" You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."
Ronald Reagan
Waxman – Markey, also known by its ill-suited title the "American Clean Energy and Security Act," passed by the not so reassuring vote of 219 to 212. The battle begins anew in the Senate, where its passage is far less likely (but in this political climate, who knows).
The damage to America's economy, based on a false crisis, will be devastating. The Heritage Foundation validated that by 2035 the bill would cut the GDP of the United States by $6,790 per family of four and impose $4,600 in carbon taxes per family:
But the media, and other supporters of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, would prefer to ignore Heritage's findings, instead choosing to quote from the flawed Congressional Budget Office, which grossly underestimated the overall cost to the economy, as well as the individual impact:
This bill needs to be stopped before we find ourselves on a course that will damage the worldwide economy to the point of no return., just as it did in Spain and other parts of Europe.
Forget the fact that time and time again members of Congress have directed divisive language against conservative groups. Forget that more witnesses than I can count have appeared (with the full support from Left leaning legislators) and made wild accusations. Yes, for this one brief moment let’s forget the double-standard the Left lives by.
The father, Ray Tranchant, whose daughter was killed in a “traffic accident” because of a drunk illegal alien, appeared before a congressional committee to tell his story. After his testimony, Mr. Tranchant was lectured by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois):
Just a word of advice to Representative Gutierrez, stay focused, show some empathy, and keep the priorities straight next time….if that is even possible.
The reality is that the Democrats will not pass the Fairness Doctrine, but they won’t need to. The Democrats will attempt to silence free speech in the name of “fairness,” but call it by another name:
The question is slightly misleading. The citizens of Washington DC have the right to vote right now, however that do not have a voting representative in either the House (DC has one “representative” in the House who can speak, but cannot vote) or the Senate. The reason for this is simply. The Capital of the United States should remain as neutral as possible, free of party affiliation; it was this reason that control over what is now known as Washington, D.C., was set forth in the Constitution of the United States (Article One, section Eight).
Attempts to expand “voting rights” into the Capital is nothing more than a political move on the part of the Democrats, and is the exact reason why the Capital of the United States must remain nonaligned and free from political entanglements.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released another report that is very critical of the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The CBO analysis, dated Feb. 11, states that the $787-billion plan will increase employment in the short-term, but will run up deficit spending which will “crowd out” private investment in the economy in the long-term:
Now that the election is behind us, and we have “only one President,” it is time for government to get back to business of governing (or some version of it). The American taxpayers are looking at a stimulus package approaching 1 trillion dollars, but most experts agree that the stimulus could approach 2 trillion before all is said and done.If you started counting right now it would take you 3, 179 years to reach 1 trillion, but it will take our representatives less than a few hours to commit this country to a financial burden too heavy for us to carry at this time.
Adding insult to injury, the inappropriately named stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan) is filled with pork:
But there is a valid alternative to this boondoggle called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.Americans should encourage Congress to should consider the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) plan with its emphasis on reducing America’s debt, lowering the tax burden on American families and businesses, and creating an incentive for businesses to grow and invest in the economy. The RSC’s plan does this by offering:
Across-the-board reduction in marginal tax rates
Repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax
A reduction in the corporate tax rate
Ending the capital gains tax on inflation
Full and immediate expensing of business equipment
A one percent reduction in government spending
Throwing more taxpayer money is not the solution.It will only lead to further fraud and waste.We would be better served reducing speeding, reducing taxes, and establish policies that encourage private industry to thrive.That is what will get American back on track.
I was raised to believe that all fairytales started with the statement “Once Upon A Time…..”, I was wrong. It has become apparent that in the 21st Century fairytales tend to appear within the pages “The New York Times.”
What is notable about the most recent New York Times hit piece on President Bush is not what it did “report,” but what it either failed to mention or what it downplayed:
What this fairytale is lacking are the true villains. Nowhere it this story do we read about the details involving such names as Frank, Meeks, Waters, and Dodd, and what role they played in this meltdown. Nowhere in this story do we read about the repeated attempts by Republicans such as outgoing Senator John Sununu, to provide an appropriate oversight of the industry. And what cannot be found anywhere in the New York Times piece are all the attempts by the Bush administration to prevent this crisis; and the repeated roadblocks put up by the leading recipients of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac campaign contributions……….the Democratic Party.
