Irresponsibility on Steroids

Just when you think things can't possibly be worse with the pending health-care bill, you learn they are indeed going from bad to worse.  According to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, the Democratic leadership has been privately crafting a bill in the Majority Leader's conference room that is different from the bill that's currently on the Senate floor.  They are attempting to rush this bill through and are going to ask the Senate to vote on a bill that no one outside the conference room has even seen! 

This is absolutely reprehensible.  They are attempting to rush passage of a bill of historical significance.  It has ramifications for our economy, our ability to deliver high-quality health-care, and the prosperity of our country, yet they don't want to allow time for debate. 

This has been a dream of Democrats for decades and they are not about to forego this opportunity.  Dems, political pundits, and newscasters who are in bed with the Democrats keep reminding us that this is "historical".  Well, so were Pearl Harbor and 9/11; historical and good are two different things.

The Head Crybaby

Will the time ever come when  Obama quits blaming the previous administration for everything?  President Obama did, as he reminds us over and over, inherit a deficit.  But he has taken that deficit and put it on steroids, with no end in sight to the reckless spending.

Enough!!  I for one am sick and tired of watching this president bob and weave, avoiding responsibility for anything and everything and maneuvering so as not to leave his fingerprints anywhere.  I thought I was "unshockable", but I've found that's not correct.  The baldfaced lies emanating from this administration have laid that misconception to rest.

This administration has made it clear that it has no regard for the will of most Americans.  Indeed, it seems they even have contempt for us.  Let's hope and pray that in the elections of 2010 voters will send an unmistakably clear message to Congress:  you're history!

Prelude To Obamacare

Well, I see in the Wall Street Journal today that a government-funded "authority" is saying that routine mammograms are not necessary for women under the age of 50 and even after the age of 50, they should be performed only every 2 years instead of annually.  They claim that this applies only to women with no family history of breast cancer and who don't have genetic mutations associated with breast cancer. 

Two questions come to mind:  Are they aware that the majority of women diagnosed each year with breast cancer have no family history of the disease?  Second, how are we to know which women have genetic mutations without sophisticated testing of all women? 

This is a prelude to government health care, pure and simple.  Step one:  start getting people accustomed to the idea that they don't need those unnecessary health screenings as early or as frequently as the current standards indicate.  That way, when they can't get them in the future because of health care rationing, they won't feel they're missing out too much.

The callous disregard for human lives inherent in this policy is appalling and disgusting.  The Obama administration seems to think of human lives strictly in terms of dollars and cents.  This, like so much about this man, is morally bankrupt. 

Rigidity, Thy Name is Obama

Over the past 9 months of his presidency, Obama has shown that he is, if nothing else, inflexible.  Here is a man who sets his sights on something and refuses to admit error or change course, even when the need to do so is obvious to everyone else. 

His singular focus is on national health care and not even the unspeakable tragedy at Ft. Hood could derail his talk to native Americans on pushing his health care through.  Obama showed incredible insensitivity and poor judgment in proceeding with his talk, in a light-hearted vein I might add, as though nothing untoward had happened. 

Articles have been written in which the judgment of his advisers was questioned.  This man is president of the United States; does he really need advisers to tell him that choosing to proceed as he did was inappropriate?  Why couldn't he discern that on his own?

There is obviously a problem here, but just what is the nature of that problem?  Is obama so lacking in empathy that he is unable to perceive pain in others?  Is he so determined to force governmental health care on us that he will push aside common decency to attain his goal?  Or is it that he relies on handlers to tell him what to do and when to do it and is incapable of making decisions on his own?   Or, sorry to say, perhaps the problem is multifocal and involves all of the above. 

Tyranny in Our Government

Nancy Pelosi is pushing to bring her monstrous health care bill to the floor for a vote on Friday or Saturday.  The tyrannical Speaker of the House has crafted this bill, called by the Wall Street Journal "the worst bill ever", completely behind closed doors.  Representative Michelle Bachman, speaking on Sean Hannity's radio show today, said they even went so far as to change the locks on the doors to keep out Republicans.  Where in the world is our "post partisan" president? 

We are staring tyranny in the face.  Are we going to fight or flinch?  I for one plan to contact senators and representatives to express my feelings.  Tea Party Patriots has made it easy to send faxes and has a list of targeted senators and representatives.  Please take a few minutes to contact these people, either through e-mail, phone, or fax, to clarify to them what our will is on this matter and what the consequences will be if they go along with Ms. Pelosi. 

Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that she is willing to sacrifice Democrat seats in the House to get this abomination passed.  Note to the Blue Dog Democrats:  why would you sacrifice your political career for this hateful woman? 

What do you plan to do to stop this impending train wreck?

Where do Our Rights Come From?

I came across this video today and thought it was well worth posting.  Judge Andrew Napolitano makes some important points to consider. 

Mediocrity Reigns

It's getting more and more difficult to watch the proceedings in our nation's capital.  What seems to be taking front and center stage are deceit, outright lies, immaturity and mediocrity.  There was a time when the title "Senator" or "Representative" commanded respect.  Sadly, it now engenders distrust or outright contempt in many, and rightfully so.  The best and brightest in our society seem to avoid entering political life. 

I fear that Congress is a microcosm of our society.  Whatever happened to civility?  Where did the pursuit of excellence go?  Why do so many people refuse to take responsibility for their behavior?  Too many people have begun to accept mediocrity in their daily lives.  We settle for poor service in businesses, we do just enough to get by, we don't demand that our children behave or perform well.  Is it any wonder that our congressional representatives often behave badly?  They are simply a reflection of we, the people. 

