrors. Illusions and strategies that wear the opposition down rather than meeting them on the debate floor and winning the debate. Whatever works. The ends justify the means. The politics of personal destruction perfected by Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton is #13.

Even a casual observer of politics recognizes this as the liberal play book. Alinksy was an amoral genius at organizing. But the keyword here is amoral. So are those people who use his strategies.

Incidentally in the first edition of Rules for Radicals, Alinsky dedicated it to Lucifer, calling him the first radical. Alinsky (and many leading Democrats) seem to be following in the "first radical's" footsteps. I wonder if they know it? I suspect most wouldn't even care.

Liberal Tolerance

2009-11-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

Liberals are always preaching to everyone about how tolerant they are. Diversity has become almost sacred in their lexicon. But are they really tolerant, or do they just talk about it a lot?

This Arizona Daily Sun story explains that two 40-something women attacked a 69-year old man in Flagstaff because he held a viewpoint that they didn't like. The story includes this description of the attack.

Witnesses told police that the two women approached Wallace and began to try to take and destroy the sign he was holding.

So what was the offensive view that the man held that merited such treatment? Was it a racial slur? Was he a neo-Nazi with a swastika or picture of Hitler? Was he a Yankees or Lakers fan? No. He was one of the 84% of Americans who believe that access to abortion should be severely restricted.

And I thought liberals loved diversity! I guess that doesn't include diversity of opinions.

Liberal Humility

2009-11-04T05:20:00.000-08:00

Continuing in the meme of liberal ugliness, have you noticed the total absence of humility among liberals? Now humility is a virtue that is in short supply pretty much everywhere. But among conservatives we see it from time to time. Among liberals there is no presence at all.

There is a phony humility present when liberals apologize for the sins of America such as when Bill Clinton apologized for our history of slavery; or when Barack Obama apologized for American arrogance. Can you remember when a single liberal sincerely apologized for his/her own failings? I can't!

When William Jefferson, Democratic member of the U. S. House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Louisiana 1991-2008, was caught caught on film by the FBI picking up a briefcase full of $100,000 in bribe money. That's the same congressman who was caught days later with 90,000 of those marked dollars wrapped in foil and put in food boxes in the freezer of his home. How did he respond?

In true liberal fashion he refused to resign, in fact, he refused to withdraw from his next race. And consistent with liberal voting patterns, no one seemed to care. He was re-elected.

He was then indicted on 16 charges of corruption. Did this shame him sufficiently to withdraw from Congress? No. Did this shame him enough to withdraw from his next race? No. At least this time the liberal voters of New Orleans rejected him and he lost his re-election bid.

Having been caught red-handed, did William Jefferson plead guilty? No. In August of 2009 he was found guilty of 11 counts of corruption. Did he finally show an ounce of humility? No. Instead he has instructed his attorneys to appeal.

William Jefferson is not unique in how he handled charges of corruption. This is the liberal template - never apologize, never admit you are wrong unless you can somehow pervert it into an attack on your opponents. It's Saul Alinsky's Rule #8 on display.

What do liberals always do when the corruption charge is against a conservative? Demand apologies, demand resignations, demand, demand, demand - Alinksy's Rule #4.

Liberal Women

2009-11-02T04:37:00.000-08:00

This post actually started out as a reply to a comment that was made on this blog. But my reply started to be so long that I decided to make it a separate post.

I am not the first person to notice that conservative women tend to much more attractive than liberal women. I don't think that is an accident. Among liberal women politicians, I really don't know any who are attractive. Jackie Spears in California was an exception but I don't know of any on a national scale. I think that there is something about the philosophy of liberalism that kills happiness and beauty. I don't know what it is - haughtiness, anger, power, aggressiveness etc... but it usually adds up to ugly. And even women who have naturally beautiful features tend to turn rather ugly by virtue of their politics (see Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, etc...)

Another factor that I think hurts liberal women is that most reject their natural femininity which accentuates female beauty. In rejecting traditionally feminine virtues, feminine beauty is one of the things they sacrifice. The most beautiful and happy women I know are those who accept their traditional roles. Joy and happiness follows these women, and beauty is one of the results. Among women who reject those things; unhappiness seems to be the result. Unhappy people are not beautiful regardless of their natural features. I suspect that is the root of the beauty gap between conservative and liberal women.

A Problem With Liberal Politicians

2009-10-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

One of the things that has always frustrated me is the arrogance of liberal politicians who always seem convinced that they know more about everything than everyone (banks, car companies, etc...). Now the President; true to form for liberals, knows more about military tactics than the men who have spent their entire adult life studying the matter.

The AP reports that "President Barack Obama is considering sending large numbers of additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan next year but fewer than his war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, prefers, U.S. officials said."

10 months in office and the President is already smarter than his top commander in the field! Wow! he sure is a fast learner. Can anyone point to an event in history when a political leader was right, and the military commander was wrong like this? I'm not a historian, but I don't remember that being the case since Lincoln overruled some lame generals looking for an excuse. So in the last 150 years, has it ever been true? (FYI, Obama is not Lincoln)

On the other hand, can you remember Presidents overruling generals to everyone's detriment? (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Clinton, Obama, etc....)

Another Great Idea from Europe

2009-10-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

Democrats and liberals like to see themselves as being larger than patriotic Americans - they are globalists. We see this in their seeming obsession with turning the U.S. into a country modeled after European Socialism. Norway makes taxes and income records public according to this story at Yahoo!

It's the moment nosy Norwegian neighbors have been waiting for — the release of official records showing the annual income and overall wealth of nearly every taxpayer in the Scandinavian country.

In a move that would be unthinkable elsewhere, tax authorities in Norway have issued the "skatteliste," or "tax list," for 2008 to the media under a law designed to uphold the country's tradition of transparency.

