"A Real Solution Ignored by Obama!"

I don’t drive as much as I used to now that I’m retired; I fill my tank about every couple of weeks. Most of my travel is around town, with the occasional trip to larger towns for shopping, or to a larger city for a short vacation. I’m careful with my money; or as my daughter sometimes says “Dad you are cheap!” She is correct, growing up in a large family and being a “blue collar guy” most of my life, I like a good bargain; money is tough to come by for the average working man or woman.

On Friday, I stopped to fill up my tank and it cost me $50.00, the most money I have ever spent on a fill up after average weekly usage. My wife was sitting in my truck while I pumped in my fuel, and she could hear me complaining quite well. I’m sure those around me also heard my discourse on the fuel costs, and nobody spoke to the contrary.

Last week, we saw the Middle-East go into overdrive with hatred toward America and Israel; we also heard Ben Bernanke say we were going to print more money to try to help our sick economy. These two separate actions are on a path to do tremendous amount of damage to America’s fiscal problems. Iran will use this Middle-East unrest to do its best to destabilize oil production and shipment to the United States and the rest of the world; they have already had exercises in the Persian Gulf near the Suez Canal; it wouldn’t take too much for them to attempt a closure of that canal and certainly impact oil prices worldwide. The printing of more money does only one thing, it creates an inflationary cycle because the dollar loses its value; it doesn’t buy as much and prices are driven upward. The stock market rose immediately, as a smart investor knows that oil will necessarily go up so an oil investment is “money in the bank” with a devalued dollar. A smart investor knows an unstable Middle-East will also cause oil prices to rise dramatically.

For several years, we have talked about energy independence and done little to nothing about it. The environmentalists cry every time any talk of drilling is spoken about; they think it is still 1951 and drilling techniques are in a Neanderthal state. They worry about fish, birds, frogs and chipmunks to the point of hysteria, while totally ignoring the needs of human beings completely. Countless studies for the past 30 years show that an America that is pursuing oil in its own borders can be oil independent from the OPEC nations. The policy of using our own oil can solve two great problems in today’s America; drilling will produce hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the country and it will stabilize the cost of fuel to all of our citizens in the process, and this is a FACT!

I like birds, chipmunks, fish and frogs as much as anybody, but I like an independent America more. We import billions of barrels of foreign oil every year while ignoring our own resources to protect animals, insects and some fish. MOVE THE ANIMALS, INSECTS AND FISH SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

All we have gotten from this current administration is talk without action, as Obama continues to appease the leftist environmental groups. We have had years to do some actual work on our own soil, yet this President has done NOTHING ABOUT IT! When you stop at the pump this week and spend a day’s pay for gasoline, remember who is really responsible for your anxiety and added expense. You can throw him out in November!!

"Hung Out to Dry!"

Many years ago, my late brother Bill got into an altercation in a local tavern; he was with a friend, Jeff, when this incident took place. The fight was taken outside the bar and my brother’s “friend” said “Wait here, I’ll get some help.” His way of getting “help” was to run for his life and let my little brother remain behind to take a beating. Bill really caught it that night; bruises and a black eye were very prominent. Bill had taken some karate lessons, and when I saw him the first time I asked “Did you use some of that screaming while you were in the fight?”; sometimes a big brother can be a little sarcastic! That night. Bill found out just how much of a friend Jeff really was to him. My Dad was always a little skeptical of Jeff, and he told me “Someday that guy will hang your brother out to dry”; Dad was a good judge of character. It means a lot to be a “stand up guy”; someone who doesn’t dessert a friend when times are tough or dangerous. I had a friend who was in need of a loan, he asked me for $8,000, saying he would sign a note and pay interest on the money. My response was to give him the money, telling him to pay when he could and there would be no paperwork; he was my good friend. I was promptly paid back and the loan was a forgotten incident. Sometime later, someone asked “What would I have done had my friend been unable to pay me back?” My response was “I would have forgotten about it; my friendship was more important than the money”; I meant every word of that. Financial costs are never as important as character and relationships; never leave a friend “out to dry”.

