Lame Duck

Whilst I am trying to enjoy the holiday season and keep my stress levels down, I can't seem to turn on the news without hearing something of the latest nonsense happening during the lame duck session. Do people really know what that term means anyway? I mean, I had a general idea but the other day I just decided to see exactly what was happening.

The U.S. Senate website defines it for us:

"lame duck" session - When Congress (or either chamber) reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business. Some lawmakers who return for this session will not be in the next Congress. Hence, they are informally called "lame duck" Members participating in a "lame duck" session.

Yeah, so THAT is why there are crazy 2000 page bills that nobody has read pending the week before Christmas. Deja Vu. The people who have been making the mess still have the power, even though we voted them out. What a strange system...shouldn't they have packed up the day after? So pretty much nobody is listening to the American people at all and there is zero accountability for behaving badly.

We put our votes out in November. We fill out the polls, we put stickers on our cars and signs in the yard, we knock doors, we participate in phone banks, we "like" things on Facebook to make our opinions known all year long and really we just want to chill out and bake (and/or eat) some cookies with our families about right now (if we've finished our Christmas preparations.) I always find Congress extra annoying in December. Guess I should go have another cookie...

Laying it All Out There

This is the yard sign my County Republican Party was selling during this election cycle. I had a love/hate relationship with the sign. At first my mixed emotions made me think I was a chicken. I mean, I'm against the nonsense happening in Washington for the past 2 years. So why wouldn't I just run out and buy one of these signs for my yard?

My hesitation lasted up until last week when I made my final decision and voted Republican. Luckily I live on a cul-de-sac so the traffic who missed my very important, but chicken, message was not great. The bulk of my concern about the sign was it's simplicity. It seemed to completely forget that Republicans long misbehaved in the name of power and pandering to what they 'thought' people wanted for far too long, helping us along the road to where we are today.

So why did I go ahead and cast the Republican vote?

1. I'm looking ahead. The Republican vote that will be tallied tomorrow is simply a step I think must be taken. Vigilance on the part of all of us will be just as necessary even with Republicans and I honestly hope it stays that way. It will for me.

2. I once called myself an independent/moderate. I thought I was somewhere in the middle because neither party fully represented my ideals. The way our country has recently been turned upside down has forced me to do my research. Now I realize I'm so far to the right that voting for a Democrat is worse in my case than not voting at all (which I don't believe in!)

3. Referring to 2 - Just because I'm not crazy about the options out there doesn't mean I should check out and not vote. I did the research. I wasn't pleased with my options. The discomfort I felt while casting my vote made me even more dedicated to supporting good candidates when I see them.

4. The Democrats at the top are far more liberal than my Democrat voting friends who are usually moral Democrats more than anything. Those running our country today make the Clintons look conservative. I really don't think they are stupid, as many say. I think they are evil with evil intentions of usurping the rights of Americans. I know, I know. Yes, evil is a strong word. But it is morally reprehensible to want to remove a right from one human being even if you say you're going to give it to someone else. The health care takeover really solidified this for me. It was huge. It was unpopular. They wouldn't scale back. They wouldn't back off. They told us they knew better than we did what we needed. That's not okay coming from either side.

5. While many of my ideals fall in line with Libertarian views, the Libertarian options on the ballot were weak. Voting strictly on that ideology would have been a vote for a Democrat. Further, I disagree with the Libertarian ideological views on war. While those on my ballot wouldn't have the power to stop funding troops it bothers me to know that they might if they could.

6. A vote for a Democrat feels like a vote for Obama, Pelosi, or Reid. That just feels bad.

So there. The good, bad, and ugly of my thought process. It is not as intelligent and smart as I might like but it's the truth. I think sometimes people sit out a vote because they don't know what they'd say if someone asked why they voted as they did. I don't think you have to have all of the smartest, most educated reasons for your choice but if you do your research and then go cast your vote then that is the best you can do.

I guess I should have made my own yard sign:

"Stop Government Expansion: Vote for the most conservative candidate you can find (but not a Democrat) who pledges to limit the size of federal government, reverse the health care takeover, lower taxes, stop Cap and Trade, protect our sovereignty, take terrorism seriously, drop political correctness in favor of the truth, protect all American life (yours, mine, our troops, and the unborn), put the opinions of Americans above the opinions of foreigners, refuse to make the poor comfortable in their poverty, allow Americans the freedom they need to create jobs, allow businesses who make bad decisions to go out of business, limit executive power (especially czars), protect states' rights, stop legislation from the bench, and read the Constitution. Then after you've voted, stay engaged to make sure they do what they said."

Favorite Candidate of the 2010 Elections: Rand Paul. He says things that are sometimes unpopular and the media eats him up for it, but I like it and so do his voters. I think if people would have the guts to say what they really believe, they would be shocked at how well it was received. I'm so tired of politicians who talk about feeding the hungry and educating our children, then once elected they go straight to tea with Hugo Chavez. If you like everything a politician says when they are campaigning, maybe something is wrong.

Register!

Today's the last day to register to vote on November 2nd!!

Happy About Taxes?

I was doing a search tonight and somehow stumbled upon this article: Taxed Enough Already?. It's on the Pew Research Center website and it highlights recent polling data that 50% of Americans say they pay a fair share of taxes. The article goes on and on with a lot of numbers discussing the irony of this in light of the Tea Party movement and current outrage at the federal government. The author seems to be trying hard to make the point that we don't really mean what we say.

So 50% of Americans believe they are paying their fair share of taxes? Sounds shocking I know. But what about that 47% of Americans who don't pay taxes? Seems like there might be a little crossover there. I mean, I guess some of those folks might not be able to do the math and maybe they feel like they pay too much, but my guess is that they feel pretty good about their current taxation situation. So maybe there is a whopping 3% in the mix that believes they are getting what they pay for. Then again, that's probably within the margin of error so you could argue that there are no actual taxpayers in America who feel they are getting what they pay for.

I wonder what our current situation would look like if you had to pay taxes to vote.

Enraged vs. Exhausted

On the plane to California last week, my husband handed me this article by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal and said I should read it. It refers to this video, which was widely publicized last week.



Obviously the only video I could find was a little edited. It was the best picture I could quickly find so you could really see the look on Obama's face when he realized he wasn't getting complimented by someone in his hand picked crowd.

