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Cover more people
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At lower cost
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Improve quality of care
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Reduce deficit
=
Baloney

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The president tonight was eloquent in his diagnosis of what most troubles America today, the economy. The trouble lies in his treatment of what ailed us this past year, the economy. For the past year, the President and the Democrats created a crisis on health care when what really was ailing our country was a very sick economy. Now all of a sudden, the president has woken up to the fact that was needs his most immediate attention is our economy. Now he has become a  champion of job creation and tax relief. Like the doctor who does not listen to the patient, this President and the Democrats ignored the People who grew increasingly impatient and disillusioned with the way they had been treated or mistreated by the very people they hoped would have the cure.

The President and Congress now wants to spend billions on a jobs bill to “get people back to work”. Will such a bill be passed with the same lack of transparency and heavy handedness as their failed stimulus bill? The President and Congress lacks credibility. The stimulus bill was forced through without anyone having read it before voting on it. The President by his own admission failed us on the economy. He promised that if the stimulus was passed unemployment would not top 8%. Unemployment today till tops 10% nationally and in many urban areas surpasses 16% or more.

The majority of State of the Union was just more of the same. He is good at telling us what our problems are, but he comes up short with regard to concrete programs or policies to solve the specific problems he identified. He calls again upon Congress to come up with biils. He offers no programs of his own. Isn’t that what got him in the mess he finds himself today? His main problem is he refuses to lead. The “Buck” doesn’t stop in the Oval Office, it just gets passed there.

The President’s first State of the Union, I found to be a warmed over re-write of the first speech he gave to a Joint Session of Congress shortly after taking office. The people want the president and Congress to focus on the economy, they want the transparency and bipartisanship they were promised, and they want government spending constrained and the deficit reduced.

Truer words were never spoken, when the president said “we face a deficit of trust”. Yes sir, your administration and the Democrats in Congress certainly do. Such was reflected in the recent setbacks your party suffered in New Jersey, Virginia and  Massachusetts.

Lastly and more importantly with regard to our security, the president was right when he said, that when those who seek to harm one American, harms us all. What he is wrong about is preventing future harm to our country by the dangerous policy of treating enemy combatants as common criminal defendants, which he and his Administration supports.

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Harry Reid should step down. What person in their right mind even has the word “negro” in their vocabulary? What right minded person would point to an African American as being more acceptable to the electorate because they were “light-skinned...with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one”? The fact that he would use the that word so matter of factly is beyond the pale. Reid has a long history of intemperate remarks but, this latest one is the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Harry Reid is not some obscure legislator, he is the leader of the Senate for Democrats and thus a leader of his party. For Democrats not to call immediately for his resignation, shows the hypocrisy of a party destined for huge set backs in the very near future. Democrats have lost complete touch with the People. I am not attacking Reid because I am a Republican, I am attacking Reid because I am an American. In America there should be zero tolerance for bigoted speech from our elected officials.

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The White House hype with regard to the governments many failures to “connect the dots” to prevent the Christmas day failed terrorist attack was bizarre. General Jones said that the revelations made today by the President  will “shock” America.

Well, I listened intently to the President’s remarks today and I was not shocked at all. It was clear to all Americans that the government failed on numerous levels to prevent the Christmas day attack. What was shocking was that the Obama Administration was slow to react to the obvious and tried to snow the American People into believing that it was an isolated incident and that all proper security and administrative  procedures were followed.

What is not clear is who told the President that this was an isolated incident? Who told the President that “all proper procedures were followed?” Who told the President that this guy was a “lone wolf” and not associated with known terrorist organizations? Why did the President not have the facts that the media was able to thread together within 24 hours of the attack? The fact that the President has finally and forcefully taken action does not excuse those who have not.

Heads need to roll.

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More often than not, Americans and the World look to American Presidents for their words. Whether a president’s words bring comfort, understanding, clarity, resolve or commitment, it is all about the message and delivery of them.

The Obama Administration started out on the wrong foot with regard to the “war of terrorism”.
 
According to then President-elect Obama and his nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, there was no “war on terrorism”. In fact they refused to even use the word terrorism in their public speak before and after taking office.
 
The consequence of this new “policy” by a new American administration of not acknowledging a continuing and dangerous threat to our country and our allies emboldened those who seek to do us harm and troubled our friends.
 
Secretary Designee Napolitano within days of Obama taking the oath of office appeared before Senate confirmation hearings at which in her prepared remarks she never once uttered the words “war on terrorism” or “terrorism”. Instead she called clear acts of organized terrorism, “man caused disasters”.

The words the President is using today, after the first domestic terror attack on his watch, are not the same words he used in the campaign or his first many months in office. The words he uses today are words of a president, any president who is confronted with an enemy that is undeniable and determined.

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We agree with Ann Coulter's solution: Search all Muslims.  These terrorists acts have ALL been at the hands of Muslims.  Profile, profile, profile or prepare the caskets for the next terrorist act.  It's coming whether you turn your head, bury it in the sand or in the fairy dust world our liberal leadership lives in.  A fantasy land of marshmallows and weasels.

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The President started out on the wrong foot with regard to the continuing threat of terrorism that faces our nation. He let our guard down when he allowed his Secretary of Homeland Security to ban the word “terrorism” and use in its stead “man caused disasters”. On March 16, 2009, Secretary Napolitano gave an interview to the German publication Spiegel, this is what she was asked and this is how she responded:

“SPIEGEL: Madame Secretary, in your first testimony to the US Congress as Homeland Security Secretary you never mentioned the word "terrorism." Does Islamist terrorism suddenly no longer pose a threat to your country?

Napolitano: Of course it does. I presume there is always a threat from terrorism. In my speech, although I did not use the word "terrorism," I referred to "man-caused" disasters. That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.

SPIEGEL: This sounds quite different from what we heard from the Bush administration. How will the new anti-terror policy differ from the previous one?

Napolitano: Our policies will be guided by authoritative information. We also have assets at our disposal now that we did not have prior to 9/11. For example, we are much better able to keep track of travelers coming into the US than we were before. The third thing is to work with our international partners and allies to make sure that we are getting information and sharing information in an appropriate and real-time fashion.”

Napolitano’s early statements with regard to terrorism and her latest comments with regard to the act of terrorism aboard Northwest flight 253 make it clear she is incompetent and must go.

The President when he took office was convinced that he could unilaterally change the minds of those who seek to harm us by pandering and apologizing and taking out words like “the war on terror” and “terrorism” from our government and public speak.

Well he was wrong. It is not about changing the ‘tone” it is about defending our country. It doesn’t matter to terrorists who our president is. They hate our way of life, what we stand for and our values as a nation.

The fact that the President of the United States would wait 3 days before responding to a foiled terrorist attack on American soil on Christmas day no less, shows me, that this guy just doesn’t get it. He is weak. His staff is weak and his Secretary of Homeland Security doesn’t have a clue.

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Merry Christmas

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Our President does not get what it means to be “presidential”. He is not the Secretary of State or the head of the EPA, he is the head of state and head of government of one of the worlds greatest powers. He lowers his ability to do great things domestically and internationally when he lowers himself to that of a subordinate. He has failed to lead at home by ceding his leadership to Congress and he fails to lead internationally when he panders, apologizes, and personally participates in failed meetings. He has flip flopped on his role with regard to “global warming”. First he said he would not personally participate in a meeting that did not generate results. Then he said he would participate in the jump start of the new attempts to get an agreement. Then yet again, he changed his mind and said he would appear at the end of the new negotiations regardless of whether there was a deliverable he could agree with at the conclusion of the meeting. This is the second time the President has appeared in Copenhagen only to come home empty handed. President’s need to initiate great opportunities then step back and leave it to others to work out the details and then re-emerge to close the final deal with all the pomp and circumstance that it warrants. How many defeats and embarrassments must our president endure before he gets what it means to be the President of the United States of America?

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If I were grading Obama I would have given him a “solid” D. I would demand he get a new set of tutors and ask to speak to his parents. This is a bright fellow who is not living up to his potential. He is easily distracted, has a hard time staying focused and making decisions and does not work well with others. I would also switch him to another class to get him away from the bad influences that are around him every day, like Ms. Jarrett, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Axelrod, Mr. Summers, Mr. Gibbs, etc.

The retreat of a Medicare public option by Democrats does not necessarily signal that they are abandoning the public option all together. It just means that they need to find another vehicle by which to package and sell it. Desperate people will do desperate things. Between the costs, the public option and abortion, Democrats will have a hard time with their own members passing a Bill this year or any other and still be able to call it “health care reform”.

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The circumstance by which President Obama found himself as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize shows the hypocrisy of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee not of our President by accepting it. There is no doubt in my mind that the Nobel Committee thought they could influence our President by honoring him. They hoped that influence would come by way of decisions the President would make with regard to the wars America is involved with. Had George Bush still been president and made the same decisions Obama made with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan,  he would have been mocked, not feted in Norway. Over all the speech was well delivered and the content straight forward and sobering. The irony is that George W. Bush could have delivered the very same speech. It was a truly an American President’s message to the World. The President rightfully stated that war can be just and in some cases inevitable because of the evil we face. President Obama made the best out of an awkward situation and turned the tables on the Europeans. They got what they had never expected and if they accept his message favorably then it was well worth it. Kudos to President Obama.

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Reid's comments are hateful, hurtful, and have no relevance what so ever to the health care debate. If "Mr. Congeniality" thinks this type of rhetoric will get him support for his plan, he is sorely mistaken. Call it what they will, between the public option, abortion funding and the high cost of Reid's health care plan, there is enough not to like to kill health care reform. The death will not come at the hands of Republicans it will be by "Democide".

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On this blessed day of Thanksgiving let us remember and pray for those who are spending it away from their families defending our freedoms.  They fight to keep us free, and while we are still free, let's fight so that their sacrifice will not be in vain.

May your day be filled with family, love, charity and faith.

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• Public Option - Government control of a socialist national health care system.
• Competition - An ant eater competing against an ant (that's the way the government would compete against insurance companies).
• Deliberations - Delaying tactics before they implement what they wanted to from the beginning (usually happens under cover of night and behind closed doors).
• Obama Statement - A pronouncement that is usually 180 degrees off the facts   (In other words, meant to be repeated by the MSM regardless of the truth).

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The Obama Administration cannot catch a break. At a time when they are desperately pushing for generational changes in health care and reassuring people that government controlled health care will not be rationed care – along comes a  “independent, government funded task force” that “recommends” that women over 40 do not need annual routine mammograms. The task force is made up of 16 “public health specialists” but not one oncologist. The task force in making this controversial recommendation did not even consult an oncologist before making their report. How can this be? Now radiologists and oncologists are accusing the task force of unethical behavior risking women's lives by such advancing such erroneous findings. Folks, this is glimpse of what is in store if the Democrats succeed in instituting a National Health Care Scheme for all Americans. The Government, their agents and “task forces” are going to dictate what medical tests and procedures an American is entitled to and it will not be on a case by case basis, it will be based on a class or pool of patients. This amounts to rationed care plain and simple. If you are a certain gender and a certain age than you get this type of care. The individual will be taken out of the equation. The Democrats health care Bills in the House and the Senate speak to government administrators and panels that will be making policy and recommendations for health care for Americans. They will dictate what tests and procedures the government will and will not cover. All I have to say is, that if you like the manner in which this federally funded and administered task force dealt with mammograms then you will love the Democrats National Health Care System. Stay well my friends.

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The Democrats health care scheme is a “shell game”. The President came up with an the artificial “magic number” of 900 billion. He proclaimed that any health care bill must be below that figure. Well the House Bill passed blew past that by a couple hundred billion, while the Senate proposed Bill is just under it. What is a few hundred billion when you have created trillions in deficit. The Obama Administration made world history this month when our national debt topped 12 trillion dollars. Divide our debt amongst our national population and that amounts to $38,974.34 for every man woman and child. The Democrats are fixated on “fixing” 1/6th of our economy, (health care) when the other 5/6th’s of our economy is what needs the most immediate attention. What good is affordable health care if you do not have a job to pay for it? The Democrats should be on a “holy war” on fixing the economy and creating jobs not nationalizing health care. The Democrats have over reached on health care reform as they did in 1994 and voters will remember it in the midterms. Between the abortion issue, the public option and the cost, the Democrats have created a crisis on health care when America has an honest to goodness crisis on the economy, jobs, foreclosures, bankruptcy’s, taxing, spending and debt that they refuse to confront.

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You would think that a President who has had such a tough year and nothing to show for it domestically would have planned a foreign trip that would have at least had some “breakthroughs” or accomplishments to show for it. The President  and his Administration have been bogged down. His economic initiatives are a disaster. The “Stimulus” is a failure. Unemployment and job losses are at record levels. His Administration has been consumed with health care reform at the expense of the greater economy. The President is “dithering” on making a decision with regard to our resolve on Afghanistan. Housing is still sluggish and foreclosures continue at a alarming rate. Consumer debt is choking the average American family. Usually when President’s decide to travel abroad during trying times at home they do so knowing that they can come home with something to crow about. This trip will bring home no concrete deliverables, just controversy and or speculation as to why he went with nothing really to show for it upon his return. In Japan there was the “bow”. In China there was the “rigged” student audience and a Press Conference where the leader of China did not allow questions. I think it is time for the President to trade in his campaign staff for people who understand how to lead and govern effectively.

