A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

In a media generally leaning hard left, it's refreshing to see some conservative commentary on the immigration issue.

"As Congress continues to debate ways to address illegal immigration, we must remember the many hard-working legal immigrants that contribute so much to our nation's economy and culture. " ---- Bob Filner

"Legislation passed in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 enhanced our intelligence capabilities and strengthened our national defense, but until now our nation's immigration policies have not adapted to the needs of a post-September 11th world." ---- Chris Chocola

"Mexico takes a hard line on immigration, demanding that visitors to her shores enter lawfully, and show her respect during their stay." ---- John Linder

 
PORK OF THE DAY:
$44,139,929 for 23 projects by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), including: $386,000 for a carbon-neutral green campus; $142,725 for a plug-in hybrid vehicle demonstration program in Las Vegas; and $761,200 for a solar lighting demonstration project. It would appear that Nevada already receives plenty of solar lighting from its more than 300 days per year of sunshine.

Cowards Among Us

Much is made these days of the O-man and his administrations leading the country down the path to ruin.

Certainly, the citizens of the country are expressing their displeasure, as his approval ratings and those of Congress continue to plummet.

And, of course, the Republicans scream long and loud about the situation.

But unfortunately, their cries of despair are merely lip service.

They're much more concerned with staying in office than with standing on principle for any conservative cause.

And, of late, they've become amazingly transparent about that fact.

First it was Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who when facing his first serious challenge to reelection in decades, decided it more important to keep his job and easier to change parties than to fight it out and get reelected based on his values and principles.

Then, Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, became reliable aisle-crossers for the Obama agenda.

And now, the highly visible and vocal Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, who has been running for the Senate as a Republican, has found himself getting his ass whipped by a more conservative upstart, Marco Rubio.

Crist was the heavy favorite in the senate race early last year, and was even among the Republican names bandied about in the 2012 presidential race.

But the primary campaign quickly became a lost cause as the tea party movement embraced the more conservative Marco Rubio, and held up the governor's literal embrace of Obama last year as evidence that Crist was too liberal.

One recent poll showed him more than 20 percentage points behind Rubio in the August primary.

So, once again, rather than fight it out based on personal beliefs and principles, another Republican has turned tail and bailed out of the party, running as an independent, focusing instead on keeping his job.

The truth is that Specter, Crist, and a whole host of other Republicans in Congress are more concerned with keeping their power, privilege, and position, that principles have long fallen by the wayside.

Which is why it's apperently so damned easy for those same Republicans to compromise with the O-man's agenda as opposed to representing their conservative constituents.

They've forgotten that conservatives elected them to actually be conservative, that if they had wanted liberal representation, they would have voted Democrat.

They've forgotten there's supposed to be a clear difference between the parties.

Republican congressmen as a group need to grow some balls and stand up to the continued attacks on the Constitution, states rights, and personal liberties.

They need to continuously demonstrate a clear cut difference between themselves and their Democrat "opposition".

And they need to get back to considering the Dems as real opposition, rather than simply "friends and colleagues.

Because until they do, any token opposition the Republicans do mount is more for the cover of plausible deniability than for principle.

For inspiration, I suggest the Republicans look carefully at the behavior, strategies, and tactics of the Dems when they were a minority.

They did not cooperate, compromise. or cave on issues of importance.

They remained unified, consistent, and true to their principles, no matter how misguided.

They weren't afraid to fight, to get down and dirty for their cause.

And, they were effective.

The Republicans, knowing it usually takes only a few crossover votes, appear to have figured out how to play both sides of the aisle with little penalty.

Studies of voting records show a  group of consistent defectors, supported by a rotating group of occasional defectors.

Snowe, Collins, and Specter have so consistently defected on important issues that they can almost be counted as Democtrats, even if two of them haven't actually changed parties.

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon and others appear to defect on a regular rotating basis as needed, allowing them good political cover on the homefront while allowing them to be actively courted with favor while they are in Washington.

In turn, they get easy, consistent approvals for special earmarks, committee assignments, office choices, and the like.

In civilian business life, those are often the symtoms of bribery --- receiving things of value in exchange for specific behavior.

But those Congressional cowards who refuse to stand by the principles that got them elected have carefully exempted themselves from such prosecution, along with compliance with most other laws applicable to you and I.

A good friend has clearly and concisely articulated the problem: "They have been going along to get along for so long that for the most part they actually believe that is the optimum road and job description for holding office.


Boldly and clearly standing up with an opposing position, backed with logic, facts, and intelligent reasoning is the key quality needed in turning things around."

It's time for Americans to send these RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) a strong message: "If you feel it necessary to change parties, or sell out our principles, we will fire you for misrepresentation."

Since you have no principles important ebough to stand for, we will exercise ours.


“Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?” ---- Ronald Reagan


"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. " ---- Thomas Jefferson


PORK OF THE DAY:
$475,750 by Senate appropriator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) for research into long term environmental and economic impacts of the development of a coal liquefaction sector in China. WHich only adds to the National Debt, most of which we already owe to.... China.

Reagan Was a Democrat

A little known fact (at least to today's society) is that the bastion of conservatism, Ronald Reagan was, for a while, a Democrat.

During the 1950s he spent years being paid to give patriotic and motivational speeches to factory workers.

He wrote all of his own material, and spent considerable hours crafting each message to insure it accurately represented his thoughts.

This is when he actually defined his political beliefs and came to the conclusion that he was in the wrong party.

As a result of this period he knew what he believed in and could explain it to others.

Which is why Eleanor Clift, of Newsweek, is way off base when she publishes Five Ways that Barack Obama can be More Like Ronald Regan (http://www.newsweek.com/id/234860) in a recent online column.

She bases her idea on the fact that the O-man said during the campaign that he would like to emulate Ronald Reagan—not because he agreed with Reagan's policies, but because he changed the country in ways that endured.

The problem is, Reagan had a natural ability to touch the emotions, a trait that the O-man doesn't have.

He's not going to get a personality transplant; he's an aloof, out of touch, intellectual's intellectual, more Adlai Stevenson than Ronald Reagan.

Reagan spent eight years as Governor of California where he learned how to work with a Democratic Legislature, using clear communication and defined personal and political leadership.

Obama is still learning how to get legislation passed with a strong Democratic majority, exhibiting neither strong personal nor political leadership.

