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Conceit,   as a noun, is defined by the Random House Dictionary as, “an excessively favorable opinion of one’s own ability, importance, wit, ect”. The American Heritage Dictionary defines conceit as, “A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth”. Synonyms of conceit include, “excessive high regard for oneself: boasting that reveals conceit; imperturbable egoism; arrogance and egotism”.

Conservatives define conceit as, Barack Obama.

An old adage states that “conceit is a fault and I don’t have any.” Trust me, I have never uttered this statement and I’m sure I never will. Our President however, is the epitome of conceit.

Since entering the federal political arena, Obama has garnered more (mainstream) media attention then the O.J. trials, the Long Island Lolita and just about anything else I can think of. This overwhelming attention feeds his ego the way grain and hay sustains cattle and hogs.

If you take the time to listen or read Obama’s speeches, both campaign and since election, you will find that most each and every one contains portions of “I am the greatest, I can do no wrong, pat me on the back”. He diverts blame to the former administration, and any one he can, at every opportunity. His favorite statement is, “I/we inherited … (fill in the blank)” and this has trickled down to all of his cronies as the statement of the status quo.

Obama boasts about the enormous success of his administration in implementing TARP and creating “new” programs which benefit the citizens of this nation, without regard to cost. He has addressed people in other nations and their heads of state telling of how good he is and how he will work to bring his own countries citizens into compliance with world views of the United States.

Obama doesn’t care about Americans, Obama cares only that the rest of the world sees him as the “perfect leader”. He works diligently to be the appeaser so that the rest of the world gets that warm and fuzzy feeling about him. He works his way from venue to venue and speaks the words each group wants to hear. Obama stated not that long ago, “The United States of America is not a Christian nation”. And in his recent address in the Middle East he said, “The United States is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world”.  Again, it is all about him, a Muslim, although he tells us different, what we want to hear.

Obama’s presentation is arrogant and condescending. His personal image takes priority over his nation’s. He manipulates “his” people through hollow promises and with the assists of organizations such as ACORN. Is Obama articulate? Sure he is, but anyone can be with the appropriate training in communications and etiquette – and the use of a teleprompter. Is he “charismatic? Yes, in the eyes of those who know no better and have been taken in by his phony exterior image. The love fest which Obama has created for himself is the results of nothing more than a very impressive ad campaign.

Obama has created a following of sheep, a heard of which hangs on his every word, a heard which worships his every doing and follows along blindly and obeyingly, a heard following him to the slaughter house. It’s all about him, “The One”, “The Anointed”. He boasts about his advanced knowledge of the Constitution, yet he violates it on a daily basis. He says that he does not want to own and/or run any private companies, yet he has taken over Government Motors – GM – and Chrysler, the financial and insurance industry and Wall St and dictates to all how they will do business through his numerous “Czars”. This is Obama’s “I can do it better” self absorbed persona.

And if you still can’t see where I am going with this, let me give you one last example.

As this great nation continued its economic fall a few months back, that’s not to say that it still isn’t, the focus of the Obama media turned to the family dog. In the daily White House press briefings, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs faced multiple questions about the family pet. Obama himself, address the question regularly. When the day came, that infamous day, the day the family finally received their dog, all else played second fiddle in the media. And what of the name, for this new addition to the White House family? Yes, they tossed around many ideas, so they say, and finally made their decision, or was it Obama’s decision alone? Their dog is now known as Bo. Interesting, isn’t it?

Let’s look at the name Bo, its hidden meaning, at least what I see in it, and its relationship to the conceit theme of the article. I also don’t recall seeing any reports of this anywhere in the media. Look at this name, think, just a little and it becomes very clear, the two letters that make up the name. Keep looking, keep thinking.

Bo, the initials of Barak Obama.

Conceit?

Enough said.

John Stone

TakingBackAmerica.Org

There’s an old saying that states; if we don’t learn by our mistakes, we are destined to repeat them. And so it goes that we are repeating mistakes made within the auto industry.

The media reports on a daily basis the turmoil within the auto industry, particularly two of the “Big Three”, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. GM is only days away from “Bankruptcy”, or whatever it can be deemed as today, and Chrysler has already accepted their government dictated “Modified Bankruptcy”. Added to this are the tens of billions of taxpayers’ dollars that has been pumped into these two ailing corporations with little to no chance of seeing these funds returned.

The Whitehouse has flexed its muscle, unconstitutionally I might add, and literally taken control of these two corporations by forcing itself upon the will of these private companies. In an article from the Washington Post (dated Monday, March 30, 2009), it is written that long time chairman and CEO

“… G. Richard Wagoner Jr., who met with administration officials on Friday and has agreed to step down.

The White House's insistence that Wagoner step down is an extraordinary intervention of the federal government into the management of a private company. A senior administration official said Wagoner's resignation was required because the company needs a "clean sheet."

"We felt that having a change of leadership would be consistent with the clean-sheet approach," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.”

