Why Use a Hammer When you Can Use a Nuke

So, let me get this straight. The current Senate Health Care Bill provides 30 million Americans with health care coverage that either they could not afford, could not get, or chose not to buy. It provides insurance to 30 million people that the insurance companies did not want/have as customers to begin with, and were not going to have as customers. And, yet, this bill provides the “competition needed to bring insurance costs down.” How exactly? Because insurance companies will suddenly feel the pressure of “competition” over people they never intended to cover in the first place? Absurd.

So what about the other 300 million people in the country. Oh yeah, their costs will go up.

What, that’s not what Harry Reid said?

Well follow me on this one too. The Bill cuts so much from Medicare and Medicaid that states will be forced to pick up the cost of those programs…those costs will be recovered either through: A) Higher state taxes, B) Cuts to local disbursements, C) cut jobs. Option A, you lose. Okay, so Option B, the localities, now having less revenue either A) raise local taxes or B) cut services (aka: jobs) to make up for the deficits. So the end result is higher state and/or local taxes (Tax #1) or loss of jobs (maybe yours) which cause the states to lose more revenue from payroll taxes and cause more need for “free” insurance—and higher taxes.

If you currently have health care insurance the bill also calls for a tax on “Cadillac Plans”. In other words, if your health care plan is better than what the government thinks you should have, it will tax the insurance company for allowing you to have it…

“Oh, well they’re taxing the mean, nasty insurance companies, not me.”

Yeah. How do you think the insurance companies are going to pay for that?…umm…maybe by passing the cost on to all of its consumers through higher deductibles and lower benefits: Tax #2.

REMEMBER: “DEFECIT NEUTRAL” really means “HIGHER TAXES”

There is no question that there are problems in the health care system. But, this Bill creates many more problems than it solves. I hate to say it, but I would have preferred a massive government system in which ANYONE could buy into it if they chose. It would cause competition…at least until all the insurance companies went out of business. And, at least I would be getting some benefit out of the massive tax increase I will be facing regardless.

(I don’t really mean that…any system in which incentive is eliminated is destined to fail).

So, what is the fix? “You Conservatives have no ideas, just obstructionist practices.” Well, actually we do…maybe if you pause for a moment from your pontificating about “unalienable rights of health care” and “moral obligations”, and come out from the backroom deal cutting sessions, you would hear the ideas that have been readily provided. Here are mine:

1. Eliminate regulation that prohibits companies from selling insurance across state lines.
Why is car insurance and life insurance relatively cheap? Because you can buy from about 300 different companies from all across the country. GEICO- Ohio; Erie- Pennsylvania; Allstate- New Jersey. There is so much competition that companies HAVE to keep their rates low to compete…ahh! “competition”, there is that silly word you Capitalist Pigs use all the time.

2. Structure a regulation that allows companies to offer two types of health insurance: term and whole life.
In this scenario, consumers can choose what they want to pay for. Choose “Term Health Insurance” and you get cheaper rates based on your health. During that term, you are guaranteed coverage at a set price even if you get desperately sick. The trade-off is that at the end of your term (5, 7, 10 years), the insurance company re-negotiates your rate based on past health issues. You could end up paying a lot less for the rest of your life, or you could end up paying more.

Choose “Whole Life” and you get the benefit of guaranteed coverage at a guaranteed rate until the day you kick the bucket. The trade-off, you pay a higher premium for the whole term of your contract.

In both cases, a termed contract means that the insurance company cannot drop you, and in the case of “Term Health Insurance” regulations can be passed to ensure that the health insurance companies are required to offer a new term to all patients.

3. Tort reform.
Look, if a doctor cuts off your right arm when you go in for your wisdom teeth to be removed, by all rights, they should get sued. But, part of the reason doctors have to charge so much now is that they have to pay for malpractice insurance that is outrageously priced. The malpractice insurance costs so much because almost every lawsuit is settled out of court to “save money”, and even the ones the doctors win cost them legal fees.

4. Allow Americans to buy prescription drugs from other countries.

Again, competition will drive down big-Pharma’s prices. Can I count on a drug from Canada? Probably. What about Mexico? Well, not taking my chances on that one…but at least I’d have a choice.

Guess how much these ideas cost. Nada, zilch, zero...guess that is why the Dems hate them so much.

My point is, there are fixes to the system that do not require an implosion of the current system, an implosion of the American economy, or an implosion of Capitalism. Why do the Democrats insist on bringing a nuclear weapon to solve a problem that a hammer could fix?


Ben, what do you know that we don’t know?

Senator Ben Nelson took a principled stand against the health care bill…until this week. I wonder what part of the bill changed…oh yeah, the money rolled in and suddenly, he could “support it”.

Here is the interesting piece to this deal and the one Mary Landrieu of Louisiana took: both deals involved giving their respective states money to pay for Medicaid/-care. Also in the bill are provisions to provide other states (with Democratic Senators) like Vermont and Michigan with money for their health care systems. Huh?!?

In other words, theses Senators are savvy enough to know that the health care bill requires unfunded mandates of the states and will literally bankrupt states across the nation. The bill will be devastating to state and local economies and they know it.

PS: In Vermont, the money is going to help fund their state health care program…which by the way is bankrupt and failing. Irony, huh.

If were talking about cutting costs…

How about this. How about the government program, cuts costs by not funding elective surgeries. By elective surgeries I mean surgeries that are not necessary for a person to stay alive: plastic surgery, lipo-suction, Lasik, and… oh yeah, abortion. Face it, most abortions fit into the elective category, they are only done to improve quality of life...certainly not to preserve it.

I heard one Democratic Senator today, Harkin I think, say that failure to vote for the health care bill showed a lack of a moral compass on the part of the Republicans. Oh really, from the party that supports elective abortions, doctor-assisted suicide, and a godless America…

What in the name of Christmas Trees!

On my Christmas tree at home I have an ornament of a baseball player. What could you reasonably assume about me? I like baseball. My neighbor has a tree with camouflaged bulbs. I assume he is either an avid hunter or a sniper.

So, what should I assume when we find out the Obamas have an ornament of Chairman Mao, one of the most iconic figures of communism, on their tree in the White House?

I wonder if even the tree leans left?


Merry Christmas

To all my readers, Merry Christmas. Remember the reason for the season…God sent his only beloved son, that whoever believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

“But, don’t you mean Happy Holidays?”

No.

Say “Hi” to Mickey for Us

Some of you may have been concerned when “The Things I Think” was not updated last week. Some of you were probably thinking, “Has he given up…has President Obama and the Socialist march of the Left finally caused him to give up?"

Have no fear, I was simply in Disney World. The great thing about Disney World is that the resort is its own community. I have no idea how big it actually is, but it has to be in the hundreds of thousands of acres. It has its own roads, its own restaurants, its own shopping areas. It even has several of its own TV channels available to watch. In other words, it is easy to forget that the rest of the world is still operating as usual while you enjoy your fantasy vacation…

Apparently, President Obama and his staff are also vacationing in the new part of Disney called Socialist Land. For weeks the President warned us about the perils of the economic woes of the country, using words like “disastrous”, “catastrophic”, “depression”, and phrases such as: “The worst economy in decades.” Suddenly, this week, comes a flurry of optimism from the President and his financial henchmen about the sound fundamentals of the economy. No longer are we headed on a downward spiral toward total economic collapse, instead we should all now be confident that the worst is behind us and the only thing we have to fear is the fear (the Obama team has been spreading since last September) itself.

On Meet the Press, Christina Romer replied to a question on whether the fundamentals of the economy were sound with, “Of course they are sound”. President Obama this week made a comment about the sound fundamentals of the economy, including workers, companies, innovators…say isn’t that the exact same thing John McCain (R-AZ) during the campaign and was lambasted by President Obama for being “out of touch”.

Now, to be fair, I have blasted President Obama in the past for talking so negatively about the economy. Anyone who knows anything about economics knows that economics is 75% mental…if people think things are going well, then they will spend and the economy will do well; if they think things are headed down the toilet, they will batten down the hatches, put all their money into their savings and try to ride out the storm—which makes the economy sour. Prophecies on the economy are almost always self-fulfilling. And the Prophet Obama’s words have been no different.

