You Won. You Own It Now.

Democrats in the House, especially Speaker Nancy Pelosi, gloated at Obama's party last night how the House passed the the $825 billion stimulus package that they were so insistent this country needs. In the wonderful spirit of bipartisanship brotherhood it passed 244-188.

Not a single Republican in the House voted for this package.

Nope, not one.

Some Democrats voted NO as well. At least the ones who want to be re-elected did.

Kudos to Eric Cantor, the Minority Whip in the house for getting this consensus together.

Here is a list of some of the wonderful things this package will pay for in the next decade. And then you and your children, and your grandchildren will be paying it off for the rest of your life.

The other night President Obama came and visited with Republican House members, claiming he wanted to listen and learn from them about the House stimulus proposal. If he did listen, he didn't act on it nor did he learn. His arrogance in leadership is unmatched.

President Obama, you won. Nancy Pelosi, you won as well. Harry Reid, you are on the clock and will win as well.

But now you own this package and everything that comes with it. If it fails, you fail. If it succeeds, you succeed. But your fate is tied directly to this package.

Good luck in the 2010 and 2012 elections, the repercussions could be devastating.

Greg Book Review - Cry Silent Tears - The True Story of the Horrific Childhood of a Mute Little Boy

I don't know how to describe my feelings while reading this book.

Horrified.

Shocked.

Weak.

The need to be physically sick.

This is a book about a young boy, Joe Peters, who lost his father at the age of 5 and went to live with his mother and half-brothers. They abused him physically, mentally, and sexually for over 10 years before Joe finally escaped.

But he never really escaped.

The power of his mother over him led him to believe that one day she would turn around and love him rather than beat him or keep him chained in the basement with little food or water. The scenes of sexual abuse by his brothers and mother's boyfriend, his unwilling involvement with child pornography and prostitution, and the way his mother lied to authorities about his abuse made me literally sick to my stomach and I wanted to retch.

I don't know if Joe every grew out of his abuse but he didn't pass it on when he married and had children of his own. He now fights to give voice to children in situations like his and against the horrors of child pornography. His website can be found here.

Please do everything you can to fight pornography, especially child pornography. It is a vile and perverted lifestyle that demeans and devalues all members of the human family. Please do everything you can to stop and prevent child abuse and domestic violence. No human being deserves to be treated like that and there are options for those that have suffered at the hands of an abuser.

One thumb up for the important and sensitive topic it brings to the forefront and one thumb down as I have never had a book make me feel so down and sick.

Orrin Hatch (R or D? - UT)

Orrin Hatch is very disappointing. Very disappointing as the supposed king of conservative values and a senior Republican in the Senate.

First it was the 'Yes' vote on the first bailout.

Then it was a 'Present' vote on Hillary's nomination for the Sec of State. He did this because his good buddy Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was in the hospital and couldn't vote. Moral Orrin decided that it wouldn't be fair and told reporters that if Teddy was there their votes would cancel out. You think Kennedy would have done that if you weren't there Senator Hatch? No, Orrin, they are not laughing with you, they are laughing at you.

Then came the 'Yes' vote on Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner. You know, the guy who can't, and refuses, to do his own taxes? Orrin ignored my important telephone call last week to vote NO on Geithner. The wrath of Greg will fall upon you now Uncle Orrin.

Today it was a 'Yes' on Eric Holder, the Attorney General nominee. Good bye Second Amendment, hello terrorism. We will now commence becoming a nation of sissies and special interests.

Orrin is rolling over for the Obama administration. Hey Orrin! Bipartisanship goes BOTH ways. It does not mean a Republican crossing the aisle to vote the same as all of the Democrats all of the time, the Democrats have to actually cross the aisle and vote for Republican sponsered ideas as well. John McCain gets that one wrong all of the time. The media will call it bipartisan when the Republican votes with the Democrats but they call it cowardice and treason when the Democrat does.

Go sit on the other side of the aisle Orrin, you have chosen your path. And it will not lead to re-election here in Utah. We want somebody who does what they say and not only in an election year.

Second Amendment Going, Going . . .

Eric Holder is the nominee for the Attorney General of the United States. But Eric Holder would prefer if Americans did not own guns because we all know that law-abiding citizens who have guns are the reason that we have such high crime rates in this country. He is responsible for the approval of the pardons of Mark Rich and other white-collar criminals at the end of President Clinton's second term. He led the night-time raid to remove six-year old Elian Gonzalez from his family in Florida and shipped him back to Cuba in 2000. He also approved the release of 16 members of FALN, an ultra-nationalist Puerto Rican separatist group responsible for over 130 bombings, 5 deaths, and hundreds of injuries.