So what exactly is proven here? Although the administration feels that it has a responsibility and the right to intervene in such matters, the “senior administration official” was granted anonymity as a condition for the statement. Why is this? Because what the Obama administration is doing by its meddling in private business is unconstitutional and illegal. Can’t you just hear the conversation between Obama and Wagoner? “Well Rich, you just don’t want to play the game the way I, “The One”, wants it played. So, because of that and in the immortal words of “The Donald”, YOU’RE FIRED!”

Chrysler Corp. too, has seen the administration take control of the auto maker’s helm by not only dictating its business practices, but also negotiating its contracts. The UAW has been given, yes given, the lion’s share of the company with a 53% ownership stake. Now, how does this make any sense at all when the UAW, and its outrageous contracts, has been one of the primary factors in the failure of the industry.

As Chrysler has a history in this area, let’s look at that history. In 1979, Chrysler’s then chairman and CEO, Lee Iacocca made the trip to Washington to beg for federal funds for his struggling company. He went looking to thwart bankruptcy and stabilize Chrysler’s financial situation. Chrysler had begun its downward financial slide three years earlier in 1976 and the company’s attempts to recover were ineffective. In a July 13, 1983 article published by The Heritage Foundation titled “The Chrysler Bail-Out Bust”, author James K Hickel explores some of the intricacies and inconsistencies of the deal Chrysler was handed on the company’s announcement that it would complete its repayment of the $1.2 billion in loan guarantees it received by September of that year (1983).

“The way they tell the story, Chrysler in 1979 seemed destined for bankruptcy, and now it's showing a profit. What saved Chrysler, we are told, are the $1.2 billion in loan guarantees provided by the federal government—so successful was the timely injection of cash that the company could announce today that it will pay off the remaining $800 million by September. And it didn't cost the taxpayer a penny, did it, they ask gloatingly.”

But, what of the myths and truths of this bail out? Who was the winner and looser? This entire deal was to save Chrysler from certain demise and save countless jobs. The results, interpreted in many ways, were mixed. The supporter of the plan touted the deal as a great success but, was it really? What was the actual cost of this government intervention?

“It shows that if the bailout is indeed the model for an American industrial policy the consequences could be disastrous.”

Today, as in 1979, Chrysler and GM both, by definition, are bankrupt. Both are going through the motions as if they had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Obama administration has taken the lead as negotiator for redefining and renegotiating contracts with labor, suppliers, bondholders and stockholders. However, any way the administration wishes to spin it, there is no true negotiating going on here. All parties concerned, including taxpayers, have been TOLD how it is going to be and the few who have dared to defy “The One” and his plan, have met with threats. An example was reported by Jake Tapper, ABC News Senior Whitehouse Correspondent in an article on May 2, 2009;

“Thomas Lauria, Global Practice Head of the Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Group at White & Case, told ABC News that [Steve] Rattner [the leader of the Obama administration's Auto Industry Task Force] suggested to an official of the boutique investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners that officials of the Obama White House would embarrass the firm for opposing the Obama administration plan, which President Obama announced Thursday, and which requires creditors to accept roughly 29 cents on the dollar for an estimated $6.8 billion owed by Chrysler.

Perella Weinberg Partners, Lauria said, "was directly threatened by the White House and in essence compelled to withdraw its opposition to the deal under the threat that the full force of the White House press corps would destroy its reputation if it continued to fight. That’s how hard it is to stand on this side of the fence."

"The charge is completely untrue," said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton, "and there's obviously no evidence to suggest that this happened in any way." Ummm, OK, but I don’t believe that for a moment! Why? Because there is more than enough proof that the Obama administration is continuously throwing its uninvited weight around. The article continues;

“Perella Weinberg Partners, which owned Chrysler debt through its Xerion Fund, was one of Lauria's clients in this bankruptcy, but no longer is. The firm is led by Joseph Perella. On Thursday afternoon -- after the Wedneday deadline -- the portfolio manager for the Xerion fund decided to join the larger four creditors who are owed roughly 70% of Chrysler's debt and had already agreed to participate with the administration's plan.

Those four financial institutions - JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs -- are recipients of up to $100 billion in federal government bailout funds, though the Obama administration insists the matters were kept completely separate.”

So why do you think the other four financial institutions accepted the administration’s deal? Gees, I don’t know. Could it be the $100 billion in bailout funds they received and a directive from the Whitehouse, “The One”, to comply, or else?

So what, actually, was the cost of the 1979 bailout of Chrysler? Let’s head back to Hickel’s 1983 article.

“This was the result of a clause in the Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979 that required creditors to make certain "concessions" to Chrysler. With this clause to exploit and with Treasury Department officials, including then-Secretary William Miller, pressuring its creditors, Chrysler was able to pay off more than $600 million in debts at just 30 cents on the dollar. In addition, the company was allowed to convert nearly $700 million in debts into a special class of preferred stock—paper relatively worthless in the financial markets because the shares earned no dividends and were to be unredeemable for several years. In early 1983, Chrysler reached a tentative agreement with its creditors to trade this preferred stock for Chrysler's regularly traded common stock. However, the creditors still get the short end of the financial stick: the face value of the common stock to be received will almost certainly be less than the face value of the original debt.”