So from now on, when you do find it necessary to read the New York Times, just start each story with "Once Upon A Time....." You will enjoy the story more.
In the wake of a Conservative victory in Georgia, Republican's continued their winning streak with the defeat of Democratic incumbent William Jefferson by newcomer Anh "Joseph" Cao for Congress:
Some in the press have described Cao as a moderate, even though Mr. Cao’s only real platform position is his strong opposition to abortion. And that makes him a moderate how?
The fact that Jefferson’s defeat was deemed a “surprise” by some in the media, as well as the Democratic Party, once again demonstrates how out of touch both are with Americans. I see Mr. Cao’s election as a statement by the voters that "the content of a persons character" does matter. However, leave to some in the press to “spin it” this Democratic defeat as something entirely different.
Adam Nossiter, of the NY Times, took a ridiculous position in an effort to try to explain Jefferson’s defeat:
Angry white voters, combined with disenfranchised Black voters, were the reasons for the demise of Jefferson? Forget the fact that Jefferson was ethically challenged at best, and Cao was seen as a well-respected community organizer, who promised to return integrity to the Congressional seat that Jefferson tarnished. Moreover, how did Congressman-elect Cao’s pro-life position play into his election?
This election was not an issue of race, either on the part of the voters or the candidates, and any inference (such as the one brought forth by the New York Times) is idiotic! This election was about character, and should be seen as an affirmation that the electorate would rather have an inexperience honest person representing them, than an experienced crook.
Congratulations to Congressman-elect Cao and his family.
Representative Knollenberg, R-MI, will not be returning to Congress after being defeated on Nov. 4. Maybe that is for the better:
It is unlikely Knollenberg would have won re-election, and maybe this exchange was nothing more than a play for a return in 2010, but the statement that “its not your money” will not endear him with many of his soon to be ex- constituents. All Knollenberg manage to do in this interview was to expose himself as a “counterfeit Conservative.”
Witness for yourself a classic example of "killing the messager, ignoring the message." Note the stark differences between the Democratic members on the committee, and the Republican members:
Maxine Waters – " Frankly, We were trying to fix something that was never broke." Mr. Chairman, we do not have a crisis at Freddy Mac, and in particular at Fannie Mae, under the OUTSTANDING LEADERSIP of Mr. Frank Raines."
Gregory Meeks – " as well as the fact that I am just pissed off (nice language at a public hearing) …because if it wasn't for you I do not think we would be here in the first place." "The question that then presence is the competence that your agency has…."
Barney Frank: "I have seen NOTHING in here that suggest the safety and soundness of an issue…and I think it serves us badly to raise safety and soundness as a general civilest….."
You have just witnessed "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly." You decide who is who.
The shift in language from "bailout" to "rescue" does nothing to get rid of the stink surrounding either the Senate or House proposal. This bailout is not even guaranteed to work, and many experts believe it is not only unnecessary, but may do more harm than good:
The probability that either proposal (Senate or House version) would work is slim, and this may be nothing more than an attempt by our representative to delay the inevitable until after the elections. The proposal we should be looking at is the one that was offered by the Republican Study Committee (RSC):
The question all of us have to ask, is that after we have done our due diligence, knowing that there is no easy way out of this situation, which plan is really best for America on the whole?
Enough is enough!I was hoping that our “so called” leaders in Washington would put their petty squabbles aside in an effort to try and solve our current financial crisis; a crisis that they are directly responsible for!But I must have thought I lived in a country where truth would always prevail, and that regardless of our political affiliations, we could come together when the going was tough. What this crisis has reaffirmed is that it is the American people who are the rightful leaders, and now is the time for us to remind those who serve at the will of “the People” that one of their fundamental duties is to “insure Domestic Tranquility.”
