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Thursday, October 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday's Ohio Primary: More of the Same
As someone who is greatly concerned about the direction our country is currently taking, I was deeply troubled by the lack of any substantial political change coming out of Tuesday’s
I am not saying that there weren’t any good people selected; there were.
However, most of what we witnessed in that election was the same old politics, the same old way, by the same old people.
When you talk about shady, backroom deals, which were agreed upon behind closed doors, that is certainly not a cliché. That is the Ohio Republican Party leadership.
Although I call myself a Republican, I must tell you that the Ohio GOP does not speak for me. They haven’t for a long time.
Allow me to give you an example:
The Ohio GOP is headed up by a man named Kevin DeWine.
Little Kevin DeWine is the cousin of Mike DeWine, who was elected to run for Ohio Attorney General in November.
Last year, a friend of mine and I were invited to Athens, Ohio, to meet with a good man named Dave Yost, who was going to announce his decision to run for Attorney General.
However, Little Kevin DeWine persuaded Dave to give up his decision, in order to make a place for Cousin Mike.
Therefore, in order to win the favor of the party boss, Dave Yost was relegated to run for Auditor of state, dooming another good man, Seth Morgan, to an electoral defeat on Tuesday.
Just describing the process to you makes me feel like I need a bath.
Seth Morgan is a fine, young man, who might have brought some real reform to
However, you will not get anything other than the status quo from Mike DeWine.
When you mention the name DeWine, you are not talking about a bold, conservative leader.
DeWine, Voinovich, and Taft—those three names are indicative of all the things that are wrong with politics in Columbus and Washington.
There is not a statesman among them!
They do not represent Tea Party values; in their actions and policies, they are Progressives.
These men do not represent you; they endlessly pursue their own political interests, which generally involve their attempts to remain in power. And their relatives’ shameless, political maneuvering allows them to succeed in those efforts.
If
We need statesmen in Columbus and Washington.
And I am greatly disturbed that we didn’t get many of them on Tuesday.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Tea Party: Who Are These People?
On Thursday, like thousands--perhaps, millions--of others in America, I attended one of the Tea Party rallies on Tax Day.
If you believe the talking heads of the Mainstream Media, they will tell you that the people who make up the Tea Party crowds are violent, hateful, racist people who want to undermine our country and our way of life.
What a bunch of hogwash!
I met a number of these people at the Tea Party gathering, and they are truly the salt of the earth. They are your parents and grandparents. They are your next-door neighbors. They are the guys that offer to jump your car when your battery goes dead in the grocery store parking lot.
They are you.
They are the people who donate their money, time, and skills to other Americans, when a natural disaster happens somewhere in America. They are the ones who offer to help a stranded motorist on the side of the road. They are the ones who prepare and bring food to your house after you suffer the death of a loved one.
They are you.
The Tea Party people are the people who regularly pay their mortgages. They are the people who consistently pay their bills. Reluctantly but proudly, they pay their taxes. But despite all of the demands on their paychecks, they are the people who toss a few dollars or a check in the offering plate on Sunday.
The Tea Party people are you.
The Tea Party crowd are the people who think their taxes are too high. They are the ones who think government spends too much. They are the ones who are tightening their belts and cutting back on their spending, while porkbelly politicians in Washington are increasing their taxes and enlarging their budgets.
They are the people who attend your church or synagogue. They are your friends. They are the neighbor who offers to cut your grass or shovel or driveway when you are disabled. They are your postman, your secretary, your policemen or firemen, your boss, your meter reader, the guy carrying a lunch pail out the front door at the same time every morning. They are the ones who risk their lives to guard your liberty.
They are you.
The media calls them "bitter and angry." And while these qualities are definitely a part of their makeup; it is not these qualities that define them. The Tea Party people aren't as bitter and angry as they are hurt and confused.
They are hurt to find themselves regularly attacked on the nightly news or by those elite and arrogant, privileged few in Washington. They are confused as to why their contributions to society are not greatly valued by those who supposedly serve them.
The Tea Party people place an equal value on freedom and responsibility. They worship from the Bible. They revere the Constitution. And they wipe away a tear over a handmade card from their children.
