Wow! Is there anything that I could say that hasn't been repeated again and again in the news?  Arlen Specter- Good Riddance!  The man is part of the problem whether he is Republican or Democrat.  Anyone who thinks that spending 29 years in Congress is something to brag about is severely delusional to the state of this Nation.  I am and have always been an advocate for Congressional term limits and people like Specter are exactly the reason why.  Specter has switched to the Dem side because he believes that he DESERVES that Senate seat.  If Republicans won't vote for him, he'll get Democrats to.  Is he that dedicated to helping his constituents?  Of course not!  He thinks because he has been in Congress for 29 years, it is his right to return.  I personally would love to see the entire Republican Party unite as one and do everything within our power to make sure that Specter does not get re-elected.  Republicans from around the Country should travel to PA and campaign for Pat Toomey.  By defeating Specter, it would send a strong message to both Democrats as well as Opportunists everywhere. (Mike Bloomberg, are you listening?)  I don't think there are any Republicans shedding a tear about Specter.  The Senator has abandoned his principles and dignity long ago to appease special interests and lobbyists of all sorts just like all Politicians do when they serve for endless terms.  Specter has acquired money and power in his three decades of serving himself and he will do whatever is possible to hold on to the corrupt position which he has for so long served.  He has control over many things, but the People still have the last say and let's hope that they see this opportunist for what he is and make the right decision in the next election.

by Thomas Craig

"The GOP is DEAD!"  We've heard it before.  It was said after Clinton was elected, after Watergate, etc.  This time seems to be different though.  The GOP is far from being dead and the notion that it is dead is merely the fabricated delusions of left-wing pundits.  What is fueling the left's excitement over this is the great divide between Republicans.  We all still consider ourselves Republicans; however, there are two schools of thought now; the old school and the new school.  The old school contains most of the fools who abused their power over the last eight years, acted more like Democrats than Republicans, and felt that it was more important to focus on "What Would Jesus Do?" instead of how we could get the Country back on track.  I'm not saying that moral issues don't have a place amongst our Party and anyone who is a Republican is someone who admires how the Republican principles encourage family and religion.  The problem I have is that when we want a Leader to commits themselves to religious issues, we go to Church or Temple.  We elect our politicians so that they can fight for our freedoms and opportunities.  I don't need to hear members of Congress tell me that their greatest concern is same-sex marriage when we have an Executive Branch with the powers of a King and a Congress who is so corrupt and ignorant of the Constitution that the Founding Fathers must be spinning in their graves.  The new school of Republicans are borderline Libertarians in reality.  We want less government, less spending, and more individual liberties.  We aren't complete Libertarians due to some key issues with foreign policy being the key difference.  The problem is that the old school is no different regardless of their claims of being so and the new school doesn't trust the old school.  The answer is a new Leader.  Michael Steele has tried to bridge the divide but unfortunately it is looking more and more like he has failed.  When the GOP nominates their candidate for President in 2012, it is that moment when we will see if the Party will be united again.  If the candidate is someone who is clearly from the old school (i.e.- Gingrich, Sanford, Palin, etc), the divide will grow and the GOP will surely lose the election.  The only possible exception to this might be Mitt Romney.  Romney is respected by all Republicans for his financial intelligence and we all recognize the need for that type of experience in these tough economic times.  There are great Leaders who are rising and I have no doubt that we will pull ourselves together once again.  This will take work and compromise within the Party.  The unification of the GOP is possible and very well likely, but it should never be taken as a certainty.

Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation.
James Madison

by Thomas Craig

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, once again proves how she exemplifies everything that is wrong with Washington and how she is the epitome of what Americans hate about politicians.  Whenever she speaks, I get an overwhelming feeling of nausea; similar to the feeling you would get from eating ten tacos and then getting punched in the stomach.  (An act I would actually prefer over reading her book and judging by the unbelievably small sales, I think most Americans would agree.)  The latest Pelosi drama revolves around the ridiculous denial of her involvement with the torture situation.  The Speaker admits she was briefed about the use of waterboarding on detainees, however, she feels morally justified regarding this issue because she was not told exactly when the torture was to begin.  What confuses me is that I am just not sure if this is a case of a Politician trying pathetically to save her own just-as-guilty behind or if this is an actual denial from a genuinely delusional woman in need of psychiatric help.  Pelosi has no problems with the fact that she, nor any other Democrats informed of this torture, raised any concern or voiced any opposition to this back in 2002 when it was presented to them.  Republicans and Democrats alike are both guilty of violating the Constitution.  When I see the Democrats point fingers and call for blood, it would be wise for them to look at their own complacency and involvement in these violations.  The Democrats are suffering from a common delusion that makes them believe that because they are in power right now, they will remain in power indefinitely.  Republicans suffered from this during the Bush years and now we are paying for it.  What concerns me the most about this politically misguided mind-set is that the party in power always seems to legislate based on this idea.  Republicans granted many unconstitutional powers to the Executive Branch while they were in power, and now they are upset when a Democrat is President and taking advantage of that power.  The Democrats are going to grant even more power to the President/King, and they will be outraged when the Republicans are in charge once again and their President abuses the powers.  It is a vicious cycle that has eaten away at the Constitution and it will not end until we find a true patriot and someone who understands history and the Constitution who will restore the carefully placed checks and balances to which our Founding Fathers were intelligent enough to put into place.  Until that person arrives, we are stuck with the garbage who pollutes our Capitol with their corruption and lies.

