Read this posting from Investors Business Daily and try not to vomit. In recent weeks the Obama administration has stacked the deck with pro-abortion lawyers but now we get a guy who, among other things, sees nothing wrong with the establishment of Sharia Law in this country.
"President Obama's nominee for State Department legal adviser could be a future Supreme Court pick. He believes U.S. law should be based on foreign precedent, and even Shariah law could find a home here.
We have commented many times on the opinion of a number of U.S. Supreme Court justices that American jurists should include foreign law and precedent in their decisions. In several prominent cases, this has already happened.
In a speech in South Africa, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the March 2005 Roper v. Simmons decision, in which a 5-4 majority ruled against executing murderers who were 17 or younger, "perhaps the fullest expressions to date on the propriety and utility of looking to the 'opinions of (human)kind.' "
Koh: Man of the world.
More recently, Justice Stephen Breyer said: "We see all the time . . . how the world really . . . is growing together. The challenge (will be) whether our Constitution . . . fits into the governing documents of other nations." Whether our Constitution fits?
Agreeing with Ginsburg and Breyer is one Harold Koh, a former dean of Yale Law School who's been nominated by President Obama to be the State Department's legal adviser. He's an advocate of what he calls "transnational legal process" and argues that the distinction between U.S. and international law should vanish.
Koh believes laws of places like Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka should carry equal weight with the laws of Virginia and South Dakota, and that it's "appropriate for the Supreme Court to construe our Constitution in the light of foreign and international law" in its decisions.
He also believes foreign law trumps U.S. law on issues such as the death penalty. Echoing Ginsburg, he has said: "The evidence strongly suggests that we do not currently pay decent respect to the opinions of humankind in our administration of the death penalty. For that reason (italics added), the death penalty should, in time, be declared in violation of the Eighth Amendment."
In Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down that state's anti-sodomy laws, Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion cited a 1967 British parliamentary vote repealing laws against homosexual acts and a 1981 European Court of Human Rights decision that such laws were in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Agreeing with Kennedy, Koh himself filed an amicus brief in the case that argued that international and foreign court decisions compelled the Supreme Court to strike down the Texas law. Koh has also submitted an amicus brief to the Connecticut Supreme Court arguing that foreign precedents require recognition of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
He also values the opinions of the world's imams. A New York lawyer, Steven Stein, says Koh in 2007 told the Yale Club of Greenwich that "in an appropriate case, he didn't see any reason why Shariah law would not be applied to govern a case in the United States."
Koh thinks America is the bad guy on the world stage. He blasted Operation Desert Storm as a violation of international law despite the U.N.'s blessing. He supported the Sandinista move to get the International Criminal Court to force Congress to cut off funding of the Contras in Nicaragua.
In 2004, after Operation Iraqi Freedom had begun, Koh lumped the U.S. in with North Korea as part of an "axis of disobedience" regarding international law.
Koh says the Supreme Court is now divided between "nationalist" judges who believe our Constitution is the only one that counts and "transnationalists" who believe "we the people" should be changed to "we are the world."
The next appointment will tip the balance one way or the other, Koh says. He just might be Obama's first pick to fill the next vacancy. Neil Lewis of the New York Times last year said Koh was widely regarded as a leading contender.
This is the man who'll be giving Secretary of State Hillary Clinton legal advice. This is the man who could quite possibly be the next Supreme Court justice. This is Harold Koh."
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama's Speaking Style
By DANIEL A. CIRUCCI
What's one of the first things you think of when I say "Barack Obama"?
Gifted orator, right?
After all, it was his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention that catapulted him to prominence in the first place. And ever since then, he's electrified the nation and the world with his oratorical prowess.
That's the quickie version of the Obama the Orator story. But what if I told you that the president actually isn't a very adept or versatile public speaker.
Would you believe me? Well, let me explain.
There are basically four kinds of public speaking: manuscript, memory, extemporaneous and impromptu.
Speaking from a manuscript means reading a speech. The speaker rehearses from the manuscript, which he has in front of him during the actual delivery.
Obama is primarily a manuscript speaker. With his trusty TelePrompTer, he reads speeches and other remarks from a manuscript. The words are projected on several screens, and he reads the speech while looking from side to side.
MANUSCRIPT speaking is usually reserved for important or long addresses. You use a script when you want to be certain of your words or when the speech runs more than a few minutes.
But President Obama now uses a TelePrompTer for almost everything: brief introductions, opening statements at press conferences, quick explanatory remarks, even White House toasts.
Under these circumstances, the prompter often seems out of place and even awkward. It doesn't make for good photo shoots and otherwise compromises the coverage. Plus the president has to look from side to side (to the prompter panels) instead of straight ahead.
And, the equipment is hardly gaffe proof. Recently a prompter foulup reportedly had Obama momentarily introducing himself. Maybe that's why he tried to ditch it at his recent press conference. But he still used a large TV screen placed in the back of the room. No real difference.
Without a prompter or a script, the best way to be certain of what you're saying is to speak from recall. This means actually memorizing your remarks word-for-word and incorporating the appropriate inflections, pacing and gestures. It's what actors do. But Obama is not a memorizer.
The most common form of public speaking nowadays is "extemporaneous." This means speaking from notes. Your remarks aren't written word-for-word, but you have "cheat cards" that remind you of words or phrases that guide you through the key points of the speech. You take it from there. This is the method most experienced politicians use. You don't need a TelePrompTer. The cards are discreet and effective.
Finally, there is impromptu speaking.
This is when you speak off the cuff, called on without warning. You have no notes. You get up, think fast and speak on your feet. Only the most accomplished public speakers (and gifted trial lawyers) can do it.
Gov. Rendell and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are examples of especially effective impromptu speakers. They can think, gesture and elocute - even "read" their audiences, all at the same time.
But when called on to speak extemporaneously or impromptu, Obama seems not to be up to the task. Anyone who's heard him knows he often hems and haws, drifting into a series of "ahhhhs" and "uhhhhs" and "ya knows."
And even when he does a reasonable job, he sometimes seems to fumble his points - as when he said that small-town Americans "cling" to guns and religion. Or when he made fun of ex-first lady Nancy Reagan, wrongly stating she held "séances." Or joked about Jessica Simpson "losing a weight battle." Most recently, he created an uproar by saying that his bowling was so bad "it was like the Special Olympics.
PEOPLE spent years making fun of Ronald Reagan because he was an actor. But Reagan's acting experience taught him the art or memorization.
Plus, as a former TV host, Reagan was a master of the TelePrompTer. Over decades spent on the road as the spokesman for GE, Reagan skillfully honed a system of speaking from note cards.
And, when called on, he could successfully speak impromptu as well. Love him or hate him,
he was the master of addressing all sorts of crowds, formally or informally.
That's the mark of an adept, versatile, accomplished public speaker. By comparison, Barack Obama doesn't come close. *
Daniel A. Cirucci is a lecturer in corporate communications at Penn State Abington, where he teaches public speaking. He blogs at dancirucci.blogspot.com.
What's one of the first things you think of when I say "Barack Obama"?
Gifted orator, right?
After all, it was his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention that catapulted him to prominence in the first place. And ever since then, he's electrified the nation and the world with his oratorical prowess.
That's the quickie version of the Obama the Orator story. But what if I told you that the president actually isn't a very adept or versatile public speaker.
Would you believe me? Well, let me explain.
There are basically four kinds of public speaking: manuscript, memory, extemporaneous and impromptu.
Speaking from a manuscript means reading a speech. The speaker rehearses from the manuscript, which he has in front of him during the actual delivery.
Obama is primarily a manuscript speaker. With his trusty TelePrompTer, he reads speeches and other remarks from a manuscript. The words are projected on several screens, and he reads the speech while looking from side to side.
MANUSCRIPT speaking is usually reserved for important or long addresses. You use a script when you want to be certain of your words or when the speech runs more than a few minutes.
But President Obama now uses a TelePrompTer for almost everything: brief introductions, opening statements at press conferences, quick explanatory remarks, even White House toasts.
Under these circumstances, the prompter often seems out of place and even awkward. It doesn't make for good photo shoots and otherwise compromises the coverage. Plus the president has to look from side to side (to the prompter panels) instead of straight ahead.
And, the equipment is hardly gaffe proof. Recently a prompter foulup reportedly had Obama momentarily introducing himself. Maybe that's why he tried to ditch it at his recent press conference. But he still used a large TV screen placed in the back of the room. No real difference.
Without a prompter or a script, the best way to be certain of what you're saying is to speak from recall. This means actually memorizing your remarks word-for-word and incorporating the appropriate inflections, pacing and gestures. It's what actors do. But Obama is not a memorizer.
The most common form of public speaking nowadays is "extemporaneous." This means speaking from notes. Your remarks aren't written word-for-word, but you have "cheat cards" that remind you of words or phrases that guide you through the key points of the speech. You take it from there. This is the method most experienced politicians use. You don't need a TelePrompTer. The cards are discreet and effective.
Finally, there is impromptu speaking.
This is when you speak off the cuff, called on without warning. You have no notes. You get up, think fast and speak on your feet. Only the most accomplished public speakers (and gifted trial lawyers) can do it.
Gov. Rendell and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are examples of especially effective impromptu speakers. They can think, gesture and elocute - even "read" their audiences, all at the same time.
But when called on to speak extemporaneously or impromptu, Obama seems not to be up to the task. Anyone who's heard him knows he often hems and haws, drifting into a series of "ahhhhs" and "uhhhhs" and "ya knows."
And even when he does a reasonable job, he sometimes seems to fumble his points - as when he said that small-town Americans "cling" to guns and religion. Or when he made fun of ex-first lady Nancy Reagan, wrongly stating she held "séances." Or joked about Jessica Simpson "losing a weight battle." Most recently, he created an uproar by saying that his bowling was so bad "it was like the Special Olympics.
PEOPLE spent years making fun of Ronald Reagan because he was an actor. But Reagan's acting experience taught him the art or memorization.
Plus, as a former TV host, Reagan was a master of the TelePrompTer. Over decades spent on the road as the spokesman for GE, Reagan skillfully honed a system of speaking from note cards.
And, when called on, he could successfully speak impromptu as well. Love him or hate him,
he was the master of addressing all sorts of crowds, formally or informally.
That's the mark of an adept, versatile, accomplished public speaker. By comparison, Barack Obama doesn't come close. *
Daniel A. Cirucci is a lecturer in corporate communications at Penn State Abington, where he teaches public speaking. He blogs at dancirucci.blogspot.com.
Argyle Socks
Those of you who read this column know of my interest in searching out interesting obituaries. I'm a history buff and every so often I find an individuals life story quite interesting. Obits tell us about a person's life; their contributions to society. I read one this morning that made me laugh, sort of. Then I felt badly, sort of. There wasn't a whole lot about his life. The obit, itself, was not lengthy. In essence, it read this way: "he will be remembered for his love of argyle socks" C'mon! Is that all? I like argyle socks. I read this article then went to my dresser drawer. I own five pair of white footies, two pair of all-black socks and twenty pair of argyles. Please Lord, let me be remembered for anything other than my socks. I will think about my argies all day and wonder: What if, after I'm gone, someone says to Oscar, "what do you remember most about your Grandpa"? If there isn't anything about fishing, going to ballgames, playing with his cars, giving him more toys than you'd find at Toys R US, I'd be upset. If he says, Man, did he ever love his argyle socks I'm going to have him taken out of the will.
Scary Times
If a "Captain of Industry", Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, can be shown the retirement door by the President of the United States can a complete and total takeover by the government of our industrial complex be far behind?
Whether your immediate response to Wagoner is positive or negative only ask yourself, "what right does Barack Obama have to start dictating how capitalism is to work"?
We live in scary times, folks. I have to wonder what will be the next company to be on Obama's axed list. Any guesses?
Oh, by the way, Obama is looking to affirmative action to get more Muslims into his administration.
In summarizing, this is what we've heard from the Obamites in recent days:
1) we are largely responsible for the violence in Mexico. Our guns are in the hands of drug lords so we need more gun restrictions: 2) Obama wants to establish his own civilian army that is on equal footing with our Armed Forces and 3) we need more Muslims in this administration. It's like a game of scrabble: throw together any combination of letters and you can come up with any number of delectable programs to restrict our freedoms.
Whether your immediate response to Wagoner is positive or negative only ask yourself, "what right does Barack Obama have to start dictating how capitalism is to work"?
We live in scary times, folks. I have to wonder what will be the next company to be on Obama's axed list. Any guesses?
Oh, by the way, Obama is looking to affirmative action to get more Muslims into his administration.
In summarizing, this is what we've heard from the Obamites in recent days:
1) we are largely responsible for the violence in Mexico. Our guns are in the hands of drug lords so we need more gun restrictions: 2) Obama wants to establish his own civilian army that is on equal footing with our Armed Forces and 3) we need more Muslims in this administration. It's like a game of scrabble: throw together any combination of letters and you can come up with any number of delectable programs to restrict our freedoms.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
B.S. Jobs
Listen to the "Two Month President" speak about jobs for the future and it's dullsville. Take a stab at the ones, according to him, that will make us economically sound; those that will get us back on the right track? Well, if you've been paying attention they are, in no particular order, solar panels, wind turbynes, ethanol and, and, and----I can't remember the other. The reason for this is that they are benign jobs, non controversial; not exciteable; the same as "shovel ready jobs". In other words, "crap jobs"!
A few weeks ago Obama made a special trip to Denver, on your dime, to tout a small business solar panel company. What the MSM failed to mention was that this outfit was a damned commune: everyone, from the owner to the pencil sharpener, received the same wage. Every worker had the same company decision-making input. Everyone dressed like hippies. It was exactly what the Messiah was looking for; a benign, non-competitive operation. Solar panel jobs will be as popular as electric cars.
Yes! That was the other job that skipped my mind. When asked, "do we need electric cars", a great many will say we do. Electric car statements are also "benign statements.
Here's what you should think about electric cars: "Gosh, I wish I had one. Wouldn't it be fun to drive 40 miles then plug it in for a re-charge, then wait 24 hours so I could do it again"? Folks, if you ever think Americans are going to give up SUV's, well, think again. Cars in this country define a person's identity. If Americans could, they'd copulate with their vehicles. It's been this way since Ransom Olds yanked on his first throttle.
As much as I love Iowa and Iowans they've been duped like never before. Their own congressmen have fed them a a barrel of compost so big it's going to take years to recover. Those people have been led to believe that ethanol and wind turbynes are life savers for consumers and employees. Ethanol plants are shutting down faster than a 1,000 year old man on life support. It costs more to produce a gallon of fuel than to make a profit. Did I write that correctly? It would be like me working for a company and when the day was over I paid the owner money so I could come back the next day. Wind turbynes; the same thing. Initial cost for one of those 'bad boys' seen all over Iowa and Illinois farm fields is $75K. After six years refurbishing is required and that averages $21K. Did I mention that the wind has to blow continuously at 20 mph to have any positive effect? Wind in Iowa in summer, maybe. Humidity--always.
I retired two years ago from a company dealing with "rust belt" operations that caused this nation to grow and thrive: steel mills, refineries, paper mills, etc. In the course of nine days, within a thirty mile radius of Kalamazoo, Michigan eight paper mills shut down. This was in 2003. John McCain said it in the last election but few paid attention and those that did didn't want to hear it. "These jobs are never coming back," he said. The union mentality says, "There is no jobs".(my grammatical insert) What the American should be saying is, "I'll educate myself to qualify for a better position. I'll move to another area of the country where productive and necessary jobs are available". As I recall this is what brought so many of our ancestors to America in the late 1800's. Companies are going to zones with warmer climates and they are going to Europe. Businesses are relocating to countries with lower tax rates that induce the growth of business. So, what we have left are small businesses, 70% of which make this country productive. The problem is, the Obama government wants to destroy them with excessive tax rates and 'green' restrictions. In other words, they'll support companies that are 'snoozer' companies. Ahem! Did I mention solar panels?
A few weeks ago Obama made a special trip to Denver, on your dime, to tout a small business solar panel company. What the MSM failed to mention was that this outfit was a damned commune: everyone, from the owner to the pencil sharpener, received the same wage. Every worker had the same company decision-making input. Everyone dressed like hippies. It was exactly what the Messiah was looking for; a benign, non-competitive operation. Solar panel jobs will be as popular as electric cars.
Yes! That was the other job that skipped my mind. When asked, "do we need electric cars", a great many will say we do. Electric car statements are also "benign statements.
Here's what you should think about electric cars: "Gosh, I wish I had one. Wouldn't it be fun to drive 40 miles then plug it in for a re-charge, then wait 24 hours so I could do it again"? Folks, if you ever think Americans are going to give up SUV's, well, think again. Cars in this country define a person's identity. If Americans could, they'd copulate with their vehicles. It's been this way since Ransom Olds yanked on his first throttle.