Is this deja vu or what? The only difference today is that we are dealing in billions of dollars and not millions. What of the jobs? Well, in Chrysler’s 1979 bailout, nearly half of the company’s employees lost their jobs. The loan guarantee package that Congress approved was specifically meant to protect the company’s workers. However, even after the approval, Chrysler still cut its white collar work force by 20,000 and laid off 42,600 of its hourly employees. It was suggested that a true Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing would have been safer and more effective in the restructuring and reorganizing of the corporation without the realized risks and consequences to taxpayers, employees and investors.

The point here is that we are seeing the same type of government intervention, only on a grander scale. The results are looking very similar to history as GM and Chrysler lay off tens of thousands of employees with even more layoffs projected. Only this time, because of these two companies selling out many of its component manufacturing operations to private entities of the years, the layoffs will and have spread to more than their own corporate holdings.

And, what of the administration’s strong-arm tactics and interference within private business? This practice of growing the federal government and its control has been evolving for decades, from administration to administration. For most part it has been subtle with few radical level bumps in the road, until now. The Obama administration has taken the “Power Grab” to new heights. Our Constitution limits the power of the federal government over her citizens, citizens also referring to private business entities. The level of control that is being built by this administration over the private sector is not only astonishing, it IS unconstitutional.

We have seen the beginning of the “Change” Obama spoke of during his presidential campaign. Only, in his campaign change was not defined by him as “Socialism”, but Socialism it is.

Socialism:  

1. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Wall Street and the financial industry, the insurance industry and now the auto industry are being controlled by the administration. They have now set their sights on the healthcare and energy industries and education. They strive to make Americans more and more dependent on government through the addition and expansion of social programs, programs that will have to be funded at the state level even when the bailout funding disappears in a couple of years. This, in turn, will force more taxes at the state level to maintain the programs mandated by the bailout package, in addition to all of the increased and added federal taxes we will be subject to and are already feeling. “If you make less than $250 thousand dollars a year, your taxes will not increase one dime!” These were the words of The One as he campaigned for your vote. We have already seen these increases in many ways, increases that affect everyone under that mark.

To the Obama sheep who blindly threw their vote his way, how are you feeling now? If you still believe in his way of governing and that Socialism/Communism is the way to go, shame on you! Real Americans don’t sit around waiting for handouts; they roll up their sleeves and work hard for a better tomorrow for themselves, their family and their country. If you now feel as though you have been duped and mislead by the Obama political rhetoric and the thought of a Socialist America scares the hell out of you, know that you are not alone.

The time is now, to take back this great nation and again make it the nation of “We The People”.

Liddy (AIG CEO) berated by Senate sub-committee over bonuses.

Barney "Rubble" Frank and his band of stooges attacked a man who took the helm of AIG AFTER the federal money started rolling into the coffers of AIG. What's important to note here, is that Liddy's employment contract pays him and annual salary of $1. Yes, it's true that $165 million in bonuses were paid out on March 15th and that the taxpayers footed the bill. A contract is a contract and the government should have looked deeper and put rules into effect PRIOR TO forking over nearly $200 billion to AIG.

Liddy has asked those who received bonuses in excess of $500 thousand to turn 50% back to the company. Liddy said the some have returned 100% of their bonuses. It is my opinion; know how important the safety of my family is to me, that this reflects the actions of people who are afraid for their safety. Liddy read aloud to the committee just one of the death threats the company has received. This is ludicrous! AIG has honored its legal obligations to its employees. It is our government who has dropped the ball here. I don't support how AIG has handled its business and fiscal responsibilities but, I absolutely do not condone threat to its employees.

Now, Frank will force AIG, by way of subpoena, to supply a list of employees who received bonuses. Will these names be kept confidential as requested by Liddy? I, for one, hope so. There are some real nut jobs out there who act on emotion and not common sense.

How much is all this financial investigation costing us, the taxpayer?

Well the witch hunt is on! Congress is spending more time looking for scapegoats for the nation's financial situation than focusing on the real problem, themselves and the Executive Branch.

Just how much are all of these sub-committee hearings costing the American taxpayer? I can tell you, I don't know but, I would love to find out. I'm sure the numbers would be staggering. Does $165 cover the cost? But, if it costs $165 million to recover $165 million, where are the gains to the taxpayer? And, if it costs $165 million to attempt to recover the $165 million in AIG bonuses and Congress fails in its endeavors? Now it has cost the taxpayers $330 million. Our government just doesn't get it. We know who screwed up here. We know that these bailouts never should have happened. We know that we have no real representation in Washington. We know that our elected officials are only looking out for themselves and ignore the wishes of those who put them in office.

Now, I hope they know that they have put their political careers in jeopardy with their obvious contempt for the wishes of their constituents. Hey! Washington! Wake up and smell the coffee! We won't stand for this anymore!

Is Illegal Immigration starting to makes it way into the news again, finally?

Pelosi supports illegal immigration? Yup, she said it herself. What???? Pelosi holds the third most powerful seat in our government and doesn't give a hoot about the Constitution and laws she's sworn an oath to protect. Pelosi has been into the Kool-aid again. This is just another area where our government has let us down. I did it legally, so should everyone else. We don't need immigration reform, we need immigration enforcement.

The Atlanta, GA district office has directed its field offices to drastically reduce immigration enforcement. This actually started a few years ago. And why, you might ask? The district director is Hispanic. Conflict of interest? I would say so. It shouldn't be if he was doing the job he was sworn to do but, this is not the case.

Illegal immigrants cost us, the taxpaying citizens, hundreds of billions of dollars each and every year. I believe that this number is reaching $300 billion annually. This money is spent on healthcare, courts, prisons and supply Spanish customer service in government agencies, just to name a few. I don't want to press "1" for English! Because, I know that this is an extra expense to the taxpayer. English is the language spoken in this country, the official language.

If you come to this country, legally, you need to learn the language and assimilate into the community. If you come to this country illegally, there is only one action that is acceptable, deportation!

Our government needs to step up to the plate and take responsibility. Do your jobs, the jobs you were elected to do. We will hold you accountable even when your Washington cronies won't. If you have dropped the ball, we will drop you. You are a disgrace to the legacy of our Founding Fathers by tearing down what they put in place to make this the great country on earth.

The time is near, your future looks dim.

 

Glen Beck hits a home run with his "We The People: You Are Not Alone" show which aired in his usual 5 PM time slot. The show was continued for an extra hour with a web cast hosted by FoxNews.com. The first hour of the show will be rebroadcast Saturday, March 14 at 9 PM.

Glen's new website, The 9-12 Project (www.the912project.com) , literally crashed about half way through the 5 PM show after it was flooded with users. As of this post, it is up and running again.

Glen is looking for Americans to stand together and recapture the essence of the building of this great nation by our Founding Fathers. I, for one, will join him and the millions of others who believe we are heading in the wrong direction as a nation.

For full details on The 9-11 Project visit the site. I truly believe that united, we can make a difference.

The new administration now has fifty days of controlling this nation under its belt. But, what of it? The economy is still in a desperate, downward slide and with the actions and legislation set in place; do we really see any relief in sight? Well, I believe that should be determined by each and every American based on their situation. I can tell you, as a matter of fact, that most would say that things are getting tougher.

I feel blessed to be in an employment position where the risk of becoming unemployed is minimal at best. However, close acquaintances have not been so fortunate. One such acquaintance lost his job after seventeen years of dedicated employment. Oh, just to make a point, he was not employed in the private sector; he was a public servant, a very good public servant.

Now, to the meat of this post.

We have all heard all the hub-bub from our current administration about running and open and transparent government. On January 21, 2009 a Presidential Memorandum was signed by President Obama which was addressed to the "Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies". The subject: "Transparency and Open Government".

The "Memorandum" begins:

"My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.  We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government."

It seems as though the opposite is the reality. The "... unprecedented level of openness in Government" is becoming the largest con job this country has ever experienced. Obama's lip service to  "... ensure the public trust", "transparency", "public participation, and collaboration" and "strengthen our democracy" ranks right up there with one of our most well know political lies, "I did not have sex with that woman!" Sorry Bill, that was a big one.

Let’s continue. The body of the memorandum defines three specifics. The "Government should be transparent", "Government should be participatory" and "Government should be collaborative".

As we take a deeper look at these, we find that "transparency" will be used to "promote[s] accountability and provide[s] information for citizens". But, look out, there's a disclaimer here. "My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, ..." And who's policy might that be? The document directs "... to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use." Humm, "rapidly find and use"? Interesting to say the least. I don't know about you but, I have found it difficult to following any of this fast track spending until after it has been put in place. Even in this document there is indication of even more spending. "Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies ..." New technologies? Even a third grader can scan a document into a PDF and post it on the internet. I see this turning into another "Earmark" in somebody's budget request.

The "Participatory" part of the memorandum speaks of how "public engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions." This has obviously slid off into the political black hole because, so far, the public's outcry against the last two major spending bills have been totally and completely ignored. One of the best examples would be that of Rep. Fienstein's address to the House, where she stated that she had received about 90,000 phone calls, faxes and emails with about eighty five percent being against the passing of HR-1. But, she will vote for the bill, because she knows better than the citizens she serves. So, I ask you Mr. President, where is it that our input means a damn? It adds that "Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking ..." and that "[they] should also solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation .." So when is this going to happen?

The "Collaborative" section of the memorandum is truly meaningless and hinges on the first two specifics.

The final paragraph (actually, second to last) reads as follows:

"I direct the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services, to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies, within 120 days, of recommendations for an Open Government Directive, to be issued by the Director of OMB, that instructs executive departments and agencies to take specific actions implementing the principles set forth in this memorandum. The independent agencies should comply with the Open Government Directive."

Hold on just a minute here! 120 days? Interesting how that falls outside the first 100 days of anarchy.

As you can see, his is no more than attempt to subdue the American people into thinking that THIS President will be open and honest with full disclosure of his administration's doings. But, if examined closely, the wording is deceptive and offers an escape route at each turn. First, the time limit to implement this "Open Government Directive", 120 days. This leaves the administration more than enough "wiggle room" to push through as much spending and pork as the possibly can within that time fame. Additionally, Obama protects his "Executive Departments and Agencies" by using language which does not bind them to being a "Transparent and Open" part of "Government". He does so by using the word "should" instead of "will" when defining an action. Again, more wiggle room.

This is just one example of what the Obama government thinks of our insight, knowledge and life experiences. On the one hand, Obama looks to "his" government to be "our" government buy soliciting our input, then, takes it back to being "his" government with full control and dismisses any and all citizenry input.

Call it what you will but, this is not the government that our Founding Fathers had a vision of.

The full Transparent and Open Government memorandum can be found HERE.

I ask you all to define "Transparency and Open Government" in your own words and under your own terms.

As Obama-nomics takes a firm grasp on the nation and socialist government policy looms on the horizon, many see our country's future as bleak. Many conservatives are starting to feel as though the situation is becoming hopeless.

The Obama administration has perfected a marketing scheme. This scheme has been used since day one of Obama's entrance into the presidential arena, when he began to run for the office. I say that it has been perfected because how else could an inexperienced, senate newbie, with very questionable ties, ever be elected to our nation's top office? We do the same thing as we venture into job interviews. We market ourselves to the prospective employer: The better we are in "Selling" ourselves, the better the chance of our being hired. The difference, we don't spend tens of millions of dollars in doing so (This should have been a huge insight into Obama's spending habits).

But Obama has taken this a step further since, and in his own words, "I won!"

Obama is using the power he has in Congress to push through his spending bills like a swollen river ragging through a sleepy little town. You know it's raining when you go to bed but, when you wake up, your bed is floating and bobbing around in your bedroom and you have no control over your destiny.

Obama has put together a media watch committee, my personal belief, who's primary responsibility it is to monitor conservative activity, conferences, press releases, interviews and the like. They work through this information with a fine tooth comb to find any and every indiscretion, contradiction and battle no matter how big or small. With this information in hand, they utilize the ever present and always loyal elite media to add fuel to the fire. A good example of this is the latest non-issue between Limbaugh and Steel. At least, this should have been a non-issue.

Michael Steel, RNC Chairman, seems to have fallen right into Obama's marketing scheme by believing the press. The poking and prodding of Steel has forced him to make statements without thinking his answers through. A good example of this is when Steel appeared on D.L. Hughley's CNN show. First off Hughley is a comic not a journalist. But he was able to get Steel to admit to being the leader of the Republican Party, although untrue. This was pointed out by Limbaugh during his radio show when he clarified that Steel is the chair of the RNC and not the head of the party. Anyone who truly knows their politics, knows the difference between the two. Also noted by Limbaugh, that millions of republicans don't belong to he RNC. Steel also didn't defend his RNC when the '96 convention was referred to as looking like a Nazi gathering. Cm'on Michael, wake up and smell the coffee. This is just the material the Dems are waiting
for to use against the conservative movement.

The Conservative Movement is alive and well in the great US of A and is gearing up to take the fight to Washington, with or without the Republican Party. Real conservatives don't need teleprompters to present their case like the teleprompter president. Conservatives know what they want and have to say because we are impassioned by our beliefs. We believe in tradition, values, family and honor. We believe that freedom is a right not privilege. We believe that we should have the last word on how our tax dollars are spent and that wasteful spending on pet projects during economic turmoil is unacceptable. We are hard working, bill paying, taxpaying Americans who take great pride in being Americans. We care about our families, our neighbors and our country.

We cannot afford to be fooled by Obama's marketing! We have already been taken advantage of and put into a position of rewarding failure, without say. We have become the victims of taxation without representation with the fast-tracking of spending bills. We have been promised no tax increases if we have annual incomes of less than $250 thousand. What I say to that, I won't print here. There will be tax increases on the basic things we use each and every day. If we use gasoline, oil, natural gas and/or electricity, we will pay more. Here in North Carolina, Duke Energy has released, that if Obama's Carbon Shares policy goes into effect, they will have to raise the price they charge consumers by twenty percent. With the average household electric bill being about $200.00 (my estimate), that will add another $40.00 to the household bill burden. This will also bump up retail prices when every one from the mom and pops to the big chain stores will have to cover higher operating costs. It won't take long for these additional hits on the family budget to eat up our enormous "Tax Cut" of $64 a month.

Deceptive marketing is an art and the Obama administration has mastered the art. We must advance cautiously and deliberately as we work for a better America and away from the Socialist Republic States of America. And, if you might think that socialism is not come to a neighborhood near you, do a little reading about the history of Socialism. You just might see that Obama's policies and vision for America is just that. Obama wants power of "His People" and will stop at nothing to get it. We Americans MUST stand up for ourselves and each other. We MUST band together and stop the madness before we reach the point of no return. We cannot believe Obama's marketing!

American's have always been known to be a determined, scrappy bunch. We have been called everything under the sun and then some. We are not quitters, we do not hide and we do not Duck and Run!

You can stop reading here if you like, but I urge you to read on.

I want to share some lyrics from one of my favorite bands, 3 Doors Down. Yes, I know there are probably many who don't like this style of music but the words speak volumes. These lyrics have been somewhat inspirational to me in trying times.


Lyrics for Duck And Run, 3 Doors Down

To this world I'm unimportant just
Because I have nothing to give
So you call this your free country
Tell me why it cost so much to live
Tell me why

This world can turn me down
But I wont turn away, oh no
And I wont turn around

All my work and endless measures
Never seem to get me very far
Walk a mile just to move an inch
Now even though I'm trying so
Damn hard
I'm trying so hard

This world can turn me down but I
Wont turn away
And I wont duck and run, cause
I'm not built that way
When everything is gone there is
Nothing there to fear
This world cannot bring me down
No cause I am already here, oh no!

Im already here, down
On my knees
I'm already here, oh no,
I'm already here
I must have told you a thousand
Times I'm not running away

I wont duck and run
I wont duck and run
I wont duck and run
No, no, no pass away

This world can turn me down but I
Wont turn away
And I wont duck and run, cause
I'm not built that way
When everything is gone there is
Nothing there to fear
This world cannot bring me down
No, cause I'm already here
This world can turn me down
But I wont turn away
And I wont duck and run
Cause I'm not built that way

When everything is gone there
Is nothing there to fear
This world cannot
Bring me down
No cause I'm already here

I thought I'd another look at our Deceleration of Independence and see if there was anything that I could relate to the current events of the day. Much to my surprise (well, not really) there was. What I found was that the current administration was not a product of the declaration but, more the reason for it. I'll explain what I mean.

In Congress, July 4, 1776, “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” was signed. It granted the citizens that:

"... all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

These Rights are now under attack by the current administration's actions and vision for the future of the country.

Let's compare the reasons for the separation from Britain and the throne with Obama's and the Democrat's vision.

"He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures."

Sounds familiar? Think of the way the "Recovery Bill" was handled. The entire process was conducted behind closed doors with no possibility of public input. Even with the leaking of a few items in the Bill and the hundreds of thousands of phone calls, e-mails and faxes to our "Elected Officials", we opposed the Bill, it proceeded as planned by the Democrats.

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

Contained in the Recovery Bill, the adding of two hundred new government agencies, hence, the growing of government and it's appetite for our hard earned money.

"He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power."

Obama doesn't like how things are going in the Middle East and the use of our military there. It's more like how we look to the rest of the world he doesn't like. Figures, it's all about image and not protecting our citizens. So he wants to bring them home. I don't have a problem with that. But, Obama just announced during a speech at USMC Camp LeJeune that there would be a pay raise for our troops. Wonderful! They deserve the extra. My son-in-law was a Marine and I can say without a doubt that they were under paid. However, there's more to this than meets the eye. Obama is trying to buy the loyalty of our troops for when the going for him gets tough, and it will, so he can depend on HIS troops to defend HIM.

"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:"

Obama is forcing us to the ways of the world. He is in effect working towards creating a Socialist Government as in Europe where the citizens become dependent on the government for all of their needs, thus allowing for full control of the citizenry by government.

"For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:"

Wait for it, it will happen. When Americans see that they are being dragged down by their government, they will gather and stand against it. Obama will use our own military against us to stop us from protecting what is rightfully ours, our Rights. Just remember one little line from above, "... that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." He will place troops in our major cities and force the states to activate their Guard. He will invoke Marshal Law to stifle the people. If he has formed his "People’s Army" by then, they too will be active to his will.

"For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:"

Obama will protect all those who stand with him, more than likely in front of him, for whatever they may do.

"For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:"

Obama has already talked about imposing higher tariffs on imported and exported goods as well as promoting a new "Buy American" campaign. I'm all for buying American and I do so when I can, but this will cause other countries around the world to make it harder and more expensive to acquire products necessary to our existence such as oil. Yes, I know, we must strive for energy independence. But, when the tree-huggers are getting their ways and stopping us from offshore drilling, what chance will we have.

"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:"

I'm sure I don't have to explain this one!

"For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:"

The repeal of our 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments are surely in the back of Obama's mind. This would cause the people to be rendered voiceless, unarmed, and subject to governmental intrusion at their will.

"For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever."

Obama's democrats are doing that now with the powers they hold in Congress. The aren't and won't listen to the will of the people, they just carry on doing as they please at the pleasure of the president.

"He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands."

Obama will demand of our military to march against the citizens. And those who do not will by hung for treason.

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

As I mentioned earlier, hundreds of thousands of calls, e-mails and faxes fro the people have gone unanswered and Obama's way be done no matter what the cost. We are the "Free People" the document acknowledges and his acts does make him unfit to lead.

As you can see, many of the same situations that drove our Founding Fathers to pen The Declaration of Independence are again beginning to take shape under the Obama administration with the power of the Democrat Party. The complete control over the White House and Congress is a dangerous game. The only winners will be those in power, as we the citizens will degrade to meaningless drones controlled by an overbearing government entity. We will be told what to do, how to do it, when to do it and the only benefactors of our labors will be the government.

