9/11 Responder Bill Needs to be passed!

Robert Gibbs, his usual stuttering self, failed to give any answers to Jake Tapper from ABC News concerning the White House's position, or lack thereof, on the 9/11 responders bill, known as the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act. "Well, look, we -- look, I think the -- if I'm not mistaken -- is this for a vote today or a previous vote?" Gibbs asked flustered when Tapper asked him about the White House position. Then when asked why the White House has not come out about this necessary legislation for the heroes who gave their all in the response to the nation's worst tragedy, Gibbs stutters again. "I think -- let me check it out. I mean, I think we've set up a statement of support, a prior administration position, and we are supportive of the legislation."

It has not. A check on the White House's past statements reveals none was made about this bill.
Later Tapper asks again. "Well, until this morning, I hadn't been asked. But I will -- let me check and see. Let me go back and look through the call list and see if he has."

The legislation passed in the House but was held up in the Senate. It puts aside $7.4 billion for those who responded to the tragedy in New York City when terrorists crashed two planes into both Twin Towers. These men and women rushed in when everyone else ran away. And they stayed for months, digging through the rubble, trying to give peace to the families and friends of those lost that day. Since then, many have gotten sick from the toxins they worked tirelessly all that time. Many have died. Including James Zadroga, a NY City police officer, who died of respiratory disease. A disease he acquired during the rescue and recovery operations following the 9/11 attack. A non-smoker, with no history of asthma or any other respiratory disease, he spent over 450 hours in the operation, volunteering his time to search for survivors and remains. He died January 5, 2006.

The Senate felt it necessary to hold up this bill until the tax cut bill and unemployment legislation was completed.

Not only has the White House not commented or pushed this legislation like they have the tax cuts, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal and the Omnibus spending bill. Senators from both sides have used it as a political football. The Democrats call the GOP horrible names for holding up this legislation. The GOP has blamed the lack of passage on the Democrats for not being reasonable on other bills.

So who HAS done anything about this legislation? Has FoxNews dedicated outrage at not passing this important and life preserving legislation for American heroes? Has ABC (who asked Gibbs today about), NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC or any other major media outlet taken this cause up? Any celebrities choking up before the cameras about this travesty? Maybe started a telethon to help, like they did for farmers and AIDS and the world's poor?

Nope. None of them. Even Tapper didn't make any waves until one person spoke up.

Jon Stewart. That's right. A comedic pundit on Comedy Central took this up last night. He brought on representatives from the New York City Fire Department, Police Department, DOT and the Tradesmen union. All suffering from illnesses that will eventually kill them. Too many funerals have been held due to the political shenanigans inside the Beltway.

It is high time that these men and women, whose patriotism and selflessness epitomizes what it means to be American, are taken care of. Every American, who considers himself or herself a patriot, should take up this cause and demand that all else be dropped and this bill be passed. It is the very ideal of the founders to aid those among us in most need; the elderly, the young and the infirmed. It is a conservative ideal, it is an American ideal, it is one of the basic principles of not only the patriotic kind but for all those who proclaim their religious affiliations.

Call your representatives in Washington. Call your Senator. Email the White House. Demand this be addressed, and addressed it now!

You can agree or disagree, but this is bigger than all of us. This is not about what is doing what is conservative or liberal or centrist. This is about what is right, what is correct, what is American. I hope I have gotten you all to think. I hope I have gotten you all to think about these men and women who came to New York from all over the country, think about them as if they were you mothers or fathers or sisters or brothers or grandparents. They helped and need help. They have given their lives to a public service that makes a mockery of any politician who claims they serve the public. They sacrifice. And they deserve our compassion. Our thanks.

But hey, this is just me Thinking Out Loud, right? No, it should be what you all think about until it gets resolved.

Have a great day. And thank a police officer, a fire fighter, a paramedic . . . anyone else who is out there when you need them most.

Why politicians need to back off of DADT

Well, I am going to wade in on the DADT policy. That is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Normally I would not write on this topic but it is really getting me ticked off.

A little background. While in High school, there were several friends of mine who were gay. Some denied it, some were more open (at least to friends). And we didn't care. I remember telling a one such person when he kept getting angry about people calling him gay, "Hey man, we don't care if you're gay or not. Just stop denying what is obvious to all of us and get on with life." He kept denying it and went a little nuts. There was an incident with him in a tree, half naked, yelling he was Jesus Christ. It was sad. He finally admitted to it and has turned his life around.

I was also in the Navy for six years, and again, there were people who we knew were gay and we didn't care. I remember going to a place in Hawaii, the Lava Lounge, one night. It was a pretty cool place. We did note that the people were dancing with same sex partners. The bartender came up and, very concerned, asked us if we knew it was a gay bar. We said we did and did he want us to leave. He laughed and said 'heavens no' and that he would let people know we were straight so they wouldn't hit on us. That is how we felt about it. Don't hit on me because I am straight and it's all cool.

So now to the big debate on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The politicians, Obama included the most, need to stay the hell out of this policy. It is a military issue. Some people were not cool about it in the '70s and '80s because of misconceptions about gay people. They were afraid, and for some it was a valid concern, that it could be used by foreign governments to pressure gays into divulging classified information. And it was a concern by some homophobes who were not comfortable talking about these things and were afraid of being hit on or molested.

But today, it is more openly accepted and the Cold War is over. So the classified information stuff is no longer an issue. And with women in the military these past decades, the whole argument about gays not having your back has been alleviated for many since they feel women can have their backs, so can gays. (It's the whole misconception about gays being effeminate and weak. Such a lame argument.)

The main sticking point to all of this is that it is a MILITARY ISSUE. Not a political one. The LGBT community would best be served staying away from politicians promising stuff to them and go to the military community instead. If the military decides the concerns of decades ago are no longer valid, then it is both within it's right and it's purview, to change the policy. lawmakers need to stay out of the argument. If the military says to drop it and not make it such a big deal, then the politicians should just do their jobs and cancel the DADT law.

Now don't get me wrong, as a conservative, this issue is strictly a 'government stay out of this arena' one. As a Christian, I don't approve of the lifestyle, but I don't hate the people who live it. I am not the kind of person who says "I must change these sinful heathens!" That is not what Christianity is all about. And those like the Westboro baptist types are sick for disobeying God's command on this. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. I guess the Westboro people really must hate themselves.

As a vet, I think the policy does more harm than good these days and should be done away with.

But mostly, as a conservative, I feel the government is way too involved in people's lives and need to back the heck off.

