Ahh, good times! Obama requests to address a joint session of Congress on September 7. This is the same day that Congress goes back into session and there are votes already planned for 6:30 that evening. It is also the same date of a GOP presidential debate. Read more about this here.
In order to address a joint session of Congress, Congress must pass a resolution inviting the President. Boehner responded to the President that he should re-schedule. See his letter here.
Fun stuff! Let's see what who blinks on this one. The media will respond stating the Boehner is being disrespectful to the President while the GOP will say that the President was being disrespectful to Congress.
Also, I want to point out the fantastic introduction to Boehner's letter:
"For months, the House has been implementing an agenda designed to reduce economic uncertainty, remove unnecessary government barriers to private-sector job creation, and help small business..."
Translation: Mr. President - the House is already working on this stuff and you have not been on board with anything we have done, and now you want to fly in here with your cape and announce your plan and you expect us to drop everything we are doing and listen to you - No way, buddy.
Update: Obama agreed to move the date. I expected more drama, but I guess they just save that for budget deals!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Huntsman Run As An Independent? Intriguing...
I've seen a few articles floating around discussing the idea that Huntsman should run as an Independent. Normally, I'd be against a 3rd-party candidate pulling out from the GOP herd, but I've got to say, this one has me intrigued.
The question is, who would he pull more votes away from, the GOP nominee or Obama? I've got to say, I think Huntsman would pull more votes away from Obama.
Let's face it, Huntsman is very "moderate" which is to say that he has very few strong conservative convictions, if any. He would very much appeal to left-leaning centrists who voted for Obama in the last election and are regretting their choice (and this population grows every day). That same voter may never be on board with a more conservative GOP candidate, such as Perry, and given the choice between a Perry or Bachmann and Obama, would choose Obama (On a side note, one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile is Huntsman's site which states multiple times that he is a conservative. Only a true conservative would actually know better.)
That's not to say that Perry or Bachmann will be the nominee. It very well could be Romney, who is also more moderate than most of the other GOP candidates. Romney vs. Huntsman vs. Obama in a 3-way race is a completely different race than Perry vs. Huntsman vs Obama. In the former, we have no clear conservative and moderate Republicans could go either way, but with the Perry 3-way match up, if he could stand with a clear conservative message, my guess is that he would pick up much of the moderate GOP vote and the Huntsman would get most of the moderate Dem vote - and Perry would win.
Now, the outcome would be different, I believe, with a Bachmann or Palin as the GOP nominee. I think that many moderate Republicans would rather vote for Huntsman as an Independent given that scenario, given the fact that both of these women have struggled to attain viability outside of the Tea Party ranks.
So, these are just my initial musings on the subject, but it will be interesting to watch. The best scenario in my mind is that he gives up and drops out sooner rather than later. He is not adding to the race at all and has no chance of gaining the GOP nominee. So, the sooner he moves on, the better.
The question is, who would he pull more votes away from, the GOP nominee or Obama? I've got to say, I think Huntsman would pull more votes away from Obama.
Let's face it, Huntsman is very "moderate" which is to say that he has very few strong conservative convictions, if any. He would very much appeal to left-leaning centrists who voted for Obama in the last election and are regretting their choice (and this population grows every day). That same voter may never be on board with a more conservative GOP candidate, such as Perry, and given the choice between a Perry or Bachmann and Obama, would choose Obama (On a side note, one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile is Huntsman's site which states multiple times that he is a conservative. Only a true conservative would actually know better.)
That's not to say that Perry or Bachmann will be the nominee. It very well could be Romney, who is also more moderate than most of the other GOP candidates. Romney vs. Huntsman vs. Obama in a 3-way race is a completely different race than Perry vs. Huntsman vs Obama. In the former, we have no clear conservative and moderate Republicans could go either way, but with the Perry 3-way match up, if he could stand with a clear conservative message, my guess is that he would pick up much of the moderate GOP vote and the Huntsman would get most of the moderate Dem vote - and Perry would win.
Now, the outcome would be different, I believe, with a Bachmann or Palin as the GOP nominee. I think that many moderate Republicans would rather vote for Huntsman as an Independent given that scenario, given the fact that both of these women have struggled to attain viability outside of the Tea Party ranks.
So, these are just my initial musings on the subject, but it will be interesting to watch. The best scenario in my mind is that he gives up and drops out sooner rather than later. He is not adding to the race at all and has no chance of gaining the GOP nominee. So, the sooner he moves on, the better.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Rush Limbaugh
I love Rush Limbaugh. Not just because of his point of view as an unapologetic conservative, but because of his moxy. Some great pictures from his site:
Friday, August 26, 2011
Obama's Debt - The Real Numbers
Hannity played a clip from Obama during his campaign the other day where Obama is slamming Bush for raising the debt. So, let's look at some numbers, shall we?
From the National Review:
From the National Review:
Elaborating on some calculations by CBS News’s Mark Knoller . . .
On January 20, 2009, the total outstanding public debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08 ($10.62 trillion).
As of Tuesday, the debt is $14,649,289,670,347.85 ($14.64 trillion).
In 946 days, Obama has increased the national debt by $4,022,412,621,434.77 or $4.02 trillion.
That amounts to $4,252,021,798.56 per day ($4.25 billion).
When the debt increases another $877,587,378,565.23 ($877.58 billion), the debt accumulated under Obama’s presidency will equal the debt accumulated under Bush’s two terms.
Obviously, this can change, but barring some sudden shift in the federal government’s borrowing and spending habits, this milestone will be reached in 206 days from August 23, 2011. That would be March 15, 2012.
Beware the Ides of March.
If spending continues at the normal pace through Inauguration Day 2013, it would add an additional $1,326,630,801,150.72 ($1.32 trillion) to the debt total.
Obama will have, in one term, raised the national debt by $6.22 trillion, 22 percent more than George W. Bush did in two terms.