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With regard to the Obama Administrations decision to try the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks in a U.S. Federal Criminal Court is an outrage not just a terrible lapse of judgment. It is outrageous to give these enemy combatant terrorists the same rights afforded to U.S. Citizens. These men were already being tried by military tribunals as are other detainees. Military Tribunals are legal and are a appropriate forum for these trails. The President made a choice to try these Terrorists as “defendants” in a civilian criminal court. Our President should be held accountable for this disgraceful act. The President touts himself as a “constitutional scholar” yet, he just trampled it. Obama sees the terrorism as a law enforcement problem. We are not sending policemen to Afghanistan and Iraq, we are sending soldiers. Our enemies do not fight in uniforms, they fight as guerrillas. They do not fight pursuant to international law and do not recognize any treaty or convention. America fights with one hand tied behind our backs because we fight pursuant to laws and convention and thus we fight at great disadvantage.  President Obama just tied another hand behind the backs of those who fight an enemy who knows no norms or decency. These trials held in U.S. Federal Criminal Court in the Southern District of New York is just blocks from Ground Zero. It will amount to show trials by these Defendants and will subject our government to the possibility of releasing still classified information that will aid those still sworn to do us harm. As someone who lost a Nephew in the attacks of 9/11 and a lawyer I am beyond outraged by the President’s decision.

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Newt Gingrich is right on. President Obama is still smarting from Germany denying Candidate Obama’s request to stage a huge campaign rally at the Brandenburg Gate back in July of 2008. Candidate Obama hoped to recreate the images of Ronald Reagan’s historic speech at the Brandenburg Gate when the Berlin Wall was up. Reagan’s visit was in July of 1987, it was during that visit that Reagan challenged Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall”. The Gate was also used as a backdrop for President John F. Kennedy’s famous speech in which he declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner”, (I am a Berliner). The German Government deemed their iconic landmark of freedom and struggle, too sacred to be used as a campaign prop for the Obama Campaign. Many Germans said it was like the Chancellor in an election going to Washington, D.C. and giving a speech on the National Mall. It would be unthinkable.

The Fact that President Obama thought it was important to Campaign at the site where the Berlin Wall fell but as President not important enough to go to Germany to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the wall is nothing short of outrageous and petty.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall was a important piece of positive World History. It was not just historic for our time it was historic for all time. It is a symbol of a peoples struggle for freedom and democracy over tyranny and oppression. The Berlin Wall went up with great blood being shed but came down with not a shot being fired. It was a great triumph for peaceful revolution yet, this American President whose country was instrumental in bringing the wall down is no where to be seen in Germany to mark the occasion of a milestone anniversary.

This is a great embarrassment to our Nation. The President will find the time to fly to Sweden to pick-up his Nobel Peace Prize but cannot find the time to celebrate the Fall of the Berlin Wall and represent America. He is wrong.

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Virginia got a lot redder tonight. A state that went for Obama just one year ago and had a Democratic Governor for the past eight years did an about face tonight by overwhelming electing Republicans, Bob McDonnell Governor, Bill Bolling, Lt. Governor and Ken Cuccinelli Attorney General.

Let¹s take a closer look at the Virginia State races:

Governor: The Republican candidate Attorney General Bob McDonnell ran against Democrat State Senator Creigh Deeds. There was no third party candidate. Bob McDonnell ran a textbook campaign. His campaign was on message disciplined and effective. He stuck to the issues of most concern to Virginians and he looked like a Governor. McDonnell concentrated on the economy, creating and keeping jobs in the state, being fiscally responsible and tackling the transportation challenges in congested Northern Virginia.

Creigh Deeds campaign was not focused and all over the map. He was a poor communicator and campaigner and he was hard to pin down as to what exactly he was for and was wishy washy with regard to increasing taxes or cutting spending to grow the economy. President Obama had no coattails for Deeds in spite of the numerous personal appearances and television ads in his behalf.

The Deeds campaign paled against the well-oiled machine that McDonnell was able to build and maintain throughout the entire campaign cycle. If McDonnell is as effective a Governor as he was a campaigner then he is someone to watch on the national stage in the very near future. There was not a single part of the Virginia that did not turn out for McDonnell. He resonated in rural, suburban and urban Virginia.

Lt Governor: Bill Bolling the incumbent Lt. Governor made a very good decision when he decided to run again for Lt. Governor and not primary Bob McDonnell for Governor and in fact agreed to support McDonnell early on.

This allowed McDonnell and Bolling to run as a team. In Virginia the Lt.

Governor and the Governor run independently. The decks are clear now for Bolling to run for Governor in four years. Bolling won handily tonight. His opponent was Democrat Jody Wagner a former member of Governor Kaine¹s Cabinet serving as Finance Secretary from 2006-2008. Ms. Wagner had little name recognition in Virginia prior to entering the race and faced with a weak top of the ticket for Governor really never had a chance against the incumbent.

Attorney General: Republican State Senator Ken Cuccinelli had an easy win over State Delegate Steve Shannon. The issues that made a difference in this race were State¹s Rights, Gun Control, Government Spending, Immigration and Crime. Cuccinelli is a strong Conservative with bright-line positions that are clear and defined. His opponent never got out of attack mode and spent more time attacking Cuccinelli than advancing his own agenda. Cuccinelli like McDonnell enjoyed a lead over Shannon for most of the campaign.

The message delivered by voters tonight in Virginia is pretty clear.

Republicans are alive and well. If Republicans field good candidates, have a clear message and execute a well thought out and comprehensive campaign plan, they will win. It is as simple as that.

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The NY Special Election to fill the vacant seat of Congressman McHugh is a mess. The district 23 seat in upstate New York has been a safe Republican seat for over a 100 years. We would not even be talking about it had Congressman McHugh not resigned to join the Obama Administration as Secretary of the Army. That is water over the dam. The Republican’s in district 23 selected Assemblywoman Scozzafava to be their candidate to fill the vacancy and she had the support of local, state and national Republican Committees. Then along comes Conservative multi-millionaire accountant Doug Hoffman who wanted to be a spoiler and challenge the socially moderate/liberal positions of the Republican nominee. Mr. Hoffman gets the attention of nationally recognized Republicans like Palin, Pawlenty and Thompson who agree to appear with him personally and in campaign ads and as a result he starts to make headway in the polls. High profile Republicans turning on their own coupled with the unlimited financial resources of the rich spoiler spelled the end to the Republican Candidate who just this past weekend dropped out of the race. But they story gets better. Not only does the Republican Scozzafava drops out but she endorses the Democrat in the race Bill Owens. Republicans need to get their act together if they are going to be able to exploit the opportunities that are available in 2010 to take back seats in the House and the Senate. Turing on their own after the primaries and selection processes for candidates has run its course will spell disaster for Republicans. For major national party leaders to come into states to campaign against Republicans should be unacceptable. I do not agree with some Republican candidates and office holders but will support them for the good of the party. You cannot sustain a party organization with a “every man for himself” strategy.

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Question: When will President Obama switch from campaign mode to governing mode?

Answer: When the President fires the campaign staff he has hired as Senior White House Staffers and Czars. The people who got the President to the White House are not necessarily the people to keep him there. The President is stuck in campaign mode. He is constantly blaming others including the former administration for all his woes. His campaign promises have yet to be delivered on and he seems to be unable to make decisions or advance policy beyond the promise. He has yet to deliver on Guantanamo. He is dithering on Afghanistan. He has flip flopped on a public option for health care. He is running the least transparent and open administration in history. He has made big promises on the economy that have not been met, specifically, the promise that the “stimulus” would prevent unemployment from rising above 8.5%. Unemployment nationally is now beyond 10% and in some urban areas in excess of 16%. He refuses to advance his own Bills on major campaign promises and leaves the heavy lifting to Congress. Saturday Night Live was correct in lampooning the President as someone who has done a lot of nothing. He needs to get off the golf course and into the Oval Office and lead. The first sign of a good leader is one who surrounds himself with people competent enough to help him govern. The campaign is over.

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I believe the medical definition for what the president and his staff are suffering from is “transference”. Regardless of the issue, they continue to blame the prior administration for their current inability to make decisions. The Obama administration yet again, went after the Bush administration on Afghanistan and accused it of ignoring Afghanistan and not having a strategy. They claimed Bush had no policy and that they are now faced with tough choices because of Bush’s inaction. The truth is that the Bush administration did a top to bottom analysis of the situation in Afghanistan prior to leaving office. They gave the incoming administration the courtesy and respect of giving the report to them and telling them of their intention to make the classified report public prior to leaving office. The Obama Transition Team asked the Bush administration not to publicly release the report and they complied. The Bush report on Afghanistan was the basis of President Obama’s  Afghan Policy that he announced in March and was the basis by which he sent thousands of U.S. Troops into Afghanistan just months ago. The Obama administration was hoping that they could get away with yet another Bush bashing because the Bush Report is still classified and they control it. I say release the report to the public and let’s see what’s in it. The reason they won’t is that it is clear that the Bush administration’s report is comprehensive and they did ask all the right questions and took into account the changing circumstances with regard to the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The Obama administration is indecisive and therefore seeks to delay their duty by blaming others. It is more of a campaign tactic than a governing style. Sooner or later the president will be forced to make a decision with regard to further American involvement in Afghanistan. This president owns the economy and he will soon own Afghanistan too. There is no one else to blame.

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As a lawyer, I am very concerned with a “government official” interfering with privately made contracts, regardless of the subject matter. The facts are that these executive compensation contracts were made and absent a breach, should be honored. Freedom of contract is fundamental to a free market economy. For those companies that the government still retains a ownership interest, then, it should use all the leverage available to reduce excessive executive compensation pursuant to the contract, by-laws, etc of that corporation. The government should not gain any special rights not available to other stockholders or creditors. For those companies that the government has no ownership interest or is not owed monies, then, it should not meddle into the affairs of private corporations. It is up to the board of directors and the shareholders of corporations to govern and set policy. The federal government should be in the business of setting reasonable regulation and oversight over financial services not ownership and control. While I do not agree at all with the decisions of some corporations to generously compensate their executives, especially in these economically challenged times, I must take the side that honors contracts as written. Unless a breach of contract claim can be maintained by a party with standing to bring such a claim, then, the contract must stand and be allowed to run its course. I do not believe the U.S. Government has the standing to bring such a claim. In any event, the fact that a “Czar” is unilaterally acting with authority over private corporations without any statutory authority to do so, is more troubling to me than the wrong he seeks to right.

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The unprecedented presidential policy and efforts to undermine critics of the president and his administration are dangerous and unsettling. The fact is that we live in a divided country. Just look no further than the last few national elections and you will see how 50/50 our nation is. President Obama did not win in a landslide, over 47% if the country voted against him. The president set the tone early on when he sought to silence any opposition when he said this, “hey, I won the election, not you, we are in charge and we are going to do this, either you are going to jump on board and help us, or you are wasting your time, and ours. The American People have chosen us to lead”. Why with everything on his plate, the president would demean his office and take the time to go after FOX, Rush, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others as a presidential initiative is beyond rational behavior. His attacks only seek to galvanize support for those he is attacking and further divides an already polarized population. This was suppose to be the Administration that reaches across the aisle and was to be the most transparent in history. The attacks by those opposed to the president’s policies are based mainly on the complaint that this administration has been everything but transparent or inclusive. Bills are not available to the public online as promised before votes are taken. The process of making legislation is made behind closed doors not on C-Span as promised. Republicans are not allowed to participate in the process unless they agree to support it in advance. Legislators are called to vote on major pieces of legislation without the benefit of reading the Bills they are called to vote on. Czars have been selected to oversee important government agencies and policy within the Executive Branch without Senate Confirmation and legal  and financial disclosures or FBI background checks. The White House needs to get out of the bunker and shed the defensive posture towards their opposition. If you are taking significant time to defend then you are not leading. This Administration has it all, they have the Presidency and the House and Senate with historic majorities. They should be able to do what they want, whenever they want, but they can’t. They can’t govern effectively, not because of Republicans, but because of obstructing Democrats. They can’t turn on their own so they need boogiemen. It is a terrible strategy and one that has and will continue to hurt Democrats. In a few weeks Virginia will elect a Republican Governor and New Jersey might as well. This will be a blow that will be a indicator of things to come in the midterm elections to Democrats all across the country. Who will they blame for that?

