My Two Cents…

Disclaimers: Actually, it’s quite a bit MORE than two, but I’m very wordy and sometimes full of crap. Nevertheless I try as hard as I can to think outside the box and come up with new and interesting angles on the major issues of our time. Thus I may tend to ramble a bit, so reading through my entire point of view is entirely up to you.

<End disclaimers>

Recently I completed reading “Fleeced”, an in-depth bi-partisan analysis of the major problems plaguing America. The authors are Dick Morris & Eileen McGann and if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it.

As related to last week’s Wall Street crisis I see two major issues as potential avenues of optimism. Right now Morris and McGann list several major issues plaguing low-income people in particular:

1. School loans and the expense of college tuition.

2. The ability to own your own home.

3. Credit card rip-offs.

Within 2 decades, Glenn Beck of CNN Headline News (along with a former U.S. Comptroller) predict that government spending on entitlements – primarily Social Security and Medicare – will eat up the entire United States budget… even if there is ZERO discretionary spending on other items like Defense, Interior, Energy, etc.

So how do we solve all of these problems and still serve the taxpayer effectively?

If I were President…

The budget crisis would be my first priority. If the government collapses then everything else will too. But I’m a “two birds with one stone” type of guy and I think a lot of other people are too. Thus these recommendations…

1. Use the Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac buyouts to regulate those nasty sub-prime mortgages. The government should do what it can to help low-income people KEEP those homes even if it means cutting them some slack on those monthly payments.

a. If taxpayers have bought into these companies, then we have the right to see it regulated more thoroughly and to receive benefits from it.

b. This is a HUGE potential source of revenue for a government badly in need of it, since (as everyone knows) most of the payments on a home for the first 20 or so years of a 30 year mortgage are mostly the INTEREST revenue paid to those holding the loan.

c. Help homeowners keep their home, and use the revenue from the interest to offset (or eliminate the need for) tax increases that will only hurt America.

2. Find a way to regulate the credit card industry. Morris & McGann list all of the tricks that those companies have used over the past decade to trick people into keeping a high-interest balance on their cards. Penalties, late fees, outrageous interest… you name it, they’re doin’ it.

a. Once again this is tough on the average American because it deceives them into thinking that they have to live with debt.

b. This industry should be strictly regulated as well… sticking young people with high interest debt only adds to their problem of trying to make it through college.

c. Young people have to do THEIR part too, though. Perhaps they might have to start out at (or settle for) a community college instead of that expensive Ivy League university. Perhaps they may only get one or two vacations during college… as opposed to partying constantly. Those who study should be rewarded… those who waste their college days should receive less support.

3. I think government should FIND a way to use these new purchases they’ve made and run them like the businesses they are. Make a PROFIT on these insurance companies and use that revenue to prevent additional tax increases. That’s SMART, but it requires reform and a resistance to the traditional lobbyists and hedge funders influencing Washington.

They’ve already done ONE thing right… if you’re going to buy companies that are in trouble you should do so when their stock is at an all-time low.

Now they should find a way to sell HIGH.

 (A blog inspired by one of my favorite writers, Thomas Sowell…)

We’ll begin with:

25 things you might not know about John McCain

The Associated Press

1. He has a stuffed dancing hamster on display in his Senate office.

2. His wife says her obsession with electronic gadgets and technology is one of his pet peeves.

3. He says his pet peeve is politicians who talk too much. (He admits that he's guilty, too, sometimes.)

4. He's not much of a shopper, but he likes to buy rugs when traveling abroad.

5. His favorite book is "For Whom the Bell Tolls," by Ernest Hemingway.

6. He was addicted to the TV show "24."

7. He carries a lucky penny in his pocket.

8. He played Scrooge in the POWs' staging of "A Christmas Carol" at the Hanoi Hilton.

9. His movie favorites include "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Casablanca," and "Viva Zapata!" He and wife Cindy have seen "Mamma Mia!" twice.

10. He talks to fellow prisoners of war, those with whom he shared a cell in Vietnam, almost daily.

11. He has seven children. The first two he adopted from his first wife's previous marriage, the third was born to him and his first wife, the next three were born to him and his second wife, and the seventh they adopted from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh. He has four grandchildren.

12. His wife was in Bangladesh on a charity mission and brought home baby Bridget without checking first with McCain.

13. He describes himself as "a person who is mostly normal."

14. His parents "eloped" and got married at Caesar's Bar in Tijuana, Mexico; McCain's grandfather accompanied them.

15. He's serious about the finer points of barbecuing, and he likes to deep-fry turkeys in peanut oil.

16. He wasn't happy when Hudson, the neighbors' black lab, ate the tenderloin he'd been marinating to grill for dinner at their ranch in Sedona, Ariz.

17. He doesn't like to be alone.

18. At Christmastime, he likes to supervise the lighting of about 1,000 luminaria candles on their property in Sedona with family and friends.

19. Going on vacation with him is anything but relaxing. His children call it "Camp McCain."

20. He's an early-bird, not a night-owl.

21. He doesn't e-mail. He doesn't surf the Web. He likes to read the newspaper in print. He's attached to his cell phone.

22. His office window sill is overrun with stacks of books. He hands books off to friends once he's read them.

23. He's into fruit trees. And birds. He keeps binoculars and bird books at the ready in Sedona. His pet collection: two dogs, two turtles, a cat, a ferret, three parakeets and 13 saltwater fish.

24. His wife is super-rich. They have a prenuptial agreement.

25. He programmed digital remotes at the family's homes in Phoenix and Washington so they can call up DVDs in any room.

 

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/mccain/articles/2008/08/29/20080829mccain082925things.html

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Bits & Pieces of my thoughts:

I consider myself a moderate, right leaning traditional conservative. If someone calls me a "neo-con", it's a label and says more about them than it does about me.

As for my religion it's mostly private. But my pastor has encouraged me to give of my time, treasure and talent... to share it with the world in all that I do (work and social) and to have compassion for ALL life in the manner taught to me by my Lord Jesus Christ. I have actively worked to do so all my life.

If "Planned Parenthood" had it's way with mothers like Sarah & Bristol Palin, Trig (and many NORMAL kids) would not live.

I know lots of Trigs, adult and adolescent. I work with them virtually every workday. I think Trigs everywhere should be given the time to live, even if they need special help. Some of them have major health problems and do not live as long as we do. Others can see and do things on a level "out of the box" that makes the rest of us look small. How many Einsteins & Picassos have been terminated prior to birth over the years? We shall never know. Out of millions of terminated pregnancies I am sure that there were more than a few.

Pro-choice to many means "allow abortion to 17 year olds without parental notification". That is NOT a mid-road position. In far too many cases, abortion stops a beating heart. My pastor has a filmed abortion video available for anyone to watch who doesn’t think a fetus is a kid.

As for stem cells, when I was in middle school my biology teacher told me that people "had been seeking the Fountain of Youth" since exploration of our world first began and always would be... yet we are mortal. If you don't believe people are clutching at a Fountain of Youth, look at a picture of Joan Rivers some day.

