DWTS judges gave Lance Bass' dancing a mediocre score, stating that there needed to be more traditional dance steps in the routine. Quite frankly, we don't know what the traditional steps are to any dance so we are not in a position to judge that; however, Lance did a better than mediocre job. Based on the current competition, Lance should be one of the last three or four finalists of the season.
Brooke Burke is dancing very well. She has natural dance ability and should make it to the final two.
Cloris Leachman should be low vote tonight, but two other possibilities for low vote could be Kim Kardashian (why is she a star?) and Rocco DiSpirito. Too bad for Rocco because he really has a fun personality. If he could get his feet and personality to match up, it would be a party on the floor. If Cloris isn't voted off tonight, she has a far larger fan base than we would have guessed.
During the current financial mess and legislative battle for a 700 plus billion dollar bailout, we've heard mention several times of an organization that is referred to by the acronym of ACORN. Please click on the link below to find out exactly what ACORN is, what they stand for, and what their role is in the current "screw the taxpayers" economic bailout bill being discussed on Capitol Hill.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/acorn_obama_and_the_mortgage_m.html
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Let It Fail, Let It Fail, Let It Fail
The bailout bill failed the House earlier today. We have no idea whether or not it's better to have a fast crash by not supporting Congress' bailout bill, or whether it's better to have a slow crash by supporting the bill. What we do know and believe, however, is that we do not support any government move towards socialism, i.e., allowing the government to grow bigger and buy private companies. If that's what a government bailout means, then Congress should let the bill fail, and the American people will have to deal with the consequences of having had years of crooked, deceitful financial managers and government officials.
It should be meaningful to all Americans that this bill was being supported by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Since the two of them are inept, incompetent, and imbecilic, there is a good chance that anything they introduce or support in Congress is also inept, incompetent, and imbecilic.
It should be meaningful to all Americans that this bill was being supported by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Since the two of them are inept, incompetent, and imbecilic, there is a good chance that anything they introduce or support in Congress is also inept, incompetent, and imbecilic.
Please click on the link below to get a better understanding of exactly who is to blame for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiascos and why the American economy is in such a mess.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Reid Between the Lines
Below is the angry text of a letter we emailed Senator Reid. Yes, it's stern but it doesn't contain any of the swear words we wanted to insert. So our readers should admire our restraint.
Senator Reid,
We are writing to express our indignation over the manipulative and deceitful political stunt you and your democrat cronies pulled this week. We are speaking specifically about the press conferences you held prior to John McCain arriving in Washington and after his arrival. Just to refresh your memory, you stated earlier this week that in order to resolve the bailout you needed John McCain to be present (why wouldn't you call for Barry Obama -- he's also a sitting Senator). After Senator McCain's arrival, you stated that Senator McCain needed to leave Washington because presidential politics were not helpful; in fact, they are harmful. Are you bipolar?
First, may we remind you that both Senator McCain and Barry are sitting senators BEFORE they are presidential candidates. It is their duty and responsibility to represent the people of Arizona and Illinois and defend the interests of their constituents. How dare you demand that any senator leave Washington because you decide to pull a political stunt and tell the American people that he is harming progress. Truthfully, someone needs to harm progress on this issue because the taxpayers and their financial well-being need to be protected. We envy the people of Arizona for having a representative in the Senate who actually cares about protecting them. Nevadans should be so lucky.
Second, do you really think that the American people are so gullible and stupid as to believe only your spin on this week's events? We realize now that you and a group of dishonest Democrats planned and implemented a scheme to blame John McCain for a failure of a consensus that hadn't even been agreed upon at all, in principle or any other way. How dare you waste Nevadan's time and money by playing partisan politics. And how dare you load up the bailout bill with earmarks and added financial gain for special interest groups. All you have managed to do is confirm our resolve that Democrats cannot be trusted with the peoples' business or their money. Never again will we vote for you or any other Democrat. And you can believe that we have actually voted for you in the past.
You can also believe that there are many Nevadans who are disgusted and fed-up with your antics and refuse to give you another term in office. Enjoy your retirement in 2011.
Senator Reid,
We are writing to express our indignation over the manipulative and deceitful political stunt you and your democrat cronies pulled this week. We are speaking specifically about the press conferences you held prior to John McCain arriving in Washington and after his arrival. Just to refresh your memory, you stated earlier this week that in order to resolve the bailout you needed John McCain to be present (why wouldn't you call for Barry Obama -- he's also a sitting Senator). After Senator McCain's arrival, you stated that Senator McCain needed to leave Washington because presidential politics were not helpful; in fact, they are harmful. Are you bipolar?
First, may we remind you that both Senator McCain and Barry are sitting senators BEFORE they are presidential candidates. It is their duty and responsibility to represent the people of Arizona and Illinois and defend the interests of their constituents. How dare you demand that any senator leave Washington because you decide to pull a political stunt and tell the American people that he is harming progress. Truthfully, someone needs to harm progress on this issue because the taxpayers and their financial well-being need to be protected. We envy the people of Arizona for having a representative in the Senate who actually cares about protecting them. Nevadans should be so lucky.
Second, do you really think that the American people are so gullible and stupid as to believe only your spin on this week's events? We realize now that you and a group of dishonest Democrats planned and implemented a scheme to blame John McCain for a failure of a consensus that hadn't even been agreed upon at all, in principle or any other way. How dare you waste Nevadan's time and money by playing partisan politics. And how dare you load up the bailout bill with earmarks and added financial gain for special interest groups. All you have managed to do is confirm our resolve that Democrats cannot be trusted with the peoples' business or their money. Never again will we vote for you or any other Democrat. And you can believe that we have actually voted for you in the past.
You can also believe that there are many Nevadans who are disgusted and fed-up with your antics and refuse to give you another term in office. Enjoy your retirement in 2011.
Friday, September 26, 2008
THE MELTDOWN OF HARRY REID
We try hard to not actually call anyone names on this site -- it's counterproductive and doesn't really prove anything about the person; however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to not say that Harry Reid is an idiot. It's rather embarrassing to claim him as a Nevadan because we don't want people from other states to wonder if all Nevadans are morons. But Harry's lack of both judgment and just plain common sense are becoming so obvious, that we feel compelled to state the obvious: Harry Reid is an idiot and he believes that we are all idiots.
It doesn't take a high I.Q. to read Harry's statements and figure out that not only are his own statements inconsistent with each other, he thinks that we will never catch on to the fact that his current political goals revolve around getting Obama elected and attempting to make McCain look incompetent.
Currently, Harry is blaming John McCain for the lack of an agreement on a Wall Street bailout. He's asking for McCain to leave Washington so that the Senate can get something done; McCain is, apparently, getting in their way. Truthfully, someone needs to get in their way. The Democrats are putting so many earmarks on the Wall Street bailout that it will far exceed the $700 billion that was proposed. Unfortunately for the Dems, Republicans know how to read and many House Republicans did read the proposal and refused to sign. Their decision had nothing to do with John McCain.
This won't be much of a shock, but Democrats are not being completely honest about the passing of the proposal. They don't need the House Republicans to approve the proposal; the Dem's are the majority party.
Additionally, John McCain has every right to be in Washington right now. He's paid to be a senator -- he should be in Washington.
It's beginning to look like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and perhaps some of Obama's camp have pre-planned this conspiracy to take down McCain. Why else would Harry say earlier this week that they needed McCain in Washington to help settle this bailout, only to turn around and condemn McCain when he actually shows up? Either Harry is losing his marbles, or the rest of us have lost ours.
Stephen F. Hayes wrote the following for The Daily Standard:
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to CNN to talk about bailout politics. When I arrived, I was surprised to learn from the other two panelists--CNN's Gloria Borger and the Washington Post's Dana Milbank--that a deal on an amended version of the Treasury Department's $700 billion bailout plan was close. I was surprised because I had been hearing the opposite--that House Republicans were increasingly opposed to a deal and that such a deal seemed less likely yesterday than it was when the plan was originally proposed. But others, including the Associated Press, were reporting that a deal was imminent.
"Then, earlier today, the AP reported that such a deal had, in fact, been reached. The Washington Post soon followed, in an article that strongly suggested McCain was irrelevant to the process and reported that he had arrived after a deal had been struck.
McCain's "Straight Talk Air" landed at National Airport just after noon, and McCain's motorcade sped toward the Senate. But by then, senior Democrats and Republicans colleagues were already announcing that a deal in principle had been reached.
"The Obama campaign gleefully sent the Post story out to reporters at 4:22 and affixed its own headline: 'Straight Talk Air' lands after deal was announced.'
"So what happened? I'm not sure anyone knows the full story, but here is my take. When John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign, Democrats moved quickly to portray the decision as strictly political. (Senator Chuck Schumer said as much in an interview on CNN.) An important element of their case was convincing reporters that a deal was close and McCain presence was (a) unnecessary, (b) potentially detrimental, or (c) both.
"But that's a hard case for them to make for two reasons. First, Harry Reid. On Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had explicitly called for McCain to use his influence as party leader to bring House Republicans along. 'We need, now, the Republicans to start producing some votes for us,' Reid said. 'We need the Republican nominee for president to let us know where he stands and what we should do.' Reid explained that McCain was crucial to any deal because his approval of a deal would give congressional Republicans political cover necessary to sign on to a bipartisan agreement. The second reason: House Republicans were never on board. Earlier this week, they gave Vice President Dick Cheney an earful about their opposition to the deal. Yesterday morning, a group of about 50 conservative House Republicans got together and when one speaker asked for a show of hands from those who support the bailout, less than a handful said they were likely to support it. One staffer for a Republican in House leadership said: 'Understand one thing. House Republicans were never on board.'
"By this morning, Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative Barney Frank--the two lead congressional Democrats on this issue--were telling reporters that a deal was close. But according to House sources, those claims were nonsense. 'This was a smart political move by Senator McCain--working in a bipartisan fashion to try to get something done,' says a senior House Republican aide. 'It's something he's done in the past.' Democrats, this Republican says, immediately began plotting to deny McCain credit for a deal if one was reached and to blame him if a deal was not reached.
"At least temporarily, we are seeing an interesting partnership between House Republicans and John McCain. When I asked one GOP Hill staffer whether McCain was serving as a proxy for House Republicans, I was told that such a claim would be too strong but that McCain is, at the very least, trying to give voice to House Republicans skeptical of the bailout. And if that's true, McCain will have an opportunity to bring them along--or some of them--to get a deal.
"The real question, in the face of increasingly intense media hostility, is whether he'll actually get credit for doing so."
Stephen F. Hayes is a senior writer at THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
It doesn't take a high I.Q. to read Harry's statements and figure out that not only are his own statements inconsistent with each other, he thinks that we will never catch on to the fact that his current political goals revolve around getting Obama elected and attempting to make McCain look incompetent.
Currently, Harry is blaming John McCain for the lack of an agreement on a Wall Street bailout. He's asking for McCain to leave Washington so that the Senate can get something done; McCain is, apparently, getting in their way. Truthfully, someone needs to get in their way. The Democrats are putting so many earmarks on the Wall Street bailout that it will far exceed the $700 billion that was proposed. Unfortunately for the Dems, Republicans know how to read and many House Republicans did read the proposal and refused to sign. Their decision had nothing to do with John McCain.
This won't be much of a shock, but Democrats are not being completely honest about the passing of the proposal. They don't need the House Republicans to approve the proposal; the Dem's are the majority party.
Additionally, John McCain has every right to be in Washington right now. He's paid to be a senator -- he should be in Washington.
It's beginning to look like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and perhaps some of Obama's camp have pre-planned this conspiracy to take down McCain. Why else would Harry say earlier this week that they needed McCain in Washington to help settle this bailout, only to turn around and condemn McCain when he actually shows up? Either Harry is losing his marbles, or the rest of us have lost ours.
Stephen F. Hayes wrote the following for The Daily Standard:
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to CNN to talk about bailout politics. When I arrived, I was surprised to learn from the other two panelists--CNN's Gloria Borger and the Washington Post's Dana Milbank--that a deal on an amended version of the Treasury Department's $700 billion bailout plan was close. I was surprised because I had been hearing the opposite--that House Republicans were increasingly opposed to a deal and that such a deal seemed less likely yesterday than it was when the plan was originally proposed. But others, including the Associated Press, were reporting that a deal was imminent.
"Then, earlier today, the AP reported that such a deal had, in fact, been reached. The Washington Post soon followed, in an article that strongly suggested McCain was irrelevant to the process and reported that he had arrived after a deal had been struck.
McCain's "Straight Talk Air" landed at National Airport just after noon, and McCain's motorcade sped toward the Senate. But by then, senior Democrats and Republicans colleagues were already announcing that a deal in principle had been reached.
"The Obama campaign gleefully sent the Post story out to reporters at 4:22 and affixed its own headline: 'Straight Talk Air' lands after deal was announced.'
"So what happened? I'm not sure anyone knows the full story, but here is my take. When John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign, Democrats moved quickly to portray the decision as strictly political. (Senator Chuck Schumer said as much in an interview on CNN.) An important element of their case was convincing reporters that a deal was close and McCain presence was (a) unnecessary, (b) potentially detrimental, or (c) both.
"But that's a hard case for them to make for two reasons. First, Harry Reid. On Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had explicitly called for McCain to use his influence as party leader to bring House Republicans along. 'We need, now, the Republicans to start producing some votes for us,' Reid said. 'We need the Republican nominee for president to let us know where he stands and what we should do.' Reid explained that McCain was crucial to any deal because his approval of a deal would give congressional Republicans political cover necessary to sign on to a bipartisan agreement. The second reason: House Republicans were never on board. Earlier this week, they gave Vice President Dick Cheney an earful about their opposition to the deal. Yesterday morning, a group of about 50 conservative House Republicans got together and when one speaker asked for a show of hands from those who support the bailout, less than a handful said they were likely to support it. One staffer for a Republican in House leadership said: 'Understand one thing. House Republicans were never on board.'