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• Tax for ten years but only implement the plan after 4 years (the books look better this way).
• A 245 Billion dollar doctor payoff (in a separate bill with no funding so it doesn't drag down our "fuzzy" numbers)
• Insure the 45 million uninsured Americans (oops, we mean 30 million because illegal aliens were not supposed to be included). 
• After implementation of ObamaCare everyone would be covered (except for 15 plus million that would still NOT have coverage)

Ok, let's see if we have this right, in order to insure "all" Americans, we will take over one sixth of our economy, leave 15 million uninsured and destroy the best health care system in the world.  Sounds like a great plan.

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History will ultimately judge the wisdom of American interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is nonsense to compare either with Viet Nam. When we left Viet Nam, the Viet Cong simply went back to their paddy fields. They had neither the desire nor the ability to come after us. That is not the case today in the Mid East if we do not subdue Islamic terrorism.

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If one is totally objective, this award was given on the promise of things to come. It could not possibly have been given on accomplishment. The World is a much more dangerous and less “peaceful” place since President Obama took office. North Korea continues to thumb its nose at the international community with regard to nuclear weapons and missile firings. Iran has stepped up their nuclear weapons program and continues to test missiles in a show of defiance. The US is slowing down our military operations is Iraq while escalating our military operations in Afghanistan. If apologies alone, are a criteria by which it gets you a medal then for sure our President deserves the “gold”. Pandering and apologizing may get you a medal but it will not get our country or the World the Peace that the Nobel Prize is suppose to stand for.

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The President and the Democrats are causing alarm by not letting General McChrystal testify before Congress. It appears that the President is stuck between Iraq and the hard place of Afghanistan. This is major decision that he and the Democrats want to control. For a President who claims to be transparent you can’t see through anything he does. The Democrats recall what happened when General Petreaus testified up on the Hill prior to the Surge. He presented himself as knowledgeable, sincere, capable and credible. They do not want a repeat of that. After Petreaus testified, it made it very difficult to attack him and he became a household name. They do not want the public to know McChrystal or to testify because he would present the same attributes as General Petreaus. It is easier to go against a man no one knows. The Democrats in Congress demanded that General Petreaus testify prior to the Surge. The Bush Administration did not seek to block his testimony because they had faith and trust in him and his abilities. The problem with this White House is they do not want McChrystal to testify precisely because of his presence and abilities. The President is dreading the heady decision he must make on Afghanistan, but, the longer he delays the worse it gets, militarily and politically.

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Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black and white, all are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
Yeah! Barack Hussein Obama

The communist amongst us are showing their true colors.  Would we have heard such a song being forced upon our children about Bush?  This taken along with California's new rules to push teaching of Islamic Studies to seventh graders should cause us great concern.  In those teachings, Christianity is shown to be an intolerant and violent religion while Islam is portrayed as being for equality and peace.  They teach that women under Shariah law are respected.  What a bunch of bunk. Islamic scholar and author Nonie Darwish, who grew up Muslim in Egypt said, "I am shocked that that is what they teach," she said. "Women had more rights in Arabia before Shariah."  In fact, "wife beating is allowed under Shariah" today, she added. "It allows a woman seen without a headdress to be flogged, punishes rape victims, and calls for beheading for adultery."

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Are you kidding me? The President used a press conference to announce that Iran is building a second Uranium-Enrichment Plant?  He had a golden opportunity yesterday, as the Chair of the UN Security Council to present the case against Iran. This could have been his “moment”, ala Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, to present the irrefutable evidence that Iran in violation of international law and treaty, has been building a secret uranium-enrichment plant. Why did the President let slip away the perfect forum to bring the Iranians to task before the World Community? Isn’t that what the Security Council is suppose to be for for?  Is the case of nuclear proliferation by rogue regimes not important enough? The President most surely knew all the facts yesterday that he announced today. This should have been debated and Iran should have been called before the Council to defend itself.  The President was intentionally derelict or grossly negligent in this missed opportunity. He had the President of Iran in New York. He had most if not all of the World Leaders who make up the Security Council in New York. All members of the Security Council should have had their feet put to the fire and either condone this illegal activity or condemn it and seek serious measures to correct it. Sadly, President Obama will turn out to be the Neville Chamberlain of our time.

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UN General Assembly Speech: D-. The President of the United States once again came before an international body hat in hand. He once more apologized for America. He said in effect that an era had passed to him in which America acted recklessly and and without regard to the greater World Community and that under his watch that would change. He projected weakness and seemed ashamed our our greatness, power and duty as the leader of a freedom and humanitarian principles for all peace loving people. He refused to make declaratory statements affirming our goal in Afghanistan to wipe out the Taliban. The President’s loudest applause came when he condemned Israel’s actions with regard to West Bank Settlements. Another applause getter, was when our President announced that the United States “no longer condones torture”. We never did condone it. The UN also reacted enthusiastically to the announcement that the US will rejoin the Human Rights Council. A body that is a hodge podge of despots and cooks, that routinely acts in disregard of our Nations most fundamental principles. The President announced a “new era of engagement” that represents for him four goals, 1. Riding the World of Nuclear Weapons. It is a nice goal to have but what about in the here and now preventing rogue nations like North Korea and Iran from getting them first. 2. Preserving the planet. Certainly that is in our best interest. However, we could be the cleanest and most responsible country on the Planet and unless others, like China and India are as responsible as we are it is all for naught. 3. The pursuit of peace. This is always a goal America should strive for. However, a peace at any price policy is no peace at all. The President does not want to rock the boat and seeks to befriend everyone. America must take tough stands and stand with those who deserve our support first and foremost, like Israel and stand against those to seek to harm us and our friends and allies, like North Korea and Iran seek to do. 4. Support a Global Economy that advances opportunity for all. Who can argue with that? The problem lies with the inequity placed by others on the US that they themselves refuse to abide by.

National Security Council Chair: F. This was an historic meeting with an embarrassing result. It was the first time in the UN Security Council’s history that an American President Chaired a meeting. So you would think it to be a meeting that was important and worthy of the history it made. Quite the contrary, it was a grand display of weakness and naiveté. Instead of appearing for the United States at the UN Security Council to strongly condemn and try to halt the nuclear proliferation by two known and unabashed nation states that are actively seeking nuclear weapons, North Korea and Iran, the President and other Security Council Members unanimously passed a Resolution seeking the elimination of all nuclear weapons from the Earth. The resolution is unenforceable and not worth the paper it is written on. This is leadership? No, this is appeasement. It shows an unwillingness to stop those who flaunt international law and treaty and will only seek to embolden them and others to act in defiance. Reagan said it very well, “peace through strength”. If we are weak, peace will never be sustained or sustainable. It should have been a meeting that dealt strongly and directly with the threats posed by North Korea and Iran in meaningful and measurable ways.

In grading President Obama’s UN performance, you need look no further than the endorsements from the UN Podium from the likes of Chavez and Kahdafi that our President received, to know how he is being thought of by the most ruthless dictators on the Planet. They like him very very much.

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Why is the the Federal Government seeking to “gag” Humana?

The real question that should be asked is, did Humana break any Laws? If not, it is wholly inappropriate for the government to interfere in the contractual communications between a business and its customer. A business has every right to make their customer aware of possible legislation that will effect their insurances coverage. It is an opinion letter nothing more. The Congress, Administration and the Executive branch may not be reading the draft Bills but, I can assure you the insurance companies are. They are not only reading the Bills, they have teams analyzing every word to determine what effect its provisions will have on their businesses. Are the insurance companies suppose to remain silent? Do they not have a duty to their customers to keep them informed as to possible major changes to their coverage’s? The government spends tens of millions of tax payer dollars a year “communicating” with its constituents, why then, should private companies be prevented from doing the same thing? The Democrats are taking a very heavy handed approach with anyone or any entity that sounds the alarm or tries to educate the American People with regard to the health care they seek to enact. They demonize those who attend town hall meetings or take to the streets in protest and now they seek to silence an industry, the Democrats would like to see disappear. If Government ran health care, which is the Democrats “Holy Grail”, there would be no dissent and no recourse. You get what the Government gives you. America is not prepared for that and it is the duty of insurance companies to prevent their own demise.

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Beyond spending, what will the President and Congress have accomplished by the end of this year?

Answer: Not much. 1. Cap and Tax will not get signed and will remain a huge energy increase looming for every American. The President himself said that in order for use to be “cleaner” it will cost Americans dearly in the way of higher electric and gas bills. 2. Health Care will remain undone. The Democrats will not be able to carry the day and come up with a compromise resulting in a single Bill they can be for. 3. The President will be unable or unwilling to make the tough decisions on a surge in troops in Afghanistan and will delay making the tough decisions that need to be made. 4. The White House has no trouble appointing Czars but, cannot fill the hundreds of Senate Confirmed Executive Branch appointments that remain unfilled. 5. The Administration will have accomplished little is the oversight and regulation of our financial services sectors. They will not have cleaned house nor will they have instituted the necessary and reasonable measures to insure we do not suffer another financial disaster. 6. The President will have done nothing to make good on his promise to take a “scalpel” to our national budget and we will have seen the largest increase in spending in our Nations history. 7. For all is conciliatory rhetoric about North Korea and Iran, the World is a much more dangerous place. Both North Korea and Iran continue to thumb their noses at International Law and are proceeding to develop nuclear weapons and make statements threatening their neighbors and the World Community. 8. There is the danger that the President desperate to show some international “leadership” will get bogged down in a Middle East “Peace”. The Middle East has always been an area that President’s have gravitated to when things aren’t going their way at home. 9. There has been no leadership on Immigration beyond speeches and a promise that the 12 million illegals’ that are here will not get health care. A promise that is unenforceable. 10. By the close of 2009, America under the Obama Administration would have nationalized more GNP than our Founding Father’s could have dreamed. They will have increased our national spending by trillions and added trillions to our deficit. Their historic spending will only been matched by the reductions in revenue brought into the Treasury. 11. At a time when the economy is the number one issue with Americans across the board, we will have seen an Administration who manufactured a crisis on health care to the detriment of the real crisis and concern, the economy. 2009 has left our Nation weakened, economically, militarily, socially and spiritually.

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(Click on image for larger view)

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Democrats are decrying the need for “civility” and pleading for “calm” in all public discourse. This is a grand diversion by a failed majority to deflect attention away from themselves and their own ineptness. Where were they, when for eight long years they attacked relentlessly and recklessly all things Bush. MoveOn.org aired a commercial morphing President Bush into Adolph Hitler. How many millions of Soros and other left wing radicals dollars went into that? Let us not forget MoveOn.org’s full page “General Betrayus” ad. Where was the out cry by the Democrats for civility? When marchers organized by left wing groups fanned out across the country with signs alleging Bush and other senior officials to be Nazis and murderers, where was the Democrats condemnation? Where was the civility and decorum, when a sitting Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of the Senate called a sitting President a liar? Granted those statements were not made on the floor of their respective bodies but, they were made in government buildings and in their official capacities. All of a sudden, when things aren’t going their way and the shoe is on the other foot, the Democrats are asking to be treated differently from what they have dished out and encouraged against their opposition for years. The dissent that has been exhibited towards the President and Congress today, is a lot tamer than what they gave out. There is an old saying, “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. There will be a whole host of new chefs ready to cook up just what America is hungry for in 2010. The Democrats have been handed all branches of government with high majorities and they have failed to lead to date.

