Dear Political Candidates of both parties and at all levels,

Please stop claiming you're going to create jobs unless your plan includes hiring a ton of new government employees.  It's disingenuous at best and an outright lie at worst.  

This claim continues to give way more credit to politicians than to those who operate or start businesses large & small.   Let's be honest here, the government has a role to play in jobs - but it is in creating an atmosphere that lends itself to growth and the result is hiring not firing, expanding not contracting, and profits not losses.  Setup the environment then get the heck out of the way.  What this environment does not include is giant piles of cash for industries that otherwise would never get off of the ground.  Solar being a perfect example - if Venture Capital or other funding sources run away then why the hell would the government entertain handing out billions?

The next thing government can do is to stop/reduce the massive policy shifts.   As Congress fights with itself and with the Executive Branch, passing massive 2000 page laws in the dark of night and without reasonable time to read or debate, is there any wonder business owners retreat from growth & risk?  An unpredictable future is sure to stall any plans a business may have to expand or when making the decision to cut headcount or increase it.

And finally, the politicians can stop making successful people/companies the bad guy.  Besides being an employer and contributor to this nation's GDP these companies large & small have commitments to others that they have to uphold whether it's shareholders, investors (VC, Angel, or otherwise), their employees or just their own family that relies on the income.  It's a lot of pressure to make sure you make payroll or that you're doing right by those that have your stock in their retirement accounts.  

And another finally (sorry, I'm writing this off the cuff), stop trying to confuse people with the difference between income taxes and capital gains taxes.  It's purely dishonest and the fact that it works is just a sign that our education system needs to be taken out of the hands of the Federal Government and control ceded to the States.  There is no one size fits all for education policy along with many other things the Federales should be avoiding.

I am so ready for this election season to be over.

Digging Out

Well, the big debt ceiling show is over and both Republican and Democrat Leaders are claiming victories. Heck, even the White House is claiming it's all a success. Let's all sit around and sing a few refrains of kumbaya. But wait? What? Members of the parties aren't happy? How can that be?

After so much wrangling and back & forth over who is evil and who has a better plan it turns out, no one does. Republicans claim budget cuts, which aren't actual budget cuts and Democrats claim victory for saving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Oh yeah - and we didn't default on a debt we've accrued to pay for all kinds of crap that we can't afford. There's no one person or party to blame in this particular fact. The reality is everyone that has held a postion in the Legislative and Executive branches for at least the past 10+ years is guilty. Yes, Clinton ran a surplus, and forecasted long term surpluses before the dot com bubble burst, but that surplus was on the back of the bubble. Without all of that money being thrown around crazily it never would have happened, and we suffered for it when it did burst.

So this debt we carry - and continue to carry forward, kicking the can down the road for someone else to eventually deal with or be crushed underneath, needs to be handled. The US Government brings in $2.2 Trillion in revenue each year and can't seem to balance a budget - let alone pay off any debt. Everyone knows paying the minimum payment will never pay off the credit card - so why don't all these smartypants in Congress know this? There are a lot of things we can, and should do to get things in balance.

1. Reduce our military footprint around the world. Sorry world. You may have to police yourselves for awhile, we have some shit to work out over here right now. But don't think for a second that if you start messing with us we won't drop the hammer on ya. Keep your distance, and we'll keep ours. BTW - our shit is remote controlled, do not even think about it.

2. Foreign Aid needs to be looked at in an objective manner under a harsh light. Sure there are things we can do to help poverty and disease in developing nations - but if 90% of that money goes to a tinpot dictator instead of the intended recipients, we should just stop. All we're doing is propping up the dictator who is the one oppressing his people - we keep paying him, he keeps oppressing, because we feel bad we pay him some more. And what about our own poverty right here? Foreign Aid for humanitarian reasons needs to be focused on building self reliance in a population, not just making them wards of the state.

3. Social Security is a tough nut to crack. We made a commitment 75 years ago that if you pay in, you'll get to take back out. I can't speak to the economic sense of it, seems to have the makings of a ponzi scheme, but you can't in good faith just cut people off at the knees that have bought in to the program for 50 years (without a choice int he matter I might add). However, reality needs to be broached here. When this program came into being the average life expectancy was 59.1 years and now (or at least in 2007) it's 77 years. That's a whole voting age person extra. Take that 18 years and multiply it by the 60 million people that receive social security (and it's only going up) and you've got 1.08 BILLION extra years of payments that FDR probably didn't count on. With smaller families meaning fewer payers into the system this becomes untenable. We need to wisely pick a point, stop the benefit for those on the wrong side of that point and we'll have to figure out how to do right by them, but it still won't be completely fair. For those on the right side of the point, reduced benefits may be necessary since lifespan has increased. Does it suck? Absolutely. But we've kicked the can as far is it can be kicked and since those in power for the past 60 years haven't made the appropriate adjustments it's just gonne hurt more now.