We would all do well to take a critical look at our own words and actions.  There is an abundance of hatred and vitriol on both sides (I happen to believe it's worse on the left than the right).  Hopefully, we as conservatives can take stock, strive for excellence in our personal lives, and not sink to the level to which too many have fallen. 

Narcissistic Pride?

Obama still has not taken action on Afghanistan.  There's been speculation that he doesn't want to anger the far left of his party or that sending more troops to Afghanistan will prevent passage of health care "reform".  

There may be another reason, one that I haven't heard floated in the various media.  Obama was against the surge in Iraq and, to my knowledge, he has never admitted that it did indeed work.  If he were to send a surge of troops to Afghanistan, would this not be a de facto admission that the surge in Iraq worked, something he is loathe to admit? 

Whatever the reason, it's absolutely morally depraved to be playing politics with the lives of our brave soldiers.  Is Obama ever going to step up to the plate and be a president, or will he spend four years being the perpetual candidate? 

Pimp My Peace Prize

So, Barack Hussein Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize?  In recent years, the Nobel Peace Prize has been so highly politicized and devalued that it's virtually worthless.  For heaven's sake - it's even been awarded to Al Gore!

There is no real peace in the world right now.  North Korea continues to rattle its sabers, Iran continues to defy and threaten the world, the struggle intensifies in Afghanistan, etc., etc., etc. 

I have a novel idea:  why not award prizes for actual achievements and not just for effort and intent.  What a concept!

Senator Admits He Won't Read Healthcare Bill

Senator Tom Carper, Democrat from Delaware, has admitted he probably won't read the "arcane" language of the healthcare bill. 

Apparently, these bills start out in committee being written in "plain English".  Somewhere along the way, as it's being written into the legislation, it acquires language that is too difficult for the average person to comprehend.

Senators and representatives don't seem to be more intelligent than average Americans (in some instances, they're obviously less intelligent).  Shouldn't legislation be written in a way that can be understood by the majority of people? 

Just think for a moment:  Congress is poised to pass legislation that has the potential to further devastate our economy and increase governmental control over our lives.  It is the height of irresponsibility to vote on this without knowing what is actually in the legislation.  Could it be that they don't want us to know what's in it? 

What am I missing here?  What do you think?

An Inconvenient Foreign Policy

General Stanley McChrystal revealed yesterday that he has spoken to President Obama only once since taking command in Afghanistan 70 days ago.  Afghanistan was described by Obama during his campaign as "the necessary war", but it now appears he wants nothing to do with it.

What in the world is going on?  Probably several things.  Obama seems not to believe that al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are a real threat.  It's obvious that our president is weak, indecisive and doesn't have the stomach for fighting a war.  In fact, he seems uncomfortable with the very idea of winning!  In this most macho part of the world, we have a pantywaist as commander in chief and don't think for a moment that the Arabs don't recognize this.

It's clear that Obama's domestic agenda dominates his priorities.  He evidently fears angering his leftist handlers who don't think any war is ever justified.  So he postpones making a decision and meanwhile our soldiers are dying.  Obama is a person who loves to talk, talk and talk some more.  But when you're president, the time comes when you have to stop talking, make a decision and actually take some action.  He seems incapable of making a decision and sticking to it.

Obama sees this war as a distraction from his power grab.  Reminder to the president:  as you yourself said during the campaign, a president has to be able to do more than one thing at a time. 

Politicians shouldn't run wars.  Yes, I know the president is the commander in chief, but especially with this president, every calculation is political, not tactical.  He should listen to his generals and follow their advice.  They actually want to win this war! 

Defending the American Dream Summit

I'm honored and excited to have been chosen as one of the winners of a "scholarship" to attend the Defending the American Dream Summit next weekend! 

I've only recently gotten involved in politics and I have a lot to learn.  I'm thankful I'll have this opportunity.  I'll tell you all about it when I get back!

Hellooooo - Do We Have Your Attention Yet?

President Obama, Congress, and the sideline media (can't call 'em mainstream anymore)  just refuse to get the message the American people are sending them.  They've tried their best to dismiss, marginalize, intimidate and insult us, only to see our ranks grow with each subsequent town hall and tea party, culminating in the gigantic march on Washington on September 12.

We're on a roll here, folks.  There's a great opportunity heading your way:  a chance to see, live and in-person, prominent conservatives from radio, TV and Congress, as well as take part in true grassroots activities and training. 

I'm talking about the 2009 Defending the American Dream Summit, brought to you by Americans for Prosperity.  This huge event will take place October 2-3, 2009 in Washington, D.C. and will feature  many prominent conservatives from radio, TV, and Congress.  Featured speakers will include Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingraham, Representative Michelle Bachmann,  Senator Jim DeMint and Representative Mike Pence, to name just a few.

In addition, on Friday, October 2, Americans for Prosperity is hosting a town hall rally on the steps of the Capitol while Congress is actually in session!

The future of our country is in peril right now.  In spite of the danger, it's exciting and gratifying to see Americans from varying backgrounds and affiliations come together, united in our love for our great country and determined to return to the Constitutional principles upon which the United States was founded.   

Don't miss out on this opportunity to stand up and be counted.  See you in Washington on October 2-3!

A Trillion Here, a Trillion There....

With attention focused on the healthcare struggle, we need to be ever vigilant about the government's plans to increase spending of our hard-earned money in a variety of ways.  As usual, the government's cost forecast involves some very creative accounting.

The Wall Street Journal reports in its main editorial today the Obama administration is poised to take over the student loan market.  If Mr. Obama can convince Congress to approve his plan, the federal balance sheet will increase by one trillion dollars over the next decade.

For years, the main means of borrowing for college has been through private lenders who offered government-guaranteed loans.  Private lenders would raise money from private capital markets, make the loan, and pay a small fee to the government for each loan.  The government in turn covered most of the cost of defaults while allowing the private lenders to make a regulated return.

