From CNN -- Next step: Turn two health care bills into one
(CNN) -- The Senate on Thursday passed its version of the health care bill, inching the country closer to the biggest expansion of medical coverage since Medicare was enacted more than four decades ago.
Senate Democrats declared victory after the 60-39 party line vote, but one of the most complicated tasks is still ahead.
A conference committee must reconcile the differences -- notably a public option, how to pay for the plan that emerges, and coverage for abortion -- and merge them into one.
The House and Senate will then have to pass the revised plan before it can be sent to President Obama's desk. Each chamber needs a simple majority vote for final passage. [Click to read]
We're in for it now! How will we ever pay for this. I guess we can only hope and pray that during reconciliation the best parts of both bills are kept and the worst parts are thrown out. Doesn't usually seem to work that way. Pray hard for wisdom for the people on the reconciliation committees. We do need true health reform, but not like what's currently in either bill.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Health Care Reform That Isn't
Who is the government trying to kid? This is not "Health Care Reform". In the first place, it's not about health care, it's about insurance, one of the lowest-profit businesses on the planet. Do you realize they only make around 4%? In the second place, it's not about reform, it's about taking control of one of the largest business segments in the nation.
This is outright fascism. What is fascim? According to wikipedia, facism is:
a political ideology that seeks to combine radical and authoritarian nationalism with a corporatist economic system, and which is usually considered to be on the far right of the traditional left-right political spectrum.
Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state, with the belief that the majority is unsuited to govern itself through democracy and by reaffirming the benefits of inequality. Fascist governments forbid and suppress openness and opposition to the fascist state and the fascist movement. Fascism opposes class conflict, blames capitalism and liberal democracies for its creation and communists for exploiting the concept. Fascism fashioned itself as the "complete opposite of Marxian socialism" by rejecting the economic and material conception of history, the fundamental belief of fascism being that human beings are motivated by glory and heroism rather than economic motives, in contrast to the worldview of capitalism and socialism.
In the economic sphere, many fascist leaders have claimed to support a "Third Way" in economic policy, which they believed superior to both the rampant individualism of unrestrained capitalism and the severe control of state socialism. This was to be achieved by establishing significant government control over business and labour.
Enough said. Under the Obama, Pelosi, Reid triumvirate, the American People and our freedoms are in trouble.
This is outright fascism. What is fascim? According to wikipedia, facism is:
a political ideology that seeks to combine radical and authoritarian nationalism with a corporatist economic system, and which is usually considered to be on the far right of the traditional left-right political spectrum.
Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state, with the belief that the majority is unsuited to govern itself through democracy and by reaffirming the benefits of inequality. Fascist governments forbid and suppress openness and opposition to the fascist state and the fascist movement. Fascism opposes class conflict, blames capitalism and liberal democracies for its creation and communists for exploiting the concept. Fascism fashioned itself as the "complete opposite of Marxian socialism" by rejecting the economic and material conception of history, the fundamental belief of fascism being that human beings are motivated by glory and heroism rather than economic motives, in contrast to the worldview of capitalism and socialism.
In the economic sphere, many fascist leaders have claimed to support a "Third Way" in economic policy, which they believed superior to both the rampant individualism of unrestrained capitalism and the severe control of state socialism. This was to be achieved by establishing significant government control over business and labour.
Enough said. Under the Obama, Pelosi, Reid triumvirate, the American People and our freedoms are in trouble.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Job Creations "Summit" Today: Who's NOT Invited?
Guess who's not invited to our esteemed president's job creation summit today?
That's right, the Chamber of Commerce, which represents most small businesses. How many jobs do small businesses provide? 70% of them. Let me repeat that: SEVENTY PERCENT OF U.S. JOBS ARE CREATED BY SMALL BUSINESSES! And they have NO PLACE AT OBAMA'S TABLE!
So just who is invited? Let me see: unions, green groups, business leaders and economists supportive of White House policies, etc. What is this? It's not a JOBS SUMMIT. It's a SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY GRUBBING SUMMIT.
It's also a job protection summit: for Obama.
What will come out of this? My predictions are:
(1) They will say that the government needs to provide healthcare so the businesses won't have to.
(2) The government needs to spend more on green jobs.
(3) Small businesses (not represented at all) need to not be so greedy and hire more people at higher salaries.
Really helpful summit!
That's right, the Chamber of Commerce, which represents most small businesses. How many jobs do small businesses provide? 70% of them. Let me repeat that: SEVENTY PERCENT OF U.S. JOBS ARE CREATED BY SMALL BUSINESSES! And they have NO PLACE AT OBAMA'S TABLE!
So just who is invited? Let me see: unions, green groups, business leaders and economists supportive of White House policies, etc. What is this? It's not a JOBS SUMMIT. It's a SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY GRUBBING SUMMIT.
It's also a job protection summit: for Obama.
What will come out of this? My predictions are:
(1) They will say that the government needs to provide healthcare so the businesses won't have to.
(2) The government needs to spend more on green jobs.
(3) Small businesses (not represented at all) need to not be so greedy and hire more people at higher salaries.
Really helpful summit!
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Berlin Wall and Nationalized Healthcare DOA?
AP: Germany celebrates fall of Berlin Wall
BERLIN – With prayers, music and pomp, Germany on Monday remembered the 20th anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall fell, sending East Germans flooding west and setting in motion events that soon led to the country's reunification. [Click to read]
I got tears in my eyes to read this. I remember hearing about the 14,000 people that met to pray in and around a church for the reunification of Germany and then lit candles and carried them in protest. The next day, the wall fell. The East German leader later said, "We thought we were prepared for anything. But we weren't prepared for people united in prayer."
In 1990, I went to Berlin and chiseled some pieces off the wall. I still have them and take them out and look at them to remind me of how it used to be, and to pray that it will never get that way here!
AP Wire: House Health Bill Has Nowhere to Go in Senate
WASHINGTON -- Don't look for the Senate to quickly follow the House on health care overhaul.
A government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate. They're locked in a battle with liberals, with the fate of President Obama's signature issue at stake. [Click to read]
The Senate is doing its job. The House tried to rush something through without major debate or bi-partisan input. In my opinion, the Senate will examine this bill, plot out the long-term ramifications, and propose something much better. Let's hope cooler heads prevail than those that pushed this monstrosity through the House!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Berlin Wall and Election Results
From USA Today: Berlin Wall now in pieces across USA
By Rick Hampson, USA TODAY
FULTON, Mo. — Twenty years after it fell, the Berlin Wall has spread around the world, morphing en route from an instrument of oppression to a symbol of freedom.
The wall is found across the U.S. — in scores of major fragments and sections on display in at least 26 states, from a community college in Hawaii to a floating restaurant in Maine to a park near the World Trade Center. [Click to read]
Remember when President Ronald Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachov--tear down this wall!"?
I have pieces of the wall that I chiseled from it back in 1990, when I was on business in Berlin. It cheers me to see the wall in pieces! However, socialism has now come to the good old USA. Let's roll it back and tear it down, too!
From USA Today: Va., N.J. give GOP reason to celebrate
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Republicans swept governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia on Tuesday, giving the GOP bragging rights by winning two key states that Barack Obama carried a year ago.
Democrats scored an upset in a closely watched congressional election in Upstate New York that spotlighted the GOP's ideological divide. [Click to read]
Is this a message to the Obama administration that he's giving us change we didn't expect, like "Health Care Reform" that wasn't even in his campaign message? Or quadrupling of the deficit, when he claimed he would be fiscally responsible? How will the moderate and conservative Democrats in congress respond? Will they continue to buck the party line? Only time will tell.
From USA Today: Maine voters reject gay-marriage law
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Voters in the northeastern state of Maine repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign. [Click to read]
The people have spoken over and over again: "Marriage is between a man and a woman." It has been defined that way for thousands of years. There is no need to change it. There are other options for gays without calling it marriage.
By Rick Hampson, USA TODAY
FULTON, Mo. — Twenty years after it fell, the Berlin Wall has spread around the world, morphing en route from an instrument of oppression to a symbol of freedom.
The wall is found across the U.S. — in scores of major fragments and sections on display in at least 26 states, from a community college in Hawaii to a floating restaurant in Maine to a park near the World Trade Center. [Click to read]
Remember when President Ronald Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachov--tear down this wall!"?
I have pieces of the wall that I chiseled from it back in 1990, when I was on business in Berlin. It cheers me to see the wall in pieces! However, socialism has now come to the good old USA. Let's roll it back and tear it down, too!
From USA Today: Va., N.J. give GOP reason to celebrate
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Republicans swept governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia on Tuesday, giving the GOP bragging rights by winning two key states that Barack Obama carried a year ago.
Democrats scored an upset in a closely watched congressional election in Upstate New York that spotlighted the GOP's ideological divide. [Click to read]
Is this a message to the Obama administration that he's giving us change we didn't expect, like "Health Care Reform" that wasn't even in his campaign message? Or quadrupling of the deficit, when he claimed he would be fiscally responsible? How will the moderate and conservative Democrats in congress respond? Will they continue to buck the party line? Only time will tell.
