From the back of Eddy Creek and Tranquilla 2 --- Happy 4th of July. Let us remember the importance of this day and the many who have fought and died for our freedom. In this day and time, let's not allow those who would rewrite our history forget that all of us who have defended our country do so - so they may have their freedom of speech.

The following was shared with me by my friend Lynn in St. Louis. An interesting essay from Mr. Hollrah entitled "The General and the Community Organizer".

Simper Fi and May God Bless America,

Dr. D.

Small Business - Carrington Automotive Meeting - Snowbirding at Tybee Island

From Tybee Island, Ga. --- It has been a few months since I posted. Frankly, we have been extra busy and for that we are grateful.

I am back on the island for the "snowbird" thing. Kay and the "boys" will be down Friday as I trudge back to work in Kentucky for a few days and close down the cabin there. I will return here in time for Thanksgiving with our "adopted" parents and friends.

Some of our friends think that we must be "rich" because we can "snowbird" here at Tybee Island, Ga. Let me set the record straight. We are fortunate and we work very long and sometimes hard hours to be able to do this.

We found a small 2-bedroom garage apartment just a few blocks from the beach and the dog park. We have a great landlord and landlady, who are also dear friends.

We get to see our extended families and friends while we are here when we are not working. We do teleconferences from the dog park via cell phone, our Internet keeps us hooked into all our clients across the United States, and we drive 2 1/2 hours to the Jacksonville, Fla., airport just so we can fly our only trustworthy airline - Southwest.

We work some days 12-14 hours so we can be "snowbirds" and we will continue to do this as long as we enjoy it and we are making a contribution.

But just so all my progressive friends understand - when PeBO and this Congress starts taxing us to the point that we no longer have any incentive to use our life energy to do this work we will "John Gault" it and pass the torch to those who want government to take care of all their needs so they can pay the taxes.

Yet, I suspect as long as we can eek out the resources we will "snowbird" at Tybee and for that we will always be grateful and feel fortunate.

Now, for the purpose of this post. We are a small business just like the one described below. I encourage you to read this posting carefully. It sums up what we are faced with.

Semper Fi, Dr. Darryl

Subject: CARRINGTON AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEE MEETING

