Posts
Before I get started I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Since this is officially Thanksgiving Day and a national holiday as declared by the US congress in 1941 I feel that it is appropriate for me to day a post on Thanksgiving and it’s origins. This will not be an intensely political post, but more of an FYI kind of post. Are you all ready to get started? Okay then lets begin.
The people who celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day feast were called separatists, but we call them pilgrims. They originally fled England for Holland to escape religious persecution and a volatile political environment in the east Midlands of England. In the Netherlands they achieved the freedom to practice their religion without fear from the Church of England or its government. However due to what many of them considered an immoral environment in the Netherlands and idea of losing their cultural identity the group arranged to establish a new colony in North America.
The colonist faced many obstacles in order to start their new colony. They faced problems from Bureaucracy and the investors themselves. They were also challenged by things like sabotage, storms, and sickness. They also had no relationships with the native peoples of the region they were to colonize and worried about the possibility of hostilities. In 1620 they landed at Plymouth Rock and established the second successful English colony in North America. Both the Plymouth and Jamestown colonies became the cornerstone of what is now The United States Of America.
The first winter for the colony was very severe. The colony suffered 47 percent fatalities that winter. Their first harvest in the fall of 1621 was very successful though thanks in large part to the aid and comfort of the indigenous people they had encountered. They chose to celebrate their bountiful harvest with the Indians who had helped them and the feast lasted for three days.
If it were not for the hardships and successes that these people experienced it is very likely that our nation would not exist. Their heirs went on to fight against the French, and later the English to avoid taxation without representation and to throw off the caste system being imposed upon them by the royal family and the ruling class. It seems that our forefathers had developed a streak of independence in the new world.
Now a days Thanksgiving doesn’t mean much more to us than a paid holiday if you work for Uncle Sam or a bank. You can sit around all day watching Macy's Thanksgiving day parade and football on TV. You can also stuff your face with all kinds of good food and then pass out from the exhaustion that occurs from such unhindered consumption. You get to renew old friendships and relearn all the idiosyncrasies of your family members. With any luck you might even get to hear the Arlo Guthrie classic Alice’s Restaurant. Many radio stations will still play it on Thanksgiving.
Whatever you do on Thanksgiving though it is good to remember its history, where those people came from, and why. The sacrifices they made and the hardships that they endured to reach the new world are what makes this day and our nation so special and precious. Thanks to their need to have the freedom to practice their religion without persecution all of this came into being.
So thank god for their strength when you give thanks for all that you have and enjoy today. Have a little tolerance for those who wish to practice their religion and allow me the freedom to practice mine, because freedom of religion is really the core belief behind this great nation we call The United States Of America.
I will not be posting anything before next week, but I will be back on Monday with another one. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend. It’s time for me to go get ready for my family and friends, watch some football, and prepare myself for my day of excess, CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Well my friends the subject of Presidential pardons has recently come up. The reason for this sudden interest in the Presidential pardon is due to the fact the President George W, Bush has used this absolute power to pardon fourteen people and to commute prison sentences for two others so far.
The fear by the Democrats is that President Bush will use this power to pardon someone like Scooter Libby, or someone else they might consider controversial. I do believe that he should pardon the two Border Patrol agents Compean and Ramos. Those were the two who were convicted for shooting a drug smuggler in his butt as he was attempting to escape back into Mexico from the US.
Their other big fear is that he may even issue pardons to people who have not been charged with anything yet, such as cabinet members or even VP Dick Cheney. Believe me they have wanted to get Dick Cheney for years. If President Bush were to do these types of pardons they could not be overturned and the Democrats would lose their shot at some Republican red meat.
The constitution was written to make sure that Presidential pardons were absolute and could not be overturned. Let us not forget that previous Presidents have used the Presidential pardon controversially since we became a country. Let’s take a look at some of these great leaders who have used the pardon to their advantage.
Some of the Clinton pardons were notorious. Perhaps the one most everyone remembers is the pardon of Marc Rich the billionaire fugitive. It was rumored that he received his pardon due to some aggressive lobbying by his surrogates, and the fact that his estranged wife was a major Clinton contributor. Bill Clinton actually granted three hundred and ninety five pardons. However a total of one hundred and forty were issued on the last day of his Presidency including the Rich pardon. Similar charges regarding other final day pardons prompted calls for congressional hearings and action by federal prosecutors.
A couple of other Presidents who have had controversial pardons are Jimmy Carter and George H W Bush. Jimmy Carter pardoned all those who had evaded service during the Vietnam War. George H W Bush pardoned six Reagan administration officials including Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger who were involved in the Iran-Contra affair. Below is a brief description of the pardon power.
