To preserve the independence of the people, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. Considering the general tendency to multiply offices and dependencies, and to increase expense to the ultimate term of burden which the citizen can bear, may it never be seen here that ... government shall itself consume the residue of what it was instituted to guard. To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, "the guaranty to every one of a free exercise of his industry, and the fruits acquired by it."
—Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Samuel Kercheval (12 July 1816).

"Politicians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently – and for the very same reason." -Benjamin Franklin

Power is an addictive thing.  Few people in history have had the ability and morality to give it up.  George Washington, who could have been a King in all but name, voluntarily chose to step down from his office.  A fact that makes this great man even greater.  It is a shame more of our "leaders" don't follow in his footsteps.  President Obama wants change.  It is impossible to find change when you depend on the same politicians who created the messes to solve them.  The American People realize that term limits for our President is necessary.  Without term limits, one man can amass too much influence and power and gain the ability to monopolize the position in which he holds.  Several states have term limits for their Governors, and rightfully so.  Why then do we not have the same term limits for our Legislators?  There are members of Congress who have been in Congress for decades.  The longer they are there, the more money gets thrown at them and the more power they amass.  It is near impossible now for anyone, short of being a celebrity, to run against an incumbent.  Term limits defend us against lifelong politicians who will always become corrupted.  It's not their fault, it's human nature.  Large companies and special interests start throwing their money at you and you reap the benefits and perks of being a whore for their purposes.  The good People of New York City chose to create a law placing term limits on the position of Mayor.  Twice this law was challenged and twice the People chose to uphold the limits.  Then, only last year, did Michael Bloomberg choose to change the law on his own with the support of the city council in some back room deal and avoiding the pesky obstacle of a democratic vote.  Now, I live in NYC and I have my own problems with Bloomberg, primarily the fact that he was a Democrat until he figured he could win only as a Republican.  After switching to and winning as a Republican, he chose to return to the Left and became an independent.  Now he wants to run on the Republican ticket again to get re-elected.  He is a political opportunist with little respect or care for the People he serves. 

Term limits are the single best way to reform our Government and bring "change".  Almost every single time the issue has been put to a vote, the People overwhelmingly choose to place the limits.  So who does oppose term limits?  Incumbent Politicians and special interest groups who don't want to lose their investment in buying a member of Congress.  Term Limits makes sense and it is the only way to return our Government to the People.

The AIG outrage is understandable.  Americans are well within their right to protest the use of funds by criminally-inept businessmen in a dying company which we were forced to become 80% owners of (despite overwhelming opposition).  That being said, it makes me sick to my stomach to listen to all the empty rhetoric coming from Washington about this.  Why is all our outrage aimed at AIG?  Why do we not direct a large bulk of that rage towards our elected leaders, who KNEW about this long ago.  Not only did they know about it, but politicians such as Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) made sure to protect these bonuses by sticking in provisions to the stimulus bill.  I suppose those kinds of things happen when Congress accepts a bill without reading it first.  (Makes you wonder what else was plugged into the stimulus bill.)  Now, everyone is calling for AIG's blood.  We are angry that they were not fiscally responsible with our money.  THEY WEREN'T FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH THEIR OWN MONEY!  If these people knew how to manage money properly, we wouldn't have had to bail them out in the first place.  We should have expected this type of moronic behavior from them.  If your dog gets into your closet and destroys your shoes, is it his fault?  Perhaps it is the fault of the owner who left their shoes on the floor and the closet door open, and assumed that the dog will reason that the shoes hold value to its owner and therefore should not damage them.  Come on!  President Obama knew about this, Geithner knew about this, hell everyone knew about this.  They are getting a free pass on this for some reason.  Perhaps these "Leaders" who are just sooo angry right now can make an effort to show their solidarity with the People by donating the contributions that AIG made to their campaigns to charities which will increasingly be the life support for millions of Americans who lost their jobs, many thanks to AIG.  Politicians such as President Obama or Sen. Dodd who both received over $100k from AIG.  Why would we expect something like that though, from the Congress which receives automatic pay raises every year.  There is something brewing within the American People and we are all starting to get a whif of it.  While Obama governs on a policy of "hope", let us show our Government what something real looks like, for instance... VOTING THEM OUT!

