Mom's eMail Strikes Again

As those of you who follow my blog already know, my 87 year old mother is a never ending source of interesting emails, some of which I have shared with you. Today, she struck again with the following open letter to America's entitlement population from a common worker.

Joe, the average worker says

Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their lazy butts, doing drugs, while I work. . . .

Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Something has to change in this country -- and soon!!!!!

Guess we could title that program - Urine or you're out

The Handshake Before the Match

Today is like the handshake before the athletic competition. A new president has taken over the helm and, at least, for today there should be civility and respect for the office of the President of the United States. But tomorrow the gloves come off and it is up to all conservatives to stand up (if I may be so forward as to use a phrase from the Obama playbook) BOLDLY and defend the things that we hold precious.

One of the most important battles for social conservatives during this administration will be played out over the most vulnerable of citizens---the unborn. Planned Parenthood and FOCA loom large on the horizon. We have the most Pro-abortion President and Congress in the history of our country and there is much to be lost in the next few years unless we stand together with conviction against this rising tide.

We have spent so much time in the past 8 years being PC and we have precious little to show for it other than ground lost. PC is political and ideological impotence. It is gratifying to give credit to CatholicVote.org for this powerful pro-life advertisement that is being played on national television during the Inauguration coverage.




To all of you who support FOCA and the ability to make abortion easier to obtain than it already is--think of this--Barack Obama would not be President today if his mother had taken the walk down YOUR path!

Nancy Has a New Deal for You!

Nancy Pelosi is, once again, the Speaker of the House in the New Deal Obama Congress. When she became speaker back in January 2007, she had an agenda for the first 100 hours that included: enacting the 9/11 Commission's recommendations; increasing the minimum wage; allowing embryonic stem cell research; negotiating lower prescriptions prices; cutting interest rates on student loans; and investing in renewable energy. Speaker Pelosi also vowed to govern a fairer and more bipartisan House of Representatives.

By May, 2007 the most notable accomplishment Speaker Pelosi could actually put into her column was increasing the minimum wage. WOW!! In an attempt to minimize their lack of legislative productivity, the Democrat leadership underscored the fact that they had produced transformation of the policy debate and the reassertion of Congressional power, especially on the Iraq war. And what about the kinder, fairer House of Representatives...One of the biggest Republican complaints was that House Democrats, who promised to be fairer and more bipartisan in the conduct of floor debate after a decade of heavy-handed Republican rule, had not delivered. A truth that some top Democrats conceded was true. At the end of 2007, Congressional approval ratings were at a low of 27%.

In January 2008 the Farm bill looked like it might be the only big-ticket bill that Congress would pass to President Bush for signature. Republicans and Democrats alike predicted even less legislative agreement ahead than in 2007. And the song and dance from the Democrats was that operating on a thin majority it was soooo hard to get things done (Sob, sob).

At the end of the 110th Congressional session, the Democratic majority had managed to work out agreements with President Bush and the Republican minority on only a few big items, including a minimum-wage increase, a plan to raise auto fuel-efficiency standards, a free-trade pact with Peru, and student-loan relief. And the congressional approval rating had fallen to a year average of 19%.

So now that the inmates have free run of the asylum, what is on the agenda for 2009? San Fran Nan is now tweaking the rules to be sure that she is Dictator of the House. Rules changes already having been rapidly put into place include eliminating the term limits for Committee Chairmen that were enacted during the Contract with America, restrictions on the motion to recommit and sweeping changes hobbling the ability to propose tax or spending cuts to legislation.

The motion to recommit has been in place for about 100 years. It is a maneuver that the minority party can use to send bills that reach the floor back to committees, where they can be endlessly debated. There are few tools that the House of Representatives has at hand to stifle legislation from moving through the process and the motion to recommit was one of these. This was used 50 times last year by the GOP to stave off tax hikes hidden in other legislation. The Democrat leadership have their knickers in a knot because they didn't use this rule nearly as often as the Republicans, (not our fault that they didn't take advantage of the tools of the trade) so now they have put a hobble on its use. The new rules would give the minority the right to a vote on sending the bill back to committee WITHOUT instructions on policy changes, or to ask for those policy changes while the bill remains on the House floor.

The most problematic change in rules that Madam Nan has produced in her new ruthless House of Representatives is in the introduction of tax and spending cuts. While BHO is willing to throw money hand over fist at our economic woes without thought of the huge deficit this will amass, the House of Representatives is also making sure that spending and tax cuts are difficult to get into legislation. The new rules will ensure that tax increases will be easier to pass, because opponents will not be allowed to offer a simple motion to strike any increase without making up for the "lost revenue." In addition, tax cuts are made more difficult, because they cannot be offset with spending cuts. The new rules will mean that the only way to push for a tax cut will be to propose a tax increase elsewhere.

So hold onto your wallets guys and dolls, the Hope and Change mantra that BHO used to win an election seems to be envisioned by the Belle of San Francisco as "I HOPE that all you have left is loose CHANGE!"

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

As we look at the economic chaos in this country and prepare to throw more and more money from the taxpayers without regard to where it will come from and how it will be repaid, it is sad to see how we foolishly replicate the mistakes of past history ad nauseum. The old saw of "history repeats itself" is so very true. I am reminded of parents who tell their children "don't make the same mistakes that I made," and are then met with eye rolling and "Whatever..." It is hard for a parent to watch their children make mistakes that are totally avoidable...not even big mistakes, just life lessons that cause pain or unhappiness when we want things to be good for them.

And so, it is with interest that I found this quotation from Marcus Tullius Cicero. It provides advice that is so very appropriate for the situation we find ourselves in today.

"The budget should be balanced,
the Treasury should be refilled,
public debt should be reduced,
the arrogance of officialdom
should be tempered and controlled,
and the assistance to foreign lands
should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.
People must again learn to work,
instead of living on public assistance."

Cicero 63 BC

And, unless it has been purged from our history books in a revisionist attempt to doctor history, we should remember what happened to Rome when they ignored this advice. So, why are we rolling our eyes and saying "Whatever.."

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!