The Blog Less Traveled

Wow. What a demonstration of leadership. A Democratic president was able to get an overwhelmingly Democratic House and Democratic Senate to pass a bill giving the federal government even more power over the American people. Gee, that’s sort of like being in awe if Jane Fonda was able to get most Hollywood celebrities to donate to a liberal cause. Not that hard, folks. Yet that’s exactly what’s happened. The mainstream media are falling all over themselves touting what a great leader he is. I’m waiting now for some Democratic politician or liberal talking head to submit a proposal for Obama to be added to Mt. Rushmore. This guy is pathetic. He’s never led a day in his life and he still doesn’t know what it means to lead. His advisors give him the policy of the week (or more appropriately “weak”), and he goes out and tries to sell it. There’s absolutely no coherent strategy in anything this administration is doing, unless, of course, you want to call Socialism a strategy. However, that’s not a strategy – it’s an ideology.

To further demonstrate how inept this man is as a leader, he goes out and gives a speech where he clearly is mocking his adversaries. There’s nothing wrong with a President going out and trying to sell his plan. However, it’s so un-presidential to act like a child by trying to belittle the Republicans. He’s out there gloating and acting like an immature teenager after winning something. Taunting Republicans that want to repeal this bill by saying to them, “Go for it” is pretty weak as a strategy, if you ask me. He is the most arrogant and out of touch president in history. He and his Democratic cohorts didn’t listen to the majority of American people when they told them that they didn’t want this boondoggle of a bill. He is so completely ego-driven, it’s unbelievable.

If we get any more of his misguided policies shoved down our throats and put into law, this country will cease to be the United States of America, as we know it. For all intent and purposes, we will become the United Socialist States of America. Obama has clearly pushed the tiller to the left. Will this country be able to right itself before it’s too late?

There’s a great article by Ann Coulter on the current Obamacare legislation in Congress. I realize she can be a very polarizing figure in some of the things that she says and does. Her columns are usually dripping with sarcasm. However, her recent column is as clear and concise of a response to the Democratic proposal as you’ll likely find anywhere. If you’re looking for a straightforward way to quickly improve healthcare, this is it. It would require no bureaucratic involvement and could be implemented immediately. There would be zero burden to the taxpayer. Anyone with an IQ greater than dirt should be able to understand what she’s saying.

Below is her unedited column.

Liberals keep complaining that Republicans don’t have a plan for reforming health care in America. I have a plan!

It’s a one-page bill creating a free market in health insurance. Let’s all pause here for a moment so liberals can Google the term “free market.”

Nearly every problem with health care in this country — apart from trial lawyers and out-of-date magazines in doctors’ waiting rooms — would be solved by my plan.

In the first sentence, Congress will amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act to allow interstate competition in health insurance.

We can’t have a free market in health insurance until Congress eliminates the antitrust exemption protecting health insurance companies from competition. If Democrats really wanted to punish insurance companies, which they manifestly do not, they’d make insurers compete.

The very next sentence of my bill provides that the exclusive regulator of insurance companies will be the state where the company’s home office is. Every insurance company in the country would incorporate in the state with the fewest government mandates, just as most corporations are based in Delaware today.

That’s the only way to bypass idiotic state mandates, requiring all insurance plans offered in the state to cover, for example, the Zone Diet, sex-change operations, and whatever it is that poor Heidi Montag has done to herself this week.

President Obama says we need national health care because Natoma Canfield of Ohio had to drop her insurance when she couldn’t afford the $6,700 premiums, and now she’s got cancer.

Much as I admire Obama’s use of terminally ill human beings as political props, let me point out here that perhaps Natoma could have afforded insurance had she not been required by Ohio’s state insurance mandates to purchase a plan that covers infertility treatments and unlimited OB/GYN visits, among other things.

It sounds like Natoma could have used a plan that covered only the basics — you know, things like cancer.

The third sentence of my bill would prohibit the federal government from regulating insurance companies, except for normal laws and regulations that apply to all companies.
Freed from onerous state and federal mandates turning insurance companies into public utilities, insurers would be allowed to offer a whole smorgasbord of insurance plans, finally giving consumers a choice.

