Fighting to Preserve Liberty in America
At the conclusion of Newt Gingrich’s speech as CPAC a colleague and I discussed the Republican chances for the White House. That day we heard from Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt and we both agreed that winning in the fall should not be hard. But a couple of conditions had to be met.
The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.—War Powers Resolution of 1973, Section 2(c)
How many times have we heard both during the 2008 presidential campaign and since that Barack Obama was a constitutional scholar? Where did he find the time? Between being a community organizer, a Illinois state legislator, a law school professor, U.S. Senator and presidential candidate, when did he find time for his constitutional scholarship?
The order in the Middle East has been crumbling, but it seems that the only place President Barack Obama knows where to lead is on the dance floor or when ramming through his socialist programs. When it comes to real solutions to fix the economy or on foreign policy he is utterly lost.
Today Barack Obama received his Nobel Peace Prize in Norway for his accomplishments in the area of …..? Well, nothing actually. It was called anticipatory, in other words, he got the prize for what they hoped he would accomplish. There’s that hope thing again. I hope he stops burying this country in debt.
TR and Woodrow Wilson
In some puzzling way, President Obama’s acolytes like to make comparisons to two other presidents who won the Nobel Peace prize. But they actually accomplished something or introduced a concept that eventually prevailed. In 1905, Teddy Roosevelt successfully negotiated the end of the Russo-Japanese War, and that peace actually stuck. Woodrow Wilson created the League of Nations which, although it failed survive, it was the forerunner of the United Nations. Gentlemen, take a bow. As for President Obama, I guess we’ll have to keep holding our breath and hoping.
Damaged Goods
However noble, the Nobel Peace Prize might have been, it has been reduced to a sad joke. Let’s look at some past recipients:
Notably Absent
So where are the Nobel Peace prizes for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, for ending the Cold War without firing a shot? That wasn’t just peaceful that was miraculous. But then again, they were conservatives and therefore they don’t qualify for the Nobel Peace Prize.
With Ahmadinejad and the mullahs taking maximum advantage of Obama’s apology tour, it was time to make a bold statement regarding a second nuclear installation in Iran. What better place and what better time than at the U.N. Security Council meeting especially with President Obama holding the gavel as the current chairman. At least that was what French President Nicholas Sarkozy thought, as well British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The problem was that President Obama was basking in the glow of his makeover of America. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, after all, told the General Assembly that he no longer smelled the sulfurous odor of El Diablo, President Bush. It was another Obama global love fest. Why spoil it by talking about global security in the Security Council of all places? It would be far better to talk about global security the following day at an economic summit of the G-20. Don’t you think?
French Fried
Sarkozy apparently had his U.N. speech prepared to take a strong stance against Iran in the Security Council Meeting, but was forced to remove that part of the speech.
President Sarkozy in particular pushed hard. He had been “frustrated” for months about Mr. Obama’s reluctance to confront Iran, a senior French government official told us, and saw an opportunity to change momentum. But the Administration told the French that it didn’t want to “spoil the image of success” for Mr. Obama’s debut at the U.N. and his homily calling for a world without nuclear weapons, according to the Paris daily Le Monde. So the Iran bombshell was pushed back a day to Pittsburgh, where the G-20 were meeting to discuss economic policy. — WSJ, September 29, 2009
Welcome as it is, at the same time somewhat embarrassing that the French are frustrated that the United States isn’t taking a harder line. President Obama has certainly come full circle from President Bush in just nine months. As for me, I slept better with an American cowboy in the White House.
When given an opportunity to speak in Pittsburgh, President Sarkozy could hardly contain himself:
“We are right to talk about the future,” Mr. Sarkozy said, referring to the U.S. resolution on strengthening arms control treaties. “But the present comes before the future, and the present includes two major nuclear crises,” i.e., Iran and North Korea. “We live in the real world, not in a virtual one.” No prize for guessing into which world the Frenchman puts Mr. Obama.
