The Shepherd Report: October 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

Before You Vote:

Dear Mr. Obama:
A powerful message from Army Sgt. Joe Cook

Don't Tell Me Words Don't Matter:

Berg Interview:

The ultimate decision rests with your vote, dear readers. Never has so much been at stake for our country; for ourselves, for our children and for their children.

Nikki

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Obama's Change Keeps Changing

RNC Ad: The Slipery Slope

How low will it go? That's change I cannot believe in.

Nikki

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Viet Nam Veteran and Former Radical War Protester Looks at Barack Obama

Thanks to William Long for submitting the following article:

I've been a Christian for 37 years. Before that, I was a radical. I was tear-gassed 5 times in Chicago in 1968 as a Vietnam Veteran Against the War. I came back from Chicago and was co-founder of an anarchist club on campus called CHAOS: Committee for the Humane Appreciation of Students. After I became a Christian, I became more or less politically inactive except for voting and trying to stay informed.

A few weeks ago I watched "Obsession", a DVD about Islamic terrorism. That led me to read Brigitte Gabriel's book, "Because They Hate". I've just finished David Horowitz's book "Unholy Alliance" about the alliance between radical Islam and the American Left.

I decided to find out as much as I could about Barack Obama by just researching the Internet. What I found is deeply disturbing. Any candidate who can support Odinga in his campaign promising Sharia in Kenya is someone I don't want as president.

Here's some more of what I found. I think it lays out a fairly complete picture of the underlying dynamic for this election.

Start with the Big Picture . Read Andy Martin's expose of the Obama-Ayers relationship going back to 1987 and watch the documentary on We Will Not Be Silenced about the fraud and abuse in the Democratic primaries. The financial crisis is influencing a lot of people to vote for Obama. So be sure to check out the links under 'Financial Crisis' to find out who and What Really Caused the Crisis. Note the part that Barack Obama played, as a trainer for ACORN, as a lawyer suing Citibank to force it to make bad loans, and in his promise to let ACORN help shape his agenda.

Read the Cult of Personality and listen to the 1985 interview with Yuri Bezmenov about ideological subversion. Also, note what Yuri Bezmenov and the Cloward Piven Strategy say about manufacturing a crisis. This election is so very important.. Look over some of the other links.

The MSM has a blackout on any negative information on Obama. The average American doesn't listen to or read conservative channels of communication. The best organized, and most knowledgeable, group I've found so far is PUMA (Hillary supporters who won't vote for Obama). The average American doesn't even know about PUMA much less visit any of their websites. The fact that Shelly Mandell, President of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization For Women, introduced and endorsed Governor Palin at a rally in Los Angeles County is encouraging. Even so, there's still so much ignorance among the general population of this nation.

The question is, how does a person get enough information to vote intelligently? (Read references below.)

Finally, and most importantly, for those of us who believe in a living God who is actively involved in the affairs of men and nations – pray. And join together with others in prayer.

William (Bill) Long

Stow, OH

Editor's Note: The following links were provided by William Long. I have not had time to check them; therefore, The Shepherd Report assumes no responsibility for their content. They are posted here exactly as they were received:

Monday, October 27, 2008

Obama's Own Words -- 2001 Interview

Listen carefully to the words of Barack Hussein Obama in a 2001 interview on Chicago Public Radio WBEZ:

Redistributing the wealth is not a new concept for Obama. It's one of his core beliefs.

Thanks to ND for the tip.

Nikki

Saturday, October 25, 2008

An Important Message from Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson speaks of freedom versus tyranny. For the sake of our nation, take a few minutes and watch this. You'll be glad you did.

Nikki

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Find the Good and Praise It -- Lamar Alexander

Take a moment away from the ugly politics du jour, the stresses of the tanking economy, and relax with this video from Lamar Alexander, a good man from a good state -- a good idea.

We face tough times but we should always be mindful of the good in our lives -- our families, our communities and the goodness of our people. With all of its problems, we still live in the greatest country in the world.

If you're lucky enough to live in Tennessee, a vote for Lamar Alexander for Senate would be a good thing to do for all of us. Even if you live outside our beautiful state, enjoy the above video.

