Category Archives: Right vs. Left

Living the numbers…

Youth-UnemploymentRichard Clark, owner of Supreme Janitorial Services in Jacksonville was speaking on one of the weekend news programs Saturday, and described his company as the “proverbial poster child” for the impending disaster that is “Obamacare”. A typical small business owner about to be pummeled by the mandates, taxes and fines of the “Affordable” Care Act, was very candid about not being able to hire full-time workers because of the staggering costs associated with the President’s signature law. He went on to say the recent implementation “delay” was nothing more than a political stunt, fueling the uncertainty which any economist worth his paycheck would tell you is kryptonite to small business.

I watched that segment while digesting some of the jobs and growth data which came out at the end of the week, and I was struck by a couple of ironies. The unemployment rate remains a reflection of how the numbers are calculated, persistent “underemployment”, and a critically high youth unemployment number of about 16 percent. Moreover, those same numbers continue to drive the market as the “Fed stimulus” lives or dies by any fluctuation. Make no mistake, our economy is a shadow of its former being, sputtering on fumes in the tank of ideological foolishness. The notion that it is somehow showing “resilience” is unrealistic and a fools play to be sure. Repeal “Obamacare” now, and unchain our nations free market economy so “We the People” may have real recovery! This classroom experiment has failed…

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“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

Paula Deen

Paula Deen

It’s hard to get past today’s headlines and not ask when will the sins of a nation be forgiven. Factually speaking, “We the People” of the United States have done more to address the injustice of racism while promoting human equality than any nation in recorded history. I think no law passed however, or political will imposed, can take the place of a moral and decent upbringing free of learned prejudices. With that said, it does appear there are those who would continue to promote superficial and manufactured differences instead of the simple humanity which unites every one of us, all while fanning the flames of division for their own selfish interests.

I am not a huge Paula Deen fan per se. I do love her southern cooking style though, and have downloaded a few of her recipes in the past. (Warning – If you have an aversion to such cooking or high cholesterol, then turn the channel or quit whining.) What I can tell you is that by all appearances Deen is a self-made woman who for the last 25 + years has come from the bonds of poverty as a single mom, and achieved the American dream by way of hard work and sacrifice, (something I suspect really irks some Liberal dependency advocates out there). So when I heard of her recent trials, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Then I did my homework on the issue and there it was, that sickening and politically correct hypocrisy which is crippling our country today. Now let me understand this. Instead of lying (as so many do), a sixty something southern woman told the truth in a court deposition, acknowledging some controversial words said many years ago and in a very different time, and we must now punish her for those words? As another consequence, the bandwagon bumpkins at Wal-Mart, Target and The Food Network have all dropped their proverbial drawers, as well as sponsorships and associated Paula Deen product lines because of the flap. Really? Well I’d certainly like to get those CEO’s under oath and ask them some similar questions, the bunch of lying hypocrites. When I analyze this insanity, and throw in the intentionally hateful, sexist and racially charged comments made by fools like Bill Maher, Jamie fox and so many other Left Wing lunatics, the glaring hypocrisy seems as thick as one of Deen’s meatloaf burgers. Layer on some inflammatory “special sauce” from the Zimmerman murder trial, which has already morphed into a matter of race and only race, and my earlier question keeps coming back. When do we move past the self-imposed and politically generated filters, and who has the intestinal fortitude to take us there?

Look, I’m not suggesting that racism and hate do not exist so long as we ignore them. To the contrary, we must battle mightily and continually against the purveyors of division. But we must do this in our homes and churches first, by continuing to reinforce the fundamental maxim that “all men are created equal”, and not by inventing ways to destroy others so they may answer for our own sin…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Civil Rights, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Home and Family, Judiciary, Political Correctness, Politics, Race, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic, Women's Issues | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

POTUS knows best…

062213_JER_Obama_640The science of “climate change” is debatable at best, and while curbing pollution should be an objective of any civilized nation, it mustn’t come solely at the expense of the economic stability necessary to pay for it. I am not writing today to debate President Obama’s assumptions about global warming, but to condemn his use of personal ideology to “dictate” policy in spite of our Constitutional Republic. This Commander-in-Chief has set new benchmarks for side-stepping the process of a free government in order to promote and enact that which (he believes) is ultimately necessary. This is the height of elitism and Socialist expression.

