They Cut Quarterbacks, Don't They

I'm familiar with a team that has a beloved QB. He was highly recruited and especially admired by enthusiastic new fans, people who didn't know the game and  even the referees. The front office thought for sure this man was the one who would bring their struggling team back to the place it had been for many many seasons ... #1. Alas, after several seasons some in the front office began to have their doubts. The team wasn't winning, and the truth of the matter is the team was just getting stomped on a regular basis. This QB would hand off when he should have  passed and he would pass when he should have run with the ball himself.  Seldom would he even get the team close enough to kick a field goal.  Between games, he wouldn't communicate with his team mates, and when he did, it was often at his own convenience and in vague or misleading terms. The perception of some in the front office was that he would rather play golf than be in a team meeting. He was often seen fraternizing with rival team members, and was even overheard giving assurances to one rival team that he was going to help them win in the next season. I mentioned before that the refs really liked this guy ... often ignoring his flagrant rule violations.

Well, in about 50 days,  the front office has to make a choice; renew his contract or cut him from the team. I'm praying that the front office has enough insight and where-with-all to cut Barak H. Obama from the team. Like an old familiar actor recently said ...and I'm paraphrasing ... We own this team, and  If somebody can't do the job ... you have to let them go.

Run, Hit, Throw?

It still baffles me that our sitting President enjoys a virtual tie in the polls, despite his record and the state of our country. Are there really that many voters, presumably adults, that have no regard for the reality of our situation? Perhaps you're one of these adolescent minded individuals that is still planning on voting for BHO in November. Can we kindly ask why? Can we respectfully question the reasons for your adamant support of a president that has clearly failed to live up to the office? I fully understand your support for him in 2008. America had plunged into recession, and we had a candidate like no other candidate in our brief history. He was an eloquent speaker, he was a crafty politician, and he offered America the opportunity to put to rest the notion that America was a racist country. So, in casting your vote, you bought the sparkle the glitz the rhetoric and veiled messages, and proved to yourself and your neighbors that you weren't a racist. Good for you, but you did it without really understanding what the man meant by Hope and Change, even though people like me tried to warn you.

That was four years ago.

So let's look at the Obama record. I mean, that's how we do things in America, right? To offer a loose analogy, if you can't run, hit and throw then you can't seriously be considered a baseball player.

For the first time in our history, and during the Obama Administration, America's credit rating was downgraded. Okay, let's blame that one on Bush, and I'll temporarily forget that Pelosi and Reid had anything to do with it.  But what has Obama done to remedy that? Nothing. In fact he's offered budgets that place us $1Trillon dollars in debt ever year from now until 2020.  That's not exactly what a responsible president should be doing in times of financial crises.

We've had the opportunity to secure a bit of energy independence these past four years. Did Obama capitalize on these opportunities? No, instead he continually denies off-shore drilling permits in the U.S., but sends billions of dollars to Brazil to help develop their oil production. Furthermore, he spent billions of tax payers dollars on loans to "clean energy" companies, promising millions of green jobs. Hello ... employment is still above 8%. Government picking winners and losers is not an American concept. Period. End of discussion on that point. 

Iran is close to achieving a nuclear weapon. What has Obama done to deter that? Nothing! If this doesn't concern you, you really need to read more, and I'm not talking about Esquire or Cosmopolitan.

We had several military/national security victories in the last four years, not the least of which was the elimination of OBL. A Bush initiative that BHO embraced and carried out.  What did our president do following the death of Osama Bin Laden? His administration promptly leaked the classified information of how it was accomplished, followed by more leaks concerning covert operations that were designed to keep Americans safe. While wer'e on the topic of national security, he told a Russian representative that he would reduce America's nuclear arsenal when he got re-elected. God help us!

We now have nationalized health care ... a big Obama victory. The only problem is that, by any measurable standard, Obamacare isn't what he said it was going to be, and doesn't do what he said it would do. Instead, it is certain to bankrupt certain small businesses, reduce the number of doctors, and ration health care.  Oh, boy ... free health care that everyone has to pay for.  Someone tell me how this fixes anything.

I don't have the time or writing space to talk about all the power grabs known as executive orders this President has authorized. These are nothing more than unconstitutional devices to win votes, appease his union buddies, and further grow the Federal Government. They have nothing to do with economic security, domestic security or strengthening the middle class.

Hasn't the man done enough damage to our country through his lack of leadership?  We face a very critical crossroads in our history. We, Americans, cannot afford four more years of an Administration with this kind of record.

I may not be able to change your mind about your support for BHO, but I very well may be able to shame you to refrain from voting in November. If you vote for Obama, you're as big a part of the problem as he is. He has clearly demonstrated his ideology as un-American. He has clearly demonstrated that he cannot lead. He has clearly demonstrated his disregard for our economic security.  What is his plan to save SS and Medicare? What's his energy policy following his failure to "create" all those green jobs? What is his foreign policy in regards to the Mid-East, China, and Israel? What is his plan to put Americans back to work? No one knows the answers to these questions, and that's a big problem. So far, the only plan I've heard this President offer, besides blaming Bush, is tax the rich. Like that's going to solve all our problems. Do you believe that? Is that the plan you're voting for? You want to make the producers/employers pay more? You believe that further taxing the rich will lead to good things for you? Well, then please don't vote in November because you're not smart enough to weigh the facts against what ever else you're using to rationalize support for this man who is arguably the worst President ever elected to the office.  Run, hit, throw? I don't think so.