As much as I love Iowa and Iowans they've been duped like never before. Their own congressmen have fed them a a barrel of compost so big it's going to take years to recover. Those people have been led to believe that ethanol and wind turbynes are life savers for consumers and employees. Ethanol plants are shutting down faster than a 1,000 year old man on life support. It costs more to produce a gallon of fuel than to make a profit. Did I write that correctly? It would be like me working for a company and when the day was over I paid the owner money so I could come back the next day. Wind turbynes; the same thing. Initial cost for one of those 'bad boys' seen all over Iowa and Illinois farm fields is $75K. After six years refurbishing is required and that averages $21K. Did I mention that the wind has to blow continuously at 20 mph to have any positive effect? Wind in Iowa in summer, maybe. Humidity--always.
I retired two years ago from a company dealing with "rust belt" operations that caused this nation to grow and thrive: steel mills, refineries, paper mills, etc. In the course of nine days, within a thirty mile radius of Kalamazoo, Michigan eight paper mills shut down. This was in 2003. John McCain said it in the last election but few paid attention and those that did didn't want to hear it. "These jobs are never coming back," he said. The union mentality says, "There is no jobs".(my grammatical insert) What the American should be saying is, "I'll educate myself to qualify for a better position. I'll move to another area of the country where productive and necessary jobs are available". As I recall this is what brought so many of our ancestors to America in the late 1800's. Companies are going to zones with warmer climates and they are going to Europe. Businesses are relocating to countries with lower tax rates that induce the growth of business. So, what we have left are small businesses, 70% of which make this country productive. The problem is, the Obama government wants to destroy them with excessive tax rates and 'green' restrictions. In other words, they'll support companies that are 'snoozer' companies. Ahem! Did I mention solar panels?
Friday, March 27, 2009
When Is Isn't
I can make this short. Barry O wants six billion dollars for Mandatory Volunteerism. Please explain that one to me, if you will.
Three Miserable Places
There are three businesses that absolutely test my patience. I'm not a very patient person, anyway, but when I go to a fast food establishment, the bank or the U.S. Post Office, my forehead gets sweaty and I get very, very tense. Some of it is my fault. The bank has the same impact on me as reading an insurance policy: B-O-R-I-N-G! When I go to Wendy's I invariably go to the shortest line which happens to be behind the band director for the University of Purdue and he's taking orders for 115 band members. It's always the same; short line, long stay.
Today, I went to the post office in Dublin, Ohio. There are three work stations at this facility. My theory is the number of workers at each station is directly DISproportional to the number of people standing in line. As an example, if there are four people in line all the stations will be in working order. Except, when it's my turn to do my thing then that one worker decides to take a lunch or potty break. Now, if there are, say 30 people in line, two of the workers, just to irritate us all, will leave and then we're stuck with one. This happened today. Another thing about Dublin; we are a diverse community. Since the first Honda plant was established close to our city limits we have a slug of Japanese. In addition, we have quite a few citizens from Pakistan. I don't know why Prince Harry got in trouble with insensitivity for calling them paki's but he did. In his honor I'll do the same. At my post office one of the workers is Japanese with a very distinct Nipponese dialect. More often than not I get this guy and, today, it happened again. He'll ask me a question and my answer is always, "Huh"? I can say, 'huh" with ten different voice inflections. It's something I've learned. After awhile I just say, "write it down".
Just prior to my discourse with the postal worker, he had to work with a lady who was a 'paki'. It would have been hilarious had it not been so sad; Two people with an attitude, barely speaking the language, arguing over zip codes and I have to decide whether or not to referee. I finally figured since they were originally from the same hemisphere they could work it out themselves.
While standing in line I had another thought. I looked behind me and saw fifteen folks of whom twelve had to be over age sixty.
I suppose many states have senior citizen discounts; 10% or something like that. Ohio does. It's called a Senior Buckeye card. In addition to having the discount card I'd like to have another common sense procedure. I'll call them "quick lines" and they're for folks who are 60-70, 71-80, 81-85, and then an 'automatically go to the head of the line' after age 85. I see these young kids in my line with all the rest of us and I want to yell at them, "hey, time is running out on me. That's why some of us don't buy green bananas". These kids have an entire lifetime to stand and wait while those of us in the "check out generation" are living on borrowed time. I don't want to be breathing my last at the the US Postal Service when I could be sitting on a downtown street corner park bench checking out the ladies.
Today, I went to the post office in Dublin, Ohio. There are three work stations at this facility. My theory is the number of workers at each station is directly DISproportional to the number of people standing in line. As an example, if there are four people in line all the stations will be in working order. Except, when it's my turn to do my thing then that one worker decides to take a lunch or potty break. Now, if there are, say 30 people in line, two of the workers, just to irritate us all, will leave and then we're stuck with one. This happened today. Another thing about Dublin; we are a diverse community. Since the first Honda plant was established close to our city limits we have a slug of Japanese. In addition, we have quite a few citizens from Pakistan. I don't know why Prince Harry got in trouble with insensitivity for calling them paki's but he did. In his honor I'll do the same. At my post office one of the workers is Japanese with a very distinct Nipponese dialect. More often than not I get this guy and, today, it happened again. He'll ask me a question and my answer is always, "Huh"? I can say, 'huh" with ten different voice inflections. It's something I've learned. After awhile I just say, "write it down".
Just prior to my discourse with the postal worker, he had to work with a lady who was a 'paki'. It would have been hilarious had it not been so sad; Two people with an attitude, barely speaking the language, arguing over zip codes and I have to decide whether or not to referee. I finally figured since they were originally from the same hemisphere they could work it out themselves.
While standing in line I had another thought. I looked behind me and saw fifteen folks of whom twelve had to be over age sixty.
I suppose many states have senior citizen discounts; 10% or something like that. Ohio does. It's called a Senior Buckeye card. In addition to having the discount card I'd like to have another common sense procedure. I'll call them "quick lines" and they're for folks who are 60-70, 71-80, 81-85, and then an 'automatically go to the head of the line' after age 85. I see these young kids in my line with all the rest of us and I want to yell at them, "hey, time is running out on me. That's why some of us don't buy green bananas". These kids have an entire lifetime to stand and wait while those of us in the "check out generation" are living on borrowed time. I don't want to be breathing my last at the the US Postal Service when I could be sitting on a downtown street corner park bench checking out the ladies.
The Deep South
Before any of you pass on into the next life I hope you have the opportunity to spend some time in the South. I'm talking "the Real South": not Kentucky, not Missouri but the place where the Confederacy still has some roots. A group of my friends, twelve in all, made our annual trek to South Carolina last week. It's a golf getaway and we either go toward Augusta, Georgia or Santee, South Carolina. On this trip we headed for South Carolina. My neighbor grew up in this area and she calls it the Low Country.
We always have a fantastic time on these trips. Who wouldn't? Any time I can plunk $20 worth of golf balls in the water, tramp through woods and marshes dodging copperheads, looking for errant shots while keeping a wary eye out for alligators and generally hacking around 18 golf holes, well, it's like a week at Disneyland.
I enjoy observing people and places and Santee is a good place to do so. The community is golf central for northerners; four courses, plenty of restaurants and, of course, the obligatory XXX facilities.
I happened to attend Mass at the Catholic Church in Santee. This took a lot of time on my part. The local yellow pages, under churches, listed 8,456 Baptist offerings. Under Catholic---nothing. I scoped out Santee and found St. Ann's. The church was located down a gravel road, just past a huge marsh in a state park. It was hidden to all except the most knowledgeable of locals. Lucky for me, I can smell a collection plate miles away. Baptists can make it tough on us 'Catlickers' but I was determined. I parked my car in the church lot, nose in. Maybe this is a Catholic thing only but when I attend church at my very large Ohio parish, worshippers, most of them, back in to their spaces so they can make a quick getaway. I kid you not about this: there were at St. Ann's twenty spaces, 16 cars and half of them were aimed to get out of the area ASAP. Where the heck were they going, anyway, and what's the rush?
Remember Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker or any of the TV evangelists of days gone bye? What one thing did they have in common besides wanting your social security check? Yep! It was hair. It was all poofy and swept back. Our thirty year old Catholic priest had poof-poof hair. He was very funny but his hair was funnier. Mass was good, I dropped some cash in the coffers(I'd won some bills on the course the previous day), and nodded to the pretty lady next to me. She sang hymns, I don't. Here's what else I don't do in church, be it southern, in Rome or any place else: I try not to shake hands at the "handshake of peace" and if I do it's done reluctantly. I usually say, "I have a cold" and people appreciate that even though, on my part, it's a lie-----in church, no less.
The best thing, for me, when in the South are young people, ages 23 and under. They are polite. They have been well-trained by their parents. They treat elders as if they were talking to their own grandparents. They say, "Yes, Sir and no Sir". They are a pleasure to be around.
Here's what I don't like about the South: how in God's name people eat biscuits loaded with icky chicken gravy at eight in the morning is way beyond my comprehension.
We always have a fantastic time on these trips. Who wouldn't? Any time I can plunk $20 worth of golf balls in the water, tramp through woods and marshes dodging copperheads, looking for errant shots while keeping a wary eye out for alligators and generally hacking around 18 golf holes, well, it's like a week at Disneyland.
I enjoy observing people and places and Santee is a good place to do so. The community is golf central for northerners; four courses, plenty of restaurants and, of course, the obligatory XXX facilities.
I happened to attend Mass at the Catholic Church in Santee. This took a lot of time on my part. The local yellow pages, under churches, listed 8,456 Baptist offerings. Under Catholic---nothing. I scoped out Santee and found St. Ann's. The church was located down a gravel road, just past a huge marsh in a state park. It was hidden to all except the most knowledgeable of locals. Lucky for me, I can smell a collection plate miles away. Baptists can make it tough on us 'Catlickers' but I was determined. I parked my car in the church lot, nose in. Maybe this is a Catholic thing only but when I attend church at my very large Ohio parish, worshippers, most of them, back in to their spaces so they can make a quick getaway. I kid you not about this: there were at St. Ann's twenty spaces, 16 cars and half of them were aimed to get out of the area ASAP. Where the heck were they going, anyway, and what's the rush?
Remember Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker or any of the TV evangelists of days gone bye? What one thing did they have in common besides wanting your social security check? Yep! It was hair. It was all poofy and swept back. Our thirty year old Catholic priest had poof-poof hair. He was very funny but his hair was funnier. Mass was good, I dropped some cash in the coffers(I'd won some bills on the course the previous day), and nodded to the pretty lady next to me. She sang hymns, I don't. Here's what else I don't do in church, be it southern, in Rome or any place else: I try not to shake hands at the "handshake of peace" and if I do it's done reluctantly. I usually say, "I have a cold" and people appreciate that even though, on my part, it's a lie-----in church, no less.
The best thing, for me, when in the South are young people, ages 23 and under. They are polite. They have been well-trained by their parents. They treat elders as if they were talking to their own grandparents. They say, "Yes, Sir and no Sir". They are a pleasure to be around.
Here's what I don't like about the South: how in God's name people eat biscuits loaded with icky chicken gravy at eight in the morning is way beyond my comprehension.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Single Moms
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2007 37.9% of babies were born to single mothers. I suspect liberals will congratulate these moms for their heroic actions facing insurmountable odds. We do tend to make bigger than life super stars out of single mommies. What we don't do is expose the sadness of these situations. Bad choices yield poverty. Girls, keep your legs crossed. Ladies, if the guy insists, a knee to the groin does wonders or, when all else fails, call the police----or your dad! In the event you become pregnant think adoption.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Healthcare Horror Stories
Healthcare Looks Like Medieval Medicine:
by James Delingpole in Human Events for March 23, 2009.
Victims left for hours covered in blood, denied pain relief; elderly cancer patients lying in their own filth; dirty, chaotic wards akin to "war zones"; a shortage of basic equipment, including trolleys and thermometers; shouting nurses; ill-trained, badly supervised medics; disease outbreaks; starvation and dehydration; mounting piles of dead…
Scenes from a hospital in war torn Chechnya, perhaps? Mugabe's Zimbabwe? Romania in the days of Ceaucescu? The aftermath of Antietam? The Middle Ages?
Why, no. This was an English hospital the day before yesterday. And the day after tomorrow -- if President Obama gets his way -- it could well be an American hospital too
All too often when I tell my U.S. friends just how dire the state of our nationalized health care system is in Britain, they assume I must be exaggerating for effect. "But we've English friends who tell us that it's the Envy of The World," some of them say (of which more later). "Come on, it can't be that bad. At least it's fair, and at least it's for free," say others.
Then consider, my friends, Exhibit A. The foul sub-third-world conditions I've just described came not from my overactive imagination but from a newly-published official report into the parlous state of affairs at two state-run hospitals in the central English district of Mid Staffordshire.
According to the report by the Healthcare Commission, standards of care were so "appalling" that between 2005 and 2008 as many as 1,200 patients may have died unnecessarily.
You should see the photo shrine the victim's families have erected on one of the walls inside the hospital -- like a mini-9/11 memorial; it's a heartbreaking sight. There are pictures of the loved ones while they were still smiling and healthy, their dates written underneath. And there are printed sheets detailing some of the myriad ways they suffered and died:
"Medication not monitored for side effects."
"Staff shouting, squealing and laughing throughout the night disturbing patients"
"Patients not helped to the toilet, told to use a bed pan -- staff too busy."
"Patients not fed or given fluids -- food trays just left on the table out of reach."
It has been described by the National Health Service's medical director as a "gross and terrible breach of trust" of patients, though why he should be so shocked is anybody's guess. It's not as though this sort of thing hasn't happened in Britain's magnificent "free" healthcare system many, many times before.
This, remember, is the "service" so poor that 55 per cent of senior doctors take out private medical insurance so they don't have to use it; the one where one in 300 hospital deaths is the result of a patient contracting an infection completely unrelated to the one they came in to have treated; where the cancer survival rates are the worst in the civilized world; where more patients die in hospital in a year -- 40,000 -- than were killed in the 2006 Iraqi civil war.
Oh, and it's also, let's not forget the "service" that costs the UK taxpayer £100 billion (about $140 billion) a year. That's roughly three times what we allocate for defense; and £20 billion less than we spend on our entire education system.
And if it costs that much in Britain, imagine how much more it's going to cost a country with five times our population size. Yes, I'm sorry, America: that means you.
Just four months ago, when I was writing my book Welcome to Obamaland: I've Seen Your Future and it Doesn't Work, I poured scorn on presidential candidate Obama's electioneering claim that his universal healthcare program would cost no more than $50 billion to $65 billion.
"If it costs you anything less than ten times that amount," I predicted, "Then I am Dr. Howard Dean's right testicle. His left one too: I'm that confident."
Fortunately for my wife and those others who have to look at me every day, it seems that I am indeed neither of the good doctor's testes. Already, Obama has set aside $634 billion of the federal budget to pay for your healthcare overhaul. And believe me, my friends, that will just be the beginning. As we've discovered to our cost on my side of the Atlantic, "free universal healthcare" is a gaping maw which is not only incapable of being satisfied, but, worse, actually seems to get uglier and more voracious the more money you chuck into it.
In its twelve years in office, Britain's socialist Labor government doubled its spending on the NHS -- allocating it another pounds £269 billion above the rate of inflation. Yet the waiting lists are just as long; the wards are filthier, more overcrowded and disease-ridden; and patient survival rates continue to plummet.
It's at this point that I ought to anticipate some of the comments which will appear at the bottom of this piece from one or two rose-tinted British readers. "Come off it," they'll protest. "It may be a basic service but at least it offers free healthcare at the point of
need, unlike in fascist America where if you haven't got insurance they leave you to die on the street…." or "How dare you insult our hardworking nurses" or "If it hadn't been for the wondrous NHS my beautiful, blue eyed child…" etc.
Yeah, yeah, all right so the NHS doesn't actually manage to murder every patient which crosses its threshold. Sure, its doctors and nurses can be nurturing and caring, but -- duh -- that's why they joined the medical profession rather than becoming, say, serial killers or
professional torturers in the service of Kim Jong Il.
But I should warn American readers to take the surprisingly widespread British affection towards the NHS with a hefty pinch of salt. It’s a legacy of wartime rationing, I suspect. Or twelve years under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The authentically cowed, pathetically grateful voice of a nation which has lived too long under the yoke of European-style socialism and forgotten what service and quality and value for money mean.
Which I'm afraid, America, is now the fate that awaits you under your terrifyingly ambitious "progressive" president. "Oh, c'mon. We know what we're doing. We're never going to make the same mistakes here," the people in charge of your new health program will reassure you.
