Grey's blog: "Politics"

If Bush resigned today, this is what his speech would be..... Normally, I start these things out by saying "My Fellow Americans", not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer. I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution, let me assure you: There's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office. The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out. Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and the news media. Polls show that the majority of you think the economy is in the tank. And that's despite record numbers of homeowners, including record numbers of MINORITY homeowners. And while we're mentioning minorities, I'll point out that minority business ownership is at an all-time high. Our unemployment rate is as low as it ever was during the Clinton administration. I've mentioned all those things before, but it doesn't sink in. Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beachfront property than your economic security. We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this "blood for oil" crap. If I were trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq 's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied; People Died' crap either. If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty. Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Clinton established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you? You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them. That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you, and the bastards are all over the globe. You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.' Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops. Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, you might just as well FedEx a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing. In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet, it just isn't on the pages of the New York Times or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol. I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a Cat 5 hurricane approaching. I could say more about your idiotic belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads. So, I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there that Al Gore could only dream of and the capability to be fully self-sufficient. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall. Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it - you can have her. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008. So that's it. God bless what's left of America. Some of you know what I mean. The rest of you - kiss my ass!

There is a great amount of interest in this year’s presidential elections, as everybody seems to recognize that our next president has to be a lot better than George Bush. The Democrats are riding high with two ground breaking candidates — a woman and an African-American — while the conservative Republicans are in a quandary about their party’s nod to a quasi-liberal maverick, John McCain. Each candidate is carefully pandering to a smorgasbord of special interest groups, ranging from gay, lesbian and transgender people to children of illegal immigrants to working mothers to evangelical Christians. There is one group no one has recognized, and it is the group that will decide the election: the Angry White Man. The Angry White Man comes from all economic backgrounds, from dirt-poor to filthy rich. He represents all geographic areas in America, from urban sophisticate to rural redneck, deep South to mountain West, left Coast to Eastern Seaboard. His common traits are that he isn’t looking for anything from anyone — just the promise to be able to make his own way on a level playing field. In many cases, he is an independent businessman and employs several people. He pays more than his share of taxes and works hard. The buzzwords "disenfranchised" "marginalized” and “voiceless” don’t resonate with him. “Press ‘one’ for English” is a curse-word to him. He’s used to picking up the tab, whether it’s the company Christmas party, three sets of braces, three college educations or a beautiful wedding. He believes the Constitution is to be interpreted literally, not as a “living document” open to the whims and vagaries of a panel of judges who have never worked an honest day in their lives. The Angry White Man owns firearms, and he’s willing to pick up a gun to defend his home and his country. He is willing to lay down his life to defend the freedom and safety of others, and the thought of killing someone who needs killing really doesn’t bother him. The Angry White Man is not a metrosexual, a homosexual or a victim. Nobody like him drowned in Hurricane Katrina — he got his people together and got the hell out, then went back in to rescue those too helpless and stupid to help themselves, often as a police officer, a National Guard soldier or a volunteer firefighter. His last name and religion don’t matter. His background might be Italian, English, Polish, German, Slavic, Irish, or Russian, and he might have Cherokee, Mexican, or Puerto Rican mixed in, but he considers himself a white American. He’s a man’s man, the kind of guy who likes to play poker, watch football, hunt white-tailed deer, call turkeys, play golf, spend a few bucks at a strip club once in a blue moon, change his own oil and build things. He coaches baseball, soccer and football teams and doesn’t ask for a penny. He’s the kind of guy who can put an addition on his house with a couple of friends, drill an oil well, weld a new bumper for his truck, design a factory and publish books. He can fill a train with 100,000 tons of coal and get it to the power plant on time so that you keep the lights on and never know what it took to flip that light switch. Women either love him or hate him, but they know he’s a man, not a dishrag. If they’re looking for someone to walk all over, they’ve