What Revolution?

I am a main stream conservative. I believe in adherence to the U. S. Constitution, and a sound moral code. The truth is neither political party (Those elected to represent us) has paid much attention to either the moral code or our constitution. I do believe the platform of the Republican party most clearly mirrors my own values, but I don't think those elected have kept the mandates given to them by the voters. Greed and lust for power have overtaken the administration of government throughout the years. Young politicians wishing to change the status quo have been crushed and silenced by the firmly entrenched power brokers. I do not offer the excerpts from this essay to support the Democrat Party which in my opinion has become rank from the rottenness at its core. I only want to give guidance to those who call to ask for my financial support. I am tired of supporting hollow rhetoric only to be given excuses for non-performance and bigger government. Let's see what the Republicans have done in recent years. This piece is entitled, "What Republican Revolution?", and was written by Laurence M. Vance.

Since the Democrats took control of the Congress in the recent midterm elections, we have heard and seen numerous references to the Republican victory in the 1994 midterm elections as the Republican revolution of 1994.

What Republican revolution?

We can see the results in history of revolutions like the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Russian Revolution, but what evidence is there of a Republican revolution?

When the 104^th Congress began in January of 1995, it was the first time since the 83^rd Congress of 1953–1955 that the Republicans had control of both the House and Senate. They had never controlled the House during the forty-year period of Democratic rule, and only briefly controlled the Senate, during the 97th through 99th Congresses of 1981–1987.

After forty years of being out of power, a revolution was certainly in order. True, the Republicans did not yet also control the White House as they did during the 83^rd Congress when Dwight Eisenhower was president, but it is Congress that writes the laws, not the president. And unlike the Congress under Eisenhower, which reverted to Democratic rule in the next election, the Republican control of the Congress under Bill Clinton continued unabated through the end of his second term.

When what looked like a Republican revolution seemed to stagnate under Clinton, excuses began to be made for the fact that the Republicans were acting like anything but the conservatives who voted them into office. Republican control of the White House, we were told, and a larger Republican majority in Congress, were needed to complete the revolution. After all, Clinton could veto any bills passed by a Republican Congress, and the Republicans did not have a veto-proof majority. It turns out that in eight years Clinton only vetoed seventeen bills, making Republican fears unfounded.

And then came George W. Bush.

Republicans were ecstatic. A Republican president was once again elected. This time, however, things were different. When George Bush was inaugurated in 2001, he had a Republican-controlled Congress. This is something a Republican president had not had for forty-five years. The millennium was now here. The Republican revolution was now ready to be completed.

Enter Jim Jeffords.

The Republican controlled 107th Congress (2001–2003) had a weak link: the Senate. Jeffords was a Republican senator from Vermont. Early in Bush’s first term, Senator Jeffords switched from Republican to Independent, changing the 50/50 balance of power in the Senate. Although the House remained in Republican hands, those hands were tied, so we were told, because the Republicans no longer controlled the Senate. The Republicans always seem to have an excuse. Big government, intrusive government – it is always the fault of those evil Democrats.

But then, finally, no more excuses. The midterm elections of 2002 gave us a new Congress (the 108^th, 2003–2005) that was once again solidly Republican. This gave the Republicans an absolute majority for the last two years of Bush’s first term. This scenario was confirmed by Bush’s reelection and the further increase of the Republican majority in the 109^th Congress. Republicans could no longer blame everything on the Democrats like they did for so long before they gained their absolute majority.

So, now that the Republicans have controlled the House since 1995, now that the Republicans have controlled the Senate for the same period except for about a year and a half, now that a Republican president has been elected and reelected, and now that we have had several years of an absolute Republican majority, a simple question needs to be asked: What Republican revolution?

Jacob Hornberger, the president of the Future of Freedom Foundation, recently asked some pertinent questions about the Republicans:

• How many departments were abolished when Republicans controlled the presidency and both houses of Congress?
• How many agencies?
• How many spending bills were vetoed?
• How many pork-barrel projects were jettisoned?
• How much was federal spending reduced?