I love Europe. Its a great place to visit with a fascinating history and many wonderful things to see. But I am glad I don't live there if this is what they call "transparency". Makes you wonder what the Obama administration means when they say transparency.

10 Horror Films for Conservatives

2009-10-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

Keeping with the spirit of Halloween John Hawkins of Townhall.com has posted a list of his 10 Best Horror Movies for Conservatives. I don't really like horror movies but for readers of this blog, I try to be informative ;-}

Sarah Palin - Going Rogue

2009-10-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life you can pre-order her new book for only $9. It will sell for nearly $30 next month when it is available. You can order it by clicking the link above.

A Joke With a Ton of Truth

2009-10-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this email. It is a case of humor blended beautifully with truth. It also illustrates the primary differences between liberals and conservatives. Hat tip to Linda McBride.

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. If a liberal sees a foreign threat, he wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a person of color is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful. Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative slips and falls in a store, he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed. If a liberal slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor and then sues.

Global Warming and Snow

2009-10-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

In a recent post we predicted that this winter would be unusually cold in the US Northeast. That prediction is coming true as this story about the Northeast being struck by an early snowstorm shows. That global warming thing must be on vacation.

What Some NFL Owners Are Saying

2009-10-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

As you probably know Rush Limbaugh is not considered worthy to be a part-owner of an NFL franchise. Did you know that Serena William, Fergie, and Jennifer Lopez are NFL owners? Andrew Breitbart has an interesting story about some of the racial things these women have said. Be prepared for some pretty harsh language, something we have never heard Rush say publicly. But since these women are Obama supporters, such things apparently do not matter to the NFL Players Association.

Rogues Gallery

2009-10-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

By now you have heard that the President has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Even Saturday Night Live, hardly a bastion of conservative thought, mocked the award. The British seem to think that this is a joke as do many Americans. Here are headlines from the Times Online, a British newspaper's online version.

Prize Fools - "The Nobel committee’s award to President Obama demeans the peace prize, appears politically partisan and should embarrass the White House."
Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight - "Gasps echoed through the Nobel Hall in Osloas Barack Obama was unveiled as the winner of the 2009 Peace Prize, sparking a global outpouring of incredulity"

Those are the rational reactions that reasonable people the world over had when the President was awarded, what is arguably the most prestigious prize in the world, without doing anything to earn it.

But this isn't the first time that the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded with questionable reasoning:

Al Gore - the 2007 winner was honored for his work on global warming (see previous posts here, here, and here). What does global warming, even if you believe in it, have to do with peace?
Mohamed ElBaradei - the 2005 winner was honored for his work leading the UN's atomic agency. Given the current situations in North Korea and Iran, his competence has to be called into question. His award was apparently the result of opposing President Bush.
Jimmy Carter - the 2002 winner was apparently honored for opposing President Bush or maybe it was for his anti-Semitism.
Kofi Annnan - the former Secretary General of the United Nations won in 2001. This is the man who presided over what was arguably the most corrupt iteration of the UN in its history. This is the same anti-Semite who accused Israel of deliberately bombing a UN observer outpost.
Yasser Arafat - in 1994 this murderer of Olympic athletes, hijacker of airliners, school bomber, and instigator of the gunning down of passengers in airline terminals at Rome, Vienna and elsewhere was the Nobel's committee for its leading peacemaker.

This award has become a joke after the Nobel committee has let politics ruin it. Sometimes I just hate politics. By the way the following individuals were nominated but not awarded the prize in deference to the President this year.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwean Prime Minister, has been tortured and imprisoned in defence of democracy.
Denis Muwege, a physician in war-torn Congo, who has opened a clinic to help victims of rape.
Senator Piedad Córdoba has mediated in Colombia’s civil war.
Greg Mortenson, American US army medic, builds schools for Afghan girls in places where warlords and drug dealers kill people for trying.

Any one of these individuals would have been a better choice. Best of all the choice would have been based on actual achievements.

Hat tip to Mac McBride.

Global Warming? What a Joke.

2009-10-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Looking at this list of stories making the argument against global warming seem pretty ridiculous.

Even the BBC (Britain's version of CNN or the New York Times) is wondering about the legitimacy of the global warming argument. Their story opens with these lines.

This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998.

But it is true. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.

And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise.

And all the while former Vice President Al Gore continues his maniacal search for relevance. What is it about facts and liberals? They are so good at cherry-picking their facts in order to confirm their politics. Facts that dispute their politics..... well I guess they just don't matter.

Gore Vidal Changes His Mind

2009-10-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

Last year Gore Vidal switched his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. Now he seems to be regretting his choice. In response to a question about how Obama is doing he replied as follows:

"Dreadfully. I was hopeful. He was the most intelligent person we’ve had in that position for a long time. But he’s inexperienced. He has a total inability to understand military matters. He’s acting as if Afghanistan is the magic talisman: solve that and you solve terrorism."

Gore Vidal is far from someone who was temporarily swayed by Obama's leftist views. He has always been a leftist. Look at this quote about Republicans from the same interview.

The Republican Party is a party when in fact it’s a mindset, like Hitler Youth, based on hatred — religious hatred, racial hatred. When you foreigners hear the word ‘conservative’ you think of kindly old men hunting foxes. They’re not, they’re fascists.”

Vidal is still a far-left wacko, but even he has discovered that the emperor has no clothes. I wonder how long it will take the American media to figure that out.

Democratic Fundraiser Sentenced to 24 Years

2009-10-07T02:16:00.000-07:00

The AP starts this story by saying "Former Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu was sentenced Tuesday to more than 24 years in prison by a judge who accused him of funding his fraud by manipulating the political process in a way that 'strikes at the very core of our democracy'."

