They've never understood the movement. The idea of "grassroots," meaning that everybody is springing up spontaneously with no organized leaders, seems to be beyond the union thugs who pass out premade signs and stock their town halls with pre invited "guests." Baffling, that there could be that many patriotic souls who felt "The Call" simultaneously. You remember, when the MSM started reporting on the tea partiers, we were stupid uninformed rednecks. Oh, RACIST rednecks. Then in an effort to increase the shocking view of the tea partiers the whole RACIST thing became not only RACIST but HOMOPHOBIC. Don't forget the Nazi meme. This seems to be wearing itself thin, and people are getting annoyed with all the isms being thrown around rather than actual reasoned arguments. Well, the difficulty is that reasoned arguments are difficult to come by since "we," the tea partiers, have no leaders, no one to argue with, no one to ridicule or tear apart or reputation to ruin, which is why the MSM and the left have been so nasty to the SIGNS, searching for misspellings and any nasty idea they could construe from the signs' meanings. Once the latest poll came out indicating that the tea partiers were better educated and more successful than some citizens, then hypocrisy became the descriptor of the day. These people want to preserve Medicare and Medicaid, which are government programs, but they don't want a new government program like health care? What seems to be beyond the grasp of the MSM writers at this point is understanding that, though Medicare and Medicaid are established programs that serve a purpose, they are underfunded, bankrupt and on their way to ruining this country. Those two programs exemplify every other government program that does nothing well: overpays its organizational employees, underserves the public, runs its organization into the ground financially and ethically...think US Post Office, Medicaid, Medicare, IRS, SEC, Immigration department...it's all a mess. So the last few days, the meme has changed. Ed Rendell, who seems to be a nice enough guy, said openly on Fox News yesterday. There aren't that many tea partiers, so you might as well ignore us. Don't take us seriously. Just because 4 or 500 people showed up in a small town like Perrysburg for a rally doesn't mean there are any more than a few thousand around the country. Apparently they haven't figured in that, for every person who shows up at a tea party rally, dozens more are sympathetic, not active, but will be trotting their little selves out to vote on November 2. All in all, this is a pathetic attempt at marginalizing a faction of citizens that the MSM and leftists don't understand, don't agree with, and don't care to respect. Most citizens can see through this, having watching the buffoonery and deceit of this administration's irresponsible actions. Eagles up, Patriots. And don't give up the ship!
This is a problem that the entire nation is facing, at the local, state and federal levels. Do citizens have any idea who is going to be paying this? Just as the government took over GM, the taxpayers will be on the hook for all these debts. Teachers, state workers, firemen, policemen, city workers, federal workers, all will be eligible for some sort of stimulus from the feds when the pensions come due and there is no money. First read Fred Barnes' article in Weekly Standard to get a good background on this (link here):
Let’s start with horror stories of pensions run amok. If these tales of wretched excess at the expense of taxpayers don’t infuriate you, you’re jaded from decades of overindulgence by governments large and small:
• In Contra Costa, California, the final salary of one fire chief, 51, was $221,000. He was given an annual, guaranteed pension of $284,000. Another chief, 50, whose final salary was $185,000, got a pension of $241,000. Credit the Contra Costa Times with uncovering this.
Congressman Jim Obertar (D-MN) wants to amend the Clean Water Act after almost 40 years by removing the word “navigable” when limiting federal jurisdiction. Stephen Hayes, Mara Liasson, Charles Krauthammer, and Bret Baier debate whether Oberstar’s measure would simply solidify current federal authority, or eliminate every last vestige of federalism and state sovereignty: [SNIP]
Good Question: So just to be clear, it’s constitutional to penalize someone for not showing proof of health insurance but not request proof of citizenship?