by Thomas Craig

by Thomas Craig

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen!!  The very same place you will find Terri Hatcher promoting Desperate Housewives and John Cena promoting whatever cinematic gem he just churned out recently, you will get a candid one-on-one with the current President of the United States of America.  The Commander-in-chief himself, tired from concerts with Stevie Wonder and dinners with Hollywood's most glitzy, will appear on the Tonight Show to discuss family life, the wackiness of politics, and maybe even a pitch for that record budget of his.  No offense to Jay Leno, but is this really the place for a sitting President to make his case to the American People?  I think it is bad taste and it shows a complete disrespect for the intelligence of the American People.  I suppose the Administration sees this as "thinking outside the box".  Sure, why not?  Anything that can distract People from the bankrupting of their Nation can only be a positive thing when you are amounting a ridiculous debt.  President Obama is running this country based on one notion- trust.  His whole plan is to convince Americans to just "trust" him.  What is worse is that millions of People are falling for it.  While everyone is smiling at the President, the Government is growing and our tab is growing.  Every step towards a bigger Government is a step away from individual freedom.  The Founding Fathers knew that to be true.  Obama is trying to expand government over every single aspect of our lives.  I ask you this, when is the last time the Government did not royally screw up a program that they were managing?  Please, just give me one example.

AmericanTusk asks you to support H.R. 1207- The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009.  You can read the statement made by Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) to introduce the bill by clicking here.

by Thomas Craig

One word.  Unbelievable.  The Nation, no... the WORLD have unanimously condemned this man as running the biggest ponzi scheme in history.  While I agree that this man is scum, I don't credit him with pulling off the largest heist in history.  For that dubious honor, we must look to our own Government.  Let's take social security for example.  Anytime an American receives a paycheck, a portion of that paycheck is taken out and put towards social security.  (At least Madoff's victims voluntarily gave him their money.)  Our "contributions" are then used to pay for retired workers who paid their dues earlier.  When I retire, my children will pay a portion of their paychecks so that the Government can pay for my retirement.  In addition to this basic ponzi formula, our Government (much like Madoff) continually dips into the money set aside for social security to pay for completely unrelated expenses.  Look up "Ponzi Scheme" on wikipedia.  Their definition is... A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors rather than from any actual profit earned.  Who will be held responsible when this ponzi scheme fails?  President Bush tried to break this cycle and allow individual investment of one's own money instead of mandatory contributions.  The Democrats defeated this by fear-mongering senior citizens into thinking they will lose their benefits.  A real solution was introduced and the Left rejected it!  Was it a perfect solution?  No, they never are, but it sure was a good start.  I don't mean to minimalize what Bernie Madoff did, but I think it is an ample opportunity to address the ongoing Great American Ponzi Scheme.  As we all have learned, Ponzi schemes inevitably fail.  The larger the scheme, such as Madoff's $65 Billion, the longer the charade might take to unfold.  History, however, has shown that it WILL always unravel in the end.  You think the crisis is bad now?  Unless Washington does something, just watch and wait to see the crises to come.

by Thomas Craig

I know, the title is maybe a bit much.  I'm having a hard time lately just like I know you are having a hard time as well.  We are standing by and watching our Country change into something and it terrifies us because we don't know what it will become.  What is even scarier is that it seems like our Government doesn't know what it will become either.  I sit and I pray that the Obama administration will surprise us and we will be lifted out of our current state.  Every day that passes, however, seems to convey the message that the President and our Government are in complete disarray.  It seems like our Government is being run no better than a fraternity house.  I'll tell you what I see.  I see a stock market that is failing because of a lack of direction and focus in our leadership.  I see a President who promised to stop earmarks and then goes ahead and signs off to 9000 of them.  I hear a President, who promised America that he has solutions, and instead merely blames his predecessor and throws his hands up as if to say that since he didn't cause it, he shouldn't be held responsible to fix it.  It’s almost as if we should be grateful that he is trying to fix it at all.  I see a Treasury Secretary who has zero faith from the People as well as Congress.  I see Republicans who advocate reforming the Party and vowing to return to our principles, and then go ahead and add in thousands of earmarks themselves.  I see a Speaker of the House who treats her position as if she won the lottery and can say, do, and spend whatever she pleases.  I sense, because my actual sight has never witnessed even a picture of it, trillions of dollars of debt that is borrowed from our Children or China (I'm not sure which is worse).  New taxes will take effect, and old taxes will rise.  Sure, only "rich" people will have their taxes increase.  You won't feel it at all unless of course you happen to purchase goods or services of any sort.  I see trillions spent on bailouts and stimulus.  I hear the call of our Leaders for trillions more to be spent to stop what the free market is naturally trying to accomplish.  Around the world, I see foreign nations test our resolve and flex their muscles and in return we invite them to sit down and talk.  I see Afghanistan failing and Mexican drug cartels pressing hard on our border.
Our individual freedoms are shrinking and our Government is growing.  More than ever before are we so controlled by our Government.  What saddens me is that America asked for it.  They saw a young man who talks a good game and who sold them Heaven itself.  That man is now winging it and trying to learn as he goes.  Of course the alternate option was not much better.
Republicans need to accept the misdeeds perpetrated by the Party during the Bush years.  I supported Bush and so I am guilty as well.  I supported the Patriot Act and I supported the expansion of our Government.  Both violate the Republican principles of individual freedom and limited Government.  I see all of this and I pray that our best days are ahead of us, but I fear that we might not be able to come back from where we are going.