Holder doesn't want anybody in DC to have handguns and when normal people don't have access to guns, guess who does? Obviously those gang members and criminals will comply with the handgun ban and start to use slingshots or trick gum to hold up people and rob the local 7-11.

Here is what Barack Obama said about guns and people -

"I don't believe people should be able to own guns."

He believes that government grants the right to people to own guns. Well, the Second Amendment protects the rights of citizens to own guns and defend themselves.

Huge difference. There is a good discussion at RedState about this, here is the link.

If a person does not have the freedom of life, the right to own and control property, and the freedom to exercise his conscience then life falls apart. The Constitution defends these rights and the Founding Fathers were well aware of this. Now a former community organizer and self-proclaimed "Constitutional scholar" would like you to give up that right.

Don't do it. Contact your Senator about Eric Holder and ask him/her to vote NO on Holder.

I am all for President Obama succeeding with issues that matter and that I agree with. But I will fight he and his supporters for every inch if they try to impose things on this country and this people that will hurt us and take us away from the principles that this country was founded upon. We won't back down.

Caroline Kennedy is Gone - I Think . . .

Ahh, the tax problem strikes again!

Questions surrounding Caroline Kennedy, her taxes, and her illegal housekeeper (isn't this starting to sound familiar?) were the unofficial reasons cited when Caroline pulled her name out of the Senate race late on Wed night. Now both Gov. Paterson's aides and Kennedy's team are trading accusations claiming each was wrong. Gov Paterson said she was not going to be the pick and that is why she dropped out, Kennedy's aides said that the Gov. had begun press conference preparations to announce her name as the next Senator from the state of New York. Blah, blah, blah. I'm gonna tell Mom if you say that again . . .

Today Gov. Paterson announced a little-known Democrat, Kirsten Gillibrand, as the new Senator to replace Sec of State Hillary Clinton. Democratic insiders have complained that Gillibrand is an unknown and has no experience. Yeah, thinking that Kennedy did. I mean, after all, I think she had been on a couple of school boards. Maybe she was a community organizer at one point . . .

Gillibrand comes into this as an elected official, currently serving in the New York State House. She will have two years in the US Senate before she faces re-election. She is a Democrat (pro gay marriage and pro abortion) but she is pro gun-rights (supported by the NRA) and is against giving illegals a driver's license (unlike her predecessor). She will 99th in seniority in the Senate (Harry Reid has yet to seat Al Franken, the nut, until all the court case has been decided, much to Al's displeasure.).

Call Your Senator

So I called Senators Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch today, my senators from Utah. The girls who answered the phones were very cordial and polite, both said they would pass on my phone message to the Senators.

First time I have done that. I have emailed them before but not called. Kind of cool.

Call your senator and let him/her know that you oppose Tim Geithner for the head of the Treasury Dept. Here are their Washington office numbers and websites -










Sen. Bob Bennett - (202) 224-5444 and website


















Sen Orrin Hatch - (202) 224-5251 and website






I had a buddy of mine contact Sen. Bennett after the election and ask for tickets to the inaugeration. Boom! Sen. Bennett arranged for everything and now has a big fan. My friend is very liberal but he thinks very highly of Sen. Bennett. Kudos to Sen. Bennett!

NO to Geithner - Take Action Now!

The Finance Committee voted 18-5 in affirmative today for Tim Geithner to be the head of the Treasury Department. Now he will move on to full Senate confirmation.

Here are the questions surrounding Tim-

• He didn't pay taxes from 2001 - 2004. That right there should disqualify him from the position, he will the boss of the IRS.
• His employer during that time, the IMF, gave him extra money to pay those taxes and he signed a form acknowledging that the money given to him was for taxes.
• When he was audited he paid the back taxes, plus interest, for 2003 and 2004. But not for 2002 and 2001.
• When President Obama hinted to him that he would like him to serve as Treasury head in November all of the taxes were paid in full.
• During Senate confirmation hearings he claimed that his self-employment taxes were too complicated. He said he forgot about them. He said he was sorry. Best of all, he blamed TurboTax for his mistakes.

This man is head of the New York Federal Reserve bank and high up in the IMF and he uses TurboTax for his taxes? Really? You have to be joking, right? The man who would be head of the IRS didn't pay his taxes for 4 years and acknowledged that he didn't. My son Elias has a better tax record than this guy. Mr. Geithner took money from his employer to pay them and then used it on other things. He is the architect of the first bailout, you know, the one that has worked so well. This is the man that you want handling your money?

Here is a quote from a committee member that voted affirmative for him-

One committee member, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., a former tax commissioner, said in normal times, Geithner's failure to pay his taxes would have led Conrad to oppose the nomination.

