Welcome to my Blog. Things have changed, just as our country is changing. I welcome all, and ask that you keep an open mind. I hope that as you read my posts, they will cause you to think, question and above all else educate yourself.
............Ok, so if you were the last remaining human on the planet who thought that the "reporters" over at MSNBC actually were Bipartisan, here is the shocking truth: MSNBC announced Friday that it has suspended prime-time host Keith Olbermann indefinitely and without pay for making political contributions to the campaigns of three Democratic candidates. Olbermann acknowledged to NBC that he donated $2,400 apiece to the campaigns of Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords.
Damn, does that mean whoever fills in on the "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" set will have to list him as the "Worst Person" of the week............. now that would be worth watching !!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Back in July I wrote concerning the voter fraud that took place during the hotly contested Minnesota Senate race. As more and more time passes we are becoming aware of the extent of the crimes involved, not only in Minnesota but in states all over this great country.
Recently an amateur citizens group in Houston uncovered rampant voter fraud. They determined that "Houston Votes", a voter registration group headed by Steve Caddle, who also works for the SEIU, was engaged in massive voter fraud. Why is it that it is always the amateurs who manage to uncover what the professionals seem so oblivious to? Anyway, among the findings were “that only 1,793 of the 25,000 registrations the group submitted appeared to be valid. The other registrations included one of a woman who registered six times in the same day; registrations of non-citizens; so many applications from one Houston Voters collector in one day that it was deemed to be beyond human capability; and 1,597 registrations that named the same person multiple times, often with different signatures.”
This is nothing new. In the past, both SEIU and ACORN have proved to be the “shock troops” of phony registrations which have led to voter fraud. During the 2008 election, both groups were instrumental in delivering fraudulent registrations and have been charged across the country in connection with fraudulent voting.
Now we have this gem coming in from the Federal Government itself.In October 2008, the National Right to WorkFoundation (NRWF), filed a complaint alleging that SEIU violated election law when it required local affiliates to contribute to its political action fund.The union amended it’s constitution that required each local to contribute $6 per member to the international's political action committee. Those locals that didn't comply would be charged the difference between what they owed and what they raised plus, a 50 percent penalty. Locals would then pay the penalties from their general funds to the political action committee. However, these funds are not allowed to be used for political purposes.
A clear cut violation of the law, right?
The Federal Election Commission's general counsel thought so and found the union to be guilty of violating election law when it required the local affiliates to contribute to its political action fund. However, the FEC's full board nonetheless voted to overrule its staff attorney and subsequently dismissed the original complaint. As a result the union has now been allowed to amass a $9 million war chest for the next election. On top of that, they failed to provide the complainant (NRWF) with a detailed finding until well after the time had lapsed to allow for an appeal.
This coming on the heels of Christopher Coates, former voting chief for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, testifying about the dismissal of charges against members of the New Black Panther Party who carried truncheons at a polling place in Philadelphia. Coates testified that the Black Panther case was dismissed “following "pressure" by the NAACP and "anger" at the case within the Justice Department itself.” Coates explained that “That anger was the result of their deep-seated opposition to the equal enforcement of the Voting Rights Act against racial minorities and for the protection of white voters who have been discriminated against." Mr. Coates is hardly a poster child for the right. Previously he served as counsel to the ACLU.
Just ask yourself these rhetorical questions:
Which political party generally benefits from Voter Fraud?
Which political party has worked to prevent Voter ID Law?
Which political party has close ties to both SEIU and ACORN?
Not sure if this qualifies as “Change that Matters.” Sounds more like politics as usual to me.
This is not an indictment of any one political party, this is an indictment of the political system which believes that the right to free and honest elections is secondary to the interests of those with enough money or power to alter them.
Is it just me or have others been noticing the increase in derogatory comments being made lately?
In watching the various media outlets, there seems to be a “ratcheting up” of the nasty comments directed at both the Tea Party and conservatives in general. It has actually turned vicious. The words above capture only what I would call the PG version. There seems to be a predilection by many to using curses to “enhance” their opinion.
While most of the video pundits come across as cackling, obnoxious, pseudo- intellectuals, the one interesting aspects of the written commentary is the extremely poor spelling. I’m not sure how you expect to be taken seriously when your paragraph reads like this: “these people are straight up looney toons. we might as well have spongebob squarepants and bugs bunny join the group cause this group is very unrealistic. sure i deffinitly think obama is doning a pretty crappy job in office, but im not gonna go as far as the tea party goes in expressing their oppionion.”
Really? It’s 2010, we all have spell check. I read that and wonder what exactly the Board of Education, nationally and locally, is doing for our kids.
How did we get here? For the sake of full disclosure I am both a member of a 9/12 group and I also attend Tea Party events. I am labeled as a Republican, but I would amend that title by saying that I vote based on my beliefs and not by party position. Sadly, I am of the belief that nine times out of ten I am voting for the lesser of the two evils and not better candidate. I would like to believe that anyone who knows me would attest to the fact that I bear no resemblance to the derogatory slurs listed above.
