Obama Sec. of Defense Nominee on the Hot Seat

Chuck Hagel at Senate Confirmation Hearing

Former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee to be the next Defense Secretary, went through some hard times at his Senate confirmation hearings. Hagel, a Republican with controversial baggage, was expected to receive hard questions, especially from the Republicans on the committee. And he did. Read More: Hagel Confronted in Confirmation Hearings.

Some Senators have already stated they will vote against confirming Hagel. His appearance on Al Jazeera TV, when he didn't challenge a comment accusing Israel of war crimes, and on another occasion on the U.S. being the 'world's bully' is not sitting well in some circles.

Click to see Senator Ted Cruz Question Chuck Hagel on his Al Jazeera appearance:

 Click to view Senator Cruz grill Hagel over the Bully comment:

So, it begs the question, why would President Obama choose Chuck Hagel, a Republican, to be Secretary of Defense? Obviously the president considers Hagel's policy views to be in line with his. You don't nominate someone who doesn't agree with your strategy, especially on defense issues. But more so, given Hagel's "no comment" on the Israeli war crimes issue and it's no secret that the president has strained relations with Israel, could there be a like link?

As for the "world's bully" comment, this falls in line with Obama's ideology in that he thinks the U.S. should not be a superpower but on par with other nations, economically and defensively. Obama spent the first four years in office apologizing to other countries for what he considered 'wrongdoings' by the United States over the years. Just a thought as to why Chuck Hagel.



                                                      

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Typical Democrats - It's the Blame game..Again! Are We Surprised? Nah!

The Democrats are like a bunch of first graders - when they do something wrong they immediately point to the nearest person to them and yell, "He did it!"
They have four years of Obama-screw-up-economics and they want to blame the GOP. Something about the economy took a dip and the republicans are responsible because they didn't resolve the 'fiscal cliff' scam fast enough.

  Nancy Pelosi        Jay Carney    

Pleeeze! Their guy ( Mr. President) refused for weeks to negotiate with the Republicans, he even ran off on vacation, and when he did talk about it, he was always changing the rules of the game. To lay blame for this it has to be by someone who has no clue. Who else but  Rep.Nancy Pelosi. Tagging along for this one is Press Secretary Jay Carney. Read More: Pelosi Plays Blame Game 

Amazing! But not surprising. And to be sure, Ms. Pelosi has the president's blessing here. Since the reports of an economic shrinkage looks bad  on the beginning of Obama's second term resume' one can't assume they will take the blame....instead they have to blame. Has the President EVER taken responsibility for anything (other than his two beautiful daughters?) Ever he stepped into the spotlight he's been blaming someone from former presidents to the weather for his policy failures. He will continue to do so for the next four years. Which brings to mind:  House Speaker John Boehner recently said he believes  that one of Obama's goals, besides wasting more money, is to destroy the Republican Party. I have to respectfully disagree. Destroy the GOP - Whom would he have to  blame!?

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Obama: We Have Seen The Enemy and it is....Fox News!?

President Obama

We have sitting in the Oval Office, when he's not wasting the taxpayer's money flying around on Air Force One, a president who cares not about the mounting national debt he's building, cares not about the unemployment rate hovering at 8%, cares not about reaching out to the GOP to solve the nation's ills. 
We have sitting in the Oval Office a president who's major concern is the fact that Fox News has not anointed him King, Sovereign, Lord Master or Emperor as have his buddies in the liberal media. 

Kirsten Powers

Comes today an opinion piece written by Kirsten Powers for Fox News. com on the war the White House is waging against Fox. What is fascinating about  this is that while Ms. Powers is a Fox News contributor, she is also an admitted liberal. Read More: Obama Goes After Fox News

Kudos to Kirsten Powers. She is one of the few liberal journalists who is not afraid to call out the Democrats when she feels it's warranted. 