America has ONE FRIEND in the Middle-east, Israel, and our President has been keeping Israel at arm’s length for a long time. Over the course of the last four years, Barack Obama has done his best to keep Israel on the “back burner” while bowing and kneeling at the feet of the Muslim nations. In return for all of this kowtowing, we are now seeing the fruits of Obama’s foreign policies. Embassy attacks are now flourishing across the Middle-east and American lives are already lost. Israel sits in the center of the entire mess with a rogue Iran just months away from nuclear warhead capability, and Barack Obama is headed to Ohio!! (Always the candidate, never the President)

I don’t think Israel has much oil; all they have is a democracy and there aren’t too many of them left anymore as we drift toward a socialist world philosophy. Israel doesn’t have to look too far to find people who hate her; Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has already stated her disdain for Israel, and Syria has no lost love for Israel either, but the most virulent hater is Iran and that state is ready to take aggressive action to destroy Israel.

We now have dead Americans and a true ally in great jeopardy from lunatic Muslim factions across the Middle-East. What will Barack Obama do now? Will there be more knee-bending and kowtowing? Will there be further distancing of Israel? Will Obama leave a real friend “out to dry”? I’m afraid we have more of a “Jimmy Carter” than a “Ronald Reagan” in the Oval Office right now, and all American’s know where that will lead us!

"Bad Memories and Weak Leadership"

Some things stick with you forever; your first best friend, your first day of school, your first girl friend and the first time your dad lets you use the car; memories remain after decades. I still remember a spanking I got for running across the street without looking and I couldn’t have been more than seven years old at the time; I never did that again! I remember when a classmate was killed while out with his friends one Saturday night in a freak accident; my first realization that young people could die too.

I have some memories that we all probably have in common; the Kennedy assassination and Nixon’s resignation are both still clear in my mind, even after several decades. I know one memory we all have in common is the savage terrorist attacks on innocent Americans on 9-11.

Yesterday, old memories came back to life as news stations and newspapers recalled the cowardly act of flying aircrafts into the Twin Towers murdering thousands of civilians for some insane service to a belief system of death or conversion. As I think of this, I still feel the rage, anger and sorrow I felt on the day it happened. I remember flags lining the streets across America as we all rediscovered our patriotism. I remember a solemn George Bush who confronted this tragedy with strength and resolve.

I have heard America called the “Great Satan” from the radicals who have taken responsibility for this murderous act, yet we are told we must try to understand why they did this. We have been told it isn’t completely their fault; don’t be ridiculous, of course it was their fault.

The question we now face is what, other than eliminating Usama bin Laden, has been done to obliterate this threat, not only from America, but from the rest of the world?

The United Nations has done NOTHING; terrorism has been doing good business with little interference from the international body. Soon America will be leaving Afghanistan, as our weak President backs away from his responsibility for the nation’s protection. If some of you believe we are safer, I’m afraid you will be sadly surprised when terrorists go into overdrive as American troops leave the international arena.

Iran and Syria are just waiting at the door of Israel, and terrorists are crossing America’s southern border every week. Another 9-11 attack is well within the realm of possibility, and our current administration won’t acknowledge its possibility.

We are still facing a treacherous enemy, regardless of what we hear from our current leadership. I don’t want another bad memory, especially if we can obtain a leader who understands this conflict is far from over.

America doesn’t need more sorrow, America doesn’t need weakened leadership, America cannot bury its head in the sand in November; we need a President who will make American strength a premier goal, not something that must be diminished as Barack Obama does!

September 11, 2001 was a great tragedy; let’s not have another by reelecting Barack Hussein Obama!!

"Bad News Barack, No Matter How You Say It!"