Oh really? So you've, what, just invented this amazing new paradigm where a "service" run by big government doesn't result in massive waste, inefficiency, and tier upon tier of bureaucracy?
Don't make me laugh. The reason your president's universal healthcare program is going to fail is the same reason most state-run systems fail: because big government can never allocate resources as efficiently as the lean, mean private sector can. Because big
government doesn't care about people, only about systems. Because the bureaucrats and time-servers and coverers-up and apparatchiks that big government attracts are the very last people in the world you want in charge of something as important as your health, your well-being, your precious life.
by James Delingpole in Human Events for March 23, 2009.
Victims left for hours covered in blood, denied pain relief; elderly cancer patients lying in their own filth; dirty, chaotic wards akin to "war zones"; a shortage of basic equipment, including trolleys and thermometers; shouting nurses; ill-trained, badly supervised medics; disease outbreaks; starvation and dehydration; mounting piles of dead…
Scenes from a hospital in war torn Chechnya, perhaps? Mugabe's Zimbabwe? Romania in the days of Ceaucescu? The aftermath of Antietam? The Middle Ages?
Why, no. This was an English hospital the day before yesterday. And the day after tomorrow -- if President Obama gets his way -- it could well be an American hospital too
All too often when I tell my U.S. friends just how dire the state of our nationalized health care system is in Britain, they assume I must be exaggerating for effect. "But we've English friends who tell us that it's the Envy of The World," some of them say (of which more later). "Come on, it can't be that bad. At least it's fair, and at least it's for free," say others.
Then consider, my friends, Exhibit A. The foul sub-third-world conditions I've just described came not from my overactive imagination but from a newly-published official report into the parlous state of affairs at two state-run hospitals in the central English district of Mid Staffordshire.
According to the report by the Healthcare Commission, standards of care were so "appalling" that between 2005 and 2008 as many as 1,200 patients may have died unnecessarily.
You should see the photo shrine the victim's families have erected on one of the walls inside the hospital -- like a mini-9/11 memorial; it's a heartbreaking sight. There are pictures of the loved ones while they were still smiling and healthy, their dates written underneath. And there are printed sheets detailing some of the myriad ways they suffered and died:
"Medication not monitored for side effects."
"Staff shouting, squealing and laughing throughout the night disturbing patients"
"Patients not helped to the toilet, told to use a bed pan -- staff too busy."
"Patients not fed or given fluids -- food trays just left on the table out of reach."
It has been described by the National Health Service's medical director as a "gross and terrible breach of trust" of patients, though why he should be so shocked is anybody's guess. It's not as though this sort of thing hasn't happened in Britain's magnificent "free" healthcare system many, many times before.
This, remember, is the "service" so poor that 55 per cent of senior doctors take out private medical insurance so they don't have to use it; the one where one in 300 hospital deaths is the result of a patient contracting an infection completely unrelated to the one they came in to have treated; where the cancer survival rates are the worst in the civilized world; where more patients die in hospital in a year -- 40,000 -- than were killed in the 2006 Iraqi civil war.
Oh, and it's also, let's not forget the "service" that costs the UK taxpayer £100 billion (about $140 billion) a year. That's roughly three times what we allocate for defense; and £20 billion less than we spend on our entire education system.
And if it costs that much in Britain, imagine how much more it's going to cost a country with five times our population size. Yes, I'm sorry, America: that means you.
Just four months ago, when I was writing my book Welcome to Obamaland: I've Seen Your Future and it Doesn't Work, I poured scorn on presidential candidate Obama's electioneering claim that his universal healthcare program would cost no more than $50 billion to $65 billion.
"If it costs you anything less than ten times that amount," I predicted, "Then I am Dr. Howard Dean's right testicle. His left one too: I'm that confident."
Fortunately for my wife and those others who have to look at me every day, it seems that I am indeed neither of the good doctor's testes. Already, Obama has set aside $634 billion of the federal budget to pay for your healthcare overhaul. And believe me, my friends, that will just be the beginning. As we've discovered to our cost on my side of the Atlantic, "free universal healthcare" is a gaping maw which is not only incapable of being satisfied, but, worse, actually seems to get uglier and more voracious the more money you chuck into it.
In its twelve years in office, Britain's socialist Labor government doubled its spending on the NHS -- allocating it another pounds £269 billion above the rate of inflation. Yet the waiting lists are just as long; the wards are filthier, more overcrowded and disease-ridden; and patient survival rates continue to plummet.
It's at this point that I ought to anticipate some of the comments which will appear at the bottom of this piece from one or two rose-tinted British readers. "Come off it," they'll protest. "It may be a basic service but at least it offers free healthcare at the point of
need, unlike in fascist America where if you haven't got insurance they leave you to die on the street…." or "How dare you insult our hardworking nurses" or "If it hadn't been for the wondrous NHS my beautiful, blue eyed child…" etc.
Yeah, yeah, all right so the NHS doesn't actually manage to murder every patient which crosses its threshold. Sure, its doctors and nurses can be nurturing and caring, but -- duh -- that's why they joined the medical profession rather than becoming, say, serial killers or
professional torturers in the service of Kim Jong Il.
But I should warn American readers to take the surprisingly widespread British affection towards the NHS with a hefty pinch of salt. It’s a legacy of wartime rationing, I suspect. Or twelve years under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The authentically cowed, pathetically grateful voice of a nation which has lived too long under the yoke of European-style socialism and forgotten what service and quality and value for money mean.
Which I'm afraid, America, is now the fate that awaits you under your terrifyingly ambitious "progressive" president. "Oh, c'mon. We know what we're doing. We're never going to make the same mistakes here," the people in charge of your new health program will reassure you.
Oh really? So you've, what, just invented this amazing new paradigm where a "service" run by big government doesn't result in massive waste, inefficiency, and tier upon tier of bureaucracy?
Don't make me laugh. The reason your president's universal healthcare program is going to fail is the same reason most state-run systems fail: because big government can never allocate resources as efficiently as the lean, mean private sector can. Because big
government doesn't care about people, only about systems. Because the bureaucrats and time-servers and coverers-up and apparatchiks that big government attracts are the very last people in the world you want in charge of something as important as your health, your well-being, your precious life.
The University Of Notre Dame
I get a charge out of my kids, especially when they have want to express their opinions. All three of them are very christian, very successful, excellent parents and extremely clever with the written word. I had forwarded to them some thoughts and articles on Obama speaking to the 2009 graduating class at the University of Notre Dame. One of my sons came back with the idea that for Obama, to be the featured speaker at a Catholic university, would be the same as David Duke or Robert Byrd speaking at Grambling University or Madonna giving the address at Brigham Young University. Give it some thought and imagine the queen of material girls on the podium at Provo. Pretty funny, huh? Obama at South Bend-----not so hilarious, especially for those who follow the teachings of Christ. Shame on the Rev. John Jenkins, president of ND. The backlash against Obama as speaker has already begun and rest assured donations from alumni will dry up faster than a thirty second rain in the Mohave Desert.
Obama's Faux Pas
Zach Finken is the executive news director for the Chicago Sun. He is one upset and disappointed father and husband. He's not too happy with Barry Obama, either
"My son is a joke to the president of the United States.
That's how it feels after President Obama told Jay Leno his woeful bowling skills are "like Special Olympics, or something." The most powerful man in the world scored some cheap laughs on "The Tonight Show" by mocking people like my autistic 8-year-old.
Zach Finken with his wife, Deb, and their son, Jackson, at Walk Now for Autism at Soldier Field last May
Many will tell me that I'm taking Obama's screw-up too hard, that I should get over it. It was a throw-away line, a momentary lapse from a man whose every word is recorded and broadcast around the world. But how many racial or gender or homosexual slurs are shrugged off as "throw-away lines"? Words hurt. Words like these from the most powerful man in the world are devastating.
Yes, Obama has said he's sorry. He called the chairman of the Special Olympics to apologize. That's not good enough. When Obama made that crack, he showed where his heart really is. If this was just an "unguarded moment," then that means this is how he talks when the cameras are off. Jokes like this aren't a big deal to him.
I've bristled at jokes like this my whole life. In addition to my son, I have a profoundly retarded brother. Seth is 30 years old, can't move or communicate, wears a diaper. I wish he could be a Special Olympian, Mr. President.
My son and my brother will never be full-fledged members of society. My son may never have a job or a girlfriend or an apartment of his own. My brother definitely never will. But could they please, at least, get a little respect from the president?
My son is just a second-grader, and he's already an outcast among his classmates. What do the normal kids in my son's class learn from Obama?
They learn that my son is a punch line."
"My son is a joke to the president of the United States.
That's how it feels after President Obama told Jay Leno his woeful bowling skills are "like Special Olympics, or something." The most powerful man in the world scored some cheap laughs on "The Tonight Show" by mocking people like my autistic 8-year-old.
Zach Finken with his wife, Deb, and their son, Jackson, at Walk Now for Autism at Soldier Field last May
Many will tell me that I'm taking Obama's screw-up too hard, that I should get over it. It was a throw-away line, a momentary lapse from a man whose every word is recorded and broadcast around the world. But how many racial or gender or homosexual slurs are shrugged off as "throw-away lines"? Words hurt. Words like these from the most powerful man in the world are devastating.
Yes, Obama has said he's sorry. He called the chairman of the Special Olympics to apologize. That's not good enough. When Obama made that crack, he showed where his heart really is. If this was just an "unguarded moment," then that means this is how he talks when the cameras are off. Jokes like this aren't a big deal to him.
I've bristled at jokes like this my whole life. In addition to my son, I have a profoundly retarded brother. Seth is 30 years old, can't move or communicate, wears a diaper. I wish he could be a Special Olympian, Mr. President.
My son and my brother will never be full-fledged members of society. My son may never have a job or a girlfriend or an apartment of his own. My brother definitely never will. But could they please, at least, get a little respect from the president?
My son is just a second-grader, and he's already an outcast among his classmates. What do the normal kids in my son's class learn from Obama?
They learn that my son is a punch line."
Monday, March 23, 2009
Is It Armageddon
Is this a sign that Armageddon is upon us? Those elitist liberal naysayers from the New York Times, Frank Rich, Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd are seriously questioning the ability of our current President.
Ahnold & Friends
Just saw a nice article in Real Clear Politics from the Marist Institute which has a very reputable group of pollsters. Care to guess the top ten states' with biggest budget woes? Think about it for a moment. You will not be surprised. 1. California 2. Illinois 3. New Jersey 4. Massachusetts 5. Florida 6. Pennsylvania 7. Georgia 8. North Carolina 9. Connecticut. 10 New York.
Each of these states, minus Georgia has a Democrat as governor. Each of these states, excluding Georgia and Florida, is controlled by a Democrat legislature. All of these states in the election of 2008, excluding Georgia, voted Obama.
North Carolina, usually a hard core conservative state has seen an influx of northerners in the past decade. Roll over in your grave, "Tobacco Roaders": the South will not rise again.
Liberal governments yield liberal policies which bring about unlimited spending and high taxes. Even a lil' ol' Physical Education Major me understands this plan. I rest my case.
Each of these states, minus Georgia has a Democrat as governor. Each of these states, excluding Georgia and Florida, is controlled by a Democrat legislature. All of these states in the election of 2008, excluding Georgia, voted Obama.
North Carolina, usually a hard core conservative state has seen an influx of northerners in the past decade. Roll over in your grave, "Tobacco Roaders": the South will not rise again.
Liberal governments yield liberal policies which bring about unlimited spending and high taxes. Even a lil' ol' Physical Education Major me understands this plan. I rest my case.
Hubris-Glibness-Flippancy
I didn't see the interview on Sixty Minutes but I did hear clips. Steve Kroft even sounded dismayed at the raucous laughter given to us by this Clown when asked questions about my 401K, about the Dow, about my money!. He's in over his head. He has no concept of what the average guy and gal does to keep ahead. When he's off the teleprompter we get an actual look into the heart and soul of someone who only cares about himself. He's an activist and a community organizer. Remember the quote he gave in a debate about abortion as to when life begins: "It's above my pay grade". Well, the running of this country also appears to be above his pay grade.
It's Only Your Money
This story is too juicy, too lucious, too typical liberal Democrat to let go. Barack H. Obama and his administration of potential convicts, will spend more money than every administration combined. With emphasis I write: Every President from George Washington to George W. Bush will have spent a less amount of your money than we are allowing this guy to legally do: Recessions, wars, money giveaways, pork barrel spending of all kinds and varieties, man-made disasters, natural disasters! All of these scenarios combined do not reach the "stealing from your pocket" that you are allowing. As the old saw goes: you can look it up on snopes.com to verify. Actually, I didn't go to snopes. I got it from the Associated Press; no friend of conservatives. Suckers!!!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Our Dumb President
Rick Moran from American Thinker:
You may recall that President Obama committed a diplomatic faux pas by giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a box set of 25 American movie DVD's after Brown's gracious gifts that included a wood carving from a ship that helped end the slave trade.
But that is not the end of the Obama administration's stupidity - not by a long shot. Apparently, Mr. Brown had popped some popcorn and sat down in front of the TV to watch one of his favorite movies when, to his horror, he discovered the depths of the administration's amateurishness:
Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.
The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words “wrong region” came up on his screen. Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship – or “special partnership”, as we are now supposed to call it – by registering a complaint
A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him and he was still looking into the matter when my deadline came last night.
I don't think any "Keystone Cops" movies were included in Obama's "present, but the metaphor for this kind of stupidity is apt.
You may recall that President Obama committed a diplomatic faux pas by giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a box set of 25 American movie DVD's after Brown's gracious gifts that included a wood carving from a ship that helped end the slave trade.
But that is not the end of the Obama administration's stupidity - not by a long shot. Apparently, Mr. Brown had popped some popcorn and sat down in front of the TV to watch one of his favorite movies when, to his horror, he discovered the depths of the administration's amateurishness:
Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.
The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words “wrong region” came up on his screen. Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship – or “special partnership”, as we are now supposed to call it – by registering a complaint
A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him and he was still looking into the matter when my deadline came last night.
I don't think any "Keystone Cops" movies were included in Obama's "present, but the metaphor for this kind of stupidity is apt.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Jay Leno: Soul Seller
There is a very solid rumore floating around that Rahm Emanuel has been diligently working to make sure the audience for tonight's Obama appearance on the Jay Leno Show is rigged to have it jam packed with Obama supporters. This is not surprising but it does let us know that Leno will sell his soul to make sure he gets ratings. It also shows he doesn't want the President to be subjected to the possibility of raucus booing.
Obama-As Slimy As Hillary
One of my very favorite web pages is Ace of Spades HQ--if you can stand the sometimes raunchy language. Since it's(the language) directed primarily at Democrats, I can. Read and Enjoy-----------
Unbelievable...Obama Signed Book Deal For $500,000 Less Than A Week Before He Took Office
I guess we know what they were doing at the Office of the President Elect.
Not only does he get the cash, it's going to be a school propaganda project.
Mr. Obama approved the $500,000 advance on Jan. 15. The advance is against royalties under a deal with Crown Publishing, a division of Random House. The project calls for an abridged version of his book "Dreams From My Father" for middle-school-aged children, according to the disclosure.
A White House aide said that the deal had been in the works for weeks and that the publisher will abridge the book. The aide, speaking on a condition of anonymity, said the publisher will get half of the money while Mr. Obama will sign off on the final version.
In addition, the financial disclosure showed Mr. Obama brokered an amendment to an existing book deal with Crown Publishing to put off writing a nonfiction book until after he leaves office.
It's almost like the rules and traditions of the office don't apply to Him or something.
Imagine the media reaction if a Republican did something like this upon entering office
Unbelievable...Obama Signed Book Deal For $500,000 Less Than A Week Before He Took Office
I guess we know what they were doing at the Office of the President Elect.
Not only does he get the cash, it's going to be a school propaganda project.
Mr. Obama approved the $500,000 advance on Jan. 15. The advance is against royalties under a deal with Crown Publishing, a division of Random House. The project calls for an abridged version of his book "Dreams From My Father" for middle-school-aged children, according to the disclosure.
A White House aide said that the deal had been in the works for weeks and that the publisher will abridge the book. The aide, speaking on a condition of anonymity, said the publisher will get half of the money while Mr. Obama will sign off on the final version.
In addition, the financial disclosure showed Mr. Obama brokered an amendment to an existing book deal with Crown Publishing to put off writing a nonfiction book until after he leaves office.
It's almost like the rules and traditions of the office don't apply to Him or something.
Imagine the media reaction if a Republican did something like this upon entering office
Monstrously Anti-Life
This piece from Quinn Hillyer from the American Spectator, hopefully, will give all of us great pause as we contemplate the culture of death Barack H. Obama is presenting to the American people.