       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

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Al Qaeda and the Media

                        Unmanned Drone          Reuters

So, I'm confused. Al Qaeda, the terrorist group that in 1998 bombed the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, bombed the World Trade Center the first time in in 1993, attacked the U.S.S. Cole warship in 2000, took down the World Trade Center buildings in 2001, along with a host of other bombings throughout the world in the last two decades, is now weak and on the run. Well, that's what President Obama would have us believe. The president appeared on Jon Stewart’s 'The Daily Show,' and classified the deaths of four Americans in the AL Qaeda attack on our Benghazi consulate as “not optimal."  He added  “When you look at our track record as to say we’ve ended the war in Iraq, we’re winding down the war in Afghanistan we’ve gone after Al Qaeda and it’s leadership, it’s true that Al Qaeda is still active at least remnants of it are staging in North Africa and the Middle East, and sometimes you’ve got to make some tough calls, but you can do so that is consistent with international law and American law.”

I'm not sure that the use of the word 'remnants' was a good choice since Al Qaeda seems more active today than back in 2006. Mr. Obama, early in his first term, declared the "War on Terror" over, refusing to even use the word terrorist when referring to those prone to conduct such acts. And, he figured the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda's leader and mastermind, put the icing on that cake. Not so, it seems. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made reference to increased Al Qaeda activity in areas of Africa, and the administration is running around in circles trying to figure out how to handle it. Read More: African Drone base Planned

So, Mr. President. Al Qaeda is alive and apparently well. Is this our next war?

Closer to home, Mr. President is having issues with Fox News. As usual Obama is playing the blame game again saying if it wasn't for Fox, Republicans might be more willing to compromise with him and the Democrats on issues. (excuse me, but compromise is NOT in Obama's make-up!) Read More: Fox News: A Thorn in Obama's Side

                            60 Minutes Interview         AP/CBS

I don't know why he's kicking up a fuss. After all, he has the liberal print and broadcast media on his side. Led by the New York Times these liberal bastions of journalistic ineptitude. Witness the recent broadcast of 60 Minutes on CBS with Steve Croft interviewing the president and Hillary Clinton together. Dan Gainor who is the Media Research Center’s Vice President for Business and Culture  in an opinion piece has some thoughts on that interview. Read More: Obama & Clinton on Minutes

This is a president who is extremely thin skinned and can't take criticism. Imagine if the "mainstream media" actually did their job the way it should be done.  



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President Jokes about Benghazi and More Media Bias.

UPDATE : Talk about despicable.....The president is out of line when asked about the Benghazi Incident. Read More: Obama Jokes About Benghazi

Do you know this guy? No, he's not a mob boss. Nor is he a union thug. And he's not a used car salesman. He's  Robert Menendez, a United States Senator from the State of New Jersey. He's also a Democrat. Why is that important? Because he's under investigation by the FBI for for allegedly sleeping with underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. And as usual we find the national news media covering up for their liberal friends. ABC News is the guilty party. Had it been a Republican ABC and all the other liberal media bastions of journalistic ineptitude would have run wild with the story. Read More: NO Questions on Prostitution Investigaton . If found guilty, Mr. Menendez  should lose his Senate seat. probably won't happen. 

Frankly, I think it's time for a boycott  of companies who run ads with the so-called "mainstream media" until the folks at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC, as well as the print media such as The New York Times, get their act together and start acting like professional and unbiased journalists. They are a deplorable bunch not worthy of their profession.

A Word From The Doctor

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Obama's REAL Second Term Goal

What is President Obama's REAL goal for the next four years? If you caught his inaugural address you heard such things as climate change, lesbian/gay rights and immigration reform (code for amnesty). There was nothing in the speech that tackles the real problems we face - the enormous debt of which this president is responsible for 60% of it, an overwhelming unemployment rate hovering around 8% (the true rate is closer to 14%), and out of control spending, which the president doesn't see as a problem.

But there is a more. Seems the president's REAL goal this term concerns the GOP. House Speaker John Boehner thinks he knows. Click the video:

Annihilation of the Republican Party. Dangerous. If Mr. Obama is successful, where are we heading? Dictatorship? Tyranny? The dictionary defines tyranny as 'arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of power.' The two party system is designed to provide checks and balances on the two parties and the executive branch (the president) of government just to protect this sort of thing.. Read More: Boehner: Obama Out To Annihilate The GOP

President Obama's attitude of "I won the election therefore do as I say" attitude may be more than just a man who won an election and is feeling his oates. Since this is his last term he feels he can do anything. The GOP, and we as Americans, need to be fully aware of the president's actions and not allow this to happen. We (meaning those who voted for him) re-elected a man who had no business being in the office in the first place.

