Charlotte Front and Center

Nancy Pelosi is in "Hog Heaven" with Arlen Specter

Nancy Pelosi, who is reveling in Hog Heaven, told Candy Crowley at CNN that the switch of Arlen Specter to the democratic side will allow them (democrats) to move forward with their political agenda. The point made by Pelosi is obvious. What is disturbing is that Pelosi chirped:"... now we can get things done without explaining process...".

At least Pelosi is being transparent. Pelosi forgets as do the majority of our lawmakers that they are in Washington to represent the American citizen...not their political party!

With Obama's latest reference to the Tea Party Movement, it seems that the only checks and balances left to the American citizens are those "folks" who wave those teabags.

Obama's Boring and Useless Press Conferences

Obama uses press conferences simply to market himself along with his present agenda.  The reporters that are allowed to ask questions is predetermined.

The way the press conferences are conducted simply allow Obama time to talk about whatever he wishes with too many softball questions. Any questions of substance that demand Obama to go into detail are rare and far apart  as was the question of water-boarding,or even the question that referenced abortion was skirted around and not really answered by Obama.

The Obama press conferences are too orchestrated. Nothing of substance is clarified for Americans who really have questions that need answers. The reporters who are suppose to ask the questions we want asked have abandoned the average citizen in favor of those in charge. This docile media is dangerous to the public when it behaves this way. Those few reporters who do ask tough questions are few and far between.

The Obama press conferences are useless. It is just free marketing time for Obama. 

To make fun of 'people who hold those little teabags', is unforgivable.  Many will be glad to hear Obama is annoyed.

Tea Party Tax Payers Have Found John Galt

Americans attending Tea Parties in protest of runaway Government spending are desperately searching for John Galt, but as it turns out, it seems this time John Galt has been hiding among the taxpayers. 

Though many of those attending the Tea Parties are trying to pigeon-hole their frustrations by aligning themselves with a group or a certain political party, it stands to reason they do this out of habit thinking that John Galt is to be found in some politician or one of his/her political vehicles.

Most of those attending the Tea Parties need no help from either political party in sending their message to Washington, because the message is for both political parties. This much the tax payer has learned, no matter how many opportunistic politicians try to grasp hold of the momentum behind "We the People".

The Tea Parties are Americans who are voicing outrage of having lost power and control over a government that has grown too big, and that has begun to turn on its own citizens with a wrath that will destroy the individual power of each citizen by those who would "take care of them". Those who wish to be "taken care of"will one day no longer have the taxpayers to prop them up once they have managed to subjugate the regular taxpayers desire and motivation to make money for them.

Who is threatened by the Tea Party Movement?  Corrupt politicians that flood both parties with their lobbyist friends in tow; Wall Street whose greed continues to bleed consumers with its corrupt business practices;and those who stand to gain political power from a nationalization of every industry that once defined the dreams of the American citizen.

Will the Tea Parties be successful in their goals? Hopefully so. If enough citizens join in protest then John Galt steps forward. If the media is able to dissuade the public in general, then John Galt goes back into hiding until Americans have had enough.

Obama's Health Care Reform Shouldn't Be Rushed

No doubt health care needs major reform in this country.  Yet there are so many ramifications from over-hauling one of America's biggest  domestic gross products, it is frightening to think that it will be rushed through congress.  

Knowing the history of Congress with health-care, and the never-ending problems it would have with congressional over-sight, should make it necessary to have real bi-partisanship with time limits instituted from the very start.

As Senator Bill Frist said: "We need a good integrated system". It would seem that most Americans would think we need something sustainable.The ramifications will not be realized until after this reform is rushed through, and that is likely to be in August,2009.

English Health-Care System

Bill Frist should be closely listened to. Frist is a physician who served as Republican Majority Leader from 2003 until his retirement in 2007. He is concerned because of Tennessee's experience with "Tenncare". Shortly after it was instituted in Tennessee to give the uninsured access to health-care, it became immediately burdened with budget problems,management abuse,and endless lawsuits. 

Whether or not there is any bi-partisanship on this biggest piece of legislation to ever face Congress, there will probably be no chance of input from republicans. Any attempts to hear concerns about this legislation are met with objections being phrased as the Republicans are the party of "No". 

Frist also maintains that 'stemming the abuse of fraud' in the system would save at least $450 billion a year which is enough to insure the presently uninsured'.

Ayn Rand Would Approve Fox not Airing Obama Press Conference

As book sales for Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" continue to go through the roof in 2009, Americans are memorizing her famous quotes as if to build a line of defense for Capitalism. The woes of Wall Street and Washington bail-outs have embattled taxpayers searching for affirmation of basic American core beliefs such as:

Government "help" to business is just as disastrous as government persecution... the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off. 
Ayn Rand ~

CNN is reporting that Fox Network will not air Obama's upcoming press conference due to the fact that getting 13 million viewers for "Lie to Me" is preferable to the last press conference that garnered only 4 million viewers. So in the interest of making money, Fox Network will warn viewers ahead of time to catch Obama on their Fox News channel.

Networks stand to lose millions in advertising revenue when regular viewing is interrupted. So in the interest of making money and their viewers happy, there will be a small return to Rand's theory of "objectivism" or making money when the occasion allows.

Tea Party Protest Continues in Ithaca, New York

The Tea Party movement is spreading its protest as evidenced by another one this past Saturday, April 25th. This is the first one in Ithaca,New York since the original two took place here on April 15,2009.