The fact of the matter is this: President Obama used the economic recession in this country for political gain. He needed to create a State of Fear in order to pass a so-called stimulus bill which was just a massive, veiled, wasteful, Liberal spending bill. He knew that a bill totaling $780 billion containing so much pork for Liberal-Socialist programs would never garner enough support unless it was perceived as being the only way to prevent total, utter destruction. Now that the bill has been passed, the Democrats passed another $400 billion omnibus spending bill, and the Socialist path has been set, President Obama can begin to talk up the economy in hopes that his words now will have a calming effect on an unconfident market. The hope is that the economy will recover and President Obama will be seen as the Economic Messiah.

So, while the President was playing political chess, 600,000 people lost their jobs, the banking sector is about to lose $1-$3 trillion more in losses tied to the housing market, and the stock market lost another 8.5%, causing more Americans to lose more money in their retirement plans. There are two Americans most deserving of losing his/her job over the way this economy crises has been handled (not handled), the ones who have been in-charge since the beginning of the crises (2006)…Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. If President Obama is not careful, he too will be on the unemployment line in 4 years.

The economy will recover, and I hope it does soon, for the sake of all the people who have lost or are endanger of losing their jobs. I fear, however, that the Election-cycle rhetoric, coupled with the continued negative rhetoric accompanying passage of the Economic Stimulus Package has created an economic atmosphere that will cause millions of more Americans to lose their jobs, houses, and pensions. And, so too will follow more idiotic intrusions by the government that we will pay for down the road. Mr. President, while you are on your fantasy vacation in Socialist Land, please say "hi" to Mickey for us…and please, come home from vacation soon.

Reagan Jr. Should Have Paid More Attention at the Dinner Table

Can You Hear Me Now?
It seems that the “most popular President in history” is not even the most popular president of the last…2. Recent polling data show that President Obama’s polling numbers are below those of President George W. Bush at the same in 2001…that’s right, lower than the man who supposedly cheated his way into office. A recent Rasmussen Poll showed that the net approval rating ("those who strongly approve" minus "those who strongly disapprove") is 6…lower than President Bush’s (W) after 50 days.

Though you won’t see this widely reported on the Clinton News Network or the Messianic Savior Named Barack Channel, I don’t bring this up to gloat or to say anything about the effectiveness of President Bush vs. that of President Obama. I bring this up to prove a point. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. There is not a new era of politics in Washington. President Obama has not unified the country. He has not ushered in a new era of bi-partisanship, a new feeling of Americans trusting their government, or any of the other cuck-a-doodled promises that he spewed in the campaign to trick so many people into voting for him. It is business as usual in Washington…business as usual from 1976-1980. We tried to tell people that the only “Change” coming was a shift from the democratic-free market society to a socialistic state…nobody listened. Can you hear me now?


Understanding the Pro-Life (Anti-Murder) Stance
This week President Obama signed a bill lifting a ban on Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill allows scientists to use hundreds of other stem cell lines already in existence to do research. Never mind the fact that privately-funded embryonic stem cell research has shown little promise in the field of embryonic stem cell studies and has shown the most promise in the use of what are known as adult stem cells. And forget the fact that new research in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells has shown that embryonic stem cells can be emulated through conversion of skin cells (and other cells). Disregard the fact that stem cells from umbilical cords have proven incredibly useful. That is only Science…
"We’ll restore Science to its rightful place…” (President Obama Inauguration Speech)

The Left likes to paint this as a battle between religion and science. This is not a battle between religion and science. It is simpler than that—it is a moral battle. Stem cell research seems to be promising in helping to cure some of the worst diseases that humans have. And, if that research can be done without conceiving embryonic cells (creating life) for the sole purpose of using the stem cells then destroying that life, then I am all for it-- and the science has proven that it can be done. However, we cannot allow unethical moral treatment of human beings (at any stage of development) to be trumped by “scientific progress”. Joesph Mengele tried that…he is seen (and rightfully so) as a pretty sick individual. You can be an atheist and agree that experimentation on human beings is repulsive.

Ronald Reagan Jr., whose father is probably rolling over in his grave, said on the D.L. Hughley show this week that he had a hard time understanding how the Right can be against abortion and stem cell research and for the death penalty and war. Well, Mr. Reagan, since you apparently did not pay any attention at the dinner table, I will give you a simple answer: babies and embryos did nothing to deserve being killed. Someone who murdered someone else did. At least they were given due process…the babies left to die on clinic floors across the nation had no such trial. And, even we Conservatives, contrary to the belief of the Left, do not like war…we simply believe that war is sometimes necessary to save those innocent Americans and others like the Kurds or Somalis, who also do not deserve to be killed, that we should not sit idly by while evil people kill innocent people-- like the 3,000 people killed in the 9-11 attacks.

Something to Think About While Doing Your Taxes
Socialism can be most easily defined by as the redistribution of wealth earned by individuals to those who did not earn that wealth. I have argued that we are in a steady downhill slide toward a socialist state. I was wrong…WE ARE ALREADY THERE!!! According to government data the top 50% of the wage earners in America pay 96% of the taxes in the US! That means 50% of the people are paying little to no taxes and are the ones reaping the benefits of massive Federal programs. The wealth of the top 50% of wage earners has already been redistributed. Think of that when you are doing your Federal taxes this month. Additionally, pay attention to the amount of money you had to pay…not the money you are “getting back”, the amount you actually paid to the government (income, social security, Medicare). It will make you sick. That’s right, most of you worked January, February, and March for Uncle Sam. Paying taxes is okay, it is part of the responsibility of citizens…ALL citizens. And our income tax system should not penalize you for making more money…that stifles innovation. Next time President Obama proposes a tax cut for 90% of Americans, just remember that means 40% will be paying less than “0”…in other words, they will be getting your money.

And also remember the taxes you pay for things like: your house, gas, property...I have to stop writing, I am getting sick...

Get Out Now...While You Are Still Alive
Kudos to Nickelodeon and other sponsors who dropped Chris Brown as fast as Rhianna should have dropped him. No sponsor, record label, television studio, etc. should condone the horrific actions of Brown...though I know money talks and they will (as long as he sells records). Relational abuse is a major problem in our country. Several reports have said that many high school students blame Rhianna or see nothing wrong with what Brown did because of the circumstances. I don’t care what the circumstances are, who threw a phone at whom, who started the argument, whether Rhianna threw a punch at Brown, it is NEVER right for a man to hit a woman let alone put the type of beat-down Brown put on Rhianna. You have to wonder why Brown was so mad at Rhianna for looking at text messages on his phone…I’ll tell you why, because he was probably cheating on her as well as beating on her.

I hope Chris Brown gets the help he needs…and some jail time. I hope Rhianna realizes that she can do better. And, I hope all the young women out there know that a man who truly loves you would never treat you that way. If you are being abused get out now before you end up dead. No matter what he says, he is not sorry, he will not change, and you can do better.

Reader Suggestion
One astute reader of the "Things I Think" responded by email to the post about using recycled toilet paper. He suggested that we use bidets...environment saved and hemorrhoids avoided. I have never used a bidet so I cannot comment on its comfort or efficacy. However, it does seem like a viable, reasonable solution. It just goes to show that it is good to be open minded on issues like the environment...just not so open minded we lose our brains!

Hemorrhoids, Democrats, and Iran

The Things I Think Blog has been published a little late this week. The latest figures from economists is that the Stimulus Package will cost each American $6700 in debt…I figured I’d work some overtime this week and start paying down my share.

Save the Hemorrhoids

When I was young, there was a campaign by Greenpeace, or some other tree hugging organization, to Save the Whales. I was okay with that. Cute, gigantic, multi-ton mammals floating around the ocean: who couldn’t be behind that? Then came the campaign to Save the Rainforest. Okay. Save trees so they suck up carbon dioxide…I get it. Then came Recycling, Global Cooling, Global Warming, and the “What Would Jesus Drive?” Campaign to get us to stop driving SUVs…incidentally, Jesus probably would have driven a Ford Expedition—he had 12 disciples to haul everywhere; they never would have fit in a Prius. None of those bothered me too much.

This week, Greenpeace stepped over the line. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council said, “Future generations are going to look at the way we make toilet paper as one of the greatest excesses of our age…[it]is a lot worse than driving Hummers in terms of global warming pollution.”

Holy crap!! (pun intended)

My guess, and mind you I am only an ignorant blogger, is that future generations will in no way question the manner in which we cleaned our hind ends.

If you choose to use leaves or the new, reusable wipe that has recently hit the market, live in a earthen shack, walk to work, and eat only plants--more power to you. As for me, I will continue to use the softest TP money can buy, live in a house large enough to find some peace and quiet, drive whatever I want to work, and eat meat…maybe some fresh whale.

