Happy Thanksgiving - 2009

The First Thanksgiving
(Credit: History.Com)

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.

The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Today in the spirit of the first Pilgrims where ever you are and whatever your circumstance, with a peaceful heart and courage of conviction I wish you and yours God's blessings for peace, prosperity, and a bountiful harvest of his love and mercy.

We live in a time of economic distress and uncertainty that this Great Nation has not seen in a very long time and we know this will not last forever.  I know there are so many out there suffering today who through no fault of their own have lost their jobs, homes and in some cases their families too.  I pray that each and everyone of you know in your heart that as in times of trial in the past, this great country and her people have shown its resiliency time and again and rediscovered their greatness together. 

Almighty God being on our side, that time will come again as sure as the sun will rise this morning.

A blessed Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

We’re All Racists Now

Obama’s Support Drops Precipitously Across Most Categories

As if the Rasmussen polling data showing Obama’s negatives at –15 yesterday wasn’t bad enough, Gallup released a poll showing Obama’s support across every category except one dropping since taking office.

I guess we’re all racists now.  Funny how that term has completely lost its meaning and impact now that Jimmy Carter v. 2.0 has dithered his way through destroying our economy and the war effort in Afghanistan.

The one category that Obama didn’t lose support in, was amongst Black American’s, where he went from 90% approval to 91% approval.

At the end of the day, the core demographics that make up the base of Obama’s support, Blacks, Women, young adults 18 – 29 and College educated show huge erosions in three of the four major demographics.  

In the liberal East and Midwest, Obama’s support has dropped nearly one-fifth due to his job killing, tax and spend, bigger government proposals.

While Obama’s personal popularity may remain high, what this poll shows is the decline in approval for the job he’s doing in office.  The Democrats and their Obama Approved Media continue to fail at making this important distinction, which is why we felt it necessary to point it out to you, our reader today.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Economy,Jobs,Approval Rating,Congress,President

The Real Jobless Rate: 17.5%

One in Five American’s Looking For Work, Under-Employed

Link To: CNBC

No doubt Jeff Cox at CNBC is going to be in big trouble for this: telling the truth about the REAL Unemployment Rate in the United States.

According to the U-6 number, which was created in 1994 by the Clinton Administration, one in five American’s is either completely out of work, is under-employed or has fallen off the unemployment rolls. 

The unemployment rate reported by the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, commonly referred to as the U-3 number is 10.2%, but doesn’t count those under-employed, have exhausted their benefits or have simply “given up.”

Many believe their jobs aren’t coming back, and probably for good reason: starting in 2000, 40% of all new jobs created were related to real estate.  This means attorneys, mortgage brokers, bankers, construction workers, appliance manufacturers and more.

Does this mean a ‘jobless recovery’ is on the horizon?  Very likely the answer is YES.

"Workers are unemployed for a much longer span than we've seen historically," says David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities International in New York. "Part of that may be affected by the longer availability of benefits. It reduces the incentives for an urgent job search."

There is little doubt in my mind that we’ve yet to see how severe this recession has been, or is going to be in the long-term.  High unemployment puts pressure on consumers, who drive 70% or more of all economic activity in the U.S. to cut spending and reduce debt for fear of losing their own jobs. 

When will the jobs return?  Most experts predict it will be a decade or longer until the jobs market sees 4.5% unemployment as we did under the Bush Administration.

 

Support For Health Care Reform Hits All Time Low

Just 38% of American’s in Favor

Credit: Rasmussen Reports

More proof that the Democrat Party is waging political and economic jihad against American’s, a new poll shows that a small minority of American’s support “health care reform” as proposed by Barack Hussein Obama and the Democrat Congress.

That’s the lowest level of support measured since June.

The same poll shows that 56% of American’s now strongly oppose the plan, with the remaining 6% “undecided.”

The poll by the way was conducted before the Senate voted on a 2,024 page monstrosity that strips American’s choice in health care, implements the “death panels” that Sarah Palin accurately referred to, strips $500 billion dollars from Medicare which covers America’s Senior Citizens.