When they talk of miracle cures, everyone jumped on the stem cells bandwagon. I said to myself, there has to be a BETTER way than creating fertilized embryos (which if left alone will become PEOPLE) than harvesting our CHILDREN to save ourselves.

Suddenly medical research discovered that the same stem cells are quite probably available in afterbirth and placenta.

That's thinking "outside the box".

So is recycling nuclear fuel rods to get the most out of them and then dissipating the radiation faster than nature would ever do.

And THOSE things, more than any other, are why I believe so strongly in LIFE and conservative, moral values. Every potential child should be able to enjoy the gift of life.

I'm GLAD my parents made the right choice.

There are plenty of crappy churches out there that will take your money and give you a show. That's why you gotta be an independent thinker and vote with your feet if they're out of line.

I have a unique perspective. My small state’s economy has THRIVED under Bush's tax cuts. States that are hurting are often spending a LOT on ridiculous things… more proof that big government is often much less effective than a smaller, streamlined version.

My governor and state legislature have also used our surplus to offer property tax relief to fiscally weary home owners.

Many state governments are a PERFECT model for a smaller, fiscally conservative FEDERAL governement. But the lobbyists and campaign donations to keep ambition going are just too much to resist.

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And finally a short story about me (I promise it will be short):

When I worked in state government, my colleagues and I worked in a big big IT office. At the time my team manager handled 8-10 people, but the "Programming" manager was constantly coordinating with the Team managers and all of us (80 or so programmer/analysts and project leaders).

Every once in a while, when the workload was heavy and tempers, morale, and moods were low he would put everything on the normal meeting agenda aside and we would all watch a video.

That video was called "A Bad Day".

I don't remember the man's name who narrated it, but he was one of John McCain's colleagues during their stint in the Hanoi Hilton.

1. He talked about the shock of capture, followed by the constant abuse and torture. NOT waterboarding or sleep deprivation, but the outright bone breaking, life changing beatings and hideous torture sessions.

2. He discussed laying in a small cell 24 hours a day, listening as your fellow prisoners were dragged off to be tortured and knowing that your turn was coming.

3. He informed us about the "tap tapping" code that they came up with, so that when someone was dragged back into the cell, the others could signal their faith and support via wall tapping. Even if the prisoners couldn't make eye contact or get the "thumbs up" to each other that Senator McCain talked about, they could communicate and support each other even if they couldn't meet and hold conversations. Their communication was by tapping.

4. So last night while John McCain was telling me more about this situation, I was RIVETED to my seat and in tears most of the time because I have heard this story many times before.

5. Those POWs (and the narrator) discovered something about themselves that many of us never will... how FAR the human spirit can be tested and STILL remain POSITIVE and HOPEFUL.

6. Their FAITH guided them through tough times, a stern faith in God and a sincere belief that their country would never forget them.

7. They did all kinds of things to pass the time when they could talk. In between, they did all kinds of other things and communicated the results by tap code. For example, the video narrator spoke of "push up" contests. Barely fed and with hardly any muscle tone, these men did hundreds and even thousands of pushups. They even held contests and I discovered that the man who usually won was the man who went LAST. Knowing what they had to beat was all they needed for motivation.

8. As Senator McCain pointed out, they did not truly understand just HOW MUCH freedom we in Western nations (and our own country of America) enjoyed until it was suddenly, shockingly taken away from them.

9. "Try spending a day in the Hanoi Hilton," was the POW video narrator's message. "THAT'S a bad day." But he also pointed out that we often put way too many limitations on ourselves and don't fully realize how much we are capable of achieving until we have no choice but to fight for our ongoing survival, each and every day.


After our "bad day", we could leave, go for a walk, head off to McDonald's, or share time with our families. If we lost our jobs we could go to an unemployment office and collect benefits while looking for a new one. Or we could go to a food shelter or a state/federally funded vocational rehabilitation center. Did society somehow deprive you of an education? These vocational rehab centers will often TRAIN YOU in the job skills of your choice for FREE.

But you have to get up off that sidewalk and get off those drugs or get off that alcohol, and you have to WANT something better for yourself.

America takes care of anyone who wants the help. But you have to get past your pride and ego first and ASK when times are tough.


Office morale was often high in my state office, and grumbling was still there but minimized.

Because seeing that video tape ONCE was all we needed to know.

 

 

 

 

God Bless America!!!

 

May He keep her safe from harm and help all of spread freedom and peace throughout this world.

 

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20222685_1,00.html

http://www.palinfacts.com/

A popular, noteworthy E-mail going around says a lot about the modern Republican. I have posted it here as a prime example of “What We Are”…

Here is someone with the money to fund a rebuttal to what Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee Chairman, said recently, that 'many Republicans have never done an honest day's work in their life'. The following full-page ad was placed in the Washington Post by a businessman named George J. Esseff, Sr.  He paid $104,655.60 to run the ad and only did it because he is sick and tired of the way that 'the rich' are portrayed by liberals these days.  It is a great read.

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/whatiam.asp

 

What I Am…

Maybe You're a Conservative Republican?

    In today's America, ask a growing number of high school and college students, their teachers and professors, the self-anointed media elite and/or hard working men and women of all ethnicities, the question, 'What is a Republican?' and you'll be told  '... a rich, greedy, egotistical individual, motivated only by money and the desire to accumulate more and more of it, at the expense of the environment, the working poor... and all whom they exploit...'

    I am a Republican - and I am none of those things... and I don't know any Republicans who are!    

    WHAT I AM, first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 52 plus years, the father of four, and an American who's proud of his country...and his country's heritage.    

    WHAT I AM is someone who worked his way through college by holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education to build a better life.    

    WHAT I AM is a husband who, at age 24, started his own business for the 'privilege' of working 60, 70 and 80 hours a week, risking everything I had, including my health, in search of a better life for myself and my loved ones.   

    WHAT I AM is an American who's proud that his President embraces a belief in God; proud of a President who understands, as 'politically incorrect' as it may be, there is evil in this world, and for the security and safety of all freedom loving people everywhere, it must be confronted ... and it must be defeated.     

    WHAT I AM is an American who takes comfort in the knowledge that our President refuses to allow decisions concerning the very safety and security of this nation to be governed by the political whims of foreign governments.    

    WHAT I AM is tired of hearing from leading Democrats who see only negativity in America, racism in her people, class warfare in her society and 'political incorrectness' in her character.    

    WHAT I AM is a former Democrat who now understands that it is the soldier and not the reporter that guarantees us our freedoms of the press, speech and dissent.     

   WHAT I AM is a man who believes in the sanctity of life.  A man who is repulsed by the pandering of the political left for votes, at the expense of the unborn.     

    WHAT I AM is a realist who understands that the terrorist attack that murdered hundreds of innocent Russian children could have occurred here, in our heartland.  That's why I sincerely believe America needs, now more than ever, a President who sees with a clear and focused vision and who speaks with a voice, when heard by both friend and foe alike, is understood, respected and believed. 