Instead, he continues to try to be all things to all people, without putting his beliefs, preferences, or leadership on the line.

Next year he will have to start learning how to pass legislation with either a reduced majority or a minority position in one or both houses.

He will be into his second term (assuming that he he re-elected) before he really has a handle on Congress, if he ever does.

Several leading Democrats have voiced their opinions that the O-man needs to be clear about his priorities, and become more directive to the Congressional leadership.

Others have said that now that healthcare has passed, he needs to move toward the center in order to mitigate losses in the Congressional mid-terms, becoming more statesman-like, and emulating Reagan populism.

The problem is, the O-man can't do it if he wanted to, because he and Reagan have lived such different lives.

Where Reagan spent time honing his beliefs and core principles, Obama has always been a Progressive.

He started his career as a Saul Alinsky community organizer.

After two years with sparse results, he decided on a change of tactics.

He never seriously questioned or explained his core beliefs and, prior to becoming president, he was always playing to a like-minded crowd.

But he seriously misjudged the legislators he needed to lead.

And his ability to lead them.

Unlike the O-man, those legislators had worked to get where they are, and have no desire to lose their cushy jobs because some neophyte is trying to promote an extremist agenda.

Which is why even though the O-man continues to blame Republican obstructionism, the real obstacle he faces is that those in his own party don't want to follow somebody who has no experience in dealing with real constituents.

The only real followers the O-man can reliably count on are the suicidal duo of Whiney Harry and Princess Nancy, both of whom are having ever more difficulty holding their unruly charges together on key programs.

In fact, on at least three key recent votes, even Whiney Harry voted "no" by what he says was a mistake.

(I'll give Whiney Harry the benefit of the doubt on that, as it had to be a mistake since he has no principles left.)

But if Whiney Harry and Princess Nancy are having this much trouble getting the agenda passed now, and are showing such low approval numbers, what happens after the mid-terms when their majority is certain to be eroded if not erased?

Typically, that's when a President's leadership becomes essential.

Eleanor Clift says that the O-man should become more Reagan like.

But what she really means is that the O-man needs to show some leadership.

Until he does, the only thing he'll have in common with the Gipper is that they were both once Democrats.


"Conversion for me was not a Damascus Road experience. I slowly moved into an intellectual acceptance of what my intuition had always known." ---- Madeleine L'Engle


“Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average.” --- Jim Rohn


PORK OF THE DAY:
$1,240,000 for two projects for Brown Tree Snakes control and interdiction in Guam by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam). Since 1996, 14 projects worth $14.6 million have been earmarked in Guam for interdiction of Brown Tree Snakes, which are still slithering through the appropriations bill. That's an average of almost $69,000 per square mile.

Racial Profiling

There's a lot being said these days about illegal immigration.

And, since a lot of that illegal immigration occurs along the southern border of the United States, a lot of attention is being directed there.

Most of the conversation is being directed to racial profiling fears about illegal immigration laws.

Under all the hyperbole really is a law that relates to illegal immigration.

It reads:  "Improper Entry by Alien: any citizen of any country other than the United States who:


* Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or


* Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or


* Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact;
has committed a federal crime.


Violations are punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense." 
 
That's right, a Federal crime.
 
Because, you see, this is actually the wording of the US Federal Illegal immigration law that has been on the books since January 5th, 2009 as enacted by Congress during the 2008 session.
 
But, that's not the law every is upset about.
 
They should be, since the Feds haven't chosen to enforce it, even though the Congress passed a law that reflecte dteh will of the populace, and it is the law of the land.
 
Instead, everybody's upset about the new Arizona law.

The law requires police to check with federal authorities on a person's immigration status, if officers have stopped that person for some legitimate reason and come to suspect that he or she might be in the U.S. illegally.

The heart of the law is this provision: "For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency…where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person…"

Imagine that.

Arizona has had enough with the Feds not doing their job enforcing laws that are already on the books, so they've passed a law that requires their law enforcement officers to do it for them.

People are screaming that this amounts to racial profiling.

Because if you get stopped by a cop for a legitimate reason, he can ask you for identification.

Remember the last time you got stopped?

First thing  the officer asked you was for your license, registration, and insurance.

So, if an illegal is stopped, and can't produce a license, registration, or insurance card, they'll now get asked for other identification, like green cards.

Just like if you or I can't produce a driver's license, registration, or insurance card, we are subject to additional verification of identity.

But what if the driver of the car had shown the officer his driver's license?

The law clearly says that if someone produces a valid Arizona driver's license, or other state-issued identification, they are presumed to be here legally.

There's no reasonable suspicion.

Is having to produce a driver's license too burdensome?

These days, natural-born U.S. citizens, and everybody else, too, are required to show a driver's license to get on an airplane, to check into a hotel, even to purchase some over-the-counter allergy medicines.

If it's a burden, it's a burden on everyone.

Still, critics worry the law would force some people to carry their papers, just like in an old war movie.

The fact is, since the 1940s, federal law has required non-citizens in this country to carry, on their person, the documentation proving they are here legally -- green card, work visa, etc.

That hasn't changed.

By using the Federal law as a basis, Arizona has placed the O-man's administration in a tough position.

Either he leaves the Arizona law alone, and angers the hispanic community and his liberal base, or he attacks it and disregards the Federal law on the books, which violates his oath of office.

But, there's one more thing that people haven't figured out yet.

The big opposition says this is about racial proffiling.... selecting someone for questioning based on their race in a discriminatory manner.

Except they seem to forget that Arizona has a high ratio of hispanics in their population, and thus also in their police ranks.

So, apparently, it's now racial profiling for a hispanic officer to ask another hispanic officer for identification.

But it's not racial profiling for a black or hispanic officer to ask a white for identification?


“If you believe that discrimination exists, it will.” ---- Anthony J. D'Angelo

“I have no race prejudice. I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed, I know it. I can stand any society. All that I care to know is that a man is a human being -- that is enough for me; he can't be any worse.” ---- Mark Twain


PORK OF THE DAY:
$102,800,000 for 27 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.), including $24,500,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC).

Last year, Rep. Murtha earmarked $23,000,000 for the NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ). However, the DOJ has asked Congress to shut the NDIC down because its operations are duplicative. In addition, prior to the center’s opening in August of 1993, the GAO stated it was a waste of money and redundant of efforts to combat drugs in Washington as well as a center on the Mexican border.