"Abortion is a tough, tough topic.
That's why I've never written a single column, in all my years as a journalist, directly about abortion. Oh, sure, I've touched on it in passing -- quick lamentations about the pathetic legal reasoning of Roe v. Wade and its embarrassing progeny such as the Casey case; reminders that the public strongly supports social-conservative positions on satellite issues such as partial-birth abortion, parental notice laws, and informed consent; utter opposition to making taxpayers finance abortions even if it violates their deepest beliefs -- but I've always avoided the central issue itself.
Until now.
The most radically anti-life administration in American history is on the march, trampling over every moral qualm of the pro-life community by forcing taxpayer funding of various abortion-related services here and abroad, weakening (and threatening to eliminate) the rights of conscience of those who do not want to aid abortions, making Catholic hospitals fear they might need to close down rather than abet what they consider to be mortal sins, appointing radically pro-abort officials to high positions, and reversing President Bush's elegant and thoughtful executive order on embryonic stem cell research. All of which should not surprise, considering that our president is so monstrously -- yes, monstrously -- anti-life that he opposed legislation to protect infants born alive after "botched" abortions. There's a more precise term for the actions defended by his Illinois legislative position: murder."
"Abortion is a tough, tough topic.
That's why I've never written a single column, in all my years as a journalist, directly about abortion. Oh, sure, I've touched on it in passing -- quick lamentations about the pathetic legal reasoning of Roe v. Wade and its embarrassing progeny such as the Casey case; reminders that the public strongly supports social-conservative positions on satellite issues such as partial-birth abortion, parental notice laws, and informed consent; utter opposition to making taxpayers finance abortions even if it violates their deepest beliefs -- but I've always avoided the central issue itself.
Until now.
The most radically anti-life administration in American history is on the march, trampling over every moral qualm of the pro-life community by forcing taxpayer funding of various abortion-related services here and abroad, weakening (and threatening to eliminate) the rights of conscience of those who do not want to aid abortions, making Catholic hospitals fear they might need to close down rather than abet what they consider to be mortal sins, appointing radically pro-abort officials to high positions, and reversing President Bush's elegant and thoughtful executive order on embryonic stem cell research. All of which should not surprise, considering that our president is so monstrously -- yes, monstrously -- anti-life that he opposed legislation to protect infants born alive after "botched" abortions. There's a more precise term for the actions defended by his Illinois legislative position: murder."
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
AIG-Phony Outrage From The White House
Politico has the scoop on the AIG bailout. Obama, Geithner and the rest of congress feigning surprise and shock are only trying to cover their collective tails. The bonus giveaway was no surprise.
"President Barack Obama and everyone else in Washington is in a sprint for the microphones to express outrage at the big bonuses for the knuckleheads who screwed up American International Group and threaten to do the same to the rest of the economy.
Obama wants to take every legal step possible to kill the bonuses. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wants the AIG executives to consider killing not just the bonuses but themselves, too.
Here’s something neither Obama nor Grassley answered in their bellicose remarks Monday: Why did it take so long for the president and senior lawmakers to get so worked up? More troubling, why did it take so long for them to discover AIG planned to give huge bonuses in the first place?
Watching the coverage the past 24 hours, it would seem AIG just made public its plans to give top employees big bonuses. Wrong.
AIG disclosed its retention-bonus program more than a year ago, including bonuses directed to those handling the exotic derivatives that got the company and the country into this mess.
The bonuses were essentially a nonissue when AIG got its initial bailout money, almost $150 billion under President Bush in the two months surrounding the presidential election. Joe Biden, then the vice presidential nominee, came out strongly against the bailout. Obama did not.
Timothy Geithner, then at the New York branch of the Federal Reserve, was a huge proponent and architect of the AIG bailout. So if Obama had strong private opposition to the idea it did not affect his pick for the person who would oversee all bailouts"
"President Barack Obama and everyone else in Washington is in a sprint for the microphones to express outrage at the big bonuses for the knuckleheads who screwed up American International Group and threaten to do the same to the rest of the economy.
Obama wants to take every legal step possible to kill the bonuses. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wants the AIG executives to consider killing not just the bonuses but themselves, too.
Here’s something neither Obama nor Grassley answered in their bellicose remarks Monday: Why did it take so long for the president and senior lawmakers to get so worked up? More troubling, why did it take so long for them to discover AIG planned to give huge bonuses in the first place?
Watching the coverage the past 24 hours, it would seem AIG just made public its plans to give top employees big bonuses. Wrong.
AIG disclosed its retention-bonus program more than a year ago, including bonuses directed to those handling the exotic derivatives that got the company and the country into this mess.
The bonuses were essentially a nonissue when AIG got its initial bailout money, almost $150 billion under President Bush in the two months surrounding the presidential election. Joe Biden, then the vice presidential nominee, came out strongly against the bailout. Obama did not.
Timothy Geithner, then at the New York branch of the Federal Reserve, was a huge proponent and architect of the AIG bailout. So if Obama had strong private opposition to the idea it did not affect his pick for the person who would oversee all bailouts"
Monday, March 16, 2009
200 Frozen Embryos Have Been Adopted
Rep. Steve King(R-Ia.) is a conservative congressman and the kind of guy I want leading a district. Since I used to live in his district I count him as one of mine. He, in this article from Human Events, adroitly explains how Obama has caved in to the Far Left abortion crowd on embryonic stem cell research. Obama has revealed himself to be a hypocrite, once again. My personal view is that I'm against any artificial means to create or destroy life.
On August 16, 2008, at the Saddleback Civil Forum, Presidential candidate Barack Obama entered into a memorable exchange with Pastor Rick Warren.
Pastor Warren: Now, let’s deal with abortion; 40 million abortions since Roe v. Wade. As a pastor, I have to deal with this all of the time, all of the pain and all of the conflicts. I know this is a very complex issue. Forty million abortions, at what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?
Senator Obama: Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
With newfound moral clarity, Obama decided last week that the question of when human life begins is no longer above his pay grade.Obama’s executive order rescinding the Bush stem cell policy, which limited federal funding for stem cell research that requires the harm or destruction of human embryos, showed no respect for the conscientious objections of life-loving, tax-paying Americans.
With Obama’s move, all taxpayers will have to pay to take the life of, and experiment with the tissue of, innocent human embryos. I and millions of pro-life Americans object, Mr. President.
I have held babies in my arms who had been frozen embryos for as long as nine years. They giggle, cuddle, laugh, play and love. They are as much a human being as any of us.
To date, over 200 formerly frozen embryos have been adopted by families. These “snowflake babies” are giggling, screaming, playful children. It is a glorious miracle for couples who imagined they would never experience parenthood, much less pregnancy and childbirth. Their parents do not think frozen embryos are medical waste.
And yet, that’s what Obama and proponents of life-destroying stem cell research would have you believe about the embryos in question. Embryonic stem cell research requires the killing of thousands of embryos -- persons at the beginning stage of life.
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research will not take a position on when life begins. If they did, they could not sustain their argument, because they know their research requires the killing of one human life for the possibility to helping others.
I believe we have a moral obligation to pursue treatments and cures for people with devastating ailments, which is why I am a strong supporter of scientifically sound, ethical stem cell research. What you will not hear Obama or liberals in Congress discuss is the absolute fact that other forms of stem cell research are resulting in treatments for people who suffer from debilitating diseases.
Recent research now allows a scientist to derive pluripotent stem cells through the reprogramming of regular skin cells. These cells are functionally the same as embryonic stem cells and hold the same research potential as stem cells from embryos, without the life-destructing effects of embryonic stem cell research.
Adult stem cells, which are extracted from umbilical cord blood, placenta, bone marrow, nasal mucosa, hair follicles and fat cells, are today successfully used in treating real people who suffer from Parkinson´s Disease, Crohn's Disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, strokes, arthritis, and numerous cancers, including breast, brain and leukemia.
And yet, this cutting-edge, life-saving ethical research is overshadowed by the radical agenda of America’s most pro-abortion President and a complicit media, all in the name of “progress.” But what kind of progress does embryonic stem cell research really bring about?
The American medical community has many times refused the results of critical research because the findings were achieved unethically. International standards for Permissible Medical Experiments are clear. The subject must be a volunteer, there must be no alternative, results of animal experimentation must have been proven successful, the subject must be able to voluntarily end the experiment, there must be no possibility of injury, disability, or death, and the promise must outweigh the risk.
Embryonic stem cell research violates each of these principles in a manner reminiscent of experiments at Nuremberg. It is morally wrong to destroy human life for the purpose of research.
Proponents of embryonic stem cell research like Obama say they cannot look a paraplegic in the eye and say “We can’t experiment on frozen embryos.”
I would ask our President to visit a family with a snowflake baby, hold that precious child in his hands and still say, “I wish we had".
On August 16, 2008, at the Saddleback Civil Forum, Presidential candidate Barack Obama entered into a memorable exchange with Pastor Rick Warren.
Pastor Warren: Now, let’s deal with abortion; 40 million abortions since Roe v. Wade. As a pastor, I have to deal with this all of the time, all of the pain and all of the conflicts. I know this is a very complex issue. Forty million abortions, at what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?
Senator Obama: Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
With newfound moral clarity, Obama decided last week that the question of when human life begins is no longer above his pay grade.Obama’s executive order rescinding the Bush stem cell policy, which limited federal funding for stem cell research that requires the harm or destruction of human embryos, showed no respect for the conscientious objections of life-loving, tax-paying Americans.
With Obama’s move, all taxpayers will have to pay to take the life of, and experiment with the tissue of, innocent human embryos. I and millions of pro-life Americans object, Mr. President.
I have held babies in my arms who had been frozen embryos for as long as nine years. They giggle, cuddle, laugh, play and love. They are as much a human being as any of us.
To date, over 200 formerly frozen embryos have been adopted by families. These “snowflake babies” are giggling, screaming, playful children. It is a glorious miracle for couples who imagined they would never experience parenthood, much less pregnancy and childbirth. Their parents do not think frozen embryos are medical waste.
And yet, that’s what Obama and proponents of life-destroying stem cell research would have you believe about the embryos in question. Embryonic stem cell research requires the killing of thousands of embryos -- persons at the beginning stage of life.
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research will not take a position on when life begins. If they did, they could not sustain their argument, because they know their research requires the killing of one human life for the possibility to helping others.
I believe we have a moral obligation to pursue treatments and cures for people with devastating ailments, which is why I am a strong supporter of scientifically sound, ethical stem cell research. What you will not hear Obama or liberals in Congress discuss is the absolute fact that other forms of stem cell research are resulting in treatments for people who suffer from debilitating diseases.
Recent research now allows a scientist to derive pluripotent stem cells through the reprogramming of regular skin cells. These cells are functionally the same as embryonic stem cells and hold the same research potential as stem cells from embryos, without the life-destructing effects of embryonic stem cell research.
Adult stem cells, which are extracted from umbilical cord blood, placenta, bone marrow, nasal mucosa, hair follicles and fat cells, are today successfully used in treating real people who suffer from Parkinson´s Disease, Crohn's Disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, strokes, arthritis, and numerous cancers, including breast, brain and leukemia.
And yet, this cutting-edge, life-saving ethical research is overshadowed by the radical agenda of America’s most pro-abortion President and a complicit media, all in the name of “progress.” But what kind of progress does embryonic stem cell research really bring about?
The American medical community has many times refused the results of critical research because the findings were achieved unethically. International standards for Permissible Medical Experiments are clear. The subject must be a volunteer, there must be no alternative, results of animal experimentation must have been proven successful, the subject must be able to voluntarily end the experiment, there must be no possibility of injury, disability, or death, and the promise must outweigh the risk.
Embryonic stem cell research violates each of these principles in a manner reminiscent of experiments at Nuremberg. It is morally wrong to destroy human life for the purpose of research.
Proponents of embryonic stem cell research like Obama say they cannot look a paraplegic in the eye and say “We can’t experiment on frozen embryos.”
I would ask our President to visit a family with a snowflake baby, hold that precious child in his hands and still say, “I wish we had".
Obama Spits On The Military
The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases
"It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."
The Commander, clearly angered as he emerged from the session said, "This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate ' to care for him who shall have borne the battle' given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies. I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America's veterans!
Contact: Craig Roberts of the American Legion Ph. 202-263-2982
One last thing: Obama wants to give FREE medical care to illegal aliens but is willing to dump on veterans and make them provide for their own medical care!
"It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."
The Commander, clearly angered as he emerged from the session said, "This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate ' to care for him who shall have borne the battle' given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies. I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America's veterans!
Contact: Craig Roberts of the American Legion Ph. 202-263-2982
One last thing: Obama wants to give FREE medical care to illegal aliens but is willing to dump on veterans and make them provide for their own medical care!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Obama : Dumb Or Naive?
This article from Brent Bozell III is much too long for a blog post but it so illustrates either the naivety or blatant lack of knowledge of this President that it begs to be published as a must read.
Bozell writes:
President Obama on March 3 said something remarkably stupid, wrong and politically tone-deaf. Our Obama-loving media either ignored it -- or actually quoted it without comment.
He claimed: "The stock market is sort of like a tracking poll in politics. It bobs up and down day to day and if you spend all your time worrying about that, then you're probably going to get the long-term strategy wrong."
The Dow has now fallen more than 50 percent from its peak. Last month, it saw its biggest one-month drop since 1933. Grandpa's retirement savings just half-vanished over the last few months, and the president is telling him it's just a meaningless blip.
This is not a poll -- this is all about the American people's economic future, or their present. The stock market is in its greatest free-fall since the Great Depression, and the president shrugs his shoulders.
How is it that no one on ABC, CBS or NBC found it bizarre to compare the Dow Jones index to a mere tracking poll? The answer is that they do, of course -- if it were uttered by a Republican. Stop and just think about how they would have reacted if those words were spoken by Dubya.
The media loved to mock George W. Bush for sounding too optimistic about the economy. They scoured John McCain for claiming the fundamentals were strong. They forced Phil Gramm off McCain's campaign for saying we were a nation of whiners about the economy.
But now, President Obama can tell America "don't worry your pretty head about the Dow Jones average," and no one in the media blinks.
ABC and CBS helpfully skipped the obnoxious "tracking poll" part of the Obama quote and picked him up seconds later: "What I'm looking at is not the day-to-day gyrations of the stock market, but the long-term ability for the United States and the entire world economy to regain its footing."
It gets worse. He also said, "Profit and earning ratios are starting to get to the point where buying stocks is a potentially good deal." That's just wrong. Stock experts call it a "price to earnings ratio." If a stockbroker told you to get into the market and mangled the market terms, would you be confident in his advice?
As Jim Geraghty concluded on National Review Online: "If Bush had said the above, it would be ipso facto evidence of his idiocy." But in this case, the networks ran it without correction. Are TV news stars that stupid about basic stock terms? Or did they merely play dumb?
Chuck Todd of NBC and John Ydstie of National Public Radio passively replayed both potentially damaging quotes without any pause for a critique. Todd exclaimed, "It's a rare day when a president hands out stock tips. But that's exactly what President Obama seemed to do today." He ran the mangled P/E ratio comment, and then served up the stupid tracking-poll quote: "At the same time, the president tried to distance his plans for reviving the economy from the market's movements."
CBS ran the "profit and earnings ratios" quote on the "CBS Evening News" and "The Early Show" in the morning. Katie Couric started her newscast with the pom-poms: "Tonight, President Obama says he's absolutely confident the economy will turn around and warns against worrying about the daily ups and downs of the stock market." Chip Reid's evening story at least ran a clip of GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite telling Obama what a lot of people are thinking: "It seems every time that a statement is issued by you, the stock market plummets."
Think about it. Obama's inauguration speech? The market dropped. Obama's first State of the Union-style speech to Congress? The market dropped. Obama's Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner tried to explain their underbaked bank rescue plan in February? The market dropped almost 400 points.
Even Obama's most fervent fans -- like Chris Matthews -- have put on the tube a chart showing the stock market's precipitous decline since Obama's victory. That is a sober political and economic reality for Team Obama, and no happy talk is going to fix it.
That's not to say the media cheerleaders won't try. The day after Obama's tracking-poll gaffe, ABC's Diane Sawyer began "Good Morning America" by proclaiming: "This morning, the confidence coach takes charge. The president himself challenges a weary nation to buy stocks as the first stimulus shovels plow the ground."
Are these news reports or White House press releases?
Bozell writes:
President Obama on March 3 said something remarkably stupid, wrong and politically tone-deaf. Our Obama-loving media either ignored it -- or actually quoted it without comment.
He claimed: "The stock market is sort of like a tracking poll in politics. It bobs up and down day to day and if you spend all your time worrying about that, then you're probably going to get the long-term strategy wrong."