1.     You are against capital punishment for unrepentant, repeat offending cold-blooded murderers, but support abortion on demand.

Apparently, President Bush DIDN’T lie.

He put what was best for America (and most of Europe) ahead of his own popularity.

And a majority of the media chooses not to report the TRUTH.

Big surprise.

How many news networks did YOU see report the following FACTS:

The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program — a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium — reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.

The removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" — the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment — was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam's nuclear legacy. It also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions.

What is now left is the final and complicated push to clean up the remaining radioactive debris at the former Tuwaitha nuclear complex about 12 miles (19 kilometers) south of Baghdad — using teams that include Iraqi experts recently trained in the Chernobyl fallout zone in Ukraine.

"Everyone is very happy to have this safely out of Iraq," said a senior U.S. official who outlined the nearly three-month operation to The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

While yellowcake alone is not considered potent enough for a so-called "dirty bomb" — a conventional explosive that disperses radioactive material — it could stir widespread panic if incorporated in a blast. Yellowcake also can be enriched for use in reactors and, at higher levels, nuclear weapons using sophisticated equipment.

The Iraqi government sold the yellowcake to a Canadian uranium producer, Cameco Corp., in a transaction the official described as worth "tens of millions of dollars." A Cameco spokesman, Lyle Krahn, declined to discuss the price, but said the yellowcake will be processed at facilities in Ontario for use in energy-producing reactors.

"We are pleased ... that we have taken (the yellowcake) from a volatile region into a stable area to produce clean electricity," he said.

The deal culminated more than a year of intense diplomatic and military initiatives — kept hushed in fear of ambushes or attacks once the convoys were under way: first carrying 3,500 barrels by road to Baghdad, then on 37 military flights to the Indian Ocean atoll of Diego Garcia and finally aboard a U.S.-flagged ship for a 8,500-mile trip to Montreal.

And, in a symbolic way, the mission linked the current attempts to stabilize Iraq with some of the high-profile claims about Saddam's weapons capabilities in the buildup to the 2003 invasion.

Accusations that Saddam had tried to purchase more yellowcake from the African nation of Niger — and an article by a former U.S. ambassador refuting the claims — led to a wide-ranging probe into Washington leaks that reached high into the Bush administration.

Tuwaitha and an adjacent research facility were well known for decades as the centerpiece of Saddam's nuclear efforts.

Israeli warplanes bombed a reactor project at the site in 1981. Later, U.N. inspectors documented and safeguarded the yellowcake, which had been stored in aging drums and containers since before the 1991 Gulf War. There was no evidence of any yellowcake dating from after 1991, the official said.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have guarded the 23,000-acre (9,300-hectare) site — surrounded by huge sand berms — following a wave of looting after Saddam's fall that included villagers toting away yellowcake storage barrels for use as drinking water cisterns.

Yellowcake is obtained by using various solutions to leach out uranium from raw ore and can have a corn meal-like color and consistency. It poses no severe risk if stored and sealed properly. But exposure carries well-documented health concerns associated with heavy metals such as damage to internal organs, experts say.

"The big problem comes with any inhalation of any of the yellowcake dust," said Doug Brugge, a professor of public health issues at the Tufts University School of Medicine.

Moving the yellowcake faced numerous hurdles.

Diplomats and military leaders first weighed the idea of shipping the yellowcake overland to Kuwait's port on the Persian Gulf. Such a route, however, would pass through Iraq's Shiite heartland and within easy range of extremist factions, including some that Washington claims are aided by Iran. The ship also would need to clear the narrow Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf, where U.S. and Iranian ships often come in close contact.

Kuwaiti authorities, too, were reluctant to open their borders to the shipment despite top-level lobbying from Washington.

An alternative plan took shape: shipping out the yellowcake on cargo planes.

But the yellowcake still needed a final destination. Iraqi government officials sought buyers on the commercial market, where uranium prices spiked at about $120 per pound last year. It's currently selling for about half that. The Cameco deal was reached earlier this year, the official said.

At that point, U.S.-led crews began removing the yellowcake from the Saddam-era containers — some leaking or weakened by corrosion — and reloading the material into about 3,500 secure barrels.

In April, truck convoys started moving the yellowcake from Tuwaitha to Baghdad's international airport, the official said. Then, for two weeks in May, it was ferried in 37 flights to Diego Garcia, a speck of British territory in the Indian Ocean where the U.S. military maintains a base.

On June 3, an American ship left the island for Montreal, said the official, who declined to give further details about the operation.

The yellowcake wasn't the only dangerous item removed from Tuwaitha.

Earlier this year, the military withdrew four devices for controlled radiation exposure from the former nuclear complex. The lead-enclosed irradiation units, used to decontaminate food and other items, contain elements of high radioactivity that could potentially be used in a weapon, according to the official. Their Ottawa-based manufacturer, MDS Nordion, took them back for free, the official said.

The yellowcake was the last major stockpile from Saddam's nuclear efforts, but years of final cleanup is ahead for Tuwaitha and other smaller sites.

The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency plans to offer technical expertise.

Last month, a team of Iraqi nuclear experts completed training in the Ukrainian ghost town of Pripyat, which once housed the Chernobyl workers before the deadly meltdown in 1986, said an IAEA official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decontamination plan has not yet been publicly announced.

But the job ahead is enormous, complicated by digging out radioactive "hot zones" entombed in concrete during Saddam's rule, said the IAEA official. Last year, an IAEA safety expert, Dennis Reisenweaver, predicted the cleanup could take "many years."

The yellowcake issue also is one of the many troubling footnotes of the war for Washington.

A CIA officer, Valerie Plame, claimed her identity was leaked to journalists to retaliate against her husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, who wrote that he had found no evidence to support assertions that Iraq tried to buy additional yellowcake from Niger.

A federal investigation led to the conviction of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

1. This video is a very honest, very bittersweet look at one of the toughest jobs in the world right now. It is the story of people who are rebuilding and educating a nation while – at the same time – determined to keep the peace.

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/Impish_Dragon/?action=view¤t=Untitled.flv

http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=166725&page=4

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6XZDb045xU

 

5. And finally, here are a bunch of snapshots that people have sent to me depicting America’s best and bravest at their best. They’re not rich and they’re not celebrities starring in movies about heroes who do great things. These people ARE heroes who do great things and risk their lives in search of world peace.

God Bless them, EVERY ONE!!

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Seesaw.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Kid1.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Kids.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=IWantToHelp.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Yahoo.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Family1.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq01.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq04.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq05.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq07.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq02.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq06.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq08.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq10.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq11.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq03.jpg

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d107/SonOfTed2/?action=view¤t=Iraq12.jpg

Congress… will you please STOP raiding entitlement funds and spending away America's future? PLEASE!

 

The United States Comptroller in charge of accounting was on CNN Headline News tonight.