Instead of Harry Reid deciding whether your insurance plan covers Viagra, this decision would be made by you, the consumer. (I apologize for using the terms “Harry Reid” and “Viagra” in the same sentence. I promise that won’t happen again.)

Instead of insurance companies jumping to the tune of politicians bought by health-care lobbyists, they would jump to tune of hundreds of millions of Americans buying health insurance on the free market.

Hypochondriac liberals could still buy the aromatherapy plan and normal people would be able to buy plans that only cover things such as major illness, accidents and disease. (Again — things like Natoma Canfield’s cancer.)

This would, in effect, transform medical insurance into … a form of insurance!

My bill will solve nearly every problem allegedly addressed by ObamaCare — and mine entails zero cost to the taxpayer. Indeed, a free market in health insurance would produce major tax savings as layers of government bureaucrats, unnecessary to medical service in America, get fired.

For example, in a free market, the government wouldn’t need to prohibit insurance companies from excluding “pre-existing conditions.”

Of course, an insurance company has to be able to refuse NEW customers with “pre-existing conditions.” Otherwise, everyone would just wait to get sick to buy insurance. It’s the same reason you can’t buy fire insurance on a house that’s already on fire.

That isn’t an “insurance company”; it’s what’s known as a “Christian charity.”

What Democrats are insinuating when they denounce exclusions of “pre-existing conditions” is an insurance company using the “pre-existing condition” ruse to deny coverage to a current policy holder — someone who’s been paying into the plan, year after year.

Any insurance company operating in the free market that pulled that trick wouldn’t stay in business long.

If hotels were as heavily regulated as health insurance is, right now I’d be explaining to you why the government doesn’t need to mandate that hotels offer rooms with beds. If they didn’t, they’d go out of business.

I’m sure people who lived in the old Soviet Union thought it was crazy to leave groceries to the free market. (“But what if they don’t stock the food we want?”)

The market is a more powerful enforcement mechanism than indolent government bureaucrats. If you don’t believe me, ask Toyota about six months from now.

Right now, insurance companies are protected by government regulations from having to honor their contracts. Violating contracts isn’t so easy when competitors are lurking, ready to steal your customers.

In addition to saving taxpayer money and providing better health insurance, my plan also saves trees by being 2,199 pages shorter than the Democrats’ plan.

Feel free to steal it, Republicans!

To go to Ann Coulter’s original article, click here.

Pants on the ground,
Pants on the ground,
Lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground!

Well, I just couldn’t resist. I think this is as apropos a metaphor as you can get concerning Obama and his Presidency. Mr. Transparency is finally being seen by the majority of liberal and conservative thinking Americans for what he truly is. He is an extreme Socialist at heart and will do anything to further his agenda. The Healthcare bill and how it was conceived and presented to the American people will be a great history lesson for years to come. Never in recent history has the arrogance and sheer underhanded political maneuvering been so blatant. The President and the Democrats in Congress are equally responsible for this debacle. To think that they were so close to ramming this monetary nightmare through Congress is unbelievable. I, for one, am extremely grateful that the people of Massachusetts elected Scott Brown as their next Senator. Without that vote, Obama would now be signing that bill into law. Thank you, Massachusetts.

What I still don’t understand is why it took so long for people to see the truth in all of this. If this was such a good program for the American people, why did the Democrats have to write this bill in such secrecy and behind closed doors? Why did they have to bribe so many members of their own party? Why did Obama hold closed-door sessions with labor union bosses and give them “sweetheart” deals? Representative Joe Wilson was right when he told Obama, “You lie!,” during his speech to Congress last September. He lied about the real substance of the bill and he lied to the American people when he said the Healthcare bill proceedings would be televised on C-Span. He also lied when he said he would have no lobbyists in his administration. And despite Obama always criticizing the Bush administration for “sweetheart” deals with favored contractors, the Obama administration recently awarded a $25 million federal contract to a company owned by a Democratic campaign contributor without any competitive bids. How many times do you get a free pass on all this before the people say, “Enough is enough!”