They go to bed at night, fearful of the future for their kids and grandchildren. They wake up in the morning, praying that their fears will not come to fruition.
They are impugned and mischaracterized. They are hated and reviled. They are demonized and degraded. They are misunderstood and underappreciated. Yet despite these things, our Republic cannot survive without them.
The Tea Party people are you.
If you believe the talking heads of the Mainstream Media, they will tell you that the people who make up the Tea Party crowds are violent, hateful, racist people who want to undermine our country and our way of life.
What a bunch of hogwash!
I met a number of these people at the Tea Party gathering, and they are truly the salt of the earth. They are your parents and grandparents. They are your next-door neighbors. They are the guys that offer to jump your car when your battery goes dead in the grocery store parking lot.
They are you.
They are the people who donate their money, time, and skills to other Americans, when a natural disaster happens somewhere in America. They are the ones who offer to help a stranded motorist on the side of the road. They are the ones who prepare and bring food to your house after you suffer the death of a loved one.
They are you.
The Tea Party people are the people who regularly pay their mortgages. They are the people who consistently pay their bills. Reluctantly but proudly, they pay their taxes. But despite all of the demands on their paychecks, they are the people who toss a few dollars or a check in the offering plate on Sunday.
The Tea Party people are you.
The Tea Party crowd are the people who think their taxes are too high. They are the ones who think government spends too much. They are the ones who are tightening their belts and cutting back on their spending, while porkbelly politicians in Washington are increasing their taxes and enlarging their budgets.
They are the people who attend your church or synagogue. They are your friends. They are the neighbor who offers to cut your grass or shovel or driveway when you are disabled. They are your postman, your secretary, your policemen or firemen, your boss, your meter reader, the guy carrying a lunch pail out the front door at the same time every morning. They are the ones who risk their lives to guard your liberty.
They are you.
The media calls them "bitter and angry." And while these qualities are definitely a part of their makeup; it is not these qualities that define them. The Tea Party people aren't as bitter and angry as they are hurt and confused.
They are hurt to find themselves regularly attacked on the nightly news or by those elite and arrogant, privileged few in Washington. They are confused as to why their contributions to society are not greatly valued by those who supposedly serve them.
The Tea Party people place an equal value on freedom and responsibility. They worship from the Bible. They revere the Constitution. And they wipe away a tear over a handmade card from their children.
They go to bed at night, fearful of the future for their kids and grandchildren. They wake up in the morning, praying that their fears will not come to fruition.
They are impugned and mischaracterized. They are hated and reviled. They are demonized and degraded. They are misunderstood and underappreciated. Yet despite these things, our Republic cannot survive without them.
The Tea Party people are you.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Troubling Times Ahead
Yesterday, I saw a headline that stated that gasoline was going to $9 per gallon in the United Kingdom. I was not at all surprised by that.
For those of you who do not know, our gasoline isn't cheaper here just because we are Americans.
Gasoline costs more in Europe because its price is inflated by massive taxing, taxes that are necessary to pay for their "free" health care.
Well, wake up, America! It's coming here soon.
Our country is currently broke. We cannot meet our obligations now; so our president decided, against the will of the people, that we would heap even more debt upon our children and grandchildren.
Our country is a lot like the guy who cannot pay his mortgage, so he goes out and buys himself a yacht.
This mountain of debt that we've already accumulated cannot be sustained forever. Only a fool would willingly add another government entitlement program to the budget.
A family can survive for a time when they are spending more than they are taking it. But sooner or later, the debt will catch up with them.
I am afraid that our country is soon going to learn that lesson.
Everything is going to take a huge increase, from the price of gasoline and groceries to your income tax.
Unfortunately, our economy has already been weakened by these reckless financial policies. Added taxation will only hinder the recovery.
There are certainly some troubling times ahead for America.
For those of you who do not know, our gasoline isn't cheaper here just because we are Americans.
Gasoline costs more in Europe because its price is inflated by massive taxing, taxes that are necessary to pay for their "free" health care.
Well, wake up, America! It's coming here soon.
Our country is currently broke. We cannot meet our obligations now; so our president decided, against the will of the people, that we would heap even more debt upon our children and grandchildren.