got the wrong guy. He standsup straight, opens doors for women and says “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am.” He might be a Republican and he might be a Democrat; he might be a Libertarian or a Green. He knows that his wife is more emotional than rational, and he guides the family in a rational manner. He’s not a racist, but he is annoyed and disappointed when people of certain backgrounds exhibit behavior that typifies the worst stereotypes of their race. He’s willing to give everybody a fair chance if they work hard, play by the rules and learn English. Most important, the Angry White Man is pissed off. When his job site becomes flooded with illegal workers who don’t pay taxes and his wages drop like a stone, he gets righteously angry. When his job gets shipped overseas, and he has to speak to some incomprehensible idiot in India for tech support, he simmers. When Al Sharpton comes on TV, leading some rally for reparations for slavery or some such nonsense, he bites his tongue and he remembers. When a child gets charged with carrying a concealed weapon for mistakenly bringing a pen knife to school, he takes note of who the local idiots are in education and law enforcement. He also votes, and the Angry White Man loathes Hillary Clinton. Her voice reminds him of a shovel scraping a rock. He recoils at the mere sight of her on television. Her very image disgusts him, and he cannot fathom why anyone would want her as their leader. It’s not that she is a woman. It’s that she is who she is. It’s the liberal victim groups she panders to, the “poor me” attitude that she represents, her inability to give a straight answer to an honest question, his tax dollars that she wants to give to people who refuse to do anything for themselves. There are many millions of Angry White Men. Four million Angry White Men are members of the National Rifle Association, and all of them will vote against Hillary Clinton, just as the great majority of them voted for George Bush. He hopes that she will be the Democratic nominee forp resident in 2008, and he will make sure that she gets beaten like a drum.

Last night I had the strangest dream. It was so real, so life-like and so vivid. Let me describe it to you briefly... 1. Hillary wins the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States 2. Naturally, she wants to choose as her running mate someone with a lot of knowledge and experience in government and foreign affairs, someone who is a seasoned campaigner who could bring a lot of strength to the ticket. Who better than Bill, her husband?!!! 3. Hill and Bill go on to win the election in November and the Democrats maintain control of the House and the Senate. 4. Hillary is sworn in as President on January 20, 2009. The next day, after all the inauguration parties are over, she calls a press conference to make an announcement: she is resigning as President!!! Bill, as the Vice President, immediately becomes President!!! This is all perfectly legal under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, for it states that "no person may be elected as president more than twice". Bill is not being elected for a third term but is merely serving out the remainder of Hillary's term---all 4 years of it. 5. But wait! There's more! The following day Bill calls a press conference to make an announcement. He has chosen someone to fill the now vacant office of Vice President. Guess who he picks? Why, Hillary, ofcourse!!! 6. And one last thing, Bill could resign just before the elections and that would make Hillary the incumbent President. She could run for re-election and we could do it all over again and she would never serve out her two terms...Bill could be President for life.... However, in reality she will want to stay in the most powerful seat in the world as the 1st woman but she will proably appoint Bill to a Supreme Court Justice and he will be there for LIFE!

The front-runners in both political parties -- that is, Hillary Clinton and John McCain -- are making "experience" their big talking point. But what kind of "experience"? Both have been around in politics for decades. But just what did they accomplish -- and how did it benefit the country? Whether in Arkansas or in Washington, Hillary Clinton has spent decades parlaying her husband's political clout into both money and power. How did that benefit anybody but the Clintons? For those people whose memories are short, go on the Internet and look up Whitewater, the confidential raw FBI files on hundreds of Republican politicians that somehow -- nobody apparently knows how -- ended up in the Clinton White House illegally. Look up the sale of technology to China that can enable them to more accurately hit American cities with nuclear missiles. Then look up the money that found its way to the Clintons through devious channels. Look up Bill Clinton's firing of every single U.S. Attorney in the country, which of course included those who were investigating him for corruption as governor of Arkansas. It may be old-fashioned to talk about character and integrity but they can have a lot more to do with the fate of this nation than "experience" at playing political games. More to the point, Presidents of the United States lacking character and integrity have inflicted lasting damage on the office they held and on the nation. The country has never trusted Presidents as much as they did before Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon betrayed that trust. Trust, like other features and powers of the Presidency, is not simply a benefit to the particular incumbent. The nation as a whole is stronger when it can trust its President who, after all, has vastly more knowledge available on both domestic and international problems and threats. It would be hard to find two people less trustworthy than the Clintons or with a longer trail of sleaze and slime. Senator John McCain is also touting his "experience," both in politics and in the military. Senator McCain's political record is full of zig-zags summarized in the word "maverick." That is another way of saying that you don't know what he is going to do next, except that it will be in the interests of John McCain. While you are on the Internet looking up the record of the Clintons, look up John McCain's record, including the Keating Five, the McCain-Feingold bill, and the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill. Senator McCain's trump card is his military experience. Some say his military experience is especially valuable when we are under threat from terrorists. But is it? John McCain's military service was both honorable and heroic. But let's not confuse that with experience relevant to being President of the United States. John McCain was a naval aviator, an important and demanding job. But a naval aviator is not like Patton or Eisenhower. A naval aviator does not plan battlefield strategy, much less global military strategy, which a President must oversee, with the help of experienced generals and admirals. Franklin D. Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the First World War. But he depended on General George C. Marshall for military strategy in the Second World War. Give McCain credit where credit is due: He supported the "surge" in Iraq, which rescued a deteriorating situation. But so did George W. Bush, who has never touted his military service and Dick Cheney who was never in the military. The most charitable interpretation of Senator McCain's constant touting of his military service is that he is simply milking it for political advantage. It would be truly dangerous if McCain really considers himself a military expert, who can therefore ignore the advice of real military experts as President of the United States. A man like McCain, with a history of being headstrong and shooting from the hip, is the last thing we need as President, in an age of complex global threats, including terrorists who may get nuclear weapons within the next few years. Romney seems like the best choice with our economy the way it is.

Here is an example of what the DemoRATic system has developed into since the Socialistic Liberals took over. AND you hard working tax paying people of their constiuency allowed them to do this to your party by keeping your mouth shut. You allowed them to ruin an old time American party and turn it toward socialism. They have successfully divided the Nation. Ten men are drinking beer in their local tavern. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59. So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. He said, "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten of you now cost just $80." The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men -- the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share"? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay! And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing(100% savings). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3(33%savings). The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7(28%savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12(25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18(22% savings). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59(16% savings). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!" "That's true!!"shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill! And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up any more. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier. David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics,University of Georgia

Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it. Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what. ************************************************* Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) program. He promised: 1.) That participation in the program would be completely voluntary, 2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the program, 3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year, 4.) That the money the participants put into the independent "trust fund" rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the social security retirement program, and no other government program, and, 5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income. Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month --and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the federal government to "putaway" -- you may be interested in the following: -------------------------------------------------- Q: which political party took Social Security from the independent "trust fund" and put it into the general fund so that congress could spend it? A: it was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically controlled House and Senate. -------------------------------------------------- Q: which political party eliminated the income tax deduction for social security (FICA) withholding? A: the Democratic party. -------------------------------------------------- Q: which political party started taxing Social Security annuities? A: the Democratic party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as president of the Senate, while he was vice president of the US -------------------------------------------------- Q: which political party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants? A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive social security payments! The Democratic party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it! Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away! And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it! If enough people read this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe changes will evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully sure of what isn't so. Actions speak louder than bumper stickers.