The answer to every question is, of course, a big fat zero. No egregious legislation was repealed, and the welfare/warfare state is bigger and more intrusive than ever. Some revolution.

Although many Republicans who claim to believe in a limited government can talk a good conservatism, especially when it comes time for an election, one statistic is all it takes to see that there has been no limit to the growth of government under the Republican Party.

On the eve of the new Republican-controlled Congress in 1995, the national debt was just under $5 trillion. At the time of Bush’s first inauguration in 2001, the national debt stood at $5,727,776,738,304.64. At the time of his second inauguration in 2005, the national debt stood at $7,613,772,338,689.34. On the day of the recent midterm elections, the national debt was up to $8,592,561,542,263.30.

The Republican revolution is a failure, a dismal failure. Despite the Republican rhetoric about the virtues of conservatism, the benefits of the free market, and the need for less government intervention in the economy and society, the Republican majority in both houses of Congress did nothing but further increase the size and scope of government.

Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment.
- R. Buckminster Fuller

Takin' Over

The boys and I went out for a little recon mission the other day. I just got tired of waiting for the government to take care of the terrorists. My mule can pick up that camel scent a mile away and it looks like he might be on the trail.

I am having trouble trying to zero in on what to write about next. There is so much material I just can't seem to focus. I occasionally get anonymous posts from those who challenge the veracity of my facts and figures. To you I say, if you don't like it don't read it. You are too cowardly to identify yourselves, so I won't post your drivel. If you have a credible argument, post it so we can all have a go at it. I am not just hard on Democrats, I call out Republicans too.

Political parties are like labor unions in a way. The rank and file membership may not reflect the national leadership. I got a call from the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) the other day and I read them the riot act. They were looking for a donation. I just gave the RNC (Republican National Committee) a donation and they used it to fill my mail box with useless paper requesting more money. After trying to use my hatred of Nancy Pelosi to stir my conservative ire, they posed the money question. I told them to check with the RNC and see if they had any of my donation left. After they pointed up that they were another entity all together, I posed a few questions like, why did you lie down for government run health care? The answer was that they couldn't do much because they were outnumbered. I said no, the real reason is you don't have anyone with brass testicles. But, we proposed our own health care reform bill..... To which I responded, which one of the four areas of the constitution gives you the right to legislate health care reform. It is illegal and unconstitutional. I was yelling at this point and Bebe was laughing. She said, "I don't know why they even call you." The caller was rushing his spiel by now and asked, "What amount can we count on you for?" When I answered zero, the conversation was all but over. The conversation was much longer because I lectured the caller on the record of Republicans in recent years.

Now, that said, I will vote for Republicans because I feel they are the only viable alternative to the totally out of control Democrat Party. I don't think spin off parties can mount a major campaign that will do anything but water down the conservative vote. I will post the Republican record in the next couple of days for the purpose of educating those that don't know what it is. These are the people we need to vote out of Washington. I also told the caller that he had better come up with some young guns to run against the status quo.

They'll probably call back. You can't get rid of them once you give them money. I'm ready and have my facts and figures printed up for the next unfortunate volunteer who gets my phone number.

Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.
- John Kenneth Galbraith

Cartoons (Not Funny)

Janet Napolitano

Janet Ann Napolitano (born November 29, 1957) is the third United States Secretary of Homeland Security. She assumed the job on January 21, 2009, and is the first woman to serve in that office. An American politician from the Democratic Party, Napolitano was serving as governor of the state of Arizona when designated by then-President-elect Barack Obama to be his Secretary of Homeland Security. She was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in one day after Obama's inauguration. She was chair of two state Governors' associations and was named by Time as one of the top five governors in 2005. Prior to the governorship, she served as Arizona Attorney General from 1999 to 2002. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

I don't know about you, but if I were a terrorist, I would be shaking in my boots. I was enjoying myself during the holidays knowing that the legislative branch was on vacation and the president and his family were out of the lower forty eight, when another Islamic terrorist decides to set his pants on fire while riding on a commercial airliner. I think sentence two (see above) describes part of the problem we have in this country. "An American politician from the Democratic Party...." and a lawyer to boot. Just looking at her I get that same warm fuzzy feeling I had when Janet Reno was in charge of calling the shots at Waco.

