Current online, print media and TV pundits convince me that most talking heads are way behind the American electorate. I see much better perspective amongst a wide variety of "ordinary" citizens.
Once people acknowledge that they do not want to be limited by categories such as class, ethnics, economics, gender, location, unionization, politics or any other "social" preferences, they become dangerous to those whose seek power over them. The effort of some to paint Wall Street demonstrators with the same brush as the Taxed Enough Already illustrates the ease with which power brokers may muddy the political waters. Is it any wonder that, arising from the muck, a multitude now cries for the end of politics as usual?
If ever there was a time for each of us to jump our traces, surely it is now. Right now, we have an opportunity to see Cain, who like most of us has never held political office, cheerfully navigate shark infested waters that deter many a devout U.S. citizen from taking his turn at shouldering the public wheel. Here on the table, again, is the question as to whether it is still possible for an honest accomplished businessman like our Founding Fathers to jumpstart free market capitalism. The stakes couldn't be higher considering that so far, despite many plans to the contrary, this economic structure is the only demonstrated engine of our defense against tyranny both at home and abroad.
Granted there may be a better financial driver, but until it surfaces, picking apart every effort to keep capitalism productive and lolling about in sleeping bags on Wall Street is sure to kill our motor. Yes, capitalism requires regulation, but not at the expense of those who, through their actions, stoutly defend honesty as the best policy. Have we not all faced this battlefront? Who, for instance, has not once in a while run into a buzz saw while trying to explain a personal perspective?
If not Cain, rather the usual political alternatives, how about drafting Steve Wynn? Odds are this Las Vegas titan's demonstrated success in respectful American business practices coupled with his compelling delivery of his objections to the current regime would save the day.
Fortunately, it's our call. Once more, we, the people, will soon determine whether a nation conceived in liberty with a government of, by and for "ordinary" people can long stand.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Getting Mail
We all get mail, right? Betcha there's no one out there likely to read my musings who isn't flooded with snail and e-mail, most of which can't possibly be reciprocated without unlimited time, energy and monetary resources. Since I can't imagine anyone under the sun has all that, I feel happily in tune, this morning, with my own hunt and peck system for staying in the loop.
My legacy of positive thinking was particularly useful to the matters of my yesterday. Last night, I couldn’t resist sending out an all points bulletin about a presidential candidate who lifts my hopes for our exceptional republic. No matter what may come, I will gladly hold to the momentum I got from my mail today. For instance:
An old faithful childhood pal mailed me one of his upbeat forwards. I replied as follows:
Thanks for a nice fit for my exchange with my first born as her first born arrives with his platoon in Afghanistan today. First thing this morning she thanked me for my political message and I replied, “It was all I could do to keep from notifying our most precious brave soldier, yesterday, that I'm working hard on getting him Commander in Chief Cain :>) Wishing you the peace that passeth all understanding as your wonderful son moves on in his well chosen field of endeavor, thanks to your fine guidance."
As you may guess, I am very grateful for my daughter’s reassuring response:
"Thank you for your generous appreciation. It IS all in God's hands, as it always is, and I am striving to live by the fruits of the spirit and Phillipians 4: 4-9. Love you."
Dear friend, I hope this message conveys my gratitude to you for staying in touch with me. No wonder I still hold onto the notion that love is what keeps this old world turning.
Cheers!
My legacy of positive thinking was particularly useful to the matters of my yesterday. Last night, I couldn’t resist sending out an all points bulletin about a presidential candidate who lifts my hopes for our exceptional republic. No matter what may come, I will gladly hold to the momentum I got from my mail today. For instance:
An old faithful childhood pal mailed me one of his upbeat forwards. I replied as follows:
Thanks for a nice fit for my exchange with my first born as her first born arrives with his platoon in Afghanistan today. First thing this morning she thanked me for my political message and I replied, “It was all I could do to keep from notifying our most precious brave soldier, yesterday, that I'm working hard on getting him Commander in Chief Cain :>) Wishing you the peace that passeth all understanding as your wonderful son moves on in his well chosen field of endeavor, thanks to your fine guidance."