Keep a Keen Eye to the South

Mexico, right now, is essentially engaged in a civil war. The wars between rival drug factions have claimed thousands of lives (and estimated 6000 in 2008—by the way, more than were killed by institutionalized violence in Iraq in 2008). Decapitated bodies are now found on a daily basis. It is not safe to walk the streets of Mexico City; more people are kidnapped in Mexico City than any other city in the world. Why should we pay attention? Know what the 2nd most dangerous city in the world is for kidnappings?

Phoenix…Arizona…USA.

In the last year alone countless people in California, Arizona, and Texas have been kidnapped and taken back across the border where they were held for ransom or killed. Hitmen from a Mexican cartel burst into a Phoenix home, dressed as SWAT team members, raked the home with gunfire, executing a man inside. In Texas, a live grenade was thrown into a bar frequented by US drug agents.

President Obama and Janet Napolitano, Director of Homeland Security, had better pay attention and fast. The Mexican government is about to collapse and if it does, hundreds of thousands of refugees will pour across the border. The US will be faced with a humanitarian situation similar to those found in Africa. Or worse, a drug runner will be shot by a rancher, the rancher’s family will be killed by a cartel in retaliation, and every gun-owning Texan (and there are a lot) will take up post on the border…on second thought that might not be a bad idea…at least someone will have realized that the US needs to reinforce the border with a military presence. Pay attention to this. But you won’t find this story in the mainstream media…why? Because it proves that conservatives have been right about the issue of border control for years…and a conservative, according to the Liberal media, can never be right.

Appeasement: It Worked So Well the 1st Time…

Thank God for John Kerry. The Senator from Massachusetts just recently returned from a trip to the Middle East in which he met with the leaders of Syria and Iran, and brought a love note home from President Ahmadinejad to President Obama. It seems that the letter has worked…President Obama has been wooed into a deal to lay off Iran for awhile.

Russian newspapers are reporting that President Obama has offered a deal to the Kremlin in which the US will scrap its missile defense shield plans in Eastern Europe in exchange for “help with Iran”. Didn’t Faust make a similar deal?

The Russians, especially Vladimir Putin, are glad President Bush is gone. The Obama Administration, and its “peace at all cost” approach is exactly what Mother Russia needs.

Here is how this will go down:

First: Obama abandons (I mean thoughtfully withdraws from) Iraq, Russia promises to get Iran to stop building a nuclear weapon, the US does not build a missile shield in Europe, and Obama is lauded by the Liberal media for solving the world’s problems.

Meanwhile: the Iranians never stop building a nuke (with supplies from Russia), Russia, now allied with Iran, pressures Iraq to cut ties with the US, the US still is not protecting Poland, the Czech Republic and all the other Eastern European nations that could be vital to US interests, and Obama is called a hero for the “peace” around the world…despite 14 terrorist attacks perpetrated by former residents of Guantanamo Bay who were released by the courts because they were not read their Miranda Rights on the battlefield.

Then: Iran nukes Israel, Israel responds and is called a “monster”, Russia invades eastern Europe (claiming a need for a “buffer zone” of security from NATO), the US and EU are powerless to stop them because the Iran-Iraq-Russian alliance now controls 90% the world’s oil (since the Obama Administration stopped the drilling of that filthy, polluting stuff a couple of years before), and for some reason, despite the nauseous amounts of idealism oozing from the White House, F22 Raptors just won’t fly on solar energy and corn oil. The situation is even more dire because Obama Mandate #3,456 prohibited the use of soft toilet paper.

Finally: The Democrats get booted, a Republican takes over, does what Obama should have done years ago: takes out Iran, flexes his muscles toward Russia and stops the invasion, goes back to killing terrorists instead of trying to make them feel comfy…and is called a “war-monger” by the Liberal Media…and an enemy to the environment because he uses Charmin Ultra-Soft.

Voodoo Economics

President Reagan had a theory about economics. The theory went something like this: cut taxes on business and wealthy individuals and they will reinvest those savings into businesses and the economy and the effects will “trickle down” to the middle class and those living in poverty. The theory was called “Trickle-Down Economics”; by Democrats it was called “Voodoo Economics”. The implication, of course, is that this theory is the workings of a raving lunatic—it would only work in Magic World.

Well, here in the Obama Nation this week the President announced a new budget that includes the promise that he will cut the national budget deficit in half by the end of the first term. How does he plan to do this?

DREAM and SPEND, of course.

First, the plan relies on GDP growth figures that are unrealistic, inflated by close to 2% by some estimates. Second, it relies on more heavily taxing the people who have money to stimulate the economy. Third, the plan calls for massive increases in spending for such things as climate change and alternative energies, and other government programs. Of course, this is on top of the recently passed stimulus bill that will cost American taxpayers $787 billion and a little-talked-about spending bill this week that cost us another $400 some odd billion (but whose counting). This total is comes to about $1.2 trillion in deficit spending. Just $1 billion less than the deficit President Obama said he “inherited”. President Bush- 8 years to $1.3 trillion; President Obama- 8 weeks.

Okay, let me put this is microeconomic terms. Let’s say you owed $25,000 in credit card debt. Following President Obama’s plan you would take the following action to eliminate that debt:

STEP 1: Go out and spend your entire paycheck on several new pairs of shoes, the complete third season of "Will and Grace" boxed DVD set, a new 52” plasma screen TV, and new rims for your SUV. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use any of that money to pay off your credit card debt.

STEP 2: Despite the fact your employer says you are getting a 2% pay raise for the next three years, assume that figure will be more like 5% and budget the extra 3% to pay off some of your debt-- spend the rest.

STEP 3: When your children earn money for say mowing lawns, shoveling snow, or simply getting a birthday card from grandma, increase the amount you take from them to about 40%.

STEP 4: Chant : “I do believe in Obama, I do believe in Obama. Yes we can! Si, se pueda!”

POOF!

The debt is paid off. Like Magic. Like Voodoo.

McCarthy Vindicated!

McCarthy Was Ahead of His Time
Looks like Joe McCarthy was right after all, the government is full of Communists…he was just ahead of his time. The United States continued its precipitous slide toward Socialism this week with seemingly every bill passed, Executive Order issued, or policy proposed. President Obama and the Left are driving us closer to a Socialist state, one in which every citizen is dependent on the government.
Many were delighted to see that President Obama put limits on CEO pay for companies who received federal money. You should be appalled. I too view some of the salaries paid to CEOs of failing companies as being exorbitant. But, I see Tom Cruise getting paid $20 million to act in a film that tanks as being ridiculous too…and A-Rod getting paid $25 million to play a game is just as absurd. The problem with President Obama’s mandate is that the Federal government is now, effectively, setting salaries for companies that were once private. Who is to say that the next step is not to mandate salaries of the workers? That, my friends, is Communism.
This should be a good lesson to us all that when the government giveth, it will surely taketh away. Our Founding Fathers believed that we had certain rights, unalienable rights, given to us by God and only to be taken away by God. Socialists, present government included, believe that the Government provides you with your rights…therefore, whenever they deem necessary, they can take those away.

TVs for Terrorists
There is nothing “fresh” about National Propaganda Radio’s "Fresh Air". It stinks. This week an interview was held with Jane Mayer who wrote an article for the New Yorker entitled “Hard Cases”. While being interviewed about the article by the host of "Fresh Air", Mayer began to speak of the case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, an al-Qaeda sleeper agent being held in solitary confinement in a military brig off the coast of Charleston, SC. The entire interview essentially painted the United States as an inherently evil country with a Hitler-like dictator at the helm for the last eight years.
Hardly any of the interview was directed toward the overwhelming evidence that al-Marri was sent into the US in the days before the 9-11 attacks with the sole intention of carrying out more attacks on US citizens, including the use of poisonous gasses. In typical Lib fashion, Mayer blasted the United States for use of “torture” on al-Marri that included sticking him in a dark room…and such grievous, horrible things like…not providing al-Marri with a television for five years. She even insinuated at one point that he was “probably subjected to waterboarding.” Of course she has no evidence of that, but why not give the benefit of the doubt to a terrorist instead of the President? Of course, now that President Obama has been elected terrorists can rest assured that they will be treated nicely.
What was most appalling about the interview was to listen to the two laugh haughtily about how al-Marri loved to watch Jon Stewart from the TV that was just recently given to him. Oh, how amusing…ha…ha…ha…I am so happy that someone plotting the murder of Americans enjoys his Comedy Central.

