Thursday Morning Jazz Interlude

Ladies and Gentlemen, the beautiful and enormously talented....Paula Cole, Autumn Leaves

Obama for President...

What Women Want

Obama's Three Circles of Shame

Bill Whittle posted this excellent essay on the now-infamous 2001 Obama radio interview on his blog, EjectEjectEject.com. It is MUST reading for anyone who isn't quite sure why all of this matters. The survival of our country as we know it is at stake in one short week. The links, graphics and video were added by me.

SHAME, CUBED

The Drudge Report this morning led off with a link to audio of Barack Obama on WBEZ, A Chicago Public Radio station. And this time, candidate Obama was not eight years old when the bomb went off.

Speaking at a call-in radio show in 2001, you can hear Senator Obama say things that should profoundly shock any American – or at least those who have not taken the time to dig deeply enough into this man’s beliefs and affiliations.

Abandon all Hope, Ye Who Enter Here:

Barack Obama, in 2001:

“You know, if you look at the victories and failures of the Civil Rights movement, and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at a lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it, I’d be okay, but the Supreme Court never entered into the issues of re-distribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society.

“And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution – at least as it’s been interpreted, and Warren Court interpreted it in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: [it] says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.

“And that hasn’t shifted, and one of the, I think, the tragedies of the Civil Rights movement was because the Civil Rights movement became so court-focused, uh, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. And in some ways we still suffer from that.”

A caller then helpfully asks:

“The gentleman made the point that the Warren Court wasn’t terribly radical. My question is (with economic changes)… my question is, is it too late for that kind of reparative work, economically, and is that the appropriate place for reparative economic work to change place?”

Obama replies:

“You know, I’m not optimistic about bringing about major redistributive change through the courts. The institution just isn’t structured that way. [snip] You start getting into all sorts of separation of powers issues, you know, in terms of the court monitoring or engaging in a process that essentially is administrative and takes a lot of time. You know, the court is just not very good at it, and politically, it’s just very hard to legitimize opinions from the court in that regard.

So I think that, although you can craft theoretical justifications for it, legally, you know, I think any three of us sitting here could come up with a rationale for bringing about economic change through the courts.”


THE FIRST CIRCLE OF SHAME

There is nothing vague or ambiguous about this. Nothing.

From the top:

“…The Supreme Court never entered into the issues of re-distribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical.”

If the second highlighted phrase had been there without the first, Obama’s defenders would have bent over backwards trying to spin the meaning of “political and economic justice.” We all know what political and economic justice means, because Barack Obama has already made it crystal clear a second earlier: it means re-distribution of wealth. Not the creation of wealth and certainly not the creation of opportunity, but simply taking money from the successful and the hard-working and distributing it to those whom the government decides “deserve” it.

This re-distribution of wealth, he states, “essentially is administrative and takes a lot of time.” It is an administrative task. Not suitable for the courts. More suitable for the Chief Executive.

Now that’s just garden-variety socialism, which apparently is not a big deal to many voters. So I would appeal to ANY American who claims to love the Constitution and to revere the Founding Fathers… I will not only appeal to you, I will BEG you, as one American citizen to another, to consider this next statement with as much care as you can possibly bring to bear:

“And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution – at least as it’s been interpreted, and [the] Warren Court interpreted it in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: [it] says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf."

The United States of America – 5% of the world’s population – leads the world economically, militarily, scientifically and culturally – and by a spectacular margin. Any one of these achievements, taken alone, would be cause for enormous pride. To dominate as we do in all four arenas has no historical precedent. That we have achieved so much in so many areas is due – due entirely – to the structure of our society as outlined in the Constitution of the United States.

The entire purpose of the Constitution was to LIMIT GOVERNMENT. That limitation of powers is what has unlocked in America the vast human potential available in any population.

Barack Obama sees that limiting of government not as a lynchpin but rather as a fatal flaw:

“…One of the, I think, the tragedies of the Civil Rights movement was because the Civil Rights movement became so court-focused, uh, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. And in some ways we still suffer from that.”

There is no room for wiggle or misunderstanding here. This is not edited copy. There is nothing out of context; for the entire thing is context – the context of what Barack Obama believes. You and I do not have to guess at what he believes or try to interpret what he believes. He says what he believes.

We have, in our storied history, elected Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives and moderates. We have fought, and will continue to fight, pitched battles about how best to govern this nation. But we have never, ever in our 232 year history, elected a President who so completely and openly opposed the idea of limited government, the absolute cornerstone of makes the United States of America unique and exceptional.

If this does not frighten you – regardless of your political affiliation – then you deserve what this man will deliver with both houses of Congress, a filibuster-proof Senate, and, to quote Senator Obama again, “a righteous wind at our backs.”

That a man so clear in his understanding of the Constitution, and so opposed to the basic tenets it provides against tyranny and the abuse of power, can run for President of the United States is shameful enough.

We’re just getting started.

"Shame", The Motels

THE SECOND CIRCLE OF SHAME

Mercifully shorter than the First, and simply this: I happen to know the person who found this audio. It is an individual person, with no more resources than a desire to know everything that he or she can about who might be the next President of the United States and the most powerful man in the world.

I know that this person does not have teams of highly-paid professionals, does not work out of a corner office in a skyscraper in New York, does not have access to all of the subtle and hidden conduits of information… who possesses no network television stations, owns no satellite time, does not receive billions in advertising dollars, and has a staff of exactly ONE.

I do not blame Barack Obama for believing in wealth distribution. That’s his right as an American. I do blame him for lying about what he believes. But his entire life has been applying for the next job at the expense of the current one. He’s at the end of the line now.

I do, however, blame the press for allowing an individual citizen to do the work that they employ standing armies of so-called professionals for. I know they are capable of this kind of investigative journalism: it only took them a day or two to damage Sarah Palin with wild accusations about her baby’s paternity and less time than that to destroy a man who happened to be playing ball when the Messiah decided to roll up looking for a few more votes on the way to the inevitable coronation.