So, there you have it America. The man who campaigned and promised hope, change and transparency is finally being seen for the deceitful and Socialist politician that he really is. A Chicago-style politician at his finest. Tomorrow will be his State of the Union address. I’m sure he’ll try to minimize all his blunders and lies and blame most things on the past administration. That’s always his excuse when his failed policies don’t work. Hopefully, most Americans will see through this charade. This man is NOT worthy of the Presidency – never was, never will be.

For the most part, I try to stay informed on what is going on in the world and our country. I read excerpts from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, NPR, BBC, etc. I find it amazing how a single story can come across so completely different depending on which news outlet you read. The same goes for network and cable TV. Some are so blatantly obvious that it amazes me that people can actually watch them and think they’re getting any semblance of a fair and objective viewpoint. If you can watch MSNBC and the likes of Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow and not see the vindictive and generally unseemly diatribe on American values, then there’s not much hope for you. Even Hannity on Fox News carries it a little bit too far, although I don’t think it’s as mean-spirited as the MSNBC shows.

Anyway, I got the below email from a friend the other day and I thought I’d share it with you.

A Harley Davidson biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.

Sadly, that pretty much sums up the liberal news media’s approach to the news these days.

I’ve pretty much kept my mouth shut on Obama since he became President in January. I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and see how he would lead this country. I’d give him a chance to prove he could govern the country.

Well, time’s up, and you sir, are no president. Without a doubt, you’ve proven what most sane Americans believed in their gut – you were never qualified to be the U.S. President. You lack the experience, maturity and judgment for the job. I can think of no other president who was as unqualified and inexperienced as you. You spent the majority of your life in school or campaigning for office. You never held any position of authority in the real world. And no, “Community Organizer” doesn’t count. You were basically a legal counsel for ACORN, an organization that has finally been exposed for its total corruption and blatant disregard for true American values. You lied to the American people on numerous occasions. How can you claim you were unaware of Reverend Wright’s beliefs and positions when you sat in his church for 20 years? He married you, baptized your children and you even used one of his sermons in writing your Audacity of Hope book and yet you can look the American people in the eye and say you didn’t know those were his outrageous views? You’ve associated yourself with radical individuals for most of your life. I, for one, am not the least bit surprised by the Socialist agenda that you’re trying to drive through Congress. Why the big rush, Mr. President? If it’s such an important piece of legislation, why not give it the time it deserves to get it right? That’s your current excuse for why you’re so indecisive about dealing with Afghanistan. You and your administration have made so many outright blunders over the past year that I could probably write a book on them. However, you’re given a free pass by most of your fellow liberal brothers-in-arm in the media. If it had been Bush in office at the time, all of your gaffes would have been filling the front pages of most newspapers. Speaking of President Bush, I’m tired of you constantly blaming him every time you have a problem. That, sir, is the sign of a very weak leader. Leaders are decisive and take responsibility for their actions. By and large, our current economic situation is the result of bad policies forced on banking institutions under prior Democratic administrations. I don’t recall Reagan constantly whining about Carter every time he faced a difficult or unpopular decision. You’ve never led a day in your life, and quite frankly, it shows in spades. You’ve pretty much been insulated from the tough decision making by all your campaign advisors and handlers. Your body language telegraphs the uneasiness you feel. If it’s obvious to me, then any world leaders you have to deal with will see it, too. Your “rock star” fame won’t cut it in the trenches of real world politics. We’re already seeing that based on your lack of success in dealing with several international situations. You have no clue as to what it takes to lead. I can guarantee you that the majority of the military have little real respect for you as a Commander-In-Chief (CIC). I had the privilege of serving my country under six different presidents. I never thought I’d say this, but you actually make Clinton look good as a CIC.

I’ll give you one thing. You’re good at giving prepared speeches with a Teleprompter. You excel at that. You’ll probably give a fine speech when you finally reveal your Afghanistan strategy on Tuesday. However, you pretty much suck when it comes to impromptu or extemporaneous speeches. I’ve never in my life seen a president say the word “Uh” so often. You really need to work on that. You don’t come off as being very presidential. You remind me a lot of Caroline Kennedy and her overuse of the phrase “you know.”

