Monthly Archives: August 2010

Media, Politics

Media Focuses On Obama’s Religion, Disappointing

For the first time (I’m guessing) in the history of the United States, an official at The White House has issued a statement that says the President is a Christian. And that he prays daily. The statement wasn’t clear whether he prays to Allah, God or Karl Marx. The fact that such a statement was even made underscores the fact that the question is out there. A rather stunning question about the President of the United States.

My reaction to this ‘news’ that Obama is a Christian falls in the ‘disappointed’ category.

First and foremost, disappointed that his religion should be a topic at all, let alone newsworthy. If you understand the First Amendment, he is free to believe or not to believe in whatever religion he wants. The fact that liberalism itself has become a religion is besides the point. In much the same way that Islam is inextricably connected to government, social behavior, and all aspects of public and private life. The Left sure made a big deal about Gov. Romney’s religion didn’t they?

But in America, and as far as I’m concerned, I don’t care if he is an atheist or a witch doctor. It’s what the president does and says that matters to me.

Second, that 18 percent of the American people believe he is Muslim, and only 34 percent believe his is a Christian, and a whopping 48 percent don’t know, says a lot of how disconnected this president is from the American people. That’s disappointing. It is symptomatic of his style. Don’t commit to anything, even your faith, else there is someone out there who will be offended. (Like radical Muslims) He is the total opposite of say, Ronald Reagan. Everyone knew who he was and that he stood for America and every American within its borders, and of every faith. He did not play favorites.

For Obama, he traipse around the world, into the Muslim world, and apologizes for American mistakes and arrogance (his words). He doesn’t attend a National Prayer breakfast, but does host a Ramadan dinner at The White House. He, and his Attorney General, go to great lengths to afford Gitmo terrorists, who also happen to be radical Muslims from foreign lands, the protections of our Constitution and civilian court system. And most recently, he spoke in favor of building a mosque (a trophy mosque to Islamic extremists) in the shadow of Ground Zero in New York, totally offending not only the victims’ families but seventy percent of Americans.

Taking his actions and words into account, it is not hard to understand why two-thirds of the country either think he is a Muslim or just don’t know what religion he is. And that’s disappointing indeed.

Link: White House says Obama is Christian, prays daily

Politics

No Mosque There

Those on the political Left that want to paint anyone on the Right that opposes the building of that mosque in the shadow of ground zero as an anti-Muslim bigot, or of being anti-First Amendment, and trying to leverage opposition into a political talking point, should look at the opposition a little closer. Because from a political standpoint, there is bi-partisan support against locating the mosque where Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (that Hamas-supporting bridge builder) wants to put it. No one is saying he hasn’t the right to build it there. Just because you can do something, doesn’t always mean that you should.

And to his own detriment, Obama’s dancing around the subject (the other self-proclaimed bridge builder) isn’t bringing anyone together. So maybe Geraldine Ferraro will aim her bigoted accusations at the Democrats too? Ya think? Or maybe she should just go home and enjoy retirement.

MRIOTD

I’m Just Like You, Really?

Unless you’ve been in solitary, you’ve already heard the flap about the Obamas and their vacations. I am reminded of Michelle Obama’s comment, I think it was on the first night of the Democratic National Convention two years ago when she said ‘I’m just like you.’

Yeah right. I used to live in the northeast. And it never really occured to me to go to Florida for a 1-day vacation. Or spend a quarter million  dollars for a week in Spain with my child and a couple of friends. Never mind that the economy and unemployment are in bad shape right now. Now I know where her husband gets his audacity from. It’s all in the family.

Economy, Politics

It’s The Economy Stupid, Part 2

That echo from the early 90’s is bouncing off the fiscal wall again. It’s just much worse this time. The co-chairmen of President Obama’s debt and deficit commission gave an ominous assessment of the nation’s fiscal future, calling current budgetary trends a cancer “that will destroy the country from within” unless checked by tough action in Washington.

That we are headed for an economic calamity, unless drastic changes take place, is not a right-wing talking point. No amount of hope will change this picture. It will affect us all unless we take steps to live within our means.

Blaming W for this is getting old and, does not solve the problem. Nor does it justify increasing the debt from $1.3 trillion to $13-20 trillion over the next ten years like this Congress has done.