Yes, they are most certainly coming for Grandma, and they want her dead.  The proof is in the legislation.  (See Sunday’s entry for all the new taxes!)

 

Obama Approval Plummets Below 30%

As Obama enters Carter Administration popularity territory, new polling data shows that Obama’s ‘strong approval’ rating has plummeted 10 points in the last 30 days to 28%. 

Obama’s popularity has sunk below George W. Bush’s in this latest poll, and is approaching Jimmy Carter territory of 22% at the lowest point in Carter’s Presidency.

Among men, Obama’s approval rating index is –20.   For the first time in his Presidency, Obama has had double-digit negatives for nine straight days which include the period right before and after the Senate’s vote on Saturday night to seize control of the nation’s health care.

 

Voters Want Tax Cuts, Less Government Spending

Voters Best Equipped To Fix Economy

In another poll by Rasmussen, more than 62% of American voters said that the Obama Administration’s plans to “fix the economy” are on the wrong track, and that tax cuts with reduced government spending is the cure.  Only 21% believe more government spending and increased taxes are the way to go.

Additionally, more than 50% now want the remaining “Economic Stimulus” spending cancelled, citing government spending as one of the reasons the recession continues to linger.

Is this any surprise?  Every time tax cuts have been implemented to spur economic growth, it’s worked.  There has never been a government or country in the history of civilization that managed to tax and spend its way into prosperity.

Never.

For the so-called “smartest President in history” to not understand this speaks volumes as to how “smart” he really is.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Obamacare,economy,jobs,taxes,tax cuts,liberals,Congress,approval rating,Government,Senate

Democrats: Political & Economic Jihad Against America

New Taxes In Senate Passed Bill Will Kill Economy, Jobs, Destroy America

Last night the Democrat Controlled United States Senate passed so-called “health care reform” legislation that will kill the American economy.  The vote was party line, all 60 Democrats committing political and economic jihad against the American people.

Here are some of the taxes we could find in the bill.  These new taxes were written so cryptically, a non-legal person couldn’t determine where their impact would be felt, but you our reader must understand this: All new taxes that ANY business pays are passed onto the end consumer.  The effect of these taxes will have one effect on all Americans: RAISE PRICES. 

1. Individual Mandate Tax (Page 324/Sec. 1501/$8 bil)  This is the expected “revenue” the Government expects to generate by imposing FINES on those who don’t purchase health care insurance.
2. Employer Mandate Tax (Page 348/Sec. 1513/$28 bil)  Straight up, this is a tax on all employers who pay for health care insurance for their employees. 
3. Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans (Page 1979/Sec. 9001/$149.1 bil)  For those with comprehensive health care plans (including medical, dental, vision) you get to pay higher premiums via this new tax because of this “benefit".
4. Employer Reporting of Insurance on W-2 (Page 1996/Sec. 9002/Min$) 
5. Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 1997/Sec. 9003/$5 bil)  Are they serious?  What is this, people with medicine cabinets will pay a new tax?  Who’s going to enforce this?  Will there be home inspections?
6. HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike (Page 1998/Sec. 9004/$1.3 bil) 
7. FSA Cap (Page 1999/Sec. 9005/$14.6 bil)
8. Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 1999/Sec. 9006/$17.1 bil)  For those who receive 1099’s for income or work, you’ll be paying  new tax so the Government can “process” your 1099 to figure out how much you should be paying for health care insurance.
9. Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals (page 2001/Sec. 9007/Min$)  This will absolutely KILL charitable contributions to hospitals, who must now pay TAXES on all contributions they receive.  This also removes the tax benefit of contributing to these organizations if a taxpayer makes more than $200,000 a year – the primary donor class to Charitable hospitals!
10. Tax on Innovator Drug Companies (Page 2010/Sec. 9008/ $22.2 bil)  This new tax will kill all new drug development in this country, period. 
11. Tax of Medical Device Manufacturers (Page 2020/Sec. 9009/$19.3 bil)  Need a pacemaker?  This tax means you’ll pay more for it.  Same for orthodics, crutches, braces, implants, etc..
12. Tax on Health Insurers (Page 2026/Sec. 9010/$60.4 bil)  This new tax is just because the Government could pass it on those evil insurance companies!  The result is you and I are going to pay higher premiums to those same evil insurance companies to make up the difference so they can continue paying claims to their insured!  Once again, all costs of doing business – including taxes – are always passed onto the end consumer.  That’s basic College Business 101.
13. Eliminate tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D (Page 2034/Sec. 9012/$5.4 bil)
14. Raise “Haircut” for Medical Itemized Deduction from 7.5% to 10% of AGI (Page 2034/Sec. 9013/$15.2 bil)  This is a tax hike on those of us with pre-existing conditions.  Raising the itemized deduction to 10% of Adjusted Gross Income means more people will not qualify for the deduction making this a net tax HIKE on those with pre-existing conditions.  Talk about a slap in the face!  Were’nt we the ones the Government was supposed to protect?
15. $500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Insurance Executives (Page 2035/Sec. 9014/$0.6 bil)
16. Hike in Medicare Payroll Tax (Page 2040/Sec. 9015/$53.8 bil)  A new tax on ALL WORKING AMERICANS, just because the Government can.
17. Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike (Page 2044/Sec. 9016/$0.4 bil)
18. Tax on Cosmetic Medical Procedures (Page 2045/Sec. 9017/$5.8 bil)