You and your fellow liberal cohorts sold the American people a false sense of hope. You have failed miserably and you are taking this country down with you. You do not deserve to be the President of the United States. You never did. I’m so glad that I didn’t fall for your lies and deceptions during the campaign. I’m proud that I didn’t cast a vote for you. You are so wrong for this country. When we really needed a strong leader, we got a politician. God help us all.

A friend of mine sent me the below “Bill of No Rights.” I researched the origin of it and found that a gentleman named Lewis Napper, a fellow programmer and Libertarian, wrote it back in 1993. If anything, it’s more prevalent today than when it was written 16 years ago. I believe Article V was written in reference to when HillaryCare was being pushed onto the American people. Sixteen years later, we have ObamaCare being shoved down our throats. This is definitely worth a read.

Bill of No Rights

We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some commonsense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusional and other liberal, bedwetters.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights.

ARTICLE I

You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II

You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone – not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III

You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV

You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V

You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI

You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII

You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big-screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII

You don’t have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won’t lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you’d like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.

ARTICLE IX

You don’t have the right to a job. All of us sure want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE X

You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness -which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

Let’s set the record straight. There is absolutely NO conclusive scientific evidence that man is creating global warming. None whatsoever. Are we causing some pollution in the atmosphere in certain parts of the world due to the burning of fossil fuels? Absolutely. I think that there is common agreement on this issue. We should do everything we can to minimize pollutants in the air. However, I challenge anyone out there to show me scientific proof that man is creating global warming. And no, just because Al Gore says so doesn’t make it so. I am utterly amazed at the gullibility of people that take his movie and slideshows as gospel.

There is no compelling evidence that I can find that backs up, with a high degree of certainty, the claims of the global warming fanatics. For every report in their favor, I can produce one to refute it. It is the United Nations report (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – UN IPCC) from the late 1990’s that is used so extensively to back up global warming claims. Do you really trust the political motivations and individuals running that show? Based on its less than stellar performance in most other areas, the quality and validity of anything they do is suspect. Did you know that the Earth has actually cooled since 1998?

Here are a few quotes from noted scientists and experts in the field that you won’t find in the standard media outlets:

“There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate,” the petition states. “Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.”

“The models and forecasts of the UN IPCC are incorrect because they only are based on mathematical models and presented results at scenarios that do not include, for example, solar activity.”

“Earth has cooled since 1998 in defiance of the predictions by the UN-IPCC….The global temperature for 2007 was the coldest in a decade and the coldest of the millennium…which is why ‘global warming’ is now called ‘climate change.’”

Here are a few links to read if you’d like to get a more informed opinion.

U. S. Senate Minority Report
The Amazing Story Behind the Global Warming Scam
31,000 scientists reject ‘global warming’ agenda

Once upon a time, on a farm in Virginia, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat.

She called all of her Democrat neighbors together and said, ‘If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?’

‘Not I,’ said the cow.
‘Not I,’ said the duck.
‘Not I,’ said the pig.
‘Not I,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

‘Who will help me reap my wheat?’ asked the little red hen.
‘Not I,’ said the duck.
‘Out of my classification,’ said the pig.
‘I’d lose my seniority,’ said the cow.
‘I’d lose my unemployment compensation,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did.
At last it came time to bake the bread.
‘Who will help me bake the bread?’ asked the little red hen.

‘That would be overtime for me,’ said the cow.
‘I’d lose my welfare benefits,’ said the duck.
‘I’m a dropout and never learned how,’ said the pig.
‘If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see.
They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share.
But the little red hen said, ‘No, I shall eat all five loaves.’

‘Excess profits!’ cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi)
‘Capitalist leech!’ screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
‘I demand equal rights!’ yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy)

And they all painted ‘Unfair!’ picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the farmer (Obama) came. He said to the little red hen, ‘You must not be so greedy.’
‘But I earned the bread,’ said the little red hen.

‘Exactly,’ said Barack the farmer. ‘That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.’

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, ‘I am grateful, for now I truly understand.’

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the ‘party’ and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. ‘Fairness’ had been established.

Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared…so long as there was free bread that ‘the rich’ were paying for.

With the coronation of King Obama only a few days away, I feel compelled to say a few words for the last president to govern our country before we become a socialist country.

