The Fiscal Cliff is Looming...

The fiscal cliff is looming, at least that is what the Media keeps touting these days, and why is it looming?  Because those dastardly Republicans won’t compromise with the president by throwing all of their pledges, promises and morals out the window by giving the President exactly what he wants with no argument or debate in the process.  Well, I hate to break it to the major news outlets, but that isn’t how the system is supposed to work.  Just because Obama won the election doesn’t make him the end all, be all, when it comes to how things are going to work in DC.  Obama still has to work with Congress if he actually wants to achieve anything and, as loth as he is to do it, he has to reach across the aisle and start working with Congressional Republicans.  If he refuses, as he has the last couple of years, then nothing will get done and we all will suffer for one man’s stubbornness and stupidity.  Don’t let the Media fool you into thinking that this is all because of the Republicans, they have been trying repeatedly to get things done and have been stonewalled by this administration and the Senate Democrats.

And as for the Congressional Republican…  I know that no matter how this whole fiscal cliff thing plays out you are going to look like the bad guys.  This is due to a complacent Media that refuses to do their job and report the truth; instead, they choose to worship at the feet of the idol of Obama.  Get over it and do your jobs anyway.  We put you in office to prevent Obama and his socialist agenda from destroying the foundation of this great nation, not to turn tail and cower because you are afraid of looking bad.  If you give in and help Obama destroy this nation, you will be replaced in the next election. 

If all the conservatives in this nation (and conservatives still are the majority) have to go Third Party in order to get people in DC who will stand up for conservative ideals and not cave to political pressure just because another party controls two of the three branches.  I know that this would take a while to accomplish but eventually, if the Republicans don’t wise up, they will find themselves completely out of power and a new party with have taken its place.  So please, Republicans, grow a backbone and stand strong.  If you don’t, we all lose.

I Need An Adult, or, Children Cry As America Dies

Ok, let me start off by apologizing for my long absence from this blog, I have been dealing with some personal issues as well as 60 hour work weeks as I try to stay afloat in this crappy economy that our Government has given us.  It was never my intent to be gone for so long and I hope that you, my dear readers, will forgive me.  I want to thank you for reading my blog still or, if you area first time reader I would like to thank you for giving me a shot.  Once again, I want to remind everyone that this blog is not a news blog.  Its sole purpose is to be a place for me to express my opinion about a number of things, most of which will be political in nature.  I am an independent conservative though I tend to lean more toward the Republican platform than the Democrat platform and as such my view will be along these lines.  If you are offended my potentially disagreeable views please leave now, if not, then welcome and feel free to leave comments in the comment section, especially if you want to have a discussion.  I encourage discussions in the comments section and tend to participate in them when they occur; all I ask is that everyone remain civil and polite.

Ok, now with that out of the way, I want to talk about the last two debates that we have had in the Presidential race, or, more appropriately, I want to talk about the performances of Obama and Biden.  I may get into Romney and Ryan a little bit in order to contrast them against their opponents but, this is mainly going to be a comparison of the two Dems that are running for re-election.  The main reason I want to focus on them is that I find the two extremes that we got in their performances fascinating… also there is the fact that I find that both of those performances have hurt their re-election chances due to the extremes they went to.

Obama, during his debate against Romney, appeared lackluster and he looked as though he didn’t want to be there.  Considering the trouncing that he got, I wouldn’t have wanted to be there either if I were him.  Throughout the entire debate, Obama kept hanging his head, looking at the floor, looking at the ceiling (maybe w\he was trying to find his teleprompter?) and generally looking anywhere else other than at his opponent.  In this debate, the point was to have each candidate address each other and have a lively discussion about their views on the topics that was set forth from the question presented by the moderator.  It is kind of hard to do that when you won’t even acknowledge the presence of the other candidate.  Romney held his own on the stage by directly addressing Obama and looking straight at him the entire time no matter who was speaking and he managed to do this while remaining respectful of Obama.  Obama on the other hand kept addressing the audience while avoiding his counterpart as well as begging the moderator for more time to speak.  For someone who spoke as much as Obama did, he sure didn’t say much of anything.  In the end Obama got way more time to talk then Romney did, but you wouldn’t know that if you listened to the MSM (Main Stream Media).  The way that Obama acted during the debate with Romney came off almost as if he were a sullen child who was being forced to do something he didn’t want to do and then complaining about not getting able to do it enough.  All in all, he came off as arrogant and rude during this debate.