We no longer have an independent, fair, investigative press. That is abundantly clear to everyone – even the press. It is just another of the facts that they refuse to report, because it does not suit them.

Remember this, America: the press did not break this story. A single citizen, on the internet did.

There is a special hell for you “journalists” out there, a hell made specifically for you narcissists and elitists who think you have the right to determine which information is passed on to the electorate and which is not.

That hell – your own personal hell – is a fiery lake of Irrelevance, blinding clouds of Obscurity, and burning, everlasting Scorn.

You’ve earned it.

THE THIRD CIRCLE OF SHAME

This discovery will hurt Obama much more than Joe the Plumber.

What will be left of my friend, and my friend’s family, I wonder, when the press is finished with them?

Tuesday Afternoon Classic

Wes Montgomery, Windy

Obama Admits Radical Redistribution Agenda

He details his desire to redistribute wealth in America and how best to achieve this goal, including his lament that the Supreme Court never addressed the issue of redistribution. He also rejects the notion that the Warren court was 'radical', noting it never broke "free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers" in the Constitution!

Barack Obama is without doubt the most radical Socialist to ever seek the Presidency. If he is elected, we will lose the last remnants of our free republic.

UPDATE: Berg Suit Dismissed; Appeal to Follow

On Friday, Federal Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick dismissed Philip Berg's lawsuit challenging Barack Obama's qualification for the Presidency.

The Judge, appointed by Bill Clinton, ruled that Mr. Berg lacked standing to bring the suit. In the 34 page ruling (a PDF file), Judge Surrick found that only the Government has standing to challenge matters of citizenship.

Mr. Berg intends to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. He appeared on a local radio show this morning and indicated that the emergency appeal is being drafted today and will be filed as soon as possible, perhaps even this afternoon. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

Penn & Teller on the Obama Tax Plan

Penn & Teller, the famously quirky Las Vegas magic act, opine on the presidential election by evaluating Barack Obama's tax plan. Hey, even professional, talented magicians can't make Obama's socialism disappear!

WARNING: This clip contains mild profanity. Viewer discretion is therefore advised.

For God and Country

The Battle Hymn of the Republic, by Terry Blackwood & David Phelps

Saturday Morning Boogie Woogie

This concert clip was recorded about 1986,at the Storyville Night Club in New Orleans. Check out the 'backup' players! What a collection of talent in one place at one time. Whole lotta shakin' goin' on, baby!

Editorial review: ' It's the jam session of a lifetime as the three greatest rock n' roll piano players in the world share the stage for the first and only time. Shot at the historic Storyville night club in New Orleans, Fats & Friends features Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Ray Charles strutting their stuff, individually and collectively.'

The entire show is available on DVD at Amazon. Enjoy!

A Tale of Two Joes

Is it just me, or has this election cycle been about 20 years long? Seriously. I'm not sure I can remember a time when Obama and McCain weren't running for President. We have been subjected to every manner of lie, distortion, exaggeration, misstatement, fabrication and wishful thinking known to man in the last two years.....and it took a pair of Joes to cut to the chase and reveal the truth.

First, of course, came Joe the Plumber. God bless Joe! He had the presence of mind and the chutzpa to ask an impertinent question on the spur of the moment, thereby eliciting a rare, straight answer from Candidate Obama. 'Won't your tax plan raise taxes on the small business I hope to own?', Joe asked. 'Yes,' Obama answered, 'because it's good to spread the wealth around.' Bingo! Obama willl take what you earn and give it to 'those behind you', because at his core, he's a committed Marxist. From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Karl would be so proud!

Fanfare for the Common Man, Aaron Copeland

Next came Joe 'open mouth, insert foot, chew vigoriously' Biden, who promised not one but two groups of donors that electing Obama would guarantee an international incident designed to test the inexperienced younger Senator.

"Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy." Biden warned.

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

So. Obama is young, inexperienced and perceived as weak by our enemies, a situation they will exploit by generating an international crisis. Obama will then respond in a way that calls his judgment into question and leaves Americans doubting him....his Vice Presidential nominee guarantees it. Swell. Thanks for the heads up, Joe!

It is said that the truth will always come out - eventually. Perhaps it isn't ironic then that a couple of Joes have exposed the truth and laid it bare for all who are willing to see.

Halloween Humor

Obama's Tax Plan, explained to children

Obama's October Surprise Update

As noted in an earlier post, Pennsylvania attorney Philip Berg has a lawsuit pending in federal court which alleges that Barack Hussien Obama is not a 'natural born' citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to seek the office of President of the United States.

In a press release dated October 21, 2008, Mr. Berg asserts that, having failed to respond to and/or refute the allegations in the federal lawsuit within 30 days of filing, Senator Obama and the Democratic National Committee have acknowledged as true all claims made in the suit, to whit:

OBAMA - Admitted:

1. I was born in Kenya.

2. I am a Kenya “natural born” citizen.

3. My foreign birth was registered in the State of Hawaii.

4. My father, Barrack Hussein Obama, Sr. admitted Paternity of me.

5. My mother gave birth to me in Mombosa, Kenya.

6. My mother’s maiden name is Stanley Ann Dunham a/k/a Ann Dunham.

7. The COLB [Certification of Live Birth] posted on the website “Fightthesmears.com” is a forgery.

8. I was adopted by a Foreign Citizen.

9. I was adopted by Lolo Soetoro, M.A. a citizen of Indonesia.

10. I was not born in Hawaii.

11. I was not born at the Queens Medical Center in Hawaii.

12. I was not born at Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Hawaii.

13. I was not born in a Hospital in Hawaii.

14. I am a citizen of Indonesia.

15. I never took the “Oath of Allegiance” to regain my U.S. Citizenship status.

16. I am not a “natural born” United States citizen.

17. My date of birth is August 4, 1961.

18. I traveled to Pakistan in 1981 with my Pakistan friends.

19. In 1981, I went to Indonesia on my way to Pakistan.

20. Pakistan was a no travel zone in 1981 for American Citizens.

21. In 1981, Pakistan was not allowing American Citizens to enter their country.

22. I traveled on my Indonesian Passport to Pakistan.

23. I renewed my Indonesian Passport on my way to Pakistan.

24. My senior campaign staff is aware I am not a “natural born” United States Citizen.

25. I am proud of my Kenya Heritage.

26. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my first name.

27. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my last name.

28. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my place of birth.

29. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my first name.

30. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my last name.

31. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my place of birth.

32. The document identified as my Indonesian School record from Fransiskus Assisi School in Jakarta, Indonesia is genuine.

33. I went to a Judge in Hawaii to have my name changed.

34. I went to a Senator and/or Congressman or other public official in Hawaii to have my name changed.

35. I had a passport issued to me from the Government of Indonesia.

36. The United States Constitution does not allow for a Person to hold the office of President of the United States unless that person is a “natural born” United States citizen.

37. I am ineligible pursuant to the United States Constitution to serve as President and/or Vice President of the United States.

38. I never renounced my citizenship as it relates to my citizenship to the country of Indonesia.

39. I never renounced my citizenship as it relates to my citizenship to the country of Kenya.

40. I am an Attorney who specializes in Constitutional Law.

41. Kenya was a part of the British Colonies at the time of my birth.

42. Kenya did not become its own Republic until 1963.

43. I am not a “Naturalized” United States Citizen.

44. I obtained $200 Million dollars in campaign funds by fraudulent means.

45. I cannot produce a “vault” (original) long version of a birth certificate showing my birth in Hawaii.

46. My “vault” (original) long version birth certificate shows my birth in Kenya.

47. The only times I was to a Hospital in Hawaii was for check-ups or medical treatments for illnesses.

48. Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii does not have any record of my mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (Obama) giving birth to me.

49. Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii does not have any record of my mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (Obama) giving birth to me.

50. I was born in the Coast Province Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.

51. I represented on my State Bar application in Illinois that I never used any other name other than Barack Hussein Obama.

52. I went by the name Barry Soetoro in Indonesia.

53. My Indonesian school records are under the name of Barry Soetoro.

54. I took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution when admitted to the State Bar of Illinois to practice Law.

55. I took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution when I was Sworn into my United States Senate Office.

56. I hold dual citizenship with at least one other Country besides the United States of America.

DNC - Admitted:

1. The DNC nominated Barrack Hussein Obama as the Democratic Nominee for President.

2. The DNC has not vetted Barrack Hussein Obama.

3. The DNC did not have a background check performed on Barrack Hussein Obama.

4.The DNC did not verify Barrack Hussein Obama’s eligibility to serve as President of the United States.

5. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Kenya.

6. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama is not a “natural born” United States citizen.

7. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama was not born in Hawaii.

8.The DNC admits they have not inquired into Barrack Hussein Obama’s citizenship status.

9. The DNC admits they have a duty to properly vette the Democratic Nominee for President.

10.The DNC admits Lolo Soetoro, M.A., an Indonesian citizen adopted Barrack Hussein Obama.

11. The DNC admits the Credentials Committee has been aware of this lawsuit since August 22, 2008 as the lawsuit was faxed to our Washington D.C. Office on August 22, 2008.

12. The DNC admits their Credentials Committee failed to verify and/or inquire into the credentials of Barack Hussein Obama to serve as the President of the United States.

13. The DNC admits their Credential Committee’s Report failed to address the issues of Barack Hussein Obama’s ineligibility to serve as President of the United States.

14.The DNC admits Howard Dean, Chair Person has and had knowledge Barack Hussein Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible to serve as the President of the United States.

15. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all Democratic citizens of the United States have been personally injured as a result of not having a qualified Democratic Presidential Nominee to cast their votes upon.

16. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all citizens of the United States have a Constitutional Right to vote for the President of the United States and to have two (2) qualified candidates of which to choose from.

17. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all citizens of the United States have a Constitutional right to have a properly vetted Democratic Presidential Nominee of which to cast their vote.

18. The DNC admits an FBI background check is not performed on the Presidential or Vice Presidential Candidates.

19. The DNC admits the United States Constitution does not allow for a Person to hold the office of President of the United States unless that person is a “natural born” United States citizen.

20. The DNC admits they collected donations on behalf of Barack Hussein Obama for his Presidential campaign.

21. The DNC admits Plaintiff and Democratic citizens donated money based on false representations that Barack Hussein Obama was qualified to serve as the President of the United States.

22. The DNC admits if Barack Hussein Obama is elected as President and allowed to serve as President of the United States in violation of our Constitution, it will create a Constitutional crisis.

23. The DNC admits Barack Hussein Obama took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution.

24. The DNC admits allowing a person who is not a “natural born” citizen to serve as President of the United States violates Plaintiff’s rights to due process of law in violation of the United States Constitution.

25. The DNC admits allowing a person who is not a “natural born” citizen to serve as President of the United States violates Plaintiff’s rights to Equal Protection of the laws in violation of the United States Constitution.

26. The DNC admits the function of the DNC is to secure a Democratic Presidential Candidate who will protect Democratic citizen’s interests, fight for their equal opportunities and fight for justice for all Americans.

27. The DNC admits the Democratic National Committee has been promoting Barack Hussein Obama’s Presidential election knowing he was ineligible to serve as President of the United States.

As Senator Obama prepares to 'suspend' his campaign and travel to Hawaii to visit his ailing Grandmother, a great many questions remain to be answered. Independent investigators are presently in Hawaii researching the Obama family. More updates will be posted when new information is available. It just gets curiouser and curiouser, Alice.

A Little Lizard Laugh

You know who you are!

Michigan is 'Stuck on Stupid'. Are You?

