Tag Archives: Politics

Gun Control, Politics

Firearms Companies Restricting Sales

Updated 2/24/2013. A growing number of firearm and firearm-related companies have stated they will no longer sell items to states, police_loopholecounties, cities and municipalities that restrict their citizens’ rights to own them. YES! These growing number of manufacturers are limiting sales to what law-abiding citizens residing in their districts can buy or own.

Hey, what’s good for the goose . . .

This should serve as a wake-up call to the anti-second amendment crowd. But, it probably won’t. Look for the next step to be the federal government to either attempt to suspend or revoke their license, sue the companies for exercising their rights, or to simply seize their assets like any good dictator would do, all in the name of some perverted view of discrimination.

“Police loophole” seems to be a pro-gun industry, or anti-gun control term. Sort of like “gun-show loophole” is to the pro-gun control lobby.

What is the police loophole?

There are some states, counties, cities, and municipalities in our great nation that fail to allow their citizens to fully exercise their right to keep and bear arms with restrictions such as magazine capacity or types of firearms that are widely available to citizens of other states, counties, cities, and municipalities. However, these government entities do not place these restrictions upon their own employees, such as police officers. It is important to note that we are against gun control; we are not against any particular government agency or individuals.

The folks aren’t preparing for war against law enforcement. Although you can make a case that Homeland Security is preparing for a war against Americans with their billions of rounds ammo purchases over the last year. These companies won’t do business in states or areas where there are two standards for the second amendment, or will limit their business to that which a regular citizen can buy or own.

Link: Firearms Companies Restricting Sales To GOVERNMENT Agencies In Areas That Restrict Gun Rights

Economy, Politics

Thoughts, 2013 State Of The Union Speech

joe_walter_barack_john

The day after the President gave his SOTU speech, and after having watched it, my favorite R&B radio station’s facebook page, WDAS-FM, posed the question “What do you think?” about it. What follows is what I thought about it. Your mileage may vary.

Pretty much the same SOTU speech he’s made every year for the last 4 years. The relevant question is, or should be, have you seen any of his promises come to fruition yet?

Still says creating jobs is top priority, domestic oil production a top priority, so-called green energy a top priority. Reducing the debt a top priority. That $785 billion stimulus bill was to go for infrastructure. That was 3 yrs ago. None of any of that has happened. He repeated all of it over again last night. He didn’t spend it last time on what he “said” it was supposed to be for. What makes anyone think he’ll keep his word this time?

He said that the Affordable Care Act would reduce premiums, you could keep your doctor, and that it wouldn’t cost a dime more, and that it would by itself reduce the national debt. None of that happened.

Last nights speech was more govt. programs with no explanation as to how it would be paid for, IE. more debt. He also said that none of those programs would cost a dime more, would not add to the debt. How gullible does he think we, you, are?

I thought his slipping in the statement that not only should min. wage be increased, but the goal should be that it also be a “living wage.” All sounds good. But in reality, it will make unemployment worse everywhere. And in urban areas like Washington DC, black youth unemployment is over 50%. That number is 40.5% in Philly. So ask yourself people, do you see positive results for the over $6 trillion in debt that he himself has created so far? Other than growing the government that is.

And do you know that through the rest of his second term, he expects to increase the debt by an additional trillion dollars each year?

I think his focus should be 180 degrees from where it is now. If he knew how to stimulate the economy, we would see prices go back down for gas, utilities, food, health care. All that. And employment go up. You and your families, everyone, would have a job and their dollar would go further like it used to. Looking to increase a min wage is to accept all the inflated prices as the “new normal.” And to accept the govt as our caretaker.

You think things are expensive now, wait to see how expensive it will be when it’s free.

Economy, Energy, Media, Politics

Buffett Railroad, Not XL Pipeline

Were it not for a caller to the Herman Cain radio show this morning spilling the beans on Warren Buffett’s railroad, vis-a-vie the XL bnsfpipeline, this story would have remained buried. It’s about BNSF Railway, a railroad transportation company wholly owned by Warren Buffett‘s Berkshire Hathaway.

BNSF figures to be the major player in petroleum shipments from the Bakken fields in North Dakota to the Texas refineries. In other words, the XL pipeline route. And to ship east to Philadelphia refineries and west to refineries in California, Oregon and Washington.

rfkjrdc2Warren Buffett is a big Obama contributor and supporter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But when you see Obama doing everything he can to not sign on to the XL pipeline, and last week the environmental lobby along with Robert Kennedy Jr. tying themselves to The White House fence in protest to the XL pipeline, you can see the forces at work. The only special interest group that supports Obama but wants the XL pipeline is Big Labor. Why? Because it means jobs.

