Congratulations to President-elect Obama

Gratefully, President-elect Obama seems to have realized that to govern our great nation, he must do so from the center and not from the extreme left. Let's hope his selection of economic advisors is a precursor to what we might expect in other critical areas. To this end, he is to be congratulated. But before we get too far down the road, even if he governs from the center we will have our challenges. The cautionery thoughts arise when we look at what is staring back at us economically, fiscally, and socially. It isn't a pretty sight and any tendancy to move away from conservative economic principles, free market policies, principles of freedom and liberty upon which our nation was founded, and traditional family-centric social values, is another step closer to the demise of that which matters; a nation governed by the people, grounded in natural and moral law, and where the government is subordinate to the people. Our national budgets have only been worth the paper they are written on, which isn't much. We risk our nation with each step of more government largesse and intercession. Enough!

Mitt, our lonely eyes turn to you. Mitt's proposed course for the Big 3 domestic automakers is spot on, as is his suggested role for government in this crisis. May his wisdom prevail upon the hearts of the policy makers! It comes down to understanding the natural constants and principles that are unchangeable within our respective society, be it business, legislative, executive, communty, family and self, and living within the bounds thereof. Our capacity to do whatever is required is magnified when we abide by and apply these constants and/or principles.

Notwithstanding, may each of you enjoy a wonderful and fulfilling Thanksgiving. We are off on holiday for the next couple of weeks and look forward to future dialong.

Happy Thanksgiving!

And So It Begins...

President-elect Obama's transition and policy teams are hard at work for America and the world. Already intimated, some of his first actions will be to repudiate the Bush Policy on USAID funds for family planning and global aid policies (see here). Rather than adhere to the moral standard of abstinence, President-elect Obama is sharing condoms with the world and abandoning Bush's policy of education and abstinence to qualify for USAID funding. On the Homeland Security front, President-elect Obama and his policy advisors are planning to transport the Gitmo detainees, many of whom are violent enemies of the US, to the US (our free land) for criminal trials (see here). I wonder who will represent them in our legal system? And with many federal judicial appointments in the offing, let's pray for the health of our judiciary. It hasn't even been a week and we are beginning to see the course of the next four years. I suppose that we shouldn't be surprised!

Hold on, as we slip down the slippery slope of undermining the moral fiber of our nation, the family and marriage; and then, the weakening of our homeland security, our military, and our freedoms for the sake of appeasement to the "entitled society." Let's hope his economic advisors exercise reason and market principles in seeking to restore our nation's economic health.

Although trying to remain without cynism, it is difficult. With Gordon Brown calling on the US (Barack Obama) to join with him and building a "Global Society," I am sincerely worried that we will become as Europe is, socially and economically. Not a pleasant thought! We are in for tough times as the will of the American electorate has chosen our course of Change!

Ponderables of Democracy

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.

A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.

During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage

Many can substantiate that the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent (40%) of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase.

As has been stated, those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it. It is not too late for American Democracy. If we know the path we are on and the direction we are going, we can alter our course and return to fundamentals that will sustain our nation.

Commentary on Politics Today

It was expected that the divisive fallout from the Proposition 8 campaign would continue, both litigation and protests. Even so, it is a sad commentary on our political society when those whose positions were not validated by the majority seek to undermine the will of the people; either through litigation or malicious protest. As to litigation, the arguments proffered seek to recognize the privilege and sanctity of marriage as a constitutional civil right, when in fact it is not. The courts will be hard pressed to invalidate the will of the people on this matter. With respect to malicious protests targeted to the LDS Church, I am utterly amazed that there isn't a greater public outcry. If such were targeted to the Jewish community, the Catholics, the Muslims and others, the public outcry would be overwhelming. This malicious attempt to malign, intimidate and disenfranchise a religion is un-American and reflective of the bigoted and intolerant (disrespectful) attitudes of the same gender attraction community. Their proposed boycott of Utah and the Sundance Film Festival, and protests at the sacred edifices of the LDS Church are sad reflections on a community and are doing more harm to the same gender attraction community than anything else. Let the negative public perceptions from their actions condemn them accordingly. The first Prophet for the LDS Church penned the following when asked to address the tenants of the Church, which has great application in our current environs - "the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (The Wentworth Letter)

As to Barack Obama, again, he is our President-elect and to be respected, as is the will of the people in electing him. Yes, we will hold him, Joe Biden and our Congressional Houses accountable, and do so with respect. That being said, Mitt Romney has offered some great and reasoned insight in his interview in Fortune Magazine (HERE). If only...

Text of interview, if you choose not to hyperlink to Fortune:

Romney: Obama must be 'educator-in-chief'

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney offers his advice to Barack Obama, and his views on labor unions, federal bailouts, Detroit, protectionism, and America's debts.

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and co-founder of private equity firm Bain Capital, is often mentioned as a GOP contender for 2012. He spoke with Fortune's Jia Lynn Yang.

Any management advice for the next president? How does he rally a depressed nation to meet the challenges we face?

He should forget entirely about reelection and focus solely on helping the nation at a critical time. He should dismiss the people who helped him win the election and bring in people who are above politics and above party. He should surround himself with statesmen and economists, businesspeople and leaders. In some ways it would be beneficial if our presidency consisted of only one term. That way the President would think about his legacy and the future of the country rather than reelection and partisanship.

How likely do you think that's going to happen?

In his second term, President Clinton made an effort to govern more from the center than from the extreme wing of his party, and by doing so, found greater support and greater political success. Perhaps it's a paradox, the less political the agenda, the more political success one enjoys. But now is not the time for partisanship opportunism.

The unions have helped Barack Obama. They will hope to be paid back. I'm particularly concerned that organized labor would call on Barack Obama to pass the card check program. This removes from American workers the right to the secret ballot in deciding whether or not to accept a union. This legislation would do more to harm America's long-term competitiveness than almost anything I can imagine. It would be a partisan payback for organized labor but it would come with devastating consequences for the nation.

Do you have any concerns that the massive government intervention on Wall Street will have unintended consequences?

"The bailout of Wall Street" was a terrible choice of words. No one wants to bail out anything, especially Wall Street. The objective of the legislation, however, had a much broader purpose: to stabilize our financial system, to keep it from complete collapse. Sometimes that broad purpose may require saving individual companies, as with AIG (AIG, Fortune 500). But we just can't have government running around the nation looking to bail out companies in trouble.