The organizer,Janice Kelley, is chairwoman of the City of Ithaca Republican Party.  Yet, Kelly seems adamant about  the message of the Tea Parties that have raged across America since April 15th. Kelley says, "It has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. It has to do with those of us who live in America and are not stuck on stupid."  Kelley goes on to say, "We know the government cannot keep spending and spending and spending and spending without eventually raising all of our taxes and crippling private enterprise and small businesses and the things that create jobs in this country."

Kelley,like other Tea party supporters, believes that it is important for gay conservatives, and other minority groups to refrain from being silent,and to join in the protesting of a run-away government.

Kelley plans to organize for July 4th, another day planned for national protesting in many groups across the 50 states.

Genuine grass-roots!

Source: The Ithaca Journal

First Women Political Activists Held Rebellious Tea Party in Edenton,N.C.

If you attended one of the Tea Parties on April 15th, Obama,the MSM, and half of Congress may not have liked your actions, but neither did King George III like the idea of Penelope Barker and her women friends who held a Tea Party rebellion in 1775 at the house of Elizabeth King.

The 51 women who gathered at the house in Edenton,N.C. on October 25,1775, may not have deliberately set out to host a protest, but in all likelihood Penelope Barker had it planned in advance to present to these ladies once they arrived, the petition attesting to their views against unreasonable taxes. 

The Boston-Tea Party was legend at this point, and the city of Edenton was already known for being a hotbed of politics. During the Tea Party,Penelope Barker convinced 51 women to sign a petition protesting the unfair taxes now known as "The Intolerable Acts".  In their petition, they vowed to boycott English Tea and all cloth, the same items their husbands thought would be key in preventing them to ever break-off from England. Of course, history shows they were underestimated by their husbands and England.

The men certainly underestimated the first female political activists. They were serious, and their petition shocked colonial loyalists and the powerful King George. These women had guts;after-all, they were American colonists.

Don't think these women didn't have their own MSM to deal with back in London. They had their own version of Chris Matthews and David Schuster in a cartoon published in 1775 making fun of them in a caricature seen all over England. They wouldn't be the last group of patriotic women's groups getting joked about in the newspapers either. One other group of women activists were referred to in a London newspaper as "Washington's Sewing Circle".

"A Society of Patriotic Ladies" At Edenton,N.C.

Here is an extract of the petition to King George:

The Edenton "Tea Party"

Letter of unknown author printed in the Morning Chronicle and London Advertiser, January 31, 1775. Reprinted by the Edenton Woman's Club in Historic Edenton and Countryside (The Chowan Herald, 1959), pp. 3–4.

Extract of a letter from North Carolina, Oct. 27.

The Provincial Deputies of North Carolina having resolved not to drink any more tea, nor wear any more British cloth, &c. many ladies of this Province have determined to give a memorable proof of their patriotism, and have accordingly entered into the following honourable and spirited association. I send it to you, to shew your fair countrywomen, how zealously and faithfully American ladies follow the laudable example of their husbands, and what opposition your Ministers may expect to receive from a people thus firmly united against them:

Edenton, North Carolina, Oct. 25, 1774.

As we cannot be indifferent on any occasion that appears nearly to affect the peace and happiness of our country, and as it has been thought necessary, for the public good, to enter into several political resolves by a meeting of Members deputed from the whole Province, it is a duty which we owe, not only to our near and dear connections who have concurred in them, but to ourselves who are essentially interested in their welfare, to do every thing as far as lies in our power to testify our sincere adherence to the same; and we do therefore accordingly subscribe this paper, as a witness of our fixed intention and solemn determination to do so.

• Abagail Charlton
• Mary Blount
• F. Johnstone
• Elizabeth Creacy
• Margaret Cathcart
• Elizabeth Patterson
• Anne Johnstone
• Jane Wellwood
• Margaret Pearson
• Mary Woolard
• Penelope Dawson
• Sarah Beasley
• Jean Blair
• Susannah Vail
• Grace Clayton
• Elizabeth Vail
• Frances Hall
• Elizabeth Vail
• Mary Jones
• Mary Creacy
• Anne Hall
• Mary Creacy
• Rebecca Bondfield
• Ruth Benbury
• Sarah Littlejohn
• Sarah Howcott
• Penelope Barker
• Sarah Hoskins
• Elizabeth P. Ormond
• Mary Littledle
• M. Payne
• Sarah Valentine
• Elizabeth Johnston
• Elizabeth Cricket
• Mary Bonner
• Elizabeth Green
• Lydia Bonner
• Mary Ramsay
• Sarah Howe
• Anne Horniblow
• Lydia Bennet
• Mary Hunter
• Marion Wells
• Tresia Cunningham
• Anne Anderson
• Elizabeth Roberts
• Sarah Mathews
• Elizabeth Roberts
• Anne Haughton
• Elizabeth Roberts
• Elizabeth Beasly

Do you think the descendants of the women colonists from North Carolina's first capitol remembered their ancestors this past April 15th? They did in fact!  It is on Edenton's Tax Tea party website linked below:

  Edenton Newpaper Heralds the Edenton Tea Party! Front page. Above the fold.

