Barack Obama's First Positive Action

There has not been a lot during President Obama's tenure thus far that I have agreed with. OK, so far there has been nothing, until this:

I hate flies. Maybe even more than liberals.

What a Bitch!!!

Brigadier General Michael Walsh was testifying before Senator Barbara Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee when he had the audacity to refer to her as "Ma'am." Oh my goodness. How dare he? Not to worry. Senator Boxer made sure to chastise the general and tell him in no uncertain terms that he should refer to her as "Senator."

If I could say one thing to her at this time it would be, "Get over yourself, bitch!" Sure, it is proper to address her as "Senator," but there is nothing wrong with the way that General Walsh addressed her. The general was following the military protocol of addressing "supposed" superiors as "Sir" or "Ma'am." It in no way diminishes her role as a Senator. I would also remind her that it is people like General Walsh who have fought and died for this country so she could be free to earn that title she worked so hard for.

To General Walsh, all I can say is you are a better man than me (actually, all our military are, but that is another story.) Thank you for your service. The incident also serves to remind me why I do not think that I could have ever made it in the military. Had it been me instead of General Walsh, I might have replied with "Fuck You, Senator!" How is that for addressing you by your proper title?

Related articles by Zemanta

• That's no lady, that's my senator (powerlineblog.com)

I Am a Right Wing Extremist

At least according to Janet Napolitano and the Department of Homeland Security.  In a document released by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to law enforcement agencies warning of a rise in white power militias.  The document went on to define the "right wing extremists" as not just racist hate groups, but also individuals who "are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority" or "may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as abortion or immigration."

While I have no problem with the Department of Homeland Security warning law enforcement about the dangers of "hate groups," there are a lot of everyday Americans that fall under the rest of their definition of "right wing extremists."  Ironically (not) their definition would include any group or person that does not agree with the politics of the current administration.  Let me address how I fall into their definition.

First, I squarely would fall into the group that "reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority."  The tenth ammendment to the Bill of Rights states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohimbited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."  Though I would never personally own a gun, I fully support the Constitutional right for the people to keep and bear arms as promised by the second ammendment.  I guess people like myself, who honor and believe in our Constitution, would classify as "right wing extremists."

They also identify individuals that are dedicated to individual causes such as abortion or immigration as extremists.  Let's see, I think abortion is morally wrong and people should be held responsible for their actions.  Check.  Also, I firmly believe in securing our borders and stemming the tide of illegal immigration.  Check #2.  I guess since I also support the FairTax that would be another check in the extremist category for me.  I wish I could have participated in the Tea Parties that took place across the country today, because all of those that did participate would probably be considered an extremist.

So clearly, I must be a right wing extremist based on the Department of Homeland Security.  I guess I will need to keep an eye out for Big Brother keeping an eye on my activities.

Gay Marriage

Yesterday, the legislature of the state of Vermont overrode a gubernatorial veto of legislation that would allow gay marriage in the state. Vermont became the fourth state in the USA to allow same sex marriages. More importantly, they became the first state to allow the practice through legislative rather than through a court action.

So how do I, a self proclaimed conservative and a former member of a fundamentalist Christian church feel about this turn of events? To be honest, I don't feel strongly one way or the other. I mean, with nearly half of heterosexual marriages ending in divorce, it isn't like we have gotten it entirely right ourselves. Plus, I don't feel like it is going to diminish my own marriage any. With all of the problems in the world, I am all for two people committing to each other out of love.

One of the main reasons I do not have that much of a problem with the state of affairs in Vermont is that it was done through the legislature. The previous states that have allowed gay marriage have done so through the courts. That is where I have had issues with those states. I do not feel it is the place of the courts to legislate from the bench, which is what the California Supreme Court did when they allowed same sex marriages to take place.

On a completely unrelated note, during the last presidential election, there were several liberals who would proclaim that any white person that would not have voted for Barack Obama must be a racist. I was just wondering if I were to proclaim that Barney Frank is a blithering idiot, would that make me a homophobe? I'm just asking.

Glenn Beck vs The Attorney General of Connecticut

What can I say?  I love Glenn Beck.  I am not a fan of any of the bailout plans that have taken place.  I have mixed feelings about the whole AIG bonus affair.  The bottom line is that there was nothing "illegal" done in AIG paying bonuses to executives, many of which were working at a yearly salary of $1, who were trying to help AIG turn things around.

