My God, America, we are starring in a “B” movie. Can’t you see the trailers now? “And”, the announcer will say, “from Washington came the Zombies, one by one, spewing their venomous verdicts while the Leader of the Pack demands that Congress act before Halloween.” How fitting a Halloween deadline would be. What a trick not a treat the Congress could play on the people of this country if Congress really does go against the wants and desires of the majority of the people and give in to Obama’s demands. “But,” the announcer will continue, “the spineless Congress is no match for the power of the Pack now encamped in the big White House. So watch as Congress pulls out all the stops and wakes those who have faded away.” And, the biggest stop the Congress has pulled out so far, of course, is this racial bias stuff. So enter the Zombies. And heeeeeeer’s Mondale. But the problem is that no one listened to Mondale in his prime. So why would anyone think a rational human being would even lend an earlobe let alone a whole ear to anything he has to say today? 
In my youth the group I most enjoyed liked nothing more than to pull a really good practical joke on each other. Memory calls to mind one that we played on New Years Eve many years ago when we called St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (a mental hospital in the Washington, DC area) and turned in my sister for the $100 dollar reward. Well I think if someone wants to have a great start to the new year there are a lot of members of Congress that would qualify. So start dialing America. Congress must be stopped somehow. They seem to be ignoring every other method the people of this great nation have used to get their points across. So let your voice be heard. It is not too late to stop what is going on. Listed below are the web sites where you can find the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses of your Congressmen and Senators. Write a letter or e-mail or telephone. Get everyone you know to write or call. We must stop this insanity NOW. Just tell them NO! Do it today.
HOW TO DO IT – THIS SITE CONTAINS ALL THE ETIQUETTE YOU NEED TO KNOW .
About.com – So, you're going to write your Congressman? Good idea. Make it a good letter.
People who think members of Congress pay little or no attention to constituent mail, are plain wrong. Concise, well thought out personal letters are one of the most effective ways Americans have of influencing law-makers. But, members of Congress get hundreds of letters and emails every day. Whether you choose to use the Postal Service or email, here are some tips that will help your letter have impact. The link is:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm
CONTACTING CONGRESS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
Write Your Representative – This service will assist you by identifying your Congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives and providing contact information. Please review the frequently asked questions if you have any problems using this service. The link is:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
CONTACTING THE SENATE AND YOUR SENATOR
How to . . .   contact U.S. Senators - You can contact your senators by writing an e-mail or a letter, by calling, or by visiting.  All questions and comments regarding public policy issues, legislation, or requests for personal assistance should be directed to the senators from your state. Please be aware that as a matter of professional courtesy, many senators will acknowledge, but not respond to, a message from another senator’s constituent. The link is:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm

Have you ever wondered what happened to the Silent Majority? Maybe they died or maybe they are just hiding in hopes that this new political and economic reality would vanish like a bad dream? Or did the proverbial last straw land on the Silent Majority’s back as Health Care Reform?  Well, I am happy to report that they are alive and well and seen marching on Washington, D.C.  They are upset. They are angry. They feel betrayed. And they want to be heard. They were seen on Pennsylvania Avenue, around the Reflecting Pool, and in front of the White House. On Saturday, September 12, 2009, they were on almost every street and around every monument in our Nation’s Capital. They came from Texas, California, Oregon, Washington State, Illinois, Minnesota, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas and many, many other places.  The reports say there were as few as 75,000 to as many as 2.5 million there that day and yet they still are being marginalized, demonized and terrorized. What was it David Axelrod said? “They’re wrong!” was it?  And Rep. Maxine Waters who said, “I want those people talked to; I want them interviewed . . . I want journalists to be all over those rallies and the marches with the birthers and the teabaggers.” Why? Because the marchers want their voices heard? Because they disagree? Why no outcry when the shoe was on the other foot? But then there are those like Rep. Mike Pence from Indiana. Rep. Pence addressed the marchers that day and said, “After years of fighting runaway government on this hill, you people look like the cavalry to me... I believe we are on the verge of a great American awakening." Congressman Pence you are absolutely correct- - an awakening has begun. Just look at this crowd. There was Grandma in her orthopedic shoes; Grandpa with a banner tied to his cane; Old Sargent Bilko with the Stars and Stripes strapped to his wheelchair ; their kids and grandkids wearing homemade tee shirts and waving homemade signs; they were European-Americans, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, South American-Americans, Austrailian-Americans. But most importantly they were all American-Americans who want only the very best for their country. They came not so silently but with great respect for their surroundings and they left Washington, DC better for their coming. This demonstration was a first because not one person was arrested nor did the taxpayers have to foot a massive cleanup bill because they were there. They exercised their right to assemble peacefully and let their grievances be heard. They came with a collective purpose, and what they wanted to say was best summed up by San Diego radio host Mason Weaver.  “I came here because I thought you might want to hear a black man speak without a teleprompter. . . This government is trying to make a nation of dependent people. Americans have always been independent people . . . This is not a Republican thing. It’s not a Democrat thing. It’s not a black thing or a white thing. It’s an American thing . . . We the people are telling them, ‘No more!' We’ve had enough!" The message was loud and clear. It was delivered directly on the doorstep of our leadership. They said “No More! We’ve had enough!”  Mr. President and Congress of the United States of America were you listening? Because it looks like the Silent Majority is not going to be silent any longer.