This is what small business is all about. The Employee Meeting: I would like to start by thanking you for attending this meeting, though it's not like you had much of a choice. After all, attendance was mandatory. I'm also glad many of you accepted my invitation to your family members to be here as well. I have a few remarks to make to all of you, and then we'll retire to the ballroom for a great lunch and some employee awards. I felt that this meeting was important enough to close all 12 of our tire and automotive shops today so that you could be here. To reassure you, everybody is being paid for the day --- except me. Since our stores are closed we're making no money. That economic loss is mine to sustain. Carrington Automotive has 157 full time employees and around 30 additional part-timers. All of you are here. I thank you for that. When you walked into this auditorium you were handed a rather thick 78-page document. Many of you have already taken a peek. You were probably surprised to see that it's my personal tax return for 2008. Those of you who are adept at reading these tax returns will see that last year my taxable income was $534,000.00. Now I'm sure this seems rather high to many of you. So ... let's talk about this tax return. Carrington Automotive Enterprises is what we call a Sub-S - a Subchapter S corporation. The name comes from a particular part of our tax code.Sub-S status means that the income from all 12 of our stores is reported on my personal tax return. Businesses that report their income on the owner's personal tax return are referred to as "small businesses." So, you see now that this $534,000 is really the total taxable income - the total combined profit from all 12 of our stores. That works out to an average of a bit over $44,000 per store. Why did I feel it important for you to see my actual 2008 tax return? Well, there's a lot of rhetoric being thrown around today about taxes, small businesses and rich people. To the people in charge in Washington right now I'm a wealthy American making over a half-million dollars a year. Most Americans would agree: I'm just another rich guy; after all ... I had over a half-million in income last year, right? In this room we know that the reality is that I'm a small business owner who runs 12 retail establishments and employs 187 people. Now here's something that shouldn't surprise you, but it will: Just under 100 percent ... make that 99.7 percent of all employers in this country are small businesses, just like ours. Every one of these businesses reports their income on a personal income tax return.. You need to understand that small businesses like ours are responsible for about 80 percent of all private sector jobs in this country, and about 70 percent of all jobs that have been created over the past year. You also need to know that when you hear some politician talking about rich people who earn over $200,000 or $500,000 a year, they're talking about the people who create the jobs. The people who are now running the show in Washington have been talking for months about raising taxes on wealthy Americans. I already know that in two years my federal income taxes are going to go up by about 4.5 percent. That happens when Obama and the Democrats allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. When my taxes climb by 4.5 percent the Democrats will be on television saying that this really isn't a tax increase. They'll explain that the Bush tax cuts have expired .. nothing more. Here at Carrington we'll know that almost 5% has been taken right off of our bottom line. And that means it will be coming off your bottom line.. Numbers are boring, I know ... but let's talk a bit more about that $534,000. That's the money that was left last year from company revenues after I paid all of the salaries and expenses of running this business.. Now I could have kept every penny of that for myself, but that would have left us with nothing to grow our business, to attract new customers and to hire new employees.. You're aware that we've been talking about opening new stores in Virginia Beach and Newport News . To do that I will have to buy or lease property, construct a building and purchase inventory. I also have to hire additional people to work in those stores. These people wouldn't immediately be earning their pay. So, where do you think the money for all of this comes from? Right out of our profits .. right out of that $534,000. I need to advertise to bring customers in, especially in these tough times. Where do you think that money comes from? Oh sure, I can count it as an expense when I file my next income tax return .. but for right now that comes from either current revenues or last year's profits. Revenues right now aren't all that hot .... so do the math. A good effective advertising campaign might cost us more than $300,000. Is this all starting to come together for you now? Right now the Democrats are pushing a nationalized health care plan that, depending on who's doing the talking, will add anywhere from another two percent to an additional 4.6 percent to my taxes. If I add a few more stores, which I would like to do, and if the economy improves, my taxable income ... our business income ... could go over one million dollars! If that happens the Democrats have yet another tax waiting, another five percent plus! I've really lost track of all of the new government programs the Democrats and President Obama are proposing that they claim they will be able to finance with new taxes on what they call "wealthy Americans." And while we're talking about health care, let me explain something else to you. I understand that possibly your biggest complaint with our company is that we don't provide you with health insurance. That is because as your employer I believe that it is my responsibility to provide you with a safe workplace and a fair wage and to do all that I can to preserve and grow this company that provides us all with income. I no more have a responsibility to provide you with health insurance than I do with life, auto or homeowner's insurance. As you know, I have periodically invited agents for health insurance companies here to provide you with information on private health insurance plans. The Democrats are proposing to levy yet another tax against Carrington in the amount of 8 percent of my payroll as a penalty for not providing you with health insurance. You should know that if they do this I will be reducing every person's salary or hourly wage by that same 8 percent. This will not be done to put any more money in my pocket. It will be done to make sure that I don't suffer financially from the Democrat's efforts to place our healthcare under the control of the federal government. It is your health, not mine. It is your healthcare, not mine. These are your expenses, not mine. If you think I'm wrong about all this, I would sure love to hear your reasoning. Try to understand what I'm telling you here. Those people that Obama and the Democrats call "wealthy Americans" are, in very large part, America 's small business owners. I'm one of them. You have the evidence, and surely you don't think that the owner of a bunch of tire stores is anything special. That $534,000 figure on my income tax return puts me squarely in Democrat crosshairs when it comes to tax increases. Let's be clear about this ... crystal clear. Any federal tax increase on me is going to cost you money, not me. Any new taxes on Carrington Automotive will be new taxes that you, or the people I don't hire to staff the new stores I won't be building, will be paying. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You've heard about things rolling downhill, right? Fine ... then you need to know that taxes, like that other stuff, roll downhill. Now you and I may understand that you are not among those that the Democrats call "wealthy Americans," but when this "tax the rich" thing comes down you are going to be standing at the bottom of the mud slide, if you get my drift. That's life in the big city, my friends ... where elections have consequences. You know our economy is very weak right now. I've pledged to get us through this without layoffs or cuts in your wages and benefits. It's too bad the politicians can't get us through this without attacking our profits. To insure our survival I have to take a substantial portion of that $534,000 and set it aside for unexpected expenses and a worsening economy. Trouble is, the government is eyeing that money too ... and they have the guns. If they want it, they can take it. I don't want to make this too long. There's a great lunch waiting for us all. But you need to understand what's happening here. I've worked hard for 23 years to create this business. There were many years where I couldn't take a penny in income because every dollar was being dedicated to expanding the business. There were tough times when it took every dollar of revenues to replenish our inventory and cover your paychecks. During those times I earned nothing. If you want to see those tax returns, just let me know. OK ... I know I'm repeating myself here. I don't hire stupid people, and you are probably getting it now. So let me just ramble for a few more minutes.Most Americans don't realize that when the Democrats talk about raising taxes on people making more than $250 thousand a year, they're talking about raising taxes on small businesses. The U.S. Treasury Department says that six out of every ten individuals in this country with incomes of more than $280,000 are actually small business owners. About one-half of the income in this country that would be subject to these increased taxes is from small businesses like ours. Depending on how many of these wonderful new taxes the Democrats manage to pass, this company could see its tax burden increase by as much as $60,000. Perhaps more. I know a lot of you voted for President Obama. A lot of you voted for Democrats across the board. Whether you voted out of support for some specific policies, or because you liked his slogans, you need to learn one very valuable lesson from this election. Elections have consequences. You might have thought it would be cool to have a president who looks like you; or a president who is young, has a buff body, and speaks eloquently when there's a teleprompter in the neighborhood. Maybe you liked his promises to tax the rich. Maybe you believed his promise not to raise taxes on people earning less than a certain amount. Maybe you actually bought into his promise to cut taxes on millions of Americans who actually don't pay income taxes in the first place. Whatever the reason .. your vote had consequences; and here they are. Bottom line? I'm not taking this hit alone. As soon as the Democrats manage to get their tax increases on the books, I'm going to take steps to make sure that my family isn't affected. When you own the business, that is what you're allowed to do. I built this business over a period of 23 years, and I'm not going to see my family suffer because we have a president and a congress who think that wealth is distributed rather than earned.. Any additional taxes, of whatever description, that President Obama and the Democrats inflict on this business will come straight out of any funds I have set aside for expansion or pay and benefit increases. Any plans I might have had to hire additional employees for new stores will be put aside. Any plans for raises for the people I now have working for me will be shelved. Year-end bonuses might well be eliminated. That may sound rough, but that's the reality. You're going to continue to hear a lot of anti-wealth rhetoric out there from the media and from the left. You can chose to believe what you wish .. .but when it comes to Carrington Automotive you will know the truth. The books are open to any of you at any time. I have nothing to hide. I would hope that other small business owners out there would hold meetings like this one, but I know it won't happen that often. One of the lessons to be learned here is that taxes ... all taxes ... and all regulatory costs that are placed on businesses anywhere in this country, will eventually be passed right on down to individuals; individuals such as yourself. This hasn't been about admonishing anyone and it hasn't been about issuing threats. This is part of the education you should have received in the government schools, but didn't.. Class is now dismissed.

Does President Barrack Hussein Obama Lie? You Read and Decide.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Does He Lie?

by Charles Krauthammer

You lie? No. Barack Obama doesn't lie. He's too subtle for that. He ... well, you judge.

Herewith three examples within a single speech -- the now-famous Obama-Wilson "you lie" address to Congress on health care -- of Obama's relationship with truth.

(1) "I will not sign (a plan)," he solemnly pledged, "if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future. Period."

Wonderful. The president seems serious, veto-ready, determined to hold the line. Until, notes Harvard economist Greg Mankiw, you get to Obama's very next sentence: "And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize."