                                                          

This following quote is from their website under the history tab, and sums up the reasons for the Tea Parties that raged across the Nation 234 years later on April 15, 2009:

Edenton was the first capital of colonial North Carolina and home to such notables as James Iredell,Associate justice of the first U.S. Supreme Court; Joseph Hewes,signer of the Declaration of Independence; Dr.Hugh Williamson,signer of the U.S. Constitution,Samuel Johnston,Governor and U.S. Senator, and Penelope Barker,organizer of The Edenton Tea Party.
During the lead up to the American Revolution, two events stand out as notable for the premise that Americans will not be taxed for the benefit of others; the Boston and Edenton Tea Parties.  A free people demand individual liberty not possible when bureaucrats take what you earn.~ end quote

John Murtha Airport: Walking Ad for Term Limits

John Murtha Airport is a perfect ad for Term Limits, and this seems to be the consensus of those viewing the ABC News report on Murtha's big pork spending:

Time for a Constitutional Convention for Term Limits and Citizen Referendum

Can you imagine a Constitutional Convention that votes on term limits and a citizen's referendum? Yet it is exactly what our Founding Fathers provided for us in the Constitution to implement whenever necessary. It almost sounds preposterous, and that is because we have allowed our government to grow so big and cumbersome we no longer recognize our own Constitution in comparison to the way our House of Representatives behave.  

Our Founding Fathers did not intend for our elected citizens to make a life-long, self-serving career in the House and Senate. Representatives were to work on the interests of those who elected them, but they cater to special interests and these lobbyists keep them in power term after term.

Perhaps the above is not breaking news,but these two amendments provide the way for the power of the Government of the U.S. to be returned to the people. This of course would not be a popular focus with those in the House and Senate today, because these representatives face loss of power and wealth. 

William A. Holscher at "Rightside News" writes on this extensively. As Holscher reminds us, it was said best by our Founding Fathers the first time:

 "...That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness....." Excerpt - Declaration of Independence - 1776 

Two Democrats Fighting Earmarks;Pelosi not Pleased

What a daunting battle it must be for two Democrats to oppose the directives of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Simply put, Pelosi is not pleased with this legislation. Yet,there are two democrats who cosponsored legislation last Wednesday to correct the issue of earmarks and the campaign donations.  This issue of earmarks is responsible for the corruption of the Congress and Senate, especially those members who win eternal re-election.

Susan Crabtree at The Hill reports the two senators who have co-sponsored the legislation are:

Reps. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

The resolution comes from the leading republican always against earmarks, Jeff Flake of Arizona. 

There are a dozen or so of other democrats presently supporting the measure, but many are beginning to waver in their support. That's just the problem weak lawmakers run in to when they are strong-armed by House leaders such as Pelosi. 

The measure would  prevent earmarks requested by lobbyists to House members who have accepted campaign donations from these lobbyists.  Not only that, it would force the Ethics committee to investigate PMA and the senators allegedly involved in this lobbyist scandal.  The problem is, it involves John Murtha,(D) Pa., and Peter Visclosky,(D) Ind. There are others involved, and this scandal involves millions of dollars over several years.

Because of the number of democrats and the fact they are rank and file members, Nancy Pelosi is discouraging the support of the Flake Resolution. 

It was Nancy Pelosi who promised to clean up Washington more than two years ago.  The corruption she refuses to investigate through the Ethics Committee, such as Charlie Rangel's list of woes, is unforgivable.

Whether or not Pelosi does her job as House Speaker, we can all make a concerted effort to see these scoundrels, no matter which party,voted out of Congress.  Pelosi may not be pleased, but neither are taxpayers.

Robert Gibbs gives the White House MSM an "A"

Of course the White House MSM gets an "A" from Robert Gibbs.  They have reported as usual and that is what is expected.  If the White House Press gets a good grade, they will continue the soft questions. 

Is Pelosi Telling the Truth on What She Knew About "Waterboarding"?

Is Pelosi telling the truth about what she has known about waterboarding, or "enhanced interrogation"?

It had seemed Obama was going to look 'forward to the future', but with mounting pressure from the Far Left, Obama has caved into those democrats who wish to prosecute members of the Bush administration.  This was evidenced by Obama releasing CIA documents that described techniques used to interrogate prisoners, or "torture" as described now by the Obama administration.

As things now stand between the republicans and democrats, a surge in fighting between House members has reached ugly heights as Pelosi called for an independent commission to investigate Bush offcials who knew of and evolved "enhanced interrogation" techniques such as "waterboarding".

This set off a republican burst of outrage with Rep.Hoekstra (R). Hoekstra is currently the ranking republican on the House Intelligence committee,and he has vowed to get a list of every democrat who was briefed by the White House on what was actually going on all the way back to 2002. This is where Pelosi's name comes in as she makes "the lamest of lame excuses" about what she actually knew all along according to Hoekstra.

There is an article on The Washington Post from December,2007. It has good documentation about what occurred in 2002.  Here is the opening paragraph:

In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.

Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said...end quote

Pelosi is one of many democrats calling for an independent commission to investigate and possibly prosecute those of the Bush administration who developed and implemented what is now being referred to as "enhanced interrogation". 

Pelosi is claiming to be "hamstrung" as the information on what she knew is revealed. It now appears Pelosi did in fact have full knowledge of "waterboarding".

Pelosi's call for an investigation is also hypocritical as she continues to delay her own House Ethics Committee to investigate the crooks in her own party such as lobbyist lover, Charlie Rangel (D) New York.

As this destructive witch hunt from the ACLU and others of the far left continues to dominate the news, Obama is backing off and reversing his flip-flop.

Most  Americans are not interested in seeing this investigation according to the Rassmussen Polls.