The Dow has now fallen more than 50 percent from its peak. Last month, it saw its biggest one-month drop since 1933. Grandpa's retirement savings just half-vanished over the last few months, and the president is telling him it's just a meaningless blip.
This is not a poll -- this is all about the American people's economic future, or their present. The stock market is in its greatest free-fall since the Great Depression, and the president shrugs his shoulders.
How is it that no one on ABC, CBS or NBC found it bizarre to compare the Dow Jones index to a mere tracking poll? The answer is that they do, of course -- if it were uttered by a Republican. Stop and just think about how they would have reacted if those words were spoken by Dubya.
The media loved to mock George W. Bush for sounding too optimistic about the economy. They scoured John McCain for claiming the fundamentals were strong. They forced Phil Gramm off McCain's campaign for saying we were a nation of whiners about the economy.
But now, President Obama can tell America "don't worry your pretty head about the Dow Jones average," and no one in the media blinks.
ABC and CBS helpfully skipped the obnoxious "tracking poll" part of the Obama quote and picked him up seconds later: "What I'm looking at is not the day-to-day gyrations of the stock market, but the long-term ability for the United States and the entire world economy to regain its footing."
It gets worse. He also said, "Profit and earning ratios are starting to get to the point where buying stocks is a potentially good deal." That's just wrong. Stock experts call it a "price to earnings ratio." If a stockbroker told you to get into the market and mangled the market terms, would you be confident in his advice?
As Jim Geraghty concluded on National Review Online: "If Bush had said the above, it would be ipso facto evidence of his idiocy." But in this case, the networks ran it without correction. Are TV news stars that stupid about basic stock terms? Or did they merely play dumb?
Chuck Todd of NBC and John Ydstie of National Public Radio passively replayed both potentially damaging quotes without any pause for a critique. Todd exclaimed, "It's a rare day when a president hands out stock tips. But that's exactly what President Obama seemed to do today." He ran the mangled P/E ratio comment, and then served up the stupid tracking-poll quote: "At the same time, the president tried to distance his plans for reviving the economy from the market's movements."
CBS ran the "profit and earnings ratios" quote on the "CBS Evening News" and "The Early Show" in the morning. Katie Couric started her newscast with the pom-poms: "Tonight, President Obama says he's absolutely confident the economy will turn around and warns against worrying about the daily ups and downs of the stock market." Chip Reid's evening story at least ran a clip of GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite telling Obama what a lot of people are thinking: "It seems every time that a statement is issued by you, the stock market plummets."
Think about it. Obama's inauguration speech? The market dropped. Obama's first State of the Union-style speech to Congress? The market dropped. Obama's Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner tried to explain their underbaked bank rescue plan in February? The market dropped almost 400 points.
Even Obama's most fervent fans -- like Chris Matthews -- have put on the tube a chart showing the stock market's precipitous decline since Obama's victory. That is a sober political and economic reality for Team Obama, and no happy talk is going to fix it.
That's not to say the media cheerleaders won't try. The day after Obama's tracking-poll gaffe, ABC's Diane Sawyer began "Good Morning America" by proclaiming: "This morning, the confidence coach takes charge. The president himself challenges a weary nation to buy stocks as the first stimulus shovels plow the ground."
Are these news reports or White House press releases?
The 'F' Word
The following report comes from an excellent White House correspondent, Jake Tapper, at ABC News regarding poor ol' Joe Biden. Just seems he can't go a day without stepping in it.
"At an event at Union Station today where Vice President Joe Biden was heralding the $1.3 billion in investments in rebuilding train stations and passenger rails, a microphone picked up one of the former senator's myriad Senate colleagues addressing him, formally, as "Mr. Vice President."
That met with Vice President Biden's standard reply.
"Gimme a f*&$#ing break," he said, apparently unaware that the microphone was on."
Now, don't think just because I attend Mass on a weekly basis and, sometimes more than that, I have the holier than thou approach to the English language. I know the F word quite well. I grew up in the home of a railroad worker. My dad could string together words that flowed like poetry from the mouth of any rapper. By the age of seven I had heard the F word more often than most kids do in a lifetime. Truth be told, I use the F word and I say it quite a bit. Here's when I don't: I do not say it in the presence of my wife, my children or my grand children. I don't say the F word when with females or couple friends and, unless they've said it first, any male who I think I might offend. In other words, I set F word limits.
I do use the F word when I'm by myself and/or do something I consider quite stupid. If I happen to hit any finger with a hammer that's an automatic. Sometimes, if I take a fall or writhe in agony after spraining an ankle that scenario absolutely cries out for the utterance. I use it if I'm solo in my car and get irritated with another driver. I also use the F word a lot on the golf course. The F word, with emphasis, was spoken for the very first time in the late 1500's immediately after the very first golf swing. Bet you didn't know that.
"Mr. Vice-President, my advice to you is that you learn when to turn it on and turn it off". Pretend you're in the presence of the Pope. That'll help a bunch , you dumb f*#%er".
"At an event at Union Station today where Vice President Joe Biden was heralding the $1.3 billion in investments in rebuilding train stations and passenger rails, a microphone picked up one of the former senator's myriad Senate colleagues addressing him, formally, as "Mr. Vice President."
That met with Vice President Biden's standard reply.
"Gimme a f*&$#ing break," he said, apparently unaware that the microphone was on."
Now, don't think just because I attend Mass on a weekly basis and, sometimes more than that, I have the holier than thou approach to the English language. I know the F word quite well. I grew up in the home of a railroad worker. My dad could string together words that flowed like poetry from the mouth of any rapper. By the age of seven I had heard the F word more often than most kids do in a lifetime. Truth be told, I use the F word and I say it quite a bit. Here's when I don't: I do not say it in the presence of my wife, my children or my grand children. I don't say the F word when with females or couple friends and, unless they've said it first, any male who I think I might offend. In other words, I set F word limits.
I do use the F word when I'm by myself and/or do something I consider quite stupid. If I happen to hit any finger with a hammer that's an automatic. Sometimes, if I take a fall or writhe in agony after spraining an ankle that scenario absolutely cries out for the utterance. I use it if I'm solo in my car and get irritated with another driver. I also use the F word a lot on the golf course. The F word, with emphasis, was spoken for the very first time in the late 1500's immediately after the very first golf swing. Bet you didn't know that.
"Mr. Vice-President, my advice to you is that you learn when to turn it on and turn it off". Pretend you're in the presence of the Pope. That'll help a bunch , you dumb f*#%er".
Clueless
Michael Goodwin, hardly a conservative writer, has a column in today's New York Daily News. Even democrat strategists and some in the White House(anonymously) are asking the question: "do they know what they are doing"? Crimminy! It's only been fifty-four days.
Ask yourself a few questions if you will. What did you expect to have happened by this early date, if anything? Have you been happy with, and you know I detest the word, the "vetting" process for administration officials? How has the foreign policy aspect of this administration fared in early days with Iraq, Iran, Gitmo, China, North Korea? Are you pleased with the bailout funds going to the abusers? Will you support another bailout? Is Barack still the man? How focused is the administration on the real issues?
The big question is, and I know it's very early in the game, how long will it take for you to openly admit the words, "buyers remorse"?
Ask yourself a few questions if you will. What did you expect to have happened by this early date, if anything? Have you been happy with, and you know I detest the word, the "vetting" process for administration officials? How has the foreign policy aspect of this administration fared in early days with Iraq, Iran, Gitmo, China, North Korea? Are you pleased with the bailout funds going to the abusers? Will you support another bailout? Is Barack still the man? How focused is the administration on the real issues?
The big question is, and I know it's very early in the game, how long will it take for you to openly admit the words, "buyers remorse"?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Dublin Ohio Parade
I was a part of a prestigious celebration today and wasn't aware of it until eight hours later. In checking out the website for The Quad-Cities in Iowa I saw an article about how the communities of Rock Island in Illinois and Davenport Iowa, according to "The Dublin Society", have the 13th best St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world. Hey, I thought. That's sort of neat considering I used to live in Davenport, one of five communities in the Quad Cities. Don't argue with me about 'Quad'. Five into a Quad makes about as much sense as The Big Ten having eleven teams. Just get over it. The point for me was my family lived in Davenport for fifteen years and I didn't even know we had anything to do with St. Paddy's Day.
Regardless, I continued reading and lo and behold, Dublin, Ohio, our current burg of forty thousand, is considered to be #8 on the list for great parades IN THE WORLD. I had the grand kids enjoying all the festivities and was not aware that our town was a big-timer. I have never been a huge fan of parades. Seriously, who except a three year old, gets excited about fire engines with sirens, marching bands, pre-teen girls with batons, two or three politicians waving at the populace---like we care, kids on stilts and an array of Shriner's clowns ? Not me, anyway. Unless, of course, they gave out great candy which these guys didn't. What surprised me most and I mentioned this to my son standing next to me, "why would the parade committee have a group of 12 horses stationed in the very middle of the parade? Either give 'em a diaper or put 'em at the end. And, for God's sake, give shovels to adults not ten year olds.
If you're interested, the top ten St. Paddy's Parade cities are: Chicago, Dublin, Ireland, New York City, Savannah, Ga., Hot Springs, Arkansas, Boston, Philly, Dublin, Ohio, New Dublin, Wisconsin and San Francisco. Bet you'd see some real freaks in that side show.
Regardless, I continued reading and lo and behold, Dublin, Ohio, our current burg of forty thousand, is considered to be #8 on the list for great parades IN THE WORLD. I had the grand kids enjoying all the festivities and was not aware that our town was a big-timer. I have never been a huge fan of parades. Seriously, who except a three year old, gets excited about fire engines with sirens, marching bands, pre-teen girls with batons, two or three politicians waving at the populace---like we care, kids on stilts and an array of Shriner's clowns ? Not me, anyway. Unless, of course, they gave out great candy which these guys didn't. What surprised me most and I mentioned this to my son standing next to me, "why would the parade committee have a group of 12 horses stationed in the very middle of the parade? Either give 'em a diaper or put 'em at the end. And, for God's sake, give shovels to adults not ten year olds.
If you're interested, the top ten St. Paddy's Parade cities are: Chicago, Dublin, Ireland, New York City, Savannah, Ga., Hot Springs, Arkansas, Boston, Philly, Dublin, Ohio, New Dublin, Wisconsin and San Francisco. Bet you'd see some real freaks in that side show.
Democrats Partner With The UN Against The US
From our good friends at Canada Free Press who do a better job of looking out for our interests than the mainstream media. Not only did the United Nations tell us we weren't doing our part the Democrats caved on taxes.
While media obsessed about Rush Limbaugh and Congress obsessed about how much pork could be stuffed down the throats of U.S. taxpayers, Democrats in Congress paved the way for the United Nations to use U.S. funds from appropriations bills to pursue global tax schemes. GOP stalwart Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) seemed astonished when a preventive amendment he introduced to the Omnibus Appropriations bill failed by a 43-51 vote. This wasn’t an unusual amendment.
Inhofe’s announcement said, “This provision has appeared in every annual appropriations bill since 1996, and this year marks the first time an annual appropriations bill will not contain this policy.” Will taxpayers soon see a new line item whereby we owe the UN on top of the new administration’s planned tax increases?
Inhofe also said prohibiting U.S. taxpayers funding UN global taxes in annual appropriations bills has been a bipartisan U.S. policy that began over a decade ago under the Clinton administration. He continued, “My amendment to the FY ’09 omnibus appropriations bill would have reinstated this important U.S. policy and ensured that officials at the UN and other international bureaucracies who receive generous funding from US taxpayers do not pursue or implement policies of international taxes on US taxpayers.” Inhofe said he was “disappointed” the Democratic majority in the Senate reversed course on this “longstanding US policy.”
Inhofe’s Mar. 4 floor speech explained the situation clearly. “In addition, in the last two Congresses, I introduced what is known as the Helms-Biden Reauthorization Act, which withholds 20% of the US funding for the UN until the President certifies that the UN is not pursuing taxes on US citizens. I am preparing to reintroduce this legislation and have 10 original cosponsors so far.
“The ‘findings’ section of the Helms-Biden reauthorization bill contains 70 sections describing the different international tax schemes that have been under discussion among UN bureaucrats, academics, and foreign countries. Sometimes the language is cloaked to disguise the true design, but these proposals can often be found in UN literature as ‘innovative sources of financing.’ This means international taxes.
“As recently as 2005, however, the language is more explicit. The 2005 Human Development Report envisions ‘raising additional revenue through international taxation mechanisms.’
It’s obvious the Democrats in Congress not only want to raise domestic taxes. They have created a deliberate loophole for the UN to tax us as well. Establishment media ignored this story.
While you (and establishment media) were sleeping, Ban Ki-moon slipped his hands in your pocket, and then he had the nerve to call you a deadbeat. A lone Republican tried to do something about it. No one from the other party reached across the aisle even though doing so would have clearly protected the interests of the Americans they represent
While media obsessed about Rush Limbaugh and Congress obsessed about how much pork could be stuffed down the throats of U.S. taxpayers, Democrats in Congress paved the way for the United Nations to use U.S. funds from appropriations bills to pursue global tax schemes. GOP stalwart Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) seemed astonished when a preventive amendment he introduced to the Omnibus Appropriations bill failed by a 43-51 vote. This wasn’t an unusual amendment.
Inhofe’s announcement said, “This provision has appeared in every annual appropriations bill since 1996, and this year marks the first time an annual appropriations bill will not contain this policy.” Will taxpayers soon see a new line item whereby we owe the UN on top of the new administration’s planned tax increases?
Inhofe also said prohibiting U.S. taxpayers funding UN global taxes in annual appropriations bills has been a bipartisan U.S. policy that began over a decade ago under the Clinton administration. He continued, “My amendment to the FY ’09 omnibus appropriations bill would have reinstated this important U.S. policy and ensured that officials at the UN and other international bureaucracies who receive generous funding from US taxpayers do not pursue or implement policies of international taxes on US taxpayers.” Inhofe said he was “disappointed” the Democratic majority in the Senate reversed course on this “longstanding US policy.”
Inhofe’s Mar. 4 floor speech explained the situation clearly. “In addition, in the last two Congresses, I introduced what is known as the Helms-Biden Reauthorization Act, which withholds 20% of the US funding for the UN until the President certifies that the UN is not pursuing taxes on US citizens. I am preparing to reintroduce this legislation and have 10 original cosponsors so far.
“The ‘findings’ section of the Helms-Biden reauthorization bill contains 70 sections describing the different international tax schemes that have been under discussion among UN bureaucrats, academics, and foreign countries. Sometimes the language is cloaked to disguise the true design, but these proposals can often be found in UN literature as ‘innovative sources of financing.’ This means international taxes.
“As recently as 2005, however, the language is more explicit. The 2005 Human Development Report envisions ‘raising additional revenue through international taxation mechanisms.’
It’s obvious the Democrats in Congress not only want to raise domestic taxes. They have created a deliberate loophole for the UN to tax us as well. Establishment media ignored this story.
While you (and establishment media) were sleeping, Ban Ki-moon slipped his hands in your pocket, and then he had the nerve to call you a deadbeat. A lone Republican tried to do something about it. No one from the other party reached across the aisle even though doing so would have clearly protected the interests of the Americans they represent
Future Jobs
Can't cite the sources so you'll have to trust my memory. I've read a bit lately on most jobs for the future. Try and guess what they might be. I was correct on a couple. I made the prediction on one of them in 1975.
Marketing Managers: This sounds good to me since one of my sons is in this type of career. I really clueless about his job and what he does. Just so he doesn't come to me with an open palm I'm happy.
Government positions: Duh!
Nursing: Of course, this would be one. It goes hand in hand with the one I predicted in 1975 and that would be;
The Funeral Industry: Two words to describe this and they are 'baby boomers'.
Teachers: Only due to the fact that it's a feel good thing. The government throws cash at "the children" to make us all feel better. If the liberals get their wish there will be scads of open positions, especially if universal pre-school becomes a part of the curriculum. Lord help us on this aspect of education. Make up a sentence of proof by yourself. "The government did such a fantastic job in running the postal system we'll let them run universal education." You can substitute any number of programs: welfare, medicare, ADC, amtrak, social security. Shoot! Congress even tried to run the congressional cafeteria by themselves in 2006; lost $40K the first year and had to turn it over to a private company to make a profit----which they did. Don't include the military in it's ability to wage war, though. That's about the only thing Congress can't screw up. The generals won't let them.
Marketing Managers: This sounds good to me since one of my sons is in this type of career. I really clueless about his job and what he does. Just so he doesn't come to me with an open palm I'm happy.
Government positions: Duh!
Nursing: Of course, this would be one. It goes hand in hand with the one I predicted in 1975 and that would be;
The Funeral Industry: Two words to describe this and they are 'baby boomers'.
