Obammy a Crock Opera

With apologies to The Who I have noticed some similarities between the current Obama administration and the Who's rock opera 'Tommy'. If you aren't familiar with the rock opera it is about a pinball wizard "Tommy", who is deaf, dumb and blind, but unbeatable. Tommy gains a cult-like following because he is so good and people come from everywhere to be like him. To do so however they must put on opaque glasses, earplugs and put a cork in their mouth to simulate the wizard's handicaps. Are you with me so far? Guy comes out of nowhere, attracts a blindly seeking, well meaning, but lemming-like mass, does nothing more than be proficient at pinball and gains a cult-like following.

The story continues. Once the devoted followers get a taste of the things they have to do to follow the leader (i.e. glasses, earplugs and cork) they start to rebel. Now forgive me if I take too much flight of fantasy, doesn't that seem to be the public reaction to this administration, as Obammy's approval ratings head down the cosmic black hole? And I can't help but laugh about the glasses, earplugs and cork. Obammy doesn't want you to "see" what he is doing. He doesn't want you to "hear" the truth and he doesn't want you to "speak" out against him. If any of those sensory bulwarks fail you begin to see the problems with the Stimulus/Porkulus Bill, the corporate bailouts, Obamacare and runaway spending. Gee whiz, isn't that amazing?

I don't know the politics of Roger Daltry and Peter Townshend, but little did they know how prescient they were back in the 1970's with their work "Tommy".

Goodbye Old Friend

Sometimes I am going to be a little "off the wall". That goes for today. Part of what this blog is all about is what one feels. It doesn't all revolve around politics. There is a human story going on all the time. That's why I am dedicating a few lines to an event that took place today.

I said goodbye to an old friend today. It was hard to do and very tearful. The friend was white and black and weighed about 2,500lbs. He was only 13, but managed to carry me and those dear to me around for 189,000 miles, to places only God or the Devil has ever seen. His heart was still beating strong when I said goodbye which made it all the harder to let go; surprising since he had a voracious appetite for hydrocarbons. He was always a good friend of the family and had protected them faithfully on more than one occasion. Sadly recent damage (a story too long for any blog), the economy, bad legs and frame had made it financially impossible to make him safe for outings again. It was time to move him along.

God Bless the 4WD 1996 GMC Suburban which was taken away today by Father Joe Carroll’s organization. I let him go to someone more deserving, more creative or more wealthy, lest a weakness in my resolve made me hang on. The dogs nested in the seats one last time. It took all I had to pry them out before that trip up on to the tow truck. Maybe you will roll on, but I will never see it.

Goodbye old friend, you will be missed. I will try to replace you but it will never be the same. I have always been a sucker for my cars. I tend to keep them too long and all I see are memories when I leave them in some dealer’s lot or sell them to someone else. It makes moments like this wonder why I have them at all.

California Hall of Shame #1

I am a little behind the curve on this one. There was a recent article in the Los Angeles times about a California Senate vote on the prospect of renewing drilling for oil off the California coastline. It doesn't take a genius to understand this kind of vote would be controversial in California's heavy green atmosphere. It also doesn't take a genius to understand that oil exploration and recover technology is so good that any chance of permanent environmental damage from new drilling is almost nonexistent. In an age when California desperately needs money for its over generosity to illegal aliens and public servants, one would have thought a few Democrats would would vote not to punish California citizens and taxpayers by voting for limited offshore drilling.

Please don't hold your breath. In almost perfect lock step partisanship without really considering what benefits the most Californians, the senate squashed an opportunity to help relieve financial strains at the pump and in the state treasury. Too add insult to injury, it was reported that the official vote was expunged from the legislative database. Are these guys and gals running for cover? Hiding because they know that they have not acted in a responsible way for their citizen bosses? I never knew such a thing as expunging a vote was allowable, but the crap sure hit the fan. I doubt they will be pulling that fast one again anytime soon. It didn't take long for the actual vote tally to hit the internet as experienced people went searching for it. Here is the tally below. A Yes vote is for drilling a No vote is against. Be sure to let your state senator know how you like being hosed once again when they had a chance to make a few dollars for the people. God Bless the Republicans for watching out for us when the Dems sell us down the river.