 It's time to get your nose out of your smartphones, Ipads, PC,s and paying so much attention to the unimportant things your friends on Facebook are up to, and start paying more attention to what your president and his cronies are up to. You don't want to wake up one morning and find yourself wondering 'what Happened?" By then, it will be too late.




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Hillary Clinton Testifies on Benghazi: 'What difference, at this point, does it make?'

Finally...The Former First Lady and U.S. Senator, current  Secretary of State and U.S. President Wanna-Be testified before Congress today on the terrorist attack September 11 of last year on our Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Did we get anything new from Hillary Clinton? Not much. Because of her schedule, because of having the flu, because of taking a fall, because of suffering a concussion, she had a four months to prepare her answers. Asked about claims the administration misled Americans on the nature of the deadly Benghazi terror attack during Hillary lashed out,  'What difference, at this point, does it make?'  Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin  grilled Clinton.See Video: Hillary's Meltdown 

Mrs.Clinton seems not to understand or care that the American people, from the beginning, were lied to about the events of the incident that killed four Americans, including Chris Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya. 

Clinton testified she had not seen any of the cables from Ambassador Stevens asking for additional security and of worsening security conditions in Benghazi. Senator Ron Paul of Kentucky said he would have fired her had he been president. See Video:  Sen. Ron Paul lectures Sec. Clinton


Senator John McCain was having nothing of Mrs. Clinton's testimony. See Video:

As for the Democrats on the committee, all softball questions and a slobberfest praising Mrs. Clinton. 


In answer to Mrs. Clinton's question, "What difference, at this point, does it make?'  It makes a lot of difference, Ma'am. If it doesn't make a difference than our government, at will, will lie to the American people without consequence. You have answered little in regards to the tragedy that was Benghazi. The cover up perpetuated by you, the president and other members of the administration, unfortunately, continues. For an administration the president said four years ago would be the most transparent in history, cover ups seem to be a matter of policy.










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Egypt, Friend or Foe and is Obama Becoming Too Friendly with the Foe?

“Dear brothers, we must not forget to nurse our children and grandchildren on hatred towards those Zionists and Jews, and all those who support them. They must be nursed on hatred. The hatred must continue.” 

Mohamed Morsi

One would surmise that these are the words of Iran's  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unabashed enemies of the State of Israel. No, they are the words of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and they are most disturbing. Israel is the United State's most staunch ally in the Middle East. Morsi's recent condemnations of Israel should give the Obama Administration pause in our relations with Egypt going forward. 

However, President Obama has gotten the second term of his presidency off to a foreign relations SNAFU. Four F-16 Fighter Jets have been delivered to Egypt....a gift, if you will, as part of our foreign aid package. 

F-16 Fighters

Under normal circumstances one might think, "So what? Foreign aid to other countries is not unusual." True. And to be fair, these jets were part of a $216 million  package agreed to in 2010, when then Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally, was in power. 
But with Morsi's remarks toward Isreal, not to mention referring to Mr. Obama as a liar (Read More: Morsi: Obama lies ) you would think Obama would suspend all aid to Egypt until Morsi comes clean on his attitude toward Israel. Especially, the sending of high-tech military hardware in the form of F-16s to Egypt. 

Netanyahu and Obama

So, why wouldn't he? First, it's no secret that Mr. Obama, during his first term, raised tensions between himself and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, straining our relationship with the Jewish nation. Second, Obama has also made overtures toward the Muslim Brotherhood of which Morsi is a former leader. Obama's pull toward the Brotherhood lies possible in his ideology. Obama is an anti-colonialist, instilled by his father, Barack Obama, Sr. The Muslim Brotherhood is  a religious and anti-colonialist movement. The question is, and it's a dangerous one: Is President Obama's allegiance more toward that of those opposed to Israel and less toward Israel itself? Why help to arm a nation whose president is preaching hatred of Jews?

