The Betrayal of Change

Has a nice ring doesn’t it? It would, or more likely will, make a nice title of a book. I’ve been away for a few days. I had the pleasure of spending a few days in the hanging Chad state. Warm weather, palm trees, copious amounts of beer and malevolent frogs. Who could ask for more? But in the time that I have been gone it seems that a vast amount of source material has been dropped off at my desk.

During the most recent “never ending” presidential campaign juggernaut, our newly crowned President-elect vowed to Change the way business is done in Washington. He promised us Change we could believe in. He even went so far in his pursuit of the democratic nod to attack those in his own party who were campaigning, such as Senator’s Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Clearly our deliverer from all things politically ugly would forge a new administration to signal the Change he has vowed to bestow on the American people who elevated him to this most esteemed position. As he stood there, with his best contemplative look, his eyes peering into the distance, perhaps actually glimpsing into Utopia itself, he told the throngs of the faithful that “Real Change” was coming to Washington. Uh, yeah,……… No.

Sorry to all the kool-aid drinkers, it isn’t going to happen. The “Change we can Believe in” rhetoric seems to have been just that, empty rhetoric. Your humble scribe warned you that the reality was going to be less like “Change” and more like “Politics as Usual”. I had hoped against hope that I was wrong. But as my kids are fond to say “Dad’s never wrong.”

So what has happened to make me cast such disparaging comments towards the anointed one? Simply this, I think I went to sleep and got transported back to 1993. No one told me that the “Change We Can Believe In” was simply the third Clinton White House. No, I’m not crazy people. Have you looked at the cast of characters that is being assembled? No,…. Oh my poor kool-aid sippers sit down and have a cup of coffee while I introduce you to the new “Change” team.

Janet Napolitano - Under the Clinton administration she was appointed as United States Attorney (Arizona). She was elected Governor of Arizona in 2002. Currently she has been selected as the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama Administration.

Timothy Geithner – Served as Under secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs from 1998-2001 during the Clinton years. In 2003 he was named president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Currently he has been selected as the U.S. Secretary of Treasury in the Obama Administration.

Bill Richardson – Former U.S. Congressman (1983-1997). Under the Clinton administration he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. U.S. Secretary of Energy. Current Governor of New Mexico. Has been selected as the U.S. Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration.

Rahm Emanuel – Former U.S. Congressman (2003-2008). Under the Clinton administration he served as Campaign Finance Director and Senior Advisor. Emanuel was named to the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") by then President Bill Clinton in 2000. Has been selected as the Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration.

Tom Daschle – Former U.S. Congressman (1979-1987). Former U.S. Senator (1987-2005). After leaving the Senate he was employed with a DC based lobbying firm. He has been selected for the Secretary of Health & Human Services position in the Obama Administration.

Eric Holder – He is a former Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Under the Clinton administration he served as United States Attorney and Deputy Attorney General of the United States under Janet Reno. Holder’s judgment has been questioned regarding his tacit approval of a pardon by Bill Clinton for fugitive billionaire and Democratic fundraiser Marc Rich. He has been selected to serve as the United States Attorney General in the incoming Obama Administration.

John Podesta - Served in various positions as Counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Thomas Daschle (1995-1996); Chief Counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee (1987-1988); Chief Minority Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks; Security and Terrorism; and Regulatory Reform; and Counsel on the Majority Staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1979-1981). Under the Clinton administration he served as White House Chief of Staff from 1998 until 2001. Currently he is the co-chairman of Obama-Biden Transition Project.

Joe Biden –U.S. Senator (1973-2008). Vice-President, elect (2008).

Hillary Clinton - First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. U.S. Senator (2001-2008). She has been selected for the U.S. Secretary of State position in the Obama Administration.

OK, so let me see what we have here. Out of the nine people listed above

Cumulative Time Spent in Senate: 63 Years

Cumulative Time Spent in Congress: 23 Years

Former Members of Clinton Administration: 06

Now I can hear the backpedaling begin already. Who wants to be the first one to state that Obama is doing the right thing for the country by "bringing in the best people." Bull Spit.

I remember once hearing Obama chide McCain for being in the Senate so long he was part of that "Washington Network". Meanwhile, his Vice Presidential running mate was in the Senate almost 10 years longer. No B.O. you can't have it both ways. That's just typical D.C. double-talk and hardly the "Change" you promised. Your sounding more and more like a typical politician then the savior the yearning masses were hoping for.

Obama ran on a ticket that promised Change. This my friends is not change, this is politics as usual. He often chided his opponents as being part of the Washington establishment. The people elected him because he brought “different” views to the table. That’s what people wanted, Change. That's not what they are getting.

Bottom line is you were sold a Lamborghini and what you just got delivered was a Lada.

So, now your coming to terms with the understanding that you can no longer Believe in the Change you Hoped for. What's next……….. I’d started to look up all those “Promises” that were made during the campaign. Between you and me, I don’t think you have a snowballs chance in hell of them being kept.

Can’t you just feel the winds of change blowing………………..

Andrew
The Angry American

The Silver Lining

I got this in today and thought to myself it pretty much sums up this entire wacky election season. So without further ado, I present to you this post election re-cap for conservatives.

The Silver Lining

While the election results admittedly make it difficult, I am generally an optimist, and I'm not changing my stripes now. Obama has truly awful, awful ideas for our country, but I do not believe even he can ruin it. So here's what I feel good about right now:

1. * The next time someone, perhaps looking up from their Sunday New York Times, tries to tell you we live in a pervasively racist society, you can finally tell them to just shut the f*** up.

2. * Since their services are clearly no longer required, we can send Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson off to their long overdue retirements, perhaps to Charlie Rangel's place in the Dominican Republic.

3. * While we are at it, can we all finally agree on the fact that if blacks can rise to the presidency, it follows that we no longer need affirmative action? Time to put that nonsense in the ground once and for all.

4. * The constructionists on the Supreme Court should be able to hold out another four years before they retire. We wish them the best of health.

5. * We won't have to spend four years defending John McCain. Let's be honest, he was a crummy candidate who wilted on most issues important to conservatives. It would have been four painful years followed by a lay-up election for...Obama or Hillary.

6. * With the economy in the tank, Obama may have somewhat limited flexibility. His plans to turn us into Finland may have to wait.

7. * Jimmy Carter was a painful experience, but he gave us (cue heavenly choir music) Ronald Reagan. Hopefully Obama will give us a Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal? Tim Pawlenty? We have a deep bench. Start thinking ahead now.

8. * Since the Democrats control both houses and the White House, there will be no one else to blame when they screw up, which is as inevitable as the sun rising tomorrow. Of course we know that just like the sun rising, they will try to pin any problems on George Bush for at least the next millennia, the people will know better.

9. * The media has now officially been "outed" as in the tank for the Democrat Party. Heck, even the liberals know it. MSNBC's credibility has never been so low. They have actually hit rock bottom and begun to dig.

10. * The New York Times was just demoted to junk bond status by the ratings agencies.

Finally, let's be happy that it's just over. This has been the longest election season ever.

~Unknown Author

WTF ?!?!? Obama's National Security Force ?!?!?

And so it begins................... I never heard about this speech from July. Where the hell was this in the mainstream media ?!?!?!?



I'm sorry, but to me a National Security Force sounds like a very narrowly disguised attempt at circumventing the Posse Comitatus Act.

We have state & local police departments, along with a whole alphabet soup mix of federal agencies, and yet that's not enough ? Obama wants to create a force equal in size and equally equipped as the military................... does anyone want to ask WHY.

OK, let's get this straight. The United States Military is for the defense of this country. Civilian law enforcement is for protecting the citizens and enforcement of civilian law....... what would you need a NSF that is equal in size and strength to the US Military.

Hold on kids, I warned you, this ride is going to get really bad............. This article isn't crazy, if you consider the above statements.