"But these are not normal times," Conrad said. He said the economy's not "out of the woods" and touted Geithner's extensive experience at a time when the country needs a treasury secretary imminently.

Unbelievable. Incredible. Do they think we are dumb enough to agree with this?

Time for action, call your Senator. Today. Tell him/her that Timothy Geithner is absolutely unacceptable to be head of the Treasury.

What are we doing accepting this farce?

Baby Beware

What is the first things President Obama did on his first day in office? He rescinded the Mexico City policy which President Bush instituted, which made it illegal for federal funds to be given to international groups that promoted overseas abortions or lobbied pro-life governments to expand or eliminate their abortion limits.

Now your tax dollars can go to organizations, like Planned Parenthood, that encourage and actively participate in abortions.

Shame on you, President Obama. As a father you should know better than this.

Folks, this is what we get when the American people vote for the candidate who had the most liberal voting record (besides his popular present votes on issues he didn't want to take a stand on) in the Senate. More liberal than Hillary. More liberal than Chuck Schumer or Dianne Feinstein, more liberal than Barabara Boxer. He campaigned from the center to a little left of center and on his first day he has gone far left.

It is going to be a 4 year struggle.

Pelosimobile - Order Yours Today!

Take a peek at the future! Brought to you by the $1 trillion plus budget of Nancy Pelosi and friends.

See Silly Jill

Pictured above is Jill Biden, the wife of Vice-President Joe Biden. She and her hubby were guests of Oprah and it was all fun and games, girl talk, fluff between Oprah and Jill while Joe sat looking on.

Until Jill told Oprah about a situation that is a federal crime.

Whoops!

See Jill, silly Jill. See her open her mouth and insert her foot. See her husband shush her loudly, hoping she won't say anything else about it because he has realized what she just revealed. See Oprah and her audience think that the shushing of Jill is cute and they all laugh. Silly Jill.

What did Jill say and then not shut up about?

Jill told Oprah that Barack Obama came to Joe Biden and offered him his choice of serving as the Vice-President or as the Secretary of State. If he turned down the Vice-President's position then he could serve as the Sec of State (take that Hillary! You were at least the SECOND choice). Except that Barack Obama can't offer a cabinet position to somebody until AFTER he is elected per federal law. Here is the law (thanks to RedState.com for this excerpt) -

Whoever, being a candidate, directly or indirectly promises or pledges the appointment, or the use of his influence or support for the appointment of any person to any public or private position or employment, for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

So if it is true, and Biden's spokesperson vehemently denies the situation occured like Jill described it, then the President-elect broke federal law. Doesn't seem to be a problem for many people. Nothing is really being said, we are just basking in the Sun King's glorious inaugaration and reveling in the Audacity of Hype.

Vice President Joe Biden is known for sticking his foot in his mouth (Obama's handlers kept him relatively tame during the campaign) and now his wife has followed in the family footsteps. This time it might land his boss in a federal prison. Let Nancy Pelosi and her friends come after the Bush administration and try to prosecute them after they have left office, I am sure there are many things that the Obama adminstration would not like to have see the light of day. Darn Senate confirmation hearings and Oprah Winfrey show . . .

Looking Through the Television Tube Darkly

If there is one thing that I have learned it is that with any "crisis" that involves the use of federal dollars, there is usually somebody making a killing while the general public is left to suffer or bear the consequences.

Let's take the proposed delay by the Obama White House to move the switch from analog to digital TV back to mid-June.

The FCC controls everything that is utilized in certain frequencies around the nation. TV has come through as an analog signal for decades, this takes up a certain amount of frequency but back in the Clinton years scientists found that if they switched the signal to digital then they could fit it into a much smaller frequency. Which meant the remaining frequencies could be utilized by other technologies. Or companies could buy more shares, or bandwidth, on those frequencies. So the move was made to switch all television signals from analog to digital on Feb. 17, 2009. You have probably seen all of those public service announcements by unknown Congressmen and scientists talking about the switch. The federal government got involved by selling, or giving vouchers, for free converter boxes.

Then they ran out of boxes. Or so they say. This analog/digital switch only affects 9% of American households. Kind of hard to underestimate how many boxes you need for that. So for the sake of making sure that all Americans could watch the propaganda box adequately, the Obama administration is proposing that the switch be delayed for a few months.

What a nice guy! Thinking of all of those hard-working Americans who wouldn't be able to enjoy American Idol, the NCAA basketball tournament, or another life-changing episode of ER.

I say "Baloney" and here is why.