4. Elimination of duplicative federal agencies that the states should be responsible for will save a ton of money in both regulatory and employee overhead. One example, there is no need for a central direction on education. Schools in the north don't, and shouldn't, operate the same as schools in the south. Urban schools have different challenges than suburban and rural schools. New York City has issues that San Francisco may not. Why are they all treated the same? Wouldn't the state, or even better, the locality know more about what is needed in their own community? Without federal regulation they'd be more agile in their ability to respond. There are plenty of other agencies, or portions of agencies, that can be looked at and eliminated and their authorities pushed back to the state.

5. The Department of Homeland Security needs to be reigned in and broken up. It's become a monopoly security apparatus that I would say is bordering on Orwellien, but with See Something, Say Something blaring out of TV screens in WalMart I think they've crossed the border. In 10 years and 85 Million domestic flights a year there has not been one successful incident. The incidents that have occurred were stopped by passengers. The 9/11 terrorists got to play the hijacking card once. No one will ever get away with that again as we all now know that a hijacking will not necessarily be for a free flight to Cuba. Passangers will stand up and fight for the chance to survive instead of sitting idly by waiting for the ordeal to be over. So how much have we spent in that 10 years and how much liberty have we given up? Too much on both counts. DHS' reputation and effectiveness in all aspects from the TSA to Border Security can only be graded as low.....but very very expensive. It may have been a good idea in the beginning, but so much power and authority centralized in one organization can at best lead to an expensive and inefficient bureaucratic nightmare and at worst a security apparatus that the KGB would be jealous of.

6. A complete reconsideration and rewrite of the tax code. Burn it all and start over. A national sales tax would do wonders for the economy in general. Eliminate income taxes, establish a national sales tax, and fund the federal government on consumption of goods. This favors the economy as a whole in two ways - it puts our entire paycheck back in our hands instead of just losing it for what turns out to be no real good reason and it spurs economic growth. The more money we have as individuals the more stuff we buy. The more stuff we buy, the more stuff needs to be made. The more stuff needs to be made, the more people are employed. Then they buy stuff. No loopholes. No mega corporations generating billions in profit and not paying taxes. They'll pay taxes...on stuff they buy. No frickin loopholes.

7. Eliminate subsidies to oil, farmers, and pretty much anyone else. I've never understood why we ever paid oil companies or farmers to do what they do. Either the market will support the business or it won't. Corn farmers (as far as I know, I'd love to hear more and be further educated) get paid by the government for the over production of corn, which drives the price of a bushel down, but they still make a profit from the govt. There are no market forces in play here. The farmers know that they will not lose and have figured out that overproduction = government subsidy. And this isn't the corn that we eat all summer at cookouts, this is the tough stuff that's turned into corn syrup and feed. So it wouldn't impact the produce section if the subsidies were cut off - the price of beef may go up a little and prepared foods may stop using corn syrup if it's not the cheapest alternative. And Oil? How about we stop both the subsidy AND the taxes we have to pay. Think about it - oil companies make approximately $0.08 per gallon while state & federal taxes make up anywhere from $0.27 - $0.60 per gallon. That subsidy is coming right out of our pocket and being passed to oil companies. Eliminate both and only apply the standard sales taxes for consumption mentioned above.

8. Dump healthcare. Can't afford it without rationing it. Sorry. This country was built on self reliance. Another giant program that creates a giant amount of overhead is not what we need. I certainly don't have the answer on how to take care of those that fall through the cracks, but I imagine a review and reduction in over-burdensome regulation and an increase in the competitiveness in the medical industry would right that ship. Fixed pricing for medical services makes everyone lazy. Have you tried walking into your doctors office and negotiating a rate if you were to pay cash? You'd find the prices drop pretty dramatically. Have you ever looked at what you or your family spends on health insurance, and what the insurance company actually pays out in benefits? Unless you have a major issue or a long term health problem, you're over paying. That's the nature of insurance. So why not pick up a fairly cheap catastrophic policy and pay for the rest out of pocket? Especially if you're young.

9. Forget carbon taxes and the green movement for the time being. We need to become energy independent and cannot wait for some magic bullet of technology to make it happen without fossil fuels. Half or more of our interests in the world involve securing oil supplies in some form or another (though it's never fully admitted). Fire up the oil wells. Drill off the coast. This would go a long way to meeting item one and reducing our military presence around the world. Not to mention the revenue generated by the oil leases given out - which may need to be more expensive and have gigantically expensive penalties if you run your rig like a preschool playground. Give the oil companies incentive to do it right by making it more expensive to do it wrong. Thats how the BP disaster happened. A little math showed that cutting corners was an acceptable risk given the penalties. I don't hate the planet or anything, I'm just being realistic. Taking oil out of the ground isn't evil...doing it thoughtlessly is.