Now here are the ones we COULD understand:

1. An excise tax of 40 percent would be levied on insurance companies for health plans with annual premiums above $8,300 for individuals and $23,000 for families.  This means that Insurance Companies will have to raise their rates to end consumers in order to pay the new tax to the Federal Government, and protect their profits (so they can continue to pay claims.)
2. For people in high-risk professions or who live in high-premium states, the excise tax kicks in at annual premiums of $11,300 for individuals and $26,000 for families.  This is a TAX INCREASE on those in high-risk professions.
3. Raises the Medicare payroll tax to 1.95 percent from current 1.45 percent for individuals earning $200,000 or more and couples earning $250,000.  Anyone who believes this is a “tax the rich’ only proposal is sadly mistaken.  When the Government realizes this doesn’t generate enough “revenue” this tax will apply to EVERY WORKING AMERICAN.
4. Health insurance providers collectively would pay an annual fee of $6.7 billion starting in 2010. The fee would be allocated by companies' market share.  As with all costs of doing business, expect this tax increase on Health Insurers to be passed onto the end consumer in the form of higher premiums.
5. Pharmaceutical companies collectively would pay an annual fee of $2.3 billion, allocated by market share.  As all costs of doing business are passed onto the end consumer, this means higher prescription costs for all Americans.
6. Medical device makers collectively would pay an annual fee of $2 billion, allocated by market share. Some items sold at retail for less than $100 would be exempted from the fee calculation.  Need a pacemaker or other surgical implant?  Expect to pay more for it because of these new government taxes.
7. Imposes a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery.  This is the “Botox Tax” which was specifically put in for Nancy Pelosi.  Now this is one tax increase this writer supports!

 

Despite Cloture Win, ObamaCare Has A Long Way To Go

Thanks to Freedom’s Lighthouse, here’s the process Obama’s DeathCare has to go through before it becomes law.  With a fractious Democrat Caucus threatening to with-hold votes if one provision or another is in the bill, there’s still a chance this monstrosity won’t pass:

Step 1  Senators debate the bill and offer amendments to change or remove provisions they oppose, or to add provisions.
Step 2 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell may come to an agreement on the number of amendments to be offered and the time allocated for debate.  If they don't reach an accord, Reid may use parliamentary devices to limit the number of amendments. In 2008, Reid used a procedural tactic called "filling the tree" more than 20 times to block Republican amendments.
Step 3 Senate rules allow for unlimited debate in most cases.
Prolonged debate in order to force changes in a bill or to scuttle a bill is called a "filibuster."
Step 4 The Senate votes on a motion to bring debate to an end. This is called "invoking cloture."
If three-fifths of the senators (60 senators) vote for the cloture motion, debate must last no more than an additional 30 hours.
Step 5 The Senate votes on final passage of its bill. A simple majority is sufficient to pass the bill.
Step 6 House and Senate leaders meet to resolve differences between the bill passed by the House and the one passed by the Senate.
Step 7 House and Senate leaders appoint a conference committee of several members from each body to reconcile the two bills. Important bills are frequently rewritten in conference, or killed because the conferees fail to settle their differences.  Meetings of the conference committee are often secret.
Step 8 Senators opposed to the bill may filibuster the motion to create a conference committee.  A cloture vote would be needed to stop the filibuster.
Step 9 If the conferees resolve their differences, they issue what is called a "conference report" -- the final version of the legislation.
Step 10 The conference report is debated in the House and in the Senate. It cannot be amended.
Step 11 Senators opposed to the conference report can filibuster it.  A cloture vote would be needed to stop the filibuster.
Step 12 In the House, Republican members opposed to the conference report can offer a "motion to re-commit," essentially one last-chance vote to kill or amend the bill.
Step 13 Each chamber votes on approval of the conference report.
If approved, the legislation goes to Obama for his signature or veto.

Related Links:
Democrats Hold Line, But Cracks Show

 

The $300,000,000 Baby Fat, Baby

How Can This NOT Be Criminal?

If you and I tried to bribe a politician to vote a specific way, we’d be charged with violating Federal Election Laws and on our way to jail.

  Yet, Mary Landrieu (D. LA) takes $300,000,000 taxpayer dollars from you and I to buy her vote for cloture on the Senate Floor and somehow this is legal?

Mary Landrieu – the $300,000,000 whore.  At least the whore knew her price.

 

 

Party’s Over For Obama

As Senate Vote Nears, Popularity Plummets

Recent Gallup and Rasmussen polling data shows that Obama’s popularity has dipped to 48%, plummeting 4% in just one week.

More and more American’s are waking up to Obama’s radical-left agenda which seeks to take away their liberties – and money – to fund an increasing government incursion into their daily lives.

Obama’s fall appears to be shocking the liberal left which has done all it can to give Obama positive spin in the lamestream media while ignoring the negative coverage in Afghanistan, the war Obama said we “must win.”

Government may want “universal health care” but clearly the American Public does not, with 54% opposed and only 33% in favor of.  Yet it seems the Democrats are hell bent on committing political and economic jihad against the American People.

The Count Down to 2010 has begun.

Credit: Bayou Buzz

Technorati Tags: Obamacare,Reid,Pelosi,Corruption,Health Care,Reform,Landriew,Lincoln

They Can Run, But They Cannot Hide

The Congress That Votes Against The Will of The American People Together, Will Suffer The Judgement of The American People Together.

There is little doubt in my mind at this point that the Democrat Controlled Senate is going to commit political jihad against the American People today and vote to subject us all to their will vis a vis Government Run “Health Care.”

We’ve seen the precursor already this week when a “Government Panel” recommended that mammograms not be routinely performed until a woman reaches age 50, which with Government run health care will condemn many women to death simply because they have the misfortune of having breast cancer before that age.  My own sister who was thankfully diagnosed in the earliest stages when she was 36 years old, would’ve died under such “guidelines.”  Thankfully through early detection she is still with us 14 years later.

My sisters story is not uncommon.  I know so many families who’ve been touched, and decimated by the effects of breast cancer.  Children who’ve been left without their mothers, husbands having to go it alone to raise them is just one of the tragedies that will no doubt occur under these “guidelines” once Government run health care is here.

Men, do you think you’re immune?  Prostate cancer affects nearly 6 of 10 men at some point during our lives according to most readily available statistics.  Just wait until the “government guidelines” come out and take away early testing and detection for us.