More Pork: John Murtha Airport Gets Stimulus Money

John Murtha,(D) Pa. has piloted 200 million in taxpayer dollars into his little airport.  It services 3 major flights per day! This doesn't even count the Stimulus money!

 Most of the money from taxpayers for this baby-size airport has come via his pork attachments to other legislation, and this is in addition to the latest money (800k) earmarked from the Stimulus Bill.

Murtha,very well-known for being the King of Kings in Big Porker gluttony, has always defended the pile of tax payer money stuffed into any bill that has his name on it. He says he has every right to get as much as possible from Washington for the District he serves.

 Murtha and lobbyists go hand in hand, he has more dealings with lobbyists than his colleague Charlie Rangel.  Both of these Porkers are under investigation, and both cases involve lobbyists and the subject of ethics.

CNN reported on Murtha and his airport: In December, Murtha made a direct appeal to the Federal Aviation Administration to fund the runway project. The request was rejected. At the time, the airport did not meet FAA criteria for funding because the facility had fewer than 10,000 passengers.

Murtha's airport manager said that an $8 million dollar radar system installed at John Murtha Airport is going to waste. It is totally non-staffed. The radar has been spinning uselessly for five years.

July 4th Tea Parties Brewing for Steaming Mad Taxpayers

Rahm Emanuel said: "Rule 1 of the Obama administration is:  Never allow a crisis to go to waste.  They are opportunities to do big things."

 Steaming mad taxpayers understand what Emanuel means,and taxpayers take this to heart. The debt for future generations would be so unbearable that this in itself will prove to be the destruction of American capitalism.

It comes as no surprise that Obama chooses to ignore the Tea Parties. But as the Reagan Republican Resistance said so well:

"Isn't it an amazing coincidence that the President delivered an uncharacteristically upbeat economic assessment the very day before the protests (that he never heard of)?  And on that same day had his subservient, politicized Department of Homeland Security release a report laden with unsubstantiated assumptions warning of "right-wing radicals" and their alleged propensity towards violence?"

Swirsky writes about the Tea Party Movement and the importance of it remaining a truly grass-roots movement.  Average citizens who never protested before have adopted a tactic that had previously been in the domain of the Far Left.  Yet the Taxpayers that rallied on April 15th were following the precedent their ancestors set in 1773. 

A popular prediction for the Tea Parties is that as people patriotically reject the massive spending of Obama and Congress, the Tea Parties will grow in number and become more focused.

Plans by different groups are already underway for as soon as May,2009. Most Tea Parties are scheduled for July 4th, and are currently predicted to be bigger in number as the word spreads.

This tentative schedule was taken from Joan Swirsky's article.

Here is the tally so far:

 

California

Los Angeles – Saturday, July 4, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Santa Monica Pier

 

District of Colombia
Washington, DC – Saturday, July 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Upper Senate Park adjacent to Capitol building on north side

Florida

Inverness – Saturday, April 18 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the old historical courthouse, One Courthouse Square

 

Georgia

Atlanta – Saturday, July 4, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the capitol building located at 206 Washington St.

 

Illinois

Chicago – From Saturday, July 4, at 7 p.m. to Sunday, July 5, at 5 a.m. at Belmont Harbor on Lake Shore Drive

 

Indiana

Fort Wayne – Saturday, April 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. downtown at Courthouse Square on Main Street

 

Mishawaka – Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m., in Beutter Park, call 574-257-1415

 

Massachusetts

Boston – Saturday, July 4, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Griffin Harbor on Congress Street Bridge

Mississippi

 

Jackson – Saturday, May 16, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.on the steps of the capitol building

 

Montana

Saturday, July 4, location to be announced

 

New York

Buffalo – Saturday, April 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 199 Deleware Ave

New York – Saturday, July 4, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at South Street Seaport and Pier 17

 

Pennsylvania

Bucks County – Saturday, April 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at General Greene Pavilion

 

Philadelphia – Saturday, April 18, at 10 a.m. on Market Street across from Independence Mall

Philadelphia – Saturday, July 4, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Independence Mall

 

Tennessee

Jackson – Friday, April 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Liberty Garden, people should bring tailgate items such as grills, food, tea

 

Texas

Austin – Saturday, July 4, time and location to be announced

 

Dallas – Saturday, July 4, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Victory Park

 

Fort Worth – Saturday, July 4 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at20the Cowtown Bar & Grill

 

Kerr County – Friday, April 24, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Guadalupe River at Louise Hays Park pavillion, speakers, barbecue, please feel free to bring children

 

Midland – Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m., Vietnam memorial at Midland International Airport, local and state politicians will be present with "open mic" time for citizen

 

Waco – Saturday, July 4, time and location to be announced

Virginia

 

Annandale – Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mason District20Park, 6621 Columbia Pike

 

Washington

Vancouver – Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Clark County Courthouse lawn

Washington, D.C.

 

Wyoming

Cheyenne – July 4, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the state capitol building

 

*Charlotte Tea Party Information: click here

Napolitano Causes Canadian Border Debate to Re-surface

As if there wasn't enough of Janet Napolitano's flak from last weeks DHS report still sparking political debate and pundit material, Napolitano managed to aggravate Canadians and their diplomats by bringing up the Canadian border myth, and myth is what it is.  Yet Napolitano doesn't weigh her words before she speaks. The comments Napolitano makes are of the caliber of Joe Biden.  They have to learn that being in the position levels they now have, they can't get away with the cheap political blab that most of us can get away with on a daily basis. In fact, Napolitano and Biden are simply careless.

