Liar? Liar!............... (Part Deux)

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)

Shameless SW reference just for you Joe !!!

I Agree With Who ?!?!?!?

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

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 !!!

November elections, 3 months and counting !!!

Voter Fraud, the new American way ?

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."

Health Care Reform

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."

He's Back.................

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."

Arlen Specter, Poster Child for Term Limits

In the 1977 blockbuster movie, Star Wars, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi counsels young Luke Skywalker before they enter the Mos Eisley Cantina “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be careful”. It was funny back then, but as I sit here now, I can imagine that same admonition being said prior to entering the U.S. Capitol.

On Tuesday, April 28th, 2009, United States Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) did something amazing, he switch from (R-Pa.) to (D-Pa.). Now personally I am not shocked by this little charade. To be quite honest he was what has become known as a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

No, the shock comes from the unmitigated gall that this pathetic excuse for a Senator has. You see, the issue was raised just about a month and half ago when he was interview by “The Hill”. During the interview Specter said he absolutely would not switch parties.

At the time Specter said: [Democrats] are trying very hard for the 60th vote. Got to give them credit for trying. But the answer is no.

Get that everyone, the answer is NO. When is NO not really NO, apparently when you’re a politician.



Specter went on to say: “I'm not going to discuss private talks I had with other people who may or may not be considered influential. But since those three people are in the public domain, I think it is appropriative to respond to those questions."

"I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That's the basis of politics in America. I'm afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle Atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That's a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers.”

The other day, after this change was made public, Specter was asked if he had anything to say to his constituents, you know, the little people who elected him. His response: "I don't have to say anything to them," Specter said "They've said it to me."

Truth is, whatever your party affiliation, something like this should give you pause and make you think. Specter’s defection isn’t earth shattering, what it is, is a sad condemnation of our politicians and the system. Specter has been in the Senate since 1980. Almost 30 years. Folks, Specter, along with people like Joe Biden, John McCain, Edward Kennedy, Ted Stevens, & Daniel Inouye, are the poster children for term limits.

These people get elected and then……. Just never leave. Senators serve a term of six (06) years……. Then again, with an annual salary of $174,000 (as of 2009), would you leave? Pretty much the job is recession proof. But you would think after being in the Senate for 20, 30, 40 & even 50 years…… THEY WOULD GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!

The point is, when are we going to wake up and realize that the Capitol, in the immortal words of General Kenobi, is nothing more than a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Arlen Specter jumping ship is unremarkable. As stated before, he was a Republican in name only while his voting record belied his true beliefs. He switched parties simply because he realized he faced a potentially embarrassing defeat against another Republican. He risked that defeat because his “constituents” were unhappy with his performance.

What is troublesome is that, rather than improve and do what he was elected to do, he lied to them. He willfully engaged in back door deals and more lies to secure himself a seat in the Democratic Party and thereby retain his position. When questioned, he acted like a petulant child stating “I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.” Uh, Arlen………….. remember you work for US, and your record will be judged by US. I just hope that when the time comes, the democrats in Pennsylvania remember how little this man think of his “constituents.”

All Americans, republican or democrat, should be embarrassed to have someone like this representing them. Clearly this is nothing more than self-serving lies and treachery.

Maybe we need to reconsider the whole term limit issue. They have gotten way to comfy in the halls of the Capitol.

"Torches and Pitchforks - Protecting Americans from Politicians since 1791."