The Pardon Power:
Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives the president "Power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." A reprieve reduces the severity of a punishment without removing the guilt of the person reprieved. A pardon removes both punishment and guilt.
As judicially interpreted, the president's power to grant reprieves and pardons is absolute. Individual reprieves and pardons cannot be blocked by Congress or the courts. The Framers of the Constitution envisioned the pardon power has having a narrow purpose in times of war and rebellion. The president might offer pardons to rebellious factions as an inducement for a laying down of arms and national reconciliation. Alexander Hamilton argued in the Federalist Papers (No. 74) that "in seasons of insurrection or rebellion, there are often critical moments, when a well-timed offer of pardon to the insurgents or rebels may restore the tranquility of the common wealth; and which, if suffered to pass unimproved, it may never be possible afterward to recall."
So you can see that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about who a President pardons, because once he does a pardon that’s that. I personally hope that President Bush does do blanket pardons for himself and his cabinet including Dick Cheney. They should not have to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives for defending our country and fighting two wars. We are luck that President Bush didn’t institute the War Powers Act, or suspend Posse Commitatus. Then there might not have even been an election in 2004 or 2008.
That is all I have for today, but I will have a special one for Thanksgiving Day. I t won’t be very political but it will be true. Have a wonderful Wednesday CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Well it seems that President elect Barack Obama is in a hurry to get his cabinet members selected, appointed, and confirmed. Hillary is apparently his first cabinet pick and his choice for Secretary of State. I don’t really think he will have a problem getting Mrs. Clinton confirmed, but it might be a different story for some of his other picks.
Three of these people stand out as possible problems with regard to the confirmation process, Governor Bill Richardson, Governor Janet Napolitano, and Eric Holder. All three of these individuals are familiar players on the national political stage. They will also come to the confirmation process with their own baggage, as each has made some politically disastrous decisions.
Bill Richardson has been a very good Governor for the state of New Mexico; however he has two potential problems that may plague him. One of these problems is his involvement in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. It seems that he had offered Miss Lewinsky a position at the UN in an effort to guarantee her silence for then President Bill Clinton.
The other problem he may have is for failing to safeguard nuclear secrets after departing the UN to become Energy Secretary. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia declared he would never again receive Senate support for any office he sought. This would appear to be very problematic since Senate confirmation would be required for him to become Commerce Secretary.
The apparent appointee for Director of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is another appointee who may have trouble with the Senate confirmation process. In addition to being a lousy Governor for the state I live in, which is Arizona. She was also directly involved in the Anita Hill sexual harassment case against then US Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas. Her part in that failed attempt to smear the reputation of an honorable man was as part of the legal team representing Anita Hill when she was a private attorney. It was said that she may have coached a witness for Hill into changing testimony.
The only real obstacle that Attorney General Appointee Eric Holder will have to confront was his choice to pardon Marc Rich when he was Deputy Attorney General under the Clinton administration. Marc Rich was the billionaire on the run who was given a pardon by Bill Clinton on his last day in office. He may have received his pardon because of his estranged wife’s activities as a high paying Clinton donor.
I don’t really believe that if Barack Obama appoints these people to his cabinet that they would fail to get through the confirmation hearings, but I do think that they might get held up there. However Obama’s two picks for Secretary of the Treasury in Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director in Lawrence Summers appear on the surface to be strong picks, but I guess time will tell.
Have a terrific Tuesday my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Today we are going to talk about President Elect Obama’s potential pick of the Democratic Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton, for Secretary of State. This pick has the ability to be extremely advantageous for the incoming administration for a variety of reasons, but could be a hindrance also. This could be true for Senator Clinton as well.
One of the benefits for the incoming administration is the celebrity that Mrs. Clinton will bring to the post. Included in that benefit, is Bill Clintons star status on the world stage. Both of the Clintons are very well received around the world by most governments. Hillary also has established some personal relationships with world leaders as a former first lady that would give her a stable platform from which to negotiate with other nations.
Another benefit for the incoming Obama administration is that by having Hillary Clinton in the cabinet is that it may thwart Hillary’s potential run for the White House in 2012. It would be very hard for Hillary to mount a campaign, because you usually start one about two years prior to the election. It would require Hillary to resign her post after only two years, run against the incumbent President from her own party, as a former member of his own cabinet. That would probably not be a wise move for Hillary.
Yet another benefit will be the fact that the Democratic Party would not lose the Hillary’s senate seat to the Republican Party. In all likelihood the seat would go to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. This means that the Democrats and Obama would maintain the same majority in the upper house of congress that they won on November 4th.