Take Lamar's message to heart -- he would like that.

Nikki

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Who’s Vetting the MSM?

The New York Times' Jodi Kantor, a journalist for the MSM, solicited children's Facebook accounts in an attempt to dig up dirt for their most recent hit piece on Cindy McCain.

This is the email Jodi Kantor sent to a 16-year old:

September 29 at 7:21pm

I saw on facebook that you went to Xavier, and if you don't mind, I'd love to ask you some advice about a story. I'm a reporter at the New York Times, writing a profile of Cindy McCain, and we are trying to get a sense of what she is like as a mother. So I'm reaching out to fellow parents at her kids' schools. My understanding is that some of her older kids went to Brophy/Xavier, but I'm trying to figure out what school her 16 year old daughter Bridget attends — and a few people said it was PCDS. Do you know if that's right? Again, we're not really reporting on the kids, just seeking some fellow parents who can talk about what Mrs. McCain is like.

Also, if you know anyone else who I should talk to– basically anyone who has encountered Mrs. McCain and might be able to share impressions– that would be great.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me.

Jodi Kantor
Political correspondent
New York Times
kantor@nytimes.com
212 556 4596

If you disapprove of such tactics, feel free to let Jodi Kantor know what you think.

Nikki

Monday, October 20, 2008

Biden’s Scary New Ad for John McCain

Joe Biden's New Bumper Sticker

Joe Biden gave the country one of the best reasons yet to elect John McCain president. Yes, that Joe – Joe, the senator – Joe, running mate of Barack Obama.

The spinners and the talking heads can spin this any way they wish, but here are Joe Biden's own words, as reported by ABC News:

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you--not financially to help him--we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

If that doesn't frighten you, you'd better check to see if you have a pulse. I don't frighten easily but that kind of talk sure scares the bejabbers out of me! And if the Dems want to spin it as another of Biden's gaffes, remember, he's the vice presidential nominee, and those kinds of gaffes are too dangerous to be coming from anyone who will be one heartbeat away from the Oval office.
Yes, JFK was tested. He was young, charismatic and not very experienced. America was lucky -- Krushchev blinked first.
Ronald Reagan was not tested. There was never any doubt as to what Reagan's reaction would have been.
What better advertising could John McCain wish for? Biden's comments are voter manna from political Heaven and the McCain camp should play it for all it's worth.

Biden's comments should solidify all Americans to get behind the tough old experienced soldier, John McCain. Joe Biden knows something that most Dems don't know – if Obama is elected, the world will not look at America and start to feel all warm and fuzzy again. Those days are gone forever. America needs to be prepared for the many dangers that lie ahead. America needs a strong leader, a man with experience, judgement and guts. Our very survival could depend on it.

Nikki

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Patriot Perspective:

"The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men."
— Samuel Adams

In his Inaugural Address on 20 January, 1961, President John F. Kennedy closed his remarks with these famous words: "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

With those words, JFK, considered by many to be the most exemplary leader of the Democrat Party in the 20th Century, asked Americans to put country first, a bedrock principle of the Party until the last few decades.

However today, the current slate of Democrats have turned Jack Kennedy's national challenge on end, essentially proclaiming, "ask what your country can do for you, not what you can do for your country."

In 1963, Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and said for all to hear, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Has his dream been realized, or have Democrat leaders divided us up into constituency groups, where we are judged by all manner of ethnicity and special interests rather than the individual and national character King envisioned?

Kennedy and King had it right, but the Democrat Party has squandered their great legacy, and betrayed us, moreover enslaving many Americans as dependant wards of the state.

This is not the Democrat Party envisioned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Harry Truman, much less its founder, Thomas Jefferson, who would not recognize even the most vestigial elements of his once-noble Party. (This dramatic transition is evident in the Democrat Party Platforms from Kennedy to Obama.)

When asked why he left the Democrat Party, perhaps the most famous of former Democrats said, "I did not leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me." That was Ronald Reagan, who earned the respect and support of an enormous number of Democrats during his presidency. His observation, "the Party left me," has never been more true than today.