Romney vs. Perry
I believe that one of these two will be the nominee. Right now, I am thinking it will be Perry, but we still have a long way to go. This will be very interesting to watch. Perry is taking shots at Romney every time he gets a chance. He is a very aggressive campaigner, so this will only continue.
Romney has a very interesting choice to make. If you recall in the last election, he ran negative ads against his GOP opponents and got a lot of bad press for it. So, this time he seems to be taking a longer-term view and running against Obama. So far, you can hardly tell that anyone else is in the race from his perspective.
With Perry leading in the polls (which may be the newness of his campaign and may not last), Romney will have to decide whether or not he responds to Perry's jabs, or attempts to stay above the fray. This will be fun to watch.
As for me, I choose Perry over Romney as my first choice, though I would take anyone of the current candidates over Obama (I would take my cat over Obama). Why Perry? Well, I like many have come to the conclusions that we need a true conservative in office. Someone strong, someone unapologetic, someone who understands the role of government. Romney unfortunately has a lot of convincing to do to get the conservative vote, and that goes for me, too.
Here is a snippet of an article from the National Review discussing the Romney vs. Perry match-up:
Short of New Jersey governor Chris Christie jumping in, that leaves us with the likely battle royal of Mitt vs. Rick, a tale of the tape between two perfectly coiffed contenders. Much like Perry’s last gubernatorial election in Texas, versus Kay Bailey Hutchison, it’s a match-up of the Republican establishment against a talented outsider. Romney is definitely the establishment candidate, while Perry makes the GOP elite nervous (mainly out of concern that he will continue to play to the Christian Right if he wins, which always frightens the people who run the party).
Perry hasn’t yet tagged Mitt with a nickname of the sort he used in the Texas race — “Kay Bailout Hutchison” and the “Queen of Earmarks” (incredibly turning the billions Hutchison brought to Texas for 17 years into a liability) — though it’s still early. He has thrown a few jabs at Romney, trashing Romneycare and saying that the governor didn’t create any jobs in Massachusetts. This is where the pain is going to come — Romney is going to have to take the shots from Perry with a smile.
For now, he is doing that. He hasn’t responded in kind, and he’s sticking to the long game, focusing on Obama and the general election. This comes with significant risk, however. Perry knows how to campaign. He’s a career politician who has never lost an election. And while Romney worries about running against Obama, Perry is just worrying about running against Romney, which gives him the edge.
Romney has a very interesting choice to make. If you recall in the last election, he ran negative ads against his GOP opponents and got a lot of bad press for it. So, this time he seems to be taking a longer-term view and running against Obama. So far, you can hardly tell that anyone else is in the race from his perspective.
With Perry leading in the polls (which may be the newness of his campaign and may not last), Romney will have to decide whether or not he responds to Perry's jabs, or attempts to stay above the fray. This will be fun to watch.
As for me, I choose Perry over Romney as my first choice, though I would take anyone of the current candidates over Obama (I would take my cat over Obama). Why Perry? Well, I like many have come to the conclusions that we need a true conservative in office. Someone strong, someone unapologetic, someone who understands the role of government. Romney unfortunately has a lot of convincing to do to get the conservative vote, and that goes for me, too.
Here is a snippet of an article from the National Review discussing the Romney vs. Perry match-up:
Short of New Jersey governor Chris Christie jumping in, that leaves us with the likely battle royal of Mitt vs. Rick, a tale of the tape between two perfectly coiffed contenders. Much like Perry’s last gubernatorial election in Texas, versus Kay Bailey Hutchison, it’s a match-up of the Republican establishment against a talented outsider. Romney is definitely the establishment candidate, while Perry makes the GOP elite nervous (mainly out of concern that he will continue to play to the Christian Right if he wins, which always frightens the people who run the party).
Perry hasn’t yet tagged Mitt with a nickname of the sort he used in the Texas race — “Kay Bailout Hutchison” and the “Queen of Earmarks” (incredibly turning the billions Hutchison brought to Texas for 17 years into a liability) — though it’s still early. He has thrown a few jabs at Romney, trashing Romneycare and saying that the governor didn’t create any jobs in Massachusetts. This is where the pain is going to come — Romney is going to have to take the shots from Perry with a smile.
For now, he is doing that. He hasn’t responded in kind, and he’s sticking to the long game, focusing on Obama and the general election. This comes with significant risk, however. Perry knows how to campaign. He’s a career politician who has never lost an election. And while Romney worries about running against Obama, Perry is just worrying about running against Romney, which gives him the edge.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Obamas Spending Millions In Taxpayer Money On Vacations??
The economy is in the tank, Libya is a mess, and the Obamas are spending millions of your taxpayer dollars vacationing. This just feels like how his entire presidency has been. I keep waiting for him to do something good for the country while he vacations, takes people to drink beer, and raises funds for re-election. Such a disappointment!
Remember to vote for America Is Conservative in DFW's Most Valuable Blogger competition!
Remember to vote for America Is Conservative in DFW's Most Valuable Blogger competition!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Russian Rocket Crashes En Route To American Astronauts
This scares me. We have Americans on the space station that need supplies and we are relying on other countries to take care of them. Are you okay with this?? So is the demise of the United States Space Program another of Obama's accomplishments??
Just a reminder to vote for America Is Conservative in the DFW Most Valuable Blogger competition!
Just a reminder to vote for America Is Conservative in the DFW Most Valuable Blogger competition!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Are You Excited To Hear The President's Job Plan?
While our fearless leader is golfing, he is finalizing his "new" jobs plan that he will communicate once his vacation is over. I know I'm on the edge of my seat.
What great ideas will he have, you wonder? What brilliance will he finally pull out of his sleeve to fix this economy? And the answer is...
Nothing, nada.
You've heard it all before, he will just re-package it in a new speech and then end by telling everyone to "work together."
This man is a one-trick pony.
Here's more on this topic from Accuracy in Media:
Senior Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod appeared on CNN’s State of the Union program on Sunday and told host Candy Crowley that the President’s upcoming jobs speech will be a mixture of old and new ideas.
So where are the new ideas?