This guy was allegedly on a watch list, but not on the no fly list. If I was in charge (never going to happen), I would have everyone in this country and everyone approaching this country who was Muslim and had a name that is recognizable as such on a watch list, and a no fly list. After the mule is out of the stall, we put more air marshals on the planes and check all the Anglo-American males very carefully so as not to offend anyone else who might complain to the ACLU. I challenge you to look at Janet Napolitano's bio and tell me what experience she has that might qualify her to make critical law enforcement decisions. Oh, how silly of me. I forgot, her boss doesn't have any experience either. At least she is confirmed as an "American politician from the Democratic Party...."

What is the matter with us? Don't we have a single Senator with the guts to ask some serious questions? I watched Max Baucus, Democrat Senator from Montana, drunk on the Senate floor debating a Republican Senator from Mississippi on health care reform. Why didn't someone call the police and have him arrested for public Intoxication? Any other government employee showing up for work toasted would be facing an investigation and possible firing. I think they are all drunk with power and so intent on keeping it they won't challenge each other for fear of political reprisals.

I intend to make sure I vote for the best "new" candidates I can find in the 2010 election. The bills they are considering are illegal and unconstitutional but not one politician from either party has challenged on this basis. Only 8% of the political appointees in the Obama Administration have any "real life" work experience (and that includes this president).

The following are my list of things that shouldn't be considered as qualifiers for anything when applying for any job:

A. Sex

B. Sexual Orientation

C. Ethnicity

D. Color of skin

These also should't be considered when assigning "special rights" to any group. In fact, "special rights" are not constitutional.

Here are some factors to be considered:

A. Moral character

B. Experience in the job for which you are applying

C. Education (Ivy league should be given no special preference.)

D. High work ethic

E. Maturity

I believe these would be more beneficial to the country's revival.

Remember, it was this allegedly highly qualified ex-governor who labeled disgruntled American soldiers returning from battle as potential terrorists threats. I imagine she further qualified that in her apologies to Vets as intended only for those with ties to the conservatives in our heartland.

I think a letter of resignation would be in order Janet before we have anymore incidents on your watch. Get someone other than a lawyer to handle the leadership of all our law enforcement activities at the federal level. Preferably someone with years of "street experience" in handling law enforcement actions.

What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jesus

JESUS, MAN, GOD

He who is,

He who was.

He was sent,

but chose to die.

Conquered death our lives to buy.

Arose triumphant,

reigns on high.

Jesus,

Man,

God,

He who is,

He who was.

Dennis Price

Christmas on the Border.

My breathing is a little more shallow than it was yesterday before the traditional Christmas meal. In addition to the center piece spiral cut honey glazed ham, we added the tamales and salsa of our neighbors in the Valley. This along with yeast rolls, broccoli casserole, scalloped potatoes, pecan pie, ice cream sandwich layered desert, and iced tea not only rounded out the meal, but also rounded most of us out.

I was reduced to a lean on the couch in a semi-comatose state while nodding through old episodes of Knight Rider and One Adam Twelve. I may have switched to the Monk marathon for some more contemporary fare, but most of the plots were lost to my intermittent nodding.

The early morning hours were spent at my daughter's house watching the grandkids open their Santa gifts. I am always invited because I still carry a pocket knife. The toys these days are so secure in their boxes, one has to carry a pair of wire snips and a pocket knife to get them out of the tamper proof packaging. By the time I got the "D-Rex" remote controlled Tyrannosaurus Rex out of its box, I had made such a show of not being bitten by the thing that my grandson jumped up on the couch with the remote in hand to avoid being attacked. My little granddaughter paraded around the room in a variety of costumes from chef to ballerina. She is already showing definite signs of being "high maintenance".

