CONGRESS SHOWS ITS SLICK, OILY UNDERSIDE

Congress is grilling oil execs telling them to come clean about their “excess” profits. How about Congress coming clean? I don’t think there’s detergent strong enough! Dick Durban (D Ill) asked the execs, “Where is the corporate conscience?” Where’s Congress’ conscience is a better question!

At the hearings, Maxine Waters (D CA) got on her high horse about oil companies’ earnings, but she never—nor do other politicians—reveals who is really getting the money boon. She also, by the way, threatened to try to socialize the oil industry. Interesting. Congress should allow oil exploration if it really wants to work on supply and demand. Brazil just found huge reserves off their coast. They're ecstatic!

Sen. Patrick Leahy wanted to be a funny guy with his sarcastic tone as he asked the oil execs their salaries—a question they couldn’t ask him in return.

If you paid around $3.81 a gallon recently, here’s the cost breakdown according to CNN this morning-5/23/08:
$2.79 = crude oil
.38 = refining
.22 = marketing (there’s your oil company, your transporters, your gas stations)
.42 = taxes

Next to the Saudis, Venezuelans, or other crude oil suppliers, notice that it’s OUR GOVERNMENT REAPING THE PROFITS!!!!! Politicians are not interested in helping citizens deal with ever-increasing fuel costs. They love America’s love affair with gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks that don’t have to meet fuel requirements. A gas pump is a cash cow for politicians! Why should we spend our money as we see fit; politicians get our money in taxes to spend as they see fit! Hillary Clinton loves the idea of an “Excess Profits Tax.” Obama says that he doesn't think the oil companies will part with their profits easily. Hmmmmmm

Think about it. What’s an excess profit? The oil companies’ profit percentages are actually lower than other big companies, and while oil execs are richly paid, think about what movie stars earn. Who is to determine where the “too much” line is?

Let’s say these liberal politicians get their excess profits tax. Think about how much of that $.22 a gallon will be considered “excess profit.” You don’t really think the price of gas will go down, do you? But state and federal tax income will go up! Hmmmmmmmm

Who would an “excess” profit tax hurt? Not the oil execs. They have their contracts, and they won’t have to worry. But if you are an investor, have investment savings in a company’s pension plan, have a 401K, a 403B, a Keogh plan, some shares in mutual funds, or any other kind of investment plan, you are the one who is going to be hurt because the government is going to hit you, yet again, where you can’t defend yourself—in your pocket book. Your investment will lose its profitability if the government sets limits on the profits a business may earn. Just about every fund or investment manager has a piece of an oil company. Now you're sharing the profits and loving watching your investments grow; leave it to Congress and they will grab their share of the profits and your investments will falter.

You'll react to the Excess Profits Tax. Chances are you’ll blame the downturn in your investments on the economy, but the truth is the blame is on Congress. Listen to who the big talkers are—like Maxine Waters with her stated socialist agenda—and you’ll find out who is more than anxious to rake you over the coals because they think you’re too dumb to discern the truth.
politics "political+blogs" "Maxine+Waters" Congress Clinton Obama oil gas gasoline "gas+prices" hearings "congressional+hearings" "Dick+Durban" "Patrick+Leahy" socialism socialist Brazil CNN "Excess+Profits+Tax" liberals taxes investments

MORE OBAMA HYPOCRISY--RELIGIOUS & SOCIETAL

After reading about Black Liberation Theology and the Social Gospel and after hearing Obama say that he learned about the Social Gospel from Rev. Jeremiah Wright and that is something he wants to follow, I have to again question Obama's "truthiness."

This is the same guy who is against President Bush's suggestion that faith-based organizations do a very good job delivering social services to the needy? According to Obama, apparently, even when Bush is right (about delivering help to the needy), he's wrong. Duh! This is where Obama should say he agrees with the president. It's no way to prove he can do a good job looking out for the good of the country and the needy in society.
politics Obama politicians "Black+Liberation+Theology" "Social+Gospel" "Jeremiah+Wright" elections primaries Bush

OBAMA IS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY HE KEEPS

One summer when I was a kid and had just moved to a new neighborhood, my parents kept me to an early curfew. Years later, my mother explained that curfew. She didn’t care for my some of new friends. She gave me that old line “You’re known by the company you keep,” and she wanted me as far away from them as possible. Of course I didn’t know her reasoning then, but that fall, I found new friends in my new school and activities.