From USA Today: Maine voters reject gay-marriage law
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Voters in the northeastern state of Maine repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign. [Click to read]
The people have spoken over and over again: "Marriage is between a man and a woman." It has been defined that way for thousands of years. There is no need to change it. There are other options for gays without calling it marriage.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
From Yahoo News: FACT CHECK: Health insurer profits not so fat
WASHINGTON – Quick quiz: What do these enterprises have in common? Farm and construction machinery, Tupperware, the railroads, Hershey sweets, Yum food brands and Yahoo? Answer: They're all more profitable than the health insurance industry.
In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."
Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones. [Click to read]
Once again, the Obama administration is creating strawman "enemies"--he really learned from Mussolini!
From CNN: Bank failures stack up: Now 106 for 2009
Banks in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, were shuttered, costing the FDIC an estimated $356.6 million.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The tally of bank failures easily broke past the No. 100 milestone on Friday night, with regulators announcing the year's 106th closure.
That's more than four times the number that were closed in 2008, and the highest total since 1992, when 181 banks failed. [Click to read story]
Still more fallout from the Clinton era--pushing banks to lend money to people who couldn't afford to pay it back--all in the name of "racial equity." If you remember, the Bush administration tried multiple times to fix this, but were blocked by the Democrat Party--especially Barney Franks--from doing anything! Now we're in the worst economy since the one that Carter caused.
We're still better off than the Carter Recession, though. Remember 20% inflation with 10% unemployment? I sure wish the news media would quit calling the current recession the "worst economy since the great depression." It's an outright lie!
WASHINGTON – Quick quiz: What do these enterprises have in common? Farm and construction machinery, Tupperware, the railroads, Hershey sweets, Yum food brands and Yahoo? Answer: They're all more profitable than the health insurance industry.
In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."
Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones. [Click to read]
Once again, the Obama administration is creating strawman "enemies"--he really learned from Mussolini!
From CNN: Bank failures stack up: Now 106 for 2009
Banks in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, were shuttered, costing the FDIC an estimated $356.6 million.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The tally of bank failures easily broke past the No. 100 milestone on Friday night, with regulators announcing the year's 106th closure.
That's more than four times the number that were closed in 2008, and the highest total since 1992, when 181 banks failed. [Click to read story]
Still more fallout from the Clinton era--pushing banks to lend money to people who couldn't afford to pay it back--all in the name of "racial equity." If you remember, the Bush administration tried multiple times to fix this, but were blocked by the Democrat Party--especially Barney Franks--from doing anything! Now we're in the worst economy since the one that Carter caused.
We're still better off than the Carter Recession, though. Remember 20% inflation with 10% unemployment? I sure wish the news media would quit calling the current recession the "worst economy since the great depression." It's an outright lie!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pay Czar Acting Independently of President
Pay Czar Feinberg, Not Obama, Behind Decision to Slash Executive Pay
White House pay czar Kenneth Feinberg was the driving force behind the move to order steep pay cuts from bailed-out executives, and did not even seek the president's approval before making his decision.
Under the plan, at the financial products division of AIG, the giant insurance company which has received taxpayer assistance valued at more than $180 billion, no top executive will receive more than $200,000 in total compensation, one person familiar with Feinberg's plan said. [Click to read more]
Bush's Czars were advisors only. They did not have the power to act independently of confirmed cabinet members or the president. Obama has given his czars totally unprecedented power!
Besides the fact that what the Pay Czar is doing is absolutely illegal, $200,000 maximum salary for companies that size is absolutely ridiculous! Engineers, Nurse Anesthetists, and some salespersons make close to that much, without having the responsibility of having charge of corporate decision making. How will they attract even competent talent? I certainly wouldn't work in a job in that position without proper compensation.
White House pay czar Kenneth Feinberg was the driving force behind the move to order steep pay cuts from bailed-out executives, and did not even seek the president's approval before making his decision.
Under the plan, at the financial products division of AIG, the giant insurance company which has received taxpayer assistance valued at more than $180 billion, no top executive will receive more than $200,000 in total compensation, one person familiar with Feinberg's plan said. [Click to read more]
Bush's Czars were advisors only. They did not have the power to act independently of confirmed cabinet members or the president. Obama has given his czars totally unprecedented power!
Besides the fact that what the Pay Czar is doing is absolutely illegal, $200,000 maximum salary for companies that size is absolutely ridiculous! Engineers, Nurse Anesthetists, and some salespersons make close to that much, without having the responsibility of having charge of corporate decision making. How will they attract even competent talent? I certainly wouldn't work in a job in that position without proper compensation.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Controlling the Media
Top White House Official Says Obama Team 'Controlled' Media Coverage During Campaign
White House Communications Director Anita Dunn is seen in a video from January talking about how the Obama campaign exercised absolute "control" over media coverage. [Click to watch]
The Obama campaign's press strategy leading up to his election last November focused on "making" the media cover what the campaign wanted and on exercising absolute "control" over coverage, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn told an overseas crowd early this year. [Click to read]
Is this simply a brilliant campaign strategy, or part of an overall attempt to suppress free speech? Now they're trying to set the stage to control talk radio, minimize the impact of FOX News, and belittling the other networks who are reporting about FOX. Where will it end?
White House Communications Director Anita Dunn is seen in a video from January talking about how the Obama campaign exercised absolute "control" over media coverage. [Click to watch]
The Obama campaign's press strategy leading up to his election last November focused on "making" the media cover what the campaign wanted and on exercising absolute "control" over coverage, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn told an overseas crowd early this year. [Click to read]
Is this simply a brilliant campaign strategy, or part of an overall attempt to suppress free speech? Now they're trying to set the stage to control talk radio, minimize the impact of FOX News, and belittling the other networks who are reporting about FOX. Where will it end?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Public Option, Tort Reform
From CNN: Harkin: Final health care bill will have public option
Sen. Tom Harkin promised Friday that a health care bill will be on President Obama's desk before Christmas.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the Democrat who chairs one of the Senate committees tasked with developing health care legislation, promised Friday that a health care bill will be on President Obama's desk before Christmas and will include a so-called "public option." [Click to read]
Is he sure? I heard that there are at least five Democrats that are holding out? Are they going to strong-arm them into voting for it?
Tort reform could save $54 billion, Congressional Budget Office says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Congressional Budget Office is now estimating that limits on medical malpractice lawsuits -- reforms favored by many Republicans -- could save the government as much as $54 billion over the next 10 years.
The government spends about $2.5 trillion on health care every year.
A tort reform package that includes caps on jury awards of $500,000 for punitive damages and $250,000 for "pain and suffering" damages would lower liability insurance premiums by about 10 percent, according to a report from the nonpartisan office issued late last week. [Click to read]
Why not do it? And for doctors who are repeatedly found guilty of malpractice, remove their license? It works for Professional Engineers!
Sen. Tom Harkin promised Friday that a health care bill will be on President Obama's desk before Christmas.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the Democrat who chairs one of the Senate committees tasked with developing health care legislation, promised Friday that a health care bill will be on President Obama's desk before Christmas and will include a so-called "public option." [Click to read]
Is he sure? I heard that there are at least five Democrats that are holding out? Are they going to strong-arm them into voting for it?
Tort reform could save $54 billion, Congressional Budget Office says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Congressional Budget Office is now estimating that limits on medical malpractice lawsuits -- reforms favored by many Republicans -- could save the government as much as $54 billion over the next 10 years.
The government spends about $2.5 trillion on health care every year.
A tort reform package that includes caps on jury awards of $500,000 for punitive damages and $250,000 for "pain and suffering" damages would lower liability insurance premiums by about 10 percent, according to a report from the nonpartisan office issued late last week. [Click to read]
Why not do it? And for doctors who are repeatedly found guilty of malpractice, remove their license? It works for Professional Engineers!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Health Insurance Reform & White House vs. Fox News
From FOXNews: White House Escalates War of Words With Fox News
Anita Dunn, White House communications director, calls Fox News a "wing of the Republican Party," after the White House began using its government blog to criticize "Fox lies."
Calling Fox News "a wing of the Republican Party," the Obama administration on Sunday escalated its war of words against the channel, even as observers questioned the wisdom of a White House war on a news organization.
Call the wambulance! This is one argument no administration can win. Politicians shouldn't criticize news organizations, period. If they want to disagree with a story, then that's perfectly fine. Otherwise, it smacks of censoring!
From FOXNews: 17-Pound, 4-Month-Old Baby Denied Health Insurance for Being Too Fat
Nothing brings a smile to an adult's face quicker than the sight of a happy, chubby baby.