Given your Michigan roots and what your father accomplished turning around the American Motors Corporation in the 1950s, what do you think is the future of the auto industry?

Right now, the auto industry is on life support, and its prospects look extremely dim. But they don't need to be. The industry could be turned around. There is no inherent reason why America can't build and sell cars to Americans at least as well as the transplants are doing. Any effort to help the auto industry has to be made as part of a comprehensive strategy. Before the government issues loans to the auto industry, as has been authorized by Congress, it should insist on seeing credible and independent strategies that will return the companies to long-term sustainability. Government should not finance ongoing losses and declining market shares.

What concerns you the most about the economy right now? Any dangers lurking in the global economy that we didn't hear much about during the campaigns?

Far too little attention was paid to America's long-term competitive position during the campaign. I see four major economic strategies at play in the world today: the first is ours. It combines freedom and free enterprise.

The second is China's. It combines free enterprise with authoritarianism.

The third is Russia's. No longer is Russia's plan for dominance based upon industrial capacity but rather upon controlling energy throughout the world. Hence Russia's cozy relationship with Iran and Venezuela as well as its belligerent entry into Georgia. Russia's strategy is based on energy and authoritarianism.

The fourth strategy is represented by radical violent jihad. The intent of the jihadists is to cause the collapse of the other three, such that the "hidden Imam" or the Caliphate remains the last man standing.

The real challenge for America is how to strengthen our competitive position so that our economy outperforms those of the other three. If we're successful, freedom will be preserved for the world. If we're unsuccessful, the results are unthinkable.

When you talk about making America more competitive, what do you have in mind?

First, America must substantially improve our education system. We've fallen behind, particularly in areas of math and science.

Second, we're going to have to remedy our disproportionate health care cost disadvantage. America spends far more than any other nation as a percent of GDP on health care. This effectively is an enormous tax on the economy and on our businesses.

Third, our national debt is excessive and our entitlement obligations pass a massive burden onto the next generation.

Fourth, tax and regulatory policies weigh down our ability to compete. Specifically, our products carry an embedded tax which makes American goods less competitive abroad and at home.

Fifth, America's apparent retrenchment from the concept of open, free and fair trade could put us further behind other nations that are aggressively seeking trade relations around the world.

Sixth, our lack of an effective energy policy drains our economy by approximately half a trillion dollars a year.

And, finally, the blow that Wall Street has taken may make us less competitive in financing entrepreneurship.

There's strong populist sentiment against free trade deals. Given that, how does an American president move forward on this?

I can only hope the President abandons the populist current, which seems to be growing in our country. An effort to block foreign trade will only hurt America. Ultimately products in this country would become uncompetitive. Look what happened to the Soviet Union. Its cars, its watches, its goods became a joke.

The only way to remain the leading economy in the world is to be successful on a level playing field around the world. Some individuals, at the behest of special interests, seek to prevent trade with other nations by imposing America's labor requirements and other peculiarities. That is a disguised form of protectionism.

Do Americans need to save more and adjust to a lower standard of living? In other words, should be buying houses we can actually afford?

I think a President has to be an educator- in-chief as well as a commander-in-chief. The American people need to understand the challenges we face. And the American people need to understand that they, like the nation, need to live within their means. Both have been spending more than they have been taking in. It puts the nation at risk. And it puts families at risk.

There's a period of adjustment that's occurring right now as American families deleverage and employers deleverage. It's time for the government to finally address our severe debt burden, before it leads to even more severe consequences. I'm referring not only to our annual deficit and national debt but also to our obligations under entitlement programs like Social Security.

Done, what next?

It seems that those in the know have called the Proposition 8 election for the Yes vote. Finally. What next? Apparently, Gloria Allred has stated she will file suit in protest of the passage of Proposition 8 using a different argument than what she used in the last legal suit that caused the California Supreme Court to approve same sex marriages. We will eventually pass through this period of denial by those opposed to Proposition 8, but the courts will be hard pressed to act contrary to the will of the people, again. The opposition may well seek to ballot the issue again. As noted previously, we need to find a common ground of understanding. Patience and perseverance.

Hats off to Barack Obama for running an amazing campaign - it speaks to great organizational and inspirational skill sets and capacities. He has accomplished and met an amazing measure. He will be our 44th President and is to be congratulated and respected. Even so, it doesn't change the fact that we are in for a ride and will suffer the consequences foretold. Our nation will be more diluted in the world, we may well suffer on several fronts from a weakend and diluted military, the war on terror will be more difficult, our economy will continue to slide and suffer with a plan of wealth re-distribution and taxation, our health care system will suffer from further government intervention, the entitlement programs will expand, our judicial system will step further on the slippery slope of secularism and subordination of our freedoms and liberties, climate change (global warming) will rise to the top, and on and on. Yes, it will be the Carter years, again, only more expansive and expensive. It is not a pleasant prospect, but there will always be Hope, and of course Change! Once the euphoria wears thin, reality will set in.

And so it begins...

We will persist in fighting the good fight, hopefully in our continued striving to overcome the contrary social winds and disturbing policies of our newly minted administration and liberal Congress. We will continue to raise the issues and hold Barack, Harry and Nancy accountable. We will seek to rebuild and re-energize the Republican Party. And we will look to the mid-terms in 2010 and the Presidential election in 2012. We will lay foundations to take back the country and redirect what comes in the next 4 years to the center-right nation that we are (at least I hope we are). We will prepare a fertile ground for Mitt's next run by building grass roots networks nation wide through The Eagle Foundation. We will seek to elevate the political discourse from the bigotry of 2007-2008 to experience and capacity (no more Mike Huckabee bigotry, hopefully). We have a lot to accomplish! As the calls for help and support go out, please stand with us. We begin in earnest January 2009 - Go Mitt. If there is every a time we will need you it is 2012. Stay close.

Thanks again to all who have been so supportive and involved in Mitt's campaign and in the successful passage of Proposition 8. Thanks for your political activism and for caring. We live in the greatest nation on the earth and can sustain amazing transitions, thankfully.