YES (28)

Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia
Joel Anderson, R-Alpine
Juan Arambula, independent-Fresno
Bill Berryhill, R-Modesto
Tom Berryhill, R-Ceres
Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo
Charles Calderon, D-Whittier
Connie Conway, R-Tulare
Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley
Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine
Mike Duvall, R-Yorba Linda
Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands
Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield
Ted Gaines, R-Roseville
Martin Garrick, R-Carlsbad
Danny Gilmore, R-Hanford
Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills
Kevin Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore
Stephen Knight, R-Palmdale
Dan Logue, R-Linda
Jeff Miller, R-Corona
Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert
Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks
Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber
Jim Silva, R-Huntington Beach
Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita
Van Tran, R-Costa Mesa
Mike Villines, R-Clovis

NO (43)

Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco
Jim Beall, D-San Jose
Robert Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills
Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica
Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo
Anna Marie Caballero, D-Salinas
Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto
Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata
Joe Coto, D-San Jose
Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate
Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles
Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park
Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa
Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles
Paul Fong, D-Sunnyvale
Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar
Warren Furutani, D-Gardena
Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston
Mary Hayashi, D-Castro Valley
Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo
Alyson Huber, D-El Dorado Hills
Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael
Dave Jones, D-Sacramento
Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank
Ted Lieu, D-Torrance
Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach
Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco
Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia
William Monning, D-Santa Cruz
Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara
John Perez, D-Los Angeles
Manuel Perez, D-Coachella
Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena
Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City
Mary Salas, D-Chula Vista
Lori Saldana, D-San Diego
Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley
Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks
Sandré Swanson, D-Alameda
Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch
Norma Torres, D-Pomona
Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont
Mariko Yamana, D-Davis

NOT VOTING (8)

Karen Bass, D-Baldwin Vista
Marty Block, D-San Diego
Mike Davis, D-Los Angeles
Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego
Isadore Hall, D-Compton
Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point
Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina
Jose Solorio, D-Anaheim

The New "Gulf" War

It's coming. You can see it everywhere, especially with the Obamacare debate raging and Tea Parties sprouting up across the country. The "Gulf" I am referring to is the ideological divide between liberals and conservatives. The "War" is the coming cataclysm between the two. Depending on who wins, American society as we know it, may not survive.

Conservatives respect traditions and values that can be tested and make sense in an historical context. Liberals fancy themselves cerebral and their ideas should "be" without proof, context or healthy debate. Take the health care battle going on. The problem you have here is that liberals believe, and they will tell you this, that cradle to grave health care is a "right" of every individual. So before you debate a liberal about health care ask that simple question and save yourself a lot of time. There is absolutely no foundation for the assertion that health care is a "right" of any person. What's more a conservative will correctly identify for the liberal that to provide the "right" to health care means you have to steal the payment from someone else. What we all have agreed upon here in America is that we are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where in that sentence does it say "health care"?

Take another example; peace. Liberals will generally tell you that mankind (ooops...humankind) is entitled to peace and tranquility. OK. I'm on board with that, but sadly it can't just "be" for sounding good. A conservative will look around and see how to make peace possible, because when a conservative opens his eyes he sees that the world is still filled with ugly mean things that want to take what peace and happiness that you have. So a conservative will create an environment where peace can flourish when surrounded by evil until the evil is gone. That takes force, a military. The liberal answer to this is to set an example. To promote peace you disarm yourself; you become "kinder and gentler". Take away guns and dismantle the CIA. Meanwhile in some dusty village far away, or in a mosque in San Diego, or the president's church in Chicago, the devil incarnate is simply waiting...and waiting.... and waiting; eventually coming up with the one plan which will bend our way of life to his; blood and bodies notwithstanding. Liberals can't imagine such evil and they are foolish enough to destroy the very strength that makes their own puny lives possible. It's the Tea Baggers that are the real enemies of course. The liberals have launched an all out campaign to unravel the social fabric of religion using fancy sounding organizations like the ACLU. They suppress the history of America's founding in our schools. They promote a blind pursuit of diversity without realizing the consequence to our nation. They celebrate the speech of the annihilation of America while seeking to shut down talk radio. They protect the terrorist and vilify the soldier.

