Congratulations to President Elect Obama

Having supported McCain and Palin for President, I was disappointed with the results of yesterday's election. Having said that, I think congratulations are in order for Senator, and now President Elect, Barack Obama. Obama's election is historic for a number of reasons. First, and most prominatly, Barack Obama has proven that our Presidency is no longer only available for middle to old age white men. He disserves credit for that. Anyone claiming that America is a place of racism will have to explain how Obama became President.


Second, President Elect Obama had a very significant win with the Electoral College yesterday. As I write this, Missouri and Virgina are still being listed as too close to call. Even if both of those states should go to McCain, no one will call this a close election. Obama won the election, and won without it being very close. No one will be looking for hanging chads or to try any states election process in court.


Finally, we in the United States take for granted the changing of our Presidency. Yesterday, we had a regularly scheduled election, that no party had to call for. The result of the election was that the party that controled our Presidency was thrown out, and the rival party gained the Executive branch. All of this happened without any use of force, and without any bloodshed. This is very rare in the rest of the world, and we should be proud of it.


In the months to come, we will see what kind of President Obama will be. Will the Obama who voted in Illinios and the Senate, the Obama who never disagreed with his party, become President? Will the Obama from the campaign trail, the Obama who pormised a new type of politics become President? I hope for the centerist Obama, but worry we will get the leftist Obama.


Regardless of what the future holds in store, congratulations Mr. Obama. Good luck in your Presidency.

Quick Notes: Pre-Tuesday Edition

This is likely to be my last post before the country heads to the voting both on Tuesday. Most blogs and news outlets are spending their time today predicting what will happen on Tuesday. I have decided to make a post that you can sit back and enjoy no matter who you support:

Go Vote! I would be a terrible political junkie if I didn't tell everyone reading this site to go vote. Whether you support Obama, McCain, or some third party candidate, take the time on Tuesday and cast your ballot. Our country has had somewhere around a 50% turn out rate on Election Day. That isn't good enough. Voting isn't a gift, it is a responsibility. Go do your duty!

What if no one gets 270 votes? Our election process is based on a Presidential candidate getting a majority of the number of electoral votes, and not popular votes. That means Obama or McCain must get 270 electoral votes to become President. Well, what happens if neither of them gets the required 270 votes? According to the Twelfth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, the House of Representatives would then meet and elect the President. There are a few rules that govern this. Most importantly, each state only gets one vote. That means Texas = Rhode Island = New York = Alaska when it gets to this stage. It wouldn't matter the percentage of Democrats or Republicans in the House. The Senate would meet and vote for the Vice President using similar rules.

To carry the "what if…?" out a little further, if the voting process in the House drags out to Inauguration day, what would happen? Jefferson's election got thrown into the House and it took some 36 ballots. Should the House of Representatives be unable to declare a President by the end of January, then the current Vice-President would become President as if the President was removed from office. You read right, say hello to President Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney would then be able to nominate a Vice President for confirmation by the Senate until the House could decide what to do. This is potentially the most entertaining possibility of all the different political tales being told.

Starbucks and You. Finally, if you do go vote on Tuesday, Starbucks wants to reward you. They are running spots saying if you come to a Starbucks on Tuesday and tell them you voted, they will give you a free coffee. Just one more reason to go out and do your duty.

Obama's "Present"?

I was sent this video from a reader. I guess you have to be "present" to vote.

Abortion

I received a number of comments on abortion in a previous post so I thought it might be best to create a post directly dealing with abortion. Over time, my own views have changed on this subject. The more I think about the topic and the more research I put into it, the further to the right on this position I get.

In preparing for this post, I looked for some numbers that could be used as a reference for this discussion. I looked at a number of references while writing this article, and most sites estimate the number per year somewhere around the 1.1 to 1.3 million abortions per year. The CDC reports this number as a little lower (848,163 for 2003), but the CDC does not include abortions in California, New Hampshire, or West Virginia. If we accept the CDC number at face value, 848,163 aborted babies in 2003 are too many.

If you had asked me for my position before my daughter was born, I would have told you that I felt abortion was wrong, and that it was something I could never personally choose. I also felt at the time it wasn't something I could decide for others. When my wife got pregnant, my opinion changed as I saw our baby grow.

I went to almost every one of my wife's appointments with her doctor. I listened in awe at my daughter's heartbeat. I was amazed at the first photo that showed her to be incredibly tiny, and not even identifiable as a person. Later, when we had the full picture of a little person with fingers and toes, I continued to be amazed. I remember the many nights my wife would complain that my daughter was punching her bladder. I was convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that my daughter was a life and a person long before she arrived in this world. She wasn't an extra organ of my wife, or some piece of tissue and flesh, or even a sore tooth. She was a living person.