This part of the article was interesting. I would like to believe it is true everywhere. From my corner of the world, it's right on. It feels true. The only thing it doesn't click with is how CNN and MSNBC paint the picture.

First, Washington is being revealed in a new way.

The American people now know, "with real sophistication," everything that happens in the capital. "I find a much more knowledgeable electorate, and it is a real-time response," Ms. Blackburn says. "We hear about it even as the vote is taking place."

Voters come to rallies carrying research—"things they pulled off the Internet, forwarded emails," copies of bills, roll-call votes. The Internet isn't just a tool for organization and fund-raising. It has given citizens access to information they never had before. "The more they know," Ms. Blackburn observes, "the less they like Washington."

Second is the rise of women as a force. They "are the drivers in this election cycle," Ms. Blackburn says. "Something is going on." At tea party events the past 18 months, she started to notice "60% of the crowd is women."

She tells of a political rally that drew thousands in Nashville, at the State Capitol plaza. She had brought her year-old grandson. When the mic was handed to her, she was holding him. "I said, 'How many of you are grandmothers?' The hands! That was the moment I realized that the majority of the people at the political events now are women. I saw this in town halls in '09—it was women showing up at my listening events, it was women talking about health care."

Read the entire article - it's good! Noonan also has another good article from this last month that well illustrates the Tea Party. Click here for the link. Good reading folks!

Pulling Out The Big Guns

Ecclesiastes 10:2

"A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left."

The choice is yours this November!

Just 50 days away!

Raving Lunatic

Tonight my husband said I should start doing a video blog as I'm watching or reading the news. Apparently he thinks my off the cuff, raving lunatic monologues are more exciting than my writing. Don't hold your breath! I'm not sure I can stand seeing myself in that mode.

Tonight's commentary was sparked by MSNBC's reporting on the salmonella outbreak from Iowan eggs. They kept repeating how, "people are crying out for the government to do something" and "if the government only" bla bla bla. Have you heard one person "crying out for the government to do something" about these eggs?? Crying? Really? Maybe if Obama would just bless all of our food before we eat it we could all rest assured we were safe.

Getting Out There

Okay, so you know how I said I was super inspired by The Obama Diaries and Laura Ingraham's thoughts on how we can all make a difference at the dinner table? Still true, but not necessarily my focus for the next 75 days or so. November 2 will be here in no time so I got my little self out of the house today and over to my County Republican Women's Club meeting. It was a "tea", but let's not split hairs.

Congressman Ralph Hall was present and spoke for a while, as did his Congressional Staff Director Leslee Gilbert. Ralph Hall is very funny. My favorite line, "They keep calling us the party of 'No'. That's not all bad. Eight of the Ten Commandments say 'No'." Nice one.

One of the subcommittees Leslee Gilbert staffs is Space and Aeronautics. An informed attendee raised her hand and asked about the following subject while the rest of us whispered, "when did that happen?" and "what the heck?" Some snippets on Obama's mission for NASA:

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering," Bolden said in the interview.

He said the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own and that no country is going to make it to Mars without international help.

That's most of the meat, but you can click here for the full article. Or just search "NASA mission Muslims". It's everywhere and I had NO IDEA.

Crazy me. I just figured that since the United States is still the world leader in science and technology with China (gaining ever so quickly on us), Japan, Germany, Britain, Russia, and France coming behind us we might turn towards those countries first if we actually needed to turn to anyone at all. But where's the fun in that? My favorite part about the three charges President Obama gave to Mr. Bolden: None of them have anything to do with space exploration. We've got some smart cookies running the show in Washington. It's just jobs, oh and our position as world leader in science and technology, that hang in the balance. But hey, as long as the Muslims feel good about their contribution...

On a positive, less ironic note...the meeting today was great and I highly recommend that everyone who possibly can just go to a local GOP meeting. Getting there is half the battle. I was educated, informed, and inspired to do more while I met a lot of like minded fellow citizens. Our County Republican Women's Club is holding a special Saturday event at a high school for any citizen interested in getting involved. There they will explain what you can do, how to get involved, how to become a delegate if you are interested, etc. I expect similar meetings may be available everywhere. I will be dragging as many friends as I can with me. So much hangs on November 2 that everyone who can needs to participate.

Book Reporting

Been trying for months to get through this book:

It still hasn't happened. I've left it aside as I hit some fiction, then returned again. Then left again. Then decided maybe I needed to spice up my political reading.

Ahhh, more like it. While I don't pretend that Laura Ingraham's book is all true, it was such a fun read. Truth was gained as it was artfully woven with fiction that merely humanized it. I really enjoyed this book. She lays out the dangers of the Obama administration, the things we're all scratching our heads over, the things nobody is talking about, and the things everybody is talking about. She puts her own spin on it and the satirical writing is fun. I even laughed out loud several times.

The thing I like the best: After each of the ten chapters in this book she offers a positive message of what the reader can do. This may very well be in Mitt Romney's book (which I WILL get to the end of) but it must be at the end. After stirring me up over each specific area of our lives Obama poses a threat to, she offers encouragement that a lot can be done on an individual level. In your home. In your neighborhood. It's not necessary to do anything elaborate that would gain attention on a national stage. We can all make a difference.

Final messages: Don't accept what is happening to our country. Don't despair about it either. November elections DO count. Republicans DID screw up before Obama, but even they wouldn't have done what he's done. Pure conservative values will win in November if GOP politicians can stick to them instead of pandering to special interest groups (Hispanic voters, environmentalists, abortion rights activists, etc.) I so agree with that. All of those groups have members who will be attracted to pure conservative values if candidates will present them.

I'm not dogging Mitt...his book is a great read on foreign policy. Tons of information that would benefit each of us if we'd read it. And I will. I WILL!!! After a day chasing a 2 and 4 year old around, reading about radical Jihad, Vladamir Putin, and Hu Jintao (mixed with brief 20th century history lessons here and there) can make deciphering my 2 year old's language of only the first syllable from each word seem easy.

Cost Effectiveness

I was caught in the act this week. The act of complaining. I was complaining to my brother about the bill we recently received for a recent surgery. I'll admit, he stopped me in my self-pity tracks when he said, "Just be glad you had the chance and pay it." So much truth it hurts. I should be more grateful our health care system overhaul-to-be is still largely empty promises and I'm hoping he's wrong about me not having a chance in the future.