Now comes the hard part, figuring out how to package the left over dishes into "Lean Cuisine" styled meals and portions. I've considered packing myself in ice for a while to take down some of the swelling. I didn't do as well as I hoped this morning but I did get rid of four of the huge yeast rolls. I split the rolls and toasted them slightly in the oven. Then I cut small portions of ham and placed them on both halves. I fried three eggs in butter and flattened the yolks. After I flipped them in the pan, I sprinkled them with grated cheddar cheese and cut them into four equal parts. I placed the eggs on top of the ham to create a Pappy McRoll. I shouldn't eat again until supper. Man those things were delicious.

The weather is predicted to be drizzly and cold for the next couple of days so I guess I'll have to exercise with my "Gold's Gym" elastic exercise bands. I need to start on my office clean up for the new year. The maid won't even come into my office anymore without a specific request. I'm going back for another cup of coffee.

"To the world you might be one person,
but to one person you just might be the
world." --- Unknown

Meeting in the Dark of Night

Someone recently took this picture of Democrat Senators meeting with members of the Obama Administration in the dark of night at a secret location. They were discussing how to keep the Republicans and others interested in what they might be up to on health care in the dark until after the vote. Bribes were being offered and accepted by previously pious and offended Democrat Senators who gave up on their principles as soon as the check book came out. Oh, by the way they are paying these phonies off with our money. The Republicans were doing what they do best, nothing. The rules of the Senate have been trashed, and the U. S. Constitution ignored, while the Republicans are trying to figure out how to get their part of this unconstitutional bill recognized. When are they going to figure this out? This is going to cost us out the Kazoo for health care. Our premiums will go through the roof along with our income taxes and other fees and fines while we wait for another three years for nothing. We are not going to realize any improvement in anything from this illegal action. I say it is time to claim sovereignty as States and push back. Several Senators sold their mortal souls for some porridge, and got sweet deals for their states only. How is this legal? This is out and out bribery.

Besides that, it is all illegal and unconstitutional. We should not even be considering health care and cap and trade legislation. If any government entity says we can afford this, a red flag should immediately pop up in your brain. They have been bought and paid for too. This whole process has been an outrage from the beginning. Believe me, these mopes to whom we write and call are not listening. They have purposely blocked all their avenues of communication so they won't have to listen to those who they were elected to represent. The government has never done one thing successfully except raise and collect more taxes.

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,

It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:

• The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775 You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
• Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
• Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
• War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
• Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
• Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
• The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM??

Merry Christmas from Pappy.

I just wanted to assure some of you that all this holiday eating has not affected me. I am holding my own. I will be releasing a copy of my workout program in the near future. Eat your heart out Chuck Norris. I hope you all enjoy the holiday menu to the fullest. My program does not involve any high rep sit ups. You can achieve results like this with only a few minutes of your time. Have a great Christmas. Pappy

First things first, but not necessarily in that order.
- Doctor Who

Texans Get It

There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Christmas Passage

CHRISTMAS PASSAGE

When I was young and all was fresh and new,

and Christmas trees were tall and covered up

with fancy balls and bubbling lights that shone

through glittering tinsel hung upon each bough,

I could not seem to tear myself away.

Colored wrappers topped with shiny bows

could hold me in their hypnotizing trance.

I could not sleep at all the night before

so tossed and turned until the morning broke.

With energy I’d never have again,

I peeped around the corner just to see

if Santa had put toys beneath our tree.

Then as I grew, my childhood feelings changed.

Replaced by facts, as notions were debunked.

But I still searched for presents just to see

if Santa had left one or two for me.

The years flew by and I was Santa Claus.

My kids were now where I could only dream.

And once again I shared with them the awe.

But, in that joy, was weariness it seemed.