As a frequent visitor to the state, people ask the above question. How can you like Ohio, they want to know. You have nothing there: grey days, "rural" clothing trends, not much free stuff, no birds of paradise, no panoramic oceanscapes, no mountains. Hmpf. Our little corner of the world isn't perfect, but it's pretty comfy. You can get anywhere in 15 minutes. You have access to the vaunted big cities in a few hours. You have excellent health care and schools (Well, okay,if you don't live in Toledo). You have an art museum, a zoo, several respectable universities, lots of shopping, and LOTS of places to eat from all over the world. You generally don't have a bunch of weirdos trying to control your schools and making stands on stupid issues. Nobody, NOBODY, in the world enjoys SPRING as much as we do and blue sunny days. Out there, everything's a carnival. Sure, there are beautiful (obscenely so) places with unspeakably unusual foliage. But everywhere you see bizarre people. The freeways are frightening. You have to fear for your life if your car breaks down. Plan on waiting in lines, wherever you go. And be sure that you won't understand half the words being spoken around you. Yeah, there are a lot of beautiful people out there, but much of what you see is so artificial as to be hard to appreciate. Implants for every body part, surgery to pull this in and that out, whatever. Self indulgent spas to cater to your whims are everywhere. Billboards in Spanish. Billboards in English everywhere advertising the next stupid movie which most of middle America will never see, the handsome star/let looking out with their 3 foot high artificially blue eyes pasted on a passing bus. Gold roofed buildings in Beverly Hills, even the police station. Precious water being wasted on growing grass in the desert, even while legislators suggest that the Great Lakes be emptied to provide water so that Palm Springs can run rivulets down its curbs as the sprinklers drain into the streets. Not my Great Lakes. All scenes of indulgence, opulence and evidence of an utterly broke state. Not only is the state broke because everyone who works for it in any capacity makes way too much money, but California citizens are all broke too. Many are eligible for free everything. Many have bought whatever they want or think they need: boats, big houses, "cottages" on gorgeous lakes in the mountains, backyard pools. The list goes on. Don't worry about tomorrow. Just remortgage your house and get what you want. Borrow from the relatives back in Michigan, if you have to, but get what you want. Then when the bill comes due, go crying to the authorities because, after all, this is your right. And who do you think will be bailing these people out? Who? Take a look at this chart and you can see who will be bailing these irresponsible people out. You've already got the Obama administration paying off mortgages and credit cards (as long as your balance is above $10,000!). (Map found here.)
Yes, you will be bailing out California. You. The hard worker who plugs away every day, paying taxes for schools and city services so your kids can grow up in a nice neighborhood. You, who just want to enjoy your life. You, who always thought that all you had to do was work hard, take care of your family, and the payoff would be great because you knew you were responsible for those little chicks under your roof. That swimming pool in Brent's backyard? Yeah, you'll be paying for that, cuz Brent's run out of, well, your money, so he needs more. The atmosphere of dependence that has been fostered by this administration and those of liberal states like California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Michigan are evidence that giving things away free does not work. It only makes people more dependent, stupid and lethargic. Why should I do it myself if someone else will do it for more and smooth my hair away from my fevered brow? This is the fruit of Obama's labor. This is the fruit of the labor of the Democrats, who fully expect to be booted from office in November, with the knowledge the jobs of position will be made available to them when all these layers of government are imposed on these United States. This is why the tea parties have been formed. Hope springs, of course, all over the country, that we can stop the bleeding and save our country. All over the news politicians and talking heads speculate about the impact and nature of the tea parties, as if "we" were a monolithic group. They do not understand, as we come streaming from our houses in our little/big towns, carrying our flags and our homemade posters, eager to spend a few minutes in the company of other like-minded imperfect individuals. They do not understand what drives us, because we probably do not understand it much ourselves. We only know that something must be done. A father must be found. A mother must enact punishment. A consequence must be enacted. The enabling must stop. The old traditions of respect, order, consequence, loyalty, patriotism must survive the onslaught of the fruit of the labors of the 60s generation. We thought we were through with them, the hippies and the screamers. Unfortunately they dwell in Washington, D.C. now, and in the ivy covered academic buildings on our campuses, and in the state houses of our governments. But "we" are here now. "We." The tea party." Huh. Who would have thought it. Read Victor David Hanson:
How, exactly, does Arizona's law "threaten[] to undermine basic notions of fairness"? Why is it unfair to enforce the immigration laws? Most Americans would say that it undermines basic notions of fairness when our government deliberately refuses to enforce the laws Congress has passed, to the disadvantage of our citizens. And as far as trust between police and "communities" is concerned--assuming we are talking about communities of American citizens--one would think it would improve trust if citizens can see that the laws are being enforced. It's funny, isn't it: liberals love to talk about the "rule of law" when they are trying to create never-before-seen "rights" belonging to enemy combatants. But where is the "rule of law" when the laws relating to immigration are studiously ignored, if not deliberately undermined?
So the Boy Scouts of America, one of the finest non-profit organizations in the United States, can't do anything right. On one hand, you have homosexuals and the ACLU (an organization that also supports NAMBLA-the North American Man Boy Love Association) suing them because the Scouts won't take atheist Scout leaders or leaders who are homosexual. On the other hand, if a Scout leader turns out to be a child molester, the Scouts get sued for millions of dollars. This is a volunteer organization that builds character in young boys. Are we to take everything away in this culture that builds character? Is that the goal of liberals? One really has to ask. Here is some background on the ACLU lawsuits.Note also the Wikipedia slam that begins the entry on the Boy Scouts...nothing good about the Scouts...just that people get upset that the Scouts, an organization that supports families, hard work and leadership, have standards. Now a jury has awarded someone over $18 million for having been molested by a Scout leader 27 years ago. The reason? The Boy Scouts had secret files that should have been made PUBLIC. Only imagine what the ACLU would have done with THAT. For a thoughtful analysis of the case, go here. One might ask where the mother was in all this. An objective look at these cases might indicate that these forces are trying to destroy any good organization from within.
