The 2011 state of the union speech was less a report on the state of our blessed union, and more a pep rally for pie in the sky projects. As Michelle Obama said in 2008, Obama's speech tonight was less about “the world as it is” and more about “the world as [he thnks] it should be.”
One of his central points was that the worst of the recession (the worst one that most of us can remember, by the way, just in case you forgot) is over, and the stock market has roared back. This is a far cry from the President who, when the market dropped every time he spoke in 2009, said "It bobs up and down day to day, and if you spend all your time worrying about that, then you're probably going to get the long-term strategy wrong." But now that it's approaching 12,000 it's a mark of success. Of course, it's built upon company profits generated in part because companies aren't hiring, or are hiring contracted labor. But don't worry, with 15,000,000 people out of work and another 15,000,000 underemployed, the worst is behind us.
He did have one phrase that caught my attention, and it’s one of the first I have heard from him that I agree with. He said, of our global competition for skills and jobs, that this is our “sputnik moment.” What we do after this will determine if we regain control of our collective destiny, or sink into a morass of complacency and dependence. Unfortunately, the 'what we do next' part was long on imagery and short on solutions. As usual.
On education, he touted the ‘race to the top’ program as being the salvation of the education system. I personally haven’t heard much about this program so it’s hard to offer a critique, but like most of his programs it centers on making the government (in this case the school system) responsible for the outcome. In other words, he wants the government to be responsible for the outsome of the education of America’s children rather than the parents and the children themselves. Everyone in the public school system is essentially on a scholarship, paid for by the members of their communities. Any system that allows the individual to be absolved of any responsibility for their performance is doomed to fail.
He also touted the reform of the student loan program as making college more affordable for millions of kids. What he didn’t mention was that the savings was divided into two piles – one aimed predominately at minority colleges and universities, and the other pile went to help fund the health care reform bill. This says two things – first, that funding education for America’s kids – ALL of America’s kids – is not his top priority, and secondly that his health care bill was not affordable on its own merits. More on this in a minute.
The final point he made regarding education was done in an attempt to tie immigration reform to our country’s success. He said that children of illegal immigrants are some of our most successful and brightest students (I'd like to see evidence to support that claim!), who, in his words, “pledge allegiance to” the same flag we do. I laughed out loud when I heard that, because as we all know, much of our liberal school system is no longer allowed to say the Pledge because of those two despicable words ‘under God.’ If immigration reform includes teaching in English only and reciting the Pledge on a daily basis, I might be able to support it.
Back to health care, Obama said he would welcome ideas from the GOP about how to make the health care bill better. If this sounds familiar, it’s because he also said it in last year’s SOTU in January 29, 2009. Shortly afterward, he was pressed by Tom Price (R-GA) about saying the GOP has no ideas, and he responded with a denial: “I remember that speech pretty well. It was only two days ago. . . . I said I'd welcome ideas that you might provide. I didn't say that you haven't provided ideas. I said I'd welcome those ideas that you'll provide." This year, he said the same thing, then essentially admitted he ignored Republicans by indicating he would consider adding tort reform to the bill – an “idea put forth last year.”
He made a plea to avoid repeal of the bill, saying it would add "a quarter of a trillion dollars" to the deficit. As opposed to the trillion it will cost to keep it in place? Sounds like perhaps he got his math skills from one of those failing public schools.
He also recycled the idea of government transparency by proposing a web site where we citizens can go view how and where our tax dollars are being spent. If this sounds familiar, it’s because he campaigned on a similar promise – to have legislation up for review on the White House web site for 5 days of public comment before taking it forward for a vote. He broke that promise with the very first piece of legislation he signed (the public was invited to comment AFTER he signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law).
Speaking of taxes, here he was full of contradictions. He touted lowering the tax burden for Americans while wanting to raise taxes on the rich. He touted the great work congress did by extending the Bush-era tax cuts, while saying that these extensions can’t go on forever. He wants to remove tax barriers for businesses to spur job creation while punishing the oil industry with higher taxes.
He returned to form regarding business as weel. He spoke of reducing subsidies to oil companies, which is his most hated of all industries. He has to make oil more, and really all conventional forms of energy more expensive as it’s imperative that he drive up energy costs for his renewable energy plan, which he droned on about for the first 15 minutes of the speech, to succeed. He’s calling for massive spending on renewable energy, calling out the specific success of a plant making solar roof shingles (with the help of a government grant – i.e. taxpayer money), but the problem he doesn’t discuss is that it’s too expensive to have a market. A kilowatt of electricity produced by gas fired power plants costs about 4 cents. Coal is about 5 cents per kilowatt (as is wind energy, which is not ‘always on’ and therefore is unreliable). Hydroelectric costs about 8 cents, nuclear costs around 12 cents, geothermal about 17 cents Last but also least, is solar at 22 cents per kilowatt (and that’s a vast improvement over the past). In short, the only way there is going to be a market for alternative forms of energy is if the conventional costs rise to 2 or 3 times (or more) of the current costs. This is what Obama himself alluded to when he said of his cap & trade energy plan that costs would ‘necessarily skyrocket,” but of course this was left out of tonight’s discussion altogether.