In other words the real strategy of the Obama administration will be to dress up some old ideas and pass them off as new by adding urgency to the message, and to continue to blame the Republicans and the Tea Party for blocking the President’s job-creating agenda, which to date has been a miserable failure.
No hope, no change
What great ideas will he have, you wonder? What brilliance will he finally pull out of his sleeve to fix this economy? And the answer is...
Nothing, nada.
You've heard it all before, he will just re-package it in a new speech and then end by telling everyone to "work together."
This man is a one-trick pony.
Here's more on this topic from Accuracy in Media:
Senior Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod appeared on CNN’s State of the Union program on Sunday and told host Candy Crowley that the President’s upcoming jobs speech will be a mixture of old and new ideas.
In other words the real strategy of the Obama administration will be to dress up some old ideas and pass them off as new by adding urgency to the message, and to continue to blame the Republicans and the Tea Party for blocking the President’s job-creating agenda, which to date has been a miserable failure.
No hope, no change
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Archbishop: Don't Trust The MSM
Picked this up from The Blaze and Adrienne's Corner:
The news outlets CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and Newsweek have come under fire by Philadelphia’s incoming Archbishop, for a lack of “trustworthiness” where matters of religious faith are concerned.
“And with relatively few exceptions,” he said, “the mass media tend to cover these disputed issues with a combination of ignorance, laziness, and bias against traditional Christian belief.”
The Archbishop continued: “We make a very serious mistake if we rely on media like the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, or MSNBC for reliable news about religion. These news media simply don’t provide trustworthy information about religious faith — and sometimes they can’t provide it, either because of limited resources or because of their own editorial prejudices.”
Archbishop Chaput also criticized the lack of media coverage for widespread anti-Christian violence in Iraq, Syria, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
“Christians face frequent discrimination, slander, beatings and even murder,” the Archbishop added.
In addition, Archbishop Chaput warned that it is dangerous when democracies attempt to erase religion from the public arena:
“Forcing religious faith out of a nation’s public square and out of a country’s public debates does not serve democracy,” said the Archbishop. “It doesn’t serve real tolerance or pluralism. What it does do is impose a kind of unofficial state atheism. To put it another way, if we ban Christian Churches or other religious communities from taking an active role in our nation’s civic life, we’re really just enforcing a new kind of state-sponsored intolerance — a religion without God.”
Preach on, Archbishop. The problem is that it isn't "cool" or mainstream to be Christian anymore, unfortunately. Christians are continually marginalized and more and more, treated as a minority, "right-wing", extremist segment of our population. And, most Christians are too classy and focused on working hard for their families to rise up against this alarming trend.
The news outlets CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and Newsweek have come under fire by Philadelphia’s incoming Archbishop, for a lack of “trustworthiness” where matters of religious faith are concerned.
“And with relatively few exceptions,” he said, “the mass media tend to cover these disputed issues with a combination of ignorance, laziness, and bias against traditional Christian belief.”
The Archbishop continued: “We make a very serious mistake if we rely on media like the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, or MSNBC for reliable news about religion. These news media simply don’t provide trustworthy information about religious faith — and sometimes they can’t provide it, either because of limited resources or because of their own editorial prejudices.”
Archbishop Chaput also criticized the lack of media coverage for widespread anti-Christian violence in Iraq, Syria, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
“Christians face frequent discrimination, slander, beatings and even murder,” the Archbishop added.
In addition, Archbishop Chaput warned that it is dangerous when democracies attempt to erase religion from the public arena:
“Forcing religious faith out of a nation’s public square and out of a country’s public debates does not serve democracy,” said the Archbishop. “It doesn’t serve real tolerance or pluralism. What it does do is impose a kind of unofficial state atheism. To put it another way, if we ban Christian Churches or other religious communities from taking an active role in our nation’s civic life, we’re really just enforcing a new kind of state-sponsored intolerance — a religion without God.”
Preach on, Archbishop. The problem is that it isn't "cool" or mainstream to be Christian anymore, unfortunately. Christians are continually marginalized and more and more, treated as a minority, "right-wing", extremist segment of our population. And, most Christians are too classy and focused on working hard for their families to rise up against this alarming trend.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
CALLER: The reason why is right after John Boehner in the House passed the cut, cap, and balance bill, I was surfing the radio and I found him on a liberal radio station saying how bad that bill was and how John Boehner and them were going to get laughed at when they got back and how Nancy Pelosi was very, very smart. Well, anybody saying Nancy Pelosi's very, very smart is a brain-dead Democrat anyhow. But the other thing is like Ross Perot was to Bill Clinton. He got in the race, he was winning, he dropped out; then he come back in to lose credibility. He took enough votes away from George Bush that Bill Clinton got elected. Donald Trump jumped in, he was doing good in the polls. He made up an excuse about the TV station wanted him out so he dropped out. Now he keeps saying if Republicans don't put the right nominee up that he's gonna run independent.Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Literally Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Rick Perry
I was doing research on Perry to understand his background better and found an incredibally thorough article on Peskytruth.wordpress.com. It goes into great detail on several criticisms that have been made of him. Everything is very well documented and fact-based and the author takes a very fair look at each issue.
Read it here.
Update: And, on the same site is another great article discussing Perry's strengths. Read it here.
Read it here.
Update: And, on the same site is another great article discussing Perry's strengths. Read it here.
Why California is Broke and Texas Isn't
From Maggie's Notebook:
California:
The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail.
A coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor’s dog, then bites the Governor.
1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie “Bambi” and then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is natural.
2. He calls animal control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.
3. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases.
4. The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged.
5. The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is now free of dangerous animals.
6. The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a “coyote awareness program” for residents of the area.
7. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.
8. The Governor’s security agent is fired for not stopping the attack. The State spends $150,000 to hire and train a new agent with additional special training re: the nature of coyotes.
9. PETA protests the coyote’s relocation and files a $5 million suit against the State.
TEXAS (true story):
The Governor of Texas is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks his dog.
1. The Governor shoots the coyote with his State-issued pistol and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge.