Teachers: Only due to the fact that it's a feel good thing. The government throws cash at "the children" to make us all feel better. If the liberals get their wish there will be scads of open positions, especially if universal pre-school becomes a part of the curriculum. Lord help us on this aspect of education. Make up a sentence of proof by yourself. "The government did such a fantastic job in running the postal system we'll let them run universal education." You can substitute any number of programs: welfare, medicare, ADC, amtrak, social security. Shoot! Congress even tried to run the congressional cafeteria by themselves in 2006; lost $40K the first year and had to turn it over to a private company to make a profit----which they did. Don't include the military in it's ability to wage war, though. That's about the only thing Congress can't screw up. The generals won't let them.
Friday, March 13, 2009
My Friend's Mom
Today is one of reflection. I received a message from a long time friend, Steve, inquiring about changes in my e-mail. Steve and I go back to 1951 so it's safe to say we have a history. He's a very interesting man who worked for IBM; lived around the world and has more stories to tell than Samuel Clemens. We're both good at self-deprecating humor. It's fun when we can laugh at each others foibles. Anyway, have you ever thought about one person then your thoughts gravitate to another? I did it this morning. I started thinking about Steve then moved quickly to his mother. Her name was Josephine. She always said I was like her third son. She died a few years ago. I think it was three and she might have been 92 years young. Time goes by so quickly anymore.
Please recall I grew up in a railroad town of twelve thousand and hardly the fashion center of the world. Walk down Story Street and you'll see plenty of plaid shirts, work boots, bib overalls and John Deere caps. The men, however, don't dress as well.
Josephine managed the nicest women's dress shop in Boone, Iowa. She was the most elegant woman I've known. Look up all the definitions for 'elegant' and you get a handle on what I mean: grand, beautiful, rare, nice, handsome. Some of you may call me crazy and say,"what about Jackie O"? Others would call out Princess Di. Uh-uh! They were required to bring attention to themselves. All Mrs. J wanted to do was be a good christian lady, a devoted wife and a good mother to two sons. She did it better than most and with such ease and dignity. Josephine was a tall lady with an emphasis on the word 'lady'. She wore stylish clothes and the right amount of make-up. I can never remember her saying one negative about anyone.(Not even a Democrat) She never raised her voice in disgust in all the years I knew her. Lord knows Steve and I gave her enough reason. She made us all welcome in her home and, just for me, she always kept the candy dish full. Please don't mention this to anyone but I'm a romantic at heart. When Steve's mom passed away, he and his brother packed up that very same candy dish and mailed it to me. It's now full of good stuff for my grandchildren. Every time I look at it I get those warm memories of days gone bye. It helps make 127 Cedar Street come to life again.
So, for my readers, especially the young ones, think back to an elder; one who is either alive or now in God's hands. Think back to someone who made you feel important and loved. Find your Josephine.
Please recall I grew up in a railroad town of twelve thousand and hardly the fashion center of the world. Walk down Story Street and you'll see plenty of plaid shirts, work boots, bib overalls and John Deere caps. The men, however, don't dress as well.
Josephine managed the nicest women's dress shop in Boone, Iowa. She was the most elegant woman I've known. Look up all the definitions for 'elegant' and you get a handle on what I mean: grand, beautiful, rare, nice, handsome. Some of you may call me crazy and say,"what about Jackie O"? Others would call out Princess Di. Uh-uh! They were required to bring attention to themselves. All Mrs. J wanted to do was be a good christian lady, a devoted wife and a good mother to two sons. She did it better than most and with such ease and dignity. Josephine was a tall lady with an emphasis on the word 'lady'. She wore stylish clothes and the right amount of make-up. I can never remember her saying one negative about anyone.(Not even a Democrat) She never raised her voice in disgust in all the years I knew her. Lord knows Steve and I gave her enough reason. She made us all welcome in her home and, just for me, she always kept the candy dish full. Please don't mention this to anyone but I'm a romantic at heart. When Steve's mom passed away, he and his brother packed up that very same candy dish and mailed it to me. It's now full of good stuff for my grandchildren. Every time I look at it I get those warm memories of days gone bye. It helps make 127 Cedar Street come to life again.
So, for my readers, especially the young ones, think back to an elder; one who is either alive or now in God's hands. Think back to someone who made you feel important and loved. Find your Josephine.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bernie Madoff And Democrats$$$$$$$$$
From Scott Martin at the DC Examiner for March 11:
It looks like longtime Democratic Party supporter Bernard Madoff will spend the rest of his life in prison. In a country with an unbiased, watchdog press corps, the Bernie Madoff scandal would have Democrat pols in Washington shaking in their suits, fearing hearings, as many Republicans did during the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Instead, you probably don't even know that Madoff is a big supporter of the Democratic Party and a lobbyist, but how could he not be? Could the Charles Ponzi of today thrive in any party other than the party that memorialized the Ponzi Scheme forever, with Social Security?
As Liberty's Apothecary notes:
(T)he storyline you likely will never see in any of the mainstream media is the list of Democrats - and including the Democrat Senatorial Committee - who were recipients and beneficiaries of Bernie Madoff’s largess over the years. While some Republicans received Madoff money, virtually all of the dough went to the left. Liberal media bias perhaps? Who would have guessed?
Winners in the Madoff/Ponzi sweepstakes included Hillary Rodham (”It’s-Been-an-Interesting-Marriage”) Clinton, now Obama’s Secretary of State; Senator Charles (”The-People-Just-Don’t-Care-About-Earmarks”) Schumer (D.N.Y); Congressman Charles (”Whattaya-Mean-I-Gotta-Pay-My-Fair-Share-of-Taxes?”) Rangel (D.N.Y.); and Congressman David (”Don’t-Ask-Me-About-Earmarks”) Obey (D.WI.), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and co-author of the original, cosmetically-enhanced porker ultimately enacted as the “stimulus bill.” These Democrats received, at one time or another, thousands of dollars from Madoff.
Moreover, Democrat senatorial candidates in general - including one particular then-serving junior senator from Illinois - received indirect benefits from the over $100,000.00 in political contributions Madoff or his controlled entities made between 1998 and 2008 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Meanwhile, OpenSecrets.org points out that Madoff and lobbyists within his firm spent nearly $1 million on political influence inside Washington.
In total, he and his wife, Ruth, have given $238,200 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1991, with Democrats getting 88 percent of that. Overall, Madoff and other individuals at his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, gave $372,100 in campaign contributions since 1991, with 89 percent to Democrats. The firm spent $590,000 on lobbying in the last 11 years, all but $10,000 of it with the lobbying firm of Lent, Scrivner & Roth.When it was Jack Abramoff, the media didn't hesitate to label every Republican who had ever spent time in the same room as the lobbyist a crook.
What about today? Instead of calls for hearings to investigate how the SEC managed to ignore Madoff's dealings for the better part of two decades, we hear crickets. That's your fair and balanced mainstream media and your Democrat-controlled Congress looking out for you.
It looks like longtime Democratic Party supporter Bernard Madoff will spend the rest of his life in prison. In a country with an unbiased, watchdog press corps, the Bernie Madoff scandal would have Democrat pols in Washington shaking in their suits, fearing hearings, as many Republicans did during the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Instead, you probably don't even know that Madoff is a big supporter of the Democratic Party and a lobbyist, but how could he not be? Could the Charles Ponzi of today thrive in any party other than the party that memorialized the Ponzi Scheme forever, with Social Security?
As Liberty's Apothecary notes:
(T)he storyline you likely will never see in any of the mainstream media is the list of Democrats - and including the Democrat Senatorial Committee - who were recipients and beneficiaries of Bernie Madoff’s largess over the years. While some Republicans received Madoff money, virtually all of the dough went to the left. Liberal media bias perhaps? Who would have guessed?
Winners in the Madoff/Ponzi sweepstakes included Hillary Rodham (”It’s-Been-an-Interesting-Marriage”) Clinton, now Obama’s Secretary of State; Senator Charles (”The-People-Just-Don’t-Care-About-Earmarks”) Schumer (D.N.Y); Congressman Charles (”Whattaya-Mean-I-Gotta-Pay-My-Fair-Share-of-Taxes?”) Rangel (D.N.Y.); and Congressman David (”Don’t-Ask-Me-About-Earmarks”) Obey (D.WI.), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and co-author of the original, cosmetically-enhanced porker ultimately enacted as the “stimulus bill.” These Democrats received, at one time or another, thousands of dollars from Madoff.
Moreover, Democrat senatorial candidates in general - including one particular then-serving junior senator from Illinois - received indirect benefits from the over $100,000.00 in political contributions Madoff or his controlled entities made between 1998 and 2008 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Meanwhile, OpenSecrets.org points out that Madoff and lobbyists within his firm spent nearly $1 million on political influence inside Washington.
In total, he and his wife, Ruth, have given $238,200 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1991, with Democrats getting 88 percent of that. Overall, Madoff and other individuals at his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, gave $372,100 in campaign contributions since 1991, with 89 percent to Democrats. The firm spent $590,000 on lobbying in the last 11 years, all but $10,000 of it with the lobbying firm of Lent, Scrivner & Roth.When it was Jack Abramoff, the media didn't hesitate to label every Republican who had ever spent time in the same room as the lobbyist a crook.
What about today? Instead of calls for hearings to investigate how the SEC managed to ignore Madoff's dealings for the better part of two decades, we hear crickets. That's your fair and balanced mainstream media and your Democrat-controlled Congress looking out for you.
US Foreign Policy-Bad
It's time to have a quick overview of how our president is doing in foreign policy and dealing with friend and foe alike. Iran has said, "screw you" to the US and is continuing with their missile program. Regardless of our threats, North Korea still has it's people eating grubs and snakes while pursuing it's missile program. China has been threatening one of our ships on the high seas but Hillary has to apologize for our ineffectiveness. Russia told us to get out of their lives as we asked them to make nice-nice with Iran hoping we could sit down and talk with them. We've also made overtures with Syria to have talks with them even though they hate us and continue to support Hamas. China, in view of the entire world, is buying $40 billion in oil from western hemisphere countries as futures at $29 a barrel. China is also buying up as much aluminum and steel as they can afford. Do they know something we don't?
Oh yeah, we're also making overtures to Cuba to sit down and make things easier for better relations. Lest you forget Castro has murdered hundreds of thousands over the years. Maybe Danny Glover, Sean Penn and Harry Belafonte have more influence than I thought.
Oh, don't forget the slap in the face to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, of Gt. Britain with the sorry ass gift we sent him and the lack of a joint press conference. It's safe to say that we've lost much respect from our number one ally. Wasn't this the administration that was going to make us popular again? They probably will----with Muslin nations. Finally, what about the stupid get together with Hillary and the ambassador from Russia when she couldn't get the language gaffe straightened out.
Change you can believe in? Hah!
Oh yeah, we're also making overtures to Cuba to sit down and make things easier for better relations. Lest you forget Castro has murdered hundreds of thousands over the years. Maybe Danny Glover, Sean Penn and Harry Belafonte have more influence than I thought.
Oh, don't forget the slap in the face to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, of Gt. Britain with the sorry ass gift we sent him and the lack of a joint press conference. It's safe to say that we've lost much respect from our number one ally. Wasn't this the administration that was going to make us popular again? They probably will----with Muslin nations. Finally, what about the stupid get together with Hillary and the ambassador from Russia when she couldn't get the language gaffe straightened out.
Change you can believe in? Hah!
Dems Wanted 'W' Failure
I stole this piece from the blog site of Dan Cirucci. If you ever want to take a piece from another person Dan is the man to go to.
From Bill Sammon at Fox News
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just minutes before learning of the terrorist attacks on America, Democratic strategist James Carville (pictured) was hoping for President Bush to fail, telling a group of Washington reporters: "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed."
Carville was joined by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who seemed encouraged by a survey he had just completed that revealed public misgivings about the newly minted president.
"We rush into these focus groups with these doubts that people have about him, and I'm wanting them to turn against him," Greenberg admitted.
The pollster added with a chuckle of disbelief: "They don't want him to fail. I mean, they think it matters if the president of the United States fails."
Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: "Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!"
The press followed Carville's orders, never reporting his or Greenberg's desire for Bush to fail. The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail.
That omission stands in stark contrast to the feeding frenzy that ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail. The press devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the remark, suggesting that Limbaugh and, by extension, conservative Republicans, were unpatriotic.
"The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed," Carville railed on CNN recently. "He is the daddy of this Republican Congress."
Limbaugh, a staunch conservative, emphasized that he is rooting for the failure of Obama's liberal policies.
"The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country," Limbaugh told Fox on Wednesday. "I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country.
"I deal in principles, not polls," Limbaugh added. "Carville and people like him live and breathe political exploitation. This is all a game to them. It's not a game to me. I am concerned about the well-being and survival of our nation. When has Carville ever advocated anything that would benefit the country at the expense of his party?"
From Bill Sammon at Fox News
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just minutes before learning of the terrorist attacks on America, Democratic strategist James Carville (pictured) was hoping for President Bush to fail, telling a group of Washington reporters: "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed."
Carville was joined by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who seemed encouraged by a survey he had just completed that revealed public misgivings about the newly minted president.
"We rush into these focus groups with these doubts that people have about him, and I'm wanting them to turn against him," Greenberg admitted.
The pollster added with a chuckle of disbelief: "They don't want him to fail. I mean, they think it matters if the president of the United States fails."
Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: "Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!"
The press followed Carville's orders, never reporting his or Greenberg's desire for Bush to fail. The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail.
That omission stands in stark contrast to the feeding frenzy that ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail. The press devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the remark, suggesting that Limbaugh and, by extension, conservative Republicans, were unpatriotic.
"The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed," Carville railed on CNN recently. "He is the daddy of this Republican Congress."
Limbaugh, a staunch conservative, emphasized that he is rooting for the failure of Obama's liberal policies.
"The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country," Limbaugh told Fox on Wednesday. "I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country.
"I deal in principles, not polls," Limbaugh added. "Carville and people like him live and breathe political exploitation. This is all a game to them. It's not a game to me. I am concerned about the well-being and survival of our nation. When has Carville ever advocated anything that would benefit the country at the expense of his party?"
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mary Jo Kopechne, Thank You
-- More than one out of every five dollars of the $126 million Massachusetts is receiving in earmarks from a $410 billion federal spending package is going to help preserve the legacy of the Kennedys, especially Senator Ted Kennedy.
The bill includes $5.8 million for the planning and design of a building to house a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. The funding may also help support an endowment for the institute.
ABC News: March 11, 2009
The bill includes $5.8 million for the planning and design of a building to house a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. The funding may also help support an endowment for the institute.
ABC News: March 11, 2009
Obama's Whopper
From today's DC Examiner:
"Obama whiffs on fat pitch down the middle"
President Barack Obama hasn’t missed many chances, but in signing the proudly porky spending bill sent to him by Congress Wednesday, he missed a chance to hit the ball out of the park.
If Obama had said he would not sign any bill that wasn’t clean as a hound’s tooth — no earmarks, no increases in spending and no funny business — the president today would be soaring to new heights of popularity.
Instead, Obama opted to sign the $410 billion blob and then retreat to what is coming to be his default position: Expressing regret for a flawed choice and promising to do better next time.
As a result, Obama sowed new doubts about his credibility as a reformer and reinforced the view of many that he talks about change but governs in the old style.
A bill that was supposed to tide the government over until October, when some version of Obama’s shock-and-awe spending plan kicks in, will now stand as a monument to the venality of the American political system.
Candidate Obama wouldn’t have made that mistake.
Three weeks ago, the president should have made it clear that he would absolutely veto any bill that didn’t conform to his pledges of transparency, thrift and service to the common good.
"Obama whiffs on fat pitch down the middle"
President Barack Obama hasn’t missed many chances, but in signing the proudly porky spending bill sent to him by Congress Wednesday, he missed a chance to hit the ball out of the park.
If Obama had said he would not sign any bill that wasn’t clean as a hound’s tooth — no earmarks, no increases in spending and no funny business — the president today would be soaring to new heights of popularity.
Instead, Obama opted to sign the $410 billion blob and then retreat to what is coming to be his default position: Expressing regret for a flawed choice and promising to do better next time.
As a result, Obama sowed new doubts about his credibility as a reformer and reinforced the view of many that he talks about change but governs in the old style.
A bill that was supposed to tide the government over until October, when some version of Obama’s shock-and-awe spending plan kicks in, will now stand as a monument to the venality of the American political system.
Candidate Obama wouldn’t have made that mistake.