History clearly demonstrates that when politics trump the best interest of “We the People”, no good ever comes of it for “We the People”. Now I’m not suggesting an economic approach devoid of the regulation necessary to ensure the fundamental public health and safety, but rather one enabled by “common sense” application of those regulations which does not unduly handicap the industry and companies creating jobs and producing products we need and use every day. The goal of a world without fossil fuel is unachievable inside a period of time acceptable in “quality of life” terms, and it turns out, wholly unnecessary. These goals can be addressed in a far more realistic and generational manner, while ensuring economic and international stability throughout the process. In the end, one man’s selfish quest for ideological glory must not come at the expense of our representative government and the “unfiltered” will of its people.

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Divisive is as divisive does…

Presidents should wear straight T's. Just sayin'...

Presidents should wear straight T’s. Just sayin’…

Once again the Commander-in-Chief has chosen to denigrate his own country while “campaigning” abroad. Judging by the crowd at the Brandenburg Gate, it has done little to stop the slide of his once rock-star persona. As with many Progressive thinkers, the President attempts to twist and contort freedom into something which divides instead of empowers, this time pitting certain schools and educational (choices) against the Constitution. This from the POTUS who has arguably done more to promote class warfare and division than any before him. He even harkened back to the Civil War and the lasting pain of slavery, leaving out of course, the far shorter road to equality and human justice as its legacy, and as opposed to much of the rest of the world for thousands of years before.

A president’s second term is always a window into his true beliefs, as his focus shifts to legacy instead of re-election. This president is no different, and I would argue less ambiguous than his predecessors. His disdain for America, combined with an alternative albeit inaccurate view of its history, helps paint the picture of a bitter and uncompromising ideologue, reluctant at best to engage in any debate which might contradict his interpretations, a regrettable outcome to a Presidency sold as “Hope and Change”. Moreover, his continuing desire to promote his viewpoint on the “other side of the pond” leaves little doubt of his intent to rally sympathetic forces outside the homeland. Thankfully, and as appears to be the case here in the States, his influence has waned under the righteous stress of truth and reason.

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The Definition of Success…

BernankeandobamaLooking at some fresh numbers today, and as always I’m a little confused by the “Lame Stream Media” portrayal of our current economic posture. For starters, nearly 23 million households and 48 million individuals partake of the “Snap” (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Now these numbers in and of themselves expose the Obama Administration’s  claims of any “recovery” for what they are, carefully contrived deception (with the help of a complicit media), designed to instill a false sense of progress. I also looked at some video from the past week and heard even a few “Conservative” economists characterizing 175,000 jobs created as a “moderate” pace. Now putting aside the fact that number will likely be revised down in the coming week, the reality is that about 200,000 is more traditionally “moderate” in terms of job creation, with 300,000 a sign of true momentum.  I’m simply having a hard time understanding why we continue to revise reality for the sake of this Administrations’ efforts.

The hard truth is our economy remains a shell of its former being. Housing numbers are driven by unsustainable Fed rates propped up by monopoly money, with the DJIA hanging precariously on Bernanke’s every syllable. Companies large and small continue to hire part-time to offset the impending cost of Obamacare and crippling regulation. The class warfare gap has never been wider with more and more people receiving some form of government assistance. Local governments are literally going bankrupt, an unthinkable occurrence one never would have imagined in this country. And most regrettable, our focus is now compromised by the myriad of scandals plaguing President Obama’s second term. This is always what happens when we substitute flawed ideology in place of “truth and reason”.