Our constitution is set up to enumerate our rights. Those rights end if they interfere with the rights of others. Think of the classic movie and fire example. You have the right to free speech, but you don't have the right to run into a crowded movie theater and yell "FIRE!!" at the top of your lungs for the fun of it.

I believe this same theory applies to abortion. Any individual, male or female, should decide what happens to their bodies. However, that right ends when there is another life inside of you that is dependent on you. Who gets to voice that little person's rights? Doesn't that baby have rights as well? Why should someone be allowed to kill that baby for shear convenience?

"What about in the case of rape or incest?" This is a terrible, terrible thing to even contemplate happening to someone. Pro-choice defenders will argue that you can't put a victim through an additional 9 months of pain. But why should the sins of the father be visited on this innocent life? It isn't the baby's fault that he or she was conceived in this terrible way. I don't believe we should compound the tragedy of incest or rape with the added tragedy of killing an innocent.

Ultimately, I believe abortion should be illegal except to save the life of the mother. I welcome your comments.

Book Review: The Shack

I first saw a copy of The Shack by William Young when I was on vacation earlier this year. My sister in law was reading it. Over the last couple of months I have seen more and more copies popping up at different stores, including the largest display I have ever seen for any book at one specific bookseller. Anything than can get a larger display than the new Harry Potter book is worth at least a cursory inspection. I decided to pick up a copy and look it over.

The Shack is a very quick read. Don’t let its small size fool you. The message is really incredible. The book revolves around Mackenzie Philip as he tries to deal with the murder of his youngest daughter. The book is set a number of years after the murder. One morning Mackenzie finds a note in his mailbox that appears to be from God. The note invites him back to the scene of his daughter’s murder. As Mackenzie tries to decide what to do, he has a weekend unlike anything else in his life.

The message of The Shack is a very religious one. It is a Christian message, but it is a message presented in a format that you have probably never seen before. Regardless of your personal faith, it will probably have you reconsidering how you view a number of things, including how you view God, and how you think God might view you. I found myself putting the book down while reading it to ponder a few of the passages.

The main characters pain is this book is very vivid. It will be hard for anyone to read this book without shedding an occasional tear. I think it is impossible for a father to read it without the message really hitting home. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good book or a good short story. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has had a real personal tragedy in their life and who might now need more answers. Anyone with a personal faith (Christian or not) or anyone seeking answers on their personal quest would do well to read this book.

ACORN and Obama

It would appear that ACORN is in a lot of trouble. ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is under investigation in a number of states for voter registration fraud. ACORN has recently claimed that it has registered some 1.3 million voters. These 1.3 million voters are allegedly mainly young people, minorities, and poor. I say allegedly because there is so many allegations of fraud, it is hard to get a handle on any true demographics. The majority of these "new voters" are thought to be Democrat voters.

I have done a number of searches now and it is hard to see just how many states have started investigating alleged voter fraud involving ACORN. Most sources quote ten to twelve states, and a few say as high as 15 states. Regardless of the number of states, there are enough allegations and investigations that the FBI is now getting involved.

It appears that a number of ACORN workers in a number of states were registering people multiple times (one guy was registered 75 times in one case) and in some states volunteers have just made up people. One volunteer was able to register the entire starting lineup for the Dallas Cowboys. Here are two quick examples:

Philadephia – Various Groups (including ACORN) submitted 252,595 registrations. 57,435 were rejected. Most of these rejections were submitted by ACORN. These rejections were for reasons such as fake social security numbers, obviously forged signatures, fake addresses and duplicate registrations.

Texas – In Harris County, ACORN submitted 35,000 voter registrations. Of those, 14,000 (about 40%) were rejected. According to the Houston Chronicle, "About half of the 14,000 ACORN applications that were rejected in Harris County were missing required information such as the potential voter's address, date of birth and Texas driver's license number, said Paul Bettencourt, the county's voter registrar and tax assessor-collector. Another 3,800 applicants already were registered to vote." The article notes that county election officials do not see any sign of obvious voter fraud. However the same article states that of the 4,000 applications submitted by the League of Women Voters, only 4 were duplicates. Of the 3,300 applications submitted by the Harris County Democratic Party, five were duplicates. Harris County election officials may not see anything suspicious, but considering the scale of numbers between the three groups, I do.

This is starting to look like a nationwide issue. If you do a Google search for "ACORN voter registration fraud" you find articles going back to 2007 and 2006 in addition to everything being written today. So why is this important?

The first issue is that you have an organization that receives tax dollars for community work fraudulently registering people to vote. You are paying to have this group attempt to steal votes. One guy is alleged to have registered 75 times. A co-worker of my wife asked, "Do you really think he was going to vote 75 times?" My response is, "Will he try to vote twice?" If he votes twice, we have a problem.