In November 2008, FBI agents raided the offices of the PMA Group, a lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. Murtha. Founded by Paul Magliochetti, a former appropriations staffer for Rep. Murtha, PMA specializes in directing defense earmarks to its clients, many of which have been requested by the Pennsylvania Democrat. PMA is the second lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. Murtha to be raided in recent months; in January 2009, agents from the FBI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Internal Revenue Service raided the offices of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems. According to a January 23, 2009 Politico article, Kuchera and its employees have donated more than $65,000 to Rep. Murtha’s election campaign and political action committee.

All alone

Ya know, The Oldtimer's been doin' some travellin' round this old country of ours, an' doin' some talkin' with folks in lots of places.

Rich folks, poor folks, crackers, blacks, latinos, orientals, and all kinds of folks.

Democrats, republicans, and even, I suspect, some tea partiers.

People that make jobs and people that have jobs, folks with kids, folks with pets, folks with both, and folks with neither.

You get the idea.

And the overwhelming sentiment that eventually comes to the surface in all these conversations is:

"How come nobody else has to play by the rules?"

Some of the examples from some of those conversations are enlightening:

"There's a guy on TV that says he owed $50,000 on credit cards, and only had to pay $5,000. How come I can't get a deal like that?"

"The ex head of GM ran his company into bankruptcy and needed my tax money to bail it out. Yet he gets paid millions a year, for doing nothing. I don't make that much from my company in a good year."

"The people down the street found they owed more on their house than it's worth, so they stopped paying their mortgage. The bank adjusted their mortgage to the new value and they got a much lower payment. I pay all my bills on time, and my bank won't even talk to me abour a refi, much less an adjustment."

"Congress just rammed a healthcare plan through that I didn't want and that will cost me more money. But it's not good enough for them to have to participate in. Hell, most of the laws they pass, they make sure they don't have to obey."

"I've got relatives in Morrocco who have been trying to get to the US for citizenship for over ten years. Now we're going to give all those who sneaked in over the Mexican border amnesty and let them go to the head of the line? How's that fair?"

Now, folks, I didn't make any of those quotes up.... each and every one is something someone has said to me over the past couple of weeks.

Americans are historically the most charitable and giving people in the world.

This country is where people can get a hand up and a second chance, where charity of our citizens is typically the first and largest at any disaster scene around the world.

Americans are a fair and just people overall.

They understand the concept of fairness, justice, and equal treatment.

And they're not seeing it much anymore.

There's a brushfire smoldering out there, folks.

In some areas it's called immigration, in some jobs, in some Wall Street, in some Congress, but when you cut through the rhetoric, it's about special, unequal treatment and the lack of fair play.

People just want to know what the rules are, and then have everybody be held to them.

They're sick and tired of everybody getting treated as an exception to the rules but them.

And, if they ever realize that all these different groups are actually pissed off about the same thing.... if they ever look below the surface grievances to the root cause, there's gonna be hell to pay.

We Americans are slow to anger, but long on righting inequalities.

And we want and expect people to follow the rules.

Just like most of us have to.


"Giving the same value to fiction as to fact in the interest of so-called fairness is to mislead the American people and the press has become party to that." ---- Joe Wilson

"Obama is a leveler. He has come to narrow the divide between rich and poor. For him the ultimate social value is fairness. Imposing it upon the American social order is his mission." ----
Charles Krauthammer
 
TODAY'S PORK:
$951,500 by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and House appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) for downtown Detroit energy efficient street lighting. That’s the least of the city’s problems.

The Mood is Changing

You may be noticing that there are fewer and fewer O-man bumper stickers left on cars from the last election.

Here are some of the replacements seen around town.

“If there is dissatisfaction with the status quo, good. If there is ferment, so much the better. If there is restlessness, I am pleased. Then let there be ideas, and hard thought, and hard work. If man feels small, let man make himself bigger.” ---- Hubert H. Humphrey

“Change occurs in direct proportion to dissatisfaction.” ---- Doug Horton

PORK OF THE DAY:
$465,000,000 for the continued development of the F-136 engine as an alternative engine in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The JSF is $55 billion over its budgeted cost, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Congress has added funding for an additional engine in order to supposedly increase competition and flexibility for pilots. However, according to a February 24, 2009 United Press International article, the money was allotted, “despite the fact that the winning engine had already prevailed in half a dozen public and private competitions and despite the fact that no other part of the plane would be competed once production commenced.”

CBS News reported on July 30, 2007 that the Air Force and two independent panels concluded that the second engine is “not necessary and not affordable” and that the professed savings from competition “will never be achieved.”

Earth Week

Let us a little permit Nature to take her own way; she better understands her own affairs than we. ---- Michel de Montaigne

The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun. ---- Ralph Nader

PORK OF THE DAY:
$3,000,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) for the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to help make data received from NASA satellite images more accessible to the public. Apparently the two senators have not heard of NASA TV.
According to the NASA website, “The NASA TV Public and Educational channels are ‘free-to-air,’ meaning your cable or satellite service provider can carry them at no cost.” Interested viewers should contact their local cable or satellite service provider to get NASA TV, and ask the senators for a rebate of their share of that $3 million.

False Bravado

April 21st is a  big day for your very own Government Motors.

On this date in 1967, General Motors (GM) celebrated the manufacture of its 100 millionth American-made car.

At the time, GM was the world’s largest automaker, producing 51 percent of all the cars in the U.S.

Today, Government Motors completed the repayment of $8.1 billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans, five years ahead of schedule.

Much of the improvement comes from GM slashing its debt load and workforce as part of its bankruptcy reorganization last year.

But the automaker is a long way from regaining its old blue-chip status: It remains more than 70 percent government-owned and is still losing money — $3.4 billion in last year's fourth quarter alone.

And while its car and truck sales are up so far this year, that's primarily due to lower-profit sales to car rental companies and other fleet buyers.

GM lost $88 billion between 2004, when it last turned a profit, and last year when it declared bankruptcy.

It endured years of painful restructuring, closing 14 factories and shedding more than 65,000 blue-collar jobs in the U.S. through buyouts, early retirement offers and layoffs.

GM received $52 billion from the U.S. government and $9.5 billion from the Canadian and Ontario governments starting in 2008.

At first the entire amount of U.S. aid was considered a loan as the government tried to keep GM from going under and pulling the fragile economy into a depression.