Just in case you may think this person would make a good president. Hillary Clinton has been telling America that she is the most qualified candidate for president based on her 'record' which she says includes her eight years in the White House as First Lady - or 'co-president' -and her seven years in the Senate. Here is a reminderof what that record includes: - As First Lady, Hillary assumed authority over Health Care Reform, a process that cost the taxpayers over $13 million. She told both Bill Bradley and Pat Moynahan, key votes needed to pass her legislation, that she would 'demonize' anyone who opposed it. But it was opposed; she couldn't even get it to a vote in a Congress controlled by her own party. (And in the next election, her party lost control of both the House and Senate.) - Hillary assumed authority over selecting a female Attorney General. Her first two recommendations (Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood) were forced to withdraw their names from consideration, and then she chose Janet Reno. Janet Reno has since been described by Bill himself as 'my worst mistake.' - Hillary recommended Lani Guanier for head of the Civil Rights Commission. When Guanier's radical views became known, her name had to be withdrawn. - Hillary recommended her former law partners, Web Hubbell, Vince Foster, and William Kennedy for positions in the Justice Department, White House staff, and the Treasury, respectively. Hubbell was later imprisoned, Foster committed suicide, and Kennedy was forced to resign. - Hillary also recommended a close friend of the Clintons, Craig Livingstone, for the position of director of White House security. When he was investigated for the improper access of up to 900 FBI files of Clinton enemies (Filegate) and the widespread use of drugs by White House staff, both Hillary and her husband denied knowing him. (FBI agent Dennis Sculimbrene confirmed in a Senate Judiciary Committee in 1996 both the drug use and Hillary'involvement in hiring Livingstone. After that, the FBI closed its White House Liaison Office, after serving seven presidents for over thirty years.) - In order to open 'slots' in the White House for her friends the Harry Thomasons (to whom millions of dollars in travel contracts could be awarded), Hillary had the entire staff of the White House Travel Office fired; they were reported to the FBI for 'gross mismanagement' and their reputations ruined. After a thirty-month investigation, only one, Billy Dale, was charged with a crime - mixing personal money with White House funds when he cashed checks. The jury acquitted him in less than two hours. - Another of Hillary's assumed duties was directing the 'bimbo eruption squad' and scandal defense: - She urged her husband not to settle the PaulaJones lawsuit. - She refused to release the Whitewater documents, which led to the appointment of Ken Starr as Special Prosecutor. After $80 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent, Starr's investigation led to Monica Lewinsky, which led to Bill lying about and later admitting his affairs. - Then they had to settle with Paula Jones after all. - And Bill lost his law license for lying to the grand jury - And Bill was impeached by the House. - And Hillary almost got herself indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice (she avoided it mostly because she repeated, 'I do not recall,' 'I have no recollection,' and 'I don't know' 56 times under oath). - Hillary wrote 'It Takes a Village,' demonstrating her Socialist viewpoint. - Hillary decided to seek election to the Senate in a state she had never lived in. Her husband pardoned FALN terrorists in order to get Latino support and the New Square Hassidim to get Jewish support. Hillary also had Bill pardon her brother's clients, for a small fee, to get financial support. - Then Hillary left the White House, but later had to return $200,000 in White House furniture, china, and artwork she had stolen. - In the campaign for the Senate, Hillary played the 'woman card' by portraying her opponent (Lazio) as a bully picking on her. - Hillary's husband further protected her by asking the National Archives to withhold from the public until 2012 many records of their time in the White House, including much of Hillary's correspondence and her calendars. (There are on going lawsuits to force the release of those records.) - As the junior Senator from New York, Hillary has passed no major legislation. She has deferred to the senior Senator (Schumer) to tend to the needs of New Yorkers, even on the hot issue of medical problems of workers involved in the cleanup of Ground Zero after 9/11. - Hillary's one notable vote, supporting the plan to invade Iraq, she has since disavowed. Quite a resume, isn't it? Sounds more like an organized crime family...