10. Stop the Junkets. I know, this is probably a teeny part of the budget but you know what, if I don't have the money, I stop doing the small things like going out to lunch every day. Individually it's only a couple of bucks, but it adds up. I see no reason that any member of Congress needs to travel the world. We have a State Department that represents us out there. You weren't elected to represent the people of [insert anywhere else here] so why are you going? Perhaps spending more time in your home state and talking to people would keep you in touch with them. And with Items 1 & 2 above, we'll be reducing your excuses for going anyway. Want a vacation? Then go on one. Just not on my dime please. And to the President - you really don't need to go in person everywhere. There are plenty of summits and meetings that you can hook up with everyone at one place. I appreciate that Air Force One is one badass plane and I would be tempted to spend a lot of time making use of it. But enough is enough. How about this - spend one hour's worth of fuel on Air Force one and get the most awesome video conference setup there is - it's like being there. Heck - take the cost of ONE trip to anywhere - and buy all of your world leader buddies a high def video conference setup. Then you can chat whenever you want. Really - that shit works.

There are many other ideas out there for cutting our budget but I'm running out of time. One of the biggest things we can do is removed the corruption that has been accepted in our political system. There's too much money being handed out. Whether it's a PAC, a Party, a Union, a lobbyist, or just some rich dude who wants to influence markets. There are too many folks in congress that show up being fairly well off and leave office as a wholly wealthy person. And that ain't off a $180k a year salary. My previous post on how to remove the influence of the almighty dollar from the equation would go a long long way to getting our representatives to, well, represent us instead of whoever has the checkbook.

Finally, (for the moment) we need Congress to stop transferring it's powers to the Executive Branch. I mean, we're paying good money (over $93million in salaries per year, not counting benefits or their minions) to have these folks make decisions on our behalf - and they abdicate authority over and over again to the President. Passing stupid laws like "the president has the authority to go attack anyone that looks at us funny" with no sunset clause, no defined purpose or limitation, all because they are busy playing political games and too chickenshit to make the decision. You folks were hired to represent us. You claim to be able to make good decisions on our behalf. Start doing it. Keep your promises. Stop treating the American electorate as if we're petulant children that can be distracted and nuanced. Stop looking over the horizon at the next election and do the right things. If you're doing what your constituants want you to do, the next election is in the bag. If you're not, but have a good reason, then stand up and tell us and deal with the potential blowback. But you've gotta stop abdicating authority, making back room deals and buying into the notion "we have to pass the bill so you can see whats in it" crap.

Campaign Finance Reform: A modest proposal to end the corruption.

Honestly I'm not sure how modest this is because I think the solution is so common sense and awesome that I'm surprised it came outta my head...and the odds are good that I assimilated the idea in the past and it just popped up, so if you are the originator, my hat is off to you!

Let's keep campaign finance reform simple with a one line piece of legislation.

You are only allowed to raise money from those that you represent.

That's it. Short. Sweet. To the point. No more lobbyists. No more strong arming from the DNC/RNC to vote a certain way. No more sharing funds between politicians. Corruption removed. Responsibility to constituents restored.

Representatives can only raise money from their districts. Senators can raise money from their own state.

I am by no stretch of the imagination a lawyer, but this law shouldn't have the limitation of freedom of speech problem the McCain-Feingold had. Businesses can contribute - but only if they are located in the specific district/state of the donation recipient. This actually levels the playing field regardless of whether the district is a tiny rural one or contains a huge metropolis. Haven't been serving your district well? Perhaps you won't get the funding and that'll be your sign.

In a day and age where bills are not necessarily based on common sense and are 2000+ pages long this would be quite refreshing. Keeping it simple removes the loopholes.

So what do you think?

WOW. has it really been 9 months?

No - I have not been pregnant as that would've at least made the pages of the National Enquirer or Weekly World News. I haven't been missing. I haven't been on a secret mission. I've been paying more attention to two things are more important than my rants - My Family and My Business. When I start posting here regularly I tend to think about "the next post" far too much. So I stopped.

What has brought me back for a guest appearance on my own blog? The uprising we see in Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. The article that made me start composing a post in my head (much to my chagrin) is about Jordan and how the tribes are starting to talk trash about the royalty ( Jordan tribes break taboo by targeting queen). This in itself is remarkable, but a specific quote from this article is what started my head spinning.

Arab peoples used to fear their authoritarian regimes. Things have changed and now Arab leaders fear their peoples.

That's a powerful change of mindset and one that should reverberate over here. It's too often that our leaders forget that they work for the citizenry. It's too often they don't "fear their peoples". Not fear in a fear of violence way, but in a fear of other retribution like getting voted out. There seems to be a pattern of doing whatever the lobbyist/national committee tell them to do until it's re-election time.