On Beck's television show yesterday, he had Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's Attorney General on as a guest.  Glenn grills Blumenthal on his actions in regards to the AIG bonuses and Chris Dodd.  I love watching him trying to get this hack to just answer a simple yes or no question.

Presidential Address

In a couple hours, our illustrious leader, Barack Obama will address both houses of Congress and the American people.  I still have not decided whether or not I am going to watch it or not.  Right now, I am probably leaning against it.  I have two reasons to not watch, and two reasons to watch.

First, I am really tired tonight and might just want to go to sleep a little earlier than usual.  I had a really bad day at work today.  Traffic to and from work was particularly bad, so I got to work late and got home late.  We also got some "not so good" news in regards to compensation and benefits.  Like a lot of companies, they are cutting back in some areas because of the economy, but at least nobody is losing their job.

Second, I really can not stand to hear the man's voice.  Every time I hear him speak I find myself shouting at the television or radio.  After the day I had today, why would I want to pile more aggravation on top of all that? 

When the election was over and I expressed some of my concerns about where Obama would take the country, my friend UBM tried to assure me that Obama was too smart to govern from the left and would govern from the center.  I wonder if he still feels that way, because there has been nothing in the first five weeks of his presidency that I would even remotely agree with.

For instance, let's take Obama's stance on getting off our addiction to foreign oil.  I am all for doing that, but let's be realistic.  Alternative energy is not anywhere close to being developed enough to provide for all our energy needs.  They need to be explored and developed, but until they are viable, we need to also take advantage of the oil in ANWAR and in the continental shelf.  We also need to explore increasing our use of nuclear power.  Neither of those options seem to fit in with Obama's plan.

About the only compelling reason that I have for staying up to listen to the speech is that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is giving the Republican response to the speech.  Everything that I have heard from him has been impressive.  It would be nice to hear everything for myself instead of just soundbites and commentary through the media, but I really am leaning towards hitting the sack early. 

UPDATE:

In all fairness to President Obama, if there is anybody's voice I can't stand more than his, it would be Nancy Pelosi.  Oh, and Harry Reid pretty much sucks as well.

UPDATE #2:

Like a fool I have been watching it.  Right now it is about 9:45.  Is it just me or does Joe Biden look pissed every time that ignorant bitch Pelosi stands up to applaud? (I actually wanted to use a stronger description of her, but I edited myself.)

A Little Something On The Side

In today's economy, I fully understand the need for somebody to have a part time job.  I have had part time jobs in addition to my full time positions for most of my adult life.  So I do not begrudge Amber Carter of Ohio for having a part time job to supplement her income as a 4th grade teacher.  After all, we all know that teaching is not the most lucrative career.

Ms. Carter's choice of a part time job has gotten her into a little bit of hot water.  Ms. Carter was arrested and charged with prostitution.  In addition, she is accused of using the school's computer to arrange for her "dates," and using a half day of sick leave to go meet her potential client.

In all seriousness though, I do not have a problem with Ms. Carter's alleged part time activities.  I think there are far more serious offenses in the world for the police to use their resources.  In my opinion, as long as the parties are willingly participating in the activity, that it should be regulated and taxed for the safety of those involved.  About the only problem I really have with the Amber Carter case is using the school computer for her activities and letting her part time job interfere with her ability to perform her full time vocation. 

Congratulations Chairman Michael Steel

Congratulations go out to the new Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steel. On the sixth ballot, Steele defeated South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson 91-77 to become the first black chairman of the Republican Party.  I hope that I will run into Chairman Steele in the grocery store again so that I can congratulate him in person. 

Free at Last

OK, with the above headline, and today being the celebration of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. one might think that I was about to give tribute to the late, great Dr. King.  Instead I am talking about President Bush, on his final full day in office, finally commuting the sentences of wrongly convicted US Border Agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos.  A full pardon would have been preferable, but at least these two men will be released from prison in the near future.

Compean and Ramos while performing their duties encountered an illegal alien attempting to smuggle over 700 pounds of marijuana over the Texas/Mexico border.  In their pursuit of this dirtbag, they believed him to be armed and fired their weapons, hitting him in the ass.  The US Attorney gave immunity to the smuggler to testify against Compean and Ramos who were convicted primarily on his testimony.  He has since been arrested and convicted of smuggling more drugs across the border.