2. The Buzzards eat the dead coyote.
And that, my friends, is why California is broke and Texas is not.
The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail.
A coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor’s dog, then bites the Governor.
1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie “Bambi” and then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is natural.
2. He calls animal control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.
3. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases.
4. The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged.
5. The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is now free of dangerous animals.
6. The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a “coyote awareness program” for residents of the area.
7. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.
8. The Governor’s security agent is fired for not stopping the attack. The State spends $150,000 to hire and train a new agent with additional special training re: the nature of coyotes.
9. PETA protests the coyote’s relocation and files a $5 million suit against the State.
TEXAS (true story):
Rick Perry
1. The Governor shoots the coyote with his State-issued pistol and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge.
2. The Buzzards eat the dead coyote.
And that, my friends, is why California is broke and Texas is not.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Obama Takes On Tea Party Member
A self-proclaimed Tea Party member questioned Obama's call for civility after Obama's VP called Tea Partiers "terrorists." (Click here to read the full story.) This Tea Party member pointed out that it seemed as though Obama was asking people to do something he has been unwilling to do. This is reminiscent of when Obama asked people to reach across the aisle during the budget debate after forcing Obamacare through against the will of most Americans and a Congress that was split on party lines. Obama is a wonderful speaker and can deliver a campaign message with power and passion but the American people cannot forget the history of his time in office.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Obama's Campaign Bus Tour
Obama is campaigning this week on a bus tour. What, you ask? Why is he campaigning when he is the president of a country with a recent rating downgrade and a 9.1% unemployment rate? That's a good question. Mitt Romney had some thoughts on the subject:
Oh, and to add insult to injury, he buses cost $2.2 million in taxpayer money.
Warren Buffett Wants To Pay More
So, Warren Buffett, the third richest man in the world, said he should be paying more taxes and billionaires should participate in "shared sacrifice." You know what, Warren, no one is stopping you. You want to pay more taxes, you go ahead. No one is holding you back.
Obama is thrilled by this admission and is going around the country campaigning on this message, stating that most Americans pay more than Warren Buffett. Actually, only 50% of Americans are paying taxes anyway. Now, I am not saying rich people shouldn't pay taxes, but I don't believe specific people should be targeted and forced to pay more (percentage-wise) than everyone else just because the government can't reign in spending.
Obama is thrilled by this admission and is going around the country campaigning on this message, stating that most Americans pay more than Warren Buffett. Actually, only 50% of Americans are paying taxes anyway. Now, I am not saying rich people shouldn't pay taxes, but I don't believe specific people should be targeted and forced to pay more (percentage-wise) than everyone else just because the government can't reign in spending.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
America Is Pro-Life!
We here at AmericaisConservative believe strongly that this is truly a center-right nation, especially when we can correctly articulate our beliefs. One of those beliefs is that life is worth fighting for. To that end, we have launched a new site called: AmericaisProLife.blogspot.com.
This is an aggregator site where we are bringing together the best of the Pro-Life sites on the web. You can come here to find just about anything from the Pro-Life movement. And, we will regularly highlight some of the best articles.
So, be sure to check it out. Life is worth fighting for!
This is an aggregator site where we are bringing together the best of the Pro-Life sites on the web. You can come here to find just about anything from the Pro-Life movement. And, we will regularly highlight some of the best articles.
So, be sure to check it out. Life is worth fighting for!
Sarah Palin Is Everywhere!
Sarah Palin seems to be everywhere. Mitt Romney announces he's going to run for president...there's Palin! Straw poll in Iowa and who shows up at the state fair with Sean Hannity? Sarah Palin! In her interview with Hannity, Sean said he noticed a passion that seemed to be building in her. Will she run or won't she seems to be the question on people's minds. My question is, if she is going to run, why is she waiting so long to enter? What does she have to gain? Some people are calling her an opportunist while others think she is just trying to rebuild her image. Either way, for someone that is not in the running yet, she seems to be in all the right places.
Tim Pawlenty Drops Out - Will Anyone Notice?
I like Tim Pawlenty as much as the next person. We saw him speak at CPAC and he gave a very passionate speech. But, the bottom line is that the country feels ambivalent towards him and even with his best efforts, he wasn't seen as an exciting candidate. So, he's out, and that's probably just fine. He didn't have a chance.
What he can do is be a voice. Now that he is out, he will get tapped to comment on the current race, so he will probably have more influence now than as a candidate.
He is well respected, here are some comments from the other candidates:
What he can do is be a voice. Now that he is out, he will get tapped to comment on the current race, so he will probably have more influence now than as a candidate.
He is well respected, here are some comments from the other candidates:
Daily Kos - Spewing A Typical Liberal Misunderstanding Of Reality
Sometimes I like to wander over to liberal blogs just to get a sense of what the other side is thinking. Usually, I can't stand to be there longer than about a second before I start to feel sick and my conscience tells me there is nothing of any truth or value. But, I was looking around to see what kind of reaction Perry was getting now that he has officially kicked off his presidential campaign, and I saw an article on the Daily Kos. In case you aren't familiar, the Daily Kos is a top liberal blog. You can read more about them here. They admit to being "liberal progressives." So, in other words, they are on the polar opposite of the political spectrum from me (and most Americans for that matter).
I usually avoid this site like the plague, but made up my mind to read the entry on Perry all the way through. This isn't even a recent article for this site (this is a June 13 article), but I couldn't get past it. Let's take a look, shall we?
From the entry:
Granted that Texas’ economy is better than virtually every large state in the country, it is not by Perry’s design but by a long history of diversification and the luck of being an energy producing and refining state in an ever lucrative energy market. Perry will use this built in economic panacea along with an extremely austere budget coupled with low taxes and a better employment picture as something that reflects the success of an immoral Right Wing conservative policy.
Governor Perry will pass a budget that leaves Texas’ poor living as third world residents. He will leave in tatters the educational aspirations of many in the middle class as most will be unable to get a higher education, something that is of utmost importance in our new regime of low and high skill job outsourcing. His lack of support for regulations on polluting corporations will decimate our eco-system. Of course, those benefiting from said devastation can afford to vacation on pristine private islands, so who cares.
