Goodbye 2009!!!

As you read this, I am preparing for our annual New Year's Eve party for those who would otherwise sit at home on New Year's Eve. If you recall from last year, this is our annual geriatric party with several widows and widowers present, octogenarians abound, and this year, I believe the age range will be 18 months to 88 years!

We will eat, sit and talk, and I am sure that there will be discussions of the economy, health care, Medicare changes and the direction of the country. While I am not advocating that our party become a political free for all, I am sure that this year, unlike years before, there will be discussions of this kind.

There has been a change in the tenor of the country and the willingness of ordinary people to be engaged in political discussions and actions. This year, my husband and I stopped for lunch at a Hardee's while we were Christmas shopping. There were only about 5 people there when we arrived and took our seat to eat our meal. There were two men next to us who engaged us (total strangers) in a discussion of the wrong track that our country is taking. This happened without our saying anything to these gentlemen and without my husband and I having any conversation in that vein that would have sent them a clue that we were of a like mind. Last year at this time, I am pretty sure that this would not have happened. Or at least before engaging a perfect stranger in conversation about the government, there would at least have been an overture to let them know that the topic was "safe."

But then, last year I would not have been standing on a street corner holding up signs on Sunday afternoons. I would not have been emceeing a health care reform protest rally, and I would not have even heard of a Tea Party. 2009 has indeed been a year that finds many of us in roles and situations that seemed impossible only a year ago. I have to say that I am not sorry to see 2009 close and the possibilities of 2010 are very appealing. Those of us who have found ourselves more politically active than we could ever have imagined can relish the prospect of a chance to change the direction that the current administration has taken our country and perhaps right the ship of state, or at least block the legislative tsunami that has swept over our country.

So here's to a better and brighter 2010, or at least a New Year that begins to show us the promise of a return to the values and principles on which our country was founded.

The Republican Lesson from Horton the Elephant

Dr. Seuss created Horton the Elephant, one of his memorable cast of zany characters that populated his children's books. In 1940, he wrote "Horton Hatches the Egg." In his story, Horton agrees to sit on the nest of a bird who leaves for what turns out to be a loooong time. Horton has various misadventures while he steadfastly keeps his word and stays on the nest. From that story, comes a famous (to those of us who were children of the 50's and 60's) quote,

"I meant what I said, and I said what I meant, an elephant's faithful 100 percent."

The Republican party should take a page from Horton's playbook in its rebuilding process. We need to CLEARLY state what our values and principles are (something we have failed to do). We need to, then, STAND UP for these values and principles WITHOUT COMPROMISE (something that we have also failed to do in a spirit of politically correctness). We need conservative leaders who will, like Horton, say what they mean and mean what they say and never waver from their position.

The New "New Deal"

With only days remaining until BHO, becomes the Supreme Leader of the "Free" world, he has unveiled his own version of a stimulus package designed to spend our way out of trouble. In a major economic speech at George Mason University on Thursday, he made it clear government is the only white knight out there to save the day.

But at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the cycle that is crippling our economy...

The more than $775 Billion package will be loaded with options including tax cuts to appease the Republicans, green jobs that would have 75% of federal buildings and 2 million American homes (where will John Q public get the money to bring his home into compliance????) magically retrofitted or rebuilt to be environmentally friendly (remember ETHANOL?) , and "shovel ready" infrastructure projects that have mayors and governors getting in line with their hands out for money for museums, water parks and sporting venues (PORK).

This stimulus package will likely only be the FIRST of the Democratic Bailouts, and the cost that has been touted publicly is at the lower end of the estimate to allow it to G--R--O--W as it passes through the legislative process (or leave room for future salvos "if at first you don't suceed...."). This is drawing flack from Obama's own party. Tom Harken has voiced the need for more spending and less tax cuts. Harry Reid has said that he "doesn't work for Barack Obama" (RIIIIIGHT!) Outcries have also been heard from the likes of Barney Frank (king of the subprime mortgages), Carl Levin (socialist) and John Kerry (self-aggrandizing snob who has to weigh in on everything lest he lapse into deserved obscurity). Don't be fooled, however, this flack is needed to give the public perception of disharmony so that when a package is finally formulated, it will be looked at as a truly bipartisan package in a true Kumbaya moment with all credit to the Messiah.

