" Circus In Town!"

Have any of you seen the movie called "Inherit the Wind"? It was based on the Scopes "monkey trial ", where a high school teacher was prosecuted for teaching evolution in a small town. Spencer Tracey played the defense attorney, Fredrick March played the prosecutor. The acting was superb, and the plot was riveting. The cinematography was stellar, it really captured the moment when a small town was turned into a circus when it was put in America's spotlight. The small town population changed from local chit-chat to a forum on what was acceptable for the minds of American children. The atmosphere of the town was almost like a carnival had come to town, visitors from cities all across the country, press from most of the major markets, and radio stations set up temporary broadcast facilities invaded this small rural hamlet. The trial was broadcast over the radio, back then it was equivalent to a satellite broadcast to the world, the press had a private section of the courtroom filled with telephones and a wireless transmitter, and the general public jammed the room to overflowing. Back then it was the trial of the century, and the "side-show of the century", it was the media event that captured the imagination of America. It was almost as if the issue was lost because of the magnitude of the event. We are about to have our court system put under the laser lite of the world press as the 911 terrorists will soon be put on trial. Attorney-General Holder has tentatively chosen New York City for the trial. This choice has been criticized from a large segment of New York's populous including Mayor Bloomberg. The projected cost is over a billion dollars, the security is monumental, and the poor taste of having this take place in New York is ridiculous. Most people don't know what Eric Holder is thinking. New York is a favorite target for terrorists, it has a huge population, and is enough of a circus on it's own without added stress to it's police and security forces. The press will be hanging on every word of this trial, giving the terrorists a forum for their twisted philosophy of hatred and poison, and dredging up horrible memories for the people of New York. Setting aside the fact that this trial should have been before a military tribunal, what does the Obama administration hope to gain by giving terrorists the same rights as American citizens? These people are war criminals, not purse snatchers. Acts of war against a peaceful civilian population should be dealt with in a manner that matches the gravity of the crimes. I realize that there will be great interest in the outcome of this trial, but by making it into a media event only emboldens our enemies. It is now rumored that there are second thoughts about having this trial in New York, I only hope this is true. Terrorists are war criminals and should be treated that way, perhaps if we did that they would think a little more before they acted. A military trial and a firing squad is the proper procedure, not Miranda Rights and a free lawyer. We don't need another "circus in town" Mr. President; we need to send a message. In the future I can only hope Mr. Obama comes to the realization that this is a real war, not the acts of a few fanatics. Americans deserve "constitutional rights" not traitors or terrorists!!

"Leftovers!!"

A few weeks ago I caught a bad cold, you know, runny nose, cough, fever, headache, the whole nine yards. I took cold pills, nose spray, vitamins, cough medicine, the whole "drug store"; nothing was giving me relief. I finally reached back to my childhood and tried a home remedy, homemade chicken soup. Now I don't like to brag but my chicken soup is legendary in it's curative powers and it's deliciousness. I went to the grocery store and purchased fresh chicken, carrots, onions, broth, and all the necessary spices to make my magic elixir. I went home and prepared enough soup to cure a regiment, I always cook more than I need a habit I acquired from watching my mother cook for ten people every day. Well the soup did it's job and my cold rapidly lost it's hold on me. I felt 100% better, the magic of home cooking! Now there is a down side to this, leftover chicken soup, not a little leftover chicken soup, quarts of leftover chicken soup. I ate chicken soup for lunch, dinner, snack, and all over again for several days. When I was finally finished with the soup I didn't want to see it again for a very long time. As I stated earlier my chicken soup is very tasty, yet a steady diet of it is quite tiresome. Now imagine a steady diet of something that you couldn't stand, liver, lima beans, or mystery meat from high school(apologies to those who actually like that stuff). Last night I got a major helping of leftovers in Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, and it was mostly liver and lima beans! Once again he dragged up the Bush administration, like resurrecting a rotting corpse. I think all of America is weary of this ploy. He insisted the worse was over yet we still see 10% unemployment with no relief in sight. He demonized partisan politics, yet over the last twelve months the democrats have practiced nothing but partisan politics. He demonized the banks, yet made a plea to them to loan more money to small business. He again wants to tax large investors, a policy that makes no sense if you want investment to spur new business and job growth. He wants to eliminate earmarks, yet his proposed health-care bill smells of earmarks and political buy-offs. He was critical of political pundits, who are opposed to his policies, he believes they are divisive, evidently opposition is un-American. He continues to endorse the fallacy of global warming even after a scandal of managed facts and spurious science, the horror of cap and trade is still in his play book. National security was a bouquet of platitudes with little substance, just a rehash of old policies that have yielded little fruit. He compared himself to John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, at best this is delusional, he is the polar opposite of both of these men who preached smaller government and strong national defense. The main message of Mr. Obama's address was he will continue his leftist policies regardless of public opposition, calling those who refuse to endorse them as obstructionists. In an unprecedented move he even criticized the Supreme Court, one more example of his enormous ego. This speech was a huge plate of Obama leftovers shoved on America's dinner plate. We are supposed to eat it and shut up. For those of you who wanted a tastier dish all I can say is you need a new cook!!

"Masked Man?"

