Prescription for America

As they say, "one picture is worth a thousand words."

(Click on picture to enlarge. Thanks to my sister, Diana, for sending this one.)

Dawdler-In-Chief

Our vaunted Commander-In-Chief says that he will not "rush" to a decision about Afghanistan. Yes, yes, one of the worst things a Democrat liberal can do is to rush to war. Oh, wait... we're already at war. Then by all means, don't rush to win the war.

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President Obama pledged on Monday not to "rush the solemn decision" to send more troops to battle in Afghanistan as he weighs military options on what to do next in the troubled war.
"I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary," Obama told service men and women at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. [Comment: here's a clue... they are already risking their lives] ..."Republicans want very much to support the president's decision," Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told "Fox News Sunday." But he cited Gen. Stanley McChrystal's own warning that U.S. and NATO forces may only have about one year before the insurgency's momentum becomes irreversible. "It's been more than two months since the recommendation went to the president. And Gen. McChrystal is talking about a 12-month time frame," Kyl said. "So clearly time is of the essence here." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also called for an end to the delay. "The sooner the decision is made, the sooner we get people over there and are able to implement the strategy that will succeed," he told CBS' "Face the Nation." "Every day we delay will be a delay in this strategy succeeding." ("Obama says he will not 'rush' decision," FOX News, 10/26/09)

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Let's see how his scorecard stacks up...

-Unconstitutionally shuffle taxpayer money to selected private corporations - rush.

-Unconstitutionally dictate salary caps to executives in private business - rush.

-Unconstitutionally take over the banking, investment, and auto industries - rush.

-Unconstitutionally seek a government takeover of the health care industry - rush.

-Unconstitutionally impose cap and trade energy taxes - rush.

-Constitutionally make national security decisions as the nation's Commander-In-Chief - don't rush.

President Barack Hussein Obama, America's Dawdler-In-Chief, doing all he can to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

No Says Snowe

The current RINO darling of the Democrat party may not remain in their favorable spotlight for much longer as she dares to buck - a tiny bit - their demands for the "public option." (How they get away with such butchery of the language is beyond me. There is nothing "optional" about the "public option" provision.)

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Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Olympia Snowe rejected the idea of backing the immediate creation of any government-run insurance program even as top Democrats are leaning toward including such a plan in U.S. health-care legislation.

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Nevertheless, note that she is opposed to an "immediate" inclusion of this government intrusion. How comforting.

From the Frontline

The Congressional war on America continues. In the Senate, one of the generals, Sen. Harry Reid (D – Nevada), declares that he will reconcile the Senate and House versions of the bill in order to circumvent normal procedure and debate in the Senate and among the public (“Health Care Reform Bill that Isn’t a Bill and Isn’t Going to be a Bill” & “The Baucus Betrayal”). Sen. Reid loves giving the American people the shaft, and he is really working to stick it to us this time. In spite of concerns about the provisions of health care reform bills (“Little Gems from the Health Care Bill” & “Manufacturers Have Concerns on Latest Health Care Bill”), Sen. Reid and other key Democrats declare that President Obama will have a health care reform bill to sign into law no matter what the American people say (“Reid Threatens to Use ‘Nuclear Option’”).

On top of all of this, Sen. Reid’s shaft of all shafts to America are his amendments that insulate his constituents in Nevada from the costs of this “no-cost” reform. Yes, that’s right. In order to continue to buy votes, Sen. Reid plans to shuffle the cost burdens off onto other taxpayers (“Reid Leads Democrats in Carving Out Favors for States on Health” & “Reid Maneuvers for Sweeter Deal”) outside of Nevada.

My suggestion? Write or call your Senators and ask them to request the same favoritism for your state! If it’s good for Nevada, it should be good for the other 49, right?

Further AIDS Vaccine Research

Speaking of suppressed news, here is a report that may not see much daylight:

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The experimental AIDS vaccine that showed promise for the first time in a study released last month may have worked best in the first year. Those who benefited from the shots appear to have done so in the first 12 months and they tended to be heterosexual patients at lower risk of contracting HIV, according to details of the trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and released at a Paris conference... Scientists are still mystified as to how two unproven vaccines, when combined and given to more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, appeared to cut HIV infections after three years. The study’s credibility was called into question after the journal Science said a second set of data showed the result may have been a fluke. (Simeon Bennett and Michelle Fay Cortez, "AIDS Vaccine’s Benefit May Wane After First Year," Bloomberg.com, 10/20/09)

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The initial announcements of vaccine results were, of course, trumpeted in sensationalist fashion throughout news outlets. After all, this gave hope to the community that is the primary source of the spread of HIV. I am all for the prevention and elimination of deadly viruses, and if such a vaccine discovery can be made, then kudos to them. (Imagine the squawk over the cost that such a vaccine will have; however, consider the enormous cost of the research already invested in it). I doubt that news questioning the results of those studies will receive as much front page headline.