“Make Sure you Find at Least One Republican with Tax Issues…”
Thankfully, the Clinton News Network has jumped on the Sarah Palin tax story and is holding government officials responsible for paying their taxes. On Wednesday, every 15 minutes, CNN was sure to report on the Alaskan governor owing taxes. These tax questions stem from reimbursements paid to her for her children’s travel expenses on official trips. There is no indication that she tried to dodge paying them, nor has there even been (until recently) agreement on whether that should be considered taxable income. CNN, however, is right on the ball…well…there were those Obama Administration officials…you know ones who owed thousands of dollars from years ago…the ones who knew they owed back taxes for years and still didn’t pay…where was CNN then? And, this was a story that broke in October. Why is CNN running this now? Just to show that not all the tax cheats in America are in the Obama Administration…at least one is not…kind of.

Oh, Canada!…We’re So Sorry for Being Greedy
One thing the Economic Stimulus Package did get right was the provision in the bill that required US-made steel to be used in projects funded by the package. Of course, once the Canucks started complaining “aboout” that provision the Obama Administration immediately began to backtrack. Why?!? The purpose of the bill, other than to overtly advance a Liberal-Socialist Agenda, is to stimulate the US economy…not the Canadian economy, not the Chinese economy, not the World economy. It is funded by US taxpayers. By definition it cannot be a stimulus package if the raw materials used in the numerous projects, or the goods bought using this money are not "Made in the USA".
In fact, more provisions should have been added to the bill to ensure US-made products were being bought using US taxpayer money. For instance, part of the bill calls for the US government to replace its fleet of vehicles with more fuel efficient, “greener” vehicles. Wanna’ know how to “bail out” the US automaker? Buy your hybrids from them instead of just giving them money. Oh, oops, that would resemble some form of Capitalism. That might make our Socialist friends to the north mad…we wouldn’t want them to stop shipping us things like…oh…I don’t know…ice or maple syrup.

What's that Smell?
Is it just me or does the stink of Illinois politics keep growing stronger and stronger. Roland Burris (D-IL) reminds me of a middle school student in trouble in the Principal’s office: if his mouth is open, he is lying. Of course, Burris is the Senator who was appointed by former Governor Blagojevich to replace Barack Obama. Ever since the days of the Daly Administration, and the “Vote Early, Vote Often” tactic of the Kennedy Campaign in 1960, Illinois politics has been some of the most corrupt in the nation. I find it hard to believe that President Obama and Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel somehow rose through the ranks of Illinois politics without collecting some of that corrupt stink…oh that’s right, Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers….

Transcript of Pelosi and the Pope
“The Things I Think” recently obtained this transcript of Nancy Pelosi’s meeting with the Pope.

Holy Father: Buongiorno, Madame Speaker.
Pelosi: Oh, hi, “Pope”. [snide snicker before kissing the Pope’s ring].
Holy Father: Thank you, as a faithful Catholic, for coming to see me.
Pelosi: Huh?!?…oh yeah…faithful.
Holy Father: What seems to be the problem, Ms. Pelosi?
Pelosi: Oh…well…meeting you seems a little underrated. I mean, I already speak with the Messiah on a regular basis you know.
Holy Father: Well, we all pray to Jesus, Nancy.
Pelosi: Right…Jesus. I was talking about Barack.
Holy Father: Oh… in that case stop supporting laws that allow people in your country to kill babies...

He Who Controls the Gold, Controls

Nationalization of the banking system seems to be gaining popularity, even among Republicans. Shame on Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and others who back this plan. Graham told the Financial Times, “We cannot keep pouring good money after bad. If nationalization is what works, we should do it.” How about this: stop pouring any taxpayer money into failed institutions and get at what the real issue is here…government regulation and interference. Remember, it was Congressional mandates that forced Freddie and Fannie to give loans to people who shouldn’t have qualified for a loan to buy a dog, let alone a house.

We tried this nationalization thing before…in the early 1800s. President Andrew Jackson (he may have been a Democrat but he was certainly not a Lib...) crushed the National Bank because he realized the dangerous power and precedent that set. He knew that whoever controlled the gold (money) controlled completely. The National Bank at the time was making policy decisions that were undermining the people, the working class of the US, and the government itself. Though it almost cost him re-election, he crushed the National Bank (hmmm…a Democratic President with principles…).

President Jackson knew that too much power in the hands of the Federal government, or in this case a Federal institution, was a dangerous proposition. It was (is) not the job of the Federal government to provide economic equality for its people: “Distinctions in society will always exist under every just government. Equality of talents, of education, or of wealth can not [sic] be produced by human institutions…every man is equally entitled to protection by law [but not the “equality” preached by the Socialist movement]”
If banks are nationalized what is to stop the Federal government from passing mandates that further control your life if you want money from those banks. Think that’s crazy?

How about this: you want a home loan from the bank? You must install solar panels, agree to set your thermostat at 68 degrees and only use a set amount of water every month.

Or how about this one: want a car loan? You have to buy a hybrid. Need money for medical expenses? Sorry, you used a doctor not in the network.

Want to withdraw your money? Nope, the government needs that money right now (see: California and not going to give its people their income tax returns).

If you don’t think the current administration would stoop to such levels, then you are either naïve or drinking the Obama Kool-Aid.

President Jackson, unlike most of our politicians today, understood the true intent and purpose of the Federal government. As I listened to talking head after talking head say, “while we don’t necessarily like the Stimulus Bill or Bank Nationalization, it is a necessary evil”, I remember Jackson’s veto on renewing the National Bank:

“There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses.”

Senator Graham, President Obama, and all…the only reason any of this seems to be necessary is because you have already abused the powers given to you in the Constitution…it is a good documen--and unlike the Stimulus Bill you have plenty of time to read it--maybe someone should try to at least look at it.

Yes! We (only the Democrats and those smart enough to agree with us)! Can (spend us into oblivion)!

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
“This is it,” Regis says with excitement in his voice, “You get this question right and you are America’s next millionaire.” The tension is the crowd is palpable: will it be a hard question, or an easy one? Regis reads the question:

In passing a bill in Congress, which of the following would be considered ‘bi-partisan’?

A. The Democrats, on their own, write a “Economic Stimulus” bill full of Liberal agenda spending then call the Republicans in for a meeting to present the bill and say, “We won, get on board.”

B. When a bill like the “Economic Stimulus” package passes the House and Senate and goes to Conference Committee, the Republicans are literally locked out of the meeting room and not even given the opportunity to see and scrutinize the bill until less than 24 hours before the final vote.

C. The vote tally on a bill like the “Economic Stimulus” has a total of 3 members (out of 219) of the other party vote in favor of a bill. Let’s really call it 2: Judas was more of a friend to Jesus than Arlen Specter is a Republican.

D. When both parties work together through the entire process to write, debate, revise, and pass a bill in Congress with ideas from both parties included.

For most of us, this would be an easy million bucks….Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid would be jumping up and down screaming, “Regis this is a trick question: A, B, and C are all correct!!!!!”

“And you left out ‘A bill is bipartisan when we and the Messiah say it is--even as we call the other party unpatriotic!’”

“Did Limbaugh make this question up!?!?!?"


Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS)
If you ask most semi-knowledgeable Americans what were President Bush’s Top 5 Mistakes in office were they would tell you:
1. No Child Left Behind
2. the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
3. the Iraq War
4. the response to Hurricane Katrina
5. the Economic Stimulus Checks/ Bank bailout

Okay…

#1- The Federal government sticking its nose where it did not belong.
#2- Massive increase in another entitlement program…that we can’t pay for
#3- In case anyone missed it, we did win this war.
#4- I will grant you this one if you grant me

(a) the response by the City of New Orleans and its Democratic Mayor was criminal at best

(b) the Democratic governor of LA did jack-crap,

(c)maybe you should listen when they say get out of the city, a big stinking storm is coming.
#5- The definition of Socialism

So on 3 of the 5 things, President Bush failed because he went Socialist. For those of you with BDS, including you President Obama, get over yourselves already. Bush's "failed policies" were failed because he went Left on us.

In his first prime time press conference the President, on several occasions, took covert swipes at the Bush Administration. One time, he very overtly lied, “My administration…inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression.”

First of all, that statement is simply not true—unemployment in 1981, following the Carter debacle, was 12%...the US just bumped over 8% this week. I thought we were going to deal with scientific truths and the facts here Mr. President?