"Mission Impossible" what a great t.v. show that was. I remember spending Sunday evenings watching this show with my folks. What was great about it was that it was so different from the rest of the programs on at that time. There were westerns, cop shows, variety shows, and situation comedies; yet "Mission Impossible" was something totally different. The main premise was a select group would take on a mission that was so delicate that no recognized government agency could tackle it, and if they failed the government would dis-avow any knowledge of their actions. One of the characters was "Rollin Hand", played by Martin Landau, was a master of disguise and deception who through amazing make-up could imitate any villain and deceive their minions. The many faces he would wear was one of the attractions of the show, I was always curious as to what image this chameleon would take. As always the team would be victorious at the end, leaving their victims stunned and surprised, caught completely by surprise. It was a gigantic "con operation" that maneuvered the bad guys into the teams well developed plan, a great deception. The bad guys were always heinous villains as bad as Stalin or worse and it was always fun to see the look on their faces when they realized that they were out smarted. Tonight is the State of the Union Address by President Obama, it will be his first since taking office, and the people of the United States are sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to see what the President is going to say. Over the past several weeks we have seen quite a bit about campaign promises, and what has actually happened over the last twelve months. Many Americans don't know which Barack Obama they will see tonight. Will we see Barack the "liberal free spender", or will we see Barack the "Chicago deal maker", or will we see Barack the "Promise Maker", what face will we see? I don't think we will see Barack the "Promise Keeper"(apologies to promise keepers) because Barack hasn't kept any of his campaign promises! Tonight we will see a master juggler at work, spinning facts and fiction at such speed no one will have time to think about what has recently happened in the United States over the last few months. We will see the democrats cheer at the most innocuous claims of accomplishments, they will stand up smile and act as if this has been a great year for America. We will see a face of victory, yet we will not see any results to accompany that face. We will see a face of concern over the economy, yet the token remarks about budget cuts will barely scratch the surface of the tremendous debt that we have seen thrown on the backs of the American people. We will see a face of hope, yet we have seen no improvement in the worst economic collapse since the "Great Depression" with no recovery in sight. Yes America we will see many faces from Mr. Obama tonight, but the real question is, what is the real face of our President? After twelve months we still don't know the real Barack Obama. When will the mask come off !?

"Because I Said So!"

In today's world most parents have taken on the theory that you must always try to reason with your children when any problem arises, be it a behavior problem, a school problem, or a social problem. The order of the day now is showing the child that they have equality in all decisions that pertain to them. Punishment today consists of a "time out" or stopping driving privileges. I grew up in a different time, a time when questioning a parent was something one couldn't even imagine. I had a very understanding mother and father, yet I understood that when I was told no it meant no and I would not profit by pursuing the matter further. At times I would mutter under my breath, this was always a mistake, insolence was a bigger infraction than whatever the problem might have been. If discussion were allowed about any situation the final word was always Dad's. At times he would become frustrated, as any man who had a multitude of children pestering him over any issue that he knew was not good for them. The final answer, when all explanation had failed was the infamous "Because I said so!", and usually closed the issue with very little discussion. When push came to shove it always came down to it was Dad's house and he was in charge. By today's standards Dad would be considered intolerant, but I have to admit in retrospect I have to admit Dad was right, it was his house and he was the head of the household, regardless of how the rest of us felt. It all came down to the fact that dad was in charge, and we were not. Last week when Massachusetts elected Scott Brown to the Senate America sent a message to Washington, it was that the people were in charge. Currently Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are trying to do an end around with the health-care bill in an attempt to push it through regardless of America's will. President Obama said recently "I would rather be a good one term president than a mediocre two term president". If one reads between the lines of this statement he is saying I am committed to my own agenda and regardless of the outcome of the next election, my will is what is most important. Like a stubborn child Barack Obama is holding his ground no matter what the people of the United States think or how they feel. Over the last few months the Obama administration has seen elections that made it clear that the direction that has been taken is not acceptable to America, but Barack Obama refuses to accept this fact. My fellow Americans it is time to show this "stubborn child" who owns the house and who makes the rules. Perhaps he should be a one term president, after all if he believes his will is more important then the will of America then he is in the wrong job. It's time for America to say to Barack Obama and Congress to do it "Because We Said So!" Sometimes a spanking is the only thing a child understands!

"A Giant Step Back!"

Jesus told us through his teachings that humility was a key to being a good servant to others. Throughout Jesus's first appearance he exhibited humility while serving the needs of others. Even though He was the son of God He never used all of the power at His disposal to impose His will on those who refused to recognize who He was. Since the beginning of biblical history God has given man the right of free will, choose what you want, it is up to you. Now if we examine the Constitution of the United States we will find out that this philosophy of free will and choice are quite prominently exhibited throughout this document. In the Declaration of Independence we see that our founding fathers believed that certain truths are self evident, that God has given men rights that extend beyond the reach of the government. Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and all those who signed a document that was an endorsement to a government that would serve the people, follow their will, and protect their freedom understood the importance of their action on that fateful day. We also see by their actions that they believed in the humbling honor it was to serve their fellow citizens. George Washington could have been president for life had he wished to do that, yet he choose to return to his home after his service. He believed this nation belonged to it's citizens, not to any elite group who felt they knew better than the people. Those who founded this nation had no idea that the people in government would spend twenty or thirty or forty years as politicians. Their view was of a citizen government, run by people from the community who would serve one or two terms then return to the private sector to pursue the dream of America, not career civil servants whose main goal was to perpetuate their longevity in public office into perpetuity. We are now in a very different situation, we have people in government from both major partys whose only goal is to remain in office and use their influence to acquire more individual power for their own glorification and wealth. I wonder what Thomas Jefferson or George Washington would say today as they observed the back-door dealings and the total disregard that is now being shown toward the will of the people of America? Even now after an election that has shown the current administration that the American people are dis-satisfied and upset with the direction the nation has been following a continued arrogance and indifference is exhibited by those who hold power. As you are reading this the current administration is behind closed doors once again trying to force through a health-care package before the people have a chance to examine it, and before a new young senator can take his elected seat. As an American I'm past the point of anger toward this administration, I believe we need to be in survival mode or the United States as we know it will cease to exist. "We the People" will be dis-enfranchised, and the dreams of our fathers will be destroyed. As November approaches we need to protect our Constitution, elect men who understand they are servants who should feel honored and humbled by the office that they have been entrusted to keep. Also they need to remember those offices belong to the people, not to any political party or ideological principle. It is only then that America will begin the journey back to it's roots of freedom and individual liberty. It is up to us to take that first step in a fateful journey. Let's bring America back!

"Accomplishments?"