In summary, the state of the union speech was less about the union and more about reelection. It was much akin to his campaign speeches of 2008, even recycling many of the same themes from the last two years. Obama has returned to what he does best – deliver a talk high on promise, low on details, high on ‘hope’ and low on reality. Truly, the 2012 presidential campaign has begun.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Welcome to the AOL! Your thoughts must be in line with ours!
I just read an article about Maine's new Republican Governor telling the NAACP to kiss his butt and I was going to leave a comment when I got greeted with this message:
"Our New Approach to Comments
In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around."
At first I thought "hey, this will shut down the vile leftist comments saying the Governor should be killed" (because you know they're coming) but then I read the message again. The problem I have with this whole concept is that it's completely subjective. What constitutes a personal attack? Calling someone vulgar? Idiotic? Simple? There are no clear definitions here.
The line that really bothers me is "comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period." How is that defined? Productive in what way? By whose agenda? Productive to a Republican will most likely not be producitve to a Democrat, so do you let them all in, or keep them all out? And if you let them all in, why have the policy in the first place?
I predict that people will start complaining about the content that has been allowed to be posted. It's too liberal, it's too concervative, it offends me, etc - and AOL will be forced to either abandon this policy (the best possible solution), enforce it in a very strict manner (which is tantamount to censorship) or the comments section will wither on the vine because people will just go somewhere else to read and comment on stories.
I think that's what the left wants - for censorship to increase and participation to decrease. They have control of the mainstream media...the internet is the only place where conservatives have an equal voice to liberals. Even if the policies of censorship quiet the liberals on the web, they still have the edge in MSM communication (though conservatives have the edge on talk radio, which is also under attack). I also suspect that this is not the only web site where we're going to see this kind of policy being employed.
The PC crowd is doubling down and your thoughts and comments had better line up with those of the establishment, or you're going to lose your voice. Welcome to the post-Tuscon world.
"Our New Approach to Comments
In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around."
At first I thought "hey, this will shut down the vile leftist comments saying the Governor should be killed" (because you know they're coming) but then I read the message again. The problem I have with this whole concept is that it's completely subjective. What constitutes a personal attack? Calling someone vulgar? Idiotic? Simple? There are no clear definitions here.
The line that really bothers me is "comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period." How is that defined? Productive in what way? By whose agenda? Productive to a Republican will most likely not be producitve to a Democrat, so do you let them all in, or keep them all out? And if you let them all in, why have the policy in the first place?
I predict that people will start complaining about the content that has been allowed to be posted. It's too liberal, it's too concervative, it offends me, etc - and AOL will be forced to either abandon this policy (the best possible solution), enforce it in a very strict manner (which is tantamount to censorship) or the comments section will wither on the vine because people will just go somewhere else to read and comment on stories.
I think that's what the left wants - for censorship to increase and participation to decrease. They have control of the mainstream media...the internet is the only place where conservatives have an equal voice to liberals. Even if the policies of censorship quiet the liberals on the web, they still have the edge in MSM communication (though conservatives have the edge on talk radio, which is also under attack). I also suspect that this is not the only web site where we're going to see this kind of policy being employed.
The PC crowd is doubling down and your thoughts and comments had better line up with those of the establishment, or you're going to lose your voice. Welcome to the post-Tuscon world.
Monday, November 1, 2010
I Agree With Obama - Please Get Out And Vote!!
We’re down the wire in this year’s election. As I’ve previously stated, voter turnout means everything this year, and I am very worried about conservative overconfidence. When we hear in poll after poll how well the Republican candidates are doing, I am reminded of an episode of the Simpsons where Bart is running for class president against the bookish Martin. The class overwhelmingly supports Bart and amidst their victory celebration, the only votes that are cast are by Martin and his lone supporter. Martin wins.
We’re not up against a nerdy 4th grader with a lone supporter; we’re up against a well oiled political machine with fanatical supporters and seemingly unlimited campaign funds. Here’s what we’re fighting against:
• President Obama – while he may not be a good leader, the campaigner-in-chief can campaign like a stallion He has been travelling the country, appearing on talk shows, yucking up with Jon Stewart and bad-mouthing Americans who oppose Democrats all in the name of getting his progressive minions to the polls.
