A Conservative Frame of Mind

Obama's Continuing Assault on the U.S. Constitution

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Once again the Obama administration has thumbed their noses at the U.S. Constitution.

Chances are if you follow the news at all you have heard that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebilius has ruled that Obamacare will require the Catholic Church to purchase health insurance that includes contraceptive coverage for employees of their hospitals, schools and charities.

It is well known that one of the tenets of the Catholic Church is it's opposition to man-made forms of birth control to include abortion. President Obama has stated that he supports Sebilius' decision and his administration has given employers like the Catholic Church until August 2013 to conform to the law. In other words President Obama is giving the Catholic Church a deadline in which they must adapt their beliefs to conform to his law. This is unacceptable. This ruling is not only a slap in the face to the Catholic Church but also to all churches and citizens of this country who value religious freedom. It's a slap in the face to all in this country who value the Constitution. Hopefully, it is a slap that finally wakes this country up.

For far too long we have been content to sit in the back seat and engage in sight seeing while politicians have driven us closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. We can no longer do this. We have to become engaged. We have to become informed. We have to find our voice and then we have to speak out to those who we elect to represent us and remind them that this country is governed by the people. We have to demand that they act only after consulting their constituents and the Constitution. We have to begin to do these things now because if we continue on the road we are on there will come a time when we are relegated to nothing more than the role of sight-seer.

Dems propose "Reasonable Profits Board" to regulate oil company profits - The Hill's Floor Action

2012-01-21T15:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Tom Cotton(@cottonforcongress) for tweeting the following article.

Dems propose 'Reasonable Profits Board' to regulate oil company profits - The Hill's Floor Action

In my opinion this is nothing less than socialist tyranny. As much as we all dislike the price of gas we should never allow the government to determine when the profits of the oil companies are deemed unreasonable. If we do, what is to stop them from determining when the profits of your company are unreasonable, or set a limit on what you as an employee are allowed to earn before they begin to take 100%. DR.

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The Debt Limit Kiss-Off

2012-01-18T20:02:00.001-06:00

In what amounts to nothing more than politics as usual the House of Representatives voted today to disapprove of President Obama's request for another debt limit increase. The vote basically means nothing because after last year's debt limit stand-off Congress gave approval to Obama to raise the debt limit, thanks for nothing Mr. McConnell.

This scenario helps the Republicans save face by telling the voters they did not support the President and Democrats as our country is driven deeper into debt.

The problems with this are that the Republicans think that voters are stupid enough that we won't see through this charade, and the Democrats get to continue using taxpayer money to buy votes by using their "we have to honor our country's debts" talking points.

So here's a big Thank You to our public servants in Washington who once again have put their own self interests, and those of their party, ahead of their country.

Sen. John Barrasso talks about Obamacare

2011-12-16T13:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks Sen. Barrasso, but unfortunately what you say makes sense which is a foreign concept in Washington.

2012 Presidential Candidates

2011-12-16T12:52:00.000-06:00

The GOP presidential primaries will soon be upon us and the 2012 Presidential Election is less than a year away. I am curious as to everyone's thoughts in regards to the field of candidates in this election. Who are you supporting and why?

I'm Back

2011-12-16T12:01:00.000-06:00

After several months without posting I am back. I enjoy blogging but unfortunately have not had the time to write in quite a while. Hopefully I can be a little more consistent in the future.

Raising the debt ceiling

2011-01-07T06:00:00.002-06:00

It's a new year and raising the debt ceiling is being considered again in Washington. The Obama administration warns that the results would be catastrophic if the ceiling isn't raised.
George Washington once said "you don't bailout debt with debt". This quote tells me that if my household budget is in the negative each month then I probably shouldn't be trying to use credit cards to pay my bills because I am just digging a deeper hole. Instead maybe I should cut my expenses by doing things like taking my lunch to work instead of eating out, downgrading to basic cable, cutting back on shopping and entertainment, letting my kids get after school jobs instead of giving them money. I could then use the money I am saving to pay down my debt. That makes sense, you say, because like me you have probably had to do things like this at one time or another. Unfortunately there are still politicians in Washington that don't get this.
Raising the country's debt ceiling is the same as asking for an increase of the spending limit on your credit cards so you can continue to use them. It does nothing but dig us into a deeper hole. It is past time for the federal government to do what many American households have already done and cut spending.

Obama Is Sending Border Officers from DHS--Which Has Failed to Secure U.S.-Mexico Border--to Help Secure Afghan-Pakistan Border | CNSnews.com

2011-01-05T21:49:00.000-06:00

Obama Is Sending Border Officers from DHS--Which Has Failed to Secure U.S.-Mexico Border--to Help Secure Afghan-Pakistan Border | CNSnews.com

This is unbelievable. The priorities of this administration our completely out of sync with those of the American people. I would suggest contacting your representatives concerning this.