He was one of the money raisers for the Clintons. Even our justice system finds this man totally corrupt and manipulative. Why couldn't Bill and Hillary pick up on that? The American press characterized this couple as brilliant; some even claiming that Hillary was the smartest woman in the world!

When will we be done with the Clintons? Will they ever go away? How many of their close associates have been imprisoned or are now dead? Although this proves nothing - only suggests that the Clintons are thoroughly corrupt - I don't remember the "incompetent" and "heartless" George W. Bush having associates like this.

Across Europe The Left Loses Clout

2009-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama and lots of Democrats wish that Americans were more like Europeans. Finally I agree with them. The AP has a story about the resurgence of the political right throughout Europe even admitting that in times of trouble, conservatives are more trustworthy.

"In times of insecurity, the right has credibility," said Enrico de Bernart, a 43-year-old man window-shopping near the Pantheon in Rome. "People trust the right or center-right even if you don't like their objectives."

I think I agree with the President for once. In this way Americans really should resemble Europe more. I think we already are.

Prepare yourselves for the coldest winter in a decade

2009-10-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Cassy Fiano, a great blogger, has a great story about the upcoming "coldest winter in a decade". Bloomberg reports it this way:

The U.S. Northeast may have the coldest winter in a decade because of a weak El Nino, a warming current in the Pacific Ocean, according to Matt Rogers, a forecaster at Commodity Weather Group.

“Weak El Ninos are notorious for cold and snowy weather on the Eastern seaboard,” Rogers said in a Bloomberg Television interview from Washington. “About 70 percent to 75 percent of the time a weak El Nino will deliver the goods in terms of above-normal heating demand and cold weather. It’s pretty good odds.”

Warming in the Pacific often means fewer Atlantic hurricanes and higher temperatures in the U.S. Northeast during January, February and March, according to the National Weather Service. El Nino occurs every two to five years, on average, and lasts about 12 months, according to the service.

Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators increased their net-long positions, or bets prices will rise, in New York heating oil futures in the week ended Sep. 22, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data Sept. 25.

“It could be one of the coldest winters, or the coldest, winter of the decade,” Rogers said.

U.S. inventories of distillate fuels, which include heating oil, are at their highest since January 1983, the U.S. Energy Department said Sept. 23. Stockpiles of 170.8 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 18 are 28 percent above the five-year average.

It seems like everyone in the know is in agreement - meterologists, futures traders, oil companies - while Congress is debating global warming. Meterologists have a pretty good accuracy where predicting is concerned. They certainly seem to be right a whole lot more than they are wrong. Politicians, on the other hand, have a lousy record at predicting. When is the last time that a politician predicted something and it actually came true?

Leftward Drift

2009-10-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

The American political climate has shifted left substantially throughout my lifetime. Andy Williams, a supporter of Bobby Kennedy in the 1960's, is now calling out Barack Obama. Is it because Andy Williams has changed or has the country changed?

The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K. has this story about Andy Williams and his belief that Barack Obama wants this country to fail. They quote the veteran pop singer as follows:

"Don't like him at all," he said, "I think he wants to create a socialist country. The people he associates with are very Left-wing. One is registered as a Communist.

"Obama is following Marxist theory. He's taken over the banks and the car industry. He wants the country to fail."

I always liked Andy Williams. Now I know why. Why do we have to go to the U.K. to get such stories? Could our left-leaning media be enabling this administration once again?

Habitat for Humanity Extravagence

2009-10-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Coming home recently from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) I went by the Habitat for Humanity airplane! Now this plane wasn't a twin-engine propeller plane, nor was it a Lear Jet like many large organizations have to quickly carry small loads of 15 or 20 people to a meeting. Its tail went as high in the sky as a Boeing 767. What is a charitable organization doing with a plane like that? It must cost millions to maintain, and millions more to purchase in the first place. Those planes cost something in the order of $15,000/hour to fly. I wonder how many people who contribute to Habitat for Humanity know that their contributions are going for such extravagance.

German men are 'world's worst lovers'

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is a hilarious article in Britain's Telegraph newspaper where women rate their men as lovers. American men are ranked 5th among the worst behind the Germans, British, Swedish, and Dutch. It could be worse. The Russians are too hairy and the Turks are too sweaty. But even they rank as better lovers than American men.

In case you were wondering, the Spanish men rank as the best and are followed by the Brazilians, Italians, French, and Irish. Hmmm.... maybe the French really are lovers. They don't seem to be fighters.

Without Bush, media lose interest in war caskets

2009-09-30T07:06:00.001-07:00

The hypocrisy of the left-leaning media is shown again in a wonderful article by Byron York in the Washington Examiner. He starts the article with the following:

Remember the controversy over the Pentagon policy of not allowing the press to take pictures of the flag-draped caskets of American war dead as they arrived in the United States? Critics accused President Bush of trying to hide the terrible human cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He then quotes Joe Biden and explains that the Obama administration changed the policy in April of this year. The press rushed in to cover the first arrivals but quickly tired of the story.

In April of this year, the Obama administration lifted the press ban, which had been in place since the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Media outlets rushed to cover the first arrival of a fallen U.S. serviceman, and many photographers came back for the second arrival, and then the third.

But after that, the impassioned advocates of showing the true human cost of war grew tired of the story. Fewer and fewer photographers showed up. "It's really fallen off," says Lt. Joe Winter, spokesman for the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where all war dead are received. "The flurry of interest has subsided."

The amount of coverage this has received in September is abysmal. No TV. Only one reporter present when allowed. York explains it this way.

On Sept. 2, when the casket bearing the body of Marine Lance Cpl. David Hall, of Elyria, Ohio, arrived at Dover, there was just one news outlet -- the Associated Press -- there to record it. The situation was pretty much the same when caskets arrived on Sept. 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22, 23 and 26. There has been no television coverage at all in September.