Advising the Obama transition team is one R. Gerard Salemme. He is a big-time donor to Obama and advising President Obama on telecom issues. Well, Mr. Salemme is also the vice president of policy for a company called Clearwater. Clearwater is a partner of Sprint and they help Sprint customers connect to the internet, like through their BlackBerry.

Sprint is launching a 4G network, the latest to help you connect with your Sprint products to the internet. It is much faster and more reliable than the current 3G networking available on most phone products. Sprint, with the help and guidance of Clearwater, is already up and running, ahead of their competition by owning their spectrum of frequency.

Their main competitor, Verizon, also has a 4G network ready to push out to their spectrum of frequency that they have bought from the FCC. But their spectrum will not be available until the switch from analog to digital TV takes place, then their spectrum will be freed up.

So, if you are Mr. R. Gerald Salemme on the Obama transition team advising on telecom issues and you have the opportunity to delay your main competitor's move to 4G (your company, Clearwater, partnered with Sprint, is the only currently available 4G network) , what would your advice to President Obama be? Might it be to delay the transition and give your company 4 more months as the exclusive provider of 4G services?

Could there be a small conflict of interest here?

Hmmm, I thought Barack Obama campaigned on a platform of transparency. So far his picks for Cabinet posts have been awful and surprisingly sophomoric. His party has come down hard on transparency with the rescinding of House rules and the proposed check-card policy. Now this?

Transparency that is opaque, if you ask me. Stop with the false philanthropy, again, and tell the American people why the change in policy. We went through this with Clinton and both Bushes, let's not start anew. Read the article about it here.

Here is a thought - turn off the tube and make this a moot point.

P.S. - Love this image, it and others like it can be found here.

Congressional Budget Woes

So how much has your budget suffered because of the current economic conditions? I have 5 friends that have been laid off in the last week. At work they are talking about cutting welfare programs to the bone or eliminating them all together, having workers take unpaid furloughs, taking away parking, etc.

So the budget cuts have hit Congress too. Right?

Heh. Whatever.

Member Representational Allowance (MPA) are funds allocated to each Congressional office for routine maintenance, salaries, mailing costs, etc. to the tune of about $1.5 million each year. Every year the offices get an increase, between $20,000 and $30,000.

So you would think that this year might be a little different due to economic problems.

Nope. House Democrats have passed an increase of $90,000 to each office. Yes, TRIPLE the amount that is usually given. So that they can respond to increased concerns by their constituents. Or attend the inauguration ball, whichever will be of the most social benefit.

I am cutting costs here and they get a larger than ever budget increase. I am hoping to keep my job and they are releasing the rest of the bailout funds so mismanaged companies like Bank of America can get a second infusion of $25 billion. I am stocking up on my food storage as best I can and they are passing a $1 trillion dollar economic "stimulus" package budget. The first draft of bailout money did nothing for the economy, although it allowed the Bank of America to make sure that their acquisition of Merrill Lynch didn't absolutely sink them. President-elect Obama is now saying changes will take time, don't expect too much too soon. That is not what he said 3 months ago, he was talking up an instantaneous revitalization. Welcome to reality Mr. President.

Let's make Congress earn their new budget. Make sure they hear from you. Often. Even more often than that. Hold them accountable.

In every downturn somebody is profiting. Who would that be? Try the Federal Reserve. They are laughing all the way to the bank. Their bank. And then they go print some more money and laugh some more.

Geithner and Taxes

Did anybody from Obama's transition team do the vetting on the picks for Cabinet members? Or did they do it and just not care because they knew that Republicans in the Senate simply roll over in the name of "making sure the transition is smooth?"

During Senate confirmation hearings today, the nominee for the head of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner (former Clintonite and head of the Federal Reserve, which should be a red flag immediately), admitted to not paying taxes between 2001 and 2004. He also had an illegal housekeeper. He kisses dogs in secret. OK, that last part isn't true but the first two came up during the confirmation hearings.

So what did the Senators do about it?

Nothing.

Zippo.

Zilch.

In fact, Orrin Hatch (R-UT) had this to say -

"I still support him. I have no problem. He's a very, very competent guy."

Incoming White House Liar, err . . . Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on the situation-

"He made a common mistake on his taxes, and was unaware that his part-time housekeeper's work authorization expired for the last three months of her employment. We hope that the Senate will confirm him with strong bipartisan support so that he can begin the important work of the country."

Competent does not miss paying his taxes for 4 years. Competent does not have illegal aliens for work. Oh, the Senate will confirm him with or without Republicans. They are powerless. I am so disappointed in Sen. Hatch, he is again abandoning the principles his constituents (like me!) voted him in for.

When I was in the application process with the Secret Service (SS is under the Treasury) they asked for the last 4 years of my tax returns. Why shouldn't their head be under the same scrutiny. If he is not honest with his taxes, what other things would he feel the need to not be honest with?