Prop 8 - Still Close But Leading

With 92.3% of the vote in, Yes on Prop 8 is leading 51.9% to 48.1%. Still holding; a 3.8% margin is still sufficient to weather the uncounted votes. What is an interesting view is to see the county by county breakdown, see here. A predictable dissection of the State demographics. With critical wins in Florida and Arizona, and a likely and hoped for win in California, perhaps we can begin to heal the wounds that became very evident in this campaign. To do so we need to find open and honest common ground for the arguments, without the unbridled passions that tend to inflame and cloud the issues. We need to better communicate the real substance of the issue at hand and the likely compromises to our freedoms if we succumb to temptation to adopt the civil rights argument. As much as we would hope, it will not likely end here. The unfortunate and bitter divisiveness arising from the opposition to Proposition 8 is of serious concern. Many is this election were confused and I believe the vote would have been stronger in favor of Proposition 8 had the extremes in the opposition not clouded the issue as they did.

In an effort to legitimize lifestyle, the extremes in the No on 8 campaign found a thread to bring others to their side, which will bode for more challenges going forward. To consider the same gender attraction issue as a "civil rights" issue is a flawed and veiled argument proffered by the extremes in that society. Sexual preference or lifestyle is not a civil rights issue. It was revealed what was really at the heart of this argument by the extremes, as illustrated in a recent debate on Prop 8 at Chapman University. When challenged by a sociologist on why the same gender attraction community sought for marriage, a covenant of fidelity, when in fact it is accepted that 25% of the same gender attraction community have 100 or less sexual partners, leaving 75% with 100 or more? The response was stated was shocking because of the public protestation. It was stated by an advocate for same sex marriage, "the problem in our society is that we deem promiscuity as immoral, a perception that needs to be changed." Whether heterosexual or homosexual, promiscuity is not moral to any degree. To the fringe, this hasn't been as much about marriage as it has about legitimization and societal acceptance and validation of an immoral lifestyle under the veil of civil rights. The concerns are evident in this destructive effort to diminish the sanctity of marriage for the sake of alternate lifestyles, alter the educational landscape of our children by numbing them to the extremes, and subordinate religious freedom, each of which sets us on an irreconcilable course. To heal the wounds and resolve the conflict we need to have an honest dialog without the proffering of the extremes. We need to honestly and openly discuss the agenda's at hand. As much as we might hope for such, I doubt we will come to a meeting of the minds. Even so, hope demands that we try. The alternative is not pretty.

The broader argument remains and change demands that we stray from our current societal trends of entitlement; I am entitled to do and have whatever I will. We pay a price and are accountable in all things! Unfortunately, we are trending in society to a day when those without and who advocate entitlement are greater in number than those who have to ultimately pay the price.

Prop 8 Updated

With 33.1% in, Yes on 8 is up 52.5% to 47.5% (a margin of 5%). Although tight, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, each of which are strong supporters of the Yes vote with large populations have only reported 10.6%, 28.6%, 48.6%, 39.4%, 16.2% and 18.5%, respectively. I don't expect a call on the vote until tomorrow, which should be in our favor. Good night!

Prop 8 Race is Tightening - Still Good Margins

27.9% of the vote is in and the Yes vote is leading by a margin of 52.4% to 47.6% (margin 4.8%). The race is tightening and it will continue to be close - in the end, we should eek out a victory for traditional marriage.

Prop 8 Update

With 23.5% of the vote in, Yes on Prop 8 is leading 54.9% to 45.1%.

Following Prop 8 Results - HOPE

If you are anxious about the Prop 8 vote in California, the Secretary of State is updating the vote count on a timely basis, here. With 11% in the Yes vote is up 55.8% to 44.2%. Traditional Marriage may well win big tonight in Florida, Arizona and California, thankfully!

Hope Remains - Nation, California, Arizona and Florida

In spite of the disappointments of the evening - we are a nation that advocates freedom, hope and liberty! May our sincere prayers be with those elected to lead! And, may we as a nation stand firm on eternal principles and hold those who lead us accountable. Let's hope and pray for the best!

With regard to the hope in preserving traditional marriage - hope remains!
In Arizona, the current vote shows traditional marriage leading 56% to 43%
In Florida, traditional marriage needed a 60% majority and the current vote count is 62% to 38%
In California we have hope, with 9.5% in Prop 8 is leading is 53% to 47% ( it will be a nail biter)

A Difficult and Defining Moment

With Ohio having gone to Obama, it is nigh unto impossible for McCain to pull of his come from behind victory. It is time for reconciliation as challenging as it may be - all hail the reign of King Obama. We are facing some difficult times ahead, not only economically, but socially. Sensing what is on the horizon in his glorious reign, our only hope is that America comes to its senses by 2012. Hopefully, America turns it lonely eyes to Mitt Romney!

After three years of active involvement both in front and behind the scenes, and as enlightening as this experience has been, it has born its share of frustrations. Our nation has failed in its sifting of Presidential candidates. Neither Obama or McCain reflected the best of our nation; as stated before, the lesser of two evils. In this Presidential election, whether Democrat or Republican, it was always about the personal interests and egos of Barack and McCain. As much as John McCain proffered Country First, it has always been about John McCain; and Barack is no different. Even so, in spite of honoring John McCain for his service to our nation, he has been one of the more flawed candidates to run from the Republican Party, by his own acknowledgement of his ignorance about the economy. And this was an economic election! His campaign has been a travesty for the nation and the Republican Party. Yes, it has been a difficult climate for the Republican Party given the squandering of opportunity by the Republican members of the House and Senate, and the Executive Branch. Notwithstanding this climate, John McCain's poor campaign management, strategic judgments and opportunistic decisions without substance, has born the consequences - America has lost. The thought of Barack, Harry and Nancy without imbedded checks and balances, oh my!

It now demands our hunkering down, and continuing to stand for what is right. Now is the time to hold the Democrats accountable, a frightening thought. In spite of accountability, we will suffer significant economic consequence and even greater social consequence! May we hold fast in our homes to what is right.

Time to work for 2010 and 2012!

The consolation this night is the hope for the passage of Proposition 8 in California and the resolve of the nation to not let Barack, Harry and Nancy undermine families and marriage. May we stand firm on retaining the Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress!

Proposition 8 - Discrimination? A Great Closing Argument

Hugh Hewitt has posted the closing argument for Proposition 8 by John Mark Reynolds. Thank you Hugh and John Mark Reynolds.

