by: Johnny Locke

What He Said:

1.  “Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this Presidency.”  He also said that as part of that transparency he will publish all pending legislature (except sensitive military, etc) on the web for five days before he puts his signature to a bill so the public has a chance to read what will be impacting them.

2.  “Public officials need to draw on what people know and that’s why as of today I’m directing members of my administration to find new ways of tapping the knowledge and experience of ordinary Americans.”

3.  “—because when I am president meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public.  No more secrecy.  That’s a commitment I make to you as President.”

What He Did

1.  Rushed the original Medical bill through the House and demanded a vote before any of the legislators had a chance to read it.  Later refused to put the bill up on the Internet for 72 hours for perusal by the public.  Is still refusing to put the legislative language version on the Internet.

2.  Showed absolutely no interest in tapping the knowledge and experience of “ordinary” Americans.  Ignored the townhalls that truly reflected the will of the people.  Polls showed that the majority of Americans are satisfied with their current insurance and DO NOT WANT A PUBLIC OPTION.  In addition the Democrats labeled those that attended the townhalls as “organized,” destructive, terrorists, malcontents and Nazis.

 3.  Increased the number of closed-door meetings.  In fact, the merging of the House and Senate medical bills is being done in complete secrecy behind closed doors yet this bill happens to impact the American public probably more than any other bill in recent history.

There is clearly a disconnect between what he says and what he does.   Just a reminder, Sir.  Half-truths, partial information and careful omissions are just as much of a lie as the big bold one.

Our President’s word should be good; and it’s not.  Our President’s intentions for this country should be clear and they are not.  I fear he is rapidly losing the trust of the people and it is, unfortunately, a deserved loss.

And I thought Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing peace.  He won’t commit to Afghanistan, he makes distinctions between “good” and “bad” Taliban, he offers to meet with Iran but yet his spokespeople call Fox News the enemy.  Interesting times.

That whole “reaching out” thing hasn’t done too well, not surprisingly.  Russia is very cool to the idea of sanctions against Iran, the Taliban have upped their attacks on civilians and troops in Afghanistan, North Korea continues to fire missiles off like it’s the 4th of July, and Obama, by giving away SDI to the Russians in Eastern Europe, has weakened relationships with our friends there.

But Fox News is a great threat!  Why is Fox News such a great threat?  They have the audacity to check facts that’s why!  Here’s why the White House Communication’s Director had to say about it on CNN:

In the round of Sunday shows, Chris Wallace from the Sunday shows. And I told Major quite honestly that we had told Chris Wallace that having fact-checked an administration guest on his show, something I’ve never seen a Sunday show do, and Howie, you can show me examples of where Sunday shows have fact-checked previous weeks’ guests.

We asked Chris for example where he had done that to anybody besides somebody from the administration in the year 2009, and we’re still waiting to hear from him. When they want to treat us like they treat everyone else — but let’s be realistic here, Howie. They are — they’re widely viewed as, you know, part of the Republican Party. Take their talking points and put them on the air. Take their opposition research and put them on the air, and that’s fine. But let’s not pretend they’re a news network the way CNN is.

Well, it seems as though Ms. Dunn should have used Google because the answer to her question is right there:

Today on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace tried to pin down a straight answer on Palin’s bridge position from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. When Davis refused to acknowledge Palin’s misleading statements, Wallace detailed her support for millions of dollars in earmarks, including the bridge:

WALLACE: During her 1.5, 2 years as Governor, Alaska continued to get more federal money for pork-barrel projects per capita than any state in the country and…she supported the Bridge to Nowhere. And it was only after the federal government dropped it out, killed it, the Congress killed it that she then opposed it. And in fact she still got the money for the approach, the ramp to the Bridge to Nowhere.

So the Obama White House is upset that on a hard news show the moderator would actually do research before the interview to challenge guests should they provide inaccurate or misleading information.  We have an example as to when Fox’s Wallace tried to get a straight answer about Sarah Palin’s “Bridge to Nowhere” yet Ms. Dunn said no example of this existed.