"By this morning, Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative Barney Frank--the two lead congressional Democrats on this issue--were telling reporters that a deal was close. But according to House sources, those claims were nonsense. 'This was a smart political move by Senator McCain--working in a bipartisan fashion to try to get something done,' says a senior House Republican aide. 'It's something he's done in the past.' Democrats, this Republican says, immediately began plotting to deny McCain credit for a deal if one was reached and to blame him if a deal was not reached.
"At least temporarily, we are seeing an interesting partnership between House Republicans and John McCain. When I asked one GOP Hill staffer whether McCain was serving as a proxy for House Republicans, I was told that such a claim would be too strong but that McCain is, at the very least, trying to give voice to House Republicans skeptical of the bailout. And if that's true, McCain will have an opportunity to bring them along--or some of them--to get a deal.
"The real question, in the face of increasingly intense media hostility, is whether he'll actually get credit for doing so."
Stephen F. Hayes is a senior writer at THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
DWTS & Political Maneuverings
DANCING WITH THE STARS
Seriously?! Cloris Leachman stays? Who is voting for her instead of Ted McGinley? While we commend Cloris Leachman for getting out there and dancing at the age of 82, let's be honest. She can't dance. Perhaps people are voting for her based on her entertainment factor. That would be fine, except it's a dancing show. Does it worry anyone else that the people who voted for Cloris Leachman to stay on Dancing With the Stars will also be the same people voting for president in November?
McCAIN AND THE ECONOMY CRISIS
John McCain announced yesterday that he will be suspending his presidential campaign while he returned to Washington to vote on the bailout package that Congress and President Bush are trying to push through. Senator McCain has asked Senator Obama to postpone the debate that was scheduled for Friday night. Truthfully, we don't care if they debate this Friday, next Friday, or the Friday before the election -- the date of the debate isn't an issue for us. What is an issue, however, is that neither senator has been elected president yet, which means that they are still elected senators representing the citizens of their respective states. And since both of them are receiving a taxpayer paid salary for their jobs as senators, then the people of Illinois and Arizona have the right to be represented by their senators when a vote is being held in the Senate regarding the use of the peoples' money. Senator McCain has stated that he intends to be in Washington to make sure the American people have accountability from their elected officials on the Wall Street bailout issue. Senator Obama said that if it becomes important for him to be in Washington, he'll get himself there. In the meantime, Obama stated that presidents have to multitask and that's what he will be doing. That's fine, except that he's not the president -- he's a senator; and his senator paycheck requires him to do a senator's job. The people of Illinois should feel cheated out of their Washington representation, not to mention that they aren't getting what their vote or their money is buying. Obama's lack of judgment continues to make us wonder at the complete disconnect that he and his supporters have from the workings of American democracy. How does anyone support a person who continually displays ignorance at the process of government?
DEFINITION OF INCOMPETENCE: HARRY REID
Last Time, Reid Ripped McCain For Missing Votes
By Martin Kady II
Sep 24, 2008
(The Politico) Does Harry Reid want it both ways when it comes to John McCain showing up for Senate votes?This afternoon, Reid dismissed McCain's sudden move to parachute in on Washington and help solve the economic crisis.Let's compare today's statement ..."It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op."... With Reid's statement from July, when Obama showed up for a vote but not McCain (quoted in The Washington Post):"I should mention how glad my fellow Democrats and I were to have our nominee for president here to vote on these important bills. Senator Obama has come to work and taken tough stands. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Senator McCain," Reid said. "Perhaps taking tough stands on important issues is not part of Senator McCain's campaign strategy. Perhaps he's just too busy on the campaign trail to do his day job."
THIS JUST IN:
Despite House Democrats relenting on extending bans on offshore drilling and oil shale in the continuing resolution appropriations bill, Sen. Jim DeMint’s office is reporting that Harry Reid is trying to sneak the oil shale ban — backed by House Democrats — back into legislation while we are distracted by the bailout brouhaha. Oil shale in America’s West is estimated to hold between 800 billion and 2 trillion barrels of oil, more than three times the proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia alone.
Harry Reid continues to presume that the American People are ignorant. We plan to let him know just how informed we really are when he comes up for reelection in 2010.
Seriously?! Cloris Leachman stays? Who is voting for her instead of Ted McGinley? While we commend Cloris Leachman for getting out there and dancing at the age of 82, let's be honest. She can't dance. Perhaps people are voting for her based on her entertainment factor. That would be fine, except it's a dancing show. Does it worry anyone else that the people who voted for Cloris Leachman to stay on Dancing With the Stars will also be the same people voting for president in November?
McCAIN AND THE ECONOMY CRISIS
John McCain announced yesterday that he will be suspending his presidential campaign while he returned to Washington to vote on the bailout package that Congress and President Bush are trying to push through. Senator McCain has asked Senator Obama to postpone the debate that was scheduled for Friday night. Truthfully, we don't care if they debate this Friday, next Friday, or the Friday before the election -- the date of the debate isn't an issue for us. What is an issue, however, is that neither senator has been elected president yet, which means that they are still elected senators representing the citizens of their respective states. And since both of them are receiving a taxpayer paid salary for their jobs as senators, then the people of Illinois and Arizona have the right to be represented by their senators when a vote is being held in the Senate regarding the use of the peoples' money. Senator McCain has stated that he intends to be in Washington to make sure the American people have accountability from their elected officials on the Wall Street bailout issue. Senator Obama said that if it becomes important for him to be in Washington, he'll get himself there. In the meantime, Obama stated that presidents have to multitask and that's what he will be doing. That's fine, except that he's not the president -- he's a senator; and his senator paycheck requires him to do a senator's job. The people of Illinois should feel cheated out of their Washington representation, not to mention that they aren't getting what their vote or their money is buying. Obama's lack of judgment continues to make us wonder at the complete disconnect that he and his supporters have from the workings of American democracy. How does anyone support a person who continually displays ignorance at the process of government?
DEFINITION OF INCOMPETENCE: HARRY REID
Last Time, Reid Ripped McCain For Missing Votes
By Martin Kady II
Sep 24, 2008
(The Politico) Does Harry Reid want it both ways when it comes to John McCain showing up for Senate votes?This afternoon, Reid dismissed McCain's sudden move to parachute in on Washington and help solve the economic crisis.Let's compare today's statement ..."It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op."... With Reid's statement from July, when Obama showed up for a vote but not McCain (quoted in The Washington Post):"I should mention how glad my fellow Democrats and I were to have our nominee for president here to vote on these important bills. Senator Obama has come to work and taken tough stands. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Senator McCain," Reid said. "Perhaps taking tough stands on important issues is not part of Senator McCain's campaign strategy. Perhaps he's just too busy on the campaign trail to do his day job."
THIS JUST IN:
Despite House Democrats relenting on extending bans on offshore drilling and oil shale in the continuing resolution appropriations bill, Sen. Jim DeMint’s office is reporting that Harry Reid is trying to sneak the oil shale ban — backed by House Democrats — back into legislation while we are distracted by the bailout brouhaha. Oil shale in America’s West is estimated to hold between 800 billion and 2 trillion barrels of oil, more than three times the proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia alone.
Harry Reid continues to presume that the American People are ignorant. We plan to let him know just how informed we really are when he comes up for reelection in 2010.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Race Race and A Dancer Exits
Another night of Dancing With the Stars has passed. Jeffrey Ross was the first to go and he needed to be. We give him credit for trying, but being a good tryer doesn't make him competitive.
The next to go should be Cloris Leachman. It's admirable that she's out there trying to dance at the age of 82, but this is a competition of the best dancer and she's not.
There are some very impressive dancers on the show this season. Brooke Burke and Lance Bass are doing a really good job, but there are several others who, with a little more work, could catch up. It will be a fun season.
On a Political Note:
Barack Obama's presidential candidacy has brought the race issue to the forefront of the race to the presidency. A person's race should have no bearing on whether or not we vote for him, but we're not naive; we do realize that there are still racists in the world and our country. That being said, though, doesn't it imply some kind of bigotry to assume that people won't vote for a candidate because of his race? Why can't the vote or lack of vote be because of the issues?
Truthfully, as indicated in the article below (see link), the only racism would be among the Democrat party because most Republicans are going to vote Republican anyway. It's the Democrats who are struggling with Obama's race. Barack Obama could be white, purple, or green and we still wouldn't vote for him. His beliefs are completely opposite of ours. We don't believe in any kind of socialism and Obama not only believes in socialism, he's willing to be the president who implements and oversees it.
We also take issue with any candidate who speaks in other countries, trying to appeal to their citizens, and then apologizes for our country's behavior. There are many liberals who think we ought to apologize for our very existence -- as if being free to pursue our own happiness is a crime.
France should be grateful to America, not despise it -- they could be speaking German right now. Even Germans should be grateful -- they could be living in complete communism right now. Instead the values that Americans believe in and live are coveted by righteous citizens of other countries.
Some people would say that our attitude is arrogant, but we disagree. Our attitude is called loyalty and that's all that holds this country together. When we observe our own citizens speaking in other countries about our transgressions and sins, we consider that person to be disloyal and divisive. And that's not a person who we want to be our leader.
There are many reasons why we would never vote for Barack Obama, but not one of them include his race.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/the_media_play_the_race_card_o.html
The next to go should be Cloris Leachman. It's admirable that she's out there trying to dance at the age of 82, but this is a competition of the best dancer and she's not.
There are some very impressive dancers on the show this season. Brooke Burke and Lance Bass are doing a really good job, but there are several others who, with a little more work, could catch up. It will be a fun season.
On a Political Note:
Barack Obama's presidential candidacy has brought the race issue to the forefront of the race to the presidency. A person's race should have no bearing on whether or not we vote for him, but we're not naive; we do realize that there are still racists in the world and our country. That being said, though, doesn't it imply some kind of bigotry to assume that people won't vote for a candidate because of his race? Why can't the vote or lack of vote be because of the issues?
Truthfully, as indicated in the article below (see link), the only racism would be among the Democrat party because most Republicans are going to vote Republican anyway. It's the Democrats who are struggling with Obama's race. Barack Obama could be white, purple, or green and we still wouldn't vote for him. His beliefs are completely opposite of ours. We don't believe in any kind of socialism and Obama not only believes in socialism, he's willing to be the president who implements and oversees it.
We also take issue with any candidate who speaks in other countries, trying to appeal to their citizens, and then apologizes for our country's behavior. There are many liberals who think we ought to apologize for our very existence -- as if being free to pursue our own happiness is a crime.
France should be grateful to America, not despise it -- they could be speaking German right now. Even Germans should be grateful -- they could be living in complete communism right now. Instead the values that Americans believe in and live are coveted by righteous citizens of other countries.
Some people would say that our attitude is arrogant, but we disagree. Our attitude is called loyalty and that's all that holds this country together. When we observe our own citizens speaking in other countries about our transgressions and sins, we consider that person to be disloyal and divisive. And that's not a person who we want to be our leader.
There are many reasons why we would never vote for Barack Obama, but not one of them include his race.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/the_media_play_the_race_card_o.html
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Television & Politics
Last night was the beginning of the new season of Dancing With The Stars, which we both love to watch. The stars participating this season are Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Brooke Burke, Rocco Dispirito, Maurice Greene, Kim Kardashian, Cloris Leachman, Cody Linley, Susan Lucci, Misty May-Treanor, Ted McGinley, Jeffrey Ross, Warren Sapp. Bless Cloris’ heart because she’s 82 years old, but she should be the first one voted off. The first week results show will air tonight.
On the political news front…
A writer for a libertarian group has written perhaps the most scathing attack on pro-life vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin since the Alaska governor was announced weeks ago as John McCain's running mate. Nicholas Provenzo condemns Palin for the birth of her baby Trig, who has Down syndrome.
Provenzo, who writes for the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism, not only bashes her for allowing Trig to be born, but says she should have made the so-called morally justifiable decision to kill him in an abortion.
http://www.lifenews.com/nat4318.html
The police in St. Paul were well prepared for the protestors / anarchists at the Republican Convention in that City, because they had infiltrated the group. They knew their intentions to destroy property and attack police and delegates with wooden rods and feces and urine. There is a question whether ACLU attorneys participated in planning these crimes. There is no question that the ACLU is trying to get the protestors off, and then sue for damages against the City.
http://www.theacru.org/acru/aclu_supports_anarchists_will_seek_payoffs/index.html
YouTube has pulled from its website a video of a "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring characters portraying New York Times reporters investigating whether Todd Palin was having sex with the couple's own daughters after NBC expressed a claim of copyright, even though a wide range of other "SNL" clips remain available.
But trying to prevent the clip from being replayed wasn't protecting the program and network today from the wrath of viewers, bloggers and radio talk show hosts who believe the "joke" simply went too far.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75936
On the political news front…
A writer for a libertarian group has written perhaps the most scathing attack on pro-life vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin since the Alaska governor was announced weeks ago as John McCain's running mate. Nicholas Provenzo condemns Palin for the birth of her baby Trig, who has Down syndrome.