For several months, we have heard and observed two presidential candidates, centrist Republican John McCain and liberal Democrat Barack Obama. It should by now, be obvious to all of us who put our country first, which of these candidates possess the high qualities of a statesman, and the prerequisite moral and civic virtues for an American president.

Unfortunately, too many of my fellow Americans have difficulty distinguishing these qualities.
Every four years, at the peak of presidential election cycles, we're told by the talking heads and the party hacks that "this election is the most important in our lifetimes." This time, however, they may be right. These are indeed perilous times.

Our nation is facing crises on several critical fronts, including an historic economic disaster, the resolution of which will require the steady hand of a statesman in possession of outstanding character — character that has been honed over his lifetime, character that is proven consistent with our nation's legacy of liberty and equality.

That reformed Democrat, Ronald Reagan, wrote, "The character that takes command in moments of crucial choices has already been determined by a thousand other choices made earlier in seemingly unimportant moments. It has been determined by all the 'little' choices of years past — by all those times when the voice of conscience was at war with the voice of temptation, [which was] whispering the lie that 'it really doesn't matter.' It has been determined by all the day-to-day decisions made when life seemed easy and crises seemed far away — the decision that, piece by piece, bit by bit, developed habits of discipline or of laziness; habits of self-sacrifice or self-indulgence; habits of duty and honor and integrity — or dishonor and shame."

For the first and final word on the necessary character traits the next president should possess, let's return to our foundation, our Founders, those who risked all to proclaim our individual rights and responsibilities as ordained by God, and outlined them in our Declaration of Independence and its subordinate exposition, our Republic's Constitution.

Our Founders wrote at length about character, both of those who seek high office (or, rather, those that high office seeks), and those who elect them. Here are but a few excerpts in their own words.

John Adams: "Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom. ... If we suffer [the minds of young people] to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives. ... We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. ... We should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections."

Samuel Adams: "Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust must be men of unexceptionable characters. ... If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation. ... [N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. ... No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders. ... Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual — or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. ... Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness."

Thomas Jefferson: "It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution. ... If a nation expects to be ignorant — and free — in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. ... The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail. ... An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens."

George Washington: "No compact among men ... can be pronounced everlasting and inviolable, and if I may so express myself, that no Wall of words, that no mound of parchment can be so formed as to stand against the sweeping torrent of boundless ambition on the one side, aided by the sapping current of corrupted morals on the other. ...[A] good moral character is the first essential in a man, and that the habits contracted [early in life] are generally indelible, and your conduct here may stamp your character through life. It is therefore highly important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous. ... The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world. ...[W]here is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths...? Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness — these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens."

At the end of the Revolution, when our Founders were endeavoring "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity," Founding brothers Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and our Constitution's author, James Madison, wrote The Federalist Papers, its most authentic and comprehensive explication.

In Federalist No. 1, Hamilton warned, "Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people, commencing demagogues and ending tyrants."

Sound familiar?

In No. 10, Madison cautions, "Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm," and insisted in No. 57, "The aim of every political Constitution is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers, men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous, whilst they continue to hold their public trust."

Madison's Supreme Court nominee, Justice Joseph Story, wrote, "Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them."

The Founders thus warned of the perils posed by the candidate who lacks political courage; the candidate who tells us everything we want to hear.

In November 1800, John Adams, in his fourth year as president, wrote to his wife Abigail, "I Pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessing on this house, and on ALL that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof!"

We should all pray likewise. Now. Today. This minute.

As Adams understood, "A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."

Almost two centuries later, Ronald Reagan reiterated, "Freedom is ... never more than one generation away from extinction. Every generation has to learn how to protect and defend it, or it's gone and gone for a long, long time."

So, what of the current generation of voters, and the two presidential candidates?

On 4 November, one of these candidates will receive a majority of electoral votes, and in January, be seated as our next president. But for sure, this election is much more than a referendum on the two candidates; it is a referendum on the ability of Americans to discern between one candidate who possesses the character and integrity of a statesman, which the office of president requires, and one who does not.