Without divulging all of the nitty gritty details, I was a non-textbook case with something that could have become very serious in just a matter of days. Within 2 hours of symptoms I'd seen a doctor and already had a number of tests performed. I had two ultrasounds and 3 rounds of blood work done in just 12 hours. Just to ease my doctor's mind, I stayed overnight in the hospital for monitoring. In the morning, there were still a lot of questions but my doctor felt strongly that she should operate. She wasn't sure at all. In fact she was 90% sure she was performing an unnecessary surgery but her gut was telling her she should operate. As the patient, I listened and weighed my options. I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery knowing full well I might be recovering from something completely unnecessary - which is a huge risk for a mother with two young children to care for.

Without the professional freedom on the physician's side and the individual liberty of being able to choose to take on the expense and stress of surgery, I might not have the opportunity to be caring for my children today. This really hit me right after the surgery, which proved to be more urgent than anyone thought. If I lived anywhere but America I would have found myself in serious trouble as I waited for appointment times and tests, but things moved quickly and smoothly so everything went really well. So now we will be altering our finances for a while to pay for my surgery. While I realize we are blessed enough to be able to handle the blow, I also believe that if our financial circumstances were different I would take monthly payments to the hospital for the rest of my life over losing the opportunity to raise my children.

The freedoms we enjoy in America are the reason we have the best health care in the world. I'm glad I had access to the best and the opportunity to purchase it, even if it was really expensive.

I thought I should share this, even with my teeny readership. My thoughts were further stirred this week by a "guide" released in Britain on how to handle American tourists and other nationalities for the 2012 Olympics. Click here for the full report. I found the advice on Americans interesting: "They can appear 'informal to the point of being very direct or even rude' and won't ever hesitate about complaining, the guide says."

The informal part - if we weren't there already, the Obamas and their disgust for all things traditional and proper sealed the deal. The complaining bit hit me hard though. We complain. We complain so much that people start thinking normal life's struggles are unjust. Then they move on to feeling entitled to something better. So instead of complaining about the high medical bills I'm just going to be happy more cost effective measures weren't taken due to the federal government's new health care regime and enjoy making my own personal medical choices.

Signs of the Times

I was driving through Madisonville, Texas (Population 4,372) today on my way home from my sister's house and two kinds of signs struck me. Many had "Pray for America" signs in their yards. Out in the country and once I got into town, these signs caught my eye despite their sporadic appearances. I couldn't help but also notice some signs that made my heart sink as I drove through the county square: "Store Closing." These signs reminded me of a drive to Houston passing once profitable dealerships that had been closed down after the government took over GM. I hate what is happening in Washington for a lot of ideological reasons, but when I see it really hitting Americans it feels so personal.

Then as I'm surfing tonight I see this article about the stimulus signs painting our countryside in preparation for the November election. Two positives: The insanity made me laugh through my annoyance and ABC reported it. I'm seeing more and more main stream media sources reporting in a way that seems like the good of their reader is at heart again, instead of the interests of their stockholders. I sometimes think this blog gets a little negative...so I'm trying to throw in some upsides when I find them! :)

The article discusses new road signs that are showing up all over the country touting "The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act" and reminding passers-by that the program is "Putting America Back to Work." Have you seen one of these?

From the article:

On the road leading to Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC there's a 10' x 11' road sign touting a runway improvement project funded by the federal stimulus. The project cost nearly $15 million and has created 17 jobs, according to recovery.gov.

However, there's another number that caught the eye of ABC News: $10,000. That's how much money the Washington Airports Authority tells ABC News it spent to make and install the sign – a single sign – announcing that the project is "Funded by The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act" and is "Putting America Back to Work." The money for the sign was taken out of the budget for the runway improvement project.

Looks to me like America has been put to work in the sign making business. And what the WHAT??? How does a $15 million project only create 17 jobs? $882,352.94 per job. S.M.R.T.

I'm not sure if this was defense of the sign spending or not, but Jill Zuckman of the Department of Transportation said, "The best estimate is that states have spent about $5 million of the $28 billion spent on road projects on signs – or less than .02 percent of overall project spending."

Almost sounds like she was rationalizing that as long as the amount spent on the signs was marginal compared to the overall amount of money thrown into the toilet, it's okay that 5 million taxpayer dollars was spent on signs.

So whether I like it or not, I'm funding signs spreading the word about what a great job Obama has done at spreading my money around. All the while I'd rather be buying everyone a "Pray for America" sign. I'm pretty sure the "Pray for America" sign would do a better job of getting rid of the "Store Closing" signs. That's where I'd put my money at least.

Message to OBAMA FROM ARIZONA GOVENOR JAN BREWER " THE NATION IS WAITING"

I've been moving all week, but wanted to post clip this as soon as I saw it. The more I learn about what Governor Brewer is trying to do in Arizona, the more sense it makes. I keep thinking I'll uncover something slanted or unconstitutional but it is so plainly reasonable we should all be raising our eyebrows at anyone opposing it.

Money Talk

I have to take a minute before getting on with my busy day and post. This week's plea for Republican donations has reached a new level of ridiculousness.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent me a 2010 Election Year Gold Card. Yep, my very own card - that does nothing. It doesn't tap me into the magic pot of Obama money I've heard about or anything. It's just for carrying around and feeling super special about myself.

The accompanying letter is full of all the things I already know the Democrats are doing and an ongoing theme that my funds can actually do anything about it. Different varieties of "I am pleased to mark your place among the very top Republicans in Texas by awarding your official 2010 Election Year Gold Card" are rotated throughout the letter as well. This letter goes on and on about my ACCEPTING the Gold Card with an Emergency Campaign Gift of $100 or $200. Bad things are happening, we will fix them, here's your super special Gold Card for doing nothing, send us money.

The left seems so gimmicky with the promises they are always making. Here I am sitting on my high horse wondering who is more of a fool, the Democratic politicians making empty promises or the voters who believe it. I get relatively lame letters all the time and generally roll my eyes at them, but this one topped the cake from the Republicans. They think we're fools too. I kind of suspected, but this was a slap in the face.