Perhaps a little of that fear during the in-between years would go a long way towards making better decisions on our behalf.

Unions and Barack's Jack booted Thugs

If it wasn't already becoming obvious that the Campaigner in Chief was openly beholden to the Unions (card check anyone?) here are three more examples - one of which stomps all over states rights.  I guess this is what $100 million in donations to Democrat campaigns last year will buy you.

Exhibit A:   White House puts UAW ahead of property rights

This is the case of Chrysler lenders - with secured loans - being screwed over and intimidated by Obama in favor of unsecured lenders, the UAW.  It's a mugging pure and simple.

Exhibit B:  Obama Tries to Stop Union Disclosure

In a nutshell - unions won't have the disclosure requirements for how they spend their member's dues.   There are non-profits that have a use on this planet that have to report more detailed info than these gangster run unions.

Exhibit C:  U.S. threatens to rescind stimulus money over wage cuts

So California - being this biggest entitlement state in the US - is having a budget crisis.  A big one.   So part of their efforts at balancing the budget included cutting the wages of some employees.   Of course, these are Unionized workers, so Barack "Che" Obama has stepped in and is once again strong arming on behalf of the unions.  And completely stampeding states rights in favor of his One Big Global Government ideal.  

And finally, for today, in addition to strong arming anyone that gets in the way of his Union buddies (you know the ones, "Rocko", "Sticky Fingers", "Big Nose", "Fat Tony" and the rest) - now he's doubling his army of tax enforcers.   Sheriff of Nottinghams if you will.  

I'm no Oracle but even I can read these tea leaves (sorry for the mixed metaphor).  

The USofA I grew up in is not going to be the same one that my little girls will get to enjoy.  

In a developing story....

And one that brings to light the folly that is more government oversight and intrusion into our lives.   The Commonwealth of Virginia's big pharmacy cross-check database has been hacked. 

Well, hacked may be technically correct.   

What's really happened is that this database of over 8 million residents of Virginia has been stolen and held hostage.   Not to mention the 35 million prescription transactions associated with these 8 million residents.

Can you say HIPPA violation?

Can you say lack of oversight by a government that has outsourced it's IT?

Can you say lawsuit?

Why did it take a week before the story broke?   What if those extortionists have already started using the information for identity theft?   The citizens of Virginia may already be screwed.  

What I want to know is how much oversight into the Campaigner-in-Chief's new sweeping electronic health care record initiative will his new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) be involved in?  I only ask because he was the guy in charge of Virginia's now hacked and stolen IT systems.

  

My next question is why does the government need this personal information?   You can claim it's to avoid prescription drug abuse, but really?   Seriously?   How are there 8 million citizens in there?   Are they worried about birth control abuse?   Are you telling me that there are 8 million people just in virginia using serious narcotics that need to be tracked?    As of July 2008  there are only 7.7 million citizens - and I know I'm not on any prescriptions.   Hell, most people I know aren't on any heavy mind altering prescriptions.  

So why are there so many?  And how long does Big Brother and King Kaine plan on keeping this hacker smorgasbord of identity information up and online?   Forever?   

And what is the Commonwealth going to do when they find out that these thieves are from russia, the ukraine, north korea, or wherever?   Will they pay the ransom?   Will we all learn who is taking oxycontin, zoloft or AZT?  

And what will they do when those Names, Addresses and Social Security numbers hit the net? 

My guess is they'll play Alfred E Neuman and say "What?  Me worry?"

They don't seem to have worried much about protecting the information, so why start now?

Be very afraid - and very opposed - to the Teleprompter's big plans to be able to hold your healthcare data.  

It's big Brother.

It's unnecessary.

It's just a bad idea.

A new legacy for Iraq

Brought to them straight from the United States.

The withdrawal timeline calls for US troops to be out of the cities by June 30.   There is understandable concern that the Iraqi Police and Troops aren't quite ready to take on that job.  Commanders on the ground have said as much as recently as last month.

But, in a move straight out of American politics, the Prime Minister is more worried about his political future than that of his nation.   From the article linked above:

Asking U.S. forces to stay in the cities, including volatile Mosul in the north, would be embarrassing for Iraq's prime minister, who has staked his political future on claims that the country has turned the corner in the war against Sunni and Shiite extremists.

I hope this isn't the only legacy we've left after so many years.

Orwell, Alinsky, and the Teleprompter

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" 

And so it is with our current President.  He denies that this upcoming debt on our children and grandchildren is his doing.   He denies that he ever heard Jeremiah Wright speak ill of America.   He denies his relationship with Bill Ayers.   And the "journalists" report it as fact.  It gets documented and not investigated.   And it becomes the truth.

That quote at the top is straight from Orwell's 1984.   A book that talks about the all powerful government.  The one that is only looking out for it's citizens.   It's only interest is in the well being of the masses and not the individual.   And therefor the individual loses freedom in the name of protecting the masses.