The “posse of idiots” in Washington would rather waste valuable time playing the blame game then actually acting like adults to resolve this potential disaster! Fine, if the 110 Congress of the United States of America would rather we first assign blame, then work at solving the problem, please allow me to chime in………without a doubt, the blame for this mess rest squarely with a group of lying, thieving looters known as the Democratic Party! In particular, those within the “Party of the Donkey” who proudly wear the brand of Liberal. Current attempts to “rewrite” history by the likes of Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Barrack Obama (to name just a few) is just downright perverted!
The truth is simple if not disturbing.Many of our representatives tried to use the mortgage industry to build a homeowners “utopia,” which allowed almost everyone to buy a house, but ignored risk factors that had kept the housing market extremely safe, and more importantly, away from Wall Street.Starting with President Carter and the Community Reinvestment Act, followed next by the Clinton Administration allowing further relaxation of mortgage safeguards, which in turn led to the warnings offered by Senator McCain (as well as many others) that foresaw the crisis we are currently in.But if you were to listen to the Democrats, you would be under the impression that “8 years of Bush” have led to this mess.Yet not ONE Democrat can point to a single Bush policy that contributed in anyway to this problem.Yet we can easily find evidence of Democratic incompetence littered across the financial waste land once known as the American economy:
New York Times – 1999: Fannie Mae easing of credit is dangerous
The frustration felt by the American people is compounded by the ineptitude we are witnessing from our elected officials.Worse yet is this mythical belief that the blame for this mess can somehow be placed with Presidential Candidate McCain.Senator McCain is not only innocent of any wrong doing, he was one of a few in Washington warning of the pending calamity.But alas nobody was listening, and I wonder if anyone is listening now?
There is no escaping the constant barrage of blame coming from the mouths of Washington’s finest regarding our recent financial woes. Take for instance the representative from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Barney Frank:
“The private sector got us into this mess…The government has to get us out of it. We do want to do it carefully.”
Not even close Mr. Frank. Representative Frank need only look into the mirror to see who is at least partly to blame. Mr. Frank not only opposed any comprehensive attempt to reform Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae, but time and again encouraged policies that led to this current dilemma:
Mr. Frank’s attempt to walk away from his own record on this matter is troubling, but not surprising. But Representative Frank’s hand in this predicament is clear:
Mr. Frank is not alone regarding this chaos, nor is he the only one trying to falsely shift blame away from Congress, but Mr. Frank does stand alone in his audacity in denying culpability.
A week has passed since America, and in turn the World, found themselves dealing with a major financial crisis. There is plenty of blame to go around, but now is not the time to point fingers. Unfortunately, there are some in Washington that are well aware of where the responsibility rest, and like a magician on a stage, they have spent the last week pulling pigeons from the sleeves , instead of rolling up those sleeves and working with their peers to resolve this matter.
Throughout this crisis neither McCain or Obama, nor their respective parties on a whole, handled themselves well. Cooler heads should always prevail in these types of situations, and to react just for the sake of reacting is ineffective. Kimberly Strassel , in the Wall Street Journal, was spot on when she stated in a recent article that "Voters are intelligent enough to have a serious financial story explained to them, yet Mr. McCain blames Wall Street." To be fair, it seemed like everyone and their mother was blaming Wall Street, not just McCain.
We must move in a timely, but cautious manner, but above all our representatives must be prepared to put aside partisan philosophies, and work together for the good of every one. We as American's should look to those leaders that are proactively working to get to the bottom of this issue, and we should chastise those that are only looking at covering their butts or trying to make others look bad for political gain.
This brings me to Senator Judd Gregg, R-NH, and Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. Both appeared on the floor of the Senate on September 24, to speak on this crisis, but they could not be further apart on their message.
Senator Gregg used his time to explain the crisis and the key points to possible solutions that most Senator's agree on. Senator Gregg's speech was non-partisan, and exactly what "We the People" need to hear from our leaders. Senator Gregg took the higher road suggested by Ms. Strassel.