Is it completely jaded of me that I don't believe for a minute that my $100 to the NRSC is going to make a difference? The last time they sent me a survey asking for a contribution I sent it back saying that I was already over budget on money I send to Washington. Seriously, if I could just have 50% of my taxes back I'd be more than happy to send someone $100.

Summer, Kids, Food, Elections, Etc.

Okay, I got a "where are you" message today, so I will take moment to come out of hiding. I'm here, just living life like everyone else. It's a busy time of year, especially when you have kids! In an effort to keep my children clear of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program, I've been parenting. Novel idea, right? You know, finding creative ways to be active while it's stifling outside: Swimming, visiting the zoo, splash pads, taking the time to cut fresh fruits and veggies...whew, that stuff adds up!

Programs like "Let's Move" drive me nuts. They illuminate two things: 1) the government really does think we're all morons who need direction in the most basic of parenting departments and 2) some of us really are morons. It looks like nothing more than an excuse to fund more welfare programs and put more money into union pockets. In the meantime, my grocery bill continues to skyrocket as punishment for attempting to purchase good food for my family with my own money. Really, now when my husband balks at how much I've spent on food, I simply say, "Gotta feed the other half babe." He knows it's true.

On to the real reason I blogged today. I'm struggling to find something clever to say after the second wave of primary elections we've had in the past few months. I just don't have a lot to say. I'm sort of in a "watch-read-learn-wait" mode. My goal is to follow the news and the blogs, attend any events I can, and read as many books as possible in preparation for November. I do believe a lot is at stake and I want more than ever to be an informed voter. I think my pals at playgroup enjoy the free information (maybe slightly biased) I pass on to them in casual conversation as well. :)

One website I've found that I think is helpful: Project Vote Smart. I like that you can look up current legislators and see their voting records. That's probably my favorite thing. You can get basic information about candidates, but the incumbent information is interesting.

What I will say about yesterday's primaries: I don't know much about Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina other than what I've picked up from business articles in the past - which was all very impressive. The news I've seen says they are moderate, but what does that mean...Obama ran like a moderate and he's the most liberal president we've ever had. I like that they are from the private sector. The private sector is key to our economic recovery and I'm hopeful that two women who have had to make tough choices in business will have the guts to make tough choices now in order to recover what remains of our country's future.

I'm also excited to see a Tea Party favorite, Sharron Angle, battle Harry Reid for his seat in November. The message of the Tea Party is resounding with the core of Americans and I think it will be an interesting race.

That's all I've got...kids are awake, play date is scheduled, gotta go put some little shoes on little feet!

Climb Every Mountain...

Having just heard a positive, go get em' commencement speech at my brother's graduation I found this particularly ironic.



Shoot for the stars graduates! Why am I thinking this is not exactly what the University of Tennessee grads wanted to hear?

Disappearance?

I haven't disappeared from the face of the earth. Nor have I given up current events and strong opinions of them. I've just been wrapped up, maybe even obsessed, with reading a book for a few weeks.



Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was holding me captive. I enjoyed for many reasons, but especially enjoyed her perspective on politics. Her book stands as a moving argument for pure laissez-faire capitalism, defends individual liberty, and forced me to consider that those who would like to take away my individual freedoms and destroy what's left of American capitalism are not just mislead. They are evil. Strong read. I highly recommend it. I don't think I'm more jaded about the current events unfolding, but I feel like I better understand it and more firmly believe it is entirely wrong. Everyone here should read it. We can have an e-book club or something. :)

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is one of those topics I just can't believe we are still talking about. All of the other developed countries have immigration laws they enforce and nobody is crying about it. It's beyond me how people can think they should gather together as law breakers this past weekend in protests about immigration reform. Here in Dallas, it was estimated that around 20,000 people marched through downtown. I knew a few citizens who could not go to work on Saturday because of the illegal march.


The Dallas folks were bright enough to only bring American flags, but I loved this picture of a rally held elsewhere with a Mexican flag. I have no words...

American citizens should hold their own protest in favor of people who break the law, live, and work here illegally. Maybe we should hold a protest in favor of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's recent law that makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

I got dumber just writing that last sentence. So much is wrong with it...like the fact that I remember a day when breaking a federal law was a bigger deal than a state law. And did someone really just make a law that makes it illegal to break the law? Huh?

I like that Governor Brewer is trying to be tough on this ridiculous issue. The part of her law that really gets me is controversy over local and state law enforcement being able to question people about their immigration status if there is a reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. Everyone is upset because this will encourage racial profiling. Governor Brewer was called a Nazi all weekend.

Even the President of the United States is using this to toy with the emotions of the ignorant. He's making speeches riddled with stories of innocent family outings being disrupted by police because of race. There is a small part of me that still believes the President of the United States would never be so blatantly dishonest with people in order to win them over. This is the curse of ignorance in our country. Those who speak and read English, don't bother being informed. Those who enter the country (legally or illegally) are being encouraged to continue with their own language. This breeds the kind of mass ignorance we saw this weekend.

Bottom line: you have to commit a crime to be asked for your immigration documentation. Nobody's going to stop the guy having ice cream with his child just because he's Hispanic (Obama's story, not mine!)

Cries against racial profiling from groups of people who represent trouble for the rest of us are absurd. Racism is distinguishing between people by race. If we can't distinguish illegal Mexicans by race, what can we use?

One word of hope - at least here in Dallas, they expected at least 100,000 people and only got 20,000 out. Four years ago a similar rally had over 300,000 people in attendance. Maybe things look different now because American citizens want the jobs illegals are holding hostage?

Crazy Talk

With the weather warming up, my runs have seemed more and more difficult lately. I get out mid-run and all of the sudden I'm wondering when I'll be done instead of my usual enjoyment of the escape. Today though, I had a little extra fire in my step because somehow early on I thought of this snippet from a speech the President gave in Quincy, IL on his populist 2010 Anti-Wall Street financial regulations tour.

Holy fire this makes me crazy. First, that anyone thinks they can tell me when I've made enough money. Second, I cannot sit here and believe that his policies will not reflect such a comment. He is totally willing and ready to take hard earned cash from Americans who he thinks make too much money. Third, what about his money? He makes big time bucks and something tells me he doesn't simply skim off the excess over 200K (his number, not mine) and give it to the poor. I mean, how many millions of dollars in entitlement programs with their buildings, rent, utilities, paperwork, administrative staff, training programs, etc. would be saved if he simply gave his own money to already existing non-profit organizations that serve the poor of our country?