At this pivotal moment in our nation's history, let's hope that a majority of us have sufficient courage and character to make that distinction, and vote on what we know rather than how we feel.

Let's put country first.

For more information on the character of the presidential candidates, link to The McCain record and The Obama record.

__________

Most of you know someone who plans to vote for Barack Hussein Obama instead of John Sidney McCain. If you don’t know any Obama supporters personally, you certainly have family, friends or associates who know them.

McCain, a centrist Republican, is a statesman and a patriot of the first order. As such, he is much more suited to the office of president than Obama, the most liberal member of the Senate, a still-mysterious man whose tissue-thin résumé contains no qualifications for that office beyond his age and his claim to U.S. citizenship.

Please copy and paste these insights into email and send to your family, friends and associates.

This essay posted with special thanks to Mark Alexander and The PatriotPost US.

America is at a major crossroads and our liberty hangs in the balance.

Nikki

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Ramblings of a Political Junkie

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."
~~ Ronald Reagan ~~

There are many aspects of this election that I find compelling beyond my control. As a political junkie since my teen years, I need a new fix at four year intervals, but this time it began slowly and with less than the usual enthusiasm.

I've always believed that our political process works best when neither party serves more than two consecutive terms. It has to do with checks and balances -- the proverbial pendulum that swings too far in one direction, and in an effort to redeem itself, it reverses and attempts to correct any damages while on its way to swinging too far the other way. Such is the nature of politics. While I confess to never having followed that logic while casting my ballot, I do believe the idea has merit.

We've had a Republican administration for the last eight years and they behaved badly. The first six years saw the Reps in control of the House and Senate, and we've had the Dems during the last two. Need I say more than Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid? They all behaved like spoiled brats. But Bush is in the Oval Office and that's where the buck stops and the blame drops.

There's little doubt we're heading into another Dem controlled House and Senate and that's all the more reason to put John McCain in the White House. In a word -- gridlock. Gridlock slows government and gets it out of our faces. Gridlock can be good. Now would be an especially good time to implement gridlock in order to hold at bay the Gruesome Gang of Three – Obama, Pelosi and Reid. The damage they can to do our country will have our Founding Fathers spinning. The lesser of the evils, the Tantrum Two of Pelosi and Reid, will be more than most conservatives can stand, but with McCain in the White House, the ship of state will stand a better chance of surviving intact. Yes, gridlock would be good here.

To place all of the ills of the last eight years at Bush's feet is grossly unfair and I rather imagine history will judge him with more kindness than his contemporaries are willing to bestow. He's endured the MSM spinning any good news badly: "Unemployment is down to 4.2% and the economy grew by 3% this quarter, but the experts caution… ." And this from last year: "Experts surprised at good economic numbers…"

For far too long good news from Iraq was embargoed. If the MSM could not report the death of American troops or fierce battles lost, they preferred not to cover it at all. Our American men and women in uniform performed valiantly and with honor, and there are many stories of real heroism from both wars that have been ignored. What dishonor and shame for the MSM. These soldiers are heroes and should be celebrated throughout our land. But the MSM doesn't want America to feel good about a war they've worked so hard to convince us is both wrong and unpopular.

And who do we thank for keeping our country safe from terrorist attacks during the last seven years? History will sort it out and books will be written about it, but I sent my personal thanks to President George W. Bush. It was his watch and we were safe.

Conservatives like me have been suffering from eight years of political exasperation. The choice of John McCain was, for me, another frustration. While I believe he's fully capable of being a strong president, he was not my candidate of choice. McCain is an extremely honorable and good man, and I certainly appreciate and honor his service in uniform to our country, but I felt I had no horse in this race.

I was in the mood for None Of The Above. And then along came, Sarah Palin. What a breath of fresh air! I felt an instant kinship with her. She's like me. I can relate. I get it. Enthusiasm for the political process had returned.

Oh, did I mention the final debate took place tonight, just a few hours ago? While it wasn't a prize fight, it was far and away the better of the three debates. It was still too structured, too practiced, but nowhere near being the yawner we endured last week.