Thank you President Bush for keeping our country free from terrorist strikes for over seven years. I don’t think there was a single person, myself included, who thought you could keep this nation from suffering another terrorist disaster for this long.

Thank you for taking the fight to the enemy. While mistakes were made in prosecuting the war, overall it has weakened the terrorists. Many will say the cost in terms of human life and money was too great. However, what would have been the cost if we did as little as many liberals had been calling for? What if the likes of Harry Reid, who said the war was lost, had been in charge? Terrorists around the world would have been emboldened and likely caused untold loss of life and economic damage that we can only begin to imagine. Terrorists don’t respond to reason and diplomacy. While a civilized society values life, terrorism thrives on death and destruction. History has clearly shown that.

Thank you for being principled and not basing your decisions on political polls of the day. In my heart, I know you made your decisions with the best interests of the country in mind. I don’t think you ever made a decision for purely political gain.

Thank you for not folding under pressure when most of the media and political pundits were slinging mud and lies at you and being so utterly disrespectful. A lesser man would have given in and responded at their cowardly level. You stayed above the fray and truly showed class. Most honest Americans despise the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Krugman, Olbermann and Maddow. Honest debate and criticism is valued in this country. However, smears, lies and dishonest reporting are slowly killing this country.

Thank you for being a man of faith. While the secular left mocks any form of religion, especially Christianity, you weren’t afraid to pray for guidance and demonstrate your faith in God.

Above all, I wish you and your family a quiet and peaceful time in the days and months ahead. You’ve earned it. Thank you President Bush.

It’s been about three months since the elections. Have you noticed all the “Change” in Washington since Obama’s been elected? Let’s see. About half of the appointed positions in his Cabinet and elsewhere are old Clinton appointees/buddies. The rest are mostly Chicago hacks and friends. His Cabinet hasn’t even been seated yet and one appointee, Gov. Richardson of New Mexico, already had to resign because of a pending Grand Jury investigation into questionable political campaign contributions. Then Obama nominates Clinton’s former Chief of Staff for CIA director. This guy has zero experience in intelligence matters. Of course the Obama team says he’s qualified by virtue of the fact that he read intelligence briefings while at the White House. Gee, I guess since I read the Wall Street Journal, I’m qualified to be the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director!

Let’s not forget all the other fun things going on in the Senate. Harry Reid, with Obama’s initial support, doesn’t want to let Burris be seated in Obama’s place in the Senate. Gov. Blagojevich from Illinois is showing the world just how corrupt the Democratic machinery in Chicago is. Wait a minute, isn’t that where Obama spent all of his prior political career learning the ropes? Oh wait, the mainstream media already told us that he’s too intelligent to have been involved in any type of political shenanigans like that. Ten to twenty years of association with the likes of Rev. Wright, Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers and Gov. Blagojevich had absolutely no effect on the guy. Heck, he never even knew the guys were like that. After all, he told us he was only 8 years old when Ayers was committing his acts of terrorism. That certainly absolves him of any responsibility for his association with Ayers as an adult. Rezko’s wife paying full price on the same day for the adjacent property to Obama’s when he got his property at a significant discount. Purely coincidence.

It looks like Al Franken and the Democratic operatives in Minnesota have magically found enough votes to steal the election in that state. Also, you know, like Caroline Kennedy, you know, is like doing a bang-up job in New York pleading her strong credentials to be appointed to take Clinton’s vacated seat in the Senate.

Who else?
- Rep. Tim Mahoney of Florida for infidelity
- Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, remains under investigation by a House ethics panel
- Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana is awaiting trial on charges of bribery, money laundering and misusing his congressional office
- Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York resigned after revelations that he was involved in a prostitution ring
- Senator John Edwards for infidelity while his wife was recovering from cancer (a real swell guy)

Yes sir, the Democrats with leaders like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Al Franken, Jack Murtha and all the other outstanding liberals are just what this country needs. If Caroline Kennedy gets nominated, that’ll complete the package for sure. Of course our saving grace is that we just elected the great “Community Organizer” and Mr. Joe (never looked in a mirror that I didn’t like) Biden. There’s one heck of a team to lead the free world.