Democrats Continue The Lies Or They're Simply Ignorant...

Several years back, when Bush asked Congress for permission to attack Iraq they voted in a bipartisan manner to give him permission.  Both Democrats and Republicans thought it was a good idea.  Then, when things didn't work out quite right, Democrats began claiming that Bush lied and that's why they voted for the attack.  They called Bush stupid, an imbecile, an idiot.  But they voted for attack based on the information provided to them by that same imbecile.  I always wondered what that said about them.

Today, Jay Carney, Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats said that the Tea Party Republicans, a minority (in their words) is running things in the House of Representatives and that minority is dictating what is happening with the government shutdown.  Jay Carney just said "The President is not going to pay ransom to the Tea Party in order to end the government shutdown."  Really? Ransom?

Just a few years ago, after Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot, the President himself went on national TV to plead for a calming, less violent rhetoric and civil dialogue.  These days the Democrats are comparing Republicans to terrorists.  They are saying Republicans are "holding a gun to the President's head", and they are "legislative arsonists."  One liberal pundit yesterday compared Republican Ted Cruz to Khalid Sheik Mohammed, one of the masterminds of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  And that's less violent rhetoric?

What's truly sad is that the President, the Democrats and even some establishment Republicans believe the Tea Party is running things in Washington. If that was true, President Obama and Harry Reid would be long gone.  The Tea Party is a very small minority and the Tea Party backed elected officials, people like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, etc., are doing exactly what they were elected to do.  Most Republicans who ran for re-election in 2010 ran on a platform of repealing or changing Obamacare.  Sadly, only a few of those will now stand up and continue to fight for that repeal or change.  Once they won re-election, the majority of Republicans forgot their campaign promises.

Jay Carney just said "The President has asked for nothing in return for Congress funding the government so it can open back up."  Now that is a true statement - with maybe on small change.  The President has demanded nothing in return for Congress opening up the government.  The Republicans have offered numerous plans for re-opening the government and every time the President or Harry Reid has said "There is absolutely no way we will negotiate."  Carney keeps saying over and over that the Tea Party shut down the government; the Tea Party is hurting the American people; the Tea Party is causing our economic downfall. He continues to say "We will not pay ransom to re-open the government."  The Obama administration and Jay Carney are liars and your basic con men.  And they continue to bamboozle a majority of American liberals.  I'm continuously amazed.

If President Obama, Jay Carney, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid believe the Tea Party is running the Republican party they show their ignorance.  If the Tea Party ran things there would be great hope and change in Washington.  The Constitution would be the law of the land rather than the President being the law of the land.  The way Mr. Obama wants to do things is nothing short of tyranny. And informed Americans know that.

I Thought My Disgust Couldn't Be Greater. I Was Wrong...

I am 56 years old.  I'm an American citizen by birth.  I spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force and another 22 years working in federal law enforcement for the Bureau of Prisons.  That's 30 years total service to the people of the United States and the government.  And today I am completely disgusted with my government.

I joined the Air Force in 1977.  Jimmy Carter was President - and historically he wasn't a good one.  Up until that time I hadn't really paid much attention to politics. Sure, I watched Nixon resign in disgrace but it didn't effect me as a teenager.  I watched Carter bungle the Iranian hostage crisis and was more than ready for him to be out of office.  Jimmy Carter is a good man but doesn't have what it takes to lead the world.

The other day I voiced my disgust for the current administration for shutting down the federal Amber Alert website because of the shutdown.  Apparently I wasn't the only one angry and it didn't take long before the administration "called in a furloughed employee" to get it up and running again.  Public opinion really can change things.

Today I learned that the Obama administration has stopped paying for funerals for military members killed in action and has discontinued paying for families of those fallen heroes to fly to Dover Air Force Base to meet the bodies of their loved one(s).  The administration is also saying they don't have the funds to even pay for the funeral(s) of these fallen servicemen and has stopped benefits from being paid to those families, blaming the shutdown.

Thanks to the main stream media many people in this country believe the shutdown is the fault of the Republicans.  I put it square on the backs of Obama and Harry Reid.  The truth is somewhere in the center. But regardless of who is actually at fault for the shutdown, the Obama administration is directly responsible for what funds are cut.  Obama and his comrades are the ones who choose which memorials are shut down, which web sites are shut down (Michelle's "Let's Move" website hasn't been shut down) and which military programs and functions are shut down.  So this decision not to pay is the President's and his alone.  His decision shows nothing but pure contempt for the military and their dependents, as well as for America in general.  How any military member could support him now is unfathomable to me.