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"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

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Progressive = Liberal
Progressive Health Care Bill = Liberal Health Care Bill
Public Co-op's = Public Option-Lite
Baucus Health Care Bill = Government Health Care
Government Health Care = ObamaCare

A scam by any other name is still a scam.  There are three simple steps that would lower health care costs:

1. Tort reform.

2. Allow health insurance companies to compete across state lines.

3. Allow doctors and hospitals to deduct the care that is given to people without health care insurance.

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On September 11, 2001, I was the Deputy Assistant to the President for Appointments and Scheduling, essentially the President's Gate Keeper. It was a beautiful September morning in DC. I arrived at my West Wing Office at the usual time, 6:15 am and prepared for the 7:30 am Senior Staff Meeting in the Roosevelt Room. The President and Chief of Staff Card were in Florida and Josh Bolten was the highest ranking staffer at the White House besides the Vice President. After the Senior Staff Meeting, I went back to my office on the first floor of the West Wing and began my normal office routine. As was my habit, I constantly had a news station on my office TV. I always kept volume down even during meetings, so I could immediately respond to news as it was happening. As I was doing my work, I heard reports being broadcast of a commuter plane that struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center. The story immediately grabbed my attention for several obvious and not so obvious reasons, the oddity of the accident, I am from NY and my Brother at the time, was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of NY/NJ which owns the Trade Center Towers. Needless to say, I was glued to the coverage, and I witnessed live the second plane strike the other Trade Center Tower. Like Cesar, I knew immediately at that time, that America was under attack and said so to my assistant. I immediately went into the Situation Room and heard and saw Josh Bolten swing into action. The West Wing Staff met in the White House Mess and were given instructions on evacuation and immediately after the briefing did so. I went to a off site location with about 100 plus staffers and I was the highest ranking staffer at that location. We all went to work. We wanted to know what other President's had done after the Marine Barracks Bombing in Lebanon, the Murrow Building Bombing in Oklahoma, the first World Trade Center Bombing, Etc. We wanted to compile a historical press prospective of how they reported the events and we also wanted to know what former Presidents did for a period of two weeks from the events. When did they address the Nation, who did they meet with, how did their schedules change. During the time I was leading the staff from the off site location, my brother was calling me and my sister, as my nephew Tommy Jurgens a Senior Court Officer and combat trained army medic was reported to have left his court house to respond to the scene and was missing. As it turned out, my nephew lost his life saving others. He disregarded orders from his superiors to leave the building and went back in to rescue others. At approximately 5:30 pm, I released the majority of the staff from my location and just myself a few others returned to the White House to join other Senior Staff for a meeting in the Roosevelt Room. We prepared for the President's return to the White House and his Address from the Oval Office that night. We threw out the President's planned schedule for 2 weeks and scheduled meetings and appearances as events warranted. I got home that night at Midnight and returned to work on 9/12 at 6am. I was never more proud of my Country and those who serve as I was and continue to be during this time. Everyone swung into action and went to work unselfishly with a primary focus to do whatever it takes to be helpful. Two days after 9/11, I told Andy Card that my Nephew was missing and that I may want to return to NY on the weekend. He asked me if I had told the President and I said I did not. He told me to do whatever I needed to do. Within five minutes of telling Secretary Card that my Nephew was missing the President called me on the phone and told me he is praying for the safe return of my nephew and pledged to me that he will find those responsible and bring them to justice. No sooner did I hang up the phone then the President was at my desk and repeated those statements and shook my hand. If anyone watched after 9/11 the response of our government with a critical eye it was me. I know first hand what the President, Vice President and the entire administration did to keep us safe from further attacks and to bring those responsible to justice. I am so proud to have served during this time with patriots so focused in doing the right things for the right reasons. We can second the actions taken by the Bush Administration but one thing is for sure, those who served acted with the best of intentions and were singularly focused in preventing further harm to our citizens. The proof of their efforts is without question, we have not experienced further attacks at home and abroad since 9/11 and it is principally because of the actions taken by the Bush Administration and Congress including but not limited to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, FISA, the reorganization of our intelligence services, the creation of a Intelligence Czar, and yes the legal Interrogation of our enemies.

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One of the reasons why the President and his staff chose a Joint Address to Congress for his last ditch effort to save his plans for government controlled health care was because of the reception he would get from a room controlled by his party. The trouble is he is preaching to the choir. The American People surely will see through the show we saw tonight. The President’s safe harbor has been his cronies in Congress and in union halls.  What the Democrats fail to realize is that the manufactured crisis of health care reform does not trump the real economic crisis we face today. The American People spoke out loud and clear this summer. They said to their legislators that they want jobs, not more government and more debt. They said, what good is “affordable health care”, if they cannot afford it because they do not have a job or have lost their home.
 
It was the President who set forth for an artificial deadline for health care legislation to be passed prior to the Congressional Summer Recess. He was the one who did not want debate or public input. He was the one who thought he could muscle through health care reform like he did the spending bill. He was the one who would not allow members to read, digest and debate the over 1000 page Bill that was offered in the House.
 
Now that his own Party has stopped him in his tracks on health care reforms, (out of the fear of growing government, ballooning deficits and most importantly worry over their own re-election), the President thinks style with trump substance by speechifying his way to health care legislation. It won’t work.
 
Tonight we heard nothing new. The President’s speech was the same old, same old. No news was made, just a desperate attempt to re-package a flawed policy.
 
If we are to believe the President that there is significant bipartisan agreement for 80% of the reforms he seeks, I say Mr. President, take the deal. Mr. President reform health care by instituting: 1. Tort reform; 2. Allowing portability of coverage; 3. Not allow denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions; 4. Allow insurance companies to compete in all 50 states;  and 5. Get health care costs under control by eliminating fraud, mismanagement and abuse.
 
The American People spoke loud and clear this summer. They do not want a “public option”, nor do they want the door opened to the creation of a single payer government health care system.
 
If the President wanted a game changer tonight he would have offered his own Bill. He would have said that he would fight for it and that he would succeed. Instead, he said he is open and available for consultation and that it was Congress’ job to get him a health care bill he could sign. The President’s failure to lead will ultimately mark the death nil of Democratic health care reforms.

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Democrats should be very concerned about the President’s awful poll numbers, as they should be with Reid’s and Pelosi’s as well. The Democrats in 2009 came into power with an air of invincibility. The Democrats thought could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, because they attained the “super majorities” in the House and Senate and they had a charismatic President that the People would blindly follow. Well, they could not have been more wrong. The American People are smart and did not take too kindly to the arrogance of power and incompetence of governing that the President and Congress have displayed to date. The American People are scared to death about the expansion of the federal government the ballooning budget and deficit. They are fearful of the their future, of their children’s futures and that of the Country. This is definitely not the “change” they had hoped for.

On another note: The President needs to fire Van Johnson now. His Green Czar is yet another example as to why “czars” are bad. They do not go through a  confirmation process, they report only to the President and the White House and their powers are not defined. Had Van Johnson gone through the normal vetting procedures, he would have been exposed as a person that was unfit for high government service. The man is unstable, irrational and a disgrace to the President and the Nation. The fact that the President thought it was a good idea to have him serve his Administration is troubling at best and shows yet another critical lapse in judgment on his part.

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President Obama has made more nationally televised and hyped up addresses to the Nation than any other President in modern history, at this point in his tenure as President of the United States. When he got into office he and his staff were banking on his “star power” to woo the Country into following his every directive. Well his star is fading fast and he is in danger of becoming a super nova instead of a super star. There is a saturation point to being too visible even for a President. This is the third or fourth time he has tried to sell or repackage his health care reforms. If you look back at when Presidents have chosen to address a Joint Session of Congress it it usually reserved for monumental events in our history, (FDR’s Address after the attack on Pearl Harbor or GWB’s Address after 9/11), not for restarting a failed sales job for a policy that a majority of Americans do not want.

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Hats off to Dick Cheney for not sitting on the sidelines and allowing the current Administration, Congress and the Media to use him and the Bush Administration as their punching bag and scapegoats. Cheney stayed silent and allowed the Obama Administration to get their “sea legs”. He was respectful and did not plan on opining on any of the new Administrations actions. It was only after the Obama Administration, Congress and the Media went after Cheney and the former Administration that the gloves came off. Why on earth should the former Vice President stay silent and allow others to attack and distort? He has every right and an obligation to fight back for the truth. There is no better person to push back than Cheney. He was privy to information that few others were. The attackers were hopeful that they could get away with their disinformation and that Cheney and others would remain silent. They bet wrong. I hope that Cheney and others will continue to fight back when the Obama Administration, Congress and the Media seek to destroy their legacy. If the Democrats were smart, they would realize that America does not blame the Bush Administration for keeping us safe, they applaud it. If there is another attack on America on their watch, it will likely occur because of our perceived weakness created by their actions and the affirmative steps they took to retard our abilities to stay one step ahead of those who seek to do us harm.

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The “death panel” has taken on a life of its own, and, the Democrats are to blame. Had they had a manageable Bill instead of a phone book, over 1,000 pages, that was streamlined and uncomplicated, this would not have occurred. No Member of the House could have possibly absorbed or understood H.R. 3200. The shear volume and technical language has lent itself to interpretation and speculation. The only remedy now is to kill the Bill. A vast majority of Americans do not want health care reform. They want the economy fixed, they want a job, they want the deficit reduced, and they want our national spending contained. If the Democrats were to fix the government health care they now provide, Medicare and Medicaid, and drastically reduce and eliminate the fraud mismanagement and abuse in those systems they would have done a lot. RIP H.R. 3200.

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Obama’s “Yes we can” has been tempered by “no you won’t”. The American People are suffering economically. They are strapped. A majority believes that we cannot continue to spend and spend and spend passing on debt to future generations of Americans to solve today’s problems. When the American People voted in the Democrats they hoped that they would lead but, they are finding out that although Democrats control the Presidency and Congress there is no leadership. The Democrats are so divided among themselves, between the Blue Dogs and their most liberal members, that they themselves cannot agree on what should be done on any major issue. Their focus on health care reform at a time of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression shows how out of touch they are. What good is “affordable health care” if you can’t afford it because you have no job? They manufactured a crisis when we already have a real crisis they refuse to solve. Unemployment is at 10% nationally and upwards of 16% in many urban areas. Home foreclosures, personal and business bankruptcy’s, and bank failures continue at alarming rates. Personal credit card debt consumes the average household. Uncertainty of the future has Americans worried. Inflation is looming. Gas Prices are rising. Our national debt and federal budget has exploded in the past 6 months. Yes we can solve our problems, if we put our minds to to problems that need solving first. It is not the 1/3rd of our economy that should require our most immediate attention, it is the 2/3rds. The Democrats should forget about health care and concentrate on the greater economy.

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David Axelrod, the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States of America has now been reduced to the Spam Czar. A friend of mine forwarded to me the following unsolicited and unwanted spam email from Axelrod with regard to health care and town hall meetings:

                             
                                                     THE WHITE HOUSE

“Dear Friend,
 
This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.
 
Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.
 
As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed.”
 
So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.
 
Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.
 
Thanks,
David
 
David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President
 
P.S. We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck  this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on”.
 
Had Karl Rove, (who was the Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush), sent out blast emails to millions of Americans complaining about the publics reaction to the President’s policies and encouraged citizens to chain mail his email, he would be strung up by the Democrats. There would have been calls for investigations and for his removal.
 
The White House has a lot of explaining to do. How did Axelrod get the email addresses of the persons he sent this email to? How many emails were sent out? Who made the decision to do this? What is the White House doing with the email lists and the information that was gathered? What information do they have on Americans they sent emails to beyond just their email addresses. Did they pay for lists? If so, whom did they pay and how much was spent?
 
I find it very troubling that the most senior and trusted advisor to the President would be reduced to the Billy Mays pitchman for the White House. What’s next? Will they be selling “Orange Glo” and “Oxy-Clean” on the White House Website?

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The Democrats will cause the President more grief, haven’t we seen that already? The Republicans are innocent bystanders, They do not have the votes to pass anything themselves, they do not control committees and are really a super minority. The Democrats should be careful as to what they wish for. They control all three branches of government with high majorities in the House and Senate. How can they blame the Republicans, when if they had solidarity within their party they could pass whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. As we can see from the health care fiasco, the Democrats are behaving like the Hatfields and McCoys, taking shots at each other. When Obama ran for President he gave lofty speeches about what he was going to do and how he was going to lead. The main problem is that the President abdicated his role as leader to Congress. These are not his Bills, they are someone else’s or in the case of health care many other’s. There are at least 5 healthcare bills floating out there by Democrats. They have not come together behind a single comprehensive piece of legislation and that is part of their problem. With regard to Afghanistan, the President is finding that it is much easier to campaign than to govern. The Republicans now need only point out the deficiencies and incompetence of the Democrats rule. There will come a time, as we get closer to the 2010 elections for Republicans to offer alternatives in the way of candidates and policies to the public. Let’s be real, the Republicans could have the best solutions for what ails us and there is no hope of getting any such policies passed by Democrats who control everything.

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Congress loses whatever credibility they have with the public when they espouse their “do as I say not as I do” rhetoric. On healthcare, they claim they want to create a system of universal healthcare that is as good as every member of Congress is afforded, yet, they will not subject themselves to the system they create for the rest of us. They rant and rave about corporate executives use of corporate aircraft, yet, just this past week Congress approved the purchase of 500 million dollars in Gulfstream V and Boeing 737 private jets for “VIP” travel by Congress. Is that what they consider themselves now? VIP’s?

Well, since they run an ever growing government and control America’s largest businesses, I can see where they may start to think that way. The Democrats are drunk with power and the People are starting to get fet up with it. The increasing public dissent we are seeing at Town Halls this Summer  reminds me of the Tea Parties that occurred all over the country this past Spring. The public does not like hypocritical governance. They want to be told the truth. They want a methodical and sensible approach to fixing our economy. They do not support generational change in healthcare, when the current system of government controlled healthcare, (Medicaid & Medicare), is rife with mismanagement, fraud and abuse. Over-reaching and incompetent governing will be the opportunity for the Republicans to gain a more fair and balanced legislature. That is if they are able to capitalize on the opportunity.

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Happy Birthday to President Obama.  Born on August 4, 1961 at ___________ Hospital in ______________.  We assume the hospital will be celebrating the birth of a president of the United States, the question is which hospital and in which country?

"We either uphold our entire constitution or it will crumble under the weight of its enemies"

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I find it ironic that President Obama can travel the globe apologizing to countries on behalf of the American People for what he believed were past insults and mistreatment yet, he was not man enough to apologize to a fellow American for insulting him and impugning his integrity. The President disgraced his high office and Professor Gates brought great shame to himself and Harvard. Sgt. Crowley and Lucia Whalen were the only ones in this whole sorted affair that acted properly and professionally.