John Tomlinson of the Flint Journal thinks Senator John McCain pulled out of Michigan because voters here are "stuck on stupid". He has a point.... [Links added by me ~ Ed]

Why did Sen. John McCain pull out of Michigan? Knee-jerk voters.

A new Rasmussen Poll said 59 percent of Americans believe our legislators are so inept, they'd vote to replace the entire Congress. I bet the other 41 percent live in Michigan .

Maybe McCain pulled out because he found us so stuck on stupid, he decided to go to where people would listen.

He realized what we all realize. Voters in Michigan vote for the same person decade after decade, even after that person proves to be the worst imaginable one for the job.

According to the 2008 University of Michigan Millennium Report, Detroit is now the poorest city in America. Yet its residents, knowing the devastation firsthand, continued to vote for Kwame Kilpatrick like he was Coleman Young.

Or take U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. According to the report, Michigan is 46th in the nation at getting federal tax dollars back as budget expenditures. The Keynesian multiplier, a way to calculate the economic effect of this shortfall, says this had three times the effect of the auto industry contraction on our state's economy.

Further, we only get back 92 percent of federal taxes on gasoline purchased in our state. The shortfall, about $90 million, which should go to repair Michigan roads and bridges, gets spent in other states.

Why? Because Levin, whose responsibility it is to oversee getting that money back, is so busy trying to affect the surrender of U.S. forces to al-Qaida in Iraq , he doesn't have time to help Michigan. Yet this fall, he's going to again win by a landslide. Name the last great thing he did for the people of Michigan. I can't. Can you?

According to the report, Michigan has become, under the last eight years of Democrat leadership, including representation at the state and federal levels, all of the following:

50th in the nation in personal income growth.

50th in the nation in its unemployment rate.

50th in the nation in employment growth.

50th in the nation in the Index of Economic Momentum.

This happened because we will not change. We're now below Mississippi and still falling. How long will it be before Detroit begins to envy Beirut? Thanks to our legislators, we have nothing on the horizon to stop this free-fall.

Nevertheless, we're voting for Barack Obama. We want the guy who, while getting enormous amounts of cash from Fannie Mae, second only to Sen. Christopher Dodd, helped block the 2005 Fannie Mae reform designed to prevent the current collapse. Just as an aside, McCain sponsored that bill.

But don't worry, with McCain gone, we'll keep voting Democratic like always, and everything will be just hunky-dory. Yes?

Can the rest of America learn from Michigan's mistakes? Of course. Will it happen? We will know on November 5th. In the meantime, if you want to see what liberal, socialist, redistributionist schemes will do for your country, look at my state. Then remember that Barack Obama has been taking advice from our socialist, Canadian Governor Granholm. If you like the economic misery of Michigan, you can have it nationwide; just vote for Obama.

Faith, Not Race, Determines His Vote

This missive has been making the rounds of e-mail in-boxes recently, mine included. It is attributed to Mr. Huntley Brown, a Christian concert pianist. Thanks to our friends at www.snopes.com for contacting Mr. Brown and verifying the authenticity of this editorial. The insights speak for themselves. Thank you, Mr. Brown, for sharing your point of view. I have reproduced it here exactly as Huntley Brown acknowledged it:

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating...

First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads, I follow. I can't dictate the terms, He does because He is the leader.

I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning - to name a few, then wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, "don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I don't know Obama, so all I can go on is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted "No" on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.

There is a reason he voted "No" on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted "No" on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue. The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps.
(Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are
then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's
brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then
removed.

God help him.

There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: You cannot give a child an aspirin without parental notification but that same child can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason Obama went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.

Obama tells us he has good judgment, but he sat under Jeremiah Wright's teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe, etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available
to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for
Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the
White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discover he'd been going to a racist church. The TRUE church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world.

A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandates. It does not matter if it's a white church or a black church based on racial values, it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book "The Goals of the Black Community". "If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him."

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

Then God says

1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God. Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father, based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.

Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation?
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings,
Huntley Brown

What could I possibly add? God Bless You, Mr. Brown, and God Bless America!

Tuesday Morning Funnies

Sarah Palin is invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing in Venice.

The liberal press reluctantly watches the semi-private audience, hoping they will be able to allot minimal coverage, if any.

The Pope asks Governor Palin to join him on a Gondola ride through the canals of Venice.

They're admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when, all of a sudden, the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the water.

The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's cap with his pole, but this move threatens to overturn the floating craft.

Sarah waves the tour guide off, saying, "Wait, wait. I'll take care of this. Don't worry."

She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks out to the Pope's hat, bends over and picks it up. She walks back across the water to the gondola and steps aboard.

She hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.

The next morning the topic of conversation among Democrats in Congress, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, CNN, the New York Times, Hollywood celebrities, and in France and Germany is:

'Palin Can't Swim!'

A Warrior Goes Home

A fellow blogger, a true gentleman and a faithful Christian soldier has died. I never met USMC1968 'in the flesh', only online. He was a kindhearted, tough Marine doing battle with the greatest enemy he had ever faced: cancer. He fought the good fight, but the Lord needed warriors for the cause of glory and called him home today. Please pray for his widow and family in their time of grief, and rejoice with the faithful that he is safe in the arms of Jesus now.

I Corinthians 15:54-57

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Semper Fi....

Of Pipes and Plebes

"The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."

~ John W. Gardner, Secretary of Health Education and Welfare under LBJ and
author of "Excellence."

R.I.P. Levi Stubbs

The soulful, evocative voice of Levi Stubbs has been silenced. Mr. Stubbs died yesterday at home in Detroit. He was 72.

This proud daughter of Detroit is lucky enough to have The Four Tops in the soundtrack of her childhood. No boy band, pop tart princess or rapper performing today can touch the range of human emotions Levi could express with his haunting voice. Thank you, Mr. Stubbs, for the music and the memories. You were a class act, and you will be missed. God bless.

The Four Tops perform in 1966. If this doesn't send shivers down your spine, check your pulse!