It still appears to me that the fastest, most effective, and least expensive course of prevention is to stop engaging in immoral sexual behavior.

Suppression

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The White House is calling on other news organizations to isolate and alienate Fox News as it sends out top advisers to rail against the cable channel as a Republican Party mouthpiece... several top White House officials have taken aim at Fox News since communications director Anita Dunn branded Fox "opinion journalism masquerading as news" in an interview last Sunday.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN on Sunday that President Obama does not want "the CNNs and the others in the world [to] basically be led in following Fox." Obama senior adviser David Axelrod went further by calling on media outlets to join the administration in declaring that Fox is "not a news organization." ...The White House stopped providing guests to "Fox News Sunday" after host Chris Wallace fact-checked controversial assertions made by Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in August. Dunn said fact-checking an administration official was "something I've never seen a Sunday show do." "She criticized 'Fox News Sunday' last week for fact-checking -- fact-checking -- an administration official," Wallace said Sunday. "They didn't say that our fact-checking was wrong. They just said that we had dared to fact-check." ("White House Urges Other Networks to Disregard FOX News," FOX News, 10/19/09)
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A SLUGGISH economy, inflation, strikes and rampant crime: much of the recent news in Venezuela has been bad for the socialist government of President Hugo Chávez. Its response has been to intensify its harassment of the media. On August 1st, 34 radio stations were taken off the air for allegedly failing to submit the proper paperwork to the broadcasting regulator... Days earlier the attorney-general, Luisa Ortega, unveiled a draft law against “media crimes” which proposes jail terms of up to four years for vaguely worded offences such as “prejudicing state security” or the “mental health” of the public... The government’s concerted crackdown on critical media comes as Mr Chávez is pressing ahead with other measures that seem designed to make his “socialist revolution” irreversible. ("Switched Off," The Economist, 8/6/09)
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Notice any similarities?

A sad footnote: While looking up accounts of the Chavez suppression of media in Venezuela, I was startled by the number of left-wing commentaries rationalizing and justifying the move by that government!

Humor For Day

Today's "tweet" from Nilus Mattive offers us a rich laugh for the day: "Ben Bernanke tells Santa Barbara Fed conference that U.S. needs to 'substantially reduce' its budget deficits. Pot meet kettle. LOL."

T.E.A. Party Meeting

I finally had an opportunity to attend a formal TEA Party meeting in Miami County. I am going to post my observations in order to help remove some of the suspicion and concern that some folks seem to have developed toward the movement.

It is not a secret society. The meeting was held at a public library and anyone could enter the meeting area. There were no ID checks or anything of the sort. Just come in, mingle, and even participate.

After the meeting was brought to order, we sang the National Anthem, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and had an invocation prayer. The item of business was the distribution of the very simple By-Laws which were discussed and then voted for approval. The chapter's Treasurer then delivered prepared remarks about American exceptionalism. That was followed by a guest from a neighboring chapter who addressed the known content and status of the proposed health care legislation. Specifically, she referred to HR 3200 (she had a copy present) and the Senate Baucus Bill (no copy because it does not formally exist). Based upon the known contents of the bill, she expressed concern what it will mean to the care that may or may not be provided for her special needs young adult daughter. Following a few brief introductions and announcements, the meeting was adjourned. Individual interaction occurred as the room furnishings were replaced to their before-meeting arrangement.

This is the "extreme right-wing terrorism" of which certain members of our culture and Big Media are afraid. Well, I can understand their concern when normal neighbors gather and expose to the light the darkness of corruption, dishonesty, and decadence that some seek to impose upon us all.

Healthcare Reform - Honestly

In September 2007, Robert Reich - an Obama adviser, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, and ultra-liberal economist - told an audience at the University of California what an honest presidential candidate would say about healthcare reform.