Doom & Gloom ? I don't know......... but the Congressman makes a good point. Even Adolf Hitler was elected in a democracy. Remember what he told the German people? "Give me ten years time and you will not recognize Germany!" He was right.

Note: I edited the below news article only for room.


Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

WASHINGTON -- A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may -- may not, I hope not -- but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."

Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.

Andrew
The Angry American

The Post Election Party

Well we all attended the party. We danced, we had quite a few drinks, and we charmed and impressed a whole bevy of beauties and made a lot of promises. And as the party wore on, we drank more, and the words flowed from our lips like we were a smooth, silver tongued, devil. At some point we took someone in our arms and headed home for some post party fun.

Now we are faced with the morning after. The person we came home with looks remarkably different than the one we took home last night. And for the life of us we can’t seem to remember exactly what we said or promised through the post euphoric haze we are in.

So, here we are November 5th, 2008 and President-elect Barack Obama has secured his place in history as the 44th President of the United States. Not only that, but the Democrats have also secured a continuing majority in both the House and Senate. Ok, the die has been cast.

Before we get too far along here, I want to make one point. Those who now say this was some outrageous political message sent out by the masses to show their overwhelming support for the President-Elect need to stop. Obama won the popular vote with about 1% difference from George W. Bush’s 2004 victory numbers. Back then the Democrats all bitched and moaned for months when Bush “barely” won, let’s not get too crazy with the flip side now that it’s their chosen son.

The people spoke, let’s end the rhetoric and move forward. The Democrats have their alleged “mandate” from the American people to bring about the change they promised. They have been given control of the Executive Branch, as well as the Legislative Branch in both the House and Senate. I would also like to remind everyone that starting with the 110th Congress back in January 3, 2007; The Democrats have controlled a majority in both chambers. While the Democratic Party had only 49 members in the Senate, they held an operational majority because the two Independent senators, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, were independents in name only and sided with the Democrats for organizational purposes. So, for two years they have already been in charge of the Legislative Branch.

Now commencing with the 111th Congress the Democrats will once again hold a majority. There will be no obstacles for them to impose their wishes for “change”. Let the excuses end here and now. Promises were made based on the agenda of “Change we can Believe in.” There is no room for back peddling at this point in time. No one mentioned “Change we would like to see Happen.” If you cannot accomplish what you promised, with a majority control of the House of Representatives, Senate and Presidency then you are simply incompetent. So the American people expect the “Change” they were promised to happen. Otherwise, they were sold a bad bill of goods.

And what were those promises:

1. Cut taxes for 95 percent of workers and their families. (Middle class families will see their taxes cut – and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase.)
2. Provide generous tax cuts for low and middle income seniors, homeowners, the uninsured, and families sending a child to college
3. Affordable and expanded health care
4. Speedy withdrawal from Iraq
5. Reduce dependence on foreign oil
6. Provide tax relief for small businesses and startups
7. Fight for fair trade
8. Create 5 Million new “Green Jobs” as well as additional jobs in infrastructure and technology sectors
9. Create secure borders and improve the immigration system
10. Make college affordable to all Americans
11. Defeat terrorism worldwide & Prevent nuclear terrorism
12. Rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
13. Make housing more affordable
14. Protect Social Security
15. Provide cheaper prescription drugs
16. Protect and strengthen Medicare
17. Increase military ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.
18. Lower health care costs by $2,500 for a typical family
19. Protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns. (Barack Obama is committed to protecting your gun rights)

All of the above were taken directly from the Obama / Biden website. These are not my words, but theirs. Where I come from, a man says what he means, and means what he says. So, if they don’t give you what they promised, they lied to you. Something I have been warning you about. I wish that I am proven wrong, but I don't see how they are going to able to pull this off.

OK folks, the parties over. The lights are on, the Greek temple columns have put back into storage and reality beckons. Gone is the rhetoric, the promises, the campaign attacks. Now it is time to stand up and produce. I did not agree with President-elect Obama's message or policies, but I will put aside those differences and support him when he is sworn into office. But I will not forget what he promised to deliver.

January 20th there is a new sheriff in town and he has a whole mess of deputies up on the Hill. They got there through a lot of promises; now let’s see if it is really the “Change We Can Believe In” or just the same old “Politics as Usual”.

Andrew
The Angry American

OK, We Lost

No time like the present to get ready for 2012. So I present to you:

VOTE !!

I urge any of you reading this, who might not have voted yet, to not let this day pass without casting your vote.

I know that to some it is hard, life is busy, lines are long, etc., etc.,

Please remember this right that you have has been won, and protected, by blood. Never lose sight of the fact that it is right that should always be cherished and respected.

No political statements today, just do you're duty as an American.

Andrew

The Mustang Ranch & The US Government

I want you all to consider this for a moment:

Back in 1990, the United States Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion.

The owner had a serious tax debt, to the tune of a 16 million dollar lien. In other words, he was making money, just not paying the government it's fair shrare. I guess he didn't embrace the "sharing of the wealth" theory either.

Anway, since prostitution is legal in the state of Nevada they, the Government, tried to run it. They failed and it closed.

Now, we are trusting the economy of our country, including a $700 Billion Dollar bailout, to a bunch of incompetent nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling booze.

Am I the only one shaking his head ?

Bull Shit!

In the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” the main characters play a card that is known as “Bull Shit.” It is actually a real card game, based in part on bluffing. Players can question the veracity of the other by calling their bluff, with the affectionate “Bull Shit.”

That is how I feel about the latest announcement to come out of the Obama-topia.

I’m calling you out B.O.,……… Bull Shit.

On Saturday, Barack Obama said he was “unaware” that one of his relatives from Kenya was living in the United States illegally, for the past four years, and added that believes the appropriate laws should be followed.

Oh really. Obama’s “Aunti Zeituni” Onyango was instructed to leave the country four years ago by an immigration judge who rejected her request for asylum from her native Kenya.

People, if you paid any attention at all during this election season you might have heard the word “vetted”. It is an old expression from the 1800’s that came to us from the world of horse racing. Basically it means that a horse had to be checked by a veteran to ensure health and well being.

What this means in the political realm of today is not only is a candidate “vetted” by the party to ensure that he is free of any hiccups that might cause a problem, but that those around him are also vetted to “remove” any potential “skeletons” in the closet.

The vetting process is done by professional investigators with years of experience. I've been professionally involved in this process and I can tell you it is a very serious matter because of the potential for unwanted "political backlash". More importantly investigators have the means at their disposal to obtain detailed information not available at the public level. Yet we are being led to believe that investigative journalists, from the Times of London no less, uncovered something the professionals missed. Bull Shit!

My favorite spin-meister this season, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton, said "Senator Obama has no knowledge of her status but obviously believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed," Uh yeah, ok. Sen. Obama has no clue his Aunti is here illegally.

Bull Shit, Bill.

First, let me say that about 100 years ago, give or take, some of my relatives on my mothers side came stumbling off a boat from Ireland. More or less the same is true with my relatives on my fathers side, except for the stumbling part. Well, actually the stumbling part might still be true, just from another country. It is probably safe to assume that I don’t have any “illegal” aliens hiding in closet. Notice I said “safe to assume”, no ironclad promises. But if you were to “vet” me that probably wouldn’t be at the top of your list of things to look for.

But here we have the candidate for President of the United States, whose father was from Kenya. We are talking about ½ his side of the family here and they are from South Africa. Obama's father was a citizen of, and a senior governmental economist in, Kenya, South Africa. Obama's father was not an American and this is his sister we are talking about. I’m thinking Immigration might just be a high priority on the vetting list.

So here we have the same “Aunti” that he wrote about in one of his books. She is not an distant relative that he had someone how forgotten about.