• Organizing For America – Obama’s campaign machine, now run by the DNC, has been making millions of calls, knocking on millions of doors and tweeting from the @BarackObama Twitter account like crazy. A couple of samples: “I need you fired up. In just 9 days you can set the direction of this country.” And “If you knock on doors and talk to voters, we won’t just win this election; we will restore the American Dream.” The only problem is an increasing majority of Americans don't want to go in his direction, and his version of the American Dream is more of a socialistic nightmare.
• Unions – with campaign donations in excess of $400 million from unions, Democrats have had over $1 Billion at their disposal this year. That has funded a lot of misleading, half truth advertising. In Nevada, electronic ballots were found with Harry Reid’s name pre-selected. The group that services those machines? The Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
• The Media – George Soros has given NPR $1 million to hire 100 new correspondents. NPR fired Juan Williams for just appearing on Fox News and having an honest dialog. With Soros buying media like a capitalist would buy a McDonald’s franchise, independent journalism is an endangered specie. In Alaska, CBS was caught red handed trying to manufacture news to damage Tea Party Candidate Joe Miller when a correspondent left a voicemail for Miller’s campaign manager and then forgot to hang up. It’s repulsive, but pervasive.
• Politics of division – Far from uniting the nation as a ‘post-racial’ president, Obama has unilaterally declared that people who oppose him are fearful and not thinking clearly. He later elaborated for a Latino audience that they need to vote so their ‘enemies’ don’t win the elections. Illegal aliens are actively campaigning for Patty Murray in Washington state. The Democratic National Congressional Committee has been running ads painting Republicans as anti-woman, anti-senior citizen, anti-youth, anti-civil rights. None of these charges are true, but a lie makes it halfway around the world before the truth catches up.
If the Democrats win tomorrow, here is a short list of what we have to look forward to in the next session of congress:
• An increase in the nation’s ‘debt ceiling’ to allow for more profligate spending.
• A $165 billion bailout of Union pensions.
• Continued increases in public sector salaries. Public sector employees make $30,000 more, on average than their private sector counterparts. That gap increases to $60,000 when you account for benefits. During the recession, the number of public sector employees making in excess of $150,000 tripled while private sector wages were stagnant or reduced. That’s our tax dollars at work, folks.
• Speaking of taxes, Obama’s ‘deficit commission’ is looking at the impact of reducing or eliminating the mortgage tax deduction.
• 2003 tax cuts will expire at the end of the year, raising taxes for everyone and trapping millions more in the Alternative Minimum Tax. The reinstatement of the ‘death tax’ will force thousands of family farms to sell large swaths of their land or face bankruptcy.
• Forced unionization via ‘card check’ legislation.
• Increased energy costs via cap & trade legislation.
I could go on, but I think the point is made. There’s a lot at stake for America in this election. We can stop the progressive agenda, but only by getting out and voting and encouraging our like-minded friends and family to vote as well. You can contact your local GOP office and see if they need help driving people to the polls. Don’t stop fighting until the polls have closed! REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!
Yours in liberty,
Rich Baker
We’re not up against a nerdy 4th grader with a lone supporter; we’re up against a well oiled political machine with fanatical supporters and seemingly unlimited campaign funds. Here’s what we’re fighting against:
• President Obama – while he may not be a good leader, the campaigner-in-chief can campaign like a stallion He has been travelling the country, appearing on talk shows, yucking up with Jon Stewart and bad-mouthing Americans who oppose Democrats all in the name of getting his progressive minions to the polls.
• Organizing For America – Obama’s campaign machine, now run by the DNC, has been making millions of calls, knocking on millions of doors and tweeting from the @BarackObama Twitter account like crazy. A couple of samples: “I need you fired up. In just 9 days you can set the direction of this country.” And “If you knock on doors and talk to voters, we won’t just win this election; we will restore the American Dream.” The only problem is an increasing majority of Americans don't want to go in his direction, and his version of the American Dream is more of a socialistic nightmare.
• Unions – with campaign donations in excess of $400 million from unions, Democrats have had over $1 Billion at their disposal this year. That has funded a lot of misleading, half truth advertising. In Nevada, electronic ballots were found with Harry Reid’s name pre-selected. The group that services those machines? The Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
• The Media – George Soros has given NPR $1 million to hire 100 new correspondents. NPR fired Juan Williams for just appearing on Fox News and having an honest dialog. With Soros buying media like a capitalist would buy a McDonald’s franchise, independent journalism is an endangered specie. In Alaska, CBS was caught red handed trying to manufacture news to damage Tea Party Candidate Joe Miller when a correspondent left a voicemail for Miller’s campaign manager and then forgot to hang up. It’s repulsive, but pervasive.
• Politics of division – Far from uniting the nation as a ‘post-racial’ president, Obama has unilaterally declared that people who oppose him are fearful and not thinking clearly. He later elaborated for a Latino audience that they need to vote so their ‘enemies’ don’t win the elections. Illegal aliens are actively campaigning for Patty Murray in Washington state. The Democratic National Congressional Committee has been running ads painting Republicans as anti-woman, anti-senior citizen, anti-youth, anti-civil rights. None of these charges are true, but a lie makes it halfway around the world before the truth catches up.