And when Saturday Night Live ripped into Obama for not doing anything while he’s been president CNN devotes an entire segment on Wolf Blizter’s Situation Room to debunking the assertions.  CNN didn’t come to the defense of the Bush administration when they were mocked numerous times or when Tina Fey made fun of Sarah Palin.  What did the White House Communication’s Director have to say about the mocking of Obama?

I think the bigger point is that — and the president himself said this, that he was surprised, as I think most of the press corps was. He feels that he, you know, didn’t really deserve it, as I think there are many people who feel this is still particularly in terms of this presidency, it’s the first year.

So I think that those people who are saying this is really quite unusual. This really does seem to be, you know, a big surprise to everyone…

Too early in his presidency?  Was there a grace period during the last (Republican) administration?  No.

By “taking on” Fox News yet agreeing to talk to corrupt dictators bent on destroying the United States the Obama administration shows where its priorities are.  If anything, Obama should go on to Fox News Sunday to defend himself and answer the tough questions… but that’s what this really is about - not answering the tough questions combined with a “how dare you challenge me” attitude.

I know this will come as a surprise for some of you, but those of you who visit often know my opinion already on this subject.  First, allow me to say that I am not a homosexual and, in fact, a happily married man to a beautiful woman.  Next, I am 100% for gay rights.  My question is, "why are you not"?  I consider myself a true Republican and in being so, I believe that the Government should remain small and not infringe on our individual rights.  I have a hard time understanding Republicans who believe that the government has no right to enter your closet and tell you to get rid of your guns (which of course the Gov't has NO right to do), yet they believe that the government has a right to enter your bedroom and tell you who you are legally allowed to share your life with.  It makes no sense.  Whether homosexuality is right or wrong, the government should be the last one to tell law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens who they can or cannot marry.  That last point sometimes gets lost on many Americans.  Despite them being gay, they are STILL Americans and as such, they deserve every right that we enjoy.  There are people who disagree with inter-racial marriage, should that too be illegal?  Of course not.  Proposing that would be ridiculous. 
     The most tragic example of discrimination against homosexuals must be the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the Armed Forces.  Especially in this day and age, it is mind-boggling that good soldiers are being thrown out of the military because of their sexual preference.  I have met many homosexuals in my life and I promise you, they are not vicious animals who will kidnap and sodomize you in a dark alley.  They are people, the same as us, and they want the same goal as we do.  They want the government to stop desecrating their individual liberties.  I only hope that for once Obama has more to contribute than just a speech.  He has got it wrong so many times, but this is the one cause that he can prove himself a successful President by backing.

by: Paul

I find it very disheartening that our President continues to blow off his commanding General in the field, questions his judgment and plays politics with soldiers lives.

General McChrysatal has made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that the US forces in Afghanistan are facing “mission failure” unless it quickly sends large number of forces there.  To use Obama’s catch phrase, “Let me be perfectly clear” - mission failure means more US soldiers dying.

As well as putting lives in danger, the weakness we are displaying in Afghanistan will undoubtedly have serious ramifications for the entire region.  The region will become more and more unstable as rogue states are embolden by our cowardice.  Even President Obama must realize that the chance of a major war in the Gulf next year is increasing rapidly to 100% --accelerated by the fact that the lunatic in Iran is going to have Nukes. 

It is looking more and more like Israel will be force to take preemptive action against Tehran.  So what is going to happen when Israel attacks Iran?  Well, you can bet that Ahmadinejad is not going to just take it.  He will undoubtedly retaliate, but the question is where?  He may be a lunatic, but even Ahmadinejad realizes that Israel is the best-defended state in the region, so he may very well direct his attack elsewhere.  There are plenty of less defended targets in the region well within the reach of Iran’s missile capability, including US troops in Iraq and in the Gulf.

Unlike Israel, the Arab states in the region rely on us to protect them. So, the US will be drawn into another Gulf war if these states are threatened or attacked.  There will be no way for us to stay out.  The Saudi oil fields are well within Iran’s reach, so if President Obama thinks we can stay out of a war that spreads outside of Israel-Iran he needs to think again.