Three weeks ago, the president should have made it clear that he would absolutely veto any bill that didn’t conform to his pledges of transparency, thrift and service to the common good.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Rush vs. Soros
Rush Vs. The Party Of Soros
Politics: Democrats say Rush Limbaugh is running the Republican Party. Better Rush than George Soros, who is running the Democrats. At least Rush believes in freedom, capitalism and letting you keep what you earn. Soros believes in the opposite.
From Investors Business Daily March 10, 2009
Politics: Democrats say Rush Limbaugh is running the Republican Party. Better Rush than George Soros, who is running the Democrats. At least Rush believes in freedom, capitalism and letting you keep what you earn. Soros believes in the opposite.
From Investors Business Daily March 10, 2009
The Grass Drill
Laurence Paar was my high school football coach. Actually, he was an assistant coach but tutored the offensive linemen. He was old school; one tough guy to please. We were afraid of him. In the old days coaches could get away with a lot. If we upset him he told us to, "get me some grass". That meant we had to crawl one hundred yards on all fours to the weed patch. We then stuffed in a mouthful, all foured it back to him, then spit it out at his feet. It was humilitating. On a hot, humid August day after completing the grass drill three times our bodies did things they weren't supposed to do; like shutting down.
To this very day when we football players get together and someone says, "get me some grass", we cringe in fear and have a dry heave reflex. Another thing Mr. Paar told us when we messed up was, "excuses only satisfy the ones who give them". It's simple and direct. I can apply this last quote to what's going on in Washington DC today. I hear on a daily basis from Robert Gibbs, Senator Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama, Harry Reid and virtually every other Democrat who gets daily talking points from the DNC; the constant referencing to the economic policy they've "inherited". Force yourself to listen to any and all of these birds and try to go a paragraph without hearing the word: "inherit" so as to place the blame on the Bush administration. It's sickening and it's phony.
I wish, for just one day, Coach Paar was a US Senator. I would want him in front of the TV cameras saying: "excuses only satisfy the ones who give them". Then I'd ask him to have these self-centered egotists do the grass drill. I'm sick of excuses from these people. It's all politics all the time and it has to stop.
To this very day when we football players get together and someone says, "get me some grass", we cringe in fear and have a dry heave reflex. Another thing Mr. Paar told us when we messed up was, "excuses only satisfy the ones who give them". It's simple and direct. I can apply this last quote to what's going on in Washington DC today. I hear on a daily basis from Robert Gibbs, Senator Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama, Harry Reid and virtually every other Democrat who gets daily talking points from the DNC; the constant referencing to the economic policy they've "inherited". Force yourself to listen to any and all of these birds and try to go a paragraph without hearing the word: "inherit" so as to place the blame on the Bush administration. It's sickening and it's phony.
I wish, for just one day, Coach Paar was a US Senator. I would want him in front of the TV cameras saying: "excuses only satisfy the ones who give them". Then I'd ask him to have these self-centered egotists do the grass drill. I'm sick of excuses from these people. It's all politics all the time and it has to stop.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Apology To Gt. Britain
Could we have insulted our historical best friend and world partner in a greater fashion than what we did to them last week? For all of her supposed lack of foreign knowledge I seriously doubt Sarah palin could be this stupid.
An administration official, talking with the British consul, told them they were no better nor worse than any other countries we deal with on the world stage. I don't know why the British press is so vehemently complaing. Number 10 Downing Street does have twenty-five DVD's of Hollywood movies they previously didn't.
An administration official, talking with the British consul, told them they were no better nor worse than any other countries we deal with on the world stage. I don't know why the British press is so vehemently complaing. Number 10 Downing Street does have twenty-five DVD's of Hollywood movies they previously didn't.
My New Best Friends
There's a building down the street from my place that I thought was a retirement home. I made a visit two weeks ago hoping I could be a companion to some of the elderly; visit with those who had no family, watch games on TV. It was selfish on my part. I was getting tired of being in the house after a long winter and, if you know me, am always looking for ways to burn off time in purgatory. Well, I got more than I bargained for but I'm not complaining. This facility is a nursing home and then some. I had my fourth visit today and it's been an eye opening funfest. The home has two sections: one for Alzheimer's patients and the other for those with dementia. The latter is my group. The women outnumber the men forty-two to eight. That's understandable if you know aging statistics. Today, I got out a golf putting green and cup. Four people, two men and two women participated. We did it for over an hour and they enjoyed themselves immensely. I wish I'd had a camera. One of the gentleman, Larry, had perfect form, grip and putting stroke. Sue is a former golfer and was phenomenal. I could tell she had played the game. She chuckled when I said she reminded me of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. She's in her late eighties or early nineties. She told me about her course in Massachusetts and the many days she spent on the links. It was called Braeburn Golf Club. She's a wonderful, elegant lady. After we finished I walked her back to her room. She told me how much fun she had and hoped we could putt again. I asked her to put her arm in mine as we walked. I told her it was just like going to the Senior Prom. She laughed. In her room I looked at pictures of her family members; husband, parents, children and grandchildren. She got confused; told me she didn't have grandchildren then said she did. I saw a photo of her entire family when she was six years old. She said her mother had a twin sister.
I'm going back on Wednesday, two days from now. I'll see Sue, again. I'll see Larry and Bob, my other putting buddies. Sadly, they won't remember me or the fun we had today. The only way I can describe this is to call it "Ground Hog Day" the movie. I'm learning about life. It's a bittersweet thing. I do get to give a lot of hugs and receive the same in kind. If you don't mind I'll keep writing about my new best friends.
I'm going back on Wednesday, two days from now. I'll see Sue, again. I'll see Larry and Bob, my other putting buddies. Sadly, they won't remember me or the fun we had today. The only way I can describe this is to call it "Ground Hog Day" the movie. I'm learning about life. It's a bittersweet thing. I do get to give a lot of hugs and receive the same in kind. If you don't mind I'll keep writing about my new best friends.
Wagyu Steak
The political snub of Gt. Britain's Gordon Brown says more than meets the eye, ears, nose and throat. DC pundits tell us that two members of the administration are in charge of things; Rahm Emanuel is the leader of everything, period, except the attack on Rush Limbaugh. That honor goes to David Axelroad. Joe Biden, you remember him, tells us that Barry is overwhelmed with the position of Commander in Chief. I think he said that, too, in the early part of the debates for president; had to be one of the first one or two. Uncle Joe wasn't a serious candidate, was he?
Read today's Nation Review online. It's scary about how clueless Obama is except when it comes to entertaining and partying at the White House. His affinity for wagyu steak at $100.00 a pound is telling. Maybe there's something to be said for GWB who went to bed nightly at 9pm so he wouldn't have to be a part of the DC celebrity circuit.
Read today's Nation Review online. It's scary about how clueless Obama is except when it comes to entertaining and partying at the White House. His affinity for wagyu steak at $100.00 a pound is telling. Maybe there's something to be said for GWB who went to bed nightly at 9pm so he wouldn't have to be a part of the DC celebrity circuit.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
How Obama Keeps From Watching Stock Market
From Ernie Mannix at Big Hollywood:
1. Hides from Harry Reid in the White House’s old bowling alley.
2. Check his Blackberry’s GPS for Hillary’s location.
2a. Chooses the furthest country from Hillary’s present location and tells her to go there next.
3. Tells knee-slapping Biden Jokes.
4. Daydreams about the good old days of the campaign.
5. Compares notes with Pelosi.
6. Helps decorate the new “Census Room.”
7. Dreams up creative phrases for ‘lowering’ taxes.
8. Hums an annoying tune and shakes his head, to avoid thinking about the surge’s success.
9. Checks in with Pelosi.
10. Enters Oval Office and does some bitchin’ karate moves.
11. Asks Rahm what the Joint Chiefs do.
12. Lights up a fresh one.
13. Laughs with Axelrod about Hillary’s ‘ping pong’ route around the globe.
14. Prank phone calls McCain - tells him it’s Bob from “The Scooter Store.”
15. Checks in with Pelosi.
16. Claps his hands and pats everyone in the White House on the shoulder.
17. Meets with Steve Jobs about the new mobile invisible ”iPrompter.
18. Freaks out White House tourists by yelling at them: “How the Hell did you get in here?!”
19. Freaks out Biden by yelling at him: “How the Hell did you get in here?!”
20. Calls Bill Clinton and laughs with him about Hillary’s ‘ping pong’ route around the globe.
21. Calls Oprah and asks how his military salute looks.
22. Practices military salute in the mirror.
23. Reads Rush’s latest radio transcript.
24. Asks Biden; ‘What ever happened to Code Pink?’
25. Meets with hypnotist to help him quit smoking and to stop saying ‘ummm’ and ‘uhhhh’.
25. Reads Big Hollywood and takes down names
1. Hides from Harry Reid in the White House’s old bowling alley.
2. Check his Blackberry’s GPS for Hillary’s location.
2a. Chooses the furthest country from Hillary’s present location and tells her to go there next.
3. Tells knee-slapping Biden Jokes.
4. Daydreams about the good old days of the campaign.
5. Compares notes with Pelosi.
6. Helps decorate the new “Census Room.”
7. Dreams up creative phrases for ‘lowering’ taxes.
8. Hums an annoying tune and shakes his head, to avoid thinking about the surge’s success.
9. Checks in with Pelosi.
10. Enters Oval Office and does some bitchin’ karate moves.
11. Asks Rahm what the Joint Chiefs do.
12. Lights up a fresh one.
13. Laughs with Axelrod about Hillary’s ‘ping pong’ route around the globe.
14. Prank phone calls McCain - tells him it’s Bob from “The Scooter Store.”
15. Checks in with Pelosi.
16. Claps his hands and pats everyone in the White House on the shoulder.
17. Meets with Steve Jobs about the new mobile invisible ”iPrompter.
18. Freaks out White House tourists by yelling at them: “How the Hell did you get in here?!”
19. Freaks out Biden by yelling at him: “How the Hell did you get in here?!”
20. Calls Bill Clinton and laughs with him about Hillary’s ‘ping pong’ route around the globe.
21. Calls Oprah and asks how his military salute looks.
22. Practices military salute in the mirror.
23. Reads Rush’s latest radio transcript.
24. Asks Biden; ‘What ever happened to Code Pink?’
25. Meets with hypnotist to help him quit smoking and to stop saying ‘ummm’ and ‘uhhhh’.
25. Reads Big Hollywood and takes down names
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Washington DC Education
Sundays New York Post is running a front page article that is so------Democrat. Actually, it's one of those stories that clearly separate Demomcrats from Republicans: should taxpayer vouchers be provided so that children from lower income districts or poorly performing schools can have the opportunity of attending private schools. Since the Dems are beholden to the the teacher's unions they vote no. Hey! It's a huge voting group. I have always found it interesting that children of Presidents typically go to the private schools and no one from the "Dark Side" of the congressional aisle complains.
New York's two US Democratic senators yesterday said they will vote against an amendment that would preserve a Washington, DC, school-voucher program that helps lower-income students attend private schools.
Sen. Charles Schumer said he'll cast a "no" in Monday's vote on the amendment, which is sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.).
The amendment would revise a spending bill written by Democrats in Congress, so that the program would no longer effectively end next year.
Under the current bill, hundreds of DC kids would have to head back into the trouble-plagued public school system.
Ensign's amendment would strip the language out of the bill that hobbles the voucher program, originally created in 2003, unless it was authorized both by Congress and the DC City Council.
"This is a program that should be discussed and scrutinized, not automatically reapproved," Schumer said. "This is why I am voting against the Ensign amendment."
Earlier in the day, Schumer said at a press conference that he favored leaving the decision to municipal lawmakers in Washington as opposed to members of Congress.
DC's local legislators have expressed opposition to the voucher program.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand(-NY), Hillary's replacement, will also cast a "no" vote, spokesman Matt Canter said.
Republicans in Congress have been making a strong push to save the voucher program and brought a group of private-school kids who are benefiting from the vouchers to Capitol Hill on Thursday to tell lawmakers to protect the program.
The program also got a shot in the arm from President Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, this week, when he said that even if the voucher system is killed, the kids currently enrolled in it ought to get similar financial assistance until they graduate.
The president himself has often said he's against voucher programs for private schools, but hasn't weighed in on the current fight.
Some of the 1,700 kids currently in the program have taken their fight very public, in the hopes that putting public pressure on Congress will impact the vote.
Vouchers have long been a political hot potato, debated for years by educators and parents.
New York's two US Democratic senators yesterday said they will vote against an amendment that would preserve a Washington, DC, school-voucher program that helps lower-income students attend private schools.
Sen. Charles Schumer said he'll cast a "no" in Monday's vote on the amendment, which is sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.).
The amendment would revise a spending bill written by Democrats in Congress, so that the program would no longer effectively end next year.
Under the current bill, hundreds of DC kids would have to head back into the trouble-plagued public school system.
Ensign's amendment would strip the language out of the bill that hobbles the voucher program, originally created in 2003, unless it was authorized both by Congress and the DC City Council.
"This is a program that should be discussed and scrutinized, not automatically reapproved," Schumer said. "This is why I am voting against the Ensign amendment."
Earlier in the day, Schumer said at a press conference that he favored leaving the decision to municipal lawmakers in Washington as opposed to members of Congress.
DC's local legislators have expressed opposition to the voucher program.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand(-NY), Hillary's replacement, will also cast a "no" vote, spokesman Matt Canter said.
Republicans in Congress have been making a strong push to save the voucher program and brought a group of private-school kids who are benefiting from the vouchers to Capitol Hill on Thursday to tell lawmakers to protect the program.
The program also got a shot in the arm from President Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, this week, when he said that even if the voucher system is killed, the kids currently enrolled in it ought to get similar financial assistance until they graduate.
The president himself has often said he's against voucher programs for private schools, but hasn't weighed in on the current fight.
Some of the 1,700 kids currently in the program have taken their fight very public, in the hopes that putting public pressure on Congress will impact the vote.
Vouchers have long been a political hot potato, debated for years by educators and parents.
Columbus Ohio Photo-Op
I'm only making guesses about the cost hiring of 25 Columbus policemen in the presence of President Obama. It's been stated that these new officers will be paid through December 31, 2009 when their federal funding from the supposed stimulus bill runs out.
Let's face it. It was the same kind of photo op one would see from Bubba Clinton. Remember the 100,000 cops on the street that only came to 16,000? That, too, had it's share of photo-ops. The Clinton's were masters of the fake out and Obama is following in their footsteps.
I recall back to Valentines' Day week-end. Obambi flew Michelle, himself and the kids to Chicago on Air Force One. The love birds went to dinner at their favorite restaurant. After a quick flight back to D.C. to drop off the wife and kids Obama then flew to Denver for a bill signing then onto Phoenix to give a speech on global warming. The guesstimated costs for this flight, round trip, comes to $600,000. So, the flight to Columbus, to shake hands with 25 newly sworn in cops, would come in at around $200,000.
200K would have given the guys another month or so of work. Were it I who had just received my shield I'd be making up a resume' to get out of town before the january bills come due.
Let's face it. It was the same kind of photo op one would see from Bubba Clinton. Remember the 100,000 cops on the street that only came to 16,000? That, too, had it's share of photo-ops. The Clinton's were masters of the fake out and Obama is following in their footsteps.
I recall back to Valentines' Day week-end. Obambi flew Michelle, himself and the kids to Chicago on Air Force One. The love birds went to dinner at their favorite restaurant. After a quick flight back to D.C. to drop off the wife and kids Obama then flew to Denver for a bill signing then onto Phoenix to give a speech on global warming. The guesstimated costs for this flight, round trip, comes to $600,000. So, the flight to Columbus, to shake hands with 25 newly sworn in cops, would come in at around $200,000.
200K would have given the guys another month or so of work. Were it I who had just received my shield I'd be making up a resume' to get out of town before the january bills come due.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Barry's Gray Hairs
Don't tell anyone but I traded three e-mails with Helene Cooper, a correspondent with the New York Times. Yep, it's true and it all came about from an article she wrote a couple of days ago about Obama's flecks of gray hair. Her contention is that he has worked so diligently and under such great stress in his first forty some days that it is beginning to show. Now, since I got my first gray when I was twenty-four, this sounded somewhat, well, sort of dumb, so I felt obligated to send Ms. Cooper a note. She is no slouch, by the way, has won a number of literary awards, written a book and is an emigre' from Liberia who has covered a couple of civil wars. The lady liked the content of what I had written. She sent me a note from my original e-mail saying my letter was the most intelligent she had received. My curiosity was piqued. Most of her respondees thought the article was beneath her dignity or a ridiculous, silly topic. I did, too, but I didn't want to tell her so and, hoping to get a return from her, kept my criticisms of Mr. President at zero. I got right to the point. I told her she was more than naive. If Al Gore hired Naomi Wolfe at 15K a month to tell him how to be an Alpha Male and what color shirts to wear; if John Kerry needed to fill his face with botox and; if Joe Biden has to have more facial surgery than Nancy Pelosi why wouldn't Barry spend $5.95 to buy a box of Grecian Formula. It's all about appearance and men can be just as vain as women. Before the election Barack needs to look good. After the election Barry has to have the academic thing going for him. Am I brilliant or what? And I even received a message from someone who works at the Old Grey Lady. But don't tell anyone.