Robert Gibbs: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is stepping down - latimes.com

2011-01-05T19:59:00.000-06:00

Robert Gibbs: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is stepping down - latimes.com

Great news. Gibbs is a pompous jerk. I doubt anyone misses him. I know I won't

Rep-Elect Allen West: This Liberal-Progressive Agenda Is Antithesis of W...

2011-01-02T11:56:00.001-06:00

I have the utmost respect for LTC West. He calls it as he sees it, and in this age of political correctness he is a much needed breath of fresh air. I wish him the best in Washington and thumbs up to the voters of Florida's 22nd District for sending him there.

New Health Care Law Error Surfaces - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

2011-01-01T06:10:00.000-06:00

New Health Care Law Error Surfaces - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Does this surprise anyone? This law will become an albatross around the neck of the American people.

Ezra Klein's lack of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution

2010-12-31T06:01:00.000-06:00

The following article appeared in yesterday's Washington Post. The author Ezra Klein attempts to explain how the individual mandate found in the new health care law is constitutionally sound. Klein reasons that, because the law as written determines that the individual mandate "is commercial and economic in nature, and substantially affects interstate commerce", coupled with the case of U.S. vs South-Eastern Underwriters Association in 1944 in which the United States Supreme Court "ruled that insurance is interstate commerce subject to Federal regulation", then the individual mandate is in fact constitutional.

Mr. Klein, I agree an individual mandate may very well be "commercial and economic in nature". It also may substantially affect interstate commerce but I have yet to find it written anywhere in the United States Constitution where the federal government has the authority to force American citizens to buy a product. The U.S. Constitution clearly states that the federal government does have the authority to regulate interstate commerce and the supreme court did rule that insurance is interstate commerce. Does that mean the federal government can force us to buy potatoes from Idaho, cars from Detroit, or apples from Washington? Are these not examples of interstate commerce? Would an individual mandate not also be "commercial and economic in nature," in these instances?

I know that our Constitution is a bit confusing to you Mr. Klein so I will do my best to simplify this. Simply defined, interstate means between the states and commerce is defined as the buying and selling of goods. Based on those definitions reason would have me believe that in order for a citizen of the United States to fall under regulation of the "interstate commerce clause" that person would have to be engaged in the act of buying or selling goods regulated by the federal government. I'm not sure about you Mr. Klein but I have always been able to tell the difference between action and inaction. I will give you a chance to wrap your mind around this and will save the 2nd Amendment and your obvious lack of knowledge regarding the tea party movement for another time.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/12/what_the_tea_party_wants_from.html

U.S. Constitution confusing?

2010-12-31T01:10:00.004-06:00

Saw this on michellemalkin.com. If Mr. Klein finds our constitution confusing I would hate to see him try to follow written instructions. Sounds as if he may be one of those people they make warning labels for.

2010-12-31T01:05:00.001-06:00

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/30/murkowski-certified-official-winner-alaska-senate-race/

In stunning reversal, administration now defends health care insurance mandate as a tax | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

2010-07-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

In this article (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/20/politics/main5324703.shtml) from CBS News last fall Pres. Obama denied that a mandate requiring Americans to purchase health insurance would constitute a tax on the American people. Now for the purpose of defending the mandate in federal court the Obama administration has apparently decided that the mandate is a tax. I honestly believe that this administration will go to any length to further their agenda. The following article explains more;

In stunning reversal, administration now defends health care insurance mandate as a tax The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Dominic Lamorris Whitaker last seen by mother - todaysthv.com | KTHV | Little Rock, AR

2010-07-13T19:41:00.001-05:00

This gentleman is missing from the Arkadelphia area. He was last seen on July 4th. I would appreciate it if everyone could spread the word about this gentleman by forwarding this link to their friends. Maybe if enough people send this around we will find someone who has seen Mr. Whitaker.

Dominic Lamorris Whitaker last seen by mother - todaysthv.com KTHV Little Rock, AR

Pine Street gets new name - Arkadelphia, AR - Arkadelphia Siftings Herald

2010-07-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

In regards to naming something in Arkadelphia after Dr. Martin Luther King it has always been my personal opinion that naming an overpass after Dr. King was lame. I think he deserved more than that, but for the board of directors to pass this without input from the citizens of Arkadelphia, as well as the business owners located on Pine Street is unacceptable. It appears there are some members of the Arkadelphia Board of Directors that have forgotten that they answer to the citizens of Arkadelpia, not the other way around.