This apparent strengthening of the pledge brilliantly and deceptively undermines it. What Obama suggests is that his plan will require mandatory spending cuts if the current rosy projections prove false. But there's absolutely nothing automatic about such cuts. Every Congress is sovereign. Nothing enacted today will force a future Congress or a future president to make any cuts in any spending, mandatory or not.

Just look at the supposedly automatic Medicare cuts contained in the Sustainable Growth Rate formula enacted to constrain out-of-control Medicare spending. Every year since 2003, Congress has waived the cuts.

Mankiw puts the Obama bait-and-switch in plain language. "Translation: I promise to fix the problem. And if I do not fix the problem now, I will fix it later, or some future president will, after I am long gone. I promise he will. Absolutely, positively, I am committed to that future president fixing the problem. You can count on it. Would I lie to you?"

(2) And then there's the famous contretemps about health insurance for illegal immigrants. Obama said they would not be insured. Well, all four committee-passed bills in Congress allow illegal immigrants to take part in the proposed Health Insurance Exchange.

But more importantly, the problem is that laws are not self-enforcing. If they were, we'd have no illegal immigrants because, as I understand it, it's illegal to enter the United States illegally. We have laws against burglary, too. But we also provide for cops and jails on the assumption that most burglars don't voluntarily turn themselves in.

When Republicans proposed requiring proof of citizenship, the Democrats twice voted that down in committee. Indeed, after Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" shout-out, the Senate Finance Committee revisited the language of its bill to prevent illegal immigrants from getting any federal benefits. Why would the Finance Committee fix a nonexistent problem?

(3) Obama said he would largely solve the insoluble cost problem of Obamacare by eliminating "hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud" from Medicare.

That's not a lie. That's not even deception. That's just an insult to our intelligence. Waste, fraud and abuse -- Meg Greenfield once called this phrase "the dread big three" -- as the all-purpose piggy bank for budget savings has been a joke since Jimmy Carter first used it in 1977.

Moreover, if half a trillion is waiting to be squeezed painlessly out of Medicare, why wait for health care reform? If, as Obama repeatedly insists, Medicare overspending is breaking the budget, why hasn't he gotten started on the painless billions in "waste and fraud" savings?

Obama doesn't lie. He merely elides, gliding from one dubious assertion to another. This has been the story throughout his whole health care crusade. Its original premise was that our current financial crisis was rooted in neglect of three things -- energy, education and health care. That transparent attempt to exploit Emanuel's Law -- a crisis is a terrible thing to waste -- failed for health care because no one is stupid enough to believe that the 2008 financial collapse was caused by a lack of universal health care.

So on to the next gambit: selling health care reform as a cure for the deficit. When that was exploded by the Congressional Budget Office's demonstration of staggering Obamacare deficits, Obama tried a new tack: selling his plan as revenue-neutral insurance reform -- until the revenue neutrality is exposed as phony future cuts and chimerical waste and fraud.

Obama doesn't lie. He implies, he misdirects, he misleads -- so fluidly and incessantly that he risks transmuting eloquence into mere slickness.

Slickness wasn't fatal to "Slick Willie" Clinton because he possessed a winning, near irresistible charm. Obama's persona is more cool, distant, imperial. The charming scoundrel can get away with endless deception; the righteous redeemer cannot.

Let's Get Back to Business Congress!

From Tranquilla II on The Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---

Congressman Joe Wilson apologized personally to President Barrack Obama through a telephone call for having referred to the POTUS as a “liar” during his speech the other evening.

Good for Wilson and good for the President for taking the call and accepting the apology. After all we don’t live in England where such rambunctious behavior is actually tolerated and even encouraged. Although I for one wish we did have this system to hold all the pols accountable daily.

Then the Democrats yesterday decide to not only rebuke Wilson but they also lay out specific restrictions on language that can’t be used on the floor of the House including the infamous restriction that you can’t refer to any “sexual misconduct” on part of the President nor can you call him a “hypocrite” or “intellectually dishonest”. Too bad, President Bill Clinton didn’t have such provisions when he was office. I find it odd though that the party that says it is “for the people” want to legislate against the First Amendment. Don’t you?

It’s time Congress to get over it on both sides. The behavior was inappropriate on Wilson’s part. He apologized. POTUS accepted.

What the Dems don’t understand is their rebuke will only harden the situation more and Wilson will actually benefit in the long run. This you can take to the bank.

It’s time to move on and get back to the health care debate and other truly pressing matters such as the fraud and criminality of ACORN; however, I suspect the Congress, the administration and the POTUS would prefer not to have to deal with these real issues.

Dr. Darryl

Dave Ramsey Says It Better Than I Ever Could - Cash for Clunkers - Another "Bail Out"

I have tremendous respect for Dave Ramsey. I follow his money management philosophy and I believe we all should be doing so in these perilous times. I could not better explain nor agree any more with his assessment of this ridiculous "Cash for Clunkers" program. The government has simply created another opportunity to "bail out" a bunch of people who should have never bought a car they can't afford. And for those of you who have not thought this through we now have all these "clunkers" out of the used car market creating problems for those who wish to buy a good used car. Here is Mr. Ramsey's recent article:

With all the buzz about Cash for Clunkers, it’s easy to think that it was a great way for people to get a better set of wheels. But was it really? No way! Cash for Clunkers was simply a way for broke people to buy cars that they really couldn't afford. It was a bad idea on multiple levels. But before digging into that, let’s take a little history lesson.

About a decade ago, a fair housing program was started, called a sub-prime lending market. The idea behind it was that everyone “needed” to own a home—including broke people. The government decided to start a program to reinvest in communities, which allowed pretty much anyone to borrow money to buy a house. Lending companies charged high interest rates, causing already struggling families to go even further into debt.

Basically, this was a program designed to encourage broke people to buy houses. Most people didn’t even know it existed until it unraveled and became the number-one cause of our recent recession. The government took those stupid loans back and securitized them, which created the financial mess last fall. Helping broke people buy houses didn’t turn out to be a great government program. Guess what? Helping broke people buy brand-new cars—and now home appliances—will turn out just as bad.