Next week is the State of the Union Address, the annual event at which the President speaks before Congress with a commentary of the previous years accomplishments and a presidential "shopping list" that will describe the agenda that the chief executive wishes to follow in the next twelve months. I'm not much of a fan of President Obama, not a surprise to most of you who read my commentaries, yet I'm quite interested in seeing what the President is going to ask for and what he believes his accomplishments were in the first year of his administration. Let's look at some of our previous chief executives achievements and see how Mr. Obama stacks up to his predecessors. Jack Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis, launched N.A.S.A.,lowered taxes, encouraged investments,and promoted higher education; not bad for a president who's life was stolen by a lunatic. Dwight D. Eisenhower, guided our nation through two recessions with minimal job loss followed by a period of great prosperity and growth, promoted a strong national defense, and firmly established the United States as the leader of the free world; considered one of the most likable men ever to hold the office of President. Richard M. Nixon, of course Watergate, yet he also established diplomatic break-throughs with the Peoples Republic of China, and the Soviet Union, gained a peaceful end to the war in Viet Nam, but unfortunately resigned in disgrace. Ronald Reagan, in some circles he is considered the greatest President we've ever had. He took our nation from the brink of economic collapse to prosperity, he forced the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall, his defense policy caused the collapse of the Soviet Union, and after a failed Carter administration he restored the United States to a position of respect and power around the world. William Jefferson Clinton, not a great President, but not horrible either, his accomplishments were minimal as we lost ground in the world market with the signing of N.A.F.T.A., cutting off American manufacturing at the knees causing numerous job losses, and allowing Osama Bin Laden to slip through his fingers. All in all not a stellar presidency. I won't even talk about Jimmy Carter, it's too painful! I realize I have capsulized the entire terms of the above Presidents and Mr. Obama has only been in office one year, so I will try to be as fair as I can in my assessment of his job performance thus far. Let's start out with his pledge to be a bi-partisan president, I have yet to see one bi-partisan act come from the Oval Office; the republicans have had zero input to any of this president's policies thus far. He pledged to be financially responsible, we are now in the greatest debt this nation has ever experienced. We now have a debt equivalent to all the debt of every previous administration added together, not very financially responsible by any stretch of the imagination. National defense has basically come to a halt under this president, nuclear threats from two rogue nations have been addressed by little to no response from the White House, giving an impression of weakness to all who oppose our nation. Transparency of government, wow, perhaps the biggest disappointment thus far from Barack Obama. His health-care program that was supposed to be totally constructed in full public view on C-Span; all done behind closed doors with no in-put from the republican party at all. All this in only twelve months. I can't wait to see what he has in mind for the next twelve months. If I were Barack Obama I would appear in front of Congress with a bag over my head, like the "Unknown Comic", he doesn't have much to cheer about. I'm curious as to the reception our President will receive when he walks into Congress next week, will it be overwhelming cheers or polite applause? Mr. Obama you may not be listening right now, but America isn't cheering!

"Its Not My Fault!!"

How many of you remember Bill Buckner? Let me refresh your memory, he is the first-baseman who let a ground ball get through his legs and cost the Boston Red Sox the World Series. Let's flash forward a few years to the NFL playoffs and a name we are all familiar with, Tony Romo, siting on the one yard line with seconds left in the game, fumbling the ball and costing the Dallas Cowboys a victory to advance in the playoffs. I'll bet all of the Cub fans reading this remember "Bartman" the fan who reached out to grab a sure out and changed the outcome of the game and the Cubs quest to reach the World Series again. Mistakes, the thing in life we all have in common. Mistakes can be made by anyone, doctors, lawyers, athletes, and even politicians. How many of us have made a mistake and was happy that none of our friends were around to see it! Nobody wants to look dumb, it hurts our egos, it tarnishes our images, it proves we are human! Personally I'm glad nobody is around when I'm assembling a piece of furniture or some new device for home improvement, it seems even when I follow the directions copiously I still manage to make a mistake or two; my wife will attest to this. Our first instinct when we make a mistake is to assign blame somewhere else, I often blame ambiguous instructions. Ultimately we must admit to our own mistakes and errors in judgement. The world over people have been making errors of one kind or another since time began, just ask Eve! Only in Washington is it possible never to make an error in judgement on your own, there is always someone else to hold accountable for mistakes that would normally be the fault of those making the decisions that were proven to be wrong. When Scott Brown won the senate seat from Massachusetts the democrats have blamed George Bush, red-neck voters, a weak opponent, FOX NEWS, Glenn Beck, and basically anybody but Barack Obama and the Democrat Party. This attitude of we can't possibly be wrong is the major reason that the American people are dissatisfied with the Obama administration. The fact that George W. Bush is still being used as an excuse for Barack Obama's mistakes is ludicrous, and it reveals a very disturbing feature about Barack Obama; a gigantic ego that refuses to admit to error. The psychological term for this type of personality is megalomania, a person so filled with ego he will not allow the possibility even mentioned that he could be in error about anything. The fact that Obama refers to people with opposing opinions as obstructionists, rather than people with a different point of view shows his distaste for opposition to his will. A man with this type of personality will not change his course, his agenda will remain the same no matter what the facts may dictate. Although Obama said he wants to now slow down the process of health-care I fear it is only a way to distort the public's perception of who he really is. Months ago the public staged huge demonstrations across the nation against the proposed health-care issue, and this administration dismissed them as unimportant. Suddenly the people are important. Barack Obama needs to have his cage rattled on a regular basis by the voters, he may not be taking notice but those around him are. It's time to grow up Mr. President, admit your mistakes like a big fellow, George didn't do it all!!

"We Need a Handsome Stranger!"