If the Democrats win tomorrow, here is a short list of what we have to look forward to in the next session of congress:
• An increase in the nation’s ‘debt ceiling’ to allow for more profligate spending.
• A $165 billion bailout of Union pensions.
• Continued increases in public sector salaries. Public sector employees make $30,000 more, on average than their private sector counterparts. That gap increases to $60,000 when you account for benefits. During the recession, the number of public sector employees making in excess of $150,000 tripled while private sector wages were stagnant or reduced. That’s our tax dollars at work, folks.
• Speaking of taxes, Obama’s ‘deficit commission’ is looking at the impact of reducing or eliminating the mortgage tax deduction.
• 2003 tax cuts will expire at the end of the year, raising taxes for everyone and trapping millions more in the Alternative Minimum Tax. The reinstatement of the ‘death tax’ will force thousands of family farms to sell large swaths of their land or face bankruptcy.
• Forced unionization via ‘card check’ legislation.
• Increased energy costs via cap & trade legislation.
I could go on, but I think the point is made. There’s a lot at stake for America in this election. We can stop the progressive agenda, but only by getting out and voting and encouraging our like-minded friends and family to vote as well. You can contact your local GOP office and see if they need help driving people to the polls. Don’t stop fighting until the polls have closed! REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!
Yours in liberty,
Rich Baker
Friday, May 28, 2010
Your iPhone is killing the Chinese
Several things popped into my head as I read this article.
First, I really can't complain about work or the conditions we have in the office. Even though our bathrooms frequently smell like an outhouse because some disgruntled savage has shoved a wad of paper towel in a toilet to get it to overflow, we haven't had anyone kill themselves over the working conditions.
Second, Rita Wilson, the New Jersey teacher who is whining about her pay (highlighting her lack of knowledge about her own situation ) can shut right the hell up.
Third, this is why manufacturing jobs have largely moved overseas to China. When you read about the conditions these people live under (6 day work weeks, 10 hour days, living 12 to a room in a dormitory, not allowed to talk to coworkers on the production floor) remember that this is what drives the price of an iPhone or iPad down to a level where Americans will buy them.
Lastly, when China was lecturing the US delegate last month about the human rights issues in the United States, we should have just given him the finger and walked out. Suck on this, pal! C-ya later!
Of course, this can also be instructional. If we, as a country, keep spending our away our posterity, when China comes to collect what they're owed, we all may be living 12 to a room. Just something to think about...
First, I really can't complain about work or the conditions we have in the office. Even though our bathrooms frequently smell like an outhouse because some disgruntled savage has shoved a wad of paper towel in a toilet to get it to overflow, we haven't had anyone kill themselves over the working conditions.
Second, Rita Wilson, the New Jersey teacher who is whining about her pay (highlighting her lack of knowledge about her own situation ) can shut right the hell up.
Third, this is why manufacturing jobs have largely moved overseas to China. When you read about the conditions these people live under (6 day work weeks, 10 hour days, living 12 to a room in a dormitory, not allowed to talk to coworkers on the production floor) remember that this is what drives the price of an iPhone or iPad down to a level where Americans will buy them.
Lastly, when China was lecturing the US delegate last month about the human rights issues in the United States, we should have just given him the finger and walked out. Suck on this, pal! C-ya later!
Of course, this can also be instructional. If we, as a country, keep spending our away our posterity, when China comes to collect what they're owed, we all may be living 12 to a room. Just something to think about...
Sunday, May 23, 2010
November Can't Get Here Fast Enough
"If you can't budget, you can't govern." - Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC), 2006
That quote may be one of the more prophetic statements made by a member of congress in a long time. Why, you may ask? Well, this week the Democrat congress announced that they will not pass a budget this year. By so doing, they rob the Republicans of a chance to cut government spending and absolve themselves of doing the same.
While they're not doing one of their main jobs, it didn't stop congress from reaching further into the pockets of America via their passage of S 3217, Chris Dodds "Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010." Like most Orwellian legislative titles, it sounds good but doesn't really live up to the name. Here are some of the lowlights:
The passage of this bill and the key votes that passed it highlight once again why we have to get the right people into office. We can see the tide is turning. This week another round of primaries ushered out a host of incumbents and put some good people on the November ballots. After Bob Bennett was tossed off of the Utah ballot two weeks ago, Arlen Specter was shown the door this week and Blanche Lincoln staggered to a run off against the Arkansas Lt. Governor with over 50% of the Democrats voting against her. In Kentucky, Rand Paul won the GOP primary, Pat Toomey won his contest in Pennsylvania and John Boozman is on the ticket in Arkansas.