My final thought: If he has the audacity (his word, not mine) to say such blasphemy in a televised speech he must a) believe Americans agree or b) think we're too stupid to understand. It's so completely outlandish I almost think he's baiting conservatives.

Love This

Barbie has recently entered the scene in my three year old's world so it only makes this mom happier to see that in addition to being a mini-van driving mom, with a cute husband and optional twins, Barbie is also politically savvy.

Photo courtesy of Opinion Cartoons

Living With Your Parents

Recently my husband and I were kind enough to offer a friend a ride from Houston to Dallas with our two small children, Toy Story, Baby Einstein, and a variety of toddler friendly snacks. As if we hadn't been generous enough by simply allowing him to be in the joyous presence of our company, we took advantage of a captive audience and did our civic duty to explain politics as we see them to him. Luckily, this friend is in sales for a living so he is really talented in the "just get along" category. My husband had a great analogy though, for explaining to the average citizen (ha! as if we are not average?) why we do NOT want the government to take care of us.

It's like living with your parents. If I were to move home and live with my parents today, mooch off of their food, and accept a spending allowance from them then I might have a problem. Why? Why would leaching off of my parents be a problem? It wouldn't be unless I ever had a difference of opinion with them. I might like to spend my money or time in ways they didn't approve of. They would interfere in my personal life and even my personal decisions. They might TRY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

Now, I love my parents and we get along great. Since we have very similar values and beliefs, things would probably run smoothly enough if I lived with them. I would still be giving up something invaluable though. FREEDOM.

Wisconsin's Representative Paul Ryan had an article in Real Clear Politics this week that I might liken to a CliffNotes for what is going on right now. Read it when you have some time. An excerpt that caught my attention:

Exact and precise measures cannot be made, but an eye-opening study by the Tax Foundation, a reliable and non-partisan research group, tells us that in 2004, 20 percent of US households were getting about 75 percent of their income from the federal government. In other words, one out of five families in America is already government dependent. Another 20 percent were receiving almost 40 percent of their income from federal programs, so another one in five has become government reliant for their livelihood.

All told, 60 percent - three out of five households in America - were receiving more government benefits and services (in dollar value) than they were paying back in taxes. The Tax Foundation estimates that President Obama's budget last year will raise this "net government inflow" from 60 to 70 percent. Look at it this way: three out of ten American families are supporting themselves plus - through government - supplying or supplementing the incomes of seven other households. As a permanent arrangement, this is individually unfair, politically inequitable, and economically dangerous.

Wowzas. I heard last week that Obama has already doubled the number of people on food stamps. They've even coined a cool, hip phrase for them: SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Heck yeah, I'm gonna go get me some SNAP! My husband says they should just have drive through McBama's.

Waddya Think?

I want some thoughts people. I'll give it a start for you: My first impression was to mass produce similar signs and start selling them to all the doctors I know. Your thoughts?

The Death of Self-Reliance

One of my political "friends" on Facebook linked this article from FoxNews.com today. A glimpse:

As Democrats tout the moral underpinnings of the federal health care system overhaul -- ensuring health care coverage for nearly all Americans -- one senator appeared to go off message when he said the legislation would address the "mal-distribution of income in America."

After the Senate passed a "fix-it" bill Thursday to make changes to the new health care law, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the influential Finance Committee, said the overhaul was an "income shift" to help the poor.

"Too often, much of late, the last couple three years, the mal-distribution of income in American is gone up way too much, the wealthy are getting way, way too wealthy and the middle income class is left behind," he said. "Wages have not kept up with increased income of the highest income in America. This legislation will have the effect of addressing that mal-distribution of income in America."

So, the good news is that there is a Democrat telling the truth out there. Dennis Miller was just on O'Reilly tonight saying that the only ailment not covered by the health care overhaul is busting your butt. Cracked me up, no pun intended. :)

The Power of Positive Thinking

I think some happy thoughts amidst the insanity are in order:

1. Rasmussen Reports - "One week after the House of Representatives passed the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, 54% of the nation's likely voters still favor repealing the new law."

Wow, when I watch NBC the reporters seem so naively fascinated that there are people out there who don't understand how great this bill is. Sometimes they even furrow a brow and ask a very "serious" and "pointed" leading question so that the guest can give one of their 12 repeat answers. You know the ones we keep hearing that highlight the importance of this government takeover to all of us? Then I start to think for just a second that maybe I'm crazy. And maybe I'm alone in my thoughts. Nope. We are not.

2. Again from Rasmussen (since I was there anyway) - A national telephone survey finds that 52% of U.S. voters believe the average member of the Tea Party movement has a better understanding of the issues facing America today than the average member of Congress. Only 30% believe that those in Congress have a better understanding of the key issues facing the nation.

I have written about the Tea Party before and I'll say it again: they are the next best thing to a 4th of July party without the lemonade, barbecue, and fireworks. The people I've been with at every Tea Party I've gone to are some of the most patriotic people I've ever met. The only thing unusual about them is their passion, their concern, and the fact that they are getting out and doing something.

3. The Texas Board of Education - I'm so sick of political correctness and all of the nonsense it has produced. Apparently so is the Texas Board of Education. A strong conservative voting bloc within the board has held true to their convictions. Liberals call their proposed amendments to the latest social studies text up for renewal "conservative" but I argue they are mainstream. One of my favorite proposals is to add American Exceptionalism to the texts. From one of the board members, Don McLeroy:

"The issue that's most important to me, I guess, I'll be making an amendment about American exceptionalism. I'd like to add that to the U.S. history. And what I see is American exceptionalism is it's American values, the values of the individual, the values that we have of the limited government, that those things that have made us great, have made us different from the rest of the world. I don't want to be just like the rest of the world. I don't want to share the world's values. America's different. Our students need to understand that."

I can honestly say I don't KNOW a person who doesn't believe this. People who don't should not live here - they are the ones sucking us dry. All of the proposed amendments will be posted online for public viewing in April before the vote in May. I will post a link to this TRANSPARENT process for you when it is available.