Did you ever watch the old westerns when you were a kid? I know some of my younger readers never heard of the likes of Johnny Mack Brown, or Buster Crabbe; but Gene Autry and Roy Rogers are icons to the concept of the "White Hat Hero". What is a "White Hat Hero"? He's the ultimate "good guy", he rides into town alone, carrying his six guns and his ethics into a bad situation that the town folks can't resolve. The usual plot was an evil cattle baron, or mine owner, or saloon owner had control of the town because of his money and gang of "black hat" bad guys that imposed the villain's will on the helpless residents. The local sheriff or marshal was either dead because he tried to stand against the villain or he was corrupt and just a puppet of the bad guys. Their was usually a young school teacher to lend romance to the plot and a newspaper editor who the villain was always trying to silence as he was the only one who wasn't in fear of his life and limb. The hero would confront some of the villain's minions and easily dispatch them, either with a fist fight or with his super human prowess with fire arms. In these movies all the minions were cowards and would run at the slightest hint of a brave man taking action. Eventually the towns people would unite with the hero and the villain would be caught and jailed or hanged for one of his heinous acts, and the "White Hat Hero" would become the new marshal, marry the school teacher and peace would reign forever. This western genre is peculiar to America, it shows our faith in one good individual's ability to alter a bad situation because of his resolve not to fear the established system. Yesterday in Massachusetts one man stood up against overwhelming odds to win an election in a state that hasn't had a republican in office since Edward Brooke, back in the 1970's. A lone rider came into a bad situation and was able to make a difference. Right now somewhere in Washington there are conversations being held in regards to this election and what it means to the democrats in November. In their most fortified state their enemy has gained a position of power, what could be coming next? The "cattle baron" himself tried to use his influence and failed, the town folks said enough of the control from the "black hats"(please no racist comments) we want a change that reflects our will not yours. This is the first ripple in the water, the people will not be manipulated or bullied, they are awakening to their power at the ballot box and they are willing to use it. Now is the time for the people of America to find out who the "good guys" are in their local elections. I don't mean just republicans or democrats, I mean those "good guys" who want to speak for the people, to invoke the will of the people, to serve the people; labels won't work, find out who they are and what they believe. If the Obama administration forces his health-care bill through congress he will be showing his total lack of regard for the will of the people he has sworn to serve, the act of a controlling tyrant, not an elected official. Well town folk what do we do next? The "cattle baron" is taking over unless we can find the "Hero in the White Hat"to put him in his place. Massachusetts has set the standard now it is up to the rest of America to follow their lead. Come on America let's run the "Bad Guys" out of town!!

"Upsets!"

Last week-end we saw the New York Jets beat the San Diego Chargers in the NFL play-offs. To most of us who follow football would consider this an upset victory. At the beginning of the season the Chargers were one of the teams favored to be in the Super Bowl. In last years season the Jets failed to advance even with the acquisition of Bret Favre at quarterback, so little respect was given to the upstarts from New York. Mike Tyson, one of the most feared heavy-weight champions of all time was knocked out by Buster Douglas, in perhaps the greatest boxing upset in the history of the sport. Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for president in what many believed would be the most sweeping victory in political history for the Republican Party. In 1984 the heavily favored Chicago Cubs, after two victory's, was swept away by the San Diego Padres in the NLCS, and were once again denied a chance at the World Series. If we learn anything from these events and events like them is that there are no "sure things", any team can be beaten, any politician can be defeated, any champion can be knocked out. When Cassius Clay fought Sonny Liston no one gave Clay a chance to win from a champion who destroyed Floyd Patterson like he was beating up a school girl, yet at the end we all remember the stunned outcome and the storied career of Muhammad Ali. All of the names I have mentioned thus far were people who were not supposed to win, yet they did. Determination and dedication are the keys to victory, perseverance through adversity is what makes champions. Today in Massachusetts there will be an election to fill the seat made vacant by the death of Ted Kennedy, not the seat belonging to Ted Kennedy, the seat belonging to the voters of Massachusetts. Scott Brown is the Republican candidate for senator, and to the great surprise of an extremely powerful Democratic machine in Massachusetts Mr. Brown is ahead in the polls. An amazing message is in the making for the Obama administration, the people are flexing their muscles at the polls. One year ago the democrats looked unbeatable, like Goliath, and the republicans looked small and weak, like David. David pulled off the upset of the Bible, he slew the giant. Now the giant stands before the people of Massachusetts, the tribal chief himself has come out to cheer on his giant toward victory; yet here stands "David" and the enemy shakes. America the wind is taking a great shift, the people are fed up with a one sided take it and like it government. A victory in the most liberal state of the union will be a shock to Washington, and could mean the demise of Obama-care. As we have seen upsets happen, victory is never guaranteed. Today history could be made in Massachusetts, and we could begin to take back America!

"A Man of Good Character"

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day across America, and I'm sure there will be many speeches made in honor of Dr. King praising his efforts in the civil rights movement, and I'm sure they are all well deserved as the actions of Dr. King showed America a part of itself that for a very long time was kept in the shadows, racial prejudice. When I was a young married man I earned my living as a semi-truck trailer loader for a large company in Chicago. The work was hard, mostly hand stacking floor to ceiling heavy motors steel racking and industrial size air conditioners and heating units. I was usually working a six day week, and twelve to fourteen hour days. We had twenty-seven loaders on my shift, all types of men from all types of backgrounds. It was there I met Otis; Otis was a black man about my age and that was where the similarity ended. At first glance Otis could scare the spots off a leopard, he was about six-two and around 225lbs. he wore motor-cycle boots and a leather vest, with a small knit cap. His arms were like tree-trunks and his shoulders could fill a door way, he was an imposing figure to say the least. Many of the men shyed away from Otis because his appearance was so overwhelming. We moved all around the shipping docks over the course of a work day from one trailer to another, therefore we always were working next to different men at any given time. Eventually I came to a point where I was working next to Otis, not being shy by nature I began to converse with him, mostly work talk at first, then we talked about life and the world in general. Being a wise guy I joked around and I saw Otis laugh, laughing is a great equalizer and Otis became one of my best friends in the plant. Although Otis was not eloquent in a literary sense he was very intelligent and a good judge of a man's character. He was a great chess player, and we played many games on our lunch breaks. At that time having a friend of another race wasn't too common and I received more than a few glances during our lunch hour chess games. Otis eventually moved on to a new job and we lost touch and I think of him periodically. He was fun to be around and when he smiled he went from an imposing giant to a five year old caught swiping cookies. When Dr. King said someday we will be able to judge a man by the content of his character instead of the color of his skin, I think of Otis and how much this was true. We can't legislate attitude, we can't force good character upon anyone; we can only try to do what Jesus told us to do two thousand years ago, "Love one another". I believe that is the message Dr. King was trying to get across to people. You see you can't cheat people if you love them, you can't harm people if you love them, and by attempting to follow that philosophy we need very little legislation to do the right thing. I wish everyone could have the experience I had with my friend Otis, the world would be a much better place. Let's spend today by honoring Dr. King by trying to follow the precepts he learned by reading his Bible, following the words of Jesus, and loving one another.