Provenzo, who writes for the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism, not only bashes her for allowing Trig to be born, but says she should have made the so-called morally justifiable decision to kill him in an abortion.
http://www.lifenews.com/nat4318.html
The police in St. Paul were well prepared for the protestors / anarchists at the Republican Convention in that City, because they had infiltrated the group. They knew their intentions to destroy property and attack police and delegates with wooden rods and feces and urine. There is a question whether ACLU attorneys participated in planning these crimes. There is no question that the ACLU is trying to get the protestors off, and then sue for damages against the City.
http://www.theacru.org/acru/aclu_supports_anarchists_will_seek_payoffs/index.html
YouTube has pulled from its website a video of a "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring characters portraying New York Times reporters investigating whether Todd Palin was having sex with the couple's own daughters after NBC expressed a claim of copyright, even though a wide range of other "SNL" clips remain available.
But trying to prevent the clip from being replayed wasn't protecting the program and network today from the wrath of viewers, bloggers and radio talk show hosts who believe the "joke" simply went too far.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75936
Monday, September 22, 2008
Roll Call
All information is taken directly from each senator's website.
Wayne Allard (R) Colorado
Budget
One of the most important things policy makers can do is to enact a sensible and enforceable budget. Every year Congress should enact a budget to serve as a guideline for all federal spending. Perhaps the greatest threat to the long term fiscal health of our nation is running deficits and the increasing of our national debt. The first and best place to address long term fiscal burdens is through the annual budget process. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee I will continue to work to reduce the deficit and debt and to inject greater accountability in to the budget and appropriations process.
Democracy & Human Rights
Protection of the human rights was the most important issue when the Founding Fathers established the Union. The United States continues to be a leader of democracy and human rights in the international arena, helping secure the peace, deter aggression, promote rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies, and assist during humanitarian crises. I have worked closely with my colleagues and the current Administration to spread democracy and prevent human rights violations worldwide, regardless of people’s political, ethnic, or religious affiliation.
Education
It is important that education remain locally controlled. Those closest to the students are in the best position to know their educational needs. Parents and school boards should be able to tailor educational curriculum to local needs. Federal financial support should not encumber local programs with federal mandates. After all, the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and it is essential that we prepare them for what lies ahead. We must continue to search for ways to make a good system of education even better.
I believe that education needs to be easier to attain through loans, grants, and scholarships. The price of education is increasingly high, but so are efforts to manage loans, develop community education sponsorship programs, explore grant and fellowship opportunities, and reign in many of the spiraling education costs students face. I feel the obligation of working, borrowing, and paying for an education is as good an investment as a young person can make.
Energy
There is no single approach to solving the problems of energy dependence or current energy costs. I support an energy policy that calls for greater dependence on domestic energy sources, including oil, natural gas, clean coal, nuclear, and renewable resources. I remain committed to the passage of sound, workable energy policy. We are fortunate in Colorado to have access to a wide variety of energy sources.
Immigration
I feel that the U.S. immigration system is in need of reform. It is important to make a clear distinction between illegal and legal immigration. We must crack down on all illegal immigration. I feel we should not reward illegal behavior with citizenship. As for legal immigrants, I favor strong sponsorship requirements and other policies, which aim to ensure that immigrants enter this country as productive members of society in pursuit of opportunity, not public assistance. As Americans, we must not forget that many of our forefathers were immigrants who had a strong sense of personal responsibility and who established the strong foundations of individualism which have made this country what it is today.
Marriage Protection Amendment
As the core social institution of our society, marriage in the United States should be defined as it has been in every civilization around the world for thousands of years: marriage is the union between a man and a woman. The definition of marriage is far too important to leave open to interpretation by unelected activist courts. In response to recent efforts by activist judges to experiment with this vital social institution I have sponsored an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and leaving all other questions of partnership, civil unions or contractual relationships to state legislatures.
Property Rights
I am a strong supporter of private property rights. One of the basic foundations of our democracy, both economically and philosophically, is ownership of property. We need to be careful that state or federal government does not infringe the right to own property. I believe strongly in the principles of local control and property rights. I will study any developing legislation trying to address the needs of property owners and protect the authority of local government.
Second Amendment
Congress must be careful to address gun control issues thoughtfully and critically while keeping the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in mind. The Federal government should not restrict the right of law-abiding citizens to own a firearm. There is a clear distinction between legitimate and safe use of firearms and criminal or irresponsible uses.
Taxes
In recent years, Congress has made important strides in reducing the tax burden on Americans. We have expanded the child tax credit, expanded eligibility for the lowest tax bracket, provided marriage penalty relief, and begun to eliminate the death penalty. While I have supported these tax cuts, I agree with the President that we need to undertake fundamental tax reform. The current tax code is far too large, complex, and burdensome. While this would involve the elimination of deductions and credits, it would more than be offset by a lower rate. While I was a member of the Colorado State legislature we implemented a 5 percent flat tax for Colorado. I believe we need to take similar action on the federal level I am also willing to consider a national sales tax or other ideas. This is appealing in that it would allow for elimination of the IRS. However, mechanisms would have to be put into place to ensure that the collection burden on small businesses would not be excessive, and that the income tax could not be resurrected. Unless the 16th Amendment were to be repealed, Americans could end up with both an income tax and a consumption tax.
Whatever specific proposals are considered, my priority is to ensure that any reform is a benefit to the middle class, which has borne much of the burden of the current system. Any reform should also reward savings and investment and promote economic growth and job creation. Finally, a new, simpler system must not penalize marriage or family and should protect the rights of taxpayers.
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is among the most historically significant documents ever written. The Constitution remains at the heart and root of our society and serves as a foundation for democracy and freedom all around the world. It is incumbent upon Congress to examine the constitutionality of various legislative and judicial issues every year. As the body most directly accountable to the American people Congress can not shirk this duty by leaving questions of interpretation solely to the courts. You may enjoy the following link for more information on the Constitution and other documents essential to American history and policy: National Archives
United Nations
I believe the U.N should remain true to its initial Charter of serving as an international body aimed at solving international issues through diplomatic means. Over the last several decades, the United Nations has followed a pattern of big government solutions and encroachment on the sovereignty of its member nations. As the investigation of the several U.N. programs continues, I am committed to reforming the U.N.
Welfare
Colorado has made remarkable progress in the Welfare to Work programs and has been able to move thousands from welfare rolls to working self-sufficiency because of the flexibility available under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. We cannot forget that welfare was intended to be a safety net for a transition period. Public assistance is meant to help people become responsible and self-sufficient. The first step to real welfare reform was taken in 1996 but more work remains to be done. Although the program has been temporarily extended, I look forward to reauthorizing the program to continue to promote flexibility and self-sufficiency.
(Blogger Comment: We really like Senator Allard. We can't find anything in his policies with which to disagree.)
Max Baucus (R) Montana
Appropriations
On December 26th, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008 was signed into law. In combination with a Defense appropriations measure that became law in November, this bill contained over $140 million for over 100 projects across Montana. Montanans will see these federal dollars put to work on the local level in the coming year, creating jobs, providing educational programs, improving transportation and water infrastructure, and growing small businesses. These are difficult budget times, but I am proud of my work to secure these critically important funds for our great state. Money will be tight again this year, but I look forward to working hard once again on behalf of Montana’s priority projects. (Blogger Comment: The federal government shouldn't be appropriating any money to states for local use. Each state is responsible for their own expenses. Americans taxpayer money shouldn't be used for states they don't live in.)
Defense
During these times it's critical that we have a strong national defense. We must ensure that our troops at home and abroad have the tools they need to protect freedom and democracy across the globe. I'm committed to working together to ensure our military and our men and women in uniform have what they need to do their jobs.
Economic Development
A state's economy has a direct impact on its residents, on their families, and on the success of their businesses, farms and ranches. Unfortunately, like many areas of the country, Montana has experienced tough economic times during the past twenty years. And that's why, as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, it's my top priority to boost Montana's economy and bring more good-paying jobs to our state. Our economy is the foundation upon which our state rests and I'll continue to put principles over politics and do all that I can to continue strengthening our state's foundation.
Education
Montanans are fortunate to have some of the best students and teachers in America. In fact, our eighth graders earned the top scores in the country in the science portion of a recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) evaluation. They placed second in the math section. These latest scores build on a history of outstanding performances on national exams. Our hard-working, high-quality teachers are the key to these successes; their dedication to their profession and to our children drives our education system. Moreover, our students' high test scores are a good sign that Montana's students are being prepared to meet the challenges they will face in the new millennium.
Energy
Montana is the Treasure State. We have some of the largest coal reserves in the world. We have the fourth largest wind energy potential in the country. There are many exciting possibilities for Montana’s small businesses and local energy produces as role players in securing our nation’s energy independence. Our wealth of energy resources will power our Main Streets both literally and economically.
Montanans are already taking advantage of their resources to produce energy and create new opportunities. Wind power production is increasing. Folks across the state are talking about energy production using switchgrass, camelina, and barley for ethanol and biodiesel production. Our refineries and power plants are working to increase their capacity in an environmentally-responsible manner.
As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I will work hard to promote tax incentives for the development of Montana energy resources such as wind, biofuels, and clean coal technologies. Our rural coops and farmers can take advantage of these incentives to increase efficiencies, develop local resources, and take the lead in our country’s clean energy future.
Outdoors
As Montanans, we are defined by our close connection to the land. From hiking through Glacier Park, climbing up or skiing down Big Mountain or Big Sky, picnicking in Hyalite Canyon, boating down the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers, or hunting and fishing throughout the state, our opportunities in the great outdoors are endless. These lands are part of our Montana Legacy - a legacy that we must pass on to our children and grandchildren. It's a top goal of mine to protect our lands for generations to come, while making sure that today's generations have free and open access to enjoy our public lands. (Blogger Comment: It is unconstitutional for the federal government to own any land without the direct approval of the state in which the land is located; and then the federal government can only own land to build military buildings. Montanans should make sure that their senators do not illegally take away state lands.)
Forest Products
Montana's small, independent and family-owned mills provide jobs and the economic backbone of Montana's rural timber-dependent communities. I'll continue to work hard with Montana's small timber industry to improve the SBA timber set-aside program.
Health Care
Whether it's improving access to prescription drugs, keeping rural health care facilities open, expanding health insurance coverage or ensuring that the needs of places like Libby, Montana are met, I'm committed to ensuring access to quality, affordable health care. (Blogger Comment: We've blogged about universal health care several times, so we will just say that universal health care will ruin this country's health care system. See previous blogs.)
Technology
New communications technologies are bringing economic opportunities to our state, and I'm working to develop a system to ensure that we can take advantage of these opportunities. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I have the rare opportunity to craft the U.S. tax code to provide incentives for technological innovation and development. I'm committed to using my influence to narrow the digital divide and bring high-paying technology jobs to our state.
Trade
Growing up on a ranch outside of Helena, I quickly learned that the success of farmers, ranchers and other producers depends on more than just the success of their crops. Their success is also tied to the market and the international trade opportunities that are available to them. In order to protect our state's producers and provide them with additional markets to sell their goods, I've worked hard over the years to enact strong and effective trade policies for Montana and the nation.
Veterans
I have tremendous gratitude for the service our veterans perform and believe it's essential for the United States to take care of them the way they have taken care of us. I have worked hard throughout my career to provide our veterans with the benefits and health care they need and deserve, and the recognition they've earned. There are more than 100,000 veterans residing in Montana. Protecting these heroes is of utmost importance to me and I will continue to do everything I can here in Washington D.C. and at home in Montana to fulfill this commitment.
Wayne Allard (R) Colorado
Budget
One of the most important things policy makers can do is to enact a sensible and enforceable budget. Every year Congress should enact a budget to serve as a guideline for all federal spending. Perhaps the greatest threat to the long term fiscal health of our nation is running deficits and the increasing of our national debt. The first and best place to address long term fiscal burdens is through the annual budget process. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee I will continue to work to reduce the deficit and debt and to inject greater accountability in to the budget and appropriations process.
Democracy & Human Rights
Protection of the human rights was the most important issue when the Founding Fathers established the Union. The United States continues to be a leader of democracy and human rights in the international arena, helping secure the peace, deter aggression, promote rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies, and assist during humanitarian crises. I have worked closely with my colleagues and the current Administration to spread democracy and prevent human rights violations worldwide, regardless of people’s political, ethnic, or religious affiliation.
Education
It is important that education remain locally controlled. Those closest to the students are in the best position to know their educational needs. Parents and school boards should be able to tailor educational curriculum to local needs. Federal financial support should not encumber local programs with federal mandates. After all, the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and it is essential that we prepare them for what lies ahead. We must continue to search for ways to make a good system of education even better.
I believe that education needs to be easier to attain through loans, grants, and scholarships. The price of education is increasingly high, but so are efforts to manage loans, develop community education sponsorship programs, explore grant and fellowship opportunities, and reign in many of the spiraling education costs students face. I feel the obligation of working, borrowing, and paying for an education is as good an investment as a young person can make.
Energy
There is no single approach to solving the problems of energy dependence or current energy costs. I support an energy policy that calls for greater dependence on domestic energy sources, including oil, natural gas, clean coal, nuclear, and renewable resources. I remain committed to the passage of sound, workable energy policy. We are fortunate in Colorado to have access to a wide variety of energy sources.
Immigration
I feel that the U.S. immigration system is in need of reform. It is important to make a clear distinction between illegal and legal immigration. We must crack down on all illegal immigration. I feel we should not reward illegal behavior with citizenship. As for legal immigrants, I favor strong sponsorship requirements and other policies, which aim to ensure that immigrants enter this country as productive members of society in pursuit of opportunity, not public assistance. As Americans, we must not forget that many of our forefathers were immigrants who had a strong sense of personal responsibility and who established the strong foundations of individualism which have made this country what it is today.