Agree with me, disagree with me, it doesn't really mater to me. But if I make you open your eyes and stop listening to the extremists on both sides and think for yourself, than I have done my job. But hey, as always, this is just me, Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day.

No surprise to the lies

The Democrats are telling lies that anyone with common sense can see through. But people who want to believe them are not using common sense.

The first lie is that the "TAX CUTS" will cost us $750 billion while the extension of unemployment benefits will cost $18 billion.

Common sense will tell you to look at what they are talking about. The tax cuts will not cost anything. They will keep the government from receiving $750 billion over ten years, while the unemployment benefits will cost $65 billion each year. So that is about $75 billion in uncollected money each year for the tax cuts while the unemployment extension will cost $65 billion each year.

The second thing to look at is that the tax cuts are not tax cuts. The stopping of them will cost business by RAISING tax rates.

Next lie about all this is that the Republicans are heartless people who believe that people would rather get an unemployment check than work. The truth is that Republicans know that unemployment is a problem. There are people out there who would rather collect a free check than work but this is not why the Republicans are taking a hard line. The fiscally conservative person knows that first we must tighten the belt and find a way to pay for the unemployment extension AND help business get the economy moving and hire people.

It is the Democrats that would rather spew rhetoric than address the real problems. They are more willing to offer people a hand out and get them addicted to government help then give a hand up and help people fend for themselves, as it should be. They are like drug dealers, except the drug they choose to peddle is dependence on the government. And they peddle it well.

The next lie they are pushing out there is that business are greedy and don't care about anything but their bottom line. This is so far from the truth. Business depends on people to succeed. They depend on people to buy their products and services. They depend on people to see their products and services. In a down economy, neither is happening.

But what Democrats don't understand or refuse to understand is the concepts and facts about business and a capitalistic society. If you keep making the atmosphere for business constantly question what will be happening next, it is hard for them to plan or operate their businesses effectively. They cannot have the rules changing every year or every few years. They plan YEARS down the road.

If the Democrats would stop being beholden to their union puppeteers, they would work on HOW to pay for the unemployment benefit extension, which is all the Republicans are asking. If they were serious about getting the economy up and running again and have people be able to live their lives how they want without being dependent on the government for everything, they would get off the nonsense of lying about the tax cuts. The "rich" they so quickly label business owners currently pay 35% in taxes (a whole hell of a lot more than the average Joe working stiff), but would have to pay another 3% (which is a lot more when you consider the big numbers we are talking about here) if the tax rate is not maintained.

It is not a tax cut. It is a status quo of the tax rate. Imagine if you were asked to suddenly pay 3% more in taxes next year. at a $40,000 a year job, that comes out to an additional $1200 in taxes, or $100 a month. Can you afford to give the government another $100 a month? What bill will you stop paying? Do you stop paying rent? Or stop buying food? Maybe you can stop paying those credit card bills or don't buy clothes for your kids. Now imagine you have employees working for you, and pulling in $250,000 a year, you have to stop paying $625 a month to someone. An employee, a vendor or maybe cut coverage for health or something. Tell you employees there will be no Christmas bonus this year. Now who appears heartless?

Add to this the whole healthcare costs you will now have to deal with. If you don't believe that nugget will affect businesses, just look at the million dollar a year hit AT&T has reported to the SEC (as is required by law and not a politically motivated stunt).

The Democrats such as Pelosi are lying so big that most people out there seem to be just dazed by the non-common sense of it all and are believing it.

Don't be fooled. And don't take my word. Stop and think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of a business owner. Or better yet, relate it to your own household. If you have less money coming in but more expnses to deal with, do you borrow from the bank or on your credit card or just print up your own money? Or do you tighten your belt until you make it through the hard times?

Agree or disagree, it makes no difference to me. Just so long as you stop believing the rhetoric and start thinking for yourselves. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Earmarks and other issues

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) is right. Earmarks must stop. But the point of this, like many other issues, still eludes our lawmakers.

It is not simply the earmarks that are the problem. It is the whole process that is involved in earmarks. And if you are uncertain what earmarks are, here is a quick refresher.

Earmarks are the money legislation directed to specific states by specific lawmakers to bring money back to their districts and states, added onto bills that have nothing to do with the earmark in question. For instance, a bill is written to make trucker's hours lower so the roads are safer. A Congressman in Florida wants to have a turtle habitat built in his district. So, after the bill is voted on as for the trucker hours, he adds an addendum to the bill which is NOT debated NOR voted on. The bill then goes its normal route through the House and Senate. If approved, it goes to the President's desk for a signature. If the bill fails, the lawmaker can say he tried to get money for his constituents, but the evil [insert other party here] killed it. Which, he/she says is why you need to re-elect him/her and vote the [insert evil other party here again] needs to be voted out.

If, on the other hand, it makes it through to law, the money gets sent and the turtle habitat is then built and he/she can l;ay claim to bringing money and/or jobs to the district.

The problem, aside from the sleaziness of doing government business on the taxpayer's dime like this, is that it is how billions of $$$ are spent without any oversight.

The reason regular Americans (and by regular I mean NOT politicians) want these earmarks stopped is that many things are snuck past the people of this country without our knowledge, consent or desire.

The stimulus and the healthcare were two of the biggest loads of crap that did this in the recent history of this country. But it is something that happens ALL THE TIME. And this is what Americans object to. Its not just the occasional useless turtle habitat (or in the real case, a turtle crossing in Florida), it is the way government is being run.

Americans want accountability. From our Congress, our President and our Justice system. Americans want to know what those in Washington are doing. Not just with our money, but with our country. Americans want the secret backdoor meetings to stop. Americans want a window open on and a high intensity light to be shone on all the activities by our elected officials.

From the Cornhusker Kickback to the earmarks in legislation. How hard is it to tackle an issue of legislative necessity without all the add-ons and ridiculous debate that has nothing to do with anything. Stop the 'I'll-vote-for-your-casino-bill-in-Utah-if-you-vote-for-my-gay-rights-bill-in-Cleveland-and-only-if-we-can-combine-the-two-with-the-solar-panel-project-in-Des Moines' mentality.

If a bill is about regulating the housing industry, it should not include a path to citizenship for illegals. If is about approving a budget for the military it should not have anything in it about abortion. The latest mutation of the ages old earmark practice has become about social re-engineering of a country.

After the recent election, the people in Washington, and around the world, need to receive the correct message.

It was not about stopping the Democrat's agenda. It was not about putting Republicans back in power. It was not about a referendum on the President, Speaker Pelosi or any other high ranking politician.