The second issue is that the Democratic Party's nominee has major ties to ACORN. Barack Obama has done work in the past with ACORN. He has received ACORN's endorsement for President. The Obama campaign has paid ACORN around $800,000.

It would appear that a number of ACORN works have been up to no good. Obama and his campaign have clear cut relationships with ACORN. Voters need to remember this as the election draws near.

The Three Letter Word

I have been wondering the last few days, "Where's Joe?" Not Joe the Plumber, Joe the Vice Presidential (and gaffe prone) nominee. I miss his antics and the humor he brings to the Presidential Race. Then he appeared this morning at a rally, and I was reminded of why the Obama campaign has kept him in the closet.


Trying to illustrate the differences between Obama and McCains economic plan, Biden says McCain is missing a three letter word: jobs. That's right J-O-B-S. If you want to cook some popcorn and enjoy the video, go here.


Now what would the media say if this had been Sarah Palin?

An E-mail I got today...

My mind is still in vacation mode. However, my wife sent me this email about the current Presidential campaign. I thought it was interesting, and it really illustrates our choice for President without all the hype from either campaign. It is a little long, but it is worth reading, and it is a very easy read:

My name is Dan Frost. I live in Kokomo , Indiana . I'm 45 years old, a Christian, a husband, a father, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are 'two Americas ' - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there - and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics.. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life.

They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called 'news', thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.

We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job.

I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process.. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it 'change'.

Change what?, I ask.

Well, we're going to change America , they say.

In what way?, I query.

We want someone new and fresh in the White House, they exclaim.

So, someone who's not a politician?, I press.

Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama, they state.

So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?

No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.

And so it goes. 'Change we can believe in.' Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois , so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth- other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change..

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell out his qualifications. Not even the mostliberal media can explain why he should be elected.

Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements?

Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton , look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.

Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago?

Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time.

My son has grown from a fourth grade child to a high school freshman.

Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep.. 6, 000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq . Barack Obama is fond of saying 'We honor John McCain's service...BUT...', which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, 'Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change.'

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America , and there's a huge difference.

Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to the Senate in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe 'likeability' is a higher priority for them than trust'. Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, 'Enough..' It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President whose qualified to lead. I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

Semper Fi,

Daniel L. Frost Jr.

GySgt USMC Retired

Kokomo , IN

Political Friends In Washington -- Day Three

On our final full day in Washington, we decided to walk around the mall and some of the other Museums. I shot this picture during a much deserved rest break at the Washington Monument. The view was incredible. In addition to the Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural History, we went to the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Monument, and finally the Lincoln Memorial. We ended this evening with a Capitals Hockey game. Go Caps!


Washington is truly a beautiful city. This visit has been a lot like a pilgrimage for me. I finished John Adams last night, and read Sarah by Kaylene Johnson today. The book is the story of Sarah Palin winning the Alaskan Governors race. She won by promising to use the state constitution as her guide.


With the problems we face in today's world, our elected officials seem to have forgotten why they are in Washington. I will leave this city tomorrow with a greater conviction in my own beliefs. Not my political beliefs, but in my beliefs in our country. I believe we need a radical wake up call in Washington for Republicans and Democrats alike. I believe that our founding fathers gave us the tools we need to continue to succeed in this world. I believe the American people have the talents and abilities to survive our economic crisis, and whatever else our world throws at us.


I believe it is time for us, as voters, to tell our officials they have forgotten how to do their job. It's time they remembered how, or got out of town.


I also believe this city is incredibly beautiful. I have really enjoyed my short vacation here, and I hope my readers stop in for a few days if they ever get the chance.

Political Friends in Washington -- Day Two

I continue to enjoy my vacation in Washington despite the collapse of the markets. "Collapse" is probably too strong a word. At this point, many are still calling it a "correction". I think some of this is due to actions of our leaders recently. But on to the vacation...



My wife and I did a lot of exploring and walking today. We started off at the Library of Congress. This building is really incredible. The ceiling and most of the inner viewing room is covered with paintings, mosaics, and sculptures. It is really incredible to see the history and just the art of the building. There are only two books are permanent display in the building, and they are both Bibles. Just a point for everyone to think about. If you ever go to Washington, make some time to see this building.


We then walked around the Capitol building again. I still can't get over its size, beauty, and "Majesty". The picture from above I took in the pool out in front of the Capitol.


We walked over to the Air and Space Museum and enjoyed it, though I think we really only saw a fraction of it. We also took in the National Portrait Gallery. It was very interesting. I am finishing David McCullough's John Adams, so I was very interested in many of the Presidential portraits. Considering our current economic crisis, I think I found some advice in the gallery for our current leaders...

