The president Just Dosn't "Get" It On Jobs

Sustainable jobs are created by businesses, not by government.  There is a tipping point that will be reached in which there is not enough productivity by the private sector to support the public (government) sector.  Unless of course, the trend toward nationalization of businesses continues (bank bailout, automaker bailout, etc.) and we convert completely to the "dark side" -- er, I mean Communism/Socialism/State Ownership.

To create jobs, businesses need 1) adequate excess income to reinvest and 2) a stable regulatory environment in which risk is known.  The current Administration and Democrat controlled Congress has taken, or is taking away in the form of repealing the Bush tax cuts, both of these necessary ingredients.

In an AP article (Obama overtures to business fall flat ) out today, the president notes:

"This should be as American as apple pie," Obama told a Democratic fundraiser in Austin, Texas, on Monday. "And yet we can't get it moving through the Senate." He speculated that Republicans were blocking the bill because they didn't want to do anything to help him and were "thinking about the next election instead of the next generation."

The truth of the matter is better stated by Steve Forbes in the same article:

"The truth is that not even the Franklin Roosevelt administration was as hostile to and ignorant about free enterprise as this administration is," declared magazine publisher and one-time GOP presidential contender Steve Forbes.

So, is it all about politics, or is it about the economic policies of the Administration/Democratic Congress?  As a small-business owner/manager, I say it is about the economic policies of the Administration.  It appears that Mitch McConnell at least has a clue.

But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky shot back in a statement, "For more than a year and a half, the president and his Democrat allies on Capitol Hill have pushed an antibusiness, anti-jobs agenda on the American people in the form of one massive government intrusion after another."

I wonder when the president will "get" the message?  After all, as noted in the same article, there isn't a single former CEO of a business in his entire cabinet or among his top economic advisers.  The outlook for an improving jobs situation given the shape of things in Washington is dismal.

Austin: Safe Haven City for Alien Socialists

Isn't it interesting, Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas) did the polite thing?  He greeted the president and shook his hand after applauding him as he left Air Force One.  But, the president wouldn't even accept the letter personally offered by the Governor.  I guess it was beneath his dignity.

Perry invites Obama to tour the border with him

I doubt very much that the president will tour the border with Governor Perry.  I'm actually a little surprised that he entered the state given the attitude of the majority of the people.  I suppose that Austin would be considered a "safe haven" city for alien Socialists though.....

Note:  I have placed the word president in a smaller font and without capitalization to make the point that I believe the office, as well as our country in the eyes of the world, has been significantly diminished under the current administration.

Keeping Distance

A politically shrewd move by Texas Democratic Gubernatorial candidate.

Bill White to President Obama: Call me
Candidate can’t meet with president, but would like to chat
 
Obviously, he realizes how unpopular Obama is in Texas.  Gotta keep that distance!

In The Midst of a Coup

It is time to throw them out.  If they voted for ObamaCare they should be thrown out of office.  Representative Democracy is dead in this country.  If it was not, the bill would never have passed the Senate or the House.  An overwhelming majority of the American people are opposed to the bill.

This is one more step on the way to destroying the states.  When the state governments become insolvent, the federal government will take control.  At some point, all control will reside in the federal government.  When that occurs, we will become a communist nation.  We are experiencing a takeover through economic means.  Communism is not Socialism.  With Communism, power is in the hands of a few.  It is complete, controlling power.  The people have no rights under Communism.  Non-conformity is punished severely -- by servitude or by death.

It is time to throw them out of office.

Copenhagen Math

I'm a little confused about why the U.S. should cough up $100 Billion per year to help other countries deal with their committments on UN regulation of "climate change."  That means we will pay for it twice -- once in a subsidy through a corrupt organization (the UN) that will pass on a portion of it to corrupt governments (most of the developing world), and then in the increased price of goods that we will likely purchase from those very countries.