As you may guess, I am very grateful for my daughter’s reassuring response:
"Thank you for your generous appreciation. It IS all in God's hands, as it always is, and I am striving to live by the fruits of the spirit and Phillipians 4: 4-9. Love you."
Dear friend, I hope this message conveys my gratitude to you for staying in touch with me. No wonder I still hold onto the notion that love is what keeps this old world turning.
Cheers!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
In honor of my circle
Amongst a few friendly souls seated in a comfortable circle winding down a lovely backyard family party, my son said he wished more people felt free to share their thoughts about what's going on. Music to my ears, and the key word to others, also, must have been "share."
Fortunately, I hesitated, for a moment before offering copies of a tiny booklet I had tucked in my purse, "just in case." Otherwise, we would not have enjoyed yet another treat of the day from our genial host remarking that he thinks most people just want to do what's best for our country. Following full company agreement, I then asked if anyone would like to look at the booklet I have found useful in my study of current events and the fine gentleman to my left held out a hand. When he read the cover aloud, my host chuckled and advised me, "He's a liberal, you know," which I didn't. Maybe I should have, from the conversation we'd had earlier about his vast store of history on our local Giant Sequoias. But I have many friends a bit younger than I who share a productive perspective with me about what they call their "tree hugging days." I have a life-long fondness for the unique beauty nature provides my locale. I smiled when the gentleman to my left politely said he would put the booklet in his backpack and offered his description of himself as “an old fashioned liberal, more like an old fashioned conservative."
We all spoke of various ways in which a community might take back responsibility for the "safety net" currently provided by government that appears, once again, to be choking off individual endeavor. A thoughtful counter-argument ensued with reference to Giant Sequoias slain a century ago by the relentless sense of manifest destiny in the American lumber business. "Those folks thought then that the bounty of the land in America was endless," said the man to my left, and we all agreed people must be good stewards of our planet.
Then, surprise, surprise! Instead of producing a long list of evils inflicted by man upon nature, the man on my left led the discussion to a consideration of the present economic dangers of too many regulations. Again, good fortune at my side, I resisted the urge to plunge into my own list of evils in that regard. That was when I realized my luck is always in the company that I keep. He had earlier encouraged my passionate recollection of a failed effort to draw a community to good works, stifled by residents of means who had declined to contribute because they said, "We already pay enough taxes to take care of that sort of thing." I said I could only wish I'd had enough sense then to address that issue usefully with these friends I knew had our nation's best interests at heart.
All of a sudden, I could hear myself exclaiming, “What I wish I had said was, ‘Hey –what would you rather do with your money: give it to the government threshing machine or directly produce what you see most useful?’” – and everybody laughed. And that’s when I knew I’d finally accomplished the purpose of all my ranting for the last several years. At least, what appears to me now is that I may have achieved a useful sense of humor.
Thank you, Jerry Seinfeld! It really has helped me a lot to sit at my word processor as I review daily events on the tube and type “yadayadayada . . .”
Fortunately, I hesitated, for a moment before offering copies of a tiny booklet I had tucked in my purse, "just in case." Otherwise, we would not have enjoyed yet another treat of the day from our genial host remarking that he thinks most people just want to do what's best for our country. Following full company agreement, I then asked if anyone would like to look at the booklet I have found useful in my study of current events and the fine gentleman to my left held out a hand. When he read the cover aloud, my host chuckled and advised me, "He's a liberal, you know," which I didn't. Maybe I should have, from the conversation we'd had earlier about his vast store of history on our local Giant Sequoias. But I have many friends a bit younger than I who share a productive perspective with me about what they call their "tree hugging days." I have a life-long fondness for the unique beauty nature provides my locale. I smiled when the gentleman to my left politely said he would put the booklet in his backpack and offered his description of himself as “an old fashioned liberal, more like an old fashioned conservative."