"Teflon Don?"

I'm a big fan of gangster movies and t.v. shows. I own all of the "Godfather" series and "Goodfellas", I also watch the "Soprano's" on A&E ( edited for language) regularly. Being of Italian descent I recognize many cultural similarities with my own family growing up. I didn't come from a Mafia family, yet we all knew what the Mafia was and who the local people were who were involved in that life. I attended school with the children of several Mafia associates. Contrary to popular opinion they were pretty normal, not mean or intimidating in any way, after all a dog will not dirty his own house. Any way what I found interesting about all of the film adaptions of the life of organized crime was how their influence was used to attain their goals. We all remember the phrase "Make him an offer he can't refuse", the veiled threat, the fist of iron in a velvet glove so to speak. When a deal was offered it was always first money, it was assumed it was easier to bribe then to bleed, plus the recipient then became an accomplice. Actually this is a very intelligent way to handle the situation, once you involve a person in an illegal deal you have him for life, he owes you, and you own him. There is much to be "learned" from the logic of the "Godfather". Yes America bribery works! We can now try to understand how the Obama administration works. Coming from the Chicago area I have seen first hand the manipulation of government through bribery and intimidation, and it is quite efficient. Barack Obama is a Chicago politician, and he has learned his trade from the best, Richy Daley, no one gets things done like he does. Strikes disappear, disagreements are non- existent, one way or another the rule of Daley goes on unquestioned. Accommodations are made, threats are used as needed, and the system rolls on. Now in Washington we are faced with a very similar "family" in charge. They have access to large amounts of money, and the power of the White House to impose whatever policy the "Godfather" wishes to implement. The latest force of will being pushed upon the American people is "Obama-care", and obvious bribery is rampant as votes are purchased to assure the passage of a bill the "Don" wants. Although there are no machine-gunned bodies laying prone in the streets, those who oppose the "family" have been attacked verbally, accused of racism, and being un-American, having personal attacks made against family members of those who voice dissent. Pressure, intimidation, and bribery; not exactly what we expect from the "highest office in America", yet this seems to be the new order of the day as Barack Obama presses forward in his "re-forming" of America. Is the United States of America under the thumb of a new "Don Corleone", a man who masks reason with deal making and intimidation? As a people should we roll over and accept a system that subverts our congress, that makes a mockery of all the principles that our founding fathers tried to establish? We must show the Obama administration that we will not be coerced, we will stand up! No amount of bribery, no personal attack will diminish the resolve of the American people in our quest to reclaim our nation from those who wish to steal the power of our republic from the people! Like John Gotti sooner or later corruption will be revealed and those involved will pay for their actions. Remember even the Mafia gets caught sometimes, there is no "Teflon Don" in the White House.

"Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue"

Jason, Freddy Kruger, Dracula, Michael Myers; the faces nightmares are made of, the creations of writers that have kept children awake with the lights on for many years.I, like many others, have been frightened by "creatures of the night" and I must admit it was fun to be scared by the Frankenstein Monster, and the Wolfman. It was fun because I knew it wasn't real, it was a safe way for a little boy to face monsters without any real threat. We have seen the likes of Professor Moriarty, Dr. No, and Hannibal Lechtor as new villains who give us that vicarious thrill of confronting a murderous threat. Unfortunately in real life we have seen actual threats that are more frightening because of their reality. Our fathers and grandfathers confronted Hitler, Hirohito, and Ho Chi Minn; men who wanted to threaten and destroy. Real threats aren't any fun, well unless they are posing a threat to those who are attempting to subvert or destroy things we hold dear! This week FOX NEWS announced the addition of Sara Palin to their staff, and no sooner was it done then the left has gone into attack mode. Ms. Palin is used to this barrage of insults and mis-statements which she has been dealing with since the last presidential election. NBC, CBS, and Comedy Central have already launched an assault on Ms. Palin. One must ask this question; why are the folks on the left so worried, what are they afraid of? Is Sara Palin so frightening that she merits a full scale frontal attack from all of the left's big guns? So, why is she so scary? My opinion is this, Sara Palin speaks in the same manner as any person on the street does, common sense, honest, blunt; without an agenda! My Lord, is it possible that the left fears the voice of the everyday American, the people down the street, the individuals who have been ignored by the Obama administration? Regardless of relentless insults and personal attacks Sara Palin has remained a popular voice to America's common man. If Ms. Palin was as ineffectual as the left has portrayed her to be why is there such a vehement attack being waged against her? The real perceived enemy of the left under attack here is "common sense America", those people who are against runaway spending, weak defense, and more unnecessary taxes to an already overburdened populous! Yes my fellow Americans we are the enemy! Anyone who holds up the mirror to the face of the Obama administration is an enemy, a threat, an open target to be separated and ostracized to the general public. The last thing the left wants is for the conservative movement in America to have a champion. This is a dangerous proposition for the left to face. Their strategy is to diminish the image of anyone of prominence of anyone willing to step out and lead those masses who have demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the present Washington power base. Yes America a 120 lb. lady is the greatest threat to the Obama administration at the present time. She is the "Jason, Michael Myers, and Wolfman" all rolled up into one for the liberals in this country today! It's time for Barack and his people to hide under the bed, SARA'S COMING, turn on those bedroom lights and start shaking. The truth is at the door!