So Obama has a tough call (money or jobs) to make. You have your quid pro quo to Warren Buffett and the environmental lobby on one hand, and creating hundreds of thousands of high-paying union jobs on the other. The latter would also strengthen our energy security in the long-term, cut oil dependency on the Middle East and Venezuela, will contribute to making the United States an oil producer instead of an oil purchaser, and would lower energy costs. Oil producers say shipping crude by pipeline in North Dakota adds up to $1.50 to its cost, compared to $2 or more a barrel for rail shipments. Also tied to the oil costs are food cost.

To the oil companies, it doesn’t matter one bit how the crude they produce is transported. It does matter to the folks that have to buy it. The lower the cost of transportation, the lower the cost of energy. The lower the cost of energy, the lower the cost of food, fuel, heating. The poor would benefit more from lower prices on food and energy than those eeevil one percenters would. Opening the Keystone XL pipeline should be a no-brainer. But  Obama won re-election. He doesn’t have to act like he cares for the poor or middle-class anymore.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, at least here on The Lunch Counter, let’s see if the media ever catches up and calls out Obama on being beholden to his favorite lobbyists/contributors as they are quick to say, “on the backs of the poor.”

Links: Buffett Railroad Sees Crude Cargo Climbing 40%  |  BNSF Railway  |  Warren Buffett cleans up after Keystone XL  |  No Keystone XL? Big Oil will just take the train   |  BNSF expands Bakken rail ability from N.Dakota, Montana

Economy, Media, Politics

The Sequestration Show

It would be funny, if the debt wasn’t so serious, watching all the hand-wringing going on, on both sides of the aisle and in the media, over the impending ‘cuts’ that are planned in the sequestration legislation. The legislation gymnastics that was cooked up in The White House.

What’s funny about it all is that there are no cuts whatsoever involved. The gymnastics and linguistics of it all is that, in their mind (media included), a cut is equal to increasing the debt by 7 trillion dollars instead of 10 trillion dollars. Give or take a trillion.

In reality, and by those standards, if the government spent the same amount for each of the next 10 years as they will spend this year, they would call that a 10 trillion-dollar cut.

All of it is smoke and mirrors to put the real work, saving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, on the back burner. Kind of like putting their head in the sand.

2016 Election, Immigration, Media, Politics

Media, It’s Time To Start The 2016 Campaign

Within days of the 2013 State of the Union show, the media is out of the gate. They’ve already picked their targets to marginalize and to demagogue. Those would be the ones who would be most effective from a policy standpoint against a Democratic candidate with no discernible policy other than emotion, scare tactics, and identity politics.

Marco Rubio drinks water, looks foolish in an important video. Is it a career ender? And there are some people who like Rand Paul, but they (ostensibly) want to round up all illegals and send them back to Mexico. Which isn’t what Paul said.

Like HERE and HERE.

Rand Paul transcript:

I think people want a party that’s a little bit less aggressive on foreign policy, still believes in a strong national defense but less aggressive. They want — the young people want politicians who don’t want them in jail for 20 years for a nonviolent drug position charge. So, they want a little bit different phase. I think people want a little different phase on immigration frankly. They don’t want someone somebody who wants to round people up, put in camps and send them back to Mexico.

Besides all that, it provides the right distraction from Benghazi Gate and the President’s involvement, or lack thereof, the shrinking economy, continuing unemployment, and the exploding costs of the so-called Affordable Care Act, and the cutting off of coverage (what they said Republicans wanted to do) for those with pre-existing conditions. That’s the plan, whether it exists.

Economy, Politics

Main Health Care Promise, Already Broke

About those pre-existing conditions covered under Obamacare . . .

Turns out that the initial fears that the state ‘high risk pools’ that were supposed to last until 2014 would be broke by the end of 2012 if 375,000 new insureds swamp the system? Well, that did not happen, exactly. They’re broke now after 100,000 insureds joined.

Can’t you just see how the Affordable Care Act is driving down the cost of health care and expanding coverage? And how it isn’t increasing the debt ONE DIME?

If the president really cared about health care for patients, he would move now to repeal it. By now, it should be obvious what his goal is, was, and always has been. Which is, being in control of your health care. Spreading the wealth always turns in to spreading the misery.

h/t Market Ticker

Link: Funds run low for health insurance in state ‘high-risk pools’

Gun Control, Politics

What Do You Need ‘That’ For?

So there I was, enjoying a nice dish of strawberry shortcake after dinner and checking out my new AR-15 when my son grabbed a picture of me with it.  ‘Nice dad,’ I thought. So I posted the pic on facebook to show it off a bit.

Jack is on the floor beside me, I'm holding "Jill."
Jack is on the floor beside me, I’m holding “Jill.”

That’s when my liberal buddy asked “What on earth do you need that for?”

My response is worth repeating here.

What do you mean? I love strawberry shortcake.

“Jill” is a Bushmaster M4 model, 5.56 cal. I don’t feel I need one, but since the anti-gun hysteria has gone berserk, I decided that I wanted one. Picked it up at Academy Sports. Comes with a 30-round magazine. Glad I got it, was lucky to get it, they are in such high demand. And Academy isn’t price gouging. $999.99 w/o the sight system. These are going for twice the price at gun shows, if you can find one.