So let’s look at the facts as they exist today:

1. Aunti Zeituni is living here illegally for the last four years
2. Aunti Zeituni is living in a public housing project in Boston, Massachusetts
3. Aunti Zeituni is receiving public assistance

And now we have this little tidbit that has come to the surface. It seems that Aunti Zeituni’s case, coming to light just before the presidential election, has now led to an unusual nationwide directive within Immigrations and Customs Enforcement requiring any deportations prior to the election be approved at the level of ICE regional directors and above. What????

Okay, so what we have is good old Barack saying “hey, I didn’t know and well, the law should be followed.” And now we have a hurdle put up, an obstruction if you will, to prevent the law being followed. So would this be the “Change” we are getting? I guess it would give her enough time to pack up and get to a place in Cambridge, Chelsea or Orleans. They are after all local sanctuary cities in Massachusetts.

You would have thought that at least he would have moved her into Chicago, which also bears the same title. But I guess maybe he was trying to distance himself from that side of the family. It would suck to have to close the windows and lock the door when that “illegal” relative tried to come over for dinner or parties.

Hello people, are you asleep at the wheel? Unrepentant Domestic Terrorist’s, Racist Clergy, Communist Sympathizers and now Illegal Immigrant Relatives…….. If you think this man has the “moral character” to be President of the United States, then you deserve everything you get.

This is exactly what I have been talking about. You can “Believe” all you want that you are getting “Change” but it’s the same old political nonsense just packaged in a new wrapper. In other words you’re getting a “re-gift” this year for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Winter Solstice, or whatever else you happen to “Cling” to.

Maybe this is all a great big mistake. Maybe Aunti Zeituni really isn’t here and it’s just another “error” on the part of a newly registered voter by ACORN.

Barack didn’t know……………… Bull Shit, now prove me wrong.

Andrew
The Angry American

Who is the Middle Class?

OK, I have said this before and I am going on record here again: “Don’t Buy the Hype”

We are four days out from this “historic” election and it appears that some of the façade that has been built up around Obama is peeling away. The question is whether people wake up from this political “trick or treat” in time to see that the “treats” promised are not likely to be kept and are more likely a political double-speak “trick”.

Now the latest piece of information on the Economic “smoke & mirrors” that have been at the forefront of this election:

On Friday morning (10/31/08) New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson defined the middle class as those making $120,000 and under. His comments, made during a radio appearence, showed just how disengenious that $250,000.00 number actually was. Richardsons full comment was "What Obama wants to do is he is basically looking at $120,000 and under among those that are in the middle class, and there is a tax cut for those."

Now, you can argue that the comment is not directly attributed to Obama, but the truth is that whether he said them or not those numbers are much more accurate than his. This is not republicans making these comments but a prominent Democrat leader.

Joe Biden just made a statement at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania “defining” the middle class. Biden said Obama's tax break "should go to middle class people - people making under $150,000 a year." That’s not even a prominent Democrat leader, that’s the Vice-Presidential candidate.

People, you can not operate the government by taxing the top 5%. That is not going to happen, and if you believe in the veracity of Obama’s tax plan as it stands then you are delusional. So as the numbers drop lower you are going to find yourself in that “upper class” category. When that happens, ask yourself where the money to finance all those really great ideas, such as universal healthcare, is actually going to come from.

Remember I said it here a long time ago. It was Theodore Roosevelt who first offered the idea of healthcare for all. One hundred years and they have not pulled it off. Here’s a newsflash, if Roosevelt couldn’t do it back then when our finances were much better, how the heck can Obama do it during this period of economic upheaval. I’ll go on the record a 2nd time: It won’t happen.

The financial crisis we are dealing with now, coupled with the prospects of a potential painful recession have even reached deep within the Obama camp. After a campaign in which Obama preached his sermon of "hope" and "change" he is now being confronted with the reality of a stricken economy. This, my friends, is reality. It is not the rhetoric being shouted from a stage to throngs of adoring fans. It is the cold hard truth that we need to face and the Obama camp is now coming to grips with.

Don’t believe me, Obama's senior advisers are already drawing up plans on how to create a more somber and realistic view of the post election world. There is a growing fear within the camp that many of his idealitistc supporters have unrealistic “hope” for the “change” Obama can achieve if he is elected. According to one senior advisor, they want to lower expectations "so there's not a vast mood swing from exhilaration and euphoria to despair."

So now we have a situation where the candidate of “change” may not be able to bring about the change he promised as part of his campaign. So at the end of the day, are you going to get the promised “Change” or be left with the same old “politics as usual” promises that never get fulffilled.

Andrew
The Angry American

Why I am voting Democratic

Got this sent to me and I thought you know, this sums it up pretty well. Read them all and consider just how silly some of these "talking points" really are, yet this is what many people are willing to accept, all for the sake of "Change"

This is This is why I am voting a straight Democratic ticket:

I'm voting Democrat because I have come to the realization that I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

I'm voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are grossly obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a much better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it or it's not being used to support the 2nd Amendment.

I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I'm voting Democrat because I'm not really concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.

I'm voting Democrat because I realize that my head is so firmly planted up the party @#% it's highly unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view, nor ever bother to listen to anyone elses.

The Election & YOUR Vote........

In a perfect world, every vote would be equal, and politicians would be forced to address the concerns of every voter. There would be no red states, no blue states, and no battleground states. But, the sad fact is that we don’t live in a perfect world and in all likelihood your vote won’t matter. The reason for this is that during this “historic” election will be decided by voters in only six or so closely divided “battleground states.”

Now, I am sure that too many of you, that will come as a complete shock. But that is the sad state of election affairs in this day and age. The reason why the majority of states do not matter is because, with the exception of a few, there is what can be called “winner take all” rule.

In a nutshell, this rule awards all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Therefore, candidates have no reason to poll, visit or pay any attention to the concerns of those states where they are clearly ahead or hopelessly lost. Michigan is a prime example. According to the McCain camp “The campaign must decide where it can best utilize its limited resources with the goal of winning nationally.”

Of course, voters in 36 of the 50 states never mattered, even before the 2008 presidential election began. The New York Times reported that both major political parties were in agreement that there would be at most 14 battleground states in 2008.

It’s important to know that this "winner take all" rule is not in the U.S. Constitution, but simply state law. Now, the easiest way to fix our broken system is to elect the president by a national popular vote. Under a national popular vote, every person’s vote, in every state, would be equally important, regardless of political party. But to many in the political establishment that would mean actually working for all the people, not just the battleground voters and that is not likely to happen without voters demanding it.

That’s why I think it is so important that voters support the National Popular Vote bill which would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia). It’s time to reform the current system and do what the general public has long supported, electing the president by a national popular vote.

Children, Behave: why does politics........

Children, Behave; or "Why does politics bring out the adolescent in us?"

October 23rd, 2008 and I have officially had enough.

Today, I got what I would term the usual political email that seems to flood my inbox during this time of season. I guess this was the one that brought down my political house of card stack that had been compiling on the one vacant corner of my desk.

Now, if you have read any of my other entries, you would probably think “hey, this guy is somewhat political, so what is he moaning and groaning about?”

Here it is in a nutshell: YOU’RE ALL ACTING LIKE PEDANTIC TEENAGERS, THAT’S WHAT!!!!!!!!

Boy, what pushed him over the edge…………. Coffee maker break (again)?

No, it was actually just your typical mundane “Bush is a Moron” email. OK, listen and let me explain this once and for all. George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, has a Bachelor's degree from Yale University in History as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard. If anyone wants to find fault with his politics, knock yourselves out. But to sit there and say the man is a Moron is something that frankly I believe does more to discredit your intelligence than his.

So for the record, let us actually set the record straight as to what a Moron is: Moron was originally taken from the Greek word “Moros” which meant "Dull" and was subsequently used by English Psychologist Henry Goddard to describe a person with a mental age located between 8 and 12 on the Binet scale. It was once applied to people with an IQ of 51-70, being superior in one degree to "imbecile" (IQ of 26-50) and superior in two degrees to "idiot" (IQ of 0-25).