It's not enough to get oust incumbents and get the right people on the tickets in November. We have to mobilize the masses and get them out to vote. We missed an opportunity in Pennsylvania's 12 Congressional district (once held by John Murtha) because the Republican turnout was 20% lower than that of the Democrats. Mid-term elections routinely have light turnout, but we can count on Obama and the Democrats to shake every tree and every bush to get their base out to vote. If we want to take back congress, de-fund the health care initiatives, repeal the financial bill's intrusion into the free market (such as it is these days), we need to ensure that everyone will REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!
That quote may be one of the more prophetic statements made by a member of congress in a long time. Why, you may ask? Well, this week the Democrat congress announced that they will not pass a budget this year. By so doing, they rob the Republicans of a chance to cut government spending and absolve themselves of doing the same.
While they're not doing one of their main jobs, it didn't stop congress from reaching further into the pockets of America via their passage of S 3217, Chris Dodds "Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010." Like most Orwellian legislative titles, it sounds good but doesn't really live up to the name. Here are some of the lowlights:
- The politically appointed (NOT elected) Secretary of the Treasury will have the authority to seize any 'financial entity' - bank or non-bank - if, in his sole opinion, the entity is 'too big to fail' and is in danger of insolvency. This is unprecedented power placed in the hands of someone appointed by the president. The left would have been SCREAMING if this kind of power had been given to George W Bush. The potential for abuse of this power is immense. It could be used to silence opposition, coerce campaign contributions or exact political retribution. Since our economy hinges so heavily on leverage, any company could be vulnerable - and what CEO would speak out against Obama's policies, would lobby against draconian legislation, with this threat hanging over their head?
- Any business that lends credit must get approval to do so from the new Consumer Protection Agency, creating a huge backlog of red tape that will bring consumer lending to a standstill. Want that 12 month no interest line of credit from Home Depot? Not until it's approved. Want that 36 month no payment, no interest for furniture from Macy's? No so fast, bub, the CPA has to bless it first.
- Oh yeah, this bill creates a new agency (well, at least one new one) called the Consumer Protection Agency. So once again, we're watching the size (and cost) of government increase while Democrats are in control.
- While the auspices of this bill are to 'restore financial stability' it does no such thing. The housing crisis stemmed from shoddy lending practices pushed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Granted, there were numerous other factors, but Fannie and Freddie were at the heart of it. John McCain introduced an amendment to the bill that would have pushed the government away from the table, ending the taxpayer support for Fannie and Freddie...but the amendment was defeated by Democrat majority. So, the government has no problem seizing and breaking up private corporations, but will not do the same thing to Government Sponsored Entities. Oh, and by the way, this week Fannie Mae asked for another taxpayer funded bailout of $8.4 billion and Freddie Mac asked for another $10.6 billion.
- While Fannie and Freddie get a pass (and more money they didn't earn), this bill once again attacks the credit card companies who had nothing to do with the financial meltdown, and we will pay the price for this in the end. By way of historical precedent, recall that government intervention 'saved' credit card holders by passing legislation that says that they cannot raise your interest rates simply because your finances are blowing up. So the natural reaction by the credit card companies was to raise ALL interest rates (mine went 13.49% to 19.99%, I've never missed a payment and my credit score is 830!) before the law went into effect. Now, working hard, making the right moves and establishing a solid credit score does nothing for you. You get the same interest rate as someone who made all the WRONG moves and trashed their credit. Thanks, government, for helping out on that one! Well, this bill goes even farther. Mastercard and Visa get a percentage of every transaction a merchant makes using their cards, and this bill limits what that percentage can be. Rather than let the merchants decide how much they're willing to pay, the government is seeking to make that decision for them. My prediction is that by cutting the rates per transaction, the government is going to force the credit card companies to take two actions; first, they'll charge a monthly or annual service fee to merchants for the rights to use their cards in addition to the lower per-transaction fee. This will compensate for their per transaction losses, but at the same time will force smaller companies to go to a cash only basis for their businesses (or they'll have to offer their own lines of credit, forcing them to play with the new CPA above). Second, because it's clear that they don't know what revenue streams the government will take away in the future, say good-bye to your no annual fee credit cards. Thanks again, government.
The passage of this bill and the key votes that passed it highlight once again why we have to get the right people into office. We can see the tide is turning. This week another round of primaries ushered out a host of incumbents and put some good people on the November ballots. After Bob Bennett was tossed off of the Utah ballot two weeks ago, Arlen Specter was shown the door this week and Blanche Lincoln staggered to a run off against the Arkansas Lt. Governor with over 50% of the Democrats voting against her. In Kentucky, Rand Paul won the GOP primary, Pat Toomey won his contest in Pennsylvania and John Boozman is on the ticket in Arkansas.