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President Obama is losing the battle with the American People on healthcare because it is not healthcare that requires immediate attention it is the economy. We are experiencing the worst economy since the Great Depression. I did not say those words the President did. Why then is he not focusing the majority of his attention and spending his political capital on accomplishing success on the economy? If the “stimulus” would have worked as promised and unemployment did not rise past 8.5% and the monies approved had been spent as intended, the President could have gotten his healthcare plan approved. The American People are loosing their trust in the President’s ability to focus, prioritize and deliver on the issue of most importance. It’s all about the economy. Americans do not see healthcare as a crisis, they do see the economy as one. When Members return home to their districts, I believe their constituents are going to give them an earful on the economy. They are not going to be concerned at this moment on healthcare. Healthcare will have to wait unless and until their is significant improvement with our economy. It is sheer “stupidity” for the President and his Administration to be so out of touch . I suggest the President have some beers with average Americans and maybe he will be enlightened as to what most concerns them.

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The President is selling a product that no one wants. He is desperate and refuses to pull the plug on healthcare legislation that even Democrats concede is DOA. It is not the Republicans that are holding up Obamacare it is Democrats. After the Chairman of the CBO, (a Democrat appointment), came out and publicly contradicted the White House, that gave Democrats the “cover” to jump ship. The Congressional Budget Office stated that Obamacare would add significantly to our national budget and to our ever growing national deficit. The American People are getting uncomfortable with the President and his policies and it is showing in recent polls. Polls show that a majority of Americans believe America is on the wrong track. They are not confident with the President’s handling of the economy or healthcare. He is the salesman in chief yet, the American People are starting to look elsewhere. The President has put all his chips on healthcare when he should be placing them on the economy. The bet has been made and he will have to fold his hand because he can’t win. The August recess will come without a deal. Members will go back to their districts and get an earful from their constituents on the economy. When Members return to Washington, it will not be healthcare that they want to focus on, it will be the economy and jobs.

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We infiltrated the ObamaGanda Press Conference last night with our crack investigative reporter, Frederick Von Nicklebrain.  The event began like all The Obama events do, with a teleprompter directed speech in which he said, "BLAH-BLAH-BLAH" (nothing new).  Then came the softballs, to which he responded with, "LIE-LIE-Mini-Speech-LIE".  He continued to answer the remaining questions with his prepared Mini-Speeches.  After saying the Cambridge police acted "Stupidly" in arresting an Obama friend, he concluded with his trademark, "BLAH-BLAH-BLAH"

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Obama and the polls. Should he worry? Fasten your seat belt Mr. President, you are going to start experiencing turbulence for the foreseeable future. There comes a time in every new Administration when it’s time to buckle up. It is that time for this Administration. The honeymoon is over and the People will now look to you to pilot the ship of state. The reality is that this President will be handed his first major “defeat” when Congress adjourns for the summer without passing his healthcare plan. Members will go home and get an earful from their constituents about the economy and government spending. When Congress returns in September, it will be back to the drawing board and the President will have to re-start healthcare or move on to fight another day. Generational change requires a great deal of spade work. The Obama Administration wanted to reap a bumper crop without first sowing the seeds and counted on Obama’s personal popularity to carry the day. Well, his popularity is waning and it will take a lot of hard work to get anything close to what he or the far left wants. Hopefully, the Blue Dog Democrats will prevent much more taxing and spending from here on out. As I have said all along, it is not the Republicans who will be the bane of this President it will be his own party.

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Health Care: The House Dems healthcare bill is terminally ill, it gets an F. The government has failed miserably in the delivery of quality government controlled health care. Both Medicaid and Medicare are broken and rife with fraud, mismanagement and abuse. They Democrats are boasting that by “cleaning up” the fraud and mismanagement of Medicaid and Medicare, they will be able to take those billions “saved” and apply it to their new “universal health care program”. Where have they been all these years they controlled health care spending for our government? Should they have not focused on “cleaning up” the government health care they provide, before attempting to expand that incompetence to every single American? The Dems are hell bent on creating bigger more invasive and inefficient government. Their attempts to create a socialized medicine program failed under Bill Clinton and it will fail under Obama. Even in the best of economic times the program they seek to create would be a tough sell. If the Dems were serious about providing quality health care they would start with “cleaning up” what they already provide. Over haul Medicare and Medicaid now and you will get bipartisan support.

CIA: The President should rein in his government. He is letting the inmates, (Congress), run the asylum. When President Obama took office he vowed to look forward and not behind. It is a slippery slope when a new administration investigates the former and questions actions taken that are contrary to their own political beliefs. Since any investigation would likely still involve matters of “top secret” or “compartmentalized” programs, such an investigation would be held behind closed doors. That means leaks would rule the process. The President needs to take charge here. No good will come to the country being dragged through a manufactured tit for tat political game of gotcha. There is plenty of blame to go around and if the Dems think they will come out unscathed they would be sorely mistaken.

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Judge Sotomayor seems to have the judicial temperament of an anointed one. I remember many judges who have told audiences that they will never forget the day when they were practicing attorneys. Then they don those black robes and it erases all their memory of when they came before the bench. She strikes me as one of those. She has struggled to make it, and now that she has, she is power. Yesterday’s hearing looked like she had been sent to the principal’s office. As humbling as it might have been to be on the other side of the fence, sitting there getting a little taste of what she has done to others for years and years, it will all be forgotten once she is confirmed. She is on good behavior for a few days. It will be up to her peers on the Supreme Court to keep her in check as best that they can both in temperament and in argument. The Judiciary Committee so far as comported themselves with restraint, respect and repetitiveness. How many times does each senator have to ask the same question over and over again. If they can’t use their 20 minutes constructively, they should yield their time. There comes a time when enough is enough. It is that time.

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In last nights all star game pre-game The Obama said, let’s strive to make America a place all the world looks up to.  The Obama fails to recognize that America has been the place others look up to and the country that has helped and continues to help the rest of the world more than any other.  Why is the United Nations based in the United States?  Why do we pay over 60% of their operating revenues?  Why is the OAS in the United States?  Why do we pay the overwhelming majority of their funds?  Who is the largest donor nation in the world for anti-poverty programs?  Who has saved millions of people in the world with medicines that were developed in a FREE and capitalistic enterprise system that has been the envy of the world?  Let’s stop the pussy footing around and recognize what is happening to our way of life for what it is.  We are being defeated from within, like a cancer in a patient who refuses treatment!

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The Republicans need to rise up and challenge the legality of the Czars appointed by President Obama. The President has subverted the Constitutional requirement for advice and consent of the Senate for principal officers. The President appointed dozens of Czars, (Drug, Energy & Environment, Health, Urban Affairs, Economic, Regulatory, Technology, Government Reform, Border, WMD, Cars, Intelligence, Compensation, Great Lakes, Cyber, .......), all without Senate Confirmation and all with concurrent or arguably, superior authority over Cabinet Secretaries and agencies by power and authority of the White House. The President has a Cabinet in place. Does he not have confidence in those he chose? The Czars are duplicative, expensive and totally unnecessary. They have avoided the necessity of disclosure, security clearances and scrutiny by the Senate or the Press. Where is the outrage? The Republicans should challenge this unprecedented abuse of Executive Authority and take it to the Supreme Court. The Democrats talked a good game when they claimed abuse of Executive Authority by President George W. Bush. Obama’s abuses pale in comparison to any allegations lodged by the Democrats at President Bush. From the appointment of Czars, to the firing of private sector business executives, to the meddling in setting executive compensation and bonus’, to determining winners and losers in the financial services sector, President Obama has acted more like a dictator than a President. If Republicans are serious about challenging Obama, this is the perfect opportunity. The disregard of the Constitution is not the “change” America wanted or needs.

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The Vice President had another, “say it ain’t so Joe”, moment. How bad did he think the economy was? Did he not hear the President state over and over and over again that this is the worst economy since the Great Depression? You didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to predict double digit unemployment, I predicted that would occur 3 months ago. Unemployment in our urban centers is about 14% today, while our national average is 9.5%, if you believe the White House. I believe we are passed 10% already, if you take into account those who have stopped looking for full time work, those who were full time workers that are now part timers and those working seasonal jobs who used to be full time workers. The “stimulus bill” that the Obama Administration and the Democrats in Congress railroaded through without a single Member who voted on it having read it, is a disaster. The majority of it, some 80% of over 700 billion dollars remains unspent. Show me the money and show me the jobs. There is nothing to show for any of it. Now if you can believe it, the Democrats are talking about the need for a second stimulus. It is clear that they have no clue as to what to do or how to stimulate our economy. All they know how to do is spend. Watch out, taxing is next as inflation rears its ugly head come Fall.

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Happy Birthday America

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• Iran - The Theocratic dictatorship backs the fraudulent "re-election" of their current puppet; Ahmadinejad.  Riots break out in support of Democracy and freedom.  Innocent people are gun down in the streets.
• The Obama's reaction - The United States should not be seen as "meddling" in Iran's internal affairs.  He says the "Supreme Leader" is basically on top of things.
• Honduras - The president attempts to circumvent the constitution of Honduras by illegally trying to implement a public vote to extend his presidency.  Assisted by Venezuela's Chavez and thereby a socialist-Marxist attack on a central American democracy.
• The Obama's reaction - The United States condemns the removal from office of the Honduran president and stands side-by-side with Chavez, the Castro's and Ortega in calling for his immediate reinstatement. 

The old saying that you can tell about a person by the company he keeps sure rings true with The Obama.  The American people should have paid more attention to the company he kept before the elections: Davis, Wright and Ayers.  No surprises here...

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On the Ricci decision: Now that the Supreme Court has ruled on the Ricci case, Judge Sotomayor is free to fully be questioned at her Senate Confirmation about it. That fact that she was reversed will certainly add fodder for those on the fence and those who oppose her. Some of the more germane questions that should be asked are: 1. Why at the time did you feel that the Ricci Case should have been dismissed on its face and not heard by your Court?, Your decision in the Ricci case was a terse one page decision, yet, the Supreme Court decision was more than 90+ pages going through in depth the Appellant¹s Equal Protection and other Constitutional claims, why did you not take up the Appellants Constitutional arguments?

The facts are that the U.S. Supreme Court has had seven of Sotomayor¹s decisions before them, and the Court has agreed with her reasoning only once. She needs to explain her thought process by which she weighs the facts and applies the law in the Ricci case and every other case that has come before her. Judge Sotomayor certainly did not give the Appellants in the Ricci case, their ³day in court² to allow their Constitutional arguments to be fully appreciated or considered by the Appellate Court. Judge Sotomayor¹s peer on the court in the Ricci case, Judge Jose Cabranes, was so concerned that she disregarded the Constitutional arguments of the Appellants that he wrote a blistering dissent, taking Sotomayor to task. At the end of the day, will this latest reversal, (by what could be her new peers), derail her confirmation? I doubt it. What it will do is add at least another long day of questioning. The Democrats appear to have enough votes to get her out of Committee and to the full Senate for a vote. I predict the Republicans will be a lot fairer to Judge Sotomayor than the Democrats were to Judge Alito and Roberts in their hearings.

On Maddoff: U.S. District Court Denny Chin did the right thing moments ago, by sentencing Bernie Maddoff to a maximum of 150 years behind bars. This sentence sends a clear message that the law will be applied equally to those who take someone’s life by murder or by theft. The sentence fits the crimes. Maddoff masterminded the biggest fraud in U.S. History. He took the financial lives away from the big, the small and everyone in between. It did not matter if you were a individual, a corporation or a charity. There was no limit to his greed and evil.

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The American Clean Energy and Security Act is a disaster for jobs and the economy. The Brookings Institution says “Cap-And-Trade” will cause job losses. The National Black Chamber of Commerce said that the National Energy Tax will cause job losses and wage reductions. The President said we should be more like Spain with regard to their “Green Economy”. The only problem is that Spain generates almost 30 percent of their power from the wind. Under the Obama bill we will generate less than 1 percent. Spain destroys 2.2 jobs for every “Green Job” it generates. The President admits that “Cap-And-Trade” will mean “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket”, because by capping green house gasses, coal plants will have to retrofit thus, the increased costs of operation must be passed along to consumers. We could be the cleanest most energy efficient nation on the face of the planet and it will not mean a thing globally, if other nations like China, India and Russia aren’t as “responsible” as we are. The problem is this bill will not make a meaningful global difference and will spend us further into the poor house. Why? To make us feel good? To make us feel responsible? All this at great cost to jobs and our already weak economy. This is nuts.

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The Government decades ago got into the healthcare business when they created Medicare and Medicaid. Has it worked? Does it serve the People as intended? The answer to both questions is no. Medicare and Medicaid is rife with fraud, mismanagement and abuse. That is a fact. So now the government wants to expand that incompetence and expand their control of health care to all Americans. Why not fix that which is broken and has been broken for years before attempting to reward failure with more failure. The President is wrong. A public option will create bigger and more inefficient government, waste, abuse and fraud. If you like going to the Department of Motor Vehicles, then you are going to love the public health care option. Americans will wait in large caverness waiting rooms to see doctors they don’t know and then be told they can’t be treated because of their age, wait time for treatment, cost, etc. Under Obama Socialized Health Care everyone will be “covered” but no one will be properly treated.