Amazing, absolutely amazing.

We go back again to the company President-elect Obama keeps, why are all of them turning out to have some major skeletons? And why are not more people caring?

The Character of President Washington

In the current book that I am reading, the author divides the presidents into 5 different categories and rates them with a score of 1-5 (5 being the highest). I am currently on the character category and have had a passage stick in my mind about one of my heroes, George Washington.

In 1783 when the British forces had surrendered at Yorktown and were leaving New York City, Washington learned of a plotted coup among his senior officers. Being a man who would confront those who opposed him head-on, he called them all together to speak with them and let them know he knew about the conspiracy. He was going to tell them that the actions they were considering were going against the very things that they had fought the war over. Here is what the author, Alvin Stephen Felzenberg, says happened before the speech -

Eyewitnesses recorded that Washington had carried the day even before he delivered his speech. As he fumbled with his papers while putting on his reading glasses, Washington announced that he had "grown not only gray, but almost blind" in the service of his country. Moved by this sight, his underlings shelved their plans.

I stand in awe of the service of this great man - his integrity and character helped form this nation. Where are men and women of like character today? Where are political leaders who have been tested in character and not found wanting? Or are we content with those whose money, and the money of others, have caused them to be persons of influence? Character can only be learned through the constant refinement and continual testing that challenges bring. Let us elect good men and women to the offices of leadership, who are principled and will govern with integrity. Those who have proven that they can be trusted in difficult situations deserve our attention, rather than operatives who are owed favors or who have bought their positions.

Bailout BS - False Philanthropy

President Bush is asking Congress, on behalf of President-elect Barack Obama, to release the final $350 billion of the funds authorized by the bailout last fall. This way, President-elect Obama will have all of the funds at his disposal when he sits down in the Oval Office next Monday, Jan. 20. So he can get right to work. Yep. That is what he is going to do next Monday. Here is his To Do list for Jan 20 -

• 7:00 am eat Cocoa Puffs
• 7:30 am Call powerful Democrats in Congress to apologize pre-emptively for remarks made during inauguration speech.
• 9:00 am Hide Blackberry from Secret Service in Michelle's coat pocket. Now it looks like she is packing heat.
• 11:00 am March in parade - can't I get on a float or something?
• 2:00 pm Inauguration and speech. Hey, isn't that Caroline Kennedy out there in the audience? HI CAROLINE! When is that governor of NY going to come around? Doesn't he understand Illinois politics? I thought the funds were already deposited in the account . . .
• 7:00 pm Kiss Michelle and the girls goodnight. Then log on to Target and Cabela's and proceed to spend the rest of the bailout money.

So what happened to the first half of the funds? How were they spent? What type of an effect did they have on the economy? If we just spend $800 billion in taxpayer dollars, how come Obama's budget is asking for another $1 trillion of taxpayer funds to be spent on stimulus?

So how were the funds distributed? WE DON'T KNOW. They have not been accounted for nor are the companies that received them willing to open their books to show us. TARP has no idea where or how they were spent. But they were spent. Where is the outrage? Here is Larry Summers' (former Clintonite, deposed Harvard president, new Obama Nation Economic Council director) take on how Obama is feeling about the lack of accounting -

"The president-elect also shares the frustration of the American people that we have seen too little effect from this rescue plan on jobs, incomes, and the ability of responsible homeowners to stay in their homes. He believes the American people are right to be angry with the way this plan has been implemented."

False philanthropy, claiming that they are doing it for us and are concerned with the people's welfare, is cruel and wicked. Reminds me of Giddianhi in 3 Nephi 3 (especially verse 5), his only concern is for our well-being. No, it isn't. Spending more and more is not going to get us out of this mess, saving and cutting programs loaded with pork is what is going to help. Cut until we get the level of spending down and we are not spending on the deficit. It just won't work, others are also saying as much. You can't spend the way Obama is proposing out of a recession.

Be careful, Congress and President Obama are going to come back and ask for more, with nothing to show for the first $800 billion. Paulsen had promised that the first half was needed for homeowner mortgage relief but nothing has changed, the money went to big banks, not to the taxpayers. You are not going to see anything from this nor will you see anything in the future from it.

Now is the chance for Republicans in Congress (talking to you Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch!) to step up and say NO. You may not change the fact that it will sail through a Democratic House and Senate but your vote will be counted and noticed by those of us who cherish and love freedom. Your moment of accountability will come.

Sunday School Politics

Discussion in 11 year old Primary Sunday School class yesterday -

Bro. McCabe: Max, will you read part of the First Vision story found in JSH?