For all the ‘talk’ about how Government run health care is going to save lives through early detection and prevention, this Government is moving at light speed to take early detection and cure away.

So today, the Democrat controlled Senate is going to vote on seizing control of our lives.  They have all the votes they need, 60, to achieve cloture (stop debate and fillibusters)  and pass the legislation without a single Republican vote.

The Senate is doing this on a Saturday knowing full well the Capital switchboard is closed, so the American People cannot call and voice their opposition to this monstrosity, this “Obamanation” if you will.  They don’t want to hear from you or I.

The Senate’s email gateways however, are fully up and running.  As is their blackberry service, so we have a way in, to “reach out and touch them” with our message of opposition.

So today, we’re encouraging all of our readers to email the Senate and voice your displeasure with the so-called “Health Care Reform” bill.  We've made the complete list of all Senators and their aides available to you simply by sending an email to us, which will automatically respond with the list.

We caution you to not copy and paste the entire list into the TO, CC or BCC lines in your email client.  Most ISP’s will detect the email as SPAM and block it, as will the Senate’s email gateway.

To maximize the chances of your email getting seen by human eyes, copy and paste ONE ADDRESS into the “To” line, and no more than five to seven in the “CC” line.  Yes this means sending more than one email, but you’ll be achieving the desired outcome of your email actually being seen by human eyes.

The Senate can run from us today and refuse to take our phone calls, but they can’t hide from email on their blackberries all day.

Give ‘em hell, America.

The Narcissist In Chief

Once again, it's all about Obama:

This "President" is such a pompous, arrogant, self-absorbed JERK, everything is always all about him.

A Failed Presidency Is Now Assured

There can be no doubt that Obama's trip overseas to Asia has been a complete, total failure.  His "bow" to the Japanese Prime Minister Akhito demonstrated not only Obama's ignorance of protocol in world leaders greeting each other, he presented America as a weekend state, subjugating itself to more "powerful" world leaders. 

Seth Leibsohn writing in the National Review summarized it this way:
"This is reminiscent of the Jimmy Carter years - the last time the U.S. was seen as weak - unable to move and coax other countries, unable to reassure dependent allies, unable to have the respect of the world and, of course, unable to move the mullocracy of Iran."

Where oh where have you read the Obama Presidency being compared to the Jimmy Carter years?

Oh, that's right, this very blog! 

The NYT reports: "China held firm against most American demands. With China's micro-management of Mr. Obama's appearances in the country, the trip did more to showcase China's ability to push back against outside pressure than it did to advance the main issues on Mr. Obama's agenda, analysts said."

The Washington Post: "If there was any significant change during this trip, in fact, it was in the United States' newly conciliatory and sometimes laudatory tone. . . . Obama's trip stood in stark contrast to visits by his predecessors."

The Times stated that Obama was given "less respect than was given presidents Bush or Clinton."

Pretty stunning stuff coming from the lamestream media (a phrase coined by this writer in 1999) as it seems the rats are jumping the good ship Obama.

There's no question in my mind that the Obama Presidency is already over.  Lest there be any doubt, watch what happens to "health care reform" in the Senate.  Word in Washington DC is there are 40 Republican Senators steadfast in resolve in blocking the Harry Reid written 2,000+ page monstrosity which strips American's of our basic God given rights to manage our own health care.

There's also the Blue Dog Democrats who are watching Obama's popularity fade (hint: Obama's "strong approval" ratings are in Bush territory now) and it'll be unlikely that the Obama-Reid-Pelosi Congressional Mafia will be able to bribe their way into gaining enough support to break a fillibuster.  Reid may have been able to pay off Mary Landrieu (D. Louisiana) with a cool $100,000,000 but the remaining Blue Dog's don't appear to be for sale.  They see the polls and at this moment in their political careers which is the least dangerous for them: back Obama, or jump ship.