Here is a real live intellectual ultra-liberal's assessment of government-run healthcare: (1) everyone, especially younger citizens, are going to have to pay more for healthcare; (2) older citizens are not going to have access to expensive medicines and technology to extend their lives another "couple of months;" (3) the cost of drugs and healthcare delivery will be government controlled at the expense of innovation and discovery of new drugs; and (4) everyone will probably not have lifespans much, if any, longer than their parents.

I am stunned by Reich's "speech." I honestly do not know what to think. Except, let's help the liberals get their message out for everyone to hear. He does, after all, call for an informed citizenship.

Bipartisanship - Democrat Style

In the Senate, one Republican Senator voted with Democrats to send the healthcare reform bill (in phantom form) out of committee. Another Republican Senator, also from Maine, has indicated that she might vote in support of a Senate healthcare reform bill.

Yet, even with these sterling indications of overwhelming bipartisanship on healthcare reform, some Democrats appear that they have not gotten the president's "we're going to work together" memo...

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Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Jay Rockefeller said Democrats shouldn’t tailor a health-care overhaul to the wishes of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and need to push for legislation that includes a government-run insurance program. “We can’t sort of hedge and say ‘what’s Olympia going to do,’” Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. “We’ve got to decide what we want.” (Catherine Dodge, "Rockefeller Says Democrats Can’t Tailor Health Care to Snowe," Bloomberg.com, 10/16/09)
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"Goodness gracious," Democrats seem to be telling us, "wouldn't it be a wonderful world if these pesky citizen constituents would drop this Constitution thing, just go away, and let us run their lives like we want? Why can't they understand what bipartisanship means?"

Washington & Wall Street

Remember those heady days of the Presidential campaign in which the new knight in shining armor arrived on the scene to save us all from the marauding dragons? Particularly those dragons on Wall Street that sought to bleed every American dry? Those dastardly dragons that sought only to take the hard earnings of middle and lower income Americans to keep lining their already rich pockets? Remember the promises to "change Washington" by keeping lobbyists for special interests at a distance and by making decisions in the open? Check out, for example, these you-tube links reminding everyone of BHO's dedication to reduce and limit the influence of "money in politics:" "Barack Obama on Lobbyists and His Campaign" & "Barack Obama on special interest groups and PAC funds." Just last month (September 2009) while speaking to financial executives, President Obama said: “We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess that was at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses.” (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

Yet, as the same Bloomberg article goes on to point out, "Some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s closest aides, none of whom faced Senate confirmation, earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms, according to financial disclosure forms. The advisers include Gene Sperling, who last year took in $887,727 from Goldman Sachs and $158,000 for speeches mostly to financial companies, including the firm run by accused Ponzi scheme mastermind R. Allen Stanford. Another top aide, Lee Sachs, reported more than $3 million in salary and partnership income from Mariner Investment Group, a New York hedge fund." (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

Keep in mind that President Obama, Democrats, and many citizens sharing their populist rhetoric have lashed out and expressed anger at bank executives, hedge funds, speculators, and "Wall Street" in general for every economic woe imaginable. Oh yes, let me not leave out those elected politicians with the "R" attachment who are also to blame for runaway greed and selfishness.

Yet, aides to the Secretary of the Treasury, who works for the Obama administration, receive extremely fat fees and salaries reaching into the millions of dollars from firms like the Mariner Investment Group (a NY hedge fund) and global banking and securities giant Goldman Sachs. Any big surprise now how these firms which just suffered massive losses in the "worst recession since the Great Depression" are now reporting earnings that are "crushing" analysts' expectations?

Says Lynn Turner, a former chief accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “Where is the transparency this administration promised? You just wonder, who is representing middle Americans?” (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

I can't say it any better myself.

Another Bizarre Czar

President Obama insists on telling us how important his Christian faith and his allegiance to America are, yet he continues to surround himself with the most radical group of people this nation has experienced. This time it is "czar" Cass Sunstein...

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TEL AVIV – President Obama's newly confirmed regulatory czar defended the possibility of removing organs from terminally ill patients without their permission.
Cass Sunstein also has strongly pushed for the removal of organs from deceased individuals who did not explicitly consent to becoming organ donors. (Aaron Klein, "Take organs from 'helpless patients,'" World Net Daily, 10/12/09)

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Anyone wanting to see how the proposed policies of President Obama's bizarre "czars" are going to play out for the American people can refer to any number of science fiction stories and movies as they insist on creating a land of the enslaved. Better yet, refer to the Bible for descriptions of cultures given over to evil.