There are few causes that have led me to email or write to our elected officials.  This was one that I did feel compelled to write.  Not that it made a difference, but I did send an email to the White House encouraging the President to pardon these two men who were trying to keep our country safe.  Thankfully, Compean and Ramos will soon be able to be with their families again.    

Farewell President Bush

The other thing that happened on Thursday that I wanted to talk about is President George W. Bush's farewell address.  I am not going to make an argument positive or negative as to the Bush presidency.  That is for history to determine.  Putting all politics aside (or as much as possible) I want to focus on his character.

Immediately after 9/11, President Bush had an approval rating of 90%, the highest ever for a president.  Unfortunately, at the end of his term, he also has the lowest approval rating ever for a president.  The question is did he change or did the country change?

After 9/11, Bush became focused on the war on terror.  His goal was to keep this country safe, and he has succeeded.  However, the war on terror has been a long one, and even though he had the overwhelming support of the American people in the beginning, the country and media grew tired of the war and support dwindled.  When the war began in Iraq, I was not in favor of it.  However, once there, the job needed to be completed.  When it would have been politically expedient to end the war, George Bush stuck to the task.

Whether you agree with his politics or his decisions, there is one thing that you have to say about George W. Bush.  Everything he did, he did because he thought it was in the best interest of the country.  He stayed true to his values, regardless of how it affected his approval ratings.  He loves his country, is a true patriot, and, I believe, is an honorable man.  I believe him when he says he wants Barack Obama to succeed as president.  It is because of love of country, not love of party.

Miracle on the Hudson

On Thursday, US Airways Flight 1459 took off from LaGuardia Airport and quickly lost both engines when they collided with a flock of geese.  The pilot quickly developed his plan and performed a daring water landing.  The nation watched on live TV as boats quickly circled the plane and passengers climbed out onto the wings.  Miraculously, everyone survived. 

Much has been written praising the experience and skill of pilot Captain Sully Sullenberger and the performance of his crew.   Rightfully so.  Their performance is worthy of praise and is truly heroic.  I am not going to repeat those praises here.

Instead, I would like to take the opportunity to make another statement.  This is why I don't like to fly!  I know that there are many more pilots like Captain Sullenberger.  I know that the US airway system is the safest in the world.  However, when something goes wrong, it's pretty dramatic.  I guess part of the problem is that I don't feel like I am in control like I do when I am behind the wheel of my car.

Civics Knowledge

I first heard of the American Civic Literacy test on the radio. Then I found a link to the test on The Conservative Cloakroom Blog. There is something about me that always makes me want to see how I stack up against the general population, so I took the test. I did fairly well scoring 84.7% correct. I encourage you to take the test here. Here is a summary of some of the findings of the study:

1. 71% of Americans failed the test and the average score was 49% correct.
2. Most Americans feel colleges should teach America's Heritage
3. College adds little to civic knowledge
4. TV-including TV news-dumbs down America (duh, why do you think they call it the "Boob Tube?"
5. One of the findings that I find particularly disturbing is that elected officials scored lower than the general population.

A Good Sign?

My old friend, David Mills, over at the Undercover Black Man blog has tried to assure me that he believes that Barack Obama is too smart to govern from the far left, despite his record. About a week or so ago, I heard no less a conservative than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich say the same thing on the Sean Hannity radio program. Gingrich has said that if Obama immediately begins trying to govern from the far left, that he could see the Republicans regaining seats in the House and Senate in 2010 and Obama facing a tough re-election campaign in 2012.

In what could be a sign that President elect Obama is serious about reaching across the aisle and developing solutions to the country's problems, he met today with John McCain to discuss ways to work together to fix the problems in Washington. The two men issued a joint statement vowing to work together to reform Washington and end the bitter partisanship that currently exists inside the Beltway. Obama has said that he intends to include a Republican in his cabinet, but aides to both men say there is no cabinet position in the works for McCain.

It is too early to tell what direction Barack Obama intends to take the country. We still have two months before he is sworn into office. Hopefully Newt and UBM are correct and that Obama is too smart to govern from the far left. Hopefully these are positive signs that Obama intends to work with both parties to find solutions. I want to believe this is the case, however, I can't seem to shake the lingering doubts.

Welcome to the USSA

I hope I am wrong, but I can't shake the feeling that we are quickly headed to becoming the United Socialist States of America (if we haven't already gotten there with all of our bailouts). We are on the verge of electing the most liberal senator in the Senate and the least experienced candidate in history to the office of President of the United States. Combine that with Democrat control of the House under Nancy Pelosi and the Senate with Harry Reid and you have the potential for the federal government to grow beyond its already enormous reach.