But the sight of 4-month-old Alex Lange, who measures 25-inches long and weighs 17 pounds, is bringing a frown to the hypothetical face of insurance company Rocky Mountain Health Plans, The Denver Post reported on its Web site Monday.
What? This is ridiculous! Insurance companies (or the legalized Mafia, as my dad called them) need to be reigned in! We need an insurance tune-up to take care of "stuff" like this. However, let's not go too far and replace the whole car!
From CNN: Insurers, White House square off over reform bill
An insurance industry trade group says premiums for a typical American family would rise by thousands of dollars under a Senate overhaul plan. But the White House blasted the report as inaccurate. "This is a self-serving analysis from the insurance industry, one of the major opponents of health insurance reform," White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said. The bill is set for a vote today in the Senate Finance Committee.
Are they right, or are they being self-serving? Or perhaps both are true!
Anita Dunn, White House communications director, calls Fox News a "wing of the Republican Party," after the White House began using its government blog to criticize "Fox lies."
Calling Fox News "a wing of the Republican Party," the Obama administration on Sunday escalated its war of words against the channel, even as observers questioned the wisdom of a White House war on a news organization.
Call the wambulance! This is one argument no administration can win. Politicians shouldn't criticize news organizations, period. If they want to disagree with a story, then that's perfectly fine. Otherwise, it smacks of censoring!
From FOXNews: 17-Pound, 4-Month-Old Baby Denied Health Insurance for Being Too Fat
Nothing brings a smile to an adult's face quicker than the sight of a happy, chubby baby.
But the sight of 4-month-old Alex Lange, who measures 25-inches long and weighs 17 pounds, is bringing a frown to the hypothetical face of insurance company Rocky Mountain Health Plans, The Denver Post reported on its Web site Monday.
What? This is ridiculous! Insurance companies (or the legalized Mafia, as my dad called them) need to be reigned in! We need an insurance tune-up to take care of "stuff" like this. However, let's not go too far and replace the whole car!
From CNN: Insurers, White House square off over reform bill
An insurance industry trade group says premiums for a typical American family would rise by thousands of dollars under a Senate overhaul plan. But the White House blasted the report as inaccurate. "This is a self-serving analysis from the insurance industry, one of the major opponents of health insurance reform," White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said. The bill is set for a vote today in the Senate Finance Committee.
Are they right, or are they being self-serving? Or perhaps both are true!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Supreme Court Cases in the News
From CNN: High court debates dog fighting videos
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court voiced deep free speech concerns Tuesday about a law designed to stop the sale and marketing of videos showing dog fights and other acts of animal cruelty. Selling depictions of animal cruelty like this amateur dogfighting video may be illegal under a 1999 statute.
The justices heard an hour of lively debate about the scope and intent of the decade-old statute that supporters say has done much to stop the spread of profiting from the torture and abuse of animals. But media groups and the National Rifle Association were among those who say the law is overly broad. [Read full story]
Seems like the law, which was written with good intentions at preventing cruelty, is unintentionally too far-reaching. It would even prevent news reports and documentaries. The Supreme Court needs to clarify the limits of the law without striking it down completely.
From FOX News: High Court Takes Up Case of Cross on Public Land
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is taking up a long-running legal fight over a cross honoring World War I soldiers that has stood for 75 years on public land in a remote part of California.
The cross, on an outcrop known as Sunrise Rock in the Mojave National Preserve, has been covered in plywood for the past several years following federal court rulings that it violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment prohibition against government endorsement of religion.
The justices were to hear arguments Wednesday in a case the court could use to make an important statement about its view of the separation of church and state. The Obama administration is defending the presence of the cross, which court papers describe as being 5 to 8 feet tall. [Read full story]
The 9th Circuit Court is the one that caused this trouble. It's historical and could set extreme precedent if not overturned. Also, how many times has the Supreme Court ruled ALREADY on cases like this one? And always in favor of letting the symbol remain! The 9th Circuit Court is just wasting our tax dollars by ignoring established precedent.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court voiced deep free speech concerns Tuesday about a law designed to stop the sale and marketing of videos showing dog fights and other acts of animal cruelty. Selling depictions of animal cruelty like this amateur dogfighting video may be illegal under a 1999 statute.
The justices heard an hour of lively debate about the scope and intent of the decade-old statute that supporters say has done much to stop the spread of profiting from the torture and abuse of animals. But media groups and the National Rifle Association were among those who say the law is overly broad. [Read full story]
Seems like the law, which was written with good intentions at preventing cruelty, is unintentionally too far-reaching. It would even prevent news reports and documentaries. The Supreme Court needs to clarify the limits of the law without striking it down completely.
From FOX News: High Court Takes Up Case of Cross on Public Land
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is taking up a long-running legal fight over a cross honoring World War I soldiers that has stood for 75 years on public land in a remote part of California.
The cross, on an outcrop known as Sunrise Rock in the Mojave National Preserve, has been covered in plywood for the past several years following federal court rulings that it violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment prohibition against government endorsement of religion.
The justices were to hear arguments Wednesday in a case the court could use to make an important statement about its view of the separation of church and state. The Obama administration is defending the presence of the cross, which court papers describe as being 5 to 8 feet tall. [Read full story]
The 9th Circuit Court is the one that caused this trouble. It's historical and could set extreme precedent if not overturned. Also, how many times has the Supreme Court ruled ALREADY on cases like this one? And always in favor of letting the symbol remain! The 9th Circuit Court is just wasting our tax dollars by ignoring established precedent.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Afghanistan and Iran
From USA Today: Musharraf: U.S. Afghanistan pullout would be 'disastrous'
By Tony Leys, The Des Moines Register
DES MOINES — Americans need to prepare for the likelihood that more U.S. troops will be needed in Afghanistan and that they will be there many years, the former president of neighboring Pakistan said in Iowa Saturday.
Pervez Musharraf, who resigned under pressure last year, said it would be "disastrous" for the United States to pull out of Afghanistan now. If the Taliban are allowed to return to power, he said, they surely would allow al-Qaeda terrorists to rebuild strength in Afghanistan, destabilizing the region and posing a major threat to the United States.
The only solution, he said, is for international troops, led by the United States, to establish military dominance in Afghanistan and gain the trust of people there so a long-term political solution can be formed. [Click here to read full story]
We could be there for the long haul. I tend to agree with Musharraf on this one. But, it's going to take a lot of strength, courage, and guts on the part of our people to support this. I don't think it's there. We may end up pulling out too soon and paying for it later.
I'm including an opposing view below.
From Christian Science Monitor: Forget Afghanistan. Let's nation-build at home first.
By Walter Rodgers Walter Rodgers – Fri Oct 2, 5:00 am ET
East Otis, Mass. – The assessment of the war in Afghanistan from the top US general there is grim. Without more troops, Stanley McChrystal warned in a report that was leaked recently, "The conflict will likely result in failure."
His candor should be applauded. It gives President Obama and the American public – nearly half of whom now oppose the war there – an opportunity to ask themselves how we are going to save Afghanistan when we have not figured out how to engage in successful nation-building at home. [Click here to read the full story]
His base assumptions are faulty: We have freedom here and are not engaged in an internal war where factions kill each other with extreme regularity! Our "stability factor" is very high compared to Afghanistan--they need to be brought up closer to it.
From USA Today: U.N. nuke authority to inspect Iranian facility this month
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Sunday there is a "shifting of gears" in Iran's confrontation with the West to more cooperation and transparency and he announced that international inspectors would visit Tehran's newly revealed uranium enrichment site on Oct. 25.
The International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, speaking at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official, said his agency "has no concrete proof of an ongoing weapons program in Iran." But the IAEA has "concerns about Iran's future intentions," he said. [Click here to read full story]
So Iran is going from confrontation to cooperation. Good! I believe the only reason that the Iranian government is agreeing is that they know the people will rebel if the inspectors aren't let in and they're threatened with a war. According to recent polls, the Iranian people are at least 80% pro-western and want democracy and peace with us. And we don't need to go to war with a people that likes us. If the government doesn't cooperate, we should support the people in an uprising.
By Tony Leys, The Des Moines Register
DES MOINES — Americans need to prepare for the likelihood that more U.S. troops will be needed in Afghanistan and that they will be there many years, the former president of neighboring Pakistan said in Iowa Saturday.
Pervez Musharraf, who resigned under pressure last year, said it would be "disastrous" for the United States to pull out of Afghanistan now. If the Taliban are allowed to return to power, he said, they surely would allow al-Qaeda terrorists to rebuild strength in Afghanistan, destabilizing the region and posing a major threat to the United States.
The only solution, he said, is for international troops, led by the United States, to establish military dominance in Afghanistan and gain the trust of people there so a long-term political solution can be formed. [Click here to read full story]
We could be there for the long haul. I tend to agree with Musharraf on this one. But, it's going to take a lot of strength, courage, and guts on the part of our people to support this. I don't think it's there. We may end up pulling out too soon and paying for it later.
I'm including an opposing view below.