Economic Liberty

The Hillsdale College publication Imprimis has a reprint of a recent speech given by Dr. Walter E. Williams. "Future Prospects for Economic Liberty" is a must-read piece for anyone seeking to learn of and express the dire consequences of an ever increasing federal government. Says Dr. Williams...

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Every tax confiscates private property that could otherwise be freely spent or freely invested... With this in mind, consider that the average American now works from January 1 until May 5 to pay the federal, state, and local taxes required for current government spending levels. Thus the fruits of more than one third of our labor are used in ways decided upon by others. The Founders favored the free market because it maximizes the freedom of all citizens and teaches respect for the rights of others. Expansive government, by contrast, contracts individual freedom and teaches disrespect for the rights of others. Thus clearly we are on what Friedrich Hayek called the road to serfdom, or what I prefer to call the road to tyranny.

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I encourage you to read his entire essay. Stay informed and speak the truth!

Silver Lining

The conservative positive attitude of hope knows no boundaries. Even the surprising announcement of President Obama as recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize has led to the proverbial silver lining... just imagine how upset the Clintons must be!

America's Pitch Man

Along with its con man, Al Gore, America has its pitch man... President Barack Hussein Obama. We expect, of course, that he would pitch himself during the presidential campaign, but he has not stopped pitching since his successful bid for the office. Pitch for hope & change (which has morphed into bait & switch); pitch for bailouts; pitch for Olympics; pitch for cap and tax energy policies; pitch for government run healthcare; pitch for anything smacking of bigger and more expensive government.

Gee, the only thing that he is not pitching is to win the war in Afghanistan, as he has decided to pitch for the Taliban. Maybe what America needs is for someone to pitch for a new Commander-in-Chief.

Busting Open Our Piggy Banks

We must stop electing politicians who buy our votes. Yes, it is tempting to support those who promise us some type of government entitlement, but keep this vital reality in mind: not one of those politicians is going to bust open his/her piggy bank to keep their promises. They will, however, bust open your piggy banks plus those of your parents, children, and neighbors.

In fact, our elected officials are busting open our piggy banks big time right now. Based upon America’s accumulated debt; obligations to Social Security, Medicare, and pension payments; and Federal Reserve liabilities, each American household is indirectly responsible for over a million dollars debt burden per household! If every American family saved five percent of their earnings and put every penny into a debt repayment pot, it would take 429 years to pay off today’s national debts and obligations! (Source: Weiss Market Research) And that’s if the U.S. government stopped incurring more debt right now.

The truth is that there is no plan in place to slow spending, much less stop overspending. Even though the exact amounts are open for debate, there is wide consensus that cap and trade will increase our energy costs and government health care will increase our taxes and health insurance costs. Both will increase our government debt and, in turn, increase our household debt burden. This is just the national level, friends. Consider the impact at the state and local levels as these governments cope with higher costs and lower revenues caused by the federal spending policies.

Without some serious reality checks, we are not headed for “happy days are here again.” It may already be too late. So if you believe that you deserve entitlements from our federal government, why don’t you just skip the bureaucracy and ask your parents, children, and neighbors to contribute to your cause? Those are the piggy banks our politicians are coming after.

Capitalist

This hypocrisy is too good to pass up...

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Michael Moore says he is sick and tired of special tax breaks for corporations. Unless of course they happen to benefit him personally. Then he likes them. A lot.According to Peter Schweizer in Tuesday's Investor's Business Daily: Moore has found a tax break for corporations he actually likes. And his arguments in favor of it sound more like they're coming from a supply-sider than the populist he professes to be. Michigan, where Moore lives, offers the most generous tax breaks and subsidies for film producers in the country. For every dollar you spend making a movie in Michigan, taxpayers will give you back 42 cents. Moore actually relocated his postproduction team from New York City to Michigan just to take advantage of these tax credits.But Moore is not just a recipient of these tax credits. His hypocrisy goes deeper. As a member of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council he has been a cheerleader for them. Appointed to the post by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in September 2008, Moore sees himself as an ambassador who will help bring the film business into the state.And how does he profess to bring the film business to Michigan? By offering it tax breaks. (Dr. Mark J. Perry, "Michael Moore, Closet Tax-Cutting Supply-Sider," 10/6/09)

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Capitalist pig.