This system started breaking down in 2007 when Congress passed legislation that resulted in returns so low that private lenders could no longer afford to make these loans.  (Do I need to remind anyone that this was the year Democrats took over Congress?)  If Obama gets his way, starting in 2010, private lenders will be barred from making government-guaranteed loans and taxpayers will be supplying approximately $100 billion a year to lend to students

I would urge everyone to read the editorial in its entirety; it's quite revealing.  The WSJ says this legislation is certain to pass the House;  the only chance to stop it is in the Senate.  If it passes, parents will have no choices in borrowing for their children's college education and taxpayers will be footing one heck of a bill. 

If You Can't Beat Them - Lie to Them

We continue to hear from the President and Congress that we absolutely have to have healthcare reform to help control costs and lower the deficit. I'm insulted that they think we're so stupid as to believe this.

Past experience has taught us that the government can't run anything economically and efficiently. There's one thing that those within the Beltway simply don't seem to understand: we, the people, in ever increasing numbers neither trust nor believe them. We've been lied to and deceived so many times in the past that many of us are not willing to swallow the medicine they're pushing.

The President on several occasions has said he will save money by cutting waste and fraud from Medicare and Medicaid. I have a question for Obama: if you can truly do this, why aren't you doing it now? That would be a good start toward establishing a little credibility for yourself, because right now you have no credibility with me.

Nancy Pelosi has said a government option would be a good way to keep insurance companies honest. HAH - as if the conniving, two-faced Ms. Pelosi knows anything at all about honesty!

There are better ideas out there, but Obama and the Dems are ignoring and stifling them. That way, they can claim that Republicans are simply oppositional and don't have any new ideas about solving healthcare problems.

The ultimate goal of President Obama and his cohorts is not to improve healthcare or contain costs - it's to establish more governmental control in our lives. We're in for a long and, I fear, dirty conflict, but too much depends on this not to hang in there and fight.

New Movie

Michael Moore, or as I am fond of calling him "Fat Bastard", is at it again. He has a new movie coming out in which he calls capitalism "evil". The movie even features a couple of priests who claim that capitalism is evil for failing to protect the poor. Funny how liberals don't want anything to do with religion or clergy until they find a way to exploit it.

Capitalism is far from perfect; it's run by humans who are prone to weaknesses such as greed and dishonesty, but so is every other economic and social system. What Moore will never admit is that capitalism, with all its faults, still offers people the best opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty. There is a reason that people from all over the world want to live here, sometimes risking their very lives to get here. The American dream is still alive around the world and those struggling to achieve it recognize that it is "do-able".

I've always found it very odd that someone like Michael Moore condemns capitalism, the very system that has made him a wealthy man. Could it be that he doesn't want to share the wealth?

Intellectualism

I heard a professor on television recently criticizing Sarah Palin. The main thrust of his criticism was that she doesn't read much and isn't "intellectual". Presumably, he considers being intellectual an important qualification for holding high office.

Is intellectualism all it's cracked up to be? Certainly, we want leaders to be well informed and capable of exercising critical thinking. The problem with intellectuals, however, is that they too often live in ivory towers, and their opinions are derived from theoretical learning and not "real-life" experience. To complicate matters, they often look down on average, ordinary people and dismiss them as not being smart enough to come to good conclusions about how to run their own lives.

Barack Obama was hailed as being so very intelligent. Intelligence and wisdom, however, are two different things. Wisdom derives from learning life's lessons firsthand, not from reading books about life. Likewise, intelligence does not necessarily lead to the development of common sense.

If you had to choose between a president who was very intelligent, but not very wise, and one who had only average intelligence, but possessed a great deal of wisdom, which would you prefer? As for me, I'll take common sense and wisdom any day over intelligence alone.

The Racism Dodge

Liberals really need to find a new accusatory term. The old word, racism, is starting to lose its punch.

A favorite tactic of liberals is to call anyone who disagrees with them "racist". If you're against illegal immigration, it's because you're racist; if you disagree with the President on anything, it's because you're - you guessed it - racist; if you seek to punish a black politican for malfeasance - well, you get the picture.

This tactic has worked in the past, but won't keep working forever. The whole purpose of throwing that term at another person is to put a halt to discussion of whatever topic is at hand. Liberals do this because they know they can't counter policy arguments with substance and logic, so they fall back on emotion.

Sooner or later, liberals and progressives will have to come up with something more substantive than name-calling. More and more people are beginning to see through these agendas and are not going to put up with it. Consider yourself warned.

Silver Tongues

The Democrats' research has revealed they should change their language in presenting their healthcare schemes. This happened recently, when they started calling it health insurance reform, rather than healthcare reform.

They must think the American public is as dumb as a box of rocks. They can call it whatever they want - it's still a piece of crap that will bankrupt this country and cause a decline in the quality of our healthcare.

The Wall Street Journal had an article this morning stating that the Dems are becoming more aggressive in their push for taking over the healthcare system. This doesn't make sense. If people are resisting what you're offering, pushing harder is only likely to make them more resistant. This whole debate, and especially the town hall meetings, has really made it evident how out of touch the people in Washington are. I think most of the Dems were truly shocked at how angry and mistrustful people are.

Don't be fooled by the change in language - they're still pushing for their agenda. Just watch them closely and don't quit fighting.

Back Home

Well, I just returned from vacation Saturday. We were fortunate enough to visit a place we've wanted to see for a long time - Alaska. What a beautiful state and such nice, friendly people! One of my new goals is to return ASAP.

I won't bore you with details of the trip; just suffice to say I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen and had the thrill of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat. Did some hiking too.

I'll be back in a day or two; I'm sure it won't take me long to get fired up again.

Take care, everyone!

Unpatriotic

The Obama administration and Democrats in Congress seem to believe that we, the people, have no right to question them, let alone disagree with their agenda. During the Bush years, Democrats asserted that disagreeing with the President was patriotic and laudable. Now that a Democrat occupies the White House, their view seems to have changed. If you disagree with the left wing agenda being put forth or ask legitimate questions, you're deemed to be an extremist, part of a mob, or called ugly names.

Well, the video below is just a little reminder from the mouth of our (now) secretary of state that we do indeed have not only the right, but the responsibility, to speak out when we disagree with an administration.

True Colors

Who would've thought town hall meetings could get so ugly? I guess this is to be expected when Obama calls in his union thugs to knock a few heads together.

A black conservative was attacked in St. Louis as he handed out yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flags. Citizens were not allowed to enter the hall where the meeting was being held, yet union members were escorted in through a side door.

What's new here? Unions have always played hardball, but what's different about this is that it's the first time, in my memory anyway, that these thugs have been called out by our government to rough up ordinary citizens who happen to disagree with the president. This may be acceptable in Chicago, but it's totally unacceptable in a president.

I never thought I'd see the day when citizens were attacked, both verbally and physically, for disagreeing with the president and his henchmen. I believe this will not intimidate people; on the contrary, it will strengthen the resolve of citizens who happen to oppose this health care bill. These "compassionate", "inclusive", "post racial" Democrats have shown their true colors and have damaged themselves in the process. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving group.

The Mob

The Democrats are characterizing the citizens who are speaking out at Town Hall meetings as a "mob" which has been recruited and agitated by lobbyists who oppose the proposed health care "reform". Nancy Pelosi has gone so far as to say some were carrying swastikas.

The DNC's newsletter says that these people are just attempting to stifle reasoned debate and press secretary Dilbert, er, Robert Gibbs says these protests are manufactured. Could the Democrats BE any more out of touch?

Ordinary people are angry and frustrated because our so-called representatives are ignoring our comments and our wishes. The DNC is disingenuous when they say the protestors are trying to stifle debate. It has been the Dems themselves who have refused to have a discussion about this and the people are gagging from having this shoved down their throats. They have chosen to ignore us and we have had to resort to shouting just to get their attention.

Now, to top off everything, Obama has called for those who receive "fishy" e-mails to report them to the White House. Why? What on earth are you planning to do about these, Obama? Believe it or not, people DO have a right to disagree with you; check out the Constitution since you apparently have not done so recently.

I think people have reached a point where many are determined to fight this and these obnoxious tactics of the Obama administration will not intimidate them. Hang in there, protestors!

Congressional Members Getting an Earful

People are increasingly agitated and several Senators and Representatives, as well as Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, are getting an earful from their constituents. Citizens are sick and tired of the Obama administration's bullheadedness about healthcare "reform" and are turned off by their thuggish, strong-arm tactics.

This is happening in traditional Democrat strongholds, such as New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Austin, Texas, a liberal enclave in conservative Texas. I predict this is the beginning of a mini-revolution in which we put party aside and fight to return to American principles of individual freedom and responsibility. I was nauseated by the election of Obama, but always had a feeling that there would be a silver lining. I believe people are being shaken out of their apathy by the left-wing agenda Obama is pushing, and that indeed is a good thing.

If you want to see some members of Congress being slapped around verbally, take a look at these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8UjY3YDlwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bpshk5nX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOLs7Cybnqw

It will be interesting to see if other members of Congress encounter angry, shouting constituents at townhall meetings during their break. Since they're not known for personal courage, it won't surprise me to find that many of them cancel appearances in front of constituents.

A Teachable Moment

Quiet, everyone. Professor Obama has once again deigned to share his supreme knowledge with us, the little people. Is there no end to this man's arrogance?

I'm referring, of course, to the incident with the Cambridge police and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Well, this was indeed a "teachable moment" for me, but I suspect what I learned was not what Obama intended:

• I learned who Robert Louis Gates, Jr. is. I had never heard of him before.
  
• I learned that he has a big, fat chip on his shoulder, has racist attitudes about white police (possibly black police too), and is a perpetual victim, even though he lives a privileged life.
  
• It became painfully obvious that not knowing the facts never stops Obama from making a decision and taking a stand on something.
  
• I re-learned a lesson from childhood: when you're wrong, be strong enough to admit it and apologize, especially if you've insulted an individual or a group, as Obama did. Don't merely "calibrate" your language more carefully.
  
• Our supreme leader is an expert at diverting attention away from his failing policies and falling poll numbers.

I suspect that Obama is so arrogant that he doesn't believe he has anything to learn. I beg to differ. Obama should learn that he should know the truth, the whole truth, before shooting off his mouth. It makes me wonder how much thought he gives to important domestic and foreign policy decisions before making pronouncements. And, with his automatically siding with the professor against the police, he unwittingly revealed more of his attitudes than he likely intended.

Coverage of George W. Bush

I received an e-mail from a friend today that had a link to a video by two Time Magazine photographers who covered President Bush for his eight-year administration. I was really surprised at the tone of the video and even more startled by my reaction to it.

As I watched it, to my dismay and embarrassment, I started crying. I've been very angry about Obama and his thugs and their ham-fisted methods, but watching this video made me cognizant of another emotion. Underneath the anger, I am profoundly sad that we have a president who doesn't seem to even like this country very much, a president who feels he has to apologize for the United States every time he sets foot on foreign soil. I'm still angry at the incredible arrogance of this man and his associates, but also sadly convinced that he won't protect our beloved country.

I don't even listen to Obama anymore. I have come to the realization that I don't believe anything he says, so why bother? I am, however, closely watching what he does and I will continue to do whatever I can to fight his dangerous agenda.

Little Known Facts of the Healthcare Bill

I heard an interesting and horrifying interview with Dr. Betsy McCaughey, a health policy expert and patient advocate who has actually read the entire Kennedy healthcare proposal.

As many already have realized, Barack Obama is not telling us the whole truth about the healthcare bill (yes, I realize there are several versions of the bill floating around at this time). Obama has repeatedly said that we won't have to give up our current medical plan or doctor if we're happy with them. What he's not telling us is that if we lose our current insurance or want to change our plan, we cannot get a new private plan. We must choose the government option.

According to Dr. McCaughey, there is a lot of "Washington double-talk" in the Kennedy bill. For example, "No individual shall be compelled to enroll in a 'qualified' health plan" (sec. 3101). BUT, when you file your tax return, you must provide the IRS with proof of your enrollment in a qualifying plan. If you fail to do so, the IRS, in coordination with the expanded federal office on electronic medical records and a new state bureaucracy called a Gateway, will track you down, notify you of your failure, and fine you. The size of the fine will be determined by the secretary of health and human services and will be substantial enough to ".....accomplish the goal of enhancing participation." Is Congress going to participate in this plan? Of course not - they've exempted themselves!

One of Obama's chief advisers on this is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of chief of thugs Rahm Emanuel. Dr. Emanuel believes the Hippocratic Oath is responsible for "overuse" of medical care. He has bemoaned the fact that the Hippocratic Oath drives doctors to do everything they can for a patient, regardless of cost. Isn't that what we want and expect our physicians to do? The point is, how much is done (or not done) for a patient should be between the doctor and the patient - the government shouldn't have a say in it.

The new coordinator of health information technology is Dr. David Blumenthal, who believes that there should be limits on the amount of health care people can get. I don't shock easily, but I am appalled at how coldly Obama talks about end of life decisions. I have inferred from what he has said that he believes once you reach a certain age, you shouldn't really pursue medical treatment. You should just give up, go into a hospice and get out of the way as quickly as possible.

The implication seems to be that once you get old, develop infirmities or become handicapped your life is not of value anymore. How sad and frightening that our president apparently sees human beings as expendable once they lose their usefulness.

Peggy Noonan

I saw in the Wall Street Journal this morning that Peggy Noonan essentially says good riddance to Sarah Palin, claiming she was harmful to Republicans.

Peggy Noonan wrote some pretty good speeches for President Ronald Reagan and has claimed to be a conservative. However, she supported and presumably voted for Barack Obama in the last election. What the heck was she thinking?

Ms. Noonan claims that Sarah Palin is not a deep thinker, doesn't read much, and really is ignorant about world affairs. Does she have a valid point? Perhaps. I like Sarah Palin personally, but I don't think of her as a deep thinker. She does, however, have a rare commodity these days - common sense.

I used to see Peggy Noonan on TV back when she was writing speeches for President Reagan. I realize I don't know her, but I never liked her. She struck me as phony; a pseudointellectual trying to impress upon us, the commoners, how superior she was.

I think Noonan's support of Obama shows her true colors. As for me, I'll take good old common sense over intellectualism any day.

Born Again American

Sinister Overtones

I'm not one who puts a lot of stock into conspiracy theories. However, over the last few months, the thought has crossed my mind several times that perhaps Barack Obama doesn't really want our economy to get better.

Today on the radio I heard something that prompted me to do a little research. What I found is very troubling and makes me believe that maybe my feeling about Obama is right on the mark.

Have you ever heard of the Cloward-Piven Strategy? I hadn't either, but Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven were sociologists at Columbia University. Back in the mid-1960s, they formulated their strategy, much of which came from Saul Alinsky, Chicago's notorious Marxist community organizer (where have I heard this term before?). Their goal: bring about the fall of capitalism by overloading and undermining government bureaucracy.

According to an editorial in October, 2008 in The Washington Times referencing Cloward-Piven, "Its supporting tactics include flooding government with impossible demands until it slowly cranks to a stop; overloading electoral systems with successive tidal waves of new voters, many of them bogus; shaking down banks, politicians in Congress, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for affirmative-action borrowing; and, now, pulling down the national financial system by demanding exotic, subprime mortgages for low-income Americans with little hope of repaying their loans. These toxic mortgages are an important source of the foul smell engulfing the entire financial bailout." I'd urge you to read the entire editorial; it's really quite chilling.

I once thought Obama didn't know what he was doing with regard to the economy. Now I'm beginning to think that he knows precisely what he's doing, knowing full well that it will destroy our economy.

Rest In Peace

No, I'm not talking about Michael Jackson. Let's get some clarity here; Michael Jackson was enormously talented and I enjoyed watching him perform back in the days of his album, Thriller. However, he wasn't a hero, he was very strange and I believe his life was very sad in many ways.

Yet, President Obama takes the time to write a note to the Jackson family, Jesse Jackson, Jr. asks for a moment of silence in Congress and, I'm told, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee wants to memoralize him as a "humanitarian".

We have lost several soldiers in the last few days in Afghanistan. Did Obama take note of their deaths? Did Congress have a moment of silence to remember them? Does Jackson Lee make any public statements about their courage and sacrifice?

The answer, of course, is a resounding "no". This country has become profoundly ridiculous in its fascination with celebrities. There was a time when the idea of an Al Franken running for the Senate would be laughed at; it was simply unthinkable. Yet, today we have "Senator" Al Franken. If you stopped 100 people on the street, I'd bet that more of them could tell you about American Idol than could tell you who their senators and representatives in the House are.

So, for those soldiers who have died fighting for democracy - rest in peace. Our soldiers who are still fighting are in my thoughts and prayers.

Belated Happy Birthday, America!

I'm a day late, but I want to wish this great country of ours Happy Birthday!

The United States is truly the greatest country on the face of the earth, bar none, and I am unabashedly proud to be an American! It's disgusting to me that we have a president who seems to feel the need to constantly apologize for this country. Have we done things in the past that we should be ashamed of? Absolutely, but for the most part, we have adhered to the ideals of our forefathers. America has done more to help other countries and promote freedom than any other nation on earth and Americans are the most generous people you'll find.

We are truly unique, both in our origins and in our "can do" spirit. I fear we're losing that spirit, but I believe it still exists in the majority of Americans. Let's not lose sight of what made us great - the ideals and principles upon which this country was founded. Happy Birthday, America - and I wish you many more!

Act for America

I went to a presentation last night by Brigitte Gabriel, founder of Act for America. She has appeared on several occasions on the Fox News Channel, and has addressed audiences at the FBI, the U.S. Special Operations Command, members of Congress, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the British Parliament's House of Commons, as well as other prominent groups. She herself is a victim of terrorism, having lost her home in Lebanon at the age of 10 to terrorists, subsequently living in a bomb shelter until she was 17, when she and her family escaped to Israel.

Her speech was compelling and she convinced me that it is IMPERATIVE that we put pressure on the government to drop political correctness and seriously address this issue. The drug cartels in Mexico are being paid by Al Qaeda to smuggle terrorists and weapons across the border, and these terrorists live among us, quietly training right under our noses to destroy us. There are 35 known training compounds in the United States, many of them in states surrounding Washington, D.C., but also as far flung as my home state of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, California, and Washington state, and still our government does not effectively enforce border security.

The executive director of Act for America also spoke briefly. He said if Americans knew even 1/10 of what he knows about terrorists in this country, we'd forget the economy and focus on this as the #1 problem in America.

National security has to be priority #1. We could have the best economy in history, yet if we are not secure from attack from within and without, it could all be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Please visit Act for America's web site and take action to help protect us from this enormous internal threat. Just as the NRA has successfully fought gun control with a large membership that donates small amounts, Act for America is trying to follow their example in their fight against radical Islam. Please do whatever you can to help their efforts.

Climate Change Bill Narrowly Passes House

Well, read it and weep. As everyone who's paying even a little attention knows, the House narrowly passed the "Cap and Tax" bill Friday. Several Republicans actually voted FOR it: one representative from California, one from Delaware, several from New Jersey, Washington, Illinois and New York (does this surprise anyone?).

This bill is not really about the climate. It's simply an excuse to levy more taxes and enable the government to collect more money. If this monstrosity passes the Senate, the "climate crisis" crowd may wake up and smell the coffee when it hits them in the wallet, as it most certainly will. I'm not holding my breath though; the "true believers" have made up their minds and a little thing like factual information is not going to get in the way of their beliefs.

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about how a similar scenario went down in Australia. A politician from the Australian Senate contacted the Obama administration for reassurance about the science of global warming. When no such assurance was forthcoming, he voted against the Australian bill.

Apparently, there's growing skepticism about the reality of global warming, and this could account in part for the rush to push through a bill that no one has actually read. I believe that voters should throw every single one of the dolts who voted for this out of office! 2010 should be an interesting year!

A Little Monday Morning Humor

Good Monday morning! Well, I haven't gotten my wish yet; I want just one day on which I don't see Obama's face or hear his voice. I was looking forward to reading the Sunday paper yesterday with breakfast, but I pulled out Parade magazine and who do you think was on the cover? That's right - BO with his daughters (OK - they're cute). BO wouldn't be my choice for a Father's Day magazine cover; I can think of dozens of men who appear to be better fathers than Obama.

So, I just wanted to share some humor to hopefully start the week on the right foot. You may have seen this before, but it's still funny and surprisingly timely. Some things never change, do they?

Just Shut Up!

It seems as if every time I turn on the TV Obama is on it. I am sick of seeing and hearing him. I can't believe he's only been president for five months - it seems more like five years. Have we ever had a president who's as egomaniacal as this one? I thought Bill Clinton was an egomaniac, but Obama makes Clinton look humble.

Meanwhile, he's not really taking care of anything. He's busy looking busy, trying to take on too much, too quickly, and in the process he's hurting this country. I'd really like to know how much voter remorse there is; how many people are thinking "This isn't what I voted for"?

His stock lines are getting real old: he "inherited" this mess (no mention, of course, of the role Congress played in this fiasco), he "doesn't want to run the car companies", banks, etc. You get the picture: he says these things over and over and meanwhile proceeds to do just what he says he doesn't want to do. Well, you can get by on charm and good looks just so long; eventually people start noticing what you're doing.

Businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie got it right. He said, "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I simply watch what they do." That would be a good practice for all of us.

What's Going On?

Is it just me, or does it seem that there is more craziness in this country than ever before? I don't know if it's because communication is so much better than it used to be and thus we hear about it more, or if it's real, but it seems to me that more and more people are becoming unhinged.

Men killing their wives and children, a nut case shooting an abortion doctor, an old extremist shooting people at the Holocaust Museum - these are just some of the cases in the news lately.

I think mental instability is more widespread than it used to be and, of course, I have a theory about why this is the case. It's a real irony that in this day and age of instant communications, more people are out of touch with each other. E-mail, texting, tweeting and Facebook are not good substitutions for real human interaction. It allows us to stay in touch, but on a much more superficial level than previously. As a consequence, I think more people feel isolated and alienated from their neighbors and fail to develop real bonds within their communities.

Another important factor that shouldn't be ignored is the increasing secularization of our society. I believe humans have an inherent need to develop their spirituality, and I know from experience that belief in God can be a source of great strength in hard times. If one doesn't have this support, what happens when hard times come, as they inevitably will? It seems many people don't have the inner resources to deal with adversity.

I can remember a time when there was such a thing as "community standards". The majority of people tried to behave appropriately, respected behavioral boundaries and shunned those who didn't. Now, liberals preach that we shouldn't be judgmental, but we all form judgements about people and their behavior. If we have a "don't judge" mentality about everything, we have chaos.

I hope and pray that we can find our way back to having standards of decency and good behavior. Some will think this is unrealistic, but I'm an optimist and above all, I have faith in God. With Him, all things are possible.

OBAMA-CARE

As Obama pressures Congress to rush through yet another boondoggle before anyone can review it, I noticed that he wants to implement wellness programs as part of the package.

As someone who has worked in the health and fitness field for 16 years, mainly in corporate wellness programs, I feel qualified to comment on this. I anticipate that supporters of Obama's healthcare scheme will cite studies that show increased savings and lower absentee rates for companies that implement employee wellness programs.

In reality, it's difficult to quantify healthcare savings due to wellness programs. For many companies, most of their healthcare expenses are due to retirees who have chronic diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease. The purpose of the wellness program is to identify individuals who are at increased risk of developing these disorders, intervene and attempt to effect a lifestyle change to lessen risk of developing chronic disease. Thus, the benefits may not be apparent for years to come.

I'm not saying that wellness programs don't have their benefits. But what I have come to realize is that you can educate people and help them develop strategies for adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but you can't make them do it! It still boils down to personal responsibility and many people simply lack the motivation to make a healthy diet and regular exercise a priority, even when offered financial incentives.

This administration seems so power-hungry that I have to wonder: if government starts providing our healthcare, are they then going to start telling us what we have to eat, how much we have to exercise, and forbid us from eating certain foods? I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility.

For those who want national healthcare I can only say: be careful what you wish for. Think about the last time you dealt with a government bureaucracy - it probably wasn't one of the more pleasant experiences of your life. Do you really want this same government making healthcare choices for you? If so, bend over - you're about to get the shaft!

John Voight Calls Obama a False Prophet

I am gaining more and more respect for John Voight. He hits the nail right on the head.

Eye Opener

I had lunch today with a friend whom I haven't seen in awhile. The subject of politics came up and she mentioned she had seen my blog. What she said next kind of surprised me; she told me that I "rant" on my blog.

I guess I do; I'm very passionate about this country and its future. I don't simply want to rant and rave - I want to offer solutions to problems. Trouble is, I really believe that too many people in this country are ignorant of the basic structure of our government and how it's supposed to work. They simply don't know current events and we thus end up with someone like Obama as president.

What's the answer? I admit that I don't know. When you have a poorly informed electorate and mainstream media who are determined to protect Obama, you have a toxic combination.

I really want to hear suggestions from those of you who feel as I do. Any ideas?

Obama Motors - What a Lemon!

General Motors is now owned by B. Hussein Obama, who proclaims he doesn't have any interest in running it. I have a suggestion for the president: if you really don't want to run GM, then QUIT DOING IT (yes, I'm shouting)!!

How does this man stand up in front of the country and say this with a straight face? I can only conclude that he's either delusional, a practiced liar or both. What occurs to me is that this may end up being a windfall for Ford Motor Company, as GM begins producing small "green" cars that very few people want. Ford could continue to produce regular cars, which pleases me, as I own a Ford and my husband has a Mercury and both have been terrific vehicles. I'm determined that the government is NOT going to force me to drive some puddlejumper that will get me killed.

When BO protests that he doesn't want to run the car companies, banks, etc., I'm reminded of what industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie said: "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do."

President or Mafia in White House?

There's a story floating around suggesting that most of the Chrysler dealerships that are being closed belong to Republicans. If this is true, our government has become like the Mafia.

I'll be interested to see how this pans out. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs (whom my husbands calls "Dilbert"), has claimed that the administration is not making these decisions - they supposedly come from Chrysler.

Yeah, right. Since Obama comes from the thuggish world of Chicago politics, it wouldn't surprise me to find out it's true. And, true to form, Obama gets others to do his dirty work so his fingerprints can't be found.

What does it take to get people to wise up about this empty suit occupying the White House? Why are his approval ratings so high? Hopefully, it's just that the newness hasn't yet worn off, but I have a feeling he can't sustain this popularity for more than a few more months. If we can only hold on until then.

What Al Gore Doesn't Want You to Know

I'm sick of hearing about global warming , "green" this and that, and I'm dismayed by the near hysteria of the media and some politicians on how we have to give up our SUVs to save the planet!

Everyone take a deep breath and get a grip! We need some perspective, so let's take a look at geological history. According to Geocraft, we're actually in one of the cooler periods of the earth and, interestingly, they note that the earth's climate has varied a lot over geologic time, with it being much hotter and more humid in the past than it is today and with much higher levels of CO2. They even say that compared to previous geological eras, we're actually "CO2-impoverished". There's an interesting chart entitled "Global Temperature and Atmospheric CO2 over Geologic Time" on the Geocraft site - you might take a few minutes to check it out.

Another interesting site is Paleomap Project which actually calls our current climate an "Ice House", compared to past geological periods. I hope you'll take a minute to check out these sites, take a look at the graphs, and pass this along to as many people as you can.

It's infuriating that so many politicians are pushing this global warming nonsense for political and monetary purposes. They don't mind imposing carbon taxes on the population and bankrupting our country as long as they can advance their political agenda.

The only antidote for this is education, but the media are in bed with the global warming bunch, so it's going to be up to us. We can do it!

CEOs and Politicians: Anything in Common?

There's an interesting article today by David Brooks of the New York Times about personality traits of successful CEOs. You might think that it's important for CEOs to be charismatic, good team builders, effective communicators and have empathy. Turns out, though, that the research indicates these characteristics are not important in the making of a successful CEO.

The researchers found that strong people skills correlated only loosely or not at all with being a good CEO. What mattered most were execution and organizational skills. Turns out that the most important traits a successful CEO can have are attention to detail, persistence, efficiency, analytic thoroughness and the ability to work long hours.

The personality traits of charisma, being a good team builder and effective communicator are important for politicians, but not CEOs. For this reason, according to Mr. Brooks, business and politics do not blend well. But we now have an administration that is freely engaging in management of industry after industry. This can only have disastrous effects in the long run.

Follow California off the Cliff?

The insanity continues unabated! Governor Schwarzenegger was at the White House today to sign on for the new CAFE standards for car emissions. Obama praised California and how they led the way on cutting emissions a few years ago.

I ask you - why in the world should we follow California's lead on anything?! They're in a huge mess and they're supposed to be an example to the rest of us? Give me a big, fat break.

Barack Obama seems hell-bent on doing irreparable harm to this country. I pray every day that he leaves office before he can totally ruin us.

End of Free Speech?

I'm sick to death of left wingers trying to stifle the free speech rights of people who disagree with them. Liberals talk of "tolerance", but what they really mean by tolerance is you can say what you want, as long as you agree with them.

The flap over Miss California is the latest demonstration of this intolerance. Where do Perez Hilton and his ilk get off thinking they have the right to destroy the life and reputation of this young woman, simply because she dared to answer a question truthfully? I applaud her courage in voicing her opinion, probably knowing there would be unpleasant consequences.

Liberals know they can't win an argument with conservatives based on logic, so they resort to a favorite tactic: hurling an epithet, e.g., "racist", "homophobe", etc. to derail debate and intimidate those who disagree with them. Unfortunately, all too often that tactic works. What a shame.

Chinese Hookers

Just when you think our government can't get any goofier, they outdo themselves. I've just learned that a researcher at Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit received $2.6 million of our tax dollars to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly on the job! The thinking is that they may be able to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS among Chinese "sex workers" and their customers.

This would be a great project for the Chinese government to undertake, but why on earth should we underwrite it? Lord only knows what other stupid things our hard-earned money is being spent on. To paraphrase a famous senator from years ago, you spend a few million here, a few million there, and pretty soon, you're talking about serious money! I realize that $2.6 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the entire federal budget, but it's the idea that politicians feel free to waste our money like this that infuriates.

If you want to verify this, here's the link: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=47976&print=on

Where Do We Draw The Line?

I can remember a time when people could disagree with each other without it getting personal or ugly. That seems to be a thing of the past.

Hateful speech is flourishing on the internet and television, particularly when it's liberals taking aim at conservatives (the media won't tolerate the opposite). Some people actually rejoiced when Ronald Reagan died and when Nancy Reagan fell and broke her hip. Disgusting!

I'm not a fan of Ted Kennedy; in fact, I disagree with him on virtually everything. Yet, I didn't get any pleasure from learning of his malignant brain tumor and I certainly will not be joyful when he dies. In fact, I've prayed for Kennedy and his family.

Where did civility go and, more importantly, can we ever get it back? I hate to say it, but I think the answer is probably "No".

Supreme Court Justice

OK - so Obama is going to get the opportunity to nominate a new Supreme Court justice. He wants someone with "empathy".

Well, it's not the role of a Supreme Court member to show empathy in his or her rulings. Just a reminder: judges are supposed to be objective in their decisions. The Supreme Court acts as a check on the power of the president and Congress. The Constitution, the foundation of our government, is to be their guideline. Judges are supposed to rely on their intellects to make decisions, not their feelings.

One of the names being bandied about for the nomination is Sonia Sotomayor. She has stated that the courts are "where policy is made". WRONG!!!! Making policy is the role of the legislature, not the judicial system. Do they even teach civics in schools anymore?

Are these people ignorant of the roles of the different branches of government, or are they just determined to impose their views on the rest of us, regardless of what the Constitution says? I don't want to think that their intentions are sinister, but I have to wonder.

ALL TALK

I've never heard anyone who can talk as much as Obama and yet say so little. I watched his so-called press conference last night and the man must love to hear himself. He rambles on and on for so long that when he's finished, I've forgotten what the question was.

Listening to our not-so-articulate president, I'm reminded of something I did while still an undergraduate many years ago. I had to take a test in one of my courses - an essay test. I didn't know the answer to one of the questions, so I just started writing. I wrote about anything and everything I could think of that was even vaguely related to the question. When I got the test back, the professor had written next to my answer: "What you said is true, but you didn't answer the question". I would just love to have one of the reporters say that to Obama (and several other politicians I can think of).

What is the appeal of this man? It escapes me. He strikes me as cold, aloof, narcissistic, and egomaniacal. He has a lot of style, but look below the surface. There seems to be little there of substance.

Hello!

Is it just me, or does it sometimes seem that the world is being turned upside down? Things that were once held dear are being thrown out like yesterday's garbage.

I'm sick of sitting by and just watching. I'm going to speak my mind on this blog and political correctness be damned! I fear we're heading toward either tyranny or anarchy, neither of which is desirable and I'm looking for some signs of sanity out there.

I welcome comments and while I'm not into being politically correct, please don't be hateful or obscene in your comments. Other than that, fire away!