McCain answered the questions clearly and in as much detail as the time allowed. He exhibited great strength of character on several occasions. It was his best debate by far and he was able to get a lot of solid info before the public. But no knock-out -- McCain is not telegenic, a flaw that can be fatal in our celebrity-obsessed culture. He seemed stiff and somewhat uncomfortable, but he's always like that on television and that makes his message hard to sell, no matter how strong. And McCain's message was strong but the public thrives on the shallowness of image.

Obama seemed to be pulling answers out of thin air. He had more than one occasion to show his character and he did -- or sadly, the lack thereof. The vision of an empty suit kept floating through my head. But he's telegenic, polished,charismatic, and he is an image. He could recite the Philadelphia phone book and his followers would proclaim his brilliance in sound bites throughout the land.

The differences between the two candidates were obvious. The strong old soldier turned statesman who loves his country and will give his all for her if necessary versus the polished young lawyer who is little more than an American Idol candidate.

Obama has no real qualifications of substance, only a maze of extremely questionable background associations that can't stand beneath the light of full disclosure. And Obama has a record of disloyalty to his friends, even to his pastor of twenty years, who, when it was politically feasible, Obama threw him under the bus. No one is allowed to tarnish the image of The One.

The choice could not be more clear.

The patriotism and love of country from McCain was obvious.

The Socialism from Obama was chilling. "Spread the wealth" is more than Robin Hood -- it's Stalin, it's Marxism, and it will be fatal to the American economy.

Voters, beware!

The winner was Joe the plumber. He'll be on the Huckaby Show on the Fox News channel this week-end. Can a reality show be far behind?

Nikki

Edited to add: In response to a reader's question, the term, MSM, is blog-speak for the Main Stream Media; otherwise known as NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, and all of the liberal media, both broadcast and print.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A Time to Smile: The McCain-Palin Tradition

Yo, Hank! Way to go, Hoss!

Nikki

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Turning Point

In every battle there comes a time, a turning point, that determines whether the battle will be won or lost. Sometimes that turning point doesn't come until late in the battle; sometimes it comes early.

We have witnessed such a time.

The debate tonight between John McCain and Barack Obama hasn't even begun, but it's already totally irrelevant to the outcome of the election.

It's over.

The election is over and the winner is Barack Hussein Obama. I freely admit to be choking extremely hard as I type these words, and I assure you I will be overjoyed to eat a plate of crow if I'm proven wrong.

McCain lost the election the day he announced the suspension of his campaign in order to return to Washington to support passage of the bailout bill. That was his campaign killer. He should have stayed on the stump, listened to the will of the people, and then acted on their behalf. But he didn't. It was his game-changing moment and he blew it.

The American people are fed up. We're sick of predatory politicians, arrogant bureaucrats, over-compensated golden-parachuted executives, and the elitist MSM. We're not the least bit inclined to bail out any of them. Call it what they will, but like a rose, a bailout by any other name is still a bailout.

The Wall Street elites and the greedy politicians, primarily the Dems, wanted the bailout but the people on Main Street did not. And we were adamant about it with our emails and calls to our representatives in Washington. Republican and Independent Conservatives did not want it in any shape or form. The market did not want the bailout bill and it reacted by delivering staggering losses. The market knows it has witnessed the nationalization of a major sector of the American economy and it recognizes an enemy of free enterprise.

The poll numbers are hardening and the election has now passed the point of no return. At least 45% of all American voters have made up their mind -- they are voting for Obama, some blindly, and some defiantly. Seven percent of the remaining 55% are leaning in Obama's direction. That happens in elections when the economy turns sour.

There is now no plausible argument to indicate a quick recovery in the credit crisis, and the more the economy tanks, the more the voters will turn to the Democrats. The Republicans are in power in the executive branch only, but fair or not, that's always where the buck stops and the blame drops.

Bill Clinton got it right years ago: "It's the economy, stupid." Elections always come down to the economy and how it affects our everyday lives. We vote with our pocketbooks, our credit cards, our savings, investments, and our disposable income. Anyone who doesn't recognize this is ignorant of history or simply in denial of the workings of human nature.