But during bankruptcy, the U.S. government reduced the loan portion to $6.7 billion and converted the rest to company stock.

Canadian governments also converted part of their debt to shares, reducing its loan balance to $1.4 billion.

The final installments on those loans were repaid Tuesday, comfortably beating a 2015 deadline.

The Obama administration crowed about the "turnaround" at GM saying the government's unpopular rescue of Detroit's automakers is paying off.

Vice President Joe Biden said President Barack Obama "took a lot of heat" to keep GM alive. "And this has even exceeded our expectations."

GM had made about $2.4 billion in loan payments in December and March, and had promised to repay the full loans by June.

But company officials said sales of newer models have improved GM's cash flow and allowed it to make the remaining payments early.

GM wiped out most of its staggering $95 billion debt in bankruptcy, closing last year with $15.8 billion in debt.

As it was reorganized, the United Auto Workers agreed to concessions, including a plan to shift $50 billion in retiree health care costs to a union-run trust.

New hires and white-collar workers now don't get the same rich health benefits.

With a much leaner total U.S. work force of 77,000, GM is small enough to break even if the U.S. auto market remains sluggish.

With the GM loan payment, the Treasury Department said total repayments under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, now stand at $186 billion, with less than $200 billion in bailout money outstanding for what started out as a $700 billion fund.

But the O-man's administration says taxpayers are still expected to lose about $36 billion on the bailouts of the automaker.

WTF?

Let me get this straight: the O-man makes a big deal about the Government Motors completing the repayment of $8.1 billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans, five years ahead of schedule, but we're still going to be stuck with a $36 billion bill for helping them?

Why not add that $36 billion to what they owe and have them keep paying for the rest of the five year period?

That's what a bank would do on a mortgage modification for you or I.

GM made about $2.4 billion in loan payments in December and March alone, so over the next five years they could certainly make a sizeable dent in the other $36 billion, it would seem.

But in the rare air of this administration, sticking the taxpayers with a measly $36 billion bill is of no consequence.

As usual, Joe Biden can be counted on to be more truthful than he intended when he said "And this has even exceeded our expectations."

Maybe yours, Joe, but not the average Joe.


“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” ---- Charles F. Kettering

“Anger always comes from frustrated expectations.” ---- Elliott Larson


PORK OF THE DAY
$400,000 for the Vermont Global Trade Partnership in Montpelier to help small businesses participate in trade missions (despite Sen. Leahy’s continued votes against free trade agreements, including the Peru Free Trade Agreement in 2007)

Where's AlGore When You Need Him?

So, I'm lookin' at all this mess caused by that volcano in Iceland with the name nobody can pronounce.

The one that's got every aircraft in Europe sittin' on the ground.

Because the volcano done spewed all kind of dirt, dust, abrasive particles, glass, and shade into the atmosphere, covering up the sun, adding pollution, and just generally doin' what volcanoes do.

Like meltin' glaciers and stuff.

In addition to all that, it also added a bunch of heat to the atmosphere of this planet... some natural global warming, if you will.

Some scientist types have said that it spewed out enough global warming to about equal what all those planes sittin' on the ground would have put out if they had been flyin'.

You know, those planes that AlGore keeps complaining about at all them "global warmin' rallies" that he flies to in his private jet.

The planes he says are ruinin' the planet and wants to "carbon tax".

Those planes that he made all the comments about that got him the Nobel prize.

The Nobel prize that lost all credibility when they awarded it to his ex-VP-ness, and then backed it up by awarding another one to the O-man for equally important accomplishments.

So, the Oldtimer's thinkin' that maybe AlGore should be insertin' himself in the spotlight about now, calling for the abolishment of volcanoes, or at least trying to find the volcano's owner so he can tax the crap out of him.

But a funny thing has happened.

Now that there's a major event that might actually contribute to global warming, AlGore's nowhere to be found.

And, neither is the mainstream media, who have covered the event only from a "look at all these people sleeping on airport floors" perspective.

AlGore, who once owned his own Liberal Network, can't get a story?

Or is it that he's figured out that he can't extort fines, fees, and taxes from Mother Nature?

Especially when she's in Iceland.

But, it's not over yet.

The O-man's minions are aggressively and quickly developing a massive addition to the Cap and Trade bill, claiming it's necessary because of the volcano's effect on the climate and carbon in the atmosphere.

Yep, AlGore can't figure out how to tax Mother Nature, but the O-man is fixin' to have us pay taxes on her actions.

Don't make no sense, you say?

Well, it's no weirder than some of the commentators and talking heads view of things.

The notoriously liberal National Public Radio had an interesting debate about the cause of the volcanic eruption.

According to the host: "We do wonder whether there's human involvement in all of these eruptions, earthquakes, storms", while the guest, a senior CNN correspondent, responded with: "Climate change and global warming are definitely contributing to earthquakes and volcanic ash."

Now, you might have thought that was one of the most asinine assessments you've ever heard and you'd be right -- but not for the reasons you'd figure.

No, the real reason for such bothersome things as volcanoes and earthquakes is ... women.

Yup, an Iranian cleric (who would have thought!) has just come out and said: "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes."

Of course, it all makes such sense now.


"Some people say there's a woman to blame..... always is!" ---- Jimmy Buffett

“One cannot conceive anything so strange and so implausible that it has not already been said by one politician or another.” ---- Rene Descartes


PORK OF THE DAY:
$245,000 by Senate appropriator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), House appropriator NormDicks (D-Wash.), and Reps. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) for Aegilops cylindrica, or jointed goat grass, in Idaho and Washington. According to the farming reference website Oneplan.org, jointed goat grass is native to southern Europe and western Asia and is similar to wheat. One would think that since we always have a surplus of wheat, and pay farmers not to grow it, we wouldn't be needing to spend a quarter million dollars on this deal.

Look For The Union Label

It's often said that organized labor is a key Democrat constituency.

That Big Labor and the Big Government Democrats are linked at the hip.

Especially if they carry their wallets in their hip pockets.

Take, for example, contributions to the candidates in the last Presidential elections.

Since 1990, labor unions have contributed over $667 million in election campaigns in the United States, of which $614 million or 92 percent went to support Democratic candidates.

In 2008, unions spent $74.5 million in campaign contributions, with $68.3 million going to the Democratic Party.

Already, unions have contributed $6.5 million to the 2010 elections, and $6 million has gone to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.