We have a candidate that believes the Constitution is a flawed document that reflects the fundamental flaw of this country that exists to this day. He also has been quoted that he would not appoint justices to the Supreme Court who adhere to a literal interpretation of the Constitution. Yet we are to believe him when he takes the oath of office and promises to "defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States."

The Democrats believe they know what is best for all of us. Government is the answer to everything. The more we rely on government, the more they control us. The more they control us, the more power they get and the less freedom we have. Our founding fathers deliberately framed the Constitution to limit the power of the federal government. That is why we fought the Revolutionary War for our freedom, to escape an oppressive government and high taxes.

The Republicans have brought this on themselves by abandoning the conservative roots of Ronald Reagan. Though I am registered as a Republican, I don't think of myself as a Republican. I consider myself more of a Libertarian than a Republican, but unfortunately under our current system, there is little chance of a Libertarian having a chance at making a serious run at the Presidency. Until that day, I will remain a registered Republican, because they are closer than the Democrats to my beliefs. Maybe this will be a wake up call to the Republicans to return to the fiscally conservative ways of Ronald Reagan.

Election Day

Well, I did my civic duty and headed to my local polling place and voted. I was running a little late for work this morning, so I drove by about 20 minutes before the polls were set to open. There were people parking two or three blocks away. I knew it would be crowded and a long wait, so I headed to work.

My wife called about 10:15 to tell me she had just finished voting. She said that our polling site was much more organized than in previous years, and it only took her 20 minutes to check in and get to the voting booth.

I left work around 4:30 and made my hour long trek home on the beltway. I got to the polls around 5:30 expecting to have to wait at least an hour to cast my ballot. In the past when I have arrived in the early evening it takes me over an hour to get to the booth. I was very pleasantly surprised to see very few cars in the parking lot. It took me all of 10 minutes to check in, get to the booth, and cast my votes.

My plans for the rest of the evening are to sit here on the couch with a bottle of wine and watch the results roll in. Hopefully, I will be celebrating a victory for my candidate.

How Desperate Do You Have To Be?

In August, I posted about a Malaysian man who tried to enlarge his penis by attaching a metal nut to his penis. Now there is a story about a 29 year old Michigan man who was recently arrested for "receiving sexual favors from a vacuum."

A concerned citizen of Thomas Township in Michigan called police to report that somebody was acting suspicious at a nearby car wash. The officer parked his cruiser away from the car wash and approached on foot, where he caught a man in the act of trying to satisfy himself with a vacuum at the car wash.

My first question would be, "How do you get to the point that you think it is a good idea to try to achieve an orgasm through the use of a vacuum cleaner?" The second would be, "Once you get to the point where you decide it is a good idea to masturbate with a vacuum, why on earth would you do it in a public place instead of the privacy of your own home?"

McCain Suspends Campaign

John McCain announced today that he was temporarily suspending his campaign and would be heading back to Washington to work with the Congress and President Bush to try to help resolve the current economic crisis that the country is facing. McCain has asked Obama to do the same. He has asked his campaign workers to work with the Obama campaign and the Commission of Presidential Debates to delay Friday's first scheduled debate between the two candidates. McCain has also asked the president to call a bipartisan leadership summit, including McCain and Obama, to work on a bill that all sides can agree on. I have yet to hear an "official" response from Obama, but I did hear a report that an Obama "source" said there was no need to delay the debates.

I am not sure how I feel about McCain's suspending his campaign. On the one hand, I do agree with him that there is considerable debate on the current bailout proposals. Members from both sides of the aisle have issues with the current proposals. I also agree with him that it is important that whatever bill passes is one that the next president, regardless of who it turns out to be, can agree to support. There is a financial crisis and something needs to be done, and it is important to get it right.

It is somewhat curious that he made the decision right after the latest polls show that he is down by 9% in some polls. The one thing that keeps coming up about McCain is that he always puts his country ahead of his own needs. People could view this latest move by McCain as another example of that. It can also be seen as another example of John McCain reaching across the aisle to try to build bipartisanship, which has been a hallmark of his career. It could help him in the polls, but it also has the potential to backfire. McCain's decision could turn out to be political genius or it could be political suicide. Only time will tell.