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Ten Gallon Tax Expert…

Jim Hightower

I try and stay away from most Facebook debates as they tend to morph into ideological wars, leaving behind any productive and factual exchange of ideas. But recently I was compelled to investigate a post comment by a clearly Liberal individual regarding the IRS scandal, and how he felt these “Right Wing Groups” somehow got what they deserved. He cited an article by stalwart progressive Jim Hightower concerning what “he” believed was illegitimate application of the 501 (c) (4) tax status. Moving past the obvious bias of the author, I did read the article and was somewhat amused by it. Hightower refers to the many abuses of the C3 and C4 as if “Rush Limbaugh” wrote the classifications into the tax code himself. His continual references to “whining and notorious” political players like Rove and the Koch brothers made it clear there would be little substance contained in the rest of the article. Nevertheless, I read on and then decided to do a little of my own homework. Here’s what I discovered.

For starters, let’s look at the obvious. The U.S. Tax Code reads like a Bernie Madoff manifesto. Generations of smooth talking politicians and bureaucrats have manipulated the Constitutional basis for taxation, (the 16th Amendment etc…), into what in many ways resembles something which should be investigated under the organized crime statutes. In any event, after hours of perusing this categorized collection of fiscal injustice imposed upon a complacent citizenry over the last couple of hundred years, I narrowed my search and found a PDF file, readily available through our POTUS’s personal information gathering company, “Google”, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicm95.pdf which basically tells us everything we need to know. There you will find fairly easy to understand criteria which one would have to meet in order to qualify for the exemption. Hey, what do you know? It appears the witnesses who testified freely before “The Ways and Means Committee” last week, and their respective initiatives, seem to fit right into those categories rather nicely, despite what some would have you believe.

irsoverhaul12Inevitably there will always be those (on both sides) of the political argument who misuse or misrepresent the tax code. Having said that, the notion or implication that these mostly “Average Joe” or “Tea Party Types” are somehow assaulting the American Taxpayer by seeking a particular exemption, is just another example of Liberals using, “the best defense is a good offense” strategy that they use quite often as a means to navigate around the facts. Moreover, when one looks closely at the number of organizations joining Mr. Rove’s on any list receiving the aforementioned exemption(s), one finds the ACLU, NAACP, AARP, DLA, The Humane Society, The “Colbert” Super Pac, and so on and so on…

All I’m trying to say here is that this is clearly a two-way street. But some folks and their efforts were certainly scrutinized far beyond what is acceptable, and in some cases what was legal. The fact that some fool doesn’t like the “Tea Party” or what they stand for should mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I think the “Coalition to Stop Gun violence” is a sham which regularly spreads inaccurate data to further an un-Constitutional agenda. However, until the tax code says differently, they will continue to receive tax exempt status in compliance with the letter of the law. And one more thing, what do you think my “Facebook commenter” and Mr. Hightower would say if the IRS started asking the folks over at the AARP or Planned Parenthood how many times a week they pray or don’t pray, or if they planned on participating in any illegal protests in the near future. Answer that with a straight face…

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End-run around Congress???

Kathleen-SebeliusIt should come as no surprise that funding for the “Affordable” Care Act simply doesn’t exist in real money. So notwithstanding what we know to be the Administrations true desire for a “single payer” system of healthcare, it now appears HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is strong-arming health care execs for cash ahead of the official 2014 roll-out of all the budget busting parts of “Obamacare”.

As we watch the IRS scandal unfold before our eyes, and we hear the likes of Eric Holder attempt to explain away lying to Congress and breaking the laws he’s supposed to enforce, and as the truth of Benghazi ebbs and flows like blood through the cracks of an al-Qaeda prison cell floor, this latest departure from ethical government leaves me to contemplate the words of our President back in 2009. “I will also hold myself as president to a new standard of openness …. Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.” – President Barack Obama 

What a complete and total crock!

I ask the Left, as well as the media sycophants who unbelievably continue to turn a blind eye to the obvious, are you comfortable with this? Is this your idea of our children’s America? Is this your answer to the dreaded George Bush? Shame on you, all of you…

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Priorities…

Christie-ObamaJosh Lederman of the Associated Press writes in today’s Providence Journal on how Republicans may be conceding a place for Obama big government, albeit reluctantly. However the article seems more a swipe at Republican Governors like Fallin and Christie as they appear to embrace the POTUS in their time of need, and almost implies Mr. Obama may have written the checks himself. There are references to the “Affordable” Care Act and how other so-called Conservatives are warming to parts of the bloated law as a means to bolster their own state coffers, but you get my drift. I would suggest another angle (reason) however, for the perceived change of heart.