Marriage Protection Amendment
As the core social institution of our society, marriage in the United States should be defined as it has been in every civilization around the world for thousands of years: marriage is the union between a man and a woman. The definition of marriage is far too important to leave open to interpretation by unelected activist courts. In response to recent efforts by activist judges to experiment with this vital social institution I have sponsored an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and leaving all other questions of partnership, civil unions or contractual relationships to state legislatures.
Property Rights
I am a strong supporter of private property rights. One of the basic foundations of our democracy, both economically and philosophically, is ownership of property. We need to be careful that state or federal government does not infringe the right to own property. I believe strongly in the principles of local control and property rights. I will study any developing legislation trying to address the needs of property owners and protect the authority of local government.
Second Amendment
Congress must be careful to address gun control issues thoughtfully and critically while keeping the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in mind. The Federal government should not restrict the right of law-abiding citizens to own a firearm. There is a clear distinction between legitimate and safe use of firearms and criminal or irresponsible uses.
Taxes
In recent years, Congress has made important strides in reducing the tax burden on Americans. We have expanded the child tax credit, expanded eligibility for the lowest tax bracket, provided marriage penalty relief, and begun to eliminate the death penalty. While I have supported these tax cuts, I agree with the President that we need to undertake fundamental tax reform. The current tax code is far too large, complex, and burdensome. While this would involve the elimination of deductions and credits, it would more than be offset by a lower rate. While I was a member of the Colorado State legislature we implemented a 5 percent flat tax for Colorado. I believe we need to take similar action on the federal level I am also willing to consider a national sales tax or other ideas. This is appealing in that it would allow for elimination of the IRS. However, mechanisms would have to be put into place to ensure that the collection burden on small businesses would not be excessive, and that the income tax could not be resurrected. Unless the 16th Amendment were to be repealed, Americans could end up with both an income tax and a consumption tax.
Whatever specific proposals are considered, my priority is to ensure that any reform is a benefit to the middle class, which has borne much of the burden of the current system. Any reform should also reward savings and investment and promote economic growth and job creation. Finally, a new, simpler system must not penalize marriage or family and should protect the rights of taxpayers.
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is among the most historically significant documents ever written. The Constitution remains at the heart and root of our society and serves as a foundation for democracy and freedom all around the world. It is incumbent upon Congress to examine the constitutionality of various legislative and judicial issues every year. As the body most directly accountable to the American people Congress can not shirk this duty by leaving questions of interpretation solely to the courts. You may enjoy the following link for more information on the Constitution and other documents essential to American history and policy: National Archives
United Nations
I believe the U.N should remain true to its initial Charter of serving as an international body aimed at solving international issues through diplomatic means. Over the last several decades, the United Nations has followed a pattern of big government solutions and encroachment on the sovereignty of its member nations. As the investigation of the several U.N. programs continues, I am committed to reforming the U.N.
Welfare
Colorado has made remarkable progress in the Welfare to Work programs and has been able to move thousands from welfare rolls to working self-sufficiency because of the flexibility available under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. We cannot forget that welfare was intended to be a safety net for a transition period. Public assistance is meant to help people become responsible and self-sufficient. The first step to real welfare reform was taken in 1996 but more work remains to be done. Although the program has been temporarily extended, I look forward to reauthorizing the program to continue to promote flexibility and self-sufficiency.
(Blogger Comment: We really like Senator Allard. We can't find anything in his policies with which to disagree.)
Max Baucus (R) Montana
Appropriations
On December 26th, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008 was signed into law. In combination with a Defense appropriations measure that became law in November, this bill contained over $140 million for over 100 projects across Montana. Montanans will see these federal dollars put to work on the local level in the coming year, creating jobs, providing educational programs, improving transportation and water infrastructure, and growing small businesses. These are difficult budget times, but I am proud of my work to secure these critically important funds for our great state. Money will be tight again this year, but I look forward to working hard once again on behalf of Montana’s priority projects. (Blogger Comment: The federal government shouldn't be appropriating any money to states for local use. Each state is responsible for their own expenses. Americans taxpayer money shouldn't be used for states they don't live in.)
Defense
During these times it's critical that we have a strong national defense. We must ensure that our troops at home and abroad have the tools they need to protect freedom and democracy across the globe. I'm committed to working together to ensure our military and our men and women in uniform have what they need to do their jobs.
Economic Development
A state's economy has a direct impact on its residents, on their families, and on the success of their businesses, farms and ranches. Unfortunately, like many areas of the country, Montana has experienced tough economic times during the past twenty years. And that's why, as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, it's my top priority to boost Montana's economy and bring more good-paying jobs to our state. Our economy is the foundation upon which our state rests and I'll continue to put principles over politics and do all that I can to continue strengthening our state's foundation.
Education
Montanans are fortunate to have some of the best students and teachers in America. In fact, our eighth graders earned the top scores in the country in the science portion of a recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) evaluation. They placed second in the math section. These latest scores build on a history of outstanding performances on national exams. Our hard-working, high-quality teachers are the key to these successes; their dedication to their profession and to our children drives our education system. Moreover, our students' high test scores are a good sign that Montana's students are being prepared to meet the challenges they will face in the new millennium.
Energy
Montana is the Treasure State. We have some of the largest coal reserves in the world. We have the fourth largest wind energy potential in the country. There are many exciting possibilities for Montana’s small businesses and local energy produces as role players in securing our nation’s energy independence. Our wealth of energy resources will power our Main Streets both literally and economically.
Montanans are already taking advantage of their resources to produce energy and create new opportunities. Wind power production is increasing. Folks across the state are talking about energy production using switchgrass, camelina, and barley for ethanol and biodiesel production. Our refineries and power plants are working to increase their capacity in an environmentally-responsible manner.
As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I will work hard to promote tax incentives for the development of Montana energy resources such as wind, biofuels, and clean coal technologies. Our rural coops and farmers can take advantage of these incentives to increase efficiencies, develop local resources, and take the lead in our country’s clean energy future.
Outdoors
As Montanans, we are defined by our close connection to the land. From hiking through Glacier Park, climbing up or skiing down Big Mountain or Big Sky, picnicking in Hyalite Canyon, boating down the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers, or hunting and fishing throughout the state, our opportunities in the great outdoors are endless. These lands are part of our Montana Legacy - a legacy that we must pass on to our children and grandchildren. It's a top goal of mine to protect our lands for generations to come, while making sure that today's generations have free and open access to enjoy our public lands. (Blogger Comment: It is unconstitutional for the federal government to own any land without the direct approval of the state in which the land is located; and then the federal government can only own land to build military buildings. Montanans should make sure that their senators do not illegally take away state lands.)
Forest Products
Montana's small, independent and family-owned mills provide jobs and the economic backbone of Montana's rural timber-dependent communities. I'll continue to work hard with Montana's small timber industry to improve the SBA timber set-aside program.
Health Care
Whether it's improving access to prescription drugs, keeping rural health care facilities open, expanding health insurance coverage or ensuring that the needs of places like Libby, Montana are met, I'm committed to ensuring access to quality, affordable health care. (Blogger Comment: We've blogged about universal health care several times, so we will just say that universal health care will ruin this country's health care system. See previous blogs.)
Technology
New communications technologies are bringing economic opportunities to our state, and I'm working to develop a system to ensure that we can take advantage of these opportunities. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I have the rare opportunity to craft the U.S. tax code to provide incentives for technological innovation and development. I'm committed to using my influence to narrow the digital divide and bring high-paying technology jobs to our state.
Trade
Growing up on a ranch outside of Helena, I quickly learned that the success of farmers, ranchers and other producers depends on more than just the success of their crops. Their success is also tied to the market and the international trade opportunities that are available to them. In order to protect our state's producers and provide them with additional markets to sell their goods, I've worked hard over the years to enact strong and effective trade policies for Montana and the nation.
Veterans
I have tremendous gratitude for the service our veterans perform and believe it's essential for the United States to take care of them the way they have taken care of us. I have worked hard throughout my career to provide our veterans with the benefits and health care they need and deserve, and the recognition they've earned. There are more than 100,000 veterans residing in Montana. Protecting these heroes is of utmost importance to me and I will continue to do everything I can here in Washington D.C. and at home in Montana to fulfill this commitment.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Economic Pain
ELECTION 2008
Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."
Voters say Obama's tax plan will hurt. Poll shows expectations are Dem would create 'personal economic pain'. Click link for article.
Idiot quote of the day:
"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."
Americans can voluntarily pay more taxes if they feel like being more "patriotic" than the government requires. However, the "voluntary" account only receives approximately $2,000,000 a year. Where are the Kennedy's, the Kerry's, George Soros, the Clinton's, the Obama's, and Joe Biden (who gave on average over the last ten years less than $400 a year to charity)?
***
Sign for audience members to hold up during any speech given by any democrat:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Did You Know...
Not only has the media held Sarah Palin to a higher standard than Obama (reminder: she's on the ticket as vice president--not president), but now hackers have broken into the Republican vice presidential candidate’s private e-mail account, and a widely read Web site has published screen grabs from it.
A math teacher sued his school district after the principal told him the words "In God We Trust" and "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator" must be removed from his homeroom wall because they convey a Judeo-Christian viewpoint.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74800
A math teacher sued his school district after the principal told him the words "In God We Trust" and "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator" must be removed from his homeroom wall because they convey a Judeo-Christian viewpoint.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74800
We'll preface this next comment by saying the opinions of those in Hollywood mean absolutely nothing to us; however, often we come across remarks made by a Hollywood liberal that are so idiotic that we feel we would be remiss in keeping our readers informed as to the liberal insanity if we didn't post them. Janeane Garofalo was recently a guest on Bill Mahr's television show during which she made the following comments: Sarah Palin is an empty pantsuit who lacks a firm grasp of the issues; The Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., was a gathering of "small-minded, very petty (and) mean" delegates and speakers who simply grinded out "red meat" for the "dopes" in the red states. She also stated that it would be great if all republicans were jailed.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Deceptive Practices
"If there's something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action." ~ from National Treasure movie
Rebuttal to Obama's dishonest television ad about McCain:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg16-2008sep16,0,351891.column
Obama seeks to delay Iraqi troop withdrawal until he can benefit from it:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75438
The truth about The Bridge to Nowhere:
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/News2?abbr=CCAGW_&page=NewsArticle&id=11594
Rebuttal to Obama's dishonest television ad about McCain:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg16-2008sep16,0,351891.column
Obama seeks to delay Iraqi troop withdrawal until he can benefit from it:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75438
The truth about The Bridge to Nowhere:
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/News2?abbr=CCAGW_&page=NewsArticle&id=11594
Monday, September 15, 2008
Political Tidbits
Palin’s ‘Banned Books’ List Is a Hoax (from NewsMax.com)
"After reports surfaced that Sarah Palin had sought to ban books from her local library when she became mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a list of the books she supposedly wanted to ban began appearing on a number of Web sites.
"The list included such classics as 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Silas Marner,' 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' and Chaucer’s 'Canterbury Tales.' It even found its way to a blog linked to the My.BarackObama Web site, where it was claimed that the list 'comes from the records of the Wasilla library,' and was distributed via e-mail by a Palin foe.
"The truth is, Palin never compiled that or any other list of books to be removed from the Wasilla library, various sources have reported.
"In fact, several of the books on the list, including four 'Harry Potter' books by J.K. Rowling, were not yet published when Palin took over as Wasilla’s mayor in 1996.
"It turns out that the list is a reproduction of a generic list of 'Books Banned at One Time or Another in the United States,' which has been on the Internet for years, according to conservative pundit Michelle Malkin.
"The original source of the hoax is unclear. But the Anchorage Daily News in Alaska reported that when Palin first became mayor in 1996, she asked the city librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, what her response would be if Palin asked her to remove some books from the library’s collection. She did not mention any specific books. Emmons responded by saying she would resist all efforts to ban books.
"Emmons subsequently received a letter from Palin informing her that she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for firing, according to the Daily News.
'The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn’t fully support her and had to go,' the paper reported. 'After a wave of public support for [Emmons], Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.'"
The Hypocrisy of the Left
We have always believed that liberals are confused and out-of-touch with real Americans -- and they are doing everything in their power to prove us right. To borrow a cliche, it's like shooting fish in a barrel; they're making it too easy.
Hypocrisy #1: The left is constantly complaining that conservatives cling to their religion and are crazy, wacko evangelists; yet, liberals are the ones who are now making campaign buttons that state "Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor." So, let's see if we can get this straight: if a conservative evangelist invokes Jesus in a conversation or speech, it's due to some kind of right-wing fanaticism. But when the left decide to dust off their religion for political purposes, it's okay. It doesn't matter that they only pull Jesus off the shelf when they need a comparison for their presidential candidate.
Yet, the use of Jesus in this manner shows how out of touch they really are. They will never be able to appeal to the Christian base by making light of the role of the real Messiah. If we follow the liberal example, we need to disdain religion when we are winning, but cling to Jesus when we are challenged and start losing. Ironically, Jesus' message is that He is our Savior ALWAYS -- to pray to in good times and bad times, to be our friend, someone with whom we can share anything. He's not a campaign slogan.
Hypocrisy #2: Liberals don't want anyone to hunt and kill animals, but they never met a fetus they didn't mind aborting.
Hypocrisy #3: Liberals claim that they are for the poor and oppressed, they want income redistribution to help those people; yet, the major leaders of that movement -- John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, The Clinton's, and you can pretty much pick any Hollywood liberal for this list -- haven't stepped up to take the walk that they are talking. How many houses do each of them own and in what neighborhoods would we find them? And the stupidity that is a part of the income redistribution mindset is beyond comprehension. If we want to give to the poor, why do we need the government to act as our bank? Why don't we just give to the poor? By the time the government has paid salaries and overhead for the department handling the redistribution -- not to mention the red tape and paperwork the poor have to complete -- how much income will be left? Certainly not even close to the 100% that we could have directly given to someone to help them.