I think what bothers me is that these snarky little emails seem to reach down to the depths of what I consider schoolyard childish drivel.

If you prefer a particular candidate fine. That’s your choice and I respect it. I might not agree with you or your political feelings, but I will respect them. That is what I believe makes America the great country that it is. But if your philosphy is summed up in so much political claptrap as “No War For Oil”, “Puck Falin”, “Millionaires for McCain” you probably need to consider that you sound more like the moron that you claim the President is.

I also want to say that if you actually attended a college or university and that's the best you can put together, go back and get a refund for your tuition. They did you a great disservice.

American’s need to rise above these nonsensical diatribes and treat the election with the dignity that it deserves. We are electing the leader of the free world and yet we treat it as if it’s a “yo Mama’s so fat……” slugfest. Sad as it might be, it’s time to grow up kids.

At this point I ask, do any of you know your IQ? You just might want to check it out before you go sending any more “Moronic” emails.

Andrew,
The Angry American (Cranky as well)

WMD’s, Bush, Iraq War (Part Deux) and Democrats

In this heated election season much is being made about the propriety of the Iraqi War (Part Deux) and the Bush administrations “Lies” over Saddam Hussein and the alleged “WMD’s.”

It seems that people have a visceral reaction and the target of their anger is President Bush. They champion slogans like the “Illegal War”, or “Bush Lied” or one of my favorites “Weapons of Mass Distortion.”

But to look at Bush as he is the one solely responsible for this is simply not morally honest. Let me take you back to the year 1998. For those of you who don’t recall, this was the 2nd year of Clinton’s 2nd term.

Here are a few comments and the identity of those making the comments:

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." --Madeline Albright, Secretary of State, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." --Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."Letter to President Clinton, signed by: -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." --Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

Now I bring this up not to support President Bush or the war, but to show in plain black and white the level of dishonesty politicians can and have risen to. If Bush lied, what did Clinton, Pelosi & Kerry do?

It seems lately that the war is the political cause “du jour” and the democrats are fond of portraying McCain as a Bush Holdover and someone who would continue this “wrong war.”

But is it a wrong war and were there never any WMD’s?

I guess the answer is what do you know about WMD’s and what Saddam Hussein said & did in the past. Let me give you a little foundational information:

(Disclaimer) – This is foundational information and is not mean to be the start all / end all. If you want to learn the complete cause and effects of WMD’s and have the stomach for it knock your socks off!!

Simply put a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a one which can kill or seriously injury large numbers of humans, cause severe damage to structures (man-made and natural) or the biosystem in general. The term covers several weapon types, including nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC), and radiological weapons. When you think of WMD’s this is what should come to mind.

Now what are some examples? Let’s get rid of the first two right away: Nuclear & Radiological. Why you ask? Because those are easy. Think explosions with some really nasty ramifications and you have the gist of them. (Please See Disclaimer)

Now to the ones that will definitely NOT give you the warm and fuzzies. Biological and Chemical weapons. When I think of WMD’s these are the two that keep me tossing and turning at night and replace counting sheep with little grim reapers.

Biological Weapons – These are odorless, tasteless and invisible to the human eye. The lists of these types include: Anthrax, Botulism, Plague, Smallpox, Viral hemorrhagic fevers [e.g., Ebola].

Chemical Weapons – These include: Biotoxins, Blister Agents/Vesicants, Blood Agents, Caustics (Acids), Choking/Lung/Pulmonary Agents, Nerve Agents, & Vomiting Agents.

I don’t want to be overly stress the “nastiness” of these items, so I won’t do a line by line analysis on everyone. I’ll take three:

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever - Viral hemorrhagic fever is the collective name given to the diseases caused by a group of viruses such as Ebola virus and Marburg virus.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore throat, rash and chest pain may occur. The disease may also affect internal organs and the ability of blood to clot. When the blood fails to clot, the patient may bleed into internal organs and from body openings. The mortality rates are 50-80% for Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever and 30% for Marburg virus hemorrhagic fever. Understand this, death by hemorrhagic fever is GRUESOME.

It has been alleged that that the former Soviet Union experimented extensively with use of Ebola as a biological weapon. Given the current flexing of Russia’s muscle, I’d keep this in the forefront of my mind.

Anthrax – Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, all active duty military personnel who might be involved in conflict are vaccinated. There are three ways of exposure to Anthrax.

Cutaneous: Most (about 95%) anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin, such as when handling contaminated objects. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that resembles an insect bite but within 1-2 days develops into a vesicle and then a painless ulcer, usually 1-3 cm in diameter, with a characteristic black necrotic (dying) area in the center. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. About 20% of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death.

Inhalation: Initial symptoms may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is usually fatal.

Intestinal: The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated meat and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25% to 60% of cases.

VX Nerve Agent - VX is the most toxic nerve agent ever synthesized for which activity has been independently confirmed.

Symptoms of skin exposure include: Eye pain, Drooling and excessive sweating, Chest tightness, Rapid breathing, Diarrhea, Increased urination, Confusion, Drowsiness, Weakness, Headache, Nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain, Slow or fast heart rate, Abnormally low or high blood pressure, Loss of consciousness, Convulsions, Paralysis & Respiratory failure possibly leading to death

The lethal dose for humans is estimated to be about 10 milligrams through skin contact. Think about that for a moment, 10mg. Amounts small enough to fit on a pin head can prove fatal in less than two minutes.

I say this because people seem to be unaware of just how little of this stuff it takes to kill.

9/11 finally brought terrorism to the forefront of people’s thoughts. Sadly it seems that with each passing day that appreciation for our safety diminishes in leaps and bounds. People would rather not think about because honestly it is just too damn scary.

But a result of 9/11 was a lot more training for the nations first responders and what that training produced was an understanding of just how vulnerable we actually are. I remember an instructor explaining that if we responded to a scene where we observed numerous victims and certain conditions that basically we [the first responders] were walking dead men and the best we could do was too alert those enroute to stay back until properly suited. That was and still is our life.

At the same time they began running “drills” in which they would create a scenario that officers would respond to and see what resulted. I recall one in which patrol officers were directed to an average size van in the parking lot of a sports facility. Upon observing the contents, which while small in stature appeared quite nefarious, they requested the response of specialized units.

The responding units took the necessary precautions and sealed off the area. They then began relaying information back for a “threat assessment” and evacuation protocols. The experts agreed that the threat level was extremely high. But what happened next physically shocked everyone. When asked how far they should evacuate they were off-handedly told Baltimore……….. Which was 200 miles away. In other words, when this thing goes off your already dead.

I say this because people seem to be unaware of just how little of this stuff it takes to kill. People want to think that they are safe. Like the Ostrich who buries his head in the sand at the first sign of danger, people believe ignorance is safety. They don’t want to look at the mini-van next to them and realize that at detonation they would simply be “vaporized.”

People want to believe that there simply were no WMD’s and therefore they are safe. Really, and just how many mini-vans can you hide in a country comprising an area of 437,072 sq km or roughly twice the size of Idaho?

There is no question that Saddam Hussein HAD weapons of mass destruction. During his reign of several decades, he was well known for his use of chemical weapons in the 1980s against his own citizens as well as in the Iran–Iraq War. Following the 1991 Gulf War he also engaged in a decade long confrontation with the United Nations and its weapons inspectors. The United Nations located and destroyed large quantities of Iraqi WMD throughout the early 1990s, with varying degrees of cooperation. Throughout this period of time, and afterwards, Saddam Hussein attempted to bully cajole, impede, confront, lie and anything else he could do to muddy the inspecting waters. In view of such adversarial actions, how could anyone take him at his word?

The real question is where they are now. There is an ancient Arab proverb that says: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. So while Saddam Hussein might have had warm fuzzy feeling for some of his fellow Arab neighbors, he certainly had no love for us and neither did they. Therefore they became his friends in the battle against the great Satan by virtue of their common foe. Where are the WMD’s: Syria, Lebanon, Iran,……? Take your pick.