I watched a cable news piece on the president's visit to Martha's vineyard, a liberal bastion. One interview with a man on the street perfectly underscored the "Gulf War" going on in America today. This man, echoing several other interviewees, was railing that the Republicans weren't letting Obama get anything done. He was positively indignant and unquestioningly of His Majesty's programs. This man had long given up thinking critically about the most important social political issue in this country and had completed his transition into a sheep. Baaaahhh. If this guy wants to jump off a bridge because Obama says so, I don't want to be tied to him. Perhaps he can tie Rep. Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi to him instead. We'd all be a little closer to freedom afterward.

Seriously though, where will this end? Is America in a death spiral? It is quite possible. I don't see anyone around who can resolve this divide before America disappears by violence, indolence or lack of fiscal discipline. Backbones in Washington are as scarce as teeth on a chicken. Every trend and policy that comes along these days continues to take us further and further away from the concepts that established this country and made it strong and successful. It is suicide and it makes me "all wee-wee'd up" (thanks for the new adjective Mr. President). That's why I have absolutely no problem calling a liberal anti-American. If your definition of America is what the founding fathers established through the constitution and it's rightfully created amendments, then it is true. The Obama followers are hell bent on creating something else, but it is NOT AMERICA. Make no mistake about it.

This returns me to something I think about a lot. How much did the founding Americans have to take before they took matters into their own hands? What was the tipping point? We may be close to a similar point in our society now. Freedom lovers are being called names and persecuted. Our rights to speak freely are being threatened by a Fairness Doctrine (Weasel Words Extraordinaire) Our firearms are being taken away with slimy laws and statutes that do an "end around" on the constitution; so we are left helpless. It is the equivalent of the San Andreas fault. If something doesn't give, the land will split in half. Witness the secessionist movements sprouting up in Texas, Alaska and the South. More power to them. They secessionists are reluctant to leave all the good things about America, as am I. Despite my allegiance to the Republicans in the last election, I was secretly hoping for all Americans that Obama would somehow surprise me and bridge the "Gulf" as promised. The "Gulf" is still there and maybe wider than ever.

A Hero's Welcome

This may set the record for my shortest post. Scotland released the only imprisoned terrorist in the Lockerbie plane bombing that killed over 200 people. On his return to Libya he was greeted to a hero's welcome. America's meek response just reinforces the Muslim view that Americans are soft. That's what you get when you show your female side in foreign policy.

According to the Scots, the man deserved mercy because he was dying in prison from terminal prostate cancer. How can one have compassion for a man who thought nothing about raining the torn and mutilated bodies of innocent women and children down from the sky?

I am here to tell you that it is OK to execute terrorists. It is OK to fight savagery with savagery. We don't become less human in doing so. We get no pleasure from it, but sometimes it is all one can do to send the message and you can't enter a fight to the death when the other side abides by no rules. The world might as well still be the Wild West so we have to be tough. My personal suggestion, a large gift box for Qaddafi and the terrorist containing a MOAB (Mother of All Bombs).

Oh, by the way, I am still waiting for the outcry from the moderate Muslim community for the hero's welcome the slime ball got.

How Dare He?

Sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it's clever. Sometimes it's blatant. So it is with the recent liberal attempt to stifle reasonable discourse in this country. Take the case of John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, Inc. an organic grocer. This company is probably responsible for feeding more liberals in this country than local fruit stands and backyard gardens. So why the fuss?

Seems Mr. Mackey had the gall to write an op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal in which he suggested alternatives to His Majesty Obama's plan for health care in this country. This is a man who sells organic food, takes one dollar a year in salary and donates his corporate dividends to charity. His company employs over 10,000 Americans and pays health insurance benefits. In the days following his article, leftist protesters showed up outside some of the stores circulating leaflets urging a boycott of the company's products.