Proposition 8 - A Sensitive and Thoughtful Perspective

A very dear friend of mine sent a personal email to his friends explaining, with personal insight and sensitivity, why he is supporting Proposition 8. With his permission, I publish the text of the email below. Thank you Steve for your thoughts, your advocacy and the loving manner that you have addressed what has become a very volatile and heated debate.

Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, I have been involved in the California Proposition to re-establish the definition of Marriage between one man and one woman. This issue was overwhelmingly supported in 2000 with Prop 22, which passed by 61%. Last year 4 activist Judges overturned the will of the people and legalized same sex marriage. My original involvement came in response to a request from my ecclesiastical leaders to do everything within our power to support Prop 8. These kinds of requests rarely come, I responded by supporting people I have come to trust and respect.

At first, I did not fully understanding all of the issues related to proposition 8. The subject of homosexuality is a sensitive one and comes very close to home for me. I have many wonderful employees, co-workers, friends, and family who live this lifestyle. I have deep respect for many of them, their hard work, exceptional talent, their kindness and empathy for others, and the courage it must take to live their lives. One of the most important beliefs we have and have tried to teach our children is to treat everyone with respect. We feel it a great blessing that at least this one lesson was learned by each of them. I would also say that I generally believe in the philosophy of live and let live. There are many issues on many levels that Prop 8 deals with. Disagreements on these issues have unfortunately caused many hurt feelings, strained friendships and damaged relationships.

My close involvement has given me a very clear view of both sides. I have been able to study the issues in such a way as to see things as I believe they really are. I have been able to see the people and motivation of both sides. For me, it is all about children. If you know me, you know that I am Baby Crazy. I have been all my life, and now with grandchildren it has joyfully started all over again.

Prop 8 at its core, is not about the rights of same sex couples or discrimination. These incendiary issues are what have been used by extreme activists to disguise their true motive. They have been very divisive and very successful in their actions. So divisive that I wonder if things will ever be the same again. Unfortunately, it is evident that the agenda for same sex issues have been led by a FEW EXTREMISTS. These few, demand the status of a third gender or new race. The true goal of these few extremists is to indoctrinate, confuse, and eventually lead away our purest and most precious minds and souls, at their most impressionable age. It has been shamefully stated publicly by government and education leaders that this claim is simply ridiculous. The actions however of these FEW extremists are louder than the words of their carefully scripted, heterosexual spokespeople. Make no mistake about the smoke screen of issues and crafted confusion of their message. Their goal is to raise a Godless, genderless generation that looks at God and his teachings as bigotry. These children will be taught in the perfect moments of their lives that homosexuality, transgender, and bisexuality are normal and natural behavior. They will also be taught to NOT TOLERATE those that believe otherwise. At some point in their lives, they will face a situation or be encouraged to make a decision of who and what they are going to be when they grow up. For me in the 60's, it was a fireman or a construction worker. For them it will be gay or straight. They will have been taught over and over that either choice is OK and will carry NO consequences. This is a lie, There ARE very serious consequences to such decisions not only for individuals but family's and Nations.

I personally believe that parents have the rights and obligations to teach their children moral and social, behaviors and beliefs. If Prop 8 fails, parents will lose such freedom. Just during the past month of this campaign my point has been proven over and over. There have been ongoing events aimed at precious children in California schools. I have attached a link to just one of the latest examples of showing their hand as to the core issue of Prop 8. Note that this is a kindergarten class being subjected to concepts and commitments that I never dreamed possible. My hope is that we will be a blessing in the lives of our children and grandchildren. I hope we can all move forward after this ugly time and not be permanently scarred by the divisive confusion of issues perpetuated by the FEW

click here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,445865,00.html

Sincerely,

Steve S

Oh Really? Barack Doesn't Get It and Doesn't Understand!

Are we in trouble or what? It doesn't take long, but Barack obviously doesn't seem to understand the important role of our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence that preceded it!

Barack Obama - Insights into the Mind and Philosophies of Obama

I am not sure why the writings of Obama have not been sufficiently vetted in the media. In or out of context, the quotes are disconcerting. If you were to add up all that the MSM brushes aside - associations, statements made, philosphies espoused, etc., it is distressing how one so inexperienced and whose beliefs are so contrary to the founding principles of our nation can hold our nation captive. Are we so blinded by the challenges we face in our nation, so caught up in ourselves and the entitled society that we have become snared in the "flaxen cord" flatteries of one so extreme?

Quotes from the writings of Barack Obama.

From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

Obama and Marxism?

Bill Sammon provides a fair report on the point (see below). Unfortunately, Mr. Obama has done a masterful job in hiding who he really is, excepting for those willing to search deeply into his pre-POTUS pursuit. The Main Stream Media has been so taken that they have failed the nation to vet, with integrity, the man running for President, Barack Obama. His writings are a reflection of the teachings of Karl Marx and the truth will ultimately come out - let's just hope it is before November 4th. The influential teachings of our mentors from college and elsewhere do take hold - and so they have with Barack. There is an underlying veil, with deep rooted philosphies, in Barack's populist message and his interest in redistribution. America needs to be cautious in today's political season. More to come.

Obama Affinity to Marxists Dates Back to College Days
Barack Obama shrugs off charges of socialism, but noted in his own memoir that he carefully chose Marxist professors as friends in college.

Barack Obama laughs off charges of socialism. Joe Biden scoffs at references to Marxism. Both men shrug off accusations of liberalism.

But Obama himself acknowledges that he was drawn to socialists and even Marxists as a college student. He continued to associate with Marxists later in life, even choosing to launch his political career in the living room of a self-described Marxist, William Ayers, in 1995, when Obama was 34.

Obama's affinity for Marxists began when he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles.

"To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully," the Democratic presidential candidate wrote in his memoir, "Dreams From My Father." "The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists."

Obama's interest in leftist politics continued after he transferred to Columbia University in New York. He lived on Manhattan's Upper East Side, venturing to the East Village for what he called "the socialist conferences I sometimes attended at Cooper Union."

After graduating from Columbia in 1983, Obama spent a year working for a consulting firm and then went to work for what he described as "a Ralph Nader offshoot" in Harlem.

"In search of some inspiration, I went to hear Kwame Toure, formerly Stokely Carmichael of Black Panther fame, speak at Columbia," Obama wrote in "Dreams," which he published in 1995. "At the entrance to the auditorium, two women, one black, one Asian, were selling Marxist literature."