Understand this though; Iraq did have an active WMD program. They informed the UN as much and related “approximate” numbers produced: over 3,000 tons of mustard gas, 250 tons of tabun, and 800 tons of sarin. Iraq began to produce VX nerve gas in 1985. Iraq admitted to having produced VX but claimed only token amounts of 3-4 while the UN estimated it could have produced over 200 tons. Iraq denied ever having weaponized VX. Yet UNSCOM found evidence of VX contamination on fragments of missile warheads. Iraq never provided an adequate explanation for this evidence, insisting instead that weaponization never occurred. Consider this, a ton equals two thousand pounds. Even Iraq’s claim of 3-4 tons of VX equals eight-thousand pounds of nerve agent.

Consider for a moment that you had a child whom you confront over an allegation that the child has used drugs. The child lies and accuses the accuser of lying. You ask to search his room and he consents. You find some drugs and he then admits to having some, but no more. You begin to look through the rest of the room and he changes his mind about the search and he kicks you out of the room. After some time he announces no more drugs exist and that he “threw them away”. You ask for proof but he cannot offer anything, just his word. He invites you back to the room, with the proviso that you will be able to search where he takes you. If you want to search any place else you must notify him in advance………. Do you see how utterly ridiculous this sounds? You wouldn’t stand for it with your child, but some people seem to be ok accepting this from a maniacal psychopath who has a history of possessing biological weapons.

My friends, to quote the military tactician Carl von Clausewitz, "The best defense is a good offense.” You might not believe in the propriety of the Iraq war but the bottom line is that this country must understand that we are a target and act appropriately. The battle against terrorism will either be fought there, or fought here, but it will be fought. Understand that 9/11 was not the first attack, but only the latest in a long list. In the twenty years prior to 9/11 there were 18 foreign terrorist attacks aimed at the United States both here and abroad.

Oct. 2000 - A terrorist bomb damages the destroyer USS Cole in the port of Aden,
Aug. 1998 - Terrorist destroy U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
June 1998 - Rocket-propelled grenades explode near the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
June 1996 - A bomb explodes outside a U.S. air force installation in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Nov. 1995 - A car-bomb in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kills American military and civilian advisers. February 1993 - A bomb in a van explodes in the parking garage at the World Trade Center
Dec. 1988 - A bomb destroys Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
April 1986 - An explosion damages a TWA flight as it prepares to land in Athens, Greece.
April 1986 - A bomb destroys a discotheque in West Berlin directed at US Military personnel.
December 1985 - Ssuicide attacks against U.S. and Israeli check-in desks at airports.
October 1985 - Palestinian terrorists hijack the cruise liner Achille Lauro
August 1985 - A car bomb at a U.S. military base in Frankfurt, Germany
June 1985 - A TWA airliner is hijacked over the Mediterranean,
June 1985 - El Salvador, machine gun attack at an outdoor café, killing four U.S. Marines
April 1985 - A bomb explodes in a restaurant near a U.S. air base in Madrid, Spain,
November 1984 - A bomb attack on the U.S. embassy in Bogota,
October 1983 - A suicide car bomb attack against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut
April 1983 - A suicide car bombing against the U.S. embassy in Beirut

That list doesn’t even count the Iranian Hostage Crisis where 52 U.S. diplomats were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981. Those who don’t remember that should understand that the current President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, was an active particpant in that.

We cannot simply sit by idly and hope the terrorists, and nations who support them, will change their point of view. I believe that diplomacy should be exercised in situations until you reach the point where it fails. But when you reach that point diplomats & politicians must move aside and allow the soldier to act.

Failed diplomacy and squeamish politicians are more a cause for the current situation than anything else. You cannot wage a war with a leashed military. You cannot prevent war by appeasing maniacal dictators. The enemy has seen no resolve on the part of the American people or their politicians. They have seen that the American’s at home have no stomach for war and will simply wait till we pull our troops out. All that will happen is that we will send the message to them loud and clear that we will not defend ourselves. Singing Kumbaya and holding hands around a campfire is no defense against terrorism. Mark my words, if we do not put the terrorist world on notice that we can and will defend ourselves we will face car bombs and suicide bombers on our streets.

Don’t believe that will ever happen? On 9/10 who could have possibly envisioned what would ever happen that next fateful day?

You ask where the WMD’s are and my answer is I don’t know. But I do know that Iraq produced them, admitted they produced them and now someone has them. Right now the best we can hope for is to make whoever that is terrified of ever using them against us.

Andrew,
The Angry American

The 7% Solution & the 95% Illusion

In the Sherlock Holmes novel, The Seven Per Cent Solution, Holmes informs Dr. Watson of his belief that Professor James Moriarty is a "Napoleon of Crime". The book presents this opinion as nothing more than the cocaine induced delusions of Holmes' mind. Those who have been in law enforcement or the medical profession often encounter people like this, who “see” and “hear” things that are in fact not real but the by-product of the narcotic influence over their otherwise normal brain functions.

I say this first, because I am getting the same impression regarding the 95% tax cuts being promised. It sounds good; it makes sense, but is it real or just a “Financial Cocaine” induced delusion?

You have heard the statement played ad nauseum if you have turned on a TV News report anytime in the last several months. “"Here is what I can tell the American people: 95 percent of you will get a tax cut.” Please understand this, he is saying "American People or Workers", Not TAXPAYERS.

During this period of financial upheaval, where every day seems like we are on a never ending roller-coaster ride, these words are like a salve to our broken and bleeding pocket-books and wallets. But does this “cream” help us, or is it masking an even greater ailment lurking around the corner?

Consider this, the part of Obama's tax plan that results in widespread tax cuts is a tax credit for workers, intended to offset payroll taxes. That’s right; you’re going to get a credit, because those businesses that comprise that 5% are going to see their taxes raised.

Now, the other problem with this statement is how is it possible to cut 95 percent of Americans' taxes when 40 percent of Americans don't pay any income tax? So, when they say 95% are going to get tax refunds, understand that SOMEONE is going to be paying for those 40% who do not contribute in the first place. You, who actual pay taxes, are going to get a tax credit while those who don't pay taxes are going to get the same tax credit. I don't care how you try and spin this, it is a HAND-OUT !!!!

I want everyone to think of this in a simple way. You have three kids and one “vacation piggy-bank.” One of your kids is in his teens and works every day after school and gets a paycheck, the second child does chores at home and gets an allowance, and the third child does nothing. I use this analogy, because most people can relate to this. At the end of the week the working child contributes 50% of his wages to the piggy bank. The second child contributes 15% of his allowance and the third, well nothing.

At the end of the year, Mom breaks open the bank and everyone goes on vacation. Do you understand who paid the most? Do you understand who paid the least? Do you understand that they are all sharing the same benefits? Can anyone understand why the first child might not work as hard next year? If that child does not work as hard, what kind of vacation will the family have?

People you need to understand this. We live in a capitalist society. That’s not a bad word. It means that we all have the potential to do as good or as bad as we choose. It is about responsibility to ones self and not a reliance on handouts. We have welfare, which allows those “TEMPORARILY” down on their luck to weather the storms in their lives until they get back on their feet. This country has lost sight of the temporary aspect and we are now living with generations of “entitlement babies” who believe that the government is mandated to pay them. The problem is WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT. Your money, in the form of taxes, is what pays these scam artists.

And now the promise, even if you don’t pay taxes, you’re going to benefit. Again, people….. You are going to pay. When that 50% kid decides to move out, who do you think is going to make up the difference in the vacation piggy-bank down the road? Thats right, Child #2 !!

This country is printing and spending money like it is going out of style. Truth is it might be. We are approaching the time when our currency might go out of style because it is not worth the paper it is printed on. The government cannot operate without money and since our politicians have it good in DC and no reason to give up their day job, they are going to find the money. When the 5% are not cutting it anymore, they are going to turn to the “95%”, but 40% aren’t paying anyway, so guess who that lives Joe & Jane Six-Pack.

