Susan Sarandon Threatens to Move if McCain Wins

Susan Sarandon has threatened to move to Italy or Canada if John McCain wins the election this fall.  She adds, “It’s a critical time, but I have faith in the American people.”

I don’t frankly care if Ms Sarandon moves, but wasn’t she the one who threatened to move if George W Bush won the election?  If so, when did she come back…and why?

 

Lieberman-Warner Cap-and-Trade Bill

Next week, the Senate will vote on the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade climate control bill. The proposed statute is a nightmare that would devastate our economy. The Wall Street Journal calls it “the most extensive government reorganization of the American economy since the 1930s.”

The EPA estimates that by 2030 it will reduce GDP by 0.9% to 3.8%, and that is based on assumptions that appear hopelessly optimistic. Even the EPA’s assumptions contemplate an additional increase of 44% in the cost of electricity over what would occur without Lieberman-Warner.

There are opponents on the other side that claims the bill doesn’t go far enough.  They claim that industrial polluters are being given too many credits in this bill.

Some of us believe that there is compelling evidence that, while we all want to keep the planet clean and healthy, man is not the source of global warming.

There should be more debate on this issue before we turn our economy upside down to pursue a policy that attempts to fix a problem that isn’t there.

On John F Kennedy’s Birthday

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

                 -John F Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

 These words still serve to amaze and inspire me.  They could be said as easily today as in 1961—and probably should be!

  

JFK was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917.  He would have been 91 today. 

Maxine Waters Wants Government Take Over of Oil Companies

In her response to the President of Shell Oil’s charge that oil prices will go even higher if the government does not allow more domestic exploration and drilling, California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters states (and I quote) that “this liberal will be all about socializing … uh uh … would be about … basically … taking over … and the government running all of your companies.”

Ms Waters realized too late that she had uttered the true cause of herself and many others on the far left…socialize.  So now, we can safely refer to that group as the socialists they truly are.

That liberals thoughts and opinions are her right.  Our rights are to fight them at every turn.  She and those like her are a clear and present danger to the American way of life and to our Constitution.

For an elected member of Congress to act as she has is shameful.  I am embarrassed for the thousands of Americans in the district she represents.  She brings shame on them, on the state of California and on the U.S. Congress.  She should be replaced at the ballot box this fall.

Muslim Women Claim Religious Discrimination Over Uniform Policy

Six Somali women allege they were fired by a Minnesota tortilla factory for refusing to wear uniforms that they say were immodest by Islamic standards.  The women claim they were ordered to wear pants and shirts to work instead of their traditional Islamic clothing of loose-fitting skirts and scarves.

The group is being represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the women have filed a religious discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  CAIR has issued a press release calling on Mission Foods to reinstate the women in their jobs.

Gruma Corporation, which is the Texas-based parent company of Mission Foods, released a statement denying that any employees were terminated or disciplined at the plant, but made it clear that the women have been relieved of their responsibilities for the time being and may lose their jobs if they will not wear uniforms per company policy.  The statement went on to say that “these positions need to be filled as soon as possible and cannot be held indefinitely.”

CAIR is an organization that has ties to HAMAS and has regularly used our own legal system to force American corporations, organizations, and individuals to give up their policies, beliefs or methods of operation to force Islamic religious beliefs into the American mainstream.

In this case, Mission Foods has a uniform policy which is their right.  There is nothing forcing these women to work there if they object to wearing the uniform.  That is their right.

We, as patriots, should support Mission Foods in this case and urge Gruma Corporation to stand strong against this attack on American ideals and American way of life. 

 

 

Democrat Party Energy Plan

The Democratic Party’s energy plan is becoming evident.  It starts with backing every guideline set forth by those who are supporting the man-made global warming theory.  It is followed by blocking any attempts to find, drill for, extract and/or refine any oil that might be available within the United States or just off our shores.  The same can be said for mining coal or building nuclear power plants.  All of these are in the name of the ecology.  The third step which involves taxing corporations, especially big oil, with a windfall profits tax.  The fourth step is to subsidize the corn ethynol industry and force its use on the nation, even though the product doesn’t quite work very well and it has this nasty side-effect of burning up the nation’s food supply.  The last step, which has just passed the House of Representatives, it to sue OPEC in court.

What are these people thinking?!

None of these steps produces ANY energy, nor do they make our country less reliant on other nations for our energy needs.  Nor is that the desire of the Democratic Party.  I can’t tell what their desires are, beyond raising taxes and following the every-demand of their eco-lobbies…even at the expense of national security and we the people. 

Hey, it’s an election year!