I like Mel Brooks’ movies very much; they always make me laugh. One of Mel’s movies is called “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”; a brilliant parody of the Robin Hood movies. Carey Elwes acted as Robin Hood and he was a perfect satire of the Errol Flynn portrayal of the character; he even took a shot at Kevin Costner saying that “He speaks with an English accent, unlike some other Robin Hoods.” There is a scene in the movie where the Sheriff of Rottingham has to give bad news to Prince John, and Prince John asks him to tell him the bad news in a good way; obligingly the Sheriff begins telling the Prince the bad news by laughing hysterically; when he’s finished, Prince John screams at him saying “That’s terrible news, what’s wrong with you!” The telling of bad news in a good way wasn’t working too well for the harried Prince John; there was no good spin in this situation. Sometimes there is no way to disguise bad news!

Last week, the August job numbers were released the day following the closing of the Democrat’s big show in Charlotte. Mr. Obama had his speech filled with his usual platitudes and asking America to back his continued agenda, pleading for more time to implement his plan which has yet to produce positive results on any front.

The August numbers were lower than even the Republicans expected, producing only 96,000 jobs and the unemployment rate falling by only two-tenths of a percent to 8.1%. The administration was expecting an increase of 124,000 jobs and a substantial lowering of the unemployment percentage; neither of these things happened! Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have immediately gone into overdrive on those disappointing statistics bringing Mr. Obama’s poor economic performance once again into the focus of the campaign. To make these figures even worse, it has been stated that 350,000 more people have left the job market and given up looking for work, thus skewing the numbers that have been reported and they are actually worse than they appear. Mr. Obama stated that America shouldn’t take too much from those poor numbers, and things really aren’t that bad! Do Mr. Obama’s remarks sound disturbing to you?

Mr. Obama continues to posture and smile to crowds as if nothing wrong is happening to the American economy and he can in some way “magically” restore jobs that he has been unable to do for the last four years. He has not addressed America’s lack of drilling for domestic oil even as prices have skyrocketed at the pump as if oil will appear out of nowhere to solve our problems. His party added God and support for Israel as an afterthought in a blatant move of political appeasement that is more of an insult to people of faith and the people of Israel than a way to gain their support. Mr. Obama says he wants to continue his “green initiative” as the former head of SOLYNDRA paraded around the convention as an honored guest! I don’t think advertising a 528 million dollar blunder is very good press for the failed “Green Jobs”.

I don’t think there is any good ways to tell the BAD NEWS OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, and America doesn’t need any more half- truths and trick figures from the “smiling fool” in Washington.

"Digging in Barack's Back Yard"

Most of you know I have two dogs, Simon and Garfunkel; they are quite a pair. Simon is a Labrador-Border-Collie mix, and Garfunkel is a Yellow Labrador; they chase each other in endless yard races, and if I allow it, around my living room. Like all dogs, they like to dig in my yard, a habit which I’m not too crazy about. They leave divots everywhere with no concern for me. I have a planter in front of my house that has a hydrangea bush, and the local squirrels make a habit of trying to bury acorns in my planter, also with no concern for me. I had a groundhog which used to dig around my shed, another animal with no respect for my property. The squirrels seem to have given up on my planter, the dogs will never stop digging up my yard, and the groundhog is now in “groundhog heaven” courtesy of a well placed .22 round. I used to have rabbits, but the two dogs seem to have convinced the rabbits my yard is not a friendly place for them. Digging things up seems to be a habit most animals like to do. I guess my yard looks “shovel ready” to them. Most of the holes in my yard contain bones and nuts, the treasures of dogs and squirrels.

It seems that dogs and squirrels aren’t the only creatures who like to dig things up, especially during a campaign season. Then again, I’ll bet there are some things that would be better left buried. Bill Clinton made his endorsement of Barack Obama at this convention that is dedicated to empowering women. Oddly Clinton, a notorious user of women, was cheered by the Democrats in attendance. Monica Lewinsky wasn’t in attendance. I guess Bill is on a pretty tight leash nowadays.

Jimmy Carter made a rousing speech of endorsement for Barack Obama, lauding his leadership ability. I seem to remember an unemployment problem and rising fuel costs that was the signature of Mr. Carter’s administration; along with a “hostage crisis” it took Ronald Reagan to resolve. I guess that will be kept buried. Sorry Jimmy, but you were a “stinker in the Oval Office” and nothing can hide that.

