Nice to Hear a Politician Tell the Truth for a Change

You can read the story if you choose, but the headline says it all quite nicely...

Happy Weekend!!!

Here's your weekly dose of high-class comedy and awesome music (sorry, no good video for this one but a great song). Have a great one!!

Iran

Check out this video from CNN International from a couple of days ago. This girl calling in is a student from Tehran who was on her way with her friends to protest the killings by the government. This will turn your stomach.



This is Obama's opportunity. This is his chance to forcefully come out against what the Iranian regime is doing to its own people. No, I don't think we need to be sending the military in at this time, but I strongly feel that our government should be doing everything outside of that to help the masses rising up that are crying for freedom. As I've said before, this is the moment the United States has been waiting for in its dealings with Iran for the last 30 years. We've been waiting for the people to rise up. They are now doing so, and we're letting them get squashed down.

As I just said, this could be Obama's moment. My fear is that while he makes political calculations about how to respond, the opportunity is quickly slipping away and the window will close for another 3 decades. I'm really rooting for him to do the right thing here, more so than at any point since he declared his candidacy for the Presidency. He needs to be out front on this, and even with a little speech here and there, he's letting me down.

Cap and Trade

Why so fast? That's the question that I, and quite a few others, are asking. Especially considering what the "cap and trade" bill would do and cost. Even the Chicago Tribune, Obama's home newspaper which AGREES with many of the principles in the bill, is saying to slow down.

Basically, the bill was still changing as of this morning, has grown to over 1200 pages, nobody's actually had a chance to read the whole thing, and it's set for a vote today in the House!

This is reckless. First off, I completely dismiss the premise of the argument for cap and trade. This is going to increase the cost of energy for everything we do. Not only that, but increase the cost of manufacturing, which will ultimately get passed along to us. All for the asinine theory that we as humans 1.) know what the proper temperature of the Earth should be and 2.) have the ability to change the climate. The "consensus" surrounding this issue is falling apart, and for good reason, in my opinion. Even the Australians are preparing to kill their own carbon emissions schemes.

Secondly, the way this is getting hammered through is ridiculous. Check out this Wall Street Journal story detailing how the Dems are basically setting aside simple, tested, and universal economic truths to make their case for the cap and trade bill. On a side note, take a look at the bill's author, Henry Waxman, who represents Hollywood. Isn't this guy one of the strangest looking human beings ever? Anyway, here is a paragraph taken out of the WSJ story that really says it all:

The hit to GDP is the real threat in this bill. The whole point of cap and trade is to hike the price of electricity and gas so that Americans will use less. These higher prices will show up not just in electricity bills or at the gas station but in every manufactured good, from food to cars. Consumers will cut back on spending, which in turn will cut back on production, which results in fewer jobs created or higher unemployment. Some companies will instead move their operations overseas, with the same result.

I want to know why they feel they have to push this through so quickly. Now hmmm, let me see. What else did they shove through recently without reading, seemed like a few months ago? Oh yeah, that's right. The crappy stimulus bill. Boy, has that thing worked wonders.

They're doing this for the exact same reason they shoved through the stimulus and the same reason they're trying to do the same with health care. They know that if the American people have a chance to really see what's in the bill, there's not a chance in hell it would pass. Change we can believe in.

Gov. Mark Sanford

I'm really getting sick and tired of hearing about politicians cheating on their spouses. This goes for both parties and I had this idea:

1. These elected officals, just like all of us, take an oath when they get married to be faithful to their spouse.
2. They also take an oath when elected to uphold the Constitution.
3. When they cheat on their spouses, they are demonstrating to their constituents that they do not have the wherewithal to uphold an oath, a la the one taken regarding the Constitution.
4. They should therefore resign immediately and may try again on the next go-round.

What do you think?

Happy Weekend!!!

Here's a couple for you. First, what can be better than Craig Ferguson, a fake violin, and puppets? Second, you can't go wrong with Casey Donahew! Have a great weekend!






Video from www.caseydonahewband.com

North Korea

As you are most likely well aware, North Korea has been testing nuclear bombs and missiles. It has now come to our attention that they may be launching a missile in the direction of Hawaii, possibly on July 4. Of course, North Korea is at the same time saying that any "provocation" from other countries will be considered a declaration of war. This Kim Jong Il really is a loony tune.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered ships carrying our missile defense capabilities, yes the ones that Obama wants to defund, in that direction to intercept any possible threats to the US.

I had 2 thoughts about this.

1. I'm really thankful that George Bush decided to pursue the Missile Defense Shield against the cries from the left that it was a money pit. Even though it's far from perfect, at least we can now attempt to defend ourselves from this sort of thing as the North's missiles gain the ability to travel further.
2. How close to Hawaii do you think we should allow a missile from NK to travel before blowing it out of the sky? In my opinion, if it comes close to getting halfway to Hawaii from North Korea, we need to shoot it down.

New Financial Regulations

Obama is putting his critics of financial overhaul on notice...he's ready for a fight. While the grab for more power from Washington continues, this quote from Obama I found particularly interesting.

"It will have the power to set tough new rules so that companies compete by offering innovative products that consumers actually want and actually understand," Obama said. "Those ridiculous contracts — pages of fine print that no one can figure out — will be a thing of the past. You'll be able to compare products, with descriptions in plain language, to see what is best for you."