Political Friends in Washington -- Day One

I experienced my first full day in Washington, D.C. today. My wife was busy with work, so I had most of the day to myself. I walked around Arlington National Cemetery for a few hours this morning, then went to the National Archives. I was able to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta before there was a very long line.


My wife and I then went to Union Station and had dinner. Finally, we strolled down to the capital. It was a great first day, but I may have walked seven to ten miles today. The metro is great, but some places you just have to walk. There were three things that really impressed me today.


The first was Arlington. I spent so long there because it was a very interesting place. The entire cemetery has a very peaceful feel. I saw most of the famous sites (JFK's tomb, Tomb of the Unknows), and a few I hadn't known were there (Monument to the Columbia, Monument to Women in Military Service).


The second was the Declaration of Independence. Words can't describe being in the presence of the documents at the National Archives. This was the one building I had to see in Washington. The Constitution is still very readable. However, the Declaration has faded almost entirely.


The third thing was the Capital building. Regardless of what you think of the people who work in the building, the building is very impressive to see in person. I had no idea just how big the building is, and it really is beautiful.

A Terrible, Terrible Decision by Our Government

Something has been bothering me the last few days, and I have decided to use this forum to get it off my chest. Our government passed a $700 Billion economic bail out package last week. We were told last week that the government had to do something. Some members of the House who voted against the plan on Monday, justified their vote on Friday by saying, "Things are bad, and we can't sit by and do nothing, so I am voting for this plan I don't like." Let's put aside the millions of dollars of earmarks (bribes?) that were associated with this bill. This logic is terrible because there are more than the two options of (a) do nothing, and (b) pass a bill that is so large, I can't even consider the amount of money it encompasses.

The "funny" thing about this is we were told we had to pass this bill. The Senate passed it, the House passed it, and the President signed it. Both Presidential candidates voted for it. The market, however, seems to have other ideas. The market tanked on Friday, and tanked again today. The market closed just below 10,000 points for the first time in a long time.

We are now being told that these things take time. The market will respond over the course of the next few weeks. We are also being told that the government has to take its time when using this $700 Billion so they don't abuse it and don't misuse it. What happened to "we have to do something now?" What happened to "we were going to see a crisis if Congress didn't act"?

The truth of the matter is there was always the (c) option. This option entailed looking at other options that might fix this situation without costing $700 Billion. This option entailed taking time to examine the situation, examine the failures of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and then proceed with that knowledge and with the caution this situation required.

However, this is an election year. Obama and McCain have now both showed that nothing trumps looking like you're doing something in an election year. Most Representatives and Senators have done the same thing. Political commentators that I admire spent last week arguing that something needed to be done so that this won't be saddled on their presidential candidate.

For the first time I can think of, I am truly mad at my government. I honestly believe our government got it wrong last week. Getting it wrong if you think you are doing the right thing is one thing. Getting it wrong with the intent to simply win an election is an entirely different can of worms.

Over the next few weeks, I will be adjusting a few things. We have reached a point where more seems to be required of me and like minded individuals. I don't know what my new course of action will be, but I am going to chart a new one. This blog will continue to be a forum for open, honest, political debate. However, I will be getting more active somehow, and I will be bringing my readers along on the journey.

Democrats To Blame for Mortgage Crisis?

Josh, a friend of mine, sent me the first video which he got from Neil Bortz's site. Watch this, and the next one featured on Rush Limbaugh's site and see if you can figure out who is really to blame for the current economic crisis. I am keeping this one short because I think everyone should see these before they vote:

This video is from The Mouth Piece





And from Naked Emperor News

The Political Friends Economic Plan

As I write this post, it is the first day since Congress failed to pass the economic bailout plan. We were told all last week, all this weekend, and all day Monday, that something had to be done, and it had to be done quickly. When the $700 Billion bailout failed yesterday, the market continued a tank that had started that morning. However, this evening (or as I prefer to call it, Apocalypse +1), the market has rebounded some, and investors appear ready to see what Congress is going to do. Most Americans spent last week, this weekend, and yesterday, calling their elected officials with instructions not to vote for this bill, or look for a new job come this fall. Speaker Pelosi seemed eager to sink the bill when she launched a tirade on the House floor denouncing Republicans and the President. I think the last few days have taught has a few lessons.

First, we will survive if Congress doesn't hand over a $700 Billion check to someone who has no supervision on how to use it. Second, the market can handle Congress spending time looking at alternatives. And finally, most Americans don't like the idea of bailouts. It's against our nature. Most of us believe people should be allowed to succeed or fail on their own. One other lesson that is starting to become clear is that the people who got us into this mess (the Government) are probably not the best people to get us out of this mess.