This is not a healthy situation for us or the Israelis.

Post Script: Note to President Morsi - The Israelis' are very proficient with the F-16.












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What Can We Expect in the Next Four Years?

Swearing in Ceremony

So....The Coronation of the King is over. The public spectacle of Barack Hussein Obama being publicly sworn in (he was "officially sworn in Sunday) to begin his second term as President of the United States, much to the delight of his supporters, much to the chagrin of the rest of us. His supporters apparently have no clue as to what's coming and how their lives are about to be transformed. The rest of us know. 

In his inaugural speech, the president threw down the gauntlet. Read More: Obama: Hands of Deep Cuts to Entitlement Programs

So, what can we expect in the next four years.

1.) Jobs

The president can claim all he wants about how many jobs were created in his first term. The reality is the unemployment rate is still hovering near 8%. The actual rate is probably closer to 14% but the government conveniently drops from its numbers those who have given up looking. Mr. Obama says jobs are his number 1 priority but that's about as far as it goes. His policies have been and will continue to be not on the side of business and those who create jobs. No real progress was made on the job front by this administration between 2009 and 2012. There is no reason to believe this will change between 2013 and 2016. Tax increases on the business sector will mean additional layoffs and cutbacks. They have already begun.

2.) Economy

This country is in debt beyond belief. The president blames his predecessor for the bad economy. True, it was in no great shakes when Mr. Obama took office in 2009. We were about $10 trillion in debt. Flashback - as a presidential candidate in 2008 Obama criticized then-President George W. Bush for adding $4 trillion to the national debt, saying it was “unpatriotic” and also “irresponsible” to saddle future generations with such a large national debt. Mr. Obama then proceeded to add $6 trillion to the debt. (Side note: Mr. Bush added his $4 trillion over the course of his eight years as president. Mr. Obama added his $6 trillion in just his first four years.) 
The Debt now tops $16 trillion. Click to see the numbers. U.S. National Debt Clock. Your individual share of the debt is $52 thousand and climbing. It's estimated that Obama will add another $16 trillion by the end of his second term, leaving the country an unsustainable $20 trillion debt.

3.) Obamacare
The government takeover of the health care industry is well underway. The full implementation to take place in 2014. But we are already seeing the damage this socialist program is doing. Costs are skyrocketing, despite the president's promise they wouldn't. Read More: Rates on the Rise

Obamacare was to help the the middle class. Costs won't go up a single dime, the president touted. ON January 1,2012, the middle class woke up to some 20 new taxes courtesy of Obamacare. 
As for doctors, many say they will close up shop if their income drops...some estimating taking a hit of 30%. Others say they will stop accepting Medicare patients if the program takes a hit, making it tough on seniors, especially since the Baby Boom generation is coming into play. Canada and Great Britain, two countries with socialized medicine are sorry they did it. No republicans voted for this plan...this is all on Obama and the Democrats...his legacy, his cross to bear.

5.) Partisanship
Don't expect the two parties to kiss and make up.The GOP  has control of the house and after taking it on the chin in the 

 Fiscal Cliff debacle,Speaker  Boehner and company are in no mood to make nice. Likewise, the president, who spent the last four years snubbing the right side of the aisle, will continue his "I'm the president, do as I say" attitude." This gets us nowhere.. The Republicans are not going to give the president a blank check to raise the debt ceiling with no limitations as he desires. Boehner wants serious spending cuts. He says "We're broke." The $16 trillion debt backs him up on that. The president, after the largest tax hike in history, wants more of the same. Hang on to your wallet. 

Part of our being broke is the Senate's refusal to pass a budget and has done so going on four years now. Why? Because the president and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid don't want us to see what is actually in it. The president did put forth a budget during his first term...no one on either side voted for it because it was so preposterous. The Republicans are now saying they will not agree to an increase in the debt ceiling until a budget is passed with meaning spending cuts in it. the impasse continues.