by Thomas Craig

Recently, every time I watch or read the news I am bombarded by a string of Republicans who are so anti-Obama that they insist on criticizing every single action that the President makes.   There were even pundits going into a rage about such ridiculousness as the new puppy that the Obama's received.  Now, I don't want you to worry that I am suddenly turning left in my political views.  I am still as Republican as ever.  That being said, we need to take it down a notch.  There is a difference between intellectual and reasonable debate about the President's actions and pathetically attacking any and all actions merely for the sake of being "anti-Obama".  Let us take two recent events.  First, we have the recent release of the CIA memos showing that the USA did in fact torture both proven and alleged terrorists.  Ever since those memos were released, there have been hordes of Republicans screaming about the risk of letting our enemies know what we will and will not do to them.  Instead of worrying about that, can we instead try to focus on the fact that the United States of America, the beacon of hope and freedom in this world, has for the last seven years been torturing human beings?  I don't care who the human beings are.  We turned our back not only on one of the principles to which this Nation was founded, but to the very idea of America.  Republican, Democrat, or anyone else who calls themselves an American has a duty to condemn those actions.  History will remember the last few years for such violations of the Constitution and our descendants will question our complacency over it, much like we do when we look back at slavery in the last two centuries. 
     We also need to calm down on the rhetoric regarding the President's recent attempts at improving ties with Cuba and Venezuela.  I, nor anyone else, could ever possibly condone the actions and the lack of freedom in both of those Nations.  I don't like these two Countries anymore than I like China.  It is difficult for me to believe, however, that we cannot only befriend China but become its number one customer economically, yet we can't reach out to even speak to Castro or Chavez.  By closing off ties with those Nations, we are hurting ourselves financially and allowing both regimes to open their lands to hostile places such as Russia and Iran.  Our policy should be similar to our policies with China, Saudi Arabia, or Russia.  We don't approve of their actions, however, for the sake of peace we will at least answer their phone calls.  Doing so might even bring some good such as allowing us to promote capitalism (much like China) and giving us a foothold in potential safe havens for anti-American entities.
     The point is, we do not need to throw mud on every single thing that the President does, especially because the current Republican Leaders say so.  Remember, it is the current Republican Leaders who have brought our Party to its knees and have dropped the ball countless times over the last eight years.  Let's use our heads when watching the actions of the President.  We have PLENTY of material to fuel our anger and it is our patriotic duty to watch and question everything that our President does.  All I ask is to just remember that simply because President Obama does it, it does not mean it is automatically wrong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
-Abraham Lincoln

by Thomas Craig

Last night on my way home from work, I was reading the news on my blackberry just like I do every other night.  I didn't expect to read anything particularly shocking and let's face it, with the Democrats in charge there is not much more that would actually surprise me.  However, last night turned out to be rather memorable for me.  I came across a headline about Texas Governor Rick Perry.  It turns out that Gov. Perry and the Texas Legislature are trying to pass a House Resolution (HCR 50) in support of States Rights under the 10th Amendment.  Please watch the following video and see what a Politician who understands the Constitution sounds like.  Gov. Perry has risen exponentially in my mind as a Leader of the new Republican movement.  I have been asked several times what I thought of the Tea Parties and I am totally in favor of them, however, I believe that the system is so far corrupted and the federal government is so distant and abusive of the powers granted to them by the Constitution, that the only real progress must come from within the Government.  This of course is not an easily attainable task since it would require Politicians to regulate themselves and limit the amount of money and power that they accumulate.  There are several things that the Government could do to return this Country to the one envisioned by the Founding Fathers and returning our Government to the limits imposed on them by the 10th Amendment is an excellent start.  The People of Texas should feel proud that they have elected a true patriot and a role model for Politicians throughout America.  Watch the following, it is worth it!