Notwithstanding some Republican’s lack of skeletal structure when it comes to staring down our less than thrifty Commander-in-Chief, the simple fact is we’ve spent most of our money in all the wrong places, and unwisely in others to be sure. Generations of targeted and un-Constitutional entitlement spending, complicated more recently by two wars our government won’t let us win, have finally caught up with Washington, making necessary and wholly appropriate spending like disaster relief and infrastructure repair seem like gifts to be begged for. Moreover, the President of the United States jets in and out of these wounded states at a cost of about $200,000.00 per hour, and is seen as a hero for giving the folks their own money back.

Regrettably, most Republicans are far too concerned with re-election to stand for a re-prioritizing, or “re-Constitutionalizing” if you will, of our federal budget. “We the People” are therefore left to wonder, “What is the role of federal government in time of crisis, and how long will it be before we are simply left to our fate for lack of funds?”

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Who is Joe Biden???

US-VOTE-2012-DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN

Do you know this man?

For this “40 something” there is an element of surprise at the lack of outrage over the recent scandals plaguing the Obama Administration, though I would point to a recent Quinnipiac poll showing the President’s job approval numbers finally taking a hit. That said, I can’t help but wonder how we go forward when so many people seem unconcerned with matters that will surely impact them in the short-term and their children in the not so long-term.

As a research outlet, I watch most of the news and commentary shows, (with the exception of “Hardball”). Matthew’s analysis lacks even a shred of objectivity, and his unbridled affection for the Commander-in-Chief borders on “sketchy”. FOX’s O’Reilly on the other hand mixes it up a bit. I especially love it when he sends out roving crews to ask basic civics questions of the American Electorate. Now these forays are interesting and even entertaining at times, but they’ve become more troubling recently. As an example, I think it’s fair to say when your average “20/30 something” has no clue who the VP is, especially considering the infamous gaffe-master in waiting Joe Biden, then “We the People” are a little more than just “disengaged”. Moreover, when the average American is unaware of a terrorist attack that took the lives of four brave Americans on foreign soil, including an American Ambassador, it’s downright sad.

It is clear the IRS, Benghazi and Holder scandals are the stuff which break Presidential Administrations and erode the confidence of a people in their government. But what of the current time and a President twice elected more on the basis of his skin color than qualifications? What of a national posture of historical revisionism and/or indifference for the sake of political correctness and diminished accountability? And what of a country which sets aside storied values and principles that have undoubtedly changed the world for the better, and chooses a road of dependency instead? Look, I’m not suggesting “We the People” are done just yet. But in the absence of the “Greatest Generation” who are fast passing into history themselves, the task of resurrecting out of our current situation, that spirit which won “the great wars”, inspired economic revolution, and served as beacon of liberty and opportunity to millions around the globe seems daunting at best. To be sure, time is certainly not on our side, and our enemies know this…

 

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Indifference on a Presidential scale…

Barack ObamaListening to the same tired talking points from the POTUS yesterday was as it always is for me, nauseating. Not surprisingly, there was the all too familiar elitist condescension as his remarks dripped with disdain for his critics and political opponents. What was striking this time, was that even in the face of a legacy which will most certainly be bracketed by unprecedented acts of corruption and ideological warfare, the President of (our) United States seemed indifferent, unapologetic, and even arrogant. Nevertheless, his inexperience and non-negotiable style have cost the President in terms of how he is perceived here and abroad, and have handicapped this nation’s overall standing as well as the future potential of its posterity.

In his remarks I did not hear a President humbled by the raging scandals playing out on his watch. I did not hear a leader accepting a stitch of responsibility for the actions and tone of his Administration during these crises. I did not hear a man willing work with Congress for the betterment of “We the People” and/or to resolve the critical issues of our time, but rather I heard a headstrong ideologue anxious to press a bad position no matter the cost, and willing to re-write the pages of history as it happens to reflect his version, to change the truth if you will, in order to fit the narrative of a failed agenda.

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