Union bosses, who make these decisions, aren't stupid.

And they don't make "gifts"... they make investments.

Investments that benefit themselves, and indirectly, their union agenda.

When they spend over $68 million with the O-man, they damned well expect something back in return... in this case, passage of "card check", the illegal and unconstitutional scheme which would force all workers to “join” a union.

Although Card Check has failed, the reason for its necessity has not changed.

Union membership is shrinking, and with that contraction, union dues are falling sharply.

That cuts the money available for use by the union leadership, for things like their salaries, their cars, their perks.

And, since 92% of all union campaign contributions go only to Democrats, having unemployed union workers not paying dues, which eventually turn into Democrat war chest cash, can not be tolerated.

And, there's another problem facing the union leadership, one that is becoming critical.

According to Labor Department filings, the average union pension has been so raided by union bosses that only enough money is on hand to cover 62 percent of the benefits it has promised to union members.

Pension plans with 80 percent funding are considered "endangered" by federal auditors, while those with less than 65 percent funding are put on the "critical" list by federal auditors, and require additional revenue input to remain federally approved.


So, the O-man is faced with either mandating card check (and facing a long Constitutional fight with the Supreme Court), or finding another way to pay his debt to the unions.

Hence, Executive Order 13502, signed by the O-man in late February, with no fanfare, no press coverage, none of the vaunted "transparency" this administration has touted.

So what's in this secret Executive Order number 13502?

Here's what it says, in part (with The Oldtimer's comments in yellow): "USE OF PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS FOR FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS :
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, 40 U.S.C. 101 et seq., and in order to promote the efficient administration and completion of Federal construction projects, it is hereby ordered that:


Section 1. Policy. (a) Large-scale construction projects pose special challenges to efficient and timely procurement by the Federal Government. ( It seems everything is difficult for the government.) Construction employers typically do not have a permanent workforce, which makes it difficult for them to predict labor costs when bidding on contracts and to ensure a steady supply of labor on contracts being performed. (That's what private industry does, keeps people on the payroll only as long as they have work for them, unlike the government.) Challenges also arise due to the fact that construction projects typically involve multiple employers at a single location. (That's what general contractors and project managers solve in the private sector.) A labor dispute involving one employer can delay the entire project. (Interestingly, labor disputes generally arise from labor unions.) A lack of coordination among various employers, or uncertainty about the terms and conditions of employment of various groups of workers, can create frictions and disputes in the absence of an agreed-upon resolution mechanism. These problems threaten the efficient and timely completion of construction projects undertaken by Federal contractors. On larger projects, which are generally more complex and of longer duration, these problems tend to be more pronounced. (And this has only now become a problem?)

(b) The use of a project labor agreement (PLA) may prevent these problems from developing by providing structure and stability to large-scale construction projects, thereby promoting the efficient and expeditious completion of Federal construction contracts. (There is absolutely no eveidence of this being true, especially since most work stoppages in the US come from union grievances.) Accordingly, it is the policy of the Federal Government to encourage executive agencies to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects in order to promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.

Sec. 3. (a) In awarding any contract in connection with a large-scale construction project, or obligating funds pursuant to such a contract, executive agencies may, on a project-by-project basis, require the use of a project labor agreement by a contractor where use of such an agreement will (i) advance the Federal Government's interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, producing labor-management stability, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters, and (ii) be consistent with law. (If it's pnly an option, and not a requirement, then no executive order was necessary. This "option" has always been available.)


(b) If an executive agency determines under subsection (a) that the use of a project labor agreement will satisfy the criteria in clauses (i) and (ii) of that subsection, the agency may, if appropriate, require (Ah, there's the requirement! We knew it was in here somewhere!) that every contractor or subcontractor on the project agree, for that project, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more appropriate labor organizations. (In otherwords, if you want to work on a federal contrac, you're going to agree to become unionized, like it or not.)


Sec. 4. Any project labor agreement reached pursuant to this order shall:
(a) bind all contractors and subcontractors on the construction project through the inclusion of appropriate specifications in all relevant solicitation provisions and contract documents; (If you bid, you have to agree to becoming unionized if you get the job.)
(b) allow all contractors and subcontractors to compete for contracts and subcontracts without regard to whether they are otherwise parties to collective bargaining agreements; (But if you get the job, you can't do it unless you become unionized.)
(c) contain guarantees against strikes, lockouts, and similar job disruptions; (You have to agree to the terms and conditions set forth by the unions.)
(d) set forth effective, prompt, and mutually binding procedures for resolving labor disputes arising during the project labor agreement; (You have to agree to binding federal arbitration with the unions.)
(e) provide other mechanisms for labor-management cooperation on matters of mutual interest and concern, including productivity, quality of work, safety, and health; (in other words, adopt the union work rules and benefits package) and
(f) fully conform to all statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders. (Including this one)


Sec. 5. This order does not require an executive agency to use a project labor agreement on any construction project, nor does it preclude the use of a project labor agreement in circumstances not covered by this order, including leasehold arrangements and projects receiving Federal financial assistance. This order also does not require contractors or subcontractors to enter into a project labor agreement with any particular labor organization. (But, if you bid a job with those requirements in the specifications, and you get the job, you must comply.)

Sec. 6. Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), to the extent permitted by law, shall take whatever action is required to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement the provisions of this order. (We're not going to require you to be union as stated in provision 5, but we're going to make sure the requirement is implemeted.)


Sec. 7. The Director of OMB, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and with other officials as appropriate, shall provide the President within 180 days of this order, recommendations about whether broader use of project labor agreements, with respect to both construction projects undertaken under Federal contracts and construction projects receiving Federal financial assistance, would help to promote the economical, efficient, and timely completion of such projects. (Not only aren't we going to require you to conform, but we're going to expand that to insure compliance!)

So what does this order really mean?

Executive Order 13502 requires federal agencies to accept only union shop bids for construction projects over $25 million.

Since only 15% of construction workers are unionized this virtually guarantees: every union construction worker a job and that nonunion workers will be banging down the doors of union halls.

The “$25 million” threshold will provide work for just enough non-union workers to give credibility to the lie that “Oh no we don’t hire ONLY union workers, why take a look at our books.”

In this economy, paying union workers higher than competitive wages merely because they are union workers makes no sense.

The average weekly salary for a unionized construction worker is $908.00, but the average non-union worker earns just $710.00 or 22% less.

