Everything Obama endorses turns to...

...well, use your imagination. Not even two years into his presidency, Barack Obama is failing. Miserably. With midterm elections approaching in November, Democratic candidates across the country are doing anything they can to hide from Obama's endorsement.

Here's a running list of things that Obama has ruined or further ruined:

1. All foreign policy (maybe Comedy Central is news after all)
2. Iranian nuclear situation (BOOM!)
3. Relationship with Israel (Those silly Jews and their needless democracy)
4. The credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize (I'm winning next year)
5. The economy (flush)
6. The national debt (up, up, and away!)
7. Healthcare ($$$)
8. Race and ethnicity relations (Hug a Muslim today)
9. Immigration/Border control (Hide and Se...OK, maybe just Hide)
10. Democratic candidates seeking political office (run, Run, RUN!)
11. The word "change" (Just typing the word gives me chills...BOO!)
12. The Constitution (minor detail)
13. The Supreme Court (Interview Question: Can you help destroy the Constitution?)
14. Taxes (he's just a fibber)
15. The Middle Class (who needs us anyway?)
16. Job creation (smooth move)
17. The stimulus and bailouts (even the ones we didn't know about)
18. Pro-Life (you can devalue anything now a days)
19. Charitable giving (screw charity...where's mine?)

Anything to add?

Maybe he should endorse AIDS? It might ruin that, too...

Three Things About Islam

Just scratching the surface...

Mosque at 'Ground Zero'

If you haven't heard about this issue, you can check it out here from Al Jazeera itself.

I haven't wrote on this topic for a reason. In writing this blog, I try to keep my content as civil as possible. Some issues that infuriate my soul are better left for others to comment/debate on.

However, I do want to say one thing:

On September 11, 2001, there were burning bodies falling from the sky. These fiery bodies smashed into the rotunda of the WTC, the street, vehicles, and other buildings. People who had to mentally decide; was it better to be burned alive by jet fuel or plunge to their death. Can you fathom this decision? Radical Islam, which is becoming more and more of an influence in the Muslim world, is behind the plummeting of those bodies. Fathers. Mothers. Brothers. Sons and Daughters. Friends. Hell was visible on that morning and now Muslim leaders want to build a mosque on the very grounds where 3,000+ people perished in an all out Holy War. No matter how "moderate" and "peaceful" these Muslims declare themselves to be, there is plenty of evidence around the world (and even within our own borders) of radical theology and militant preaching. Islam (radical and not) is not a religion. It's a degrading lifestyle full of horrid human rights violations and the disgusting rule of Sharia Law.

Could you imagine if Israel erected a statue of Hitler in the heart of Jerusalem; Israel's "Big Apple" and most recognized city?

There is no difference.

None.

Let's stop this madness...

By far the best article written in response to (and to question) this mosque and the State Depatment funded "good faith" trip by the impending(?) WTC Imam:

Will the Real Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Please Stand Up? (MUST READ!)

President Obama to the World: "I have no spine."

Awwww, look at how smug these two despots are. Oh, what am I talking about? Get a room (or move to California).

I think we can officially say that President Obama is one of, if not the worst (he's battling Jimmy Carter and it's a close race...already), presidents when it comes to foreign policy. As most of the world has already recognized (and this could be the reason why socialists and terrorists endorsed him during his presidential run), Obama is making a mockery out of the United States foreign policy (and we'll throw in the Constitution as well...thanks immigration!).

Defying Obama's "tough" (cough, cough, choking, choking...ok...I'm good) stance on Iran, Russia has decided that it's time to help Iran at it's Bushehr Plant by providing it with nuclear fuel next weekend. This comes despite the United States' "demands" to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear fuel. It's almost like a teacher threatening a student with a behavior disorder with a detention. Do you think that kid cares? Iran sure as "H-E-double hockey sticks" (Oh, Hell I can say it...Ben Quayle does) doesn't care; nor any other political entity for that matter.

However, here's the kicker. In a bold move of heroic defiance and sheer political toughness, the Obama Administration has made plans to purchase 21 Russian-made choppers. Take that Russia! Wait...am I missing something? So Russia doesn't agree with our "proposed" sanctions, provides an apocalyptic regime nuclear fuel, and continues to fund a one billion dollar nuclear plant in Iran and we buy 21 helicopters from them? Did we run out of material to build those or something?

I think Barry Obama is getting his foreign policy advice from inside a Cracker Jacks box. Either that...or Joe Biden.

Ben Quayle

Good way to start your political career, Mr. Quayle. Two thumbs up from this corner.

Vote of No Confidence

What if the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) union voted unanimously to support a statement that President Obama was not enforcing environmental laws?

That would probably be big news, right? Maybe even make the mainstream news?

Well, this past Monday the Washington Times reported that the union that represents ICE (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcements) unanimously passed a "vote of no confidence" for the agency's leadership. "The National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 7,000 ICE agents and employees, stated that ICE has "abandoned" its core mission of protecting the public to support a political agenda favoring amnesty. The vote, by the Union's Council, was 259-0" (Power Line).