This is the time to stand together, before all the tools are in place for a totalitarianism government. We MUST protect what our Forefather intended for us, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.




Just an unrelated note:

Having missed the live broadcasts of the speeches by Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh at the Conservative Political Action Conference (C-PAC), I would like to thank MrTacoJosh and CSPAN for their posting of these two speeches on YouTube where I was able to see them. I encourage you to check them out if you haven't seen them.

After taking a quick look at Gabrielle Cusumano's blog page my brain went into writing mode.

What got my attention was the mention of Clint Eastwood and his comments on Political Correctness. So, I searched out the article that was linked through The Drudge Report website to Yahoo India News. Why this only showed up in India is beyond me.

Anyway, Eastwood is quoted

"People have lost their sense of humour. In former times we constantly made jokes about different races. You can only tell them today with one hand over your mouth or you will be insulted as a racist," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

"I find that ridiculous. In those earlier days every friendly clique had a 'Sam the Jew' or 'Jose the Mexican' - but we didn't think anything of it or have a racist thought. It was just normal that we made jokes based on our nationality or ethnicity. That was never a problem. I don't want to be politically correct.

We're all spending too much time and energy trying to be politically correct about everything," he added. (ANI)

Eastwood, at 79, has had an accomplished career as actor, director, writer and producer. He is by far one of my favorites and has taken on subjects in his movies that most would not venture into. He has made many movies of his own, and financed on his own, that were not box office hits but to his fans. He has truthfully portrayed the jazz sciene with the movie Bird, a docudrama based on the life of Charlie Parker and the jazz underground of the 50's and 60's. He has brought the reality of war to the screen with Flags of our Fathers and Letters from IwoJima. And, his latest flick, Gran Torino depicts life in an urban neighborhood and the power struggle on the streets.

Political correctness and the Hollywood elite obviously found Gran Torino offensive. This movie grossed $139 million in it's debut weekend and garnered rave reviews from many who wandered into theaters to take in Eastwood's latest offering. Is it politically correct? No, but it is accurate, as is Eastwood's other, latest endeavors for the big screen.

Political correctness is destroying our freedoms, our society. Gran Torino received no nominations from within the academy, to no real surprise. But, the reason is not because it wasn't a good flick, it was politically incorrect. Eastwood's role as Walt was very good Eastwood, almost like an aging Dirty Harry.

This post isn't about the film industry, it's about where our society is headed. We are becoming an overly sensitive bunch of mealy mouthed drones. We have gotten away from calling a spade a spade (not a black comment). Our freedom of speech has been curbed like a dog with a full bladder. We are lambasted for using the term "illegal immigrant" and corrected to the term "undocumented alien" by bleeding heart liberals. They are, what they are, ILLEGAL! We are criticized when we use the term "black" when referring to our neighbors of color and told that they are "African American". This term holds true if they are actually from, or their parents were from, Africa. If you are a third generation black, you are just another one of us plan 'ol Americans. We are who we are. I was born and raised in Canada, moved to the US almost twenty years ago, proudly became a US citizen and refer to myself as an American, not a Canadian-American. Maybe it's just because it just doesn't roll of the tongue well or maybe it's just because.

We shouldn't be afraid to speak our mind and use the venaculre we choose as long it is done with respect. We shouldn't take offense to terms that dipict truth in language and speech. What ever happened to that tough American exterior, the rugged pioneers who moved from east to west exploring the North American wilderness and growing this country into the greatest country on earth. We are all Americans before we are anything or anybody else. Let's grow up and act like Americans. Let's throw political correctness out the window and get back to the basics of looking out for each other instead of taking advantage of each other. Let's fight for the values on which this country was founded and then, we will be the mighty UNITED States of America.

May God bless this great nation and our men and women in her service.

I can't stay quiet on this anymore.

I have been adding my comments to several conservative blog sites over past several years as well as reading the writings of others. I have made every effort to write with respect and dignity.

I am concerned that many so-called conservative bloggers cross the line of respectful writing each and every time they pull their chair up to their computer. I'm not talking about respect for those or the topics they write about but, more so, for themselves. I understand that blogging is commentary and opinion but quality and believability is key to attract a regular audience, at least for me. It's alright to get mad about a certain topic and write about it, it shows passion. It's alright to oppose another's opinion or stance on a topic or ask the tough questions for clarification, that's human nature. What isn't alright is when comments towards another become personal attacks and name calling. This makes us just a little less than pond scum.

I see this as a growing problem in both the conservative and republican circles. I live my life based on two primary documents of law, The United States Constitution and The Ten Commandments. Contained within those two documents is the idea of respect and tolerance for our fellow human being and respect for ourselves. As I read the many writings of others, I am finding a growing trend of slanderous fire occupying the many pages of well established and well read sites.

The dictionary defines conservative as "disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, ect., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change." "Cautiously moderate ..." "Traditional in style or manner ..."

Why are we buying into the trend of expressing our views and opinions the way the liberal left does? We need to clean up our act and become credible once again, become respectful and respected once again. Lets stop the personal attacks on each other and write with class, respect and accuracy.