We all spoke of various ways in which a community might take back responsibility for the "safety net" currently provided by government that appears, once again, to be choking off individual endeavor. A thoughtful counter-argument ensued with reference to Giant Sequoias slain a century ago by the relentless sense of manifest destiny in the American lumber business. "Those folks thought then that the bounty of the land in America was endless," said the man to my left, and we all agreed people must be good stewards of our planet.
Then, surprise, surprise! Instead of producing a long list of evils inflicted by man upon nature, the man on my left led the discussion to a consideration of the present economic dangers of too many regulations. Again, good fortune at my side, I resisted the urge to plunge into my own list of evils in that regard. That was when I realized my luck is always in the company that I keep. He had earlier encouraged my passionate recollection of a failed effort to draw a community to good works, stifled by residents of means who had declined to contribute because they said, "We already pay enough taxes to take care of that sort of thing." I said I could only wish I'd had enough sense then to address that issue usefully with these friends I knew had our nation's best interests at heart.
All of a sudden, I could hear myself exclaiming, “What I wish I had said was, ‘Hey –what would you rather do with your money: give it to the government threshing machine or directly produce what you see most useful?’” – and everybody laughed. And that’s when I knew I’d finally accomplished the purpose of all my ranting for the last several years. At least, what appears to me now is that I may have achieved a useful sense of humor.
Thank you, Jerry Seinfeld! It really has helped me a lot to sit at my word processor as I review daily events on the tube and type “yadayadayada . . .”
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
So, is the party over?
Is it just about as bad as it gets yet?
I wonder if this man feels bad about what he said - as reported Monday, August 01, 2011, by Nicholas Ballasy:
(CNSNews.com) – Congressman Hank Johnson (D-Ga.). . . claimed . . ."These ‘Tea Partiers,’ as willing conspirators with their so-called leadership have enacted on a plan to dismantle the American government and in the process, we have lost our moral compass," . . . when speaking with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus last week.
You know how they say what you call other people is probably true of you? From what I hear, this Congressman favors President Obama who has stated he wants to change America. It has also been reported that this member of the House of Representatives grilled a Vice Admiral of the Navy about the dangers of the "very narrow island of Guam tipping over, if there would be too may sailors stationed on this very narrow island" I admire how this Vice Admiral is said to have managed to assure the Congressman in a very measured voice that there really was no danger yet of the island tipping over.
Once again, I'm wondering why Congressmen such as Mr. Johnson are still in the business of shaping the future of my nation. I can't help but also wonder if he really believes what he's saying. I have said things about others that make me feel stupid and bad about myself. I suppose that's why I keep stopping myself and trying to find something better to say for myself.
What I hope is that America will get through this time of confusion and back to a better show of itself. What I keep wishing is that I could figure out how to be of some help in clearing up the confusion.
RE news (at least to me) that we recently sent two school administrators to Cuba to learn how the Cubans educate their children, I am reminded of an old friend, sweet guy, trying to convert me to liberalism telling of his trip to Cuba with fellow Superior Court Judges sponsored by our friendly U.S. Government. Talk about confusing. His wife packed gift bags of asprin and other basics he said Cubans are lacking, and then raved when he returned about the enlightenment he'd seen in Cuban politics. Go figure why the last fifteen years our courts have been bleeding out.
We're still old friends, this now happily retired judge and I, but he limits his contact with me to faithful birthday greetings. I suspect we don't have many left between us, yet I'm hopeful that the spirit of our good will towards one another will linger on in this sorely troubled land we both love.