Sarkozy continued,
“I support America’s ‘extended hand.’ But what have these proposals for dialogue produced for the international community? Nothing but more enriched uranium and more centrifuges. And last but not least, it has resulted in a statement by Iranian leaders calling for wiping off the map a Member of the United Nations. What are we to do? What conclusions are we to draw? At a certain moment hard facts will force us to make decisions.”
Vive la France. I hope we make it to 2012.
From being the foregone conclusion as the first woman President of the United States in 2008 to a marginalized, snarky misrepresentative of the United States, it time for her to realize, the band stopped playing and everyone has gone home but her. It’s time to call it a day and resign.
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer
Proving, once again, he is the master of hardball politics, Barack Obama dangled the Secretary of State job in front of his vanquished rival. She took the bait. No more would she be a force in the Senate able to challenge Obama at the first stumble. She was now part of the problem, not a potential solution. Once ensconced at Foggy Bottom, she thought she enhance her image by holding the most prestigious post in the Cabinet. But she again underestimated Barack Obama.
He proceeded to divvy up foreign policy among many advisers, undercutting Hillary every step of the way. She’s no fool, she can see it and it is eating away at her, to the point where she is becoming a gaffe machine to rival Joe Biden.
She’s No Condoleezza Rice
Upstaged by her husband in North Korea, negotiating the release of the journalist hostages, she was asked what her husband thought about another matter while in Africa. In a similar situation, Condoleezza Rice, would have handled that with aplomb and not become rattled. But here is Hillary’s response. Hillary Snaps. Smacking down a questioner on the world stage? Well that will surely “correct” our image as the Ugly Americans.
The Apology Tour Continues
She goes on to make a speech in Nigeria and wants to emphasize that there is no place in the world for corrupt elections. A very good point to make, that few could argue with. But what does she use as an analogy? She openly suggests that Jeb Bush fixed the 2000 Presidential election for his brother. Of all the analogies of corrupt elections that she could have used, let’s see, Iran? Cuba? the old Soviet Union? she points to the oldest democracy in history and suggest that we are as corrupt as any third world dictator. Hillary Compares U.S. Elections to Third World Corruption. Disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who endorsed Hillary to take his Senate seat, must be turning over in his grave. He used to staunchly defend the United States at the UN and here his protege is saying we are no better than the worst of them.
In Honduras, the rule of law is being followed to prevent a Chavez style dictator from taking over that country, and who does Hillary and the Obama administration support? The Chavez puppet. What about standing up for democracy in our Hemisphere? It is time for her to go.
The Gore Thing in 2000
Let’s get this straight one more time. On election night 2000, Gore lost Florida. He lost the recount. He lost the re-recount. He lost the re-re-recount. He lost the official recount. He lost the private recount sponsored by newspapers.
Their count showed that Bush’s razor-thin margin of 537 votes — certified in December by the Florida Secretary of State’s office — would have tripled to 1,665 votes if counted according to standards advocated by his Democratic rival, former Vice President Al Gore.
“In the end, I think we probably confirmed that President Bush should have been president of the United States,” said Mark Seibel, the paper’s managing editor. “I think that it was worthwhile because so many people had questions about how the ballots had been handled and how the process had worked.” — CNN
If Democrats and their radical supporters want to salve their wounds with this myth, live the fantasy. But don’t smear this country with these lies while acting as our chief diplomat.
Democrats Lining Up to Vote for Cap and Trade
The tide is turning against the case for man-made global warming. An article in today’s Wall Street Journal has the following:
“Among the many reasons President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority are so intent on quickly jamming a cap-and-trade system through Congress is because the global warming tide is again shifting. It turns out Al Gore and the United Nations (with an assist from the media), did a little too vociferous a job smearing anyone who disagreed with them as “deniers.” The backlash has brought the scientific debate roaring back to life in Australia, Europe, Japan and even, if less reported, the U.S.” — The Climate Change Climate Change, WSJ, June 26, 2009
So if the case for controlling CO2 emissions is gaining skeptics, what would a reasonable person do? They would probably pause and listen to see if they should alter their position based on this new information. What do the statists do? Double their efforts to jam this gargantuan tax bill through Congress, again without reading it because it’s too big, before the American people find out just how monumentally stupid it is.
Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman, and Ed Markey are the lead lemmings jumping into the sea and expecting all of us to follow. You see, if they can slam this thing in they will have enormously increased their power and make it very difficult to unwind this monstrosity. Their disdain for what is right for this country and what is best for the American people is truly astounding. Their arrogance and sense of empowerment knows no limits.
Scientists Speak Out
Far from Al Gore’s pejorative and dismissive label of “deniers”, some real scientists weigh in:
“The number of skeptics, far from shrinking, is swelling. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe now counts more than 700 scientists who disagree with the U.N. — 13 times the number who authored the U.N.’s 2007 climate summary for policymakers. Joanne Simpson, the world’s first woman to receive a Ph.D. in meteorology, expressed relief upon her retirement last year that she was finally free to speak “frankly” of her nonbelief. Dr. Kiminori Itoh, a Japanese environmental physical chemist who contributed to a U.N. climate report, dubs man-made warming “the worst scientific scandal in history.” Norway’s Ivar Giaever, Nobel Prize winner for physics, decries it as the “new religion.” A group of 54 noted physicists, led by Princeton’s Will Happer, is demanding the American Physical Society revise its position that the science is settled. (Both Nature and Science magazines have refused to run the physicists’ open letter.)” — The Climate Change Climate Change, WSJ, June 26, 2009
Can you feel your liberties slipping away as those in power do what they want rather than representing us. Sounds like it’s about time for a tea party.
I Didn't Know About any Stinkin' Waterboarding!
I heard a Democratic pundit on TV today say that calling Nancy Pelosi a liar was way out of line. It was far too strong a term to use regarding this delicate matter. As Tony Snow used to say from the podium in the White House briefing room, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?”
A Flexible Lexicon
How many times did we hear the phrase, “Bush lied, {fill in the blank}”? Bush was accused repeatedly, lustily, full throated, spittle flying, of lying about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. What is the definition of a lie?
“To make a statement that one knows is false, esp. with intent to deceive.” — YourDictionary.com
So, the CIA, the intelligence agencies of several allies, all provided information that indicated that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Saddam had used weapons of mass destruction on the Kurds, and the Iranians. So Bush reached the conclusion, which was backed by Congress, by their vote authorizing the use of force, and the UN that weapons of mass destruction existed. Yes, they were all wrong, but how was Bush to know this information was false, when his advisors and the advisors of our allies said it was true? So, how is this a lie? Simple, a Republican is held to a higher standard than a Democrat. For a Republican, a lie is whatever the Democrats say it is. For a Democrat, a lie is whatever the Democrats say it is.
Dear Nancy
Nancy Pelosi sat in a room where she and Porter Goss were briefed on waterboarding, but she says she wasn’t briefed. Documents prove she was there. Porter Goss remembers her being there. Did she have her fingers in her ears, stamping her feet, and yelling, “Nah, Nah, Nah, I can’t hear you!”? Now let’s apply the above definition to dear Nancy. She made several statements, all caught on video tape, vehemently denying that she knew waterboarding was actually used. This was for one purpose only, to deceive the American people and her supporters, that she was not involved, nor did she approve in what has now been redefined as torture.
International Embarrassment
I don’t know about you, but I find it embarrassing to have such gutless people in positions of authority in government. Say want you mean, mean what you say. The bottom line is that these statists, have no principles. They have no moral compass to guide their behavior. Their only guide is how to tighten their grasp on power and how to take away as much liberty as possible from the American people. In doing so, those same people will depend more and more on government and keep these moral midgets in power.
How much time do we have left before Joe Biden’s prophesy comes true that within six months of taking office Obama, and by extension we, will face an international crisis? Well, unless you haven’t been paying attention, I think he will hit his mark before his 100 days are up.
Obama and Biden and the rest of their supporters have confused the difference between being liked and being respected. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, while ambassador to the UN called the world, “A Dangerous Place.” When trying to be a leader in a world that is dangerous, it is far better to be respected than liked.