A hindrance for the Obama administration is the fact that Hillary really has very little foreign policy experience. Although Hillary hit Obama pretty hard on foreign policy during her campaign her experience is not much more than that of her potential boss. This would be offset by the fact that the White House would control all major foreign policy decisions and VP elect Joe Biden is a foreign policy heavyweight. The downside for Hillary is that she will not be dictating foreign policy.
Another potential hindrance for the incoming administration could be whether or not Bill Clinton can be reined in by Hillary and Obama. Bill Clinton does a lot of his work overseas and makes a large amount of his money from this. Bill Clinton’s foreign policy may not be in sync with the Obama administration and this may lead Hillary to question where her loyalties lie. It would be a first for a Secretary of State to be married to a former US President. However I personally do not think she would be disloyal to the people or government of the United States.
I personally think there are more pluses than minuses for Obama to have Hillary as Secretary of State. I think in time she might grow into the position and be quite good at the job. I believe that if Hillary is planning a run for the party Presidential nomination for the 2012 election she should not accept the appointment to the post. She might be more of a positive party player in the senate until then also.
Have a great day my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Since I haven’t discussed the subject of gay marriage on its own I thought I might do so today. The idea of gay marriage sparks a lot of emotion on both sides of the issue especially on the left coast in California with the passing of Prop 8. Similar measures were also passed this Nov 4th in other states such as Arizona and Florida. Gay marriage is legal in a couple of states such as Connecticut and Massachusetts.
In California Gay marriage was initially banned by voters up until about six months ago. At that time the California State Supreme Court decided to legislate from the bench, which some other State Supreme Courts have done in the past, and they overturned the wishes of the majority of voters in California and legalized gay marriage. On November 4th, 2008 of this year the amendment to the California constitution to ban gay marriage passed by an overwhelming majority of voters in that state.
The catalyst for passing of this amendment was a large influx of money, the Black American, and Evangelical vote. For the record the majority of Black Americans who voted for Obama voted for the passage of Prop 8 as well. On the evangelical side the Mormons and Catholics mounted a massive campaign in support of the proposition also.
Opponents of Prop 8 freaked out when the amendment passed. They had initially believed that they would face no or at least little opposition in their efforts to stop Prop 8 dead in its tracks. When they lost their battle they became no better than mad dogs in the streets in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. There were riots in those cities as well as violent protests and confrontations with supporters of Prop 8.
Now it appears that the California State Supreme Court is about to rejoin the battle of same sex marriage again. The court has granted requests by both sides of Prop 8 to review lawsuits challenging the November 4th passage of the initiative. The court did however refuse to allow same sex marriages to resume while it considers the constitutionality of Prop 8.
Personally I don’t believe in same sex marriage but I do believe in civil unions for same sex couples. However in this case the people have spoken and usually the majority vote rules. That is what I was taught to believe and I still do. If the State Supreme Court of California should overturn Prop 8 and legalize same sex marriage again I think the United States Supreme Court should step in and reinstate Prop 8 as the law of the state of California. I am really interested to hear all of your thoughts on this subject so please feel free to comment.
Have a wonderful weekend CIAO$NOW!!!!!
Well I got some good news today. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens as officially lost his reelection bid for his seat in his home state. This man who has been in the senate since 1968 and has a reputation for getting earmarked federal funds for his state and his conviction on seven felony conspiracy counts gave his last speech on the senate floor today.
In his speech he spoke much about his time in Washington DC. He acknowledged leaving the senate a wounded man, but said he did not have a rear view mirror and was looking ahead. He stated that he believed that god still had something for him to do. After the speech he was spoken fondly of by several notable senators such as Harry Reid, Robert Byrd who turned 91 today, Daniel Inouye, and Larry Craig who recounted his story of how he started referring to Ted Stevens as Uncle Ted.
His motto which is "to hell with politics, just do what is right for Alaska" slipped up and did what he thought was right for himself instead. His conviction in federal court on seven counts of felony conspiracy helped to mark the end of his long running career in the senate. Whether he will or will not be missed in the senate is up to the individual his violation of the trust of his constituents in Alaska should not go unpunished. I hope that this result serves as a notice to all those other corrupt politicians in DC who are committing or are thinking of committing a crime against the American people by violating our trust.
Have an excellent day my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Today I want to talk about a few things going on in the political arena like unresolved races and some potential cabinet appointments for Barack Obama’s cabinet. I don’t really want to write about the auto industry bailout I’ve written about that enough already.
I do have one thing to say about it though. How can they say they are burning through money like crazy and need help when the CEO’s of the big three each fly to Washington to testify before congress in their own private corporate jets, which cost an average of 36 million dollars a piece and 30 thousand dollars to fuel. No wonder they are going through cash so fast haven’t they heard of flying commercial? Even a first class seat would be cheaper. It’s really just basic economics in case you didn’t know. Now on to other things.