Below the link to the Siftings Herald article is a link containing contact and term of office information for the Arkadelphia Board of Directors. For those who live in Ward 1 (Brenda Hagerich's ward) and Ward 4 (Anne Sanders' ward) the terms for these directors ends on December 31, 2010. I would encourage those who live in these wards to locate someone to replace these two directors. For those who live in Ward 2 and Ward 3 I encourage you to contact Mr. Harris and Mrs. Baldwin and remind them that they serve you and their only purpose on the board is to reflect your voice. Unfortunately their terms do not end until 12/31/2012. We should thank Mr. Hollingshead and Mr. Calhoun the only directors on the board that seem to value the voice of the people.

Pine Street gets new name - Arkadelphia, AR - Arkadelphia Siftings Herald

http://www2.cityofarkadelphia.com:8080/CityOfArkadelphia/government/board-of-directors/board-of-directors-contact-information/

Happy Birthday America

2010-07-04T12:37:00.002-05:00

Today is the 234th birthday of our great nation. Flags will be flying, and fireworks exploding as everyone puts their patriotism on display. It is easy to show our love for our country on the 4th of July, we have done this as long as most of us can remember.

But this year as you are grilling and visiting with family and friends I want you to do something a little different. I want you to reflect on what this country means to you. I want you to reflect on what this day means to you. Then I would like to ask you to think about the state of our country today. Is this what our founding fathers intended for our country? I think most of us would agree that it is not.

Great sacrifices were made by our forefathers in order to give us this country and our liberties. Successive generations have also made great sacrifices in order for us to keep those things. Now it is our turn. The phrase “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty” has been attributed to many of our forefathers. This phrase is as true today as it was over 200 years ago. We can not sit quietly on the sidelines and expect to remain a free nation. The reason this country is in the shape it is in today is because we sat quietly for too long. Now is the time for your voice to be heard, become informed and get involved.

Another Bailout?

2010-06-13T22:41:00.007-05:00

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2010/05/24/lawmaker-introduces-b-union-pension-bailout/

The reason these pensions are in the shape they are in is because of greed and mismanagement. If this passes there will be taxpayers in this country without pensions funding the pensions of others. The taxpayers of this country have had their fill of bailouts.

Our country is broke. We presently have a $13 trillion dollar deficit. So Senator Casey please answere one question for me. Where is the money to fund this bailout going to come from?

I'm afraid any semblance of common sense in Washington is long gone.

Will Cap and Trade make Al Gore a billionaire?

2010-06-01T22:22:00.008-05:00

While watching an episode of Glenn Beck yesterday I learned something very interesting about Al Gore. Anyone who thought that Mr. Gore was fighting global warming because of his concern for the enviroment might want to read the following articles.

It appears that if Cap and Trade legislation passes Gore stands to benefit financially through the carbon trade market. Gore's Generation Investment Management LLP is a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange which began trading in 2003. The Chicago Climate Exchange began with the help of funding from the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago based charity. The Joyce Foundation under the direction of it's board of directors,which included future U.S. President Barack Obama, gave over $1 million to help fund this exchange. The Chicago Climate Exchange bills itself as the only cap and trade system for all six greenhouse gases in North America.

I would say that in the very least this is a serious conflict of interest on Gore's part. The following links are to articles describing his role as well as the roles of others in the area of global warming and cap & trade. Read the articles and you will see that Cap and Trade legislation if passed constitutes a conflict of interest for Gore, President Obama, and several others.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/cover031307.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/6491195/Al-Gore-could-become-worlds-first-carbon-billionaire.html

http://www.examiner.com/x-14143-Orange-County-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m4d27-Scandal-Obama-Gore-Goldman-Joyce-Foundation-CCX-partners-to-fleece-USA

http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/cap-and-trade-shenanigans-with-the-chicago-climate-exchange/

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22663

http://www.examiner.com/x-25474-Tucson-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m11d28-Global-Warming-a-multibillion-dollar-scam

http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/

I have included just a few links to articles on this subject. There are many more online but I have yet to find anything about this in the U.S. mainstream media.