On Tea Party Nation, a website that favors my interest in fiscal sanity, comes a review of a media double standard when it comes to violent rhetoric. After screaming for so long about every possible hint of a suggestion of a possibility of violent speech from the Right, it’s amazing what will be forgiven when it comes from the Left:
Tom Friedman — who knows a bit about Hezbollah — calls the tea partiers the “Hezbollah faction” of the GOP bent on taking the country on a “suicide mission.” All over the place, conservative Republicans are “hostage takers” and “terrorists,” . . . and “traitors.” They want to “end life as we know it on this planet,” says Nancy Pelosi. They are betraying the founders, too. Chris Matthews all but signs up for the “Make an Ass of Yourself” contest at the State Fair. Joe Nocera writes today that “the Tea Party Republicans can put aside their suicide vests.” Lord knows what Krugman and Olbermann have said.
I guess you just have to have "been there" to see how self-destructive it is to wish dead everyone you think has done you wrong.
Reviewer Moe Lane wonders whether attempts by some moderate media types "calling out egregious Lefty violators of the civility principle on either the talk shows – or the cocktail party circuit – " will help or harm their careers. "But then," as he says, "the rest of us have suffered socially for our beliefs and our affiliations; why the heck should they be immune to that?" adding, "I am a moderate Republican on social issues, after all. I’ve just simply avoided the subtly insidious trap of getting into the unethical habit of sneering at more socially conservative friends in order to try to curry favor with socially moderate enemies. I am not the only squishy Republican in the United States of America who is capable of making that choice."
I can relate to Mr. Lane, being tempted to call myself a Libertarian after developing a fondness for John Stossell's common sense review of the folly of too much regulation of one guy's life by another. On the other hand, I used to get so confused as a church member about what's liberal and what's conservative. So, now I just take matters on a case by case basis as to what I want conserved and how my conservation efforts may be liberally sprinkled with the gift of human kindness. I guess that doesn't make me much of a partier, but at least I'm glad I'm still having fun.
I wonder if this man feels bad about what he said - as reported Monday, August 01, 2011, by Nicholas Ballasy:
(CNSNews.com) – Congressman Hank Johnson (D-Ga.). . . claimed . . ."These ‘Tea Partiers,’ as willing conspirators with their so-called leadership have enacted on a plan to dismantle the American government and in the process, we have lost our moral compass," . . . when speaking with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus last week.
You know how they say what you call other people is probably true of you? From what I hear, this Congressman favors President Obama who has stated he wants to change America. It has also been reported that this member of the House of Representatives grilled a Vice Admiral of the Navy about the dangers of the "very narrow island of Guam tipping over, if there would be too may sailors stationed on this very narrow island" I admire how this Vice Admiral is said to have managed to assure the Congressman in a very measured voice that there really was no danger yet of the island tipping over.
Once again, I'm wondering why Congressmen such as Mr. Johnson are still in the business of shaping the future of my nation. I can't help but also wonder if he really believes what he's saying. I have said things about others that make me feel stupid and bad about myself. I suppose that's why I keep stopping myself and trying to find something better to say for myself.
What I hope is that America will get through this time of confusion and back to a better show of itself. What I keep wishing is that I could figure out how to be of some help in clearing up the confusion.
RE news (at least to me) that we recently sent two school administrators to Cuba to learn how the Cubans educate their children, I am reminded of an old friend, sweet guy, trying to convert me to liberalism telling of his trip to Cuba with fellow Superior Court Judges sponsored by our friendly U.S. Government. Talk about confusing. His wife packed gift bags of asprin and other basics he said Cubans are lacking, and then raved when he returned about the enlightenment he'd seen in Cuban politics. Go figure why the last fifteen years our courts have been bleeding out.
We're still old friends, this now happily retired judge and I, but he limits his contact with me to faithful birthday greetings. I suspect we don't have many left between us, yet I'm hopeful that the spirit of our good will towards one another will linger on in this sorely troubled land we both love.