One organization I sponsor, Wings For Our Troops, is working now to find out how they can help get the five family members in question to Dover Air Force Base for the arrival of their fallen loved one.  They have helped service members get home before deployment and now they are willing to help these families get to Dover when the President won't do it.  A non-profit organization is willing to help take care of military families when the President of the United States refuses to do so.  I urge all of you to go to their site and make a donation if you can.  They will need funding if they're going to be successful.

I'm not sure my disgust level with the Obama administration could be any higher. To deny military families the benefits their fallen heroes were promised when they took that oath is unconscionable.  And when a service member is killed in action while serving the nation (and the Commander in Chief), he/she at least deserves a funeral - even if the government is in a shutdown.

It has been said that "a veteran is someone who writes a check payable to 'The American People' in the amount of 'up to and including my life.'"  In the past that check was honored with reimbursement to the family of that veteran should something happen to him/her.  Apparently the Obama administration has decided that reimbursement isn't necessary after all.  But what should we expect from a man who, during his first Presidential campaign, suggested all wounded military veterans should pay for their own medical care because "after all - they volunteered"?

A "Wings For Our Troops" Success Story

Here's my "feel good" story of the week.  It's not about a Marine who was provided with a ticket home by Wings For Our Troops.  It's about the people behind the scenes.

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis have read about "Wings For Our Troops, In honor of CPL Chad S. Wade", the foundation that helps provide transportation home for Marines being deployed to a war zone.  It was founded by one of my friends, Tami Boyett, and her husband, Tebo, and others.

Over the weekend, Tami's sister, Paige, sponsored a golf tournament in North Carolina to raise money for "WFOT".  Most of the participants never met Chad, if any yet she was able to raise nearly $14,000!  What a wonderful, generous group of people they are.

Paige was truly proud of that accomplishment, and rightfully so, yet I don't believe it was the best part of the weekend for her.  Unbeknownst to her on Saturday morning, when she went to the golf course early in the morning she found Tami and Tebo waiting for her in surprise. And what a great surprise that must have been. Chad's mom and step-dad had flown in to be present for the tournament and to support Paige in her efforts. Now that's family love.

Tami and Paige are good friends and I'm proud of both of them.  They both are members of "the club" and have not only read my book but have helped promote it as well.  I am a proud sponsor of Wings For Our Troops and my book is featured prominently on the WFOT web page.  And for that I thank Tami very much. Please visit "www.wingsforourtroops.com" and help out if you can.  It's a noble cause for the men and women who volunteer to keep us safe.

Congratulations to Paige for her successful weekend venture.  Congratulations to Tami for the success of realizing her dream - paying it forward to those Marines she can assist.  May God bless you both and may He continue to bless America.

The Government Shutdown And The Democrat Lies

The government shutdown is in its fifth day and polls show that more than half of Americans are still ignorant about the true reason for it.  The mainstream media, in their quest to promote and support the President they elected, echoes the words of the President and the likes of Harry Reid and blames the Republicans for everything.  Today I'll share a few facts that people who watch those "news" outlets aren't being told.

Harry Reid and the President tell falsehoods (translated lies) on national TV about the Republicans not wanting to compromise or negotiate.  The mainstream media echoes their words and spoon feeds it to the American people and low information voters believe every word of it.  But here are the facts:

The Republicans compromised from the beginning of this past week of negotiations.  In keeping with the wishes of their constituents, Republicans in the House want to repeal Obamacare.  Rather than send another bill proposing repeal of the law they defunded it.  They offered to pay for everything else in the government if the Senate would agree to defund Obamacare.  The Senate refused.

So the House then sent a bill to merely delay Obamacare for a year.  They would pay for everything else in the government if only the Senate would delay implementation of the law for a year.  Again the Senate refused.

So the House has already compromised.  They tried to keep the government open and asked to defund Obamacare instead of repeal it.  But Reid and the President refused to negotiate at all.

On Tuesday the government shutdown went into effect.  In keeping with his performance after the sequester hit, the President made sure he shut down the most public places possible to get the most attention.  Again, he blamed the Republicans for shutting down national parks, memorials, etc.  He shut down the World War II memorial in Washington DC - something that didn't set well with a visiting WW II veterans' group, who broke through the barricades and entered anyway.  He shut down the parking lot at the historical home of George Washington.  Mount Vernon is privately owned and operated but the parking lot is owned by the federal government.  He closed the Grand Canyon to tourists.  Even when Arizona Governor Jan Brewer offered to fund the staffing of it to keep it open he said no.  (Of course - Obama wouldn't accept an umbrella in a rain storm from Governor Brewer.)  And in Virginia he shut down a privately funded historical exhibit because it was inside a national park.  Even though the exhibit receives no funding from the federal government whatsoever, they were told they would have to close because they are on federal property. Then the President goes on TV and again blames the Republicans.