In the meantime, we will keep working hard for the McCain-Palin ticket and do everything we can to get out the vote. There will be time enough to prepare for the Obama impact.

But God is in control and His ways are not our ways.

Let's not forget it took four years of suffering under Jimmy Carter to give us two terms of the great Ronald Reagan.

Disclaimer: I've spent the day attempting to talk myself in off the ledge, but with the economy tanking and the extremely strong prospect of Obama in the Oval Office, I think I'll just stay out here. I truly believe the above scenario will prove to be correct, but you have no idea how hard I'm praying to be wrong.

Nikki

Obama's Strange Bedfellows

The fact that this video is not new does not diminish its importance in the quest to see who Barack Obama is, and what he really believes.

The best I can say for what is shown here is that it's quite disturbing. And, at the other end of the spectrum -- May God help us!

Nikki

Monday, October 6, 2008

Obama's Choices

The Constitution is so much more than mere words on a piece of parchment. It's the document on which our country was built -- who we are and how we want to live. It must never be entrusted to those who do not love it enough to die for it.

The next administration could possibly appoint as many as 5 new justices to the Supreme Court. The wrong appointments would mean disaster for America. Do you really trust Barack Hussein Obama to make the right appointments?

Some choices are too important to ignore. This is one of those choices.

Barack Obama -- do you really know who he is and what he believes?

Nikki

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Bailout: Sweet & Sour Pork

After taking a 3 page bill and porking it up to 451 pages, the Senate passed the Bailout Bill by a vote of 74 – 25. It's expected to go to the House for a vote Friday morning and then to President Bush for signing into law.

But wait, it's not that simple. Let's look at some of the so-called sweeteners our senators put into the bill. The facts may surprise you – they sure surprised the heck out of me! Are our elected officials truly serving the interests of the people or is this a case of legislative abuse being foisted on the taxpayer at a time of crisis?

The Bailout Bill, known as HR1424, began life as The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, but it's now being called The 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

Don't let the name change fool you -- the original bill's proposed spending for mental health remains in the bill and it is going to cost the taxpayers an enormous amount of money over a very long period of time. That's how they do things in Washington. They should have been honest with the public and kept the bill's original name – the very concept of a $700 Billion bailout (plus) certainly toys with my mental health, and for all the pols who are addicted to pork, there's a nice fix in there for them.

Nuff said. Let's look at some of what's included:

Sec. 503. Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children. A proposal to exempt the excise tax for any wooden arrow shaft consisting of all natural wood with no laminations or artificial means to enhance the spine. Estimated cost to the taxpayer = $2 million.

Sec. 317. Seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility. Track owners want to be able write-off the cost of their facilities, including grandstands, parking lots and concession stands, over seven years. Auto track owners are trying to get out of paying more taxes - which they'd have to do if they deducted less every year. Estimated cost = $100 million.

Sec. 308. Increase in limit on cover over of rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. A rebate on excise taxes charged on rum imported from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Estimated cost to the American taxpayer = $192 million.

Sec. 301. Extension and modification of research credit. Extension of a lucrative tax credit for companies doing research and experimentation in the United States. Companies that have benefited from this provision include Microsoft Corp., Boeing Co., United Technologies Corp., Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Harley-Davidson. Estimated cost $19 billion.

Sec. 504. Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez litigation. A tax break for Exxon Valdez plaintiffs. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is a supporter. Estimated taxpayer cost = $49 million.

Sec 502. Provisions related to film and television productions. Special tax incentives to attempt to keep film and television productions in the U.S. Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA) is a primary supporter. Estimated cost to the taxpayer = $478 million.

Sec. 325. Extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products; wool research fund; wool duty refunds. Tariff relief for the U.S. worsted wool fabric producers that use imported fibers and yarns, as well as U.S. tailored clothing manufacturers that use imported fabrics as inputs. Supported by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Melissa Bean (D-IL). Cost to the taxpayer = $148 million.

Sec. 309. Extension of economic development credit for American Samoa. A tax credit for certain corporations operating in American Samoa. Estimated cost = $33 million.