6.) Gun Control
The lines are drawn. The president, who has a love affair with Executive Orders, has issued 23 relating to gun control. Banning assault weapons must pass congress, and that's a long shot.

Many more issues are on the table...it will be a contentious four years...Congress and the president have to get their acts together. It's the president's job to find a compromise. Let's hope for the best.




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Gun Control Passage Could Be Tough

Sen. Harry Reid

The president's gun control plan to ban assault weapons is receiving a cool reception on Capitol Hill, even among some in the presidents own party. Moderate Democratic members of Congress who come from states where guns and hunting are a mainstay, Northwest states like the Dakotas, Wyoming, Southern states, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, etc. lean more toward gun rights then gun control. Senator Harry Reid (D) NV, and Senate Majority Leader, has a history of voting for pro-gun legislation and receives good marks from the NRA. Some believe Reid, who was in a tight race for re-election in 2010, would not have retained his seat without the NRA's help. Read More: Some Dems Leary of Gun Plan


Nearly twice as many voters say there would be less violent crime if more law-abiding Americans owned guns, than if guns were banned. Read more: Fox News Poll


Gun advocates say the president is waging a war on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, giving citizens the right to bear arms. Senator Marco Rubio (R) FL. says the President Obama charges won't admit he's against the Second Amendment. Click to View:

It's a guess the president knew banning assault weapons and limiting magazines to 10 rounds would have a tough time passing Congress. That's why he put in the plan the 23 items he signed as executive orders, therefore at least getting something out of the initiative. They are:


1. "Issue a presidential memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system."

Pres. Obama with Vice Pres. Biden Announces Gun Plan

2. "Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system."

3. "Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system."
4. "Direct the attorney general to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks."

5. "Propose rule making to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun."

6. "Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers."

7. "Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign."

8. "Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission)."

9. "Issue a presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations."

10. "Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement."

11. "Nominate an ATF director."

12. "Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations."

13. "Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime."

14. "Issue a presidential memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence."

15. "Direct the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies."

16. "Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes."

17. "Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities."

18. "Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers."

19. "Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education."

20. "Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover."

21. "Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges."

22. "Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations."

23. "Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health."








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Billions in Green U.S. Taxpayer $$ Going To Foreign Green Energy Companies, Courtesy of Your Tax & Spend Govt.

In a continuing effort to bring this country to the level of "just another nation," President Obama, in another one of his failed stimulus projects,  is giving $4 billion of U.S. taxpayer money to foreign "green" energy companies. The money went to several Spain-based companies, as well as those in Japan, Germany, France and Italy. Read More: Billions of $$ Given To Foreign Energy Companies

Meanwhile, the president continues to thumb his nose at drilling for oil on American soil and off-shore. There is no telling at this point how many of these foreign companies have or are on the verge of bankruptcy as was the case Solyndra, a U.S. company, along with others, that bit the dust after receiving money from the Administration. 

Coal Miner Lee Hipshire
(1976)

Along with throwing good money after bad companies, shooting down the Keystone gas line project, waging a war on the coal industry and refusing to allow drilling for oil, the president is personally responsible for jobs that would have put tens of thousands of people to work. Personally, I don't think he cares. Because of his anti-colonialist ideology learned from his father, Mr. Obama is taking this country from an economic and military superpower to just another country. That is his mission. Beware!

President Goes on the Attack Against Assault Weapons...And More

UPDATE : Oregonian sheriff will not enforce new gun laws. Others follow suit. Read More:  From CNN.com

UPDATE :  Part of the president's gun control initiative involves your doctor. The NRA has issues with this. 