The more important flack issue, to me, is the lack of flack from the Republican legislators. The likes of Leader Boehner ("I am excited to see the tax cuts" OMG you are falling for it from the outset!), Mitch McConnell and Tom Coburn (Obama has been "straight up" with them). I recall a Department Chairman that I once worked under who was notorious for having consensus building meetings with his faculty, allowing everyone to vent their feelings. He listened intently and then did whatever he wanted to do in the first place. When called to account for what he did, he always said, "You can't say that I didn't ask you." I fear that this is how Obama will govern....Beware the smooth wordsmithing and cool demeanor.

From February 2008 until February 2009 when Obama hopes to have crafted his own Bailout package we have been throwing money at the economy with reckless abandon and blame that falls on both sides of the aisle. Since February, 2008 we have spent $168B on the Bush stimulus package, $200B on the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae bailout, $122.8 B for AIG (poor babies), $700B for the TARP mortgage and banking bailout (with $17.4B carved out for the auto industry and by extension the autoworkers union) and not to be undone, the biggest effort to date......>$775B in the yet to be drafted Obama plan for a GRAND TOTAL of >$1.9TRILLION (sorry there are too many zeroes to reckon with!) that will have been spent on bailing out varied and sundry things. With more pigs lining up at the trough in hope of catching some of the money to be thrown around.

Nancy Pelosi has proposed a deadline of President's day in February for getting this package crafted, drafted and sent to the new President for signature and enactment. She has also boldly stated that if there is no package by this time there will be NO RECESS!! I guess she has no Spring book tour this year....or did she learn her lesson from the #dontgo whipping she took in August 2008?????

Today on Meet the Depressed, David Gregory had a relatively one-sided round table discussion on the bailout. There were some very telling comments coming from former House Majority Whip Rep. David Bonoir who is a member of the Obama economic transition team. When asked about how to deal with the Bush tax cuts, he totally avoided that question. He did, however, say that we

"have to get hold of this inequality in wages and economy." He went on to say that in the past 20 years the top 10% of the wage earners took 90% of the income gains and this is "skewed the wrong way."

When asked where we need to end up, Bonoir indicated that we

"need to give people the opportunity to bargain collectively at the table. At 7% unionization in this country, you are not going to get the dispersion you need." He added, "We were successful in this country after the Second World War. The most profitable time for this country were the three decades after World War II because unionization was at 35%......The Employee Freedom of Choice Act ( think Card Check) is an important part of legislation supported by President-Elect Obama and Biden, Congress and 60% of the American people...This will help to share in the benefits and bounties of the country."

Later in the show, Bonoir predicted that the Stimulus package will pass and it would probably pass even without Republican support.

Come on Republicans, grow a pair and stand up for what WE believe in. Get vocal and EXPLAIN why the government can't fix this.

I close with a quote that many of you will agree with, but the source may be surprising.

We live in a time of transition, an uneasy era which is likely to endure.....During the period we may be tempted to abandon some of the time-honored principles and commitments which have been proven during the difficult times of past generations. We must never yield to this temptation. Our American values are not luxuries, but necessities - not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself.

Jimmy Carter, in his farewell address.

The State of the Congress

There is a great deal of angst being vented over the Senate and those being seated (or not) this morning. The truth be told, Roland Burris has every right to be seated even though there is a stench on his appointment and Al Franken has won (we think) the Minnesota race and defeated Norm Coleman. No matter how much we would like to do otherwise (and I sincerely would like to do otherwise), one man was appointed by the governor to fill an empty seat and the other, ostensibly, has been elected by a razor thin margin by the people of his state. There are laws that dictate how appointments should be made, qualifications for who can be appointed to fill a vacant seat in the Senate or House of Representatives and there are laws and rules for the conduct of a "fair" election. It appears that these qualifications have been met and we need to take our lumps and seat these men.