Keeping all of this in mind, and the fact that I think less government involvement is almost always better; I thought I would present my own plan for success. Some of these approaches are controversial, some seem like common sense. I welcome your input. Who knows, maybe Congress will adopt the plan we come up with.

Point Number One: No More Bailouts. I realize the government has already said this, and then bailed another bank out, and then started asking for the "bail-out-to-end-all-bail-outs". This time we stick with it. A few companies or banks may have to fail for Wall Street to believe us, but if we stick with the message, they will believe.

Point Number Two: No More Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. This is the first controversial point. I don't think the government, or an agency backed by the government, should be in the home loan business. I have searched through my copy of the Constitution and I can't find the Amendment that grants the right to "affordable housing". A business shouldn't be able to take risks and assume the taxpayers are going to bail them out. This can apply to point number one as well.

Point Number Three: No More Capital Gains Taxes. This is a temporary (maybe) item. Republicans last week started talking about a two year suspension of the capital gains tax. My plan takes it out to five years to make sure we nip this thing in the bud, and then would require a new vote to reinstitute it. Last week we saw two companies raise $10 Billion in one day each. Articles that I have read suggest these companies could have raised more if they had tried. Well run companies attract investors, and more money in the market to invest is a good thing.

Point Number Four: 5% Less Tax For Everyone. If I am doing my research right, the U.S. currently has six income tax brackets. The lowest one is 10% (single person earning less than $8,025 a year) and the highest is 35% (earning over $357,700 a year). My belief is the more money in the hands of people, the more money available to invest. I would cut each of these brackets by 5% (bringing the range to 5% on the low end and 30% on the high). This would be a permanent cut. If it gets us out of this mess, then I have proven myself right. The government was ready to hand over $700 Billion, they can just do without it instead.

These points are based on reading a number of articles, and some mental exercise on my part. I am not an economist, but neither are most members of Congress. I think more people would be willing to try this plan than the $700 blank check plan. Let me know your thoughts. I think we are as smart as the Congress, let's figure out the fix for ourselves.

Palin Phobia?

I haven't heard much coverage of the Sarah Palin / Katie Couric interview from last week in the mainstream media. There could be a number of reasons for that. I didn't think the interview was remarkable, so maybe those in the MSM didn't think it was worth covering. Perhaps becuase the interview aired on CBS and was conducted by Katie Couric, many people aren't aware the interview even took place.


Unlike the MSM, the blogosphere has been alight with discussion of this interview. To read blogs on the far left, you would think that Mrs. Palin either (a) spoke in tongues, (b) threatened to invade Russia, or (c) asked a wheel chair bound person in the audience to stand up. I have watched the interview, and have included a link to CBS with the transcripts and a few clips.


I will be the first to admit it wasn't her best interveiw. In all fairness, Katie Couric was a bit hostile and interrupted her a few times. However, any politician is going to have to deal with that from time to time. A couple of the answers Mrs. Palin gave were tough to follow, and she tripped over her own tongue once or twice. However, I also thought she made a few good points. During the interview, she pointed out that the American people were waiting to see what McCain did during this crisis. When Katie points out that Obama has gotten a boost in the polls from the latest crisis, Sarah gives a great response:


I'm not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who's more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who's actually done it?


Some on the left have looked as this interivew and have said they are truly afriad of Sarah Palin. They are beside themselves that John McCain would pick her to be his Vice President. Was the interview a good interview for her? It was "ok", but not great. But it also doesn't deserve the panic stricken response from blogs on the left. She will have others that will be better, and she has given better interviews. If this is the worse interview she ever gives, she, and Senator McCain, will have nothing to worry about.

Government 101 – Me and My Soap box

I have been spending some time this week reading up on the economic crisis. I have been struggling with the question of if I believe our Congress should give the Executive branch a $700 Billion check. Proponents say if we don't do it, then our economy (and the economy of the rest of the world) will collapse. Opponents say that bailing out the market is irresponsible, will saddle taxpayers with a huge debt, will devalue our dollar further (thus hurting our economy and the world's), and may not fix the problem. Some have argued for other solutions such as suspending the capital gains tax for two years. They argue that there is private capital out there waiting for the right price to jump in. Warren Buffets infusion to the market of $5 Billion yesterday sure seems to give this argument some weight. What is the right answer? Honestly, I think all of the arguments have their strong points and their weak points. The bailout check would be used to buy up bad mortgages. Managed correctly (which I don't know if the government can do) this could actually return a profit to the government and to taxpayers. I am always a fan of removing taxes and getting private capital flowing, but is suspending the capital gains tax for two years enough to get that money moving? If we have learned nothing from the Great Depression, we should have learned two lessons. First, business and the market hate uncertainty. It scares them. Businesses will hold on to money, and not invest, until they are sure what the government plans to do. Second, passing laws just to pass laws can sometimes make matters worse. What if giving the Fed's a $700 billion check simply delays a much worse crash?