Second of all, get over the Bush-bashing and start leading already! A capitalist economy is based on confident people spending money, if they keep hearing how much the economy sucks, they won’t ever spend. How about some confidence…how about some hope…how about some “Yes, We Can” when it really matters?


"I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Dog On it, People Like Me"…and If Enough People Don’t Like Me, I’ll Just Rig the Recount
I am not sure what is more disgusting: that Al Franken and his Democratic cronies in Minnesota clearly rigged the recount in Minnesota, or that enough Minnesotans voted for this moron to be their Senator to even make a recount necessary.

For all you Libs out there saying, “This is just like Bush in 2000 in Florida”, you’re wrong…and possibly a moron also (though I won’t pass that type of judgment on all Democrats).

1. President Bush was ahead on election night (about 2,000 votes), and still ahead after the recount (537: more, by the way, than was Gore’s margin of victory in New Mexico). Franken was losing by 215 votes. In the subsequent recount votes went missing, magically reappeared again, were counted twice and suddenly Senator Coleman found himself losing.

2. The USA Today later did an independent recount which found that IF the ballots had been counted EXACTLY as Gore wanted…he still lost…by even more.

Someone wise once told me, “In a democracy it is not who votes that counts, its who counts the votes that matters.” This is the biggest heist in the Midwest since John Dillinger went down in a hail of bullets.


Comrade Obama Directive #10: Sigmund Freud Should be Banned from All Public Discussion
Could anyone else believe long-time White House Correspondent and self-proclaimed Lib, Helen Thomas’s first question to President Obama? You know, the one where she referred to the Taliban and al-Qaeda as “so-called terrorists”. SO-CALLED?!?!?!

Statements like this, and President Obama’s statement to "Joe-the-Plumber", are what psychologists call “Freudian Slips”. Despite best efforts to hide one’s true thoughts and feelings, those thoughts and feelings will subconsciously leak out of one’s mouth.

--President Obama IS a Socialist who believes in redistribution of wealth.
--Helen Thomas, and many on the Left, don’t see the perpetrators of 9/11 as terrorists, they see them as the victims of US aggression.
--Iranian President Ahmadinejad would destroy the US and Israel if he had a nuke.

Oh wait, that last one was not Freudian, he doesn’t try to hide the fact he believes in the destruction of the US and Israel…of course, no one in the Obama Administration is listening anyway. And they won’t until the sound of a nuke detonating in Tel Aviv or NYC reaches the West Wing.

A-Roid, the Mother of 16, and my Momentary Love for President Obama
Alex Rodriguez took steroids…who cares…taking steroids does not make you a better hitter. Most of you, if you juiced up for thirty-three years, still couldn’t hit a baseball, let alone as many HRs as this guy hit. And beside, the pitchers were juicing too…doesn’t that even it out? Don’t we have more important things to worry about like…

…That lady who looks like Angelina Jolie and has 16 kids? It amazes me that some of the same Libs who would argue she has the right to choose to kill her baby in the womb argue that she should not have been given the choice to have more babies. Doesn’t make sense? Of course it doesn’t, a lack of common sense is one of the first casualties of Far-lefties like…

…President Obama, who I have to admit, for a moment a few Sundays ago, I actually was a big fan of. The President said he was cheering for the Steelers in the Super Bowl. So, for that Sunday, me and the Pres were on the same side…of course, that day, he was “Right.”

Change, all that is left in your pockets to count…on.

I am going to give you a number that will absolutely, positively, blow your mind…9,700,000,000,000…

9.7 trillion. That is the amount of money the US government will have committed after passing this latest “stimulus” package to “solving” the country’s financial crisis and it is equal to 2/3 of the value of everything that was produced last year in the USA (Bloomberg.com). $9.7 trillion of YOUR tax money. And President Obama has promised that this is just one leg of the stool…which means there is more to come!

This amount is outrageous. Look, I know people in this country are hurting, I am not callous to that. But, how is this type of out of control spending going to help anyone?!?! One of three things will be done to pay for all of this:
(1) higher taxes—in other words, less money in your pocket
(2) print more money, inflation skyrockets and things you buy everyday will cost more—in other words, less money in your pocket

Barack Obama was right when he campaigned that we can count on change in his administration…that’s all any of us working Americans will have left in our pockets.

And what has all this spending gotten us so far…

January 2008: Unemployment= 4.9%; GDP Growth=1% in 1st Q; about 4.5% in 2 of 4 Q in 2007

$168 billion in tax cuts and rebates in 2008…the “Chinese Economic Stimulus Checks” that went out under the Bush Administration were nothing short of the most Socialist thing a government could do…just give its people money. And, since most people either paid off debt, put it in savings or bought things Made in China, it did little to help the US economy…Beijing sure appreciated it though.

August 2008: Unemployment= 6.2%; GDP Growth= 3% in 2Q

Election season politics take over, we all hear how bad the economy is…so we believe it and stop spending. People can’t pay the loans they never should have signed up for in the first place, banks collapse, and instead of letting them and allowing new banks to take over, we spend….

$700 billion in the “Bank Bailout”, which the CEOs of the banks proceed to blow. This does not include the $2.3 trillion lent by the Fed that we never heard about.

December 2008: Unemployment= 7.2%; GDP= -3.8% in 4Q

As you can see, nothing was solved by throwing all that money at the problem. In fact, things got worse. The fact of the matter is that the economy was not that bad to begin with. Since recovering from the economic blow of 9/11, the economy expanded EVERY quarter except for one. Unemployment hovered around 4.5% for all of 2006 and 2007. In fact, the worst if got in the last 10 years was during the Congressional election cycles of 2002 and 2004 when the Dems were trying to scare the bejeezus out of everyone to convince us how horrible President Bush and the Republican Congress was doing.

And now…despite all the preponderance of evidence that none of this been successful so far the Democrats in Congress just passed another massively bloated spending bill…at least $780 billion. This is serious…things will only continue to get worse if the government continues to spend like this.

Don’t Go Left, Young Man

The Slow Road to Socialism

There are some who say that Conservative commentators are overreacting when they say that President Obama and the Left are pushing America toward a Socialist state. Well, Comrade, I am here to tell you it is happening right in front of your eyes. What is most discouraging is that this policy is considered “Progressive” despite the fact that Socialism has NEVER worked. It did not work in the Soviet Union; China only became a world financial player when it privatized business and began running on Capitalistic principles; and Cuba…well, now there is a shining example of the efficacy of Socialism.

"Oh, you crazy Conservative, the reason why those systems never worked is because the people in those countries were oppressed." Wrong! In fact, I would argue that the only time Socialist societies were productive is when the people were most oppressed. Follow me on this one…

Socialism creates a society in which people are dependent on the government for all of their needs. Health care…free. Cost of a higher education or training…free. Everyone makes the same amount of money so there is no gap between rich and poor...redistribution of wealth. All homes are similar and provided by the government…free. Food…free. Sounds great, right?

If you got all this stuff from the government, no matter what you did or didn't do, why would you get up and go to work every morning? Why would you try to invent new things or come up with new ideas? There would be no incentive to do such Capitalistic things...unless of course Uncle Joe would have you shot or sent to the Gulag for not doing those things.

Then, Stalin died, Mao and his successors realized there were not enough places to hide the bodies, and Castro went soft—Socialism around the world collapses. The only incentive for people in these countries was the fear instilled by their government. Once that fear was gone there was no longer incentive to work, invent, or to strive for greater things.

Liberals point to European nations as “model” examples of a progressive society…a place where Socialism thrives. Unemployment rates in France and Italy are above 12% and consistently stay there-- the unemployment rate in Spain is 23%. European leaders realize that the reason their respective economies cannot create jobs is because of the demands of the welfare states that have been created. And yet, Liberals in this country are still under the deluded idea that Socialism can still work…because they are smarter than anyone else who has tried.

Was She With Michael Phelps?
The other day Nancy Pelosi said that every day the economic stimulus package was not passed 500 million Americans lost their jobs…hmmm…if the population of the United Sates is 300 million, then…oh, never mind. I am sure it was a slip of the tongue…

Perhaps, it was just another shot in the hyper-fear campaign that President Obama and the Left are conducting to get their Economic Stimulus package passed without scrutiny. Do we need an economic stimulus…probably. But not this one and never without the scrutiny any spending bill deserves.