I have sat here and pondered both what I have seen and what I have read. I hate to admit that not only am I appalled, but I am truly perplexed. Consider this for a moment:
If you hold up a sign claiming Bush is the anti-Christ and a baby killer, you are exercising your protected 1st amendment right. However, if I hold up a sign claiming Obama is a socialist, I am a hate mongering racist
If you riot in the streets against a policy you dislike it is an acceptable form of public disobedience to get your point across. However, if you gather peacefully to show you displeasure with government waste, you’re an extremist.
If you burn the US flag it is ok because of the way this country is perceived as conquerors and colony builders around the world. But if I fly the Gadsden flag I am right wing nut job.
You can engage in voter fraud and election tampering without threat of reprisal, but if I win you immediately claim I stole the election and demand a recount.
As a media pundit you can make outlandish claims and ridicule me, but if I present clear verifiable facts I am a loony tune.
If you support abortion you an advocate for women’s rights. If I oppose I am a religious zealot who “wants 14 year old girls to be forced by the government to have abortions.”
If you start a politically motivated organization, funded by a foreign billionaire, you are a grass roots movement. If I get together with others to voice my opinion we are “astro-turf.”
If you believe the scientists who claim global warming is real, you are a concerned environmentalist. If I believe other scientists that say the claims are exaggerated than I am an intellectual retard who shouldn’t be taken seriously.
If you have a politically embarrassing moment in your life, you laugh it away as some meaningless inside joke and refuse to acknowledge such trivial issues. If I have the same, I am branded for life and hounded about it at every opportunity.
You demand to have your voices be heard. But when it is our time you shout and ridicule us in an attempt to drown out what we have to say.
Remember in March the whole Health Care Bill Debacle? According to the left “Teabagging racists chanted 'Nigger' 15 times at civil rights hero Congressman John Lewis, as they spit on Congressman Emanuel Cleaver.”
Yet, in an event that was covered extensively there is no video or audio of anyone saying the word “nigger” once, no less a “chant” of 15 times. This despite several large monetary rewards being offered for this proof. Nor did any of the Capitol Police Officers walking with the group hear it. In an attempt to validate his claims of being “spit on”, Cleaver contends that a person was arrested by that he declined to press charges. Unfortunately for Cleaver, the USCP stated that “We did not make any arrests today."
What I do find amusing in a sadly disturbing way is that you have the left screaming about some fictitious racist remarks being said while simultaneously using a sexually derogatory remark against the alleged offenders………….huh? Seriously?
Do you see the hypocrisy in all of this?
I have said this before and I will say it again. I tend to spend a lot of time watching news outlets and researching issues. Probably too much time according to my family. But when you stop and really look at what is being said, and the facts being offered, you begin to ask questions. I have watched the left ridicule and mock those on the right, including Glenn Beck, but I have yet to hear them actually prove him wrong.
I have looked into some of his “conspiracy theories” as the left calls them and I have yet to find out where he is lying. Maybe you disagree with him because everyone else you know does, and that’s okay. But do you actually listen? I don’t agree with a lot of people, Beck included sometimes, but it is based on an articulable opinion. However, he does raise a lot of questions that need to be answered and not simply mocked.
The left seems to think that simply ostracizing a person, or just calling them crazy, is a compelling argument. It isn’t and you should not be conned into believing it is. Remember the quote from Catch-22: “Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”
This country is not great because we copy the rest of the world. This country is great because for the most part we put the time and effort into creating things that the rest of the world copied. Our problem for the most part is that we began to read the headlines telling us how great we were and then began to feel remorseful for our success.
If you disagree with me, fine. I truly believe that we can accomplish great things if we think and talk. Sit down at the table and explain to my why you feel I am wrong. Maybe you will bring something that has eluded me and I will change my way of thinking. Or maybe the reverse will happen. All I ask is that you treat me with dignity and respect.
Don’t try to scream over me, mock me, ignore me, or belittle me. That is not what this country is about and I believe we all deserve better.
I’m sitting positively apoplectic over this outrageous example of political hubris. If you are trying to raise a family under the specter of tax hikes, home foreclosure & unemployment there are no words to describe how incensed you should be.
This country is facing an economic meltdown. As of today we have a National Debt of 13.5 trillion dollars. Unemployment is almost 10% nationwide. Home foreclosures are at epidemic proportions. And the list goes on.
So what are our exalted elected officials doing to make things better?
Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert appeared and "testified" before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. Mr. Colbert appeared as an "expert" witness on the plight of migrant farm workers at the invitation of the subcommittee's chairwoman, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).
Come on………………. Seriously?
There are no words to describe how enraged we should all be at this type of behavior. This is OUR Congress. As imperfect as it may be, we still depend on our elected officials to represent us, not make a mockery of our political system by allowing this. Illegal Immigration is a serious issue facing this country. Irregardless of what side of the fence you are on, to have it become the subject of comedic fodder for someone’s ratings is offensive.