 

Baby Boomers have officially started to retire, and money supposedly set aside to pay their monthly Social Security checks is gone. Spent.

 

Neither party will let the true figures be known without a lot of digging, and I watched and I listened with absolute outrage to hear that each household in America needs to come up with $400,000 to pay off this debt today.

 

That is ridiculous.

 

Cow farts, college grants, Woodstock museums… Dick Morris’ book “Outrage!” doesn’t appear to be outrageous enough as things turn out.

 

And we’ve got a large group of would-be Presidential candidates telling us that it’s time for a change… and THIS time they’re serious.

 

Really.

 

How – might I ask – are they going to enforce spending discipline on Congress when no President in modern history has been able to?

 

Outspoken, charismatic candidates such as Barack Obama and John McCain will promise true change all they want, but right now people like Senators Obama and McCain DO NOT have the power – even as President – to make significant changes to the manner in which our Federal government does business. If our new President (elected later in 2008) wants his/her agenda taken seriously, then as things stand now earmarks and pork “add ons” to Congressional bills are a “necessary evil” that the President-elect realistically has NO power to change.

 

Only Congress can change the way it does business. And I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe that the same body of government capable of voting itself a raise will suddenly “see the light” and support sound fiscal spending plans.

 

Both parties are equally guilty and both parties are keeping three sets of books: one for the government, one for SSec/Medicare, and one for Emergency spending. By the year 2040, spending on SSec/Medicare will consume the entire budget.

 

In other words, if Congress were the mafia they would be in jail.

 

I am just ONE person with ONE vote but I am angry.

 

1. I want the President to have a line item veto. It’s not giving him or her too much power, it’s simply putting a necessary check and balance in place on “the power of the purse”.

 

2. I want term limits on Senators and Congressmen and women. If you do not behave yourself responsibly in Congress, maintain fiscal responsibility, and cooperate in a bi-partisan manner for the good of all Americans then you have no business in Washington D.C.

 

We need the line item veto and term limits on Congress ASAP.

 

Even if we begin taxing ourselves through the roof and cut spending RIGHT NOW we’re still screwed. That is not fair to our children or grandchildren.

 

It is in fact CRIMINAL.

 

We do not need a President who tries to add ANOTHER entitlement program (such as universal health care) to a government that is already technically bankrupt. Congress will begin raiding it as soon as it is set up.

 

I have lived my entire life in the shadow of a monster called the National Debt. It gets bigger and bigger every year and I am sick and tired of the Federal government acting as an irresponsible role model for our young people.

 

We deserve leaders who will spend responsibly and pass legislation funding priorities.

 

If we truly want National Health care and other similar entitlement programs (which the majority of us will soon decide) then laws need to be passed to prosecute greedy Congressional officials who try to steal the appropriated funds.

 

If they tax us to pay for our health care then we deserve to have that money USED to provide health care benefits.

 

It’s already too late for them to deliver on Social Security and Medicare… our leaders have used their long tenure to set up a long line of federal funding back to their home states in return for re-election.

 

And they are sacrificing our future in the process.

 

We must not demand a simple promise of change from our next President. We must also demand that the Presidency and Congress be changed so that responsible behavior is rewarded and irresponsible politicians are kicked out of office as soon as the next election arrives.

 

Don’t let the politicians continue doing this.

 

We the people must DEMAND that they STOP.

 

PLEASE. Make them STOP spending away America’s future!

 

It’s like mixing oil & water, really:

 

Celebrities who consort with enemies of America and criticize our government leaders really get on my nerves. They are among the most privileged of all of us, richer after several years of work than most of us will ever be. With egos to match their inflated incomes, they convince themselves that they are somehow “giving back” to society by voicing their often uninformed strong opinions.

 

They do have this right under our free speech rights.

 

But instead of participating with the U.S.O. shows and supporting our soldiers overseas and their families here at home, quite a few of them convince themselves that opposition to our country’s policy is the best manner in which to exercise those rights. More often than not, they become part of the problem instead of lending a hand to the greatest government in the world.

 

Why are they more interested in making a name for themselves than being part of the solution?

 

Oprah Winfrey’s recent road trip in support of Barack Obama is a clear demonstration of how weak celebrity endorsements have become. Other than Oprah, very few will do anything other than “offer a verbal endorsement” or send their preferred candidates a check. And although I really like Oprah, I sincerely doubt that her stumping for Obama will accomplish anything more than attracting a crowd of curious autograph seekers. Most people are proud of the fact that their vote can’t be bought… that they’re going to throw their support behind the best person for the job.

 

We have to be extremely careful, however, and extremely vigilant as election years approach and the rich and elite begin speaking.

 

Celebrities do not have access to the same intelligence as our government leaders, thus their conclusions are apt to be a bit flawed (not to mention biased by personal ideology). They may not know, for example, that Saddam Hussein was giving kickbacks to corrupt people in the U.N. in exchange for their votes. By fleecing his own people and taking advantage of the greed present in so many ambitious politicians from the U.S. and other nations, he was able to stir up chaos as he began the first stages of rebuilding his million man army and the renewal of his pursuit of nuclear weapons to use against Israel and other NATO allies.

 

Thus I don’t think that the celebrities who step forward should be given a free pass.

 

Yes they have the right to speak their minds and yes they have a right to be extremely committed to a cause that they care dearly about.

 

But we have to remember that they are actors and actresses… and in this country EACH and every one of US has the EXACT SAME right to be heard as they do.

 

It bothers me greatly that these people are often allowed to read a prepared, carefully designed speech that is intended to stir up the maximum emotional impact possible. Then they turn around, walk away, and return to their mansions protected by huge fences and expensive security systems.

 

 

If celebrities truly want to criticize our government and its democratically elected leaders, then they should be required to hold a press conference after they finish their pretty speeches and field questions from the press in the same manner as the President or Secretary of State does.

 

I for one would like to hear them take and respond to reporters’ questions in an unscripted, open forum. After all, we the people have a right to know how informed (or uninformed) they are on these oh-so-important issues of our time before reaching a conclusion as to whether we support or don’t support their position.

 

 

Don’t we?

The Watchmaker:

 

Until we are able to explore far beyond our solar system, I think it would be naïve in the extreme to assume that there are no other life forms out there, no Creator waiting and watching and anonymously helping. I think it would be utterly ridiculous to assume that we are the only life forms in a universe so vast.

 

The link below has a presentation that sums up everything pretty well… it’s one of the most extraordinary view points I’ve ever seen actually.

 

You’ll be watching a video and narrative so turn up your sound!

 

http://www.kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

The art of fund raising:

 

Having worked for a non-charitable organization for many years (and previously in state government), I am quite accustomed to going out into the world and being one of those millions of cogs in the great wheel of commerce that keeps America functioning. I also like to take some of my monthly spending money (granted, a lower percentage of my budget than I would like) and donate it to worthwhile causes.