Our country is a lot like the guy who cannot pay his mortgage, so he goes out and buys himself a yacht.
This mountain of debt that we've already accumulated cannot be sustained forever. Only a fool would willingly add another government entitlement program to the budget.
A family can survive for a time when they are spending more than they are taking it. But sooner or later, the debt will catch up with them.
I am afraid that our country is soon going to learn that lesson.
Everything is going to take a huge increase, from the price of gasoline and groceries to your income tax.
Unfortunately, our economy has already been weakened by these reckless financial policies. Added taxation will only hinder the recovery.
There are certainly some troubling times ahead for America.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Stevens and Stupak: Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out
Today, there were two big announcements coming from the world of politics.
The phony pro-life, Democrat congressman from Michigan, Bart Stupak announced his retirement. In addition, Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement from the United States Supreme Court.
Now while most of my focus in this posting will be in regards to the retirement of Justice Stevens, I cannot ignore Stupak's departure from the House of Representatives.
With his support and vote for Obamacare, Stupak absolutely lost any and all credibility as a "pro-life" Democrat. By yielding to the threats of Obama and Pelosi, this man removed his mask, revealing to the world that he was fully in favor of taxpayer funding slaughtering the unborn.
You will bear the responsibility for the deaths of an untold number of souls.
I sincerely hope you are not foolish enough to use the same tortured attempts to justify your decision to your Maker as those you attempted to give your constituents. Moreover, I hope your thirty pieces of silver were worth the cost.
The phony pro-life, Democrat congressman from Michigan, Bart Stupak announced his retirement. In addition, Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement from the United States Supreme Court.
Now while most of my focus in this posting will be in regards to the retirement of Justice Stevens, I cannot ignore Stupak's departure from the House of Representatives.
With his support and vote for Obamacare, Stupak absolutely lost any and all credibility as a "pro-life" Democrat. By yielding to the threats of Obama and Pelosi, this man removed his mask, revealing to the world that he was fully in favor of taxpayer funding slaughtering the unborn.
You will bear the responsibility for the deaths of an untold number of souls.
I sincerely hope you are not foolish enough to use the same tortured attempts to justify your decision to your Maker as those you attempted to give your constituents. Moreover, I hope your thirty pieces of silver were worth the cost.
Happy trails, Bart!
The retirement of Justice Stevens was a gift to the country.
Yes, I realize that the president will appoint another liberal to fill his spot on the Court. That is not good news; but it will present no change in political balance.
However, the good news is this:
In their desire to fill this position with another liberal, Democrats in Washington will have to devote much of their time to winning his successor's confirmation. They dare not risk waiting until after the next election.
This is great news!
By devoting their energies to replacing Stevens, Democrats will have to use their majority to seat his replacement on the Court. This will in turn slow down the pushing of their liberal agenda.
If Republicans have any brains whatsoever, then they will take this opportunity to fillibuster Stevens' successor. The longer that the GOP can drag out these hearings, the less items that Democrats will be able to get through Congress.
This is a golden opportunity for the GOP to slow down the Marxist assault on our Republic!
The time is now. Let's pray that they are smart enough to use it.
Yes, I realize that the president will appoint another liberal to fill his spot on the Court. That is not good news; but it will present no change in political balance.
However, the good news is this:
In their desire to fill this position with another liberal, Democrats in Washington will have to devote much of their time to winning his successor's confirmation. They dare not risk waiting until after the next election.
This is great news!
By devoting their energies to replacing Stevens, Democrats will have to use their majority to seat his replacement on the Court. This will in turn slow down the pushing of their liberal agenda.
If Republicans have any brains whatsoever, then they will take this opportunity to fillibuster Stevens' successor. The longer that the GOP can drag out these hearings, the less items that Democrats will be able to get through Congress.
This is a golden opportunity for the GOP to slow down the Marxist assault on our Republic!
The time is now. Let's pray that they are smart enough to use it.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
None but Honest and Wise Men
When John and Abigail Adams first moved into the White House, President Adams wrote: "May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."
Honesty and wisdom - now isn't that a concept for our nation's Chief Executive!