In the meantime, we do know that in 2014, Congress will have to participate in the health insurance exchange markets that are established by the law, and some of Congress’ employees will qualify for government subsidies, and are likely to successfully apply for them, which will trigger employer mandate fines for Congress.
In that case, maybe OPM or Sebelius’ Health and Human Services or one of the other agencies will step in to say, in effect, “nothing to see here folks!”
Or maybe Congress will shell out $50 million a year to itself under a law it passed without many lawmakers reading it or becoming familiar with its details.
Conveniently, Senator Schumer preemptively dismissed any claims that because he or members of his party made arguments for the filibuster when he was serving in the minority should not mean the filibuster rules shouldn’t be changed today, when his party is no longer benefitting from a successful filibuster. He said:
“I was a member of this committee in 2003, as were many of my colleagues here, both Republican and Democrat. Not surprisingly, the words we spoke then might not reflect how we feel today, when our Majority and Minority roles are reversed. I am sure my colleagues could quote me opposing filibuster reform, just as I could quote them in favor of such reform. But that is not the point of these hearings.”
On Monday, the Christian Science Monitor bucked its mainstream peers by reporting something truthful about the TEA party movement: police officials have begun to relax security requirements at conservative rallies because of the remarkable absence of violence.
Yes, you read that right: despite nonstop media warnings about hateful protests, violence from TEA party attendants is so nonexistent that police feel safe allowing them to bring large items and sometimes even guns.
This video is an excellent portrayal of the differences between economic philosophies: Keynes:"I want to steer markets" vs. Hayek: "I want to set markets free." Keynesian philosophy is that government should control the economy, should step in to "stimulate" the economy and take charge of many elements of daily life. Hayek believes in a free market that would take care of and correct itself. Notice that the actor portraying Hayek is a geeky bald guy, while Keynes is appealingly tall and somewhat good looking. All the chicks are hanging on the generosity of the free spending Keynes, who is giddily covering everyone's tab and drinking up a storm. The headache comes the day after, of course, just as our headache is on its way financially. Tea partiers have been demonized by Keynesians, partly with the claim that no taxes have yet been raised, as if the monstrous health care bill will not come with an enormous bill. This week, our overlords are discussing raising taxes on gas and all forms of energy, yet we are not supposed to look ahead and know that the bill will come due. This is the height of ignorance and arrogance. Responsible citizens do not spend what they do not have; they budget for new expenditures and save at least a little bit for emergencies. This whole pattern of behavior is being ignored by our government and the Keynesian spouters who mock our concern about the future. Apparently we are supposed to sit around and wait for the disaster to happen, as if our country means so little to us that we will allow greedy buffoons to run it into the ground, controlling every aspect of our daily lives along the way. The video is from THIS website.
This report isn't bad news for the Democrats. It's Armageddon.
The survey compares views sampled in 1997 with now. The "now" is the Democrats' problem. The survey took place this mid-March. After one year of the charismatic, ever-present Barack Obama, after passage of the party's totemic health-care bill, after spending zillions on Keynesian pump-priming, the American people—well beyond the tea partiers—have the lowest opinion ever of national government.
Because the Dems are going to vote themselves out of having the consider the minority party. Go to this link to read what the Dems thought when they were worried the Republicans were going to try to eliminate the filibuster. This is criminal.
Senate Democrats Gather In The Rules Committee To Eliminate The Filibuster, Which They Previously Called One “Of The Most Treasured And Cherished Traditions Of The United States Senate.”
THEN-SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “What [The American People] Do Not Expect Is For One Party, Be It Republican Or Democrat, To Change The Rules In The Middle Of The Game So They Can Make All The Decisions While The Other Party Is Told To Sit Down And Keep Quiet.” “What they do not expect is for one party, be it Republican or Democrat, to change the rules in the middle of the game so they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet. The American people want less partisanship in this town, but everyone in this Chamber knows that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting, the bitterness, and the gridlock will only get worse.” (Sen. Obama, Congressional Record, S.3512, 4/13/05) THEN-SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE): “I Pray God [SNIP]
A top Senate Republican on Thursday accused the Obama administration of misleading taxpayers about General Motors' loan repayment, saying the struggling auto giant was only able to repay its bailout money by dipping into a separate pot of bailout money.
Sen. Chuck Grassley's charge was backed up by the inspector general for the bailout -- also known as the Trouble Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Watchdog Neil Barofsky told Fox News, as well as the Senate Finance Committee, that General Motors used bailout money to pay back the federal government.
"It appears to be nothing more than an elaborate TARP money shuffle," Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a letter Thursday to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