On Tea Party Nation, a website that favors my interest in fiscal sanity, comes a review of a media double standard when it comes to violent rhetoric. After screaming for so long about every possible hint of a suggestion of a possibility of violent speech from the Right, it’s amazing what will be forgiven when it comes from the Left:
Tom Friedman — who knows a bit about Hezbollah — calls the tea partiers the “Hezbollah faction” of the GOP bent on taking the country on a “suicide mission.” All over the place, conservative Republicans are “hostage takers” and “terrorists,” . . . and “traitors.” They want to “end life as we know it on this planet,” says Nancy Pelosi. They are betraying the founders, too. Chris Matthews all but signs up for the “Make an Ass of Yourself” contest at the State Fair. Joe Nocera writes today that “the Tea Party Republicans can put aside their suicide vests.” Lord knows what Krugman and Olbermann have said.
I guess you just have to have "been there" to see how self-destructive it is to wish dead everyone you think has done you wrong.
Reviewer Moe Lane wonders whether attempts by some moderate media types "calling out egregious Lefty violators of the civility principle on either the talk shows – or the cocktail party circuit – " will help or harm their careers. "But then," as he says, "the rest of us have suffered socially for our beliefs and our affiliations; why the heck should they be immune to that?" adding, "I am a moderate Republican on social issues, after all. I’ve just simply avoided the subtly insidious trap of getting into the unethical habit of sneering at more socially conservative friends in order to try to curry favor with socially moderate enemies. I am not the only squishy Republican in the United States of America who is capable of making that choice."
I can relate to Mr. Lane, being tempted to call myself a Libertarian after developing a fondness for John Stossell's common sense review of the folly of too much regulation of one guy's life by another. On the other hand, I used to get so confused as a church member about what's liberal and what's conservative. So, now I just take matters on a case by case basis as to what I want conserved and how my conservation efforts may be liberally sprinkled with the gift of human kindness. I guess that doesn't make me much of a partier, but at least I'm glad I'm still having fun.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Cheers!
How's this for financially encouraging words from teapartynation.com today?
"As I read the Constitution, Congress writes the laws and you get to decide what you are going to sign.”
Wow! There is a high and tight fastball aimed right at Obama. Can you guess who the pitcher is? It will shock you. It was none other than John Boehner. No freshly laundered white flag of surrender for him on Saturday. He was giving Obama some chin music. Has Boehner seen the light? Or just responding to the pressure from freshmen and from the people who are telling Boehner this time, no surrender.
Boehner is a politician so I know all too well not to get excited about him, but this is the power of the Tea Party at work. Boehner is not capitulating, at least not now."
(What follows are highlights of TPN's weekend Twitter "intervention" strategy)
- "Beltwayaddicts.com is the website for the intervention. The plan is very simple . . . social media as well as personal contacts with our Representatives to tell them to stop spending (for starters) $2.6 million of our tax dollars on a program to teach Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly, close to a million to study methane production from cows or to digitize images from concerts by the band, The Grateful Dead, $1.8 million to a museum for neon signs in Las Vegas, $35 million to phantom medical clinics that never existed . . . classic sign of an addiction."
- ". . . the Twitter Tea Party this weekend and the Washington Spending Addiction Intervention this week (are advising that) the government does not deserve any more of America’s money when it cannot even manage what it already has. Now is the time to keep the pressure on. Now they are listening. Now, we are winning."
. . . although Twitter is beyond me, here's my reply to this TPN article:
"BRAVO!!! - and my two cents worth about Speaker Boehner. I know that guy, not personally of course, but I've hung around with guys like him all my life so I can tell you even the best of character needs cheering from the stands. Our "players" may not always hear it, but the brave hearted feel the energy! Go, Go Go!!!"
OK, your turn - am I still too naive, too optimistic - or does it make sense for me to be fueling off my own merry-go-round?
"As I read the Constitution, Congress writes the laws and you get to decide what you are going to sign.”
Wow! There is a high and tight fastball aimed right at Obama. Can you guess who the pitcher is? It will shock you. It was none other than John Boehner. No freshly laundered white flag of surrender for him on Saturday. He was giving Obama some chin music. Has Boehner seen the light? Or just responding to the pressure from freshmen and from the people who are telling Boehner this time, no surrender.