I live in Missouri, where a few years back we elected a dead man to the U.S. Senate under the campaign slogan "I'm Still With Mel." When he was elected posthumously, the empty seat was filled by his widow, Jean Carnahan, who was promised the seat to warm if her deceased husband could win the election and who was promptly unseated in the next election by Senator Jim Talent. It appears that Caroline Kennedy whose greatest qualification for being a US Senator is her name and the fund-raising capability that it brings to the New York political machine will also be seated in the highest governing body of the country.

What we need to do now, is take a hard and long look at the road ahead and make sure that qualified candidates get our unbridled support. AND, we need to make sure that they win by large margins that cannot be called into question at the end of the day. The laughing stock that has been made of the Senate by potentially seating a buffoon, an unqualified socialite and a man who was appointed by a corrupt governor giving the middle finger salute to all authority is certainly a shame. The infighting that resulted this morning and which will continue until all of this is resolved is even more a pox on the house of Obama and his Merry Band.

While it might be tempting to sit on the sidelines and let the Democrats eat each other alive (after all, with the Republicans out of the way and definitely in the majority, they only have themselves to trip over and fight with), this should be yet another rallying cry for all conservatives to come together and set the stage for a real house cleaning at the very first opportunity!! We have only ourselves to blame for the state of the Senate and the immediate future of our country, but that doesn't mean that we can't learn some very valuable mistakes and move forward in a better direction.

OMG!! My hard drive was making a weird noise and I thought that a fan needed to be replaced but when I took the cover off, I found 500 uncounted Minnesota ballots for Norm Coleman! Wonder how they walked to Missouri and got into my computer??? Oh the wonders of our political system!

WWJD

I admit that I hang out on Twitter. This afternoon, this question was posed for discussion:

Just wondering: Does it matter to Christians whether a candidate is pro-life or pro-abortion? Would Jesus care or make it an issue? Why?

But this question does not lend itself to an answer that can fit into 140 characters. And the discussion that followed often expanded outside of the 140 character box or required multiple boxes to get the point across. I have been pondering this question since it was posted.

I am an unapologetic Pro-life Christian. For me, the Pro-Life position is very important in my choice of political candidates. I want a candidate that will protect the innocents in our country and look on each and every life as an individual with worth. I want a candidate that will not withhold comfort measures to a fetus that has been born alive after a failed abortion. I want a candidate that will not condone the creation of life in order to destroy it for the cells that can be harvested. I want a candidate that will actively look for alternatives to embryonic stem cells.

Today, thanks to our wonderful American medical system, we now put the lower limit of fetal salvage at 24 weeks of gestation. 24 weeks is also the upper limit for legal termination in many states. What happens in 24 hours to make a fetus disposable and the next day worthy of all out efforts to salvage that same life?

In 1973 when Roe v. Wade was crafted our obstetric technology was rudimentary compared to that of today. Ultrasound was in its clinical infancy and the ability to do prenatal genetic testing was still on the drawing board. It can possibly be said that ignorance of the events in early pregnancy made it possible for legalization of abortion on demand to exist, but today, we need to re-evaluate the wisdom of this in light of existing technology that enables us to save babies born remote from term. I want a candidate who is willing to re-examine this topic in light of modern technology.

Even the argument for termination to protect the life of the mother has fallen by the wayside. Today there are almost no situations where the life and health of the mother will be improved or spared by termination of a pregnancy even in the scenario of cancer and chemotherapy. The process of emptying the uterus either by laboring or by opening the uterus to deliver the fetus is no different in an abortion than it is at term, so there is nothing to be gained by not allowing the fetus to reach maturity before delivery. Today there are alternatives to abortion that make it possible for these innocent lives to be spared.

Would Jesus care or make it an issue?? I believe that Jesus would also be unapologetic in His position for life. He demonstrated this by healing the dregs of society, making special time to minister to little children, rejoicing over the prodigal son who squandered his life and then came home and finally making the ultimate sacrifice of His own life to save mankind. As one who placed such value on even the lives of the most outcast, there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus would also stand firmly for the unborn. He would make this an issue just as forcefully as he drove the money lenders out of the temple. And yet, there would also be forgiveness for the repentant and mercy for those who truly were sorry for the choices that they made.