"A Marxist begins with his prime truth that all evils are caused by the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. From this he logically proceeds to the revolution to end capitalism, then into the third stage of reorganization into a new social order of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and finally the last stage -- the political paradise of communism."

--Saul Alinksy, Rules for Radicals, 1971

Does this sound like anyone you know?   Just this weekend our Campaigner in Chief describes how the financial sector will play a less significant role in our future economy.  How government will soon be the arbiter of all things money.   One day he declares he thinks that Chrysler will be fine and the very next day his administration is strong arming financial and investment companies to prop up Chrysler during bankruptcy.

We are currently embroiled in the "revolution to end capitalism".

The effective nationalization of industry, banking and trade in the US is the result of this "revolution".  The effort to effectively bankrupt the country is part of this revolution.   The Presidents constant efforts at portraying anyone that is successful as evil (all the while Michelle runs around in $500 tennis shoes) is part of this revolution.  Class warfare is without a doubt part of this revolution.

"'The organizer's first job is to create the issues or problems,' and 'organizations must be based on many issues.' The organizer 'must first rub raw the resentments of the people of the community; fan the latent hostilities of many of the people to the point of overt expression. He must search out controversy and issues, rather than avoid them, for unless there is controversy people are not concerned enough to act. . . . An organizer must stir up dissatisfaction and discontent.

-- Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals, 1971

And now the Democrat party has purchased it's filibuster proof majority in the Senate by promising to help get a an old power hungry politician elected if he switches parties.   All the pieces are in place for a complete leftward movement.  The House has no fears that it's radical legislation will be stalled in the Senate so expect to see Speaker Pelosi start up the entitlement engine and rev it up to full power.

It's time, no, it's past time, for the freedom loving, the liberty loving, the constitution loving part of our society to make themselves known.   The Tea Parties were a good start - but what's next?  We must continue to make our displeasure known.   We must continue to let our representatives in government know that this is unacceptable.  We must start looking at the Republican leadership and let them know they've lost their way.

And we must be willing to look for another answer.

While the Republicans blew their chance to show that conservatism is about smaller government, more liberty and more freedom the Democrats have swooped in.   It is George W. Bush and the Republicans that failed us and opened the door to the future of Marxism/Socialism.  Their polarization to the far right and giving so much power to the christian block is what has turned many away.

I urge you to look at the libertarian party as an alternative.   A belief in personal liberty and freedom are the foundations of the Libertarian Party.  Do me a favor.  Read their platform.  You won't agree with all of it, but I bet you don't agree with all of the Republican Party platform either.  Read it.  And see which one strikes you as more conservative.   As more true to the founding father's vision.

And tell me I'm wrong.

 

Wave goodbye to the Republic.

If I were creative I'd come up with some sort of obituary bemoaning the beginning of the end.  But I'm not.   So I won't.

Instead - I'll talk about how we dodged a bullet with a the potential for filibuster proof senate.   Even though there were some "moderate" Republicans, there are also "moderate" Democrats and there was a chance that the truly crazy wouldn't go through.

That dream is over.

Arlen Spector, one of those "moderate" republicans, has switched sides.   Not because he decided that the Dems were the better party but because he knows his own republican constituents think he's an idiot and he won't be re-elected.

He's doing it to keep power.   To keep his job.   He's 79 friggin years old and has been there 30 years.  

And now he has potentially given the Dems the one thing this country can't very well afford.   A free pass on nearly any legislative thing they want.   The ability to ignore the representatives and senators that speak for millions of Americans.

All because Arlen Spector wants to hold power.

It's over folks.    Queen Nancy and Dirty Harry don't really have to worry about a thing.

Get ready for a legislative mugging.   Get ready to become a ward of the State.   Get ready to become part of the "middle class" by reducing everyone (except politicians of course) to a single class that happens to match what we now call poverty.   Get ready for breadlines and state run industry.   

Get ready......to say goodbye to the Republic.

  

UAW to own majority share in Chrysler?

Um - this article has struck me as funny.   Not "ha-ha" funny.  More like "hrrmmmm" funny.

It seems strange that a Union representing the workers would buy a majority share of a auto manufacturer and get a couple of seats on the Board.   At this point the Union becomes...uh, management.

So, if I were a Union Worker I would wonder who's interest will be at the forefront of the Union's mind.  If I were a shareholder, I would wonder the same thing.

And how is this not some sort of anti-trust issue?

The next question is how much of that 55% majority purchase is being held up with the government's "Public-Private Partnership"?   That would certainly be a fine payoff for the years and years of Union support given to Democrat candidates.   But that's just the suspicious  Conspiracy Theorist in me.

But isn't it convenient.

pssst....hey buddy....you haven't mentioned anything about how, uh, "connected" the Unions have been in the past and.......