The Cash for Clunkers program was designed exactly for people who should not take advantage of the program. You trade your $2,000 clunker in for a brand-new, shiny $20,000 car, and the only way you can afford it is with a high-interest payment. That just means you really couldn’t afford it to begin with. Doesn’t this sound like the sub-prime mortgage problem all over again?

When you drive that new car off the lot, you’re immediately going to lose $4,500. The worst car accidents happen on the showroom floor. New cars go down in value like a rock. The government thinks it’s going to save the American auto industry by putting broke people into cars they can’t pay for. It’s going to come back to bite them—and the rest of us—in the form of taxes galore.

Another bad thing about this program is that we, the taxpayers, are paying for the new cars! It’s morally wrong of the government to take money away from us—against our will—in the form of taxes and give that money to someone else to buy a stupid car they can’t afford in the first place! This is theft, plain and simple.

Cash for Clunkers is a program that redistributes wealth in the name of the environment, and it’s going to be a curse on the car dealer and the manufacturer that carries the paper. It’s going to hurt the broke person who bought a car he couldn’t afford. And it’s already a problem for our country, because it’s adding dollars to the national debt.

There’s always a twist with government programs like this. They try to think of creative ways to help people, but the situation usually ends up worse than it did before they “helped.” In the end, I should decide what to do with my own money. If I want to buy you a car, I will! And if you can’t buy a car without actually paying for the whole thing, then you’re better off keeping your “clunker.”

So good riddance to a really bad program that has done more damage than good. -

Dave Ramsey

http://www.daveramsey.com/

Under Obamacare My Cancer Would Not Have Been Even Diagnosed in Time

From Tranquilla 2 on The Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---

Rush Limbaugh is a "Big Fat Idiot," according to my progressive friends, so let's also throw in Glenn Beck, the best-selling populist author of "Common Sense" and Mark Levin, the best-selling author of "Liberty or Tyranny" as well. That should really titillate the "snipers" and "bomb-throwers."

However, if we are going to get into calling names let's be as childish on the "conservative" side as well and add Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and let's not forget Al Franken and Michael Moore, Chuck Schummer and a few others - maybe they can be called "Big Fat Air Heads." or something equally childish.

What's my point?

When people can no longer debate with reason, logic and facts and on principles they have to resort to name calling.

Sean Hannity becomes Sean Vanity; Ed Schultz becomes Ed "Big Mouth" Schlitz.

You get the idea.

The problem is name calling doesn't get us any where in the world of ideas nor does it move us toward solutions.

Frankly my friends this current administration is wrought with lots of ideas; they have never met a crisis they couldn't take advantage of and in my opinion they are using "Chicago-style" rough house politics on us all to force programs on many of us who simply don't want their "help."

I personally prefer to debate these issues on the merits and the ideals of liberty and freedom and not on silly name calling. But then, of course, even the administration has even gone back to the old playbook of "The Vast Right-wing Conspiracy" theory as to why they can't sell these ideas to the general public. They have become desperate.

However, let us not let Congress - those political hacks - that have become more arrogant and self-serving than we can measure off lightly in this debate. The problems in our country are on both sides of the political aisle as well as in the administration.

It is self-serving and to the Congress's advantage to keep us fighting with one another over "parties" so they can reach out into our pockets and solicit their campaign funds.

It is time for a new political party and agenda. It is time for part-time legislators at the state and federal level. It is time for the farmers to come from the fields, the factory worker from the production lines, the office managers from their desks to give to public service once again.

It is simply time we threw them all out and started all over. It is time we resorted to some "common sense" - we simply can not continue down this road to perdition.

Our debt is beyond the pale, each of us now owe the government more than $44,000 and the interest is climbing daily.

Progressives are asking that we sacrifice systems that work albeit they need improvement for systems run by the government such as Medicare and the Medicaid. If there is a single person reading this that doesn't understand both of those "government" programs are broke, wrought with fraud and mis-management and shamefully run then they have not lived the past 50-years watching government screw it up. They are uneducated and choose to be.

The money being borrowed to run these programs today is on the backs of our children and grandchildren.

The health care "advocates" on both sides want government to run health care - they want to give up their "rights and freedoms of being responsible for themselves" -- they want government to make decisions on the most personal of the decisions that we as free men and women now make.

I simply won't stand for it.

Had I been in an Obama health care system I would not have gotten my cancer diagnosis in time to have saved my bladder and quite possibly my life. That is a fact. I went from the diagnosis to surgery in 4-days friends an unheard of situation under any government program - I know I used to be a fed.

Listen carefully -- leave me and my health care and my family alone. I prefer to work harder and longer if necessary to buy my own insurance.

I choose to be a free man and make my own decisions thank you very much.

No Mr. President you are not a JFK and certainly not an Abraham Lincoln that you supporters are so fond of making you out to to be like.

My philosophy is appropriately stated below Mr. President.

Or, if I can make it simpler for you - I choose "Liberty or Death - Don't Tread on Me!" - Dr. D.

For your reading pleasure ---

These words are often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but according to the book They Never Said it: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, & Misleading Attributions, they are not from Lincoln.

The quotes were published in 1942 by William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister. He released a pamphlet titled Lincoln On Limitations, which did include a Lincoln quote, but also added 10 statements written by Boetcker himself.

They were:

1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong
3. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
4. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
5. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
6. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
7. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
9. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
10 You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.

A Letter from a Grandfather to His Granddaughter

From Tranquilla on the Back of Lake Barkley and Eddy Creek - I could not possibly explain this any better. Dr. D.

John is 65 years old and owns his own business. He sees his dream of retiring next year is now all but gone. With the stock market crashing and all the new taxes coming his way, John knows he will be working for a good number more years.

John has a granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a late model car, wears all the latest fashions, and also likes going out and eating out a lot. Ashley campaigned hard for Obama, and after he won the election she made sure her Grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received more than an earful on how the world is doing to be a much better place now that Obama won the election.