You can add lack of common sense to out-of-touch and confused on the liberal list.
Hypocrisy #4: Selecting Joe Biden as a running mate. Obama has been running his campaign on the theme of bringing change to Washington, then he picks someone who has been part of the Washington establishment since 1973. How is that change?
We heard today that there is a group who are campaigning for Senator Obama to dump Joe Biden and put Hillary Clinton in as the Vice President nominee. That ought to be interesting -- it certainly is desperate and shows that their candidate and his message can't carry them to Washington. If Obama did dump Biden and pick Clinton, what would liberals like Matt Damon say since he publicly declared that Sarah Palin's pick was done for political reasons? How could dumping Biden and picking Clinton not be a political maneuver? Of course it would be. And would Hillary Clinton even be interested? Why would she want to save someone who didn't think she was good enough in the beginning? Besides, she wants to be president. Is she willing to consider a vice-presidential position for a possible eight years and then try to run for president when she will be turning seventy years old? After eight years of a Democrat president, would the country even be willing to look seriously at a third term?
We may be wrong, but our opinion is that Hillary would not accept the vice-president position if offered to her. We believe she will take her chances on another run for president in four years if John McCain wins. Even if, by some chance, Barack Obama does get in for eight years, as long as she's not part of his administration, she can still run for a third Democrat term based on the "change" theme that we are seeing now.
If Senator Obama does replace Biden with Clinton, what does that say about his judgment? Sure, people make poor choices, especially our politicians, but considering how much vetting is done for vice presidential choices, Obama needs to stand by his choice or admit that he can't make a good choice, regardless of how much research he does. Besides, making such a V.P. switch at this point would make Mr. Change-Maker-Obama appear to be a follower in the Democrat party instead of a leader. It would mean that he does what the Democrat party tells him to and certainly doesn't come with the back bone needed to be president. Compare that to Sarah Palin who has proven she will stand against her own party.
Additionally, throwing Biden under the bus at this point would prove conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, to be correct. Limbaugh has already stated that if Biden goes, it will be done under the smoke screen of some mysterious illness or family problem. No matter how Obama's team tries to cover Biden's exit, we will all know that Obama made a bad choice, that he's not fit to make the big decisions in Washington, and that he'll throw any of his people under the bus if it works better for his political career.
Governor Palin is very popular right now. How would Hillary fare against that popularity? How would she appeal to women now that Governor Palin is in the race? Pitted against Palin's new-face-in-Washington, Clinton would appear as old Washington establishment -- exactly what the Democrats are trying to stear away from.
Hypocrisy #5: Obama is running scared. Sarah Palin has his head all messed up. Obama's team has sent approximately thirty people, including attorneys, to Alaska to try and dig up anything they can on Governor Palin. Why can't he just run on the issues? Is it because his issues have no substance or foundation to hold them up?
Liberals can't stand that the first woman in the White House will be a conservative and they really can't stand that Republicans will be able to do what their own party couldn't -- put a woman in the White House.
It's hard to be a hypocrite -- eventually the two lies of each tale being told will clash and explode.
"After reports surfaced that Sarah Palin had sought to ban books from her local library when she became mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a list of the books she supposedly wanted to ban began appearing on a number of Web sites.
"The list included such classics as 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Silas Marner,' 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' and Chaucer’s 'Canterbury Tales.' It even found its way to a blog linked to the My.BarackObama Web site, where it was claimed that the list 'comes from the records of the Wasilla library,' and was distributed via e-mail by a Palin foe.
"The truth is, Palin never compiled that or any other list of books to be removed from the Wasilla library, various sources have reported.
"In fact, several of the books on the list, including four 'Harry Potter' books by J.K. Rowling, were not yet published when Palin took over as Wasilla’s mayor in 1996.
"It turns out that the list is a reproduction of a generic list of 'Books Banned at One Time or Another in the United States,' which has been on the Internet for years, according to conservative pundit Michelle Malkin.
"The original source of the hoax is unclear. But the Anchorage Daily News in Alaska reported that when Palin first became mayor in 1996, she asked the city librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, what her response would be if Palin asked her to remove some books from the library’s collection. She did not mention any specific books. Emmons responded by saying she would resist all efforts to ban books.
"Emmons subsequently received a letter from Palin informing her that she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for firing, according to the Daily News.
'The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn’t fully support her and had to go,' the paper reported. 'After a wave of public support for [Emmons], Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.'"
The Hypocrisy of the Left
We have always believed that liberals are confused and out-of-touch with real Americans -- and they are doing everything in their power to prove us right. To borrow a cliche, it's like shooting fish in a barrel; they're making it too easy.
Hypocrisy #1: The left is constantly complaining that conservatives cling to their religion and are crazy, wacko evangelists; yet, liberals are the ones who are now making campaign buttons that state "Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor." So, let's see if we can get this straight: if a conservative evangelist invokes Jesus in a conversation or speech, it's due to some kind of right-wing fanaticism. But when the left decide to dust off their religion for political purposes, it's okay. It doesn't matter that they only pull Jesus off the shelf when they need a comparison for their presidential candidate.
Yet, the use of Jesus in this manner shows how out of touch they really are. They will never be able to appeal to the Christian base by making light of the role of the real Messiah. If we follow the liberal example, we need to disdain religion when we are winning, but cling to Jesus when we are challenged and start losing. Ironically, Jesus' message is that He is our Savior ALWAYS -- to pray to in good times and bad times, to be our friend, someone with whom we can share anything. He's not a campaign slogan.
Hypocrisy #2: Liberals don't want anyone to hunt and kill animals, but they never met a fetus they didn't mind aborting.
Hypocrisy #3: Liberals claim that they are for the poor and oppressed, they want income redistribution to help those people; yet, the major leaders of that movement -- John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, The Clinton's, and you can pretty much pick any Hollywood liberal for this list -- haven't stepped up to take the walk that they are talking. How many houses do each of them own and in what neighborhoods would we find them? And the stupidity that is a part of the income redistribution mindset is beyond comprehension. If we want to give to the poor, why do we need the government to act as our bank? Why don't we just give to the poor? By the time the government has paid salaries and overhead for the department handling the redistribution -- not to mention the red tape and paperwork the poor have to complete -- how much income will be left? Certainly not even close to the 100% that we could have directly given to someone to help them.
You can add lack of common sense to out-of-touch and confused on the liberal list.
Hypocrisy #4: Selecting Joe Biden as a running mate. Obama has been running his campaign on the theme of bringing change to Washington, then he picks someone who has been part of the Washington establishment since 1973. How is that change?
We heard today that there is a group who are campaigning for Senator Obama to dump Joe Biden and put Hillary Clinton in as the Vice President nominee. That ought to be interesting -- it certainly is desperate and shows that their candidate and his message can't carry them to Washington. If Obama did dump Biden and pick Clinton, what would liberals like Matt Damon say since he publicly declared that Sarah Palin's pick was done for political reasons? How could dumping Biden and picking Clinton not be a political maneuver? Of course it would be. And would Hillary Clinton even be interested? Why would she want to save someone who didn't think she was good enough in the beginning? Besides, she wants to be president. Is she willing to consider a vice-presidential position for a possible eight years and then try to run for president when she will be turning seventy years old? After eight years of a Democrat president, would the country even be willing to look seriously at a third term?
We may be wrong, but our opinion is that Hillary would not accept the vice-president position if offered to her. We believe she will take her chances on another run for president in four years if John McCain wins. Even if, by some chance, Barack Obama does get in for eight years, as long as she's not part of his administration, she can still run for a third Democrat term based on the "change" theme that we are seeing now.
If Senator Obama does replace Biden with Clinton, what does that say about his judgment? Sure, people make poor choices, especially our politicians, but considering how much vetting is done for vice presidential choices, Obama needs to stand by his choice or admit that he can't make a good choice, regardless of how much research he does. Besides, making such a V.P. switch at this point would make Mr. Change-Maker-Obama appear to be a follower in the Democrat party instead of a leader. It would mean that he does what the Democrat party tells him to and certainly doesn't come with the back bone needed to be president. Compare that to Sarah Palin who has proven she will stand against her own party.
Additionally, throwing Biden under the bus at this point would prove conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, to be correct. Limbaugh has already stated that if Biden goes, it will be done under the smoke screen of some mysterious illness or family problem. No matter how Obama's team tries to cover Biden's exit, we will all know that Obama made a bad choice, that he's not fit to make the big decisions in Washington, and that he'll throw any of his people under the bus if it works better for his political career.
Governor Palin is very popular right now. How would Hillary fare against that popularity? How would she appeal to women now that Governor Palin is in the race? Pitted against Palin's new-face-in-Washington, Clinton would appear as old Washington establishment -- exactly what the Democrats are trying to stear away from.
Hypocrisy #5: Obama is running scared. Sarah Palin has his head all messed up. Obama's team has sent approximately thirty people, including attorneys, to Alaska to try and dig up anything they can on Governor Palin. Why can't he just run on the issues? Is it because his issues have no substance or foundation to hold them up?
Liberals can't stand that the first woman in the White House will be a conservative and they really can't stand that Republicans will be able to do what their own party couldn't -- put a woman in the White House.
It's hard to be a hypocrite -- eventually the two lies of each tale being told will clash and explode.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Each Person is Divine and Eternal
We were reminded in church today that each person is divine and eternal. Too often daily life gets in the way and we don't think about the bigger picture -- that God has a plan for each of us.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee -- Jeremiah 1:5
God knows us; He's always known us. He knows what we fear, what we love, what brings us joy, and what brings us pain. He knows how we will react in any situation.
...the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. -- 1 Samuel 16:7
We tend to judge ourselves harshly, but we also tend to judge others harshly. Our judgments of others usually stem from either pride or insecurities in ourselves. God judges our hearts. Are they in the right place, in spite of our flaws? Do we practice what we preach? When we need guidance and help, do we turn to the One with all the answers, or do we think we can carry the load alone?
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. -- Matthew 23:12
God would have us love others and love ourselves. We should believe in our personal value -- Jesus showed us that He believes in it when He placed our eternal lives above His earthly life.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -- John 15:13
A person can possibly have a decent life experience working for and achieving worldly goals; or, a person can have an outstanding, joyful, beyond-comprehension-experience, by fully comprehending and living up the life of a child of God.
Author C.S. Lewis stated: "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. There are no ordinary people... Your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee -- Jeremiah 1:5
God knows us; He's always known us. He knows what we fear, what we love, what brings us joy, and what brings us pain. He knows how we will react in any situation.
...the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. -- 1 Samuel 16:7
We tend to judge ourselves harshly, but we also tend to judge others harshly. Our judgments of others usually stem from either pride or insecurities in ourselves. God judges our hearts. Are they in the right place, in spite of our flaws? Do we practice what we preach? When we need guidance and help, do we turn to the One with all the answers, or do we think we can carry the load alone?
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. -- Matthew 23:12
God would have us love others and love ourselves. We should believe in our personal value -- Jesus showed us that He believes in it when He placed our eternal lives above His earthly life.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -- John 15:13
A person can possibly have a decent life experience working for and achieving worldly goals; or, a person can have an outstanding, joyful, beyond-comprehension-experience, by fully comprehending and living up the life of a child of God.
Author C.S. Lewis stated: "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. There are no ordinary people... Your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Media Bias
Side by side interview questions of first interview by Charlie Gibson put to Barack Obama and Sarah Palin:
Obama interview:
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
Palin interview:
Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking?
It was obvious during the interview that Charlie Gibson was biased against Sarah Palin. Not only did he look at her condescendingly, but he also misquoted her. When will the media pose these types of questions to Obama?
Obama interview:
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to “win”?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?
Palin interview:
Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking?
Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders?
Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job?
Questions about foreign policy
-territorial integrity of Georgia
-allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO-NATO treaty
-Iranian nuclear threat
-what to do if Israel attacks Iran
-Al Qaeda motivations
-the Bush Doctrine
-attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan
-Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]
It was obvious during the interview that Charlie Gibson was biased against Sarah Palin. Not only did he look at her condescendingly, but he also misquoted her. When will the media pose these types of questions to Obama?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Kerry's Roll Call and Palin's Doctrine
Last night ABC aired the first segment of Sarah Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson. Ignorant leftist remarks have been made regarding Governor Palin's response to Gibson's Bush Doctrine question. The following link takes you to a good article regarding this issue: http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/7656b78a-a090-4a56-9bf5-0e37bdaff80a&comments=true#comments
Below is a Roll Call look at John Kerry, senator of Massachusetts, who is up for re-election. All information is taken from Senator Kerry's website. (Please Massachusetts, vote for someone else. We are Kerry'd out!)
Health Care
Comprehensive health care reform is the great unfinished business of the last half-century in America. We need our health care system to provide meaningful, affordable coverage to every single person in this country, but we also need to deal with escalating costs and the erratic quality of care. Health reform is not only a matter of fundamental moral values, but an economic imperative as well. 47 million Americans are living, at some point of the year, without any health insurance coverage at all. Health care costs are rising at twice the rate of workers’ wages. Excessive waste and medical errors cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives each year. We live in the richest country on earth, but our health care system has fallen far behind, failing too many Americans.However, the road to fundamental reform of our broken health care system is clear. First, every American must have quality health coverage by 2011, starting with every child NOW. Second, we must control skyrocketing health costs that push families into bankruptcy and put our businesses at a disadvantage in the global economy. Third, instead of telling tens of millions to wait until they are sick enough to go to an emergency room, we should assure high quality preventive care.