I know, $100 Billion doesn't sound like much now that we toss around numbers like $3 or $4 Trillion, but if you divide it by the current population of the U.S. it comes out to about $328 per person or $1,312 per family of 4.  We probably need to double those numbers because of the increased cost of goods and services.  No, we should probably triple it because the government is such an inefficient allocator of wealth that the true cost to our economy will be much larger than the $100 Billion.

Obama: World's Will on Climate Change 'Hangs in the Balance' at Copenhagen

Perry on Limited Government

Limited government. Is it only a dream now? Have we gone too far to turn back?

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has some timely comments in today's Washington Times:

Perry: Texas Proves Limited Government Works

Perry vs. Obama Care

The Governor of Texas has always been a strong proponent for business interests within the state. That is one of the reasons we have managed to weather the economic downturn so well. His stance on "Obama Care" is right in line with his sense of what is best for the business climate in Texas. The Healthcare package before Congress would put a number of small businesses out of business.

Businesses create jobs. Jobs put food on the table. Why anyone would ever think that forced charity and state control is better than self-reliance is beyond me.

Perry Raises Possibility of State's Rights Showdown With Whitehouse Over Healthcare

Strong Feelings

One hundred plus days of pure torture. The demise of our nation has been set in motion.

Misdirected Behavior

After being out of town so much lately I had to spend my Sunday afternoon paying bills. Now, I'm always thankful that I can pay my bills but it isn't one of my favorite tasks. What got to me today was that one of the checks that I wrote was to GMAC. The thought occurred to me that GMAC is part of GM. The government just poured a bunch of money into them -- which I've been doing off-and-on for much of my life. So, now I'm paying them twice -- once with a coupon and once in my tax bill. Somehow that just doesn't seem right to me. I've always paid my bills. My credit is good. I don't owe much money but when I do owe someone I pay them.

Suddenly it occurred to me that those of us who seek to do the right thing and work to take care of our obligations are penalized for our good behavior while those who do the opposite are rewarded for their bad behavior. Hmm....I wonder if that is what the "Tea Parties" were really about.....

The Administration still doesn't get it.

Axelrod: Tea Party Anger is Misdirected

Quoting Scriptures and Disavowing Jesus versus A Different Beat

The more I see, the more I wonder....

Georgetown University Hid Religious Symbols at White House Request

...and yes, anyone can quote scripture -- out of context, in a manner that is used to mislead the unwary.

And then there's the real deal....

Palin Returns to National Spotlight at Right-to-Life Dinner

Political experts and leftist know-it-alls want to put her into a box. It won't work. I believe that she travels to the beat of a different drummer and her drummer knows what He's doing.

Geo-Engineering

Arrogance knows no bounds.....

Obama's science chief eyes drastic climate steps
Geoengineering approaches have 'got to be looked at,' Holdren says

It's All About Power and Control -- er, is that redundant???

Stuart Varney wrote an excellent article for the Wall Street Journal concerning banks repaying the TARP money. Follow the link below.....

Obama Wants to Control the Banks
There's a reason he refuses to accept repayment of TARP money.

Rockets Away!

It will be interesting to see how Mr. Obama responds to the North Korean rocket launch. I suspect we will see a repeat of Bill Clinton's do-nothing approach -- except with even more rhetoric.

The administration has somewhat painted itself into a corner. It appears that Mr. Obama has obtained some political capital among world leaders -- especially in Europe. Will he spend it in the U.N. Security Council? I doubt that he knows how to wield it effectively -- which begs the question -- who will he turn to for advice? Sarkozy? -- no -- Medvedev?? -- possibly -- Hillary? -- I wonder just how much power she truly has within the administration.... She might just ask Bill -- which brings us back to the first paragraph. Ultimately, I suspect it will be a matter of whatever "polls" best. Which again is reminiscent of Bill Clinton. I guess we should expect no less when we elect leaders who have no moral compass.

Now, the real question is what SHOULD we do????

Words.....

One thing about our current President cannot be disputed -- he delivers a speech well (of course, teleprompters are helpful). Not only has he "wowed" a majority of the U.S. populace with his oratory, he is doing the same in Europe. The words "smooth operator" come to my mind. One of the more interesting things to me is the response of some of the other "world leaders" to his words. I especially find it interesting that one has chosen to embrace his "comrade" so openly. The words we choose can be so empty (e.g. "change") -- or so meaningful......

A Snapshot of the Economy in a Bright Spot

Yesterday I spent the day in the Nashville, TN, and Bowling Green, KY, area. Their economy seems to be perking along nicely. I understand that there have been some layoffs and the Corvette plant in Bowling Green may reduce production for a period, but all-in-all, it seems to be hopping.

Jobless numbers being reported are ugly. It continues to signal some fundamental restructuring within our economy. Our carmakers are inefficient -- due in part to regulation and in part to Union imposed overhead. That's where a lot of the jobless claim numbers are being generated.

I think we may be "surprised" to see the media coverage of the economy turn much more positive after the Inauguration of the new President. They must exercise their power and annoint The One. After all, they believe they made him what he is. I can't argue that point.

The Injustice of it All

President elect Obama will get the credit for "fixing" the economy -- at least that's what people think and what will likely be the response of the media when it turns around -- and it WILL turn around. (see the poll here)

There are many who have compared the current economic crisis to that of the Great Depression. There are admittedly many parallels, but there is one BIG difference. It took the federal government several years before they kicked in gear the spending stimulus necessary to re-start the economic engine of the country during the Great Depression. President Bush, on his watch, responded immediately with a huge stimulus package. The problem with any economic stimulus package is the delay between implementation and the harvest of results. I suspect that toward the end of 2009 we will begin to see a turnaround and by the end of 2010, we will be running at full steam again -- NOT because of the miraculous hand of Obama, but because of the quick action of the Bush administration.

I do have some concern about the timing of the turnaround. That is because policies enacted by Obama in his first months could easily delay the return of a healthy economy. It will depend largely on his approach to taxation and the willingness of Congress to follow him. I hope the GOP is prepared and willing to stand firmly against tax increases.

Brace for the Opportunism of the Left

How the election of Obama to the White House can be seen as a mandate for an extremist climate change agenda is beyond me, but that's just what is being said by the folks at World Watch Institute.

"Environmental leaders in the United States and abroad quickly suggested that the election reflected the American people's desire to reverse President Bush's damaging climate change policies. "Today's landslide election of Barack Obama and pro-environment candidates across the country signals a strong rejection of the failed energy policies of the last eight years and a historic mandate for large-scale, transformational change," said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth - U.S." (complete article here)

The election was seen as complete victory by leaders of virtually every environmental organization. (See what they have to say here.)

I guess I can understand their exuberance, however, the election wasn't about the environment. It was about the economy. It was about high gasoline prices and a tanking stock market. It was about a couple of wars that the left-leaning media has vilified. It was about dissatisfaction with government that, although largely due to the extreme political partisanship in Congress, was blamed on the President and his administration. It was also about misplaced guilt among a portion of the population in supporting a candidate that embodied their vision of long-past injustices perpetrated by those long dead. Finally, it embodied perceived opportunity by those in the populace who have embraced a culture of victimization to elect one they thought to be "one-of-their-own" who in fact is nothing like them, but is fully a member of the self-proclaimed elitist class.

Opportunism by the left will characterize the coming months. We must brace ourselves for the onslaught and we must prepare to engage in the battle of ideas. We must seek to educate in order to overcome the misperceptions of reality embraced by many. We must prepare to defend our country from those who would make it into something else -- something akin to the weak-kneed Europeans who have bowed to the vision of the few. We must face the cultural war that has gained ascendancy and threatens to destroy the values that we hold dear. We must engage.

Contrasting the Presidential Candidates

I find it difficult to write about things political lately. The Presidential election is dominating the landscape in spite of the "financial crisis" that the world is facing. The charges flying back-and-forth between the competing candidates are full of distortions if not outright lies in some cases. It is difficult if not impossible for the average voter to truly understand the positions of each of the candidates.