Individually, it was about that. But overall it was about the re-assertion of the power of the American public. It was a proof of life that the American people are awake and not sitting idly by while individuals in our government, or governments and entities around the world, dictate what happens in this country. Although we are a representative republic and not a true democracy, the power is, and has always been, in the hands of the American people.

And this midterm election was about reminding everyone that the people can and will shape their own destiny. We don't need government in our lives telling when, why and for how long to go to the bathroom. We don't need government telling us how much we can make and what we should or shouldn't teach our children. We don't need government chose our healthcare provider or doctor or lawyer or lightbulb maker.

Government is there to be a central focus of our needs, not the other way around.

It is easy to see how they came to believe that we work for them. I mean we work for half a year just to pay into the taxes every year. (Some said it was April 9th this year, others say May 30th or June 8th.) And they spend MILLIONS and hundreds of MILLIONS to get a job that only pays thousands. So it is easy to see how they think WE owe THEM. But it is not the case. And America has spoken loud and clear. Whether through the TEA party (and not any organized version thereof) or through the vote on November 2nd, America has said, enough is enough. Stop the nonsense of overspending, taxing, earmarks, social engineering, free passes for illegal immigrants and all the other stuff you have been ramming down our throats for years. If you don't wise up, we'll vote you out, too!

Now, as usual, you can agree or disagree, and I can go on waxing on the topic if need be until I am understood, but it doesn't really matter what I think. What matters is that you wake up, are awake, and are able to see for yourself through the PR spin and fancy mumbo jumbo of people who really do not have OUR interests in heart no matter what they say. Think for yourself and I will have done my job. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

have a great day! God bless America!

Removal of all Amazon.com links

I was saving my return to the blog keyboard after the grueling midterm elections. I even had a title for my next blog, "A Simple Sigh."

But I am not posting that one here today. Today I am letting you, my loyal readers, know that I will no longer entertain links to Amazon.com on my blog site.

I am sure you are all aware of the pedophilia issue Amazon is dealing with right now. If not, let me just say that they have advertised (and pulled after much outrage) a book which is essentially a 'how to molest children' book.

My issue with Amazon is not that they had this one book out there. Nor that they quickly bowed to threat of boycott. It is not even with the fact that they have many more books of similar ilk which they promote and sell.

All of which I feel shows a serious lack of judgment on their part.

Before I explain further, I (reluctantly) defend Amazon's right to sell and promote. I defend the right of publishers to publish what I personally consider sick and a unique danger to children. I even defend the right of people to actually write this demented dreck in the first place.

But I also have rights as well.

I have the right not not associated myself with any entity that would use poor judgment and willing risk the well being of children. I have the right to tell people about this horrible lack of judgment on such an entity's part. I have the right to tell people about a danger to our children and our society. I have a right to completely and utterly disagree with everything these authors, publishers and resellers are doing by putting this demented information out there.

And I am thus exercising this right by no longer associating myself with Amazon or anyone else who would promote such trash. My daughter told me that I may as well distance myself with other booksellers such as Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, because they too sell such books. If that is what I must do, then I will do so.

Go to the library. Order direct from authors. Borrow from a friend. But I will not do business with anyone who is so far afield from what I believe is right.

Agree, disagree, it does not matter. But if I have you thinking about what your priorities or beliefs are, then I have done my job. But, as always, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great and blessed day!

About the Midterms and educating a President for real

Barack Obama says in a recent email to constituents, "Washington Republicans have tried to block our progress at every turn. And worse, they're campaigning on taking us back to the exact same agenda that brought us to the brink of disaster: Cut taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class while ballooning the deficit. Give free rein to Wall Street speculators. Lower the minimum wage for millions of hard-working families. Privatize Social Security. And allow insurance companies to deny children health coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The problem is we know what this looks like -- and we know it doesn't work."

The problem is we know that he is lying through his teeth on so many accounts. The first of which is that he has, as recently as early October, where he said he expects to work with the Republicans post Midterm elections. Yet here he is casting animosity among those who would back him. And why should anyone believe him when, like the puppet he has become, he lets Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pull all the strings behind the scenes. Pelosi began the session of the House with rules that made it all but impossible for Republicans to have ANY input into the legislation process, thus cutting off nearly half of the representation of Americans in the House.

In a CNN report, the probable next Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) says, he "promises his style would be a sharp contrast to the way Democratic leaders have run the House. The GOP leader says Republicans will be more transparent and inclusive. Boehner accuses Democrats of doing business "in the dark of night" without "fair debate," and he points to the way Democrats handled massive health care and energy bills -- both of which fueled Tea Party outrage about Congress' inner workings -- as exactly what Republicans won't do."

And this is exactly what this voter revolt has been all about. The whole reason the TEA party groups have popped up, and why Republicans (and Democrats) need to listen, is that they have been doing business in the dark of night and without any real input from those it would govern. Obama felt his election gave him carte blanc to do whatever he felt was meant in "change you can believe in." Unfortunately, that is NOT how the United States works.

Obama and Democrats (and even some Republicans) will suddenly have to come to the realization that the voters are the ones with the final say. The President may have enjoyed a 51% to 49% victory in the 2008 elections. But this Midterm election will remind them that 51% does not a referendum on his agenda make.

Boehner "has proposed a number of reforms to change the way the House works." Among the reforms, he has promised that his "regular order" of doing this will revert back to committees crafting smaller legislation on specific topics instead of the elite small group of conspirators without allowing any input from the people who represent nearly half of America.

It is about time that ALL politicians understand it is the people they represent who they must ultimately answer to. They have been content with a fairly numb electorate. But no more. Post midterms, post TEA party activism, Americans have woken up to what can happen when they become too apathetic and fall asleep at the wheel.

The mainstream media may or may not get the message. Who knows. Those guys are all so radicalized lap dogs, they may not even know what the media in America as concerns our government are supposed to be about. Thankfully we have people willing to stand up and create a new, alternative media.

Agree, disagree, whatever. It really makes no difference to me. All I care is that I may have opened a few minds to a different way of looking at things and not take ANYONE as the ultimate authority. Because in the end, the ultimate authority on what kind of country you want to live in is up to you. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day. And get out there to vote tomorrow, America!

Jennifer's Mask
Adjustments must be made in any transition. Sometimes the littlest things can put a spark to hidden frustrations. Sometimes a mask can do it.
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The Great NPR Debate

Juan Williams was a senior news analyst at NPR (National Public Radio). He is also a news commentator on FOX News. He took his usual position on the liberal side of things while on the Bill O'Reilly show the other night. That evening, NPR announced it was terminating Williams' contract because "his remarks on 'The O'Reilly Factor' this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."