Could it be that the press has lost interest since there is a Democrat in the White House and the casualties are mounting? Nah..... they are objective journalists. That couldn't possibly be the explanation.

Socialists are Suffering More

2009-09-29T07:44:00.001-07:00

Even the New York Times is admitting that Europe's socialist nations are having a harder time with the recession than are the capitalist nations. They then find an inane way of blaming it on the conservatives. The logic they use is stunningly obtuse. According to the New York Times decades of the socialism is not relevant to their current situations; only the current conservative leaders are to blame. We hear that same kind of logic from the current administration.

John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey would be considered conservatives in today's political climate. In the 1960's they were considered liberals. This is evidence that the whole political spectrum in the US has shifted dramatically to the left over the last 40 years. According to pop culture this has nothing to do with our current problems; instead the Bush Administration (hardly conservative) is to blame for everything.

In reading the New York Times article you have to read between the lines to get to the truth. Focus on the facts and ignore the editorial comments and you will see that socialism is the cause of their problems. Imagine how bad it must be if the New York Times is barely able to hide the real cause - liberalism just doesn't work.

This is Disturbing

2009-09-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

This YouTube video shows an elementary school teacher leading her students in a song in praise of the President. This is more than disturbing.

An Unnecessary Operation

2009-09-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine turned me onto a wonderful article that factually disputes all of the leading arguments of the left over health care reform as they see it. Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard wrote An Unnecessary Operation that gives enough facts to enlighten your left-leaning friends.

Hat tip to Brian McCabe.

Glenn Beck's New Book

2009-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck is releasing a new book, Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government tomorrow. If it is at all like his other books it will be funny, provocative, and filled with information. I look forward to reading it.

Obama Reneges On Vow To African School

2009-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

We seem to have bought ourselves another Bill Clinton in electing Barack Obama. In August 2006 Obama was greeted as a hero as he returned to Kogelo, Kenya to find a school named in his honor. At that time he publicly promised the principal, in the presence of Kenya's Prime Minister that "I know you are working very hard and struggling to bring up this school, but I have said I will assist the school and I will do so."

The school's principal has been quoted as follows: "Obama has not honoured the promises he gave me when we met in 2006 and in his earlier letter to the school. He has not given us even one shilling. But we still have hope.”

The letter referred to was dated 22 June 2005, signed by Obama, and is hanging on the principal's wall in her meager office. She says that following his letter they made a formal request of the then Senator for his help in raising $105,000 to "bring water to the school by sinking a borehole and building a water tank, erect a perimeter fence, complete the science laboratory and add much needed new classrooms, additional latrines, and a school dining hall."

Since conservatives believe in helping people using their own money, rather than the taxpayer's, maybe we should organize to help these people. What say you? Does anybody know how to organize such a thing?

New Feature

2009-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've added a new feature at the bottom of each posting that allows you to vote on the post. The choices are 1) funny, 2) interesting, and 3) boring. Feel free to comment quickly about a post in this manner. I look forward to your feedback.

Suggestions

2009-09-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

What kind of posts would you like me to research and put into this blog? Please comment below.

10 for 2010

2009-09-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Laura Ingraham has proposed a repeat of 1994 when Newt Gingrich led the conservative victory at the mid-term elections with his "Contract for America." She calls is 10 for 2010.

1) Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR). Limit federal spending growth to the percentage in population growth plus the rate of inflation; provide taxpayers the option of filing a post-card sized return using a low, flat tax rate of 25%

2) End Tax-funded abortions. Stop federal payments to Planned Parenthood and prohibit any taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan from covering abortion

3) Defend American Borders. Complete America's border-protection initiatives using remaining funds from the so-called stimulus bill

4) King Dollar. Preserve a strong dollar so that Americans' savings aren't wiped out by inflation and the U.S. dollar remains the world's reserve currency

5) Empower American Business. Immediately slash corporate tax rates to 15% and scrap the corporate capital-gains tax altogether

6) Defend America. Strengthen America to defend our homeland and fully fund an operational, layered missile-defense system

7) Statism Exit Plan. De-fund czars; immediately cease bailout payments to failed companies; ban future bailouts

8) End Generational Theft. As few believe America's entitlement programs will be able to pay benefits to future generations, provide younger workers the choice of diverting payroll/Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts

9) Restore America's System of Justice. Introduce British-style penalties for frivolous lawsuits, where those who launch unsuccessful lawsuits are liable for the defendants' legal bills

10) American Energy Independence. All-of-the-Above strategy that embraces alternatives, expands and accelerates exploration and production of oil and natural gas, and jumpstarts dramatic increases in nuclear power

I find it hard to find anything wrong with this. If you agree with her, you can send this post to your friends by clicking on the email link below.

Reagan on Socialized Medicine

2009-09-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

The following is the text from a recording Ronald Reagan made in 1961. You can listen to it here. Be patient, it takes about 10 minutes.

Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people would adopt every fragment of the socialist program. There are many ways in which our government has invaded the free precincts of private citizens, method of earning a living; our government is in business to the extent of owning more than 19,000 businesses covering 47 different lines of activity. This amounts to 1/5th of the total industrial capacity of the United States.

But at the moment I would like to talk about another one because this threat is with us, and at the moment, more imminent.

One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project, most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it. Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We have an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.

So with the American people on record as not wanting socialized medicine, Congressman Ferrand introduced the Ferrand bill. This was the idea that all people of social security age, should be brought under a program of compulsory health insurance. This would not only be our senior citizens, this would be the dependents and those that are disabled, this would be young people if they are dependents of someone eligible for social security.

Now Congressman Ferrand, brought the program out on that idea out , on just for that particular group of people. But Congressman Ferrand was subscribing to this foot-in-the door philosophy, because he said, “If we can only break through and get our foot inside the door, then we can extend the program after that.” Walter Ruth said, “It’s no secret that the United Automobile Workers is officially on record of backing a program of national health insurance.” And by national health insurance, he meant socialized medicine for every American.