Senator Brown chose to present a partisan speech blaming President Bush and the Republican majority (?..huh) for the financial crisis. Aside form the fact that Senator Brown's statements were false, he demonstrated the type of pettiness that is useless and counterproductive. Senator Brown could learn a great deal from his colleague Senator Gregg. Senator Gregg is prepared to provide leadership, where Senator Brown is only willing to offer "business as usual."
Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) wanted to honor the soldiers from his district that paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. So, outside Congressman Jones Congressional office were six displays that featured the pictures of fallen Marines from Camp Lejeune. It was meant to be a simple, but poignant tribute. House Speaker Nancy Pelosiwouldn’t have any of that:
Some of these displays have been on exhibit since 2003, but for whatever reason, it was determined that they needed to be removed. Talk about arrogant and disconnected. Is it any wonder that Congress’ approval rating is hovering in single digits?
Once again the Democrats have shown a complete lack of judgment. I have no doubt that the Democrats will change their position once they start to feel the heat. Like good little politicians, the Democrats will try and throw Pelosi under the bus, who in turn will chuck a lowly bureaucrat under the bus. But this incident will join a long list of insults to members of the military and their families.
President Bush signed the housing bailout bill into law, something he promised he would not do. It does not take a genius to figure out that the housing crisis was completely avoidable. It also does not take a genius to see that the housing bailout bill is the wrong response:
Once again the burden of paying for irresponsible behavior falls on the tax payer. The bill rewards bad credit behavior, while punishing those that followed the rules and spent within their means. Additionally, this bill will increase the federal debt limit by $800 BILLION DOLLARS to $10.6 trillion dollars. The bill also features a provision requiring the reporting of ALL credit transaction that occur on-line (Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, Ebay), regardless of whether they have anything to do with the purchase of a home (????????....why!). Why would the government (in particular, the IRS) need this information, to impose NEW taxes!
The lone voice speaking out against this madness was Senator Coburn, of Oklahoma:
The Housing Bailout is just another example of Washington's "rape and pillage mentality" against the American Taxpayer. It may be time for the American Taxpayer's to consider a "pitchfork rebellion," but Congress will probably figure out away to tax the pitchforks.
Just another example of corrupted power, and more fodder for Democrats (and rightly so). But is this just an indictment of one person, or really a condemnation of the practice of “pork barrel spending?”
David Addington, the Chief of Staff for the Vice-President, along with John Yoo, the former Justice Department lawyer who drafted many of the legal memos defending the aggressive integration techniques, recently testified before Congress.
During the course of the hearing, liberal Congressman William Delahunt (People’s Socialist State of Massachusetts) asked Mr. Addington about water boarding. Mr. Addington responded that he would not go into details because Al Qaeda is probably watching. This did not sit too well with Congressman Delahunt.
Congressman Delahunt responded with – “"I'm glad they finally have a chance to see you." Delahunt later stated that his statement was taken out of context. But what he claims he meant was "I'm glad they finally have a chance to see you." Al Qaeda now knows the face of one of the men who relentlessly pursues its henchmen and deals with their interrogations.
Delahunt’s statements were outrageous, and a clear example of the hostility coming from many liberals. Delahunt owes Addington and apology, and the Congressional leadership should consider censuring Delahunt.
To Addington’s credit, he did manage to put the committee on notice with the following statement - "No American should think we're free, the war is over, al-Qaida is not coming and they're not interested in getting us," Addington said, "Because that's wrong." It is doubtful that liberals were listening, or care.
No one person is to blame for our current energy prices, we are all in this mess together.However the Democratic strategy once again seems to be blame George Bush and big oil.God forgive they would ever take ownership for their mistake and try and solve the problem sensibly. But there is a one person amongst us that promised us salvation….Nancy Pelosi.
In 2006, leading up to the elections, Nancy Pelosi promised all Americans that the Democrats would get us out of this mess (Nancy Pelosi Press Release - April 2006).Ms. Pelosi reminded us that, at the time of her press release, gas had risen by .90 cents since President Bush took office, and a barrel of oil cost $70.00.Well guess what, gas has risen $1.50 a gallon, and $150.00 a barrel, since the Democrats took control of Congress, with prices expected to go higher.
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