One would think Williams did something totally horrific to deserve such a summary dismaissal. However, all he did was speak the truth. He said "I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country," Williams said Monday. But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

He then went on the attack to get O'Reilly to stop characterizing all Muslims as jihadists and told him to "be careful." To which Bill said he would not be careful anymore. He stated that the liberals would have you believe it is a "small" number of the Muslim population that are terrorist but that, in truth, it was "nations; Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan . . ."

The contention of NPR was that his comments about being "nervous" on a plane with Muslims was not professional and "inconsistent" with their "editorial standards."

Many people, including Sarah Palin (whom I have an immense deal of respect for) are calling for the immediate defunding of NPR and PBS.

I disagree with defunding NPR and PBS. They are very important. The initial concept of funding public radio and television was to give a clear unobstructed voice to everything from news to education, entertainment and information, and to expand higher education to people who would not normally have access. It began with the Morrill Act in 1862 and was expanded (with matching public funding) by the Educational Television Facilities Act of 1962.

To defund them would be to give into the "controlled" media and education. NPR and PBS have a rich history of free education and speech. However, I agree that they have gone too far left and socialistic. Some regulating needs to be done, and it is within the right of the government and the people to do so. But these regulations must be Constitutional in nature and reflect the open dialogue they MUST represent, left and right and center. These entities have become far too political and must be de-politicized. If they are unwilling to do so, then by all means, it is within our rights to end their funding. To silence them all together would be a disservice and wrong. They in turn were wrong for silencing Williams and should be brought to task.

Many who would defund this public institution would argue that they have leaned too far to the left, and as is exemplified by the firing of Juan Williams, are stiflinmg the very freedom that allows them to exist. These same people, faced with the history and need for public radio and television, express a lack of hope that any regulation would work.

Therein lies the carrot and the stick. WE fund them. WE decide they have lost their way. If THEY don't correct their lean, WE sink the ship and move on. But to simply defund, we allow those who would control ALL media and education (regardless of their leanings) to win. In a sense, the publicly funded venues of NPR and PBS are our hedge against the age old adage that the victors write the history books. With publicly funded NPR and PBS doing their jobs correctly, we get all the good history with the bad. Thus, we learn not to repeat. And don't lose hope, as it has been the benchmark of the resiliency of America to weather ALL its past storms.

You may agree or disagree with me and that, by the very founding of this country, is your right. But if you have continued to read thus far, and have begun to let at least a little new thought to creep in from what I have been saying, then I will have considered my time well spent and my job done. Think for yourselves and stop listening to every bit of rhetoric, from right or left, and taking it for gospel fact and truth. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Finally, truth in advertising

Harry Reid (D-NV) is finally telling the truth. At least as he sees it. Maybe more Democrats should speak up, as Harry did recently in Sparks, NV, and tell the people exactly why they should be re-elected / elected to office. Then the American public will have the stark reality that is today's Washington political machine thrust into the light of day.

Speaking before his constituency, Reid told people that he felt it was his "constitutional duty" to spend, spend, spend. He said that the money flowing to the state was due to his "powerful position" in the Senate. In other words, he is too big to fail.

This is so pervasive as an attitude of those in power, all the way up to the President, who believes that he just didn't "explain things" properly to the American people. They all think we are stupid and just don't understand all the "good" they are doing for us. It is something that many Americans are finally coming to realize.

And now Reid has actually come out and told people that he should be re-elected because he is responsible for bringing all the bailout money and earmarks into the state, that he is too big to fail and that Nevada (and America) need him to keeping spending lots of money, put us deeper and deeper into debt and expand government. He took his jab at his opponent with the "constitutionally duty" comment, since Angle believes we should reduce the size of the Federal government and only let them have the powers enumerated by the Constitution.

Reid shows his ignorance of both the Constitution and the American people.

On the other hand, Sharon Angle, who is climbing rapidly in the polls against Reid, has many fiscally conservative ideas for government. Ideas that are in keeping with an American public who find themselves having to tighten their collective belts and wallets during theseharsh economic times. She actually makes sense.

It is high time for politicians like Reid, who think they have a "constitutional duty" to be compelte jackasses and irresponsible with the power we gave them in the first place, to find their way in the world without the public dole. It is time for Reid, and all like him, to find new jobs.

Maybe if they are among the unemployed, they might think twice about what they have been trying to do to this country.

But then again, not only do his kind never learn, they will just tap into their own bank accounts from all the graft (oops, donations) they have accrued over the years.

Agree with me that Nevada needs Sharon Angle and America needs to dump "Prince" Harry Reid (and all the politicians in Washington who have lost touch with this country and ideas it was built upon). Or you can disagree and beleive that we just have to have government holding our hands, telling us what doctors to see and when to pee. Either way, it makes no difference to me. If I got you to just think for yourselves, then I have done my job. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Polls, Tolls and Touchdowns

A CNN poll asking the question, is Obama better than Bush? If you believe the rhetoric and the "it's Bush's fault" swift reply from the Obama Administration and liberals around the country, you would think the answer was pretty clear.

But not really. It might surprise some (but not too many) that the poll revealed that 47% think Obama is the better president, while Bush garnered a whooping 45%.

Obama's declining approval rating is not all unusual for a President. But his sharp drop from a year and a half ago highlights the deflating excitement of American's who had high expectations is deafening. As of 10/10/2010 Rasmussen shows Obama with a -13 rating (meaning 29% strongly Approve and 42% Strongly Disapprove). RealClear Politics poll of 9/28-10/10/2010 has the overall approval/disapproval favoring the later by a -3.1 rating (45.6% approve, 48.7% disapprove). And according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup poll, showed an overwhelming disapproval of how the President and Congress are running the country (I mistyped it at first and said "ruining"), with sixty percent saying the Federal government has too much power. And an asstonishing 50% believe that "(t)he federal government poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedom of ordinary citizens."

So why am I ranting about something that has become obviouos to all but the most oblivious of Americans? Two reasons.

The first being that the mainstream media is so comfortably among those who are oblivious. Although they have been more critical of late, they still refuse to cover the dissent among voters as nothing more than a few loud minorities and nothing of any serious consequence, allowing Nancy Pelosi and others to vent that these people are nuisances, un-American and everything from bigots to hate-mongers. I feel it is high time for the media to actually do its job as being the check on the government instead of being the TASS-like arm of the Administration's liberal agenda.