If Congresswoman Lofgren chose to appear on Mr. Colbert’s show, I have no problem. Oh, that’s right, she did. But now she decided to take it one step further, beyond comedy, and to disgrace our political process. However, at a time when many American are struggling just to survive, is unconscionable.
Congresswoman Lofgren and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), should resign their chairmanships immediately.
Welcome to the new America folks. You can rest easy knowing that your elected representative is enjoying themselves in DC on your tax dollar and the Emperor Nero is providing the soundtrack.
Almost a decade ago I started composing emails which I sent to my friends basically outlining my feelings on world events. Obviously, little has changed as I have now branched out from email to blog. Honestly, do you know anyone who doesn’t have a blog these days?
I thought I would take a moment to dust off the explanation of my little nom de plume.
Back in those early days, the U.S. was being blamed for any and all problems everywhere in the world. Voters thought politics had hit rock bottom and that they had begun to dig. Little did we know that it wasn’t the end, but just the beginning. We were being inundated by a multitude of issues ranging from the aftermath of 9/11, the Iraq war, In God we Trust, Terrorism, Immigration, Gun Control, Economic Issues and the incompetency of the United Nations.
Sadly, in the last decade we haven’t seen much improvement. 9/11 only seems to be relevant once a year, politicians are still bemoaning the fact that it is the other parties fault, Political Correctness is still trying to lock God in the ideological broom closet, entitlement babies not only abound but are expecting more, illegal immigration is still rampant, gun control advocates are still screaming about how better life would be if we got rid of all the legal firearms, the Economic situation still seems to allude us and the UN,…………. Is still really irrelevant.
But I want to make it clear that my choice of the signature “the Angry American” is not intended to describe me as someone with inherent bitterness. In the beginning I admit I was angry. Actually the anger was based on being reactive to issues. But with time I matured (at least I would like to believe I have) and I began to look at them, not as isolated events, but part of the larger picture.
For the record I would like to say I was never angry because of differences in opinion. I firmly believe that healthy debate is a cornerstone to democracy. I might not agree with you, but without the ability to have a dissenting voice we would be no better off than any other totalitarian regime.
What I would simply ask all of you is this. It is time that we stop accepting the news fed to us in talking points. I don’t care who you listen to, Beck or Olbermann, Hannnity or Maddow, O’Reilly or Matthews; or from where you get your news: Fox or MSNBC, Huffington Post or Drudge. What I ask is that you please DO NOT accept this as the be-all, end-all.
It’s all spin, we all do it. Ever watch a “news clip” showing a damning statement? Most likely spin. Go watch the whole clip first. I grew accustomed to this in my law enforcement career. The griping news coverage of that vicious police assault. Yeah, not so much. What they failed to show is usually the prior 15 seconds where the defendant is not acting very much like the HS Honor Student photo plastered all over the news. Spin people.
All I ask is that you treat the news media (and politicians) like you treat your kids. Trust, but verify.
Most of you who know me, know that I am not prone to jumping the gun. I do not immediately forward the latest and greatest internet tome claiming to prove that the political machine in the United States is actually the love child between Russia and China. Although……………. But I digress.
I don’t believe that we do ourselves justice when we blindly follow any politician or media darling. That’s not to say they aren’t telling us the truth, but blind trust is actually what got us here. If I am told something, I am willing to accept it at face value but I also strongly believe in the old adage “trust, but verify.”
However, I am reminded of the scene in The Passion in which Pontius Pilate says “Quid Est Veritas?” What is Truth?
Last night I was watching Hardball with Chris Matthews. I know many of you will be shocked by that admission. For the sake of full disclosure I have also been known to watch Glenn Beck, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Bill O’Reilly, and Ed Schultz. I think it is important to hear both sides of an argument and then make your own decisions. This brings me back to last night. Aside from all the rhetoric and name calling (a subject for a future entry) I was troubled by what Chris Matthews was “spinning” in connection with comments made by Newt Gingrich at the Values Voter Summit. On his show Matthews, along with Washington Post reporter Eugene Robinson, lambasted Gingrich for his comment that "We should have a federal law that says Sharia law cannot be recognized by any court in the United States.” But is this something that should be dismissed with derogatory commentary and childish laughter?
Before we look further, let us answer the question what is Sharia Law? Sharia is the sacred law of Islam. Muslims believe it is derived from the divine revelations set forth in the Qur’an, and the sayings and example set by the Prophet Muhammad. All Muslims believe Sharia is God’s law and is administered by Islamic Judges.
Unless you are a clairvoyant, none of us can truly predict the future with absolute certainty, however we can use the past and the present to guide our thoughts. So is the former Speaker of the House correct? Or do we owe Messrs Matthews and Robinson a debt of gratitude for pointing out the absurdity of this commentary?