More on the American taxpayer's bailout of Greece

2010-05-07T23:36:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about the bailout for Greece. I am sure that many Americans aren't aware that their tax dollars are now going to be used to assist in this bailout. Actually I have just learned this within the past couple of days. So for a little background;
In the spring of 2009 President Obama pledged $100 billion from America to help fund the International Monetary Fund or IMF for short. In May of 2009 Congress honored his request and $108 billion dollars of American taxpayer money was approved for the IMF. This occurred within months after the American taxpayers funded a $700 billion bailout of American banks and companies deemed too big to fail.
People it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you can't spend money you don't have. Sooner or later you are going to have to pay the piper. Only an idiot would not see this. The problem here, is that Washington is full of idiots who feel as if our tax dollars are theirs to spend as they see fit and are not really concerned with having to pay the piper. Why? Because they won't have to. That task will fall to you and me, our children and our grandchildren.
Folks something has to give and that something starts with the American people. We can no longer afford to not get involved. We can no longer afford to not be informed. We have all seen how things work in Washington. That is why we have become so disillusioned and untrusting of those we have elected to represent us. That is the reason our country is in the shape it is in today. We have let this go on for way too long. The primary concern of a politician is to get reelected, not to do what is best for America or the American people. That is why we have to stop electing career politicians to represent us. That is why we have to hold those we elect accountable for their actions.
This country was founded on the belief that the government belongs to the people. It is time that we reclaim it. Before anyone reads more into that I am not talking about with violence. We all have a voice here and we need to use it. We owe it to our country, ourselves and our children.

Greece Bailout

2010-05-06T22:34:00.002-05:00

Even though our country has approximately a $12 trillion dollar deficit our esteemed representatives in Washington voted last year to give $108 billion to the International Monetary Fund. Now it looks as if part of that money (our tax dollars) will be used to help bail Greece out of their current financial crisis. To make matters worse we will probably never get a penny of that money back. I honestly believe if you took all the common sense currently possessed by our elected officials in Washington D.C. and put it in a thimble there would still be room for a thumb.

http://www.redstate.com/brian_d/2010/05/06/no-more-us-taxpayer-funded-bailoutsfor-greece/

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-guess-whos-paying-for-that-greece-bailout-thats-right-you-2010-5

Enough is enough. Contact your Representatives and Senators in Washington and tell them that the spending has to stop.

Arizona Immigration Law

2010-05-04T20:41:00.007-05:00

For the past week or so I have been following all of the stories regarding the recently passed Arizona immigration law. I have read the text of the bill and for the most part it looks as if what it does is give state and local law enforcement the ability to enforce federal immigration laws.

I have watched and read the stories that say that the police will be able to stop and detain suspected illegal immigrants on suspicion alone. This is not true. Any contact that an officer has with a suspected illegal immigrant has to occur as a result of a probable cause stop of the suspect. This law is actually more stringent than most laws or rules governing police contact with the public. In regards to the accusation made by the media that Arizona state law now makes it a crime for an immigrant not to be in possession of their "papers" this is also untrue. Federal law already requires that immigrants carry immigration documents. The media has once again shown that they are irresponsible and biased which is truly unfortunate.

To those protesters and boycotters who are screaming that this is a racist and unconstitutional law; When did entering the country illegally become confined to one race? When did arresting someone for doing something illegally become unconstitutional? This group should do a little research on the law and the constitution.

Then of course we have the politicians and their comments on racial profiling. Maybe you guys should concentrate on securing our borders so that we have some idea of who is entering into our country.

We have always been a country of immigrants. So tell me, is it fair to all of those who have become US citizens or are now attempting to become US citizens, through the proper and legal procedures, to allow illegal aliens to enter and reside in this country without any fear of apprehension?

Is it fair to the citizens of this country for our federal government to continue to allow our borders to remain unsecured so that we continue to have no idea who is entering our country and their purpose for being here?

If all of the protesters, boycotters and politicians speaking out against this law are so concerned with rights then answer this for me;

What about the rights of U.S. citizens who live close to the border who have their homes burglarized, vehicles stolen, livestock slaughtered and property vandalized and littered with trash?

What about the rights of Arizona rancher Rob Krentz who was murdered last month after going to assist an illegal alien on his property?

What about the rights of Pinal County Deputy Louie Puroll who was shot last week by suspected illegal aliens transporting bales of marijuana across the desert between Phoenix and Tuscon?

Everyone speaking out against this law should familarize themselves with federal immigration statutes and the U.S. constitution, then take the time to read this new law, and maybe even put themselves in the shoes of those I mentioned above before they open their mouths because until you do, you really don't know what you are talking about.

The blame game and the U.S. financial crisis

2010-04-27T22:34:00.004-05:00

Today representatives of Goldman Sachs appeared before the Senate to answer questions in regards to our country's current financial crisis. Although it shouldn't, it amazes me that our federal government wants to lay the blame at the feet of Wall Street for the current financial crisis. The Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration now want to pass a financial reform bill to save us from Wall Street. Yeah, that is just what we need; Congress saving us from something.

If you want to know who is to blame for the current financial mess facing our country check out
the article below.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/who_caused_the_economic_crisis.html

Obama's bait-and-switch campaign - Norm Coleman - POLITICO.com

2010-04-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

Although I would add that the people also do not like the unconstitutional mandate included in Obamacare I think this article captures the feelings of many Americans. Well said Mr. Coleman.

Obama's bait-and-switch campaign - Norm Coleman - POLITICO.com