The second being the fact that despite his low approval and the aweakening of the public to the dangers his agenda pose, he still feels the right to keep meddling in places he does not belong. Who is he to determine pay scalle? Or even advocate it? WHo is he to say what the market should or should not do? Who is he to think he can step into a local dispute in Massachusetts, or disparage law enforcement for doing their job? Who is he to level charges against a group opposed to his agenda, let alone do so without any proof?

Obama is supposed to be the President of the United States of America. Yet he constantly shows weakenss in the face of our enemies. he constantly takes a back seat to everyone else in the world and proves his complete lack of real world experience as it relates to doing his job. The economy. The unemployment issue. National Security. Illegal imigration. Environmental issues. Intereference in States doing their own internal business. One after another, he is failing miserably. One after the other he is looking to other world leaders for his course. We should have socialized medicine like (fill in the blank). We should apologize for our emissions to (fill in the blank).

Enough is enough and it is high time the President realizes he has lost his charm. It is high time he realized the honeymoon is over with the American people. And in November, the people WILL speak. And it will be a much more representative body he must deal with come January 2011.

Speaking of coming to terms with the reality of the situation, I am forced to speak to two college programs and their fans.

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide lost to #19 South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday. It was a harsh and brutal game that was played before the packed William-Brice Stadium and the world at large on CBS television.

To Alabama and its supporters, I simply remind them that 1) this is the SEC and everyone knows it is hard to predict what will happen. And 2) the Tide did not play their best game. Perhpas it was the exhaustion of coming off three strong games against a team that had a bye week to rest up. Perhaps it was the overwhelming crowd they played before (I was there and it was indeed crazy). No matter, you still have a strong team, program, coach and leader in McElroy. Move on and keep strong.

To the South Carolina Gamecocks and their fans. Yes, celebrate. you played well and supported strongly. You werr hungry and it showed. You have every right and reason to celebrate your win over the best team in college ball. But don't get (if you'll pardon the intended pun) cocky. You still have a season ahead. If you want to stay in the top 10 and work toward a respectable Bowl game, you need to shake off the celebrations and get back to work, remembering that Saturday is history and you have many teams to go against that are now out to gun for you.

Thats all I have to say and you can agree or disagree with me over anything I've said here. But remember, it doesn't matter. So long as I got you to stop listening to the extremists and start thinking for yourselves, I've done my job. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day!

Here's hoping!

Rahm "Dead Fish" Emanuel is leaving the White House to go and be the corrupt mayor of Chicago. Headlines say "Jokes and Tears as White House cheif of staff leaves." I say GOOD RIDDANCE, go back to the land of Chicago-style politics and may he be the first of many leaving DC!

This man is the very epitome of what is wrong in Washington politics and there is no way that any promise of "change you can believe in" had any chance of being accomplished. Hopefully he won't still be a little voice in the President's ear any more.

Now that he is gone I hope this starts a trend. More worthless political hacks need to vacate our nation's capitol. From the lobbysits who weren't supposed to be there (according the POTUS' own promises before being handed the keys to the liquor cabinet) to the slimey Cass Sunstein (who is head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, who has suggested we be able to shut down the Internet in cases of national emergencies).

Come November the American public (I pray) comes through and brings balance back to the halls of government so that all these social agenda policies and ballooning debt and wildly expanding government can be brought under some control. We need to remove all these fools that pass laws without even reading the damn things. Unless this country is under attack or is about to collapse from its too top heavy administration, there is no law too important that it cannot be reviewed by every person voting on it and every American citizen whom it affects. LIKE THEY PROMISED!

If these people cannot do this, they do not deserve to be there representing us. And if they think they can insult us and ignore us, they should not be allowed to continue to speak for us.

Rahm needs to be the first in a long line of Washington residents that need to be asked to leave, sent packing or given the hint that they are not wanted or welcome.

Who loves ya, Baby?!

It sure as hell is not our elected officials. The Democrats, in a move that is sure to send the message to Americans that they are not loved, or cared about, or even listened to, have 20 bills that will see attempts for passage in a six week period between November and December. The Lame Duck session of Congress believes the Republicans will take a number of seats back in both the house and Senate. Therefore, they are pushing for passage of as many bills as possible.

This is some of the most distrespectful actions from a Congress who has shown nothing but contempt for the American public ever since Obama was elected President. In mad grabs for powwer, both Pelosi and Reid have ignored the calls from the American people to stop their exploding growth and bulging defecit. All falling on deaf ears of a power mad group who felt they had some 40 years of being ignored to make up for.

Some have called for Reid and (especially) Pelosi to be called up on abuse of power charges, something we will never see. But this latest effort by these misguided individuals is best described as dastardly.

Reid will push his Defense Appropriations bill (with the gay ban, abortion issues and immigrant DREAM Act intact). Pelosi wants to take up her child nutrition bill. Many of these causes by Democrats may sound wonderful and might be do-able in good economic times, are absurdly bloated in these hard fiscal times. Most don't have any way of paying for them and will increase the Federal deficet immensely.

Whether its Rep. George Miller's (D-CA)Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization or Sen. Jeff Bingamon's (D-NM) renewable electricity standard, the fact that the outgoing power hogs are pushing for these peices of legislation before losing their majority tells me that they have soemthing to hide in them.

These people should truly be ashamed of their actions, both before now and their intent after the Nov. 2nd elections. But something tells me they will not be. After all, these are the very same people who voted on legislation they had not read, nor cared when things were revealed after the fact.

Washington DC has become a cesspoll. Both Republicans and Democrats are all to blame. The few voices of reason (DeMint, Bachman, and a few others) are drowned out by the smarmy sound of heavy-handed, back door slipping, weaselly, underhanded, special interest glamming politicians of this debased seat of power.

We must skim the grease from our nation's capital and allow the clean waters to once more shine in the light of day. Maybe with such a boisterous clamour from the citizens of this country, the President and those left standing will realize that the "change you can believe in" is the change Americans want not the change they had planned. A clean sweep and true transparency is the only thing the people will stand for.

Reid pushes social agenda disguised as Defense Bill

The Defense Bill that failed Cloture vote today is just another attempt by Reid and the Democrats to not only push social agendas but to curry favor with Hispanic and illegal immigrants in his bid for re-election.

Not only is there a number of ill-concieved wasteful spending measures in the bill itslef, three social agenda provisions / amendments are also included. And reid wanted to limit both debate and Republican amendments to the bill. This is not only shameful on the part of the Senate majority Leader, it is close to criminal. It is a misuse of office. Reid and the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for using a military spending bill for their personal benefits.