Oh, and why is this important? Almost 90% of all textbooks in the country are impacted by what Texas purchases because of their volume. See, it pays to be the size of a small country! This is how the battles are won - one at a time.

Hopefully these little tidbits give your mind some ease!

Sickening, Really!

Watching things unfold on the House Floor right now only reinforces my respect for some of these political commentators who go on the air right after a speech. I am totally speechless. Breathe. Okay, now some thoughts.

The negotiations that took place in the past few days blew my mind. The methods being used tonight are historical. The Constitution of the United States was completely trashed tonight by the people who are in control. Scary time we live in. John Boehner pointed out that the passing of this bill was historically changing what our forefathers intended for our country. I couldn't agree more.

Then, to sit and listen to Nancy Pelosi fling statements like "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and "entrepreneurship friendly" was almost more than I could stand. The specific use of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was a slap in the face of conservatives everywhere who hold the language of the Bill of Rights up as their own guide for how the government should behave. "Health care for all" will bring our citizens greater happiness, so we're in line with the intent of the Bill of Rights?

As I was watching Pelosi tonight, it was hard not to wonder about the numbers. Everyone is so absorbed with the 45 million people who do not have coverage...The 31 Million who will supposedly be covered by this bill. What about everyone else? Do any of my friends who back the Democratic party realize that THEIR lives will not be improved? The majority of working, voting, Americans will pay for this. You can't force the insurance companies to take everyone, and force everyone to buy insurance, without some backlash. You can't have a socialized industry properly functioning in a capitalist society. And this "entrepreneurship friendly" business...good grief. That's the last thing they want to see. I HATE being lied to.

The immediate effects of this bill - all of the things that will hit first - will come across as positive to the American people. I'm not sure anyone will remember all of the negative things set to go into effect in 2014, 2 years after election time (little things like taxes on YOUR health care policy.) I am committed to reminding people. I'll be remembering as my taxes start climbing in 2011.

I learned something today too. I've always wondered why the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice debate was so big in the political spectrum. I mean, I understood to some degree but I felt like it was overplayed. This bill passed today because the Pro-Life Democrats (whatever that is) were bought out. Strange that it played such a role today.

Al Sharpton is on FoxNews...I need to check out before Obama comes on and makes my stomach virus flare back up!

Dennis Kucinich

Representative Dennis Kucinich, a liberal Democrat, took a ride on Air Force One earlier this week with President Obama.

Now his "no" vote has been switched to a "yes." This liberal Democrat did not support the Senate bill because it didn't include a public option. In other words, it was not liberal enough. So, a little meeting with Obama and his concerns have been eliminated? Maybe there is some "hope" for his liberal ideology? Yikes.

Priceless

Action Time, Again

Doesn't it seem like liberal Democrats are simply trying to wear us out? I mean, are we really having this scene play out again this week? The Tea Party is in Washington rallying today. I wish I could be there just for the camaraderie so I don't feel like I'm losing my marbles as I watch the insanity unfolding on the health care bill this week. I drove past a number of empty GM dealerships this past week between Dallas and Houston. It only made me angry thinking about how successful dealerships were just arbitrarily chosen to shut down because the government said so. Anyone foolish enough to think that their quality of life will improve with the government playing a larger role in their healthcare is living in the clouds. Just drive by an empty dealership that has been stripped down to the light pole stubs and see where we are heading.

The Democrats are threatening to ram the Senate bill from last fall down our throats with reconciliation. They will all "deem it passed" which they claim is not actually voting FOR it. In the meantime, some of the congressmen who were once "no" votes are being swayed by various things into a "yes" vote. Maybe the SIEU and their threats to flood their opponents campaigns with money if they vote against the bill? That could be effective, who knows. Here are four former "no" votes who are leaning towards "yes" due to the current political pressure from Obama, fellow Democrats, unions, whoever else stands to make a ton of money from this bill, etc. Pretty much everyone but their constituents are swaying their opinion. If you'd like to have a say, give them a call or send a fax. Especially target Rep. Altmire from Pennsylvannia.

It seems redundant, but I guess if they want to keep asking the same dumb question we have to keep giving them the same solid answer. Keep up the pressure!

Rep. John Boccieri, Ohio, 16th
http://boccieri.house.gov/
DC Office Number: (202) 225-3876, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3059
Local Office Number: (330) 489-4414, Local Fax Number: (330) 489-4448
Voted Yes on Stupak
Voted No on Health Care

Rep. Jason Altmire, Pennsylvania 4th

http://www.altmire.house.gov/
DC Office Number: (202) 225-2565, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-2274
Local Office Number: (724) 378-0928, Local Fax Number: (724) 378-6171
Voted Yes on Stupak
Voted No on Health Care

Rep. Bart Gordon, Tennessee 6th
http://gordon.house.gov/
DC Office Number: (202) 225-4231, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-6887
Local Office Number: (615) 896-1986, Local Fax Number:
Chief of Staff: Donna Pignatelli email: donna.pignatelli@mail.house.gov
Voted No on Health Care

Rep. Brian Baird, Washington 3rd
http://www.baird.house.gov/
DC Office Number: (202) 225-3536, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2478
Local Office Number: (360) 695-6292, Local Fax Number: (360) 695-6197
Voted Yes on Stupak

Reading "Between the Lions"

Of all the articles I read yesterday trying to wrap my head around what happened during the 7 1/2 hour health care summit, THIS one by David Bauder for the Associated Press stood out. A snippet:

By 2:30 p.m., at the opening of the session's second half, Fox News Channel had shifted to its studio show (occasionally showing a mute picture of the summit on a portion of its screen) and CNN's Wolf Blitzer was reporting on poll results. Both covered it fitfully in the afternoon. MSNBC moved on to the Finland-Sweden ice hockey game from the Olympics. PBS aired "Between the Lions."

Another one I totally agreed with:

Fox spent the most time presenting uninterrupted coverage before the lunch break. Afterward, the network cut back sharply following it after reporting that its online poll found 90 percent of respondents saying the event was just "political theater."

I agree that it was political theater and I don't see any true backlash due to bad behavior or performance on the part of the Republicans who were there. The only thing I find alarming today is the abundance of news coverage stating that either the senate bill or the bill proposed by the President this past week are going to be rammed through no matter what. So taxpayer dollars were wasted a charade yesterday when nobody was really planning to change anything.