 

Americans are some of the most generous people in the world, particularly those who have made a rich living off of our continually growing economy.

 

Giving to charity is important for a variety of reasons: (a) your money helps others who are genuinely in need (temporarily or on a long-term basis), (b) taxes can stay reasonable when private citizens help out by giving over and above what they are asked, and (c) if you keep receipts then your contribution is often tax deductible.

 

However, having contributed to many different charities over the years I have come to some common sense conclusions for anyone who wants to donate. I also would like to offer a few suggestions to those who are seeking donations by telephone and/or mail.

 

Charitable Organization Ettiquette Tips:

 

1. I suggest you have your employees give up (once and for all) the telemarketing thing.

 

     a. Please notice that you call folks at your convenience and not theirs. Thus when most people get interrupted during their busy day your call is likely to cost you a lot more than just a polite or impolite “No”.

 

     b. If you do call folks, keep it short. Some of the stuff that my organization does requires a lot of community participation (from businesses and government). Thus when making new contacts I have prepared a printed packet of information in advance. I proceed by giving them a brief minute or two overview of what my organization is all about and then offer to fax them the packet info so that they can review it as their time permits. This will not get you a lot of new recruits to your cause, but you have to remember that organizations and private citizens are probably already supporting their favorite charities. They’re all great causes trying to help people and animals… thus it is vitally important not to make a bad impression.

 

     c. Never use guilt. Lots of folks like to call me and tell me that I should buy tickets to their charity concert because it’s a benefit for a bunch of needy or retarded kids. If I don’t want to go, then I am encouraged to buy tickets so that the kids can go. Hey! If the performer and staff want to truly help needy kids, then they should throw a concert for all those needy individuals among us for free. If you do ten normal concerts and one for the needy, I think the performers are still making plenty of dough to keep for themselves. Tactics like this are why I use my caller ID meticulously these days… I work hard for myself and for my family, so I don’t need to listen to someone’s exaggerated sob story.

 

2. Reward your regular contributors, not with junk mail but with something they can actually use.

 

     a. Don’t give out sets of cards or huge envelopes with lots of stuff in them. This is an immediate warning sign to your potential contributors that their money will be used for printing and sending you junk mail, not to help the people the cause serves. With postage costs constantly increasing you’re telegraphing that you’re only after money, unconcerned with overhead, and not using money raised responsibly. Even if you're a "nonprofit" licensed to send mail with a permit instead of a stamp, wasting a lot of paper doesn't impress most folks these days.

 

     b. Do send your regulars something. My favorites are a nice set of mailing labels with the contributor’s name and address on it, small notepads, or a simple set of stickers that can be used to dress up your contributors’ outgoing mail. If it can’t fit in a standard size envelope you’re entering the danger zone… refer to item 2a above.

 

     c. Don’t stamp your logo all over anything you send. Particularly with the cards that can be sent to others, you don’t want to make your donor an extension of your fund raising process. I have received huge sets of cards that have gone in the garbage because the charity’s logo, website etc. were stamped all over the “gift”. The last thing I want to do is hit up my family and friends for money when I’m wishing them a Merry Christmas. Sorry, that is just not gonna happen; I’m quite capable of printing or buying my own cards thank you very much. Your pre-stamped requests for chain donations go directly in the trash, and it is money that the sender wasted… not me.

 

3. The biggest turn-offs for me that almost guarantee a negative response have to be those pre-printed “Emergency” envelopes and spam snail mail requesting that money be sent “as soon as possible”.

 

     a. Hey… pretty much everyone knows that if you have the time to get pre-printed envelopes from a professional printer with the words “Emergency Relief Fund” stamped on them that there probably isn’t a true emergency in progress. Genuine emergencies happen quickly and are handled by the National Guard, American military, FEMA, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other organizations specifically set up to handle disasters.

 

     b. That said, many of these organizations love to spam you… be it using the phone, mail, or E-mail. It often seems like you’ve barely sent them a check and there are two or more additional mailings from them in my mailbox. Don’t be greedy and don’t waste money on postage. I like the American Red Cross and I like the Salvation army, but if they get too greedy then I feel just as frustrated with them as with telemarketers. When this happens I usually switch to another organization that behaves itself responsibly… or with the more reputable charities I at least wait until the mail slows back down to the occasional request. If you spam me, you’re telling me you have plenty of money.

 

Tips for charitable giving:

 

4. If you don’t mind being contacted by phone, then you’re one of the few who don’t mind telemarketing. Be careful about giving to anybody… I strongly suggest you check them out, ask who they are, and request that they fax or mail you information on their organization. You’ll be able to tell a lot about them based on how often they call you and how much mail they send. Some charities are so aggressive that they will do both at the same time.

 

     a. If someone is badgering you on the phone, remember that they called you at their convenience and interrupted what you were doing. It is perfectly acceptable to politely say “I’m not interested” and hang up… even if they’re still talking. Many phone callers like to filibuster you in the hopes that if the conversation lasts long enough, you’re less likely to reject them.

 

     b. If you value your privacy, don’t be afraid to sign up for the national “no-call” list. Keep yourself registered there and you’ll eliminate a great deal of calls… some states even offer a special “no call” list of their own. That way, if telemarketers violate the law your state’s attorney general can go after them.

 

     c. If someone tries to use guilt against you remember that you worked hard to earn your money, and that the government has already taxed it. You’re already contributing to the betterment of others just by paying taxes. So pick and choose causes that you or your family have a personal interest in… don’t just give because someone tries to make you feel bad because you have a good life. If you work hard every day then you have earned your lifestyle.

 

5. Whether you pay bills on-line or not, having mailing labels with a return address on them sent to you can be a great thing… it’s one of those little things that you no longer have to print or order for yourself.

 

     a. That’s why I like charities that send a reasonable gift that I can really use. Some of them don’t even have to send a gift… all they have to do is send me they’re quarterly newsletter. When I receive that, I usually write them a check and send it in.

 

     b. Watch very carefully and immediately identify gimmicks. For example: Recently folks have been sending me stuff with a nickel showing through the address window of the envelope. The form letter stamp-signed by the company’s leader states “I did that to get your attention.” Well, he did… he immediately demonstrated to me that he has way too much money to work with if he’s putting a nickel on everything he sends out in addition to paying the postage costs. Pre-printed “Emergency” envelopes, using guilt with requests to buy tickets to concerts for needy people… those kind of tactics usually don’t cut it with me. I don’t get angry at the people who do this, but I certainly don’t reward them for using these kinds of fund raising maneuvers.

 

     c. If people send you stuff when you haven’t donated, remember you are under no obligation to reply if you don’t like their cause. It’s a free country and folks who try to recruit with foolish marketing decisions should not be rewarded for their bad marketing decisions.

 

6. I usually look to the home town area first. Local charities that support the people in your city, town and neighborhood are usually much more effective and have lower overhead.