So what does this all mean?  Well the the stability of the region is really dependent on swift and decisive US action in the region, undoubtedly what McChrystal has been telling President Obama.  We can surmise this by the fact that he has gone public, risking his career.  You can bet that for a General of his stature to risk his career his convictions are deep.

If the US pulls out of Afghanistan, you can bet that the flood gates will open and the oppressive regimes will again rule the region and we will be back where we started with some having bigger bargaining chips.

If President Obama decides to not head the warning of his commanders on the ground, you can bet the US will be back in the region in short order and fighting a more costly war and more soldiers will die.

by: Tad Dehaven

In 1798, President John Adams signed a law that required the owners of American ships to withhold 20 cents a month for each crewman’s pay and to forward the money to customs offices in various ports. Customs officers were required to forward the money to the secretary of the Treasury, who would use the money to pay the hospital bills of ailing sailors. The funding also supported a network of marine hospitals.

These programs were the ancestors of today’s giant federal health programs, Medicare and Medicaid, and provide an early illustration of the problem with government-funded health care. On the weekend, I came across a description of these early health care programs from an older book on the history of the Department of Health and Human Services:

In its first years, the [Marine Hospital Service] MHS was plagued by administrative problems…Further problems arose because funds generated by withholding taxes from sailors’ pay frequently fell short of the cost of providing medical services. Eventually, the MHS was forced to impose a four-month limit on the amount of time a patient could stay in a marine hospital and to deny care to those with chronic or incurable ailments. MHS officials constantly had to appeal to Congress to allocate supplemental funds.

We’ve seen these problems of cost overruns, administrative mismanagement, and rationing whenever government has pushed its tentacles further into the health care system. Let’s not make these problems worse with another unaffordable expansion.

by Harrison Price

Having Michael Moore make a movie about the evils of capitalism is like having Al Gore pitch a diet plan… neither makes sense.  So how how the TV star and filmmaker done financially over the years?  Pretty well:

Documentary film director Michael Moore, who has become a millionaire thanks to the profits from his movies, told CNSNews.com that “capitalism did nothing” for him.

CNSNews.com spoke with Moore on the red carpet at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before the premiere of his upcoming documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story.”

CNSNews.com asked: “Critics may say, when they see this movie, Michael Moore has amassed a fortune of over $50 million, some have said and –”

Moore said:  “Really? Are you kidding me? Seriously? Wow. Where did it go?”

CNSNews.com then asked Moore: “Critics would say he’s [Moore] been very successful under a capitalist system. How would you justify making a movie where you paint capitalism as evil?”

Moore said: “Well, capitalism did nothing for me, starting with my first film.”

According to Fortune Magazine, Moore’s films have grossed over $300 million worldwide. His highest grossing film was “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which critiques the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq and earned over $200 million worldwide.

Moore reportedly was paid $21 million by Disney for producing, directing and creating the film.

Moore also earned 50 percent of the profits of his 2007 film “Sicko,” totaling $25 million plus DVD sales, according to Vanity Fair reported that Moore would receive all of the profits made from DVD sales of “Sicko,” sales of which have been estimated at over $17 million.

Some more details about Mr. Moore’s “working class” life:

He lives in a million-dollar apartment, and boasts of that as well. “I walk among them. I live on the island of Manhattan, a three-mile-wide strip of land that is luxury home and corporate suite to America’s elite….. Those who run your life live in my neighborhood. I walk in the streets with them each day” (Michael Moore, Stupid White Men, p. 51). For vacations, he keeps another million-dollar beachfront house in Michigan.

He sends his child to a private school — no sense associating with the working class — and has some trouble associating with them himself. The New York Post reported on a tantrum he threw in London: “Then, on his second-to-last night, [Michael Moore] raged against everyone connected with the Roundhouse and complained that he was being paid a measly $750 a night. ‘He completely lost the plot,’ a member of the stage crew told the London Evening Standard. ‘He stormed around all day screaming at everyone, even the 5 pound-an-hour bar staff, telling them how we were all con men and useless. Then he went on stage and did it in public.’ At his last appearance, staffers refused to work or even open the theater’s doors.” NY Post, Jan. 8, 2003.