My wife made me watch Glenn Beck last night. If you didn't see it, you should go look for it on CNN or YouTube. I found the transcript for the show here. If I am recommending you view a CNN program, you really should sit up and take note. Glenn Beck had former Shell Oil executive John Hofmeister on and asked viewers to call in to ask any question they wanted of Mr. Hofmeister. Mr. Hofmeister has a new organization called Citizens for Affordable Energy. While watching that episode, and talking to my wife about the economic crisis and the energy crisis I realized we haven't come up with the correct solution yet because we haven't asked the right question yet. The right question is: When are we going to start legislating like adults, and not like children who just want to feel good?

Go look for articles on the economic crisis. Most of them blame it on the "Sub prime mortgages" or "bad mortgages" or "questionable lending". This is code speak for "loans that were given to people who should have never gotten a loan in the first place." Congress encouraged / forced banks to give loans to people who wouldn't have qualified for them. They did it under the guise of "making homes affordable for everyone." This is the problem. Any sane adult should be able to take a step back and look at the world and realize there are people in this world who will never be able to afford a home. There are charities that have as their goal fixing this. This is a noble goal. However, it isn't a realistic one, and it isn't one our government should be legislating to fix.

Another example is Polar Bears. How? Simple. Recently our government, under the evil George Bush, placed Polar Bears on the threatened species list. Bear in mind (no pun intended) that the worldwide Polar bear populations are at a high point. There are now more Polar Bears in the world than at any point in the twentieth century. Why did they get placed on the threatened species list? Because it "felt good".

We can't drill in water closer than 50 to 100 miles from our shores. Even though the most productive oil rigs are within the 50 mile mark, congress has decided we shouldn't drill there. Why? Sun bathers don't like to see oil rigs. What if there is an accident? Who will protect the birds? The safety record of the oil industry is actually pretty impressive. You have heard of a few spills, but by and large, oil is moved around this country every day and the only time we hear about it is when our gas prices go up. For those of you who think we can get rid of oil and replace it with solar or wind power, you are living in a pipe dream. If you think political environmentalist are going to let you construct wind and solar energy "plants" you haven't been paying attention. Already there are concerns with wind mills killing migratory birds. Sane adults can pass a comprehensive energy plan that uses oil, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, hydro and anything else we can safely squeeze energy out of.

What about our tax code? Here is a colossal waste. We have a cumbersome tax code that is designed to make the wealthiest people in the United States give their money to the "poor". Think Robin Hood with a gun and the federal government. We don't tax business and individuals to keep the government running and for the government to do those things the Constitution gives it power to do. We tax to try and earn votes, and because it "feels good" to stick it to the wealthy and to Big Business. What this really does is to drive businesses over seas and to take money from the people who might be able to bail us out of our current financial troubles.

I have great faith in the American people. At some point, Americans are going to wake up and tell their representatives to start passing laws like adults and not like 60's era hippies. When that happens, you will see a real energy policy, a tax code that makes sense, and as Glenn Beck would say, the few surviving hippies running for the hills while the rest of us chase them there with torches, cell phones, and SUV's.

A Quick Break from the Heavy Thoughts...

I saw this ad on TV while watching the NFL today. I thought my readers might like it:



I think everyone in Congress and the Senate should pay attention to the end of the commercial: ...the easiest job I ever had...

Preparing for my Trip to Washington...

A few months ago I wrote on here that I am planning my first trip to Washington, D.C. I asked at the time for any suggestions on sites to see and things to do while in the capitol. I picked up a copy of Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.


The book looks like it will be a perfect tour guide to Washington, D.C. It is written as a walking tour of some very prominent places in the capitol. It has selected photos, and a map. While thumbing through my copy, I found a quote I thought I would share here.

"The rights of man come not
from the generosity of the state
but from the hand of God."

-President John F. Kennedy

Food for thought...

What if Sarah Palin Becomes President?

I have asked a number of my more liberal friends what they think about Sarah Palin. One complaint I have heard is that they are afraid of her being, “a heartbeat away from the Presidency”. None of the people who have made this comment seem to understand what would happen if McCain were elected and died in office. I thought I would give a quick civics lesson to explain the order of succession.

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that McCain and Palin win in November. They then take office in January, and begin the McCain presidency. If McCain dies in office (or is removed from office) Vice President Palin would then become President. Most people understand this. It is the next step that many people don’t understand.