Max: (reading) . . . and they are an Obamanation before me . . .

Other Class Participants: Did you just say Obamanation? What does Obama have to do with Joseph Smith?

(in rapid succession)
Others: That is cool!

Others: How did he know that? Why is Obama in the scriptures?

(Quickly trying to intervene before this discussion gets out of hand)
Bro. Nelson and Bro. McCabe: No, it is ABOMINATION, not OBAMANATION. We are not doing politics in this class like we have at Scouts sometimes. Max, keep reading!

Others: I still don't understand why Obama is in the scriptures . . .

The joy of teaching eleven 11 year olds in a Sunday School class!

Fred Thompson and the Economy

Had a friend send me this video on Fred Thompson and economy. Funny, really funny. I will bet NBC will be calling him for a job soon, he explains it so well! How come he wasn't like this on the campaign trail last year? Need to get myself a big rake . . .

Distraction Overload

Things are happening so lightning quick now that average guys like me are having trouble staying up with the dominoes falling at a rapid rate. Events are taking place in the world, primarily in Europe and America, that would lead us to a world government if we are not attentive.

Yesterday, the chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, called for a body at the UN to be formed that would function similar to the Security Council but be for judging the economic policies of governments. French president Nicolas Sarkozy called for state intervention to rescue banks and other financial institutions as well as pump more money in to the economy to stimulate growth. He is urging the United States to join the EU in this effort. This is on the same day that President-Elect Obama gave a speech about how we will all be starving in the streets if we don't pass his economic stimulus package.

This is getting way out of hand and in the name of "saving the people", we are losing our freedoms and sovereignty. We lost a good deal of freedom when President Bush and a Republican Congress played on our fears and in the name of patriotism rammed through the Patriot Act several years ago. Last year we were forced to accept a bailout package for industries that needed to be pruned and weeded of the deadwood. Now we are hearing that we need this stimulus package, plus the $1 trillion budget being pushed by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, or we could all certainly face another Great Depression.

Fear, how powerful is it?

If you don't support this economic package then you don't care about starving children. If you didn't support the Patriot Act you were unpatriotic, wanted the troops to be sacrificed, and hated America. We wrote to our Congressmen and said "Don't vote for the bailout!" and at first they resisted but in the end it passed.

Things are being put up to distract us from the government's takeover of various institutions. It isn't a loan, they now have stakes in the auto and financial industries. States like CA, TX, and NY are coming to Congress with their hat in hand looking for some relief. The steelmakers are looking like they want a bailout. Heck, even the porn industry wants a bailout! The seating of Roland Burris, Caroline Kennedy, Al Franken, the confirmation hearings in the Senate for proposed cabinet members is taking up all of the space in the news next to the "Woe is me" problems with the economy.

Wake up, the government is nationalizing our industries through all of this! They have stakes in everything! Guess who else did this? The Soviet Union. Look how much they lost in terms of freedoms, lives, generations of hope and prosperity.

We can't fall for this rouse, we can't allow ourselves to be herded like cattle into an EU type agreement and become one big happy government. We don't want a common currency, we don't want the "international justice court" to replace the Supreme Court, we don't want Interpol and the U.N. to be our way of order. If we lose sight of the mark then we are lost.

It's time to wake up (thanks to Nephi and Lehi for such good calls in scripture), stand up, organize, and make ourselves effective. Time to put away the gossip of Hollywood, the lure of constant sports and recreation, the counting of each diminishing penny, and get to what is important. The family and its preservation is key, the Constitution needs to be upheld by good people, and people need to become involved with their communities, their countries, their education.

No more distractions, no more excuses. Let's get to work.

Uncle Jay Reviews 2008

A friend sent this to me earlier today, hope you like it.

Asking for Permission

Dear Senator Feinstein,

I would like permission to get my gas at the Maverick station instead of the Chevron station. I realize that by getting gas at Maverick I am not helping the economy as much as buying gas at Chevron because Maverick is cheaper and I won't be pumping more money to stimulate growth and raise the consumer confidence index. However, I wanted to double check with you to make sure it is OK. You blasted me over my pick of Leon Panetta as head of the CIA and for not consulting with you about that pick. Please forgive me, I was only a community organizer and forgot my place. By the way, did you know that Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor? Who needs experience? My experience in the Senate has just been to get there and use it as a platform to launch my presidential campaign so I am not all that familiar with Senate protocol, although I DO know how to vote present for all of the controversial issues on which I do not want to take a stand. Please forgive my ignorance, I promise to do better in the future.

So what do you think about Barbara Streisand for head of the CIA . . .