I want to talk about the Minnesota senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken first. The reason is that while I don’t really want the democrats to have a super majority filibuster proof control of the senate I would expect a Democrat to win this race. Unfortunately that Democrat might be Al Franken, and Al Franken is such a weenie to. This idiot is a former comedian who was never really funny and a former radio personality for the liberal talk radio company known as Air America.
A broadcast company that failed I might add because of people like him and Garafalo who spouted far left hate filled rhetoric and radical nonsense. The only reason it survived as long as it did was because Billionaire George Souros poured millions of dollars into the doomed enterprise. Now Al Franken is looking for a platform in the US Senate to spout more of his ignorant views. If the Democrats are going to have a super majority in the senate they should at least have people in control who know how to take care of business. What a waste of the people of Minnesota’s votes.
Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens is still holding on by a hair there against Democrat Mark Begich the Mayor of Anchorage Alaska. I really hope that Stevens loses this race because he is corrupt as well as a federally convicted felon as of a couple of weeks ago. I don’t think there should be people like Uncle Ted in our government. Fortunately I am very confident that when all the votes are counted he will be gone and congratulations Mark Begich.
The Georgia senate race is also very important. I really hope that Republican Senator Saxby Chandliss defeats the Democrat challenger Jim Martin in the run off election down there. I know the left is really hoping that he gets defeated. They say he is a lazy bigoted coward and that why he deserves to lose. If that were true then why would they support someone like WV Senator Robert Byrd? That guy is a former klingon or what ever you call them of the Knights of Klu Klux Klan. If he isn’t a bigoted coward I don’t know who is. He did all of his hate and bigotry behind a mask.
A potential cabinet appointment for Obama I want to talk about is Hillary Clinton as a possible Secretary of State. I personally believe that she would be a great choice for the position. I have to wonder if she can work for Barack though considering what she said about is foreign policy experience during her campaign as well as his remarks about hers during his campaign.
I would also have to wonder how her husbands own brand of foreign policy will affect her appointment. The man does a lot of business over seas with some people and governments that we might find unseemly. His financial disclosure may reveal this during the vetting process. So I wonder if Hillary can rein him in so that is policies don’t clash with the administrations.
Well that is about all I want to talk about for today. I hope you all have an excellent hump day and I will see you all again soon, CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Hi all I am sorry this one is a little late today, but when you are building your own computer there is much to do to get it ready, and it still isn’t ready. Anyway it looks like one more from the back up machine.
Today I am going to talk a little more about the proposed bailout of the big three auto makers in that winter wonderland known as Detroit. This has definitely been a very hot topic of conversation over the weekend. With everybody from Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Republicans on one side of the issue to fair and balanced Fox News in the middle, and Nancy Pelosi, and Barney Frank salivating over the idea on the other side of the issue I have heard a lot of different opinions.
It seems we are in the holiday mood when it comes to bailing out failing business, whether it be lending institutions or credit card companies so why not the auto industry as well. I will tell you why we shouldn’t bail out the auto industry and it won’t make me sound like a nice person. I am going to tell you why they want us to bail them out first though.
The big three believe that the taxpayers should bail them out because of projected job losses if they go out of business or into bankruptcy. Because of this they say they are a special case so they deserve a bailout. They say that if they go out of business then there will be a loss of at least 400,000 jobs and up to 3,000,000 jobs lost total including business that survive because of them, such as supplying parts, repair, or materials for manufacturing. They also say if that were to happen unemployment could reach double digits. I must admit if that were to happen it would be very devastating economically.
Here is why I don’t think we should bail them out though. One of the reasons is because every time someone buys an automobile from them the first $1600.00 goes to pay employee wages and retirement for an employee, and they pay this for every employee they have.
Another reason is that UAW President Ron Gettelfinger has said that union workers will make no more concessions to the auto industry no matte what. What these people make both laborers and the unions are a major drain on the big three.
Yet another reason I think we shouldn’t bail them out is card scan legislation giving unions control with a 51% majority of support cards signed and no secret ballot by workers to vote for against unionization. This is a gift from Democrats who have enjoyed union support in their election campaigns.
There is such a thing as chapter 11 bankruptcy. What this would do either force the unions, venders and others who are doing business to renegotiate their deals with the big three or allow them to start firing employees if there is no cooperation. The big three do not have to go out of business. They can fix there own problems very easily. With any luck they might even be able to get rid of the unions as they are obviously a major drain on capitol. None of the foreign auto makers who manufacture here have even discussed needing financial help from the government and their sales are down also.
That is all I have to say for today. I have told you both sides of the issue, but it is up to you to decide where you stand on it. Whether you support the bailout of the big three or not we all know its going to cost someone a bunch of money. Better them than us I say. Have a great day CIAO4NOW!!!!!
