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."
Sunday, September 14, 2008
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
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