Ashley recently found herself short of cash and cannot pay her bills, again. As she has done many other times in the past, she e-mailed her Grandfather asking for some financial help. Here is his reply:


"Sweetheart,

I am replying to your request for more money. Ashley, you know I love you dearly and am sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your Grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own....the 'Ashley Economic Plan'. Let me explain. Your grandmother and I are highly productive, wage-earning taxpayers. As you know, we have lived a comfortable life , we have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon.

But this plan has changed. Your president is significantly raising our personal and business taxes. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people.

Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less income for us. Less income means we must cut back on many business and personal expenditures.

One example is, we were forced to let go of our receptionist today. You know her. She always gave you candy when you visited my office. Did you know she worked for us for the past 18 years? I can't afford her anymore.

That is a taste of the business side. Some personal economic effects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc. By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help. Judging from your Email requesting more money, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct telephone number for the White House. You yourself repeatedly told me I was foolish to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to be the people's president and is going to help every American live a better life. Based upon everything you have told me and things we heard from him as he campaigned, I am sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send a check or transfer money into your checking account. Have him call me for the transaction and account numbers, which by now I know by heart.

Perhaps you now can understand what I have been saying for all my life: those who vote for the president of the United States should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole, and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, etc.). What Obama voters don't seem to realize is all of the "government's" money he is 'redistributing' to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (deemed "less fortunate") comes from tax money collected from income tax-paying families. Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Guess what, honey? Because of our business, your Grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich. On paper, it might look that way. But in the real world, we are far from it.

But, as you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper. You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money. Less money for everything, including granddaughters.

I pray that you can live with the "change" you voted for. For future reference, I encourage you to attempt to add up the total value of the gifts and money you've received from us over the years, and compare it to what you expect to get over the next four years from Mr. Obama.

Remember, we love you dearly... but from now on you'll need to call the number referenced above when you need help.

Good luck, sweetheart.

Love, Grandpa

Freedom Isn't Free - Staff Sgt. John Beale's Arrival Home

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- It is Sunday morning in Kentucky in the summer. Hot and humid. Kay is taking the early hours to do some weed-eating. I did some 2-hours of yard work yesterday and today decided I needed to catch up inside. While checking my e-mail I came across a video and a new blog site. I will share both with you in a moment, however, first I have somethings to get off my heart.

I am over all the political correctness.

Bottom-line: I don't like this President, this Congress or either of the two parties - Republican or Democrats.

No one up there represents me or my viewpoints. I am not alone. I know that from talking to my friends and acquaintances on both sides of the political spectrum. Our country is running amuck!

We have allowed our country to be turned over to a bunch of thugs and pantywaists in Congress on both sides of the aisles. Some of our country elected a President on the basis of something other than common sense.

This is not to suggest that either candidate was that worthwhile frankly.

Somehow we have totally gotten away from what I believe our Founding Fathers intended our country to be.

A once great America, "The Shining City on the Hill" is turning into a version of the socialist Europe and Canadian model; neither of which do I believe is sanctioned by the vast majority of people in the "Real America."

I told my wife the day of 9-11 that all that fawning and singing on the steps of the Capitol and how all of Congress was going to hold hands and have tea together and work united was a bunch of crap - a political show and nothing more.

Was I wrong? No! I wasn't wrong.

I also told her at that time that I wanted to be a part of the fight on the war on terror.

Well, in a small way I contributed but not to the extent and level I wished. I was too old I was told to re-enlist. I was too out-of-date to assist in the intel area. I could not speak any of the languages and had never fought on the desert battlefield.

Yet, I believe that many of us even at our "advanced" age (yes, 59 is looming now) will soon be faced with having to protect what little freedoms we will have left after this President and Congress finishes looting them

It was our "younger men" such as Staff Sgt. John Beale, the 39-year old from Riverdale, Ga. who fought for us in Iraq.

S/Sgt Beale was with the U.S. Army,1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.

He was killed by a IED on June 9th.

They brought Sgt Beale home for burial recently and it was videotaped.

What you will see, if you watch this video, will reaffirm for some the values that we as Americans out here in the "Real America" hold dear.

I believe that the vast majority of American still hold the values of freedom, liberty, and a country where we will be left alone to pursue our own dreams without benefit of continuing government intervention or oversight very dear.

A country where we will choose to work for our benefit and not for the benefit of other men.

I have known a number of Sgt. Beales over the years and I can tell you that every one of them without exception believed in the principles and values stated above and in our Constitution.

That is why they voluntarily enlisted.

That is why they chose to defend our country against terrorists. And they do understand that freedom is not free.

Often I have said to my liberal and progressive friends, "We fought for your right to say and do whatever you wish as part of your freedom of expression but it doesn't mean I agree with it or that I condone it."

Frankly, too much of what is going on in our country now is beyond my ability to understand or condone and therefore I choose not to do so.

And having said that I will acknowledge right now that you will hear the pundits on both sides of the political aisle make their audacious commentaries on the "war" and those that fight it.

Those pundits from the progressives on MSNBC, NBC, ABC, and CBS will malign and wring their hands over the war while having thrills run up their legs about the new President.

The Washington Post will solemnly list S/Sgt Beale on their casualty page.

Then you will see the so called conservatives those on the "right" wave their flags and talk proudly how they support the troops and America but how they are now in exile and have to fight their way back into political power.

Both sides are full of it.

The blow-hard blustery crap they spew day in and day out is worthless chatter and noise. Their interest is in ratings and getting and keeping power ladies and gentlemen it is that simple.

What you won't see (except in the video below) is the sincere and deeply felt emotions of the everyday Americans who understand the sanctity of life, the value of freedom and liberty, the intent of the Founding Fathers who said that "All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights and that among these are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ..."

No, you won't see this type of video on MSNBC, or if you did you would have Keith Olberman or Chris Matthews making some kind of snide comments about us "hillbillys" or "rubes" showing our patriotic fervor.

You probably won't ever see it on Fox News either but if you did it would be to further their ratings and their own vanity.

What you are about to see is the "Real America" yes, the "Red States" showing their respect for a fallen hero - one of their own as it is.

One person remarked that they didn't think they would see this very often where ever it was they lived.

Well sir, you are mistaken when it comes to thinking that about the South.