Now let us see what the socialist themselves have to say about it. They say once the Ferrand bill is passed this nation will be provided with a mechanism for socialized medicine capable of indefinite expansion in every direction until it includes the entire population. Now we can’t say we haven’t been warned.

Now Congressman Ferrand is no longer a Congressman of the United States government. He has been replaced, not in the particular assignment, but in his backing of such a bill by Congressman King of California. It is presented in the idea of a great emergency that millions of our senior citizens are unable to provide needed medical care. But this ignores that fact that 127 million of our citizens, in just 10 years, have come under the protection of some form of privately owned medical or hospital insurance.

Now the advocates of this bill when you try to oppose it challenge you on an emotional basis and say,Â â€œWhat would you do? Throw these poor people out to die with no medical attention?

That’s ridiculous and of course no one is advocating it. As a matter of fact, in the last session of Congress a bill was adopted known as the Kerr/Mill bill. Now without even allowing this bill to be tried to see if it works, they have introduced this King bill, which is really the Ferrand bill.

What is the Kerr/Mills bill? It is the frank recognition of the medical need or problem of the senior citizens I have mentioned and it has provided from the federal government, money to the states and the local communities that can be used at the discretion of the states to help those people who need it.

Now what reason could the other people have for backing a bill which says we insist on compulsory health insurance for senior citizens on a basis of age alone regardless if they are worth millions of dollars, whether they have an income, whether they are protected by their own insurance, whether they have savings.

I think we can be excused for believing that as ex-congressman Ferrand said, this was simply an excuse to bring about what they wanted all the time; socialized medicine.

James Madison in 1788 speaking to the Virginia convention said, “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

They want to attach this bill to social security and they say here is a great insurance program; now instituted, now working.

Let’s take a look at social security itself. Again, very few of us disagree with the original premise that there should be some form of savings that would keep destitution from following unemployment by reason of death, disability or old age. And to this end, social security was adopted, but it was never intended to supplant private savings, private insurance, pension programs of unions and industries.

Now in our country under our free enterprise system we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to another.

But let’s also look from the other side. The freedom the doctor uses. A doctor would be reluctant to say this. Well, like you, I am only a patient, so I can say it in his behalf. A doctor begins to lose his freedom, it’s like telling a lie. One leads to another. First you decide the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government, but then the doctors are equally divided geographically, so a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him he can’t live in that town, they already have enough doctors. You have to go some place else. And from here it is only a short step to dictating where he will go.

This is a freedom I wonder if any of us has a right to take from any human being. I know how I’d feel if you my fellow citizens, that to be an actor I had to be a government employee and work in a national theater. Take it into your own occupation or that of your husband. All of us can see what happens once you establish the precedent that the government can determine a man’s working place and his working methods, determine his employment. From here it is a short step to all the rest of socialism, to determining his pay and pretty soon your son won’t decide when he’s in school where he will go or what he will do for a living. He will wait for the government to tell him where he will go to work and what he will do.

In this country of ours, took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in the world’s history; the only true revolution. Every other revolution just exchanged one set of rulers for another. But here, for the first time in all the thousands of years of man’s relations to man, a little group of men, the founding fathers, for the first time, established the idea that you and I had within ourselves, the God given right and ability, to determine our own destiny. This freedom is built into our government with safeguards. We talk democracy today, and strangely, we let democracy begin to assume the aspect of majority rules all that is needed. The “majority rule” is a fine aspect of democracy provided there are guarantees written in to our government concerning the rights of the individual and of the minority.

What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can write to our congressmen and our senators. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms. And at the moment, the key issue is, we do not want socialized medicine.

In Washington today, 40 thousand letters, less than 100 per congressman are evidence of a trend in public thinking. Representative Hallock of Indiana has said, “When the American people want something from Congress, regardless of its political complexion, if they make their wants known, Congress does what the people want. So write, and if this man writes back to you and tells you that he too is for free enterprise, that we have these great services and so forth, that must be performed by government, don’t let him get away with it. Show that you have not been convinced. Write a letter right back and tell him that you believe government economy and fiscal responsibility, that you know governments don’t tax to get the moneys the need; governments will always find a need for the money they get and that you demand the continuation of our free enterprise system. You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen even we believe that he is on our side to begin with. Write to strengthen his hand. Give him the ability to stand before his colleagues in Congress and say that he has heard from his constituents and this is what they want. Write those letters now and call your friends and them to write. If you don’t, this program I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow and behind it will come other government programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country until one day as Normal Thomas said we will wake to find that we have socialism, and if you don’t do this and I don’t do this, one of these days we are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free.

Hat tip to Elephant Owners.

March On Washington

2009-09-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, September 12, 2009 there was a march on Washington DC in protest of the Obama administration's spending and health care plans. It is interesting to notice how different news outlets reported the number of participants in attendance.

The BBC, hardly a bastion of conservative idealism reports that "As many as one million people flooded into Washington for a massive rally organised by conservatives claiming that President Obama is driving America towards socialism."

This same event is reported by ABC as "Thousands of conservative protesters from across the country converged on the Capitol Saturday morning to demonstrate against President Obama's proposals for health care..."

What the BBC calls nearly one million people, ABC calls thousands. And that isn't the only instance. CBS labeled the event on their website as "Thousands Pack Downtown DC To Protest Spending".

Not to be outdone CNN at least referred to the group as "tens of thousands" in a blog (I couldn't find a story about it in their regular news section) but they couched it in terms of racism. "Obama doesn’t think the protests and the growing conservative movement against Obama are motivated by racism."