Here's the most recent problem caused by Napolitano when she said in an interview that 'terrorists have routinely entered the U.S. by way of the Canadian-U.S. border'.  This is absolute nonsense, and the 9-11 Commission did its best to dispel that cultural myth.

Michael Wilson, the Ambassador to the U.S., is someone known for being very calm and reserved. Yet upon hearing of Napolitano's careless comment, he said at the Border Trade Alliance meeting in Washington, the following as reported by CNS: "Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from," he went on to say,"As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada." end quote~

Napolitano is getting a reputation for not fully apologizing when she makes a snafu. Her latest apology to Canada had a big BUT in it. As Napolitano reassured Canadians she understood that the 9-11 terrorists had not entered the U.S. via Canada, she had to add: "There are other instances, however, when suspected terrorists have attempted to enter our country from Canada to the United States." 

After all this seemed to be finally settled, what does Napolitano say? "The fact of the matter is that Canada allows people into its country that we do not allow into ours," she told a Canadian participant who asked her to explain why the Canada and Mexico borders should be treated equally. "That's why you have to have a border and you have to have border policies that make sense."

Big Mouth

Ambassador Wilson is accepting her "apology" for now, but does want a face-to-face meeting with her very soon.

It seems we are doing our best to extend our hand to "enemies" while lambasting our own citizens as radical terrorists, while insulting old allies.

No Jacket, and Now No Shirt for Obama

The Washingtonian is doing something that will make Chris Matthews and some others very happy: showing Barack Obama "shirtless" on the front cover of its magazine.  The issue, by the way, is due out Wednesday.  CNN reports that the editor- at large,Garrett Gaffe, (approriate isn't it?) said the following in response to whether the cover was in good taste or not: "our feeling was that this wasn't an ordinary presidency."

Considering so many don't like to see the First Lady sleeveless, this will cause a stir.

One comment made on the CNN article: 'I'm glad we finally have a President that allows a free press'.

(sigh,sigh, and sigh).

Are we disloyal  to the government or considered radical if we don't like this?

Anyways, take a look at the President of the United States!

Recession: Cause of Surge in Home Property Crime

With the recession not having yet "bottomed out", cities like Columbia,S.C. are seeing an increase in crime, but especially in property crime. Columbia has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, reports the New York Times.  Not that Columbia is alone in this surge of property crime, statistics show the unemployment rate is directly affecting this increase.

Property crime will include credit card fraud and identity theft which makes any home computer extramural valuable to a thief. a lot of these thefts include pawning the computer, and then another thief purchasing it from a pawn shop just to retrieve information.

The Times quotes a criminologist: "When the economy falters, struggling local governments fail to add enough police officers, which indirectly elevates crime, said James A. Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston.

“Burglaries, auto breaks, anything pawn-able gets stolen,” Officer George Potash said to the Times.

Basically what Columbia faces is a shrinking police population.  Think of the size of most police forces operating at the same number as was typical during the 1970's.

Though there are several home security systems, some are more affordable than others. If you check out Home Security Blog, there are plenty of security tips to keep your family and home possessions safe, or at least safer.  You can find information such as how implementing security measures are tax deductible, and this fact alone  is timely considering most Americans have been hit by the recession in one way or the other.

Ms. Myers, the head of a tenant association in the northern part of the city in Colombia told the Times: “It’s going to get worse,” Ms. Myers said. “You’ve got guys who have kids, who are on the hook for child support. If selling drugs is the only way they can get the money, they’re going to do it. It’s quick money. Even the ones that had jobs and got laid off and can’t find other jobs, if they got to sell drugs or rob somebody, they got to do what they got to do.”

General Motors is the British East India Co. for Tea Party Movement

If American colonists could have foreseen future events in America, they would have understood and sympathized with the complaint many Americans have against propping up GM and the banking industry. Prior to America's revolution, the British East India Company was simply known as the Company. The heavy tax on tea in the colonies helped support this merchant company, and this lead to events in the American colonies.

Critics of the Tea Party Movement, and supporters of the Stimulus Plan, argue that taxpayers today have representation from their elected representatives.  We argue how so?  If U.S. Reps. are indebted to their party and to lobbyists, where the heck does the taxpayer come in? How is that fair representation of the American citizen taxpayer?  This fact alone makes current conditions taxation without representation.

Critics of today's Tea Parties highly resent the use of the Boston-Tea Party as an analogy. This is due to the success on-line,on the ground, and how true these Tea Party events relate to burdensome taxes that exist and continue to mount from our spending representatives.

Meghan McCain Finds Karl Rove "Intriguing" and "Boring"

Megahn McCain needs to acquire some maturity. I can see someone wanting to make a positive difference, but simply referring to Rove following her as "creepy" is silly and childish.

Meghan McCain gave this statement and you can read it at CNN:  "I joined Twitter a few months ago; so far, it has been a liberating way to transition from political to personal blogging. It's allowed me to share the less serious aspects and humorously uncensored moments of my life. But there's also been a downside: I am now being followed by Karl Rove, and my local sheriff, and God knows how many other political pundits. We need to take Twitter back from the creepy people."

We need to take Twitter back from the "creepy people"?  I think we also need to take it back from any celebrity who wants to dominate this new media.