President Bush’s Speach Causes Firestorm

President Bush set off a firestorm of political comments during a speech in Jerusalem yesterday, during his weeklong Middle East visit.  In a speech to Israel’s Knesset marking the 60th anniversary of that country’s independence, Bush said,

 

 

“Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.  We have heard this foolish delusion before.  As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”

 

 

 

Democrats and the mainstream media appeared to take this as a direct attack on Barrack Obama.  Senator Obama issued this statement: “George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the president’s extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel,”

 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, calling Bush “the engineer of the worst foreign policy in our nation’s history,” called the statement a “reckless and reprehensible round.”

 

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. said Bush’s remarks were “bullshit, … malarkey. This is outrageous, for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, to sit in the Knesset … and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Bush and called on McCain to distance himself from the president’s remarks.  “We have a protocol, sort of a custom, informally around here that we don’t criticize the president when he is on foreign soil.  One would think that that would apply to the president that he would not criticize Americans when he is on foreign soil,” said Pelosi.

 

And Rep. Rahm Emanuel, issued a statement noting that traditionally, “when a U.S. president is overseas, partisan politics stops at the water’s edge. President Bush has now taken that principle and turned it on its head: For this White House, partisan politics now begins at the water’s edge, no matter the seriousness and gravity of the occasion.   Does the president have no shame?”

 

Noting that “many” have suggested talks with representatives of terror organizations or dictators who support terror, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters in Israel, “I understand when you’re running for office you sometimes think the world revolves around you. That is not always true. And it is not true in this case.”

 

• Speaker Pelosi, herself, made a point of meeting with President Assad of Syria in an obvious political move aimed at embarrassing the Bush administration stating that “the road to Damascus is a road to peace.”
• Former President, Jimmy Carter has often criticized the Bush administration while overseas and recently met with representatives of the terrorist organization, Hamas.  While in England in 2005, Carter said the detention of terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base was an embarrassment and had given extremists an excuse to attack the United States.

Carter also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as “unnecessary and unjust.” I think what’s going on in Guantanamo Bay and other places is a disgrace to the U.S.A.,” he told a news conference at the Baptist World Alliance’s centenary conference in Birmingham, England.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the cause of terrorism, but it has given impetus and excuses to potential terrorists to lash out at our country and justify their despicable acts.”

 

• Former Vice President Al Gore has criticized American policy while speaking in several parts of the world.  Here is an example of what Al Gore said in England to a British newspaper: “If you have a renegade band of rightwing extremists who get hold of power, the whole thing goes to the right.”

 

At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Announced He Would Personally Meet With Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria And Other Hostile Nations “Without Precondition.”

Question: “Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?”

Obama: “I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration – is ridiculous.”

 

In Columbus, Ohio, Republican John McCain said he took the White House at its word that the president was not referring to Obama specifically, but also criticized Obama for his stance.”It shows naiveté and inexperience,” McCain told reporters. Noting that Obama has said he is willing to sit down with regimes not friendly with the United States, McCain said, “My question is, what does he want to talk about?”

And Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut and a staunch McCain supporter, said that Bush “got it exactly right today when he warned about the threat of Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. It is imperative that we reject the flawed and naive thinking that denies or dismisses the words of extremists and terrorists.” Lieberman, the Democrats’ 2000 vice presidential candidate, added, “It is critical to our national security that our commander in chief is able to distinguish between America’s friends and America’s enemies, and not confuse the two.”

I would suggest that Democrats in general and Senator Obama in particular should make their interest in this issue a very short stay.  The more Obama speaks on foreign policy, the more he will show his lack of knowledge of the issue and give the opposition the opportunity to exploit his weaknesses in this area.

Thoughts On Dealing With Drunk Drivers

I would like to begin by saying that I am not against drinking specifically or alcohol in general.  I am just opposed to drinking and then getting behind the wheel of a car.  If you are old enough to drink, you are old enough to except the responsibility involved.

 

The following are my thoughts on punishments for those who are caught driving under the influence.  It offers punishments that are designed to influence people to not drink and drive and does not include anything concerning when an accident is involved.  It also does not discuss damages, injuries or deaths that result from DUI.  I would like to see these be the law in every state.

 

On the first offense, the person convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated would be given a fine of $500, given a suspended jail sentence of 15 days and be required to perform 30 days of community service picking up litter from the highways while wearing an orange vest with the letters ‘DUI’ prominently stenciled on the back.

 

On the second offense, the fine would double to $1000, the jail sentence would become mandatory and the community service would be for 6 months.  The individual would also be notified by the court, both verbally and in writing, of the penalties for a 3rd offense.

 

In the event of a third offense, the fine would become $2500, the jail sentence would be up to a year and the vehicle would be seized and become the property of the state or local department of law enforcement, which will either make the vehicle one of their own or sell it at auction.

 

If the seized vehicle should be owned by a party other than the driver, the owner would be responsible for paying all towing and storage fees, but would be allowed to retrieve the vehicle.  Hopefully, this would make people aware of their responsibilities when they give the keys to their vehicle to someone while allowing them to keep their vehicle.

