Michael Oberndorf
Sleight of hand
By Michael Oberndorf
One of the main tools a magician uses to fool people is sleight of hand. He gets your attention fixed on one hand, while the other is doing all sorts of things he doesn't want you to notice. A lot like the Democrats and the media. While our attention is drawn to the revolting Middle East, and the revolting union circus in the Middle West, the Senate is about to pass the Kenyan/Indonesian-in-the-White House's insane budget. And like expensive drugs, it will be largely uncut.
In all the excitement over the outcome of the 2010 election, and the forceful stand the Republican majority in the House has taken on a few issues, we have forgotten that the bills all have to get passed by the Senate, too, and Democrats and RINOs are still in control there. The budget is likely to go through with only minor modifications. Business, as usual.
A stellar example of how the Senate could, if they were even half-way serious about kicking the Big Spending habit, cut a sizable chunk of money that would endear them to most Americans is foreign aid. The House has proposed cutting the diplomatic and foreign aid budget, money spent on trying to win over people who, as an indicator of it's success as a program, vote against us in the U.N. between 70 and 90 percent of the time. Many a dictator, including most of the ones under attack by their own people in the Middle East, have gotten quite rich skimming American aid. Oh, by the way, did you know that the State Department has spent hundreds of millions of your tax dollars renovating overseas mosques? Check out this report: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25764282/index..html
Cutting this seems like a no-brainer, eh? Unfortunately, not to the over-privileged morons in the Senate. Republican establishment stalwarts like John McCain (RINO-AZ), his bosom-buddy, Lindsey Graham (RINO-SC), and Bob Corker (RINO-TN) are teaming up with other outstanding Dummocrat intellects in the Senate, like Pat "Leaky" Leahy (D-VT), Carl Marx...er...Levin (D-Mich), and John "Swiftboat" Kerry (D-MA) to get foreign aid through. In their defense, some of the money will actually go to fund legitimate security functions. However, they know darn well that the hog's share of the money — the "humanitarian" aid — goes into the pockets of the political/criminal class. I mean, let's get real, folks. Do you really believe that in a country where most people earn $2 dollars a day, Hose-nose Mubarak ended up with an estimated $70 billion by, like Hillary Clinton, wisely investing his government salary?
Some senators, too, have been shooting off their mouths, supporting the disgraceful public unions in Wisconsin and other states. Surely, such attitudes cannot be in the best interests of their constituents. Most, if not all, of states' budget deficit problems stem from greedy public employee unions. To support the continued existence of these unions, much less their lawless behavior and the violent, hate-filled rhetoric of their members, is despicable and can only cause more harm to the states than good. With a handful of exceptions — Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Rand Paul (RKY), come quickly to mind — the Senate has become a body of elitist boobs who clearly think they are smarter — and better — than the rest of us. This needs to change.
Indeed, it hasn't always been like this. Senators used to be appointed by the legislatures of the various states. The job of a congressman was to represent the people of his district, and the senator was meant to represent the interests of his state, at the federal level. This meant that it was highly unlikely that they could be influenced to act in a manner harmful to their state, since the legislature and the people of their state were watching and could remove them if they did. Then, in 1913, the same year that the 16th Amendment made the income tax permanent and the Federal Reserve was created, the 17th Amendment was also passed, mandating popular election of senators (strange coincidence, is it not?). Now it was possible for wealthy, outside special interests and corrupt political parties to bribe senators and buy elections. Ever since then, rule of the people, for the people, and by the people has been eaten away.
A movement is rapidly growing to repeal the 17th Amendment (http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi). This fits neatly in with nullification and the movement to restore the power of the 10th Amendment, which defined state's rights. Our runaway federal government must be reined in, and actively supporting both these movements is a real good way to get started .
© Michael Oberndorf
March 3, 2011
One of the main tools a magician uses to fool people is sleight of hand. He gets your attention fixed on one hand, while the other is doing all sorts of things he doesn't want you to notice. A lot like the Democrats and the media. While our attention is drawn to the revolting Middle East, and the revolting union circus in the Middle West, the Senate is about to pass the Kenyan/Indonesian-in-the-White House's insane budget. And like expensive drugs, it will be largely uncut.
In all the excitement over the outcome of the 2010 election, and the forceful stand the Republican majority in the House has taken on a few issues, we have forgotten that the bills all have to get passed by the Senate, too, and Democrats and RINOs are still in control there. The budget is likely to go through with only minor modifications. Business, as usual.
A stellar example of how the Senate could, if they were even half-way serious about kicking the Big Spending habit, cut a sizable chunk of money that would endear them to most Americans is foreign aid. The House has proposed cutting the diplomatic and foreign aid budget, money spent on trying to win over people who, as an indicator of it's success as a program, vote against us in the U.N. between 70 and 90 percent of the time. Many a dictator, including most of the ones under attack by their own people in the Middle East, have gotten quite rich skimming American aid. Oh, by the way, did you know that the State Department has spent hundreds of millions of your tax dollars renovating overseas mosques? Check out this report: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25764282/index..html
Cutting this seems like a no-brainer, eh? Unfortunately, not to the over-privileged morons in the Senate. Republican establishment stalwarts like John McCain (RINO-AZ), his bosom-buddy, Lindsey Graham (RINO-SC), and Bob Corker (RINO-TN) are teaming up with other outstanding Dummocrat intellects in the Senate, like Pat "Leaky" Leahy (D-VT), Carl Marx...er...Levin (D-Mich), and John "Swiftboat" Kerry (D-MA) to get foreign aid through. In their defense, some of the money will actually go to fund legitimate security functions. However, they know darn well that the hog's share of the money — the "humanitarian" aid — goes into the pockets of the political/criminal class. I mean, let's get real, folks. Do you really believe that in a country where most people earn $2 dollars a day, Hose-nose Mubarak ended up with an estimated $70 billion by, like Hillary Clinton, wisely investing his government salary?
Some senators, too, have been shooting off their mouths, supporting the disgraceful public unions in Wisconsin and other states. Surely, such attitudes cannot be in the best interests of their constituents. Most, if not all, of states' budget deficit problems stem from greedy public employee unions. To support the continued existence of these unions, much less their lawless behavior and the violent, hate-filled rhetoric of their members, is despicable and can only cause more harm to the states than good. With a handful of exceptions — Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Rand Paul (RKY), come quickly to mind — the Senate has become a body of elitist boobs who clearly think they are smarter — and better — than the rest of us. This needs to change.
Indeed, it hasn't always been like this. Senators used to be appointed by the legislatures of the various states. The job of a congressman was to represent the people of his district, and the senator was meant to represent the interests of his state, at the federal level. This meant that it was highly unlikely that they could be influenced to act in a manner harmful to their state, since the legislature and the people of their state were watching and could remove them if they did. Then, in 1913, the same year that the 16th Amendment made the income tax permanent and the Federal Reserve was created, the 17th Amendment was also passed, mandating popular election of senators (strange coincidence, is it not?). Now it was possible for wealthy, outside special interests and corrupt political parties to bribe senators and buy elections. Ever since then, rule of the people, for the people, and by the people has been eaten away.
A movement is rapidly growing to repeal the 17th Amendment (http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi). This fits neatly in with nullification and the movement to restore the power of the 10th Amendment, which defined state's rights. Our runaway federal government must be reined in, and actively supporting both these movements is a real good way to get started .
© Michael Oberndorf
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