Our society has become numb to the Slaughter of the Innocents that takes place every day all over America as a reflection of how amoral America has become. It is time that we seek a real solution to the problem of abortion in America and give the unborn their voice.

An Open Letter to Sarah Palin

Dear Sarah,
In the past two days, I have heard several pundits raise the mantra "Free Sarah Palin". I am certain that you are prepping for the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday and your constituents are looking forward to it. But I would like to offer you some debate prep straight from the fly over states.

First, and foremost, stop everything and watch the classic movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. No....watch it a couple of times. This is your story on so many levels. Individual from small town America goes to Washington to represent the common folk. Big and corrupt government tries its best to sabotage his mission with massive red tape and underhanded smears to destroy his credibility. His mainstream supporters and a couple of insiders who become sympathetic to his cause provide him what he needs to triumph in the face of extreme adversity. You have a broad base of conservative supporters who will rally behind you. We share your views. We know that you are more like us than you are like THEM. When you debate on Thursday, speak from your heart. That is what we want to hear. You are a diamond in the rough, untainted by the Washington machine and that is what you need to be.

Break free of the micromanagers for the campaign. Spread your wings and show us more of what we saw in your acceptance speech at the convention. You are a bright and talented woman who has succeeded in state politics and knows what it takes to get things done at the state government level. A state is a microcosm of the nation. Bring that common sense to Washington where they need a huge dose of it.

Since you and Senator McCain are running on a maverick reformer platform, tell us what should be changed in Washington. It doesn't even matter to me if what you think should be done is not in lock step with your running mate. If questioned, tell them that you and Senator McCain are your own individuals, he is at the top of the ticket, but that no two people are ever in total agreement on all issues...Period. If you are faced with a Gotcha question--and I am sure that there will be many--ask for clarification and if you don't know, tell them that...Your base will understand. Then follow with something that lets the audience know that you will be giving your all to learning everything that there is to know about the subject so that you will be able to represent them well--and remember, you are not running for President---yet. You are great in one on one situations and small groups---well Thursday you are going one on one with the little people of America. Forget the audience, forget the media, forget all of the trappings and the hype and just SPILL YOUR GUTS. The moderator is just another guy with a question. Biden is just another guy with a different point of view. Deal with them just like you would in the mayoral chambers or the governor's office.

While the Obama campaign is showing Senator Biden as a scrappy Scranton small town guy, I can guarantee that he has long since stopped shopping at Sam's or Costco. Let us see that you are still like us and know what happens at the check out line. Let us see that you know what life is like in Small Town America where people get up, go to work and come home to wrestle with the real issues of the day. Where honorable young men and women volunteer to serve in the military to keep us safe, where people are trying to stretch a dollar and pinch pennies hard, where parents home school their children because they want to provide them with a quality education that mirrors their values, where junior athletics still requires that one team WIN, where good people wrestle with the job of parenting and sometimes fall short and where people run small businesses that move the economy.

Lastly, get the campaign to let you do interviews on conservative media. They have huge audiences and are a powerful voice in your corner. There is no real need to lay yourself at the altar of MSNBC and the MSM where your words will be twisted and the entire interview will be hostile. You don't deserve the treatment that they have afforded you. You need not apologize for your personal feelings and morals. We understand! So throw us some red meat and get out there where we can hear from you in friendly turf so that you can flesh out your own positions and ideas.

You are the embodiment of what conservative voters have been longing for, so take off the gloves and show us the real contrast that you and Senator McCain bring to this election. Be a sweet shark and don't give an inch to anyone. WILL THE REAL SARAH PALIN PLEASE STAND UP!!

Sincerely,
One of your supporters in the Heartland

Goon Squads Arrive in Missouri

In a political milieu that is poisoned with barbs sent from both camps, it is sickening that we learned in the last few days that Obama Goon Squads will be hitting the streets in St. Louis, Kansas City and other areas of Missouri. Led by such notable figures as the Circuit attorneys of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, Jennifer Joyce and Robert McCulloch and other law enforcement officials they have pledged to carry out an intimidation effort against those that the Obama campaign identify as producing "misleading" statements or advertisements against the Senator. The squads, called "Truth" squads, will threaten libel litigation against those who speak out against Obama in ways that THEY determine are adverse. Can you say 1939 Germany, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini???