First they come up with a 700 BILLION DOLLAR bailout for the lending institutions involved in the sub prime mortgage crisis that some in DC had helped to perpetuate. This has since turned into a TRILLION DOLLAR bailout. The worst part is that all of the money hasn’t been paid out yet and the price keeps going up.
Not to mention the BILLIONS they are pouring into AIG an insurance company that can’t stop spending taxpayer DOLLARS on lavish resort get a ways. Does this sound like the right business model for AIG? They are almost in bankruptcy.
Oh I forgot there is also the 300 BILLION DOLLARS that was earmarked for buying up mortgages at full price that people couldn’t afford to pay and then renegotiating to a lower price so that the same deadbeats could default on the new mortgage they get. This sounds like a great investment if the taxpayer expects to lose money on investments.
Well now they are at it again in DC. Now they want to bailout the US auto industry to the tune of about 25 BILLION DOLLARS and that may wind up the low end figure when they are all done. Is it’s the governments fault, because they can’t compete in the same market with foreign automakers. Maybe they should learn something from these foreign companies, like making cars that consumers want to drive, that would be a good idea. Maybe they should get rid of the unions to, because they don’t seem to be making things any better for the big three in Detroit.
Of course the folks that are pushing this new bailout plan are the ones currently in power in both houses of congress, and now in the White House as well. This latest idea is the brain child of that horrid had from San Francisco Nancy Pelosi who is speaker of the house, and she is being backed up by Barney Frank the little fat F----R who helped create the mortgage crisis that we are experiencing now.
They are also talking about some sort of bailout for credit card companies to. I guess the taxpayer might as well absorb all the bad credit card debt for those deadbeats living way beyond their means. It is not our fault that they can’t say no to a credit card offer when they can’t pay off the ones they have.
What I would like to know is where Uncle Sam is going to get all the money for these bailouts. Actually I know where they will get the money. First they will print off what they need, then they will borrow it from China, then they will tax the H—L out of us. Then again we shouldn’t be surprised, because that is what the Democrats do. They tax and spend their way through life at the expense of everyone else’s pocketbook but their own.
Personally my friends I think we should not have bailed out the mortgage companies. If they can’t do business right, that isn’t our fault. They also should have learned to say no to the DC slime that told them to make the loans anyway when they new they were a bad risk. As far as AIG is concerned how many insurance companies do we really need? They should not get tax dollars either. Our government should not be in the business of buying mortgages either there is no Bank of Tim the Blogger. I don’t want to be in the mortgage business. As far as the US auto industry is concerned, they always try to screw me when I want to buy a car, so I’m buying a Volkswagen next time go around. They don’t need my money either. Don’t even get me started on the credit card companies. All I will say is that I don’t have any credit card debt, so don’t ask me to pay yours because yours is maxed out and your credit rating is in the toilet. I guess what I am trying to say is let them fend for themselves, because the taxpayer isn’t going to get anything out of all of this except screwed.
Have a wonderful weekend my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Before we get started with today’s post I thought I would help to spread a rumor I heard yesterday on AM talk radio. I heard a rumor that Barack Obama may be considering offering John McCain a cabinet post as Secretary of Defense. I personally don’t believe it, but if it were true I think we all would know what the price is for selling out your supporters and intentionally losing your own election. It would explain some of the mistakes of McCain’s campaign though, although I reiterate I DON’T BELIEVE IT!!!!! I wonder how these rumors get started. Now for today’s post.
What I want to talk about today is some of the challenges in foreign policy that our President Elect will face when he takes office in January, particularly with regard to Russia and Iran. These two nations can and do pose serious threats to stability in the regions they inhabit and as a result they represent very negative influences in those places with their saber rattling. I am sure that most of you are aware that they are acting the way they are in an attempt to intimidate and influence the courses of action that Barack Obama may be considering within their sphere of influence.
Take Russia as the first example. They have not been very happy since the breakup of the Soviet Union. They have seen their dominance over large parts of Eastern Europe dwindle, since the fall of the Berlin wall. They have also seen many former communist countries that were part of the Soviet Union move steadily towards democracy. Most notably in the news cycle has been the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
I personally believe that Georgia’s move towards democracy is what prompted Russia’s attack against the fledgling democracy rather than any support for the two supposed break away provinces there. They almost certainly don’t want Georgia or any of its other former territories in NATO. Now you have the Russians threatening some sort of retaliation against Poland if the missile defense shield negotiated between the US and Poland is put in place. They supposedly feel that their own sovereignty is being threatened, which is not at all true.