To see where we might be heading, we must first look to other countries that have seen an increase in their Muslim communities. These increases came about as a result of bringing to Europe their former colonial subjects. These came in the form of refugees and cheap labor from such nations as Pakistan (UK), Turkey (Germany) and Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia (France). These initial communities were small and comprised only a fraction of the host countries population. At this point one can begin to see what impact, if any, Sharia law has had on the host country. Initially, Sharia law was not seen as an obstruction to the recognized law. It was applied discretely within small Muslim enclaves in order to remedy minor cultural issues. However, after two generations of high birth rate and immigration, those communities have grown to where the Sharia law now challenges the Judeo-Christian foundations of their host European nations.
In United Kingdom, Islamic imams now outnumber Christian pastors. In 2008 the leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted a lecture at the Royal Courts of Justice and stated "as a matter of fact certain provisions of Sharia are already recognized in our society and under our law. The application of Sharia in certain circumstances, if we want to achieve this cohesion and take seriously peoples' religion, seems unavoidable?"
In Germany, Muslims have successfully argued Sharia law in court to defend the right of men to beat their wives as well as to practice polygamy.
In France, home to an estimated 14 million Muslims, including 9 million illegal immigrants, the government no longer controls the densely populated, predominantly Muslim ghettos that encircle most major French cities. As a matter of fact, France is projected to become a majority Muslim nation by 2040. It is estimated that The Netherlands will become Western Europe's first majority Muslim nation by 2015.
Closer to home, Canada for years has been quietly condoning the application of Sharia law among Muslim immigrants by sending multiple welfare checks to polygamous Muslim men who raise multiple families in Canada. Additionally, the Muslim community of Ontario sought to have the Sharia officially and legally recognized by the government. The Premier of Ontario refused to recognize Sharia. However with the Muslim population, currently believed to be 1 million, is growing at such a fast rate, the outcome of further debate might not be the same.
That brings us to the United States. Now, the population of Muslims in American is small compared to the global population. Estimates put it between 5-9 million. The pundits, like Mr. Matthews, will tell you that is small in comparison to other religious groups and they are correct. However, what they don’t say is that the rate of population both younger then the general US population and is increasing at a dramatic rate. According to the 2000 US Census, Muslims experienced n annual growth rate of 6% versus 0.9% for the total U.S.
Consider that if you took an average of 6.5 million and grouped those into one block of people, they would comprise the population of the states of: Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana and Rhode Island; along with Washington DC and the US territories of Guam, US Virgin Island, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Now all of a sudden that doesn’t seem as insignificant as it did a few moments ago does it?
Now, armed with what I have just said, ask yourself this question, “whom do I believe?” Without assailing the bona fides of Messrs Matthews and Robinson, I don’t know if there diatribe against the former House Speaker, or their snide comments about his intelligence, qualifies as a substantial argument against what he said. In all honesty, what you have just read here is 99% more than what you would have gotten from either the video segment or the newspaper article. I guess they believe their personal opinion trumps the facts.
According to Mr. Robinson “There is no left-of-center movement dedicated to fighting the steady, stealthy insinuation of Sharia into America's legal system because no such thing is happening. Gingrich invents an enemy and then demands to know why others haven't sallied forth to slay it.” But what if?
In June 2009, a family court judge in Hudson County, N.J., denied a restraining order to a woman who testified that her husband, a Muslim, had forced her to have non-consensual sex. Judge Joseph Charles Jr. said he did not believe the man "had a criminal desire to or intent to sexually assault" his wife because he was acting in a way that was "consistent with his practices." According to Mr. Robinson, the judge was wrong and that the error was corrected. But, the fact is that an American judge actually took it into consideration and used it in coming to his verdict. What happens next time when it is not overturned? Will that become the foundation for future judgments? And most importantly, should I not worry about this simply because Messrs Matthews and Robinson tell me so? One has only to look at the long laundry list of less than stellar verdicts issued from the bench to see that judicial prudence does not have a stellar track record.
We live in a “new” America. In the (exaggerated) words of our President “if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world”. Is it unreasonable to think that this growing population would not seek to have its culture and beliefs adequately protected and represented within the framework of the law? I don’t think so and I am certainly not reassured by the disconcerting laughter of Mr. Matthews.
Don’t think that this can happen here? It did.
For those of you who are under any misconception, four American citizens were arrested for engaging in their 1st Amendment right. State Representative Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, called for an investigation by the attorney general’s office on the matter. What I find funny (sad) is that the Mayor of Dearborn, John O’Reilly, claims that the arrestee's “pretended to be arrested." Uhm, maybe someone should tell the Mayor that the trial for one of the “pretending” defendants on the charges of "Disturbing the Peace" and "Failure to Obey a Police Order" was set for September 20th.
The media will tell you this is an aberration, but what if it is actually just the beginning? These are American law enforcement officers trampling on individual rights. Law enforcement making mistakes? Jurists making mistakes? What is next? When do the mistakes not get fixed? Is it wrong to believe in the old adage “better to be safe than sorry.”
I ask YOU to decide. Not based on what you hear, but what you invest the time to learn.
