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.

by Thomas Craig

Last night was a perfect example of how far the Democrats have come regarding their marketing to the People and how dismal a job Republicans are doing.  First let's address the President's speech.  The President made a strategically excellent move last night.  With all the noise in the media coming from all directions and confidence in our markets and our economy hitting a new low, the President came out with an inspiring, ambitious, optimistic and vague blueprint for this Nation.  Well done, sir!  Visually the President had the advantage which all President's have by standing at the podium back dropped with the American Flag in a historical room filled with applause from both sides.  The image alone always inspires Americans and instills a sense of leadership.  He outlined ambitious goals such as healthcare and education reform, as well as cutting the deficit in half.  Based on his speech, it seems that his only details in regards to how to accomplish all of this is to remove the Bush tax cuts.  Any reduction of spending in Iraq is just being offset by the increase of spending in Afghanistan.  His goal last night, however, was not to offer details- it was to inspire Americans to support him, which it did.  He told Americans what they wanted to hear from pulling out of Iraq to curing cancer.  Americans as a whole don't want details, they just want to know that everything is going to get better and that is what he told them last night.

Gov. Jindal on the otherhand is another story.  In the words of Frank Luntz, "it's not what you say, it's what they hear" (and also see).  Visually I saw a backdrop of a bland hallway with a sprial staircase, not exactly something every American has.  On the two far edges of the screen were slivers of the American and Louisiana Flag.  Only a sliver showed because they were too far out to be fully in the frame.  Gov. Jindal came out from around the corner as if he were hiding in the shadows and awkwardly walked to his mark.  He seemed a bit slouched over and nervous as he approached.  Without a moments hesitation, he began his speech which seemed poorly rehearsed, amateurish, and anything but genuine.  His anecdotes were poorly delivered and the tone and overall syntax were dismal at best.  I felt like I was in kindergarten and my teacher was telling me about the Little Engine that Could.  It was a terrible response and it made the hill which Gov. Jindal plans to climb to run for President that much steeper.  (I have posted the speech on the Video page for you to see what I mean.)

My suggestions to Gov. Jindal would have been this.  Move the setting to someplace much more public.  Make sure the American Flag is in full view in the background and well lit.  Behind you (but not too far back), have families standing and filling out the frame of your shot.  Acknowledge one or two examples of small business owners or heroes of Hurricane Katrina who are standing with you (such as the sheriff he spoke of).  When you enter, enter from the rear and give yourself time to move through the crowd, acknowledging and shaking hands with the families; say hello to their children.  Approach your mark with your head up high and your chest out.  When you hit your mark, don't immediately speak- instead give a smile to the camera and let the viewers take you in for a moment.  When you begin speaking, speak slowly and confidently.  Don't just rush out the words, take your time to effectively get your message across.  Don't speak to the viewers as if you're giving a high school oral exam, instead speak to us as if you were speaking to three of your closest friends.  This should help relax you.  Remember, your message is just and genuine and you have a lot of supporters out there but the truth is that what we see and hear is just as important as what you say.

by Thomas Craig

Tonight President Obama will address the Nation on the economy.  I applaud the President for the new level of transparency he has brought to the Office.  The People should have plentiful updates regarding the Country, especially in times like these.  What I can't stomach though, is hypocrisy.  The President wants to cut the deficit which of course we all support, however, it is almost comical for anyone on the Left to speak of fiscal responsibility after spending over $1 Trillion just a week ago that was borrowed by the Chinese (my apologies to Spkr Pelosi's Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse which received $30 million from the stimulus).  We have committed our future generations to paying off this debt, we have put ourselves into an even deeper handicapped position with China, and we have done it all for the "hope" that this plan will work.  All this despite the fact that this spending plan has failed every time it's been tried, either here or abroad.  What also bothers me is that many Americans do not realize that there is more spending to take place.  Many people think about the stimulus and fail to realize that we are not even half way through this fiscal year (Oct 1-Sept 30).  There are many more opportunites for the Democrats to spend and believe me, they will!  After all, remember what Rahm Emanuel says, "You can't let a crisis go to waste."