CNN photo

Perhaps Meghan McCain just wants attention...you know the "any kind of attention" behavior. McCain also said she found Rove boring. Meghan McCain needs to take some Twitter tutorials and simply "block" Karl Rove.  Then again, reading instructions can be boring.

The Tea Parties Belong to the Citizens, Not Politicians or Parties

I was reading on-line from the text of an old American history book written by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall, back in 1876.  It wasn't even in production until 1917, but I really wanted to compare the reasons in detail for the regular civilians tax issues compared to our tax problems and the issues we will face with the Stimulus Plan..

Marshall talks about the colonists,British at this time of course, but they were already noted for being divisive on many issues from religion to the various wars that had involved the colonists.  Yet there was one thing the colonists could agree on, they didn't like the taxes that were being forced on them without any say.

King George wanted to pay for an army of British soldiers the colonists were not interested in.  The King's intention was to pay for the army with taxes on tea,marriage licenses,every piece of legal paper, as well as any goods sold, that it became financially unbearable to the colonists. It got to the point they simply refused to pay any taxes at all to the governor of the colonies. Marshall wrote of the colonists:

"No," they said to the British Government, "you cannot tax us without our consent. It is one of the foundations of British freedom that those who pay the tax must also consent to it. We are not represented in the British Parliament, our consent has not been asked, and we deny your right to tax us."

"There ought to be no New England men, no New Yorkers, known on the continent," said one man; "but all of us Americans." end quote~

The colonists were successful the first time around with fighting down the "Intolerable Acts",but King George came back a year later and put taxes (or duties) on tea that made trade impossible. The colonists would not take it anymore and boarded the ships,threw the tea overboard so wouldn't have to accept it. Boston Harbor literally brewed the water black with tea.  It was a united act of American citizens, and no particular party...just a united front.

That is also the view of today's citizens when they join the Tax Day Protests. We aren't solely republicans, democrats,libertarians,and Independents. We are American citizens disgusted with our representatives not voting as they we would have them do.  If a Congressman or Senator cannot listen to the people he represents, he is being warned by the Tea Parties that we will do our best to vote him/her out!  If a senator cries he has to go along with the strong arm of his party, then we will do our best to see if term limits are needed or else vote him/her out.

When a major movement takes hold, politicians and specific groups will try and tie themselves to it. We will not tolerate any politician from any party trying to benefit from a cause if they have behaved differently in Congress. Just ask theTea Party attendees in Greenville,S.C.

There are various Tea Party Organizations to give your support to. Or if you worry about who you align your self with, start your own group, and it can be one where you can assist in the larger rallies as well. Infiltration by people who wish to only cause a group problems are well known and exist in large numbers such as ACORN, and the AUC. 

Start your own grass-roots effort, make an effort to get your supplies from American companies such as button blog, and promote your own group,and have fundraisers. You can get everything you need there,get your own button maker and make buttons, key chains, and other political signs, for it's important to keep your efforts separate from any specific political party.  Don't alienate other Americans who might be sympathetic to the Tea Party movement and what it stands for. If you are a member of any group that supports Tea Parties,simply promote the Tea Party at their rallies.

The news media, and political groups who have no issue with the new load of taxes coming from Congress and Obama's Stimulus Plan,will make every attempt to label the groups "radical right wingers". Defamation is one of the worst but most successful ways to try and destroy a movement. Let's not let it happen!  The movement so far is successful and has alarmed the MSM along with Stimulus sympathizers.

A Tea Party participant being tea-boarded by the British prior to lynching

Obama Appoints Anti-Military Journalist as Advisor to the Pentagon

Fox News reports that Obama has appointed former L.A. Times columnist,Rosa Brooks, to an advisory post at the Pentagon. 

There are a couple of concerns with this appointment of Rosa Brooks:

1) Brooks wrote a public proposal to help bail-out the newspapers. In a nut shell, let them be taken over by the government.  Heck, why didn't Ben Franklin think of that back in Philadelphia? Anyways, Brooks idea on the media are as follows:  "direct government support for public media" and creating licenses to govern news operations. "Years of foolish policies have left us with a choice: We can bail out journalism, using tax dollars and granting licenses in ways that encourage robust and independent reporting and commentary, or we can watch, wringing our hands, as more and more top journalists are laid off..." (makes one wonder how long it would take a Fox News reporter to get a license from the government).

2) Here is a quote from one of Brook's articles in 2007 at the LAT concerning her thoughts on the military:  "Don't fight needless wars; don't go blundering around in countries where you don't know the language, history or culture; don't underestimate the power of nationalism, ethnicity and religion to bind together -- or tear apart -- people whose interests otherwise seem to diverge or converge; and, most of all, don't imagine that military force can solve fundamentally political problems.' end quote~

In the same article, Brooks gave us this assessment of Bush and the Iraq War: "... To Bush, the tragedy of the Vietnam War is that we didn't let it drag on for another decade or so..."

This is the person whom Obama has appointed as an adviser to the Pentagon. No joke,she is a bonafide member of the Obama Administration!

The Editor at The New Media Journal had this comment: Editor's Note: Now, how in God's name, did this "journalist" and unabashed critic of the military qualify for a post in the Defense Department outside of its media department?? Her appointment is absolutely reckless and absurd.

Georgetown Asked to Cover Name of Jesus for Obama Address

Before Obama spoke last Tuesday at Georgetown University, the White House asked that the symbol "IHS" be covered. The symbol "IHS" is a symbol standing for the name of Jesus in the Christian world.