On the issue of the "don't ask, don't tell" repel language in the bill, I personally have no opinion. While I was in the navy, the world was a different place as far as gays in the military were concerned. Hell, women were just being assigned non-combat duties on Navy vessels at the time. And that was controversial enough. The idea of serving next to and depending on a gay man in the Navy was scary. Today, our young men and women in the military are more accepting of this lifestyle and as long as they are not susceptible to blackmail by terrorists, I hold no concerns.

But on the issue of the language regarding abortions at military facilites, I hold a person distaste for what would essentially turn our military bases into abortion clinics. This may seem a harsh condemnation of this but to me a life is precious and should be protected from the moent of conception. Allowing for women to have abortions funded by the people and performed by dedicated men and women who are normally in the business of saving precious lives, this is an aberration. They would be "ordered" to perform these abortions. And this is unconscionable. For this reason alone it should not be part of any bill on defense spending and should be taken up separately.

The last part of the social agenda of the Democrats and Reid is the inclusion of their DREAM ACT, which is an fancy way of giving a green light to illegal immigration and has no business being tacked onto a Defense Spending bill. This issue is both a hotly contested one in the America today and should not be treated lightly or as a way for Reid to cull the favor of ANY potential voter.

Immigration is a separate issue with many facets to it. It deserves debate by serious people looking for real solutions, not as some political trickery. Reid (and Pelosi on the House side of the bill) are both charlatans masquerading as leaders. They have no business being in charge of such important legislation. By denying debate and attempting to shove yet another social agenda bill in the gusie of real legislation, Reid has shown himself a smarmy politician only concerned with keeping his cushy job in DC.

I am proud of our Republican leaders and the 2 Democrats who stepped up in the Senate to say NO to this travesty. With unemployment so high, I think it would be a refreshing change to fire people like Pelosi and Reid come this November and give the job to people who are serious about the business of America. And fixing the real problems we have.

Now, as always, you can agree with my view of thsi disgustingly political bill or you can disagree with my assessment that Reid and company do a great diservice to this country with their abominable actions on this vote. It really amkes no difference to me. Just so long as I get you top think for yourself and not listen to all the namby pamby left wing media who are just cowering to the White House for some sound bite time. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

"No more games" decries Obama

Its is ironic that the President wants the games to end when it is he and his Democrat led majority playing most of the games. They have tied up the media with White House access being the bait dangled before them. He and his ill-advised crew have no clue how to run a business or an economy. All the while crying that his GOP adversaries are the party of "No."

On healthcare, they say Repubicans were a party of "no" because they offered no alternatives. But they did. Obama just didn't like what they had to say. On the extension of unemployment, he claims they were the party of "no" because they had no pain for the working man. But they only wanted to know how they Administration proposed to pay for it. In a time of economic downturn it is only fiscally responsible to want to know these things.

In a New York Daily News article, Obama is quoted as saying
"These are the same families who will suffer the most when their taxes go up next year," Obama said of middle-income Americans on Wednesday. "We don't have time for any more games." But this is just one more misdirection. He doesn't want you to know that it is his policies and the Pelosi / Reid wish list from the Democrats of the last twenty some years that are the real problem. It is their "games" of get everything you can as quick as you can before the dream spigot is turned off.

Americans are coming to realize this and trying to turn off the unchecked flow of money and social programming Obama and the others are pushing. The elections of candidates that are newcomers or are speaking to the reality of the situation we find ourselves in has been sweeping the country. Democrats and Republicans alike are finding themselves in tough races they were not expecting.

But we need to do more. We need to send a message to ALL of the DC jokers that we are not amused by their "games" anymore. We are struggling under the burden of their ridiculous spending monstrosities. We need to wake up our frineds and fmaily and neighbors to the the delusion the poltiicians and manistream media have held them under to see the reality of the destructive nature of a government grown too large and powerful. A government not only bulging at the seams from its size but festering at the core from its self absorbed quest for power.

You can agree with me that we need to stop the power grab by those who both salivate at it and those who are self-deluded into thinking they are doing some good by controlling everything. Or you can still be asleep at the wheel and disagree with me. It makes no difference to me. Just as long as I get you to wake up enough to question everything and everybody and think for yourself. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Who do you listen to??

So election season is now in full swing for the midterm 2010 elections. Less than two months to go before the ballots are cast in November. Nationally, there are a bunch of Senate races (about half) and ALL of the House of Representative seats are up for grabs.

Most people don't really care much about the midterm elections. Hell, lets be honest, most people don't even vote in the major Presidential elections every four years. But this time, the 2010 midterms are more important than we might care to admit. With all the contention over the stimulus, the jobless rate, the wasteful spending, the social programming and the rhetoric, from both sides (all sides, if you care to listen to the little parties around the country), there is more polarized commentary than ever before.

But who do you listen to? Who is going to influence you on who to vote for? There is the Democrat and Republican parties, all the candidates, the major endorsers (like Palin and Romney and Jolie -- yeah even the actors who should just stick to their craft and stay out of politics are whinning) and of course, there are all the media outlets, traditional and non-traditional, as well as the plethora of bloggers (myself included). So who do you turn to in order to make up your mind?

For my money I would go with none of the above.

You heard me. All of these groups are putting out billions of dollars (all together) to get the information out to you. But it is ALL suspect. Even my paltry contribution is going to be laced with my own conservative slant. (Although I do TRY to show both sides when my blood doesnt' boil from it.) And hardly any of it will tell the whole story. Hardly any of it will give you the information you need to make an informed decision. Hardly any of it will be worth the paper its printed on, the newsreel it is captured by or the ethernet wavelengths its sent across. None of it.

So what are you to do to decide? What to do come November?

Well, you really do need to be informed. And long before the day before elections. November 1st is not the time to wonder who you should cast your ballots for. So where to go?

There are a number of sources. Go on the web (if talk to someone about this blog that doesn't have internet access or a computer, the library is free) and find places like ProjectVoteSmart (http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm) and input the candidate's name or just your zip or state. It will give you information on how they voted, a bit of biographical info and some other information abotu each candidate. Then you can see if they really fit your idea of what YOUR representative should be. Or the Washington Post Congressional voting recorde link. (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/) Or even directly to the government website for the Senate (http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/d_three_sections_with_teasers/congrecord.htm) and the House (http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.html) to see what your elected officials are REALLY up to.