UPDATE:
Barack Obama has come out with his response to McCain's announcement. Obama says that he approached McCain earlier in the day and they agreed to issue a joint statement regarding the proposed package. McCain brought up the subject of suspending the campaigns to which Obama wanted to have the joint statement issued before addressing that subject. McCain then came out with his announcement prior to the joint statement being issued.

Obama has expressed his willingness to be a part of the process of working on a financial proposal, including coming to Washington if it would help. He also wants the debates to also go forward because the next president will have to do more than one thing at a time. I am not sure that I disagree with him on the debates. Also, if the time line as laid out by Obama is accurate, then it casts a shadow on McCain's motives.

There's a Tear in my Beer

There has been just too much bad news lately, so I have been sitting here crying in my beer trying to figure out where things are headed. Do either of the presidential candidates have what it takes to lead the country? I just don't know. I know that Obama scares the hell out of me. I have always admired and liked John McCain, and I liked the pick of Sarah Palin when it was made.

The current administration and Congress with their bailouts of big business are going to cost us taxpayers big time in the end (I feel a little like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.) I was listening to some radio station and Newt Gingrich was on the program. He made a lot of sense on energy and the current financial problems the country is facing. As polarizing as he has been in the past, I wish he were running.

So I just need something to make me feel a little better. So here we go;

I remember in the 90's when Natalie Cole released an album of songs performed by her father, the late, great Nat King Cole. Through technology, she was able to record a duet and music video with her father of his most famous hit "Unforgetable." It rightfully went on to win a Grammy and several other awards.

However, two years prior to that, the son of a legendary country singer (who also died before his time) recorded a duet and music video with his father. Hank Williams, Jr was only four years old when Hank, Sr. passed away at the young age of 29. That songs also went on to win a Grammy and several country music awards. So here is Bocephus with his daddy Hank singing "There's a Tear in my Beer."

Oh, what the hell. Since I am now feeling a little sentimental, here are Nat and Natalie with "Unforgetable."

Obama vs McCain

A mother from Naperville, IL wanted to teach her second grade girl scout troup about the presidential election. So she contacted each of the campaigns to ask for a donation of small items like buttons or stickers that she could give to the girls to learn. If the girls did well, they could earn their "Ms. President" merit badge.

John McCain's campaign responded immediately by sending a box of stickers and signs to the girls. Barack Obama's campaign directed the scout leader to the Barack Obama website where she could purchase any of the items she needed for their project.

After visiting the website, she decided that given their budget, she would try the Obama campaign once more. She explained their situation and expressed how the McCain campaign gave them some items. She was placed on hold, and was told that they could sympathize but that the campaign was up against the machine and could not afford to give things away for free.

With this, the mother emailed What's Your Problem? a consumer advocate column for the Chicago Tribune. The reported contacted the Obama campaign, and was told the original campaign worker "misspoke." They then hand delivered a box of items to the troop.

Just remember this as the Democrats tell you how they care about you and your family and the Republicans only care about Big Business.

Obama is Jesus, Palin is Pontius Pilate

The more the Democrats open their mouths the more I can't stand them. I knew they were pretty high on Barack Obama, but I never knew they thought that he was the Saviour of the World. Yet, on the floor of the House of Representatives, Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) compares Barack Obama to Jesus Christ, and Sarah Palin to Pontius Pilate, the man who killed Jesus.

A couple thoughts. First and foremost is the obvious attack against Sarah Palin. I can't recall a Vice-Presidential Candidate being attacked this much during a campaign. They must really be worried about her. She has re-energized the Republicans, and McCain/Palin are gaining ground or leading Obama/Biden in several polls. Second, the evangelical community, a key base to the Republicans, had not fully embraced McCain, though the selection of Palin helped him some. How much do you think the evangelicals will rally around McCain/Palin when the opposition is being compared to their Messiah?

I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, nor do I agree with a lot of what he says. He is a little too far right for my taste, but I think he summed up the feelings of a lot of folks on this subject:

"I know Jesus Christ. I pray to Jesus Christ all the time," said Limbaugh." I study what Jesus Christ did and said all the time, and let me tell you something, Barack Obama, you are no Jesus Christ."

"I can't find any such references to Jesus promoting infanticide nor do I find any references to Jesus Christ suggesting sex education be taught to 4- and 5-year-olds, but I'm still looking in the New Testament and I'll let you all know if I come up with anything."

I guess when I don't vote for Barack Obama in November, not only will I be a racist (after all, any white man that doesn't vote for Barack must be racist) but I guess I will also be a blasphemer.