The University covered the background with flags in order to appease White House demands.  Yet even after placing the flags as a backdrop for Obama, the symbol could still be seen. Not to worry, they were able to hide any visibility of Christian symbolism. Afterall, it is important we keep appeasing the secular sensitivities around the world.  Normally, when someone speaks at Georgetown, no one goes out of their way to hide symbols. Gaston Hall Stage at Georgetown is filled with Christan signs and symbols; it is a Catholic university for heaven's sake!

Pictured below, you can see where CNS took a picture of the pediment showing the symbol as it was still covered.  It reveals the lengths the University went to in order to conceal any hint at Christianity. How inane! 

What you see pictured above is a black painted board hiding the symbol "IHS".

Georgetown is one of the most prestigious Catholic universities, which is run by the Jesuits. The "IHS" symbol is a Roman Catholic symbol, and was used heavily on the priest's vestments prior to Vatican II.

New Advent gives a thorough explanation of the symbol, but some of the explanation is as follows: A monogram of the name of Jesus Christ. 

From the beginning, however, in Christian inscriptions, the nomina sacra were shortened. Nomina Sacra is Latin for any name referring to Jesus Christ by using symbols.

Though Laura Bush spoke at the University in 2006, she did not request that the symbol be hidden, and it is well known the First Lady is not Catholic.

What will Obama do when Notre Dame request he wear the traditional robes with a prayer to the Virgin Mary planted across his chest? Talk about symbols!

George Bush had no issue with the Christian symbol.

DURBAN II , Pay Attention to this Racist World Forum and React Now

This coming Monday,April 20,marks the re-convening in Geneva of the first Durban UN Conference held in 2001. To refresh memories, it is a forum led by Iran and Libya and many other allies that will gather to denigrate Israel. It is a blatant racist forum. Note that April 20th is Hitler's birthday and the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day,and it would certainly entail a naive mind not to consider this as the initial slap to the Jewish People.

Though the UN and the majority of western nations make known their disapproval,it has no impact on preventing the spawning of anti-semitic groups focused on the destruction of Israel.

As pointed out in Atlas Shrugs, will Obama send a representative from the U.S. to the conference?  If so, will that reveal Obama's attitude toward Israel once and for all?

Just as Americans give protest to spending and taxation, vocal outrage from bloggers,the media, need to be expressed.  One place to get involved and get a discussion going on these issues is the new and free jewish chat room at Jewish Chat City. It is free chat room where Jews from all over the world get together with their webcams and discuss religion,community,politics, and etc. But people need to get active, and this is a perfect forum for discussing and getting the word out on issues such as Durban II. Jewish Chat City hosts free chat rooms. English is the main format, but foreign languages are translated,so beware of the misunderstandings that could happen as a result.  It is important during stressful times for people of like mind to feel a sense of community, and from what I have seen here, you can  share your opinion on anything relating to Judaism. If you run into opposing views that's to be expected on any forum, but report any abuse immediately via their support page. It's a highly recommended site to land on.

Foreclosure Rate: We Haven't Seen the Bottom

Wanted to make note here of the news headlines I received from Twitter:

California jobless rate soars

The loss of 62,100 jobs last month pushes the unemployment rate to 11.2%, the fourth worst in the nation. The rate for L.A. County is 11.4%.

By Marc Lifsher 
12:46 PM PDT, April 17, 2009

Reporting from Sacramento -- California's unemployment rate hit 11.2% with the loss of 62,100 jobs last month, reaching its highest level since the government began keeping systematic records in 1976, the state reported today. That was up from a revised, seasonally adjusted 10.6% in February.

Read More

Conservative Webs and Blogs on the Rise

With the recent advent of the Tea Parties across America, a new wave of bloggers are entering the blogoshpere. CNN referred to this phenomena as borrowing a page from Obama: " Conservatives borrowed a page from President Obama's Web-savvy style to promote the gatherings on videos and blogs".

The Tea Party movement was born in the blogosphere by taxpayers who have been blogging for a few years, and with hundreds of new blogging colleagues that became inspired and are now making their mark with new websites.

To those attempting to speak their "voice" on the internet, and attempting to design their own websites, it can be done but it is painstaking and time consuming. True, there are plenty of platforms that are for free, but getting quality work is important if you want to be heard and noticed.  One of the best websites to handle web design, web logos, and graphics is Notion 3, webdesign Denver.

If you attempt SEO (search engine optimization) like I did...you can, but it is a very long crawl to get the rankings you need in order to get that reader audience...and that goes for political websites,political blogs, as it does for any business doing commerce on the web. You can save a lot of time and let someone who knows how to push your rankings to the top. Check out Notion3 to get a cool looking website, logo, or to even get professional tips.

National Day of Silence, and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover

Cruel, Webster defines it: 1: disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings <a cruel tyrant>.  

Cruelty is a part of human nature that parents begin to curb in their children at an early age. Bullying, a behavior born out of cruelty, is out of hand when we begin to hear stories of an 11 year old committing suicide.  In the case of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, he was bullied for his "effeminate" traits.  Carl referred to himself as "gay", but at age 11 it might be hard to determine.  Perhaps, the taunts convinced him he was.  What matters is that any child could be teased, harrassed, and bullied to the point he literally takes his life.  Since this child-suicide case isn't an exception, parents and schools need to be accountable and devise a way of curbing this behavior.