 

Occurrences could be removed under this plan.  After five years of safe driving with no repeated DUI offenses, an occurrence could be removed from the record unless the offense resulted in a traffic accident that was deemed alcohol related.  Those would remain on the record for a period of 10 years and those incidents that resulted in death or injury would be permanent occurrences on the record.

 

It is obvious that in many cases, fines, suspended licenses, jail terms and other minor penalties have not stopped people from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking.  Perhaps it would be taken a bit more serious if they no longer have a vehicle to drive!

In Search of a Political Party

It was about 1980 that I realized that the Democratic Party had left me on their road to the far left.  I was fortunate at the time, for the Republican Party stood for many of the values and positions that I believed in.

The Democrats have continued their journey toward socialism.  Their members of Congress don’t even bother with programs any more.  They simply go to court and try to argue their case with judges to get their programs made into law.  Now, all they seem to do in Washington is disagree with the opposition, regardless of what the issue might be or whether it is in the best interest of the nation or not.  If the other party wants it, they are against it–end of story.

Now, Senator McCain is leading the new Republican Party down the same road I saw the Democrats take when they left me.  Again, I find myself in search of a party that represents what I believe.  Now that he is the presumptive nominee of the party, Senator McCain has indicated that he is interested in bringing back his immigration reform legislation and this week he has taken the position of supporting a cap-and-trade initiative as his answer to the unproven theories of Global Warming.  While that is described as a means of making businesses get within certain guidelines or face penalties or fees.  In reality, any “penalties or fees” would be passed on to you and me.

This year, I will support the Republican candidates that haven’t climbed aboard with their Presidential candidate, but I cannot, in good faith to myself, support or vote for Senator McCain.  In my humble opinion, he should have switched parties when he was considering it a few years ago.  As for me, I guess I’ll begin my search for another party.

Have Republicans Conceded The House and Senate?

At this point in time, I have to wonder what is going on with Republicans in Washington.  All indications are that this will be a BIG year for the Democratic Party and Republicans seem to not even be bothered with a whimper.  Given the state of things, I would like to offer some suggestions:

Republicans in the House and Senate should get behind the Senate Republican energy bill or introduce one of their own.  While the Democrats will never let it pass, the mere sponsorship would give an issue to use in the fall.  It would give everyone an opportunity to get before a microphone and explain why it is good for the people and good for the country.  It would put the Democrats on the defensive for the summer by forcing them to explain why it is not a good bill and why they don’t have a policy of their own that doesn’t simply involve raising taxes.

Republicans should become vocal about the immigration issue.  At a minimum, they should be asking publicly why the border fence that was already approved and financed has not been built.  In some cases, depending upon the constituencies, more could be said about the issue.  The point is, Americans are seriously concerned about the issue and feel nothing is being done.

Republicans should admit that they have been negligent about spending and apologize to their constituents.  Americans tend to accept a sincere apology, especially if it is coupled with some proof.  To to that, every Republican should express support for making the Bush tax cuts permanent and explain to the folks back home that letting them expire would mean higher taxes for them.  They should also come out against earmarks for the foreseeable future.  Again, this would put the Democrats on the defensive and force them to admit that they favor higher taxes.

The House and Senate Re-election Committee should engage both President Bush and Vice President Cheney in fund raising for these groups beginning at the earliest possible time.  By having them involved raising money for Republican coffers takes pressure off anyone who feels the President might not help in their particular district or state.

A committee of high-profile Republicans who are not currently holding office should be formed to go on a speaking tour this year in support of Republican candidates.  Names like Fred Thompson, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, J.C. Watts and Rick Santorum (to name a few) can lend a great deal to a local campaign, raising money and the mere fact that they are speaking in the state or district will automatically make news–for free!  Athletes, musicians, actors and television personalities should not go untapped either.  They all would create a news day without the cost of television advertising.

Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid should not be allowed to make the outlandish statements that they do on a regular basis without a firestorm of statements to the press, calls to talk shows and local news stations pointing out the errors in the Democratic talking point.  With each and every counter-statement it should be pointed out that the Democratic controlled Congress has not only not made any progress on (pick an issue), but they don’t even have a plan of their own concerning that issue except to raise taxes.

I would hope that these steps be started at the earliest possible time.  By introducing the legislation to get this country turned around now, it will give the summer, while I suspect our elected officials will be off, to hammer home the futility of trying to get anything done with Democrats in control!

I know that I’m not alone in suggesting some of these things.  I don’t, however, see any sign that the Republican Party is listening.  I can’t help but feel that they have already given up.  If they have, the prediction of a strong Democratic showing in the fall will be true regardless of who wins the White House.