As far as everyone’s favorite little Islamic extremist resort in the Middle East Iran is concerned. They are doing everything within their power to destabilize that region. They support the insurgents in Iraq and more than likely in Afghanistan. They are constantly sending arms and munitions as well as funds to militant groups operating in Iraq.
On top of which they just tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile and Russia wonders why a missile defense shield in Europe is important to us. Not to mention the fact that Israel is very happy about this new missile either. This new missile that Iran just tested operates on solid fuel and is a potential nuclear delivery system.
The master of the political gaff VP elect Joe Biden actually got it right for once. Barack Obama will be tested and tested very early in his Presidency. Fortunately for Obama there are some very good people already working on these very serious threats to our national security. Russia and Iran are just two of the threats our nation faces, other countries such as North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, and China to worry about as well.
I fervently hope that Barack Obama does not entirely dismantle the infrastructure that supports our intelligence and defense organizations. Now I know he might want to put his own people in charge at places like CIA as well as in the office of the DNI (Director of National Intelligence), but I don’t think he will be stupid enough to try to tear it all down and do it his way. I also hope that he will try to do more to make our national defense stronger. The last thing we or he can afford is another 9/11 on his watch.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Wednesday CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Before I get started on today's entry I would like to give a shout out to Uncle Sams Misguided Children for celebrating their birthday November 10th, 2008, which I forgot to mention so here ya go OORAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Leathernecks!!!!!
I'm not going to do anything political today because that is not what Veterans Day should be about, but tomorrow is a different story though. today is the day that we remember all of those who have fought as well as died for our country in her defense. They served so that we may be free to have the first black President. They served so that we may be able to speak freely. They served so that we may be able to travel unrestricted within our borders. They served so that we may have the right to bear arms. They served so that we may sleep peacefully at night without worry. There is nothing political behind the reason why these brave men and women serve and have served in our armed forces, although it is unfortunate that politics sometimes determines their use.
I hope you all have a fantastic Veterans Day and thank these fine people for their service when you meet one today. I am putting a couple of videos on here today for your viewing pleasure. The first one is by Americas favorite 101st Airborne member and the second is one of my personal favorites as well. I will see you all tomorrow CIAO4NOW!!!!!
I’ve been watching the news again and one of the big stories since Obama’s election has been what he intends to do about private gun ownership and gun sales now that he is President. According to gun shops all over the US there has been a spike in gun sales since the election.
One gun shop owner in Austin TX says he has been selling approximately one hundred thousand dollars in stock per day since the election stating that most of his customers are afraid that Obama will go after the rights of private gun ownership and the sales of certain types of weapons and ammunition to. Most of his clientele are sportsman but a lot of the new sales he has been getting are first time gun buyers.
Another gun shop owner said on a fox news interview that he has seen a similar spike in his sales since the election in his area. The area he does business in is a pretty affluent neighborhood in Ft. Worth, TX. He says that most of his business has been with people who have supported Obama. He notes that they have come into his store wearing Obama 08 t-shirts and buttons and they tell him that they are buying guns while they still can.
To support the stories behind these two gun shop owners and others who have made similar claims is that back ground checks on first time gun owners is up about 15 percent since Obama was elected noted one FBI official.
Now I’m going to tell you the simple facts about what Obama wants to do, what he can do, and what might be done with regard to gun ownership laws and gun sales laws. This will not be something gun owners and dealers will want to hear but it will be the truth.
What President elect Barack Obama wants to do about gun ownership and gun sales is basically to do away with them. His voting record in Illinois proves that as well as his stated position when he was a freshman US senator. Since he can’t do away with these two things I will tell you what he will settle for.
He will settle for no conceal carry permits issued to anyone other than law enforcement officers. He wants to make permanent the assault weapons ban for things like the AK-47 and the AR-15. He will also make the ammunition for these weapons as well as some types used for hunting illegal. He also wants all weapons handguns and long guns alike to be registered with the state and federal governments.
What Barack Obama and his left wing cohorts can do is try to pass tighter gun control legislation written by either the White House or one of the houses of congress. The reason I say try is because they do not have a super majority of seats in the senate to pass these laws without some Republican support. They also couldn't get through the lower house because some of the moderate Democrats support the second amendment as well as the Republicans there.
What Barack Obama might be able to get done is making the assault weapons ban permanent. He would have to make some sort of concessions to the Republicans in both houses of congress and the moderate Democrats there also to get it though. I personally doubt he would be able to get the support for that to happen anyway but it seems to be the most likely choice he would have as far as any gun legislation is concerned. This legislation would likely include the ammunition for those types of weapons to. Issuance of conceal carry permits might be something else he could attack but I don't think he could do so effectively.