As a result of this young boy's tragedy, laws are already on the House floor. Partisan accusations are already flying as one piece of legislation hit a snag. If we have laws that deal with school-bullying, they need to be sound and to actually deal with treating the issue. Too often the legislature throws together a new law that is left to such rediculous interpretation it defeats the original purpose.

The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN)  has sponsored the Day of Silence as a consciousness-raising event for fourteen years now, and describe it on the Day of Silence website. Click here for more information.

Can We Lay-Off Congress? A Tea Party in the Deep South

We have heard how successful the Tea Party's were in several major cities such as Charlotte, Atlanta, 

Sacramento, but they were not alone.  Small cities such as Tupelo, Mississippi also had huge turnouts. Add in the nearby rural support of Lee County citizens, and Tupelo rivaled any major city participating in the Tax Day Protest.

Several hundred people turned out in Lee County for the event, but as the AP helped in the reporting they would only give numbers for a noon-time group at the Giant Foods in another section of Tupelo.  As we searched for news about the event, one of our bloggers noted she recognized one of the women in the photo,Marthe Thomas, of Tupelo, (pictured above with sign). Ms.Thomas was reached and noted people as far away as Red Bay ,Alabama had made the journey for this event.  Thomas also noted the signs and props were rather sophisticated and rivaled nearby cities such as Birmingham. 

The Daily Journal,noted by many as being sympathetic to the Liberal views of the MSM, voiced what much of the MSM was reporting: "The nationwide rallies were directed at President Barack Obama’s new administration on a symbolic day: the deadline to file income taxes. Protesters even threw what appeared to be a box of tea bags toward the White House, causing a brief lockdown at the compound".

end quote~ We must add that this box was not thrown all the way from Tupelo.

The success of these Tea Parties was due to citizens who claim to be Republican,Independent,and Democrat.  The motive for gathering at Tea Parties was to protest Congress and those of both parties who choose to misuse money that belongs to American citizens.

The Poor "Apology" of Napolitano

Once again we have the type of apology we are so accustomed to hearing politicians give: "Sorry, if I offended you, BUT..."

Col. Ralph Peters while on Fox News today noted how Janet Napolitano forbids the use of the word "Muslim terrorist" or "Islamic terrorist", but throughout the now notorious Department of Homeland Security report, veterans being referred to as terrorists is a constant,repeated phrase.

Peters goes on to say: "... there’s no mention of minority violence, no mention of Muslim violence, of Islamic violence. It’s all basically, if you read it, you get the message that white Christians are a threat to the country, and oh, by the way, look out for those vets, because Hollywood and Harvard warned us, they’ll come in, they’ll move in next door and kill you and hurt your child. Steve, it’s disgraceful." end quote~

So why focus on veterans? Lee Harvey Oswald? Oswald's mother took him to a psychiatrist at age 14, he immigrated to the Soviet Union, and was known for his interest in the Socialist party. How does that make Oswald similar to all veterans? Why not similar to all socialists? Timothy McVeywas a loner, and he was fascinated all his life with guns, but why the hasty generalization to vets? Why not red-headed men?  This point of McVey is where Napolitano's excuse of the report falls very short. She refers to McVey and the impact he had on her views while she served as state atty. general during the Oklahoma City Murrah bombing. This is how she explained herself and her acceptance of the DHS report when she interviewed on Fox News this morning.

When in high school, English teachers are constantly warning students not to make generalizations when writing. We would expect any attorney to have command of the language. Napolitano needs to scrub that report, and only issue reports she is willing to stand by.

This report from Homeland Security gives us insight into Napolitano's thinking, and the thought processes reveal themselves as quite bigoted.

Napolitano Defends Homeland Security Report

A Dept. of Homeland Security Report that warns of dangerous radical right wing groups, gave such a general description of dangerous Americans that the report amounts to nothing more than profiling half of America's citizens.  

Americans whose ideology is anti- abortion, or who support gun ownership are specifically described in this profiling by the DHS. Shockingly, and unfortunately, the report includes veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan war front. It should come as no surprise to Janet Napolitano that many Americans are expressing anger and outrage due to a sense of betrayal by the government for being profiled in such a heinous and mean manner.  

Fox News reports that Napolitano refused to apologize. Napolitano is quoted as saying: DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano defended the report Wednesday, saying it is part of an ongoing series of assessments to provide information to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies on "violent radicalization" in the United States. end quote~

Though a  report for radical left wing groups was produced in January, the difference is that this report from Homeland Security was very specific in mentioning who the report designated as a threat, namely the Earth Liberation Front and an animal rights group.  Most importantly, the report for these two groups mentioned that their methods of attacks were usually "economically based".

The shame of such a report being released is the feelings it will instill in many Americans: fear and betrayal. This will in turn change to anger in many instances.  

Fear, intimidation...perhaps that is the intention.

CNN: Tea Parties Blast Bail Outs

CNN is following the Tea Parties at last. In fact they remark how conservatives know their way around the Internet as well as their more liberal counterparts. While some of the attacks from commenters on CNN's blogs are rather tough to say the least, the Tea Party's by the very presence of large numbers of Americans have made them a success.

Back in February,CNN reports that Seattle bloggers were first to hold a protest with the Tea Party theme.  After CNBC's Santelli roared his protest on television, the Tea Party's spread across the nation.

Liberal tea party critics do not see it as a grass roots movement. They refer to them "astro-turf roots", or give them names such as "farmers" which a certain New York paper prefers.

Below you can watch the activities from San Antonia early the morning of April 15th.