From Christian Science Monitor: Forget Afghanistan. Let's nation-build at home first.
By Walter Rodgers Walter Rodgers – Fri Oct 2, 5:00 am ET
East Otis, Mass. – The assessment of the war in Afghanistan from the top US general there is grim. Without more troops, Stanley McChrystal warned in a report that was leaked recently, "The conflict will likely result in failure."
His candor should be applauded. It gives President Obama and the American public – nearly half of whom now oppose the war there – an opportunity to ask themselves how we are going to save Afghanistan when we have not figured out how to engage in successful nation-building at home. [Click here to read the full story]
His base assumptions are faulty: We have freedom here and are not engaged in an internal war where factions kill each other with extreme regularity! Our "stability factor" is very high compared to Afghanistan--they need to be brought up closer to it.
From USA Today: U.N. nuke authority to inspect Iranian facility this month
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Sunday there is a "shifting of gears" in Iran's confrontation with the West to more cooperation and transparency and he announced that international inspectors would visit Tehran's newly revealed uranium enrichment site on Oct. 25.
The International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, speaking at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official, said his agency "has no concrete proof of an ongoing weapons program in Iran." But the IAEA has "concerns about Iran's future intentions," he said. [Click here to read full story]
So Iran is going from confrontation to cooperation. Good! I believe the only reason that the Iranian government is agreeing is that they know the people will rebel if the inspectors aren't let in and they're threatened with a war. According to recent polls, the Iranian people are at least 80% pro-western and want democracy and peace with us. And we don't need to go to war with a people that likes us. If the government doesn't cooperate, we should support the people in an uprising.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Gay Divorce, Afghanistan and the Olympics in Chicago
From the AP: Texas Judge Clears Way for Gay Divorce
DALLAS — A Texas judge cleared the way for two Dallas men to get a divorce, ruling Thursday that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitutional guarantee to equal protection under the law.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said he'd appeal the ruling, which he labeled an attempt to strike down the ban approved by voters in 2005.
"The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman," Abbott said in a written statement. "Today's ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition — despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters." [Click to read the entire article]
The judge said she's basing the decision on Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. Are we stuck with this? Or is there a way out? There is.
The Defense of Marriage Act (passed in 1996 and signed into law by President Clinton) says we don't have to accept gay marriage if our state doesn't want to. AND the Constitution says, "And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof." This gives them the right to do so.
The State judge is therefore trying to overrule a federal law. She is clearly out of her jurisdiction. Only federeal courts can rule on this matter.
My Opinion--Afghanistan and the Olympics in Chicago
The president said in his campaign speeches that Afghanistan was where we should concentrate to fight terrorism and he promised to build up our troops there. Yet now he says that it will take up to six weeks to review the request for additional troops. This week, he flew to Europe with Oprah to campaign before the Olympic Committee for Chicago. This could at least have knocked off a few days on the Afghanistan review!
Where are your priorities, Mr. President? We have a record number of people DYING in Afghanistan, yet you're worried about SPORTS? Come on!
DALLAS — A Texas judge cleared the way for two Dallas men to get a divorce, ruling Thursday that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitutional guarantee to equal protection under the law.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said he'd appeal the ruling, which he labeled an attempt to strike down the ban approved by voters in 2005.
"The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman," Abbott said in a written statement. "Today's ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition — despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters." [Click to read the entire article]
The judge said she's basing the decision on Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. Are we stuck with this? Or is there a way out? There is.
The Defense of Marriage Act (passed in 1996 and signed into law by President Clinton) says we don't have to accept gay marriage if our state doesn't want to. AND the Constitution says, "And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof." This gives them the right to do so.
The State judge is therefore trying to overrule a federal law. She is clearly out of her jurisdiction. Only federeal courts can rule on this matter.
My Opinion--Afghanistan and the Olympics in Chicago
The president said in his campaign speeches that Afghanistan was where we should concentrate to fight terrorism and he promised to build up our troops there. Yet now he says that it will take up to six weeks to review the request for additional troops. This week, he flew to Europe with Oprah to campaign before the Olympic Committee for Chicago. This could at least have knocked off a few days on the Afghanistan review!
Where are your priorities, Mr. President? We have a record number of people DYING in Afghanistan, yet you're worried about SPORTS? Come on!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
In the News--Last Day of September
From CNN: Exptriating Illegal Alien Patients
"There is no reason why the U.S. taxpayers should have to pick up the tab- when the person is a citizen of another country- it ought to be the responsibility of that government," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for Federation for American Immigration Reform or FAIR. [Click here to read story]
We get the same treatment in other countries--try going to a hospital or emergency room in the Carribean or Europe without a credit card! They will not let you in! I've seen it.
However, is it fair? Something we'll have to debate.
From CNN: Haters of America Are Still Out There
President Obama was applauded by Castro, Chavez, and Gadhafi (no friends of ours) when he said he wanted a "new era of engagement in the world." Are either of those three dictators going to be better world citizens or kinder, gentler leaders as a result of Obama's outreach? Put me in the doubtful column. [Click here to read story]
Is our president hurting or helping our image world-wide? I think he's hurting, especially when even the French are calling us weak!
From FOXNews: Senate Committee Rejects Stronger Anti-Abortion Language in Health Care Bill
Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, whose amendment lost 13 to 10, argued before the panel that tightening is needed to prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortion.
"I want assurances that taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund abortions," said Hatch. "Let's put specific language from my amendment into the bill." The senator argued that women should be required to purchase abortion coverage through unsubsidized, supplemental plans called "riders."
Members of the Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment Wednesday to strengthen anti-abortion provisions on the panel's sixth day of hashing out a health care reform bill.
Democratic Chairman Max Baucus of Montana said his health care bill before the Senate committee already reflects federal law, which bars funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
"This is a health care bill. This is not an abortion bill. We are not changing current law," he said. [Click here to read story]
Should life proponents push hard for this? Or is it already covered in another law? I think it's already covered. We don't need extra laws when we already have them. It makes for the potential of contradictory laws complicating things in court. What do you think?
From ABCNews: Heart-breaking, Wrong, and Not Quite Accurate
[Two health-care horror stories were shared by President Obama] at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigation hearing in June. It turns out that while it's impossible to defend the behavior of the insurance companies in either instance, the stories, as the president told them, were not accurate. [Click here to read story]
Our leaders need to get their facts straight--it happens all the time!!
From The Register: Treemometers: A new scientific scandal
Picking a temperature signal out of all this noise is problematic, and a dendrochronology can differ significantly from instrumented data. In dendro jargon, this disparity is called "divergence". The process of creating a raw data set also involves a selective use of samples - a choice open to a scientist's biases.
In particular, since 2000, a large number of peer-reviewed climate papers have incorporated data from trees at the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia. This dataset gained favour, curiously superseding a newer and larger data set from nearby. The older Yamal trees indicated pronounced and dramatic uptick in temperatures.
At the insistence of editors of the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions B the data has leaked into the open - and Yamal's mystery is no more.
From this we know that the Yamal data set uses just 12 trees from a larger set to produce its dramatic recent trend. Yet many more were cored, and a larger data set (of 34) from the vicinity shows no dramatic recent warming, and warmer temperatures in the middle ages.
In all there are 252 cores in the CRU Yamal data set, of which ten were alive 1990. All 12 cores selected show strong growth since the mid-19th century. The implication is clear: the dozen were cherry-picked. [Click here to read the story]
Seems that people are lying! Why? Just follow the money. How much have Al Gore and his cronies made on Global Warming? What a scam!
"There is no reason why the U.S. taxpayers should have to pick up the tab- when the person is a citizen of another country- it ought to be the responsibility of that government," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for Federation for American Immigration Reform or FAIR. [Click here to read story]
We get the same treatment in other countries--try going to a hospital or emergency room in the Carribean or Europe without a credit card! They will not let you in! I've seen it.
However, is it fair? Something we'll have to debate.
From CNN: Haters of America Are Still Out There
President Obama was applauded by Castro, Chavez, and Gadhafi (no friends of ours) when he said he wanted a "new era of engagement in the world." Are either of those three dictators going to be better world citizens or kinder, gentler leaders as a result of Obama's outreach? Put me in the doubtful column. [Click here to read story]
Is our president hurting or helping our image world-wide? I think he's hurting, especially when even the French are calling us weak!
From FOXNews: Senate Committee Rejects Stronger Anti-Abortion Language in Health Care Bill
Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, whose amendment lost 13 to 10, argued before the panel that tightening is needed to prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortion.
"I want assurances that taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund abortions," said Hatch. "Let's put specific language from my amendment into the bill." The senator argued that women should be required to purchase abortion coverage through unsubsidized, supplemental plans called "riders."
Members of the Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment Wednesday to strengthen anti-abortion provisions on the panel's sixth day of hashing out a health care reform bill.