Nationalization of Banks and Business
Talk this week also escalated about the creation of a National Bank with the sole purpose of purchasing bad loans. Rumors such as these have not been heard in these parts since the Jackson Administration. Why? Because a National Bank is a bad idea. Banks are businesses that create revenue and stimulate economic growth by loaning money to entrepreneurs and people who need money to purchase items such as automobiles and homes. This transfer of capital creates growth in the economy. By centralizing this capital the government now becomes not only the entity that creates monetary policy, but also an entity which trades massive amounts of capital based on this monetary policy. The opportunity for corruption and/or incompetence is exponential. Additionally, such a bank is funded by the taxpayers, which means your hard earned money would be used to pay off bad loans and bed debt. Your wealth redistributed to others.

This week President Obama announced, in a most righteous tone, that executives from companies that received federal bailout money would have a cap placed on their salaries. So apparently now the government is determining how much people are allowed to earn. This should be a good lesson to all Americans…there is no such thing as a free lunch. If the government provides you with money, they can (and will) mandate how you use that money. Essentially, then, the government has exerted an inescapable control and influence over you…or your company. Remember, what the government giveth, the government will taketh away.

Fairness Doctrine
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said recently on Bill Press’s morning radio show that she believes the Fairness Doctrine should be passed into law again. For those of you who don’t know, the Fairness Doctrine was a law passed in the 1940s as a way to guarantee that opposing viewpoints were heard by the public on public airwaves. The law was deemed unconstitutional by the FCC 1987.

Talk about grabbing the First Amendment by the neck and slapping it silly. If passed, this law would require radio stations that air shows such as the Sean Hannity Show or the Rush Limbaugh Show to air Liberal viewpoints an equal amount of the time. Essentially, the opposition would be silenced (or at least drowned out by the Left’s propaganda).

There is a reason why Air America, the Liberal talk radio station started by Senator* Al Franken, failed…because nobody wanted to listen to it!!! Liberal newspapers around the country such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer are failing because everybody is tired of reading the news as presented by the state-run Leftist media outlets. Fox News continually outpaces the Clinton News Network (CNN), and the Messianic Savior Named Barack Channel (MSNBC) because the American people don’t want to listen to the Liberal message. Frustrated by that, Comrade Stabenow and others are recommending a law to force Americans to hear their socialist message.

Make no mistake about it, the Left will not call this new bill the Fairness Doctrine. In the same manner as Mao, Lenin, and Chavez they will cloak the bill with a noble sounding name like: “The Media Accountability Measure” or “The Radio Transparency Bill”…or maybe they’ll just call it the “Shut Rush Up Bill”. Explain to me how such a measure is essentially any different from Iran or other totalitarian governments shutting down opposition newspapers. You can’t…at least not without being disingenuous.

Barack Obama Starring as Harvey Dent
No, I am not calling President Obama “Two-Face”…yet. Harvey Dent, of course, is a character in the Batman franchise. He is a politician who promises change and results in a city that has lost all hope in its politicians and policymakers. The problem with Harvey Dent is that things don’t go exactly the way he planned, he goes berserk, and betrays the faith the people have in him. President Obama is well on his way to becoming Harvey Dent.

He has promised the people change:
No lobbyists in his government: Failure
A better sort of politician in his administration (no tax cheats): Failure
Bi-partisanship…including Congress: Failure
Transparency: Failure
Making the country safer: Failure (see the “Be Nice to Terrorists Executive Orders”)

In all fairness, it is still very early in President Obama’s administration. And also to be fair, some of the things the President promised on the campaign trail he is finding impossible to do when actual governance is required. However, Mr. Obama, the country cannot afford a failure of faith. The United States needs a leader who understands the severity of the economic crisis we are in and the willingness to fight anyone who wants to pass spending bills that will worsen it…even if that means fighting your own party. The United States needs a leader who will not shy away from the threats that continue to mount around the world in the name of a peace that cannot be achieved…some people just like to watch the world burn…there is no negotiating with people like this. The United States needs a leader who has strong moral backbone and is willing to protect the Constitution as it is written, not as it has been interpreted by Liberal judges.

Make no mistake about it, the people of the United States did not elect President Obama because they supported a liberal agenda (multiple polls show overwhelming resistance to Liberal policies and Socialistic tendencies). The people elected President Obama because they wanted something new from their politicians. They wanted Harvey Dent to save them. They wanted to have faith again in their government. How can President Obama be successful and avoid becoming “Two-Face”?

Don’t go LEFT young man!


Footnote: Since Senator Franken clearly stole the election in Minnesota, an * will always be placed beside his title.

“…Death and Taxes…” Maybe not so much the “Taxes”

Only Two Things in Life are Certain: Death and Taxes. Unless of course you are a member of the Leftist Elite and wish to work in President Obama’s government. It has always confounded me as to why Liberals are always so willing to raise taxes and take more money away from hard working people.

I think I’ve figured it out: It’s because none of them are actually paying their taxes!!!

[Conversation in the Senate, 2002]
Anonymous Senator: “Hey, Speaker Daschle, let’s raise taxes on the rich so we can pay for more entitlement programs that will make people more dependent on government.”

Daschle: “Great idea…hell…I don’t pay them anyway.”

Tom Daschle, nominated by President Obama to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Nancy Killefer, nominated to scrutinize the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), withdrew their nominations after it came to light that they failed to properly pay their taxes. Timothy Geitner, now in charge of the Treasury Department (and the IRS), also owed thousands of dollars in back taxes and penalties for not paying his taxes. Somehow, despite being a tax cheat, he still managed to get the job as arguably the 3rd most powerful person in Washington D.C.

One of two conclusions can be drawn from this: (1) the tax code is so complicated that even the people who are ostensibly qualified to interpret it can’t, or (2) these people are criminals. I think it is #1….......and #2.

No one can turn a criminal into a victim faster than the left. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) fell all over himself on National Public Radio this week defending Daschle. Rockefeller said that Daschle’s issues arose because he never really had any money, that he was a victim of being poor and not being able to afford the same accountants that rich people had. Oh...uh-huh. Other Democrats ignored Daschle’s sins and offered praise such as “he did the right thing”; “how noble of him to fall on his sword for President Obama”; “he knew there were more important things for the Obama administration to worry about”. Its as if Daschle had done nothing wrong and the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy had struck again.

What a great guy…I almost forgot he is a tax cheat and a criminal. Of course, it depends on what the definition of “is” is.

“Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”

Let me paraphrase another quote by Ronald Reagan to describe the Left’s current economic policy: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” This economic policy is evident in the stimulus bill recently passed by the House of Representatives. Estimated costs of the House bill, including interest will exceed $1 trillion…that’s right TRILLION with a “T”.

How exactly does $200 million to rehabilitate the National Mall bring jobs back to America? How is the National Endowment for the Arts going to use its $50 million to stop home foreclosures? $600 million for the Federal government to update its fleet of cars to alternative fuel vehicles (with no requirement that such a contract go to US automakers)? $300 million dollars for Global Warming Research will hardly instill more confidence in the American consumer. Speaker of the House Pelosi even tried to get hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for contraceptives. And now we learn that $1.8 billion has been given to the National Park Service, whose chief lobbyist is the son of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s chief sponsor David Obey (D-WI). Make no mistake about it. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) passed in the House of Representatives is neither economically stimulating nor will it quicken the end to the current recession the United States has found itself in. In reality, if the law as it is written is passed in the Senate, it will be the final nail in the economic coffin of the United States.

Most concerning with this Bill is the way in which it was shoved through the House with such speed. Such haste suggests that the authors of the bill and the Democratically-controlled Congress did not want time for the American people to see what was really in the Bill. The Bill, in actuality, is not a stimulus package, but a veiled attempt by the Left to permanently impose upon the American people its Liberal agenda. This Bill is a hodgepodge of spending meant to implement or increase entitlement programs that the Left had been unable to do until they had control. There are no longer checks and balances left in the Federal government and thus, there was no attempt at bi-partisan cooperation. Essentially, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama went to the House Republicans and said, “Come along or reap the consequences of denying the Messiah’s demands.”

Naysayers are being called “unpatriotic”, “un-American”, and are being derided by Democratic Congressional leadership as being obstructionist. To the Republicans in Congress I say, “Let the Democrats own this.” This will be the second stimulus package passed by a Democratically controlled Congress that wasted taxpayer money. This time, there is no Bush to kick around and blame. When it fails to produce jobs, or an economic turnaround, they will have no one to blame but themselves.