Is it any wonder that we have stopped trusting the traditional news sources and their liberal "agenda journalism"? What the BBC calls a million (the web page's title is labeled 'up to two million march'), American news outlets try to minimize by referring to it as thousands or tens of thousands. Does anyone remember the Million Man March? That event was covered for weeks, always citing the number of one million. Not many actually remember that the actual count was closer to 400,000 men according to the Clinton administration's National Park Service.

Why do you think the disparity in reporting exists? Can anyone say liberal media bias?

Record Number of Contradictions?

2009-09-11T05:00:00.001-07:00

Powerline's John Hinderaker has pointed out the incredible number of contradictions contained in the President's address to Congress Wednesday evening. Here is one example:

Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics.

Then, a few minutes later:

Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result.

The President first accused his opponents of using scare tactics; then he proceeded to use scare tactics. Did he think we would fail to notice? How about this contradiction?

[I]f you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.

Then he said:

[I]nsurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies - because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse.

So which is it - no change in coverage or a mandating a change in coverage?

I think one more should make the point. In this one the President says that young people might choose to opt out of coverage and then he changes his mind one more time.

Now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those - particularly the young and healthy - who still want to take the risk and go without coverage.

Then he said:

That's why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance - just as most states require you to carry auto insurance.

Once again I ask what are we supposed to believe - able to opt out, not able to opt out? Would somebody make up their mind?

This all makes me wonder what is really going on in the Obama administration. Do they think we are so stupid we won't catch the contradictions or are they so incompetent that they can't catch them before the President goes on national television? In any case do we really want to trust such people?

Jack Webb Talks With Barack Obama

2009-09-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

The video below is a funny, creative discussion between Jack Webb of Dragnet fame and the President.Hat tip to Brian McCabe.

Amazing, Just Amazing

2009-09-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

Supporters of the President are going way too far in their support for him. Things like civil rights and the Bill of Rights just don't seem to matter for many of them. When they do it under color of authority it is even worse. Get ready America. It's likely to get worse.

Kennedy's Death Will Help Us?

2009-09-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has put his foot in his mouth again. Now he is publicly announcing that Kennedy's death will help Democrats and their agenda.

As usual Democrats are stepping way outside the bounds of decency in order to advance their political agenda. Remember the Paul Wellstone memorial?

How about the prayer at the Kennedy funeral wherein they prayed for passage of health reform because the deceased supported it.

Can you imagine the outrage if the prayer at Reagan's funeral involved cutting taxes because the deceased supported it? What is wrong with these people?

I Will Not Convict

2009-09-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

If you are as outraged as I am at the political prosecution of CIA officers who served under the Bush Adminstration you can do something about it by clicking below. It is a petition telling the administration that their two-bit, banana republic, Chicago politician mentality of persecuting those you disagree with politically will not fly here. Hat tip to Hugh Hewitt.

I Hope This is True

2009-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Journalists who blog do not use the same standard while blogging so it is important to avoid reading too much into their blogs. Because of their name recognition, their blogs probably seem more credible than they rightfully should. I guess the basic logic is that if the story was strong enough for their employer that is where we would read it. If not, then they blog about it.

Jake Tapper of ABC News is blogging that President Obama has been more successful in de-commissioning terrorists than President Bush. Its an incredible thing to say given the historic weakness of Democratic presidents vis-a-vis anything military. Its even more incredible in light of the historic weakness of this president. But if it is true, then that is great news. After all it isn't important who gets the job done, it only matters that we succeed. If President Obama's team is succeeding, then I say "Fantastic."

535 to go

2009-08-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Rasmussen reports that 57% of Americans would vote to replace all of Congress. Make that 57% plus me. Only 25% would vote to keep them. That 25% is probably the portion of the country that has drunk the Democratic Party KoolAid. Like the 57% of Americans I am sick and tired of the arrogance that members of Congress have toward those who pay their paychecks. Long gone is the day when they understood themselves to be public servants.

Some people will object to what I am proposing because there are some members of Congress who have the right attitude and are trying to do the right thing. They are good people and have been well provided for with the Congressional retirement plan. They will be fine and we will miss them. Unfortunately there are casualties in war. And make no mistake about it, there is a culture war going on right now with the American left trying to impose their values on the rest of us even if they have to sacrifice our freedom to succeed.

So let's start a movement. All 535 members of Congress need to go. Unfortunately we can't vote all 535 members out next year since only 1/3 of the Senate is up for election. But we could vote out all 435 members of the House of Representatives along with 1/3 of the Senate. That would send a wonderful message and reassert the American people's supremacy - something I am convinced needs to be done. Are you with me?

Why I Love Liberals

2009-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love liberals. I think they are misguided, and I am convinced that some of their leaders are evil; but the typical liberal I love. Here's why.

The liberals I have known have all had a good heart. They genuinely care about the underprivileged, taking care of this planet, correcting injustices, righting wrongs, and making the world a better, more peaceful place. How can you not love someone like that?

The difference I have with liberals is how one attains such worthy goals. As a conservative I have the same goals although you would struggle to find that acknowledgement among anything left-leaning. And I believe most of my fellow conservatives feel the same way. We actually share similar goals. To not love liberals would be analagous to not loving conservatives. Believe it or not, we have more in common then our culture (media and political leaders) would have you believe.

Two Predictions (Revised)

2009-08-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

I predict that Senator Kennedy will not even be buried before the Democrats will be talking about getting him replaced. He can't help them now. The Democrats currently in power seem to think politics is more important than anything else in life - more important than propriety, more important than the truth, more important than life.

I also predict that because the knowledge that Nazis were Socialists is spreading like wildfire thanks to Rush, Democrats will soon drop the word "Nazi" from their lexicon.

By the way they were Socialists who took over the auto and health industries. Sound familiar?

RIP Senator Kennedy

2009-08-26T06:04:00.001-07:00

I certainly disagreed with most of what Senator Kennedy publicly supported but I understand he was a kind and gentle man in his dealings with his intimates. That trait is much more important in the long haul. May he rest in peace.