Most of us who had parents that raised us right especially in the South still pull over to the side of the road when a funeral procession passes. Many of us even get out of our cars and bow our heads in reverence.

There is a "Real America" out here Mr. President and Congress.

In this "Real America" we are the taxpayers that you want more money from to pay for your global warming, your housing and car company bail-outs, your single payer health insurance travesties, your trips to Chicago and Paris and the luxuries that you in Congress think you are entitled to by being there.

And yes Congress (both sides of the fence boys and girls - both sides), you bunch of fawning sycophants, there is a "Real America" out here. An America where we still honor our fallen heroes.

The vast majority of us still believe we have to fight and die for our freedom and liberty and an America that believes it is better to take the war to the bastards than to fight it on our on soil.

No, I don't expect this President and Congress, or those that want government to be their "Sugar Daddy" would understand much of this.

In reality I don't really care if they do or not but now and then you have to get this stuff off your heart and chest.

Now, if I haven't bored you to death with my commentary, or upset you so much you can't think straight, then sit back, turn up the speakers and get you a tissue.

This video was shared by Dr. Ignatius Piazza
(http://www.ignatius-piazza-front-sight.com/)

The video was taken by Rep. Steve Davis from the front seat of a patrol car that escorted the body of S/Sgt Beale home.

Thank you S/Sgt Beale. May you rest in peace.

Simper Fi, Dr. Darryl

America is NOT a Democracy - It Never Was!

From Tybee Island, Ga. --- It always bothers me when I hear people refer to our form of government as a democracy. It is simply not so and was never intended by our founding fathers. Freedom comes from the Republic form of government - The Rule of Law. Government must be limited for us to have our freedoms and our liberty. Enjoy this very instructional video:

Andy Rooney's Tips for Handling Telemarketers

Tips for Handling Telemarketers Three Little Words That Work !! (1)The three little words are: 'Hold On, Please...' Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt. Then when you eventually hear the phone company's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting. (2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end? This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a 'real' sales person to call back and get someone at home. What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer !!! (3) Junk Mail Help: When you get 'ads' enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these 'ads' with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away. When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 41 cents postage 'IF' and when they receive them back. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50 cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes. Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them 41 cents. The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it...Twice! Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase postage costs again You get the idea ! If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- I have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore.

Now You Have Gone and Done It! Beer and Wine Tax on It's Way!

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Okay all my liberal, progressive friends I have tried to hold my voice on the election of BHO and this "Congress" but today enough is enough. You have stopped just meddling - I mean geez imagine BHO and this Congress owning a car company - now you want to do this to all of us? I thought you were clearly NOT going to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year? Why could I ever believe such political nonsense? So, all my progressive buddies now join the rest of us in the party lounge as you too will pay more for your drinks! Belly up to the bar. Read more here and cry in that $7 beer!

Get Ready the Beer and Wine Taxes Are Headed Your Way Brother Paul!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=86810233143&h=WAQlm&u=FgFdh&ref=nf

Dr. D.

Reflections on Sunday Before Memorial Day Monday

UPDATE: I was mistaken. The ceremony was Friday not Saturday and my friend Rachel Vickery was kind enough to send a photo to reassure me there was a crowd. My apologies for jumping to an inappropriate conclusion based on lack of sufficient data. Dr. D.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- When one of my ole buddies contacted me today to wish me a good Memorial Day and to concede, “They forget us” I was saddened again by what I saw, or maybe what I didn’t see, yesterday in Oak Grove.

The “Traveling Wall”, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall came to Oak Grove just outside Fort Campbell, Ky this weekend. Yesterday at 10 a.m. there was to be a welcoming ceremony. I debated going but woke up early and convinced myself that I would. I have seen and visited the traveling version two other times to pay my respects to two of my brothers and I believe for some reason any chance I get I should again.

I got to the Wall 15-minutes ahead of schedule. There were six of us there not including spouses. Four WWII veterans and two of my age and I waited until 10:30 and no one showed up to do the ceremony nor did any other members of the public or any politicians.

Surely I must have been mistaken about the time the ceremony was to be held. I have never known a goldbrick politician that didn’t go out of their way to wrap themselves in the flag and praise the military especially when it was to their advantage or they were in campaign mode. Whatever mistake I made no one was there at 10 a.m. or even 10:30 a.m. Did they show up later? Probably so and I just had the time wrong. However, the empty feeling that my ole Balmer buddy had about “being forgotten” – well, I can understand how he and so many others might feel that way.

Finally though after walking through the traveling museum called the “Last Fire Base” I wrapped it up went to the Waffle House and had breakfast with a couple of old vets who were as disappointed as I was in the lack of interest. Then I went home and me and my dog curled up in the recliner and watched old sci-fi movies from the 50s and had a couple of cocktails and we got through another day.

Let it be known veterans many of us don’t forget you and appreciate all you gave and still give for our country it is just sometimes we don’t do a very good job of letting you know that and for that I am profoundly sorry.

Simper Fi to you all,

Dr. Darryl

We Can't Afford Another "Jimmy Carter" - I Know I Barely Survived The First One

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY Posted Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Jimmy Carter became our 39th president at the young age of 52. He was a one-term governor from Plains, GA, where he managed the family peanut farm and taught Sunday school. He was also a graduate of the Naval Academy and served seven years in the Navy, leaving as a lieutenant. He came to power in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the resignation of President Nixon. The public wanted change and someone new, and Carter was an ambitious, hands-on politician who promised better days. As good as his intentions were, however, the things he tried were not successful. In fact, he created far more serious problems than he ever solved.

The centerpiece of Carter's foreign policy was human rights, and he did achieve one noble success---a peace treaty between Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin.
Unfortunately, that later led to Sadat's assassination at the hands of Muslim radicals. Many people felt Carter was a good man who worked hard and meant well. But he was naive and incompetent in handling the enormous burdens and complex challenges of being president.

He wrongly believed Americans had an 'inordinate fear of communism,' so he lifted travel bans to Cuba, North Vietnam, and Cambodia and pardoned draft evaders. He also stopped B-1 bomber production and gave away our strategically located Panama Canal.

His most damaging miscalculation was the withdrawal of U.S. support for the Shah of Iran, a strong and longtime military ally. Carter objected to the Shah's alleged mistreatment of imprisoned Soviet spies who were working to overthrow Iran's government. He thought the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, being a religious man, would make a fairer leader. Having lost U.S. support, the Shah was overthrown, the Ayatollah returned, Iran was declared an Islamic nation and Palestinian hit men were hired to eliminate opposition.

The Ayatollah then introduced the idea of suicide bombers to the Palestine Liberation Organization, paying $35,000 to PLO families whose young people were brainwashed to kill as many Israelis as possible by blowing themselves up in crowded shopping areas. Next, the Ayatollah used Iran's oil wealth to create, train and finance a new terrorist organization, Hezbollah, which later would attack Israel in 2006.

In November 1979, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranians stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Not until six months into the ordeal did Carter attempt a rescue. But the mission, using just six Navy helicopters, was poorly executed. Three of the copters were disabled or lost in sandstorms. (Pilots weren't allowed to meet with weather forecasters because someone in authority worried about security.) Five airmen and three Marines lost their lives.

So, due to overconfidence, inexperience and poor judgment, Carter undermined and lost a strong ally, Iran, that today aggressively threatens the U.S., Israel and the rest of the world with nuclear weapons. But that's not all. After Carter met for the first time with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the USSR promptly invaded Afghanistan. Carter, ever the naive appeaser, was shocked. 'I can't believe the Russians lied to me,' he said. The invasion attracted a 23-year-old Saudi named Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan to recruit Muslim fighters and raise money for an anti-Soviet jihad. Part of that group eventually became al-Qaida, a terrorist organization that would declare war on America several times between 1996 and 1998, before attacking us on 9/11, killing more Americans than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

On Carter's watch, the Soviet Union went on an unrestrained rampage in which it took over not only Afghanistan, but also Ethiopia, South Yemen, Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, Grenada and Nicaragua. In spite of this, Carter's last defense budget proposed spending 45% below pre-Vietnam levels for fighter aircraft, 75% for ships, 83% for attack submarines and 90% for helicopters. Years later, as a civilian, Carter negotiated a peace agreement with North Korea to keep that communist country from developing nuclear weapons. He also convinced President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to go along with it. But the signed piece of paper proved worthless. The North Koreans deceived Carter and instead used our money, incentives and technical equipment to build nuclear weapons and pose the threat we face today. Thus did Carter unwittingly become our Neville Chamberlain, creating with his well-intended but inept, unrealistic and gullible actions the very conditions that led to the three most dangerous security threats we face today: Iran, al-Qaida and North Korea.

On the domestic side, Carter gave us inflation of 15%, the highest in 34 years; interest rates of 21%, the highest in 115 years; and a severe energy crisis with lines around the block at gas stations nationwide. In 1977, Carter, along with a Democrat Congress, created a worthy project with noble intentions---the Community Reinvestment Act. Over strong industry objections, it mandated that all banks meet the credit needs of their entire communities. In 1995, President Clinton imposed even stronger regulations and performance tests that coerced banks to substantially increase loans to low-income, poverty-area borrowers or face fines or possible restrictions on expansion. These revisions allowed for securitization of CRA loans containing subprime mortgages. By 1997, good loans were bundled with poor ones and sold as prime packages to institutions here and abroad. That shifted risk from the loan originators, freeing banks to begin pyramiding and make more of these profitable subprime products.

Under two young, well-intended presidents, therefore, big-government plans and mandates played a significant role in the current subprime mortgage mess and its catastrophic consequences for the U.S. and international economies. Hardest-hit by the mortgage foreclosures have been the citizens that Democrats always claim to help most----inner-city residents who fell victim to low or no down payment schemes, unexpected adjustable rates, deceptive loan applications and commission-hungry salespeople. Now we're having to bail out at huge cost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the very agencies that were supposed to stabilize the system.

Comment, not in IBD: But the party of Carter and Clinton that midwifed our mortgage mess now wants to be trusted to give us another, young, inexperienced, well intentioned, but misguided president who wants to raise taxes, tremendously cut our military spending, take away our missle shield, negotiate with our enemies and take over and have the government run our entire system of health care!

The road to hell is, without a doubt, filled with good intentions.

What are 545 Politicians at the Bottom of the Sea?

A start ... read on ...


Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300+ million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.

Who is the speaker of the House?

She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.

If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300+ million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insolvable government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

And this column is from Charlie Reese a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and I thank him for writing it.

Please Pray with Us for Ty Edwards, a Brave Marine

Lake Barkley --- Ty Edwards, a family member, a fellow "brother" and Marine, while training troops last week in Afghanistan was ambushed and shot in the head. An update follows:

From Kay --- Hello everyone. I called and spoke this morning to Tommy Edwards. He seemed more hopeful today than last night. He said Debbie is holding up well.

They had learned a couple of additional things. When Anna's mother was coordinating with a Lt. Col. her plans to travel to Japan to pick up the kids, she learned that Ty had opened his eyes and been responsive at some point. Tommy wasn't sure whether that was in the field when he was injured, or later. But that was a hopeful sign.

Another sign of 'angels' watching over Ty is that his cousin-in-law (one of Tommy's nephews by marriage) is serving as a pilot with the Mississippi National Guard, and flies the medivac units. He was planning to look Ty up when he was in Afghanistan, and instead transported him to Germany.

Ty is safely in Germany and Anna is enroute there. When she arrives, the plan is to transport them both in the same plane to the states. That's all the details on that we have at this point.

We all know that treatment of head injuries has come a very long way in particular during this war, so we are all continuing to pray fervently that Ty's injury will be able to have good treatment, and we pray for his safe passage throughout this process.

I'm not sure where he will be located, but we are very grateful for our Miller cousin, Jake's kind offering of housing in the DC area for Ty's family, should that become helpful. Thank you, Jake.

I'll keep you all posted as I learn more.