I'm sitting here, having written this entry and realized, I need to re-write it....... sigh.
This originally started out as the third installment (Part Trois for continuity sake) in the lurid tale of what has become know as: Fannie, Freddie & Frank. This saga seems to have as many parts as those of George Lucas' epic tale of good vs. evil in space. And, like that great epic, it also has it's cast of questionable characters. However, given my druthers I would gladly take a Capitol building filled with Jawa's, Ugnaughts, Ewoks and the occasional Gungan, over the current occupants.
So what has your humble scribe so riled up now ? Let us begin anew............
By the end of my research it became abundantly clear to me that, while Mr. Frank's lies and tall tale's are quite entertaining, it is the media that has become the hand maiden to this rogues gallery we call our representatives. While the original Liar ? Liar ! called into question Mr. Dodd (D-Ct), this article is about the so called Fourth Estate. Sir Edmund Burke is attributed with saying that there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all. Unfortunately it seems that, rather than be the unbiased watchdog for the people, the media has become the fourth branch of government.
Appearing on Neil Cavuto's show on Fox Business the House Financial Services Chairman, Rep Barney Frank (D-Ma), now feels that Fannie and Freddie should be abolished ! Not only that, but he states that it has been his position that not everyone should own a home and contends that this housing crisis was the past administrations fault (with a little add on blame to the Clinton Admin.).
I am not sure how to handle this. I mean, my head is spinning as I write this. I would like to believe that he has finally come to his senses, but I just don't feel it. I think this is just your typical political back peddling, interspersed with the prerequisite finger pointing once again to the prior administration. So listen for yourself.
Am I missing something ? This is so outlandish, so incredible that it is almost breath taking in it's scope of political audacity. Not only is he trying to reinvent his position, but he is claiming that it was actually the republicans who were the reckless ones.
Now, it would be wrong of me to present only one side. These comments were made Aug 2010. Truth be told, this is only the latest rendition of this tale. His "renters" not "home owners" tour dates back to 2009 at least.
Now, if I limited this only to Fox News those on the left would be feigning outrage and indignation. So let's go back to January 2010 and the Larry King show. Larry actually tries to call him on it but Barney once again claims "renters" not "home owners". Sadly, there is a pesky little c-span video from 2005 that claims otherwise.
Now, lets go back to May 2010 and see what CNBC had to say about this:
And here is what troubles me most. One reporter comments at the end justifying why Mr. Frank was not called out on his lie. "It's not really good to say a Congressman's a liar.....that would be wrong."
What ?!?!?! Whoa, did he just say that ? If anyone viewing this has every had any question about the leanings of the "main stream" media, this should dispel any doubt. He also tries to claim that they were caught off guard by it and that contributed to not following up. However, as the Larry King video shows, this is not a new position and any reporter worth his salt should have been prepared.
This is the problem we are facing in this country. Elected officials who refuse to admit fault, lie to cover-up their involvement or incompetence and blame the other party to deflect the fact that they have no plan to correct or improve the situation are only one aspect of the problem. A media who believe their allegiance is to a party or an agenda can no longer be counted on to provide the truth and should be viewed with skepticism until the veracity of a story can be established.
America, stop voting by party lines and media talking points. Begin voting by principal. In this country we do not agree on all things, but we need to vote for the person we as individuals believe represent us, and not who the political parties tell us to vote for. As the above videos show, the news outlets also can no longer be counted on to provide the "unvarnished" truth. Watch accordingly.
Remember, you cannot elect, or re-elect, a thief and or liar and expect them to do good. If you are unhappy with the latest gallery of thieves, liars and charlatans, then vote them out in 2010.
Or in the immortal words of our favorite Gungan, Jar Jar Binks, "But wait! Mesa gave you complete control of the senate. Yousa have ultimate power now because of mesa. " (Sith Apprentice, 2005)
OK, everyone get their red pens out and begin marking their calenders. The day that I thought would never come,....... I Agree with Robert Gibbs !! I Know, my brain is all a twitter even as I write this.
In all honesty, I have seen this coming for some time now. Even within the administration the cracks in the facade are beginning to appear. Truth be told, it was never going to last. From the onset way to many promises were made. While this is something that is quiet easy to promise on the campaign stump, it is quite another thing to actual deliver on when in office. Not to say that they haven't tried. Just check out the most recent spending spree for evidence of that.
But now, a year and a half into the Hope and Change Presidency, the shine is beginning to wear thin. When these fractures appear, sometimes truth manages to slip out. Which brings me to the heart of this entry which is a quote that has generated quite a bit of political heat for Mr. Gibbs: "Gibbs had harsh words for what he called "the professional left"" saying, "They will be satisfied when we have Canadian health care and we've eliminated the Pentagon. That's not reality."
Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to run out and start a local chapter of the Robert Gibbs fan club. Personally, I think he is pompous, arrogant and just a tad bit condescending. But in the immortal words of anonymous ".....even a broken clock is right twice a day."