Obama supporters point out that plenty of Americans flirt with radical ideologies in college, only to join the political mainstream later in life. But Obama, who made a point of noting how "carefully" he chose his friends in college, also chose to launch his political career in the Chicago living room of Ayers, a domestic terrorist who in 2002 proclaimed: "I am a Marxist."

Also present at that meeting was Ayers' wife, fellow terrorist Bernardine Dohrn, who once gave a speech extolling socialism, communism and "Marxism-Leninism."

Obama has been widely criticized for choosing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, an anti-American firebrand, as his pastor. Wright is a purveyor of black liberation theology, which analysts say is based in part on Marxist ideas.

Few political observers go so far as to accuse Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, of being a Marxist. But Republican John McCain has been accusing Obama of espousing socialism ever since the Democrat told an Ohio plumber named Joe earlier this month that he wanted to "spread the wealth around."

Obama's running mate, Biden, recently contradicted his boss, saying: "He is not spreading the wealth around." The remark came as Biden was answering a question from a TV anchor who asked: "How is Senator Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?"

"Are you joking? Is this a joke? Or is that a real question?" an incredulous Biden shot back. "It's a ridiculous comparison."

But the debate intensified Monday with the surfacing of a 2001 radio interview in which Obama lamented the Supreme Court's inability to enact "redistribution of wealth" -- a key tenet of socialism. On Tuesday, McCain said Obama aspires to become "Redistributionist-in-Chief."

Obama has managed to cultivate the image of a political moderate in spite of his consistently liberal voting record. In 2006, he published a second memoir, "The Audacity of Hope," that leaves little doubt about his adherence to the left.

"The arguments of liberals are more often grounded in reason and fact," Obama wrote in "Audacity." "Much of what I absorbed from the sixties was filtered through my mother, who to the end of her life would proudly proclaim herself an unreconstructed liberal."

National Journal magazine ranked Obama as the most liberal member of the Senate. The publication is far from conservative, employing such journalists as Linda Douglass, who resigned in May to become Obama's traveling press secretary.

Bill Sammon is the Washington deputy managing editor for FOX News Channel.

You Decide Where Deception Lies!

Who should we listen to - factual accounts or misleading and deceptive ads?

Yes on Prop 8 has factual support for the impact of Same-Sex Marriage on California's education.



Massachusetts is dealing with it as well.



The No on Prop 8 Campaign's misleading ad.

Nothing More Need Be Said!

California's Proposition 8: Open Season on Mormons?

from Article VI Blog by Lowell Brown

Does that sound like an exaggeration? Read on. If you’re like me, you’ll be amazed and disgusted at the attacks on people of faith who are only expressing their religious consciences through the ballot process, and are doing so in the most all-American ways: Grassroots organizing and small financial donations.

The LDS Church and Proposition 8

According to the 2007-2008 Almanac of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Church”) there are about 770,000 Church members in California. In a letter dated June 29, 2008, the Church’s leaders asked members to “do all [they] can to support [California’s Proposition 8] by donating of [their] means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman.”

Proposition 8 would enshrine the traditional definition of marriage in the State Constitution. Traditional marriage had been the only kind recognized in California since 2000, when another statewide ballot initiative passed with 61% of the vote. In May 2008, however, by a 4-3 vote, the California Supreme Court held Prop 22 unconstitutional, thus opening the door to same-sex marriage in the Golden State.

By amending the Constitution, Prop 8’s supporters hope, once and for all, to settle the issue in California. A coalition of religious groups, including all the Catholic Bishops in California, virtually all the Evangelical churches, the Orthodox Rabbis, and many others, are supporting Prop 8 with manpower and financial donations from their members. The Mormons, however, are most visible because of their geographic distribution and lay ministry, which lend themselves very well to grassroots organizing.

Unfortunately, Prop 8’s opponents, having achieved through the courts what they could never have achieved by the ballot box, have now chosen to attack not the ballot proposition, but its supporters. And because California Mormons have been so prominent in the “Yes On 8″ campaign, they have become the chief target. Here’s a report on some ways in which that personalized opposition has manifest itself.

Smearing Prop 8 Donors Because They Are . . . Mormons?

Maggie Gallagher at National Review Online points us to this Daily Kos post, which she calls “disgusting.” (I must agree.) Here’s the key excerpt:

[T]he No on Prop 8 folks told me recently that the “Protect Marriage” campaign has raised $30 million dollars–over half of it from the Mormon Church. Now, I have nothing personally against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. . . .

But when the church and its members invest millions of dollars in an attempt to write discrimination into my state’s constitution . . . there will be hell to pay.

So what am I asking you to do?

Some distributed research.

There is a list of a bunch of Mormon donors to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign (in case that one goes down, here’s a mirror with slightly worse formatting.

Here’s what I’m asking for:

This list contains information about those who are big donors to the Yes on 8 campaign–donors to the tune of at least $1,000 dollars. And, as you can see, there are a lot of them. It also indicates if they’re Mormon or not.

If you’re interested in defeating the religious right and preserving marriage equality, here’s how you can help:

Find us some ammo.

Use any LEGAL tool at your disposal. Use OpenSecrets to see if these donors have contributed to…shall we say…less than honorable causes, or if any one of these big donors has done something otherwise egregious. If so, we have a legitimate case to make the Yes on 8 campaign return their contributions, or face a bunch of negative publicity.

There are a crapload of donors on this list–so please focus on the larger ones first. $5,000 or more is a good threshold to start with.

Feel free to use Lexis-Nexis searches as well for anything useful, especially given that these people are using “morality” as their primary motivation to support Prop 8…if you find anything that belies that in any way…well, you know what to do.

If you find anything good, please email it . . . .

Here’s the bottom line for me: if someone is willing to contribute thousands of dollars to a campaign to take away legal rights from some very dear friends of mine, they had damn well make sure their lives are beyond scrutiny–because I, for one, won’t take it lying down.

Translation: If you are a Mormon and you donate to Prop 8, thousands of strangers will try to smear you, in the hope of intimidating you and others into not exercising your right to freedom of speech.

In other words, they want to silence you.

I wonder what level of care and caution the “distributed researchers” will apply to their efforts? Will they be sure that any embarrassing information they find about Mormon donors is accurate? Don’t bet the farm on that one, folks.