The other day Obama was in Ohio and got begged for a series of hard questions from a Plumber. Not a Fortune 500 Investor, not a Corporate Exec, a plumber. One of the “Forgotten People.” Here is a text of the exchange:

"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" the plumber asked, complaining that he was being taxed "more and more for fulfilling the American dream."
"It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too," Obama responded. "My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

“Spread the Wealth Around”………. My friends that is Socialism.

Socialists mainly share the belief that Capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth into a small section of society who controls capital, and creates an unequal society. All socialists advocate the creation of an egalitarian society, in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly. The problem is, when you spread that wealth you remove the impetus to continue working from those people and by extension the businesses they run, that thrive on the idea of capitalism. The belief that “when I work hard I reap the benefits of my labor.” If you remove that reward, you remove the reason to work hard. When you do that those business close, and all those “spread the wealth” people have less wealth to spread. Your politicians will not suffer that same problem, trust me they are all “financial secure”.

What those politicians will due, is take you from the socialist dream to a communist state where the government will continue to dole out continually diminishing sources of revenue.

Socialism is the intermediate system between capitalism and communism, when the government is in the process of changing the means of ownership from privatism, to collective ownership.
There are people who say it “can’t” happen, yet history tells us time and again when it has. I’m asking the question: Why Can’t it Happen? - "It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too,…."

“Spreading the Wealth” is not giving some a “chance for success” it is fulfilling one of the basic tenets of Socialism where those are don’t have are simply “given” it without ever earning it.

Here is what I know from my 44 years:

I worked my tail off for everything I have.
I took a pay-cut to get a job that had healthcare
I paid my way through college
I sacrificed when times where tough so that I could pay my obligations
I bought houses and cars I could AFFORD not ones I WANTED

And now I am being told that the responsible choices and hard work I engaged in which lead to my “success” are not as important as simply GIVING that “success” to those less fortunate who have never worked for them.

“... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

So you answer me this: “What lessons do I teach my kids about hard work, when Obama says he is going to make the playing field level and spread the wealth around for everybody?”

WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT TO GRASP…………………

All I can say is: MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON US ALL

Andrew,
The Angry American

Understanding the Stock Market

I believe this was from an Irish Newspaper article. It is probably one of the easiest methods of explaining the stock market. Enjoy !!!

Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at $10, but as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their efforts. At this point the man announced that he would now buy them at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers, and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further so people started going back to their farms.Then the offer increased to $25 each, whereupon the supply of monkeys became so limited that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each!

However, he had to go to the city on some business so his assistant would now buy on his behalf for him.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers, 'Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 each and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.'

So the villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys. They never saw the man nor his assistant again, but there were monkeys everywhere!

And now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

Want to go to a SPA ?

I'm beginning to think that the ATAA Blog needs an award. Something befitting the enormous "Cajones" we see swinging so prevalently in these "Winds of Fall".

We have come to expect "pork barrel spending" and all sorts of wonderful exotic "learning junkets" that our esteemed politicians engage in. But this, oh this is a classic..... Your money, hard at work people!!!

Days after AIG received $85 BILLION in loans from the government (a.k.a. US) to save their proverbial "asses", Executives went to the St. Regis Monarch Beach, a coastal location just south of Los Angeles. It really is a nice place, looks very relaxing. The Tuscan-inspired resort is described as "............Situated high on a bluff overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean, stands a landmark resort of legendary proportions."

Legendary is a good word here.

When the smoke cleared, they racked up a tab of almost half a million dollars ($443,344 to be exact) and guess who got the bill !!!!

I guess in today's economic market, that total wasn't so bad. I just wish they had sent us taxpayers a postcard so we would know they were having a good time. But I guess at $.27 X 200,000,000.00 I don't think we could have afforded it.

Since we are bailing out everyone and their brother lately, can WE claim this on our tax return ?

Here are the line item amounts for this little R&R session:

$147,302 for banquets
$139,375 on rooms
$23,380 for spa services
$6,939 for golf
$5,016 at the Stonehill Tavern
$3,065 for in-room dining and the lobby lounge
$2,949 for gratuities
$1,901 at the Monarch Bayclub
$1,488 at the resort’s Vogue Salon

The best part is they are asking now for $37.8 billion.

Legendary..................

BREAKING NEWS: 10/09/08 Washington D.C. - Evoking its emergency powers to combat financial market stress, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it was lending $37.8 billion in additional cash troubled American International Group Inc.

As of last week, AIG had already used $60 billion of the original $85 billion.

Ask and ye shall receive........... pack your bags kids, next stop a week of Aqua-Aerobics in Venice,...... Italy

Andrew,
The Angry American

Obama Youth - Scary

Is it just me, or does this scare any of you just a little bit?

The Obama Youth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvMI_3CCCfM

The Obama Junior Fraternity

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

The last time the world saw this type of political oriented activity by the national youth, they were called “Hitler Jugend.”

And then you have a new poll from Readers Digest:

Global Poll Finds Obama Preferred in All Countries But U.S.

Barack Obama's proclamation last July to being a "citizen of the world" was affirmed Monday as a new poll -- taken before the August conventions -- showed that in 16 out of 17 countries surveyed he was the overwhelming choice to be the next president of the United States.

The poll also found that, counter to Obama's claims that America's reputation abroad is taking a beating, half of the 16 countries surveyed offered strong "pro-American" sentiments.


Andrew,
The Angry American

Democrat or Republican

I thought I would post this for everyone to see. It had originally gone out as an email because two people close to me actually asked me "who" I was voting for. I thought with all the "anti-Dem / anti-Rep" emails floating around that it was a great question and deserved an honest answer. If you plan on praising one candidate while lambasting another you should stand for something and go on the record. So take this for what it is worth, my choice & my name, and not some anonymous diatribe.

First let me say that I'm voting for John McCain. Although I will preface that statement with this note: it is not because I truly believe him to be the best candidate, sadly I think he is the lesser of the two evils. I respect him for his service to this country and I am humbled by what he endured. To his patriotism there is no question. The man is a hero, but I am not blinded by that.

I do disagree with John McCain on many issues:

1. McCain - Feingold (Finance Reform)
2. McCain - Kennedy (Immigration)
3. McCain - Lieberman (2nd Amendment)

And that's not even touching on: McCain - Kerry, McCain - Edwards, McCain - Bayh. As a matter of fact, I've often felt that he is sometimes a better Democrat, than most Democrats are. Let's face it, compared to McCain, Obama has not done much. A reporter once remarked "[McCain] has become the most hyphenated name in Washington."

But if that's not enough to scare the crap out of me, along comes the alternative with a quote like this:

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them,... And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Barack Obama, April 2008.

Hmmmm let's see Senator, maybe the antipathy and anti-immigration sentiment is based on all of us folks watching the government (that would be you folks) once again failing to do your job. Perhaps people are just sick and tired of watching people, who in many instances aren't even supposed to be here, playing the system and collecting money & benefits. While politicians sit back in their plush offices in D.C. slapping each others back on a job well done protecting those poor wretches. I certainly understand where the money that pays for all this comes from. By the way, I'm also a Christian, I own guns, live in the mid-west and have a deep aversion to anyone who believes that something is owed to them without having to do any thing to earn it. I guess that makes me one of the "Bitter" people in your eyes.

Why I will not vote for Barack Obama.

1st - I do not believe Obama has the credentials to be President. We are supposed to believe that he is an agent of change. Someone who is outside the realm of politics as usual. That he will be a "leader who takes on the hard issues" even when it means telling people what they don't want to hear. Yet as a Illinois State Senator (1997-2004), he chose neither to vote for or against some sensitive bills. As a matter of fact, he voted nearly 130 times “present,” which allowed him to avoid taking a stand. I'm sorry, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Or as a Professor of Political Studies in Illinois commented “If you are worried about your next election, the "present" vote gives you political cover.”