Brought on by months of gaudy ads and things.

I sat amid the rubble of our fete

and thought on why we give the gifts we do.

And as I did a peace came over me,

Jesus was the reason for our mirth.

Born in the little town of Bethlehem

God’s gift to undeserving men on earth.

Dennis Price

Poet to Poet

Perhaps you've read the recent poem by former Vice President, Al Gore. It was written to be included in an informative book on climate change. We all know the extensive scientific training Mr. Gore has, but few knew his poetic talent. If you have not read the poem, or heard it read, you might want to Google it before you read my poetic response. I have never won the Nobel Peace Prize, or held the second highest office in the land, but my carbon foot print is considerably smaller than all of the attendees at Copenhagen. On that basis I feel justified in bringing you my poem.

Response to Gore

Whatever month you choose,

the world will turn

and tilt as seasons cycle

in their scripted course.

As vapors come and go

from land and sea,

so may some life forms

as they have through

eons past.

Snow falls when temperatures

dip low,

and rain, where temperate

climate reigns.

And floods, whenever God allows.

The score of nature is

not ours to tweak.

And lightning burns

the forest for a reason.

Our world is still in flux

and changing,

as all of life,

is here but for a season.

The deserts shift to

fruited plains.

The sea becomes dry land.

But not one change

on this old earth

was wrought by man’s

own hand.

Creatures come and go,

but not because some bell

has rung.

The shepherd does

the best he can.

But in the end

it’s up to God.

Not man.

Dennis Price

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
- Douglas Adams

The Nativity Play

And the nomination for best dramatic portrayal....
And the nomination for best musical rendition....
When considering the prize for the cutest portrayer of Mary in this year's Christmas pageants, I would bet that not one could beat my granddaughter Ava.

I knew she would probably win when she walked out on stage because the entire audience gave a loud collective "Awhhhhhhhhh...."

Of course she has been to the Pappy School of Drama.

The Ruining of a Nation

I just watched the last episode I'll ever watch of the CBS show NCIS. This was one of my favorites, but like many other network shows, blatant social education seems to be the order of the day. I watched my last episode of the Closer the other night. Again, one of my favorites and one of maybe four shows I still watched. These network boobs are pushing the agenda of leftist politics and aberrant life styles to the point I almost puke when they come on. The Closer chose to educate those of us who still believe there are social mores with Beau Bridges' treatment of a detective who has left the department and returned as a transsexual. Of course the officers who are appalled are portrayed as bigoted and insensitive louts. In the NCIS episode, a not so covert defense of Muslims in the military is contrasted with the ones thought to be responsible for the death of a young Marine who chose to convert to Islam. The Christian right is smeared and then there is the usual attack on those from the rural south who are portrayed as bigots and referred to as "red throats" by Special Agent David. The term hate crime is used as though it is some sacred provision of the law.

I tried to sign in to comment on the episode by going to the CBS website, but I was blocked at every attempt by error messages. I know they are trembling in their boots just like those babbling fools in our federal legislature. I'm 62 years old and relegated to the demographic ready to accept my feebleness and get in line for the death panels. The sponsors could care less what I watch since I don't understand most of the adds anyway. So, I talk to the T.V. and banter with my wife in lieu doing something more dramatic. I also blog and hope that in some small way I'll convince some of my younger readers to stand and be counted. Bebe asked me tonight why every new show had to be about understanding and accepting some new form of sexual deviance. I told her it was a sign of a civilization in decline. It has been the mark of rotting societies since the beginning of time.

The president said today that we are on the precipice of passing historic health care legislation. I hope that is not true, but I think he inadvertently used the correct word. My Webster's New World College Dictionary describes it as follows: almost vertical or overhanging rock face; steep cliff. 2. a greatly hazardous situation, verging on disaster. I can't believe so many of the legislators who were elected to represent our side did not raise a hue and cry about the constitutionality of the bills in both houses and refuse to participate. Instead they argue about which portions of this illegal trash they will or will not support. I say clean them all out in 2010.