It's not enough to get oust incumbents and get the right people on the tickets in November. We have to mobilize the masses and get them out to vote. We missed an opportunity in Pennsylvania's 12 Congressional district (once held by John Murtha) because the Republican turnout was 20% lower than that of the Democrats. Mid-term elections routinely have light turnout, but we can count on Obama and the Democrats to shake every tree and every bush to get their base out to vote. If we want to take back congress, de-fund the health care initiatives, repeal the financial bill's intrusion into the free market (such as it is these days), we need to ensure that everyone will REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
T.E.A. Parties? The Left Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!
One of the questions I sometimes get asked is ‘why do you spend so much time on politics? It's not like they listen to us anyway.’ To be honest, I get really frustrated with that attitude, but I can understand where it comes from. People spend a lot of time at work, with kids, paying bills, keeping the house and yard in good condition, keeping the car running, and keeping themselves physically fit. When you get up at 6 AM and are busy until you fall into bed at 11 PM, it's hard to carve out time for political activism. But, there are some things in life that once you've learned them, you can’t unlearn. I read the book “The Case Against Barack Obama” and it was an eye opener for me. It is what got me off the couch and into activism. As I read about how Obama got his start in politics, what he stands for and what he believes, I realized that there was no way we could let this man get elected. Have you noticed that lately there has been some press coverage of Obama’s tutelage at the hands of Frank Marshall Davis? There are people now, in 2010 saying “did you know that he was mentored by a COMMUNIST?” I just reply “Um, yeah, I’ve known about that since early 2008 way before people voted a slogan into the White House.” Mainstream (lamestream!) media outlets spend time interviewing American Idol castoffs or that ‘gameplay’ woman from The Biggest Loser but won’t cast a disparaging glance at the president, the leaders of congress or the agenda being played out by our government.. It’s frustrating, and it’s made all the worse because we as a society have allowed it to come to this.
For the last 100 years we have seen the political ideology of progressivism take root inAmerica
The UN treaty and the light bulb legislation are what I call ‘changes at the periphery’ – changes that occur without fanfare or much notice. Once these changes take hold, the next change moves closer to the middle. It’s insidious and done by design because progressives know they can’t take on something like the second amendment head on. They know they can’t send people into your house and force you to use a different light bulb (at least not yet...). However, if they make these changes at the periphery they effectively accomplish the same goal.
So, the elections this fall are crucial. They may very well be the last chance we have to preserve American Exceptionalism. If we succeed in bringing conservative values back to Congress, we have a shot at turning this ship away from the progressive iceberg. But we all have to pitch in. Politics can no longer be a spectator sport. In 2008 incumbent congressmen raised nearly four times as much money as their challengers. The senate was even worse, with incumbents raising nearly eight times as much for their campaigns as the challengers. It’s hard to get the message out if you can’t afford to buy the air time. So now, in addition to the writing, the blogging, and the Facebook posting, I’m taking it to the streets, and so should you. There are several things we can do, and what follows is by no means an exhaustive list. However, it’s a great start.
First, we need to be vocal and support our conservative candidates. Talk to our friends, use social media, volunteer for campaigns, and yes, financially support candidates even if they’re out of our districts or not in our states.
Second, we have to be aware of the issues and spread them like gospel. Speak to the facts, open and honestly. Progressives can’t argue on the facts. They can’t win an honest debate, so they resort to emotional arguments ("Don't you care about those less fortunate than you?") or personal attacks ("RACIST!") to guilt people into supporting them or to distract from the issues. However, fair-minded people CAN be won over by a thoughtful, fact based argument. In my own family (where I am, to my knowledge, the only registered Republican) I have gotten signatures on the Initiative 42[3] petition from family members who I assumed would support the UN treaty if for no other reason than it was Hillary Clinton who signed on to it. It turns out that even my more liberal relatives don’t care much for the UN. If I hadn’t had the conversation I would not have known that and would be several signatures shy of where I am now.
Third, we have to get out and VOTE and push others to get out and vote as well. Turnout for mid-term elections is historically light, and we can’t afford to let the other side out-vote us because our base stays home. And ultimately, we must unite behind one candidate. We can’t let a Ross Perot scenario play out where we divide our votes and let an incumbent weasel keep their seat because we were divided among ourselves. We won’t get a conservative candidate on every ballot this fall, but enough of them will make it on to make the difference. Remember, in 1994 we had a Republican revolution, where fully a third of the Republican candidates were seeking to unseat incumbents, and they did it. The next year they ushered in a wave of reforms and balanced the budget for the first time…ever? I don’t know and I’m too lazy too look that one up. The point is, we don’t have to have the perfect candidates all at once, and frankly it’s foolish to think that we accomplish such a feat. But remember the ‘changes at the periphery’ model…we get the majorities back, seed the stock with some true conservatives, and wind the engine up again for 2012.