And About That Web Site that Makes This Possible

In his exhortations to smear and embarrass Mormon donors to Prop 8, the Daily Kos post relies heavily on a web site that is deceptively named “Mormons for Proposition 8.” The casual reader might think the site favors Prop 8, but he would be wrong.

This is a site, run by members of the Church who oppose Prop 8 and who are unhappy about the Church’s support for the ballot measure. The site’s purpose? Identifying members of the Church who have donated to Prop 8 by posting the names of all donors to Yes On 8 and asking readers to identify those who are Mormons.

In what I consider a monument to sophistry, the site’s sponsors have claimed it is “neutral.” That would be funny if it were not such an outrageous lie. Just review the site for 2 or three minutes and decide for yourself whether that is true. While you’re at it, look at the “FAQ” page and ask yourself if the answers given are sincere, or disingenuous and downright snide.

(By the way, I donated $1,000 to Yes On 8, and although some helpful soul has identified me on this list as a Mormon, I see lots of individuals on the list whom I know to be members of the Church, but who haven’t been identified yet. Obviously, the site’s readers need to work harder.)

A lawyer friend e-mailed the site’s sponsors:

Disclosure of religious association is a matter of constitutional protection and a privilege held by the congregant against disclosure. (Church of Hakeem v. Superior Court, 1 Cal. App. 3d 184 (1980)). Your forced outing to intimidate others would be a violation of civil rights if committed with the color of authority. That you are private and anonymous doesn’t make what you are doing any more commendable.

Make no mistake: These people want to shine the spotlight on Mormons who donate to Yes On 8. By doing so, they hope to discourage Mormons from donating by exposing them to smear efforts like those urged by the Daily Kos.

In other words, these people are just like the Daily Kos writer: They no doubt consider themselves very progressive, but nevertheless want to silence their opponents in the public square.

That sounds an awful lot like this political system.

Harassing Members of A Church - Because of Their Membership

Apart from those repulsive efforts, how else is the opposition to Prop 8 playing out in the lives of ordinary Mormons? Well, here’s a story you won’t read about in the mainstream news media. I received it in a private e-mail:

This weekend we have stake conference. [Ed.: A “stake” is a geographic unit of LDS congregations, and is the rough equivalent of a Catholic diocese.] Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to stay calm and to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley. Apparently the opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to make marriage in CA between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the [LDS] church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take the 680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an immediate right and another left into the parking lot.

As we approached the off ramp, I realized there would be trouble. There was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the offramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door.

Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying . . . .

Another e-mail correspondent tells me the Oakland police did not respond to requests for help.

Keep in mind: Not everyone in the Church is active in opposing Prop 8. There is no way the Prop 8 protesters at the Oakland temple knew whether or not the members they were harassing had anything to do with the Church’s efforts in support of the measure. They were harassing those people simply because they were Mormons.

As one of our readers notes, “It is more than a little frightening how much the Left is so much enamored with the tactic of attacking the messenger rather than engaging the substantive issues.”

Yes, it is.

_____________

Full disclosure: I am a Prop 8 grassroots worker myself. My wife is Deputy Communications Director for the Yes On 8 Campaign. She had no awareness of this post prior to my publishing it, and the views expressed here are my own.

Is there any Hope?

If one were to look at the state of all things in the US and the world, you would have to ask, "is there any hope?" Amid market turmoil - both capital markets and real estate markets, economic distress, political divisiveness and partisanship, terrorist threats, mediocrity in society with the acceptance and often embrace of secularism, corruption and immorality in our politicians, pride among men driven by selfish interests and excess, the extremes of society seeking to impose adoptive abhorrent behavior upon society and portraying it as good and normal, society's diminutive view of that which is good and righteous - even portraying such as bad, a broken educational system that has adopted society's distance from morality, a judiciary that has strayed from the tenets upon which our nation was founded - moral and natural law, and on and on. Although not a student of history as much as I should be, but with sufficient knowledge of things past, we have been here before. The current ills of society, as much as they are disconcerting to many (or should be), such have been faced by society's past, and to an even greater degree in many cases.

Even so, the question remains, "is there any Hope?" The answer is a resounding, YES! We live as spoken of by Charles Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities, ...it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We live in a day where all things are abundant, and our capacity to act therein is more of a journey and tutoring process, hence the constancy of corrections and adjustments in society. That being said, we must be grounded in moral principles that become our constants. It is within natural law that when obedient to such principles and constants, our capacity to succeed and thrive is enlarged, with consequential joy therein. Unfortunately, there are many in our society that are not so grounded, and will blow with the winds and situational standards of society. For many in society think that there are shortcuts, or that obedience to such divine governing principles is not for them - that there is a deceptive and alternate short cut. This "flaxen cord" and entitled mindset is a false hope and pursuit therein only leads to sorrow, challenge, trial and tribulation. The course is really quite simple and provides the needed perspective to know what truly matters and what does not - in the end it is not about our selfish indulgence, but in obedience to correct principles born of moral and natural law. The hope for America resides in the majority of Americans who adhere to morality and that which is good, true and constant in their lives. If there was ever a time for the majority to STAND and defend their freedoms and principles born of natural and moral law - IT IS TODAY!

In California today many parents are standing for that which is right. Their children remain home from school to send a message to the extremes in society who have thought they could co-opt the educational system to proffer their liberal agenda. With the California Teacher's Association recent donation of over $1,000,000 to support same sex marriage, they have deluded themselves thinking that the majority are like unto themselves. The irony in their donation to proffer their position on same sex marriage and their delusions, is that they have failed to realize that by proffering such a position and if successful there will be fewer students to teach and the jobs of California teachers will be at risk. For many parents in California will not abide the same sex marriage agenda in education and will opt out, choosing to home school or private school their children.

America is the greatest nation on the earth, born of divine intercession - may we not turn all together therefrom. As we look to the current election, it is my hope in America and in Americans that they will stand for what is right, good and true, and vote with a discernible consciousness for candidates who do not proffer the "flaxen cord" and entitled standards, but for candidates who stand for freedom and moral principles of family, life and liberty. My hope is that Americans won't be swayed by the scripted and marketed messaged (without substance) of Barack Obama and his cronies who espouse destructive standards to life, family and liberty, but that they will see through the flaws of John McCain and his inability to communicate with eloquence and vote for correct, moral and principles that are constant to the founding of our nation. Joe the Plumber is a reaffirming hope to me that there are many like him in America who albeit not perfect but are striving for that which is good, and adhere to the traditions of our fathers. May we all remember upon whom we rely and for what purpose we are here, that we may live and serve accordingly!