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The President of the United States should call for an emergency meeting with the UN Security Council and have the Secretary of State represent the US and ask that our allies send their equivalents. The President must be seen as a leader and not a follower of his legislative bodies. The President must speak to the principles of freedom, justice and non-violence towards a nations own population. America must join a coalition of nations outraged at the actions of the government of Iran. Together we should focus attention on the plight of the Iranian People and support them as much as possible. Only by joining with other nations, can America effectively exert her power and influence in a credible and beneficial way to help the people of Iran. The civilized nations of the World must act now.

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Happy Fathers Day

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The President’s most significant obstacle to “universal health care”, (socialized medicine), is that the public doesn’t want it. The facts are that Medicare and Medicaid, both government controlled health care that has existed for many years, is rife with fraud, mismanagement and waste. Social Security run entirely by the government is broken and on the verge of total and complete collapse without a fix. Now the government, in light of its incompetence in dealing with the health care they control, seeks to expand that incompetence with a Trillion Dollar, (over 10 years),  socialized medicine program that is destined for the same ultimate fate of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Why don’t we fix first what is broken? If government can’t efficiently manage what they now control what makes us think they can do better when they control all aspects of health care?

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Mr. President its been almost 5 months since you took office. Where is Bin Laden? You were relentless in your criticism, in the campaign, of President Bush with regard to his inability to capture or kill him.

Let me take you back to June of last year. The Associated Press reported, that as you stood before17 American flags, in front of a sign that said, 'Judgment to Lead' and surrounded by 'national security experts' you said the following, "Osama Bin Laden and his top leadership - the people who murdered 3,000 Americans - have a safe-haven in northwest Pakistan, where they operate with such freedom of action that they can still put out hate-filled audiotapes to the outside world. that is the result of the Bush-McCain approach to the war on terrorism".

Well Mr. President, although you now bar any reference to a 'war on terrorism', Osama Bin Laden and his top leadership continue to put out video and audio tapes from their 'safe-havens' spewing the same hate and threats of future terrorist attacks. The hate that was once directed at Bush is now directed towards you and our country.

You know where he is, why then can¹t you bring him to justice? Use your charm and popularity to woo the Pakistani¹s into handing him over.

You are finding out with every passing day that governing is a whole lot different than campaigning, but now it is your watch. America will hold you as accountable, as you did the former Commander in Chief.

Bin Laden is poking you in the eye. He laughs at your apologies, he muses at your change in terminology and gets great comfort from your demoralizing of our intelligence services and your policies on interrogations.

Weakness breeds vulnerability. I suspect your rhetoric and actions will change 180 degrees when we are attacked again either at home or abroad.

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The NY Times is dead. The reason for their demise is evidenced by the trash that is published by the likes of Dowd and Krugman, et al. When the right does something they hate, they condemn, when the left does the very same thing, they are lauded. There is no fair and balanced reporting there. Krugman talks about the “right wing extremist media”? Give me a break. The left is beside themselves. They see their ratings on cable tank. Their attempt to best conservative talk radio failed. The only thing they have left are the newspapers which are dying on the vine. They do control the blogosphere, but all that is is preaching to the rabid. The left is so obsessed that they are losing their grip on the media, that they want to bring back the fairness doctrine to force their views upon the airwaves. Entertainers and pundits do not move people to act out. They entertain folks and give them a safe harbor. The right has outrageous personalities and the left does as well, (Maddow, Olberman, Stewart, Mahr, Shultz, etc.).. In a 24 hour news cycle the most outrageous seem to always make the news. The people that ultimately matter most are party leaders and elected officials. More focus on them, please.

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The further intrusion by the Administration in subverting the authority and responsibility of boards of directors is very troubling. The President has appointed some 17 “Czars” to watch over areas of what was once the private sector. These “Czars” are accountable to no one, except the executive branch, and wield tremendous power. They were not confirmed by the Senate, there is no legislation by which these positions were created, and there is no precedent for a President to make such appointments in mass. You talk about “big brother”, this is about as Orwellian as it gets. We now have more Czars ruling in America than ever ruled Russia. Republicans and Democrats and everyone in between should reject this intrusion into the manipulation of the private sector by government, It is wrong and I am sure unconstitutional and should be tested.

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A word please on the shooting at the United States Holocaust Museum. Today,
museum security officer Stephen Tyrone Johns was killed in the line of duty
and the White supremacist shooter was injured, the staff and visitors were
terrorized and calm was restored. I had the honor of serving for 6 years as
a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council which, is charged
with the governance of the museum. My thoughts and prayers are with the
family of our hero security officer. In the early days of the planning for
the museum many questioned the relevance of it here in America. Well today’s
incident is a clear reminder that hate is not about a singular event in
history, it is about teaching Americans that we must learn from history or
be condemned to repeat it. Tens of millions have visited the United States
Holocaust Museum since it opened in 1993. Everyday people from all over,
from every race, and from every socio-economic background choose to visit
the Holocaust Museum. The lessons learned from that time are as important
today as it will be a thousand years from now. Intolerance and hate be it
state sponsored or not is a scourge that must never be tolerated. If we do
not stay vigilant, terrible incidents of history can happen again. Today’s
tragic incident was about a lone hater who acted out. He did so I am sure
out of frustration that he has no chance to see his twisted view of how the
World should be will never ever become reality again, thanks to places like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

On the Economy:

The Republicans are serious about the amount of spending and the creation of unprecedented debt but, there is not much we can do about it. The Democrats control everything with high majorities, they run the House, the Senate and now the Courts. The Democrats since taking office have been spending like drunken sailors. They have doubled the national debt in five years and tripled it in 10. Now that the American People are voicing their concern over this biblical debt, the President announced a policy that from here on out it will be “pay as we go” with regard to spending. This is like a bank robber complaining that the cops are being too lax on bank robbers. Where was the President’s famous “scalpel”, (he talked about in the campaign), that he was going to take to the budget before spending? He picked up the rubber stamp instead of the scalpel and approved a stimulus package of over 700 Billion that no one who voted in it read. He gave billions to the banks, and the auto industry and then he passed his record breaking 4 trillion dollar budget. To now claim you are a fiscal conservative when there is no money left to spend is absurd. The Republicans need to give the Democrats enough rope. We are powerless to stop the “change” the American People are getting. We can live to fight another day when the American People in 2010 voice their disgust at the out of control spending and nationalization on American Industries and Health Care and the intrusion on bigger government into their daily lives. I think we are up to 17 “Czars” now. We have people watching and controlling every aspect of what used to be the “private sector”. We have more Czars now in America than they every had ruling Russia and with the same results.

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The restructuring of our national health care system should not be fast tracked. The Obama Administration is on a mission to get as much of their "change" accomplished as possible as soon as possible while they enjoy the publics goodwill. The more they can get done the harder it will be for Republicans to undo should they make gains in 2010 or 2012. I say let's take a sober, informed and deliberate approach to a generational change to our national health care. That is just what the Doctor ordered.

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This weekend Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure takes place in Washington, DC.

In fact Vice President and Dr. Biden have graciously agreed to take a major role in this weekends activities. Ambassador Nancy Brinker founded the Komen foundation over 25 years ago in honor of her sister Susan G. Komen, who died after a bout with breast cancer. Nancy herself a breast cancer survivor, was determined to take up the cause of finding a cure in honor and in memory of Susan. With a enormous challenge and a modest budget, Nancy grew the Komen Foundation into a world wide organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of breast cancer. Through the efforts of Ambassador Brinker, and literally millions of volunteers, professionals and donors, the Komen Foundation has raised awareness, prevented illness, and saved lives.

Even in these tough economic times, we should take the time to realize the goodness of America and her citizens. We are the most caring and charitable nation on earth. We have amazing people, who on their own take up causes greater than themselves. Komen may have started in America, but it did not stop there. Countries all over the world benefit from what Komen started in America and what they now do routinely around the globe. The pink ribbon has become the symbol that needs no interpretation. It is immediately identifiable of an organization that has been in the forefront in finding a cure for one of the Worlds greatest scourges.

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The President’s Cairo speech overall was a very good one. I give it a A-. The President hit all the major points of the conflict between the Muslim world and the West. He set forth the areas of tensions, he stated America’s beliefs and intentions, he held out hope for progress, and challenged the parties to leave the past behind and work toward attainable and sustainable goals of peaceful co-existence. While I disagree with his “apology’s” for how we got into Iraq, President’s characterization that America has ended the “torture” of prisoners, the mentioning the closing of Guantanamo, the re-stating the timetables for withdrawal from Iraq without condition, and the willingness to sit down without preconditions with Iran, I understand why he said it and who the speech was directed to. The President basically said what needed to be said, interweaving history with reality. The President has come to realize that governing is a lot harder than campaigning and that giving serious, hopeful and lofty speeches is a lot easier than meaningful negotiation with parties who have fought for thousands of years. Our cards were laid on the table for all to see with regard to how this Administration views the Middle East and Islam. Let’s see if any of the interested parties will take a seat at the table and deal in good faith.

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On Cuba: Today in Honduras the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) voted to allow Cuba re-entry into that assembly. The Cuban government was expelled in 1962 because it declared itself to be a Communist Government.  The Cuban State was never expelled and has remained a part of the OAS throughout the years.  Allowing the Communist Cuban Government back in goes contrary to the charter of the OAS.  This makes the OAS as useless as the UN who has allowed Cuba to participate in it's Human Rights Commission while being one of the worst violators of human rights in the world.  This is just another Obama administration rollover to their communist comrades south of the border!

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I believe the U.S. Taxpayer should never own a private company. The Government should have allowed GM to go through bankruptcy proceedings and emerge from it either able to carry on or not. We poured billions and billions into GM and what did we get for it? A company that filed for bankruptcy anyway and left the American People as owners of a weak and struggling company, whose future in uncertain. What is the intent of the government with regard to operation and control of GM going forward? I would like to know what the end game is. The government should never be in a position to pick and choose the industries it will own and control. This sets a terrible precedent for a free market economy. I believe our  laws should be for everyone, the big, the small, and everything in between. The U.S. Government should not be in the “business” of owning any American business regardless of the excuse. Even in good times, the government is de facto owners of U. S. businesses through taxation. The good news is they are silent partners who take only in relation to income and have no say in a companies operation. That is the way it should be.

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I would hope Judge Sotomayor if confirmed as Justice Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court would turn out to be a “wise” jurist who happens to be a “Latina woman”. Life experiences mean a lot no matter the job or position in life. Every person is unique. I believe it is fair for the Senate Judiciary Committee to question Judge Sotomayor on the speech she gave while on the Federal Bench which is seen are controversial in light of her current appointment. What was her intent? Does she still believe that to be the case? What bearing does her statement have on the new role she is about to take? Making decisions weighted by your own experiences and not on the law, I hope all will agree is unacceptable. Making decisions on how you would like the law to be instead of what it should be is likewise unacceptable. I would like the next Justice of the Supreme Court to be a person who will follow the Constitution as the framers intended and not legislate from their position or life experiences. After all this standard is the same as we demand from Jurors everyday. One day a citizen in America could be making donuts and the next deciding the fate of some ones life, liberty or property.

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Judge Sotomayor, You proclaimed publicly that it was the responsibility of a Federal Appeals Judge to "make policy". Where specifically do you derive such power? Is it enumerated in the Constitution? Federal Law? If you cannot site such authority, do you believe such powers are inherent?

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Memorial Day 2009: Courtesy of our fallen heroes. Thank you!

The Nation's Cemetery

No land in America is more sacred than the square mile of Arlington National Cemetery.

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Dick Cheney is the truth squad for the Republican Party. Speaker Pelosi in my opinion is either a liar or an incompetent and it could be both. She was relying on the “top secret” nature of the briefing she attended and the numerous others her staff attended in her behalf, to shield her from the truth emerging as to what she knew, when she knew it and what she did with the information she was briefed on. Who better that Dick Cheney to rebut these issues? He was privy to all the necessary facts that few others were. He knows what enhanced interrogation was being done, how it was approved, who was briefed, and when, where, and who these methods were being used on etc. The facts in my mind are clear with regard to enhanced interrogation methods used under the Bush Administration: 1. They sought legal opinions for methods used; 2. They used such methods sparingly and out of necessity; 3. The methods used were effective; 4. The Leadership of both Parties were briefed on methods being used and those contemplated. Speaker Pelosi and others silence at the time was their approval of methods being used and those that could be used. If they did not agree with the Bush Administrations enhanced interrogation methods at the time, there was a whole host of things they could have done  about it, including but not limited to, their own legal opinions, classified hearings, meetings with CIA Officials, sponsoring legislation, etc.