And there's more, but you get the idea.

Memo to Washington: When election time rolls around, you campaign for our votes and you ask us to trust you; yet, during what could be a Herbert Hoover moment for our country, you refuse to give us a clean bill that directly addresses only the important issue at hand.

Make no mistake, something must be done to loosen the credit markets but we do not need this porked-up legislation that absolves the guilty while weighing heavily on the backs of the innocent. Simply stated, this is a bad bill. You could have -- should have -- done much better for those you claim to serve.

Don't tell us our economy is crashing, that the entire financial world as we know it is about to come to an end if this bill isn't passed, and then have the audacity to stuff your pork into the folds of a $700 Billion piece of legislation that will burden our children, our grandchildren, and perhaps even our great grandchildren, all the while hoping that we won't notice.

The sad part is, usually we don't.

Nikki

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Give This Video 11 Minutes Before You Vote

A fast moving video that explains how we got into this financial mess, it provides sources and is easy to understand. View it full screen if possible. It was removed from You Tube after 1.2 million hits due to a music copyright claim by Warner Brothers. It has been reposted on You Tube as Version II but who knows if it will be pulled again.

You owe it to yourself to see it while you can.

Give this video 11 minutes of your time before you vote. It could change your mind.

Nikki

A Letter to My Representative

My Representative voted NO on the first bailout bill, and the following is a letter that I emailed to say thanks for the vote, and to offer my suggestions for a common sense solution that I believe will do much to alleviate our current credit crisis without soaking the taxpayer for generations to come.

If you like this solution, please feel free to copy and paste this letter and email it to your representatives and senators.

Nikki

Congressman XXXX,

First, I want to thank you for your NO vote on the House's bailout bill. As I'm sure you know, the amount of money Treasury Secretary Paulson wanted, $700 Billion, would have placed an unbelievable burden on the already over-burdened American taxpayer, both now and for several generations yet to come. And the idea that Paulson wanted sole control over the dispersion of this money was a socialistic ploy that no American could allow to happen. Again, I appreciate your vote and I will remember it when it's time for me to cast mine.

Secondly, while realizing that Main Street will suffer from frozen credit markets and something must be done to remedy this, I would like to put forth the following simple, common sense suggestions, that if implemented, should quickly begin adding liquidity -- at far less expense to the American taxpayer than the unacceptably expensive and socialistic Paulson Plan.

Remove Mark To Market accounting rules on all subprime Tier III bonds and mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down their inventory below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate. This would have an immediate effect of stabilization on failing banks and it would add no cost to the taxpayer. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich estimates this step alone would solve approximately 70% of the liquidity problem.
Provide all subprime bonds and mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance. These government-insured loans would have an instant market all over the world, and thus, create immediate liquidity. Companies receiving this government-backed insurance must comply with all items through #6 below:
Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent into a 6% fixed-rate mortgage.
Roll back all payments (with no late fees or legal costs) into the balance. This would bring homeowners current and give them a chance to keep their homes.
Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or the sale of the property to pay off the loan. In cases of imminent foreclosure or short sale, proceed as the FHA already does, and do not hold the borrower liable for any deficit balance so that the mortgage company will be motivated to work with the borrower while limiting foreclosures. Estimated cost: less than $50 million instead of $700 billion,
Cancel ALL golden parachutes for existing and future CEO's while their companies hold these government-insured bonds and mortgages.
And lastly, remove the capital gains tax in order to stimulate investors into the real estate and stock market in hopes of gaining tax-free profits. This step should create immediate liquidity. And again, it would add no cost to the taxpayers.

The wealthy will benefit, and they should because it will be their money that is stimulating the economy. I believe these steps will enable liquidity to flow into the credit markets while providing the American borrower adequate relief in order to survive this current crisis.

These ideas did not originate with me; rather, they are a collection of good ideas I gathered while listening to many others.

I trust you will give these suggestions your most serious consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Address and Zip Code
Your Email Address

Friday, October 31, 2008

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UN-DO the Obama, Pelosi, Reid damage. Demand REPEAL of ObamaCare! STOP the SPENDING!

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