Proposition 8 and Why it Matters - California's Ridiculous New Marriage Laws

Although a serious and critical issue facing voters in California, below is a humorous and enlightening bit on how ridiculous California's New Laws on Marriage have become.



Enjoy, but please take this issue seriously and spread the word. Our nation cannot abide the fallout of California's judicial follies!

Enjoying the Ride? What Now?

It was the best of times and the worst of times...

Within the political upheavals of the Presidential election, the markets down 800 one day and up 936 the next, where do we find stability and constancy, other than in "change?" With perspective, I believe that the current tumultuous environment simply reflects a lack of confidence, not just in the markets, but more so in the course and direction of our nation and those who are seeking to lead it. We are severely lacking in leadership and confidence in who can and will lead. The cynicism is abundant and the respondent distrust overwhelming. Neither Obama nor McCain have shown the capacity to lead and neither are trusted of any consequence, for both are "simply" politicians whose motivations are suspect. It is a sad commentary that we are relegated to choosing between the two. It is best summed up as politics as usual!

Even so, we have been through similar times in the past and in spite of it all, as Americans we survive and become stronger through the process. So what are we to do now in the midst of such uncertainty? I am troubled with the consequence of an Obama victory born of McCain's subordination of principled judgments to his opportunistic judgments. We live in a center-right nation, and McCain has yet to secure the confidence of the nation's majority. Our nation must look beyond the self-indulgent failings of both candidates and their mutual myopic aspiration for the Presidency and pick which person they feel will best "serve" the interests of the American people. I am convinced that what the nation doesn't know about Obama speaks for itself and a basis for serious distrust. Equally, so what we know about McCain is no less troubling.

Notwithstanding the lesser of two evils, we can only hope for a McCain Presidency. The economic policies of both candidates reflect a troubling populist mindset with little regard for the economic policies that our nation needs. With both, we will likely face a "Carter-type economy." We survived it before and will again. The social policies of Obama are beyond the pale and will set us further down the path of a European-type socialist bent. At least McCain will adhere to American principles of individual rights and preserve the freedoms on which our nation is founded, provided Congress maintains its partisan gridlock. What is tragic is the failing of each candidate to adhere to, and espouse traditional American values and principles. I truly believe that John McCain is a man of principle, he just wants to be President so badly the principles have been subordinated. John McCain, stand resolute and firm - don't play Obama's game, please lead!

Our nation was founded on principles of moral and natural law, where the people govern themselves. We don't need Congress and Obama to weigh in and tell us how to live our lives. We don't need McCain to proffer populist economic policies that redistribute wealth for the sake of vote pandering. If only we had a candidate that would stipulate their principles of governance and leadership, that we might be able to choose a leader that is resolute in correct principles.

Simply put -
1. On economics, adhere to free market principles that encourage global trade, growth and support for small business enterprise. Let the people keep their money with lower taxes - American's know better how to spend the dollar than does Congress. The entreneurial spirit of America has made us the leading economic nation in the world - why would anyone seek to diminish such!

2. On social policies, adhere to principles that strengthen the fundamental unit in society, the family. Let parents govern and manage their households and raise their children, not the schools or Congress. Any social policy that diminishes the family to any whit should be terminated, abandoned and relegated to the trash bin. Preserve the sanctity of marriage as it was set forth by God, and thus preserve the foundation of our nation, the American family. Do not succomb to the pressures of appeasement to societal shifts and extremes.

3. On the judiciary, stand firm for judges that adhere to the Constitution as seen through the Declaration of Indepence, founded on principles of moral and natural law. Do not secularize our judicial system where the people become subordinate.

4. On security, stand firm and resolute in protecting our nation from those who would seek our downfall. Be steadfast and not succomb to passifying the interests of world acclaim. Lead the world in righteousness and do not stand in mediocrity.

5. On religious freedom, do not subordinate God nor those who believe in Him to the interests of the extremes in society that would seek to minimize Him. We are a nation founded by and under His grace.

6. On entitlements, subordinate the demand for more to the principles stated herein. The entitlements in our society are choking us and disabling our capacity to remain the leading economic nation of the world. Socialism doesn't work, Europe proves it! Let us be resolute in realizing the entitlement systems in America are detrimental to our society. Government is the last resort for meeting such needs, not the first!

As complex as things are these days, there are core values, standards and principles whereby our nation has stood as the light of the world. It isn't that hard to do the right thing for the right reason.

All Things In Commotion, Politics, Economy... - Time for Fear and Panic?

Amid the commotion of all things, "fear" and "panic" seem to prevail at every turn, especially if you read the headlines of every major news purveyor. Even so, "fear" and "panic," albeit the common terms in the headlines today, do nothing but evoke more fear and panic, as if someone was yelling "fire" in a crowded theater as Jim Cramer (CNBC's Mad Money) did the other day. The jitters on Wall Street and Main Street born of our current economic crisis have manifest themselves with some regard to historical perspective, but give little credence to the fundamental strength and underlying principles in our domestic and global economic systems. Without doubt, the markets are in crisis and these truly are difficult times; nearly $8 trillion has been lost in the stock market in the last 12 months, credit is tight, liquidity in the market is nearly gone, the once illustrious GM is on the brink, along with its historically stellar counterparts and many of the blue chips are in the market to shore up capital. Not limited to the US, the tendrils of this crisis are well entrenched in every global economic society as well. Confidence has waned so significantly that the vultures have begun to appear on the horizon, some have proferred the world ending. The beginning of the end. Really?