Biden on the other hand, or Mad Joe as I like to call him, really came off as a crotchety old man who occasionally reverts back to an infantile state when he was debating Ryan.  In this debate, the candidates were supposed to address one another as well as the public.  Ryan pulled this off very well, full of class and style, Mad Joe on the other hand did manage to address the people he was supposed to address (unlike Obama) but it was his antics the entire time that kept him down.  Whenever Ryan was speaking about anything (some of which were very serious subjects) Mad Joe was busy rolling his eyes, cackling, giggling, throwing his hands up in the air and most importantly, constantly interrupting Ryan.  Ryan to his credit did not reach over that table and bitch slap Joe Biden, I would have.  On the flip side, when Biden was speaking, Ryan was quiet and polite, letting Mad Joe say what he wanted to say without stooping to the oh so low level of Joe. Once again we have the Dem candidate whine about not getting enough time to speak and, like Obama, Joe really didn’t say much that was worth anything.  Also there were several times that when Biden was speaking he got visibly angry, shaking his finger at the moderator and the audience as if he was restraining himself from lashing out and striking them.  As Joe spoke he refused to say Ryan’s name once, instead referring to Ryan as “my friend” constantly, which is a very rude snub.  Basically, whenever Ryan was speaking, Joe pulled the infantile act and then when it was his turn to speak, he became the crotchety old man, neither of which is an attractive way to act if you want people to vote for the ticket you are on in a Presidential race.

I guess the best way to finish this post up would be to compare the Democrat ticket verses the Republican ticket’s performances in these two debates…  Anyone who has read my previous posts knows exactly how I feel about Romney, I don’t like the man but as time goes on I find myself being more and more comfortable with a Romney Presidency, especially now that he has Ryan on the ticket and considering that if he doesn’t win this election we are looking at four more years of Obama’s crappy policies and Constitution breaking maneuvers. 

The way the two tickets look to me after these first two debates is like this, the Obama ticket has two people on it that have proven themselves to be immature, arrogant and contemptuous in the way it handles itself.  It is not above lying about everything and anything to the American people if it thinks that it will get it re-elected.  It will even go so far as to double down on those lies when called out on them in front of the American people while on stage.  This is not leadership and leadership is what we so desperately need.  On the other hand, the Romney ticket held its own in a cool, calm and mature fashion, despite all of the slanderous half-truths and blatant lies that were thrown against it.  It took the high road during the debates when many others would not have.  For its efforts, the Romney ticket has come out of these debates so far looking even better for not having soiled their shoes in the much that the Obama Ticket is wallowing in.  The Romney ticket is what leadership should look like and with any luck (and a whole lot of votes) the Romney ticket is the leadership we will get.  It’s not the perfect ticket nor is it the perfect answer for the problems that this nation faces but it is a step in the right direction after four years of a socialist in the White House who does everything he can to stand against America and all she believes in. 

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 5

Part 5

“I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That's why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That's why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.”

This statement simply is not true, look it up.

“The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.”

As I have pointed out before, the Republicans in Congress has been trying to do what Obama is claiming he wants done, but the Dems in the Senate as well as the President himself have been getting in the way of any reforms being passed because it doesn’t match exactly what they think should be in the reforms that have been presented.

“You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who's willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.”

I agree, too bad our President doesn’t practice that he preaches.

“After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let's pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.”

And once again, The Congressional Republicans have been trying to do this repeatedly.

“Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don't gut these investments in our budget. Don't let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.”