" Smoke and Mirrors!"

How many of you like the show "America's Got Talent"? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show it gives people from all walks of life a chance to showcase their hidden talents in hopes of winning one million dollars and a headline show in Las Vegas. The show is similar to "American Idol" with it's three judges and audience participation in choosing who will move on and who will not. Obviously most of the competition is composed of singers, everybody thinks they can sing, but there are other types of would be entertainers who participate. Dance troops, acrobats, magicians, dog acts, ventriloquists, and jugglers are also plentiful in their presence on the program. The days of variety shows have long past us by, Ed Sullivan, Gary Moore, and Jackie Gleason are names many of the younger generation would not recognize, yet at one time they were among the most powerful in show business. This new venue has recaptured some of the void left by the absence of the variety show. I always enjoyed magicians and jugglers, I guess it was their ability to use their hands to do many things at once dazzling the crowd with their speed which was so quick your eyes couldn't keep up with the action. Today there is an article in the news about how the administration of Barack Obama is re-defining the job recovery with some "different" methods to show job growth in today's damaged economy. Figures have been manipulated, statistics have been moved to change the standard by which job growth and "saved" jobs are calculated. In an atmosphere of rapidly falling polls and a dis-satisfied voters Barack Obama has decided to show off his talents of juggling and magic to the American people. Of course we have seen these talents revealed earlier by "Magic Barack", as he has explained away the lack of transparency of the "change we can believe in" since he took office. Just like any good magician Obama uses smoke and mirrors to fool and befuddle the audience, allowing his "lovely assistants" to distract the audience with false issues and imagined enemies, while the whole time he is performing his great acts of deception away from their watchful eyes. What happened in America in November of 2008? Did we elect a president or a traveling medicine show with a phony cure-all for America's problems? Juggling of numbers, manipulating statistics, distracting the public; are these the actions of a competent leader? The people of America deserve the truth, not a contrived scenario of lies and mis-statements constructed to hide the inadequacy of an administration that is in over it's head. We are the audience in this edition of "Barack's Got Talent", and it is up to us to see if he will continue on in his quest of " juggling and magic". As a member of the "audience" I am hoping that he will not move on, to continue to fool the people. We will get our chance to vote in November, let's not make a mistake!

"Are We Predictable?"

I don't often do an immediate follow-up on a blog, but today, after some reflection, I would like to say a little more about Harry Reid's comments in the now controversial book. As an American when I re-read this statement I must take it as a personal insult to all Americans, not only people of color. Mr.Reid's statement assumes that the American citizen must be presented a certain type of candidate, the right accent, the right skin-tone, a suitable demeanor, a homogenized candidate; pre-packaged and sell able product. How Mr. Obama is not upset by this is something I don't understand. The same nation that elected Abraham Lincoln, not a handsome man, to the White House is now characterized as a group who must have a "game show host" in the White House, because he has the proper accent, good looks, and is not too ethnic in persona. We have been pigeon-holed as a people, not only by the democrats but the republicans as well. Focus groups, poll takers, and the advertising industry have crunched numbers, and surveyed us into a type of "flock" that can be fed a certain type and we will follow that type with calculated programming. The racial overtones of Reid's statement were offensive, yet the arrogance that was suggested in describing Mr. Obama as an "acceptable" candidate was more offensive. By this suggested premise a person who was too "Jewish" or too "Italian" or any other racial or ethnic group would not be an acceptable candidate regardless of their qualifications or abilities. Although presently Harry Reid is currently under scrutiny he is not the only politician that feels the American people can be managed and herded like cattle into whichever direction they wish to move them. The founding fathers wanted a government that followed the will of the people, not a government that tried to control the people through a tactic of programmable response. As a society we must take some of the responsibility for our giving over our power to those who want control rather then govern. We have allowed others to tell us what to believe and accept, rather than finding out what we want by looking into issues and candidates. Men like Reid for too long have been pulling the strings of public opinion, putting a shadow over our choices. His attitude is now revealed as one of arrogance, a man who feels he can predict and manipulate; a controller. This is an indictment of our entire political system, a system that was originally designed to serve the populous, now a system that seems to be one determined to maintain power over the populous. It is my sincerest hope that this revelation is a wake up call for all Americans. We need to take America back, to show all politicians that they are serving at our pleasure and we will not be manipulated by those who would steal our freedom of choice. The next time any of us listen to a politician we must be on guard, don't be easily led or influenced. They have done their homework, we should do ours!

"Harry Reid, Byrds of a Feather!!"

Since the beginning of the Barack Obama administration any person who opposes a position of Obama has been branded un-American or a racist. This has become standard practice among "demoncrats" used in an attempt to separate honest dissenters from what people consider the "norm". A few years ago Trent Lott lost his position in congress because he made a remark at the 100th. birthday of Strom Thurmond's presidential bid fifty years earlier. It was an attempt to make a 100 year old man feel good and it cost Lott his career. Last week "Dingy" Harry Reid was caught with his pants down. In a new book Reid was quoted as saying Americans could accept Obama as a viable presidential candidate because he was "light-skinned, and spoke without a Negro dialect, unless he wanted to". Thus far there has been a deluge of comments from both parties over, some saying it was racist and others saying it was not a big deal. I'll let you guess which party said what.I don't know how many of you know the name Robert Byrd, he is the oldest senator in Washington, serving since 1959. Among the senate democrats he is known as an "elder statesman". As an elder in my church I am a man who must live a transparent and exemplary life, as I am supposed to set a standard for other members of our congregation. Senator Byrd, the "Elder" is a man with a very questionable past which the democrats happily ignore. At the age of 24 Mr. Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan, he held the "offices" of Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops, obviously not just a flunky, but a member of some power and influence in the Klan. He is quoted as saying"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side...Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimens from the wilds". Senator Byrd happily sits in the senate today, forgiven by his fellow democrats for his "faux paux" of previous years. Now we have Harry Reid again showing what is okay for democrats is different than what is okay for republicans. This hypocrisy among the democrats is enough to turn the stomachs of those of us who are tired of the labeling of honest dissenters as racists when they refuse to see the blatant racism that it tolerated in their own party. Mr. Obama has accepted Reid's apology with little comment. I wonder if an apology would be so freely accepted if this statement was made by a republican senator? The real man is the one who utters under his breath and in the privacy of close companions. Who is Harry Reid? Maybe he is the next "Elder Statesman"!