Stop - I won't mention it at all.   I know what's good for me.   

Hey! I've got a great idea!

Let's fly a bunch of jets really low over NYC but not let the general population know about it.   It'll be fun!!

Seriously, WTF?

Someone in the Pentagon is gonna get their ass handed to em.   Or at least they should.   If you really wanted a photo of the President's plane flying over the Statue of Liberty with a fighter escort, I bet you coulda used this little known application called Photoshop.

In fact, I bet if you took all of the money spent on jet fuel alone, you could have paid the most badass photoshop guy on the planet to do it - and made it look like the prez was flying the thing - with (insert star/starlette of your choice) as a steward - being held aloft with flying monkeys - there might've been room to include Obama's ego in the picture as well.  (maybe not, that may have cost extra and would cause one HUGE pic with a teeny tiny plane in it)

But that would be too easy.   Let's scare the daylights out of 8 million residents of NYC so we have an authentic pic.   Let's not even tell the Mayor.  They have no need to know.

And the government is the one we want to hand over control of...well...anything.   

If this is indicative of their good decisions (and I'm sure it is - regardless of who is at the controls) then we need to start taking away their control and put it back where it belongs.

 With "we the People".

It's only for the liberals.....

Since the Tea Parties last week I've read and heard from many on the left as they attempt to marginalize the significance of those rallies.  And it's not just the media types from the New York Times, MSNBC or CNN.  Although they have been a good part of gleefully giving these folks a stage.

Everyone from shrill unfunny comedians (and a really bad actress) to Congressmen (and women) to the President's handlers have been working very hard to classify those that attended the rally as just a bunch of ignorant redneck right-wing extremists.  (Sounds like they're reading directly from that Homeland Security memo.   Coincidence?   I don't think so.)

I thought conservatives were the mean ones?

The most amazing thing is when they talk about how uncool it is to protest.  How it's only a racist foundation underlying the protests.    How it's un-American to protest.  How comparing the President to anything other than a hero is somehow mean and uncalled for.

I recall the past 8 years of another President being called every name in the book.  Being burned in effigy.  Being vilified even on those occasions he may have been right.    And I'm pretty sure that was those same folks that are now saying it's racist or un-American.  Strange.  Maybe not.

What they are missing is the fact that the citizens that were out there are not the professional protestor, overly emotional, whiney, or polarizing lefty.   They were the folks that normally just stay home and shake their heads in disbelief at the craziness of the left's antics.   Those attention-starved liberals that don't feel fulfilled unless every one of us is tortured with their opinion.

These are people that just work hard and do the things that need to be done.  

And now they see this as something that needs to be done.

Make no mistake.   We are all angry with the overspending of the Bush Admin.   We are all angry with the forecasted debt that the current President is about to foist on us.  All in the name of resolving an "emergency".   It's got to stop.  The Uncle Sam Gravy Train needs to be derailed.   The government needs to stop overstepping it's bounds and the mandate given by the founding fathers.

The Governor of Texas made a point about trying to force the Federal Government to abide by the 10th Amendment.  

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

To all the whiney libs out there - you're not the only one's entitled to your first amendment rights.  

To all the big government advocates - look out.   You've just activated what was a silent group of citizens that are willing to come together and speak in one voice.   

Hrmmm...What team does CNN play for?

Obviously not that of a free and unbiased press, journalistic ethics or integrity, or the rights of Americans to  Peaceably Assemble.    Yeah, that one is constitutionally protected.. that would be the first amendment, for those that have forgotten (pertinent section in bold):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

...perhaps CNN correspondents, Congress, and the entire Obama Admin can take "Remedial Liberty and Freedom 101" together.

These are the same folks that gleefully covered such family moments as war protesters burning our previous president in effigy.   Breaking windows and setting fires as the anarchists and professional protestors travelled to WTO meeting places.

But a man, holding his child, cannot respond to a direct question because the reporter keeps interrupting to debate him.    

I guess that really isn't family viewing worthy.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/julia-seymour/2009/04/15/cnn-correspondent-claims-tea-parties-anti-government-anti-cnn

The National Tea Party

Today is the day when all Americans are supposed to have sent in their tax filings which makes this the symbolically perfect day to protest what this Administration and Congress are doing to us.

I think it's pretty exciting to see the not-so-vocal side of our population start to make some noise.  I'm sure the left will discount it as some sort of flash in the pan, but they should remember one thing.

The people that are showing up today in support of the Tea Parties are not you standard protester.   They're not the "joiners" that the environmentalist, anarchist, "insert-your-cause-here-and-we'll-protest-ists".   

These are the middle class workers that are the backbone of America.  These are the people that quietly go about getting things done and not complaining about things while doing nothing.  These are the people that join the military, that are our police, fireman, and paramedics.  These are your plumbers, carpenters, and workmen.   These are the small business owners that provide the majority of jobs in the country.  