Lifelong Bureaucrats

If you want some insight into the Obama policy, take a look at this fascinating analysis of the percentage of time the cabinet members of various administrations have spent in the private sector. Obama's cabinet has the lowest percentage on record. They are, by and large, lifelong bureaucrats. Ayn Rand is, I'm sure, spinning in her grave.

Obama administration 8%. The lowest in the history of our nation. The previous two lows were in the Kennedy and Carter administrations, but they were both up around 30%. Reagan and Truman were near the top both around 60%.

In case you are wondering why I started with the networks, they are the bought and paid for arms of the leftist radicals who have taken over our country. All are working tooth and nail to push us into the third world so we can join the other miserable refuse in fear and dependence on a dictator or Oligarchy. All this talk about health care reform is as bogus as the administration.

Take a look at the statistics from the United Nations' International Health organization. See if you want to join the ranks of those with government run health care.

This article from the "Investor's Business Daily." It provides some very interesting statistics from a survey by the United Nations International Health Organization.

Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis:

U.S. 65%

England 46%

Canada 42%

Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months:

U.S. 93%

England 15%

Canada 43%

Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months:

U.S. 90%

England 15%

Canada 43%

Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month:

U.S. 77%

England 40%

Canada 43%

Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:

U.S. 71

England 14

Canada 18

Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health":

U.S. 12%

England 2%

Canada 6%

I don't know about you, but I don't want "Universal Healthcare" comparable to England or Canada .

Moreover, it was Sen. Harry Reid who said, "Elderly Americans must learn to accept the inconveniences of old age." WELL, LET'S SHIP HARRY TO CANADA OR ENGLAND !

We are being sold down the river. I intend to go kicking and screaming.

Quit Treading on Me

I just can't watch the guy. I know he is the president, but I cannot stand to even hear him when he supersedes all programing to tell us how, "I the transparent, diverse and all knowing divine one have something of monumental importance to tell you." Why? Because he has no provable background in anything. Because he is about as transparent as a steel reinforced cement wall, and because lying is as easy as opening his yap. I have pointed all this up before, but every time I hear a new snippet, I feel like running my head through the nearest wall. Truthfully, I haven't been able to listen to much any president, since Reagan, has said. However, Obama rates right up there with toothaches, and the flu in my list of things I could do without from now on.

He and his fellow power drunk cronies, Reid, Pelosi, Franks, Hoyer, Dodd, Waxman, and the not so heavenly host of other Democrats persist in blaming everyone but themselves for the dismal economic mess we are wallowing in. But, yesterday, Obama came down hard on the banking industry telling them to make more loans, while at the same time federal regulators, czars, and overseers have a stranglehold on the entire nation. I remember when our first black president, Bill Clinton, did the same with the mortgage industry by threatening reprisals if they didn't make loans to unqualified applicants who were part of the great Democrat plan aimed at social engineering. Now, those responsible for the lack of oversight at Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, (government run programs providing direct competition to private institutions - but using taxpayer money) just can't recall they had any part in doing so. These irresponsible actions by the Democrats led directly to the collapse of the mortgage industry and Wall Street we faced at the end of the Bush administration. Bush was forced into an alliance with those responsible, to include Senator Barack Hussein Obama, in order to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the economy in passing the TARP resolution. The Democrat reaction was then to blame Bush for the collapse with loud ranting and allegations of ineptness in order to draw the country's attention away from the real culprits. His lordship has continued with this hackneyed rhetoric in every speech he has given since ascending the throne. To the majority of his constituents, radicals, labor leaders, brain dead academics, and those who remain in blissful ignorance, it may fly, but to any citizen with the ability to see beyond some single issue and focus on the basics of our nation's success, it is pure bunk.