Democratic Chairman Max Baucus of Montana said his health care bill before the Senate committee already reflects federal law, which bars funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
"This is a health care bill. This is not an abortion bill. We are not changing current law," he said. [Click here to read story]
Should life proponents push hard for this? Or is it already covered in another law? I think it's already covered. We don't need extra laws when we already have them. It makes for the potential of contradictory laws complicating things in court. What do you think?
From ABCNews: Heart-breaking, Wrong, and Not Quite Accurate
[Two health-care horror stories were shared by President Obama] at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigation hearing in June. It turns out that while it's impossible to defend the behavior of the insurance companies in either instance, the stories, as the president told them, were not accurate. [Click here to read story]
Our leaders need to get their facts straight--it happens all the time!!
From The Register: Treemometers: A new scientific scandal
Picking a temperature signal out of all this noise is problematic, and a dendrochronology can differ significantly from instrumented data. In dendro jargon, this disparity is called "divergence". The process of creating a raw data set also involves a selective use of samples - a choice open to a scientist's biases.
In particular, since 2000, a large number of peer-reviewed climate papers have incorporated data from trees at the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia. This dataset gained favour, curiously superseding a newer and larger data set from nearby. The older Yamal trees indicated pronounced and dramatic uptick in temperatures.
At the insistence of editors of the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions B the data has leaked into the open - and Yamal's mystery is no more.
From this we know that the Yamal data set uses just 12 trees from a larger set to produce its dramatic recent trend. Yet many more were cored, and a larger data set (of 34) from the vicinity shows no dramatic recent warming, and warmer temperatures in the middle ages.
In all there are 252 cores in the CRU Yamal data set, of which ten were alive 1990. All 12 cores selected show strong growth since the mid-19th century. The implication is clear: the dozen were cherry-picked. [Click here to read the story]
Seems that people are lying! Why? Just follow the money. How much have Al Gore and his cronies made on Global Warming? What a scam!
Back from Hiatus
Okay. I've taken off from this blog for far too long--two months now. It's time to come back. Starting tomorrow, I will post two-to-three times per week, unless I don't have time, or my computer goes down, or I have something better to do, or I don't feel like it.
Wait a minute! That's just what I've been doing for over two months!
Wait a minute! That's just what I've been doing for over two months!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Now for the Other Side
Last post, I blasted the Conservatives. This time I'll take our President to task.
Mr. President:
(1) You say that the health care "reform" needs to pass NOW to ensure the recovery. However, the bill won't take effect until 2013! This is worse than the "stimulus" bill that wasn't a stimulus bill--80% of the expenditures had nothing to do with stimulus, and 60% of of wasn't to be spent until three years down the road.
(2) You claimed that the health care "reform" bill wouldn't hurt a person's chances of getting private insurance, yet a clause in the bill prevents any new private insurance policies from being sold! Get your facts straight!
(3) You admit you don't know the facts of the professor's arrest in Boston, yet you blast the police for arresting him--and you did it on national TV! Pulling the race card like this is divisive and unhelpful. Maybe you just want us talking about race instead of the health care "reform" bill.
Very shrewd on your part. You are acting like Mussolini again! Makes me sick that a President would do that.
Mr. President:
(1) You say that the health care "reform" needs to pass NOW to ensure the recovery. However, the bill won't take effect until 2013! This is worse than the "stimulus" bill that wasn't a stimulus bill--80% of the expenditures had nothing to do with stimulus, and 60% of of wasn't to be spent until three years down the road.
(2) You claimed that the health care "reform" bill wouldn't hurt a person's chances of getting private insurance, yet a clause in the bill prevents any new private insurance policies from being sold! Get your facts straight!
(3) You admit you don't know the facts of the professor's arrest in Boston, yet you blast the police for arresting him--and you did it on national TV! Pulling the race card like this is divisive and unhelpful. Maybe you just want us talking about race instead of the health care "reform" bill.
Very shrewd on your part. You are acting like Mussolini again! Makes me sick that a President would do that.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Lies, Lies, and More Lies
No, not from the Obama Administration or the Democrats this time! From conservatives!
My brother has sent me two internet rumors lately that are so patently false, they're laughable! One is about Obama not taking his wife to Dubai, Turkey, or Saudi Arabia. The other one attributes quotes to Obama that were actually made by a liberal talkshow host criticizing Obama.
The open marketplace of ideas will be destroyed if people keep lying. STOP IT! If you have a beef with someone's stand, attack the issue with truth--do not smear the person.
(Of course, if you REALLY have the goods on the person, speak the truth there, too.)
You cannot win with lies. It only discredits you.
My brother has sent me two internet rumors lately that are so patently false, they're laughable! One is about Obama not taking his wife to Dubai, Turkey, or Saudi Arabia. The other one attributes quotes to Obama that were actually made by a liberal talkshow host criticizing Obama.
The open marketplace of ideas will be destroyed if people keep lying. STOP IT! If you have a beef with someone's stand, attack the issue with truth--do not smear the person.
(Of course, if you REALLY have the goods on the person, speak the truth there, too.)
You cannot win with lies. It only discredits you.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Over 7 Million Muslims in the USA?
Mr. President,
In your speech in Egypt, you said the USA has over 7 million Muslims. You quoted this from Newsweek, who quoted a pro-Islam organization, who have no real statistics or surveys, only wild guesses. Independent researchers, including the Pew Research Center and The World Factbook, put the number at around 2 million, based on scientifically designed surveys. You are more than 3 times too high!
Please use credible sources when you make statements and policy decisions. To do otherwise is intellectually reckless.
Thank you.
In your speech in Egypt, you said the USA has over 7 million Muslims. You quoted this from Newsweek, who quoted a pro-Islam organization, who have no real statistics or surveys, only wild guesses. Independent researchers, including the Pew Research Center and The World Factbook, put the number at around 2 million, based on scientifically designed surveys. You are more than 3 times too high!
Please use credible sources when you make statements and policy decisions. To do otherwise is intellectually reckless.
Thank you.
Obama Blows a Great Chance!
Obama gave a "nice" speech in Egypt last week. However, he missed a great opportunity to tell the world what the USA has done for Muslims around the world!
1) Liberated Indonesian Muslims from Japan in WW2.
2) Liberated Kuwaiti Mulsims in Gulf War I.
3) Liberated moderate Afghani Muslims from the extremist, foreign Taliban.
4) Fed Somali Muslims.
5) Liberated northern Africa and Turkey from the Nazis.
6) Liberated moderate Muslims in Kosovo.
7) Pushed Israel many times to give the Palestians their own state and land.
8) Provided a country (our own) that Muslims are free to worship in.
9) Helped free Afghanistan from foreign invaders (the USSR) who wanted to destroy Islam and all religions.
I know there are others, but I can't think of them off the top of my head right now.
Why did Obama miss these? Who knows. Maybe because he didn't want to sound like we were tooting our own horn. However, if he's such a great communicator, he could make it sound friendly instead of bragging. As I said, IF he's such a great communicator.
1) Liberated Indonesian Muslims from Japan in WW2.
2) Liberated Kuwaiti Mulsims in Gulf War I.
3) Liberated moderate Afghani Muslims from the extremist, foreign Taliban.
4) Fed Somali Muslims.
5) Liberated northern Africa and Turkey from the Nazis.
6) Liberated moderate Muslims in Kosovo.
7) Pushed Israel many times to give the Palestians their own state and land.
8) Provided a country (our own) that Muslims are free to worship in.
9) Helped free Afghanistan from foreign invaders (the USSR) who wanted to destroy Islam and all religions.
I know there are others, but I can't think of them off the top of my head right now.
Why did Obama miss these? Who knows. Maybe because he didn't want to sound like we were tooting our own horn. However, if he's such a great communicator, he could make it sound friendly instead of bragging. As I said, IF he's such a great communicator.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Releasing Photos & Military Tribunals
Kudos to Obama for finally deciding to fight the release of earlier photos which "could possibly show abuse" of prisoners on the war on terror. If such photos exist, they would be used by extremists to incite terror attacks.
Also, good our President that he has reinstituted Military Tribunals. It's the only way to effectively deal with those who hate our way of life and want nothing other than to kill us. They do not belong in the civilian court system.
Also, good our President that he has reinstituted Military Tribunals. It's the only way to effectively deal with those who hate our way of life and want nothing other than to kill us. They do not belong in the civilian court system.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Keeping our Vows
I decided that I wouldn't post anything until I had something nice to say. Here goes.
Bravo to Obama for ending the "enhanced interrogations". Never mind that they were ended by Bush in 2005. Obama is a little late, that's all. But if he wants to make sure they don't continue, that's fine with me.
Not that I believe enhanced interrogations don't work. Evidence is that they do. And I'm not necessarily against some of the techniques when needed. And in no way do I believe that these are torture.
HOWEVER! In 1994, we signed an international agreement on eliminating the use of these techniques. The Senate passed it. Even if we believe they are OK morally and that they work, WE MUST ABIDE BY THE TREATY!