Ummm, has he taken a look at the IRS tax code lately? If you violate your mortgage contract, which stays the same for 30 years, you may lose your house. If you violate the tax code, all 16,000+ pages of it which becomes more complex every year, you may go to jail. Or get a position in Obama's cabinet...

Iran Elections

I must say that as I watch and read the news, I've never seen a citizenry in my lifetime stand up against an oppressive regime to make their voices heard like we're currently seeing in Iran. The violence against those protesting the election is an incredible, maddening, and devastating thing to see. There are videos and pictures which, thanks to modern technology, have slipped through the grip of those in charge of the country who are banning the regular news media from covering the protests. Due to their graphic content, I won't be posting them here.

This is a moment in time that US leaders have been talking about strategically for years. The time when the young people in Iran would grow tired of Islamic fundamentalism being the rule of the land. This has been simmering in much of the populace in Iran for some time, and the sham of an election that just took place in that country has caused it to boil over. Thinking back to Bush and Clinton, this would be the time to begin covertly assisting those protesting in Iran while making clear the US does not support sham elections.

We have heard precious little from our president about this. Now let me put this out front. Between this and the happenings over in North Korea (which I'll cover in another post), I don't envy his position and the foreign policy decisions he's going to have to make. This type of thing is the reason US Presidents age so quickly. I really don't know why someone would want that job.

However, when Iran cracks down and forbids the media from broadcasting images of protesters, when there are cell phone videos on YouTube of protesters' throats being slit and them being shot at, when there is an obvious sham election to put a Holocaust denying madman back in place as president subject only to the mullahs who are even more nuts, I guess I figured that even with a President as weak as Obama I might hear a little more outrage coming from the White House.

What say you?

UPDATE: I just saw a story in which Obama is calling on the Iranian leaders to halt violent actions against its own people and said that the US "stands with all" who seek to exercise the rights of assembly and free speech. I'm quite cynical of this man, but even though it took him a week and votes to condemn Iranian actions by both houses of Congress before he worked up the gumption to speak out, he's taken a step in the right direction. Mr. President, this is the part where it's your job to come out strong and lead. Don't let us or the Iranian people clamoring for freedom down.

Happy Weekend!!

Here's a great video for summer, enjoy!!!

Craig Morgan   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

The Thuggery Continues

Kudos to Mark Levin who publicized this story yesterday on his radio show. It seems that Max Baucus (D-Mont), the Senate Finance Chairman, is resorting to strong-arm tactics and threats to prevent some K-Street Democrat health care lobbyists from even speaking to Republicans at a meeting concerning Obama's plan for the government takeover of health care. According to the story, Baucus' staff is "...warning dissenters that anyone who makes their opposition public could be permanently excluded from future negotiations."

I'm so sick and tired of this crap. Aside from the fact that this whole idea will lead us toward a UK-style healthcare filled with long lines, poor treatment, and a panel of bureaucrats deciding whether we live or die, why are Democrats pushing to get this done so quickly? This will be by far the largest and most expensive government program in the history of the world, and they are trying to ram it through as quickly as possible with no public debate. "Why?" you ask.

Well, I think that they know that when the public, even the dim bulbs that voted for Obama, begin to learn that their health care will begin to resemble this, government health care will be shot down mighty quick. That will sink the goal that the left has been working towards since FDR.

Back to my original point. A member of Congress warning those directly affected by a political battle to keep silent or face the consequences is disgraceful. I'm getting so angry with these wannabe mobsters that I can hardly speak.

Just yesterday I was at a luncheon of the local chapter of the Association of Healthcare Underwriters and was listening to a lady who has been in the business a long time. She was telling us that she had been speaking with some friends of hers from England and Canada. Concerning what the U.S. will do about health care, they told her, "Whatever you do, don't let the government do this with health care. If your government takes over health care, we won't have anywhere to go when we really need a procedure done."

I've got a lot more to say, but I'm tired of typing. What say you?

Quote of the Day

From Wednesday's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson:

"Not a great day for Miss California, who was fired... Pageant organizers felt she'd best represent the people of California if she was, in fact, unemployed."

- Craig Ferguson

Happy Weekend!!!

A little extra fun this Friday! The first video is an intro to "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson". If you don't watch it, start. If you don't stay up that late, get a DVR. You'll thank me later. Second video is none other than Jerry Jeff Walker. Have a great weekend!

Stark Difference

Yesterday I was sitting in an airport waiting for a flight home. As my plane pulled up to the jetway and began to unload, I watched around 10 US soldiers deplane and embrace their loved ones in the terminal. These guys were returning from war. At the same time I heard the drone of President Obama's voice as CNN was replaying parts of his speech from Cairo.

I was struck by the difference between these servicemen and their Commander in Chief. They are returning home, most likely, from Iraq. As they were exiting their plane, I can hear their leader talking down the war in Iraq and apologizing to Muslims for this country's actions in the world. Perhaps never before had my opinion been more immediately cemented. These soldiers are incredible men of honor. Their Commander in Chief is a disgrace.

Obama droned on about how we tortured Muslims and how he was putting a stop to it and closing Gitmo. Never did he mentioned how this country has done more to feed, clothe, and liberate Muslims than any other on the face of the planet. I'm sick and tired of hearing from our current president that the policies of Bush were misguided. This is not the campaign trail anymore. Obama is a sitting president and needs to drop the obvious jabs at his predecessor, especially overseas. He also needs to take a little pride in the country which he wanted so desperatly to lead.