We need to put the brakes on big time. We cannot afford to spend one more dime of hard earned taxpayer funds for ridiculous programs. I get angry to the point of wanting to be present, so I can dough pop some of these moronic power drunk legislators, when they are asked about the constitutionality of their current proposed and recently passed legislation. They smugly turn up their noses and condescendingly laugh at the thought that they, the almighty majority, should be bothered by the U. S. Constitution. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, (D-LA), whose vote on the health care bill was recently bought with a $100,000,000.00 earmark, said when asked the question that, the Senate has constitutional lawyers to answer those questions. Apparently they are on vacation, or the Democrat majorities in the Senate and House are not listening to them either. They took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. What happens when they are the majority and enemies of the United States at the same time? I can tell you, exactly what we are experiencing today.

I am sick of their brazen lies. This country belongs to its voting citizens and not to those for whom they vote.

"[A] wise and frugal government ... shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government." --Thomas Jefferson

"Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any others."
John Adams.

Winter

WINTER

Autumn’s colored splendor fades away.

It’s coming; I hear the north wind’s song.

Bare branches stand against a canvas gray.

Days shorten; nights become too long.

Cool, crisp, sharp, raw, blue.

Varied harshness marks its passing here.

Weak ones sometimes do not make it through.

At times, it also brings the strongest fear.

Blinding brightness – Snow is on the ground.

Icy crystals bend the straining bough.

Silence broken by its tinkling sound.

Surreal, it manifests its beauty now.

Dennis Price

Blue Spruce

BLUE SPRUCE

With blue spruce tree I mark the season’s start.

Its Christmas smell stirs memories from my heart.

When as a child I marveled at the sight

Of tinseled branches hung with colored fare.

Anticipating with each passing night,

The presents that Old Santa would leave there.

Its Christmas smell stirs memories from my heart.

With blue spruce tree I mark the season’s start.

Dennis Price

Nostradamus?

Not exactly, the commentary I'll reprint today is one I received from my friend David. It was written on October 30, 2009 before the election. David is a student of history and a former detective. Long years of dealing with reality have peeled away the layers of wishful thinking. A career of listening to lies has brought clarity to what people are really saying. Living in Louisiana, he has seen the worst that politics has to offer and survived it. Pay close attention to what he predicted would happen. If it hasn't happened yet, get ready.

"If Obama is elected, I will make the following predictions:

1. The Republic as envisioned by the Founders, already in jeopardy, will be damaged beyond repair. Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? I think not. I believe that it was Ronald Reagan who said, "Freedom once lost cannot be regained." That's not entirely true, but I don't think America is ready for an armed revolution and that's what it would take.

For the past 45 years, the American public has slowly been indoctrinated into accepting principles which do not exist in our Constitution and which are contrary to those which made us the greatest, freest country in the history of the world. We are currently at a tipping point. Four years of Obama and a clinically insane leadership in Congress, with no checks of any kind in place, cannot be undone during the next four years or ever.

For example, I have seen Obama asked twice what kind of federal judges he will appoint. On both occasions he has said he will appoint judges with "empathy" toward various minorities and disadvantaged people. Never has he mentioned justice nor law, only empathy. Never has he mentioned the Constitutionally assigned tasks for federal judges. As a recently surfaced interview he had in 2003 indicates, he believes the Constitution is greatly flawed, but he is not going to correct what he sees as a problem legally via constitutional amendments, but through his empathetic judges.

Another example would be that he has consistently lied during this campaign by saying that he supports the 2nd Amendment, yet he is on record as having voted to ban all handguns, all semiautomatic weapons, all ammunition which can pierce a Kevlar vest (which is all rifle ammo and some pistol ammo), to reinstate the Clinton gun ban and make it permanent (no matter that it was totally ineffective and gun crime is currently lower than it was during the ban), outlaw nationwide all concealed carry by civilians, and require registration of any firearms remaining in civilian hands.

He will come for your guns.