2nd - Nothing Obama is saying is new. It is the same "talking points" that everyone else has been spewing forth. There hasn't been an original idea in Washington in decades. Don't tell me what you are going to do "for me", tell me who is going to pay the bill. It's like those damn tax rebate checks. You want to jump start the economy, reach into your own damn wallet and send me some money.

3rd - Gun Control. In this case it is deeds my friend, not words. Obama says he has "never favored an all-out ban on handguns." Yet his record supporting state legislation says something different. Ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns. Ban assault weapons. Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons. Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms. Mandatory waiting periods and background checks. He say's "I have no intention of taking away folks' guns." Yet he supported the D.C. Gun ban. He voted for a bill in the Illinois senate that allowed retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons. Yet he was the most consistent anti-gun candidate when it came to enforcing and expanding gun control laws for average citizens. I guess when you are battling against your (Republican) opponent to win the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police you make exceptions to your position. But it begs the question "what else is he willing to make exceptions on to get votes?"

This is the deal breaker for me. I have been shooting and a gun owner for 25 years. I have never misplaced a gun, shot anyone accidentally, nor been involved in a drive-by. My idea of gun control is a proper sight picture coupled with trigger control. I will be damned if I am going to allow someone to dictate to me what I can and cannot have, simply because they do not believe in it. I don't tell you what to drive, where to eat, who to like or dislike or where you can live. I'm an adult & I don't need a keeper. Don't try to argue with me about protecting me from crime. I lived & worked in that fantasy world for the better part of my adult life. Go to every urban area where there are major gun problems and you will find that guns are already banned up the wazoo. News flash, your gun bans don't work because criminals don't care about breaking the law. I live my life by the old adage made famous by President Theodore Roosevelt: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

4th - Attacking the Great Beast (Oil Companies). Tell me and the American people why you (or Democrats in General for that matter) have such an aversion to "big oil." Is it because it is politically expedient to do so right now? George W. is in Oil so I guess I already know the answer. Politicians love to point out how Exxon / Mobil made Forty Billion dollars in profit in 2007. What they are less inclined to tell you is that they also paid Thirty Billion dollars in taxes.

My curiosity stems from the fact that when you look at "profit / revenue" there are some other companies that make a much nicer target, like say GE, McDonalds, Disney, or how about good old Microsoft. All of these firms make more profit off the dollar than Exxon. As a matter of fact Microsoft has a gross profit margin double that of Exxon. But what about this food for thought: Taxes (that's you Government folks again) on gas account for about 20% of the price, which about double the profit oil companies make. I don't buy into all the hype. I will admit it does appeal to me on an emotional level when I am gassing up my car, but I'm not buying this argument. Confused, good take an aspirin. As a collective group pharmaceutical companies make double the profits oil companies make.

By the way, it might not concern some wealthy Senator, but I rely on a pension and personal investments to allow me to "live" day to day. I wonder if they ever considered what impact their "tax the wealthy" schemes will have on the markets. I have little "hope", "trust", "faith" or whatever other "catch phrase" they are using today to believe they won't make more of mess with Social Security than they already have. I've paid into that little "Political Trust Fund" for well over twenty years. Yet each year that I get closer to being able to collect it, it keeps dropping further and further. To me, SS is little more than a government sponsored scam at this point. I keep paying into something that loses me money! Here's a news flash my friends, that fund you keep pumping money into is Twelve Trillion Dollars in debt. I "Hope" that by the time I reach the age to collect it, God Willing, I "Trust" that I should be able to purchase enough cat food for the month. But to tell you the truth I don't have much "Faith."

5th - Right, Wrong or Indifferent I do tend to judge people by the quality and character of their "friends" and the people they associate with. This list is not a "positive" endorsement of the mans character, but rather an indictment. Do a search on any and formulate your own opinions.

Bill Ayers (Weatherman Underground / Explosives) - Terrorist Group - This ones near and dear to NYPD & Capitol Police Cops.
Bernadine Dohrn (Students for a Democratic Society / SDS) - Terrorist Group
Mike Klonsky (Students for a Democratic Society / SDS) & (Communist Party USA Chairman (Marxist-Leninist)
Frank Marshall Davis (Communist Party USA (Marxist-Leninist)
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright (and I mean Rev. in the loosest of terms)
Father Michael Pfleger (disgraced Chicago Catholic priest)
Tony Rezko (Chicago Political Insider) - Convicted of 16 felony corruption counts including fraud, money laundering and abetting bribery.
Khalid Al-Mansour - Anti White / Christian Racist (petitioned on behalf of Obama for admission to Harvard)
Trinity United Church of Christ (see Rev. Jeremiah Wright) - 2007 awarded Louis Farrakhan it's Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award and said of him "truly epitomized greatness."

Obama spends more time distancing, and disassociating, himself from his friends and their statements: "(I decry) racism and anti-Semitism in every form." But have you noticed that he only does it AFTER the facts surface. Are we to believe that a man who wants to be elected President of the United States of America has these lapses in judgment?

6th - Global Upheaval. Let's face it, we live in a very uncertain world these days. The Middle East isn't very pretty, Russia is taking a trip down military memory lane, China seems to be preparing to consume everything in it's path and that Daffy Duck loving psychopath in North Korea is not giving me the warm fuzzies. Obama says he was "anti-War" from the very beginning, even when he was an Illinois State Senator. Is anyone shocked by this? As a state senator he represented one of the most liberal districts in the state of Illinois. It encompasses Chicago's lake front, Hyde Park, the University of Chicago & African American neighborhoods in the southern half of the district. What choice did he have but to be anti-war? That's not being a "strong leader willing to take a stand on hard issues", that's just being politically expedient. Yet, when he did get elected to the US Senate, where was his political cajones? What has he actually done to show his anti-war stance. Not said, done. At least John Kerry stood by his position.

I personally do not believe that in this day and age Barack Obama has the experience, or the backbone, to lead this country. Back in May he made the comment that Iran was a "tiny" nation that didn't pose a threat. In the sake of full disclosure he further said "They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. You know, Iran, they spend one-100th of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance." Yes, I do know Iran. They are a state sponsor of terrorist groups who have led attacks on our soldiers. I also remember that in 1979 this "tiny" nation took our Embassy hostage and held 52 Americans from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981. I also remember who was the US President then, and I am pretty sure that some of the former hostages remember who the Iranian President is now. Small world. By the way, when Congress voted to identify the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terror group, not only was Obama conveniently absent from the vote, but he subsequently attacked his political opponents for voting to designate the Guards as a terror group. Obama stated that it was just "justification for attacking Iran."

So Mr. Obama does not see the threat posed by a terrorist nation. OK, what does he think of our allies? Back in 2007 in a speech he said "It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al-Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will." OK, wait a second. This is the anti-War candidate saying he would take independent military action within the borders of a sovereign (nuclear) nation that happens to also be our ally? Are you serious? Please, someone spin this for me. Are there more politically expedient terrorist groups to target? al-Qaeda is more "badder" than Hamas? Hezbollah ?

Oh and who chided him on that statement, none other than his new best friend forever VP Candidate Joe Biden and the new Democratic darling Hillary Clinton. "BO"'s response: "I find it amusing, that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism." Ouch, Love hurts.

Here is what I do know. Iran is an oil wealthy nation seeking Nuclear weapons and with a serious (genocidal) dislike for the United States and their own neighbor Israel. The same Israel who happen to be our only true ally in the region. How does Barack view Israel. Well, it's not really clear. He seems to "protect" himself with non controversial votes which seem to allude towards a positive attitude, but what about his friends & acquaintances? Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, the teachings of the Trinity United Church of Christ, Louis Farrakhan, George Sorros (Obama Fund Raiser). All vehemently anti-Israel. Have you asked yourself who are some of Obama's Foreign Policy Advisors? Zbigniew Brzezinski, Robert Malley, Tony Lake, Ivo Daalder, Scott Lasensky. By and large mostly Carter and Clinton people with a decidely pro-Arab, and in some cases, strong anti-Israel viewpoint. Does this make any of you feel good?