Stock Market Lows
Barack Obama has the dubious distinction of presiding over the worst six week period of the stock market in its ninety year history. Is this because of what the administration keeps telling us about how they've inherited this problem? Or is it cover for their ineptness? Buyers remorse anyone?
Embryonic Stem Cells vs. Adult Stem Cells
One of them works. The other, doubtful to no. It's a guessing game. We do know we have to destroy life to find out.
Regardless, come next week the Great and Almighty Oz is going to sign a bill giving scientists the go ahead to unleash the powers of science. These Dr. Salks will be provided with millions of dollars of your money for research to find out what they already know: embryonic stem cell research won't cure anything. What it will do is provide false hope; the kind of which John Edwards gave us when he stated that people like Christopher Reeves will get out of his chair and walk again.
Regardless, come next week the Great and Almighty Oz is going to sign a bill giving scientists the go ahead to unleash the powers of science. These Dr. Salks will be provided with millions of dollars of your money for research to find out what they already know: embryonic stem cell research won't cure anything. What it will do is provide false hope; the kind of which John Edwards gave us when he stated that people like Christopher Reeves will get out of his chair and walk again.
We're In Big Trouble
Twitter cofounder and CEO Ev Williams is headed to the White House today.
The administration invited him to join a “young business leaders" summit to discuss the economic crises.
As Ev himself puts it -- in a Twitter message, of course -- "[this] must mean they're *really* out of ideas."
A reminder: With 6 million members and 700% plus growth, Twitter makes no money in the US. (It sells some ads in Japan
Drudge Report: March 6, 2009
The administration invited him to join a “young business leaders" summit to discuss the economic crises.
As Ev himself puts it -- in a Twitter message, of course -- "[this] must mean they're *really* out of ideas."
A reminder: With 6 million members and 700% plus growth, Twitter makes no money in the US. (It sells some ads in Japan
Drudge Report: March 6, 2009
Funky Friday
Obama takes a TelePrompter with him where ever he goes. Is it because he doesn't want to sound like Porky Pig for each speech?
Ever seen the movie, Being There? It stars Peter Sellers. He is a dimwitted gardener who becomes President of the United States by saying absolutely nothing. His acolytes didn't realize his ineptness. Obama could be this guy when it comes to the big picture except he's no dummy. The rest of us seem to have been duped, though. See the film. It's funny.
I read today that two more appointees to the Treasury Department have changed their minds about working with Tim "tax cheat" Geithner. Geithner said two days ago that the government was going to track down tax violators and use the full extent of the law to bring them to justice. Also, the appointee to be Surgeon General has changed his mind; cited the usual excuse, needs to spend more time with his two daughters with a third on the way. Yeah, sure. I gave that phony excuse a couple of times when I was coaching and knew the upcoming year meant I was going to have a horrid team and could possibly get fired.
Paul Begala and James Carville of CNN and former advisers in the Clinton administration, according to Politico Magazine, team up via the telephone for daily conference calls with Rahm "Dead Fish" Emanuel to plan strategy. It seems they are the ones who have derived the 'get Rush' campaign. Speculation is running rampant that the reason they are best friends is each is uglier than the other. What was Mary Matalin thinking?
Senator James Coburn,(R) Oklahoma, was asked which example of pork spending bothered him most. It was a difficult pick but his choice was $3.8 million to keep bricks and steel on the ground from the already in ruins former Detroit Tiger Stadium.
Barney Frank wants to put in jail all those who were responsible for the home mortgage mess. I hope he starts with himself. His former boyfriend, Herb Moses, is a former Fannie Mae executive. Fannie Mae donated forty thousand large to Bawney Fwanks campaign.
I have no idea why Herb and Bawney aren't an item any more; might be a story line for The National Enquirer.
Al Gore had a global warming conference yesterday. Same old story: he never takes questions from the audience.
I read, this morning, that losing weight helps reduce the pain of osteoarthritis. Golly, I hope so. It's either that or a hip amputation. In either case I'll be significantly lighter.
Ever seen the movie, Being There? It stars Peter Sellers. He is a dimwitted gardener who becomes President of the United States by saying absolutely nothing. His acolytes didn't realize his ineptness. Obama could be this guy when it comes to the big picture except he's no dummy. The rest of us seem to have been duped, though. See the film. It's funny.
I read today that two more appointees to the Treasury Department have changed their minds about working with Tim "tax cheat" Geithner. Geithner said two days ago that the government was going to track down tax violators and use the full extent of the law to bring them to justice. Also, the appointee to be Surgeon General has changed his mind; cited the usual excuse, needs to spend more time with his two daughters with a third on the way. Yeah, sure. I gave that phony excuse a couple of times when I was coaching and knew the upcoming year meant I was going to have a horrid team and could possibly get fired.
Paul Begala and James Carville of CNN and former advisers in the Clinton administration, according to Politico Magazine, team up via the telephone for daily conference calls with Rahm "Dead Fish" Emanuel to plan strategy. It seems they are the ones who have derived the 'get Rush' campaign. Speculation is running rampant that the reason they are best friends is each is uglier than the other. What was Mary Matalin thinking?
Senator James Coburn,(R) Oklahoma, was asked which example of pork spending bothered him most. It was a difficult pick but his choice was $3.8 million to keep bricks and steel on the ground from the already in ruins former Detroit Tiger Stadium.
Barney Frank wants to put in jail all those who were responsible for the home mortgage mess. I hope he starts with himself. His former boyfriend, Herb Moses, is a former Fannie Mae executive. Fannie Mae donated forty thousand large to Bawney Fwanks campaign.
I have no idea why Herb and Bawney aren't an item any more; might be a story line for The National Enquirer.
Al Gore had a global warming conference yesterday. Same old story: he never takes questions from the audience.
I read, this morning, that losing weight helps reduce the pain of osteoarthritis. Golly, I hope so. It's either that or a hip amputation. In either case I'll be significantly lighter.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
546 Political Pigs
The article excerpted is from JB Williams in today's Canada Free Press. Mr. Williams is a no nonsense patriot and tells it like it is. Enjoy
310 million Americans have allowed 546 political pigs in Washington DC to completely destroy the greatest nation ever known to mankind. The people didn’t destroy the nation themselves, even though they will be the ones who will have to pick up the pieces and start all over, once it all comes unhinged… But they have allowed it.
We have one president, one vice president, nine Supreme Court justices’, 435 members of the people’s House and 100 US senators. That’s 546 people responsible for forcing 310 million Americans into the proverbial soup line, where 546 political pigs hope Americans will choose global secular socialism as a lesser evil to a complete socio-economic meltdown.
310 million Americans have allowed 546 political pigs in Washington DC to completely destroy the greatest nation ever known to mankind. The people didn’t destroy the nation themselves, even though they will be the ones who will have to pick up the pieces and start all over, once it all comes unhinged… But they have allowed it.
We have one president, one vice president, nine Supreme Court justices’, 435 members of the people’s House and 100 US senators. That’s 546 people responsible for forcing 310 million Americans into the proverbial soup line, where 546 political pigs hope Americans will choose global secular socialism as a lesser evil to a complete socio-economic meltdown.
40
The number forty has shown up twice in the past five days and it has absolutely nothing to do with your age.
I saw Newt on the Fox network talking with Bill O'Reilly about Obama's plan to reduce the percentage of tax reduction private citizens receive for charitable donations. The number will decrease from 33% to 28%. The amount organizations will not be receiving will come to approximately $40 billion dollars.
Cap and Trade is another trendy term and it deals with carbon emissions the current administration wants to reduce based on energy consumption of coal, gas and oil. Haven't you heard that Obama wants to "go green". Independent market strategists tell us that, when implemented, our energy costs will increase by 40%.
This is an easy one to understand. Figure out what your energy costs for your home are on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis then increase that number by 40%.
I saw Newt on the Fox network talking with Bill O'Reilly about Obama's plan to reduce the percentage of tax reduction private citizens receive for charitable donations. The number will decrease from 33% to 28%. The amount organizations will not be receiving will come to approximately $40 billion dollars.
Cap and Trade is another trendy term and it deals with carbon emissions the current administration wants to reduce based on energy consumption of coal, gas and oil. Haven't you heard that Obama wants to "go green". Independent market strategists tell us that, when implemented, our energy costs will increase by 40%.
This is an easy one to understand. Figure out what your energy costs for your home are on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis then increase that number by 40%.
Geithner And The Big Lie
Is Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner, the Joseph Goebbels of the Obama Administration? Yesterday, he attacked big business, especially the gas and oil industries for causing global warming. The truly amazing aspect of this scenario is I thought Geithner was considered a numbers cruncher, not a climate scientist. Naturally, one has to wonder the reasons for Geithner's proclamation. Global warming; doubtful. New laws for tax collections against the people; certainly. My suggestion is we all go back and review the origins of "The Big Lie". If tax cheat, Geithner, can motivate the American people to support the biggest hoax of the last hundred years, global warming, he may be the reincarnation of Goebbels--without the limp.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Pork "Pork"
One million eight hundred thousand dollars in pork spending to study odors coming from farm pigs. That subject is being used to justify the spending necessary to eliminate this "problem" and it comes from Tom Harken(D) Senator from Iowa, my home state. Harken is calling the smell study 'swine research'. Saying swine must sound more intelligent than using the word pig. As far as I can tell pigs, for centuries, have stunk. I used to work in pulp and paper mills. Some townsfolk used to complain about the odor coming from the mill. I used to say, "it smells like money to me".
If a pig didn't stink it wouldn't be a pig.
If a pig didn't stink it wouldn't be a pig.
Obama's Healthcare Czarina
In an article from American Spectator magazine written by correspondent, Phillip Klein. ONce again, we are being treated to the Obama potential corruption that keeps the wires humming keep coming. These people just like rats, trying to stay ahead of the flood.
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle, who President Obama appointed as director of the White House Office of Health Care Reform on Monday, took home at least $2.4 million in 2006 and 2007 from serving on the corporate boards of health-care companies whose businesses she would be in a position to affect in her new position.
Since leaving the Clinton administration in 2001, DeParle has made a fortune by serving on 10 boards in the health-care industry in addition to her lucrative career as a managing director at private equity firm CCMP Capital and a senior adviser at JP Morgan Partners. Her journey from the public sector to the private sector and back again would seem to represent the type of revolving door relationship between Washington and corporate America that President Obama pledged to put an end to during the campaign and in an executive order.
Tom Daschle, who was originally supposed to hold the same "health czar" position in addition to serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, came under fire after it was revealed that he received $220,000 for giving speeches to health groups over two years. But DeParle's ties to the health-care industry run much deeper.
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle, who President Obama appointed as director of the White House Office of Health Care Reform on Monday, took home at least $2.4 million in 2006 and 2007 from serving on the corporate boards of health-care companies whose businesses she would be in a position to affect in her new position.
Since leaving the Clinton administration in 2001, DeParle has made a fortune by serving on 10 boards in the health-care industry in addition to her lucrative career as a managing director at private equity firm CCMP Capital and a senior adviser at JP Morgan Partners. Her journey from the public sector to the private sector and back again would seem to represent the type of revolving door relationship between Washington and corporate America that President Obama pledged to put an end to during the campaign and in an executive order.
Tom Daschle, who was originally supposed to hold the same "health czar" position in addition to serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, came under fire after it was revealed that he received $220,000 for giving speeches to health groups over two years. But DeParle's ties to the health-care industry run much deeper.
Obama The Communist
Within thirty days Obama will rescind a Bush order. It will allow the federal government to jail or fine any individual who does not wholly provide abortion services to those who ask. It rescinds the "conscience clause" that allows individuals to opt out of abortion services if it violates their personal beliefs. If you are a pharmacist and don't give abortion medication you are guilty. If you work in a Catholic hospital or any hospital for that matter and fail to provide for abortions you will be guilty. If a Catholic hospital does not provide abortion services it can be shut down.
What worse thing can there be than forcing people to kill or provide the means of killing? Abortion and eugenics. It's here and it's sad.
But it's even worse than the abortion issue, especially if that isn't one of your pet projects. When the federal government begins telling you what to think, how to think, when to think and not acting according to their wishes we're going back to fascist Europe in the 1930's. Except, it's liberal fascism in the United States right today.
If Obama isn't a communist then he's a fascist and when it comes to life issues he's failed the test.
What worse thing can there be than forcing people to kill or provide the means of killing? Abortion and eugenics. It's here and it's sad.
But it's even worse than the abortion issue, especially if that isn't one of your pet projects. When the federal government begins telling you what to think, how to think, when to think and not acting according to their wishes we're going back to fascist Europe in the 1930's. Except, it's liberal fascism in the United States right today.
If Obama isn't a communist then he's a fascist and when it comes to life issues he's failed the test.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Russia To Obama: Shove It
According to the New York Times, if you can believe them,Barry Obama has approached Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, about a joint foreign policy effort. Obama had written in a secret note to the former Soviet Union leaders that if they interceded with Iran to bring out US-Iranian talks the US would drop plans for our missile defense shield to be placed in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Golly gee, Ned. Don't ya just know how happy our allies are with the new administration.
Talk about kicking a guy where it might hurt. The Russians told Obama to take a hike.
Talk about kicking a guy where it might hurt. The Russians told Obama to take a hike.
Quotes
"We must begin the work of re-making America"
Barack Hussein Obama-2008
"Only government can solve our problems"
Barack Hussein Obama-2009
Sort of irritates you, doesn't it. If not, it should.
The Obama administration says it wants to help the middle class. There is not one piece of legislation to provide for the MC. It isn't there. Not one piece of legislation.
Barack Hussein Obama-2008
"Only government can solve our problems"
Barack Hussein Obama-2009
Sort of irritates you, doesn't it. If not, it should.
The Obama administration says it wants to help the middle class. There is not one piece of legislation to provide for the MC. It isn't there. Not one piece of legislation.
Republican Civil War
So-there's a major flap in the Republican Party over remarks made by RNC Chairman, Michael Steele, on the D.L. Hughley Show on CNN a few nights ago. Steele, when questioned about Limbaugh's speech in front of "real" conservatives said Rush was an entertainer and his remarks were, yes, incendiary. Bad move, Mr. Steele. Rush absolutely skewered you on his radio show the following day.
But, this isn't the big story. Dems are trying to make hay out of this by telling us who is controlling the Republican Party, who's calling the shots, who is the face of the opposition. It's a fake-out. It's cover. People, check out your 401K statement. Is it going up? Where is tax cheat Tim Geithner? Every time he does show up the market drops. Every time the Messiah speaks the market drops. If it wasn't for Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress there wouldn't be any type of an even neutral discussion coming out of the White House.
Rush and Steele aren't the problem. The major concern for the Dems is getting Rahm Emanuel, Paul Begala and James Carville out front to keep the natives on the reservation. Well, the Indians, at this time, are sharpening flint and looking for straight sticks. Beware Democrats. Remember, some of you, what Sitting Bull said prior to the Big Horn? "Brave up, brothers, it is a good day to die".
Folks, it's getting close to crunch time.
But, this isn't the big story. Dems are trying to make hay out of this by telling us who is controlling the Republican Party, who's calling the shots, who is the face of the opposition. It's a fake-out. It's cover. People, check out your 401K statement. Is it going up? Where is tax cheat Tim Geithner? Every time he does show up the market drops. Every time the Messiah speaks the market drops. If it wasn't for Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress there wouldn't be any type of an even neutral discussion coming out of the White House.
Rush and Steele aren't the problem. The major concern for the Dems is getting Rahm Emanuel, Paul Begala and James Carville out front to keep the natives on the reservation. Well, the Indians, at this time, are sharpening flint and looking for straight sticks. Beware Democrats. Remember, some of you, what Sitting Bull said prior to the Big Horn? "Brave up, brothers, it is a good day to die".
Folks, it's getting close to crunch time.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Business School
I never attended the Wharton School of Business. Heck, the only economics class I had was as a high school senior and that dealt with the basics. There have been many business people in our government who have come and gone but I think our stimulus situation might be summed up this way.
Mike: "Can I have 50 bucks?"
Sucker: "Sure"
Sucker: "When can I get it back?"
Mike: "Never"
Sucker: "Okay".
Mike: "Can I have 50 bucks?"
Sucker: "Sure"
Sucker: "When can I get it back?"
Mike: "Never"
Sucker: "Okay".
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