The First Lady said “You can trust this man” in regards to her husband, yet, I remember the promise of a televised viewing of the process of his healthcare initiative, and then it was done entirely behind closed doors. I remember an open mike incident between Mr. Obama and the Russian President making promises of further cuts in America’s defense shield after his reelection, saying he could be more flexible; the Russian replied that “He understood”. I’ll bet that conversation will remain buried by the Obama campaign!

I’ll bet there won’t be too much said about the “green initiative” or “green jobs” as the shadow of SOLYNDRA looms over both programs, along with numerous other “investments” made that cost America hundreds of billions of dollars. This, I’m sure, will remain buried in the furthest part of “Obama’s back yard.”

My dogs always sniff around before they dig something up, and sometimes it is something that smells pretty bad. If we poke around “Obama’s back yard”, we may begin digging up some things that smell quite a bit. We must try to remember everything that has happened since Barack Obama became President; there is quite a stench in this administration!

" Unity Not Division!"

Last week was the Republican National Convention where Mitt Romney was named the official candidate for President of the United States, and Paul Ryan was named official candidate for Vice-President of the United States. This convention was shortened in length due to hurricane Isaac, which was attacking the southern coast of America. I have been watching political conventions for many years, and this particular convention functioned pretty well, as compared to most others, especially considering its brevity. All of the speakers were effective and everything seemed to move smoothly. I’ll admit Clint Eastwood wasn’t done to perfection, but he did get his point across and captured a few laughs along the way.

There were speeches from all branches of the party; many governors, representatives, mayors and senators and some were men, some were women, some were Black, some were White, some were Hispanic; but they all were Americans. I didn’t hear much talk about racial or ethnic division during this convention. I heard several stories about how some families found success following the “American Dream”, regardless of race, gender, national origin or religious background. I don’t believe I heard anyone referred to as our “Latino” or our “Black” or our “Woman” when they approached the podium to speak. I saw and heard people with a message of political philosophy, reflective of a constitutional republic governed by the will of the people.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, made some statements regarding the Republican Convention which I find kind of disturbing referring to those folks who happen to be Black, Hispanic or women as “tokens” in an effort to give the Republican Party an aura of diversity. He said “You can’t just trot out a brown face or a Spanish surname and expect people are going to vote for your party or your candidate”, “Window dressing doesn’t do much for a candidate…”; oddly the people of whom Mayor Villaraigosa has referred to are all elected officials, not government appointees; elected by the people and some in Democrat controlled states. Marco Rubio from Florida, Ted Cruz from Texas, Brian Sandoval from Nevada (sorry Harry) are only a fraction of Americans with a Hispanic background who belong to the Republican Party.

What we are actually seeing from Mayor Villaraigosa is desperation from a party who can see a turning tide in America. The Republican Party is addressing the American people as just that; the “American People”, not a minority group but as an entity of a unified nation that share common concerns that affect ALL AMERICANS, and that scares the Democrats to death. The continuing policy of division of the American people is failing, and a failed record from a weak and out-of-touch leader is being overlooked by the entire party. All they have to deal in is “poisoned rhetoric” about “tokenism” and “class warfare”.

When you watch the Democrat’s Convention this week, take note of how many times you hear about the devastated economy and failed foreign policy of Barack Obama; then see how many times Democrat pundits mention race and the previous administration. I guarantee you will see a sea of Hispanic faces, all clumped together, some might even be “legal citizens”. You will hear about the “Black Vote” and the “Hispanic Vote” and the “Poor Vote”, but you won’t hear any talk of the “American People’s Vote”; which is what this is all about.

As the Democrat Party divides the people, the weaker our prospects of recovery become. America needs leadership which will lead the ENTIRE NATION, not the hyphenated America that divides us. The real choice for a complete America only comes from a Party that wants all of America to have a chance for success; and that isn’t the Party of Barack Obama.