This is perhaps my personal favorite Four Tops song, recorded live in Miami, including Levi Stubbs on lead vocals. The date of this performance is in question; it has been widely reported as 2004, but that is unlikely since Mr. Stubbs had suffered a stroke by then. It was more likely recorded a year or two earlier. He was in his mid-60's then, and still had a voice that could break your heart. Bernadette:

The Detroit News has a wonderful tribute, including fabulous old photos, in today's edition: 'At Motown, Levi Stubb's Voice Was Tops'

Obama's Speech Police in the New Amerika

Ordinary members of the proletariat cannot question the Dear Leader in Amerika in 2008. That is the new political reality, as Joe Wurzelbacher has learned the hard way.

The now-infamous 'Joe the Plumber' has had his entire life subjected to a proctology exam simply because he dared to ask The One, the 'messiah' Barack Obama, about taxation of small businesses under an Obama administration.

We have been told that Joe does not have a plumbers' license. Well, he doesn't...but in Ohio, only the company must be licensed. In fact, Ohio law requires applicants for a license to have "...been a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade for which the application is filed for not less than five years immediately prior to the date the application is filed... ".

The media is also gleefully reporting that Joe owes $1200 in back taxes. Apparently he does, but how is this fact relevant? It isn't, and neither is the issue of the license. What we are witnessing here is a full frontal assault on an average, innocent American who dared to broach an inconvenient subject with the annointed Great Leader.

If it makes you feel any better, Joe, you have company. Meet Jessica Hughes of Lufkin, Texas. The Lufkin Daily News reports that on Wednesday, October 1, 2008, Mrs. Hughes received a call on her cell phone from the Obama Volunteers of Texarkana.

"She asked if I was an Obama supporter, to which I replied, 'No, I don't support him. Your guy is a socialist who voted four times in the state Senate to let little babies die in hospital closets; I think you should find something better to do with your time.' (And then) I hung up," Mrs. Hughes recalled.

On Thursday, October 2, two Secret Service agents appeared at the Hughes' home, acting on a "death threat" reported by the Obama caller. They asked her if she said, "I will never support Obama and he will wind up dead on a hospital floor." She denied the allegation and it appears the matter is closed, but Jessica Hughes is still upset and may file a formal complaint against the volunteer. "I find that repugnant and violating — that some person got her undies in a bundle because she didn't like what I had to say," she said.

Every American ought to find suppression of free speech repugnant. That some of us not only don't but actively seek to benefit from it is very frightening indeed.

Condappeasa: Israel Must Do More For Palestinians. Olmert, Livni Agree

Matthew Lee of the Associated Press reported on a speech given Tuesday by Secretary of 'Lets-Give-'em-a-State' Condappeasa Rice to a Palestinian investment forum held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"The parties need to redouble their efforts," Rice said ...

[SNIP]

"Israel must also halt settlement activity which can be seen as prejudging the outcome of negotiations and undermining its negotiating partner," she said.


"And while there have been some lowered restrictions to access and movement, more progress needs to be made in order for Palestinian businesspeople and workers to be able to conduct business in an environment in which they can thrive," Rice told the audience, which included Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

[SNIP]

In her speech, Rice vowed that she would continue to work hard to meet the year-end deadline, although she acknowledged that "there are many challenges" still to overcome.

"We must do everything that we can with the negotiating partners to get to the Annapolis solution and that would be to find an agreement between these parties by the end of the year," she said. "It is very difficult, there's a hard road ahead, but if we do not try, we almost certainly will not succeed."

"Until that moment when I leave office, I will leave no stone unturned to see if we can finally resolve this conflict," Rice said.

Apparently the government of Israel is not committing suicide fast enough to suit the State Department. It's not for lack of trying.

In an interview published September 29, 2008 in the UK Guardian, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said

"We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories."... "We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace."

Olmert said the withdrawal would have to include parts of east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war.

"What I am saying to you now has not been said by any Israeli leader before me. The time has come to say these things."

Give me a break. 'These things' have been said, off and on, since 1967. Mr. Olmert's successor, Ms. Tzipi Livni shows every sign of continuing the slow death spiral. The BBC reported in September 2008 that

Ms Livni, 50, a lawyer, former Mossad agent and mother of two, has moved from a strongly Zionist nationalist background to become a passionate advocate of a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians.

Hang in there, Condappeasa. You may yet see the demise of Israel before your term ends in January.

Humor From Iraq

Despite the sacrifices and hardships of war, our brave soldiers manage to keep a sense of humor, as witnessed by these photos from Iraq. God bless our troops!




Hat tip: Barracuda Babes

An ACORN Falls in Michigan, Too

The wave of ACORN-lead voter registration fraud sweeping the nation has hit Michigan. While the story continues to develop, the state Attorney General has already filed charges against one former ACORN employee and local clerks struggle to keep up with the flood of fraudulent and duplicate forms.

From an article in today's Detroit News:

The head Michigan organizer for a community group accused of generating bogus voter registrations said Tuesday his group's policy is to send local clerks all voter registration applications they get -- even those they believe may be fraudulent.

"We have, on occasion, gotten (applications with names such as) Mickey Mouse or something that's ridiculous," but forward those registration application cards to local clerks as well, said David Lagstein of ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now). "We just think it would be irresponsible not to send in every single card."

Lagstein made his comments amid widespread complaints from local clerks about duplicate and questionable voter registration applications submitted by ACORN and shortly before Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced forgery charges against a former ACORN worker in connection with voter registration applications the group submitted in the city of Jackson.

[SNIP]

Local clerks in Michigan, who are completing a registration that will set a record for the number of qualified voters, complain they have been swamped with duplicate and questionable applications from ACORN and other third-party groups.

That has forced them to perform hundreds of hours of additional work to assure the integrity of Michigan's qualified voter file.

"For anyone to tell you that they would turn in Mickey Mouse, that's a terrible thing to say," said Southfield City Clerk Nancy Banks. "Shame on them."