I was playing golf on Tuesday with a friend from China who is a prominent economic figure in Beijing and a friend of his, one of China's leading economists. When asked the question, how long will this crisis extend, 3 or 4 years? I thought of the intervening of the G7 Central Banks, Treasuries and non G7 economies, and responded, maybe 12-18 months. As much as free markets disdain and loathe intervention, at times it is necessary. I firmly believe that the effort of so many leading economic nations seeking to impose stabilizing factors into their domestic and our global economy, and in a coordinated manner, will have a favorable impact on restoring confidence and stability. That being said, I am uncertain as to what kind of markets will emerge; only time will tell. Even so, the significant efforts of so many will bear sway to calm and perspective. It demands patience, perspective and the capacity to endure (hold on). As challenging as these markets are, the correction will bring about constructive change in the societies that are in turmoil. The markets have seriously hurt and affected many, and will continue to cause consternation, pain and consequence to more in the near term. Many will take the bitter pill, but will be better for it in the end, as will the economies in each nation. Our economy and those of the G7 are built on solid, proven and tested principles. The markets will emerge and confidence restored to a better end, it is not a matter of if, but when. This is a time to act responsibly and not react to, or become consumed by the prevailing panic and fear. These are opportunistic times that bear serious investment consideration and there are sufficient monies in the market just waiting to be deployed. Those who have been wise, with oil in their lamps, will benefit greatly. Those who are without and ill prepared will bear the consequence thereof, and hopefully through the tutoring process will be better off when it is all said and done.

If you can hold on and not jump off of the roller coaster, great; if not, and you must partake of the bitter pill, use this time as a means to a better end in the future. The days of simple reliance on FICO scores and the irresponsible lending by financial institutions without deliberative underwriting are past. For each of us to hold on to the what was, will only bring frustration and consternation. The wake up call that is upon us demands of each to re-evaluate our individual circumstance and act on sound and fundamental economic principles in the future. Unfortunately, our society has become so expecting and reliant upon principles of entitlement and excess, that we have lost our way. At the end of the day, markets and economies continue. Look around and you will see that people still work, companies still exist, people still consume and society continues in their seeming routineness. Notwithstanding, the hyped fear and panic, the sun will rise in the morning and the resilience of man will persevere! Take heart and have hope in a brighter more stable future. Take a breath and realize their is substance in our society and sound principles upon which to rely, and above all have confidence in the fundamentals of our society. Perspective in times of crisis bear greater reward than fear and panic. We have been here before, and will likely be again, so are the economic cycles and swings of markets. At the end of the day, reason and perspective will prevail.

$4,824,561,403.51

$4,824,561,403.51 ($4.8 billion), that is the price paid for each "no" vote in the House today! And, tomorrow?

1,100,000,000,000.00!!!

Let me think on this one for a moment, a US Treasury $700,000,000,000.00 investment into assets that will return at least a 50% profit vs a realized loss, not to be recovered by the sellers who are American taxpayers (in one day), of $1,100,000,000,000.00. Who are our congressional (they don't deserve to be capitalized) members kidding. With a likely drop tomorrow near unto today, let's hope they get a clue that they are costing the US taxpayer and the global capital markets beyond measure. I don't care whether you are a Republican or Democrat, if you are concerned about your job or not, or whether you get the credit or the blame, go to work for the people of our nation and do what you are supposed to do - serve the people!!!

Amazing - Throw the Bums Out!

If there was ever a time for disappointment with those elected to Congress it is now. We all hope that people will do the right things for the right reason, especially those elected by the people to represent us and our interests. Apparently, that isn't the case as evidenced by the statements below.

"I'm not willing to put that bullet in the revolver and spin it. I will take the political risk," said Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee.

"We're all worried about losing our jobs," said Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., before the vote. "Most of us say, 'I want this thing to pass, but I want you to vote for it -- not me.'

"We're in this moment, and if we fail to do the right thing, Heaven help us," he said.

These people in Congress are more worried about their jobs and who is to blame that doing the right thing. While they continue to dither in Washington, the retirement accounts, savings accounts and investments of many Americans suffer. It is the Americans on Main Street that are paying the price for all the dithering in Washington. If our Congressional members are more concerned about losing their jobs, then maybe we should accommodate. Those elected to Congress are there to do the right thing, not the politically expedient thing. I was further amazed, although I shouldn't be, with the harping over the weekend over who deserves the credit, or the blame. Or, have some have proffered, some Democrats and Republicans didn't vote for the Rescue plan because they were offended by Speaker Pelosi's speech (rant). Enough with the Pride in Congress, enough with the partisanship!

Unfortunately, our current state is a sad commentary on those who have been elected to office. Enough is enough! Even so, my points raised in earlier posts stand. We have a strong foundation, compromised currently by constraints on liquidity and lack of confidence. Time and corrections will take their toll, although the price could be minimized with some intelligent thought in Washington. Congress could have helped, and still can, by voting in favor of a measure that instills confidence in the markets. To delay will only require a more robust and higher valued solution later. Anyone who puts their interest above the interests of America should not be serving in Congress.

Warren Buffet Gets It!

As published in the Guardian, Warren Buffet is spot on. Let's get on with it. Little has been published about the money made by the Treasury on the Chrysler and S&L bailouts. My estimate, between AIG and the $700 billion rescue plan, the US Treasury will make somewhere north of $300 billion, which should make a dent in our deficit, stabilize the markets and restore a much needed confidence.

The Nebraska-based billionaire, whose fortune is estimated at $62bn, threw his weight wholeheartedly behind Henry Paulson's rescue package for Wall Street, arguing that US industry will "grind to a halt" without action.

"Last week, we were at the brink of something that would have made anything that's happened in financial history pale," Buffett told CNBC television. "I'm not saying the Paulson plan will eliminate the problems but it's absolutely necessary, in my view, to avoid going off the precipice."
Buffett, whose opinions are hugely influential among millions of private investors in the US, said that if the Treasury acts shrewdly by buying banks' distressed assets at a competitive price, taxpayers will end up as financial winners.

"I bet they'll make a profit," said Buffett, who pointed out that hedge funds specialising in junk assets were already picking up mortgage-related securities with a view to making profits of 15% to 20%. He said a positive return was feasible if the government ignores the book value of instruments or the original cost to banks and instead pays the prevailing market rates for the bombed out assets.

"They'll pay back the $700bn and make a considerable amount of money if they approach it like that," said Buffett. "I would love to have $700bn at Treasury rates to buy fixed-income securities - there's a lot of money to be made."

Buffett's $5bn investment in Goldman Sachs' preferred stock was matched by a further $5bn capital raising yesterday as the bank took the opportunity to bolster its balance sheet. Goldman's shares, which fell as low as $86 last week, rose by 2% to $127.88 during early trading in New York.