The Blame Game

Today, I heard a  party strategist for the current politburo defend the President's position on the debt crisis. Funny that in the 5 minutes of discussion the only specific idea he attributed to the President was "tax those who make above $250K."  The rest of his comments amounted to a list of who to blame. He blamed the Bush tax cuts. Steee-rike one.  He blamed the Republicans in the House. Stee-rike two. Then he had the audacity to indict the Tea Party as being responsible if congress and the President can't resolve the impasse. I hear a Steee-rike three!"

I think most of us are tired of the blame game, and looking for some answers to the crisis, and believe me, we are facing a real financial crisis.  Don't take my word for it. Do some homework. Here are some keywords to assist you: Obama Debt Crisis, S&P downgrades US debt outlook, Moody's Investors Service.

If we don't do something about the current level of spending in D.C. WE WILL suffer immediate as well as long-term consequences. We can very well expect hyper-inflation, higher interest rates, higher taxes, much higher gas prices, fewer public services, the bankruptcy of Social Security, Mediare, and Medicade ... not to mention unemployment to rival the Great Depression. So back to the President's plan to get our economy back on the road to recovery.  Find me an economist that believes that our crisis can be solved by taxing those who make  more than $250K, and repealing the Bush Tax cuts, and I'll show you an economist that is on the payroll of the DNC.

THE VIRTUES OF CONSERVATISM – Part 4 of 10

 After several years of frustration in attempting to convert my liberal friends to a more courageous way of thinking, I have determined three things:

1. My efforts have been largely futile.
2. Liberals are converted over time; due to facing critical life circumstances, and/or the recognition that liberal ideology is simply non-enduring.
3. Derision and name calling does nothing to assist in their conversion.

In light of these revelations, I’ve decided that my efforts might be better invested in discussing the virtues of conservative thought, as opposed to pointing out the blatant fallacies of liberal thinking. Now, this does not mean that I will refrain from comparison and contrast, it simply means that I will attempt to couch my words in non demeaning ways in my observations. Perhaps my words will capture the attention of a young liberal thinker in his or her journey to a more courageous way of thinking. My discussion will be delivered in 10 parts.This being part 2 of the discussion.

The fourth virtue of conservatism is that of prudence. Conservatives believe that any decision ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity or expedience. The conservative declares that he acts only after sufficient reflection, having weighed the consequences. 

Conservatives opposed Obama-care, in no small part, due to the imprudence of the idea. It increases the national debt. It redistributes power from the private sector to the government sector, effectively creating an entirely new entitlement program. At a time when government spending and irresponsibility was at an all-time high, the Dems resorted to back-room deals and shady legislative tricks to push the measure to the president's desk. No one can convince me that prudence was practiced in passing a law which virtually no congressman had read or understood. Obama-care was, and still is, a reckless measure, failing the test of  prudence. 

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/

THE VIRTUES OF CONSERVATISM – Part 3 of 10

 After several years of frustration in attempting to convert my liberal friends to a more courageous way of thinking, I have determined three things:

1. My efforts have been largely futile.
2. Liberals are converted over time; due to facing critical life circumstances, and/or the recognition that liberal ideology is simply non-enduring.
3. Derision and name calling does nothing to assist in their conversion.

In light of these revelations, I’ve decided that my efforts might be better invested in discussing the virtues of conservative thought, as opposed to pointing out the blatant fallacies of liberal thinking. Now, this does not mean that I will refrain from comparison and contrast, it simply means that I will attempt to couch my words in non demeaning ways in my observations. Perhaps my words will capture the attention of a young liberal thinker in his or her journey to a more courageous way of thinking. My discussion will be delivered in 10 parts.This being part 2 of the discussion.

 Virtue three in this series deals with the principle of prescription.  In short, conservatives are students of history and typically embrace caution when moving down paths that history has shown to be dangerous or at best fraught with obstacles. Prescription also entails gleaning from history tried and proven customs and mores. "The individual is foolish, but the species is wise," Edmond Burke declared. Conservatives believe the human race has acquired a prescriptive wisdom far greater than any man’s petty private rationality or what might be politically correct or expedient. 
Some salient examples come to mind when we look for ways to applying the principle of prescription. History has shown us that over taxation and over-spending ruin economies. History has shown us that to discourage an activity, the best way to do that is to tax it.  History has shown us that spending more money than is actually in the bank, results in creditors inflicting much pain and suffering until debts are paid.

I don't know if you've been paying attention to the news lately, but some members of congress and the president are in a heated debate over taxation and spending. The conservatives are holding to the principle of prescription, while the president is hell bent on continuing the out-of-control spending.  In fact, had the conservatives not won the House of Representatives in November, they would not even be having the debate. It became apparent to the American public that the policies of the Obama administration were taking us in a direction we did not want to travel. How the Senate escaped the fury of the American voters is beyond me. Be that as it may ... the House republicans were called upon to hold the line in Washington. They are doing exactly what they were elected to do. 

Can we be honest? Why is it that the President and the House of Reps are arguing over the debt ceiling and federal spending? Because Republicans took majority of the House of Representatives in January. Had they not ... we would still be increasing the national debt by 1.5 trillion per year .... the debt ceiling would already be elevated to 105% of GDP, and we would be one step closer to an entitlement state.  I find it interesting that the liberals who call for raising taxes on the rich, as a matter of fairness, neglect to call for  those who pay no taxes start doing so. The principle of prescription; learning from history, shows us that other people's money eventually runs out.

From where I stand, unless we hold to the virtue of prescription, we will be forced to face some perilous and uncomfortable years.

The outline for this treatment is credited to Russell Kirk and the web site at: 
http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/detail/ten-conservative-principles/