"The idea that your doctor would ask you if you have firearms in your house as part of an examination of your health is repugnant," National Rifle Association President David Keene told Fox News on Thursday, accusing the administration of trying to "demonize firearms" by implying that owning them is a "health problem." Read More: Tell Your Doctor If You Own A Gun

President Obama has launched his much publicized assault on guns, rolling out his plan of action which includes a ban on so-called assault-type weapons, limits on high capacity magazines and criminal background checks. These will be issues Congress will have to deal with and there is sure to be opposition. Read More: Restrictions on Assault Weapons & Magazines

The President also is invoking the Executive Order privilege  on a list of 23 items as part of his overall plan. Read More:  Gun Control Measures by Executive Order

The National Rifle Association cast its opposition to Obama’s plans as “the fight of the century” in a letter circulated at the 35th annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, known in the trade as “the SHOT show,” in Las Vegas. Read More: NRA Gears Up For Fight

The NRA also released a TV ad calling the president an "Elitist Hypocrite" because he has armed Secret Service protection at his kids school while being skeptical about putting armed guards at your kid's school. click to view:

Not surprising, the president did not go after the movie or video game industry in his assault on guns. After all, He and Hollywood are best buds. Former GOP Arkansas Gov. and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told Newsmax.com, “I must have missed the president's proposals to ban Hollywood movies in which actors use destructive weapons, but, then, he would have to challenge the Hollywood pals who financed his political career instead of those who oppose him.”
We witnessed the height of hypocrisy in the last few weeks with actor after actor in TV ads coming out publicly pushing for strict gun control laws, even as they were brandishing the best in weaponry in their latest flicks. We've been told for years that violence in movies has an affect on human behavior. Likewise, the violence in video games played by teenagers today is especially daunting. Read More: President Ignores Movie Industry in Gun Plan

My Take: The president said the background checks on gun sales are the single most effective way of preventing incidents such as Newtown, Conn. Background checks will work for the law-abiding citizen who want to own a gun. The criminal who knows he won't pass a background check will steal a gun or buy it off the black market. Others, such as the Newtown shooter, will get them from their home, the gun belonging to a family member or friend who passed a background check. Banning assault rifles will not totally extinguish them. If a criminal wants one, he knows where to get one. Why anyone thinks they need one, I have no idea. If a hunter thinks he needs one with a 30 round clip to blow away a defenseless animal, he doesn't need to be hunting. 
I have no problem with the 

average, law-abiding citizen owning a gun for personal protection of family and property. I'm a staunch believer in the second amendment.  As for the NRA video depicting Mr. Obama as an "Elitist Hypocrite," I would be the last to deny his family Secret Service protection. He is, after all, the President of the United States, and justly deserves the security afforded the office. But parents will argue their children, in today's seemingly out of control culture, deserve protection at their kid's school as well. Since the president seems to be addicted to spending at will the taxpayer's money on endless and failed programs (such as the "green" industry with bankrupt companies such as Solyndra), he can spend money wisely with a federal armed officer protection program...an officer in every school. Money well spent!

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Presidential Hypocracy and the Debt Ceiling

UPDATE - BREAKING:   click link: President Releases Gun Control Measures Via Executive Order
"Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit."
-- Then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in a March 16, 2006 floor speech explaining his decision to oppose a request to increase the federal debt limit, then set at $8.2 trillion.

President Obama

What a difference being president makes. When Mr. Obama made that statement in 2006, George W. Bush was president. So you have Obama the Democrat opposing Bush the Republican. Did he mean what he said back then? Obviously not. Today, as president, Mr. Obama not only wants the debt ceiling raised, he wants Congress to give up its constitutional mandate to control spending and borrowing and give the president full authority to raise the limit. So much for checks and balances.

Flashback to September, 2012. The president and Congress were in a logjam over the debt limit. Congress ultimately sent the president a bill authorizing an additional $500 billion and change to run the country until March of this year. The impending fight over this issue is going to get nasty. This president, by way of being re-elected, feels he has the mandate to do what he wants. The Republican led House feels it also has a mandate since it was re-elected to control spending and cut costs.