But I REALLY Need A Pony...

The title suggests what has been on my mind this week as President Obama unveiled his very own personal trillion dollar health care plan as the alternative to the other two similarly priced plans already on the table. On every side the people of America are saying "NO" to this. Not "no, thank you." People are screaming "NO!" from the rooftops, yet just like a child who is determined to break down their opposition, here he is again.

Tomorrow Obama is hosting a televised Health Care Summit where he plans to produce some sort of "bipartisan" charade to make it look like he really wants to consider outside ideas. It seems like a political setup to me and I find it all very troubling. The President has said that they will not start from scratch, so the starting point will be the current proposals. Given that everyone knows Republicans are not on board with those proposals it seems impossible for Republicans to not look like the "naysayers" Democrats are projecting them to be.

Further disturbing to me is that I believe every major speed bump for health care legislation by this administration has been the result of concerned citizens. I don't view any of the sitting Republicans as responsible for the difficulty Democrats are having in passing their socialized medicine framework. That being said, it seems more fitting for the President to take on his true critics - the citizens who have been writing the letters, sending the emails, and making the phone calls. Do the Republicans really know what we want? I have little faith that they will deliver tomorrow night, yet they are being posed as the only people against this legislation. I feel a underrepresented.

On that note, have you seen this? It's...interesting. I've had it emailed to me a few times and I'm not sure what I think. It was on the Fox News homepage today.

Expand Your Mind

I read this article today about economic policy and thought it was an informative read from history. I know very little about the presidencies in the early 20th century - what can I say, I went to public school. Seems like all I've ever heard were negative things about Warren G. Harding. Maybe I was brainwashed by progressives? :)

Here are some snippets I found interesting:

One of Harding's campaign slogans was "less government in business," and it served him well. Harding embraced the advice of Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon and called for tax cuts in his first message to Congress on April 12, 1921. The highest taxes, on corporate revenues and "excess" profits, were to be cut. Personal income taxes were to be left as is, with a top rate of 8 percent of incomes above $4,000. Harding recognized the crucial importance of encouraging the investment that is essential for growth and jobs, something that FDR never did.

Top rate of 8%??? What? We've come a long way. I think I read this week that in 2011 when the Bush tax cuts expire, the top rate will be almost 40%. That's federal tax. Add Social Security, Medicare, and state tax if applicable and wow. When every other dollar of ANYONE's money in our country is going to the government, something is very wrong.

Powerful senators, however, favored giving bonuses to veterans, as 38 states had done. But such spending increases would have put upward pressure on taxes. On July 12, 1921, Harding went to the Senate and urged tax and spending cuts. He noted that a half-billion dollars in compensation and insurance claims were already being paid to 813,442 veterans, and 107,824 veterans were enrolled in government-sponsored vocational training programs.

In 1922, the House passed a veterans' bonus bill 333-70, without saying how the bonuses would be funded. The senate passed it 35-17. Despite intense lobbying from the American Legion, Harding vetoed the bill on September 19— just six weeks before congressional elections, when presidents generally throw goodies at voters. Harding said it was unfair to add to the burdens of 110 million taxpayers.

I'm sure this was largely controversial, but he was sticking to his guns on fiscal responsibility. It doesn't matter how much you want or even need something - if you don't have the money you can't afford it. Long lost policies we all must embrace if America is ever going to be great again.

Harding's Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover wanted government intervention in the economy— which as president he was to pursue when he faced the Great Depression a decade later— but Harding would have none of it. He insisted that relief measures were a local responsibility.

I haven't heard a politician say that relief measures were a local responsibility in my lifetime. I would LOVE to hear it. I completely agree and I know that if our individual communities would take care of their poor, hungry, and afflicted the federal government would not have anything left to do. It's our job - mine and yours. Not Washington's.

Click HERE to read the full article.

State of the Union

I survived the State of the Union, though I did hear someone say he almost hit 100 counts of self mentioning. I watched Bob McDonnell's rebuttal and plenty of analysis of both speeches. All of it has had my wheels turning for a few days.

Obama's speech was unnerving in many ways. For starters, much of what he said was a repeat of past speeches. He threw a couple of crumbs to Republicans in the form of energy, tax breaks for small businesses, and a few other token items. He also omitted terrorism all together, which he had to because he is failing miserably on terrorism.

That goes to my point: watch what he does. He can't even talk about terrorism because his actions have been reprehensible and there is no amount of glittery speech making that can cover it up. I think it is great that Americans tuned in on Wednesday. They are trying to be informed. The more difficult task is ahead though. It is so hard to really pay attention enough to know what is happening.

Did any of you know that a $154 billion jobs bill went through in mid-December? I sure didn't I was busy celebrating the Christmas season with my family as were you, and they knew it. That bill simply refills some areas that have gone empty since the bogus $787 billion spent last February, but there is a favorite newbie:

The bill also allows very poor people with as little as no income to claim a $1,000-per-child tax credit in what Republicans charged was simply a welfare payment to 16 million poor families.

Excellent. See what I mean? WATCH and learn. Speeches are great for boredom, and the analysis may be oddly entertaining to weirdos like me, but the real proof is in the pudding. I have a feeling Congress will still try in various ways to get all of their liberal initiatives passed, even if just in small bits and pieces attached to other benign sounding bills. They're crooks.

To clarify on why my mean selfish self does not like the government sending $1000 checks per baby to the poor:

1. This sort of policy is widely abused and the encourages people to have babies for a check when they have no intention of loving them, teaching them, or caring for their many needs. That further burdens the system and further devalues the miracle of life.
2. It is unconstitutional for the government to take my money to give to someone else.
3. I believe we should all help the poor and if we don't we will be held accountable before our Maker after this life for not showing charity to those who need it most. That's just it though - it's my job, not the government's. Sometimes I wish you were required to pay a fee for voting for a Democrat. I mean, everyone who voted these jokers into action in effect voted for the government to take my money to "give to the poor" and if I don't comply, I go to jail. Put your money where your mouth is, get out there, and give your own money away.
4. Unconstitutional!