While the Texas Perry policy can be spun as a success in the short term, he has laid the ground work for a failed Texas state as the most damaging and destructive effects of his draconian cuts to the Texas budget and Government will not be realized till after the election of 2012.
When the coming generation that is affected by the cuts in education are ready for college and the workforce, the intellectual damage to our citizens will be evident. The employers that came to Texas for low taxes and a current educated workforce will be headed to the next state that is ready to sacrifice its future labor force for the present gain of a few corporations and wealthy owners.
Governor Perry while enhancing his stature for a presidential run, he is potentially killing the Republican Party in Texas for his gain. His use of misinformation and hate will work in the short term. However, given Texas’ demographics, he probably believed the Party would be dead eventually. If he can get the presidency, so what if the party dies prematurely
There is a lot to react to, but I'll stick to the comments about the budget and the underlying premise that we need to spend more.
Liberals have no understanding of reality - cutting the budget is saving TX. We cannot spend money that we don't have. You can get on your high horse all you want about these things - but what Perry did is not creating a monolith government that spends so much on entitlements that it is unsustainable- which is what has happened on the Federal level.
All of these high-minded liberal ideas end up in the same place - higher taxes. Always - the answer for them is more taxes. More spending = more taxes. More entitlements = more taxes. Oh, and when you tax (and regulate), you de-incentivize companies, so you also kill all of the jobs and take away the means for state revenue which just turns into higher taxes for all who are left. In the end, you have killed jobs and killed innovation, and you have created such a government-dependent population, that you've reached a point where it will be impossible to cut spending as the government income is all that people have.
I don't understand these supposed intellectuals who don't understand these basic concepts!
Consider these facts about TX which come from being a low-tax, low-regulation, business-friendly state:
So, to the Daily Kos, spew all the misinformation you want, but the numbers speak for themselves.
I usually avoid this site like the plague, but made up my mind to read the entry on Perry all the way through. This isn't even a recent article for this site (this is a June 13 article), but I couldn't get past it. Let's take a look, shall we?
From the entry:
Granted that Texas’ economy is better than virtually every large state in the country, it is not by Perry’s design but by a long history of diversification and the luck of being an energy producing and refining state in an ever lucrative energy market. Perry will use this built in economic panacea along with an extremely austere budget coupled with low taxes and a better employment picture as something that reflects the success of an immoral Right Wing conservative policy.
Governor Perry will pass a budget that leaves Texas’ poor living as third world residents. He will leave in tatters the educational aspirations of many in the middle class as most will be unable to get a higher education, something that is of utmost importance in our new regime of low and high skill job outsourcing. His lack of support for regulations on polluting corporations will decimate our eco-system. Of course, those benefiting from said devastation can afford to vacation on pristine private islands, so who cares.
While the Texas Perry policy can be spun as a success in the short term, he has laid the ground work for a failed Texas state as the most damaging and destructive effects of his draconian cuts to the Texas budget and Government will not be realized till after the election of 2012.
When the coming generation that is affected by the cuts in education are ready for college and the workforce, the intellectual damage to our citizens will be evident. The employers that came to Texas for low taxes and a current educated workforce will be headed to the next state that is ready to sacrifice its future labor force for the present gain of a few corporations and wealthy owners.
Governor Perry while enhancing his stature for a presidential run, he is potentially killing the Republican Party in Texas for his gain. His use of misinformation and hate will work in the short term. However, given Texas’ demographics, he probably believed the Party would be dead eventually. If he can get the presidency, so what if the party dies prematurely
There is a lot to react to, but I'll stick to the comments about the budget and the underlying premise that we need to spend more.
Liberals have no understanding of reality - cutting the budget is saving TX. We cannot spend money that we don't have. You can get on your high horse all you want about these things - but what Perry did is not creating a monolith government that spends so much on entitlements that it is unsustainable- which is what has happened on the Federal level.
All of these high-minded liberal ideas end up in the same place - higher taxes. Always - the answer for them is more taxes. More spending = more taxes. More entitlements = more taxes. Oh, and when you tax (and regulate), you de-incentivize companies, so you also kill all of the jobs and take away the means for state revenue which just turns into higher taxes for all who are left. In the end, you have killed jobs and killed innovation, and you have created such a government-dependent population, that you've reached a point where it will be impossible to cut spending as the government income is all that people have.
I don't understand these supposed intellectuals who don't understand these basic concepts!
Consider these facts about TX which come from being a low-tax, low-regulation, business-friendly state:
- 2011 was the seventh year in a row that Chief Executive.net after surveying 550 CEO'S rated Texas as the most business-friendly state. Other studies, such as CNBC in 2010, also placed Texas at the top of its list.
- Texas was of the first states to emerge from the recent recession (they emerged in 2009, a year when Texas spent the fourth-least per capita between the other forty nine states).
- Only nine states had a net gain of jobs in the five years from March 2006 through March 2011. Texas gained 539,500 jobs versus a combined 134,400 jobs gained among the other eight states. (Other states -- as PolitiFact notes in the above link -- "created" more jobs than Texas, but lost more too... As for having a net gain of jobs, Texas won the battle.)
- "Since the recovery began, 38% of all jobs created in America have been created in Texas," according to Richard Fisher, the President of the Dallas Federal Reserve. (This is the Reserve's 11th district, 96% of it is the State of Texas.)
- As for expected 2011 spending as a percent of a state's GSP (Gross State Product, its economic size), Texas is tied for the best place with Colorado to each spend only 6.60% compared to its economic size.
- 2011 expected spending per state combined with spending of local governments -- who due to State cutbacks may increase spending on their own -- places Texas at the fourth-best when measuring state/local spending as a percent of the State's economic size.
- Texas is only one of seven states that do not punish people for working (meaning, the State does not collect Income Tax).