Boehner is a politician so I know all too well not to get excited about him, but this is the power of the Tea Party at work. Boehner is not capitulating, at least not now."
(What follows are highlights of TPN's weekend Twitter "intervention" strategy)
- "Beltwayaddicts.com is the website for the intervention. The plan is very simple . . . social media as well as personal contacts with our Representatives to tell them to stop spending (for starters) $2.6 million of our tax dollars on a program to teach Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly, close to a million to study methane production from cows or to digitize images from concerts by the band, The Grateful Dead, $1.8 million to a museum for neon signs in Las Vegas, $35 million to phantom medical clinics that never existed . . . classic sign of an addiction."
- ". . . the Twitter Tea Party this weekend and the Washington Spending Addiction Intervention this week (are advising that) the government does not deserve any more of America’s money when it cannot even manage what it already has. Now is the time to keep the pressure on. Now they are listening. Now, we are winning."
. . . although Twitter is beyond me, here's my reply to this TPN article:
"BRAVO!!! - and my two cents worth about Speaker Boehner. I know that guy, not personally of course, but I've hung around with guys like him all my life so I can tell you even the best of character needs cheering from the stands. Our "players" may not always hear it, but the brave hearted feel the energy! Go, Go Go!!!"
OK, your turn - am I still too naive, too optimistic - or does it make sense for me to be fueling off my own merry-go-round?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Are We Vital or What?
- gotta do this . . . gotta keep trying . . . gotta share wherever I'm welcome what I just spouted off to my local CVTP, hoping that somewhere along the line I connect with people who can get we, the people, off the blocks and back into preserving our precious union!
Dear Fellow Patriots. if you are so inclined, take a look at what I just sent Bill O'Reilly
(like I think he's ever going to read a word I say - but last night was just plain the last straw for me! His total disregard for the thought that some of his audience may include something besides baby birds waiting in our nests for him to drop his worms of wisdom into our open beaks reminds me of Obama! - and if he doesn't respond to me, that will be the substance of the next message I send him )
Bill, with all due respect, it's your turn to listen! Stop looking out for me until you hear me out and learn who I am! This isn't about you or me - it's about U.S. staying alive, right? I offer you the following perspective from my point of view because I don't think you mean to divide and conquer and I think we need each other's company.
I just heard Dennis Miller say, "You can have everything, but if you don't feel vital you have nothing." Since you and I both feel vital to the process of staying alive in America, please consider the following:
- Call to arms from Erick at redstate.com:
"The President today (July 12) signaled his willingness to shoot the hostage. (i.e.: senior citizens' social security and military checks). The GOP should do the same — show an absolute unwillingness to raise the debt ceiling without their balanced budget amendment passing out of Congress to the states."
- Drawing the battle lines:
"Jim Pethokoukis notes a Goldman Sachs report showing there will be plenty of money flowing into the treasury in August for the government to pay its debt obligations, pay social security obligations, pay military obligations, and avoid default. But Obama won’t let facts stand in the way of starving senior citizens to score political points against the GOP."
- Surge strategy outlined by Senator DeMint (R-SC):
"Republicans need to stop worrying about their own political careers and demonstrate the courage our country needs in this critical time.
Change in Washington means changing the people we send there.
The only way forward . . . the only acceptable trade-off for raising the debt limit is to (1) immediately CUT spending, (2) CAP spending out into the future, and (3) pass a constitutional amendment to force Congress to BALANCE the budget every year. This is the only way to ensure that this is the last time the debt limit will ever be raised again."
- The Wall Street Journal teetering on the front line:
"The tea party/talk-radio expectations for what Republicans can accomplish over the debt-limit showdown have always been unrealistic. As former Senator Phil Gramm once told us, never take a hostage you’re not prepared to shoot. Republicans aren’t prepared to stop a debt-limit increase because the political costs are unbearable. Republicans might have played this game better, but the truth is that Mr. Obama has more cards to play."