You ARE known by the company you keep. You wouldn’t be with them if there weren’t some shared attraction and understanding. So it is with Barak Obama. His friends would be people my parents wouldn’t want as my buddies, and they would have me home very early—if they let me out at all.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s ideas are extreme, anti-American, and anti-White. Black Liberation theology, according to Professor Anthony Bradley (Asst. Prof. at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis), states that

• all evil in the world is caused by White racism
• deals with continued victimization of Blacks
• is rooted in Marxism as a means of redistribution of wealth

Barak Obama says that Rev. Wright is a mentor of his. If Obama believes as the Rev. does, will he be a president for all the people in our society, or will he be a president with an agenda to destroy the idea of America envisioned by our founding fathers and the great people who followed them?

You’re known by the company you keep.

William Ayers was a member of the radical Weather Underground that claimed responsibility for a dozen bombings. He went underground after a nail bomb they were constructing in a Greenwich Village townhouse exploded and killed three Weather Underground members. Ayers surrendered to authorities in 1981. He was never prosecuted because of prosecutorial problems while he was being sought. He has never expressed remorse for his actions, and he claims that the bombings were not acts of terrorism. He adopted the child of Weather Underground’s Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert who carried out, with members of the Black Liberation Army, the 1981 Brinks Robbery in the Nanuet Mall and killed two Nyack police officers and a Brinks guard. (BTW, there is a scholarship in Officer Waverly Brown’s name at SV High School where I taught) Today William Ayers feels he is often treated unfairly because of his past.

Barak Obama defended his acquaintance with William Ayers saying that Barak was only eight years old when Ayers committed these acts. I guess Obama’s a “forgive and forget” kind of guy. That might be why he wants to sit down with Cuban leaders; he doesn't remember missles and Cuba. I don’t think my mother would have let me hang around with William Ayers and his wife Bernadette Dohrn. Terrorism, murder, robbery, various other kinds of criminal acts and anti-Americanism weren’t her thing!

You’re known by the company you keep.

Then there’s Tony Rezko, indicted on federal charges in 2006. There’s Rev. Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ’s award to Louis Farrakhan, an anti-White, Anti-Semite activist.

Take these friends and think about the influences on Barak Obama. Take these friends and think about Obama’s lack of judgment in choosing his acquaintances. There is a common thread. They are not people who respect or love America. Michelle Obama has been proud of America only once, and she has no trouble complaining about having to pay back her student loans for her Harvard education. I’ll go with my mother’s wisdom, and I’ll look for my President among those who have served our country and whose children and wife serve our country as well. I’d like to be known by the company I keep.
Obama politics "political+blogs" politicians election "Jeremiah+Wright" "Trinity+United+Church" "presidential+election" "William+Ayers" Ayers "Bernadette+Dorhn" "Brinks+robbery" Weathermen "Weather+Underground" terrorism bombs terrorists Rezko "Michelle+Obama" marxism "Black+Liberation+Theology" "Anthony+Bradley" "Black+Liberation+Army" anti-Americanism

DID YOU KNOW NEW YORK NO LONGER REQUIRES NATIONAL GUARD PROTECTION?

Once again the Democrats are working on ratcheting down our military. Last time they were able to accomplish that was when Bill Clinton “streamlined” the Federal payroll by cutting the military. The result was that our early Iraq warriors were not decently equipped. Now, New York State is cutting use of the National Guard, and the result is that high target areas like Grand Central Station, airports, and subways will no longer be guarded. Our infamous and thankfully former Governor Eliot Spitzer even wanted nuclear power plants to pay for the Guard’s protection—the only installations required to do so—but in that case cool heads prevailed and the legislature turned it down.

Now under our new “I did it too but I got a pass” governor, Patterson, we are getting a bunch of double-speak. Here’s a choice quote from Eric Durr, director of public affairs (you know Durr’s job creates lots of methane gas) for the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, “You might not see the guy at Grand Central Station everyday…but that doesn’t mean you’re alone.” I’d like to know what it does mean.

The new budget for the Division represents a $400 million decrease from last year that Durr assures us isn’t quite as bad as it seems because it represents “federal money for disaster relief stuff, for emergency preparedness stuff, for Homeland Security.” Huh???? I guess the Democratic controlled Congress is really concerned about our safety—NOT.

It all falls into place when you look at the entire Democratic approach to Homeland Security coupled with their salivating appetite for the White House. It’s all about the election. Lull us into the false security we felt prior to 2001.

Juxtapose this Democratic view with the fact that we have not had an attack since 9/11 although the government has foiled plots against us and the terrorists have continued to strike in other countries.

It’s a lot easier to sleep at night if you buy in to the Democrats. The trouble is you might not wake up in the morning.