Why am I so confident it will fail? Because the Bill does not diagnose the problem and then create solutions to those problems, it simply throws money at the entitlement-dependent voting blocs the Democrats wish to appease for the next election. This bill is heavy in spending and light on tax cuts. That formula has never worked. More government spending will eventually result in higher taxes for someone, which means less money being spent in the market, which is the basic definition of a recession. There is a certain amount of money (call it XY) available to be spent; if you take X amount of money from one group and give X amount to another you have not injected more money into the market, you have simply redistributed (now YX). Ah, yes, Mr. Obama told Mr. “the Plumber” that was exactly what he intended to do.

Any economic stimulus package needs to inject money into the market to encourage people to buy products, companies to hire (or stop laying off) workers, and to restore confidence of the American consumer. How is that done? Look to North Dakota. That state has a Republican governor and a Republican legislature. They have cut spending and cut taxes and this year, they have a surplus…that’s right a surplus.

Cut the Federal budget and the Federal government: This is counterintuitive to most politicians…especially those on the Left. STOP SPENDING and STOP MANDATING!!!! Some states and businesses are in dire economic straits because of federal mandates such as Emissions Standards and No Child Left Behind. The Republican Congress of the 1990s forced President Clinton to do this (cut the Federal government) and allowed the 1990s to be a boom period…President Bush should have continued this. Unfortunately, his government spent money like he had a (D-TX) behind his name.

Tax breaks: The majority of the stimulus package should be in the form of payroll tax breaks for working Americans (not rebate checks, especially for those who never paid any taxes to begin with) and tax breaks for businesses—ALL businesses. Part of the reason why businesses are trimming payroll and moving overseas is because of the ridiculously high 35% business tax. Cut that rate by 10%-15%, save companies like Ford and Microsoft millions of dollars, and they will hire more people. Here is a fact: EVERYTIME the tax rate has been cut, government revenue has gone up! Imagine what you would do with an extra $100-$500 in your paycheck every month…you’d spend it. It is hard to argue, and not be disingenuous, that lower taxes result in the injection of more money into the consumer market.

Mortgage Assistance: Another major part of the stimulus needs to be direct assistance to mortgage holders. Guaranteed government loans should be implemented so that people could, despite lower home values, refinance into more affordable mortgages. This program should be open to ALL mortgage holders…even those who are paying their mortgages on time. Add this to your tax cut and you are looking at maybe $1000 extra per month to spend.

Fund Private Infrastructure Improvement Programs: This is one part of the economic stimulus package I agree with (kind of). Give money to private companies to be used for improving the power grid, expanding telecommunications, improving roads and bridges, etc. The government does not have to lead these projects.

Bailout States: Give states the money they need to counteract budget shortfalls for this year only. The stipulation: each state has to pass a law saying that the state budget cannot be increased by more than the inflation rate + 2% per year for the next 10 years (or longer). In other words, force the states to cut spending also.

Cut the Capital Gains Tax: I know, some of you are saying, “Why help out Wall Street?” Because cutting the Capital Gains Tax doesn’t just help Wall Street, it helps all investors and Americans. It encourages investment in companies which in turn gives companies money to spend on things like hiring more workers.

Pay off Americans’ Credit: I only offer this idea because if you are going to spend $1 trillion you might as well give it directly to the people. Pay off the debt that American’s owe on credit cards. “They will just go out and spend more,” you say. Exactly.


Check out this article on Keynesian Economic Theory (what the stimulus package is based on). http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0109-52.pdf

Father Gore and the Church of Climatology

In his Inauguration speech, President Obama said of his administration, “We will restore science to its rightful place…” What President Obama really meant was: All of you whacks out there clinging to your Bibles and guns straighten up. If you don’t agree with abortion, stem cell research, the elimination of the entire coal and oil industries, Cap and Trade, and Al Gore’s deluded Global Warming Apocalypse, then you’re an idiot.

It is clear that the Obama Administration, and the entire Democratic Party for that matter, plan to use the “Science Card” as reason for shoving a Liberal agenda on the American people. The implication is: the facts lie with the Liberal side and that Conservatives, in their abundant ignorance, make irrational decisions because of their lack of facts. The fact is that science is not always right and the “scientific facts” as they present themselves one day are not always accurate the next. For instance…

“Oh, Chris Columbus, you fool, it is scientific fact that the world is flat…idiot Conservative”—Alberto Gore (Spain, 1491)

“Galileo Galilei, it is scientific fact that the sun revolves around the earth…you stupid Conservative. You even have the same first and last name! Your parents were morons too!”—Albertanicus Gore (Italy, 1610)

“Albert Einstein, you are a jerk. It is scientific fact that Newton was right about gravity. This space-time curvature thing you speak of is ignorant, non-scientific, Conservo-speak.” – Albertus von Gore (Austria, 1916)

Al Gore made his annual pilgrimage to Washington this week (ironically in the middle of a winter storm) to cry out to the masses once again that the end of the world was imminent due to global warming. In his opening remarks, Senator Kerry said about global warming, “Frankly, the science is screaming at us.”

The science is NOT screaming that Gore’s theory of global warming due to human beings is wholly accurate and true. In fact, there are a large number renowned scientists (now relegated as heretics in the Church of Climatology) who believe that the warming trend observed by scientists is part of naturally occurring cycles of nature, including solar flares and sunspots. Data show that 2008 was the coldest year in the last decade and that just happened to coincide with the end of a cycle of solar flares and sunspot activity. In addition, there has been no significant warming since 1998. The average rate of warming (0.1-0.2 degrees C) is consistent with known rates of warming and cooling over the last 10,000 years. And, recent measurements show that some of the polar ice caps that have been retreating are now advancing. Some have even theorized that the Earth is heading into a mini-Ice Age. The great thing for the Left about Global Warming Theory is it will take 1,000 years before anyone can prove them wrong…again.

Ironically, the Church of Climatology has started to move away from the phrase “Global Warming”; the new catch phrase is “Global Climate Change”. This way, if the Earth gets warmer, colder, snowier, rainier, drier, or just stays the same, Father Gore and his Church of Climatology can claim victory in its theology and continue to push their true agenda: environmental socialism.

What would Jesus Do? All Proclaimed Messiahs Pay Attention

Hubris.
For years we have been hearing from the mainstream media about the unabashed hubris of President Bush. How his actions showed his arrogance and total disregard for bi-partisanship, cooperation, and the intelligence of the American people. This week, during a session with Republicans on Capitol Hill, President Obama reportedly responded to GOP questioning of his stimulus package (you know, the part where people who don’t pay any taxes get more money back from the government) with:

“I won. I will trump you on that.”

If this isn’t the epitome of arrogance, I don’t know what is—where is Liberal media on this one?

Promises, Shmomises.
President Obama made a pledge that no lobbyists would be allowed to work for his administration in departments they once lobbied and that they would not be allowed to lobby his administration if they left to go back to their lobbying firms. Well, that lasted until the first official needed a waiver from that rule. Bill Lynn, a Defense Department nominee has already been granted a waiver. Way to stick to your guns and “change" the face of politics, Mr. President. Of course, this does go along with the Liberal thinking that there are no such things as steadfast rules…just guidelines.

“Transparency—Could you use that in a sentence, please?”
Earlier in the week President Obama visited the White House Press Room. While on his visit, he was asked a question about the aforementioned Mr. Lynn. The President scorned the reporter for daring to ask him a tough question. Had it not been for one of the media acolytes jumping in and saying “I just want to say it one more time: Mr. President.”, President Obama may have beat the reporter from Politico.

The media is also apparently all in a twist over not being given access to the "re-swearing-in" of Mr. Obama by Justice Roberts that took place in the White House. It seems as though Mr. Obama and his administration are trying to strictly control the flow of information the press has access too—and that’s the opinion of the same press that was in his back pocket throughout the campaign! If transparency really is the goal, Comrade Obama, why stifle the press. After all they should be reporting on every questionable thing your administration does…just like they did with “W”.

Do you take us for idiots?.…Wait, don’t answer that.
One press conference and I can already tell that Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary, and the entire Obama Administration is following the cue of the Clinton Administration: the American people are idiots; if you speak, they will believe.

In talking about President Obama’s executive order to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and the mandate that the Army Field Manual be used as a guideline for interrogation, Gibbs said, “We've made our security stronger… the steps that were taken today ensure and enhance the security of the American people.”

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

If you closed Guantanamo because you believed it was morally wrong, fine. Tell us that.
If you limited interrogation techniques to those from the Army Field Manual because you feel that water boarding and sleep depravation are wrong, fine. Tell us that.