Sincerely,

President-Elect Barry Hussein Obama

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

The most exciting seating of the Senate and the House in my lifetime will convene today and the spotlight is squarely on the Democratic leadership. Here are some of the story lines to follow -

• Will Harry Reid follow through with his refusal to seat the self-entitled "Magic Man" Roland Burris from Illinois? Burris is stating that we need to forget about all of the problems with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagoevich, he is the legitimate junior senator from Illinois and intends to take his seat. Can Harry Reid prevent him from taking his seat? Will the lawsuit start today and will it automatically go to the Supreme Court as Burris claims it should?
• Hillary Clinton will still be a Senator but it is looking more and more like New York Gov. David Paterson will appoint socialite Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg to the seat if Hillary is confirmed.
• Al Franken to replace Norm Coleman as a Senator from Minnesota? Sec of State didn't certify the win and the court battles will begin soon but it doesn't look to good for Coleman. Chalk one up for the Democrats in MN and let that be a lesson on how to steal an election.
• Joe Biden's replacement will be seated soon but is apparently only a place-holder for Biden's son until he returns from Iraq. Come on Delaware, insist on real representation.
  
• $1 Trillion budget? On the President's desk by inauguration (two weeks)? Can you even read the budget in that amount of time, let alone debate it and get "bipartisan" support?
• Oversight for all of this bailout money, where is it? Sounds like it is being spent on automakers taking out advertisements to thank taxpayers for their generosity and the UAW on their lavish club houses and golf courses. Banks are still giving their CEO's huge year-end bonuses. No accounting yet. Now we are hearing that the steelmakers want a bailout. Kathryn and I are applying for a bailout soon and we are only asking for a paltry $10 million.
• Confirmation of cabinet picks - the one for Leon Panetta as CIA director should be a doozy as several prominent Democrats are stunned by it. When you elect a man with no experience to be your president, shouldn't you expect him to make similar choices? The picks have little experience or they have Clinton experience. I don't know which is worse . . .
  

This is going to be fun so pull up a chair, grab the popcorn, and watch the Democratic leadership sweat and struggle. It is kind of like watching a building implode but sadly it is our national leadership imploding before the Obama presidency even gets off the ground.

Panetta for CIA? Huh?

This is getting too good, I can't believe that the American people are going to swallow this and not flinch. Leon Panetta, Clinton's former head of the Office of Management and Budget and chief of staff, is now going to be named as the head of the CIA per Barack Obama.

Obviously.

What, Mr. Snuffaloupogous not available? I mean, he is as obvious a choice as Leon Panetta. They both have the same intelligence community experience.

Here we go again. Another Clintonite working in the White House with Barack Obama. Who is next? Betty Currie as White House spokesman? (oh wait, she already DOES work for Barack Obama as part of the transition team), Lanny Davis as White House chaplain? Monica Lewinsky as head White House steward or maybe to replace Hillary as Sec of State once her "pay-for-play" problem clears her out? This is a change, but only a change back to the way it was, no hope to believe in. This is not starting out on the right foot for President-elect Obama.

You can't tell me Al Gore will not find some way to weasel in on this, he has got to be thinking "What did I do wrong to not be invited to the party?"

How To Steal An Election 101

Amazing, incredible, outrageous - these are the only words that I can find to describe what is happening in the Minnesota election race between the incumbent Norm Coleman (R-MN) and the challenger Al Franken (bad SNL actor of Stuart Smalley, author of Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot, host of radio talk show on failed liberal Air America channel). I have been following this since Coleman's close victory in November and knew that something was going happen because a Democrat could not lose another close race when it came to recounts. Remember Al Gore in Florida in 2000? Remember John Kerry in Ohio in 2004? Yes, men like George Soros and the leaders of the DNC would not let this happen again.

When the race turned out to be closer than anticipated and Coleman won by only several hundred votes, Al Gore, I mean Franken, started in with the recounts. In his corner is Democratic Sec of State Mark Ritchie and together they have mysteriously found lots of votes for Franken but hardly any gains for Coleman. The state Canvassing Board has been inconsistent with the way they are counting votes (sound familiar) and now Franken is coming to the opening session of the Senate tomorrow with a lead of 225 votes. They have done this by counting votes in counties where Franken led and were heavily Democratic and not counting or rejecting results from Coleman or Republican counties. There have been questions about duplicate ballots, where more ballots were cast than registered voters in the county, etc. Nobody from the RNC has stood up and demanded fairness. Now that he has the lead, he wants the recounts to immediately cease and demands that he be seated as a Senator from MN. Chucky Schumer (D-NY) agrees wholeheartedly and I am willing to bet Harry Reid will be happy to swear him in although the recount isn't finished and the lawsuits are only beginning.