With regard to the breaking news that President Obama has changed his mind and will now not release alleged “torture photos” that depict U.S. Troops: If this had been May, 2008 instead of May2009, Candidate Obama would have without a doubt in my mind called for the unconditional release of these photos. There would not have been a “concern for the troops”. The Obama Campaign motives were to win at all costs and blame Bush for everything. Now that Obama is the President, he changes the rules to best fit his agenda. Policemen in America everyday abuse prisoners who are citizens, it is not right and it is not condoned. Likewise, there are members of our military who do the very same things . In both instances we have systems in place to deal with such abuses and bring those responsible to justice. Our enemy on the other hand fights without rules and recognizes no internationally accepted laws of engagement. They routinely torture, maim and behead their captives. They answer to no one for their lawless acts. Because, we operate under rules of law, we fight under great disadvantage. But we follow the law none the less. The vast majority of our troops are doing their jobs to the letter of the law. For those who don’t, we take appropriate actions against them. The President’s current decision not to release the photos in question is the right one. Let us see how long he sticks to his guns.

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The President’s desire to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 26 weeks for persons seeking to “re-train” tells us  how bad the economy actually is. I predicted some time ago that unemployment would reach double digits by summer. We are almost there now. In fact, there are some who believe we are already there, if you take into account those who have stopped looking for work,  and those who now are working part-time, who were full-time employees. The President is warehousing people instead of creating the opportunity for employment. Providing an additional 26 weeks of government support provides no incentive, (during the total of 52 weeks of benefits), to get back to work. Paying people to be unproductive never works. Of course there are some who need to be retrained and should be, but, an across the board policy of extending benefits will not help get us back on our feet. The Obama Administration’s policies take away personal responsibility and accountability. If you got in over your head in a mortgage, don’t worry, the government will help you stay in a home you should never have been in, in the first place. Oh, you don’t pay taxes too? No problem, the government will send you a check. You say you cannot find a job within the 26 weeks of unemployment insurance? We can help there as well.  Just agree to “hide out” in school for an additional 26 weeks and we will pay you to do that too. I say enough is enough. We are only digging a deeper hole of debt that we may never get out of for generations. Stop the spending. Start the real savings by cutting back on government spending and incentivize the private sector to start hiring and producing. Just this week the President proudly announced that he and his staff found 17 Billion dollars in annual savings. Sounds impressive, until you put that up against a 4 Trillion dollar budget. It’s like finding 5 dollars on the sidewalk. Its nice to have happen but it isn’t going to change your life.

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The stress tests were placebos not the real medicine needed to fix our banking problem. This was an exercise in futility. What should have been done was audits by independent entities. The Obama Administration did not want to go that route because time and control was not on their side. I have zero confidence in what is being done because the government has abandoned free market practices for public relations stunts that mask or skew the true conditions of our financial services. The government should focus more on oversight and less on control. With all the money we pumped in the auto industry they still are pursuing bankruptcy protection. Our laws should be for everyone, no matter their size. Let the marketplace rule, with necessary government rules and oversight.

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When a President says something, everything he says is scrutinized because, the choice of a particular word has meaning within the context of how it is used. From my experience of working within White Houses, I can attest at the great pains caused by the choice of words in speeches, radio addresses, state of the unions, proclamations, etc. Every word is parsed for its obvious and not so obvious meanings. It is clear by the sheer number of commentators who have spoken on this issue, that the word “empathy” when used in the context of a Supreme Court Nomination has a meaning to some that transcends the ordinary Webster definition. Some have called it a “code word” others a “signal” that what the President means to say is that he is looking for a person who won’t be afraid to be an activist on the Court. Now we can debate what activist means. The word will mean different things to different constituencies. The left and the right relish a good Supreme Court confirmation. Both sides will spin the nominee and the process to fit their own ideology. Nobody expects President Obama to appoint a Justice that Bush would have appointed, so , we are going to get a Liberal Justice. The only question remains is how Liberal? How big will the fight get? Will there be enough to fight over? The first battle in what could be a long and drawn out confirmation has already taken place over what the type of person the President is seeking and the qualifications he admires. Let the games begin!

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The President should deliver a strong message to Pakistan and Afghanistan. To both, he should give them a timetable to push back on the Taliban and go on an all out offensive. He should demand a plan from both for poppy destruction and push the Taliban back into the stone age. We need to make sure Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is secure and we should have inspector’s there now to monitor their safety. President Obama should offer both countries incentives to meet benchmarks. These incentives should be in the way of civilian aid. We will help rebuild critical infrastructure, schools, hospitals, power plants, water treatment and waste facilities, etc. Finally President Obama skewered President Bush throughout the Campaign for not capturing Osama Bin Laden. He should demand from the Pakistani’s and Afghani’s that they turn him over now. President Obama will find out how difficult it is to be President after the conclusion of these meetings, and how you cannot “will” results. Results take a lot of hard work and investment and making decisions that may not be popular at the time, but must be made nonetheless.

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Is it time, as Gov. Mitch Daniels says, for the GOP to  stop whining about the "Democrats not being bipartisan" and start working "on alternative ideas?" 

The reality of governing in 2009-2010 is that Republicans are powerless to stop the Administration or the Democrats. Republicans do not have the votes or the rules on their side in either the House or the Senate. As far as the Senate is concerned the Democrats were able to get by defection, what they could not have attained by an election at this point in time. They will soon have a filibuster proof, closure assured majority in that body. Governor Daniels is right, now is not the time for hand-wringing and whining. Now is the time to use this time to rebuild the party from the ground up. We need to attract candidates and look for election opportunities. We need to identify leaders and better coordinate our message. The basic tenets of the GOP are sound and are as important today as they were when Kemp led the charge in the early 80’s. There is a fundamental difference between the way Republicans govern and Democrats. The distinctions have never been clearer than they are today. We need to give the Democrats enough rope and then we can capitalize on their missteps and overreaching. Republicans should not shy away from the basics, lower taxes, less government, more power to the local and state governments in education, market based health care, a strong military and national defense, a robust and principled foreign policy based on strength and free market trade, etc. We should always offer alternatives to what the Democrats propose but, in reality we could have the best ideas to offer and the Democrats would never take us up on it. They believe it is their time to lead and I believe it is our time to rebuild to fight another day. The next battle is 2010 and we have a lot of work to do.

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Jack Kemp’s passing is the death of an American Conservative Icon. Most noted for his strong fiscal conservative values, he believed in low taxes, small government and supply side economics. We remember with great admiration and respect his crafting of the Economic Recovery Act of 1981, where under the Administration of Ronald Reagan, he helped pass sweeping economic reforms that led to the great prosperity we experienced during that time and helped fuel the “Reagan Revolution”.  It was too bad he wasn’t 20 years younger, because if ever we needed Jack Kemp it is now. The very opposite of what he believed and advocated his entire professional life has now come to be with this new administration, higher taxes, bigger government, socialized medicine, weaker defense, etc. Jack Kemp although very set in his economic ways was less so on social issues like immigration.

Jack Kemp lived the American Dream. He was a college football star, a professional football star, he served in he Army reserves, he was an entrepreneur,  a journalist, a Congressman, a Cabinet Secretary, a Presidential Candidate, a Vice Presidential running mate, an author, a lecturer,  a man of faith, a family man, and a patriot who loved his country.

He will be missed by all Americans who believe in the American Spirit and believe that anything is possible, if you put your mind and heart to it. God Speed, Jack Kemp.

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Justice Souter could retire as early as June of this year. That would mean President Obama could have his first Supreme Court Justice appointed and confirmed by the Senate by the end of 2009. Depending on how controversial the nominee is, will determine how united the Republicans, Independents and Conservative Democrats will be in opposition and outrage. There is nothing more polarizing than a Supreme Court nomination. It creates great fodder. A fresh Supreme Court battle could be just what the doctor ordered for Republicans hopes for gains in 2010 midterm elections.

*****
 

Kudos to the President for starting off his Press Conference with a very strong and confident statement with regard to the Swine Flu threat to our nation and what the government is doing to monitor and prepare. Now with regard to the rest.

The President said we can no longer tolerate a economy built on sand however, I believe we clearly cannot build a economy built on debt, high taxes and irresponsibility. The solutions to our economic woes does not lie in nationalization it should rest with the People. The Democrats believe that in these perilous times when the private sector ails, it is up to the government to make up for that difference.

The American People in the short term do not have an option but to trust the President and Congress, because for the moment their is no credible opposition to what he and the Democrats are enacting. With a Republican Party that does not have the votes necessary to stop the Democratic Steamroller and without an Administration or Congress interested in bipartisanship there is not much anyone can do.

The People will come to realize that the change they have gotten is not the change they bargained for. I believe they do not want socialized medicine, nationalized education, bigger government, a national energy strategy that is not comprehensive or equitable, a weaker national defense and foreign policy, an immigration policy that rewards illegal aliens and punishes employers and does not secure the borders first, taxes and spends too much and nationalizes our once greatest industries. When the American People come to realize that the "change" they voted for is not the change they expected, the Republicans will rise again and be given another chance to lead.

With regard to torture, the President has a disagreement with the prior administration with regard to methods. The fact that he believes water-boarding to be torture does not make it so. The fact that he chooses to stop this or other practices under his watch is a decision he will have to live with. He or anyone else is not wise in second guessing a former administration that kept us safe from further attack after 9/11 when they used their best efforts under the law as they saw it in doing so.

On Iraq the President realizes that there is a lot of work yet to be done but, at least now he is listening to the Generals on the ground. The President today, is a lot more informed and rationally based on what is possible on Iraq than he was as a candidate.

The President claims that his outreach to Republicans has been genuine. However, in the next breath he says the American People voted for me and the Democrats, so, therefore the Republicans cannot expect to get anything substantive they want. That's like inviting someone to dinner but not allowing them to eat. It is clear this President and Congress believe it is their time.

The New York Times Reporters question was the most soft ball question I have ever witnessed at a Presidential News Conference and was so weird that it drew laughs from the President and the reporters present. Their love shows no bounds.

The President failed to specifically state his differences with the Bush Administration's policy and use of the State Secrets Doctrine, (which protects State Secrets form disclosure in judicial proceedings), other than to say it is "overly broad". The Obama Administration is on a kick, across the board to establish a mantra that if Bush did it, we won't or we don't. That is not a reason to change policies that worked in the past and will work on their watch as well.

Overall, the President's performance continues to be scripted from his opening statement, to the reporters he called on, to the answers he gave.

*****
 

The Dems were able to get by defection something they may have never have gotten at the Ballot Box, a closure needed, debated ending 60 votes. The Dems will come to regret taking Arlen in. He knows how important his votes are to them. If you think dealing with Somalia Pirates is bad, try working with Blackbeard Spector. There is not much the GOP can do if the Dems have 60 votes. They need to stay united in opposition and work like hell for mid-term gains. Obama will put the pedal to the metal and steam roll as much legislation through as is possible while he enjoys his "dictatorship".

*****
 

Arlen Specter is a selfish not a selfless politician, who like Sen. Byrd has over stayed his welcome. Specter knew that if he remained a Republican he was likely to get knocked off in a bloody primary fight, so, opportunistically he knew that the chances for him to be re-elected is best as a Democrat. He did not switch parties over ideology he switched for his own self interest. Service should be an opportunity not a career and whether you are a Republican or a Democrat there comes a time when its time to move on. The Republican Senate Caucus should kick Specter out today. He made his bed and now he must lie with the Democrats. Good riddance.

Bradley A. Blakeman, Former Deputy Assistant to the President of the United  States, George W. Bush:

A word on the buzzing of NYC and "Ground Zero" by the Presidential Aircraft and military fighter jets : The President should fire the head of the White House Military Office for approving a publicity photo flight of NYC by the Presidential 747 escorted by military fighters. New Yorkers were scared out of their minds to see a 747 flying so low around the city being "chased" by military fighter jets. The White House needs to release the Manifest for the 747 and detail the cost if this boondoggle. I suspect the cost will be close to half a million dollars to stage publicity photos that could have been accomplished on a computer. This was a serious lapse in judgment and a waste of Tax Payer money in very perilous economic times.

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A note on the World-Wide outbreak of Swine Flu: Hats off to the Bush Administration and Former HHS Secretary Leavitt and the professionals at HHS, CDC, FDA, the Surgeon General and others, for sounding the alarm and coordinating a nationwide strategy to prepare our professionals and population for the next Pandemic. The question is not whether our nation will suffer another Pandemic, the question is when and how severe it will be. A few years back HHS set forth a national Pandemic Review and Preparedness Strategy borne out of the Bird Flu cases seen in Asia. The Bush Administration recognized the need to plan for the next Pandemic and did a great job in putting forth a workable common sense plan. The Obama Administration will be in good stead to deal with the current Swine Flu scare by working off the game plan provided by HHS. HHS Secretary Leavitt went to all 50 States and set up conferences with Federal, State, and Local Governments, Hospitals and First Responders to coordinate a response and maintenance protocol in isolating and treatment of a Pandemic no matter its size and scope. The key to getting a hand on a Pandemic is recognizing it and trying to isolate, quarantine and treat those effected as early as possible.

