Michael Oberndorf
Beyond outrageous
By Michael Oberndorf
As bad as Obama-Soetoro and his mindless Marxist minions are, they are amateurs compared to the United States Senate when it comes to shredding the Constitution and stomping the shreds into the mud. I, and many others, have written about the willful refusal of the Senate to pass a budget. One needs only to look around at the state of the economy, the number of jobless Americans, and the shrinking workforce to grasp the incredible damage this has done to the country. But the damage these spineless parasites have done goes much deeper.
Every single piece of the mass of odious, unconstitutional legislation that has been passed in recent years was approved by the majority Democrat Senate, nearly always with the conniving collaboration of ever-willing-to-please RINOs. The laws run the gamut from government takeover of private industries to economy and jobs killing expansion of the national debt. And what should be of great concern to We, the People, is the radical, totalitarian-left direction that all of them are pushing us.
One of the most recent — and most egregious — was the 78-15 vote against an amendment, introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), to disarm FDA agents and stop warrantless searches of farms by them (http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/its-rand-paul-vs-armed-bureaucrats/). Armed FDA agents? Warrantless searches of farms? What can farmers be doing that is so incredibly dangerous to the American public that over three-quarters of the Senate thinks that we need to arm the FDA and send them on unconstitutional, secret raids to stop it? Turns out, it's raw milk, sold locally. Absolutely incredible. Here's a list of the senators who voted for the amendment:
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
John Thune (R-SD)
Pat Toomey (R-PA)
David Vitter (R-LA)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
If a senator's name is not on this list, he or she needs to be de-elected. Period.
It has recently come to light, too, that illegal aliens have been filing tax returns using a locomotive-sized loop-hole, and collecting cash for non-existent dependent children, to the tune of $4.2 billion — yes, billion! — in 2010, alone. Given America's huge deficit and the dire need to reduce it, surely the Senate wants to stop this bleeding? Wrong.
The House passed a bill to close the loop-hole, but Senate Majority Misleader, Harry Reid, (D-NV) blocked a vote on the Senate version of the bill, allowing the "legal" theft of American's taxpayer money by illegal aliens to continue, unabated (http://www.examiner.com/article/thanks-to-harry-reid-illegal-aliens-will-continue-to-receive-irs-refunds). Reid has a history of supporting illegal aliens over American citizens, as when he tried to attach the so-called Dream Act — an amnesty/tax-money/special privileges give-away for illegals — to the defense bill, back in 2010. Many believe too, that it was voting by thousands of illegals in Nevada that got him re-elected that year. And speaking of RINOs and amnesty, even supposed conservative senators like Marco Rubio (R-FL) are touting their own versions of it.
At a seemingly inconsequential level, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and others are proposing legislation to set national federal standards for — are you sitting down? — egg-laying hens. They claim it will make it easier to sell eggs across state lines. The reality, however, is that it creates another layer of federal interference and control over the states' ability to regulate themselves. It's also another tentacle of the federal octopus wrapping itself around the throat of American agriculture and our ability, as a nation, to feed ourselves. Since this same senate has OK'd it, how long will it be before jack-booted, armed FDA agents start warrantless raids on the chicken coops in rural backyards?
Henry Lamb, whose wisdom and columns many of you are familiar with, passed away this week. He was an advocate, as am I, of repealing the 17th Amendment, which took away the right of the states to appoint their senators (http://repeal17now.org/). Allowing their election by statewide ballot opened the door for the buying of the elections by big-money special interests — everything from big unions and environmentalists to big businesses looking for cheap labor. Although occasional honest candidates who actually serve the people of their state get elected, it seems to be the exception, rather than the rule. This is a door that needs to be closed.
The condition that we find America in, as we count down the days to the 2012 election, is not permanent. We can revive her, and return her to the greatness that was hers. By the same token, if we do not do what is necessary, things will surely get much worse. It's our choice.
© Michael Oberndorf
May 27, 2012
As bad as Obama-Soetoro and his mindless Marxist minions are, they are amateurs compared to the United States Senate when it comes to shredding the Constitution and stomping the shreds into the mud. I, and many others, have written about the willful refusal of the Senate to pass a budget. One needs only to look around at the state of the economy, the number of jobless Americans, and the shrinking workforce to grasp the incredible damage this has done to the country. But the damage these spineless parasites have done goes much deeper.
Every single piece of the mass of odious, unconstitutional legislation that has been passed in recent years was approved by the majority Democrat Senate, nearly always with the conniving collaboration of ever-willing-to-please RINOs. The laws run the gamut from government takeover of private industries to economy and jobs killing expansion of the national debt. And what should be of great concern to We, the People, is the radical, totalitarian-left direction that all of them are pushing us.
One of the most recent — and most egregious — was the 78-15 vote against an amendment, introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), to disarm FDA agents and stop warrantless searches of farms by them (http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/its-rand-paul-vs-armed-bureaucrats/). Armed FDA agents? Warrantless searches of farms? What can farmers be doing that is so incredibly dangerous to the American public that over three-quarters of the Senate thinks that we need to arm the FDA and send them on unconstitutional, secret raids to stop it? Turns out, it's raw milk, sold locally. Absolutely incredible. Here's a list of the senators who voted for the amendment:
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
John Thune (R-SD)
Pat Toomey (R-PA)
David Vitter (R-LA)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
If a senator's name is not on this list, he or she needs to be de-elected. Period.
It has recently come to light, too, that illegal aliens have been filing tax returns using a locomotive-sized loop-hole, and collecting cash for non-existent dependent children, to the tune of $4.2 billion — yes, billion! — in 2010, alone. Given America's huge deficit and the dire need to reduce it, surely the Senate wants to stop this bleeding? Wrong.
The House passed a bill to close the loop-hole, but Senate Majority Misleader, Harry Reid, (D-NV) blocked a vote on the Senate version of the bill, allowing the "legal" theft of American's taxpayer money by illegal aliens to continue, unabated (http://www.examiner.com/article/thanks-to-harry-reid-illegal-aliens-will-continue-to-receive-irs-refunds). Reid has a history of supporting illegal aliens over American citizens, as when he tried to attach the so-called Dream Act — an amnesty/tax-money/special privileges give-away for illegals — to the defense bill, back in 2010. Many believe too, that it was voting by thousands of illegals in Nevada that got him re-elected that year. And speaking of RINOs and amnesty, even supposed conservative senators like Marco Rubio (R-FL) are touting their own versions of it.
At a seemingly inconsequential level, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and others are proposing legislation to set national federal standards for — are you sitting down? — egg-laying hens. They claim it will make it easier to sell eggs across state lines. The reality, however, is that it creates another layer of federal interference and control over the states' ability to regulate themselves. It's also another tentacle of the federal octopus wrapping itself around the throat of American agriculture and our ability, as a nation, to feed ourselves. Since this same senate has OK'd it, how long will it be before jack-booted, armed FDA agents start warrantless raids on the chicken coops in rural backyards?
Henry Lamb, whose wisdom and columns many of you are familiar with, passed away this week. He was an advocate, as am I, of repealing the 17th Amendment, which took away the right of the states to appoint their senators (http://repeal17now.org/). Allowing their election by statewide ballot opened the door for the buying of the elections by big-money special interests — everything from big unions and environmentalists to big businesses looking for cheap labor. Although occasional honest candidates who actually serve the people of their state get elected, it seems to be the exception, rather than the rule. This is a door that needs to be closed.
The condition that we find America in, as we count down the days to the 2012 election, is not permanent. We can revive her, and return her to the greatness that was hers. By the same token, if we do not do what is necessary, things will surely get much worse. It's our choice.
© Michael Oberndorf
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