Recently Senate Democratic leadership refused to consider a resolution (H.R. 3220), supported by Senator Ted Cruz (R - TX) on Friday , to make continuing appropriations during the government shutdown and provide pay and allowances to members of the reserve components of the military, among other piecemeal bills proposed by House Republicans. However, the Democrats fully supported a (S.R. 266) and unanimously voted on a resolution to designate the week of October 7 through 13, 2013, as “National Chess Week."  It's shameful.

Thrusday the House sent over a separate bill that would continue funding benefits for wounded veterans. Harry Reid denied it and sent it back.  It seems Harry's answer to the Republicans is "If you won't fund Obamacare we won't let you fund anything at all - not even wounded veterans' needs.  Oh yeah - but it's your fault." People hear him deny benefits to those who have earned them the most and they still blame Republicans.  It's impossible to understand.

Personally I'm having trouble understanding why the administration won't delay Obamacare for a year as part of a compromise.  President Obama has already signed 14 laws that amend, rescind or otherwise change parts of his health care law, and he’s taken five independent steps to delay the Affordable Care Act on his own, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service.  And implementation of it continues to be flawed by computer problems, cyber security problems and the like.  So what's the big deal of delaying the entire thing for a year until those problems are corrected?  It makes perfect sense - which is probably why the Democrats will never let it happen.

I put the fault of the government shutdown squarely on the shoulders of President Obama and Harry Reid. They are the ones who refuse to negotiate.  President Obama said the other day that he has "bent over backward trying to negotiate with Republicans."  That was right after he said "Any change to Obamacare is non-negotiable."  Apparently his definition of "negotiate" is different than the one in the dictionary.  

ne·go·ti·ate  (nəˈgōSHēˌāt/):  verb  1. try to reach an agreement or compromise by discussion with others

So how is it you can call something non-negotiable then say you're bending over backward to negotiate? Oh yeah...  he's Obama.  And as I said the other day - those who think he can do no wrong live by the motto "Let's just believe whatever he says last and go with it."

What needs to happen now, and soon, is for both parties to let go of their egos and pride and sit down together to have meaningful, productive dialogue.  It seems the one sticking point is Obamacare.  Democrats need to lighten up on it and agree to compromise - even if only for a year.  Fifty one percent of Americans do not want Obamacare implemented - so postpone it.  Bill O'Reilly has a great suggestion - make it voluntary for the next year to see how it works out.  Postpone the individual mandate and the associated fines for a one year trial period.  If it's successful we go with it.  If not - it's time to try something else.

Ah, but again I suggest something sensible.  Who am I kidding?  How many politicians are sensible?

Increased Rhetoric Indicates Fear...

Have you ever noticed the more desperate a political candidate or party becomes the more vitriolic the rhetoric becomes?  Take what’s going on with the government shutdown over the defunding of Obamacare, for instance. In the last two weeks the Republican House has sent continuing resolution bills to the Senate that funded everything in the government except for Obamacare.  The Senate, led by Harry Reid, has not only refused to negotiate anything to do with Obamacare and killed the bills but Harry himself is attacking the Republicans saying “They are out of their minds.”  And that’s the tame one.

Nancy Pelosi called the Republicans “legislative arsonists”.  That one was fairly tame as well.  Besides the usual claim of racism, next came “extortionists,” “anarchists,” then “terrorists,” then “terrorists who want to blow up your children,” and finally “suicide bombers.”  Because Republicans oppose Obamacare and want to either defund it or delay it until such time as it can be overhauled and made into something that can actually work – liberals are saying they want to strap on bombs and blow up you and your families.  It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.

The President has gone on TV several times in the last week and said he simply will not negotiate anything that changes Obamacare and he will veto any bill that comes through with said changes.  He refused to meet with John Boehner following Tuesday’s government shutdown.  Then yesterday he was on TV again saying “I have bent over backward trying to negotiate with the Republicans.”  Wait…  huh?