If we do these things, all of us, and we are relentless about it, we can take the country back. But we have to get on a war footing, be willing to sacrifice time and money to secure our victory. We must with every step move forward, never give an inch and we must keep the volume TURNED UP. As we do, watch the media and the organizations on the left go crazy trying to discredit us and defame us. And as they lose ground, lose the battle of wills, and ultimately lose their control of Congress, it will be fun to watch them completely melt down.
For the last 100 years we have seen the political ideology of progressivism take root in
But that’s no longer the case. Government is running roughshod over the will of the people. They don’t care about our opinion because they have stacked 
the deck against us. How? One way is by using gerrymandering – congressional redistricting – to create “safe seats” for their parties. I say ‘parties’ because both major parties do this. The photo at right[2] is Illinois
the deck against us. How? One way is by using gerrymandering – congressional redistricting – to create “safe seats” for their parties. I say ‘parties’ because both major parties do this. The photo at right[2] is I truly feel that we are at a crossroads in our nation’s history. We are dangerously close to losing control of our destiny. Right now 47% of the American workers don’t pay any income tax. When that number tips over 50%, to paraphrase Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and other Founders, the republic will cease to exist. We’ll be left with a decaying corpse of liberty; one where our rights are taken away, our wealth (such as it is) will be pillaged and our property will no longer be ours. In the name of ‘redistributive justice’ so that some can have more, the majority will have less.
If you think that I am being alarmist, consider:
- Our UN delegate has for the first time ever agreed to negotiate a UN driven small arms treaty that has the potential to defer our national sovereignty to the United Nations. Translation: If ratified, you just lost your second amendment rights.
- Progressives are chasing amnesty for illegal aliens, and some Republicans (Lindsay Graham!) are backing it, ostensibly to court the Hispanic vote. Hispanics vote predominantly for Democrats, and illegal immigrants are among the lowest income earners. That 47% who don’t pay taxes? If amnesty passes that 47% will become 52%, if not higher. Welcome to the
- Cap & Trade is still on the agenda for the Obama administration. Remember, in his own words he said that under his plan the cost of utilities will “necessarily skyrocket.” While there’s no disclosure of how that excess money will be spent, you can bet it will be on permanently expanding government’s role in our lives.
- In 2012 you will no longer be able to purchase whatever light bulbs you want. The government has mandated, via the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (created by a Democrat controlled congress and signed by a Republican President) that you must, in your own house, only use the bulbs they approve of.
So, the elections this fall are crucial. They may very well be the last chance we have to preserve American Exceptionalism. If we succeed in bringing conservative values back to Congress, we have a shot at turning this ship away from the progressive iceberg. But we all have to pitch in. Politics can no longer be a spectator sport. In 2008 incumbent congressmen raised nearly four times as much money as their challengers. The senate was even worse, with incumbents raising nearly eight times as much for their campaigns as the challengers. It’s hard to get the message out if you can’t afford to buy the air time. So now, in addition to the writing, the blogging, and the Facebook posting, I’m taking it to the streets, and so should you. There are several things we can do, and what follows is by no means an exhaustive list. However, it’s a great start.
First, we need to be vocal and support our conservative candidates. Talk to our friends, use social media, volunteer for campaigns, and yes, financially support candidates even if they’re out of our districts or not in our states.
Second, we have to be aware of the issues and spread them like gospel. Speak to the facts, open and honestly. Progressives can’t argue on the facts. They can’t win an honest debate, so they resort to emotional arguments ("Don't you care about those less fortunate than you?") or personal attacks ("RACIST!") to guilt people into supporting them or to distract from the issues. However, fair-minded people CAN be won over by a thoughtful, fact based argument. In my own family (where I am, to my knowledge, the only registered Republican) I have gotten signatures on the Initiative 42[3] petition from family members who I assumed would support the UN treaty if for no other reason than it was Hillary Clinton who signed on to it. It turns out that even my more liberal relatives don’t care much for the UN. If I hadn’t had the conversation I would not have known that and would be several signatures shy of where I am now.
Third, we have to get out and VOTE and push others to get out and vote as well. Turnout for mid-term elections is historically light, and we can’t afford to let the other side out-vote us because our base stays home. And ultimately, we must unite behind one candidate. We can’t let a Ross Perot scenario play out where we divide our votes and let an incumbent weasel keep their seat because we were divided among ourselves. We won’t get a conservative candidate on every ballot this fall, but enough of them will make it on to make the difference. Remember, in 1994 we had a Republican revolution, where fully a third of the Republican candidates were seeking to unseat incumbents, and they did it. The next year they ushered in a wave of reforms and balanced the budget for the first time…ever? I don’t know and I’m too lazy too look that one up. The point is, we don’t have to have the perfect candidates all at once, and frankly it’s foolish to think that we accomplish such a feat. But remember the ‘changes at the periphery’ model…we get the majorities back, seed the stock with some true conservatives, and wind the engine up again for 2012.