Add in the additional payments to union pension funds, and it gets worse.

Unions under PLAs typically exact agreements that include requiring contractors to make payments to union pension funds.

Obama’s sellout will cost us more for each federal project because it is a true double edge sword.

It means federal projects can only be completed with union work that always costs more, and actual free market costs have been obliterated as jobs will be regularly over bid.

And, it means unemployed non-union workers, who are willing to do the same job for less, will remain unemployed, even though they could significantly reduce the amount of tax dollars spent on each project.

And so, the O-man gives back to the unions even more than they wanted.

They get their coveted PLA requirements on all Federal projects, and, they get a back door "card check" operation as well.

When it comes to federal purchasing by the O-man's administration, you can be assured they'll look for the union label.

Regardless of the cost.


“Anything that suggests the possibility of favoritism really begins to work against the public confidence.” ----  Burt Greenwald

“Hell is the highest reward that the devil can offer you for being a servant of his.” ---- Billy Sunday quotes

PORK OF THE DAY:
$32,950,000 for 17 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including: $7,100,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of endangered Hawaiian sea turtle populations; $2,600,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of the critically endangered monk seal population and conservation of Pacific crustaceans; $2,000,000 for the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii; $1,750,000 for the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii to conduct systematic and reliable climatographic research of the Pacific region; $1,500,000 for NOAA to create and implement an integrated system-wide ocean science education program piloted in Hawaii’s schools; $1,250,000 for the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at the University of Hawaii to conduct research on open ocean fisheries in the Pacific Ocean; and $700,000 for NOAA for the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative at the University of Hawaii to support monitoring and research activities on Hawaii’s coral reefs. One would think we could probably lop 50% of these costs off and not miss anything.

The O-man Aims High Once Again

"When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get them, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either." ---- Leo Burnett

"There just doesn't seem to be a market for something with aspiration anymore." ---- Tom Courtenay

PORK OF THE DAY:

$4,545,000 for wood utilization research in 10 states by 19 senators and 10 representatives. This research has cost taxpayers $95.3 million since 1985. One would think that after 24 years of research all the purposes for one of the world’s most basic construction materials would have been discovered.

Oldtimer Special Feature: Where Your Money Went

Watching the O-man and his minions Queen Nancy and Whiney Harry is an exercise in fiscal frustration.

Under the cover of a federal budget so large that almost no one knows what they've hidden in it, they've stuffed so much pork into the spending bills that it looks a pot bellied pig on steroids.

So, starting today, The Oldtimer is gonna start pointin' out some of this silliness, with the help of 2009 Congressional Pig Book, produced by Citizens Against Government Waste.

The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget.

The 2009 Pig Book identifies 10,160 projects at a cost of $19.6 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2009.

A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures.

Starting today, one pork cutlet will be highlighted each day at the end of the normal weekday post.

For clearer identification, these Pig Book items will be shown in pink, of course.

Here's the first one:

$1,791,000 by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) for swine odor and manure management research in Ames. According to the Agriculture Research Service’s website, the purpose of the research is to “generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion, malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.”

In an effort to defend his earmark on the Senate floor, Sen. Harkin summed up its ridiculous nature succinctly: “I’m sure that David Letterman will probably be talking about it and Jay Leno will be talking about it, we’ve got $1.8 million to study why pigs smell.”

Hey O-man, Let's Spread the Wealth Around....

Today is tax day.

The day the government attempts to confiscate enough revenue to fund its various indiscretions.

The day that Americans find out how much they have to pay, or how large an interest free loan they gave Uncle Sam all year.

So, The Oldtimer thinks it's only fair we check on the tax return of America's CEO, the O-man and family.

Based on what the White House has released, The socialist in chief earned a total of $5,505,409 in 2009, far above the designated Presidential salary of $400,000 per year.

That's because he's good some good book residual deals, and because he scored that Nobel prize package during his first month in office.

A White House official said Obama's money is not kept in a blind trust, as all other modern presidents -- including both Bushes, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan -- have done.

To his credit, he gave away about $330,000, including the Nobel Prize money (perhaps even he realized he didn't deserve it).

That left a tax bill, after standard and special deductions, of about $1.8 million.

So, let's review: $5.5 million income, less $300K donations, less $1.8 million in taxes means the O-man and his family netted about $3.4 million after taxes.

So, based on his speeches and his comments during the campaign, during the healthcare debate, and during other Congressional conversations, the O-man clearly qualifies as "rich", and certainly is part of the top "super rich" top earners in America.

The O-man and his family are coincidentally the typical "family of four" that he so often talks about when referring to taxpayers.

The "typical family" that the Federal Government uses as a measuring stick of economic conditions in the United States.

The "typical family" that has a median gross family income of $50,202. 

1/100th of the O-man's family's gross income.

Or, to put it another way, the O-man's family earned more on two weeks than the typical American family earns in two years.

The O-man has loudly and vehemently insisted that we should raise taxes on the rich... that it is a civic and patriotic duty for the rich to pay more taxes.

Yet, upon review of the O-man's tax return, it's apparent that he took every available deduction and tax avoidance strategy... that's how he got the $606,170 in deductions to gross income, and the $514,819 in deductions to adjusted gross income.

So, it would appear that this is yet another "Do as I say, not as I do" moment for the O-man's "credibility".

Of late, the O-man has been sounding the alarm about deficits... advocating "all of us will need to accept some hardship" in order to reduce the deficits that the O-man has created through his wild and ill advised spending spree.

The Oldtimer thinks the O-man should lead by example.

There is absolutely nothing preventing the O-man from keeping his Congressionally approved salary of $400,000, and writing a check for his remaining $3 million net income directly back to the US Government specifically earmarked for reducing the deficit, or even the national debt.

After all, he ran for the job knowing full well what it would pay, he ran on being a full time President, and, he gets free housing, free travel, free healthcare, and free pensions for life as a benefit package.

Even without the benefits being figured in, his $400,000 net income would still be eight times the US median income for a family of four.

And, since the 2009 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia for a family of four sit at $22,050 net annual income, he'd still be 16 times better off than those whose lives the Democrat party says they're dedicated to improving.

Writing a check for the extra $3 million back to the government could certainly go some distance in helping them as well.

The O-man's got no trouble screwing with my money.