Let’s recognize one fact about this debt that Obama inherited. It was proposed and passed by a Democrat controlled Congress. Recall that Democrats took control of Congress in 2006. And it is Congress that makes all tax and spending legislation. They, Obama included, voted for every dollar of this debt that they have been blaming Bush for. In fact, they continually complained that he wasn’t spending enough. That Gawd awful prescription drug entitlement program and his doubling the size of government was not enough for the then minority party. If they are sincere in their blaming Bush for his spending now, please show me the news accounts of Democrats urging Bush to use his veto pen.  But I digress.

This graph, supplied by The White House Office of Management and Budget clearly shows that at present, current federal revenue (for those educated in government schools, that means the sum of all taxes) is fully consumed by just three programs: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The rest of the federal government, including fighting two wars, homeland security, education, art, culture, veterans, you name it,  — the whole rest of the discretionary budget is borrowed from China and other countries.

See anything there that you want to eliminate or cut back? Living within our means necessitates that we find things here to eliminate or cut back. For starters, ‘means testing’ should apply in every entitlement program. Walter Williams talks to this calamity too in his piece What Handouts To Cut?

This debt is too large for the country to grow out of and there is not enough economic activity to eliminate it even if the IRS tax rate was 100%. That should tell you that adding a VAT (Value Added Tax) isn’t the answer either.  On the contrary, adding or increasing taxes will only further depress the economy and increase the jobless population. Is there any doubt that this is what candidate Obama meant when he said he wanted to fundamentally change America?

Politics

Dems Message For Food Stamp Recipients: Eat Less

In what would be the end of the party if Republicans would even dream of it, Democrat lawmakers are looking at taking $8 billion out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps program). All this while still sitting on over $300 billion of un-spent so-called stimulus money. But that’s only the half of it. The reason they’re looking at trimming the food stamp program is to fund the first lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative.

So the self-proclaimed champions of the poor, the less fortunate, the working people, who continually whine about Republicans legislating on ‘the backs of’ the working people are seriously considering taking food out of the mouths of the hungry. And this wouldn’t be the first time that the food stamp program was raided to pay for other Democratic programs like supporting labor unions. I guess the hungry need to have some skin in the game too! What?

Links: Dems may use food-stamp money to pay for Michelle Obama’s nutrition initiative | Special Session For ‘Jobs Bill’

2010 Election, Economy, Energy, Florida, Politics

Dr. Farid Khavari’s Economic Plan For Floridians

Running as an Independent candidate for Governor of the State of Florida, Dr. Farid Khavari is the only candidate that has a plan that is designed to help the state, and every citizen in it as well. His plan will generate money for the State that will be used to lower costs that our taxes currently pay for. His plan will lower our cost of living via lower interest rates on everything we do.

Lowering costs is the way to lift us all up without creating more debt. And his plan is so simple, you’ll wonder why other States are not doing it. Actually, candidates in other states are considering it right now. But Khavari’s plan for Florida doesn’t stop at a public bank. The public bank is the engine that will fund and drive projects in all aspects of our lives, including reducing the costs of education, health care, and reducing or eliminating taxes, creating energy independency, and more. He wrote the book on it. Towards a Zero-Cost Economy is available from his website free for download.

Enjoy the videos. Visit his campaign website for the details, and vote for Dr. Farid Khavari in Florida’s primary. Florida needs him. And he needs your support.

Link: Farid Khavari for Florida Governor

Politics, War On Terror

Who Should ‘Recognize And Respect’ Ground Zero?

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From The White House, speaking at an event to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Obama hung out yet another straw man argument in support of the radical* Imam’s intent to build a mosque near ground zero when he said . . .

As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.

No, there is no Constitutional right to build anything in this country. On the contrary, under the property grabbing scheme of eminent domain, they can take your property from you to give to someone else. Building a mosque has nothing whatsoever to do with religious freedom.

The president also said . . .

We must all recognize and respect the sensibilities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and experience of suffering by those who have lost loved ones is just unimaginable.  Ground zero is indeed hallowed ground.

So why is it that the president is not asking this Imam to show some tolerance and respect to the victims of 9/11 and the country, instead of the other way around?