No matter how you decide to vote, I just want you to think for yourselves. Don't let ACORN or the TEA party groups dictate who YOU chose for office. I don't care if you are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between. I will be letting my conservative platform come back in later blogs. Right now all I want is for you, the reader, to get out there and make a REALLY INFORMED DECISION, instead of letting MSNBC or FOXNews or whatever other group out there decide for you. Honestly, if you are NOT going to make an informed decision, I would rather you stay home. Our country is in need of serious leaders who are ready to do some serious work and stop all the partisan and special interest backed nonsense we have seen for far too long. And I would rather you just stay home and sit on your hands while people who are serious about getting America back on top of things vote for the people who will do just that.

My blog, my opinion and you can agree or disagree. It really doesn't matter to me either way. Just as long as I get you to think for yourselves. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

(Auhtor's note - I am including the links themselves as well as a hyperlink to them for two reasons. First some may have hyperlinks blocked and two, I think this is so important I don't want anyone to miss out on these resources.)

It is un-American to burn it!

The Dove World Outreach Center is not a Christian church. Pastor Terry Jones is not a Christian pastor. And he and his "congregation" are not Americans.

Here is why I say all this. It is NOT Christian to burn ANY book, let alone a book of religious signifigance. It is NOT Christian to host an "International Burn a Quran Day." It is NOT Christian to condemn a whole group of people for the actions of fanatics. Any Christian will tell you that God has commanded us to 1) love one another, 2) forgive one another, 3) leave the job of justice to Him. Pastor Jones is a lunatic no better than al-Queada.

They are not Americans because this country was founded on principles based on the Judeo-Christian influence. (I know many don't like the Judeo-Christian hyphenation, but they - as well as the Islamic faith - have THE SAME GOD). And it was founded by people fleeing religious persecution who wanted to be able to practice their faith in peace. America was founded on principles of religious tolerance. I also say they are not Americans because Americans would not do anything so stupid that would directly, as a result of their actions, cause the deaths of American service men and women.

And this latter is exactly what these actio0ns would do. If it was just some stupid stunt that would make people mad, I'd say "whatever" and tell people to ignore them. But this will (has already) igniote violence that will cost young American men and women to lose their lives for no better reason than some brain dead HATER who is NOT CHRISTIAN in any way shape or form wants their few minutes of fame (or more accurately, infamy).

For those who would say to me that this is his right under the First Amendment, I say yuo are WRONG! It is not allowed, even with the First Amendment, to yell 'fire' in a crowded theater. And it is just as not allowed for this lunatic to be allowed to do something that will, and I cannot repeat this enough for all of you to understand, result in the DEATHS OF AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN!

So here is my right under the First Amendment. I am calling for everyone who loves this country, who are religious in any way, who supports our men and women in the military, who doesn't want to see someone's son/husband/brother/dad/uncle or someone's daughter/mother/wife/sister/aunt be jeopardized by this ridiculous move, call or write or visit or email or in any way possible (BEFORE 9/11 - this Saturday), express PEACEFULLY that you are adamantly opposed to this event occurring. Here is the "church's" contact information:

Dove World Outreach Center
5805 Northwest 37th Street
Gainesville, FL 32653
(352) 371-2487

Agree, disagree, it doesn't matter. SO long as I get you to think for yourself and understand all the issues involved in this lame brained move, I will have done my job. Because hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a blessed day.

Its about middle America, stupid!

I would have said "its about the economy, stupid!" but that wouldn't get across the real problems these knuckleheads in DC just don't seem to get. Billions of dollars to create jobs and stimulate the economy and they just don't get it. And it is not about the poor and the illegal immigrant and the wealthy CEOs. Its about the middle class of America!

The poor, the indigent, the illegal immigrant and their bleeding heart liberal supporters, the wealthy CEOs and Wall Street cronies, and the Beltway insiders are the only ones whining. The stuck in the rut, been there too long, hands in the pockets of every special interest from unions to community organizers members of the US government are whining and complaining and strutting about what they've done and what they plan on doing.

And none of them get it.

Its the middle class of America who are silently suffering. They were doiong fine with their house payments until Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac blew up under Barney Frank and the rest of Congress' eyes. Then they started struggling. They were making their car payments just fine, until two of the Big Three needed bailout money and the big bankers were brought into secret meetings at gun point and told they had to both take the money and get super regulated by Big Brother. Then they continued to struggle. health care changes made companies like AT&T report their bottom line was going to tumble, layoffs continued unabated (despite the Summer of Recovery being touted) and credit was impossible to get.

And the middle class of America struggle daily. They are upside down in their cars (which they could afford before but cannot now), they are upside down in the homes (which they could afford but cannot now), they are watching their health care premiums being raised and set to slam them for getting the best plan to care for their family but now is a crime (which they are having trouble being able to afford both premiums and taxes). The middle class makes up a large portion of America but they are struggling silently. They are making $200, $300, $500 less a month than they were before (due to slow downs at work or outright layoffs) and are having to decide between food on the table a roof over the head or the means to get from point A to point B.

And they have no voice, save that of the TEA party groups, talk radio or independent bloggers. Which, of course, no one in government is listening to. In fact, government is doing its best to paint these groups as being not important, not relevant and nto worth their time.

But come November, the middle class WILL have its say. They will be ready to explain to the ever expanding, rapidly disconnecting government that ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Until then, Obama, Pelosi, Reid and all the politicians that are refusing to listen will keep trying to re-manufacture America to their nanny-state preferences. However, they will then find out just how powerful the silently struggling middle class can be. Many of them, Democrat and Republican alike, will be looking for new eployment.

SC's John Spratt doesn't want to be held up to his own words

In an effort to bamboozle the public without having to worry about his own words coming back to haunt him, so he can deny and claim foul, saying "they misquoted me" or some other nonesense, Rep. John Spratt, representing South Carolina's District 5, has demanded that there be no video or recording equipment at a debate with his November opponent, SC State Sen. Mick Mulvaney.

Okay, that sentence was a long explosion of words. But I want you to understand the whole of the situation in one short (relatively) and sweet sentence.

Now for the longer explanation. The Mick Mulvaney campaign wants voters to know the differences between their candidate and John Spratt, who has been in Congress since 1982. They want you to know why this Washington insider, who doesn't give a hoot about what is best for his constituents, should be ousted in November. And they have one side by side comparison shot to do it. (Because Spratt would only agree to this one venue for debate.) But Spratt wants the voters kept in the dark. He wants them to just keep on voting for him. Because he likes his cushy job in Washington where he can ride the Obama train to a nanny state America.