 

     a. Causes that help people with ongoing medical conditions are a priority for me. Some folks are in the hospital a lot… it’s expensive and so are the medicines they need to treat their lifelong conditions like cystic fibrosis, MS, or other developmental disabilities.

 

     b. Usually my donations are budgeted and split between local and national causes. The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other stalwart organizations that are always on the scene in true emergencies constantly need to replenish their funds. So be generous all year round, not just during the holiday season. Funds raised usually skyrocket during Christmas, so you can actually assist lots of these agencies much more by continuing to contribute all through the New Year.

 

7. Beware of on-line E-mails or fund raising efforts conducted using the Internet. Cyberspace is a dangerous place and anyone can pretend to be someone they’re not.

 

 

With all of that said, I strongly urge everyone to send your money to the people who say thank you, treat you respectfully, and run solid charitable organizations that you know will truly provide help to needy people or homeless cats and dogs.

 

All of the wonderful causes, local and national, that we as Americans support reduces the need for the politicians to tax us more. So give from your heart and consider volunteering as well… giving of your time, talent, and treasure is even more rewarding, even if it’s only a part-time basis!

 

Have a great and wonderful holiday season this December of 2007! My best wishes to EVERYONE! May God continue to bless America!

Happy Thanksgiving 2007 Everybody!!!!


I hope you all have a great and wonderful Holiday Season this year, share these days with people you love and have a warm and healthy home with plenty to eat!

God Bless America!!


1. You can test your knowledge by taking the "Great American Turkey Quiz". Click on the link below:

http://home.aristotle.net/Thanksgiving/trivia.asp

(If you get more than 12 right, you're much more knowlegeable about Thanksgiving than muah...)


2. After the quiz, reward yourself with a holiday message and some "pumpkin pie"...

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=HY27482779


3. Since I'm new to "Townhall", perhaps someone will post a comment telling me how to hide the ugly links inside of normal, clickable text like "Thanksgiving Quiz".

a. The normal [url=] [/url] tags I use on most chatboards aren't recognized here.

b. Also, can we link to pictures from an on-line host such as Photobucket?

A comprehensive analysis:

Unlike a lot of folks on chatboards I don't name call, I just analyze things from as objective a perspective as I can. Since I am in my forties, I was around during the 1980’s and the 1990’s when the Middle East was pretty much a lost cause and nothing there had changed for about 3,000 years or so.

Thus it was obvious to everyone that the roadmap to peace in the Middle East would have speed bumps and be difficult. There was no way to complete it in a manner pleasing to today's drive-thru, “instant gratification” society, but I think our progress in that most troubled region of the world has been remarkable to say the least.

Rudyard Kipling is famous for saying…

“Force without justice is tyranny, and justice without force is powerless.”

Iraq and Iran fought a war with each other in the 1980's while in competition to be the first terrorist nation to build or buy nuclear weapons. Israel bombed Iraq's nuke capabilities shortly after Ronald Reagan took office. So nothing much really changed in the aftermath over the next thirty years. Each country sat back and waited, and the “axis of evil” consisting of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq & Syria thrived. Even if they didn’t like each other, they still cooperated in their efforts to kill people from free nations.

Remember when we invaded Iraq in the 1^st Gulf War and Saddam ordered his Mig jet fighters to fly to Iran – a country he had just waged war against – so that we wouldn’t be able to destroy them?
 
People who lead violent dictatorships aren’t dealing with a full deck of cards, you see, and they must be treated a little more harshly than your average criminal.

I remember during that time when Saddam and the neighboring rogue nations repeatedly tried to start conflicts and escalate them to destabilize the region and monopilize oil. We played right into their hands, you see, by listening to our environmentalists and not drilling and refining oil here at home. We allowed ourselves to become dependent on THEM because a minority of Americans raised a fuss about pollution. Now the pollution is elsewhere in the world, but it's still there and it's still affecting the entire planet. (Supposedly).

I regularly chuckle at how fully the current Democrat-led Congress has completely misread the voter mandate of 2006. Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of Americans don’t think the war is going well, and that in hindsight perhaps it wasn’t a good idea given the cooperation we have received from our new allies. But partisan eyes don't see facts, nor do their thoughts push aside political rhetoric and address reality.

 

Perhaps I missed them, but I haven’t seen any polls specifically indicating that we give up on the billions spent and simply QUIT. That would bring back a horrible return on our overseas investment and is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever seen. And this agenda comes from the Democrats - a party that claimed to have answers… claimed to be able to lead better than President Bush. Well in 2006 they got their chance. What super-genius advice did they give the President?

 

QUIT!

 

Is America acting unilaterally? Not from where I’m sitting:

 Once again Saudi Arabia and Turkey cooperated with us, not to mention our great friends in the U.K., Denmark, Australia, Spain (until recently) and now France. Many people point out that the coalition this time around is not nearly as large as during the 1st Gulf War. That's fine with me too. Too many cooks, you know...

But when you take a step back and examine this situation HONESTLY, we have actually significantly increased our coalition by recruiting former enemies to help us. These include:

 

1. Qatar.

2. The newly democratized Afghanistan.

3. The newly democratized Iraq.

4. Pakistan.

5. Jordan.

6. Kuwait.

In less than five years the “axis of evil” has been reduced from FIVE to TWO. For crying out loud, not only is North Korea cooperating with us but even LIBYA has renounced terrorism. Even Moamar Quadaffi can read the writing on the wall... perhaps he should contact the Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader.

 

Not only is America safer but the WORLD is safer.

 

When people vote against America at the U.N. I wonder why because we are renowned for bending over backwards to appease people. So I usually look deeper when weird things happen, and this is the way I see it (after of course viewing the EVIDENCE firsthand on Fox news)… the only trustworthy news network that really bothered to look into WHY our allies weren't supporting us.

Because they were paying LESS for their Iraqi scammed oil than the rest of the world and robbing the civilian people of Iraq.

I think all countries should have to pay MARKET price for oil. That's only fair.

Saddam was given a chance he didn't deserve to stay in power at the end of the first Gulf War and he rewarded everyone for their generosity by starting an Oil for Food scandal that prevented the U.N. from acting unilaterally against him a second time. He shouldn't have gambled, because the man just didn't realize he was dealing with people who DO NOT like allowing cold-blooded killers to recruit cold blooded killers while running a country. When you lose a war you do whatever you’re told to do if you want to stay in power and Saddam chose poorly.

Unfortunately for him, we elected President Bush, a man who expects other nations to behave as responsibly as we do and keep their word. It astonishes me how critics tried to codemn him for not serving in Viet Nam. Those who serve in the Presidency are already taking a major risk with their life for the ENTIRE rest of it. If you don't believe that statement, talk to the families of JFK or Ronald Reagan.

A few observations:

 

1. Scuds are WMD's, especially when dropped on large populated cities. Attacks against our bases overseas or the friendly nations in which those bases are located count as a threat against us because – under NATO treaty – an attack against one country is an attack against all member nations. Read the treaty.