Took it out shooting yesterday for the first time (private property in the county, legal). Compared to a shotgun, which I also have (had that as a kid 50 years ago), the recoil is girlyman. It is light and easy to handle. A petite lady can shoot one with no ill affects.

And that scary looking thing on my left hand is protection from a hot barrel. After shooting a few rounds through it, the barrel does get hot. When the weather improves I hope to get it out to the range to dial in the sights. They’re accurate right out of the box, but I still want to dial them in and I need the range facilities to do that.

Come with me sometime. It’s fun. Bring your guns if you have any. You can shoot mine if you don’t. And if you don’t, I wouldn’t be surprised if you want to get one afterwards. I have them because I like them, and in the unfortunate case that I need one for protection, then I’ll feel like I’m on a level playing field with the bad guy.

Every time I carry, I pray that I won’t “need” it. It is better than needing one and not having it. Besides, it is my constitutional right to decide for myself what I feel I need to protect myself. Which, is another reason I bought a few extra 30-round magazines. The politicos don’t have a right to tell me what I feel I need to protect my rights, family, and property.

When it comes to taking lives (abortion), the same people are pro-choice. But when it comes to saving lives, they want to take my choice away.

It’s fun to shoot at a target and meet the challenge to hit the bullseye. Few people hit the bullseye consistently. What most people try to do is to improve your shooting skill to make a smaller ‘group.’ Let’s go shooting, I’ll show you what I’m talking about. I have extra ear and eye protection if you need it. It is required at the range.

Since that time, I’ve been to the range and dialed in the sights. I’m not an expert marksman yet, but I managed a four-inch group at fifty yards, and a two-inch group at twenty-five. Needless to say, I really like Jill. What I’ve found out though is that each time I use it I’m learning more about its, and my own, capabilities and limitations. I guess that’s what ‘shooting’ is all about. It’s all fun recreation. And like any hobby, you can spend on it as much cash as you have, and then some. For example, the laser sights are fine at 50 yards or less, but not worth a dam at 100 yards or more. One day at the range showed me that to extend its reach with equal accuracy, I’d need a scope with magnification. I’m fine with what I have. After all, it’s not a sniper rifle.

Politics

Chew On This

Six Contradictions of Socialism in the United States

  1. America is Capitalist and Greedy, yet half of the population is subsidized.
  2. Half of the population is subsidized, yet they think they are victims.
  3. They think they are victims, yet their representatives run the government.
  4. Their representatives run the government, yet the poor keep getting poorer.
  5. The poor keep getting poorer, yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.
  6. The have things people in other countries only dream of, yet they want America to be more like those other countries.

 

six-congradictions-of-socialism

 

Media, Politics

How Politics Have Changed In America

Time was that after a hard-fought campaign, a President did his work from the oval office, used the bully pulpit in front of a TV camera, and lobbied congress either personally or through his surrogates and party leaders to persuade them to sign on to his agenda.

President Clinton and other liberals of that time, began to re-shape that model with the never-ending campaign. Political observers could not discern that the campaign that got him elected ever ended. The next thing to change was the dialog. With the campaign still in place, anything that the ‘other side of the aisle’ (Republicans) debated for was not merely wrong, but dangerous and harmful, if not downright criminal. Segments of the population became the tools of the Left. Things like “They want to starve children” became the narrative. And without challenge, the media carried it forward.

Not recognizing this shift, or discounting it as an aberration that would somehow naturally go away, the Bush administration that followed remained ‘old school.’ And much to their detriment, never standing up to the salacious attacks, never defending his positions, and never calling out people like Ted Kennedy for their lies and straw man arguments (Saddam Hussein did not plan 9/11), Republicans have again found themselves scratching their heads (see Karl Rove’s head), wondering what happened to them.

What happened to them is they have successfully been marginalized by a combination of their own non-combative ethos and the double team effort of progressives’ ethos and the media. If Republicans are going to ever win again, they’ve got to fight back.

All of which brings me to the letter received from President Obama’s community organizing wing of the White House called Organizing for Action.

 

On Tuesday, President Obama laid out a plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class.

This isn’t going to be an easy legislative fight, but we’re not ones to sit out when the going gets tough — especially for a fight as important as this.

This Saturday, Chicago mayor and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is hosting a tele-town hall to talk about the President’s proposed plan and what we can do to make it happen.

Sign up today to join the call this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

You’ll be joining supporters around the country — plus some of the staff at Organizing for Action — to get the info you need on the President’s plan and how we can get Congress to act on it.

The President is counting on us.

RSVP now for the tele-town hall on Saturday, and you’ll get all the info you need to join the call:

http://my.barackobama.com/Tele-Town-Hall     {join the fight 🙂 }

Thanks,

Stephanie

Stephanie Cutter
Organizing for Action

Link: When they feel the heat, they will see the light.