Now, let's not forget that the Executive Branch, starting at the top with the President, is in charge of making sure that the laws of the United States are carried out. Basically, the heads at ICE (John Morton and Phyllis Coven) are following the preferences of the Obama Administration (which wants uncontrolled immigration and some sort of amnesty) and blatantly not performing its Constitutional duty.

Here's the ridiculous part: the ridiculous claim (and judicial challenge paid for by our tax dollars) that the Arizona immigration law is unconstitutional for attempting to ENFORCE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS. The United States government has failed us and it all comes down on the "Commander and Chief." Is this grounds for impeachment?

Birthright Citizenship?

Should the guarantee of birthright citizenship come to an end in the United States?

In a recent review of Census data, the Census Bureau found that (at least) 8 percent of children born in the United States were born to illegal aliens. That means that out of the 4.3 million babies that were born in the U.S., roughly 340,000 children were born to undocumented aliens and were naturally granted citizenship. "In addition, high birthrates among undocumented aliens give that population a similar share of children in the U.S. The study finds that children born to illegal immigrants account for 7 percent of the total population of people under the age of 18, or 5.1 million children. Four million, or 79 percent, of those children were born in the United States, making them U.S. citizens."

I see this as a very legitimate issue and a national concern. Personally, I would favor an amendment to the Constitution that guaranteed birthright citizenship to children that are born to U.S. citizens. That could include legal immigrants that have gained citizenship or parents that are natural-born citizens themselves.

"Such a change would require a Constitutional amendment, which two-thirds of Congress would have to approve before state legislatures consider the measure, and three-quarters of those must agree to the provision for it to become part of the Constitution."

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/11/illegal-immigrants-bear-8-children-born-us#ixzz0wMMvx6Dn

“You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs”

Rick Moran discusses Jeffrey Goldberg's commentary on the United States, Israeli, and Iranian relationship. A breaking point will eventually occur. The question are: When and How will the consequences be viewed around the world? Personally, I believe it will be a resounding victory for the West and influence moderate Muslim countries that have been on the fence when it comes to denouncing radical, theocratic Muslim states.

Goldberg brilliantly lays out most of the dire consequences of such a strike:

When the Israelis begin to bomb the uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz, the formerly secret enrichment site at Qom, the nuclear-research center at Esfahan, and possibly even the Bushehr reactor, along with the other main sites of the Iranian nuclear program, a short while after they depart en masse from their bases across Israel-regardless of whether they succeed in destroying Iran's centrifuges and warhead and missile plants, or whether they fail miserably to even make a dent in Iran's nuclear program-they stand a good chance of changing the Middle East forever; of sparking lethal reprisals, and even a full-blown regional war that could lead to the deaths of thousands of Israelis and Iranians, and possibly Arabs and Americans as well; of creating a crisis for Barack Obama that will dwarf Afghanistan in significance and complexity; of rupturing relations between Jerusalem and Washington, which is Israel's only meaningful ally; of inadvertently solidifying the somewhat tenuous rule of the mullahs in Tehran; of causing the price of oil to spike to cataclysmic highs, launching the world economy into a period of turbulence not experienced since the autumn of 2008, or possibly since the oil shock of 1973; of placing communities across the Jewish diaspora in mortal danger, by making them targets of Iranian-sponsored terror attacks, as they have been in the past, in a limited though already lethal way; and of accelerating Israel's conversion from a once-admired refuge for a persecuted people into a leper among nations.

Goldberg notes that with success, the Israelis will buy time (probably putting the Iranian program back 3-5 years), earn the secret thanks of most of the moderate Arab regimes in the Middle East, and will have stopped potential proliferation to terrorist groups in its tracks.

Is that worth initiating a strike that could lead to World War III?

What will the Russians do if the Israeli's hit Bushehr? It is likely they will kill Russian technicians in such a strike since they are building the facility under contract with Tehran. Will Vladmir Putin take the death of Russian scientists and technicians lying down? What if he retaliates against Israel? What would be the American response to that?

August, 1914?

Unleashing Hezb'allah against the western world, stirring up trouble in Iraq by ordering the Shia militias into the streets, not to mention a missile campaign against Israel that could kill thousands (at which point Israel may decide that to save its people, it must expand its own bombing campaign, escalating the conflict to the next level) - this alone could ratchet up tensions causing the world to start choosing up sides.

And no America with the will or the self-confidence to step in and assist the world in standing down.

Obama's foreign policy is not anti-American, unpatriotic, or designed to favor Muslims. It's just weak. The president has made the conscious decision that the US is too powerful and needs to defer to supra-national organizations like the UN, or regional line ups like NATO or the Arab League when conflict is threatened. "First among equals" is not rhetoric to Obama. He means it. He has been thoroughly indoctrinated with the idea that most of the world's troubles have been caused by a too-powerful United States and hence, only the deliberate eschewing the promotion of American interests can redress this sin.