- and I say, come on folks - let's be men not mice!!! I'm with Erick here:
"Again and again, Congress folds to the doomsday scenarios. The Wall Street Journal again and again claims the sky will fall and the markets will crash. The suits come down from New York and paint the disaster scenario. The GOP falls in line. TARP is passed. What else will be passed?
This time, the GOP should embrace the apocalyptic future, call B.S. on the fear mongering, and shoot their debt ceiling hostage. If they engage in politics as usual as the Wall Street Journal and Mitch McConnell would have them, we’ll be back in this mess again next year.
Politics as usual usually gets us here. If we want to move back to fiscal sanity, we need to try a different approach."
This morning, one young lion of my close acquaintance said, "We drop a bomb on DC!!! That's how we fix this." I'm only one of many he knows are willing to sacrifice our social security checks in behalf of his best business practices. So, what do you think? Aren't we the bomb - we who refuse to cave to politics as usual this time around?
Thank you for your attention and consideration of how we may work together for the preservation of our Republic.
C. Brooks Nielsen
Visalia, CA
cbn, citizen journalist, Char Speaks or http://cbnielsen.blogspot.com/
Dear Fellow Patriots. if you are so inclined, take a look at what I just sent Bill O'Reilly
(like I think he's ever going to read a word I say - but last night was just plain the last straw for me! His total disregard for the thought that some of his audience may include something besides baby birds waiting in our nests for him to drop his worms of wisdom into our open beaks reminds me of Obama! - and if he doesn't respond to me, that will be the substance of the next message I send him )
Bill, with all due respect, it's your turn to listen! Stop looking out for me until you hear me out and learn who I am! This isn't about you or me - it's about U.S. staying alive, right? I offer you the following perspective from my point of view because I don't think you mean to divide and conquer and I think we need each other's company.
I just heard Dennis Miller say, "You can have everything, but if you don't feel vital you have nothing." Since you and I both feel vital to the process of staying alive in America, please consider the following:
- Call to arms from Erick at redstate.com:
"The President today (July 12) signaled his willingness to shoot the hostage. (i.e.: senior citizens' social security and military checks). The GOP should do the same — show an absolute unwillingness to raise the debt ceiling without their balanced budget amendment passing out of Congress to the states."
- Drawing the battle lines:
"Jim Pethokoukis notes a Goldman Sachs report showing there will be plenty of money flowing into the treasury in August for the government to pay its debt obligations, pay social security obligations, pay military obligations, and avoid default. But Obama won’t let facts stand in the way of starving senior citizens to score political points against the GOP."
- Surge strategy outlined by Senator DeMint (R-SC):
"Republicans need to stop worrying about their own political careers and demonstrate the courage our country needs in this critical time.
Change in Washington means changing the people we send there.
The only way forward . . . the only acceptable trade-off for raising the debt limit is to (1) immediately CUT spending, (2) CAP spending out into the future, and (3) pass a constitutional amendment to force Congress to BALANCE the budget every year. This is the only way to ensure that this is the last time the debt limit will ever be raised again."
- The Wall Street Journal teetering on the front line:
"The tea party/talk-radio expectations for what Republicans can accomplish over the debt-limit showdown have always been unrealistic. As former Senator Phil Gramm once told us, never take a hostage you’re not prepared to shoot. Republicans aren’t prepared to stop a debt-limit increase because the political costs are unbearable. Republicans might have played this game better, but the truth is that Mr. Obama has more cards to play."
- and I say, come on folks - let's be men not mice!!! I'm with Erick here:
"Again and again, Congress folds to the doomsday scenarios. The Wall Street Journal again and again claims the sky will fall and the markets will crash. The suits come down from New York and paint the disaster scenario. The GOP falls in line. TARP is passed. What else will be passed?