I applaud Representative Joe Wilson. Not for his outburst on the House Floor but for his courage under fire. He acknowledged his blunder and sincerely apologized for his transgression. Then he stood his ground and refused to be intimidated and made an example of by the hypocritical members of Congress. But they want the Congressman’s blood. They heard something in his words that even he didn’t know was there. Maureen Dowd, columnist for the New York Times, said it was “. . . an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!” that reverberated through the chamber. And former President Jimmie Carter is certain that Congressman Wilson’s motive was unquestionably racially driven. Just where do they come off? Neither one of them can defend the President because what he said actually was a bold faced lie told directly to millions of people that evening on the floor of the House. And, there is no doubt that the Congressman called him on it.  Wilson called him on the fact that there are state statutes that make it illegal to NOT treat anyone who comes into an ER regardless of legal status. In other words, it doesn’t matter what the health care bill says, it is against the law not to treat illegal immigrants or anyone else for that matter and, if they cannot pay for care, their bills will be paid out of the public fund. What the President said was a lie or at the very least not the whole truth. He is well aware of the state laws and, since he is aware of them, he deliberately deceived the American People in that speech by not disclosing these facts. That, in my book, is a lie--pure and simple. Since when can we the people not question our government? Since when must we shut our mouths and stand idly by while this lunatic liberal laity legislates our liberties away. Where was the hue and cry in 2004 when Democrats hissed and booed President Bush as he delivered The State of the Union Address because they disagreed with the Patriot Act? And again in 2005 when the Democrats hissed, booed, and shouted, “NO! NO!” when Bush proposed Social Security reform. Just where were they? Why was no one censured then? The Democrats appear to have very convenient memories so I must assume that they have forgotten about Rep. Pete Stark’s tirade on the floor of the House in 2007. He viscously attacked President Bush because they also disagreed on a health care issue, yet Stark was never censured. Why? And why no censure when in 2004 Senator Harry Reid denounced the President and declared, “President Bush is a liar. . .” because of the President’s position on Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste site. Why wasn’t an example made of Harry Reid?  Aren’t rules rules? Under section 370 of the House Rules and Manual it has been held that a Member could:
     • refer to the government as “something hated, something oppressive.”
     • refer to the President as “using legislative or judicial pork.” political commentary
     • refer to a Presidential message as a “disgrace to the country.” political commentary
     • refer to unnamed officials as “our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs.”
Likewise, it has been held that a member could not:
     • call the President a “liar.” 
     • call the President a “hypocrite.”
     • describe the President’s veto of a bill as
“cowardly.” humorous political c
     • charge that the President has been “intellectually dishonest.
     • refer to the President as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.” political commentary
     • refer to alleged “sexual misconduct on the President’s part.”political commentary
www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush /0909/House_guidelines_for_          Presidential_putdowns.html

These are the rules. So why didn’t Harry Reid ever apologize to President Bush? He called him a liar, yet no Republican outcry was heard. No outcry was heard from any quarter. The Democrats say it was because Bush actually did lie about the nuclear waste project. Consequently, Reid was exonerated of all charges. If that is the rationale, then the Congress of the United States, and especially President Obama, owe Congressman Wilson an apology or, at the very least, a full explanation on how the illegal immigrant problem will be handled in this health care bill. How does the President propose to circumvent state law in order to fulfill the health care guidelines he outlined and keep his promise not to cover illegal immigrants in this bill? There is nothing remotely racial in any questions that have been raised about these issues. So, just where do Former President Carter, Maureen Dowd, and Bill Cosby get their stand? Why are they insinuating that there was racial bias in Joe Wilson’s comment. Nothing he said carried any racial overtones. And none of the questions raised here implies any racial bias. Nor do they involve color in any way. They merely involve the question of citizenship and those legally eligible to receive the services offered by this country at taxpayers’ expense. And it needs to be answered. The only issues “of color” involved in the distrust of this administration and its policies are the rose-colored views, presentations, and half truths that are being presented to the public. The President must take off the rose-colored glasses and stop the rose-colored presentations. Congressman Wilson was not alone that evening. He wasn’t the only one who believes what the President said was a lie. Many, many other people feel the same way. People who want nothing more than to know the truth. People who merely want the facts, plain and simple. People who are tired of flowery talks. And of pretty pictures of what the future may be. It is time for President Barack Obama to stop campaigning and start governing. The President needs to listen to what the people of this country want and to stop forcing his agenda down our throats. He must find a way to level the playing field and present Congress with something that truly will have bi-partisan support. It is time to stop all the double talk, finger-pointing, and name calling. It is past the time to  tell it like it is.   

To date less than half of the 500+ senior policy positions in our government have been appointed. These appointments require Senate confirmation and that, it appears, is just what the Obama administration is shying away from. The nominations have virtually stopped since several candidates were intensely scrutinized by Congress. Although those nominated were eventually approved the confirmation process revealed flaws in their backgrounds and chinks in their characters and marred the President’s public image. Still our government must go on. It can’t miss a beat. It has to function and operate without interruption.