Sadly (but predictably) his followers see and hear these statements and believe what he says.  I’m personally convinced Obama supporters live by the motto “Just believe whatever he said last and go with it.”  That includes the mainstream, state run media.

The President also said he has personally kept his rhetoric in control.  That’s probably because he’s allowing his liberal minions in the House and Senate, and his mouthpieces on mainstream media outlets to say the derogatory things for him.  It seems after nearly five years in office that he is finally learning as President he needs to refrain from the childish, vile rhetoric and try to remain dignified.  He hasn’t, however, said anything to his liberal associates about toning down their rhetoric.  It seems he only applies that to Republicans.

The bottom line is that Democrats are scared.  Their poll numbers are dropping.  President Obama has the lowest approval rating he’s ever had.  The majority of Americans want Obamacare repealed or defunded and some Republicans are trying to finally do the will of the people.  Democrats hate it when you try to do the will of the people.  They like to do only the will of the Democrats and their teat sucking supporters.

The rhetoric will continue with Republicans attempting to work out a deal and Democrats refusing to negotiate at all and still blaming the Republicans.  As Democrats’ poll numbers fall their statements will become more and more bold and more outrageous than ever.  Desperate times call for desperate measures – even if they are lies and falsehoods.

Lawsuits, Obamacare And Football Helmets...

A few days ago Attorney General Eric Holder filed a lawsuit against the state of North Carolina over their new voter ID laws.  Holder has vowed to sue every state that attempts to ensure voter eligibility by requiring identification to vote.  He has some misguided notion that requiring ID somehow disenfranchises lower income voters.  You know - the ones who need ID to cash a welfare check or to pick up their food stamps. Those folks.  Apparently bringing their ID to the polls is something they might be unable to manage.  (He seems to conveniently forget that most states require everyone to have identification when they are out in public.)

With the implementation of Obamacare beginning yesterday, one has to wonder if it's necessary to have ID to purchase health care insurance through the new exchanges.  If so - is that disenfranchising to lower income people needing insurance?  And will Eric Holder sue the states or the companies who run the exchanges?  I hardly think so since it doesn't involve people voting for Democrat politicians.

In the last week or so, during the debate back and forth over the continuing resolution and Obamacare funding, the rhetoric got serious.  While the Republicans were saying "We want to delay or defund Obamacare so let's negotiate" the Democrats were saying "Republicans are extortionists, legislative arsonists, anarchists and terrorists."  The President said "Any changes to Obamacare will be vetoed" and "I don't have to negotiate."  Harry Reid said "We will kill any bill that changes Obamacare and we will not negotiate. Republicans have lost their minds."

Then, after all of the hate speech by the Democrats the President, Harry Reid and the mainstream media all said "The Republicans refuse to negotiate and have shut down the government."  And somehow current polling data shows that more people believe the President and the Democrats.  I can't help but wonder who they are polling.  Anyone with a functional brain knows it was the President and the Democrats who shut down the government.  So where are the polls finding these brainless people?  I wonder if they have identification?

The President and Harry Reid have threatened to cut off benefits to wounded veterans because of the shutdown.  They're blaming Republicans for that as well. Does it surprise anyone that Obama would hold wounded veterans hostage? After all - he threatens the elderly and our active duty military by saying they won't get their Social Security and regular paychecks if the Republicans don't increase the debt ceiling.  He once even suggested wounded veterans should pay for their own medical care since they volunteered for the service.  So why wouldn't he try to use them as hostages now?  It makes sense in a really vile way.

In January 2011, shortly after the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, President Obama went on television to plead with the country to tone down the hateful rhetoric.  In his very subtle way he was indicating that Republicans and conservatives were responsible for Giffords' shooting because of their outspokenness on guns, freedom, individual rights, etc.  When Sarah Palin said her PAC was going to "target" certain places and followed it up with "We don't retreat - we reload" liberals quickly blamed her for the shooting, even though Jared Loughner was a Democrat voter.  Again - anyone with a brain knew such statements from the left were not only unfounded but preposterous - yet they got away with it.

The point is that President Obama has nothing to say when Democrats call their counterparts extortionists, legislative arsonists, anarchists and terrorists. Apparently it's OK to demean Republicans as long as Republicans don't do it back.  If they do they will be chastised by the President.

Although yesterday's implementation of Obamacare wasn't a complete disaster, it certainly didn't go well. The website froze up continuously.  Some who got in couldn't really do anything.  One NBC reporter got into the website, got stuck, called the number provided for assistance and was on hold for over 30 minutes before getting frustrated and hanging up.  (I'm truly surprised that NBC actually aired a segment making Obamacare look bad...)  It wasn't pretty but Obamacare supporters tout it as a success because over 70,000 people (out of 30 million) signed up.  Whoopie.