Let me give and example here. During the last campaign season I was particularly active in my writing, as I usually am prior to elections. I posted in many places including here on Townhall.com, McCainSpace and yes even on Obama's campaign site. Obama's site, for those of you who may not ventured there, was a well thought out, custom made web site which provided visitors a plethora of information about the candidate and his rhetoric. I took the opportunity to register on the Obama site so that I would be able to add my posts. I took the time to read through many of the posts just to see what was being said and promptly sat down to write. My post was respectful, without attack, but did ask some tough questions as well as pointing out some discrepancies, based on supportable facts, in what I had read. Within thirty minutes I had several comments to my post. Not one of those comments addressed one single issue that I had addressed. Instead, I was personally attacked, my family was personally attacked and the makeup of the Obama supporter became clearly evident. Within forty five minutes of my post, I was blocked from posting anything more. With that, the makeup of the Obama campaign became clearly evident and more support of the facts that Obama would oppress any views other than his, censorship.

As Republican, Libertarian and Democrat Conservatives (and yes there actually are conservative Democrats) we need to step up and be better than personal attacks and name calling. Opinion, is just that, opinion. But, even with opinion must we be accountable for our words, accountable to ourselves, our consciences.

Here's what I know. The conservative movement is alive and well in the USA but, has lost much credibility. Many conservatives have lost their focus on what is true and just. We MUST BE BETTER than the radical left in order to defeat them. We must join together and reunite within the principals that this great nation was built on. We must respect ourselves, each other and the true meaning of "Free Speech". We cannot be drawn into the left's way of twisted truths and slanderous utterances.

Be factual, be respectful and be diligent, then, and only then, will we regain our great nation.

All around this great nation Americans, tired of the uncontroled spending of Obama's Washington, are gathering to voice their opinions. "Tea Parties" are organizing in cities across the country to let Washington know that we will not stand for running up the national debt for the sake of wasteful spending and growing government.

http://newamericanteaparty.com/ has a listing on their site of upcoming Tea Parties and there are oher web sites with more listings.

Stand up and be recognised! It's time to tell Washington that we won't tolorate them wasting our hard erned money.

If you follow media reports, listen to your elected officials and believe what you hear, you will surely believe the housing market has collapsed. Now, this may or may not be true depending where in the nation you live.

In the last few days it has been reported that the housing market woes have primarily effected five states, California, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Florida. To this I would add many localized areas that specifically include the coastal areas of the south eastern US, the beach communities.

It is true that we have a seen a dramatic decline in new housing starts and existing home sales along with a mortgage industry that has found itself in a world of financial hurt. We all now why the mortgage industry is in the state that it is in. It is however, a shame that many honest, hard working families have found themselves in the middle of this mess. This is all thanks to the lack of control by the federal government and Wall Street greed.

As for the housing industry, lets take a look at what I believe is going on here. Now, I will say that I am not a real estate professional, economist nor developer. I have however, followed the market closely over the last several years in anticipation of making a home purchase which I did last August.

The quiet before the storm came in the early years of this decade, 2000 - 2004, where the housing industry was fairly stable, as was the market pricing. Based on the S&P/Case-Shiller index, there was an increase in the index of just under ten percent in 2001 and 2002. 2003 saw an increase of just over twelve percent and 2004 about sixteen. This is where developers and homeowners saw a growing trend of sales and price increases which lead to a twenty percent jump in the index for 2005. This was driven by speculation and greed, get the most you can at any expense. Another twenty percent jump was seen by the first quarter of 2006 where the peak was reached. The market flat lined through 2006 with less than a five percent fluctuation and then the fall began. 2007 saw a decrease in the index of almost fifteen percentage points and by the end of 2008 the index had dropped a whopping thirty five points (S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices).

Here's what I know. In our free market society we strive to make as much money as we possibly can, and here it is again, at any expense. We are very short sighted when it comes to gaining wealth. It's not how we play the game but, whether we win or loose. It's that mentality that has driven the housing market into the disaster it is today. We can blame the government on the mortgage "crisis" but the housing crisis must be blamed on us.

Here's what I have seen. Housing prices soared in 2004 - 2006 at an unhealthy rate which decreased the available buyers to only those in higher income brackets. In actuality, the higher market prices blocked out the average American's ability to afford to buy a home therefore creating an abundance of homes with too few possible buyers. The result, home prices were forced down because of the large inventory of available homes. I, for one, took advantage of this price drop.

Here's what I believe has happened. The housing market has corrected itself and is now back to where it was in the first quarter of 2004. There really isn't any crisis, contrary to popular belief. The crisis only effects those, who without looking at the big picture and driven by greed, blindly jumped on the real estate band wagon to make as much as they could with the sale of thier home. Or, those who's speculative endeavors fell flat because they wanted to get rich quick.

In the movie What About Bob, the primary focus in Bob's therapy was "Baby Steps". We must think along these lines when we strive for wealth, "Baby Steps". For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That has occurred in the housing market. We have returned to a more normal state with regard to home prices.

So there you go, no crisis, just correction.