2. The economy will tank within a year and, as during FDR's reign, it won't recover. The deficit will exceed a trillion dollars and continue to rise. Obama's Marxist economic principles have proven complete failures wherever and whenever they have been tried, but he somehow thinks he can make them work. He will not only spread the wealth by taking from the productive members of society and giving to the non productive and less productive, he will spread the misery.

Some of the leading members of his party are advocating nationalizing the oil companies. Others want to institute a windfall profits tax. Since Chavez nationalized the oil companies in Venezuela, productivity is down 40%. Jimmy Carter slapped a windfall profits tax on the oil companies and it resulted in a shutdown of exploration and a virtual shutdown on production. It was during this time that our dependence on foreign oil started increasing to what it is today.

One indication of insanity is to do the same thing over and over expecting different results. I refer you back to my description of the current congressional leadership above.

3. Taxes will greatly increase for everyone. He is lying when he says that the middle class will get a tax break and only the top 5%, who are currently paying over 40% of all income taxes, will get a tax increase. He could take everything the top 5% owns and not be able to finance just the programs he has thus far revealed which he wants to institute. In fact, as during the Carter administration, the top 1% will end paying a lot less taxes. They will simply shut down their investments, lay off workers at the plants they own, and generally bring the economy to a screeching halt in order to protect their principle. A little bit of that also occurred during the Carter administration when unemployment at the end of his term was more than double what it is today.

I think we need to also remember that Bill Clinton promised the middle class a tax break and then reneged and passed the largest tax increase in history until the Repubs took over Congress and tamed him down a bit.

Surely Obama wouldn't do that, he is a trustworthy guy. Nope, he is not. He lied about only accepting public money for his campaign and he has lied about a number of his positions, one of which I have already pointed out.

Obama's economic plans, the little he has revealed, run counter to the thoughts of any economist, liberal or conservative, that I am aware of...except maybe Paul Krugman. For example, they will all tell you that to raise taxes on anyone when the economy is in a downturn is the worst kind of folly...but the Great One knows better.

4. Education will continue its precipitous drop in quality. Obama comes from the Chicago political machine and Chicago has the 2nd or 3rd worst school system in the nation. That ought to tell us something, along with the fact that the NEA is one of his most fervent supporters and he has to pay them back. Even though the federal government is not authorized in the Constitution to have any influence whatsoever on local school systems nor is it authorized to spend a penny for same, Obama will spend billions to control the local system even more than they now are. Got to indoctrinate those kids, don't you know.

We ought to stop and think a moment when considering the federal government's influence on the schools. The only system controlled and largely paid for by the federal government is that of Washington, D. C. D. C., every year, is 51st in achievement tests. Yet, it has the smallest classroom size and spends the second largest amount of money per capita student of any district in the nation. The mandating of these two things in all districts are what the NEA and Obama tell us will cure our educational ills. It certainly hasn't worked for Washington. I will refer you once again to two of the indicators of insanity.

5. Universal health care will be gradually phased in. Now that's going to cost you a bundle, that is the 60% of you who pay any federal income tax. Doesn't matter that similar systems in every European country and Canada are going broke. Doesn't matter that the country which has had such a thing the longest, Sweden, has had to back off considerably because even the 50% plus tax rates there weren't paying for it anymore. Doesn't matter that the quality of care, except for the very rich, will drop considerably and that pharmaceutical firms will cease producing the wonder drugs they now invent. When was the last time that Sweden or France came up with these incredible, disease curing drugs we take for granted here?

You know, health care is another function not authorized to the federal government in the Constitution. Well, no matter, under Obama and the judges he will appoint and who will be with us for 30 years won't be using the Constitution anyway.

Spread the misery. Yes siree.

6. Amnesty will be granted to illegal aliens and our borders might as well be erased. A country which cannot control its borders is no longer a country which no longer expects to survive. Our culture will change in a manner never to be undone. In fact, we won't have a culture anymore, we will have several and they, as history has proven over and over, will always be at war with each other." David

Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff.
- Frank Zappa

I thought slavery was over.