What in the world would an educated person who has followed the Clintons' all these years think? She was labeled years ago as the smartest woman in the world by the Media. They gave her that name because they were astounded by her scheming, conniving mind. She was accused of 6 major corruption charges in Arkansas and she didn't get caught or nailed on any of them. Knowing the right lawyers and having a deceitful mind she has weaseled out of all accusations and her old man was the one that got caught. I DID NOT HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH THAT WOMAN---I DIDN'T INHALE---I DIDN'T LIE TO THE CONGRESS! They are both lying fools. Hillary "Rotten" Clinton lied from the fact she claimed she can't remember. I can't remember. I don't recall! Do any of you remember the interrogation she went through and these were her answers? Yet she wrote a book based on her life and she remembered everything in that book. What kind of fools does she think her constituency are. She know she is dealing with the uneducated welfare state of slavery to the government. She knows she is dealing with every level of blue collar and these are usually people who haven't had college or even finished high school. They think they have enough people at this level of education to fool them. I mean these are the types of people the lawyewrs pick in choosing a jury for a court trial. If you have ever had to do your turn at jury duty you know what i am talking about. That is what lawyers think of people who are not formally educated. AND SHE IS ONE... A Lawyer. She didn't get diddley out of all of this. That makes her a hell of a lot smarter than "Der Slickster." He's a lawyer too, but as far as being as calculating as the "Rotten" one, he was probably chasing skirts in law school instead of attending classes. Look what the hell he caught! That should tell you how smart he is. Anyway these tactics are to be expected. An observation and prediction. If Barrack Obama gets too close and the racial slurs that are being applied very subtly and it seems that he will beat her don't let it surprise you if he is assasinated. He might have a car wreck or he might commit suicide. The Clinton's need that power seat to complete their contract with the Chinese. Keep a close eye and ear. Of course that won't help the brainwashed ones as they are deaf and blind to the words of truth. They are so blinded to truth it is unbelieveable. Why are they this way and can't accept truth. It is because they never get a chance to hear the truth. People who are brainwashed and blind to truth are those who only get their information from a socialistic lying Media. Everything they hear and believe comes from the mouth of the lyingest bunch of Commies that ever lived on our soil. So if lies are your only source of information, then it is logical you live a lie and believe it. Logic 101-A

Fifty years of failure is enough. It is time; We the people can impose “Term Limits” through our power of having the privilege to VOTE! Former Defense Secretary Dom Rumsfeld was not just criticized for his handling of the Iraq War, leading Democrats, including Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, called for his resignation. Members of Congress, including some Republicans, also called for the resignation of Alberto Gonzales. Both of these individuals have served relatively limited terms, and their transgressions have been arguably few. Now consider a U.S. Congress with a 50-year record of failure in virtually every area for which it is responsible, and many for which it is NOT! It is time for the members of CONGRESS to RESIGN. Congress has had plenty of time to deal with immigration, energy, defense and many other issues in which they play a central role. They have failed miserably. They have ventured into areas for which they have no legitimate responsibility such as education and health care, expanding both their list of failures, and their encroachment on areas reserved for the states. In fact, they have expanded the federal role to virtually every aspect of American life, littering their power hungry path with failure after failure. It is no wonder that major polls place confidence in Congress at a historical LOW of 23-25%. What Congress HAS done is as obscene as what they haven’t. The have created a virtual wall between them and “us,”erecting a royal façade for themselves. They dine lavishly, fly first class or on private jets, travel the world with their friends, family and cronies. They feast on both public and private money, creating breaks and opportunities for their friends and themselves, becoming rich not for what they accomplish, but from the power of their office – their public trust. Not content to become wealthy through deal making with special interests, they have increased their compensation and perks to loftly levels and set up a lucrative retirement system, while letting SOCIAL SECURITY go broke. Some promised to serve limited terms, but reneged when the pull of power seduced them into permanence. Congress created a system which preserved the strangle hold on the two major parties while ensuring the re-election of its members ad infinitum; impervious to challenge, they designed a system based on money and power, not ideas and accomplishment. THE AUTHORITY By what authority should the “mere” people of the country presume to demand the resignation of Congress? A simple document entitled the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Then whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principals and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” Why not the President? Some should ask, why just the Congress? Why not the President? First, the President is limited to two terms in office. Deficiencies are self-limiting. Congress has never seen fit to impose such a restriction on itself. Second, while the presidency is the most powerful individual