On the first day the Senate was in session for legislative activity, I introduced a bill to guarantee health care insurance coverage for each of the 11 million uninsured children in America today. Kids First builds on successful programs, by creating a federal-state partnership to mandate coverage for all uninsured kids. It's the critical first step to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed in life.
I also introduced legislation that would help businesses afford to cover their employees, by making a new deal between employers, health insurers, families and the federal government. Today, the high costs of treating the sickest patients are driving up the price tag for everyone’s care and taking a huge toll on businesses. Just one percent of the population pays for nearly a quarter of health care spending. To help businesses get out from under the weight of the most expensive cases, I recently introduced legislation - The Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act, which would reimburse businesses for a percentage of the highest cost cases. It includes cost containment benefits for preventative care, which lowers costs and premiums for employers and employees.
Recently Congress passed a provision in the Medicare Bill regarding electronic prescribing or e-prescribing. Based on bipartisan legislation I introduced, doctors treating patients across the country will receive incentives, such as start-up grants, to adopt e-prescribing technology -- the ability to replace handwritten prescriptions with online, automated technology. It will reduce the potential for errors when prescriptions are filled, provide information on the availability of generic alternative medication and streamline patient insurance coverage information. This technology will also warn the physician of potentially dangerous medication allergies or drug interactions. With the adoption of e-prescribing and its final passage, we will improve patient care and take important steps to lowering the costs of health care.
An important area in our health care system that needs addressing is how we treat mental health and mental illness, especially for our nation’s seniors. For several years, I have introduced bipartisan legislation that removes the discriminatory barriers facing Medicare patients in need of mental health services. Today, seniors in the Medicare program pay a 50% co-payment for mental health services, but only a 20% rate for other medical care. Legislation recently passed by Congress includes my provision that equalizes the Medicare co-payment rates for seniors who are in need of mental health services. This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that seniors receive the proper, adequate, and timely treatment they deserve. (Blogger Comment: Okay, here’s the deal. Don’t be sucked into believing that universal health care is going to fix all our health care woes. With all of its flaws, we still have the best health care system in the world. It is against federal law for anyone, with or without insurance, to be denied treatment, so we already have universal health care. Let’s look at a couple of countries that have universal health care. Great Britain just turned their government health care over to a private organization to run because they said they finally realized that competition is what drives quality and the government had no competition. Prior to that, Britain’s government-run health care had a 22-month waiting list. One man died of colon cancer before he even made it to his appointment. One woman was put on the emergency wait list for dental care — that “emergency” list was three months long.
Canadians pay 15% sales tax and 35% plus income tax to pay for their “free” health care. One Canadian had to go to New York to get a brain tumor removed because the Canadian government told him he had to wait for five to six months to be seen by a doctor — he would have been dead if he had waited. He is now suing the Canadian government to pay the $22,000 surgery bill. If we lose our health care system to the government, we will have nowhere to go for help. It is our opinion that it’s not the health care system in this country that needs reworking; it’s the insurance situation that is jeopardizing our otherwise good health care system. Insurance denies our claims, jacks up hospital prices, and makes us wait for surgery approval while only approving doctors on their lists. It seems to us that we have politicians in the pockets of pharmaceuticals and insurance companies and that we need health insurance reform before we need health care reform. Reducing the insurance situation would provide more competition in the market, thus bringing up quality and bringing down prices.
How much of our lives do we seriously want to put in the government’s hands? They are not all professional educators, doctors, mortgage brokers, etc. Yet they are assuming that role in a way that can only be disastrous for Americans.)
Education
Every young person should graduate from high school, and every young person who works hard and wants to go to college should be able to afford it. And all Americans should be able to get the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives.
I want to ensure that all Americans can make the most of their God-given talents. We must offer schools the resources and the reforms they need to give every American child a great education, regardless of their income, race, or family background. We must also ensure that educators have access to the high-quality tools necessary to adequately prepare our students for the future. That’s why I introduced legislation to help my state and others secure the funding they need to improve their education systems and prepare their students for success. The Empowering Teaching and Learning Through Education Act would help states secure the funding they need to establish education portal initiatives and improve their education systems. Education portals are a one-stop resource for educators, parents, and students to support teaching, learning, and leading. They provide a secure, on-line community for educators to collaborate and discuss teaching and learning, as well as serve as vital communication tools between the school and parents. This legislation will help to bridge the urban-rural educational divide and ensure that all districts in all corners of all the states have access to high quality resources that allow both students and teachers to grow and succeed.
I believe we should meet our responsibilities to our schools and ensure that No Child Left Behind works for schools, states, and teachers by rewarding those who meet higher standards and rewarding schools that turn around and improve.
I support continuing reform, better training and better pay in troubled schools. We should also ask for a return on that investment, including fast, fair ways to make sure that teachers who don't belong in the classroom don't stay there.
I am a strong supporter of after-school programs. They give students extra help, keep them out of trouble, and offer peace of mind to working parents.
Educating our children is key to ensuring a strong economy in the future. I believe in making college affordable for all and expanding lifelong learning. Our workers should have access to the technical skills and advanced training they need. (Blogger Comment: Of course education is important. It opens doors and provides opportunities. It can also help build quality communities. What we don’t understand is why people think the government is the expert regarding quality education. Why would we turn our valuable education over to the government to provide mandates and limitations on what we can learn and teach? Furthermore, their concept of education costs a lot of money and is mostly mediocre. Parents are homeschooling their children for the cost of supplies while their children are ending up better prepared for college than public school children. This country is in serious debt. We need more control of education in our own communities, while eliminating the wasteful spending of the federal government. We, the people, are losing control of our children, our money, and our communities.)
Immigration
America is a nation of immigrants. People from all over the world come here to make a better life for themselves and their families. However, politics has stymied attempts to reform the laws and we are left with a broken immigration system. We must enforce our immigration laws but we must also acknowledge the reality that approximately 12 million people are living in this country undocumented. We must offer them a path, however arduous, to become citizens of a country they desperately want to be their home, a country where they've worked, lived, raised families, and become part of communities.
As someone married to an immigrant, I am reminded every day by my wife of how you can love your roots and love your heritage; even as you fulfill the full measure of your love of this country, and your loyalty as a United States citizen. I believe that America can continue in its tradition of welcoming immigrants and giving them the opportunity to achieve the American dream, so long as we create a common sense immigration system: one that protects our national security as well as our national ideals. Reforms like the DREAM Act, something I've supported for a long time. It offers young people who have spent most of their lives in the United States, who believe in our country, who have worked hard and who have stayed out of trouble -- the same federal support for higher education as their classmates who are American citizens.
Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded congress several times, but I will continue to fight for reforms that ensure our borders are enforced, our laws are upheld and people are treated fairly and humanely. Keeping families together, giving our businesses the labor force they need to be successful, and opening the American dream to all those that work hard to achieve their goals, should be our priority. (Blogger Comment: This country is made of immigrants; whether it is first or fifth generation, we all owe our life in America to an immigrant. We support immigration, as long as it is done legally. However, no one has the right to break the law. We demand that our own citizens be law abiding, so we certainly expect visitors to be law abiding. Studies show that some, not all, but enough, illegal aliens come here as drug smugglers and continue lives of crime while residing here illegally. Additionally, many come here without having necessary immunizations, possibly bringing viruses or diseases. But probably the biggest reason for making sure that our citizens are legalized through the mandated process is because this country can only exist on the loyalty of its citizens. The founding fathers knew that a free civilization would appeal to a wide variety of people who have different dreams, goals, and definitions of success. This country not only allows that kind of life, but encourages it. However, a diverse nation still requires that we have a common goal of continued freedom and loyalty to the right of freedom and pursuit of happiness for all. A quicker legalization process, or no process at all, will invite those who are apathetic or even enemies to our freedom of choice. While some complain that the legalization process is too long and difficult, we maintain that the process weeds out those whose hearts aren’t true to this country nor loyal to its freedoms.)
Electoral Reform
Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy. In the last year, millions of new voters registered and went to the polls. Yet, thousands upon thousands of Americans still fear that when they walk into the polls to vote that their vote will not be counted, or they will lose the opportunity to vote at all, because they are forced to stand in line for hours due to a shortage of machines or they will be turned away from voting all together.
Faulty voting machines have no place in the greatest democracy on earth. Barriers to voting are an insult to the freest, greatest nation in the world.
I'm working with my colleagues, Senators Clinton and Boxer (Blogger Comment: Boy, that must be a meeting completely void of common sense and brains), Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and Congressman Conyers, and the nation's leading civil rights groups to advance comprehensive election reform.
Congress must take action to ensure all Americans have faith in future elections that the votes they stood in line to cast are counted.
But to make it happen, we need our Republican colleagues to make protecting voting rights a priority and to put election reform legislation on the legislative calendar this year. Congress must keep its promise and fully fund the Help America Vote Act, fund the activities of the Election Assistance Commission, and help states invest in better voting machines with paper trails (Blogger Comment: The federal government needs to stay out of the state’s business).
Foreclosure
With as many as 8,100 foreclosures devastating the lives of American families each day, the federal government needs to take immediate action to stop this tidal wave before it causes more serious damage to our economy.
Given these shocking numbers, it’s only natural to wonder how we got here. The fundamental problem is that lenders lowered their standards but didn’t appropriately plan for the increased risk they had incurred. They flooded the market with mortgage loans, ignoring the risks to borrowers and to their own bottom line. Some of these loans were predatory, and some came from the very same lenders that the Fed bailed out!
Since 2000, I have been concerned about predatory lending and have supported legislation to stop the excesses that these lenders have too often hoodwinked homeowners into accepting. At the same time, some borrowers inflated their incomes and misrepresented themselves in order to get bigger homes than they could actually afford.
I supported the Housing and Economic Recovery Act when it passed the Senate in July to assist well-intentioned homeowners who, with a little assistance, can make their payments and avoid foreclosure and a downward spiral into bankruptcy. The families this legislation aims to help are not trying to get a free ride. They aren't scam artists trying to get away without paying their mortgage. They are hard-working, tax-paying, honest people who too often had the misfortune of being taken advantage of by mortgage lenders unconcerned with the chaos they were creating.
The legislation brings much needed reforms to Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs), modernizes the Federal Housing Administration, includes a new Hope for Homeowners program to limit foreclosures, provides approximately $4 billion in immediate funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, provides $150 million in additional foreclosure prevention counseling and includes the provisions the Senate passed earlier this year in the Foreclosure Protection Act.
All together, this bill will reduce foreclosures; provide more access to safe and fair mortgage credit for home buyers; increase the strength of our housing markets; and help expand our economy. (Blogger Comment: The federal government being involved in our business is what has made our economy decline. Their bailouts are putting this country in deep debt. We will never recover at this rate. No one wants to lose his or her home and nobody wants to see others lose their homes. However, the bailouts we’re providing to sinking businesses are ruining our country’s finances. Now we are seeing car companies asking for billions of dollars in bailouts. How are we going to pay off our debt?)
Below is a Roll Call look at John Kerry, senator of Massachusetts, who is up for re-election. All information is taken from Senator Kerry's website. (Please Massachusetts, vote for someone else. We are Kerry'd out!)
Health Care
Comprehensive health care reform is the great unfinished business of the last half-century in America. We need our health care system to provide meaningful, affordable coverage to every single person in this country, but we also need to deal with escalating costs and the erratic quality of care. Health reform is not only a matter of fundamental moral values, but an economic imperative as well. 47 million Americans are living, at some point of the year, without any health insurance coverage at all. Health care costs are rising at twice the rate of workers’ wages. Excessive waste and medical errors cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives each year. We live in the richest country on earth, but our health care system has fallen far behind, failing too many Americans.However, the road to fundamental reform of our broken health care system is clear. First, every American must have quality health coverage by 2011, starting with every child NOW. Second, we must control skyrocketing health costs that push families into bankruptcy and put our businesses at a disadvantage in the global economy. Third, instead of telling tens of millions to wait until they are sick enough to go to an emergency room, we should assure high quality preventive care.
On the first day the Senate was in session for legislative activity, I introduced a bill to guarantee health care insurance coverage for each of the 11 million uninsured children in America today. Kids First builds on successful programs, by creating a federal-state partnership to mandate coverage for all uninsured kids. It's the critical first step to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed in life.
I also introduced legislation that would help businesses afford to cover their employees, by making a new deal between employers, health insurers, families and the federal government. Today, the high costs of treating the sickest patients are driving up the price tag for everyone’s care and taking a huge toll on businesses. Just one percent of the population pays for nearly a quarter of health care spending. To help businesses get out from under the weight of the most expensive cases, I recently introduced legislation - The Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act, which would reimburse businesses for a percentage of the highest cost cases. It includes cost containment benefits for preventative care, which lowers costs and premiums for employers and employees.
Recently Congress passed a provision in the Medicare Bill regarding electronic prescribing or e-prescribing. Based on bipartisan legislation I introduced, doctors treating patients across the country will receive incentives, such as start-up grants, to adopt e-prescribing technology -- the ability to replace handwritten prescriptions with online, automated technology. It will reduce the potential for errors when prescriptions are filled, provide information on the availability of generic alternative medication and streamline patient insurance coverage information. This technology will also warn the physician of potentially dangerous medication allergies or drug interactions. With the adoption of e-prescribing and its final passage, we will improve patient care and take important steps to lowering the costs of health care.