[SNIP]

Roseville City Clerk Richard Steenland said his office has been "barraged" with voter registrations through ACORN and many have raised red flags.

For example, he said, six applications were exactly the same.

"I'm looking at turning it over (to) the prosecutor's office," Steenland said.

As a former local clerk, I have first-hand experience with processing voter registration forms. These officials are not exaggerating the difficulty of receiving, processing and verifying huge numbers of forms - not to mention the frustration of handling many duplicate registrations.

Enough evidence of deliberate fraud has been found to charge at least one individual in Michigan:

Antonio Johnson, 23, a felon who is being held in Jackson County on a parole violation, is charged with six counts of forging a public document and faces up to 14 years on each count, Cox, a Republican, said in a news release.

Johnson was working for ACORN between May and June when he filled out, signed and submitted six voter registration applications, using two Jackson residents' names without their knowledge, Cox said.

"This is an obvious case of forgery and that is why I am taking action today," Cox said. "This office will not stand by while criminals interfere with the voting rights of Michigan citizens."

AG Cox warned Michigan residents about scams related to voter registration last month in a Consumer Alert issued by his office. The problem isn't exactly new, but this election cycle has seen a marked increase in incidents of apparent fraud nationwide. If large numbers of illegitimate voters gain access to our elections, it's fairly certain the rest of us won't like the outcome. All legitimate voters should be concerned about it.

Golf Balls for Sale

Open-Minded, Tolerant Liberals in Manhattan

Liberals and 'progressives' love to portray themselves as tolerant, inclusive, intellectually superior people. Eh, maybe not so much. Watch as they welcome a peaceful group of John McCain supporters to the Upper West Side of Manhattan:

Is This The October Surprise Obama Fears?

You wouldn't know about this from listening to or reading the 'mainstream' media, because they are nothing of the sort: a lawyer from Pennsylvania, Philip J. Berg, filed a lawsuit in August 2008, challenging Barack Obama's qualification to be President of the United States. Mr. Berg believes Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the USA, which Constitutionally disqualifies him to serve as POTUS. There are additional questions concerning Obama's citizenship based on the years he lived in Indonesia as a child.

Philip Berg is no 'right-wing kook'....he is a life-long Democrat, has held positions in the Democratic Party and ran for office on the Democratic ticket in Pennsylvania. In this new video, he details his involvement with the party. He also answers the 'proof' provided by Obama's website and www.factcheck.org by noting that factcheck is owned by the Annenberg organization in Chicago - the same Annenberg organization Obama and Bill Ayers worked for. Perhaps just a teeny conflict of interest? The video is just over 10 minutes long, but is worth watching.

The Suicide of Western Civilization

Obama's Friends May Influence Voters, Media Not Asking What Needs to be Answered

Macomb County, Michigan is considered a bellwether for Presidential elections; we draw national attention every four years. This election cycle, every major national news organization and quite a few international ones have been crawling all over our cities and towns, trying to assess the mood of 'average' Americans.

Despite the recent pull-out of the McCain/Palin campaign and polls showing Senator Obama with a lead as large as 16 percent in the state of Michigan, one thing seems clear from our perspective. McCain can win. He can win Macomb County. He can win Michigan. He can win the presidency. The polls cannot be trusted. Yesterday's Macomb Daily editorial expresses it very well:

Obama's friends, not racism, may influence vote

Democrat Barack Obama has opened a five-point lead over Republican John McCain in a composite of national polls with less than a month to go before the presidential vote.

Of course, given the Electoral College, it will be how the candidates do in individual battleground states that will determine which candidate wins the 270 votes needed to gain the White House.

Here are composite polls for those states from the nonpartisan web site, realclearpolitics.com:

Michigan: Obama 49.1 percent, McCain 42.1

Colorado: Obama 48 to 44.

Ohio: Obama 48.9 to 45.1

Florida: Obama 48.4 to 45.3

Nevada: Obama 49.3 to 47.5

Missouri: Obama 47.8 to 47.5

Virginia: Obama 49.9 to 45.1

So Obama is leading in the states that will decide this election, according to pollsters. But in each of these states, undecideds total somewhere between 4 percent and 9 percent of those surveyed.

And there's Obama's problem.

In the primaries — the Democratic primaries against Sen. Hillary Clinton — Obama led in polls in New Hampshire 38.3 percent to 30 percent for Clinton. He lost that election, with Clinton winning 39 percent of the vote and Obama 36.4 percent.

In California, polls showed him up 44 percent to Clinton's 42.8 percent. Clinton took 51.9 percent of the actual vote, and Obama won 42.3 percent.

In both cases, undecided Democrats broke almost unanimously for Obama's opponent.

Much has been made in this election cycle of the so-called "Bradley effect," named for the failed gubernatorial run of Los Angeles' African-American Mayor Tom Bradley in California in 1982. Polls showed him far ahead, but when it came time for voters to cast ballots, they didn't vote the way they told pollsters they would, instead casting their ballots for his white opponent, Republican George Deukmejian.

Many analysts have interpreted this phenomenon as evidence of deep-seated racism in America. But another interpretation, and one we think more likely, is that the media in this country have created a climate of fear in which it is better not to tell the truth than risk being seen as politically incorrect.

We've already been told by some Democrats and Big Media that any voter who doesn't cast a ballot for Obama is probably a racist.

Perhaps it isn't race at all that raises doubts about Obama among voters. Maybe it's the fact that he is the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate (according to the National Journal). Or that he has yet to adequately explain his long relationships with unrepentant terrorist William Ayers, and his hateful pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, or even his good friend, the convicted Chicago racketeer, Tony Rezko.

But consider this possibility: Maybe these undecideds will decide not to vote for Obama to protest the fact that major media reporters have so far refused to ask Obama the questions that need answering.

Understand that the Macomb Daily is no bastion of right-wing, conservative opinion. This is a stunning indictment of the Obama campaign and the media from one of their own. It validates what I have been saying for some time now: Obama is not a shoo-in. It can be done, and we can do it. Yes, we can.

