We are REAL, just ask the New York Times!

I was all primed to write about the potential adoption of the Value Added Tax as a new, unmined souce of funds for our Congress and President but that's going to have to wait. Something much more important may be happening now that makes the Haiti and China earthquake and the SoCal earthquakes, the tragic deaths of the miners in West Virginia and all the rest pale in significance!

The New York Times, the standard by which all other papers are judged, has declared (drum roll, please!) that Tea Partiers are pretty much human and not the deviates first thought of by the folks in the Blue states.

The Times in cooperation with CBS News found that we Tea Party people are more conservative that most Republicans, that we are probably older than many in the Republican party and that we believe Obama to be very liberal (Ha!) However, instead of being dissatisfied as many Republicans describe themselves, the Tea Party members describes themselves as "angry". Angry with Big Government, angry about the direction of the Country and angry about being ignored by Washington and our representatives there.

This survey is a good thing. Being prepared by the New York Times and CBS News, there can be no higher validation (at least in the Liberals' minds) for our Tea Party phenomenon and the far reaching effect it can have in Washington and throughout the Nation.

As the political sophisticates of Collin County discovered in the recent Republican run-off election for state representative, pitting a well-connected RINO (Republican In Name Only) against a Tea-supported Conservative, party insider affiliation does not assure anything. The Tea Party mantra of True Representation at every political level, Fiscal Conservatism and Less Government Intrusion plays well to the music that "I'm mad and I'm not going to put up with it anymore." As I saw on a sign at a rally recently, "Congressman, you've been warned!"

It's going to be fun.

Where Were These Guys When We Needed Them?

Last week Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Chairman was in Dallas and brought the news that financially, the United States is in trouble if a) we don't raise taxes b) cut entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, etc.) and reduce spending.

Wow, we would have never guessed!

Then the ex-Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Mr. Greenspan testified that the Congressional Budget Office based their projection of the impact of the Health Care program on very narrow margins and everything needed to work together to make those projections come true. Another BIG SURPRISE!

I guess since Mr. Bernanke is still drawing a paycheck as the current Chairman and Mr. Greenspan is working only to improve or keep the memory of his time as active Chairman fragrant and sweet, we had better listen to Mr. Bernanke.

Let's see now; a) Raise taxes? b) Cut Social Security, Medicare and the new Health Care expenses (if and when they go into effect or maybe c) Cut future Spending. What a choice our sages in Washington must be mulling over!

Based on experience, options b) and c) are not going to happen so the option a) seems to be the only answer. Raise taxes but how is the question? Got to be careful, might complicate the present tax code and make it difficult to understand.

Then someone dusted off the idea of a Value Added Tax, a tax favored in Europe and the trial balloons have been released. There seems to be strong interest in that direction as this would be just one more step of Mr. Obama's effort to "Europeonize" the United States. More next time.

You Want Me to Pay for What?

Have you ever seen a story on the Internet and scanned it quickly to see if it is a joke? This was my reaction earlier today when I read that Ryanair, a low-cost airline based in Europe is working on a plan to charge for the use of their restrooms on flights of one hour or less!

Quick, where's the punchline?

It must to be in the CNN story somewhere, following so closely on the heels of the announcement that Spirit Airlines in Florida was going to charge for carry-on luggage.

As someone who grew up in the era when the announcement that you made that "you were flying in" was greeted with awe and envy from the less fortunate, the deterioration of our lives seems almost complete! Can there be anything left that can be taken away that we once took for granted? The elimination of meals, the charging for checking luggage, the pre-boarding indignity of taking one's shoes off, exposing that hole in the toe of your sock that you forgot about, and all the other reductions and add-ons we accept to get from point A to point B, rapidly, Americans will accept and adapt to. But watch out, Mr. Airline Executive, this could get ugly.

What's Behind the Curtain in the Land of D.C.?

Sometimes we view the situation here in the US and think that because we are outweighed by the big, bad, government, we can't win. But it's not the size or the resources of the government but, in fact, it's the unlimited deceit and the "mania for change" of the present administration! Obama seems to be surrounded by specialists who have major input into his pronouncements. As I was watching a video of Michelle recently in a speech before some gay-sponsored luncheon I thought "She's not the dominating, white-hating, mad black woman she has been made out to be in the conservative press and innumerable emails circulated after she came on the "scene". In her speech, she came across somewhat like a little girl, proud of her husband as she recounted the things he had done to bring freedom to people like those in a predominantly gay audience.

Instead of the anti-Christ and his bride living in the White House, do we, in fact, have a darker-hued Ken and Barbie?

If we consider the actions of our President thus far, we see an un-formed man, an inexperienced man, a simple man who speaks a curious mix of slangy expressions and cliche, talking about ideas and concepts "above his pay grade" and making diplomatic blunders that even a first-year trainee in diplomacy would see as a career breaker. His response in times of stress are predictable and are unfailingly banal. His use of the trappings of the Office of Presidency and the waste that ensues makes the average American citizen, many of whom are out of work, cringe! A date night in New York- no small cost for us mortals but unbelievably expensive when you and your party helicopter in from DC is just one of many instances. There is a sense of, to the victor goes the prize, no matter what the cost.

All of us, admirers and detractors alike, marvel at Obama's rapid fire proposals to change our Country. Even before the final shots were fired concerning the national Health Care bill, we began to hear rumblings concerning Cap and Trade, Gun Control, continued work on Executive compensation, Education reform, Guantanamo closing, etc, etc, etc

We all look on in amazement! Where does this man get his energy?

The man has finally reached the pinnacle of success, the "CEO of the World". But, what if he is merely the front man offering little in the way of input but instead is a straw man for a syndicate, and is a drone, that will respond in a predictable fashion to the direction of others? We know that, foundationally, Obama was nurtured by Bill Ayres and Reverend Wright and, of course, others but that was only a beginning. Is it possible that now, instead of fulfilling the traditional role of the Presidential Cabinet as advisors,the Cabinet is the un-elected directors of the affairs of the United States? With the spotted financial and personal history of Obama's appointees, would this explain how some many major changes in our Country have been accomplished by "gaming the System", using what many would say are underhanded and un-Constitutional methods. Stay tuned.