"The Truth About George W. Bush, Honest!"

I don't often make mistakes but I have found, through many hours of research, that the Barack Obama administration and his left-wing supporters may be correct in their accusations of George Bush. Yes my friends it is possible that they may be right! I contacted some of my old friends in military intelligence and called in some favors. I wanted all the facts available on our former president, no matter how embarrassing they may be. Now hold on to your hats this will probably blow your mind, it certainly affected me. George W. Bush was born in 1946 to George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara, shortly afterwards documents were uncovered showing the infant Bush in Hawaii right before an earthquake and tsunami devastated the island causing massive destruction, experts at the time refused to discount the presence of the younger Bush as a cause of the disaster. Later in that same year there was a riot at Alcatraz Federal Prison, once again authorities refused comment as to the involvement of young George in this incident. In 1947 the Bush family refused to make a statement when there was a mysterious coal mine explosion in Centralia Illinois, rumors of a cover-up were rampant and all inquiries went unanswered. The Korean War in 1950 was given the cover storey of a communist take over behind the scenes those in the know said the 4 year old Bush had his hands in the mix, there are stories of some disappearances of key diplomats who knew too much. Skipping ahead to 1956 it is rumored that Bush, now 10, was a key figure in the Soviets stopping the revolt in Hungary, thus forcing the now famous goulash shortage of the late 50's. Remember back in 1960 when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushev banged his shoe at the United Nations; there is a reliable source who will swear to the fact that 14 year old George was the one who handed Nikita that size 10. Now to perhaps the biggest shocker of all. November 22, 1963 in Dallas Texas, a close personal friend from my military days says he knows of photographs that put George Bush at the "grassy knoll" with a suspicious package. Yes my friends he may have been that unknown second gunman. There are more instances I've received about the spurious activities of G.W., this is just the tip of the iceberg. As a supporter of our former president I must admit to great sorrow at the revelation of these disturbing facts, and I must offer my " sincerest" apologies to the Obama Administration. Yes Barack it is all Georges fault; everything bad that has happened in the world since 1946 is George Bush's fault. So don't you worry about anything just blame George, he did it. For those of you on the left that may be reading this, this style of writing is known as sarcasm, not to be taken seriously. For those of the conservative persuasion I hope you all got a good laugh, I had fun writing this.

"Al Franken, Prophet for the Future!"

"Lying and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them", wow what a title, it was the title of the book written by that great statesman Al Franken. You all remember Al Franken, he is the senator from Minnesota, he took office under a contested election which is still considered spurious by many involved in it's investigation. His book is the usual far left rant against the Bush administration and anyone who has a conservative viewpoint anywhere in the universe. Way back when Al Franken was a comedy writer and performer he did a sketch about the "Al Franken Generation", it was about what everyone could do for Al Franken, and it was quite funny. As I look back now I am struck by the prophetic message of Mr. Franken's sketch. The liberal-socialist agenda of Mr. Franken and his ilk is all about what "Big Brother"can do for you as long as you allow the government to invade every aspect of your life. Presently our caretaker congress is dictating a health-care bill that a vast majority of our nation has said it doesn't want, yet "Big Brother" is bound and determined to push this travesty through at any cost, with total disregard for the will of the American people. The "Anointed One" has told his lackeys that he wants this bill passed before he makes his State of the Union address in January,"his will be done!". Remember way back during the campaign when the "second coming" said he would have a transparent administration, everything that would be done would be open to public scrutiny, available to all of us to examine. Now we are seeing the real Obama, the Chicago politician, the arm twister, the deal maker, the ideologue, who wants his will done at any cost. Hmm? the lying liars?!, Mr. Franken is prophetic again! As time is progressing we are seeing more and more deceptive practices from the Obama administration. The fact that no Republican has had any input in the health-care bill and it has been entirely conceived behind closed doors reveals Obama's disingenuous attitude toward his remarks about an "open administration".Even Nancy Pelosi laughed about "campaign promises", as if lies during a campaign is what is acceptable and expected from any prospective candidate. When will the deception of the Obama administration end? Back door deals work in Cook County, but, should the United States of America be run like the political machine of Richy Daley? Lies and corruption are surfacing at a surprising rate as more Cook County attitude is permeating the "Oval Office". America didn't tolerate lies from Richard Nixon, and should not tolerate lies from Barack Obama. When will Barack Obama become the man that he said he would be during the campaign? Perhaps he is just a lying liar.

"Keystone Kops"

When I was young and television was a new invention silent films were shown on t.v. on a fairly regular basis. There was a show called "Silents Please" which took old films and added funny dialogue with some hilarious results. In the afternoons I was privileged to see the likes of Ben Turpin, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy. One of my favorites was the "Keystone Kops" from the famous studio of Hal Roach. This group of misfits chased bank robbers, thieves, and felons of all types through the streets of Hollywood with little success, yet with great hilarity. Their incompetence was legendary as they fumbled through each encounter with their villainous counter-parts. It was great fun watching those comedic geniuses poke fun at the police, portraying them as inept fools incapable of ever catching their foes. As much fun as it is to watch fictitious police fumble and fall in a silent movie it is no fun to watch our national security being mis-handled by a group of inept and unqualified amateurs fumble from one national security breach to another. Janet Napolatano has proven she is over her head in a job that is so sensitive that thousands of American lives could be forfeit at the commission of one mistake. The intelligence gathering arms of the Obama administration have shown all the competence of those "Keystone Kops", fumbling each opportunity to protect the American people from the acts of radical extremists. The administration has said there were no "smoking guns" in these numerous breaches of national security, yet as the facts have come forward we have seen a plethora of mistakes that have been made and numerous "red flags" that were either ignored or discounted by the very people who were supposed to be the most vigilant in their duties. Obama has come forward with a statement of concern that at best was weak and non-committal as to where the fault lies in a most incredulous lack of competence toward our country's security. How much more can we expect from this group of in-experienced and unqualified individuals who hold so much responsibility in their hands? The more we see of the Barack Obama administration the more we see the price of weakness and inexperience in positions of responsibility! How much more poor judgement will we see from a man who, through his appointments and decisions, is showing he was not ready to become the President of the United Stares of America? The "Keystone Kops" are fun to watch in a silent movie, but we don't need them in charge of our national security. I only hope America can survive the ineptitude of Barack Obama, he's not as funny as Charlie Chaplin!!