 

2. Shortly after deposing Saddam, our forces discovered the fuselage of a jumbo jet that was being used to train hijackers. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this discovery because the news didn’t consider it a big deal. I did for the following reasons: (a) They weren’t training stewardesses on that thing, and (b) Jumbo jets are a PROVEN weapon of mass destruction. Ahem. (c) Were all those Fedayeen going to travel the world and hand out flowers at airports? I don’t think so… perhaps opponents of the war are that naïve.

In case everyone hasn’t noticed, our GNP and economy has soared to new highs. I agree that Bush spends too much, but I haven't seen a politician in Congress or the White House yet who didn't. Until Congress is tagged with term limits and the threat of a line item veto they will continue to approve major spending. It’s how they get re-elected and why there’s rarely turnover once people get into office.

Bill Clinton tried to restrict spending and cut the deficit and I respect him for that. But he tried appeasement as a foreign policy and it didn’t work. Working for the short term is okay, but you have to keep the long term in your line of sight too. If the world economy suffers or is unstable WE ALL suffer because we are all linked together.

If you think a deficit is bad, imagine an unstable Middle East, where the supply of oil is unreliable because countries led by people like Saddam and Ahmadinejad are calling the shots. I think a lot of Americans would complain a lot worse if they had $5 or $6 a gallon oil. They would cry out even louder these days if a repeat of the 1970's happened and we actually had to RATION it again. Those same people in larger cities who are whining about the war had better watch it... they have a long way to walk to work on all those highways they rely upon.

 
But hey, we've got to keep those environmentalists happy don't we? No nuclear power and no more refineries on our soil. But they all still want the oil for their cars to somehow magically arrive in America, mind you! To say we don't have a direct involvement and stake in what happens in the Middle East is naive in the extreme. It is DENIAL.

Our dependence on unstable countries to meet our energy needs is as much OUR fault as a consumer, environmentalist and private citizen as it is any specific politician’s.

George W. Bush and his staff got quite a lot accomplished those first 4 years: No child left behind, tax cuts, Medicare Part D, taking out Saddam Hussein and the Taliban in the aftermath of 9/11. But Congress refused to pass his energy policy because part of it meant drilling in Alaska and the environmentalists didn’t like it. Even though we now have the technology to drill down and then sideways they still opposed it and the bill never got passed.

 

So Congress voted (by not voting) to retain our CURRENT energy policy instead of passing a new one. (The current one, by the way, is buying oil from countries that regularly war with each other instead of creating new jobs here by producing more domestic energy).

 

Right now our soldiers are right where we most need them to be! Helping the Middle East calm down and end its thousands of years of violence.

Look around at how America has changed!

People who don't want to fight don't have to anymore. Viet Nam is OVER. That was the big beef in the 1960’s wasn't it… the cries of  "I don’t want to fight in somebody else’s war."

 

Now folks don’t have to… but STILL people complain about combat operations instead of letting the leaders of the combat operations run them.

How mad would the anti-war crowd be if Saddam’s attempt to start WWIII by attacking Israel in the 1^st Gulf War had actually escalated the conflict globally and we would have had to start DRAFTING people again. Thank God for George HW Bush!

 

Critics of Bush are angry because we can’t somehow magically find a way to fight a war without casualties. I have listened to the Democratic leadership in Congress, the debates between the 2008 Presidential candidates and I have some unplanted questions for them.

 

1. What do they LIKE about America, besides other Democrats who hate Bush?

2. Why are they opposed to completing our agreements with the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan and cementing their place as allies in a free world?

 

3. What other options do they have for Mid-East foreign policy other than QUIT?

 

4. If they close down Gitmo, outlaw LIMITED unwarranted wiretapping, etc. then WHAT tools are they going to substitute in their place to defend America?

As a voter I want SPECIFIC answers to these questions, NOT “Bush’s plan sucks.” That doesn’t cut it with me and it shouldn’t for you either. It's very difficult to criticize the Democrats on the Iraq situation because they really haven't contributed a whole lot to the effort that CAN be criticized. While they've been repeatedly complaining that "there's no plan to win the peace" the Bush Administration has been busy implementing THIS:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/2207_report2.pdf

A strategic plan for success implemented in TWO countries at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you not noticed that Israel is now in a position to defend ITSELF against Hezbollah, Hamas, and other lurking threats? Have you not noticed that Pakistan and Afghanistan are helping us identify and target our enemy? We're not the world's police force any longer... we have ALLIES in almost every country helping us fight the global war on terror.

The reason this type of thing takes time is because we're NOT just rolling over people and killing them. Insurgents have been given lots of time to lay down their guns and blend back into the crowd of peace. Only now are we really cracking down on the ones determined to kill and really pushing to finally wipe them out. Enemies of peace must die or they will keep killing and the Mid-East will never change.

I love America and think our nation is stronger than ever!!!!!!!!!

 

We sat back for years while Israel had their buses and restaurants bombed. Hamas getting elected to lead Palestine was the greatest thing that could have happened. Now they can’t blame anyone any longer… those hooded killers can’t govern their way out of a paper bag!

 

People actually defend these terrorists as freedom fighters, men who shoot missiles over the top of a military to kill civilians, wait a bit, and then shoot more missiles over the top of a military to try and kill the Doctors that show up.

 

Yes, that’s right… people actually DEFEND these terrorists because they don’t happen to like our current President.

 

The world is being transformed before our very eyes. Afghanistan, Iraq, and now even North Korea are actually cooperating because the alternatives they are faced with are less than pleasant. Diplomacy is not effective against tyrants unless you use both the carrot AND the stick.

Is our military over-extended? Hmmmm...

1. Aircraft carriers.
2. Spare National guard at home.
3. Submarines.
4. Air force and other military bases around the world.
5. ICBMs.

Nope. I feel pretty safe.

And I think our soldiers are brave, courageous people who have minds of their own. I also predict that if THEY didn't believe in the war they were fighting and the progress they were making we would know it. Unhappy soldiers are very grumpy soldiers and I don't think that they would fail to convey the message that they are fighting a lost cause if they truly felt that way. They want to accomplish their mission and make two former enemies are allies. I think we should support them and not say really ridiculous things like “there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”

 

We don’t elect our leaders to be quitters.

 

We elect them to adapt to changing conditions, compromise, and come up with realistic ideas.

 

I would rather look at all the good things in life, enjoy them to the fullest, and say THANK YOU as often as I can to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Condoleeza Rice and the people who are serving in our armed forces. Because of their career choice, we don't have to stick guns in the hands of people who don't want to fight and order them into battle. As Viet Nam proved, that doesn't work.

I will never be able to thank or pray enough for our folks who continue to serve in harm’s way.

Think about it... You live in America and have the freedom and extra electricity available to log onto the Internet and complain about any topic you want… it doesn’t have to be Iraq.

But did you ever wonder how many POSITIVE things you could accomplish if you tried to be part of the solution instead of just a voice of dissent?.