There have certainly been many times in the founding of our Republic where wisdom was much more needed than it is now. However, there has never been a time where both qualities, honesty and wisdom, were more necessary than in our current administration.
And there has also never been a time when they were in such short supply.
While campaigning for the office once held by John Adams, President Obama claimed that his administration would be one of the most open in our country's history. However, when it came to the issue of health care, that was the campaign; this is now.
House and Senate Democrats, led by Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid, routinely have been allowing bills to come to a vote that the American people haven't had a chance to read. But that is not the worst of it.. The senators and congressmen who voted on his legislation, which was suspiciously rushed to the chamber floor, couldn't have had the chance to read these bills also.
That behavior is certainly not wise; it is definitely not honest.
As part of his continuing squabble with the Fox News Network, earlier this year, the Obama administration tried to make their "pay czar," Kenneth Feinberg available to every member of the network news pool, other than Fox News. In a rare display of wisdom from them, the major networks told the president that they wouldn't participate if Fox News was left out of the process. Somebody in these other networks finally realized that any assault on Fox News might eventually be an assault on them as well.
What wrath might these networks ever incur should they ever choose to be anything other than slobbering sycophants for the Democratic Party? In addition, Obama's attempt to pick and choose which news outlets he deemed to be legitimate was a blatant attack on the First Amendment, one of these pesky, little Constitutional principles which the president took an oath to uphold.
"What it's really about to me is the Executive Branch of the government trying to tell the press how it should behave," Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik said. "I mean, this democracy--we know this--only works with a free and unfettered press to provide information."
After the president finally relented on his demands, he was later quoted as saying that he's not "losing sleep" over the process.
That is certainly not honest, because somebody in the administration was obviously losing sleep over the commentary, reporting, and news analysis by Fox!
Administration officials are not free agents. They do not operate in a vacuum. They do not take actions without the direct approval and endorsement of the president. And those who do are quickly to become ex-administration officials.
No, this action was directly the result of Obama's paranoia.
When the president was recently interviewed by Fox's Bret Baier, Obama made it abundantly clear to everyone watching that he does not wish to be challenged or to come clean with the American people regarding his policies.
These most recent actions by the president have made it clear that he does not wish to be fettered by an unfettered press. What did John Adams say again, "None but honest and wise men?"
This administration was overwhelmingly elected because they were permitted to evade the intense media scrutiny that Fox News offers its viewers on a daily basis. Candidate Obama was also spared the networks' nightly anal exam, a hostile level of reporting that was routinely directed at the president's predecessor.
Largely due to the networks' lack of campaign scrutiny, the president was led to believe that nobody would attempt to thwart his policies. Lately, that has not been the case.
And Obama has not taken it well at all.
The American people have made it clear that they do not support Obama's health care policy in its present form. Apparently, the president didn't care what they think.
Scrutiny and daylight are not his friends. Moreover, he knows it.
In order to pass his programs, it is essential that they are not accurately reported. It is also critical that the public not be granted the time to review the legislation, or the processes taking place behind closed doors to enact it.
It was John Adams' wish that the White House would only be filled by "honest and wise men."
Honesty and wisdom - now isn't that a concept for our nation's Chief Executive!
There have certainly been many times in the founding of our Republic where wisdom was much more needed than it is now. However, there has never been a time where both qualities, honesty and wisdom, were more necessary than in our current administration.
And there has also never been a time when they were in such short supply.
While campaigning for the office once held by John Adams, President Obama claimed that his administration would be one of the most open in our country's history. However, when it came to the issue of health care, that was the campaign; this is now.
House and Senate Democrats, led by Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid, routinely have been allowing bills to come to a vote that the American people haven't had a chance to read. But that is not the worst of it.. The senators and congressmen who voted on his legislation, which was suspiciously rushed to the chamber floor, couldn't have had the chance to read these bills also.
That behavior is certainly not wise; it is definitely not honest.
As part of his continuing squabble with the Fox News Network, earlier this year, the Obama administration tried to make their "pay czar," Kenneth Feinberg available to every member of the network news pool, other than Fox News. In a rare display of wisdom from them, the major networks told the president that they wouldn't participate if Fox News was left out of the process. Somebody in these other networks finally realized that any assault on Fox News might eventually be an assault on them as well.