The truth is, there is a "professional" left that are quite angry with what they see as the failings of the Obama presidency. Ironically, it is those very same people who are quite happy with vilifying anyone who they deem to be on the "radical" right. Which I believe is anyone just right of Nancy Pelosi. Which leads you to wonder, what Change did they exactly Hope for ?
This is at the core of the problems we are facing in this country. There are certainly extremes in every party, and yet when it comes down to it, you vote (generally) one of two ways: Democrat or Republican. But what you want, and what the person standing next to you wants, are generally two different things. We need to begin to rethink this two party system.
The other day I was speaking to a friend who is a self described lifelong Democrat. In his own words he said that come November he will be voting against his party. His reason was that they no longer represented his values. As we talked further it became abundantly clear that our "values" were quite similar. Which made me start thinking why we seem to be forced to choose between two parties, and why the parties seem to be so scared of anything that begins to gain public support (i.e. the Tea Party). In the end, it comes down to $$$ & power.
In my opinion Robert Gibbs was right, the Professional Left will not be happy till we have a Canadian style health care system and a complete reduction of the military. They don't like it, they never have. But what about the rest of the Democratic party ? How does one party embrace so many different view points, yet work for the same ends ? The answer, it doesn't. That's why their is so much disillusionment. It's time to begin to embrace change.
I have been a lifelong Republican, but I can say with all honesty that I have been left with my own sense of disillusionment with the politics of my Party. Come November I will cast my vote based on my opinions, not what I am being spoon fed. I will use my vote to put into office the people I feel will represent me. If they fail to live up to their obligation I will vote them out in the next election. My vote is for what is in the best interests of my Country, not my party.
So for today, Robert Gibbs and I stand arm in arm. Take the pic quickly, something tells me it won't last long.
535 - All in all that really doesn’t seem like a big number right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. More on this shortly.
The other day I was at a finance board meeting for my county. The good news, well there was none. The bad news, after years of a “flat budget” they are now saying that not only will they have to begin making cuts, but they will most likely be facing layoffs. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the state is reneging on its fiscal obligations and failing to pay the county. So as a result, the county has to tighten its fiscal budget and be responsible.
Not so in DC.
535, the total number of Senators and Congressional Representatives, serving We The People. The current salary (2010) for these members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year. That does not reflect the speaker and majority / minority representatives who are paid more for their lofty positions.
$1,013,162,955, the amount spent in the nine months between June 2009 and March 2010 by the aforementioned 535!!! No, that wasn’t a mistake, that’s over $1 BILLION dollars. This comes from the Members Representational Allowances. This is the fund we provide to these over priced “legislators” to administer their offices. Literally it is their version of your house operating expenses, except on a grandiose level.
Can you say disconnect?
Now, understand that this is only 9 months. $674 million is what the House spent in the last six months of 2009 followed by $339 million in the first three months of 2010. Now considering the dire straits we, the average American Tax Payers, are in, you might wonder what pressing issues could these elected officials be spending so much money on? Glad you asked:
$51.6 million Paid to about 637 chiefs of staff or deputy chiefs of staff.
$4.4 million Paid to about 1,045 interns and pages.
In addition to the salaries above, they also paid out: $34.9M on health insurance, $854K on life insurance and $12.6M on student loan repayments. I guess when you work for the government; you don’t need to pay your own student loans. Nice huh?
I guess when you are this important; you need an entourage to help you make such important decisions on what things to spend OUR tax money on. What decisions you might ask, well here:
$114,925 spent by the Democratic Caucus for its staff to have a getaway for the weekend to the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. (Hey, everyone needs a vacation right?)
$362,939 received by (Former) former House Speaker Dennis Hastert to run an office for outstanding affairs from his tenure. (Uhmmmm Newsflash: Hastert hasn't been the speaker since early 2007, or even been in Congress since late 2007, for that matter.)
$5.3 million Spent on computer software (Hey, Assassin’s Creed II for PC was coming out.)
$18 million Spent on computer hardware (Cause what’s the purpose of having a great new program if you have video lag!!)
$7.5 million spent on office supplies (Red Pens and Post-It Notes for all those pesky health care changes?)
$565,373 Spent on carpet. (They only have 540 rooms. Do they re-carpet every year?)
$317,304 Spent on new drapes. (For 550 windows? How do you wear out drapes?)
$2.5 million was spent on furniture. (Uh, Nancy your new armoire is here)
$2.6 million spent on food and beverages (and you thought your food bill was high)
This included:
$604K Spent on bottled water (Really, the US Capitol water supply is that bad?)
$169K Spent on catering. (I hate cooking to. Besides, I bet the restaurant bill would have been Insane………)
$3,061 Spent on Chantilly Donuts (Now you know how they pass all those insane laws, SUGAR RUSH)
$84,794 Spent on coffee (To stay awake and read those several thousand page laws)
$9,450 Spent on Coca-Cola products. (Wonder if they were surprised when they got Soda?)