office in the world, the Congress is the most powerful branch of government, Congress has the authority to declare war(though it has frequently abdicated this power), the sole authority to fund government programs, and the sole authority to remove those in power, including the president, Supreme Court justices and themselves. Third, Congress has shown itself to be the dispensable in terms of replacement. Are there not hundreds, even thousands, of individuals possessing the intellect, character and common sense to perform equally or better to the dismal congressional record of the past 50 years? The FAILURES (partial list) BUDGET, TAXES and the ECONOMY The federal budget is in the range of $3 Trillion. This number, incomprehensible to most, is the result of increased spending year after year for one new program after another. It is also the result of a federal government run amok, doing things for which it was not designed, for which it has no constitutional authority and which it does not do well. It is compounded by EGO, and re-election motivated efforts by every legislator to add earmarks and other special spending for their state or district. The tax system to collect the obscene largesse is even more obscene, running 17,000 pages and 5.5 million words understandable to NO ONE. Worse, it has become a system not for tax collection, but for social engineering, rewards and punishments, and invasive to the privacy of citizens. CIVIL RIGHTS The concept of civil rights was explained simply and elegantly in the Declaration of Independence and codified by the Constitution. It has since been perverted into politically-correct, all-inclusive lunacy, forbidding discrimination (i.e. by choice) on the basis of sex, religion, age, race, color (whateverthat is), national origin (including illegal residence), sexual preference (a ridiculous term on its face), including transsexual, transgender, and cross-dressing behaviors. Have these people gone nuts or what? CRIME NATIONAL Crime at the national level is a joke. Every major city in the country is infested with gangs and thoroughly as they are with rats. Drug trafficking and other organized crime is rampant. Cities can’t even deal with graffiti! Now the matter is complicated by the growth of international terrorists– both illegally entering, and openly invited as students, war refugees and others on approved visas. EDUCATION Though the federal government has no legitimate place in education, it continues to meddle on a grand scale. Various federal education acts setting rules and compliance, federal funding and grants, and most recently, the idiotic “no child left behind” disaster. There is a reason education was left to the states and communities in the first place—it works! Federal bureaucracy is the ruination of education and it needs to be ended—totally. ENERGY While the production, sale and distribution of energy is largely a matter of private enterprise, the government has a role in assuring a national energy policy to meet the nations needs at a reasonable cost and without reliance on foreign, especially terrorist oriented, interests. Has it done any of this? NO. Meanwhile, mega mergers of large energy companies have been allowed, we have not allowed utilization of our own vast oil and coal resources, and shut down the nuclear industry. Now, just how many pinheads does it take to power a windmill? FOREIGN POLICY War and Peace - Since and including Viet Nam, Congress has been derelict in its conduct of war. It has stated no objectives to be attained, but instead empowered presidents to act with reckless abandon, offering only “Monday morning quarterbacking!” To commit to war, there must be: clear and sufficient reason, specific objectives to measure progress and conclusion, use of technological superiority and overwhelming force, declaration of victory on achievement of objectives. Congress has not required any of these, though authorizing military actions all over the globe. Meanwhile, we do nothing while Iran and Korea develop nuclear capabilities. Diplomacy - Our basic method of diplomacy has been to secure peace by buying friends, giving billions to one corrupt government after another. That’s worked well. While taking criticism from our European allies, we continue to pay for their defense with U. S. bases and troops. The UN is a joke, the IMF and the World Bank are equally corrupt and worthless, while NATO is an anachronism of WW II. We are busy with “nation building” for others while our own nation is falling apart. Trade - Where is the “pro” in the “quid pro quo?” We give everything and get nothing. Our manufacturing capacity has been lost, we buy more than we can sell—much from China, and we prop up Mexico even as their citizens freely invade our borders. Not content with the screw-ups of NAFTA, we are busy crafting the same for Central America in CAFTA! The Bush administration is so intent on a new world order, they are pushing for a North American Union similar to the failed EU. (see www.spp.gov.) Health Care - Health care used to work in this country. Enter the federal government, together with insurance companies and HMOs, and the system is a wreck. What’s the answer? More federal intervention, of course. WRONG! Get the feds out of health care, focus on health care rather than insurance requirements and let the private system work. For those that fall through the cracks, and let the states deal with the issue without meddling from the federal bureaucracy. Allow insurance to function as it should, protect against catastrophic loss, not paying for birth control pills or Viagra. Homeland Security - The Chicago fire and the SF earthquake on 1906 were gigantic disasters. Both cities were rebuilt without FEMA or Homeland Security. Not Katrina! Nope, we are so busy creating victims, we have taken away self-determination and local initiative. If the federal government existed as it does now 150 