I love this video. President Bush has a good sense of humor, and gets a couple of digs in. He also quickly brings George Stephanopoulos back on track to focus on the cause, and not other current news issues.
Do you think President Obama would ever do something like this? I just can’t see it. President Bush really has genuine affection for our troops and is truly in awe of them. I am so thankful for these brave men and women who risk their lives every day to protect our freedoms.
Upon the release of President Obama’s birth certificate yesterday, the president made a point of expressing his irritation at this entire issue. In his prepared remarks, he noted the following:
We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve. And I’m confident we can solve them, but we’re going to have to focus on them — not on this.
Well, I’m sure he does have a lot of important stuff to do. He is the POTUS, after all. We have a failing economy, a growing national debt of $14.1 trillion, high unemployment, and skyrocketing gas and food prices. Those are some serious problems, for sure.
So, what exactly was on Obama’s schedule yesterday? Which of these important issues did he focus on? Let’s take a look-see..
1:15 pm – The President and the First Lady tape an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show
6:00 pm – The President delivers remarks at a DNC event in NY
9:25 pm – The President delivers remarks at a DNC event at the Waldorf Astoria in NY
10:15 pm – The President delivers remarks at a DNC event in NY
Wow. Oprah and 3 campaign stops. Pretty much speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
Ok, so I told myself I wasn’t going to talk about this birth certificate issue today. The issue of Obama’s birth has really been a non-issue for me, so seeing this document doesn’t matter much, in my opinion.
However, that being said, I have to ask….why now? Why, after all this time? I do know that with Obama, nothing is an accident. This is a political play. Period. I don’t think this is being released just because he’s too concerned with real problems to be distracted by such “silliness”. I think there’s more to it than that. There’s always more to it. After all, this is politics!
I’ve heard various theories as to why this is now being released. Some think the WH is feeding into Trump’s ego, to ensure he runs, because they want him to become the Republican nominee. I don’t agree. I think Trump would give Obama a run for his money, and there are others that would be much easier to beat.
Rush offered up another possible theory. He surmised that Obama held out on releasing the birth certificate as long as possible, for purely political reasons. In the beginning, he was using this issue to make the people on the right look like kooks. However, now that it’s affecting his poll numbers, he finally decided to get it out of the way. Actually, not a bad theory. I’m more inclined to believe this one than the others I’ve heard, although only Obama and his advisors know for sure.
More interesting, was the speech Obama gave regarding this issue. Here is a portion of his remarks:
But we’re not going to be able to [solve problems] if we are distracted. We’re not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other. We’re not going to be able to do it if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts. We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers.
Hmmm. I found that very ironic. Hasn’t this whole issue been nothing more than a sideshow and a distraction, including this ridiculous statement? If he had released this 3 years ago, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.
I also loved the part of about not vilifying each other, or making stuff up, pretending facts aren’t facts. Do we not see Obama and Democrats telling Americans that Paul Ryan’s budget is going to take away seniors’ Medicare and take away healthcare from children with autism and other disabilities? Did we not just hear liberal Democrat Louise Slaughter tell pro-choice advocates that Republicans have come to Washington to “kill women”? Have we not watched Obama just spend the last two weeks vilifying successful “wealthy” Americans, accusing them of just “sitting back, counting their money”, with no obligation to help those in need? Who’s vilifying whom?
I must admit, though, I’ve gotten a kick out of Trump’s reaction to this new development. And you thought he had a big ego before!!
Whatever the reason, this isn’t really about the birth certificate. It’s about credibility. If you’re going to tout yourself and your administration as the “most transparent” in history, than prove it, whether it comes to your personal records or negotiations over health care legislation. Like the saying goes, “put up or shut up”. That’s all we’re asking.
Well, the POTUS is back in his element….campaign mode. After winning the election in 2008, it took Obama months to switch gears from campaigning to governing….although the jury is still out on whether or not that’s what he’s actually doing. I, for one, do not see it. Regardless, he’s back in full swing.