"Are We a Paper Champion?"

Remember when America was a super-power, when we were respected because of our ability to enforce the world's rogue nations into positions that reduced their capability to coerce the rest of the world. Yes we were the champions of freedom and justice to millions of people who had nowhere else to turn when tyranny reared it's ugly head. The United States was responsible for victory in the worst conflict the world has ever seen and we have been the nation that was always called upon in times of need when disaster struck anywhere in the world. America was considered unstoppable and unconquerable, kind of like the "heavyweight champion"in the boxing world. I'm quite a boxing fan, I grew up watching the "Gillette Friday Night Fights" with my Dad and uncles religiously. I saw some of the greatest fighters ever in those early days of black and white television; Ray Robinson, Dick Tiger, Gene Fulmer, and Rocky Marciano were just a few of the great fighters I was privileged to see in our darkened living room. Later years I watched the rise of Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay), the self proclaimed "Greatest of All Time",and "Iron Mike Tyson"; a fighter who could have been the greatest of all time except for very poor life choices. Mike Tyson was the most devastating puncher I had seen since Rocky Marciano dispatching his opponents in a string of knock-outs that were almost hypnotic in their speed and destructiveness. Tyson's reign as champion was like a sky rocket, each title defense was electric with it's action and devastation to the unfortunate challengers. Tyson became his own worse enemy, he started believing his press clippings, he thought he was un-beatable, he believed his mere presence was enough to assure victory over any opponent. Then the un-thinkable happened in Tokyo against an opponent who no one gave a second thought about, James "Buster" Douglass. In ten short rounds the invincible champion was reduced to a mortal with his mouth-piece hanging out as he crawled toward the corner, confused and beaten. Is America becoming the "Mike Tyson" of the world today? After 911 we responded with swift and decisive action, showing strength and resolve to those who would threaten our sovereignty in the world. For the eight years of the Bush administration there were no further encroachments on American shores, strength works! Over the coarse of the last few months we have had a shooting on an American military installation, an attempted bombing by a terrorist at an American airport, and a rogue nation (Iran) virtually tell the United States to "go to hell". In less then one year the mightiest nation on earth has succumbed to the weakness of an indecisive leader who has allowed our entire nation to fall to a position of reticence and confusion in an unsure policy of domestic defense. Are we now the "paper champion",are we now a nation to be taken lightly by those who threaten and destroy? We as Americans have a decision to make about the reputation and security of this great country. I implore everyone to contact your representatives and senators, and urge them to use their influence to restore the United States to the position it once held as the stronghold of liberty and might in the free world. If Mr. Obama continues in his current policies of weakness and submission we will all suffer. It is only a matter of time before some terrorist commits an act on our shores that will take a terrible toll of American lives and property. Mr. President it is time to wake up and stop reading your "press clippings", DEFEND the United States, that is your primary job!!

"Looking Ahead"

It is now officially 2010 Christmas celebrations are over and it is time to face the reality of daily life. Most people are returning to work and the routine of life, some people are beginning new jobs while many others still face the prospect of unemployment. How we face unpleasant situations tell much about our character, misery and grumbling seems to be the order of the day if we allow negative circumstances to dictate our attitudes.As a conservative I could become very depressed over the events of the last couple of weeks by our Congress and the Chief Executive of our nation. It appears that a government health-care bill is inevitable and the terrorists are becoming more bold in their efforts to frighten our populous; even though oil prices are fairly stable the cost of fuel continues to rise, Iran has flipped off the White House, and my favorite commentator suffered chest pains and is in the hospital. It certainly seems we, as conservatives, don't have much to cheer about. Take heart my friends all of these things will work to our advantage if they are approached with the proper attitude. Already there are members of Congress with buyers remorse over health care after returning home to unhappy constituents, eventually those congressmen will be going into survival mode and attitudes could change as November approaches. Obama is now on the hot seat over Iran and the rising threat of terrorism and he can no longer afford to soft peddle national defense if he wishes to maintain any credibility with moderate democrats and independents; if he continues as he has in the past he will not only lose the moderates but also the far left base that are unhappy because he is not more of a dove then he already has shown himself to be. Obama is in an identity crisis, and no matter which way he turns he will alienate a portion of the population of voters. We have even seen a democratic congressman jump ship, I'm sure this is not sitting well with Obama and Nancy Pelosi, who Obama is not very enamored with and is thinking she is a political liability that he may need to cut loose. Rush Limbaugh suffered chest pains and was hospitalized over Christmas, and the left responded with the grace I expected by a plethora of insults, jokes, and even death wishes. This classless barrage of attack against an individual who exercises his free speech rights so openly only shows the impact that he has and the fear that those jackals have over his influence on the American public. We Americans can feel pretty good about what is happening on the politcal horizon, our nation is waking up and the Obama administration is now standing in the spotlight. The "Idol", it seems, has feet of clay; the shine is off the apple. Obama has been president for a year and Americans now see they are worse off then ever before. He cannot go on blaming the Bush administration, the people no longer will accept that lame excuse. If Obama's policies don't begin to show some fruit, he knows come November he will no longer have the whip hand in congress, and he fears that . Let not your hearts be troubled my fellow conservative Americans 2010 will be a good year for us!