The President has spent the first 3 years in office blocking things like this because he things that green energy is more important and in that vein he and his administration continue to throw money down a hole that has only proven fruitful in Europe where they subsidize around 90% of the research and costs with only a maximum of about a 50% return on the investment.

“Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over the last three years, we've opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I'm directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the highest that it's been in eight years. That's right - eight years. Not only that - last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years.”

This statement is so false it isn’t funny.  Obama has done everything he can to prevent and block oil and gas exploration as well restricting the production to an all-time low since the Carter years with Job killing regulations.  If Obama really is serious about opening 75% of our offshore resources, why has he worked toward blocking it when Republicans have been calling for it for this for the last 6 years?

“But with only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy - a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.”

*sigh* We have more than 2% of the of the world’s oil reserves.

“We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years, and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. And I'm requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.”

To Obama: Stop saying you want to do something when you have clearly shown in the past that you do not, seriously, just because it is an election year doesn’t mean that you can forget the last 3 years.  Oh, and while I am thinking about it, the companies that drill for natural gas do disclose the chemicals that they use.  They have to get Government approval in order to use them, you dunderhead.

“The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don't have to choose between our environment and our economy. And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock - reminding us that Government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.”

The funding that Government put toward natural gas research has actually done as much to restrict the methods for getting natural gas as it has helped it.

“What's true for natural gas is true for clean energy. In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world's leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.”

Dirty little secret, there is no truly clean energy.  As much as Obama and environmentalist want to think that there is, there isn’t.  Every form of energy comes with some form of waste and pollutant attached to it.  Yes even the batteries that he is so proud of.  Oh, and the renewable energy market is only thriving because of Government grants.  Without those is would have slipped into nothingness because it is inefficient as an energy source.  Also if you are wondering why I say that there is not clean energy… Think about everything that goes into making clean energy happen.  If you do you will find something that isn’t quite as clean as they would lead you to believe.

“When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it's hiring workers like Bryan, who said, "I'm proud to be working in the industry of the future."”

Ok, and?

“Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don't always come right away. Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That's long enough. It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.”

True, investments don’t pay out right away, that is the way of the world, and it is rare that they do.  Also some technologies don’t pan out and some companies do fail… like Solyndra, which Obama knew was going to fail yet gave them half a billion dollars of tax payer money anyway.  They only reason that china and Germany have such seemingly good solar, wind and battery industries is because they pay out the ass to subsidize them and they are slowly being dragged into a hole because of it.  That is why China is starting to invest in oil.  Oil is the only source of energy that has proven profitable all over the world, all other forms of energy fall short in comparison.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t research these sources of energy, we should and hopefully one day it will pay off, but we need to go about it much wiser then we have because otherwise we are just wasting money that can be better spent.

More in part 6.

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 3

Part 3

“What's happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can't bring back every job that's left our shores. But right now, it's getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock's unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.”

While it is getting more expensive to do business in places overseas, the reason for that is simple.  The global economy is suffering.  Therefor the costs of doing business anywhere is going up, including here in the US.  Obama wants to know what it will take to bring manufacturing back to the US, that is simple too.  Get rid of him and every politician that thinks like he does when it comes to over regulation, that will bring more jobs back to the US because it will make it easier for manufacturing businesses to do business here in the US.  Also, make the entire US right to work so that unions can’t force people to join them if they want a job.  Unions have been one of the biggest hindrances to the manufacturing market for a long time.  I am not saying to do away with the unions because they can be a good thing when they do what they are supposed to do, but give the hard working Americans a choice whether or not they want to join.

“We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.”

For the record, the Dems are the ones who wrote, promoted and passed the laws that set the system up like this.

“So let's change it. First, if you're a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn't get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.”

I’m all for taking away the tax deductions that he is talking about.  The money that a business saves just from going overseas won’t be affected so they will still go overseas.  But what we should not do is have taxes raised on businesses that choice to operate in a friendlier environment so that the money can then be sent to businesses that chose not to go overseas.

“Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.”

American companies pay more than their “fair share” (by the way, I am getting sick of hearing that phrase, it is a stupid thing to say) in taxes.  They still pay taxes when it comes to importing and exporting goods.  We should not be taxing operations in in foreign countries.  The countries that those businesses operate in tax them for what is done there we should not penalize the company for trying to make an extra profit because that does come back home to make more jobs here in the US.  I agree that we should incentivize businesses to stay here in the US, but we don’t need to do it by raising taxes on multinational businesses just so we can subsidize businesses that won’t go overseas.  The business model that a business uses should be based off of where they can get best quality work for the lowest price so that they can them turn around and invest in the economy.  Doing what Obama suggests will kill our import export trade and make the economy even worse.

“Third, if you're an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you're a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.”

Once again, don’t have much of a problem with what he is saying here but I think he wants to go about it all the wrong way.  As for the subsidizing he is suggesting see my previous comment.

“My message is simple. It's time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I'll sign them right away.”

But that is not what he is saying; he is saying he wants to punish businesses for going overseas.  As for him signing tax reforms right way… Why hasn’t he or the Senate Dems back any of the tax reforms that are currently sitting in the senate because Harry Reed won’t even let them be brought to the floor?  If you are going to say it Obama, you should at least look like you are trying to what you claim you want to do.

“We're also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal - ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.”

That is just a dream as long as Obama and the Dems keep up their policies when it comes to taxation.  The fact of the matter is when it comes to exporting you have to create a friendly environment for businesses here in the US, including the ones that are forced to import due to regulations.  Until you do that, the costs of American products are going to be too high in an overseas market and you will be throwing money down a hole while trying to succeed, especially since most other nations see our good as inferior with the exception of our food exports.

“I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don't play by the rules. We've brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration - and it's made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It's not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It's not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they're heavily subsidized.”

This statement makes me laugh.  Obama knows that he only goes all over the world to take vacations.  As for bringing cases against our competitors in other nations, so what, the fact of the matter is if China or Russia are going to abuse the rules then that is what they will do.  Obama and his administration can’t stop that.  Their bringing cases against foreign imports has not created jobs, it has just raised the cost on those imports that has actually hurt production in the US.  The only reason that unemployment is starting to drop is because despite what his administration has done the American market is strong and will recover, just at a slower rate. 

By the way, did you notice the little nod toward SOPA and PIPA?  For more on that you can read my post about those two bills. 

As for the last part of this statement, the reason that foreign manufacturers have a leg up on us isn’t subsidies, it is the fact that labor is significantly cheaper, which is one of the things that is killing manufacturing here.  There are some companies here in the US that, due to unions, have to pay their lowest paid workers a minimum of $25 an hour plus provide a complete benefits package.  If these manufacturers were allowed to either cut wages or make the work pay for part of their benefits then they would have an easier time competing worldwide.

“Tonight, I'm announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you - America will always win.”

Umm, we have laws and departments in the government that already do this why do we need another?  Make the ones that are supposed to be handling this do their job of get rid of them.  As for what Obama is saying Congress should do, they have been trying to accomplish that but Obama and the Senate have been stonewalling them. 

“I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can't find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that - openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

That's inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.”

Once again, yes we do.  Get rid of Obama and elect someone who cares about America.  The main issue when it comes down  to this is education.  We need to turn education back over to the states instead of dragging all states down to the lowest common denominator.  The Department of Education has done more to hurt education in this country by introducing programs like “No Child Left Behind” (more like no child gets ahead) which was passed under Bush.  We need to challenge our children in order for them to succeed, but until he stop holding them back until the ones that struggle catch up, that is not going to happen.

More in Part 4.

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 2

I hope you enjoyed Part 1.  I am going to be a bit more pithy for part 2 so that hopefully I can get through more of this speech because otherwise it is going to take me about 10 parts to finish it.  Here is Part 2 for your viewing pleasure.