Link: The White House, Celebrating Ramadan at the White House

{transcripts of this video are available in Arabic, Persian, and Russian. Not English}

*Says 9/11 was our fault, wants Sharia law in the U.S., supporter of Hamas and a group that funded the Gaza Flotilla

2010 Election, Economy, Politics

It’s Social Security Season

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The very same Social Security System that people like President Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid say is in fine shape, isn’t. And it hasn’t been for decades. Only now, even the mainstream media seems to admit that is going bankrupt. In Obama’s so-called summer of recovery, what government entitlement program isn’t headed for bankruptcy?

Social Security is brought to the forefront of the discussion every political season. And all attempts to ‘fix’ Social Security is easily and effectively demagogued by the Left  in a new kind of class warfare, age warfare. Question is, what has to happen before all Americans, or at least a majority in Congress, understand the problem and demand that it be fixed? The answer lies not in more taxes, but in less benefits, including means testing. Not because the government is cruel and mean-spirited but because we have to learn to live within our means.

From the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging Report . . .

Although Social Security remains a crucial benefit for millions of seniors, the program was designed to serve an American society of 75 years ago. Much has changed since its inception: Americans are living longer, women’s participation in the labor force has significantly increased, and with a rise in the divorce rate, household composition has changed. In addition, the labor force is growing more slowly and the nature of work and compensation has altered in ways that affect workers’ ability to save for retirement. As a result, under its current design, Social Security may not be as effective as it could be in addressing the needs of our society both now and in the future. Therefore, modernizing the program to reflect America’s evolving demographics is vital to ensuring that benefits are adequate and equitable for generations to come.

Some fun facts about Social Security:

  • Unless Congress acts, Social Security’s combined retirement and disability trust funds are expected to run out of money in 2037. At that point, Social Security will collect enough in payroll taxes to cover about three-fourths of the benefits.
  • Social Security’s short-term finances are being hurt by a recession that shed more than 8 million jobs, reducing revenue from the payroll taxes that support the program. Social Security’s long-term finances will be strained as the 78 million baby boomers reach retirement age – and live longer as life expectancy increases.
  • For the first time since the 1980s, Social Security is paying out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. The program is projected to post surpluses again in 2012 through 2014 but will return to permanent deficits in 2015, its trustees said in their annual report last week.
  • The disability program is in even worse shape. The disability trust fund is projected to be exhausted by 2018, meaning Congress will have to act soon to address it.
  • The combined trust funds have built up a $2.5 trillion surplus over the past 25 years. But the federal government has borrowed {uh, stolen} that money over the years {Starting with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘Great Society’} to spend on other programs. The government must now start borrowing money from public debt markets – adding to the federal budget deficit – to repay Social Security.
  • Over the next decade, the federal government will pay Social Security more than $1.5 trillion in interest, though the transfers are essentially an accounting procedure, switching money from one government account to another.

Links: Rhetoric dims hope for Social Security compromise |  Report of The Special Committee On Aging

Uncategorized

aSide Order

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Man Fatally Stabs Friend, Drinks His Blood

Authorities in central Florida have arrested a 42-year-old man accused of stabbing a friend to death and then drinking his blood.

Authorities say Lopez returned later and stabbed him to death. She told police Lopez left with a plastic cup in his hand that appeared to hold blood. She said he drank from the cup in a strange ritual from their native Mexico.

He should have had a V8 instead.

INTERNET WARNING:

If you get an email titled “Nude photo of Nancy Pelosi,” don’t open it ….

It contains a nude photo of Nancy Pelosi.

A man is watching a game of golf on TV. But he keeps switching channels

to a sexy movie featuring a lusty couple having raucous sex.

“Man, they are really gettin’ it on! I don’t know whether to watch

them or watch the game”, he says to his wife.

“For Pete’s sake,” his wife says. “Watch them!

You already know how to play golf!”

2010 Election, Economy, Politics

Special Session For ‘Jobs Bill’

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The House is back in a special session to vote on a $26 Billion spending bill to temporarily bail out labor unions. Paying for it by raising taxes and raiding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That would be the food-stamp program.

The labor unions on the receiving end are the teachers unions and the AFSCME, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.  Not coincidentally, ‘ two key components of the Democrats’ political base whose get-out-the-vote efforts in November could determine whether they hold or lose control of Congress.’

This $26 Billion of new spending will not create one job nor stimulate job creation. All while there is still over $350 Billion of so-called stimulus money that still has not been allocated. Can you say ‘slush fund?’ It’s the Chicago way.

Related Links: AP: House members scurry back to pass jobs bill |  Pensacola, It’s Time To Take Care Of Business