So, let’s go back to 2008. Remember how then Senator Obama promised that he would bring hope and change to America? Remember how he promised to build bridges, and how he planned to bring about a post-racial and post-partisan America? Remember all of the poor saps who actually bought that drivel? Let’s take a look back at the enthusiasm some Obama supporters had for their new leader…
And let’s not forget this little nugget…
Ah, that’s one of my personal favorites… So, has Obama been able to bring about the post-partisan, post-racial America he promised? Or have we become even more divided? You make the call.
Ouch. Looks like we missed the mark on that one!
In addition, Obama promised to get us out of the economic mess that he claimed was the fault of President Bush and the Republicans. So, how is our economy doing? Now, let’s see…where should I begin?
Gasoline prices – In January 2009, the average price of gas in the U.S. was $1.83, per the EIA. Today, it’s $3.84 and climbing.
Food prices – Average corn prices in 2009 were $3.56 (Central IL); today prices are up a whopping 101.4% at $7.17. Soybeans averaged $9.66 in 2009; today, the average price is $13.58. USDA report
Unemployment – In January 2009, unemployment was at 7.6%. As of March 2011, unemployment stood at 8.8%.
Food Stamps – In January 2009, 31,983,716 Americans were receiving food stamps (SNAP). As of January 2011, there are 44,187,831 recipients, a 38.2% increase.
National debt – In January 2009, our national debt was $10.627 trillion. This has now reached $14.1 trillion, and has even drawn international criticism. Russia’s prime minister accused U.S. economic planners of “hooliganism”, and even China is telling the U.S. to be more responsible and take steps to control the debt. And Obama thought we were an embarrassment when Bush left office…just look at us now! Maybe the Americans citizens should go on the next apology tour for choosing this lackluster leader. Well, not me, of course….I didn’t vote for the guy.
Standard & Poor recently changed our AAA credit rating outlook from stable to negative, threatening a 1 in 3 chance of downgrading our rating within the next two years, if we do not find ways to cut spending and reduce the debt.
In an Marketwatch article by Brett Arends today, it is noted that the International Monetary Fund projects that China’s economy will surpass that of the U.S. by 2016. Think about that. China, a Communist country, with a deplorable record of human rights violations, and owns $1.16 trillion of the U.S. debt, will become the economic superpower in 2016. How frightening. Age of America Nears End
So, tell me, do you think we can survive another 4 years of THIS hope and change?
Conservatives in this country are attacked at every turn. Politicians, including Michele Bachman, Jim Demint, and Mike Pence, and even talk show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, are verbally assaulted on a daily basis, by liberals and the mainstream media. But nobody can attract the cat claws and hate speech like Sarah Palin.
For the last three years, Sarah Palin has been accused of everything from conflicts of interest to abuse of power and misuse of funds. Although she has not run for any office since her VP nomination in 2008, liberal Democrats, and even some Republicans have continued to rip her up one side and down the other. Liberals criticized her in her role as Governor of Alaska, but then pummeled her when she resigned, calling her a quitter. They slapped 19 ethics charges on her, although she was cleared on all counts, most of which were dismissed as baseless. In addition, left-wing groups trashed her daughters, something that is considered off-limits with most politicians. They even accused her of lying about being Trig’s mother. I find it interesting that liberals go after so-called “birthers” for questioning Obama’s place of birth, calling them radical or extreme. However, those same liberals sit idly by while Palin haters claim that Sarah’s son is actually Bristol’s, without a shred of evidence. I don’t hear any of those people being called radical or extreme.
Why do people hate her so much? Is it because she’s a successful woman? Why don’t feminists like her? Feminism is supposed to be all about equality for women, and Sarah Palin has successfully juggled family and career. One would think she would be a model of the feminist movement; however, feminist groups are among her biggest critics, which is primarily due to her pro-life stance.
Is it because she’s a Republican? Other prominent Republican women like Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe may receive some criticism, but nothing in comparison to Sarah Palin. Why is that?