“Let's remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren't, and personal debt that kept piling up.”

Ok, I agree with Obama on the first part of this statement, long before the recession jobs were leaving our shore to go to foreign soil.  This mainly happened during the Clinton years when the Dems had control of the House and the Senate.  When bush came into office he killed some of the Clinton taxes and regulations which then started to pull us out of the hole that Clinton had put us in.  Yes the wealthiest in the country got wealthier from it but we also say them hiring more people once they had more money to do so.  It was Reganonics in action.  Then once the Dems got control of the House and Senate during the Bush years that is when we saw the tide start to turn toward the negative which led us to the recession.  A lot of people, Obama included, want to blame Bush for this but if you look at the facts, while Bush didn’t help, the Dems are the reason the recession happened, after all the House has the power of the purse.  While Obama says that technology has made some jobs obsolete, he neglects to say that it also created countless new jobs.  He wants to blame kiosks and ATMs for unemployment which is just silly.  Also, when he talks about cost growing and paychecks not for most Americans he needs to realize that the core reason for that is him and his party.  They income killing regulations that they have introduced along with refusing to pass a budget when the Republicans have offered multiple budgets has created an uncertainty that has prevented growth and increased costs.

“In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn't afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people's money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn't have the authority to stop the bad behavior.”

Thank you Barney Frank.  That is all, look it up if you don’t get it.

“It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.”

Once again, thank you Barney Frank.  Now, for that last sentence…  Actually the recession could have been avoided if the Dems would not have gotten in the way of some of the stuff that the Republicans managed to squeeze through at the end of the last Bush term.  Obama and the Dems policies actually slowed the recovery by allowed us to slip into the recession that they themselves had constructed in order to create an atmosphere of uncertainty so that Obama could get elected.  To put in in the words of one of Obama’s key advisors “Never waste a crisis.” 

“Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we've agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we've put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.”

Poor, poor, Obama.  He really needs a fact checker.  Businesses have not created more than 3 million jobs, they have reopened those positions… and in some cases those jobs can be counted multiple times due to reopening, then having to close the position again, then reopening again.  It makes it sound good if you count if all like that but it is not realistic, otherwise unemployment would be much lower.  Also, it is not the most jobs since 2005 (which is right before the Dems took control of both the House and Senate) it is the most since 2008, when Obama took office

As for the line about American Manufacturers hiring again for the first time since the 90’s… That is utter BS and I am calling Obama on that.

The truth behind the deficit cut is simple.  It wasn’t cut.  They agreed to reduce spending not cut spending; there is a big difference there. On top of that the reduction turned out to be in the million not the trillions, I did a post on this when it happened, go read it please.

As for the Wall Street thing… They were just playing by the rules and regulations that the Dems placed there for them; can you blame them for wanting to make more money?  So when you think about it, this is really all the Dems fault for making rules that they didn’t like.  So what do they do, they change them which shakes things up so much that they have now gimped Wall Street which is one of the things that is slowing the economic recovery.

“The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we've come too far to turn back now. As long as I'm President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.”

This is to you Mr. President.  No it isn’t and no we haven’t.  You need to stop lying about being willing to work with anyone that was in that chamber because you have purposefully obstructed anything the Republicans have tried to do because it didn’t fit your vision of how things should be.  As for your fighting obstruction with action… learn your place.  You do not have the power to go over Congresses head unless they let you and you have overstepped your bounds way to many times for most Americans to feel comfortable with.  You have been the obstructionist and you, while you were in the Senate, were one of the people that wrote the policies that brought about this “economic crisis”.  So get over yourself you narcissistic fool.

“No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last - an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.”

This would be all fine and dandy if I thought Obama really believed the words that he was reading off of his teleprompter but the facts are very simple if you look at Obama’s past performances.  This is the exact opposite of everything he has done in the past.  Could it be possible that the man has had a change of heart?  Yes, but not likely.  Obama is only saying this now because he knows that he has severely hurt his chances at reelection and he is trying desperately to get the American people back on his side otherwise he knows that he will be a one termer that will be known as he already is as the worst President in American history.