Here's the thing about it all: I'm not a fan of either party.  They're all a bunch of scum-sucking bottom feeders who deserve to be tossed out of office in 2010 anyway.  Those who may have an ice cubes chance in hell of keeping their seat are going to vote against the Obama-Reid-Pelosi seizure of American's health care.  They see the writing on the wall and it isn't good.

Independents Bolt Democrat Party

See Them As Party of High Spending

Politico has a great column today about Independents leaving the Democrat party:

Mounting evidence that independent voters have soured on the Democrats is prompting a debate among party officials about what rhetorical and substantive changes are needed to halt the damage.

Following serious setbacks with independents in off-year elections earlier this month, White House officials attributed the defeats to local factors and said President Barack Obama sees no need to reposition his own image or the Democratic message.

Since then, however, a flurry of new polls makes clear that Democrats are facing deeper problems with independents—the swing voters who swung dramatically toward the party in 2006 and 2008 but who now are registering deep unease with the amount of spending and debt called for under Obama's agenda in an era of one-party rule in Washington.

A Gallup Poll released last week offered a disturbing glimpse about the state of play: just 14 percent of independents approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest figure all year. In just the past few days alone, surveys have shown Democratic incumbents trailing Republicans among independent voters by double-digit margins in competitive statewide contests in places as varied as Connecticut, Ohio and Iowa.

Obama’s own popularity among independents has fallen significantly, too. A CBS News poll Tuesday showed the president’s approval rating among unaligned voters falling to 45 percent — down from 63 percent in April.

Read the rest HERE

 

The Coming Jihadi Trial Disaster

American Thinker – Best of the Web Today

By redefining Islamist terrorists as "criminals", liberals have automatically retrofitted them with "victim" status, endowing them with all the rights and privileges granted to American street hoodlums. If the record is any indication, this is going to end far more badly than anyone can now foresee.

Criminal justice reform was a major pillar of liberal utopianism during the postwar period. American liberals wanted to "humanize" the treatment of criminals, under the impression that this would in and of itself end crime. As in so much else involving the liberal program, criminal justice reform was a wish-fulfillment daydream carried out without adequate research or foresight. (I devote a chapter to the topic in my upcoming book, Death by Liberalism.)

 

Read the rest HERE

Recovery “Creating Jobs” in Places That Don’t Exist

Recovery.Org Shows Jobs In Congressional Districts That Don’t Exist

Talk about making up the “facts” to bolster one’s case, news reports are out that the Obama Administration is taking credit for “creating or saving” jobs in Congressional Districts that do not exist.

25 jobs created in New Mexico’s 15th Congressional District?  OOps, New Mexico has only 14 Congressional Districts.

Someone tell me again how this Government which is wasting nearly a TRILLION DOLLARS creating jobs that don’t exist in Congressional Districts that don’t exist is somehow going to responsibly run our health care.

The Obama Administration: The most unaccountable in history!

Are You Better Off Now, Than You Were Four Years Ago?

The Key Question For The 2010 Election

There is no doubt that the Economy ranks #1 on most American's minds these days, far ahead of Health Care and sadly, the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.  All the major polls say this.

There is also no doubt that Barack Hussein Obama's "rock star status" has burned out like a phoenix in the night.  Less than 39% of American's "strongly approve" of Obama just one year into his Presidency.  While the media won't tell you this little bit of truth, I will: That's Bush approval rating terroritory - at the end of Bush's 8 years in office.

Be that what it may, the key question for the 2010 elections will no doubt be "Are you better off now, than you were four years ago?"

To truly understand the damage that the Democrats have done to our economy we must look back to the only key, reliable metrics we had prior to the November 2006 elections when the Democrats took control of the United States Congress, that is both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

On election day, November 2006 America had a vibrant economy.  The statistcs here simply do not lie.