$22.6 million for postage. (To share with their constituents all the good news in DC)
Over $16 Million on telecommunications services. (And you thought your cell phone bill was high!!)
$11 million spent on newspapers and other resources (To read about all the good they are doing!!)
$5.8 million spent on Web design, e-mail and hosting services. (What, they didn’t have enough money for a dedicated IT staff?)
$9,809 Spent on shredding services (I guess they couldn’t find an intern to do any shredding?)
$12.5M Spent on travel for representatives and staff (I’d want to get away from my constituents as well. But who gets the frequent flyer miles?)
Next time you are clipping coupons and trying to figure out how you are going to make it till the next paycheck, just think about your congressional representative and how they are making it from paycheck to paycheck……. Now, don’t you feel better !!!
I'm taking a new approach. Seems like life has been pushing, pulling and prodding me in so many directions, that I can't seem to find the time to sit down and write at length. This is sad to me because I actually enjoy writing and feel that there is so much out there to actually write about. Let's face it dear readers, this country is not exactly in the best of health.
Growing up, one of my favorite TV shows was Superman. No, not the cartoon, or the movies, the actual TV show. No, not Smallville, go back further, the Original TV Show, in all it's B&W glory (well, color by the 3rd season but you get the point)!!
At the beginning of the show, their was a monologue which ended "....the never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!!"
My, how far we have come.
There was a time when I believed that the majority of Americans felt that way. Maybe it was just my own brand of naïveté. Maybe it still is, but it seems to be a fading echo from a once better time.
Today's little gem of happiness come from the land up north. Minnesota to be exact. Minnesota Majority, a conservative watchdog group, just released a report which found that at least 341 convicted felons in largely Democratic Minneapolis-St. Paul voted illegally in the 2008 Senate race. That was the race that pitted former comedian Al Franken, against incumbent Senator Norm Coleman.
Now, whatever your feelings on the individuals or their respective parties, it's got to irk you when there is an apparent attempt to undermine the electoral process which makes this country so great. One would think that it would set off bells and whistles across the board. You'd be wrong. Apparently, there is no interest in this matter at the federal and state levels.
Now, if you are asking why 341 is such a big deal, you'd be right. Statistically, it's not very significant. But consider that the election results were hotly contested and that the final recount vote, determined six months after Election Day, showed Franken beat Coleman by only 312 votes.
Now, as far as Minnesota politics go, I don't know anything about Norm Coleman, and I probably know way too much about Al Franken. I didn't have much care for him as a snobby pseudo intellectual comedian (talk about a minority classification) and after seeing recent coverage of him in the Senate I have even less to say about him.
But this isn't about politics or parties, this is about what we are allowing to happen to this great nation. We have to take a stand on a local level and make our once taciturn voices heard.
If we allow allegations of impropriety to go unheeded, we set the stage for further violations of our way of life.
Personally, I think this matter should be fully investigated by the authorities. If the information provided by this group is fraudulent, then action should be taken against them immediately. However, if it is authentic, then the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
We as American's cannot allow THEM to dictate to US what should and shouldn't be done. That's how we got in this mess. Don't think it can get worse ? Sit back and do nothing and watch. Don't find yourself looking back at 2010 and saying ".........yeah, those were the good times."
No issue has been more divisive than this topic. It has become the proverbial line in the sand in this nation. The sad thing to me is that it is a serious topic that has been lost due to its abuse by the political machine in Washington.
Fundamentally, everyone agrees that health care reform is something that needs to be addressed. But it’s the complexity of the issue that causes the most issues. It’s simply not as clear cut as D.C. would lead you to believe.
HCR was a topic that President Obama campaigned on. It was in fact one of the cornerstones of his campaign platform. If you go back to last summer, the majority of Americans wanted HCR. A Rasmussen poll from June 2009 indicated that 50% of American’s favored HCR. This is significant. The argument was sound that American’s wanted this.
So what happened to cause such a stunning reversal that by March 2010 the pendulum had swung around to a 54% opposition? In fact, at several points from December to February the disapproval rating was as high as 58% while the approval rating sunk to 38%.
The foundation for this issue can be seen in the sweeping mandate that the Democrats were given in 2008. The American people embraced the slogans of “Hope & Change” and “Yes We Can” and elected a Democratic President and gave majority control of both the Senate and the House to the Democrats. The current majority totals in the Senate are 59 to 41, and in the House it is 253 to 178. In fact, it is interesting to note the fact that the Democratic Party has actually held control in both houses since January 2007. But in 2008 they were given the keys to the country. Majority control of both the executive and legislative branches of government. No one could have predicated that they would struggle as mightily as they have to pass such a critical piece of the President’s platform.
The German statesman Otto Von Bismarck once remarked “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.”