“On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world's number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.”

Obama left out some key details in this.  The bailout of General Motors and Chrysler began under Republican President George W. Bush, something Obama failed to mention.  Obama then picked up the ball once he was elected and earmarked more money which then finished the job.  But Ford, which Obama mentions, never asked for a federal bailout nor did it receive one.  Ford has managed to get along quite well on its own without a bailout as the other auto companies should have been able to as well.  Also, as part of its restructuring, Chrysler is not really a U.S. automaker anymore.  Italian automaker Fiat now owns a 30% share, and it will eventually go to 51% under terms of the U.S. bailout and its bankruptcy restructuring.  On top of that, I think that Volkswagen would have a problem with the claim that GM is on top as the world’s #1 automaker.  Volkswagen has outperformed everyone else on the world market and is proud of it; GM hasn’t even come close to their numbers.

Once again I think Obama either needs to hire a new fact checker or quit lying.  The American people are sick of this kind stuff from our politicians.

More to come with Part 3.

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 1

Ok, I have debated with myself on how to approach the President’s State of the Union speech and after agonizing over how to present it to you, I figured that the best approach would be in multiple parts where I present it verbatim section by section and break it down for you.  This will allow me to point out all of the truths, half-truths and lies (as well as my own opinionated opinions) that are held within it, so please bear with me; this is a long winded speech.  So without further delay, here it is.

“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq.  Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought - and several thousand gave their lives.

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world.  For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.  For the first time in two decades, Osama Bin Laden is not a threat to this country.  Most of Al Qaeda's top lieutenants have been defeated.  The Taliban's momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.”

Ok, not a bad start for the President, I will give him that.  There aren’t many lies in what he says here.  One of the things he does here is sets it up to sound ling all of the things are due to him though which is not the whole truth.  He talks about there being no Americans still fighting in Iraq which is a blatant lie.  We still have a lot of private contractors that are over there and they have to fight everyday just to be able to do the job that has been given to them.  No matter how he wants to spin it, Americans are still at risk in Iraq, especially since he pulled all of the troops that were supposed to be protecting them out of the country.  Iraq is quickly falling into chaos because he decided to ignore his generals and pull the troops out of that country. 

He should really give Bush the credit for some of these deeds yet his narcissism won’t allow him to do that.  When he talks about the USA being safer and more respected in the world due to our troops that have sacrificed themselves overseas, he isn’t lying, yet one of the things that he neglects to say is that due to his incompetence we actually have lost that safety and respect that the troops have bought us.  He also mentions Osama Bin Laden.  I’m sorry, but the last time I checked that was a mission that carried over from Bush.  Obama just happened to be lucky enough to be in office when the time to take Bin Laden out arose.  He really should have given credit to where it was due, Bush and Seal Team 6. 

He also mentions that most of Al Qaeda’s to lieutenants where defeated.  That is true, most were taken out under Bush, not him though, once again, it would have been nice to see him man up and give credit where it was due.  One thing Obama failed to mention though is that were one lieutenant has fallen, two have taken the place of the one.  He talks about the momentum of the Taliban being broken, well that is true, yet they have not been deterred.  The Taliban is more determined now then every to take us out. 

Oh, and before I forget, I can’t argue with the fact that troops are starting to come home from Afghanistan because they are.  Though he really needs to go and look back at history.  He need to look at what all actually led up to allowing 9-11 to happen.  Obama is making all of the mistakes Clinton made that set us up for the events of September 11^th.

“These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America's Armed Forces.  At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations.  They're not consumed with personal ambition.  They don't obsess over their differences.  They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.”