Astroturf?

2009-08-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has tried to minimize the grassroots opposition to the Obama Administration by calling it "astroturf". Astroturf is an "inside baseball" Washington euphemism for a corporate public relations campaign disguised to look like a grass roots citizen movement. By using this term she is attempting to provide the media the excuse they are looking for to ignore the Tea Parties that were held on April 15th, and the voter revolt the Democrats are experiencing in town hall meetings all across America as shown in this YouTube clip.

Her charge is false, the voter revolt started out as a spontaneous grass roots movement that later was joined by like-minded groups. But the truth is not part of how politics is played today. The American media is more interested in enabling the Obama Administration than it is in serving as the Fourth Estate that our system expects it to be. Finding out the truth does not even matter any more to most of them.

Now word comes out that the Democrats are trying to organize demonstrations in favor of the White House agenda. The Speaker is not calling it astroturf, but a genuine grassroots effort.

So let me get this straight. A genuine, unscripted, unorganized (in its initial stages) response to the Obama Administration is astroturf, but a scripted, organized response to them led by the Democrat National Comittee is not astroturf? My head hurts from the changing definitions. Grassroots is astroturf, astroturf is grassroots; can we stick with one definition for a least a day?

The Z in Nazi

2009-08-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

My entire life the American media has tried to portray right-wing extremists as Nazis. Their standard line is that extremism on the left of the political spectrum is first represented by socialism and if one continues down the leftward spectrum ultimately one arrives at communism; and extremism on the right of the political spectrum is represented by Nazism. WRONG!!!!!

Nazism in Geman means National Socialism, or in other words - left wing politics again! While it is true that the Nazis later aligned themselves with some on the right, they started out as an extreme left-wing political movement.

So the two worst political movements of the 20th century were both liberal movements - communism and nazism. At the heart of both movements was the suppresion of personal freedoms. That is primarily why I oppose liberalism today - it still is about oppressing individual liberty. I have no intention of mildly submitting to its heavy hand.

Bet you never heard that in school. You certainly never heard that in the American media.

Harry Reid

2009-08-23T06:40:00.001-07:00

My sister sent me the following. It shows her sense of humor because she is a left-leaning Democrat.

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California ,was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Senator Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory.

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'

So Judy recently e-mailed Senator Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

Man With a Rifle - Take 2

2009-08-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

MSNBC's Contessa Brewer made the man carrying a gun at an event the President attended into a racial thing when she said

At a pro-healthcare reform rally... wore a semiautomatic assault rifle on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip.... There are questions about whether this has racial overtones. I mean here you have a man of color in the Presidency, and white peopple showing up with guns strapped to their waists or onto their legs.

What Brewer missed is the photo on the left because MSNBC had cropped it (see top of image) so that the man's race was not identifiable. And you wonder why I believe the media is biased.

$9,000,000,000,000 in Red Ink in 10 Years

2009-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Obama Administration is changing its projections of how much red ink is going to be spent over the next 10 years to a number that is more in line with what everyone BUT the Obama Administration has been saying. As usual they are still trying to blame it all on President Bush, on whom some blame should fall. But it is getting old to hear the administration constantly blame someone else rather than accept responsibility. The buck should stop with the President regardless of party.

Democrat Politicians Are Amazing

2009-08-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

When Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts, Democrats in the legislature took away from him the ability to appoint people in the case of a senator resigning or dying. At the time they were hopeful that John Kerry would be elected President and they didn't want Romney to appoint a Republican as his replacement.

Now that a Democrat is in office, and Senator Kennedy is near death, guess what they want to do? If you guessed that they want to reverse themselves and give the sitting Democratic governor the authority they stripped from Mitt Romney just a few years ago, then you are right.

Public policy shouldn't be based on short-term political games. It should be based on what is thought to be best for the people. The blatant political gamesmanship of this should turn every American's stomach.

Same Old, Same Old

2009-08-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Didn't President Obama campaign on a theme of change? Then why is he paying off his supporters with this health care stuff? I thought it was about the American people. I'm not surprised, just disappointed.

Canadian Health Care Problems

2009-08-19T05:37:00.001-07:00

It is not good to be in Vancouver these days if you need surgery. Apparently socialized medicine isn't all its cracked up to be.

Last week I was in Europe and the British took great offense at the way American conservatives are portraying their 50-year old National Health System. Even members of the Conservative Party were saying how great it is. Today I learned that approximately 45,000 workers call in sick every day in Britian. That story never made it to Sky News last week.

The problem with this issue is that once it become political, the truth becomes irrelevant in many people's eyes. Right now, if you are a Democrat you are probably supporting the President regardless of the facts because you don't want to give a victory to the evil Republicans. If that is true, then shame on you. And the same goes for Republicans in reverse. Truth matters regardless of party.

Dumber Than Dumb

2009-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

CNN is reporting that a man carried an AR-15 to an anti-Obama rally outside of where the President was speaking. How dumb can one be? This either is someone who opposes Obama and is just down-right stupid or its one of Obama's supporters trying to make the opposition look like a bunch of crazies. In any case it is dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb!

Conservatives Now Lead in All 50 States

2009-08-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Gallup has a new poll out that has the number of individuals who identify with conservatism as being greater than the number of individuals who identify with liberalism in each of the 50 states. CNS News reports on this survey and the surprisingly quick turn around that has occurred since President Obama has taken office.

What is most disappointing to me is that it has taken a liberal to rally conservatives. Why isn't there a conservative leader who his capable of rallying people to their standard? Ronald Reagan didn't need the Democrats to build support for his views. He did it himself. Barack Obama didn't need Republicans to build support for his views, although he did benefit from Bush-fatigue. He did it himself. Now President Obama is building the opposition with his mismanagment of the highest office in the land.