Then there is the tired argument that these moves will protect our troops, make it safer for them if they are captured. When in history has that ever proven to have been true. America has always treated its prisoners of combat with at least a modicum of decency; has that ever been returned by our enemies? Think of the images of our soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu and videos of Americans being executed on TV by Muslim extremists. Ask John McCain if American treatment of POWs in Vietnam equated to fair treatment at the Hanoi Hilton. Did the Nazis and Japanese return the generosity we showed toward their POWs? Even in our own Civil War places like Andersonville Prison in Georgia were hell holes for US troops who were captured. In so much as Liberals would have no intention of giving me and other Conservatives the same right to make moral judgments that I grant President Obama, our enemies have absolutely no intention of treating Americans nicely just because we are treating their captured nicely. (And honestly, my college dorm room was smaller than those cells at Gitmo). If, however, you believe this. Fine. Tell us that is the reason.

But, don’t feed us some line about these moves improving our security. Make no mistake about it, THEY DIDN’T. I respect the moral objections Mr. Obama has to these things…I don’t agree, but I respect. And, as President, if his moral objections demand that he make these moves, then so be it. These executive orders significantly hamstrung our ability to secure America…to that there is no doubt.

Don’t lie to us St. Barack…Jesus wouldn’t do that.

Advice from Former Residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Being President is a difficult job. I would say, “I don’t know why anyone would want to be President…” but, I would like to be President, so I won’t say that. I wonder what advice former Presidents would give Mr. Obama as he enters the White House?

George W. Bush: “Trust your moral beliefs about what is best for this country. Stand firm in those because, at the end of the day, that is all you will have. Public opinion is too easily influenced to be trusted. Don’t trust the other party with "bi-partisan bills", because they will abandon you and blame only you the second something goes wrong. And if a hurricane is about to hit a city, send every available man under 60 to help…otherwise, you’ll be blamed for a weak response.”

Bill Clinton: “If you see an intern walk by the Oval Office, be cool and say…” [That’s way too easy].

George H. W. Bush: “Don’t say anything that begins with, ‘Read my lips…’. Like maybe, ‘Read my lips, no lobbyists in my administration.’"

Ronald Reagan: “Get the hell out of my White House you Pinko-Commie!”

Jimmy Carter: “Just try to be nice to everyone…and…well…I…I really didn’t know what I was doing when I was in the White House so, maybe you better listen to Reagan.”

Richard Nixon: “Get rid of that Blackberry. Evidence. Evidence.”

Franklin Roosevelt: “Call all your Socialist plans something catchy like the New Deal and no one will notice. Heck, my policies took the country from a depression into a Great Depression and I still was able to blame that schlep Hoover. Do the same with Bush.”

James Madison: “You, Pelosi, and Lefty Judges-- READ THE CONSTITUTION…I wrote it for a reason. Follow it!”

Don’t Worry Ahmed, You Were Not Part of the Bush Administration: You Have Nothing to Worry About Here.

January 20, 2009 at noon, “Change We Can Believe In”, will finally, mercifully take place on the steps of the US Congress. Barack Hussein Obama (Oh, wait am I allowed to use his middle name, yet?) will become the 44th President of the United States and will usher in a period of harmony and peace, one in which the country will be brought together in unity, foregoing partisan attacks and politics….umm…uhhh…

THIS BREAKING NEWS: Representative John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee announced Friday that he will be investigating the Bush Administration for supposedly breaking the law by taking the country to war with Iraq and for “instituting aggressive anti-terror initiatives.”

Well, so much for the unity…that lasted all of, let’s do the math, negative four days of the Obama Administration. So, Saddam Hussein was the most vile dictator since Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot bit the dust. He defied multiple UN Resolutions, actively sought ways in which to acquire nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons—yes, those of you with Bush-derangement syndrome, he did (see: Israel takes out Osirak nuclear facility and Hussein gasses thousands of Kurds). He was warned for years to comply with UN mandates and even was slapped on the hand through the use of air raids by the Clinton Administration—oh, but that was okay since a Democrat President did it; surely the wisdom of Solomon rests solely with the Left.

Yet, to Conyers and other Liberals it seems that Hussein (Saddam, not Barack) was simply a victim of the war-mongering, Constitution ignoring, ignorant, law-breaking Neo-Cons and their desire to take over the oil in the Middle East so the Bush family could profit. Bush be damned, not Hussein. By the way, read this article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3872201.stm it should shed a little light on the falsehood that NO evidence of Hussein re-constituting a WMD program was ever found in Iraq.

This accusation by Conyers of “aggressive anti-terror initiative[s]” coupled with the Obama Administration’s sudden sympathy for captured terrorists (IE: shutting down Gitmo and soon to be gutting of the CIA) led me to imagine what the first interrogation of a terror suspect will look like under Attorney General Eric Holder.

FBI AGENT: Hello Ahmed, my name is Agent Rogers, I will be your interrogator…uh…inquisitor…uh…questioner…uh…we’ll chat
TERRORIST: Death to America!
FBI AGENT: So Ahmed, tell us about the next plot to kill Americans.
TERRORIST: Die you vile scum. Death to the Great Satan and to the Zionist trash occupying Palestine.
FBI AGENT: Oh, Ahmed, you make me laugh [jovial laughter]. I know we Americans probably caused you to think this way. I am sure you were sitting at a coffee shop in Riyadh, ready to go to work at your job as a business consultant for a giant oil conglomerate when suddenly you read about Gitmo in the New York Times and decided to give up that life of luxury you have and kill Americans. So, we are very sorry.
TERRORIST: Someday I will cut out your tongue, Devil. Allahu Akbar!
FBI AGENT: [Jovial laughter] Ok Ahmed, now will you please tell me about the plot?
TERRORIST: Never, you will have to torture me.
FBI AGENT: Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down the “Waterboard Train” there, Ahmed. We don’t torture in this country because we know that if we treat you right your compatriots will treat captured American soldiers in the same manner.
TERRORIST: If we get our hands on an American invader we will cut off his head on TV and drag his naked corpse through the street for all the world to see. By the way I want a copy of the Holy Koran

[4 hours later after a correct translation of the Koran is found, Ahmed has eaten a lunch consisting of steak and potatoes, took a quiet nap, prayed, and made his one phone call—strangely to an unregistered cell phone in the Pansheer Valley of Pakistan, the questioning continues]

FBI AGENT: So, we have treated you well, will you tell us about the plot to kill thousands of Americans now.
TERRORIST: By the way, you pointed me in the wrong direction earlier when I prayed. When will the ACLU be here.
FBI AGENT: Easy buddy…honest mistake. How about if I add a nap every two hours of questioning instead of every four and we make this all go away. By the way are you comfortable.
TERRORIST: This chair is kind of hard.

[2 hours later after a softer chair more to Ahmed’s liking is found and the agreed upon nap is again taken, the questioning continues]

TERRORIST: You know Rogers, you are not a bad man. I kill all Americans except for you.
FBI AGENT: Well, thanks Ahmed.
TERRORIST:[Pause, slap on the knee]. Ha! Got you. I kill you too.. and your family. And, you had better begin addressing me as Ahmed bin Ishtar the Great and end all your sentences with Allahu Akbar or I will sue.
FBI AGENT: Yes sir, Mr. Ishtar the Great. Now since I have been so nice to you, will you please tell me what the next plot is going to be…oh yeah, Allahu Akbar.
TERRORIST: That is better Rogers…and…no.

[Later]

HOLDER: Have we broken through, any info?
FBI AGENT: No sir, he just won’t break. He’s a tough nut. Allahu Akbar.
HOLDER: Huh?
FBI AGENT: Nevermind.
HOLDER Oh well, I have more important things to do. I think I might finally be able to get Cheney for the Valerie Plame thing. I will Waterboard his ass if I have to.

Thank You and Good Luck

Thank you to President George W. Bush who served this nation for 8 years through some of the most difficult times in recent history. At times he was not given enough credit for his leadership and was unfairly blamed for things out of his scope of influence. His leadership following the terrorist attacks of 9-11 should never be forgotten. Like all Presidents, he made mistakes. But, this country has been safe since 9-11-2001 and for that, he should be thanked.

Good luck to President Barack Obama. While his views may differ from mine at times (like pretty much all the time), he is my, and our, President. I wish him all of God's blessings and the wisom of Solomon as he makes decisions for this nation. I pray they be "Right".

PS. Mr. President, if you need advice, feel free to suscribe to this blog :)