It’s all of the above. Sarah is a proud, unwavering, true conservative. She, along with Michele Bachmann, has been a strong voice in the tea party movement, and has been unafraid to stand up for the principles she believes in. She believes in the Constitution and in both social and fiscal conservatism. She’s not afraid to go against the “establishment”. She doesn’t back down from criticism, and in fact, seems to welcome it. Liberals and the mainstream media have not been able to control her or shut her down. That’s why people hate her so much. She’s a legitimate threat to the liberal agenda.
I was reading various blogs over the weekend, and I came across one about Sarah Palin’s speech in Wisconsin, in which protestors were screaming out countless racial and hateful comments, and even heckled a 14-year-old girl who was speaking, drowning her out with screams, boos and cowbells. Now that’s civility for you! I started reading the comments, and I could not believe how hateful people were towards Sarah, making fun of her hair, her outfit, and her looks, and calling her despicable names. Here are just a few comments….
Palin is a shrinking, unpatriotic insane woman.
Palin is Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and Ted Haggard all rolled into one…biggest phony ever.
She and Breitbart are made for each other. Both are liars with no moral compasses.
Calling her a w**** is insulting to w****s.
Cheap looking coat for a “cheap” woman. Proof positive that money cannot buy “class or style”.
Sadly, some other trash came to my fine state…Sarah Palin. I thought I smelled the stench.
Taking up for Sarah is just like inviting copperhead snakes into your bed.
This was just in the first 15-20 posts! But with all of these mean-spirited comments, I could not find ONE that actually addressed her stance on any issue. Then I tried to defend Sarah, and it got ugly. I have never had so many responses to a post in my life. I was told how dangerous Sarah is, and called very naïve. I was called an idiot, a dip***, and a few other choice words. I was told to save my lecture on civility, because Sarah is the one full of venom and hate. And of course, they continue to trounce Sarah.
I stood my ground, and commented that in all of their posts, there was not one political position listed. Finally, one brave soul made a lame attempt at bringing up a few. I’ll give her credit. She tried. She followed that with a few more pot shots at me, assuming that because I’m pro-life, I must be neither a woman nor a mother; and she used the old standby….the race card. That is just so tired. Clearly, libs can’t see past that issue.
I found their feeble attempts at trashing me humorous, so I replied a few more times, and they resorted to the same sorry attacks. Obviously, this group was much more interested in beating up on Sarah than they were in getting to the truth.
The way I see it, is that if the left is fighting you that hard, you must be doing something right. So keep it up, Sarah!
So, I’m listening to Obama’s speech, and 3 minutes into it, I’m already bored. This is the same old rhetoric. It’s his rehashed sales pitch for expanding government. He explains that because we, as a nation, believe that each of us deserves some basic measure of security, we contribute to various social programs, and these are the commitments that make our country great. What?! Since when are Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and unemployment insurance the things that make America great? I thought it was our great innovation, our can-do attitude, and our love of freedom. I thought it was the fact that we are a land of opportunity and prosperity. And now Obama is telling us that it’s our social programs? What am I missing here??? This speech is so bad that even Biden decided to take a snooze!
Then, I started to become very annoyed. Obama tells us, once again, that our problem is trillions of dollars in unpaid for tax cuts, created by President Bush. And there you have it. It’s the Bush blame game, all over again. I thought we were done with that excuse, but I guess not…how naïve of me.
He then brings up the subject of Paul Ryan’s budget. He states that the budget has worthy goals, but will make America fundamentally different than what we’ve known throughout most of our history. You mean, fundamentally different than your path of larger government and socialism? Then, as Democrats always do, he starts with the scare tactics of seniors losing their Medicare and Social Security, and of 50 million Americans losing their healthcare. This isn’t anything new for Democrats, but Obama stoops to new lows in this speech, by stating that Republicans want to deprive children with autism and those with disabilities of health care.
Finally, he gets to his so-called plan. His first step is to cut domestic spending, but he gives no detail. His second step is to find savings in the defense budget….a major red flag in my book. Again, no real detail. The third step is to further reduce health care spending. Note the words “further reduce”. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen one dollar of reduced health care spending. Surely, he isn’t talking about Obamacare! But amazingly, he is. He continues by saying that Obamacare will reduce our deficit by $1 trillion, which is completely false. One other thing worth mentioning….he also proposes slowing the growth of Medicare costs by creating an independent commission of doctors, nurses, medical experts and consumers, who will basically decide whether or not seniors truly need or deserve the treatments he/she is seeking. This equates to socialized medicine, and dare I say it? Death panels?