I can't think of any better example that exposes the true agenda of the left. You hear it all day from conservative radio, but now you can see it in the bright light of day. Those folks just don't want to hear from anyone else that is not of their ilk. Bipartisanship, forget it, they want it all and they want it now. They are pissed. Their messiah is in office and they are furious that he can't deliver socialism tomorrow. So much for change. It was a joke. Some some conservative pundits were saying that the left is for America as long as you take it as they want it. For saying it they are villified in the press, but they were right. There is no such thing as free speech in left wing America unless it is liberal speech. Thanks to John Mackey you can see left wing ideology all its glory. For crying out loud, John is a responsible American, just trying to help.

It is simple to draw parallels with what is going on in this situation and other places in the world. More and more our freedoms are being stolen by those who are most organized and shout the loudest, but are not necessarily the most numerous. They are the minorities. Take the Taliban for example. They are a minority but impress their will on the majority with intimidation and violence. The only difference between the Taliban and the American left is that the Taliban dress better and only the Taliban use bombs..... for the time being. The conservatives are the true champions of free speech.

Wake up left wing America and see what you have wrought. Wake up you voting independents. You are getting hosed. Take a look "under the rock". See that creepy, moist, fleshy stuff writhing around under there?. Those are the people you elected. Not what you expected, eh? Time to stomp on them good and get rid of those creepy crawlies. I can hardly wait for 2010 to come around to begin the process. Pass the Black Flag.

Grover Cleveland?

Happily I have friends in high and low places. I celebrate diversity, but not for diversity's sake. Keeps things interesting. One of my more prolific friends sent me a quotation from the late president, Grover Cleveland. Grover Who? That's what my first thought was when I saw the name, but his words were very timely, given today's current events.

Then president Grover Cleveland once vetoed an expenditure that would have provided $10,000 of federal aid to drought-stricken Texas farmers. He explained to congress why such an appropriation of taxpayer money was inappropriate: The quotation was; "I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution; and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadily resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people. ... The friendliness and charity of our fellow countrymen can always be relied on to relieve their fellow citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood." Oh my God....what a great Republican.

Well those of you who can go as far as Wikipedia, like me, will find out that Grover Cleveland was a Democrat, elected during a time of Republican domination in government. In fact, he was considered a classic liberal. Say what? History is full of these what I call American Democrats. They are Democrats that oppose profligate spending by government, inflationary policies, excessive taxation and subsidies. American Democrats believe in the way of our founding fathers and the justness of the American Way.

These characteristics are more commonly attributed to conservative Republicans nowadays, but they are unquestionably American ideals. So what the hell has happened? We have a runaway train for a congress, who thinks there is money in the bank because they still have checks. These same Democratic congressmen and women are in bed with the unions, want to steal from the rich and have no compunction about taxation in the name of "patriotic duty" (thanks to Joe Biden). They will tell you how to dress, how to eat, when to sleep and what to drive. Somewhere along the way the Democrats were corrupted and lost the ideals of Grover Cleveland. Today the Democrats stand for everything Cleveland didn't and so too some of his successors like John F. Kennedy. JFK is rolling in his grave to see how his party has become emasculated and socialist. So when lefties tell you it is the Republicans who have lost the message, tell them this story about Grover Cleveland.

Well hail to the Blue Dogs, the American Democrats. That's what we call them today and they are the only hope we have to stave off the liberal attack against true American ideals. No amount of teleprompting by Obama can change the fact that Americans are waking up to the "change" the really didn't want.

I'm a Chatterer

What's with this word "chatter"? I heard Chuck Schumer use it and I've heard Obama use it. Of course you've heard that the "terror chatter" is high. Sorry, I forgot, we're not supposed to use the word "terror" and "the war on terror". So, what did the Democratic heavyweights mean by "chatter"?

The primary definition in the online dictionary reads; " To talk rapidly, incessantly, and on trivial subjects; jabber." So when Chuck Schumer talks about legitimate criticism of the ill-designed stimulus bill he says; "And let me say this to all of the chattering class that so much focuses on those little, tiny, yes, porky amendments" he is dismissing honest discussion of his legislation as trivial jabber. Likewise, when Obama references the Tea Party movement and calls it chatter, what does this tell us?