This will be the first world crisis since the end of World War II where American power and prestige will not be used to intervene in order to prevent catastrophe. Obama is betting the farm that his worldview will be more conducive to defusing a crisis than the more realpolitik and pragmatic point of view that has dominated American foreign policy for 65 years.

We are shortly going to find out whether good intentions really matter in international affairs.

To further read Goldberg's analysis, please read his article at The Atlantic.

The Point of No Return

"A half truth is a whole lie." Yiddish Proverb

"I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." ~ Barack Obama

Let's play a little game. Let's call it "Did Obama Lie To You?" Read through the new tax hikes (or the expiration of current tax cuts) that will take place on January 1, 2011 under the Obama Administration (at least 20 new taxes from ObamaCare alone). To win, you must be able to read the following article and not be affected by one item on this list. My guess? A bunch of losers read this blog (not literally, I love you all). The following is written and researched by Americans for Tax Reform's Ryan Ellis.

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011:

Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family. The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.

The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave: Obamacare

There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:

The Tanning Tax. This went into effect on July 1st of this year. It imposes a new, 10% excise tax on getting a tan at a tanning salon. There is no exemption for tanners making less than $250,000 per year.

The “Medicine Cabinet Tax” Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).

The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.

Brand Name Drug Tax. Starting next year, there will be a multi-billion dollar tax assessment imposed on name-brand drug manufacturers. This tax, like all excise taxes, will raise the price of medicine, hurting everyone.

Economic Substance Doctrine. The IRS is now empowered to disallow perfectly-legal tax deductions and maneuvers merely because it judges that the deduction or action lacks “economic substance.” This is obviously an arbitrary empowerment of IRS agents.

Employer Reporting of Health Insurance Costs on a W-2. This will start for W-2s in the 2011 tax year. While not a tax increase in itself, it makes it very easy for Congress to tax employer-provided healthcare benefits later.

Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired. These major items include:

The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year. According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress’ failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families—rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.

Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear. Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or “depreciate”) equipment purchases up to $250,000. This will be cut all the way down to $25,000. Larger businesses can expense half of their purchases of equipment. In January of 2011, all of it will have to be “depreciated.”

Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses. There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss of the “research and experimentation tax credit,” but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.

Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced. The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available. Tax credits for education will be limited. Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses. Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut. Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed. The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed. Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts toward an annual “required minimum distribution.” This ability will no longer be there.

Read more: http://atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171##ixzz0wEbS3ql8

ObamaCare: The sum of all fears

Ed Morrissey digs deep to uncover the truth about our new health care regulations that will be implemented by the Obama Administration. Even though the post takes awhile to get through (with links and video included), the information is very eyeopening...to say the least.

When will the common citizen understand that the federal government doesn't care about the issue of health care. The government doesn't care about your plan or your neighbor's plan. It doesn't care about what's covered and what's not covered. It cares about victimhood. The more victims the government creates, the less personal responsibility.

The Constitution pronounces it a self-evident truth that human beings “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights’’ - rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration’s very next sentence affirms that the purpose of government is to “secure’’ those rights against infringement. It's not, and never will be a guaranteed right. It's a commodity. You have to purchase it. A right to religious freedom? It's mine. Anywhere. Anytime. A right to freedom of speech? A right to own property? Anywhere. Anytime. It's my choice. My quality and quantity. No commodities.

Healthcare is a responsibility. It's human nature to be responsible for the well-being of our fellow man. It's not my right. It's not my privilege. It's a responsibility and that is how we should be attacking this issue. You are very passionate about others needs and the stories that go along with those needs. But, rights do not come from needs and passion. Wanting something does not entitle you or anyone else to it. The rights in the Constitution are considered negative rights...allows us to live peacefully while trying to achieve happiness without coercing others or being coerced by them.

If I have a "right" to health care, then someone else is paying for it. Someone else is paying for that care. How is that freedom? That's no more free than a man in debt is to his credit card company. A "right" to healthcare, especially government mandated, leaves a society less free...plain and simple.

It sounds great to have a passion for this issue. But, the fact of the matter is that healthcare is a commodity that is tied, forever, to the market. If you want to throw education and healthcare into the same category...why not food and clothing? Both are essential to human welfare, right? Why not nationalize food production and the clothing industry? Why? Because both are seen as commodities and their availability is left to the market....thus abundance and diversity.

But, our "help-everybody-everywhere-all-the-time" philosophy just doesn't work. It never has and it never will. People will always need help. No society has ever been classless. And we should do everything that we can to help. But, we live in the greatest system ever devised. A market that allows for people to be reached in the furthest degree (we have over 300 million people for God's sake). Healthcare is a good. It's a service. And just like any other, it needs the least government involvement, normal supply, demand, and competition to truly survive and THRIVE.

ObamaCare: The sum of all fears