No I'm sorry "Tax the Rich", "Health Care for All" and "End the Illegal War" aren't cutting it for me. I want real answers to real questions and not just the normal political sound bites to make you look insightful without ever answering anything. That doesn't instill "Change We Can Believe In" to me, but it certainly does reek of "Politics As Usual Chump".

Do not be led blindly into the future. I have said this before and I will say it again. Politicians are elected by the people. We are their employers and if we send them to Washington without holding them accountable then we get what we deserve. It is not about looks, nor sound bites, nor empty promises. If that were the case we would elect (TV Pitchman) Billy May's as President and cry away our tears with a Sham-Wow.

Decide for yourself who best fits your needs. But if I wanted to be scammed, I have four kids that will happily provide that service to me and NOT raise my taxes.

Personally, I want a President like Theodore Roosevelt. "The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

By the way, does anyone know who was the original champion of Universal Health Care & national Health Insurance ? Yeah, TR. 100 years ago and they are still promising us what they can't deliver.

Andrew
The Angry American

What is a Hero?

I figured I would start October out with a respite from the political nonsense that seems to be so prevalent in our country right now.

Coming from New York City, I lived through a lot of police bashing. Every civilian has an opinion of what you should be doing, and when you should be doing it. We got a little relief after 9/11 when everyone was shell shocked. But it never lasts.

There is a great video on YouTube which shows a guy getting a chance to be a "Cop for a Day" in Baltimore. Very Funny Stuff.

But in all seriousness, the photo below shows exactly what it means to be a cop. A Cop in Regina, Canada approaches a High School where there is a hostage situation as students are seen fleeing. That's what it means to be a cop. As others run for safety, you run into harms way. (Thanks to Gregor in Austria for sharing the photo)

General George S. Patton said it best: “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.”

Andrew

The Angry American

Fannie, Freddie & Frank (Part Deux)

Previously I wrote about the political shenanigans going on with Democrats pointing both barrels of blame at Republicans for the current Bailout Debacle centered around the malevolent twins, Fannie & Freddie.

My issue is not to give the Republicans a free ride as I find them just as culpable, but to slap the democrats for being so incredibly outrageous as to look the American people in the eye and OUTRIGHT LIE to them.

We live in a world where our every word has the potential for being taped for future posterity. I believe that the problems we are facing today stem from both parties being more responsive to the Lobbyists and not to their employers, the American Taxpayers.

But there is nothing that riles me more than someone getting in front of the TV and having the AUDACITY to lie to me. Either you are trying to cover up your mistakes, or by virtue of your testimony you are INCOMPETENT.

So, watch the video and judge for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

Then when your stomach settles, you can listen to Fannie Mae's former CEO Daniel Mudd fawning over the Dem's in 2005. He served at Fannie from 2000 till this month when he was shown the door.

Mr. Mudd (I wonder if his parents knew how perfect that name would be) won't get his "severance package" sadly. But don't feel bad for old Danny Boy. The man's salary was only $900,000.00 but amazingly, he actually received $11.6 million in salary, stock and other compensation for 2007. It unfortunately was a pay-cut over his 2006 "winnings" which was $14.4 million. I wonder, do they list these jobs on "Career Builder"?

Anyway, without further ado, here he is calling calling the Dem's the "Family" and "Conscience" of Fannie Mae. Maybe he should have followed my rule, never loan family money!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usvG-s_Ssb0

Andrew,
The Angry American

Politicians or Sports Hero's??

I was sitting here reading an article about the Bailout Debacle (Yes, I know... I have way to much free time) and the corresponding "reader comments" and it made me think. What in God's name do these people actually believe in and what the hell fantasy world do they live in?

I swear, for a moment I checked to make sure it was a political article and not some delusional sports magazine. Hello people wake up. These idiots are arguing like the Republicans and Democrats are some revered fantasy “political league” and it’s a week before the DC Porker Bowl.

THEY ARE POLITICANS NOT SPORTS HERO’S!!!!!!!!!!

But honestly, does anyone else see the comparison?

John McCain – Quarterback – The Washington Republicans

Barack Obama – Quarterback – The DC Dem’s

Each is a charming leader, skillfully guiding his team (party) as they via for the top prize.

They have a fine staff. The Republicans have:

Head Coach Mitch McConnell
Offensive Coach John Boehner
Defensive Coach Dick “Crush em All” Cheney
& Waterboy George Dubya'.

The Dem’s are equally represented by:
Head Coach Harry Reid
Offensive, Defensive & Special Teams Coach Nancy “mine, mine, all mine” Pelosi
& Cheerleading Director Barney Frank.

The teams also have the best marketing support money can, and does, buy: Housing, Health, Immigration & Legal Lobbyists.

And then there are you, Da’ Fan’s!!!!........................

You sit in your seat and root them on all season. Primaries in Des Moines, Conventions in Minnesota, Play-Off’s in DC. What a wild ride and here you are!!!

Boy oh Boy-O, You go to the ticket booth and buy your $3,500.00 ticket (your personal share of the $700 Billion bailout) for your seats in the Freddie-Mac Dome and sit back to watch these titans of the political battlefield duke it out.

And you find yourself sitting next to one of THEM……… Opposing Party Fans. AARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Let the verbal sparring begin.

Hey news flash zippy, your “team” has about as much concern for you & your opinions as the beer-boy servicing this section.

The latest bailout debacle is equivalent to multiple “flag” penalties on the field for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both sides are arguing and accusing the other of starting it. Hey nim-rod, yeah you in AIG Section 302, sit down and shut up. They are both guilty.

You sit there like YOU are a key component of your party. Not likely sport, unless you routinely slide fifty-large into your representatives pocket. You get a form letter sent with an auto-pen signature and you frame it to impress your equally delusional party buddy. Me and B.O…………… Tight Bay-Bee!!!

Yeah, tight…. like Eli Manning (shameless NY Giants plug here), signing a 12 year olds football card and hoping on the team jet.

I’m not trying to be overly sarcastic…….. (I said not overly) or too condescending, but the point is that you carrying on about your favorite politician is very sad. This type of hero worship has led us to the point we are at. Politicians are not to be idolized; they are supposed to be working for you.

Follow me here for a minute. The people you elected to represent you have failed miserably. They engaged in conduct that was simply wrong, and in many instances probably criminal. Now like the criminals they are they are trying to blame each other. And you, you’re like the rabid dog sports fan that vehemently defends the disgraced football player who was caught doing (Fill in the Blank).

I wonder, like sports players, do politicians sit there and go “damn, they actually believe me………”

As long as you sit there and continue to support their behavior, you are a key component in the problem. What we need to do is hold people accountable for what they say and what they do. That means if you’re a Republican you stand up when the President does something you feel is wrong, and if you’re a Democrat you call out Barney Frank when he blames the Republicans and yet doesn’t acknowledge his own involvement. If your only political affiliation is standing on the side line and shouting party slogans, you’re a mindless drone who probably doesn’t need to cause a backlog at the voting booth in November.

I believe in electing the best person for the job. Sadly, the Washington Gene Pool is really cloudy and producing some pretty scary off-spring.

Unless “We The People” take back control of our government, it will revert to “We The Politicians” and we will be left with whatever THEY decide is best for us.

That is not what the founding fathers intended. Quite honestly they would be amazed at the amount of damage we have managed to do in such a very short period of time.

If the best you can muster is to cheer like an idiot for your candidate du jour and spew inane talking points, as you yell-over your equally idiotic opposing party opponent. I wish you would turn off C-Span and turn on ESPN2 where your moronic behavior can’t do anymore damage.

Andrew,
The Angry American