- For 2010, only eleven states (most of them with Republican governors...) had smaller deficits per capita than the one of Texas. The average states' deficit per capita (per person) was more than three times larger than Texas.
- In dollar terms, Texas -- as the nation's second-largest state by population and territory -- indeed has one of the largest expected state deficits for 2011 and 2012. It is expected to be between $15 and $26 billion over the next two years. However the State has a $9.6 billion Economic Stabilization (rainy day) Fund that can be tapped to use without raising taxes or increasing spending. Few states have this size of a luxury.
- Based on a March 9, 2011 analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy, Texas' deficit for Fiscal Year 2011 -- before trying to close the gap with measures such as tapping the Rainy Fund -- is 10.8% of the overall budget size. At least thirty other states have larger deficits as a percent of their overall budges size.
So, to the Daily Kos, spew all the misinformation you want, but the numbers speak for themselves.
GOP 2012 News: Perry Joins The Race!
Perry finally joined the race officially. The question is, how will this impact the current candidates and can he really win the nomination. Perry brings with him a socially conservative base. He also has executive experience. He believes in states-rights. He is coming from a state that has not seen the major budget issues that other states have seen, or at least to the extent of other states. The TX economy is relatively one of the best in the nation. The home prices in TX haven't gone through the roller coaster ride that they have in other states. And, Perry has been elected governor in TX more times than anyone else in TX history. So, he has a lot going for him.
However, he is a guy with a southern accent from TX. I honestly believe that this hurts him from the get-go. People will see and hear him and see President Bush. And, like Bush or not, that is a bad thing. Obama will spin their supposed similarities (even though Bush and Perry are actually very different on the conservative spectrum) all he can.
Also, Perry is very openly religious, which will probably not sit well with seculars. I am glad to see someone not be afraid to discuss prayer, for instance, in a public forum. But, there are those in the GOP even who are fiscal but not social conservatives who will not be happy with this side of Perry.
But, it is obvious that the Obama folks are already nervous. David Axelrod, Obama's top re-election strategist, is already commenting on Perry:
"There's a specific reason that Texas has done so well, and that's because the oil industry has done so well in the last few years, and the military has grown because of the challenges that we have had overseas," said David Axelrod.
"And so he's been the beneficiary of things that he had very little to do with," Axelrod told ABC television.
So, more fun to come. If I could make a prediction, though, based on what I see so far: the GOP nominee will be either Perry or Romney. More on this later, but that's how I see it so far...
However, he is a guy with a southern accent from TX. I honestly believe that this hurts him from the get-go. People will see and hear him and see President Bush. And, like Bush or not, that is a bad thing. Obama will spin their supposed similarities (even though Bush and Perry are actually very different on the conservative spectrum) all he can.
Also, Perry is very openly religious, which will probably not sit well with seculars. I am glad to see someone not be afraid to discuss prayer, for instance, in a public forum. But, there are those in the GOP even who are fiscal but not social conservatives who will not be happy with this side of Perry.
But, it is obvious that the Obama folks are already nervous. David Axelrod, Obama's top re-election strategist, is already commenting on Perry:
"There's a specific reason that Texas has done so well, and that's because the oil industry has done so well in the last few years, and the military has grown because of the challenges that we have had overseas," said David Axelrod.
"And so he's been the beneficiary of things that he had very little to do with," Axelrod told ABC television.
So, more fun to come. If I could make a prediction, though, based on what I see so far: the GOP nominee will be either Perry or Romney. More on this later, but that's how I see it so far...
Saturday, August 13, 2011
2012 GOP Presidential Nominee Iowa Straw Poll Winner
Michele Bachmann came in first in the Iowa straw poll today, followed by Ron Paul and Tim Pawlenty. While Bachmann must be excited for her win, the AP compares the straw poll to a "popularity contest." What today's results ultimately showed was that Bachmann is squarely in this thing. She had a strong showing at the debate against a determined Pawlenty. She has been shot down by the media and mocked by dems. I think she's here to stay.
Friday, August 12, 2011
U.S. Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Part Of Obamacare
Obama receives more bad news today when the US Federal Appeals Court ruled against the individual requirement of his Obamacare plan.
"On Friday, the divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with 26 states that filed a lawsuit to block Obama's signature domestic initiative. The panel said that Congress exceeded its constitutional authority by requiring Americans to buy insurance or face penalties."So up to the US Supreme Court it goes. Hopefully the Court will do what should be done and strike down the whole plan as unconstitutional.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/12/us-appeals-court-rules-against-obamas-health-care-law/#ixzz1UsLemdnU
Obama Disrespects Family Members Of Fallen Soldiers
This blog will not post the photo to maintain the request of the family members. 19 of the 30 families that were mourning the loss of a loved one who gave their lives defending this country requested no photos be taken as the bodies were returned to American soil. The Pentagon ordered no photos. The media, pentagon, and military honored the request but the White House took the opportunity to create a photo-op. This was a slap in the face of those who were mourning their loved ones. (Click here for more on the story.)
GOP Presidential Debate In Iowa Left Audience Wanting More
Last night's Republican debate had it all - fireworks, fresh barbs, and the missing man. Fireworks erupted between Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty over voting records. Newt Gingrich gave the one-two punch and showed America the energy they've been waiting for. And Rick Santorum poked his head out and said "look at me!"
Mitt Romney and Herman Cain heralded their private-sector experience and Herman Cain told America to get a "sense of humor." Jon Hunstman appeared very out of place, even being told that some thought he was running on the wrong ticket. Ron Paul was proclaimed an expert in the Constitution by the commentator and rallied the crowd against war and foreign involvement. Even though Rick Perry has not announced he's running, he clearly had a presence in the debate. All in all, it was a good chance for candidates to show America that there are many choices better than Obama. (For more on the debate, click here.)
Whose image improved? Newt Gingrich probably made the largest gains while Tim Pawlenty took the biggest plunge. Mitt Romney maintained his image and the rest sort of blended in. I can't wait to see how Rick Perry mixes things up at the next event!