I want to comment on this statement so bad, I do but I’m afraid I might come across as bitter…  Screw it, here it is…  This is obviously a jab at the Republican controlled Congress and Wall Street as well as capitalism as a whole in order to appeal to the Occupy zombies that drool over his every word.  What he fails to mention is the fact that him and his party are the direct cause of these institutions supposedly letting us down.  The Democrat party has pushed legislation for the last 6 years that has caused Wall Street and the whole capitalistic system to fail us by over regulating and obstructing the system from doing what it is supposed to do.  On top of that, the Congress has done its job to the best of their ability.  They have passed budgets and bills that have been completely ignored in the House so that the Dems in the House would not have to go on record as voting them down because they know that if they did they would be voted out.  That is one of the reasons we have not had a budget passed for over 1,000 days.  If Obama and the Democrat party would do their Job things would have gotten done and we would not be where we are now.

“Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.  Think about the America within our reach:  A country that leads the world in educating its people.  An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.  A future where we're in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren't so tied to unstable parts of the world.  An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.”

Thinking about it and wishing for it is fine Mr. President, but you actually have to do something to make this happen.  So far you have done everything in your power to prevent any of the things you mention here from having a chance to happen.  You can’t have it both ways you know. 

“We can do this.  I know we can, because we've done it before.  At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known.  My grandfather, a veteran of Patton's Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.  My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.”

Actually the strongest economy and middle class that the US has ever had came from when Regan was President.  As for the troop being able to build a strong economy and middle class… How?  You fired a good chunk of them that will now become an unnecessary burden on society because of your incompetence.  If this was your desire you should have kept them employed so that they could be called out on a moment’s notice and once they returned to the US put them to work on domestic projects like protecting our borders… but wait, you don’t want that either. But you know what; I am done addressing you Mr. President. I have more important people to talk to… like your employers, the American people.

“The two of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism.  They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share - the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.”

Obama talks about the American dream as if it were a thing of the past, and if he would be honest about it he would tell you that if he had his way it would be.  The fact of the matter is the American dream still lives though if we continue to allow people like him to dictate our lives to us then the dream will die.  Everything he is talking about Americans being able to do in the past tense is still possible and will remain so as long as we the people have the guts to hold on to it.

“The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive.  No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important.  We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by.  Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  What's at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values.  We have to reclaim them.”

Well, I actually have to agree with Obama here, I do; and the path to restoring our nation defiantly isn’t re-electing this idiot into office.  What we need in order to do what he states here is to elect someone who will be brutally honest with the American people.  Also we the people have to have the patience to let said individual do what needs to be done to pull us out of the hole that we are in.  Unfortunately, none of the people we currently have running for the office of President are the type of person that we need and that is solely our (the American peoples) fault.  I have always felt that brutal honesty is the best policy but as long as we have silver tonged politicians in office instead of honest hard working Americans, we will never get it.  With this line Obama has laid out the exact reason that he does not need to be re-elected.

That is it for part 1, I hope to have part 2 up soon, but as I said before, this is a long winded speech.  I was hoping to get more in this post but I have already gone on much longer then I wanted.  Most of my posts are between 2 to 3 pages in Word; this post is 4 pages just to give you an idea.  I don’t know how many posts it will take to get through this whole thing but I hope it has been educational for you and you will come back for all the parts as I get them up.

The Song Was Sung By The Fat Lady

I hate to be the one to bear bad news but I feel it necessary now.  One of the things that I feared would happen has happened.  As such, I am now calling the Presidential election.  I know, I know, you are thinking that is too early to call, but trust me when I say, no it isn’t.  No matter who wins the election at this point, none of them will be any better than what we already have in office, Barack Obama.  The real losers this election year are the American people, plain and simple.  With Michelle Bachmann dropping out there are no more real fiscal conservatives left in the running with the exception of the one person who terrifies me the most due to his global and social policies, Ron Paul.  In case you are wondering what exactly I mean, I am talking about the few choices that we have left in the Republican field. 