What it tells me is that these people are unfit to lead. They are arrogant, dismissive and drunk with power.......and let me add scared. Their little pea brains don't understand two key things; 1) we are their boss, not the other way around and 2) they don't believe we might not like what they are doing because they are omnipotent. Wouldn't you like to see a congressional hearing where a taxpayer, CEO or other witness dishes it out to the condescending likes of Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters or Barney Frank......."thank you for that insightful question and insulting diatribe Ms. Waters, but let me remind you that as a citizen of the United States, I am your boss, not the other way around. You owe me decency and respect in your questioning. If you care for me to remain here you will show me that and stop trying to hang me out to dry". Wouldn't that be nice? And these legislators are running scared. They finally get the "big enchilada" of the presidency and control of both houses of Congress and they are blowing it. They are letting it slip away.

We have gotten used to the whackos like Code Pink, PETA, and other left wing groups getting all the publicity without repercussion. Lots of coverage of violent anti-globalization riots, but nothing on Tea Parties. Suddenly the conservatives are on the march and it is too much for the"libs". The major networks try to ignore the uprising by allowing the democrats to dismiss it as "chatter". The left wing bloggers titter at the sexual entendre of "tea bagging" while discounting the logic of conservative backlash. I have been to Tea Parties and people are coming out because they are honestly disturbed by the course this country has taken with the likes of Obama and his circle of czars running the show. These folks, as do I, see the demise of all that was good and strong about America, unless we are successful in throwing the democratic rascals out. What makes this conservative backlash even more significant is that conservatives are busy working and producing, so taking the time out to attend a rally is a big thing. Conservatives can't produce bus loads of welfare recipients to pack their events. Let's keep it going. Support your local TAX REVOLT or TEA PARTY coalitions with donations or time. No more time for chatter. Time for action.

Lowering the Bar

Well Mr. and Mrs. Vote For Change at any cost, did you feel that pain in your neck? That was Obama "lowering the bar" on your shoulders. The "bar" I am talking about is His Majesty's arbitrary income level threshold that determines if you are wealthy or not. Remember $500,000 during the campaign, then $350,000, then $300,000 and finally $250,000? Well Tim Geithner let the cat out of the bag today.

Seems the administration cannot rule out a new tax increase to pay for all Obama's giveaways and mounting deficits (Hey, guess what Kool Aid drinkers THEY'RE NOT BUSH'S PROBLEMS!?) And there's more. The administration can't guaranty that the $250,000 threshold won't be lowered. Meaning, of course, what thinking voters knew all along, is that the tax and spend SOB's in power will certainly raise taxes in a big way. Those increases WILL extend into the vaunted middle class that Obama promised to protect. Are we now looking at a $200k level, or $150k, or even $100k? What is the level that all us Komrads must be at so as to not insult the proletariat? If you dare to achieve more in the new Amerika, at what point are the masses are going to be educated against you and your success?

Where will it end? It will start to end in 2010 and end when Obama is kicked out of office in 2012. We absolutely MUST get the Democratic traitors out of office and end their stranglehold on government. Sorry, was "traitor" too strong a word? I don't think so. The current Democratic regime has a vision for Amerika that is totally inconsistent with the principles this great country was founded on. I call that treason. What other party gets glee from punishing the best and brightest in society? What other party assuages its guilt by passing out your hard earned money to a lower class of perpetual leeches. What party delights in separating you from your property and earnings in the name of social righteousness? What party likes to twist the Constitution into a pretzel by allowing the Judicial Branch to overstep its powers? Enough said.

Thomas Jefferson would surely have called the Democrats "traitors" so I guess I am in good company. Jefferson once said; "Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of the day, but a series of of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period, and pursued unalterably through every change in ministers (administrators) too plainly proves a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing us to slavery." The Great Man saw this time coming and we should take note about the oppressions that are being laid before us now, sucking away our freedoms; Cap and Trade tax, government bailouts of banks, mortgage companies and automotive companies, government run health care, the Fairness Doctrine, confiscatory taxes on wealth, deliberate policies to increase the costs of our energy. Does this not meet the test of a"deliberate and systematic plan of reducing us to slavery"? Reject the flawed new vision for Amerika and raise the bar once again for us all.