years ago, the pioneers would still be crossing the Mississippi... on federal funded rafts. Meanwhile, we are allowing thousands of terrorists to populate our schools, overstay visas and inviting them to take up residence as refugees from the war torn Middle East. New-flash: the Middle East has always been war torn, and likely always will be. Keep them out of this country. Illegal Immigration and Borders - Suffice it to say that the American people have far greater sense than the Congress and their clear and powerful message was heard, thus defeating a disastrous Kennedy-Bush amnesty program! The borders are STILL FRIKKIN’ Leaking in illegal immigrants like a bottomless bucket. Preservation of Citizenship and Culture - Our normal immigration is a failure as well. New entrants are not the immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Those people came here to embrace the culture of America: its values, western culture, language, religious philosophy, work ethic, spirit of opportunity and independence. To them the Constitution was a work of art. Since then, we have encouraged (thanks to Ted Kennedy’s 1965 immigration programs) millions to come here in cultural DISHARMONY, altering our own language, customs, and philosophy to that of the country from which they came. We’ve always had “Little Italy’s”, but the Italians didn’t attempt to conquer the Southwest for Rome! Vietnamese, Hmongs, Africans, Columbians, Haitians, Cubans, Mexicans, and now Iraqis and Muslims from around the world. We are no longer a melting pot but a bowl of incompatible mixed 3rd World vegetables. All thanks to Congress. Not content, Congress is defying the vast majority of Americans to break down the culture of marriage as between a man and a woman. Infrastructure and transportation - With huge amounts consumed for expenditures such as social services, there is little available to deal with the boring but necessary matter of dams, bridges and highways. As always, Congress will wait until there is a disaster and then act. Innovation, such as high-speed trains and other transit systems to connect major cities? Forget it—they’re to busy beating up on “talk radio.” Legal issues - Tort Reform? Most of Congress is made up of attorneys. All of Congress is financed by them; not going to happen. Victims? They can be invented by Congress. Can anyone explain why families of those killed in the 9/11 bombings received $4 million apiece, while your cousin who was killed in a carcrash got nothing? How about the widow of a combat veteran killed in action? Congress makes a specialty of rewarding high visibility victims. Everyone else can suck eggs. We could go on. If someone likes, they can email me a list of the accomplishments of the federal government and the Congress over the past 50 years, and I’ll apologize. WHO SHOULD RESIGN - The longest “serving” 20 members of the U.S. Senate have a combined tenure of 608 years. 608 YEARS? That represents not 608 years of reasoned experience and dedicated public service. No, it is 608 years of failure, inaction, incompetence and self-serving. I would recommend as a start that members of theSenate with 3 terms or more (18 years) resign immediately. That would include 29 senators or 29% ofthe Senate (13-R, 15-D, 1-I) including Harry Reid. I would recommend that members of the house with 5 or more terms (10 years) resign. That would include 209 members or 48% of the House (89-R, 120-D). This would give the country a chance to attract in a special election some fresh ideas from people committed to doing what 50 years of these people has not: to return this country to greatness. If they fail, we go after them and the rest. These people are not going to step down voluntarily, of course. They should, but they won’t. There will be a way, but that proposal will have to wait for another day. But this much is certain: they DO need to leave NOW! Join the country to clean these government houses out of the corruption. In the next three major elections forget party politics. Register to vote and then vote. When you do vote; vote in the new face no matter what party and get the old face out of that seat which that person has made a throne out of. We the people still have the power to vote. We had better take this privilege seriously because if we don’t use it these corrupt fools will eventually take the right to vote away from us. They have infringed on everything else. Join the countries only way to clean up our house. Vote out the old and vote in the new.

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it's death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts. __________________________________________________Lee Iacocca Says: "Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course" Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned "Titanic". I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!" You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the "America" my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest "C" is Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess... So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point. Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time. Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "The Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry. I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope, I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the "Great Depression", "World War II", the "Korean War", the "Kennedy Assassination", the "Vietnam War", the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've> learned one thing, it's this: "You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to "Action" for people who, like me, believe in America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had "enough." Excerpted from "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?". Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.