First, there is Mitt Romney.  If Obama had a magic mirror that would show what he would be like if he were white instead of mixed, the reflection would show Mitt Romney.  “What do you mean by that?” you are probably asking yourself.  Am I making a statement about the fact that Obama is a “black” man?  No.  I am just saying that the only difference between the two is as superficial as skin color.  As much as Mitt tries to talk about how wrong Obama is and how bad his policies have been, he can never get away from the fact that everything he has stood for in the past mirrors Obama and his policies.  Since that is the case, if Mitt gets elected to run against Obama, we will have a choice of Barak Obama the second term vs. Mitt Romney, Obama 2.0. 

Second, there is Newt Gingrich.  This little man is so twisted in his political views that half the time he is staring up his own ass.  Newt doesn’t know which way he is coming or going from, nor does her care.  He is going to keep barreling ahead, even if it means that he ends up with his head in his ass.  He calls himself a fiscal conservative but his record sings a different tune.  The man is a fan of big government and is of the opinion that government is there to help the people through increasing regulation and restrictions of freedoms.

Third, there is Rick Santorum.  This man like a spinning coin, he spins round and round.  You never know which way he is going to land till he lands and then you are not sure that you like the side he lands on, but that’s ok, he’ll just spin a little more till he thinks that you are happy.  His policies are designed to fit whomever he is directing them toward in his lackluster fashion and he will never commit to one thing or the other out of fear of offending someone, somewhere.

Forth, there is John Huntsman.  Do you know who John Huntsman is?  No?  Don’t feel too bad, most people don’t know him either.  Moving on.

Fifth, there is Rick Perry.  Ahhh, Rick Perry, lovable huggable Texan, Rick Perry…  You know what?  I am not even going to get started on him.  He is not worth the waste of space it would be to talk about.  Moving on.

Last but not least, there is Ron Paul.  Where to start with Ron Paul…  Oh, I know let’s start with the good.  Ron Paul is the only true fiscal conservative in the running.  He believes in cutting taxes as well as cutting a lot of the unnecessary and wasteful spending that goes on in Washington.  He even has the record to back up his claims of being a fiscal conservative and nobody can really dispute that fact.  Unfortunately, that is where the good ends.  On social policies, Ron Paul is a flipping nut job.  He believes that ALL drugs should be legalized and in general promotes anarchy with the rest of his social policies since he believes that ALL government regulation and control is wrong and harmful to the people enslaved by said regulation and control.  On his global policies he believes that every country should stay out of every other countries business, therefor we should let all the other nations of the world do whatever they want no matter of the potential treat it could pose to us.  This wouldn’t be a problem if every nation in the world was content on leaving each other alone, but sadly that is not the way things work.  There are real threats to the US out there that have to be addressed or else they will become a major problem.  Look at Iran, China, North Korea and Russia.  Do you honestly think that they are content to sit by and not try to bully the other nations of the world around?  No, they want to be top dog and everyone with half a brain knows it.  Ron Paul is insane if he thinks the world would ever function the way he seems to think it should.

But, despite the sour and pessimistic note I started this post on there is actually hope.  Something to strive for since the Presidency is lost.  We all need to work hard to get fiscal conservatives that have some backbone (unlike John Boehner) who are not afraid to stand up to not only the Dems, but the establishment Republicans who are content with the status quoi.  We need to fill the House and Senate with people who truly want to see this great nation rise up once again and become the light of freedom for all the world that we once were.  We need to elect people who will stand on principle and not back down because this poll or that poll says that they should.  On top of that we need to elect enough of them to get a veto proof majority so that no matter which one of these 7 losers (count Obama) gets elected into the office of President, they can’t screw up this nation any worse.  I know that electing enough to have a veto proof majority is tough.  It’s a lot harder than focusing on the Presidency alone but we are left with no choice. 

We no longer have Herman Cain or Michelle Bachmann to look too as the next Presidental hopefull.  As I said before, all the options that we have left are no better than what we have now.  We are at a crossroads with this election and I’m afraid that we may have already committed to a path that we can no longer divert from.  We have already lost the Presidency, let’s not lose anything else and maybe we will have the chance to turn this boat around and get back on the right course.