So, step four….and you know he’s saving the best for last. He’s going to reduce spending in the tax code. What does that mean? That means he’s going raise taxes on the “wealthy”. He’s also going to significantly reduce or eliminate important tax deductions, such as the charitable giving deduction and the mortgage interest deduction. I just love the way Democrats look at tax cuts and deductions as spending. It’s not spending! That would assume that it’s their money. It’s not. It’s ours. It’s less money that we pay government on our own property. They are not paying us anything….they’re taking less! Well, either way, that’s going to stop, if Obama has his way.
This is one of the most partisan, unpresidential speeches I have ever heard. He didn’t propose a plan. He made a campaign speech, and blamed Republicans for our debt and for trying to take away the American dream. It’s quite shameful. Whatever happened to Obama’s call for civility? Obviously, that only applies to our side.
Throughout this entire speech, Obama made references about how Americans believe that through government, we should do together what we cannot do as well for ourselves, and that we all need to make sacrifices, but that those who have more, need to bear a bigger share of the burden. Does this sound familiar? Let’s see….oh yes, here we go…”from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”….Karl Marx. That pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?
Well, Democrats are at it again, doing what they do best….scaring the American public, whom they think are too ignorant to know what these pathetic politicians are up to. Every time the Republicans attempt to make substantive changes to out-of-control government spending, Democrats go into a tailspin, crying that the Republicans are trying to take away everything that is important to you. As we’ve all been reminded, over and over, and over again, Republicans protect rich people and big oil, and they tromp all over the little guys like you.
Last week, as Paul Ryan proposed the FY 2012 Republican budget, Path to Prosperity, Democrats kicked it into high gear, claiming that Republicans are starving old people, taking away children’s education, and torturing your puppies…ok, well, maybe not the puppy part, but you get the idea. I’ve listed a few of my personal favorites:
Chuck Schumer claims that this new proposal will deprive students of a college education, by taking away their Pell grants. The reality, however, is that studies have shown that Pell grants, which have increased dramatically over the years, are directly linked to skyrocketing tuition in colleges across the nation. http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/html/pa531/pa531index.html. The purpose of cutting spending in this area is to curb tuition inflation and require more efficiency in determining which students truly qualify, and how much they really need.
Nancy Pelosi cries that this bill will deprive six million seniors of meals. That would be terrible…..if it were true. But it came from Nancy Pelosi, and we all know her propensity for, well, lying through her teeth, so we can assume that it’s not. The fact is that the Administration on Aging, a branch of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, only distributed meals to 2.4 million seniors last year, so her number isn’t even plausible. Of course, Pelosi’s staff backpedaled on the issue, saying that Nancy misspoke, and she meant to say the budget cuts 6 million meals, not meals for 6 million people. Nice try, Stretch. Again, this is false. First of all, the administration, not the Republicans, proposed $6 million in earmark cuts. The remaining $65 million in cuts to the AOA have not even been identified yet, according to House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman Marta Dehmlow, and the impact is unknown. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/nancy-pelosis-absurd-math-on-senior-citizens-losing-their-meals/2011/04/06/AFUf51rC_blog.html
Newly appointed DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz claims that this new budget proposal is a “death trap to seniors”. She goes on to say that “this Republican path to poverty passes like a tornado through America’s nursing homes…” and that it goes back on promises made to our greatest generation. Now that’s a good way to get the elderly worked into a frenzy. This, from a woman who wanted the word “Obamacare” banned from the House floor debates, because it was inflammatory. The truth is that the Path to Prosperity proposal explicitly states that there will be no changes in Medicare for those in and near retirement. When the new plan begins in 2022, those in the current program will have a choice to opt into the new program. This new premium-support plan will provide additional assistance for lower income recipients, to help cover out-of- pocket costs. So maybe the Congresswoman could bring her own inflammatory rhetoric down a notch….I’m just sayin’.