It has been said (and I haven't verified it yet) that the state of California has warned people that getting Obamacare is not a problem but if they actually use it they will see their health care costs go up exorbitantly. One estimate I saw last night said Californians might see their insurance costs increase by 140%.  And that's in a state where the taxpayers just voted themselves a tax increase.  Kinda difficult to feel sorry for them, I guess.

The government shutdown is solely the product of Democrats in Washington, including the President, being unwilling to negotiate with the Republicans.  They have clearly stated "It's our way or the highway."  What fascinates me about it is the fact that they blame it on the Republicans and get away with it.  How does that happen?  How do people hear their statements of refusal to negotiate, then hear them say it's the Republicans who refuse to negotiate, and they believe the latter? And what's scary is that these people vote.  I'm thinking they not only need ID but a clean bill of health from their mental health professional...!

Harry Reid said that "Republicans have lost their minds."  Really, Harry? Republicans have lost their minds? You flat out refuse to negotiate, warn the President not to meet with Republicans, say publicly over and over that you will not allow a bill to pass if there are any changes to Obamacare included, and allow the government to shut down over it, and Republicans have lost their minds?  I can't help but wonder if you and your believing constituents wear football helmets when you're not out in public.  I think you must have bumped your heads somewhere along the way...!

Delay Obamacare A Year - What Would Be So Bad?

Yesterday, right up until the deadline, the House of Representatives submitted at least three continuing resolution bills to the Senate that would have funded everything in the government except for the Affordable Care Act.  As promised by Harry Reid, each of the bills was rejected and returned to the House.  

The first bill called for the delay of Obamacare for one year.  The Senate rejected it and sent it back to the House for changes.

The last bill called for the delay of the individual mandate for one year (in the same manner the mandate was delayed for businesses) and for Congressional staff not to receive subsidies to pay for their healthcare insurance so they would be no different than the average American.

Reid and the Democrats in the Senate refused to even consider it.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) floated a one-week spending measure to give the chambers more time to workout their differences.  But that idea was also rejected by Reid.

Speaker Boehner's last move was to propose a bill calling both houses to conference in an effort to resolve differences and reach a compromise.  This morning Senator Reid and the Democrats rejected that as well.

So who, exactly, is causing the problem here?  The President says the Republicans refuse to negotiate. Harry Reid says the Republicans refuse to negotiate.  The mainstream media says the Republicans refuse to negotiate.  Yet the Republicans sent three bills and a call for conference to the Senate and the Senate rejected every one of them.  And the President has stated firmly that he will veto any bill that makes any changes to Obamacare.  And the Republicans are the ones unwilling to negotiate?

The last bill that called for delaying the individual mandate for a year made perfect sense.  The President unilaterally delayed the mandate for businesses for a year - something that is most likely illegal - and he has given waivers to thousands of companies, unions and campaign contributors.  He has unilaterally changed the implementation of the law in several ways (still illegal from a Constitutional standpoint).  So what's the big deal in delaying the individual mandate for a year except that he'll lose all that "revenue" (tax money) from penalties charged to those who don't want to buy healthcare insurance through Obamacare.  And if the exchanges and web sites to purchase Obamacare coverage aren't working correctly, as has already been stated, then are people going to be penalized for not buying coverage even if it's not possible for them to do so?  It would seem that's the case.

Obamacare has been a lie from the beginning.  The President stated it would lower costs, that your current coverage would not change or increase, and that every American would be covered.  According to the Congressional Budget Office the cost of healthcare will increase and nearly every citizen who purchases health care coverage will see an increase, some as dramatic as 70%, in their individual costs.  And there will still be about 30 million people who do not have coverage - which is what it was before Obamacare.

I'm still having trouble understanding the blind faith some people have in Obamacare... and in Obama himself for that matter.  While the House and Senate were going back and forth over the continuing resolution over the weekend, and the real possibility of a government shutdown loomed ever closer - the President went to the golf course.  Apparently the possibility of his government shutting down just wasn't that big of a deal to him.  

Hope you had a good game, Mr. President.  Just think - there are a bunch of federal employees out there who can go golfing this week now because they won't be going to work.  I'm sure they are ever so grateful to you for that time off.

Oh - and it's your fault.  You and Harry Reid.