These are Americans.   True Blue.   Red Blooded.    Just get it done, Americans.

And we're tired of our government taking from us.  Taking and taking and taking.   Under the threat of imprisonment we are forced to fund every government folly and Congress does nothing.

And this isn't just an Obama thing.   In my opinion it doesn't matter whether your a Bush, a Clinton or an Obama.  You have all spent too much.   Asked too much.   And taken too much.

And now we're on the verge of taking on an additional debt that will be the yoke on our future generations shoulders.   Several generations.  Take a look at the quote to the right under Jefferson's picture.

So I implore you.  I beseech you.  I beg you.

Don't stop after today.  One day won't make a wit of difference.  A couple of hours hanging out at a bitch-a-thon and then resuming normal life is not the way to make a change.   And this is, for once, a change I can believe in.   This is a change we need our employees on Capital Hill and in the White House to understand it's importance.  It's significance.   

So stay in touch with those you meet today.   Keep the fire in your belly burning.   Stay in touch via websites and twitter and whatever other method you can.   This cannot be a one day event.  

Today MUST be a launching point.

And if you ever thought that your government was afraid of you this should be the confirmation.

Exhibit F (see April 13 post for Exhibits A-E)

The Department of Homeland Security has effectively put a target on anyone's back as a potential radical if you:  Don't like taxes,  don't like abortion, believe in states rights, believe in gun rights, and are white.   

This government has just put in place the perfect excuse to detain and arrest it's own citizens that express views that it doesn't like.  Declare it a safety issue and start rounding us up.  Start with the Republicans and then move on to the Libertarians.  

It's happening folks.  One piece at a time.   It's happening.

A perfect storm sits on the horizon.

Is this the perfect storm of span and control that will lead us to overarching government control?

"Rule 1: Never allow a crisis to go to waste," White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told the New York Times right after the election

Exhibit A
As the Obama admin forces many banks to take bailout money they dont need, then changes the rules under which the govt will now control them, and then refuse to take the money back when offered so they can maintain control.

Exhibit B
The Dem controlled congress has already been beating the drum to nationalize energy.

Exhibit C
Newspapers are tanking. The free press, as it were, has moved to the internet.  Government considering a bailout - I wonder what kind of Freedom of the Press to expect after that happens?  The administration doesn't like the Op-Ed?  Fire the Editor.

Exhibit D

The Dem controlled congress wants to re-enact the Fairness Doctrine to reduce the amount of critical commentary on the radio.

Exhibit E
The Obama admin with the help of congress is pushing for a cybersecurity bill that would give the president authority to shut down the internet in case of "emergency". Public & private. Does anyone remember where the free press went?

Next will be some sort of nationalization of farms and other food production in the name of national security or public safety.   The government already props up much of the food production in US.  What would happen if that got cut back in the name of saving a few bucks on the $3.7 Trillion budget?  A new emergency perhaps?  That would be a good time to "bailout" the farms.

And the takeover will be complete.

All of these steps - taken in response to an "emergency" - leading down a path that will ultimately mean incredible government control of our everyday lives.   Each item taken individually looks relatively harmless.   Taken as a whole is a recipe for dictatorial rule.

Why is everything closed today....

when the Campaigner-in-Chief says we're not a christian nation?

All I wanted to do was replace some worn out shoes.   Shouldn't be a big deal.   I drive by many stores - national chains - publicly traded - not mom and pop shops - and they're all closed.  

On Easter Sunday.

Odd.

I could understand opening late so make sure those employees with a particular religious leaning get to make it to church.   

But to not open at all.

it must be something bigger.  

Cuz we're just a nation of  citizens....

right?

Even more confusing....

Virginia's Government offices are closed tomorrow.  For an Easter holiday.

They don't close for Yom Kippur, Kwanzaa, or Ramadan.....

But they close for Easter.

Someone must love that Bunny......

Or perhaps......The Teleprompter is wrong.....

Why Does Obama Hate America?

It should now be obvious to anyone that is not under the Obamabot zombie curse that our Campaigner-in-Chief really does hate America and what it stands for - Freedom, Liberty, and Justice.

As the Presidential Teleprompter displayed for all the world to see, he does not believe in the America that won World War II, has committed billions of dollars in aid to nations in need, stared down communism and won.   He has no class when it comes to office of the President.   Leno?  Cheesy Trinkets for visiting dignitaries?  Kow-towing to other world leaders?  Seriously.  WTF?  

WHAT KIND OF MEGALOMANIAC GIVES THE FRICKIN QUEEN OF ENGLAND AN IPOD WITH HIS OWN SPEECHES ON IT?

It reminds of a joke we used to have about a certain co-worker long ago.    

Q:  "Whats the difference between Roy and God?"

A:  "God doesn't think he's Roy."