Thanks Chuck - You Summarize My Positon Better Than I Can

Chuck Howell and I were managers with the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1980s. TVA is an outdated, outmoded and grossly mis-managed public utility that President Ronald Reagan would have been wise to have "sunset" during his tenure (my editorial comment). What follows is his take on the Presidential election. Please enjoy while I go and "clean my guns and cling to my religion".

From Chuck Howell:

As to the race for the presidency, I am disappointed in both candidates. The most recent debate was, in my view, a boring embarrassing spectacle. Here were two career politicians jabbering away, endlessly repeating their talking points, never giving a direct answer, never providing any clear and precise definition as to how their "programs" would work to benefit the American people without further spending us into bankruptcy.

Some of the pundits said that McCain's only hope to turn the tide of public opinion was to attack Obama. He didn't, of course, for U.S. senators do not do such things! These fellows are expected to always respect the decorum of the Senate, to promote a collegial atmosphere while debating "extremely important national policy" in a courteous and respectful manner. A prerequisite seems to be that members must be able to speak for at least forty-five minutes without saying anything of substance--both of these gentlemen surely demonstrated these attributes to the extreme. Senator Biden is tops in this category.

Thank goodness that the debate committee chose that old Liberal, Tom Brokaw, to serve as moderator. Tom seem more concerned about time-management than the debate itself--notice how he adroitly selected twenty questions from among Nashville's Corp of Undecided and the Internet, while narrowly avoiding the really important issues facing America today. For instance, where were the questions on the War on Terror (after all it IS only the survival of the Western Culture we are talking about when it comes to the agenda of the Radical Islamists)? How about illegal immigration (what DO we do about the twenty million illegals who are bankrupting our local health care facilities, local schools and other taxpayer-funded social services)? What about the failure of the president and U.S. congress to properly oversee our nation's financial system and markets?

I also wonder why the people chosen to ask questions seem only marginally articulate. Was there some strong weed dispensed at Belmont that evening? I'm sorry. That was crude and uncalled for. And to think that they were once a strong Southern Baptist school.

In my view of things, Senator McCain looked totally un-presidential. In fact, he looked tired and incapable of a good knock-down, drag-out political fight. Bill Clinton would have destroyed him. In the same format, Ronald Reagan would have verbally denuded Obama in about five minutes and showed him to be the novice that he is. Would someone please tell me what this guy has accomplished? Oh, I know how he (as he said on TV last week) "took advantage of the opportunities of this great nation" to get a world-class education. He does indeed appear to have applied himself and I do not question that he is a smart politician. However, what were his accomplishments as an Illinois state senator? Even his spoke people can't or won't answer this question. He has apparently been a non-entity in the U.S. Senate. He has championed no major bills nor has he headed any subcommittees within his purview. the Right Wing pundits all say that he has devoted his time since joining the Senate to running for president. I have found nothing to refute this statement.

The fact that he beat out Alan Keys, a second-rate, inexperienced Black conservative talk show host for the U.S. Senate isn't very impressive. With the political and financial clout of the Mayor Richard Daley's Chicago political machine behind him, Jeffrey Dahmer could have taken that seat.

Then there's his tenure as a Chicago community organizer. If my information is correct, his main objective was to help the under-served minority community to register to vote and get home mortgages which they couldn't afford to pay. Would someone please tell me how this shallow resume qualifies this dude to serve as the president of the United States?

Finally, I don't know about you but I'm more than a little concerned about the associations and political output of both McCain and Obama. While we know that McCain escaped the legal fallout from the Keating Five mess (the Dems own lawyer vindicated him), his votes on illegal immigration and campaign finance reform shows that he is not really attuned to the priorities of the American majority in the first case, and deserves criticism for stomping on the First Amendment in the latter.

Bipartisanship and cooperation is okay when it is in the best interests of the citizenry, however I would like to see a little more spunk from a person trying to win my vote. Frankly, I'm not enamored with McCain "The Maverick." We have a two-party system and when you get too far from the center of your party, you become marginalized and ineffective--I think this definition fits McCain to a Tee. If I hear him brag about "reaching across the aisle" one more time, I think I'll puke. I favor Sarah Palin's take on things....speak direct and with strength. Shoot the damn moose if you need meat in the freezer!

Then there's the extremely important issue of Barack's association with Bill Ayres, Reverend Wright, et al. There is a saying going around the Internet, "What does Obama and Osama have in common? Answer: They both have friends that bombed the Pentagon." How can we trust a person who knowingly associates with an unrepentant terrorist? Troubling.

And, some of you know, my dad was a Baptist preacher.....I sat under his preaching for over twenty-five years, and you can rest assured that what he had to say made a deep impression on me. Now, am I supposed to believe that Barack and Michelle attended Reverend Wright's church for twenty years, heard his virulent Anti-American and racist sermons and weren't effected? Ah, come on! Down home they would say "that dog won't hunt!"

I also find Obama not to be trustworthy. Like the career politician that he is, he parses his words when trying to explain where he stands on important issues. He was recently asked to give his position on the Fifth Amendment. He stated that he "supported the Fifth Amendment," but refused to explain whether or not he believed that the amendment's "right to bear arms" was an individual right or only a right pertaining to "state militias." Of course, Obama is a product of the Chicago political machine and has always voted against gun ownership--he scores a definite "F"by the folks at the NRA. I have no doubt that if given the opportunity, he would appoint supreme court judges who would act to overturn the recent Washington D.C. case where the court found that the rights under this amendment was an individual one, and D.C.s strict ban on handgun ownership was unconstitutional. Okay, if I needed a single issue to determine my vote, this would be it.

I'm one of the Great Unwashed who in times of trouble regularly "falls back on my religion and guns." Today I cleaned several of my guns. With the collapse of the banking system and the meltdown of the stock market, guns and cartridges may be valuable barter items in the coming months. Going dove huntin' on Saturday morning. Barring illness or other calamity, I'll be in church on Sunday. I will continue to pray for our nation and its leaders whoever they are.

Please forgive this wordy epistle. What say you?

God bless America.

Chuck Howell

"Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light"