The order of succession for the U.S. President starts with the Vice President. If for some reason the Vice President is unable to fill the spot, it passes to the Speaker of the House, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and on down the line. So, in the “parlance” of today, Vice President Dick Cheney is “one heart beat from the Presidency”; Nancy Pelosi is two; and Robert Byrd is three. I think a President Palin is much preferable to a President Pelosi or President Byrd. Many people assume the Vice Presidency follows this order of succession. In this line of thinking, if President Bush was to die in office, Dick Cheney would become President, and Nancy Pelosi would be Vice President. However, that isn’t the way it works.

According to Amendment 25 of the U.S. Constitution:

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

The 25^th Amendment has been used twice in our history. The first was when Nixon’s VP, Spiro Agnew, resigned. In that case, Nixon named Gerald Ford as Vice President, and the Congress approved. When Nixon resigned, Ford became President and nominated Nelson Rockefeller for VP, and again the choice was confirmed.

In our example from the beginning, if President McCain was removed from office, Vice President Palin would become President Palin. She would then submit to Congress the name of a possible Vice President. If Congress approved, that person would become Vice President. Both Obama and Palin have had their experience level criticized by the opposing party. Obama decided to name Sen. Biden as his running mate to give him someone with lots of experience in the VP position. If Palin were to become President, she could do the same thing.

I hope this amateur civics lesson helped. Class is now dismissed.

Thank you, Mr. President

Sept 11, 2001 shocked our nation. We knew very quickly that we had been attacked on U.S. soil by terrorists. At the time, most everyone believed it was only a matter of time before the next attack. Seven years later, we haven't had another terrorist attack like we all feared.


Plots have been foiled over the last seven years. Some of them have been very public. There are untold numbers that have been foiled without the public ever hearing about them.


The number one job of the President is to protect the citizens of the United States from her enemies. The future will judge President Bush. Today, we should all pause and thank him for the job he has done over the last seven years.


Thank you, Mr. President.

Book Review: Sinner

A few years ago my brother gave me a book entitled Black by Ted Dekker. He told me that Ted Dekker was a "Christian Fiction" writer. He knew I was a pretty big Stephen King fan, and said that Ted Dekker was every bit as good as King. My thoughts went something like this: Yeah, sure he is. He's a Christian writer, there is no chance he is as good as Stephen King. When I was about 60 or 70 pages from finishing Black, and heading to the store to buy the sequel, Red, I had to call him an apologize.

I just finished my seventh book by Mr. Dekker. The more books I read by Mr. Dekker, the more I like him. His latest didn't disappoint me, and had a few themes I thought were directly related to this site. Sinner is set in the not too distant future (around 2033?). Sinner: The Books of History Chroniclesis the third in the "Paradise" series, and is possibly the 12^th in his "Circle Series" of books. In the United States of the future, tolerance is preached above all else. Those who are religious keep it to themselves. Any public expression of faith is viewed as "odd".

A string of lynchings sets new dominos in motion. Two of the central characters of the book (and from a previous book) begin to work to change the U.S. Constitution to make any expression of faith a hate crime, punishable with federal jail time. Add to this mix a group of 3,000 who wish to practice their faith as they please. They simply wish to tell the world about their faith in Jesus. They do so without attacking anyone else's faith. For this, they are instantly considered public enemy number one.

Sinner is a very fast read, and a very gripping story. I read the novel in about three days, and really couldn't put it down. There were a number of points along the way that I thought made for very interesting political discussion. At one point, a character justifies the new laws by noting that some areas of free speech are already limited. There are slander, libel, and treason laws. This character doesn't like any religion telling other religions they are wrong. Don't people have the right to live their lives without that sort or harassment? Surely people understand that some freedoms have to be limited in the name of tolerance.

On his website, Ted Dekker argues that the world he paints in his book is already here in some nations, and is starting to appear in the United States. He argues that it is only a matter of time before our Constitution is limited in order to avoid making people "feel wrong". This is one point I disagree with Mr. Dekker on. I believe there are enough people out there who still believe in our Constitution to protect our rights. I think a few of the recent court cases support me on this. However, if the wrong President gets the ability to appoint a few Supreme Court judges, I may owe Mr. Dekker an apology.

Sinner is a very good read. I highly recommend it for both its Christian message, and its political discussion. Remember, if you are a Stephen King fan, you will really love Ted Dekker.

Why “Windfall Profit Taxes” Are Just Plain Wrong

There has been a lot of talk in the public sphere about energy. How do we solve the problem of expensive gas and energy? Some believe that a good solution is to hit "big oil" with a windfall profit tax. I want to spend some time today discussing why a "windfall profit tax" is a bad idea. Before I start, some definitions are probably in order. By a windfall profit tax (WPT), I am referring to a measure that would tax a company if it received unusually high profits during one particular quarter. The company would then be forced to pay a tax. When applied to oil companies, most proponents of a WPT want the money taken from the oil companies to then be used to subsidize alternative energies such as solar and wind power.