Where I am concerned at this point and time, I think all of this worry about gun rights is much ado about nothing. With the economy in the shape that it is in as far as Wall Street and Main Street are concerned I don’t think he will be worrying about gun control right now. Another reason I think the way I do is because of the US Supreme Courts earlier ruling on the weapons ban in Washington DC that they recently overturned. I don’t think he could get any support from them until he appoints any new justices. If he did appoint any new justices he would be replacing the liberal justices already on the bench so the status quo would not change.
That is all for today my friends I will see you all very soon. Have a great day today CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Here we are my friends on the third day after the election and everyone is waiting for the next shoe to drop. Whether it is on the economy, the current situation with Russia flexing its muscles, or Whether or not it is Sarah Palins fault that John McCain lost the election.
That’s right I said whether Sarah Palin cost John McCain the election. Can you believe that with all of the really important things that should be being discussed this is the best that the media could come up with for the last three days? At the heart of this seems to be some comments made by campaign aides about Palins knowledge of Africa as a continent, going shopping during the campaign, and being mean to the staff. According to Elaine Lafferty who is the leader of citizens for John McCain, and a Democrat, has said she has spent time with the former VP candidate on the campaign trail has said these things are patently absurd.
First of all there is no way that Sarah Palin does not know that Africa is a continent. Sarah Palin is a very smart lady. You don’t get to be Governor of a state the size of Alaska with exports to foreign countries totaling approximately Four Billion Dollars whose major trading partners are china and Japan. It should also be noted that with the schedule a VP candidate has to keep on the trail it is almost impossible to get any free time to go the department store. If she did manage to steal a few minutes for herself and do a little shopping well good for her. As far as her being mean to the staff is concerned I think she must have had problems with the idiot or idiots who leaked all of this tripe because they were screw ups and screwing up the campaign.
Now let’s be honest for a minute here. I am not in the least bit happy with the results of Tuesday night’s election. But I will tell you the truth of the matter and the truth is that it wasn’t just McCain’s campaign that lost the election it was the fact the Obama’s campaign just flat out beat them. They had the organization, money, and a get out the vote effort that was unprecedented in Presidential election history. Sure there were things that McCain might have done to make it a closer race or maybe even win but he missed every opportunity given to him and there were plenty of opportunities believe me. It wasn’t Palins fault that the election was lost it was poor management of the campaign by those who were making the decisions.
To her credit and being the classy lady that Sarah Palin is she has refused to say anything negative about John McCain or those who were involved in the campaign strategy. She knows that no good could come from engaging in such back biting or infighting and has decided to move on, go back to Alaska, and continue governing that great state. However Bill O’Reilly has offered her as much time on his show as she feels she needs to set the record straight and I think she should take him up on it. As far as the trashing of Sarah Palin is concerned I think it is all sour grapes and B.S. from people who didn’t know how to be winners. If all of this somehow dims the light on her potentially awesome political career in the GOP it will be the party’s loss.
I hope you all get out of the house, stop worrying about what can’t be changed, and have a wonderful weekend. I will see you all back here on Monday CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Well my friends it is finally over and I must say that I am not surprised at the results. After almost two years of campaigning for Barack Obama, and more than a year for John McCain the American people have spoken and Barack Obama is now the President elect of the United States of America. Barring any dramatic change in the final tally of votes in this election the result is likely to stay the same. I don’t personally believe that there will be a significant change in the final tally of votes either. All I have to say is nice try John and way to go Barack. Having just said that there are a few things I feel I should say to all of you.
The first thing I want to tell all of you is that I am not happy with the outcome of this election. I think there are a lot of things that John McCain could have and should have done differently in his campaign. The most important thing I think he could have done was not to support the bailout bill. That potential debt placed upon the next two or three generations of Americans is unwarranted and dangerous to their financial security as tax payers. Proposing to buy up mortgages good and bad renegotiate them for the homeowner and then absorb the debt created from buying high and selling low is wrong to.
Another thing I believe that John McCain should have done differently was to go after Obama’s associations more aggressively. Since this race started I still have not heard any satisfactory answers in this regard. I believe that most of Obama’s associations were indeed with very radical and criminal people. I really wanted to know more about Ayers, Wright, Khalidi, Rezco, Johnson, Raines, and ACORN. Anyone who tells me that these people have had no direct influence on Obama’s political and belief systems is very naïve.
I think that McCain could have hit back a little harder with Barack’s spread the wealth agenda to. It is definitely un-American to take from someone who has earned and give it to someone who has not. I don’t care what anyone says this is the pathway back to a welfare state. As for the scam that 95%of people would get a tax break that is a lie to. Approximately 40% of those people Barack is talking about do not even pay taxes so how can they get a tax break that is better than zero taxes. I think McCain had some very good ammunition when on the topic of taxes and the economy.