by William Blakely

The other night I was at the Mohegan Sun Casino (business unfortunately, not pleasure) and during some of my off time I decided to take advantage of the luxuries that were made available to me.  While sitting in the poker room playing a few hands, my attention was split between my cards and the news playing in the plasma screen on the walls.  I found myself distracted when they cut to a full screen graphic of a recent poll.  This poll stated that 53% of Americans supported Capitalism to Socialism.  That's right, only 53%!  There were 27% of those polled who favored Socialism and 20% who weren't quite sure which they preferred.  Now being the social person that I am, I decided to make a comment for the whole table to hear.  As quickly as I made my statement, all around me the other players sprang up with their own opinions which were a healthy mix of Bush-bashing and snips about how Capitalism has basically failed America.  I wanted to hear them all out.  I didn't argue right away, I merely sat back and listened while I waited for my moment to strike.  We continued to play as we spoke and a few hands later there was a big pot going on between four players on the table; three of them all-in with the pot close to five hundred dollars.  I would love to tell you that I took all these liberals money but unfortunately it didn't work out that way.  A gentleman who previously lectured me about the evils of capitalism happened to win the hand.  I smiled to him and said "So your not a fan of capitalism, right?"
He responded "No, not particularly."
I said, "Ok, so you should only take half of that pot and split the rest among the table, after giving a portion of it to the house, right?"
"Now why would I do that?," he replied.
"Well you said you favor socialism," I said.
"Well I'm not a huge fan of capitalism, but I don't think it is fair [for me to share the winnings].  I earned this pot," he said.
I looked at him right in the eyes and said, "My point exactly."
Now I know that this probably isn't the best example but I'm trying to point out the fact that there are people that are in favor of spreading the wealth, until it comes to them giving up their money.  
     I saw this poker game as the economy and a parallel of how things work.  Everyone starts out with different amounts of chips, just like everyone in life doesn't start at the same level.  Based on decisions you make you can either gain or lose money (and even lose money with good decisions and vice versa).  The monetary decisions that we make in our life affect where we end up.  With every pot that is accumulated, the house, both in the Casino and in the economy, takes a portion of that.  When we win a big pot it should be ours and we should not have to give back to the other players.  I know it sounds a little abstract when you first read this but think about it.  Maybe if more of those 47% of the poll could understand some of the basics of socialism and President Obama's economic policies, then they would fold their hand rather than playing and risking their own money, just to spread the wealth to the other players.

"Profits generated by a free (or even semifree) enterprise system are the means by which the various producing segments of a complex society, employing a division of skills, can gauge their success in meeting the requirements of society. Profits mean that a company is successful in meeting consumer demand for its products; decreasing profits mean that the company's energy is misdirected and should be reoriented toward more urgent requirements."
Kurt V. Leininger

by Thomas Craig

Every so often, America finds itself in a position where we look back and say, "why the heck did we do that"?  Unfortunately, this always occurs AFTER we go ahead with some idea that seemed really good at the time.  Well my friends, we actually have the luxury right now of being confronted with one of these super ideas and if we are loud enough, perhaps we can stop a bad idea before it makes things worse.  In President Obama's ongoing adventure of "Barack and the Super-Friends save the world", there is now a proposal to combat global warming using what the President's science advisor calls "Geo-engineering".  Now I'm not one of those people who claim global warming is a lie, and I'm certainly not one of the nut-bags who pray to Al Gore and hold my Captain Planet ring close to my heart at all times.  Does global warming exist?  I don't know.  The only difference between Al Gore and myself is that I admit I don't know and I'm not making millions off terrifying millions around the world.  At the very least, I don't argue with the global warming nuts because with every effort to make America more "green", we pull ourselves away from foreign oil and create jobs at home.  Not a bad thing at all, I only wish all liberal rhetoric had such wonderful outcomes.  John Holdren, the President's science advisor, believes that the global warming epidemic is so catastrophic that the White House is considering drastic measures to "cool" the Earth.  Now listen, I do believe that the Bush Administration far too often cast aside scientific data in favor of ideology.  Not a great idea but it is far safer than a liberal agenda of implementing radical experiments to which we could not possibly predict the consequences for.  Our Planet has a remarkable ability to heal itself.  If we can cut down on pollution, I'm sure it will make it that much easier for the Planet to heal itself.  These ideas, such as shooting sulfur particles into the upper atmosphere to replicate a volcano erupting and blocking out the sun thereby cooling the Earth, is one of those ideas that we would look back on and ask ourselves, "why the heck did we do that?"  There is also a plan to plant artificial trees which capture and store pollutants.  If only nature could come up with something so creative.  You know, something like, REAL TREES.  Listen, if it makes people feel better to plant a fake tree, go for it.  I even accept the fact that it will most likely cost taxpayers billions of dollars.  I'm for it as long as it keeps the Government away from some crazy experiment that will result in consequences much worse than what we started with.  Mother Nature will take care of itself, let’s help it, but let’s not be so naive to think that the only way it will survive is with a coveted Obama bailout.