"Thats a whole lot of accusation," you might say. B ut answer me this: why doesn't he want to let his record of what he says tomorrow night to be public? Why won't he allow reporters to have any kind of recording devices? Why won't he let the debate be televised on the local cable channel (as the Lion's Club had already been working on getting done)?

The only thing that comes to mind is that he doesn't want whatever he says to come back and haunt him when he changes direction again and again in a campaign of promise what you can to the people you are talking to at the moment and then not following through after the election.

He doesn't want you to know he voted strongly in favor of abortions. He doesn't want you to know he thinks terrorists should be treated with kid gloves. He doesn't want you to know he voted yes on every bailout issue that came down the pike. He doesn't want you to know he is a yes man, lap dog, true believer of the Pelosi agenda. He doesn't want you to know that he voted for the cash for clunkers deal, or the cap and spend (whoops, I mean trade) deal, the health care fiasco.

But why would he not want you to know about his stance on immigration, or "don't ask, don't tell" or his position on timelines in the war? Why would he not want to crow about his votes against gun bills or cloning or preventing price gouging?

No matter what his reasons for not wanting the debate at the Lion's Club to be televised or recorded in any way, it goes to the real issue of wanting to be selective about what information gets "leaked" to the public before election day. And it goes to showing that he has been in Washington, DC for far too long. As have way too many of our elected officials.

Government should be about being responsive to the people and protecting them. But too often those in Congress, the Supreme Court and the White House have lost their connection to the people who put them there, the ideals of our founders that formed this great nation, and the whole reason our leaders have taken the offices in the past; to serve.

Its time to throw out those who have forgotten and re-establish a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, because everyone is due their opinions. I just put mine out there so that you can start to think for yourselves again. This is just me . . . Thinking out Loud.

Have a blessed day.

Sometimes you just need a new one - Columbia conservative

Sometimes you just need a new one - Columbia conservative

More bailouts? Really?

Come on now, really? more bailouts that the American public is not too keen on? When the hell is Washington going to wake up and smell the creditor's bill come due? Are they going to start ignoring China's telemarketers calling to remind them of the dunning notices? They going to block the *** numbers or the ones that say caller ID "Not Provided?"

When the White House switchboard answers their phones and the person on the other end says "Is Mister Obama there? This is the Beijing Collection Agency." are they going to say "Sorry you have the wrong number." Or are they going to say "I'm sorry, Mr. Obama is not at home right now, can you please leave a message."?

But it's for the teachers, you whine. Yeah, its for the teachers and every other government union job out there. This is a union demanded, government caving stupid bailout. It is the states who have to tighten their collective belts and stop looking to Washington for even more handouts. And our politicians have to stop bowing and scraping before these union b*****ds. It is not just teachers this thing is bailing out. It is government union jobs. We need to stop bailing people out. Give them a hand up not a hand out.

Do you know what this HANDOUT, this SOCIALIZED approach to FIXING things is going to cost you? Sure, "San Fran Nan" tells you it is paid for. Not to worry. Yeah, paid for by all those needy families on food stamps. A teacher will be able to get more money in a cash strapped system. But the kids he/she is teaching won't have had breakfast, or even dinner the night before. So how is that kid going to learn?

States want to keep their teachers? Fine. Find a way. Cut something non-essential. Stop wasting money on bullshit projects. Time to pull yourselves up by the boot straps and make the hard choices, like all those great Americans did before you.Do what every American family is having to do. Cut out some non-essential stuff for a while. Yeah, arts are great, but maybe they don't need to fund the artist doing wonderful things with matchsticks and manure for a while. And how about all the money spent on frivolous parties and such by the elected officials to celebrate their wins on the voter's dime? There is so much waste in government, duplicate efforts, that they really don't need.

Instead of growing government, like Obama is stupidly doing, we need to TRIM the government fat.

Feed a man a fish and he's not hungry anymore today. Teach a man to fish and he is not hungry anymore for a lifetime. hand out money we do not have to these union and state whiners and they will be happy today, but will come back for more tomorrow. Show them how to tighten the belt to fund the things they want and they will be good through the lean times and through the good.

But as always, this is just my opinion and there are a slew of so many opinions out there on the web and in the media for you to choose from. The only difference between me and all those other fools is that I am willing to say I could be wrong. In fact I don't want you to just take my word for it. TYo can say I am full of it or just a mean spirited old man. Or you can think I make a whole lot of sense. It makes no difference to me what you think of me. I just want you to THINK FOR YOURSELF; look at all the evidence from the real sources and decide for yourself! Don't just listen to me or any other moron with a keyboard and soap box. AND ABSOLUTELY STOP LISTENING TO EVERY WORD ANY POLITICIAN SAYS! Liberal, conservative or other. They are not looking out for you as a rule.

But heck, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have yourself a great day!

Charles

Welcome to the new Thinking Out Loud Blog!!

Hey everybody, we've found a new home! Welcome to the new BLOG. Well, its a new location but the same old me. HA!

Anyway, lots have been happening since we left A Passion For Writing as our old home. I started back at college (yeah, me with even MORE info in my head to share) and got a new writing gig. I am now the Columbia Conservative Examiner over at Examiner.com. you can check it out here. I'm still letting things fly over at Associated Content, of course. So I guess some things never really change.

Just like things are not going to change here. I am still going to be calling for our government to stop all this foolishness and spending money like drunken sailors. Those of you new to Thinking Out Loud should know that I once was a sailor, so I can say that and not mean anything nasty about our military. In fact, we have the greatest military on the planet. I mean, there are countries that say you must serve in the military (or some similar service) in order to receive the rights of citizenship. But here in America, it is all volunteer. These fine young men and women have voluntarily chose to protect you and me, to preserve tha American way of life and work diligently to make sure that the big bad guys of the world don't step all over the little guys.

Anyway, as I was saying, I am still the same old nuisance that the Clinton campaign absolutely hated. I still intend to do everything in my power to get people to think for themselves and stop listening to all those politicians and celebrities and idiots out there who want you to just believe all they tell them. And that includes me. I don't want you to just take my word for it, even though I do a lot of research before I let the old noggin spill out onto the page (or screen as is the case here).

Because when all is said and done, everyone has to make the decisions that they have to live with for the rest of their lives. And we have to live with, too. So I will just do my best to inform and also have a little fun. And you can take what I have to say as informed ort you can vehemently disagree with me. And that's okay, because this is America, the greatest country on earth.

And, as always, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud!

Have a great day.

Chalres