Dow Jones: 12,176
NASDAQ: 2,384
S&P 500: 1,385
Gold: $635 per ounce
Oil: $59.83 per bbl
Gasoline: $1.56 per gallon, National average
Unemployment: 4.4% ("Full Employment")
Net Job Creation: 132,000 (October, 2006)
Japanese Yen: 117 to $1 American
Canadian Dollar: .76 to $1 American

Following the Democrats takeover of Congress an all out assault on the American Economy began which included a run up in the price of Oil to a record $140/barrel in the Summer of 2007 before collapsing, spikes in commodity prices for key items such as food, energy, clothing, a collapse in the Housing market due to Democrat refusal to reign in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, the Fed's continued loose money policy, and culminating this November with an unemployment rate that is more than double the last unemployment report under President Bush and a Republican Congress in November of 2006.

This is not to say that President Bush and the Republican Congress did everything right.  Far from it.  While one can reasonably argue the case against the War in Iraq, there is no doubt that millions of Iraqi's are better off today than they were living under Saddam Hussein.  Then there' the "free drugs for Seniors" program under Medicare, the largest Socialist expansion of the Federal Government at the time, a failure by the Republican Congress to reign in Federal spending amid mounting budget deficits, and the Bush initiated banking industry bailouts (ironically with Obama's, Reid's, Pelosi's, and Hillary Clinton's votes of approval in Congress.)  Pushing the economy "over the edge" was the Obama Administration's seizure of 2/3rds of the American automobile industry, $1,000,000,000,000 (that's one TRILLION) in "stimulus spending", continued meddling in the Banking industry and his attempted seizure of the Health Care industry forcing all American's under government health care.

By his own admission, Bush abandoned his free market capitalist principles in order to "save" the Banking industry and the American markets.  His successor Barack Hussein Obama simply seized upon the opportunity to declare Capitalism "dead" and mashed the Socialism gas pedal to the floor, accellerating the country's momentum in the wrong direction to advance his far left wing agenda. 

Given these facts, is it really any wonder we're still in the worst recession since the Great Depression?  Some economists argue we're finally exiting the recession but is that true?  I would argue it isn't and I have the facts to back it up.

Rather than give away the answer though, here's a question: If we were truly exiting the worst recession since the Great Depression, then why are tax revenues at the Federal and State levels continuing to fall?  In every other economic recovery, the fortelling that recovery was underway were increasing tax revenues at the Federal and State levels.  That simply isn't happening right now.

Here in Illinois for example, tax revenues are down year over year by more than 27%.  The situation here is so bad that Illinois' budget deficit is 47% of revenue which is second only to California's 49%. 

At the Federal level, tax revenues are down just over 12% year over year, which only goes to exacerbate the $1.9 trillion dollar deficit the Obama Administration has incurred for the Federal Budget year of 2009.  At the current rate of spending vs. tax revenues, by the end of Obama's first (and hopefully ONLY!) term, that would place the Federal Debt somewhere between $15.5 and $17 TRILLION DOLLARS, more than double the National Debt when Bush left office earlier this year.

None of this should be construed as a defense of the Bush Administration or Republicans.  There are no clean hands in this mess.  Republican's were elected to take over Congress in 1994 to get the Country's fiscal house in order.  In large part they did that by forcing Clinton to cut the size of the Federal Government and implement welfare reform after Clinton passed the largest tax increase in the history of the country while he still had a Democrat Congress between 1992 and January 1994.  It was the offsets in the size of Government spending combined with the Clinton tax hikes that balanced the budget, even though those tax hikes actually reduced revenue to the Federal Government.

The 2000 elections saw George W. Bush elected during a time of economic uncertainty: a recession was already underway, the technology bubble popped, the stock markets were in decline, and Bush proposed and implemented the largest expansion of the Federal Government (at the time...) implementing "free drugs for seniors" on Medicare.  Then came 9-11, a stock market crash, and the "War on Terror" or more specifically the War in Iraq in 2003. It was during this period thatthe Republican Congress passed programs such as "free drugs for seniors" that they'd have otherwise never passed because it was so fiscally irresponsible.  Later it would be said that big government was ok, as long as it was Republican big government.