We are a nation of laws and must obey the laws that we ascribe to. If we wish to not abide by it, then we need to rescind it and be willing to suffer the international backlash.
A wise man said over 3000 years ago that a righteous man keeps his vows, even when they hurt him. The same applies to nations. We as a nation vowed to not allow these types of interrogation techniques, and we have to abide by that vow, even if it means loss of life.
Is there another way? Call for an international conference on terrorism and update our stance to take the moral high ground--that is, recognize that saving innocent lives is more important than causing temporary discomfort of someone who wants to destroy us.
Bravo to Obama for ending the "enhanced interrogations". Never mind that they were ended by Bush in 2005. Obama is a little late, that's all. But if he wants to make sure they don't continue, that's fine with me.
Not that I believe enhanced interrogations don't work. Evidence is that they do. And I'm not necessarily against some of the techniques when needed. And in no way do I believe that these are torture.
HOWEVER! In 1994, we signed an international agreement on eliminating the use of these techniques. The Senate passed it. Even if we believe they are OK morally and that they work, WE MUST ABIDE BY THE TREATY!
We are a nation of laws and must obey the laws that we ascribe to. If we wish to not abide by it, then we need to rescind it and be willing to suffer the international backlash.
A wise man said over 3000 years ago that a righteous man keeps his vows, even when they hurt him. The same applies to nations. We as a nation vowed to not allow these types of interrogation techniques, and we have to abide by that vow, even if it means loss of life.
Is there another way? Call for an international conference on terrorism and update our stance to take the moral high ground--that is, recognize that saving innocent lives is more important than causing temporary discomfort of someone who wants to destroy us.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Let's Stop This Now!
“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
Howard Beale from the movie, Network
Obama claimed he was going to stamp out earmarks and lower the debt. He is doing exactly the opposite! In the name of crisis after crisis, he’s expanding spending beyond anyone’s possible dreams—creating a new era of big government.
Obama’s budget will more than double the national debt! In fact, his projected deficits are greater than the sum of the deficits of all presidents before him. In case you missed that, let me state it again: IN FACT, HIS PROJECTED DEFICITS ARE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE DEFICITS OF ALL PRESIDENTS BEFORE HIM. And the most of the spending isn’t going to stimulate the economy. Why? Because it’s taking money out of the individual’s pocket and concentrating it in the hands of a few. It's simply spending money on all the projects the Democrats have wanted to spend it on since 1994. They're like kids in candy shops, slobbering all over themselves, giddy with power.
This is irresponsible at a time when we need to control spending. He’s blaming ALL the economic problems on the Bush administration. However, it was the Clinton administration that started the toxic lending in the first place. When the Republicans tried to fix it from 2002 – 2008, the Democrats in Congress and the Senate blocked them at every turn! Don’t believe me? You’re a proverbial ostrich with your head in the sand. (Never mind that ostriches don’t really stick their head in the sand.)
The CBO (an independent government agency) projected that we would come out of the current recession by mid- to late- 2009 IF NOTHING WAS DONE. Then Obama started claiming (right after he was elected) that this was the worst economy since the Great Depression. Lies, lies, lies. Did he not study history? Does he not know about the late 1940s and late 1950s? Or who can forget the late 1970s and early 1980s? They were even worse that it is now. However, we came out of them by reigning in government spending and reducing taxes.
With all his pessimism, Obama has created runs on banks and big sell-offs on Wall Street. This current mess is his doing. The best way he can get us out of it is by talking up the American way, restoring confidence in the American people, and allowing free-enterprise to take care of itself. Why did the Great Depression last so long? Two things: Increases in taxes and the Smoot-Hawley protectionist trade act. Lesson from history: NEVER RAISE TAXES DURING AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN!
Final rant: We CANNOT allow the government to take over the running of private companies like tax cheat Geithner wants to do. People have claimed this is Marxism. However, let’s go back to pre-WWII days in Italy. What did Mussolini do? First, he created a crisis by claiming things were worse than they really were. Then he picked a group of people to blame it on. Next, he claimed that control by the government of the industries was the only way to get the country out of their mess. Then, he took control of everything big and silenced all opposition! What’s happening today? We are headed down exactly that road. The administration wants to silence talk radio and take over private companies. The current administration isn’t just Marxist—it’s using the methods employed by Fascism. And the legislative branch is following right along.
Summary: IT’S TIME FOR US PEASANTS TO REVOLT! Send letters to your representatives. Flood their phone-lines. Cram their e-mail inboxes. Vote everybody behind this out! In fact, vote them all out!
Howard Beale from the movie, Network
Obama claimed he was going to stamp out earmarks and lower the debt. He is doing exactly the opposite! In the name of crisis after crisis, he’s expanding spending beyond anyone’s possible dreams—creating a new era of big government.
Obama’s budget will more than double the national debt! In fact, his projected deficits are greater than the sum of the deficits of all presidents before him. In case you missed that, let me state it again: IN FACT, HIS PROJECTED DEFICITS ARE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE DEFICITS OF ALL PRESIDENTS BEFORE HIM. And the most of the spending isn’t going to stimulate the economy. Why? Because it’s taking money out of the individual’s pocket and concentrating it in the hands of a few. It's simply spending money on all the projects the Democrats have wanted to spend it on since 1994. They're like kids in candy shops, slobbering all over themselves, giddy with power.
This is irresponsible at a time when we need to control spending. He’s blaming ALL the economic problems on the Bush administration. However, it was the Clinton administration that started the toxic lending in the first place. When the Republicans tried to fix it from 2002 – 2008, the Democrats in Congress and the Senate blocked them at every turn! Don’t believe me? You’re a proverbial ostrich with your head in the sand. (Never mind that ostriches don’t really stick their head in the sand.)
The CBO (an independent government agency) projected that we would come out of the current recession by mid- to late- 2009 IF NOTHING WAS DONE. Then Obama started claiming (right after he was elected) that this was the worst economy since the Great Depression. Lies, lies, lies. Did he not study history? Does he not know about the late 1940s and late 1950s? Or who can forget the late 1970s and early 1980s? They were even worse that it is now. However, we came out of them by reigning in government spending and reducing taxes.
With all his pessimism, Obama has created runs on banks and big sell-offs on Wall Street. This current mess is his doing. The best way he can get us out of it is by talking up the American way, restoring confidence in the American people, and allowing free-enterprise to take care of itself. Why did the Great Depression last so long? Two things: Increases in taxes and the Smoot-Hawley protectionist trade act. Lesson from history: NEVER RAISE TAXES DURING AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN!
Final rant: We CANNOT allow the government to take over the running of private companies like tax cheat Geithner wants to do. People have claimed this is Marxism. However, let’s go back to pre-WWII days in Italy. What did Mussolini do? First, he created a crisis by claiming things were worse than they really were. Then he picked a group of people to blame it on. Next, he claimed that control by the government of the industries was the only way to get the country out of their mess. Then, he took control of everything big and silenced all opposition! What’s happening today? We are headed down exactly that road. The administration wants to silence talk radio and take over private companies. The current administration isn’t just Marxist—it’s using the methods employed by Fascism. And the legislative branch is following right along.
Summary: IT’S TIME FOR US PEASANTS TO REVOLT! Send letters to your representatives. Flood their phone-lines. Cram their e-mail inboxes. Vote everybody behind this out! In fact, vote them all out!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Frustrated . . .
Are you as frustrated as I am? Obama keeps says one thing while he does another. And what about the "crisis, crisis, crisis"? It's just a way to shove through what he wants. I guess he learned from Bush.
He needs to be more positive and let us all know that we are a great nation of strong people and WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!
He needs to be more positive and let us all know that we are a great nation of strong people and WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Stimulus versus Spending
Obama, in a press conference the other night, arrogantly stated that he didn't understand the opposition to the $700B-and-something bill as not being a "stimulus" bill, but a "spending" bill. He stated that spending is equivalent to stimulus. Let me respond.
(1) Giving tax relief to people who don't pay taxes is not stimulus--it is redistribution of wealth. While many of those who receive this money need it and will spend it on their families, much of the money will end up in the "underground" economy.
(2) The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says this bill is a disaster and will not have the intended affect. Even liberal Democrat economists agree.
(3) Most of the infrastructure spending won't take place until at least 2011. This won't create jobs now.
(4) Much of the spending is targetted for pet Democrat projects with highly limited impact and benefit--most of the money will be going to already rich people. Sure, a FEW jobs may be created, but they will be low-paying and limited scope. This is "trickle-down voodoo economics" all over again. It didn't work in the 80's and it won't work now. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer back then and the same thing will happen now.
This bill will fail. Then the Democrats will blame it on not spending enough. The Republicans will blame it on targetting the wrong things. The real answer, in my book, is that the money shouldn't be packaged and pushed through Congress so fast that nobody really knows what's "in the language" as Nancy Pelosi put it. It needs to be debated openly and among both parties and time taken to really think it through.