Mitt Romney and Herman Cain heralded their private-sector experience and Herman Cain told America to get a "sense of humor." Jon Hunstman appeared very out of place, even being told that some thought he was running on the wrong ticket. Ron Paul was proclaimed an expert in the Constitution by the commentator and rallied the crowd against war and foreign involvement. Even though Rick Perry has not announced he's running, he clearly had a presence in the debate. All in all, it was a good chance for candidates to show America that there are many choices better than Obama. (For more on the debate, click here.)
Whose image improved? Newt Gingrich probably made the largest gains while Tim Pawlenty took the biggest plunge. Mitt Romney maintained his image and the rest sort of blended in. I can't wait to see how Rick Perry mixes things up at the next event!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Dems: Where Are Your Ideas?
Seriously! A week after the deal to raise the debt ceiling, there is still an incredible amount of complaining from Dems as they are beside themselves that they didn't get their way. In fact, they have most of the media pointing to the Tea Party as the reason that the decision took so long. I would like to remind everyone that it takes two to tango, and the House sent 2 bills to the Senate which were not even voted on. The only Party coming up with viable ideas is the GOP right now. The Dems sit around, gripe about the Tea Party, and other than wanting to raise taxes, have no ideas at all. The liberal ideology is simply not based on sound economic principles. It is meant to be the minority party. You can do environmentalist sit-ins and and marches supporting peace at all costs as a minority party. However, when you are in the majority, you have to govern. You have to run budgets and decide priorities. You can't spend all of your time caring about frindge issues while the economy runs amuck.
Liberals have no real ideas and no real agenda other than the classics: raise taxes, add regulation, redistribute wealth. These are the underlying principles for just about everything we've seen them present. We do have problems with healthcare - their answer? Add regulation. Redistribute wealth. What is the answer to our economic problems? Raise taxes. Redistribute wealth.
These are not ideas. These are not principles. These are an old, historically unsuccesful bag of tricks that don't work - ever. Contrast this with what true conservatives stand for: small government, low taxes, strong private industry, personal choice (and accountability), a strong defense. These are principles that can be articulated and must be, over and over again, until enough people get it and we get the balance of power back on the Right.
Liberals have no real ideas and no real agenda other than the classics: raise taxes, add regulation, redistribute wealth. These are the underlying principles for just about everything we've seen them present. We do have problems with healthcare - their answer? Add regulation. Redistribute wealth. What is the answer to our economic problems? Raise taxes. Redistribute wealth.
These are not ideas. These are not principles. These are an old, historically unsuccesful bag of tricks that don't work - ever. Contrast this with what true conservatives stand for: small government, low taxes, strong private industry, personal choice (and accountability), a strong defense. These are principles that can be articulated and must be, over and over again, until enough people get it and we get the balance of power back on the Right.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sometimes, Gridlock Is A Good Thing
I'm tired of hearing that the Tea Party Republicans should compromise and that this gridlock is a bad thing. With this president and with the Reid as the Senate majority leader, gridlock is a good thing. In fact, it is saving us right now. Does anyone remember what Obama did with the first 2 years of his presidency? Such partisanship. He didn't once reach out to the GOP leadership until they took power this year! He never once reached across the aisle. And, he crammed his big government ideas down our throats. I was praying for gridlock back then. So, now we have it and people are complaining.
But if you pay attention to who is complaining, it actually confirms why the current gridlock is a good thing. I don't hear conservatives complaining (except for Liberals to open their eyes to see the error of their ways). I only hear the media, liberal pundits, and Dem members of Congress all in a tissy because the conservatives won't compromise. They are begging for it now, after treating the GOP like 2nd class citizens for 2 years in power.
So, in my estimation, we are right on track. If the Left is whining, then you know you are making an impact. If MSNBC and Huffington Post headlines are screaming for conservatives to give in, then things are going well. If the VP is calling Tea Party terrorists, then... Well, I can't turn this into a good thing as it was entirely inappropriate, but the underlying cause of his anger is that Liberals don't have a blank check anymore. And, the GOP of old is not controlled by RINOs anymore. It is heavily influenced by a strong conservative base now, and that is how it should be.
We need to gridlock our way to next election, elect us some more conservative candidates, and turn this country around.
But if you pay attention to who is complaining, it actually confirms why the current gridlock is a good thing. I don't hear conservatives complaining (except for Liberals to open their eyes to see the error of their ways). I only hear the media, liberal pundits, and Dem members of Congress all in a tissy because the conservatives won't compromise. They are begging for it now, after treating the GOP like 2nd class citizens for 2 years in power.
So, in my estimation, we are right on track. If the Left is whining, then you know you are making an impact. If MSNBC and Huffington Post headlines are screaming for conservatives to give in, then things are going well. If the VP is calling Tea Party terrorists, then... Well, I can't turn this into a good thing as it was entirely inappropriate, but the underlying cause of his anger is that Liberals don't have a blank check anymore. And, the GOP of old is not controlled by RINOs anymore. It is heavily influenced by a strong conservative base now, and that is how it should be.
We need to gridlock our way to next election, elect us some more conservative candidates, and turn this country around.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Who Are Members Of The Tea Party - Joe Biden And John Kerry Got It Wrong
Lately there has been a lot of press about the Tea Party with the Vice President of the United States saying that members of the Tea Party had "acted like terrorists." John Kerry believes the media should censor time with the Tea Party. To be honest, I was starting to wonder if the Tea Party had morphed into some crazed entity. On Saturday, I attended an activist training put on by American Majority. There were about 70 people in attendance, most of which carried the Tea Party title proudly. Throughout the day, I was reminded what the Tea Party is.
First of all, there is no such thing as a national "Tea Party." The term represents not a political party but a movement of like-minded individuals who are actively trying to make a difference. They are conservatives and libertarians who believe in limited government, a checks and balances system, financial responsibility, and often social conservatism. Tea Partiers are active in communicating with government officials and work to get people elected who will uphold conservative values, values that were held sacred by our founding fathers.