If we do these things, all of us, and we are relentless about it, we can take the country back. But we have to get on a war footing, be willing to sacrifice time and money to secure our victory. We must with every step move forward, never give an inch and we must keep the volume TURNED UP. As we do, watch the media and the organizations on the left go crazy trying to discredit us and defame us. And as they lose ground, lose the battle of wills, and ultimately lose their control of Congress, it will be fun to watch them completely melt down.
Yours in Liberty
Rich Baker
[1] Glen Beck, Common Sense, p66.
[2] http://maptogether.org/blogs/jim/fair-maps-for-illinois
[4] See www.initiative42.com for additional information. If you live in Colorado
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Michael Bennet and the Shmoo
I just re-watched "Lucky Number Slevin" with Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. If you haven't seen it and you like the mystery/gangster genre, I highly recommend it. In one scene, Morgan Freeman gives a wonderful monologue (as only Morgan Freeman can) about the Shmoo. The Shmoo is a wonderful creature from the L'il Abner comic. It essentially is all things to all people – it gives milk, produces eggs, its whiskers make excellent toothpicks, and it dies of sheer ecstasy, ready to be cooked, if looked at with hunger. Ultimately, the Shmoo was deemed bad for society. Since it provided for every need, people no longer had the will to work or provide for themselves, so the Shmoo was made extinct by giving everyone a picture of Andy Capp's mother with a hungry look on her face. Through the united will of the people, the Shmoo was no more. The Shmoo reminds me of the mythical Moderate Democrat, promising to do everything for everyone. The Moderate Democrat is pro-life while being pro abortion, spends money freely while being concerned about debt; they oppose war while supporting our troops; they're champions of small business while designing larger government entities to make small business suffer. In the end, their programs will provide for the people, taking away the people's desire to provide for themselves.
Speaking of the myth of the moderate Democrat, I recently received an email from accidental Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. In this email, he speaks about the deficit, saying:
"…if we don't get serious about bringing down the debt, our kids will be left to pay for today's irresponsibility, and our economy will suffer.
Our national debt now exceeds $12 trillion; a debt that poses enormous danger to our fiscal stability."
I could not agree with Bennet more. With the passage of Obamacare, our debt is now spiraling out of control. As a country, we are facing the loss of our AAA rating, meaning we will pay higher interest rates for our borrowed money. For individuals this is known as "exploding debt theory" – where the same amount of money borrowed now costs more due to increasing interest rates. Think about adjustable mortgage interest rates and the housing bubble. How did that work out for the country? Now imagine that on the scale of $13 trillion of debt (i.e. America's mortgage). More of our tax receipts will be going to pay for interest, leaving less to spend on government programs, like Obamacare, Social Security and Medicare. This effectively means we will need to either borrow more money, worsening the situation, increase our tax receipts to offset the rising interest, or a combination of the two. Already people in congress are talking about a Value Added Tax – or VAT – to help fund these programs. While this means more money for Washington, it means less money in all of our pockets; and in fact, it can reduce tax receipts as people under a VAT system will tend to delay or avoid purchases because of the added tax burden. A new TV is much less attractive when the cost just went up by 10 or 20%. A used car purchased privately is much more attractive when the $30,000 price tag on a new one suddenly becomes $36,000 with no additional value for the additional cost. Lastly, the 'black market' thrives under a VAT system, leading to an increase in organized crime.
This brings me back to Michael Bennet. I applaud his concern for our fiscal health. It would be more impressive if he didn't support every single act of wanton government spending that came down the pike for the last year.
He approved the stimulus.
He approved the GIVE act – expanding funding for volunteer programs
He approved the Omnibus bill
He voted against ending the TARP program
He voted for the Senate version of Obamacare (but against the amendment that would have had the congressional leaders purchase their health insurance through the same exchanges to which they're subjecting the public).
Then to really demonstrate his commitment to fiscal responsibility, he voted against the amendment that would have banned earmarks in years in which we run a deficit (effectively banning earmarks).
So forgive me if his concern for our financial security rings hollow. It's a desperate attempt to appear to have some conservative values only appeal to fence sitters and middle of the road voters who still believe the Moderate Democrat is real and not just a cousin of the Shmoo.
Just as the Shmoo was made extinct by the will of the people, so too must we unite and rid our congress of these pretenders to the conservative crown. It's time for Bennet to go.
P.S. For those concerned about the second amendment (hopefully everyone reading this) he voted to confirm Eric Holder and Sonia Sotomayor, two of the biggest threats to Second Amendment Rights (2AR). According to the Denver Post, in another act of chicanery he voted for the Thune amendment for concealed carry – AFTER the votes were there to defeat it, rendering his yes vote meaningless.
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