Color me crazy, but it was the Republican Congress' complete lack of fiscal restraint which caused them to lose their way, resulting in the Democrats taking back Congress. 

So now that we can honestly acknowledge with the facts clearly on the table that both Republican's and Democrats are responsible for this mess, what do we, the average Joe Six Pack do about it?

Absent a full-on revolution at the Capital complete with guns, bullets, tar, rope and feathers culminating in 537 dead swinging bodies hanging from the gallows, the mission for 2010 couldn't possibly be more clear:  drain the swamp.

There is simply no way any right-thinking voter in this country should even consider voting for, and returning their Congressman, Senator, local Mayor or dog catcher back to office.  Everyone complains that "they're all corrupt!" yet is convinced their guy/gal in office is doing a good job.  It's time to change that mentality and send each and every member of the U.S. House of Reprsentatives and the 1/3 of the Senate that is up for election this year packing for home.

In no way shape or form should anyone who hasn't had to sit at their kitchen table and balance their checkbook at the end of each month be elected to office next November.  

My solution?  Simple: Elect the  mom's and dad's who've had to make the hard choices to cut their family budgets to pay for food, clothing, housing and gas during this recession because they are the ones who understand the value of money and the impacts this over-grown government has on each and every one of us.

That's my solution, its short, simple and I think effective.  It's either that or a few million of us put down our signs and go back to the Capital armed and ready to do the job that a bunch of misinformed, ignorant voters have thus far refused to do.

Which do you want, America?

World Laughs At Obama – Again

Seen As “Subservient” To Japanese Emperor Akihito

It seems the buffoon in chief has done it again, bowing to another world leader, on foreign soil, feigning subservience to “royalty” of another culture, this time in Japan.   The absolute incompetence of Obama has become a national embarrassment – again.

A picture speaks a thousand words, here we have a number of pictures all of which speak immensely towards the current occupier of the White House’s complete ignorance of how an American President, the most powerful man on the planet, is to greet world leaders.

Maybe Obama is doing what all fake intellectuals do; they know a tiny bit about a culture but think they know it all and use it improperly.   Or maybe the problem is actually worse and Obama thinks he’s showing us all how smart he is (sic) for knowing another custom but is really showing his complete ignorance.

I believe it’s the latter.

The problem with Obama’s bow to Japanese Emperor Akihito is that it’s completely disrespectful and Obama the incompetent doesn’t even know it.

To understand why its so disrespectful, we have to start with the basic understanding that world leaders do not bow to each other. It has been protocol since the founding of this country that the American President does not bow to other world leaders.

Now look at it from a Japanese perspective.  A breach in protocol in Japanese culture is seen as an embarrassment towards the person whom protocol was breached. 

Finally the “bow” itself.  Much like the case with the Saudi King, Obama is seen in Japanese culture as being subservient to Japanese Emperor Akihito.  In the case of the Saudi’s, such a deep bow without making eye contact is a sign of weakness.

But for the Japanese, breaking eye contact during a greeting or departure (and most especially, bowing) is seen as an insult as I learned during six weeks of working on Tokyo in the early 90’s. 

At first glance Obama’s bow may seem harmless enough, however the implications of it are quite complicated.  The Japanese spend years learning how to bow correctly and to whom.  The depth of a bow, the number of seconds to hold the bow, as well as to whom one is bowing are incredibly important to understand in Japanese culture and diplomatic protocol (which is why an American President doesn’t bow in the first place.  An improper bow is seen as an insult.)

One can only imagine how embarrassed Emperor Akihito was not just for himself, but for Obama who clearly did not understand the implications of what he had done, just as the case with the Saudi King.

Once again we have an ignorant buffoon in the White House who thinks he’s showing us all how smart he is for thinking he knows another custom, but what we really have in the White House is an intellectual fool who was elected by other fools who also thought they knew what they were doing.

Is it any wonder why we won’t see this horrific blunder in the American media?