Another important thing to remember is that Tea Partiers are your neighbors. They are normal people who are working to have their voices heard. They are not terrorists or faceless demons. So do not listen to the Joe Biden's of the world...the Tea Party members are just trying to make the world a better place. You can disagree with them and their ideology if you choose, but let's keep from throwing labels around. There are real terrorists in the world and if this administration cannot differentiate loyal Americans from those trying to do us harm, we have a bigger problem.
First of all, there is no such thing as a national "Tea Party." The term represents not a political party but a movement of like-minded individuals who are actively trying to make a difference. They are conservatives and libertarians who believe in limited government, a checks and balances system, financial responsibility, and often social conservatism. Tea Partiers are active in communicating with government officials and work to get people elected who will uphold conservative values, values that were held sacred by our founding fathers.
Another important thing to remember is that Tea Partiers are your neighbors. They are normal people who are working to have their voices heard. They are not terrorists or faceless demons. So do not listen to the Joe Biden's of the world...the Tea Party members are just trying to make the world a better place. You can disagree with them and their ideology if you choose, but let's keep from throwing labels around. There are real terrorists in the world and if this administration cannot differentiate loyal Americans from those trying to do us harm, we have a bigger problem.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
SEAL Team 6 Loses Brave Members In Afghanistan
Tragedy stuck brave members of America's armed forces today when a helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. It is the largest loss of life in a single incident during this war. Many of the members killed were from the elite squad that killed bin Laden and the Taliban are taking credit for the operation. Our prayers go out to the family members who are receiving the worst news of their lives today.
Will Obama Take Responsibility For Rating Downgrade??
I was talking to my dad tonight about the credit rating being lowered and he made an excellent point. In the debt ceiling negotiations of the last few weeks, Obama made speech after speech that the Republicans were not compromising and the outcome to a lack of deal would be economic downturn and a downgrade in the national credit rating. SO the deal was made, the Dow has plummeted, and S&P has downgraded America's rating. If the Dow drop and rating fall happened during negotiations, Obama would blame the Republicans for NOT taking his deal. Who gets the blame now?
Now, to clarify, do I believe the economic problems are all Obama's fault?? Of course not. Neither would it have been the Republican's fault. But if Obama was throwing the responsibility on the conservatives, is he willing to take some himself??
Now, to clarify, do I believe the economic problems are all Obama's fault?? Of course not. Neither would it have been the Republican's fault. But if Obama was throwing the responsibility on the conservatives, is he willing to take some himself??
Friday, August 5, 2011
S&P Downgraded Credit Rating
Standard & Poor's has notified the US it is downgrading America's credit rating for the first time ever in our history. This article points out the decision has been tabled as S&P was off on their math. Not a great day in our history. If you go to S&P's website (registration required), you will see that in the report, they also state they may lower the rating again within two years if American lawmakers do not decrease the debt.
"The report said the reason for the impending downgrade was partly a lack of confidence in lawmakers to agree to further U.S. debt reduction and confusion surrounding the process of raising the debt ceiling."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/05/us-official-says-sp-reconsidering-us-credit-downgrade/#ixzz1UCpoFXG2
To clarify, the reason is "a lack of confidence" that the US will reduce it's debt. S&P isn't concerned that we don't have a high enough debt ceiling (aka enough credit cards) but that America is not cutting spending.
Personally, this process makes me feel very vulnerable. As a country, we are not setting ourselves up for success and there is no end in sight to our spending. America is a country where people are becoming more and more dependent on the government, a government that seems to not hear its people. These are scary times.
"The report said the reason for the impending downgrade was partly a lack of confidence in lawmakers to agree to further U.S. debt reduction and confusion surrounding the process of raising the debt ceiling."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/05/us-official-says-sp-reconsidering-us-credit-downgrade/#ixzz1UCpoFXG2
To clarify, the reason is "a lack of confidence" that the US will reduce it's debt. S&P isn't concerned that we don't have a high enough debt ceiling (aka enough credit cards) but that America is not cutting spending.
Personally, this process makes me feel very vulnerable. As a country, we are not setting ourselves up for success and there is no end in sight to our spending. America is a country where people are becoming more and more dependent on the government, a government that seems to not hear its people. These are scary times.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Reason To Celebrate??
So it appears the AAA rating is safe for now, but Americans are in more debt than ever, we're still in a recession with no end in sight, people are homeless, jobless, and hopeless, foreign relations are strained...so why is Obama celebrating?? He's also gone back into reelection mode, drumming up donors so we can have him do it all again in 2012.
Monday, August 1, 2011
VP Biden Calls Tea Party "Terrorists" While Congress Signs Bill
It is official. Good, bad, or ugly, Congress has signed off on a deal. It is not Cut, Cap, and Balance. It is not Reid's bill. It wasn't posted online for 3 days as was agreed upon by the GOP nor was it created in a transparent situation as Obama stated. Now, to clarify, the House has already signed off and passed on TWO separate bills that have both been rejected in the Senate without even so much as a discussion. It is anticipated, however, that the Senate will sign this one through mid-day tomorrow and the president will sign it soon thereafter.
Buried in this story is where your Vice President, Joe Biden, referred to members of the Republican party as "terrorists" and likened negotiations to putting a "gun to their heads." This process has shown the true colors of the president and VP as well as the liberal democrats. They should be ashamed. Is this how they negotiate our foreign affairs?? If so, it's no wonder we are struggling in that department.
Buried in this story is where your Vice President, Joe Biden, referred to members of the Republican party as "terrorists" and likened negotiations to putting a "gun to their heads." This process has shown the true colors of the president and VP as well as the liberal democrats. They should be ashamed. Is this how they negotiate our foreign affairs?? If so, it's no wonder we are struggling in that department.
Romney Says No Deal To Obama's Compromise
While Romney says he sympathizes with Obama, Boehner, and the rest of the leadership, this current "compromise" does not offer Americans what they need. Meanwhile, in Congress, Tea Partiers and Democrat "Progressives" (read opposites in the political spectrum) are both skeptical of this deal.
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