Let's see if he feels the same way when somebody tries to spread his wealth around, or confiscate it in higher taxes.

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” ---- Harold S. Geneen

“Leadership is action, not position.” ---- Donald H. McGannon

How About A Little Perspective Here ?

Ever since the O-man took office and teamed up with Queen Nancy and Whiney Harry to ramrod their socialist agenda down America's throat, they've been tossing numbers around that are astonishing.

Astonishing in their magnitude, and astonishing in the inability of most people to comprehend them.

Things that used to cost thousands, now cost millions.

Things that used to cost millions now cost billions, and trillions are tossed about as casually as pennies.

Time for some perspective.

A reality check if you will.

Let's start with an easy comparison.

Something everybody can quantify, something everyone deals with daily.

Let's use a second as a measure of size and duration.

One second... one 1/60th of a minute.

As in "wait a second" or "hold on there, a second".

Both of which somebody should be saying to the O-man's administration.

But I digress.

Sixty seconds equals one minute.

3,600 seconds equals 60 minutes, or one hour.

86,400 seconds equals 24 hours, or one day.

One million seconds equals 11.57 days.

One hundred million seconds equals 3.17 years.

One thousand million seconds, or one billion seconds, equals 31.7 years.

Scary numbers?

You bet.

But we're not even approaching the costs of ObamaCare yet.

The total cost for that fiasco, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, is $940 billion over ten years.

So, let's keep going with our seconds analogy.

One thousand billion seconds, or one trillion seconds, equals 31,688 Years, 269 Days, 1 Hour, 46 Minutes, 40 Seconds.

That's a close approximation to $940 billion.

But remember, healthcare wasn't the only item on the O-man's, Queen Nancy, and Whiney Harry's spending spree.

TARP is at $700 billion.

The Federal Reserve bailout is at $6.4 trillion.

Other stimulus programs, including things like "cash for clunkers", are at $1.2 trillion.

The AIG bailout, not included in any of the above, is at $182 billion.

The banks bailout is at $1.7 trillion.

The housing bailout is at $745 billion.

That brings the total to just about $11 trillion.

(Click here for the details.)

In seconds, that's about 312,500 years!

But it gets worse.

Turns out, there's a weirdness about American counting.

The British, and several other European and Asian countries, count billions differently, which affects trillions and quadrillions (please, God, don't let the O-man know there's a number after trillion!) and each successive number.

In the American system one billion is one thousand times a million, and a trillion is  is one thousand times one billion.

In the British system one trillion is one million times one billion.

That gives the rest of the world real pause when they look at our spending, deficits, and national debt.

Which is a problem, because we're financing our debt by selling it to the rest of the world.

In short, your share of this whole mess increases dramatically by the second.

There's about 81 million seconds between now and the 2012 Presidential election.

The 2010 midterms are sooner.

Take a second and determine what you, personally, can do to vote all of the incumbents out, regardless of party.

It's time to elect people who will serve us, not rule us.

We might not get a second chance.

“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have - so spend it wisely.”  ---- Kay Lyons

“Time is the justice that examines all offenders.” ---- William Shakespeare

Wisdom of the old West

Sometime's ya jus' c'ain't say it any better......

.... these aren't all John Wayne quotes, just John Wayne attitude!

There's no place 'round the campfire for a quitter's blanket.

Tossin' your rope before buildin' a loop don't ketch the calf.

Polishing your pants on saddle leather don't make you a rider.

A closed mouth gathers no boots.

Don't name a cow you plan to eat.

Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Keep skunks, lawyers, and bankers at a great distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps and rocks.

Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.

Don't sell your mule to buy a plow.

Don't corner something meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

Most of the stuff people worry about never happens.

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Don't interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

It's better to be a has-been than a never-was.

A wink's as good as a nod to a blind mule.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

There never was a horse that couldn't be rode, there never was a rider that couldn't be throwed.

When in doubt, let your horse figure it out.

Behind every successful rancher is a wife who works in town.

Don't be all hat and no cattle.

Never hire the people you drink with.

A man afoot is no man at all.

When a bad man dies he either goes to hell or the Pecos.

A good fence should be pig tight, horse high, and bull strong.

Only a fool argues with skunk, a mule, or a cook.

It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

Any hoss's tail kin ketch cockleburs.

Wide open spaces don't breed no chatterboxes.

You can never tell which way the pickle's goin' to squirt.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think, an' you'll have lots of time to chew on it.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then, to make sure it's still there with ya.

There's two theories to arguin' with a woman. Neither one works.

A pair of six-shooters beats a pair of aces.

An angry bull is less dangerous than an angry woman.

Every cowboy thinks he knows more than every other cowboy. But the one thing they all know for sure is when's payday and where's the chuckwagon.

An old timer is a man who's had a lot of interesting experiences -- some of them true.

Only a buzzard feeds on his friends.

Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse.

Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.

A cow outfit's never better than its horses.

No one but cattle know why they stampede and they ain't talking.

You'll never break a horse if you stay sittin' on the fence.

Never drink unless you're alone or with somebody.

You can judge a man by the horse he rides.

A full house divided don't win no pots.

When a cowboy's too old to set a bad example, he hands out good advice.

A bronc rider should be light in the head and heavy in the seat.

Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

A word to the wise is unnecessary.

The measure of a man is when he does the right thing even when no one is watching.

You can't keep trouble from visiting, but you don't have to offer it a chair.

You don't learn much when everything goes right.

When opportunity knocks, you hav eto get up and answer the door.

Don't run down narrow stairs when your wearing spurs.

Tumbleweeds are best left to themselves.

Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

Go after life as if it's something that's got to be roped in a hurry before it gets away.

Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

When you're throwing your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.

Like a good cowboy, a good hat just gets better as it gets older.

When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don't be surprised if they learn their lesson.

Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it is, but it's good to know what it was.

Never get up before breakfast. If you have to get up before breakfast, eat breakfast first.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

There are more horses asses than horses.

Never ask a barber if he thinks you need a haircut.

After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

Some people follow wagon tracks while others break new trails.

Never let your yearnin's' get ahead of your earnin's.

Makin' it in life is kinda like bustin' broncs: you're gonna get thrown a lot. The simple secret is to keep gettin' back on.

A cowboy hat looks silly on anyone who isn't a cowboy.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

Meanness don't happen overnight.

You can't unsay a cruel thing.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.

If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.

There ain't much paw an' beller to a cowboy.