by Thomas Craig

Once again I am simply amazed at how the Democrats, time after time, prove to be anything but productive for minorities, yet they still capture the minority vote.  Two recent issues have caught my attention.  First, in a disgusting display of hypocrisy, the Democrats will be ending the Washington D.C. school voucher program.  This means that many underprivileged children who are attending excellent and top-rated private schools (such as the ones many Democrats send their children to, including President Obama) will now have to return to the failed public schools which continue to hash out students who cannot even name the three branches of government.  The degradation of all aspects of our society can always be traced to a healthy mixture of poor leadership and ignorance of the masses.  Many of our schools have failed and the same Democrats who insist on bankrupting our Nation by financing zombie banks, also seek to force underprivileged students to obtain mediocre at best educations in these institutions.  I wouldn't be so against this if the public school system was revitalized in some way.  To begin with, education, much like most things, should be handled at a more local level.  The thought of our children's education being decided on by the geniuses in Congress is a chilling one.  The other issue in recent affairs is President Obama's commitment to merit pay.  This is a completely foolish way to go, much like No Child Left Behind was a foolish mistake.  Let me give you an example.  In many schools, the classes are broken up into skill levels.  Students are grouped by their above-average, average, or below-average skill levels.  All three groups are given the same test.  How is it fair for the Teacher who oversees the below-average group to be penalized when their students don't perform as well as the above-average students?  What is even more ridiculous is that there are many schools that require Special Education students to take these very same tests, and they are held to the same standards as the rest of the students!  Special Education Teachers are being punished in a way for not having a student with a disability perform as well as a student in an above-average class.  This is disgusting and a gross mismanagement of our children's education.  Furthermore, we've all heard examples of Teachers and Principals changing grades on students’ tests so that their schools don't get penalized under the No Child Left Behind Act.  Imagine the cheating that will occur when a "merit bonus" is offered to an underpaid and underappreciated Teacher.  Mark my word, it will become more and more of the norm.

In addition to this, can I just ask the silly question of how the President intends on paying for this?  Or will we just continue our addiction to obscene borrowing and spending?

The following was written by Robert A. Hall, a Marine Vietnam Veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.

I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired. 

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it. 

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the leftwing Congresscritters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them-with their own money. 

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by leftwing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women's rights of Saudi Arabia, the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Gay people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won't multiculturalism be beautiful? 

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor;" of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers;" of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery;" of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to. 

I believe "a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin." I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of President Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the
appointment of US Senators from Illinois. I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less in an all-knowing government. 

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful. That thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress, that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his, that slammed Palin with two years as governor for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. 

Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004. 

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance. 

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough. 

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana. 

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is
self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need. 

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our
military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years-and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the 20 blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American
soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear. 

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers-bums are bi-partisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bi-partisanship. I live in Illinois, where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats and Republicans has worked together harmoniously to loot the public for years. And I notice that the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet are bi-partisan as well. 

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich
or poor. 

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing. 

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems. 

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to get to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter. 

by Thomas Craig

While we deal with our problems at home, we have been seeing a disturbing uptick in "chutzpah" regarding foreign hostile nations.  North Korea is threatening war with anyone who disrupts their not-at-all-a-missile-test sattelite launch.  Iran is testing a new air-to-surface missile which I'm sure, along with their nuclear ambitions, is merely for civil purposes.  Does this worry anybody else that these rogue nations have been feeling increasingly emboldened by our new administration?  In a perfect world, we could sit down at a starbucks with these Leaders and talk out our differences.  This is reality, however, and the psychopaths who control vast amounts of power in troubled lands will not be pacified by a handshake.  (Even if that handshake is coming from Obama.)  The United States is the most powerful nation in the world.  This fact, along with our freedoms and liberties will always make us a scapegoat for other countries.  Even other democracies (and I use that term loosely) such as Russia continue to use us as a scapegoat to distract the masses from their own defective governments.  If Iran and North Korea suddenly accept an offer of peace and make nice with America, their people will soon turn their attention to the fact that despite "American hostilities", their lives are still wretched.  What makes it so frustrating to me is that WE are the ones with the power, yet we are trying to appease THEM.  North Korea and Iran know that they have no capability to wage war against us.  They realize the might of the United States Armed Forces and they know that confrontation with us would lead to their fall.  Our military is a powerful deterrent, yet we must have the resolve to use it.  A holstered gun does little to stop a criminal if the criminal knows that you wouldn't dare reach for it.