Ok, I’ve saved the best for last. The clincher…the coup de grâce….is none other than Democratic Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. Slaughter is up in arms regarding the Republican attempts to prevent taxpayer-funded abortions, so she’s claiming that Republicans do not care about women’s health. At a rally on Wednesday, April 6th, she told a group of pro-choice advocates that Republicans were brought to Washington to……are you ready….wait for it……”kill women.” Come again? Oh, you heard me right, ladies and gentlemen…kill women. I can’t even dignify that with a response.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that only Democrats engage in such tactics. It comes from both sides. I am saying, however, that they have taken the art of scaring Americans to an all-new low. What they have failed to realize, to their detriment, is that Americans, now more than ever, are paying attention to what’s happening in government, and they’re just not buying it anymore. So Dems, maybe you should find a legitimate argument and keep it moving. If you actually had some good ideas of your own, you wouldn’t have to work so hard to discredit ours.
Donald Trump is contemplating a run for President….no big news here. This isn’t the first time he’s considered running for office. He talked about it in 1988, 2000 and 2008, and even formed an exploratory committee in 2000. However, Trump claims that this is the first time he’s seriously considered running, and maybe this is the first time he’s been considered a (somewhat) serious candidate by the American people.
We hear a lot of talk about potential candidates, such as Newt Gingrich, who have too much personal baggage to run for President, and we all know Trump has more baggage than a Boeing 747. In an ordinary election, this might be a problem. However, 2012 is a completely different ball game. This time, it’s all about defeating Obama.
While I’m looking for a true conservative, and Trump certainly isn’t even in the ballpark, I must admit that I find a certain appeal in the idea of President Trump. In a society so obsessed with political correctness, I find Trump’s blunt, take-it-or-leave-it approach quite refreshing.
I watched Bill O’Reilly’s interview with Donald, and I heard little on which I disagree, although some of his solutions are based more in fantasy than reality. There’s no question that we could desperately use someone with Trump’s business acumen in the White House right now, and he clearly sees the threat that countries such as China, Iran and North Korea pose to the U.S. He, like many other Americans, is sick and tired of Obama’s “apology tour” and his negative attitude towards our great country, our capitalistic system, and our troops.
Some of the highlights of the interview:
Jobs are going to China because China is manipulating its currency. Trump proposes a 25% tariff on Chinese imports, until they decide to “play fair”.
OPEC is “decimating” the U.S. and we need to DEMAND that they lower oil prices, not ASK them.
Obamacare is causing healthcare costs to go up, running companies out of business, and needs to be repealed. Insurance should be available across state lines, which would create competition and lower rates.
The U.S. needs to militarize the Mexican border. On the subject of existing illegals in the U.S., Trump proposes only allowing “productive” persons to remain in the country.
The Arab League should be funding our military action in Libya. The Arab League, made up of the richest countries in the world, wants the U.S. to get rid of Qaddafi, but they aren’t contributing a dime towards this effort.
Trump is pro-life, and against gay marriage.
We have a Muslim problem, and politicians are too worried about political correctness to call proper attention to the issue.
U.S. military should get out of Afghanistan and focus on Pakistan, cutting off billions in U.S. aid until they produce Osama Bin Laden. Works for me….
Trump repeatedly makes the point that America and its leadership are no longer respected throughout the world, and that needs to change. He notes that we are helping to rebuild China, instead of rebuilding our own country with new bridges, airports, schools, etc. Why aren’t our politicians talking about this?
I do have many doubts about Trump. He has given sizable campaign contributions to several liberal Democrats, such as Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Schumer, Anthony Weiner and Hillary Clinton. Although these are more for business reasons than political ones, it still raises questions of where his loyalties lie. He also was pro-choice at one time, and has now become pro-life. Is this political or a truly a change of heart?
Is Trump a serious contender? Maybe…maybe not. How seriously can you take a presidential candidate who’s been the honoree of a Comedy Central Roast? If nothing else, the presidential debates would make for some great reality TV, and maybe that’s all Trump is looking for. I know I’ll be watching.
Right Hook 