What are the people of Minnesota thinking? First it was Jesse 'The Body' Ventura as their governor and now Stuart Smalley as a Senator. Amazing, absolutely amazing. Where is the RNC in all of this? Where is the liberal media in an outrage? They must be too busy condemning Israel, fawning over the inauguration, covering 'The Magic Man' Roland Burris in Illinois, or writing important pieces on NFL playoffs and whether Brittany is really getting back together with Kevin. All Americans need to be concerned about the process taking place in MN and I hope, in vain perhaps, that a special prosecutor will be appointed to take a look into this mess.

Here is a good WSJ article on the shenanigans and the rush to seat a Senator is who in every way illegitimate and tainted. "I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me enough to help me cheat my way to the Senate."

Holy Bolsheviks, Batman!

Dmitri Medvedev might be getting tired of playing Robin to Vladimir Putin's Batman. Here is the real situation in Russia - Vladimir Putin used to be the president of Russia but ran up against term limits that forced him out of office. Several times last year he floated the idea of changing the Russian constitution to lengthen or abolish term limits but too many saw right through his attempts at a Hugo Chavez-like "president-for-life" attempt and they were thwarted. So, what does he do? Appoints a puppet as the next president and makes himself prime-minister. He put in a little-known toadie, Dmitri Medvedev, and now acts as the marionette behind the scenes.

Until recently, when Medvedev has shown a bit of an independent streak.

During a television interview recently, Medvedev said this -

“The final responsibility for what happens in the country and for the important decisions taken would rest on my shoulders alone and I would not be able to share this responsibility with anyone."

Now, that is not what the puppet is supposed to sound like. Everybody knows, but nobody expresses outloud, that Vladimir Putin, the ex-KGB head, is still in charge. When he speaks, most in Russia listen. But President Medvedev is starting to assert himself in a way that has both sides saying that they are uncomfortable.

Don't be surprised to see President Medvedev have an unfortunate accident, a difficult personal situation, be caught in a scandal, or fall back on Putin's direction during the next year. Putin is going to have it his way and only his way. Communism never died, as Joel Skousen says, it only went underground. Having lived there for several years (mission and non-mission), I can attest to that fact. Here is a good article on the situation. Right now, Russia is trying to deal with that rebel Ukraine and the natural gas situation, have to get them back in line first. . .

Rod and Billy - The Company You Keep

So President-elect Obama is having to deal with another problem where somebody connected to him is being accused of receiving improper benefits , or "pay-to-play." This time it is former New Mexico Gov and former Clinton UN ambassador/Energy secretary Bill Richardson, Obama's nomination for Commerce secretary. It seems as if Gov. Richardson received some sizable campaign donations ($110,000) from a California company, CDR, that won several transportation contracts with the state of New Mexico during that time. CDR was paid nearly $1.5 million for their work in New Mexico in 2004-2005. Prosecutors have found enough evidence that these campaign contributions are tied to the contracts that they have convened a grand jury to investigate further.

As a result of the investigation and in order to allow the administration to get started on the right foot (read: not bog it down with another scandal before Barack Obama even makes it to the inaugeration), Bill Richardson has graciously withdrawn his name from the process and will not be confirmed by the Senate. Thanks Bill, that was swell of you. When did you decide to do this? When it appeared that an indictment is imminent? When somebody from the incoming administration saw that this was a disaster that they couldn't spin away? Another reason, Bill?

So, we have several people of questionable character associated with the incoming Obama administration and the President-elect has held up his hands in innocence, claiming he is in the dark with these things. Really? You didn't vet Bill Richardson before you nominated him for Commerce? Is that why Al Gore and John Edwards don't have a place in the administration yet? Heck, everybody else from the Clinton years has seemed to find a home.

Bill Richardson, Rod Blagojevich, Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Greg Craig, Larry Summers, Rahm Emmanuel, Timothy Geithner, and Tom Dashcle - all questionable and shady characters with shadows in the closet that most people don't want to touch. You are claiming innocence with all of their skeletons? Hmmm, might say something about the company our President-elect is keeping.

Initial Post

In order to preserve the family blog for family matters, I have started this blog to post things I find important to preserving the freedom and liberty fought for and defended by so many who came before me. These are my personal views and don't reflect the views of all my family members, the church I belong to, the company I work for, nor the political party I affiliate with. My New Year's resolution is to post here 3 times a week as well as to ensure that family activities are posted on the family blog 3 times a week. I also resolve to make my posts shorter and more readable, diarrhea of the mouth is a tremendous fault of mine. I hope that you enjoy these posting and that they will educate and uplift you, that they will help you understand one of the many points of view. Please feel free to comment or ask questions, communication is vital to help us all raise our standards.