Both Joyce and McCulloch are Obama supporters and it appears that they are using their elected positions to catapult another crony into power through a blatant abuse of their elected positions. In addition, sheriffs in other counties have gotten on board with this movement. Whether libel suits can actually be carried out or not is debatable, however the threat is real, and as any lawyer knows, a suit can create havoc on so many levels for an individual even if the suit turns out to be frivolous and without merit.

There has also been no evidence provided that these officials will also be sweeping the media for adverse statements, advertisements or video media against the McCain/Palin ticket. To squelch any adverse expression on one side and allow the most base and vile filth to be spewed unfettered on the other side shows the HOPE and CHANGE that we can expect if Barack Hussein Obama and his minions are allowed to rise to supreme power over our country.

Gloomy Days

Ever have one of those days when you wanted to curl up in a ball and retire from the human race??? Well, this week had several of them. Watching Wall Street move like a car on the Screaming Eagle made me alternately want to cheer and vomit. Then at the end of the week, came the incredible salvage of "everything imaginable" and I am not sure that I can wrap my head around the implications of it.

A year ago I had someone go over my financial plan for my retirement and they said that they would not change anything, that I had charted a fiscally sound plan for my future and to keep up the good work. I have no credit card debt and had chuckled at the nest egg and "my number" ads on TV as I thought that I was among them with a retirement plan at work and a couple of other side investment accounts that I opened when there was a bit of spare change lying around. I had always pretty much known that I could not rely on Social Security for my retirement (most probably because it would not be there for me) and I felt so proud (and even patriotic, Joe Biden) that I was doing what I needed to do to provide for myself for the future so that I would not be a societal burden.

Now I am not so sure and am wondering what effect this week on Wall Street will do to my "best laid plans". I am now thinking that it would have been better if I had stuffed my mattress with the investment contributions that I made and bought gold bars.

I found this quote earlier this week when I was trying to put what was happening before my eyes into some perspective. "The gloom hanging over Main Street America stems largely from rising price levels, high interest rates, failure of new plant and equipment expenditures to stimulate a new wave of production, failure of housing construction to pick up and the failure of Congress and the President to make much headway on development of an energy policy tax revision program, private capital program, international economic plan and on the establishment of an inflation reduction effort.........Given the unbalanced conditions of international relations and vital resource use patterns however, the possibility of a serious recession in the United States...cannot be entirely discounted........Nevertheless such things as OPEC decrees on the price of oil because of its uneven distribution in the world and the use patterns of industrialized nations will cause the rate of inflation to rise...A determined effort to cut the federal budget deficit will fall short of significant favorable price consequences. Thus price rises will be steadily reinforced during the year ahead." Does this sound familiar?? Well, this is a quote from an article in the Columbia Missourian by Robert Paterson, Professor of economics and public administration in the College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri. The date of the article.....January 7, 1979.

In 1979 I did not know/realize that things were so bad. I did not have the 24-hour media telling me at every turn that the sky was falling. I had not yet had my first child. I did not yet have a 401k because I was still finishing my education. I had student loans to pay and was already in my second new home. My bills were paid and I was able to save a bit each month, so how was I to know that the sky was falling? Is this just more of the same today only with a constant barrage of nay sayers beating it into my head 24-7? Or have we really fallen over the cliff this time and it is no longer "crying wolf"?

On one hand I want to remain optimistic and weather the rough times as I have done several times in the past, but on the other hand, as I get older and know that my retirement SHOULD be getting closer, I feel that I will no longer be prepared or that all my hard work and preparations will disappear overnight. I have listened to the different talking heads this week and I know several things for sure:
1. There is no agreement about what should be done.
2. There is no guarantee that this will work out.
3. I am on the hook for the liability of the past week's activities in some way or another, though I don't exactly know or understand what form this liability will take.
4. This has been a long time coming and my government has sold me out.
5. I am ready to clean out the money lenders from the temple and I DO NOT want to replace them with more entitlements, hand outs, bail outs and nationalization schemes to put a hand in my back pocket and give away what I have earned fair and square!