An important area in our health care system that needs addressing is how we treat mental health and mental illness, especially for our nation’s seniors. For several years, I have introduced bipartisan legislation that removes the discriminatory barriers facing Medicare patients in need of mental health services. Today, seniors in the Medicare program pay a 50% co-payment for mental health services, but only a 20% rate for other medical care. Legislation recently passed by Congress includes my provision that equalizes the Medicare co-payment rates for seniors who are in need of mental health services. This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that seniors receive the proper, adequate, and timely treatment they deserve. (Blogger Comment: Okay, here’s the deal. Don’t be sucked into believing that universal health care is going to fix all our health care woes. With all of its flaws, we still have the best health care system in the world. It is against federal law for anyone, with or without insurance, to be denied treatment, so we already have universal health care. Let’s look at a couple of countries that have universal health care. Great Britain just turned their government health care over to a private organization to run because they said they finally realized that competition is what drives quality and the government had no competition. Prior to that, Britain’s government-run health care had a 22-month waiting list. One man died of colon cancer before he even made it to his appointment. One woman was put on the emergency wait list for dental care — that “emergency” list was three months long.
Canadians pay 15% sales tax and 35% plus income tax to pay for their “free” health care. One Canadian had to go to New York to get a brain tumor removed because the Canadian government told him he had to wait for five to six months to be seen by a doctor — he would have been dead if he had waited. He is now suing the Canadian government to pay the $22,000 surgery bill. If we lose our health care system to the government, we will have nowhere to go for help. It is our opinion that it’s not the health care system in this country that needs reworking; it’s the insurance situation that is jeopardizing our otherwise good health care system. Insurance denies our claims, jacks up hospital prices, and makes us wait for surgery approval while only approving doctors on their lists. It seems to us that we have politicians in the pockets of pharmaceuticals and insurance companies and that we need health insurance reform before we need health care reform. Reducing the insurance situation would provide more competition in the market, thus bringing up quality and bringing down prices.
How much of our lives do we seriously want to put in the government’s hands? They are not all professional educators, doctors, mortgage brokers, etc. Yet they are assuming that role in a way that can only be disastrous for Americans.)
Education
Every young person should graduate from high school, and every young person who works hard and wants to go to college should be able to afford it. And all Americans should be able to get the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives.
I want to ensure that all Americans can make the most of their God-given talents. We must offer schools the resources and the reforms they need to give every American child a great education, regardless of their income, race, or family background. We must also ensure that educators have access to the high-quality tools necessary to adequately prepare our students for the future. That’s why I introduced legislation to help my state and others secure the funding they need to improve their education systems and prepare their students for success. The Empowering Teaching and Learning Through Education Act would help states secure the funding they need to establish education portal initiatives and improve their education systems. Education portals are a one-stop resource for educators, parents, and students to support teaching, learning, and leading. They provide a secure, on-line community for educators to collaborate and discuss teaching and learning, as well as serve as vital communication tools between the school and parents. This legislation will help to bridge the urban-rural educational divide and ensure that all districts in all corners of all the states have access to high quality resources that allow both students and teachers to grow and succeed.
I believe we should meet our responsibilities to our schools and ensure that No Child Left Behind works for schools, states, and teachers by rewarding those who meet higher standards and rewarding schools that turn around and improve.
I support continuing reform, better training and better pay in troubled schools. We should also ask for a return on that investment, including fast, fair ways to make sure that teachers who don't belong in the classroom don't stay there.
I am a strong supporter of after-school programs. They give students extra help, keep them out of trouble, and offer peace of mind to working parents.
Educating our children is key to ensuring a strong economy in the future. I believe in making college affordable for all and expanding lifelong learning. Our workers should have access to the technical skills and advanced training they need. (Blogger Comment: Of course education is important. It opens doors and provides opportunities. It can also help build quality communities. What we don’t understand is why people think the government is the expert regarding quality education. Why would we turn our valuable education over to the government to provide mandates and limitations on what we can learn and teach? Furthermore, their concept of education costs a lot of money and is mostly mediocre. Parents are homeschooling their children for the cost of supplies while their children are ending up better prepared for college than public school children. This country is in serious debt. We need more control of education in our own communities, while eliminating the wasteful spending of the federal government. We, the people, are losing control of our children, our money, and our communities.)
Immigration
America is a nation of immigrants. People from all over the world come here to make a better life for themselves and their families. However, politics has stymied attempts to reform the laws and we are left with a broken immigration system. We must enforce our immigration laws but we must also acknowledge the reality that approximately 12 million people are living in this country undocumented. We must offer them a path, however arduous, to become citizens of a country they desperately want to be their home, a country where they've worked, lived, raised families, and become part of communities.
As someone married to an immigrant, I am reminded every day by my wife of how you can love your roots and love your heritage; even as you fulfill the full measure of your love of this country, and your loyalty as a United States citizen. I believe that America can continue in its tradition of welcoming immigrants and giving them the opportunity to achieve the American dream, so long as we create a common sense immigration system: one that protects our national security as well as our national ideals. Reforms like the DREAM Act, something I've supported for a long time. It offers young people who have spent most of their lives in the United States, who believe in our country, who have worked hard and who have stayed out of trouble -- the same federal support for higher education as their classmates who are American citizens.
Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded congress several times, but I will continue to fight for reforms that ensure our borders are enforced, our laws are upheld and people are treated fairly and humanely. Keeping families together, giving our businesses the labor force they need to be successful, and opening the American dream to all those that work hard to achieve their goals, should be our priority. (Blogger Comment: This country is made of immigrants; whether it is first or fifth generation, we all owe our life in America to an immigrant. We support immigration, as long as it is done legally. However, no one has the right to break the law. We demand that our own citizens be law abiding, so we certainly expect visitors to be law abiding. Studies show that some, not all, but enough, illegal aliens come here as drug smugglers and continue lives of crime while residing here illegally. Additionally, many come here without having necessary immunizations, possibly bringing viruses or diseases. But probably the biggest reason for making sure that our citizens are legalized through the mandated process is because this country can only exist on the loyalty of its citizens. The founding fathers knew that a free civilization would appeal to a wide variety of people who have different dreams, goals, and definitions of success. This country not only allows that kind of life, but encourages it. However, a diverse nation still requires that we have a common goal of continued freedom and loyalty to the right of freedom and pursuit of happiness for all. A quicker legalization process, or no process at all, will invite those who are apathetic or even enemies to our freedom of choice. While some complain that the legalization process is too long and difficult, we maintain that the process weeds out those whose hearts aren’t true to this country nor loyal to its freedoms.)
Electoral Reform
Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy. In the last year, millions of new voters registered and went to the polls. Yet, thousands upon thousands of Americans still fear that when they walk into the polls to vote that their vote will not be counted, or they will lose the opportunity to vote at all, because they are forced to stand in line for hours due to a shortage of machines or they will be turned away from voting all together.
Faulty voting machines have no place in the greatest democracy on earth. Barriers to voting are an insult to the freest, greatest nation in the world.
I'm working with my colleagues, Senators Clinton and Boxer (Blogger Comment: Boy, that must be a meeting completely void of common sense and brains), Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and Congressman Conyers, and the nation's leading civil rights groups to advance comprehensive election reform.
Congress must take action to ensure all Americans have faith in future elections that the votes they stood in line to cast are counted.
But to make it happen, we need our Republican colleagues to make protecting voting rights a priority and to put election reform legislation on the legislative calendar this year. Congress must keep its promise and fully fund the Help America Vote Act, fund the activities of the Election Assistance Commission, and help states invest in better voting machines with paper trails (Blogger Comment: The federal government needs to stay out of the state’s business).
Foreclosure
With as many as 8,100 foreclosures devastating the lives of American families each day, the federal government needs to take immediate action to stop this tidal wave before it causes more serious damage to our economy.
Given these shocking numbers, it’s only natural to wonder how we got here. The fundamental problem is that lenders lowered their standards but didn’t appropriately plan for the increased risk they had incurred. They flooded the market with mortgage loans, ignoring the risks to borrowers and to their own bottom line. Some of these loans were predatory, and some came from the very same lenders that the Fed bailed out!
Since 2000, I have been concerned about predatory lending and have supported legislation to stop the excesses that these lenders have too often hoodwinked homeowners into accepting. At the same time, some borrowers inflated their incomes and misrepresented themselves in order to get bigger homes than they could actually afford.
I supported the Housing and Economic Recovery Act when it passed the Senate in July to assist well-intentioned homeowners who, with a little assistance, can make their payments and avoid foreclosure and a downward spiral into bankruptcy. The families this legislation aims to help are not trying to get a free ride. They aren't scam artists trying to get away without paying their mortgage. They are hard-working, tax-paying, honest people who too often had the misfortune of being taken advantage of by mortgage lenders unconcerned with the chaos they were creating.
The legislation brings much needed reforms to Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs), modernizes the Federal Housing Administration, includes a new Hope for Homeowners program to limit foreclosures, provides approximately $4 billion in immediate funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, provides $150 million in additional foreclosure prevention counseling and includes the provisions the Senate passed earlier this year in the Foreclosure Protection Act.
All together, this bill will reduce foreclosures; provide more access to safe and fair mortgage credit for home buyers; increase the strength of our housing markets; and help expand our economy. (Blogger Comment: The federal government being involved in our business is what has made our economy decline. Their bailouts are putting this country in deep debt. We will never recover at this rate. No one wants to lose his or her home and nobody wants to see others lose their homes. However, the bailouts we’re providing to sinking businesses are ruining our country’s finances. Now we are seeing car companies asking for billions of dollars in bailouts. How are we going to pay off our debt?)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Idiots on Parade
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." ~ George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796
Matt Damon -- Actor Matt Damon says the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for vice president in the United States could end up "like a really bad Disney movie" if John McCain wins the November presidential election.
"You do the actuary tables, there's a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term, and it'll be President Palin," said Damon. "It's like a really bad Disney movie, 'The Hockey Mom.' Oh, I'm just a hockey mom from Alaska, and she's president," said Damon. "She's facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It's absurd." (Bloggers’ comment: Matt Damon should stick to acting; he’s not smart enough to offer political commentary. And hockey moms should be offended by that statement. It sounds as if Matt Damon thinks they're stupid.)
Keith Olbermann – During an interview (Bloggers' Comment: Olbermann could barely contain his giddy excitement at being in the presence of The Chosen One), Olbermann asked Obama whether the candidate should use more "exclamation points" in his statements. "Have you thought of getting angrier?" he asked. He praised Obama for his use of the word "enough" in his convention acceptance (Bloggers' Comment: Probably because it was the only word Olbermann understood).
Barack Obama – While addressing his controversial “lipstick on a pig” remark, he demonstrated that he values Keith Olbermann’s campaign advice. "Spare me the phony outrage, spare me the phony talk about change," … "Enough!" Obama said (Bloggers' Comment: Does that mean that Olbermann is now one of Obama's advisors?).
Steve Cohen – Democrat Representative, Steve Cohen from Tennessee made the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives: “I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that the parties have differences. But if you want change, you want the Democratic Party (Bloggers' Comment: The change we would really like from the Democrats is the change they keep taking out of our paychecks). Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.” (Bloggers’ comment: Really? He’s comparing Obama to Jesus? We wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the House of Reps during a lightning storm -- see yesterday's blog.)
Charlie Rangel – GOP leaders asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call for Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee pending an inquiry into recent allegations.
They cited news reports that Rangel has been renting four Harlem apartments at below-market rates (Bloggers’ comment: These apartments are reserved for the poor) and has collected more than $75,000 in undeclared income from a vacation home in the Dominican Republic.
Rangel concedes he did not pay taxes on the vacation villa and owes about $5,000 to the Internal Revenue Service — though the total figure could be more when counting state and local taxes. (Blogger’s comment: Rangel helped write the tax code, for crying out loud. We hope pleading ignorance isn't a part of his defense strategy. He also blamed his wife as she allegedly does his taxes. Way to throw the missus under the bus.)
Barbra Streisand -- The outspoken Hillary Clinton supporter ranted in her blog about McCain picking Palin as his running mate, calling the choice "desperate and irresponsible." Streisand also accused the GOP nominee of pandering to women who may go for the ticket simply because Palin "has two X chromosomes." (Bloggers’ comment: See previous bloggers' comment regarding Matt Damon’s remarks. Why do the Hollywood elite think we’re interested in their idiotic opinions? We MIGHT -- though highly doubtful -- take them more seriously if they actually put their money where their mouths are. First, that would make their mouths full of money and they wouldn't be spewing ignorance; and, second, they want more taxes to help the poor, but has anyone noticed how many homes they own and what neighborhoods they live in? We're just sayin'.)
Matt Damon -- Actor Matt Damon says the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for vice president in the United States could end up "like a really bad Disney movie" if John McCain wins the November presidential election.
"You do the actuary tables, there's a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term, and it'll be President Palin," said Damon. "It's like a really bad Disney movie, 'The Hockey Mom.' Oh, I'm just a hockey mom from Alaska, and she's president," said Damon. "She's facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It's absurd." (Bloggers’ comment: Matt Damon should stick to acting; he’s not smart enough to offer political commentary. And hockey moms should be offended by that statement. It sounds as if Matt Damon thinks they're stupid.)
Keith Olbermann – During an interview (Bloggers' Comment: Olbermann could barely contain his giddy excitement at being in the presence of The Chosen One), Olbermann asked Obama whether the candidate should use more "exclamation points" in his statements. "Have you thought of getting angrier?" he asked. He praised Obama for his use of the word "enough" in his convention acceptance (Bloggers' Comment: Probably because it was the only word Olbermann understood).