You can't tell how far a bullfrog'll jump by the size of its feet.

Every man is entitled to scratch his own itch.

Life is short and full of blisters.

A good run is better than a bad stand.

Take no more on your heels than you can kick off with your toes.

Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.

If you work for the man, ride for his brand.

When you climb into the saddle, you'd better be prepared to ride.

Being a cowboy means never saying it hurts. Pain is just the other side of feeling good.

My jeans and my horse-- broke in just right!

Solvin' problems is like throwin' cattle. Dig your heels on the big ones and grab the little ones 'round the neck.

No matter how much horsepower your truck has it still can't cut a calf from the herd.

Never walk when you can ride, and never stand when you can sit.

Success is the size of the hole a man leaves when he dies

If you follow behind the lead cow, you will step in the mess he leaves.

The man that straddles the fence usually has a sore crotch.

Careful is a naked man climbing a barbed wire fence.

Color don't count if the horse don't trot.

A loose hoss is always looking for new pastures.

Kickin' never gets you nowhere, 'less'n you're a mule.

It's the man that's the cowhand, not the outfit he wears.

Always drink your whiskey with your gun hand, to show your friendly intentions.

If drinking hurts your business, quit your business.

A smart ass just doesn't fit in the saddle.

A faint heart never filled a flush.

Never mention "rope" in the home of hanged man.

A cork screw never pulled a man out of a hole.

Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much.

Nobody ever drowned himself in his own sweat.

Genius has its limits. Stupidity knows no bounds.

A man is not born a cowboy - he becomes one.


"I think you're going to find out that westerns will be coming back. It's Americana, it's part of our history, the cowboy, the cattle drive, the sheriff, the fight for law, order and justice. Justice will always prevail as far as I'm concerned." ---- Clayton Moore

"I don't give jobs, I hire men." ---- John Wayne (McClintock)

Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

For those that can see past the noise of the usual media pundits, an amazing sight is beginning to be revealed.

Fast on the heels of the "win" that O-man received in the passage of the healthcare bill, defeats are building every day.

Instead of seeing a bounce in his popularity and "favorable" ratings, the O-man continues to slip in the polls measuring the American public's opinion of him and his job performance.

Instead of receiving warm welcomes and congratulatory slaps on the backs, the dedicated disciples of Queen Nancy and Whiney Harry are getting jeers, negative comments, and worse from the folks at home.

If any of them had cared to look at a bit of history, they would have seen clearly that this is what happens when the elected ignore the will of the electorate.

This morning, that pillar of intellectual  and moral integrity, the ardent pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak, decided to hang it up and announced he wouldn't run again.

You remember Stupid... er, Stupak... the guy who for decades had represented real integrity in the abortion battle, and then sold it and himself out for a few cheap earmarks when subjected to Chicago-style "discussions" with the O-man and his lieutenants.

At a press conference in his home district in Michigan, Stupak attributed the exertion of traveling back and forth from Washington to his sprawling Upper Peninsula district as a primary reason for his retirement.

That's right, it's now gotten just too exhausting to take a two hour plane trip home.

Or maybe, it's just too exhausting dealing with the folks at home and trying to explain how and why he became just another unprincipled politician.

Maybe the abuse from his constituents is even greater than the abuse from his political leadership.

Either way, Stupid is toast.

Republicans believe that other anti-abortion Democrats, like freshman Reps. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio) and Kathleen Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), will also face serious trouble because of their support for the health care legislation without strict anti-abortion provisions.

Add in the Dems who are either retiring or leaving office for other reasons, like Berry (Arizona), Bayh (Indiana), Snyder (Arizona), Ellsworth (Indiana), Malancon (Louisiana), Moore (Kansas), Gordon (Tennessee), Tanner (Tennessee), Baird (Washington), Sestak (Pennsylvania),  Hodes (New Hampshire), and Delahunt (Massachusetts) among others, and you start to see the O-man's real problem/

He's losing his mandate, his support, and his majorities.

It was only fifteen months ago that the O-man swept regally into office with the greatest Congressional majorities in both houses in modern history.

He was annointed, unstoppable, and acted like it.

And today, his Presidency is in shambles.

His foreign policy has America at odds with historic allies around the world, and appeasing enemies to the point where they view him as a clown performing for their amusement.

His economic policy has America facing unemployment of more than 10% with deficits and national debt of unimaginable and unmanageable scope.

His base continues to erode, as his policies increase the anger of the liberals, the unions, the moderates, and the conservatives.

And, his approval ratings continue to chase those of Congress in a race to the bottom.

Mickey Kaus is a principled liberal who supports health care reform, a man who, while partisan, can also view things with some objective perspective.

He observes: "Lots of intellectual effort now seems to be going into explaining Obama's problems resulting from health care as the inevitable product of larger historic and constitutional forces ... but in this case there's a simpler explanation: Barack Obama's job was to sell the health care reform plan to American voters, and he failed."

"He continues to fail in selling his other agenda items, because he is out of touch with the populace, and refuses to listen to Congressional members of his own party."

"He listens only to his "yes men" ,,, Pelosi and Reid ... and they're more out of touch than he."

The O-man failed because the utter implausibility of his central promise -- expanded coverage at lower cost -- led voters to conclude that it would lead ultimately to more government, more taxes and more debt.

More broadly, the Democrats continue to fail because, thinking their created "economic emergency" would give them the political mandate and legislative window, they tried to impose a far left-wing agenda on a center-right country.

The people said "No", expressing themselves first in spontaneous demonstrations, then in public opinion polls, finally saying "Hell No" in elections -- Virginia, New Jersey and, most emphatically, Massachusetts.

And now the soldiers in the O-man's own army are deserting in droves.

How bad is it?

Attempting to change his mind, President Barack Obama called Stupak on Wednesday and asked him not to retire.

Stupak, also resisted entreaties from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. John Dingell, the ranking member of the Michigan State delegation, and even Harry Reid is said to have had a shot at disuading him.

So, to what does the O-man turn now, when even Chicago style thuggery won't work?

He may have won the battle and gotten healthcare passed, but winning the war is looking less and less likely.

And with his majorities widely expected to be gone after the midterms, even his Democrat followers are facing a Pyrrhic victory.

"Where men build on false grounds, the more they build, the greater the ruin" ---- Hobbes

"My country can never again afford the luxury of another such success." ---- Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands