Maybe I'm Nuts...But...: The Right Side

Please email comments for any story in "The Right Side" to: ctmg1027@aol.com and be sure to put Blog in the subject line along with the title of the article, please include your name and where you are from. I will gladly post comments below each article!

I See Dumb People

As we approach the 2012 election and after the landslide gains made by conservatives in the 2010 midterms, we are seeing signs of desperation from the left. They are ramping up attacks against the right, trying hard to show they have right side appeal and…they now have their own boot camp.

It has been reported by the Washington Post that Media Matters, that bastion of balance, has been putting on Boot Camps for liberal pundits. In these Boot Camps, they prepare political left wing blatherers for combat with…guess who? Fox News.

“YOU ARE JUST ABOUT AS SUBSTANTIAL AS A STACK OF SOUP SANDWICHES! NOW PULL YPUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR FOURTH POINT OF CONTACT YOU MAGGOTS!!!”

This begs the question…Why?

We’ve heard it before…every time there is need for an excuse from the left over a political defeat. We certainly heard it used in this manner after republicans took the house in November 2010.

“We just didn’t do a good enough job of delivering the message.”

What’s funny, hysterical really, is that liberals actually BELIEVE that to be the problem. Media Matters must believe it too and THAT is exactly why they are Boot Camping. The left just KNOWS they need to do a better job of getting the message across and they KNOW that Fox News is cleaning their clocks in the arena of debate.

Pretty much what they’re admitting to is that THEIR talking heads SUCK. Whip em into shape…school them, turn em into WARRIORS of the spoken word!

“DROP AND GIVE ME 20…TALKING POINTS…YOU MOUTH BREATHING LIBERAL WASTES OF YOUR MOMMA’S TIME!!!!”

Seriously…Why not a Boot Camp? I mean…Media (doesn’t) Matters has been at war with Fox News for years and all they’ve managed to do is bring a water pistol to a Howitzer fight.

Here’s the truth that the bloviating liberal/socialists of Media Matters and the cash cow around whom they swarm like flies on a horses patoot, George Soros, just don’t get; You don’t need to change the way you deliver your message…you need to CHANGE your message!

The message from the left was crystal clear leading up to the midterm election. It was received in surround sound Bose quality high definition.

It was REJECTED.

“I DON’T KNOW BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD!”

“MY TALKING POINTS ARE GETTING OLD!”

“I BLAME GEORGE BUSH AND BROTHERS KOCH!”

“IF YOU’RE CONSERVATIVE YOU’RE A JOKE!”

The fact that the liberals and socialists don’t think THEIR message is being clearly delivered is no great surprise. Obviously, they can’t recognize a clear message when it’s delivered by the people.

Well…Good luck…If they think going to a liberal blather bootie camp is somehow going to keep them from continually getting their booties kicked by Fox News…they should think again.

Here’s an idea for em…Courtesy of OUR old pal SGT. LEE ERMEY…

MAYBE we should chug on over to MAMBY-PAMBY land where MAYBE we can find some self confidence for you…you JACKWAGONS!!!!!!

Craig Andresen 3/23/11

_____________________________________________________

A Bucket Full of Holes

It’s not too often that a school closing makes the news outside the community in which it resides. In fact, I can’t recall a single instance in which it happened. Well, that is until NOW.

There is…soon to be WAS, an elementary school in Ashbury Park NJ. It will close its doors this July. The students will be sent to two different schools and temporarily the building will house administrative offices and later, become a school again.

It’s NOT closing because of redistricting, or for safety concerns. It’s not closing because a new school is being built to replace it or because it’s in a bad neighborhood either. It is closing because it has failed its students. This school is closing because of low academic achievement and declining enrollment in the district's schools.

LOW ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

Okay…so why does this make news outside of Ashbury NJ?

It make the news because of the name of the school. The school was renamed just last year. Named after a local scholar? Nooo…Named after a war hero maybe? Nope. Named after a founding father? Huh uh.

This is the…Barak H. Obama elementary school.

During his State of the Union speech, Obama told the nation that the key to a better education for our children was to throw more money at the schools. He introduced a spanking new program, ““... Race to the Top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace No Child Left Behind with a law that's more flexible and focused on what's best for our kids.”

Not only did the kids at Barak H. Obama elementary school NOT win the “Race to the Top” they didn’t even FINISH the race before somebody rolled up the track.

Also in the SOTU we heard, ““... over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.”

Well, if any of them were prepared to teach in the Barak H. Obama elementary school, they’re going to be a bit disappointed because the school…is closing…shutting down…bye bye.

It’s going with barely a whimper. It’s going without a single teacher’s union protest, fake sick notes, bullying of reporters, signs bearing the Mayor of Ashbury with a Hitler moustache or even a riot. Michael Moore is not looking for a doughnut shop in the area from which to base his rants on behalf of the union which won’t be there.

Even the short busses will be somewhere else.

In the SOTU, Obama DID point out a Denver School as one that has risen from the dregs of academia to a lofty and envied status. That would be the Randolph School. What he DIDN’T tell anybody was that the Randolph school did it, “Raced to the Top” only…AFTER…they did away with the teachers union involvement.

Obama’s batting average with education so far is an 0-fer.

It says a great deal, doesn’t it, about the mentality of those running that school district as they named a FAILING school after a failing president.

The Barak H. Obama elementary school is closing because it failed to inspire it’s teachers to rise to a higher level and because it failed to inspire its students to achieve more. That is not to say there isn’t ONE valuable lesson which CAN be learned from the Barak H. Obama elementary school though.

We can and should close the doors on his presidency in 2012 because HE is having the exact same effect on the country as the school did on its teachers and students.

If you slap Obama’s name on a water bucket, expect your shoes to get wet.

WOULD SOMEBODY GET THE DAMN PHONE!?!

It’s 3am and there’s a phone ringing in the white house…who do you want answering that phone?

Remember that from the 2008 campaign? Right about now, I’m sure there are people worldwide who just wish SOMEBODY would answer the damn thing.

Crisis after crisis, trouble in this part of the world or that, the phone just rings and rings…and rings.

The phone started ringing at the beginning of the crisis in Egypt. One gets the sense that Obama check the called ID, saw it was Cairo calling and let it go straight to voice mail. Were we with Mubarak? Against him? Did we want him to stay? Would we rather he go? It took better than a week for Obama to listen to the message before he decided Mubarak needed to go.

The next call came from Libya. Our diplomats in that country, and their families, needed a way to get out of there. That call got transferred to the white house travel bureau. Used to lining up vacations and excursions, they took the bull by the horns and secured…a sightseeing ferry…probably through PriceLine.

NEXT!!!

What? Libya…AGAIN? What now? They want WHAT? A no-fly zone…anybody have an idea what that is? Tell em we’ll make some calls and we’ll get back to em. Hey…we really need to get on the Chicago Bulls party thing. I’ve got people coming over and we’re gonna need some snacks and beer. Come on now…priority 1. Where are my golf clubs?

Ring…ring…ring…ring…ring…

Oh for the love of Allah…WHAT??? If it’s the Libyans again just tell em I’m on it. Who? Japan? Well what the hell do THEY want? Earthquake…mmmm….Tsunami…..(sniff)….What time is it? 4am??? I’ll call em back after breakfast.

Okay…Press conference time.

Libyan Rebels again? Tell em we talked to the UN and they’re working on it. Gadaffi’s winning? Well just tell em we’re working on it and we’ll let em know when WE know. Japan? Yeah…heartbreaking…probably won’t be a meltdown…Well of course we’re willing to help…Why would you ask?

Alrighty then…nothing pressing? What say we get in 18 holes before I have to fill out my March Madness brackets and lets make REAL sure everything’s all set for that fund raiser.

Radio address? Dude…taped it last week…where are my clubs?

For assistance with a natural disaster…press 1. For help saving your lives…press 2. If this is Israel…stop building settlements. For advice on nuclear meltdowns…please call Putin. If this is the Muslim Brotherhood…please hold…The president will be right with you.

________________________________________________________________________________

How High is TOO High?

We have all experienced rising prices at the pump, not just in recent weeks but over the last few years. It’s not a secret. There may well be more factors at play in those rising prices than you think.
At some level, we all know that the price of gas is determined by the price of a barrel of crude and THAT price is determined in large part on a combination of fear and speculation. That is NOT to say that fear and speculation are separated from reality.

There are several realities in the mix. Even I in columns and conversations have referred to the Middle East as dominoes beginning to fall but a more reality based assertion is that the entire region is a house of cards and it exists in the Middle East equivalent of tornado alley. Tunisia fell, one card off the top of the house and prices nudged up. Egypt fell…a couple of more cards from the roof and prices edge up again. Now it’s Libya and Libya’s cards comprise an upper wall of the house of cards and the price of a barrel begins to jump. We don’t get oil from Tunisia or Egypt so what’s a couple of missing shingles worth? No big deal but…Libya, where we get about 2% of our oil, a wall on the upper floor so to speak, makes the speculators jumpy because now, the structure is effected.

Speculators employ fear and rightly so because they are looking at the rest of the house of cards and wondering which cards will blow away next. Bahrain? Cyprus? Saudi Arabia? These are support beams and the very foundation itself and who knows if the winds of change will blow them away too? Right? Well, it’s deeper than that. Right now, we have a tenuously friendly relationship with those support beams and the foundation but, should they be scattered by the winds, it’s the fear and speculation of what replaces them that drives up the price…for now. Should they be replaced by the type of cards being held in Iran…the flow of oil to the west could well dry up or…because they would literally have the west over a barrel, it could be used to hold us hostage at prices in the $500.00 to $800.00/barrel range.

So the obvious question is…Why this administration doing something to stabilize the Middle East situation? Because, in my opinion, it would be counterproductive to their ideology.

More than 30 years ago, the eco left decided it was bad for the world to drill holes, pump oil and build refineries so, we stopped doing that and started importing more and more oil. Remember Carter’s long gas lines? Carter’s inflation? Carter’s economy? Well, we’re at it again but this time, it’s worse. This time, we have an administration bent on a socialistic ideology, big government, entitlements and bailouts. For the socialist ideology to succeed in America, We The People would HAVE to rely on government for our very existence.

It would seem this administration has no plan to deal with the situation in the Middle East but, could it be their plan is working exactly as they want it to? If the worst happens and the very foundation of the house of cards blows away, the oil from Saudi Arabia becomes either completely unaffordable or simply not available to the west, what happens? Well, a worldwide economic meltdown, a domestic disaster, food shortages, transportation gone and on and on. We can’t grow food, transport it our other goods without oil. Businesses would fold, unemployment would skyrocket. Where would We The People turn? We would be FORCED to turn to government for…EVERYTHING…our very existence.

One must remember that below the surface of the United States, there exists, according to reports released in the last few months, enough oil to supply this country for nearly 2000 years. If we started NOW, drilling and building new refineries, estimates are that it would take 10-15 years to reach production levels needed to end reliance on foreign oil. In my opinion, in the worst case scenario, by then we would be MORE dependent on government than we are NOW on foreign oil.

Call it a conspiracy theory…maybe it is…but…what if it’s not? Reality…we stopped drilling 30+ years ago. Reality…liberals have always wanted big government control of the people. Reality…the Middle East is going to hell in a hand bag. Reality…This administration is watching from the sidelines.

Do you see any sort of friendly stability coming to the Middle East soon? Me either. I see gas prices in the $4.00-$6.00/gallon range by early this summer. As those prices inflate so too will the prices of commodities and textiles. Do you see your income inflating to meet that? Me either. $8.00-$10.00/gallon by the end of the year? I wouldn’t bet against it.

In my opinion, we need an administration that HAS a plan to build a wind block to protect the house of cards in the Middle East for the short term and a long term plan to build our own house of brick and steel at home.

Drill baby Drill is not a bumper sticker…it’s a matter of survival.

Craig Andresen
2/3/11
_________________________________________________________________________________

Things I Believe

The following is a list of things I believe. I know full well there are those who will fault my beliefs but I will not apologize for believing what I believe as I have every bit as much right to hold my opinions as have those who hold others.

I believe that the line dividing liberals from socialists is nearly nonexistent. We see socialist and yes, communist organizations not only in attendance at politically liberal rallies and events, we see them sponsoring and promoting those gatherings. What we don’t see is those who refer to themselves as liberals voicing their disapproval of those organizations. Instead, they are welcomed into the fold. The arrogance of socialism tears at the very fabric of our nation and threatens to fundamentally destroy the very things that define us as the world’s guardian of freedom.

I believe that for the United States to be effective as a world leader, we must be seen as an icon of strength. We cannot have our Chief Executive travel the globe apologizing for our strengths any more than we can have our Chief Executive sit in the oval office turning our back on allies while appeasing our enemies. No matter how hard you try to make nice with people whose ideology is aimed at destroying us, they’re still going to want to destroy us.

I believe political correctness is a death sentence in the war of ideologies. Make no mistake, we are at war with Islamist ideology and our current approach to this war is to be as politically correct as possible so as not to offend those who want us all dead. Those with whom we are engaged with in this war strap bombs to themselves and children to blow up anybody within range regardless of their affiliations, kill women for as little a reason as they were seen in public with their head uncovered, they cut off hands, feet and heads of those with whom they have a minor grievance, and want to wipe entire nations off the world map. Only a fool would worry about offending an ideology so beneath contempt and inhumane as this. They do NOT view any attempt to be politically correct as a sign of respect, they see it for exactly what it is; a fatal weakness.

I believe the founding fathers and framers of the Constitution knew exactly what they were doing and that the document which defines our Republic is NOT to be trifled with. That the framers allowed for amending the Constitution through a defined and demanding process is clear evidence that they realized the Republic would require sensible modifications beyond their comprehension. They also made it clear that mere whims of elected officials would not be enough to affect such changes and that the Constitution itself was the protection of the people against a power hungry government.

I believe the U.N. is a worthless organization rife with corruption and holds itself in a position that only extreme arrogance can explain. Any organization which would allow representatives from countries such as Libya and Saudi Arabia to lecture the world on human rights needs to be disbanded. With protesters still in the streets of Cairo, while many countries in the Middle East teetered on the brink of civil war and while Kadaffi ordered his military aircraft to fire on his own people, the U.N. was busy condemning Israel for building apartments in Gaza. Irrational leaders of murderous and genocidal regimes can NOT be swayed into a more compliant and erstwhile state of humanity by the issuance of resolutions and sanctions. If you want to get their attention, you have to be willing to explain things to them. Ronald Reagan understood how to explain things to Kadaffi and both Bush 41 and Bush 43 understood how to explain things to Saddam and Al Qaida.

I believe our country’s flag and Members of our military are to be respected. Certainly, there are military personnel who have violated codes of conduct and they should be held accountable and if found to be guilty, discharged and not due the respect of the 99 percentile. Those who choose to disrespect our flag by burning it, spitting on it, trampling on it etc. are morons. Try living in a country ruled by a dictator and doing something like that to THEIR flag. OUR flag is the very symbol which guarantees you the right to disagree with our government. You may not agree with a certain military action but to spit on, heckle, deride or disrespect Members of our Military is as brainless as doing so to our flag. Those are the very people who are willing to put their lives on the line to ensure your freedom and bring freedom to millions around the world. If you’re going to burn our flag, please wrap yourself in it first and if you choose not to stand behind our military, feel free to stand in front of them.

I believe the score SHOULD be kept in little league baseball games. Some teams win, others lose and to pretend it’s okay to lose so as to protect the feelings of those who didn’t win sets the stage for aspiring toward mediocrity. Children who are encouraged to win grow up be winners and encourage others to do likewise. Mediocrity did not create this country, never kept it free, has never led to innovation, doesn’t foster the spirit of exploration, won’t lead to prosperity and certainly does nothing to preserve our liberty or standing in the world.

I believe the color of a person’s skin is of no consequence outside of the ability to get a sunburn or in the process of offering a description of a person to someone who has yet to meet that person. I also believe the color of a person’s spine is of great consequence when it comes to that person’s view of another’s skin color. If you stand with OR against an individual based on the color of the other’s skin, it is your spine which is the wrong color.

I believe illegal immigration is exactly that; Illegal. Yes, this country was built on immigration but those who came to build a great nation did so legally. Those who arrive without proper authorization are breaking the law, harming the economy, and weaken our Republic. I suspect those who advocate illegal immigration would not be so open minded if they came home from a night at the theater to find someone else taking up residence in their house.

I believe that anyone striving to lead the greatest nation on earth, The United States of America, must know in his or her heart that the true strength and moral fiber of our country rests not in the halls of government but within the very soul of the people. Likewise, in order to maintain our freedoms, and promote the God given rights of others, the people of the United States of America must also know that as individuals, they are the true power. For either to believe otherwise will lead to our nation’s downfall both from outside forces as well as from the enemy within.

It is incumbent upon us to rise above the inner fray, to stand tall upon the foundation set in place by those whose vision created a Republic that could bend without breaking, defend itself and others, face the foes of freedom through diplomacy or aggression and do so by setting an example second to none.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Of Common Sense and Historical Reference

It was just a couple of weeks ago, while watching the protesters gather in Egypt, that we were told by our president, there was nothing to worry about regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. We were told they were peaceful. We were told they had no desire to enter into the political arena. We were told lots of things…they were secular, they were not radical, they did not back terrorists. Our president even offered them a seat at the table to build a new Egyptian government.

Common sense and historical reference told us our president was wrong.

We listened as our president quickly rebuked a 30 year ally, Mubarak, and told him the time to leave was now, not tomorrow but now. It was puzzling really as he did no such thing two years ago as the people of Iran tried to rise up against one of our enemies.

Common sense and historical reference told us our president was wrong.

We said the uprisings would spread. We said it would happen all across the Middle East. We said the vacuum would be filled by the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical elements of Islam. We said that Israel would become a target. We said that that Sharia law would become pervasive in the region. We said that Egypt was just the start and the worst was yet to come.

Liberals told us we were crazy. Liberals told us it was democracy. Liberals told us we were fear mongers. Liberals said our president got it right.

Common sense and historical reference told us the liberals were wrong.

Now, it’s Libya. Kaddafi is killing his own people as they rise against him. He has sent military aircraft to fire on his own people. Kaddafi has vowed a fight to the finish. His son has promised rivers of blood. Kaddafi says he will die a martyr. He refers to his own people as rats and scum. Libya is on the verge of an all out civil war. Kaddafi is our enemy.

Our president who remained silent when Iran, an enemy, was in a popular uprising and spoke out against a 30 year ally in Egypt when THEY were in a popular uprising and so far, many days into the popular uprising against our enemy Kaddafi, our president has remained silent once again.

Common sense and historical reference led us to believe this would be the case.

Those in power in Iran, those in leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, those who represent Hamas and radical Islam all stand behind the protesters in Libya. Nature abhors a vacuum. Terrorists love a vacuum because terrorists stand ready to fill the vacuum.

Common sense and historical reference leads us to believe this is true.

We, as a country under president Carter stood by and watched this very thing happen in Iran some 32 years ago. It was caused by a lack of foreign policy and a willingness to allow our enemies to move into the region without raising a finger to stop them.

As the dominoes fall in the Middle East, one by one, despots, dictators and tenuous allies, will fall. Their régimes will be replaced by radical Islamists bent on the destruction of our allies, Israel and the west. Their ultimate goal is our destruction and they may well not even have to fire a shot in our direction to accomplish it.

Common sense and historical reference tells us this is what they want.

As the Middle East falls prey to the forces of evil, oil prices worldwide will quickly rise. Soon, a barrel of oil which traded at just $80.00 a week ago, will approach $150.00-$200.00 per barrel. The ramifications will not only hit the civilized world at the gas pump. Everything we purchase…food, textiles, everything will sky rocket in price. The world will be plunged into a global depression. A lack of leadership from our president, a lack of strength, indecision, turning his back on our allies while remaining silent in the face of the despicable actions of our enemies by our current president will not be the sole cause of our downfall.

It will happen also because of our dependence on foreign oil. We could have avoided what will come had we drilled for our own reserves and built new refineries. We should have been doing it for decades but, liberals told us we couldn’t. Liberals told us it would damage the ecology.

We warned them. We knew it would eventually come to this. We saw it coming.

The question is…Is it too late to stop it? Maybe not but our current president and administration have not the ability, backbone or desire to turn the tide. That would take a show of strength, a leader who holds no respect for political correctness, a president who is not afraid to identify our enemies, call them out and stand strong with our allies.

As an American, I am not willing to concede. We can rise up. We can beat back the world’s evil. We CAN rebuild the reputation our current president and his administration have squandered. We Will. We have done it before.

Common sense and historical reference proves we can do it again.

Craig Andresen
2/22/11

__________________________________________________________________________________

At WAR with Our Republic!!

Our liberal, or rather, SOCIALIST administration has declared war on our republic... in OUR OWN COUNTRY!!! Make no mistake about it...the only war this administration and liberals/socialists are willing to wage is their war on OUR freedom!!

They stand side by side with socialists and communists. They run away from the democratic process. They violate the constitution. They ignore the rulings of federal courts.

NOW we have VIDEO EVIDENCE of this administration suppressing FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!! Watch this INCREDIBLE CLIP:

Hillery Clinton was denouncing Mubarak for cutting off the internet and stifling FREE SPEECH when a 71 year old former member of OUR military, a man who fought for OUR FREEDOM, stood and silently...SILENTLY...turned his back. What happens next, with this socialist member of our administration continues without batting an eye, is UNSPEAKABLE!!!!

ANY liberal who calls you crazy, says you're making things up, calls you an extremist, claims Obama and his administration are NOT socialists, or worse...is a LIAR...plain and simple. FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY in America IS under attack. Liberals have declared WAR!!!

Anti Democracy Weasels

Ahhh…to be in Wisconsin now that the liberals are blooming! It’s been a week and the Wisconsin liberal union workers, their bosses, assorted thugs from across the nation and THEIR commander in the white house continue to protest democracy in their state capital.

At the crux of the situation is a bill that would require union workers to contribute to their own pensions and healthcare. They wouldn’t have to contribute much…5.8% to their own pensions and 12% to their own healthcare. This bill would also limit collective bargaining by the unions thus helping to keep them in line with the rest of the people who don’t have the benefit of union protection, automatic salary increases, a full ride on both healthcare and pensions on the backs of others etc.

The entitled unionists are special. They don’t feel it’s fair. They know they deserve better than anyone else and they are certain that those who don’t work for the unions should be paying their way. To that end, of course they don’t want this bill to pass.

Many of those who have been attending these anti democracy protests are teachers. Many of them took the kids in their classes OUT of school and hauled them off to the protests, pushed signs into their hands and told them what to say. I seriously doubt they had permission slips signed by parents for this field trip. Heck, the TEACHERS didn’t even have permission slips. The teachers lied. They called in sick. Too sick, poor things, to go to work. Not too sick to go to Madison and protest, make disgusting signs, yell and shout and jump up and down. Not too sick to threaten the Governor of Wisconsin…but…to sick to teach all the same.

For liberals and unionists who will surely rail at the mere mention of this being an anti democracy protest, just look at who has come to stand by your side in this turmoil. The socialist party is there, standing with you. So is the communist party. These are the organizations who are taking YOUR side. I don’t think they’re historically known for being pro democracy…Quite the opposite in fact.
Proof can be found in this link:
http://bit.ly/fDhI6h

Who you DON’T see standing with you at your anti democracy protest dear liberals, are Wisconsin’s democrat senators. Those very senators who for years raised taxes to pay your way, who just a couple of years ago voted to raise their own salaries are NOT there. They ran away. When this bill came to a vote, those senators of the Wisconsin democratic party fled all the way to Illinois and hid in a Best Western hotel. You got that liberals? They headed for the deep weeds instead of doing what they were elected to do. They left the state and crawled in a hole…Not like Badgers…like the weasels they truly are.

Make no mistake, this IS a state issue, NOT a national issue but that hasn’t stopped the president from mobilizing HIS campaign organization, Organizing for America, and the DNC to set the Wisconsin stage by activating unionists nationwide. Obama even called the bill in question an assault on unions. He had to because he owes unions BIG for their monetary support. It’s nice to know that he could take a little time away from passing around Obamacare waivers to his union pals long enough to pipe up against a state elected Governor.

Republicans, like Governor Scott Walker and those who took over a majority of seats in the Wisconsin legislature, not to mention those representing Wisconsin in Washington were elected by the people of Wisconsin in a fair and open election which by the way, the liberals lost. Now, when a bill comes along that they don’t care for, they scatter like cockroaches when the lights come on. Just to be clear, the president hasn’t been the only voice in Washington, having no business meddling in the affairs of an individual state to blather out loud. Nancy Pelosi has chimed in to say how proud she is of those Wisconsin weasels for high-tailing it out of the state. She calls it democracy in action.

I'm sure the socialists and communists are as proud of Pelosi and Obama as they are of them.

Perhaps liberals and unionists in Wisconsin would rather their state file for bankruptcy. The bill they want nothing to do with guarantees them that union members will not be fired nor furloughed if the budget crisis becomes worse. That’s right, those who insist that Governor Scott Walker did NOT negotiate in good faith will have HIM to thank for their very jobs if worse comes to worse. Without the passing of this bill, those jobs are NOT guaranteed and NEITHER ARE THEIR PENSIONS.

I wonder how many of them have figured it out…the small amount they are being asked to contribute to their own pensions and healthcare is actually LESS than what they pay in union dues each year? One would at the very least hope that SOME teachers, standing in the rotunda of the Wisconsin capital in Madison, who called in sick when they really weren’t and who took students out of their classes to go to am protest, the MATH teachers, would be able to add and subtract sufficiently to arrive at that conclusion.

If you want to know who supports democracy in this country, look at Wisconsin right now. Tea Party patriots have come from across the nation to stand WITH Governor Walker and FOR democracy. If you want to see who doesn’t, they are also on display in Wisconsin. Unionists, liberals, the socialists and communists linked arm in arm, together against democracy but ready and willing to demand that others pay their way for them.

Craig Andresen

2/19/11

__________________________________________________________________________________

A Matter of Influence Lost

The problems we now face in the Middle East are many; the solutions to those problems are unknown. One inescapable fact persists. Our administration is suffering from a total lack of clear foreign policy.

Tunisia and Lebanon fell in January. Now Egypt exists, at least for the time being, in a vacuum. Other countries in the region are now fearful and for good reason. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel…just to name a few.

Do you see the emerging pattern? It’s our allies, not our enemies, who are in danger either from inside their own borders or from outside forces. Our current administration, with no concept of how the Middle East works, has openly backed our own enemies and those of our allies while at the same time, throwing our friends under the bus.

Like tourists in a foreign land without a command of the local language and while holding the map upside down, the Obama administration blathers about trying to find the path to democracy in this long troubled region while speeding down the road to destruction in a state of blind oblivion.

The U.S. and the Obama administration cannot afford to sit on the sidelines nor can they afford to dictate what comes next in Egypt. A diplomacy which has yet to be shown by this administration must come forward. As Egypt must create a whole new constitution and government, we must not tell them what to do. Instead, we must help them do it. We cannot stand by, as Carter did when Iran fell 32 years ago, and allow militants take control. We must lead by example in Egypt as they craft a whole new system, and show them the value of freedom.

I do not believe currently there is anyone in this administration capable of the sort of guidance required. Obama and his administration’s credibility is now deeply questioned by the very allies who find themselves in the path of an Egyptian style uprising or a militant style takeover. Our administration’s handling of this uprising, crisis and overthrow of the Mubarak government has been, at best, inept and more realistically, dangerous.

Obama was completely caught off guard from the onset. Trying to get out in front, he undermined his thread-bare credibility in the region by quickly speaking against an ally. His intelligence chief, Clapper, made it clear HE has no idea who the Muslim Brotherhood is. Secretary of State Clinton was blind to reality as she said the Mubarak government was solid. Obama said Mubarak must go now while the envoy he sent to Cairo said the U.S. should stand with Mubarak.

Trust, which is very hard to come by in that region can be lost with the turn of a phrase and is very, very difficult to reclaim.

The Obama administration would do well to call on those who assisted newly democratized nations in Europe during the late 80’s and early 90’s to guide Egypt in their new venture. Behind the scenes, Obama needs to work, through diplomacy, to ensure radical elements do not have a seat at the table in the shaping of a new and free Egypt. Above all, Obama must, in my opinion, find it within himself to stop alienating allies while attempting to appease the enemies of freedom.

We have a 235 year history of freedom. Egypt has a 7000+ year history without it. What happened there with Mubarak stepping down does not equal freedom but it does constitute a first step in that direction. What happens next for the people of Egypt is in their hands but we should stand ready to assist them where and when they ask, not before and not through insistence but by example.

Mere words will not rebuild lost trust in the region. Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others will need to see deeds. Those countries now see Obama as a weak reactionary rather than as a strong and reliable ally. The Muslim Brotherhood wields a great deal of influence in the region while Obama has little if any left. Our and their enemies are there to stay and Obama is perceived to be, at best, a fair weather ally who could turn his back at a moment’s notice.

It may well be too late for Obama and this administration to reverse course in any meaningful way. Those in the Middle East whom we must remain allies with will not be swayed by the turn of a bumper sticker slogan. The question is; can we hold on there long enough to start rebuilding under a new administration?

For our sake and for the sake of those we count on and who count on us, let’s hope so but, those in line for uprisings either against them from the inside of directed against them from the outside need to be prepared to go it alone in the near future.

Craig Andresen

_________________________________________________________________________________

A Failure of Epic Proportion

As the world enters day 18 of the uprising in Egypt one thing has become clear, Barak Obama has no idea what he’s doing.

Since the beginning of this crisis in Egypt, Obama has flopped around like a fish in the sand desperately looking for the safety of the water’s edge. As the people of Egypt gathered in protest against their president and his oppressive control, demanding he give up power and leave, OUR president, fresh off his WTF State of the Union speech, started doing what he love most. He started listening to the sound of his own voice.

Why bring up the SOTU? Because, in its wake, we were all treated to the left wing media’s drooling and droning as they attempted to convince those, including themselves, who knew better, just how Reganesque their socialist leader had become. He certainly sounded like Reagan they told us…he has taken on Reagan’s approach, they tried to convince us. Newsweek even went so far as to conjure up a cover of Reagan with his arm around Obama.

With all of this contrived bluster, Obama decided to create his very own “Tear Down This Wall” moment and stepped up to the nearest microphone and, as sternly as he could, told Mubarak that the time to go was now. Loving the sound of his own voice, he continued to say it over and over again. Loving to hear his words echoed, his administration mouth pieces said it and said it and said it. Obama even went so far as to invite a terrorist organization and enemy of Mubarak to take a place at the table in forming a new Egyptian government.

On day 17 of the crisis in Egypt, an hour before Mubarak went on TV in HOS country, in what many thought would be his acquiescence and departure speech, Obama, in Michigan spouted off one more time.

Mubarak did NOT step down and in his speech, took a shot at Obama’s declarations.

We have learned that the Saudi royals indeed had warned Obama NOT embarrass the Arab president and that THEY would, if need be, move in to prop up the embattled Egyptian leader financially. We also learned that the leaders in Israel have lost THEIR respect for Obama as he so quickly turned his back on a 30 year ally. If he could do such a thing to Mubarak and Egypt, they wondered, how quickly would he turn his back on Israel?

We also now have the words of Mubarak, from closed door meetings, where he, in no uncertain terms, lets HIS feelings be known:

“We are brothers, soldiers, we have bled together for Egypt, we have shed blood together. Today, we are faced by an enemy who demands we hand Egypt over to our enemies. The people of Egypt have been silenced by these insurgents and we have been more than patient. Will we all sit here and obey the Obama regime? Will we not once again, with honor stand up to our enemies? Will we not continue to stand for Egypt with honor?

Brothers, would you have me crawl away at the command of Obama? Would any of you crawl away like a dog that has been kicked? Would any of you bow down to the fools he has chosen to take our nation from us?

Clearly, this was no, “Tear Down This Wall” moment. Clearly this was NOT Reaganesque.

Obama’s handling of the situation in Egypt has been completely inept. He has our allies fearing him and our enemies applauding him.

What he SHOULD have done, or said, was that we continue to closely monitor the situation and we are keeping open the lines of communication between us, the Egyptian president and with the leaders of other countries in the region. Publicly, that is ALL he, or anyone else in his administration should has said. Behind the scenes, he should have been working on providing a way for Mubarak to exit the stage while saving face making sure NOT to rock the boat of fragile diplomacy or weakening the peace between Egypt and Israel

What will happen today, tomorrow, next week or over a period of months in Egypt is open to speculation. Mubarak may well leave, or be forced to leave before HIS September deadline but, one thing is clear, if he does leave early, it will NOT be because of anything Obama has said. It will be because the people of Egypt or the military there pushed him out.

Now, summoning MY inner Reagan…

“Mr. Obama…Sit Down and Shut Up.”

Craig Andresen

2/11/11

Ronald Reagan Made a Difference

As we remember Ronald Reagan on what would have been his 100^th birthday, tributes abound. In each of them, we hear how Reagan changed the world, how he made a difference in the world.

There is more to it than that.

While those with much more notoriety and more of an audience than I speak with more eloquence to more people than I can, I can’t help but to remember how Reagan made a difference…to me.

I was just 16 years old when Jimmy Carter became president and through those four years, I watched as he dug a hole from which I felt our country could never crawl out. So disillusioned was I after the Carter presidency that when I had my first chance to vote…I passed. I wanted NOTHING to do with politics, with voting OR with getting behind a political party. Reagan got elected, through no fault of mine, and almost overnight, things changed.

Iran let the American hostages go free and I started paying attention.

The more this new president said, the more those who were our enemies began to blink. The more they blinked, the closer the United States came to winning what had been an all too long cold war. It wasn’t just our enemies who were taking notice. I too took notice. I noticed how president Reagan instilled a sense of pride in me regarding our country. I noticed how proud he was of our military, I noticed how proud he was of the American people. I was one of those American people. Was our president proud of me?

Yes he was.

He had no idea who I was, where I was, or what I was studying in school. He had no idea where I would go, what I might do, or even that I had not voted in his election. But he was proud because I was an American.

I had become a Ronald Reagan fan and supporter. I watched as he told the leader of the Soviet Union to tear down the wall. I watched as he spoke after the Challenger disaster. I heard him speak from the heart at Normandy. I voted for his reelection and watched as he carried 49 states. I watched him and I believed in the country HE loved and I understood why he felt as he did. I felt that way too. I always had…I just didn’t have a president who felt that way…until Reagan.

Ronald Reagan made a difference. He ended the cold war. He brought our country back. He showed the whole world that the United States was a place of conviction, belief, God and freedom. Political rivals respected him, world leaders knew he meant what he said, the American people rallied around him.

Ronald Reagan never saluted our flag with his hand...he saluted with his heart. When it came time for the Pledge or the playing of our National Anthem, he didn't put his hand over his heart rather, I believe, he placed his heart under his hand. That's the sort of American Ronald Reagan was. That is the sort of American I strive to be.

Ronald Reagan made a difference.

Today would have been his 100^th birthday and I couldn’t help but remember how Ronald Reagan made a difference…to me.

It's amazing, this world in which we live. Through social media we are able to meet people who otherwise, would remain strangers. From time to time, I will share with you, some of my newest friends.

The first is Bob Mack. Bob is a Viet Nam Vet. and a true believer in America. You will find a link to his blog "Be Sure You're Right" on the home page of this blog. I invite you to spend some time with Bob and enjoy what HE has to share!

A Constitutional Ruling

   Today, a federal judge, Judge Vinson of Florida, ruled that Obamacare is indeed, unconstitutional. Many liberals have already stated that this ruling is simply partisan. They could not be more wrong.

   In his decision, Judge Vinson carefully considered all arguments put forth, both for and against this healthcare bill. He then consulted the Constitution and cited the federalist papers, historical events, the constitution itself and even the Boston Tea Party.

   Judge Vinson concluded that the individual mandate requiring Americans to purchase healthcare overreaches the government’s power, according to the Constitution, and is therefore unconstitutional. He further cites the fact that Obamacare was crafted without a severability clause and thus, since the individual mandate could not be severed from the rest of the bill, the entire act must be voided.

   The lack of a severability clause is entirely the fault of those who drafted this 2000 page monstrosity.

   It was liberals in congress who first, violated the Constitution and then, arrogantly, rammed the bill through without following the very procedures which would have added severability to the bill.

And now, they say the Judge’s ruling is…partisan?

   Many liberals are crawling all over themselves to cite 2 other judges rulings that Obamacare IS constitutional. However, there are problems with those 2 ruling which liberals seem to forget about. In one of those cases the judge never addressed the issue of whether or not Congress can force you to purchase health care. The other case centered on whether or not it was constitutional to allow funding of abortions in Obamacare.

   Clearly, neither of those 2 cases and their subsequent rulings were not as inclusive as was the case, brought by 26 states, before Judge Vinson.

   Ultimately, this case will be in the hands of the Supreme Court but the ruling today, by Judge Vinson, clearly stands FOR the Constitution as a document which protects We The People from an all too controlling government.

The Constitution NOT a partisan document and the ruling today isn't either.

Craig Andresen 1/31/11

__________________________________________________________________________________

What I Learned

So, I watched the State of the Union speech, I did, the whole thing, all of it. It wasn’t easy. I had myself tied to the chair so that no amount of temptation to make a quick exit would prevail. I sat there and I watched it.

I not really sure, from what I heard, what the state of our union actually is but I’m pretty sure I know a lot more about China’s state of the union now.

I learned that we don’t make many things in our country anymore. I didn’t learn this from Obama’s speech, I learned it by reading those “Made In” tags and stickers on the things I’ve been buying for years.

I learned that, according to Obama, we need to throw more money at education so that our teachers will be respected.

I heard, from Obama, that we need to “Win the Future” which made me wish that, from my strapped in position, I could reach the coffee table where my copy of Newt’s last book, “Winning the Future” was sitting.

I learned that we need to rise to this generations Sputnik moment although I question whether this generation even knows what Sputnik was. I also learned that the best way to rise to a Sputnik moment is to throw money at it. I suppose this is so our Sputniks will be respected.

I learned that we need high speed trains so that we won’t get felt up when we travel. I expect that will take quite a bit of money throwing but as we now throw lots of money at Amtrak, I am at a loss to explain why train travel is not more respected.

I learned that smoked salmon is complicated.

I learned that we now have both Iran and North Korea under control. I’m sure that Israel and South Korea are relieved.

I learned that being tied to a chair is uncomfortable and prevents me from getting smoked salmon from the fridge OR reaching Newt’s book.

I learned that by 2015, at least 1 million of us will be driving electric cars. I remember when I was a kid, we were sure that by the year 2000, all cars would fly. I guess we didn’t throw enough money at flying cars.

I learned that Obama thinks the recent repeal of Obamacare vote in the house is funny. I also learned that he is open minded on the topic. I found THAT funny.

I learned we need to throw more money at illegal immigrants so that they won’t leave.

I learned that Obama himself wants to reorganize government. I believe that would require more voters being tied to chairs than just me.

I learned that countries like China and India are better off than we are because their businesses aren’t required to throw as much money at their governments as our businesses have to throw at ours. They are also better off because they have high speed trains.

When the orating was finished I decided to test Obama’s theory. I threw a dollar bill at my toilet.

I learned I have no more respect for indoor plumbing now than I did while I was tied to my chair.

Craig Andresen

1/27/11
_________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
Sent to me by Alana Burke:

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

'My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.

Since Congress does not want to s...pend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq . This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short . The United Kingdom , Spain , Bulgaria , Australia , and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

THEN EVERY YEAR
THERE AFTER It'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine ? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France ..

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China .
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France , and Russia . Thanks for all your help, comrades.. We are retiring from NATO as well..

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors: Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple thousand extra tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put 'em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska -which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'darn tootin.'

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America . It is time to eliminate homelessness in America . To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought : You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America .. Thank you and good night.'

If you can read this in English, thank a soldier.

__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Where Can Liberals Go From Here?

by Craig Andresen on Friday, January 14, 2011 at 2:14pm

After taking “a shellakin’” back in the November mid-term elections and losing control of the house, liberals have either been beside themselves or spinning out of control.

Making concessions to conservatives on tax rates, watching John Boehner take the gavel, the reading of the Constitution in an historic first on the floor of the House and facing a repeal vote on Obamacare have the liberals all wadded up.

Then came the horrific news of the shooting in Tucson which killed 6 and left Congresswoman Gabby Giffords with a gunshot wound to the head.

That’s when the liberals thought they had a way out of their doldrums. As quick as they could say “Tea Party,” liberals anywhere near a microphone or within reach of their Twitter account started laying the blame for what happened in Tucson squarely upon Sarah Palin, the afore mentioned Tea Party and any conservative who had dared offer an utterance over the last 15 years.

It backfired on them.

Day after day, we learned that the shooter had no use for, never listed to and couldn’t have cared less about anything any conservative ever said, wrote, or posted.

Then, Sarah Palin put forth a very well stated response to all the false accusations.

Liberals, being liberals and needing to find SOME way to pin fault on Palin THEN started jumping about and accusing Sarah Palin of…injecting herself into the fray…making it all about herself.

   One liberal who found his chair yanked out from beneath his bloviating butt during the election, Paul Kanjorski, condescendingly exhorted "it is incumbent on all Americans to create an atmosphere of civility and respect in which political discourse can flow freely, without fear of violent confrontation." Then it came out that only 3 months prior, the same Paul Kanjorski said of now Governor Rick Scott of Florida, "That Scott down there that's running for governor of Florida. Instead of running for governor of Florida, they ought to have him and shoot him. Put him against the wall and shoot him."
    Oops.
   Bernie Sanders attempted to cash in on the tragedy through the issuance of a fund raising letter, with these sentiments: “Given the recent tragedy in Arizona, as well as the start of the new Congress, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few words with political friends in Vermont and throughout the country. I also want to thank the very many supporters who have begun contributing online to my 2012 reelection campaign…”
   Way to employ Rahm’s principles of not letting a crisis go to waste there Bernie.
   There was the free-wheeling “memorial service” in Tucson where everybody in attendance got a free souvenir T-shirt. The liberals started crawling all over themselves to point out that Speaker Boehner “snubbed” Obama and the people of Tucson by staying in Washington and going to a fund raiser, no doubt trying to get even for the Weekend at Bernie’s flop. Well, Nancy Pelosi DID attend the memorial pep rally in Tucson, so I ask, had Speaker Boehner ALSO gone to Tucson…who would have presided over the memorial/vigil held the same day in the auditorium under the Capitol Visitors Center, a bipartisan event for House members? It wasn’t until AFTER that somber event that Speaker Boehner attended a fund raiser.
   DOH’!!!
   How about James Clyburn? As only a liberal could, he latched onto the nearest microphone and knee-jerkingly offered up a government regulated ban on gun metaphors which he then, the very next day, shot himself in the foot when he, again spying an unoccupied implement of amplification, said, “President Obama had to put on a double barrel effort at last night’s memorial service in Arizona.”
   And lest we forget the celebrity branch of liberalism, on the Today Show, film director Spike Lee spewed, “The United States of America is the most violent country in the history of civilization.” This from the same Spike Lee of once openly suggested that “Charlton Heston to be shot with a .44 caliber bulldog.”
   That’s quite Kanjorskiesque of you Spike…thanks for sharing.
   So…Where CAN the liberals go from here?

   The best answer I can see comes from our friends at NASA. They have, for a few months, conjectured that the fastest way to explore Mars would be a one-way trip for humans. Hmmmm…It’s PERFECT!
   Mars is already an icy planet so…global warming would not infringe on liberals way of life…would it? Al Gore could be there new Secretary of the Interior! As there are no known caribou of moose on Mars, Sarah Palin would have no reason to grace liberal Martians with her presence. Mars is WAY out of AM radio signal range making it a conservative talk-free zone. ALL the cars on Mars, each and every last one, LOCK ,STOCK AND BARREL are solar powered! As liberals will be the only inhabitants, they should have no trouble controlling ALL aspects of whatever government they set up, no shores means no off-shore drilling to worry about and illegal immigration will no longer be a thorn in their collectivist state side!
   Perhaps they could save a little money if they get their tickets on Orbits.
   I could go on and on but…lets face it, Mars IS the perfect place for liberals!
   Come to think of it…it’s not a bad place for the Ground Zero Mosque either.

Craig Andresen
________________________________________________________________________________