I'm tired of scare tactics to push legislation through. It harkens back to the Fascist Party under Mussolini.
(1) Giving tax relief to people who don't pay taxes is not stimulus--it is redistribution of wealth. While many of those who receive this money need it and will spend it on their families, much of the money will end up in the "underground" economy.
(2) The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says this bill is a disaster and will not have the intended affect. Even liberal Democrat economists agree.
(3) Most of the infrastructure spending won't take place until at least 2011. This won't create jobs now.
(4) Much of the spending is targetted for pet Democrat projects with highly limited impact and benefit--most of the money will be going to already rich people. Sure, a FEW jobs may be created, but they will be low-paying and limited scope. This is "trickle-down voodoo economics" all over again. It didn't work in the 80's and it won't work now. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer back then and the same thing will happen now.
This bill will fail. Then the Democrats will blame it on not spending enough. The Republicans will blame it on targetting the wrong things. The real answer, in my book, is that the money shouldn't be packaged and pushed through Congress so fast that nobody really knows what's "in the language" as Nancy Pelosi put it. It needs to be debated openly and among both parties and time taken to really think it through.
I'm tired of scare tactics to push legislation through. It harkens back to the Fascist Party under Mussolini.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Census and Political Transparency
Doesn't Obama know what he's doing is against the law? Didn't he take Political Science or Civics in high school or college? The Constitution says that the census shall be taken in a manner prescribed by Congress. The Congress passed a law that says that the census shall be taken by the Department of Commerce. Obama has NO power to move that responsibility to another office. Now, if he wants Congress to change the law, he can ask for that. That would be a perfectly acceptable way to go.
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The stimulus (or spending) bill reconciliation took place behind closed doors with only one party involved--the other was locked out. Obama promised transparency and non-partisanship, yet the Congress and Senate are going the opposite way! This is the least transparent and most partisan legislative branch in the history of the U.S. Prove me wrong. President Obama should call on Pelosi and Reid to unite instead of divide!
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The stimulus (or spending) bill reconciliation took place behind closed doors with only one party involved--the other was locked out. Obama promised transparency and non-partisanship, yet the Congress and Senate are going the opposite way! This is the least transparent and most partisan legislative branch in the history of the U.S. Prove me wrong. President Obama should call on Pelosi and Reid to unite instead of divide!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Honeymoon is Over?
People are rebelling. According to Gallup Polls, Americans disapprove of Obama's proposal to close Gitmo, they want the stimulus bill stopped, they don't want to pay for overseas abortions and birth control, and they're tired of Obama's picks for the cabinet and other government posts having a high rate of ethical problems and conflicts of interest. They also wish he would quit giving waivers to people who are lobbyists to serve in the government, when he said he wouldn't allow it!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Stimulus, Part 2 and Dachlegate? or Fizzlegate?
Go Senate! Start amending the Non-stimulus bill like crazy! Obama promised infrastructure improvement, yet only a small part of this bill addresses it--and not right away--mostly 3 and 4 years from now!
There's a lot of pork in this bill. Let's get ALL of it out and replace PART of it with more infrastructure spending NOW! And what is it with the Republicans wanting to socialize the mortgage system! I told you they were big spending and big government, in spite of their claims.
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Didn't I warn you about Tom Daschle's personal life in an earlier post?
Tom Daschle: "I'm [sniff] sorry I didn't pay my taxes. It was an [sniff, sniff] honest mistake."
Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But even the New York Times is calling on him to resign!
There's a lot of pork in this bill. Let's get ALL of it out and replace PART of it with more infrastructure spending NOW! And what is it with the Republicans wanting to socialize the mortgage system! I told you they were big spending and big government, in spite of their claims.
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Didn't I warn you about Tom Daschle's personal life in an earlier post?
Tom Daschle: "I'm [sniff] sorry I didn't pay my taxes. It was an [sniff, sniff] honest mistake."
Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But even the New York Times is calling on him to resign!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Stimulus Package?????
The bill passed by the House yesterday contains 100's of billions of dollars in spending. However, less the $100 billion for this year, about $100 billion for next year, and $100 billion the year after that. 60% of it won't be spent in Obama's first term! Stimulus packages spend money now. In case you can't connect the dots: THIS IS NOT A STIMULUS PACKAGE! IT IS A LONG-TERM SPENDING PACKAGE!
I hope the Senate votes this down and then let's start over with a REAL stimulus package that fixes the problems now!
I hope the Senate votes this down and then let's start over with a REAL stimulus package that fixes the problems now!
Friday, January 23, 2009
The President's First Three Days
President Obama: Kudos on your ethics changes for the Executive Branch! Now if we could just get Congress to accept the same limitations, we'd really clean up Washington.
Bringing the Troops Home: Glad it's finally going to happen. Bush's surge (which should have happened two years before) worked and we can start transitioning power back to the Iraqi people.
Closing Gitmo: Not so sure about this one. I have friends that have visited there on fact-finding missions and they say the prisoners are treated better than the guards are! I guess Leavenworth would be a great place to transfer the remaining prisoners until the courts decide what to do with them. Meanwhile, Prez Obama needs to call an international meeting on how exactly to deal with non-state sponsored terrorists and pirates. Then all countries need to abide by that agreement.
Reversing the Course on Intelligence: We're going back to pre-911 days. What did that get us?
The Economy: Sure it's bad. Sure it's going to get worse. But why is Obama using scare tactics to try and get Congress to pass the BIG, BIG, BIG Bailout? Is he afraid that if we look at what he's trying to get pushed through we'll see that the emperor has no clothes? Bush has already gotten one by us. Remember the old Russian saying (courtesy of Star Trek's Chekof): "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Refunding Overseas Abortion: Good way to make the Islamic terrorists madder at us.
Bringing the Troops Home: Glad it's finally going to happen. Bush's surge (which should have happened two years before) worked and we can start transitioning power back to the Iraqi people.
Closing Gitmo: Not so sure about this one. I have friends that have visited there on fact-finding missions and they say the prisoners are treated better than the guards are! I guess Leavenworth would be a great place to transfer the remaining prisoners until the courts decide what to do with them. Meanwhile, Prez Obama needs to call an international meeting on how exactly to deal with non-state sponsored terrorists and pirates. Then all countries need to abide by that agreement.
Reversing the Course on Intelligence: We're going back to pre-911 days. What did that get us?
The Economy: Sure it's bad. Sure it's going to get worse. But why is Obama using scare tactics to try and get Congress to pass the BIG, BIG, BIG Bailout? Is he afraid that if we look at what he's trying to get pushed through we'll see that the emperor has no clothes? Bush has already gotten one by us. Remember the old Russian saying (courtesy of Star Trek's Chekof): "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Refunding Overseas Abortion: Good way to make the Islamic terrorists madder at us.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Report Card on Obama's Cabinet Picks
Ratings A-F for Obama's picks. Just my opinion.
(C) White House Chief of Staff: Rep. Rahm Emanuel. Democrat, Illinois. Obama said he wanted to unite us. Why pick a guy who is so divisive from the Illinois (read Chicago) political machine?
(D) Commerce: Bill Richardson, Democrat, New Mexico Governor, withdrawn because of a scandal. No replacement named.
(A) Securities and Exchange Commission: Mary Schapiro, CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Lots of experience in the financial industry. Former SEC commissioner and served as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 1994 during the Clinton Administration.
(A) Transportation: Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, Republican. Experience in crafting positive legislation for transportation. Well respected by both Republicans and Democrats.
(C) Agriculture: Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Democrat. Championed use of ethanol from corn for fuel. Should we be led by a man who advocated burning up our food supply?
(C) State: Hillary Clinton, Senator from New York, former first lady. Are there conflicts of interest with Bill receiving millions of dollars from Middle Eastern countries?
(A) Interior: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Democrat. Previously served as the state’s attorney general and head of its Department of Natural Resources. Rancher and farmer.
(A) Defense: Bill Gates, Republican, Current Secretary. Great pick for a smooth transition during time of war. Probably will be replaced in a couple of years after things settle down.
(D) Treasury: Timothy Geithner, Democrat. President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Failed to pay taxes for several years. And we want him to be in charge of collecting taxes? Come on!
(C) Homeland Security: Gov. Janet Napolitano, Democrat, Arizona. Does she really have the experience to manage this?
(C) Health and Human Services: Former Sen. Tom Daschle, Democrat, South Dakota. Leads Obama’s healthcare working group. Watch out for problems with his personal life!
(A) Attorney General: Eric Holder, Democrat, former deputy attorney general. Good experience.
(C) Labor: Rep. Hilda Solis, Democrat, California. What are her qualifications?
(A) U.S. Trade Representative: Ron Kirk, Democrat, former mayor of Dallas. Businessman. Good negotiator.