He supplements his meager income with speaking tours. No more $750 gigs; on his 2004 pre-election tour he charged Utah Valley State College $40,000, Xavier $25,000, and University of New Mexico $35,000. Not bad for an hour or two’s work.

Ah, the joys of capitalism….

One of his former associates summed him up: ” You would think that he’s the ultimate common man. But he’s money-obsessed.”

There will be some suckers who will see his film, and then there’ll be liberals who will write many postings on their blogs about all of the “facts” he uses.

But will any of them realize it is they who are the fools quoting a multi-millionaire talking about the evils of capitalism… that system that made him rich?

Figures Moore, like Gore, are Liberal heroes.

by: Forgotten Liberty

Big Government has failed in the United Kingdom, according to the British publication The Sun.  The Labour party has had control of the British government for 12 years, and it has failed.  Aren’t we heading down the same path?  Our own government is growing at a record pace and so is our debt.  Government can’t solve all of our problems, not even most of them, so why do so many people still believe it can?  Here is an excerpt from an article in The Sun. When you see the word Labour, insert “big, liberal, socialist government.”

Labour FAILED on schools. Yes, facilities improved – but four in 10 kids leave those shiny classrooms still unable to read, write or add up properly. We are plummeting down international league tables for maths and literacy, but every year “grade inflation” ensures record GCSE and A-level passes to fuel Government propaganda.

Labour FAILED on health – spending billions on clipboard-ticking target managers instead of on frontline care.

Labour FAILED on immigration, opening our borders without any regard to the consequences. Illegal migrants and bogus asylum seekers poured in.

Labour FAILED the children they claimed to have made their priority. After 12 years of Blair and Brown, Britain is officially the WORST country in the developed world in which to grow up.

Most disgracefully of all, Labour FAILED our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving them to die through chronic under-funding and the shambolic leadership of dismal Defence Secretaries like Bob Ainsworth.

As our forces in two war zones suffered, the scale of Government waste at home was mind-boggling and tragic:

Billions blown employing a useless layer of public service middle-managers like those who condemned Baby P to die.

Billions more spent, insanely, making benefits more lucrative than a pay cheque – creating a huge, idle underclass for whom work is a dirty word. And all along the Government has had one overriding concern: Itself.

We are seeing the same thing in this country.  The U.K. is a few years ahead of us, but make no mistake, we are traveling down the same road that has failed the British.  Why?  Because we the people have not educated ourselves and our children on the proper role of government.  We have believed the lies of our politicians.  The vast majority of which only want to hold onto their power and will tell whatever lies allow them to do it.

What can we do to fix our country?  The article goes on,

Britain needs a brave and wise Government to restore our self-respect, our natural entrepreneurship and the will of every family to improve its lot through its own efforts, without depending on handouts.

We need a Government that will cut the red tape strangling businesses, that will make affordable tax cuts to stimulate growth, that will reform wasteful public services.

We need a Government with a genuine will to win the war in Afghanistan and the commitment to give our forces whatever they need to do it.

This will not be a Government that merely talks the talk, as Labour has. It will ACT.

We hope, and pray, that the next Government will have the guts and the determination to do these things.

The same is true for our country.  We need lower taxes, smaller government, more personal responsibility, less regulation that stifles and kills growth and less waste and abuse of our tax money.  Last but not least, we need leadership that has the will to make the tough military and diplomatic decisions that will provide for our safety and security here at home and for our allies around the world.

How do we achieve these goals?  By educating Americans about the principles our great country was founded on.  Principles like individual liberty, personal responsibility, small central government with limited and enumerated powers, the free market, and the will to stand up to those who want to take our liberty away.  These principles turned America into the richest and most powerful nation in the world in a little over 100 years.  Why don’t we give them a try again?