I have solved that problem for you. I will tell you what I see as the differences.

McCain is pro-American. Obama is "savior" of the world. (By-the-way -- I think God already addressed this issue a little over 2000 years ago.)

McCain primarily believes that we ought to work for a living and be able to enjoy what we earn (although the bailout seems to fly in the face of that). Obama believes that we should take from the wealthy and redistribute it to those who don't work or have no ambition beyond a paycheck followed by beer and t.v.

McCain believes that American sovereignty is inviolate and we should defend our borders vigorously. Obama believes we must be careful of others feelings and let them run over us if they feel like it. After all, we're just a big bully and it's better to cave in to the tantrums of the brats. (If you give a child everything that he wants he will be useless as an adult.)

McCain has a lot of experience. Obama isn't even doing his job in the Senate where he was elected to serve.

McCain believes we have the right to defend our property. Obama wants to take away personal protection and make it easier for criminals to redistribute the wealth (you can see this as a reference to firearms or to taxes -- whichever fits.)

McCain believes marriage should be between one man and one woman. Obama seems to prefer same gender marriages.

McCain believes that babies deserve a chance at life. Obama would prefer that no babies be born except to his liberal elite cohorts. He wants abortion on every corner.

McCain is not the best at delivering his message. He gets angry occasionally and is not brilliantly articulate. So what. It's values that count. Substance -- not fluff. Obama on the other hand is a wonderfully articulate speaker. It's too bad that it's all smoke and mirrors. He seems to be a most artful liar.

McCain fought to defend our country. Obama has aligned himself with anarchists that would tear our country apart.

I cannot understand how anyone could vote for Obama unless they hate this country.

Lipstick on a Pig

Was the Obama comment intentionally aimed at VP nominee Sarah Palin? That is the hot question of the day. I've given it some thought and come up with what I believe to be a likely scenario of how it came about.

Picture Obama on the plane with his advisors somewhere over the U.S. The candidate is somewhat downbeat because the latest polls show him losing ground. Why? they ask. The answer on everyone's lips -- Sarah Palin. Senator McCain's choice of runningmate totally blew away the Obama "play-it-safe-with-Joe Biden" strategy. What to do....

Advisor A: We've got to attack. We've got to discredit Palin.

Advisor B: We've got to be careful. If we're too harsh, we will alienate the women voters. Besides, you can't go after Palin, it would look bad. You have to focus on McCain -- he's the nominee, she's just his running mate. We can't even bring up her name or it will hurt you. Leave that to Joe.

Obama: We need to use humor -- be subtle -- that's how she attacked me! I don't like it. I want to go after her, she's the real threat.

Advisor A: What about that "lipstick on a pig" thing you've done before?

(Obama chuckles.)

Advisor B: It's too risky -- that thing could backfire on you if it isn't delivered just right -- I don't think you should go there. Use the fish thing we wrote on McCain but stay away from Palin.

Obama: I think I can do it. Hey, the people love me. They'll just laugh. Humor is a good thing -- look what it did for her speech. It wasn't even scripted.

Advisor B: I really don't think you need to use it. If it comes off wrong they'll crucify you.

Advisor A: I agree. You could probably do it if anybody could, but there's a lot of risk.

Obama: OK. I think you're wrong but that's why I hired you.

In the heat of the speech, with the crowd hanging on his every word, the "thinks-he's-great" communicator becomes overconfident. He thinks, "she went off the script -- I can do it too -- they love me!"

He hesitates, he grins, he says, "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig...."

You know the rest of the story.

Presidential qualities? I don't think so.

Presidential Polling Shifts

Are the polls correct? It is sometimes difficult to trust polling results because the questions always reflect the bias of the poll creator. However, in the last few days we have seen multiple articles concerning significant shifts in poll results from Obama to McCain -- especially among women and independents. I doubt that all of the polls are wrong...