At face value, many people find this attractive. "Why do the oil companies need so much money? Aren't they just getting rich at our expense?" Remember, oil companies do everything big. The taxes they already pay are pretty high. The cost to get into the industry, to drill for oil, to ship it, and to refine it are pretty large. If you don't believe me, go buy your own oil rig and see how much it costs. Also remember that any tax the oil companies have to pay is going to show up at the pump. If the oil companies pay a tax because they make record profits, that tax becomes a cost of doing business. In order to make a profit, they are going to pass that cost along to all the distributers and gas stations, who will in turn be kind enough to pass it along to you. In reality, this WPT becomes a tax on anyone who buys gas or oil. This simply causes all of the costs associated with producing oil to go up.

It's also interesting that whenever Congress starts talking about the WPT, they don't talk about the gas taxes that are already in place. The Government already gets "X" amount of taxes per gallon of gas. As of July 1^st of this year, the average gas tax in the United States was just over 49 cents per gallon. That is a combination of federal and state tax, and is only the tax at the pump. Any time the price of gas goes up, doesn't the U.S. Government (and most states) get a "windfall profit"? The U.S. government hasn't done anything to earn it. When the price per gallon goes up, should we demand a tax on the federal government be sent back to tax payers?

Personally, I find the thought of a WPT morally repugnant. If we are taxing oil companies in order to subsidize their competitors, how are we treating the oil companies fairly? Would we even consider passing a tax on McDonalds in order to get a smaller veggie burger chain up and running? How is it fair to take money from one company and give it to its competitor? Also, isn't a WPT counter to the very nature of our free market system? The American Dream is to build a company up and make huge sums of money. Why should the government come in and tax that money just because someone in Washington thinks you have made too much money?

In the end, a windfall profit tax is wrong and just a bad idea. It won't help out our government, but it will cause the price of gas and energy to go up. We need a real discussion with real ideas, not pandering without a real solution.

The Best Attacks on Palin?

Some of the criticisms that have been leveled at John McCain for picking Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President have alternated between insane and laughable. I thought I would devote a few sentences to rebutting those I have found the most humorous.

She doesn't have any experience. This is lobbed at the McCain camp from Democrats supporting Obama for President. She has executive experience, which neither Biden, Obama, nor McCain have. I saw Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Fox News tonight shoot the best holes in this complaint. He pointed out that Biden and Obama have never run a city, have never run a state, have never administered a budget, and have never been responsible for making a decision. Mayor Giuliani points out that she had more executive experience than Obama and Biden combined after her first day in office as mayor. On her second day in office she had twice as much.

She doesn't have any foreign policy experience. I am really expecting this to be hit out of the ball park by either McCain or Palin. As Governor of a state sandwiched between two foreign nations, I think she has some foreign policy experience. Remember one of those nations is one hostile to the United States. As Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard, I am going to guess she has had to run through a few "What if" scenarios.

McCain is just pandering to Clinton supporters. McCain is just pandering to the fair right / Limbaugh parts of the party. Surely we call all agree that he can't possibly be doing both of these things at the same time. Do Democrats really expect us to believe that women will vote for someone simply because they are a woman? Exactly which party is sexist?

She is embattled in scandal in her home state over a State Trooper. This remains to be seen. She is undergoing an ethics investigation. The details haven't been released, but it appears that a State Trooper her sister was married to threatened to kill their father. The question is whether or not she used her office to force his firing. A member of the investigating committee said that Mrs. Palin's office was cooperating fully. We will see where this goes, but I don't think it is going to resonate with the public.

She laughed when the President of the State Senate was called the "b" word. Really? This is your attack on a Vice Presidential candidate? Not that her issues are wrong, but she laughed when someone else used the "b" word? I did some looking into this one. Anonymous provided a link to the Huffington Post article that talked about this. If you have about twenty minutes to kill, go read the article, and listen to the full audio clip. Then read this article written at the time of the "incident" that goes into a little more detail. I am not sure I disapprove of the use of this word in this context.

And while we are on the Huffington Post, how about another article by them critical of Mrs. Palin. Why? Because she isn't what a feminist is suppose to be. Sarah Seltzer writes, "When I saw that John McCain had picked Sarah Palin as his running mate this morning, I was on the elliptical trainer, and my rage propelled me to the most furious workout I've had in a while." It amazes me that the writer would describe her "rage" at the Republican pick. I think William Kristol of the Weekly Standard captured what really scares liberals about Mrs. Palin:

A spectre is haunting the liberal elites of New York and Washington--the spectre of a young, attractive, unapologetic conservatism, rising out of the American countryside, free of the taint (fair or unfair) of the Bush administration and the recent Republican Congress, able to invigorate a McCain administration and to govern beyond it.