"New+York" "National+Guard" security "Homeland+Security" Patterson Spitzer Democrats military Clinton airports subways "Grand+Central+Station" government election opinion commentary politics politicians congress

THE DALAI LAMA SPEAKS OF FREEDOM AND PEACE

With all the hoopla about the Olympics in China and the disruptions along the Olympic Flame’s route by protestors on both sides of the Tibet issue, it was interesting this morning to hear the Dalai Lama express his views.

The Dalai Lama said that protests are good—on both sides. It is worse to stifle voices than it is to allow them to be heard. The problem in Tibet stems from taking away Freedom—particularly Freedom of Speech. Freedom is what brings Peace.

Apply those sage ideas to our own situation in the United States. I have heard that same idea in relation to Iraq. I’ve heard it from President Bush even as he is vilified by his opponents for taking that stand. Freedom brings peace. It doesn’t do it overnight, and freedom is certainly not easy to achieve, but Peace is not found without it.

Think about it.

"Dalai+Lama" freedom peace Tibet protests Olympics "Olympic+torch" China "United+States" Bush commentary politics politicians news media "political+blogs" opinion

PORK BARREL SPENDING ROBS TAXPAYERS

Probably bald-faced lying gets me the most, and we have a Congress complaining about pork barrel spending yet refusing to stop bringing home the bacon—at our— taxpayers' expense. The Democrats swooped into office like vultures and, voila, “earmark” spending tripled in 2007. So much for another Democratic Party promise. Not that Republicans act any better. Three of the top five recipients of earmarks are Republicans.

But let’s look at our candidates as a hint to the future:

Hillary Clinton brought to NY a whopping 296 million dollars! Does this make her a good Senator? NOT. But look at her history; she’s used to living off the government.

Barak Obama took a measly 97 million dollars back home!

John McCain came in a distant third. He took nothing back to Arizona. HE NEVER HAS TAKEN HOME A PENNY IN PORK. And he keeps getting re-elected. It points out the truth about us voters: we DO WANT INTEGRITY; we WANT OUR TAX MONEY RESPECTED.

On an interview from Jacksonville, Florida this morning, I heard McCain say he WILL VETO ANY BILL THAT HAS EARMARK SPENDING ATTACHED. That’s a promise I hope he’ll keep.

There are some real CHUTZBAH CANDIDATES:

New York City Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D) secured $1,950,000 for (get this) The Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at CUNY. You just can’t make up this kind of irony !!!!! Public Service?????? Public Theft is more like it.

Maine Senators Snowe (R) and Collins (R) fished a whopping $188,000 out of the sea of taxpayer money for a Lobster Institute. How delicious is that! I think we were the ones caught in a trap.

Despite their public statements, Congress recently shot down, by a big majority, a bill to put a one-year moratorium on earmark spending. This while they complain that the country is about to enter a recession. You just cannot make this stuff up!!!!

"political+blogs" politicians taxes earmarks "pork+barrel" Congress government money "Hillary+Clinton" "Barak+Obama" "John+McCain" Democrats Republicans "Charles+Rangel" Snowe Collins "New+York" Illinois Arizona Maine taxpayers

HOMELAND SECURITY VS ENVIRONMENTALISTS

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff is up against some real loonies in trying to get 670 miles of fence built along the U.S./Mexican border. Weigh this in your scales of justice: maybe habitat---U.S. border security. Environmentalists flood the courts with lawsuits while drug-runners, potential terrorist, illegals, and every other kind of parasitic, bottom feeder blithely scoots into our country.

Thrice before Chertoff suspended environmental regulations to get portions of the job done, and, wattayouknow, no problem!

Consider Chertoff’s simple rational: "Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Chertoff states. "The waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward."

Works for me. I want the border secured!

But leave it to some asinine Democratic (yes, this is definitely a partisan issue) Congressman to say, "Today's waiver represents an extreme abuse of authority," House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said. "Waiver authority should only be used as a last resort."

I’m not sure when “last resort” becomes operative—perhaps after the next 9/11, Congressman Thompson!

And while I am quoting stupid remarks, here’s one from the Audubon Society president, John Flicker (is he for real with that name; we have flickers at our bird feeders regularly): "The DHS decision … will jeopardize the economy, quality of life and beauty of South Texas,"

Economy, quality or life and beauty….Doesn’t he read the papers about what’s happening to areas along the border? What does he expect happens when drug smugglers, people smugglers, and people out to create chaos here come across? I guess he’s like an ostrich with his head in the sand! He should be saying, “The early bird catches the worm!”

I’m not a big fan of the virtual fence, and I’m not a big fan of Chertoff, but in this case, the man has 100% of my support. Let’s get this done!

"Homeland+Security" "Michael+Chertoff" politics Democrats border "border+security" illegals drugs smugglers 9/11 "Audubon+Society" "Bennie+Thompson" Texas Arizona environmentalists