The Obama Feel Good Tour
As President Obama tours the world and grovels at the feet of the Europeans, the Saudis, and Latin American dictators, trying to “repair the damage,” done by President Bush, our enemies are licking their chops. The Europeans flocked to see him, touch him, kiss him, but when he asked for a commitment of more troops for Afghanistan, how did they respond? Awkward silence and an offer of 5,000 troops to train police while at the same time an insistence that the “world” should have some say in the regulation of the U.S. economy.
While President Obama achieved his goal of improving the U.S.’s likability quotient, pirates were taking ships on the high seas, North Korea sent an ICBM over Japan, Iran celebrated Nuclear Technology Day, and the Taliban made inroads in Pakistan. How did the popular leader respond? To North Korea, he scolded that actions have consequences and words have meaning and proposed more words from the UN to be piled on top of the words the North Koreans are already ignoring.
Disarmament
To continue with the feel good groove, we have stopped calling terrorists terrorists. Their acts are now to be called Man Caused Disasters and I guess the terrorists themselves are to be called Man Caused Disaster Causing Men (or Women). After all, we don’t want them to be offended by being called terrorists. Isn’t that was caused 9/11? It was merely a response to our bad behavior, no? Our lack of likability?
There is no longer a War on Terror. It’s an Overseas Contingency Operation. We don’t want to raise Osama bin Laden’s sensibilities thinking we might be at war with him, but we do need contingency planning in case something happens. As a further show of good faith, let’s start re-writing the Al Qaeda training manual for them by telling them exactly what kind of interrogation techniques we use so that they can best prepare the training of their members to resist them. Of course, we already swore we would never use them again anyway, but we have to make sure they are prepared for the infidel’s trickery. Repeat after me: “I am not going to drown. I am not going to drown. I am not going to drown.” There, it’s simple, now they can resist even our most diabolical torture. But we shouldn’t forget to tell them that if an interrogator so much as raises his voice they should do the following:
If that doesn’t get them to lay down their arms, what will?
Respect Not Likability
The only time the United States is both respected and liked is when the bullets are flying and the United States is saving the hides of our new friends. When the shooting stops or it is confined to a theater far away from the talkers, the United States will be disliked but, however begrudgingly, respected.
Ronald W. Reagan may have been liked personally in private but when the klieg lights were on, he was “an amiable dunce,” and “a cowboy.” But Reagan stood firm and put Pershing II missiles in Europe against all protests. Such steadfastness led to the eventual arms negotiations and winning the cold war. At the moment President Reagan took the oath of office, the Ayatollahs in Iran released the American hostages they held for 444 days. They respected that Reagan would act, not just talk.
George W. Bush was not liked. He was another cowboy, one who was inarticulate to boot. But he was respected. After 9/11 the world respected that he would hunt down and kill America’s enemies. After the Iraq invasion, Libya publicly shut down their nuclear program. Quadaffi didn’t want to be next. President Bush kept America safe for seven years after 9/11. Now, this Congress and this President want set aside over 200 years of precedent and to put them on trial for doing that.
Preparing for Our Enemies
President Obama plans to keep America secure by cutting our defense budget by 25%. He plans on a staggering increase in our national debt and selling it to the Chinese. Picture the Chinese doing to the USA what Obama did to General Motors. Can you just see the head of the Chinese Communist Party saying to Obama, “Well, we own you now. You’re fired.”
Can this Juggernaut be Stopped?
On April 15th over 1 million people gathered at Tea Parties around the country to protest the growth of government, the taking of our liberty and out of control taxes. The Obama main stream media largely ignored the event, or willfully disparaged it.
A recent Rasmussen poll, “85% of mainstream Americans say the government has too much money and power, just 2% of the political class agree.” If they have no bread, let them eat cake! The poll went on to say, “51% of Americans have a favorable view of the Tea Parties but the political class strongly disagrees.” {emphasis added} How more out of touch with the people can they be? How more arrogant in their shameless grab for power can they be?
I will end this post, my friends, with a quotation from the Declaration of Independence.
“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness — That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
July 4, 1776
I hope to see you at the Tea Party on July 4, 2009