Chris Stirewalt , in his POWER PLAY column for Fox News, recently said about the vote last September to keep the ball rolling, 'The members who voted “aye” on the “continuing resolution” did so knowing that the outlays would outrun the current debt limit. As the world’s largest debtor, the federal government has to borrow something beyond a quarter of everything it spends.
Now, though, the government has actually exhausted its borrowing power and, without a hike in the credit limit, would have to slash spending dramatically – all the way back to 2008 levels.
While 2008 levels don’t sound too bad at first blush, the cost of those “mandatory” programs and the cost of servicing the debt already accrued has increased dramatically in the past four years.
In rough terms, the government spends about $250 billion a month. Of that, $36 billion is to pay off the existing $16.4 trillion in debt – about $8.3 billion a month more than in 2008.
By deciding to spend without budgeting, Democrats have left themselves wide open to the current showdown.' Read the entire article by: Chris Stirewalt

Speaker John Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner has vowed there will be no ceiling raised without dollar-for-dollar spending cuts. President Obama, despite his promise during the fiscal cliff debacle last December, now says he's not negotiating. This is a political mistake that will come back to haunt him. It's the president's job to find common ground on these issues. Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43, and Clinton all reached across the aisle to reach satisfactory agreements on numerous issues, including spending and spending cuts. President Obama has failed in this endeavor primarily because he has no intention of dealing with the Republicans.

 While a majority of Americans agreed with Obama's call to increase taxes on the wealthy, they also said spending cuts must be a part of the equation.  (Note to those Americans: The president has no intention of cutting spending.)

So, despite the president, who will  blame the House Republicans if a debt limit is not reached, it's the Democrats and their spendthrift ways without a budget that has put the country in an economic bind.

Columnist Albert Mohler opines at Townhall.com , 'Congress approved the spending, as did the President. The spending, which necessitated the borrowing, was approved by the very people who will not debate whether to pay the bills they themselves created.' Read the entire article by: Albert Mohler.


By the way, President Obama isn't the only democrat who in 2006 blasted the republicans for wanting to raise the debt ceiling. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid fell in line with the future president on the issue.

Senator Reid now not only agrees with the president that the debt ceiling should be raised, he is encouraging Mr. Obama to bypass Congress altogether and raise the ceiling through executive order. Mr. Reid and his Democrat controlled Senate has failed/refused to pass a budget in nearly four years. This is a Constitutional requirement by law.

Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News, and his POWER PLAY column appears Monday-Friday on FoxNews.com. Catch Chris Live online daily at 11:30amET at www.live.foxnews.com.

Albert Mohler  is a columnist at Townhall.com and can be reached at Email Albert Mohler

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Impeach The President...On Two Fronts.

Rep. Steve Stockman

Mr. Barack Obama, president of these United States, is said to be considering avoiding Congress (again...as in the debt ceiling fiasco) and issuing his own gun control laws via the executive order. A lot of people are going to be really upset if he does this, such as law abiding gun owners, gun groups such as the NRA and a group of Republican (and some Democrats) members of Congress. One in particular, Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman, has taken his displeasure to a higher level. Read More:  Stockman Threatens Impeachment

Now the chance of the president being thrown out of office for violating the Constitution for signing an executive order is slim to none. After all, the senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has been violating the Constitution for more than three years by not passing a budget and, unfortunately, he's still around.

Mark Levin

Now, Should Rep. Stockman fail in his bid to rid us of the president on gun control, maybe it can be done through the debt ceiling debate. Again, fat chance, but the arrogance of the president comes into play as he is threatening to bypass Congress and setting his own debt limit ( to him that means unlimited) by issuing an executive order. Conservative talk show host, Mark Levin, says should Mr. Obama should be impeached if he does. Read More: Levin: Impeach The President . Mr. Levin says we have an imperial president. "I'm not into imperial presidents who act imperial and speak imperial and Obama forgets there's a Constitution. Yes, he keeps telling us he won reelection. Congratulations, but guess what? The Constitution wasn't up for election, it's not up for a referendum. He has to comply with it, too."  Read More: Mark Levin

Speaking of guns, a flashback....remember this?

Charlton Heston (d.2008) at the NRA Convention in 2000, where he gave his famous speech in defense of gun rights, saying, "From my cold, dead hands!" (AP

And before all of us there was this....

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GET YOUR FLU SHOT BEFORE THE FLU GETS YOU!

A scramble for shots is under way as the death toll from a miserable flu strain spreading through the country continues to rise.
Read More: 20 Children Have Died From Flu Related Illnesses

Influenza has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 7.3 percent of deaths last week.........Read More:  Flu Reaching Epidemic Levels






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