This time, the GOP should embrace the apocalyptic future, call B.S. on the fear mongering, and shoot their debt ceiling hostage. If they engage in politics as usual as the Wall Street Journal and Mitch McConnell would have them, we’ll be back in this mess again next year.
Politics as usual usually gets us here. If we want to move back to fiscal sanity, we need to try a different approach."
This morning, one young lion of my close acquaintance said, "We drop a bomb on DC!!! That's how we fix this." I'm only one of many he knows are willing to sacrifice our social security checks in behalf of his best business practices. So, what do you think? Aren't we the bomb - we who refuse to cave to politics as usual this time around?
Thank you for your attention and consideration of how we may work together for the preservation of our Republic.
C. Brooks Nielsen
Visalia, CA
cbn, citizen journalist, Char Speaks or http://cbnielsen.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Best of the Best
"Joe Louis was the first black hero of white Americans, as well as black Americans. The dignity and sportsmanship with which he conducted himself had much to do with changing the image of black people in general, and eventually opening many doors for them.
In those days, you didn't have to act like a lout to try to show that you were black. Acting like a gentleman was something admired by blacks and whites alike.
Louis engaged in none of the cheap, show-off antics that have become all too common among boxers of a later era. He came to the ring to do a job, and he did it professionally, skillfully and with devastating results. He still holds the record for the most one-round knockouts in heavyweight championship fights."
- written by Dr. Thomas Sowell, another of those door openers, in his case to better economic prospects for everyone
I wish Whoopie Goldberg would get a grip on herself and stop ruining her own good professional standing by ranting over every imagined slight to whatever "demographics" she associates with herself. Maybe it's just "The View" that has tainted her good nature. If so, hopefully she will look around and see that she's dealing herself out of her own promise.
Meanwhile, I wonder if Whoopie is suffering, like so many other self-afflicted types I've known, from a lack of sufficient mothering. It appears to me that everyone I know who has fallen into his own reflection in the pond is still begging his mother (or a reasonable facsimile) to save him.
Pardon the politically incorrect pronoun reference here, but I'm tired of trying to be so . . . . inclusive about everything. I once tried to invent a non-gender-specific pronoun to make my writing life easier, but all I could come up with is "heshit" which is entirely too incivil for my tastes. Besides, I take no affront at being referred to as a member of mankind. Oh, well, each to his own - at least that's what I will keep thinking until they deliver the knockout punch to my individuality, and even then, I doubt the music will come to an entire halt.
In those days, you didn't have to act like a lout to try to show that you were black. Acting like a gentleman was something admired by blacks and whites alike.
Louis engaged in none of the cheap, show-off antics that have become all too common among boxers of a later era. He came to the ring to do a job, and he did it professionally, skillfully and with devastating results. He still holds the record for the most one-round knockouts in heavyweight championship fights."
- written by Dr. Thomas Sowell, another of those door openers, in his case to better economic prospects for everyone
I wish Whoopie Goldberg would get a grip on herself and stop ruining her own good professional standing by ranting over every imagined slight to whatever "demographics" she associates with herself. Maybe it's just "The View" that has tainted her good nature. If so, hopefully she will look around and see that she's dealing herself out of her own promise.
Meanwhile, I wonder if Whoopie is suffering, like so many other self-afflicted types I've known, from a lack of sufficient mothering. It appears to me that everyone I know who has fallen into his own reflection in the pond is still begging his mother (or a reasonable facsimile) to save him.
Pardon the politically incorrect pronoun reference here, but I'm tired of trying to be so . . . . inclusive about everything. I once tried to invent a non-gender-specific pronoun to make my writing life easier, but all I could come up with is "heshit" which is entirely too incivil for my tastes. Besides, I take no affront at being referred to as a member of mankind. Oh, well, each to his own - at least that's what I will keep thinking until they deliver the knockout punch to my individuality, and even then, I doubt the music will come to an entire halt.
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