Political Fable

While walking down the street one day, a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. 'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the senator.

'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the senator.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a lush, green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne, dressed in beautiful evening wear.

Also present is the devil, (a very friendly guy) who has a great time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.. The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him. 'Now it's time to visit heaven.'

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The senator reflects for a minute, then answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful and all, but I think I would be better off in hell.'

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, now dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above... The devil comes over and puts an arm around his shoulder. 'I don't understand,' stammers the senator. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?'

The devil looks at him, smiles and says.......

'Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.'

Who's Your Daddy?

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

This famous quote, generally attributed to Alexander Tytler, kept running through my head on Tuesday night as I watched two men allegedly running for President of the United States vie instead for the position of surrogate Daddy.

Each eagerly promised 'generous gifts' from the public treasury. In an additional act of self-flagelation, I printed, read and annotated the entire transcript, just to provide you with examples from the sorry laundry list in a complete and documented fashion. From Senator Obama:

"help for homeowners so that they can stay in their homes."

"...provide a middle class tax cut to 95% of working Americans, those who are working two jobs, people who are not spending enough time with their kids, because they are struggling to make ends meet." "...That's something that the next treasury secretary is going to have to work on."

"And that's why it's going to be so important for us to work with homeowners to make sure that they can stay in their homes.

The secretary already has the power to do that in the rescue package...the next president has to make sure that the next Treasury secretary is thinking about how to strengthen you as a home buyer, you as a homeowner..."[WHAT? This is Treasury's job now? Be afraid, be VERY afraid, of such a Treasury Secretary! ~Ed]

"But most importantly, we're going to have to help ordinary families be able to stay in their homes, make sure that they can pay their bills, deal with critical issues like health care and energy..."

"We've got to invest in college affordability."

"Energy...it's a strain on your family budget...I've called for an investment of $15 billion a year ..."

"...we're going to have to make an investment."

"...do something about the health care crisis...investing in prevention."

[Ahhh...'invest'...I see he's been talking to Michigan's Governor Granholm again. That's her pet euphemism for redistribution of wealth schemes. ~Ed]

"...making sure that you are able to weatherize your home..."

"...provide a 50 percent tax credit so that they can buy health insurance..."

This is, unfortunately, just a partial list - but it is representative of Obama's ideas. Vote for him, and he will 'give' you a house, health care, energy, college tuition...hell, he'll even 'make sure that you can pay your bills'. What a guy! DADDY!

But...not so fast, children. We have another candidate for Daddy; John McCain. What is he promising?

"...a package of reforms and it has got to lead to reform prosperity and peace in the world."

"...I would order the secretary of the treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America..."

"...this rescue package means that we will stabilize markets, we will shore up these institutions. But it's not enough. That's why we're going to have to go out into the housing market and we're going to have to buy up these bad loans and we're going to have to stabilize home values, and that way, Americans, like Alan, can realize the American dream and stay in their home."

"Frankly, I'm not going to tell that person without health insurance that, 'I'm sorry, you'll have to wait.'"

"...doubling your tax exemption for every child from $3,500 to $7,000."

"...let's have the American people say, 'Fix it for us.'"

"...we may hand our children and our grandchildren a damaged planet...looking at the effects of greenhouse gas emissions...what's the best way of fixing it? Nuclear power."

"Let's have community health centers. Let's have walk-in clinics."

"I want to give every American a $5,000 refundable tax credit."

"...small business people want to give their employees health insurance. We've got to give them the wherewithal to do it."

"...that we should have available and affordable health care to every American citizen, to every family member. And with the plan that -- that I have, that will do that."

Well, then...this complicates the decision, doesn't it?

If you bought more house than you can afford, Senator McCain will buy your bad mortgage! Give you a community clinic! Affordable health care for everyone, tax credits for your babies, small business 'wherewithal'. He'll 'fix it for us'; he'll even save the planet! DADDY!

Good grief! How pathetic and helpless have we become that two men, both United States Senators, should think this is the way to appeal for our votes? Does it not occur to us that the President - ANY President - has no Constitutional authority to do any of these things? Even if he did, it is the Congress that spends our money, not the President.

If Mr. Tytler was correct, we are just one step away from dictatorship. We have the power to prevent it, but if Americans don't wake up and apply the brakes - NOW - we will have our "Daddy" government. Ask the people of Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea how that's working out for them.

Manifest Media Manipulation

Hat tip: Babba Zee

Handling a Hecker, Palin Style

Sarah Palin shows how to diffuse a heckler with grace and poise (about half-way through video).

Sarah Palin on Achieving Energy Independence

This article appears in the current issue of Imprimis, the monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College. [Emphasis added by me]

SARAH PALIN took office as the eleventh governor of Alaska on December 4, 2006. Prior to her election as governor, she served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as mayor of Wasilla, during which she was elected as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. A former chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Governor Palin is currently chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and vice chair of the National Governors Association Natural Resources Committee. [But she's unqualified, right? ~Ed] A resident of Alaska since 1964, she and her husband Todd have five children.

The following is adapted from a speech delivered on August 2, 2008, aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner in Juneau, Alaska, to Hillsdale College friends and supporters during the College’s “North to Alaska” cruise from Seward to Vancouver.

"NEXT YEAR IN ALASKA we are celebrating 50 years of statehood. We are still a very young state, and we’re still experiencing some growing pains, perhaps, as we seek opportunities for Alaska to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on the federal government. [Well. Can't have any of that now, can we? ~Ed] And the key to our becoming self-sufficient—and doing our part for our fellow Americans—is to develop further our state’s vast natural resource wealth.

Fifty years ago, this was our deal with the federal government—that we pull our own weight. And we’ve already come a long way from being known as “Seward’s Folly,” back when Alaska was purchased from the Russians for two cents an acre. We’re earning our keep, largely by tapping our energy resources such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas. In fact, Alaska has our nation’s only liquefied natural gas export facility, located in the south-central Alaska town of Nikiski. But Alaska could and should be doing much more.

Being an Alaskan today is especially exciting and historic, as the energy and fuel crisis in our nation spawns creativity and makes us reevaluate what is important and necessary. As we consider where our energy will come from in the future, Alaska can and must be a big part of the answer. In fact, Alaska has already begun to take the lead on a sorely needed national energy policy. Groundbreaking history was made just up the hill at the capitol building yesterday, as Alaska’s lawmakers voted to award TransCanada Alaska a license to proceed with fieldwork, permitting, and development of the biggest construction project in the history of North America—the building of a natural gas pipeline, a project we have been fighting to begin for three decades. [The project she pushed through in less than two years. ~Ed] Once constructed, this pipeline will supply four to four-and-one-half billion cubic feet of natural gas per day—roughly six percent of America’s demand—to our fellow countrymen in what we call “the lower 48.”

Just to provide some perspective, Alaska has tens of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas under the surface, especially on the North Slope. Alaskans have longed for the right to access our gas and more of our oil to assist in supplying the U.S. market, and now we are finally on the road to doing so. This $30-40 billion infrastructure project—which will be built by the private sector—is one of the most exciting and progressive events in Alaska’s history.

This is a good start, to be sure. But Alaska has much more to offer in the way of resources. And let me tell you clearly that we can do so in a way consistent with good environmental stewardship. Each and every Alaskan recognizes that our most precious resource is the pristine environment in which we are privileged to live and where our “First People” still subsist to this day. No one can love or care for Alaska more than Alaskans. And we who live here recognize that sound science and constantly improving technology make it possible to extract oil and gas safely and responsibly. Furthermore, with gas and fuel prices reaching record highs, oil and gas must be extracted—even as we move in the direction of renewable and alternative sources of energy.

Because of the lagging economy, Americans do not have time for “all talk and no action". Here at home, Alaskans struggle with the highest gas prices in the nation—the cost of gas in parts of Alaska is four to five dollars more per gallon than gas in the lower 48—and many face the choice between heating their homes and putting food on the table. Now other Americans are experiencing the same challenges. And we are in this position only because Alaska’s vast resources are being warehoused underground by Congress—placing us in a ridiculous and difficult position.

The price of oil, and now gasoline, has always been sensitive and subject to events occurring outside the U.S. We have placed ourselves in the position of having to plead with Middle Eastern suppliers to increase production, when instead we could lift the development bans that are keeping us from our own resource independence—namely, the bans relating to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and offshore drilling.

Alaskans find it incredibly frustrating that others—many of whom have never even set foot in our state, much less lived here—dictate how and when we can best use our own resources. Whether over the barren tundra or in our majestic mountains, we have a strong history of responsible development. To date, Alaska has sent more than 15 billion barrels of oil, safely and efficiently, to the lower 48. One look at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System illustrates that development and wildlife can and do coexist.

I’ve heard it said by some politicians that Alaska doesn’t have enough oil to make a difference. I can tell you honestly that we do have enough. And while consultants and experts debate the current energy crisis, Alaska is already preparing for its next role—providing American consumers with a safe and secure domestic source of crude oil and natural gas. In fact, if energy imports were curtailed completely, Alaska could provide our nation with seven years of crude oil independence and an eight-year supply of natural gas. These are numbers that reflect known and recoverable oil and gas deposits.

To repeat, Prudhoe Bay has produced 15 billion barrels of crude oil, and there’s more where that came from in ANWR, which is home to more than ten billion barrels of oil and nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas. I know this is a controversial issue. But most Americans do not realize that of the 20 million acres that make up ANWR, we are asking for the right to access just 2,000 of them—a mere 1/10,000th of the total area. Opening up just that sliver of ANWR—which would create a footprint smaller than the total area of Los Angeles International Airport—could produce enough oil (an estimated one million barrels per day) to ease America’s fuel crisis and greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

It is also estimated that there are 24 billion barrels of recoverable oil and another 104 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore. In other words, offshore areas that are geologically promising, such as the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, hold roughly three-and-one-half years of U.S. oil consumption and four-and-one-half years of natural gas.

Congress can make it possible to take advantage of these resources right now, by streamlining access to offshore areas. As usual, outside interests are throwing up roadblocks and manipulating the legal system to achieve their agenda. But we need to bring some sanity back to the legal and permitting processes in the area of energy production.

In calling for bans to be lifted in order to get our nation out of the chokehold of high oil prices and dependence on the Middle East, I am certainly not rejecting the idea of alternative and renewable resources. I believe that we need to move in that direction, ultimately weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels. But we can’t do it overnight—or even over a decade. In Alaska, we have almost limitless opportunities for thermal, wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy. In fact, our capital city of Juneau receives 80 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric energy. Recently we have created a renewable/alternative energy fund with an initial $50 million that will build to $250 million over a five-year period. Yet until the science is fully developed, until all our vehicles are green, we must wisely and responsibly utilize known and given oil and natural gas resources so that we can provide for ourselves.

Alaskans are a very unique kind of people. We hear this on a regular basis from our visitors from the lower 48. One thing that makes us so unique is that we are at once fiercely independent and incredibly community-minded. It may seem as though these two qualities would be in conflict, but I believe they are the complementary qualities which, in tandem, drove the American Revolution. Our forefathers fought and died for liberty and independence, but they did so together. Today, as we seek freedom from dependence on foreign oil—and freedom from having to send our presidents to plead with the Saudis for more oil production—we must join together again, in the spirit of freedom and independence, to gain access to our own energy resources.

I say this to you not just as Alaska’s governor, but as the mother of a soldier—my son, Track, will soon be deploying overseas in service to his country and to a war that is certainly complicated by our dependence on foreign resources.

We must open ANWR and lift the ban on offshore drilling. The science and technology to harvest our resources responsibly and safely are in hand. The time for congressional action and leadership is now."

*Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College.