While I'm grateful that people are coming around to my view of things, I find it mildly distressing that no one has risen up to lead the charge. The closest thing conservatives have to a leader are unelected talk show hosts. I like conservative talk radio, but they aren't leaders - they are broadcasters.

LDS Missionaries Don't Count

2009-08-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Census Department has decided that Utah citizens serving missions in foreign lands will NOT BE COUNTED in the upcoming census next year. Military personnel serving overseas are counted. Federal employees serving overseas are counted but LDS missionaries are not going to be counted.

Normally that wouldn't matter but the last time the census was done in the year 2000, Utah came up less than 1000 votes short of gaining another U.S. Representative in Congress. There are probably 1000 Utah missionaries in Brazil alone! A really bad guesstimate of missionaries serving outside of the United States would have put them over the top.

That year the Clinton administration wouldn't count them. This time its the Obama administration that won't count them. Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that Utah is the most reliable Republican state in the Union? Is this the beginning of the U.S. Government starting a new round of denial of civil rights to LDS Church members as was done in the late 1800's allegedly over polygamy? We'll have to wait and see.

Gratitude for Liberals

2009-08-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for liberals. Mind you, I still think they are wrong on most matters, but I am nonetheless grateful. Why?

Every political movement needs a moderating influence. That is the problem with dictatorships and authoritarian regimes throughout history. That is the problem with the Obama administration because they seem to want to criminalize the opposition. We hear the President telling the opposition to "shut up". Those tendencies are classic Chicago, gangster-style politics as has been practiced in the Windy City since the 1800s.

Unlike most liberals, I love hearing the opposition's voice. If it weren't for liberals I doubt conservatives would have ever given much effort on the environment, the under class, the peace movement. While I am convinced we have gone way beyond reasonable in most of these liberal areas, I am grateful for their voice because it is a voice that needs to be heard, and these were areas of our American lifestyle that needed to be addressed.

My difference with liberals is not on wanting to hear their voice - that is important. My difference with liberals has to do with when they are in power they have no respect for their opposition, like I have for them. A liberal would never write what I am writing - they just want the opposition to go away. Obama is just more open about it. Clinton tried to shut down the opposition with the "Fairness Doctrine". They too tried to criminalize oppostion. In this they were as dangerous as Obama. The difference is that Obama seems to want it more. Clinton's tendencies in this direction were dangerous, but he didn't push it. I'm not so sure about President Obama.

Ed Schultz

2009-08-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

Ed Schultz, probably the most successful national talk radio host, who happens to be liberal, claims that conservatives want Obama to get shot! Why is it that liberals are regularly doing irresponsible things like this and no one holds them accountable? Is it because the liberal media actually agrees with them? Ironically, it was Ed Schultz who only a few years ago publicly wished Cheny would die.

Are there some conservatives who want Obama shot? Probably. Were there some liberals who wanted Bush shot? Probably. But I doubt that it was ever more than a very small minority of extremists who felt that way. The public smearing of an entire group of people simply because you disagree with them is really getting out of hand. Remember liberals are the ones who are always claiming how tolerant they are!

I know very few supporters of President Obama. Most people I know disagree with most of his postitions. But everyone I know thinks it would be disasterous if someone were to take a shot at him. I may disagree with the man, but I wish he and his family the best of health.

Clinton Aides in Trouble Again

2009-08-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

The AP is reporting that Bill Clinton's former Chief of Staff has been charged with attempting to smuggle a knife and tatoo needles onto Arkansas' Death Row. The AP story is as follows:

Betsey Wright, a longtime visitor to death row, was detained May 22 after a guard noticed a small knife and a box cutter attached to her key chain, said prison spokeswoman Dina Tyler. A loose ink pen she had contained tweezers with sharpened edges, Tyler said. Inside a bag of Doritos, the guard found the tattoo needles.

Betsy Wright was Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff while he was Governor of Arkansas and she also later handled the "bimbo eruptions" during his campaign for President. She then went to work for a lobbying firm.

Why is it that so many people around the Clintons end up with legal problems yet the former President and First Lady seem to have very little? While this proves nothing, it does make me wonder what kind of people they really are in private. At best, they are well-meaning, albeit misguided, political opportunists. At worst, they think that they are above the law and have developed this attitude among those who worked with them. My personal view leans toward the latter explanation.

Day By Day Cartoon

2009-08-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Day By Day is a great political cartoon. It has four recurring characters: a conservative Texan, his Japanese-American wife, a black conservative friend, and his liberal fiancee. Today's cartoon points out the recurring theme of bullying by Obama supporters. Remember the Black Panther bullies in Philadelphia on Election Day. They are referenced in the final frame of today's cartoon.

Global Warming

2009-08-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is reporting that July's temperatures were below the long-term average for the last 115 years. This agency is part of the Obama administration, an administration that officially believes in global-warming.

The evidence that we have been cooling the last ten years is growing, Al Gore notwithstanding. Lets stick to the evidence and leave politics out of it and we might actually get to the truth. Once something becomes political, the truth becomes irrelevant.

President's Approval Rating

2009-08-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

From Drudge we get this graph of the President's Approval Rating from Rasmussen's polling data. It demonstrates a certain trend. His approval numbers are below George W. Bush's at the same stage of their respective presidencies.

Secretary Clinton is a Bit Sensitive

2009-08-11T03:24:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appears to be touchy about her husband rescuing the journalists imprisoned in North Korea. She was mistakenly asked what her husband thought about a Chinese trade deal with the Congo. Her defensiveness spoke volumes and was definitely not flattering according to ABC, hardly a right-wing bunch.

I think this reveals the worst thing that feminism has done in America. Rather than being her husband's partner, she appears to be his rival. The institution of marriage is demeaned when spouses act this way.