Despite having control, the Congress hit a number of road blocks in their attempt to pass HCR. Finally in December 2009 the senate, led by Harry Reid, managed to barter, bribe and bully enough votes to pass it. OK, so you are sitting there going “barter, bribe and bully” is some strong words. Yep, correct. One only has to look at the deals that were made push this through. The sad thing is that when this bill was pushed through, many admitted they didn’t even read the 2k plus page bill.
By December most American’s realized that entrusting a piece of legislation that is equivalent to 1/6 of our economy to a political machine that has been the Doctor to such well known patient’s as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security was not a good idea. More on this ugly little trifecta topic in a later blog.
The outcry was loud. Shelve it, and start over. This is where it went wrong. The American people, who issued the mandate, revoked it. While Barrack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and the rest were trumpeting “Simple Majority” to pass their bill, they were ignoring the “Simple Majority” who was calling for them to start over. For the first time it became crystal clear to the American people that once they elected their representatives, their representatives could care less what they thought. So what happened, politics as usual baby.
Obama, Reid & Pelosi did what politicians always do. They pointed fingers at the other party. When their own party couldn’t pass the health care bill in the House, because their members didn’t like it, they called the republicans out as “obstructionists.” They accused the minority of playing partisan politics while their own majority held out on them. At that point it was clear that they would do anything, and they did. They ratcheted up the barter, bribe and bully tactics until they managed to eek out a win. But the key to all this is to remember that in addition to the dissenting Republican votes, 32 Democrats also held out. The same bill had passed the Senate earlier in the day 56-43, with all voting Republicans and three Democrats voting "no." The key to understanding this is that even members of their own party knew this was bad.
What will the outcome be of Health Care Reform? Good Question. I guess it comes down to your political outlook. Do you think that the government will manage to keep its word and institute a major health care overhaul that will extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, crack down on unpopular insurance industry practices, and to reduce federal deficits by an estimated $143 billion over a decade? I’m sorry, I don’t. The CBO reported was used as evidence to support the Democratic position that this plan will reduce the deficit, but what was lost was the fact that the CBO was only able to use the data supplied to them. Basically what you have is “garbage in, garbage out.”
Personally, I believe the cost and revenue projections are unrealistic assumptions and accounting tricks. Taking money away from one fund, to offset another and assuming that there will be no cause and effect is a recipe for disaster. OK, so how did Congress get to the magical number of $143 Billion in deficit reduction? According to the CBO between now and 2019 the net cost of insuring new enrollees in Medicaid and private insurance plans will be $788 billion. But, other provisions in the legislation will generate revenues and cost savings of over $933 billion. Subtract the first figure from the second and you get $143 billion.
To me, the first big question I have with these figures is that the bulk of the cost savings, more than $450 Billion, comes from cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and other health-care providers. Ever hear of a little organization called AARP? Yeah, let me know how those Medicare cuts work out. Let’s be realistic, have you ever heard of a Washington program coming in under budget? What happens when that $143 Billion in savings turns out to be $400 Billion in deficit?
And that really leads to the most important question. Why are we doing this now? Folks, we are in a major recession. We have bailed out housing (Fannie & Freddie), Auto (GM), Insurance (AIG), Banking (Goldman Sachs, Citi, B of A), and the nearly $800 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. We have no money left to spend. Yet our representatives in D.C. are acting like out of control kids with their parent’s credit cards. They used up all their paper money, and now they are hitting the plastic. Much of the problem lies with President Bush & the Republican Party, but remember the Democrats do not have clean hands either. There is enough blame to go around.
But it’s not 2008 anymore, it’s 2010. It’s time for the blame game and campaigning to end, and the accountability and responsibility to kick in. All I hear now is you have to spend to get things rolling. In 2007, the federal budget deficit was $162 billion. For 2009, the budget deficit is projected to be about $1.8 Trillion and for 2010 it is projected to be $1.4 Trillion. Someone once said “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money” (This quote is often misattributed to Senator Everett Dirksen,(R) Illinois). Well, if that is the case, what do we say now?
If we do not do something at the grass roots level, that means you and me, we are not going to have a country left to give our kids. It is time to hold our representatives accountable. If they will not vote according to our desire, then it is time to make a change in November.
"Torches and Pitchforks - Protecting Americans from Politicians since 1791."
It's been almost a year since my last post and it seems very strange to be sitting here writing this. For a time I wondered if I would ever write another post. I have gone through a long period of trial & tribulation as well as a period of introspection and reflection.
Without getting into the details, my life seemed to take a very odd series of twists and turns and I ultimately found myself in a rather hellish place. I would like to say that I emerged unscathed, but that would be a lie. It's true that the important lessons in life are often painful and the really important ones often leave deep scars. I feel like the phoenix in my graphic. With God's grace and mercy I have emerged from the ashes. Regretfully there were some who had to come with me in this journey. To my wife and my family, I say thank you for believing in me and standing by me.
Now it's time to refocus on the issues that are facing us. In other words, it's time for us to once again pickup our "Torches and Pitchforks."
Andrew The Angry American
"Torches and Pitchforks - Protecting Americans from Politicians since 1791."