How then can our government run properly without these key positions filled? This country is fighting two wars yet doesn’t have a Secretary of the Army. Our Banks and Wall Street are unstable as the economy continues to roller-coaster yet there is no Secretary for Financial Markets. Obama’s shovel ready jobs are funded by highway dollars but there is no Inspector General watching the money flow. And the list goes on and on.

But the confirmation process is cumbersome and it opens this administration’s choices to intense review.  The answer then must be to circumvent the whole process. Create a position and then appoint whomever you want because there are no scars with Tsars. And to date, according to whose accounting and terminology you use, there are 32 to 37 Tsars that wield more power than the President’s own Cabinet.

These “Tsars” are in charge of and have power over all elements of the programs that they manage. They need no special expertise other than to be affiliated with the President somehow. No one can question their power or deny them access to any vital information they want. Furthermore, they cannot be fired for cause or any other reason. They are answerable to NO ONE! I repeat NO ONE other than the President of the United States.

We have a Tsar in charge of, in alphabetical order,  Afghanistan (separate and apart from Central Region/Mideast Policy), AIDS, Auto Recovery, the Border, California Water, Cars, the Central Region or Mideast Policy (encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia),  Climate, Cyber Security, Domestic Violence, Drugs, the Economy,  Energy and Environment, Enforcement, Faith-based programs, Government Performance,  the Great Lakes, Green Jobs, the Guantanamo Closure, Health, Information, Intelligence, IP, Mideast Peace (separate and apart from Central Region/Mideast Policy), Regulatory, Science, a Special Master for Compensation (that’s your pay),  Stimulus Accountability, the Sudan (separate and apart from any of the foregoing), Technology, Terrorism, Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP),  Urban Affairs, War, Weapons, and WMD’s. The last three also have duties that are separate and apart and these duties do not overlap. And according to some there are five more positions as yet unreleased to add to this list. If unchecked, by the end of this administration’s four years in office this list could possibly grow to enormous proportions until the whole balance of governmental powers as set out in the Constitution is eradicated.

Don’t we have Cabinet positions that are in charge of these tasks? Are the folks that the President chose and the Senate confirmed not knowledgeable enough to perform effectively in these areas?  Why does the President need additional appointments? And the big question is - Is this usurpation of power by the Executive Branch Constitutional?

Fellow Americans that is the question we must all ask of our congressional leaders and we must demand answers immediately. We the People can stop this insidious takeover. Our voices are really being heard. Van Jones is a testament to that. So write your Congressman and/or Senator, go to Town Hall Meetings, write Letters to your Editor, sign a petition, do whatever it takes to stop the obvious power-grabbing policies of this administration. History does repeat itself and today there is tyranny all around us. And all tyranny must be stopped. Fellow Americans our fundamental right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness depends on it.

 

It begins “We the People”. That’s you and I. We are the people that this magnificent document addresses. We are the posterity of the architects of our government and we are tasked, privileged, and honored to carry on that which was begun on September 17, 1787. You and I know that. You and I protect and defend and are proud to serve and live by the rules and regulations set forth within each sentence and paragraph of the Constitution. Why doesn’t Congress understand that? Why is it that as soon as our elected officials take the oath to protect and defend they turn around and reject and bend every line that is written to further their own agendas? I am no great scholar of  Constitutional Law but I truly don’t believe for one instant the our Founding Fathers ever imagined or intended to create a governmental structure that would allow those in power to control and direct virtually every thought of those who empowered them. Quite to the contrary. That is exactly why the Founding Fathers were rebelling.  That is why the Constitution of the United States limits the powers of Congress. It’s right there. Article 1, Sections 1 through 9 spell  it all out; how Congress will be set up, how they are to be paid, and how they will be elected, and  Section 8 specifically addresses the Powers of Congress and Section 9 the Limits on Congress.  It is all there. But as circumstances arose, advocates for or against a certain ideology pressed to alter the Constitution’s exact interpretation. Consequently, the original premise of the document has been altered by amendment many times throughout the years. And each time it seems it has stretched the reach and expanded the powers of Congress. Even so NOWHERE in this document is Congress given the right to impose its will upon the people of this land. NOWHERE! And “We the People” have the right to tell them so. That too is right there for all to see.  The First Amendment gives us the right to shout from the highest roof tops if we so choose. It is our right to peaceably assemble any where we choose and it is our right to petition the government for redress of grievances.  And there is no better time than now.

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Sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Please press play                                    September 13, 2009

Thirty seven reigning Tsars

Even one in charge of cars.

‘nother wants to feed us juice

So that we won’t reproduce

Then there’s one restricting pay

While one gives our bucks away.

 

The commie’s resigned from the list

leaving just  one socialist

Chavez commands one Tsars ear

To restrict free press I fear

Then there’s one who thinks your worth

never ever starts at birth.

 

He says 50 elderly

Aren’t worth one that’s twenty

They wield power that’s no joke

While this country’s going broke

So raise your voice. It’s time to shout,

“ Terminate them! Boot them out!”

Commentary on this song is to the left.