by Thomas Craig

Congressional Republicans (with the exception of 3), proved to themselves as well as America that the GOP understands the need to return to core values.  That being true, the stimulus has been passed and signed by the President so the attention is now on the disbursements.  The news is playing up the fact that a few Republican Governors, such as Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), are possibly going to reject a small portion of the stimulus which is intended for their states.  The true story in the press is the "hypocrisy" of Republicans who opposed the stimulus accepting the money from the stimulus.  I personally think it would be fiscally irresponsible for any Governor to turn down this money, regardless of their stance on the stimulus.  No elected official should be in the position to tell their constituents that they will not receive money yet they will still be on the hook for paying off this outrageous debt.  If by rejecting their portion of the stimulus, the People of that particular State would not be required to commit the next few generations of their family to paying this off, then I would support rejecting the funds completely.  Unfortunetly, we all are going to have to pay this off no matter what, buy hey, at least we'll get an extra $13 per paycheck.  Perhaps that will cheer up your child when they are asking why they pay all of their income to taxes.  I do have one question... If the stimulus will create jobs, won't it take a continual ongoing budget of the same enormity to KEEP those jobs later on?  Aren't we just kicking the problem down the road?  (Forgive me, I'm new to socialism and curious to see so many People in the country celebrate the fall of capitalism.)

I have to make mention of the White House's promise that President Obama will "oppose any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine."  I am a Republican but I am an American first and I have no problem thanking the President when he pledges to oppose Anti-American legislation even when it is strongly supported by his own Party including Nancy Pelosi and former President Clinton.  Time will tell if he walks the talk but for now I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. 

by Thomas Craig

The good Rev. Al Sharpton has reached a new low.  Is he really that bored?  Is there really so little to do that he is resorting to a ridiculous fight with the New York Post over a political cartoon which pokes fun at two recent events; the hastily written/pork-filled stimulus and the recent shooting of that chimpanzee who bit off a woman's face.  Both have been in the news and the cartoon is a reference to both of those stories.  Rev. Al feels differently about it.  He sees the cartoon as a racist jab at the President.  Anyone with half a brain can see how ridiculous this is.  Rev. Al can no longer make the case that an African-American cannot make it in America.  He can no longer try to capitalize on the suffering of others and be the publicity seeking celebrity he is.  Of course he has done a lot of good, but this man NEEDS racism to live on.  This man has made a career on exploiting racism and implying it when there is none.  Now I understand he is scared to lose his job, a lot of people are right now, but it's time he tries to contribute to his country instead of promoting our differences and exploiting every opportunity that comes along.  I have news for Sharpton... it wasn't just Black people who voted for Obama.  A lot of White people voted for him as well.  More importantly, every American including political cartoonists have the right to point out the injustices and mismanagement of our government in any way we deem fit.  Obama is not the Messiah, he's an elected politician who is subject to all the commentary, opinion, and analysis as any other politician.

While we all have been distracted by the small matter of the economy and the generational theft bill being signed by President Obama today, I thought it would be fun to point out a couple of other matters our Congress has been discussing.  Two bills in particular caught my attention.  The first bill is yet another attempt to undermine the 2nd Amendment and continue the process of peeling away our individual rights.  The good Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) sponsored this bill.  We will be discussing gun rights in a future post, but for now I just wanted us to all consider what the Democrats are doing while we are distracted.  The other example of beneficial politics I wish you to consider is the tiny bit of legislation proposed by Rep. Jose Serrano.  His proposal is to repeal the 22nd Amendment, thereby removing term limits for the Office of President.  That's right.  Rep. Serrano feels that we should open the way for a permanent President.  You can view both bills on our Cogitation page.  We will continue to monitor them.

Distract the People.  Dangle impossible promises, rob them and their children by burying them under an unbelievable debt, and woo them with collectible plates, honorary coins, and colorful t-shirts... all the while you carefully strip away their individual freedoms as they smile and thank you for it.  Americans need to snap out of it before they wake up one day and can no longer remember the Democratic Republic which was once the United States of America.