Life is tough and it isn't fair... that's why we have to support and help the people who make the greatest sacrifices for us.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, all members of our military and our ALLIES!!!!

(And thanks sincerely if you stuck with me through such a long winded blog!)

 

Why can’t we change it?

 

Every time an election year rolls around, I spend much of my time scratching my head at the vast array of attack advertising that campaigns use to “sling mud” at each other. Some of them get pretty down and dirty… often times I’m tempted to take a shower after watching these low-brow tactics.

 

As a boy I asked my Dad just why we have to go through this – over and over repeatedly during each campaign cycle. We looked back through history and found that “mud slinging” is as old as the Constitution itself. Today with the vast array of electronic media at our disposal, it’s even easier to pour heat on your opponents. One can even do so by proxy using vulnerable folks who are completely loyal to your campaign and thus easily manipulated. Choosing this method is the preferred approach, since the candidate can spread lies and deception yet still appear to take the high road by stamping “I am Joe Schmoe and I approve of this message” on an advertisement depicting the beautiful landscape of America. Note: Add patriotic music too and you’re well on your way to getting elected by trampling all over your opponent.

 

Both parties do it and I have to ask myself WHY do we the taxpayer and constituent allow it?

 

Folks like John Edwards astonish me. He can help the poor, but only if he gets elected President is the message I'm getting from him. Well I’ve never had fifty million dollars at my disposal, but I’m reasonable certain that if I did have that kind of money my middle-class background would prevent me from getting too high on my horse. I think I would use a lot of that money to help an awful lot of people... especially since I'm already used to a smaller home.

 

Why doesn’t Mr. Edwards take a couple of million for tax purposes and support the poor in his community?

Why doesn’t he take a larger portion of his vast fortune and share it with those who have less?

Oprah Winfrey donates millions every year. But then, she's an entrepreneur and not a politician.
 

That has always been my problem with the Democratic party… they have all these great plans for changing America and helping people. BUT they want to accomplish everything using money taxed from we the little people rather than investing a percentage of their own personal fortunes in the issues most important to them. You have to have that private yacht, I guess, rather than simply rent one the two days a year you would use it.

 

Irony times two…

 

So thus we arrive at my biggest beef with politics in America today. Not only do candidates ignore the plight of the poor as they give in to their ambition to be popular leaders, but they always promise more than they can deliver. Vote for me and I will make certain you’re taken care of, they claim.

 

Instead of listening to what they say, more and more I have found myself watching what they actually do instead. President Bush, for example, has a much more energy efficient home than Al Gore does. But that’s not what we hear reported in the news.

 

www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

 

To further degrade the dignity of the most poor among us, campaigns (especially in Presidential years) raise millions and millions of dollars that are spent on useless attack advertising. With any luck, those dollars spent will successfully distort or outright lie about an opponent’s record significantly enough to give the winning candidate a margin of victory large enough to brag about.

 

So why do we have to do this?

 

Why can’t we change it?

 

It’s not a perfect world, but in a perfect world I would like to see those dollars spent more efficiently. Yes advertising companies might not get the revenue boost from all those hastily assembled commercials, but I have confidence that there are plenty of “Geico” and “Doublemint” type clients out there to keep advertisers in business.

 

Perhaps those donations might drop a bit if they weren’t used to attack an opponent, but wouldn’t a better use of those funds be to actually help the poor that everyone talks about? Wouldn’t it be better to use all those millions to offset programs we can’t totally fund as much as we would if money grew on trees?

 

S-Chip anyone?

 

People are calling the President cold-hearted because he won’t hand out health care to families fully capable of affording it. Many of these are the same candidates who are accepting millions of dollars in campaign funds (some of it our tax dollars) so that they can try and defeat an opponent. I find these people – who care more about denigrating the credibility of their opponent as they attempt to rise to power - to truly be the cold hearted ones.

 

Why?

 

Because most of these candidates use other people’s money in an attempt to get elected to positions of power where they can tax more of our money. And why do they want to do this? Because they want to tinker with the greatest economy in the world.

 

I don’t like Federal-level politics because it is way too complicated.

 

Simple, easy to understand solutions are almost always more effective. They’re a lot cheaper too, in the long run.

 

Candidates tossing all this donation money around while families on our streets need our help is much more of an ethical problem in my opinion than elected officials forced to hold to a budget.

 

So why don’t candidates make use of television, radio and the Internet to debate the issues? Why not have their actual stand on the issues decide who gets elected as opposed to who more successfully portrays their opponent in a bad light?

 

Fund raising efforts for campaigns SHOULD be used solely to supplement programs that the Federal government can’t totally fund. That would reduce our deficit spending and (along with reforms in Congress) possibly even eliminate it entirely.

 

Republicans and Democrats are both guilty of overspending, and that’s a direct result of the structure of our current political system. Everyone re-elects their Senators and Representatives time and again unless they do something completely outrageous. Why? Because each state is competing against each other for seniority in that branch of government and each state wants to be certain it gets the most pork. Republicans, however, are the only officials I have seen actually lower taxes… first Ronald Reagan did it and then our current President, George W. Bush.

 

It’s a good country but not a perfect one. If I could change three key things and move toward a better system I would start with the following:

 

1. The immediate and strict limitation of campaign advertising.

 

a. Candidates would have to hold regular scheduled debates.

 

b. No rhetoric at the debates. Each candidate would be asked the same questions on major issues as identified by the voters. Want to use your time to filibuster? Fine… just don’t expect to win a majority of votes.

c. Anyone who chooses not to take a stand on a particular issue should be free to do so, and the voters could decide for themselves whether or not to be turned off by the answer.

d. These are adults who have known for years what the major issues are. They should be willing to go on the record at any time. Most voters are smart people... if they need to change their position later then that would be fine - just provide a reasonable explanation for the change in stance.
 

e. The bulk of their money raised would be used to help fund programs that regular tax revenue couldn’t cover… programs cut because of budgetary limits. The candidates could still compete with each other to see who raises the most. That would be quite a badge of honor… being able to claim that you raised the most millions to help the poorest among us. Voters could then truly throw support behind their candidates and know that the money would be used to help the needy.

 

2. Add the “line item veto” into the Presidential veto pen.

 

a. Critics regularly argue that this would give the President too much power. Well, right now Congress has too much power as our deficit spending has proven year after year. Not a dollar is spent without their direct approval, and spending has been out of control for as long as I can remember.

 

b. Attack advertising has completely and utterly polarized the country. Each party has set themselves up as totally for or totally against most of the major issues.

 

c. A line item veto would force Congressional officials to return to the spirit of compromise. It would require that they work together the way colleagues in private industry are required to work together, even if they don’t always get along.

 

3. Term limits in both the Senate and the House. People who are still raising taxes and treat our economy like it’s still in the 1950’s need to retire.

 

Think about it.

 

Our current political system has been in place for over two centuries.

 

It has never been more dark, angry and bitter. Most of it is I attribute directly to attack advertising.