Barack Obama – While addressing his controversial “lipstick on a pig” remark, he demonstrated that he values Keith Olbermann’s campaign advice. "Spare me the phony outrage, spare me the phony talk about change," … "Enough!" Obama said (Bloggers' Comment: Does that mean that Olbermann is now one of Obama's advisors?).
Steve Cohen – Democrat Representative, Steve Cohen from Tennessee made the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives: “I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that the parties have differences. But if you want change, you want the Democratic Party (Bloggers' Comment: The change we would really like from the Democrats is the change they keep taking out of our paychecks). Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.” (Bloggers’ comment: Really? He’s comparing Obama to Jesus? We wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the House of Reps during a lightning storm -- see yesterday's blog.)
Charlie Rangel – GOP leaders asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call for Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee pending an inquiry into recent allegations.
They cited news reports that Rangel has been renting four Harlem apartments at below-market rates (Bloggers’ comment: These apartments are reserved for the poor) and has collected more than $75,000 in undeclared income from a vacation home in the Dominican Republic.
Rangel concedes he did not pay taxes on the vacation villa and owes about $5,000 to the Internal Revenue Service — though the total figure could be more when counting state and local taxes. (Blogger’s comment: Rangel helped write the tax code, for crying out loud. We hope pleading ignorance isn't a part of his defense strategy. He also blamed his wife as she allegedly does his taxes. Way to throw the missus under the bus.)
Barbra Streisand -- The outspoken Hillary Clinton supporter ranted in her blog about McCain picking Palin as his running mate, calling the choice "desperate and irresponsible." Streisand also accused the GOP nominee of pandering to women who may go for the ticket simply because Palin "has two X chromosomes." (Bloggers’ comment: See previous bloggers' comment regarding Matt Damon’s remarks. Why do the Hollywood elite think we’re interested in their idiotic opinions? We MIGHT -- though highly doubtful -- take them more seriously if they actually put their money where their mouths are. First, that would make their mouths full of money and they wouldn't be spewing ignorance; and, second, they want more taxes to help the poor, but has anyone noticed how many homes they own and what neighborhoods they live in? We're just sayin'.)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hitler was a Community Organizer
In her RNC speech last week, Sarah Palin made light of Obama's work as a community organizer. Many people laughed at her comment because most of us don't know what a community organizer does and how it prepares a person to be president of the United States. Governor Palin expressed what many of us were already thinking.
The Democrat response to Governor Palin's statement was that Jesus was a community organizer; Pontius Pilate was a governor. The Democrats narrow-minded, ill-advised political rhetoric shows how little they think through their comments and how quickly their presidential candidate's campaign is imploding. Let us remind the Dem's that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Democrat's favorite president EVER, were also governors. And, we must concede this part of their point to the Democrats, at least where Bill Clinton is concerned: Bill Clinton and Pontius Pilate have a lot in common. More than either one of them would probably want to admit. Can anyone say, "Look in a mirror?"
However, we take exception to the notion that Jesus was a community organizer. That horrifically belittles Jesus' earthly role. Jesus came to earth to save all of mankind, not just organize a community. He preached to the spiritually poor, but not necessarily the worldly poor, because His message was for everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, politics, or wealth. Nor was Jesus' job a paid position -- contrast that to Barack Obama's job as community organizer.
Jesus didn't use His role to propel Him to a higher community or political position. He didn't need to: He already has the highest position.
The Democrat defense that Jesus was a community organizer actually gives credibility to the conservative talk show hosts who mockingly call Barack Obama "the Messiah". The Dem's proved that they really do think of Obama as Jesus, the Messiah, the Chosen One. Hey Dem's: Conservatives actually think that Jesus is Jesus.
The following link is to an article that states that Hitler was also a community organizer.
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/09/hitler-was-a-co.html
We will be writing any journalists who are using lies and biased opinions to drag Sarah Palin down. Below is the letter we are sending to Andrea Mitchell of NBC News for her comment that only uneducated women will vote for Sarah Palin. Please feel free to use all or part of our letter if you want to write a letter of your own.
Ms. Andrea Mitchell
c/o NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Dear Ms. Mitchell:
As part of the group of uneducated women voters supporting Sarah Palin, we want to inform you that we will no longer be able to watch any newscast of which you are part. Certainly, you have the right to say whatever you choose and, as “uneducated”, a.k.a. informed women, we have the right to change our television channels to actual news, not opinion commentary.
We must assume that elitist remarks like the one you uttered about uneducated women voters being the only ones who would vote for Sarah Palin indicates that you are a Barack Obama supporter. This conclusion leads us to believe that your future reporting will consist of your narrow-minded, biased opinion and not actual news, thereby making your comments untrustworthy and unreliable.
While we defend your freedom of speech, we do not support passing your opinions off as news. The American people are not as stupid and gullible as the liberal media seems to believe, and we are tired of slanted, biased, and partisan news reporting. Based on your improper statement regarding uneducated women voters, in the future we will assume that any news you are claiming to report is actually biased drivel and we will exercise our right to turn the television to a channel actually reporting news.
The Democrat response to Governor Palin's statement was that Jesus was a community organizer; Pontius Pilate was a governor. The Democrats narrow-minded, ill-advised political rhetoric shows how little they think through their comments and how quickly their presidential candidate's campaign is imploding. Let us remind the Dem's that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Democrat's favorite president EVER, were also governors. And, we must concede this part of their point to the Democrats, at least where Bill Clinton is concerned: Bill Clinton and Pontius Pilate have a lot in common. More than either one of them would probably want to admit. Can anyone say, "Look in a mirror?"
However, we take exception to the notion that Jesus was a community organizer. That horrifically belittles Jesus' earthly role. Jesus came to earth to save all of mankind, not just organize a community. He preached to the spiritually poor, but not necessarily the worldly poor, because His message was for everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, politics, or wealth. Nor was Jesus' job a paid position -- contrast that to Barack Obama's job as community organizer.
Jesus didn't use His role to propel Him to a higher community or political position. He didn't need to: He already has the highest position.
The Democrat defense that Jesus was a community organizer actually gives credibility to the conservative talk show hosts who mockingly call Barack Obama "the Messiah". The Dem's proved that they really do think of Obama as Jesus, the Messiah, the Chosen One. Hey Dem's: Conservatives actually think that Jesus is Jesus.
The following link is to an article that states that Hitler was also a community organizer.
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/09/hitler-was-a-co.html
We will be writing any journalists who are using lies and biased opinions to drag Sarah Palin down. Below is the letter we are sending to Andrea Mitchell of NBC News for her comment that only uneducated women will vote for Sarah Palin. Please feel free to use all or part of our letter if you want to write a letter of your own.
Ms. Andrea Mitchell
c/o NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Dear Ms. Mitchell:
As part of the group of uneducated women voters supporting Sarah Palin, we want to inform you that we will no longer be able to watch any newscast of which you are part. Certainly, you have the right to say whatever you choose and, as “uneducated”, a.k.a. informed women, we have the right to change our television channels to actual news, not opinion commentary.
We must assume that elitist remarks like the one you uttered about uneducated women voters being the only ones who would vote for Sarah Palin indicates that you are a Barack Obama supporter. This conclusion leads us to believe that your future reporting will consist of your narrow-minded, biased opinion and not actual news, thereby making your comments untrustworthy and unreliable.
While we defend your freedom of speech, we do not support passing your opinions off as news. The American people are not as stupid and gullible as the liberal media seems to believe, and we are tired of slanted, biased, and partisan news reporting. Based on your improper statement regarding uneducated women voters, in the future we will assume that any news you are claiming to report is actually biased drivel and we will exercise our right to turn the television to a channel actually reporting news.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Did You Know...?
California has banned the use of “bride” and “groom” on marriage licenses. California's high court declared that legal definitions of marriage as a union between a man and a woman were unconstitutional. Since the ruling, generic designations have been added to legal documents. Couples can only be wed in that state if they refer to themselves as “Party A” and Party B.” In November, however, the voters in California will have the opportunity to vote on the marriage amendment. If passed, the state constitution will be changed to recognize only marriages between a man and a woman.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74768
In a television interview, Barack Obama stated, "My Muslim faith." While speaking to George Stephanopoulos, Obama stated, “…you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith…” Stephanopoulos immediately corrected Obama, stating, “Christian faith.” Obama then said that what he meant was that John McCain has not referred to him as being Muslim. Slip of the tongue?
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74635
Three major advocates of abortion rights are planning to spend nearly $30 million to defeat John McCain’s run for president, citing his new running mate as the core reason. NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, and EMILY’s List have Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in their crosshairs, calling her a staunch opponent of abortion rights. “This is the most anti-choice ticket in history of the Republican Party,” said Beth Shipp, the political director of NARAL. “McCain put someone as outside the mainstream as you can on his ticket, which is Sarah Palin,” Shipp added.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/abortion-rights-groups-target-palin-2008-09-05.html
Even left-leaning journalists are fed up with the outright lies that the Obama campaign is circulating about Sarah Palin. Kirsten Powers of the New York Post wrote an article today debunking several of the fallacies that have been presented as fact by the Obama campaign.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09092008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/how_obama_blew_it_128132.htm
Bonus Question
Is Joe Biden still on one of the presidential tickets?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74768
In a television interview, Barack Obama stated, "My Muslim faith." While speaking to George Stephanopoulos, Obama stated, “…you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith…” Stephanopoulos immediately corrected Obama, stating, “Christian faith.” Obama then said that what he meant was that John McCain has not referred to him as being Muslim. Slip of the tongue?
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74635
Three major advocates of abortion rights are planning to spend nearly $30 million to defeat John McCain’s run for president, citing his new running mate as the core reason. NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, and EMILY’s List have Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in their crosshairs, calling her a staunch opponent of abortion rights. “This is the most anti-choice ticket in history of the Republican Party,” said Beth Shipp, the political director of NARAL. “McCain put someone as outside the mainstream as you can on his ticket, which is Sarah Palin,” Shipp added.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/abortion-rights-groups-target-palin-2008-09-05.html
Even left-leaning journalists are fed up with the outright lies that the Obama campaign is circulating about Sarah Palin. Kirsten Powers of the New York Post wrote an article today debunking several of the fallacies that have been presented as fact by the Obama campaign.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09092008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/how_obama_blew_it_128132.htm
Bonus Question
Is Joe Biden still on one of the presidential tickets?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Train Up A Child...
Last week we posted a link to information about Public Allies, an organization that was co-founded by Barack Obama. This is a radical indoctrination organization, so it behooves all of us to stay informed as to its activities. Below is a link to another article about Public Allies and Obama.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74462
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=74462
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Audacity of Evil
Evil has abounded on earth for as long as men have walked it. Murders, whoredoms, corruption, and so much more plagued people in Bible times and plague us now. We find in today's world, though, that the lines are running together--there seems to be more gray for people than black and white. Most of us know to not murder our brother or steal from our neighbor, but some people give little thought before killing their neighbor's reputation through unsubstantiated gossip, or cheating on their income tax.
Some evil is so subtly disguised that it often appears to be good on the surface. Usually, the perpetrators of such things are counting on the fact that you will believe the outer presentation without digging any deeper.
We are living in times when we have to be extremely cautious. Most adults know that gangs are evil and would never join one; but, what about a "gang" at work or in your community who encourage you to break the Sabbath to go to a barbecue, or tell you that the words of a song, or content of a 'R' rated movie won't hurt you.
"...evil will befall you in the latter days:..." (Deuteronomy 31:29)
Jesus has promised to return someday and rid the earth of evildoers. No one knows exactly when that will be, but the signs we are given in scripture have been happening all around us. And because Jesus warned us and told us the signs, we know His return is soon.
There are those who will lie to us and flatter us, using our insecurities and fears to lead us like puppets to their fold, until we realize too late that we are enslaved and bound by their will because we didn't take the time to investigate the truth. They will take your money and your free will, all the while telling you that it's for the greater good; and, then, the day will come that you will realize, probably too late, the greater good of which they spoke was their own pockets and power.
We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Pray always, pray without ceasing, that you may not be deceived:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14)
Jesus will come again. Know His teachings, rely on His word -- they may be all that will protect you when cunning men try to deceive and lead you away. His return will be cheered by the righteous and feared by the wicked. No matter how difficult the future becomes, we have nothing to fear if we have faith in God and fight evil.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Some evil is so subtly disguised that it often appears to be good on the surface. Usually, the perpetrators of such things are counting on the fact that you will believe the outer presentation without digging any deeper.
We are living in times when we have to be extremely cautious. Most adults know that gangs are evil and would never join one; but, what about a "gang" at work or in your community who encourage you to break the Sabbath to go to a barbecue, or tell you that the words of a song, or content of a 'R' rated movie won't hurt you.
"...evil will befall you in the latter days:..." (Deuteronomy 31:29)
Jesus has promised to return someday and rid the earth of evildoers. No one knows exactly when that will be, but the signs we are given in scripture have been happening all around us. And because Jesus warned us and told us the signs, we know His return is soon.
There are those who will lie to us and flatter us, using our insecurities and fears to lead us like puppets to their fold, until we realize too late that we are enslaved and bound by their will because we didn't take the time to investigate the truth. They will take your money and your free will, all the while telling you that it's for the greater good; and, then, the day will come that you will realize, probably too late, the greater good of which they spoke was their own pockets and power.
We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Pray always, pray without ceasing, that you may not be deceived:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14)
Jesus will come again. Know His teachings, rely on His word -- they may be all that will protect you when cunning men try to deceive and lead you away. His return will be cheered by the righteous and feared by the wicked. No matter how difficult the future becomes, we have nothing to fear if we have faith in God and fight evil.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)