by: Thomas Craig

Bipartisanship seems to be the word of the day lately.  Sure, Americans all say they want a "bipartisan" government, yet the meaning of the word seems to have lost its meaning.  Under President Obama's administration, bipartisanship seems to mean that we all come together and do what the Democrats want.  I'm not one of those people who complain that the President didn't try and involve the GOP on the stimulus.  He in fact did make an effort.  The problem is that he underestimated the resolve of our Party.  Republicans get it now.  We understand that the last eight years marked a sharp turn away from our core principles.  We grew government, we expanded it's power, and we increased borrowing and spending.  We did this and we suffered the consequences.  Unfortunetly for the Democrats, we did in fact learn this lesson and we aren't going to go back to bad habits.  That is why (all but 3) Republicans voted against this Bill.  If by being bipartisan, the President wants our Party to enter into talks with an open mind and be willing to negotiate, that is fine but that is not what is happening.  Thankfully, Obama is at the least willing to listen to Republicans, which is more than I can say for the closed door policies of Pelosi and Reid.  One last note on this... the only thing worse than a government torn apart by partisan politics is a government ruled by one Party and one thought.  I wouldn't want our government to be 100% Democrat just like I wouldn't want it to be 100% Republican.  It is difference of opinion and different ways to solve our problems which make America great.  Don't believe me?  Ask the Cuban people how one Party rule is working out for them.

The President has quite a task ahead of him.  Today he is meeting with Republican's concerned about the stimulus price tag of almost $1 trillion.  The inclusion of pork spending plus not enough tax cuts has the GOP on edge.  Let's face it, this stimulus is going to go through whether we like it or not.  President Obama is willing to make some concessions and he has urged the Democratic majority to do so as well.  He has already convinced Pelosi to drop her contraception funding project.  I suppose she figures if she can't create new jobs, she can at least stop the creation of new people to later find jobs for.  The President is sitting on a very high approval rating right now and that will prove to be helpful.  His real burden, however, is to get Pelosi and Reid in line.  If this stimulus is filled with ridiculous pork spending, it will be a defeat to the President and a show that he cannot rein in his party leaders.  However, if he can rid the stimulus of these expenses, it will show Washington that the President is in the driving seat.  The President is in a strong position to accomplish this.  You can not misjudge the Democratic Party leaders ambition.  They have been making it quite clear that they will not simply fall in line behind the President.  This is the President's first challenge.  The GOP will be watching carefully as we must do.

In regards to the stimulus itself, President Obama needs to consider the consequences of his actions.  The American People have been quite generous with our money without even having a say.  Our Representatives are writing checks which our children and grandchildren will be paying for.  Of course something must be done and must be done soon.  When this stimulus passes, there will be an uptick in the economy.  If the uptick is sustained and proven to be successful, it will cement the President's legendary status in the minds of Americans and a grateful Nation will most likely reward him with a re-election in four years.  (Of course a lot could happen in four years).  There is, however, a possibility that the uptick will be just that, a temporary uptick, and the spending of nearly $1 TRILLION will not have saved the economy.  If the economy falls to be worse off than it currently is after spending the money, there will be political and I strongly believe social unrest.  I do not think it would be that far-fetched to see a small California town collectively not paying taxes in protest, led by their local government.  Such a move would get so much media attention that the idea would spread to other towns.  Nobody wishes to see this happen but it is understandable if it did.  It is OUR money at risk.  I personally wish Congress would listen to the numerous Economists who insist that the current system is too flawed to endlessly go on.  Perhaps the time is now to consider a Progressive Consumption Tax instead of the current system.  A PCT mixed with a free and transparent market would, in my belief, be the most succesful and truely capitalistic method to addressing our problems.  We will of course have to move forward with our current method of Socialism and unprecedented spending first.  I pray the President is successful because we cannot afford a second chance.  We've committed our future generations to enough.

Earlier today, President Obama outlined the beginning steps to his "Green Agenda".  As a Republican, I believe that the Government's first priority is to protect Americans and weaning us off of foreign oil is a huge step towards protecting our citizens.  It is for this reason that I applaud the President taking the first steps in doing this.  That was my first thought.  As much as I care about the Polar Bears and the icecaps melting, etc, I am just not completely sold on man-made global warming yet- irregardless of Al Gore's nifty slideshows.  Freeing us from foreign oil though, thats a ship I'll get on. (Don't worry Al, a sailboat, not a diesel.) 

The next thought that went through my mind though was a relief that I don't work in the auto industry.  President Obama's agenda is of course a long-term goal.  He failed to mention the short-term effects this will create.  The struggling auto industry is ill-equipped to handle these new regulations right now.  They will make it happen, but the cost of doing so will be passed on to us in the form of higher prices and more bailout money.  These new requirements will be difficult enough for the car manufacturers.  The President will now push for the State's rights to increase their auto emission standards.  I understand and agree with the mentality of "if not now, when" but setting new Federal requirements for a beaten down industry is more than sufficient for the time being.  Let's not sweep the crutches out from under their arms now by insisting on too much too soon.