This disdain for the office is in the image of Jimmy Carter, our worst President ever who has yet to get out of his own personal malaise.   This is in the image of Pelosi and Reid - both whacko extremists of their ever fragmented party.   But that should be no surprise t anyone.   He was tagged as more liberal than either of them during his 15 minutes in the Senate before he started running for President.

After two weeks of denigrating his own country across the entirety of Europe, then going to Turkey and doing the same, we find out he didn't even do it with a plan.   Didn't get anything in return.   No troop commitments to Afghanistan.   No money to help with the global economic issues.   Nothing.

Which leads me to believe that, he just plain old hates a free America.  That he wants to remake the entire country in his own distorted image.  That the constitution needs a "do-over" since it's been 283 years since those losers gave away all that power to the people.  What the hell did they know....they wore wigs for chrissakes.

But he can fix that.   Let's start by nationalizing everyone and everything that moves.  We're one simple majority vote (remember reconciliation?) away from saying that anyone that takes any government money will be under the thumb of government.   How long before your tax refund gets included in this equation?  Scarily, with the liberal mindset that all of the money you earn is theirs and they're nice enough to let you keep some, you may already be party to this control.

In a perfect example of American fortitude put up against the Campaigner-in-Chief's inability to do anything without polling data:   

An American flagged container ship was hijacked by Somali pirates.   The White House, after crafting the perfect press release said they were studying the problem.   The American crew took back their ship against armed pirates.  When last seen, the White House was crafting a perfect response charging that the American's aggression was uncalled for and they will be brought to justice.   

They're waiting on polling data before releasing the announcement.  Gotta make sure Soros and Company like the wording.  

The White House then apologized for our arrogance in thinking we had a right to our ship in international waters.  Nancy Pelosi announced a new bill nationalizing commercial shipping and transferring control to everyone's new friend Fidel.  Also, pending is a bill to transfer Navy resources to Fidel so those arrogant military types don't get any ideas like those unruly crewmembers from the freighter.    

The Presidential Teleprompter then praised the administration and it's friends in Congress for swift and decisive action that the world will see as a softening of American Imperialism.   

Cricket sounds were soon heard across the European continent. 

Obama Government Subsidizes Terrorists

Here it is!   I sarcastically mentioned this possibility a few weeks ago thinking that no one in their right mind would do this.   Boy was I wrong.   

So, we really are going to drop them off on main street USA and we will pay them to live here.

If this bunch of naive socialists think this is going to be ok, what the hell are they going to do to our economy.   Obama has already shown that he is a failure with diplomatic relations.   He obviously believes his own press about how much the world loves him - but when he reaches out he gets smacked down.   

And now we will have terrorists living on our streets and paid for by Barack Obama.  I wonder if they'll get discount coupons for C4 and automatic weapons, too.

I guess that is a change.   Not so sure about the believing in it though.

The rest of the story....

With a tip of the hat to Paul Harvey who passed away at the end of February I bring you the rest of this story as told by someone inside AIG.  Someone who has been vilified by Government and the Public alike, and then abandoned by someone I had felt a lot of respect for.

Ed Liddy, new CEO of AIG, brought in to clean up the sins of the past.  Convinced a lot of people to work very hard for little to no pay with the promise of a brighter day.  

And he dropped them all like a hot potato at the first sign of push back.  

The first sign from the hypocrites on Capital Hill, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and the Attorneys General for Connecticut and New York.  The same hypocrites that know for a fact that these bonuses weren't for the same folks that caused the downfall.   That these bonuses were for the employees that stayed behind to clean up the mess instead of jumping ship like the rats the others were.  

The politicians knew this and played it out to the public as outrage.   They created the situation and then lit the fire of public outrage.   Death threats against the employees, their families, their children.   If anyone gets hurt the blame should lay squarely on Barack Obama and his cronies for setting this in motion.

Ed Liddy became what we already expect out of the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Obama, Rahmbo, and the rest.

And it's horribly disappointing.

An unfunny joke, overheard...

I'm standing in my local coffee shop this weekend and overhear two  fellas talking about how they're just gonna stop paying their mortgage and let the government cover it. <chuckle chuckle>

I'm sure they were just being sarcastic and pointing out how ridiculous the Teleprompter's plans are, but it struck as really unfunny and a sign that the Dems may be winning this war of attrition.

It started with President Bush and the Dem Congress shocking the daylights out of us with how many billions were being given away. Now we toss around sums like $788 Billion as if we're talking chump change. The Teleprompter is talking another Trillion dollars and has pretty much set up a budget that will hose future generations farther than the eye can see.

But don't worry. Those evil rich people will pay.

Did I mention I saw those two joking fellows each get into very high priced vehicles and head towards the local McMansion subdivision in the tony west end? Yeah. Those evil rich people are already getting tired of it.