132 Reasons I Don't Want to Watch

The President's State of the Union address is tonight. I feel like I should watch, but it's always so hard to stomach it! This clip from Breitbart TV embodies one of the major reasons I can't stand to listen to him. He referred to himself 132 times in a jobs speech last week. I guess the thinking goes with the fact that he was elected purely on likability. So if people like him and he only talks about himself then what's not to like about the speech?

We'll see if I can actually get through the speech. If I make it that far, I may not be smart enough to make an intelligible post. The other thing I'm always interested in is whether the Republicans can actually deliver an applicable resonating message. Game on!

Barney Frank: ‘God Didn’t Create the Filibuster’

Breitbart.tv » Barney Frank: ‘God Didn’t Create the Filibuster’

Hallelujah!

I hope you all enjoyed the news tonight as much as I did. I sat in a chair "reading" an audio book for my book club this week as I watched the votes come in and occasionally hit pause to listen to a commentator, concession speech, or victory speech. A Republican took the Senate seat held by Democrat Ted Kennedy for over 50 years tonight. In a Democratic state. There are twice as many Democrats in Massachusetts than there are Republicans.

Brown won tonight because the supporters he had were passionate. The Obama-Pelosi-Reid government that is shoving policies we can't afford in our faces, all the while reducing our individual liberties, is evoking a depth of emotion I don't think has even come full swing. If they're not sure how Americans feel, they'll know after they try some foolish antic like resolution on the health care bill. People are going to go nuts, and I think I may just join them.

It's gone beyond policy or political affiliation. I've heard Democrats all week talking about reconciliation. When asked if they would do it, knowing that the majority of Americans oppose the bill, they say yes. Their reason - they know what we need better than we do. At this point I think they could introduce the most conservative sensible legislation possible and nobody would pay attention because they have sold their credibility. The mere fact that they are willing to go against the will of the people means they are unfit to run the country.

I hope the Democrats are smarter than all of this. I really hope they wise up and listen to Americans. We're so forgiving, really. Just say you were wrong and change your ways. Transparency, bi-partisanship...you know, some of those fancy words you threw around during the campaign?

*I'm too tired to make sure I have the official definition of reconciliation for you. In a nutshell, it's a loop hole procedure that allows proposed legislation to become law without the traditionally needed majority. My understanding is that it was created for times of emergency, like war, when decisions need to be made and money often needs to be spent quickly without time for discussion and voting. NOT for passing massive overhauls of the economy and fundamentally changing America.

**Correction to my first paragraph - 3 times as many Democrats in MA as Republicans. 12% of the voter population is Republican.

Brown vs. Coakley

Today, for me, is almost the equivalent of this past Sunday for Cowboys fans. Let's hope things go differently for those of us rooting for this guy than they did for the Cowboys!



Last night, even the most liberal polls were showing Scott Brown in a neck and neck race with his Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley. Other polls showed him up as much as 9 points. All of that is meaningless if the voters don't get out and vote so we'll just see what happens today. Watch the news when you get the chance!

People from all over the country have been sending his campaign money and making calls to voters from the comfort of their home. I tried to sign up to do this, but maybe I was too late because they never sent me a password to sign into the phone bank.

In any event - there is a chance a Republican could win Ted Kennedy's senate seat today. Talk about history. Could be a cool day. Could be business as usual. I'm crossing my fingers that even liberal Massachusetts would like to send a message to the growing beast of a federal government we have. Oh, and in case you are not aware, Ted Kennedy's seat is also the 60th vote needed to pass Obamacare. If Brown wins, Republicans make up 41 votes and will actually have some degree of an impact on policy between now and November. Kind of important.

Enjoy the game! :)

Scott Brown for U.S. Senate. Make a contribution.

Scott Brown for U.S. Senate. Make a contribution.

Populism

On occasion, I like to introduce word definitions to the blog. In politics, there are words out there that I think most of us know the meaning of. If we don't know the exact definition, we know enough about the English language to derive the general meaning.

Yesterday I was listening to a reporter discuss one of the latest bright ideas of the Obama administration: bank fees for 2011 totaling about $100 billion dollars. Rumor has it that reports will soon be released for 2009 boasting heavy profits and perhaps even (gasp) bonuses will go to those who are responsible. So, they must be punished! The administration is not bothering to point out that unlike other industries (GM, AIG), most of the banks have paid back their TARP money plus interest.

Multiple times in the report, the journalist used the word "populism" and something about his use made me think there was more meaning to the word than my own interpretation of the administration doing what was popular. So, thanks to dictionary.com:

pop·u·lism

1. A political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite.

2. The movement organized around this philosophy.

Aha...The government needs money. The banks are known for paying up. There is a widespread movement in this country against those who have money. The government plans to use this ideological movement to their political advantage to gain public support for a plan that unfairly punishes banks who have performed well under difficult circumstances. Wow. The power of a word to open your eyes.

When did Americans start this crazy "take from the top" mentality? Is this the result of watching ridiculous reality shows about lazy rich people in their ridiculously decked out homes? Does America think that is how you get rich?

Along the same rant, Obama met with unions this week to discuss health care. One of the union representatives interviewed about it touted the importance of making sure that "working people's" needs are met in this legislation. Again, the politics of words. I'm so sick of unions claiming they represent "working people." People all over the country are fending for their own benefits and salaries every day as they work to try to hang on to their job. They don't have a fat union watching over them, so I guess they are not really "working?" Nobody is at the table for them in this health care scam.

I think it is most important to realize that the government only uses this ideology to gain power. They are not ACTUALLY going to take from the "haves" and give it to the "have-nots." They just use it to sell their government expansion policies.

Cold

A friend forwarded this to me today and it made me laugh. Since it seems to be unusually cold everywhere, I think all will enjoy this today.



Now, let me give you a heads up: It will warm up in a few months. Then we will be paying unusually high prices for produce due to the damaged crops this month. While those of us willing to pay the price for fresh produce (in order to maintain our own good health) are paying the higher prices, the now-warm Democrats will be figuring out ways to send more of our money to the farmers who lost their crops. I doubt the farmers will seen a dime, but this will enable legislators to fund a global warming study and put a little cash into the pockets of the green intellectuals who vote for them. Those are, after all, some of the few jobs that have been "saved" in all of this nonsense. Saved until their grant money runs out, at least. Capitalism is really far simpler. Really!