One other note with regard to the election results from last night. It appears that all of the lowlifes that I had mentioned in one of my blogs last week have been reelected. It just amazes me that people are willing to settle for less than savory individuals they are used to over people who are not, and with the same mind vote for a candidate that says he represents change.
I have been asked if I am going to discontinue this blog after the Presidential election, I am not going to. Politics and the consequences of politics do not end with the election of a new President. There still has to be someone out here in the real world who is willing to watch these people and tell you the truth about what is really going on, and in this case it is going to be me. Then again I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope you will put behind you your disappointment or enjoy your victory if that is what it is for you and then stand together and support your country. Remember my friends united we stand and divided we fall.
As for those I think should have lost but didn’t. People like John Murtha, Barney frank, Ted Stevens, and Barack Obama I say to you enjoy your victories tonight. But remember one thing I will be out here and I will be watching you and if you screw up I am going to get you because the keyboard is mightier that the sword.
Have a wonderful Wednesday and I will see you all on Friday CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Here we are folks it’s the last day before the most important election that I can remember in my lifetime. I have been watching all of the coverage that I can on the Presidential election and on the house and senate races to. I have been doing that this weekend instead of spending all my time with my family, although I must tell you that my significant other is politically motivated also. Fortunately the one thing we don’t have to do is vote because we already voted by absentee ballot in the battleground state of Florida. The reason I have been watching, listening, and reading all of the stuff that I can on the elections is so that I can give all of you an accurate representation of what is happening in the races. There are a few things that I have found out in the last few days that make me feel like I made the right decision with my vote, and I voted for John McCain.
I found out that Barack Obama is really a redistributionist. He believes in it so fervently that he would have the US Supreme Court pursue that agenda aggressively and would appoint Supreme Court Justices that would promote that ideal from the bench. He would put these Justices in there and have them interpret redistribution as if it were the law of the land. In other words legislate from the bench. He would further strengthen these Justices position by an amendment to the US constitution.
Another thing I found out about Barack Obama’s position has to do with the coal industry. I found out that he would go out of his way to bankrupt the coal industry. He said that in his own words in an interview with a prominent San Francisco newspaper. In the same interview he also said that unfortunately our electric bills would go way up. He said this in this interview as if it doesn’t really matter to him one bit. He even went on further in the interview to say that although the industry would try to build more coal powered plants that the very effort by these companies to do so would destroy them financially, so much for creating more jobs. If I lived in Pennsylvania or Ohio or any state where industry relies on coal power technology I would be wary of this guy as President.
This week I have heard from Obama’s surrogates that his idea of wealthy has gone down from 250 thousand dollars a year to 150 thousand dollars a year and only those making less will get a tax break. With this knowledge I find it hard to believe that 95% of the middle class will get the tax break. As far as that number goes it isn’t true anyway because over 40% of those people classified as middle class pay no taxes anyway after they take the child tax credit and other tax credits that are out there. This is all part of Obama’s redistributionist policy because it isn’t a tax break he wants to give us it is a check from the government where the funds are supplied by those who earned the money he wants to take. Another reason for this is so that he can basically pay reparations to the black American community for past wrongs visited upon them by the US. As if their own people aren’t the ones responsible for slavery in the first place.
I will be honest with you John McCain was not my first choice for President. I really wanted Mike Huckabee to win the Republican Party nomination. The two things that helped me decide to support John McCain was the fact that I didn’t know much if anything about Barack Obama and what I did know I didn’t agree with and the other was John McCain’s choice for his VP running mate Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin and her family are the very middle class people that this election is supposed to be about. How many other moms out there can relate to her? She is a successful business owner as well as a successful politician. She has raised her children and still is raising them even with running businesses, towns, a state, and now running for Vice President. She is an awesome person.
The last thing I want to mention here is the subject of polls. I know all the polls out there say that Barack Obama is winning the race. According to the numbers it would appear to be true to. That does not mean that the election is over so you should just stay home. I have discussed this with a lot of my friends and associates and I will tell you what I do know about polls. Almost every election at the end of it all the polls were wrong so I never pay attention to any of them but one. The only poll that ever counts is the poll all voters will participate in on November 4th, 2008. That’s the election where every one is counted.
I will not be posting on Tuesday but I will be back on Wednesday with a post on the election and its results. I hope you all have taken what I have said in my posts and have used it in your decision when you cast your ballots tomorrow. Whether you vote for McCain or Obama like I always say get out there and vote it is your constitutional right and your obligation to your nations well being. If you don’t vote then don’t complain about the results if you are not happy with them. Have a great day CIAO4NOW!!!!!