What wrath might these networks ever incur should they ever choose to be anything other than slobbering sycophants for the Democratic Party? In addition, Obama's attempt to pick and choose which news outlets he deemed to be legitimate was a blatant attack on the First Amendment, one of these pesky, little Constitutional principles which the president took an oath to uphold.
"What it's really about to me is the Executive Branch of the government trying to tell the press how it should behave," Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik said. "I mean, this democracy--we know this--only works with a free and unfettered press to provide information."
After the president finally relented on his demands, he was later quoted as saying that he's not "losing sleep" over the process.
That is certainly not honest, because somebody in the administration was obviously losing sleep over the commentary, reporting, and news analysis by Fox!
Administration officials are not free agents. They do not operate in a vacuum. They do not take actions without the direct approval and endorsement of the president. And those who do are quickly to become ex-administration officials.
No, this action was directly the result of Obama's paranoia.
When the president was recently interviewed by Fox's Bret Baier, Obama made it abundantly clear to everyone watching that he does not wish to be challenged or to come clean with the American people regarding his policies.
These most recent actions by the president have made it clear that he does not wish to be fettered by an unfettered press. What did John Adams say again, "None but honest and wise men?"
This administration was overwhelmingly elected because they were permitted to evade the intense media scrutiny that Fox News offers its viewers on a daily basis. Candidate Obama was also spared the networks' nightly anal exam, a hostile level of reporting that was routinely directed at the president's predecessor.
Largely due to the networks' lack of campaign scrutiny, the president was led to believe that nobody would attempt to thwart his policies. Lately, that has not been the case.
And Obama has not taken it well at all.
The American people have made it clear that they do not support Obama's health care policy in its present form. Apparently, the president didn't care what they think.
Scrutiny and daylight are not his friends. Moreover, he knows it.
In order to pass his programs, it is essential that they are not accurately reported. It is also critical that the public not be granted the time to review the legislation, or the processes taking place behind closed doors to enact it.
It was John Adams' wish that the White House would only be filled by "honest and wise men."
Increasingly, it has become obvious that both of those grand and noble qualities are severely lacking in the current occupant.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I Can No Longer Remain Silent
Due to my publishing interests and the fear that I might lose half my readership, I had decided that I would quit doing political writing. However, when I look out across the landscape of our country and I see what is currently happening, I have determined that I can no longer remain silent.
Our country is much too important to put my selfish financial interests ahead of my principles. Therefore, I feel that I must speak up about the direction our country is taking.
America's economic ship-of-state is currently taking on water. We are sinking in this storm because we have allowed ourselves to drift away from our spiritual moorings.
America is a Judeo-Christian nation! It was founded on those principles. It has grown strong on those principles; and it is currently suffering in this economic crisis because we have largely forgotten them.
A capitalistic society will only continue to function properly if we remember that there needs to be a spiritual component to how we conduct our business.
And those who represent us in Washington need to realize that this noble public trust, that has been graciously placed in their hands, is not a means to more power and self-enrichment. Public tax dollars must be zealously guarded, not squandered in reckless programs that consistently fail to achieve those ends to which they are started.
Americans may not deserve better; but our Republic certainly does!
Our country is much too important to put my selfish financial interests ahead of my principles. Therefore, I feel that I must speak up about the direction our country is taking.
America's economic ship-of-state is currently taking on water. We are sinking in this storm because we have allowed ourselves to drift away from our spiritual moorings.
America is a Judeo-Christian nation! It was founded on those principles. It has grown strong on those principles; and it is currently suffering in this economic crisis because we have largely forgotten them.
A capitalistic society will only continue to function properly if we remember that there needs to be a spiritual component to how we conduct our business.
And those who represent us in Washington need to realize that this noble public trust, that has been graciously placed in their hands, is not a means to more power and self-enrichment. Public tax dollars must be zealously guarded, not squandered in reckless programs that consistently fail to achieve those ends to which they are started.
Americans may not deserve better; but our Republic certainly does!
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