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On September 11, 2001, I was the Deputy Assistant to the President for Appointments and Scheduling, essentially the President's Gate Keeper. It was a beautiful September morning in DC. I arrived at my West Wing Office at the usual time, 6:15 am and prepared for the 7:30 am Senior Staff Meeting in the Roosevelt Room. The President and Chief of Staff Card were in Florida and Josh Bolten was the highest ranking staffer at the White House besides the Vice President. After the Senior Staff Meeting, I went back to my office on the first floor of the West Wing and began my normal office routine. As was my habit, I constantly had a news station on my office TV. I always kept volume down even during meetings, so I could immediately respond to news as it was happening. As I was doing my work, I heard reports being broadcast of a commuter plane that struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center. The story immediately grabbed my attention for several obvious and not so obvious reasons, the oddity of the accident, I am from NY and my Brother at the time, was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of NY/NJ which owns the Trade Center Towers. Needless to say, I was glued to the coverage, and I witnessed live the second plane strike the other Trade Center Tower. Like Cesar, I knew immediately at that time, that America was under attack and said so to my assistant. I immediately went into the Situation Room and heard and saw Josh Bolten swing into action. The West Wing Staff met in the White House Mess and were given instructions on evacuation and immediately after the briefing did so. I went to a off site location with about 100 plus staffers and I was the highest ranking staffer at that location. We all went to work. We wanted to know what other President's had done after the Marine Barracks Bombing in Lebanon, the Murrow Building Bombing in Oklahoma, the first World Trade Center Bombing, Etc. We wanted to compile a historical press prospective of how they reported the events and we also wanted to know what former Presidents did for a period of two weeks from the events. When did they address the Nation, who did they meet with, how did their schedules change. During the time I was leading the staff from the off site location, my brother was calling me and my sister, as my nephew Tommy Jurgens a Senior Court Officer and combat trained army medic was reported to have left his court house to respond to the scene and was missing. As it turned out, my nephew lost his life saving others. He disregarded orders from his superiors to leave the building and went back in to rescue others. At approximately 5:30 pm, I released the majority of the staff from my location and just myself a few others returned to the White House to join other Senior Staff for a meeting in the Roosevelt Room. We prepared for the President's return to the White House and his Address from the Oval Office that night. We threw out the President's planned schedule for 2 weeks and scheduled meetings and appearances as events warranted. I got home that night at Midnight and returned to work on 9/12 at 6am. I was never more proud of my Country and those who serve as I was and continue to be during this time. Everyone swung into action and went to work unselfishly with a primary focus to do whatever it takes to be helpful. Two days after 9/11, I told Andy Card that my Nephew was missing and that I may want to return to NY on the weekend. He asked me if I had told the President and I said I did not. He told me to do whatever I needed to do. Within five minutes of telling Secretary Card that my Nephew was missing the President called me on the phone and told me he is praying for the safe return of my nephew and pledged to me that he will find those responsible and bring them to justice. No sooner did I hang up the phone then the President was at my desk and repeated those statements and shook my hand. If anyone watched after 9/11 the response of our government with a critical eye it was me. I know first hand what the President, Vice President and the entire administration did to keep us safe from further attacks and to bring those responsible to justice. I am so proud to have served during this time with patriots so focused in doing the right things for the right reasons. We can second the actions taken by the Bush Administration but one thing is for sure, those who served acted with the best of intentions and were singularly focused in preventing further harm to our citizens. The proof of their efforts is without question, we have not experienced further attacks at home and abroad since 9/11 and it is principally because of the actions taken by the Bush Administration and Congress including but not limited to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, FISA, the reorganization of our intelligence services, the creation of a Intelligence Czar, and yes the legal Interrogation of our enemies.

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Feinstein's intervention by penning a letter to the FDIC while a bid was pending to benefit her husband’s business with the FDIC was inappropriate at best. After her husband’s company “won” the bid, Sen. Feinstein introduced a 25 billion dollar bill further bailing out the agency that awarded the contract to her husband’s company, CB Richard Ellis Group. Sen. Feinstein’s husband’s company is charging outrageous fees in the sale of foreclosed properties. When brokers around the country are slashing their fees to get work, Mr. Feinstein’s firm charges for “setting up the sale”, “managing the property” and a 6 percent commission on the sale. In a volume contract that involves millions of properties, you would think the commission rate would be reduced and other fees waived. Well, in with Sen. Feinstein’s hubby who incidentally goes by the name Richard Blum, is gouging the U.S. Tax payer the very people the good Senator is suppose to be protecting. Why did a Senator who is not a member of a committee which overseas the FDIC write a letter to them while her husband’s contract bid was pending? Why after the contract award to her husband’s firm, did Sen. Feinstein sponsor a 25 Billion Dollar Bill aiding the very entity that awarded that contract? This stinks and it all should be investigated ASAP.

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Earth to the Speaker: We could be the cleanest most responsible Earth friendly nation on Earth and it will all be for naught, if the rest of the World doesn’t join us in our efforts. If Speaker Pelosi could get Russia, China and India to be as responsible as we are, then you have something. For every expert that says humans are the cause of “climate change” there are 10 more who say we aren’t. “Climate Change,” is the favorite topic of the left and the Hollywood Hipsters and left elitists. It makes them feel good as they ride around in their limos and party behind the walls of their mega-mansions. We should strive to be a clean and energy efficient nation because it just makes good sense and not because it is the “in thing” to do.

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The President announced a most aggressive agenda when he took over. In January, he said he wants to make the economy. energy, socialized health care and education reform his top priorities his first year. Then just last week he added immigration reform to his list of first year accomplishments. The American People spoke very loudly last year with regard to immigration and in light of the current problems that we are seeing on the border they were correct. We need to secure the borders of our country from illegal immigration, drug smuggling and narco terrorists, before we take on any other immigration reforms. Comprehensive immigration reform is not realistic without securing our borders first. There is no way a mortal president will be able to come close to the aggressive agenda this president has set forth. Even in the best of times, something unforeseen will develop and derail one or more of his agenda items. In spite of the Democrats control of both houses of Congress with high majorities, the President will have a hard time getting through a first year legislative agenda with so many hot button, difficult and divisive issues.

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Questions: When should a President not shake the hand of the Head of State or of Government?

The answer is a simple one. The President of the United States should never shake the hand of a brutal dictator from a country we do not have formal diplomatic relations with. There is a difference in being polite and being a Statesman. It was impolite at its kindness, for Chavez to have played our President like a pawn for his own political advantage and it was wrong for our President to have taken the bait. President Obama should have politely gestured Chavez back to his seat and not gotten up from his and not accepted a book that was also intended with a political message. The book Chavez gave the President of the United States was written by a well known leftist Eduardo Galeano and it is a anti-imperialist manifesto entitles “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent”. Would Roosevelt have shaken the hand of Hitler? No. Would Roosevelt have accepted Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf” in a spirit of “friendship”? No. When I attended the Earth Summit in Rio with President George H. W. Bush, Castro did not have the kehones to shake his hand when they were together at the Class Photo, nor was Bush present in the room for his rant against the U.S. at the Summit Session. Chavez, Ortega, the Castro brothers, and other despots, know this President is desperate to be liked and will do anything to advance a U.S. appeasement and concession strategy. They are watching him very careful dismantle everything “Bush” and it was many of those policies that kept these dictators in check. No sooner did the handshake occur, than Chavez had it up on his website and the New York Times had it above the fold on its front page. That was “the” story of the entire Summit. It overtook all the good that could have come from it and all because our President wants to be liked. He has brought great embarrassment on our Nation.

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American consumer credit worthiness relies on the opinion of basically three national credit-reporting agencies, (Experian, Trans Union and Equifax). These private entities gather information on individuals and unilaterally come up with a credit score for Americans without any input whatsoever from the consumers they are affecting.
 
Many creditors routinely provide all these companies with false, misleading or inaccurate information that becomes parroted by all three agencies in their reports and credit scores. Many times this incorrect information is provided intentionally or negligently.
 
Information providers have virtually no liability for their factually inaccurate data and act with impunity.
 
Creditors are given carte blanche to report whatever they want and their word is taken as gospel by the agencies. Never do these reporting agencies advise the consumer of potential harmful or derogatory information prior to reporting out their credit score. Never do these companies give the consumer the opportunity to correct such negative information before reporting out their credit scores. Rarely if ever, do credit agencies advise the consumer when their credit has been checked and who has checked it prior to the release of credit information.
 
Erroneous information contained in credit reports cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in higher interest rates and punitive charges.
 
Yes, consumers are entitled by law to receive a free copy of their credit report once a year from the big three credit agencies. Good luck though, trying to get a straight answer from any one of the credit agencies for alleged contested information. The consumer is treated as guilty until proven innocent. The review process for contested information is as secretive, as the process by which they come up with a credit score to begin with.
 
Computers programs run the entire credit process, from the gathering of credit information, to selecting a credit score, to the reporting of information, and to the correcting of information. It is next to impossible to talk to a human being to answer any question a consumer may have unless, the consumer is willing to pay a fee and subscribe to the services of the credit agencies they wish to talk with.
 
The credit agencies are in the pockets of the banks, and lending companies. The burden is put on the consumer to catch them if they can.
 
It is about time that consumers rise up against such shoddy treatment. If the credit agencies refuse to become more transparent and consumer friendly, then the legislature should enact rules and regulations that make the process more fair and balanced.
 
The big 3 credit agencies have created a cottage industry of charging for services that consumers should be entitled to as a matter of right.

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It served no purpose for the White House and DOJ to make public Bush Era Memos on interrogation when, the Obama Administration already had decided NOT to investigate or bring charges against any former member of the Bush Administration or employee of the government with regard to interrogations that followed the rules in place at that time. A simple statement by either the Attorney General or the White House would have been sufficient. The Obama Administration has decided to change the rules on their watch with regard to interrogation. I disagree with that decision. I believe their actions will make us weaker in gathering and obtaining information that could fend off further harm to us and our allies. The Bottom-line is that after 9/11 there was no further attacks to our Homeland precisely because of the the actions taken by the Bush Administration, including but not limited to a reorganization of our intelligence services and the interrogation techniques practiced. The release of these memos is fodder for our enemies who see our President as weak. Our enemies behead their captives after brutal interrogations. We put “caterpillars” in their cells to scare them, and make them listen to Madonna. Big difference. Our enemies do not follow any international law with regard to imprisonment or interrogation. We on the other hand, dumb down our own laws and international law in an effort to show our humanity at the expense of our safety. It will take another attack before we realize that playing nice does not make us safer, it makes us more vulnerable.

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The inmates are running the asylum at Homeland Security. When Secretary Napolitano took over at Homeland what was her first order of business? She gave the edict, with the blessing of the Administration, that no longer would the government use the term, “war on terror” or “terrorism”. Instead the new lingo will be “man-made disasters”. The fact that Homeland sees fit to publish a report that can only be intended to further polarize an already polarized population is nuts. The country is divided in philosophy. Such a division does not make those in opposition right wing extremists, it makes them practitioners of democracy. There is not one scintilla of back-up for the outrageous conclusions contained in the Homeland report. The only “extremism” that exists in our country, can be found in those who serve a new government hell bent on governing by threat and raw power. They railroad Bills through without any opportunity for those called to vote on it to even read it. They state very matter of factly to the opposition that, “we won, therefore we rule”, yet they claim to seek bipartisanship. The Democrats have been out of power so long that they feel the need for speed in governing. There exists a tremendous sense of entitlement on their part. Either you are with them or against them, and if you oppose them you are labeled a “right wing extremist”. I would say that is pretty extreme.

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On Tax Day it is appropriate to discuss what should be done to change our current tax structure. I have some ideas..........
We need to scrap the 60,000 page Tax Code. A simple two tier simplified individual tax, the rates to be decided. The deductions should be limited to home mortgage deduction, and charitable deductions. The corporate tax would be fixed at 25 percent. Capital Gains should be graduated down, (starting at 10 percent), so the longer you own an asset, the less tax you pay when you sell it. I would also eliminate the Death Tax.

With Regard to the Tea Party’s all across America today:

Taxation with over representation is as bad as taxation without it. Growing government at a time of financial crisis is lunacy. Those who are in the majority in power, believe in themselves more than the people who put them there. They believe government is the cure all, and it is the government's responsibility to make up for the lost productivity of the private sector. They actually believe that it is patriotic to grow government in tough times. Well I say no! Return power to the people. Reduce the burden of over taxation, unleash the power of creativity, incentivize  the ingenuity of our citizens,  and America will prosper again. My message to those in power is a simple one. Get out of our way! We don' t want your socialized medicine, we don't believe in your Robin hood theory of economics, and we condone the mortgaging our future and those of generations to come, because your reckless taxing and spending and borrowing. Mr President, you can tell your socialist buddies at home and abroad, tyranny in 2009 shall not prevail in America. Like 1773,  it is Tea Time in America!