(A) Housing and Urban Development: Shaun Donovan, Democrat, New York. Commissioner of housing preservation and development in New York City. Served as a deputy assistant secretary at HUD during the Clinton administration.
(A) Small Business Administration: Karen Mills. A long resume’ of successful work raising capital and managing economic councils.
(C) Energy: Steven Chu. Head of the Berkeley National Laboratory and is a specialist in carbon-neutral energy sources. Won the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics. Great scientist, but is fully on the AGW bandwagon.
(D) Education: Arne Duncan, Democrat, Illinois. Head of the Chicago public school system — the third largest in the country. Previously ran an educational institute in Chicago. Championed and ran several failed educational programs—do we want him running the whole country’s?
(B) Veteran’s Affairs: General Eric Shinseki. Former U.S. Army chief of staff. 4-star general.
(A) EPA: Lisa Jackson, Democrat, New Jersey. Oversaw New Jersey’s environmental protection office and currently serves as the chief of staff to the state’s governor. Chemical Engineer.
(A) Management and Budget: Peter Orszag, Democrat. Director of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. During the Clinton administration, special assistant to the president for economic policy and senior economic adviser at the National Economic Council.
(D) Drug Control: No one picked yet. For this important office?
(F) Science Advisor: John Holdren. Physicist, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard, a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the director of the Woods Hole Research Center, and the author or co-author of many papers and books. He has 30 years of doom and gloom predictions that NEVER came true. Why would we trust him as Science Advisor?
(F) CIA Director: Leon Panetta. Democrat. Former White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. He has ZERO intelligence experience. Why would we risk this? Nothing against Leon—use him for something else.
(C) White House Chief of Staff: Rep. Rahm Emanuel. Democrat, Illinois. Obama said he wanted to unite us. Why pick a guy who is so divisive from the Illinois (read Chicago) political machine?
(D) Commerce: Bill Richardson, Democrat, New Mexico Governor, withdrawn because of a scandal. No replacement named.
(A) Securities and Exchange Commission: Mary Schapiro, CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Lots of experience in the financial industry. Former SEC commissioner and served as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 1994 during the Clinton Administration.
(A) Transportation: Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, Republican. Experience in crafting positive legislation for transportation. Well respected by both Republicans and Democrats.
(C) Agriculture: Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Democrat. Championed use of ethanol from corn for fuel. Should we be led by a man who advocated burning up our food supply?
(C) State: Hillary Clinton, Senator from New York, former first lady. Are there conflicts of interest with Bill receiving millions of dollars from Middle Eastern countries?
(A) Interior: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Democrat. Previously served as the state’s attorney general and head of its Department of Natural Resources. Rancher and farmer.
(A) Defense: Bill Gates, Republican, Current Secretary. Great pick for a smooth transition during time of war. Probably will be replaced in a couple of years after things settle down.
(D) Treasury: Timothy Geithner, Democrat. President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Failed to pay taxes for several years. And we want him to be in charge of collecting taxes? Come on!
(C) Homeland Security: Gov. Janet Napolitano, Democrat, Arizona. Does she really have the experience to manage this?
(C) Health and Human Services: Former Sen. Tom Daschle, Democrat, South Dakota. Leads Obama’s healthcare working group. Watch out for problems with his personal life!
(A) Attorney General: Eric Holder, Democrat, former deputy attorney general. Good experience.
(C) Labor: Rep. Hilda Solis, Democrat, California. What are her qualifications?
(A) U.S. Trade Representative: Ron Kirk, Democrat, former mayor of Dallas. Businessman. Good negotiator.
(A) Housing and Urban Development: Shaun Donovan, Democrat, New York. Commissioner of housing preservation and development in New York City. Served as a deputy assistant secretary at HUD during the Clinton administration.
(A) Small Business Administration: Karen Mills. A long resume’ of successful work raising capital and managing economic councils.
(C) Energy: Steven Chu. Head of the Berkeley National Laboratory and is a specialist in carbon-neutral energy sources. Won the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics. Great scientist, but is fully on the AGW bandwagon.
(D) Education: Arne Duncan, Democrat, Illinois. Head of the Chicago public school system — the third largest in the country. Previously ran an educational institute in Chicago. Championed and ran several failed educational programs—do we want him running the whole country’s?
(B) Veteran’s Affairs: General Eric Shinseki. Former U.S. Army chief of staff. 4-star general.
(A) EPA: Lisa Jackson, Democrat, New Jersey. Oversaw New Jersey’s environmental protection office and currently serves as the chief of staff to the state’s governor. Chemical Engineer.
(A) Management and Budget: Peter Orszag, Democrat. Director of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. During the Clinton administration, special assistant to the president for economic policy and senior economic adviser at the National Economic Council.
(D) Drug Control: No one picked yet. For this important office?
(F) Science Advisor: John Holdren. Physicist, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard, a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the director of the Woods Hole Research Center, and the author or co-author of many papers and books. He has 30 years of doom and gloom predictions that NEVER came true. Why would we trust him as Science Advisor?
(F) CIA Director: Leon Panetta. Democrat. Former White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. He has ZERO intelligence experience. Why would we risk this? Nothing against Leon—use him for something else.
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Day -- Remember What He Did
As we pause and remember what MLK did, let's remember that he positively impacted the world and broke down racial barriers even though he had the known flaws of womanizing and plagiarism. I say this not to disparage him, but to show that even though you and I may have our own shortcomings, weaknesses, and behavioral problems, we can impact our world as well.
Also, when a politician or other leader has skeletons in his or her closet, remember that they can change and still do good things. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can put those things they'd rather forget behind them and move forward to accomplish their purpose in life.
Also, when a politician or other leader has skeletons in his or her closet, remember that they can change and still do good things. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can put those things they'd rather forget behind them and move forward to accomplish their purpose in life.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Inaugural Porta-Potties
For those of you attending Presidential Inauguration Next Week: The U.S. Park service is ordering 5000 porta-potties for the Inauguration. The health departments require 1 porta-potty for 300 people at public events. Estimates for attendance at the Inauguration range up to 4 million people. That's over 8000 porta-potties short. Look for long lines and don't wait too late to get in line!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Inauguration Next Week!
Next week we get a new President. The old one is leaving and moving to my neck of the woods. It will be very interesting to see how much of Obama's original agenda he will be able to even introduce with the economic problems we are seeing. Luckily, so far things aren't any worse than they were under Carter's last few months in office yet. (In case you think I'm bashing Carter, let me explain that I believe Nixon's wage/price freezes of 1973-4 caused the problems of the late 70s.) Hopefully, things won't get much worse than they are now.
Let's all stay involved with our Congressmen and Senators. Let them know what you think about any issue that is important to you. And don't be a name-caller or basher. If we disagree with our elected officials we need to let them know why. If we agree, we need to let them know. That's what representative democracy is all about.
Those of us who pray should also pray for wisdom for our President and those around him. He's facing a lot of problems caused by people on both sides of the aisle and will need it over the next four or eight years.
Let's all stay involved with our Congressmen and Senators. Let them know what you think about any issue that is important to you. And don't be a name-caller or basher. If we disagree with our elected officials we need to let them know why. If we agree, we need to let them know. That's what representative democracy is all about.
Those of us who pray should also pray for wisdom for our President and those around him. He's facing a lot of problems caused by people on both sides of the aisle and will need it over the next four or eight years.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
On Burris & Blago, on Franken & Coleman
Note to Senate: Let Mr. Burris in! He’s been legally appointed. There is no evidence of wrong-doing on his part. And Blago has not been indicted. It’s also clear that the requirement for the Secretary of State to sign applies only to verifying an election.
On the Minnesota Election: It’s not over yet. Lots of irregularities. According to several websites and newspapers, there are 25 districts in Minnesota where there are more ballots than people who signed the roles. In others, there are ballots that have been counted twice. There are also counts provided with no ballots to back them up. There are ballots that magically showed up a week later. Ballots have been counted inconsistently: there are multiple ballots with an “X” in a filled-in circle that counted as votes for Franken, yet when the same markings appeared for Coleman, they are counted as “no votes.” Clearly, obviously, ethically, morally, and legally inconsistent! There is enough of this to turn the election around by several hundred votes. Ron Coleman’s website says he’s filing a lawsuit. Where is the national media on this? They are not reporting it.
On the Minnesota Election: It’s not over yet. Lots of irregularities. According to several websites and newspapers, there are 25 districts in Minnesota where there are more ballots than people who signed the roles. In others, there are ballots that have been counted twice. There are also counts provided with no ballots to back them up. There are ballots that magically showed up a week later. Ballots have been counted inconsistently: there are multiple ballots with an “X” in a filled-in circle that counted as votes for Franken, yet when the same markings appeared for Coleman, they are counted as “no votes.” Clearly, obviously, ethically, morally, and legally inconsistent! There is enough of this to turn the election around by several hundred votes. Ron Coleman’s website says he’s filing a lawsuit. Where is the national media on this? They are not reporting it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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