Holy mother of Joesph, Biden Strikes Again!

Once again like a bad rash Vice President Joe Biden has popped up with his big mouth. I don’t know about any of you but every time he spouts off I get a big kick out of it. I think he’s doing a awesome job of stabbing his boss in the back. He doesn’t realize how much he helps out the Republican party every time he opens his yap. You would think Obama would have put a muzzle on him by now. He said they under estimated how bad the economy was. I’m no college graduate but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The stimulus is turning out to be a big fizzle thus far. We might as well took all them billions ands set fire to it.  Obama claimed if they didn’t rush the stimulus through the unemployment rate would peak at 8 %. Well it got put through anyway and now the unemployment rate has passed that and is  9.5% and growing.  Alot of the jobs created by the stimulus money will be in jeopardy soon like police officers and teachers, firemen and construction type jobs when completed for a few. The money to keep  their jobs won’t be there after the end of the year and we will see unemployment skyrocket. I would love to hear what Obama has to say every time Biden has opened his mouth and said the things he has about their administration i would bet they probably would not be nice words. I know one thing if i was president i sure would not be one bit happy with him. Why is it that most of the time we can see clearly what is so apparent to us and its right under their nose and they can’t. I really think politicans think we are completely stupid and totally blind. Sometimes i believe we are for electing these jokers in the first place on campaign promises that hardly ever come true. Then when they do come through with a promise we will end up paying for it for decades to come. Like the state of Iowa for instance this wasn’t a campaign promise but we will be paying back the money we borrowed for the next 30 years meanwhile most of the road construction jobs that it paid for will be long worn out many times over in that span. I got one thing to say keep tuned in for the next Biden blunder. He sure has been a entertaining VP so far. I will give him this  one  at least he hasn’t shot no body yet.

Guest Commentary-Independence Day

Independence Day

Christopher Reed-2008 Republican candidate for US Senate in Iowa

On this day we pause to celebrate our nation’s independence from tyranny and oppression. Some 233 years ago a brave and courageous people stood up and declared they were taking back their God given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These men not only forged the greatest nation man has ever seen, but too, they believed We the People was the best course shape their world, and it still works today. Many correlations can be drawn between 1776 and 2009.

In 1776 our fore fathers stood up against Taxation Without Representation. They believed it was unfair to be taxed and over-taxed on goods and services they consumed without ample representation in England. Similar to today’s Congress, Parliament crossed the line with taxation. Today, we find an ever growing number of American’s who feel their voice is not being heard in Washington and they are not being represented fairly. Evidence of this can be found in the numerous symbolic ‘Tea Party’s’ that will take place this Fourth of July around our nation. Recently, a filibuster-proof Congress narrowly passed the single largest tax increasing bill known as Cap and Trade. This bill was passed under the guise of good intentions for our future. Make no mistake, this is nothing more than a power grab by a power hungry, out of control Government.

In 1776 our fore fathers longed for freedom and liberty from an oppressive, dictatorial regime that no longer represented their values and desires. They were smaller in number, weaker in arms and less organized as a citizenry. However, their will to be freed from bondage was only bested by their belief that God gave them their liberties and not the empirical leader. In the years to come as the war was not going well, an autonomous, sovereign nation decided to get involved. The French believed our cause was just and it was right to intervene. Today, we find a tyrannical Iranian regime oppressing its people. Some of our leaders say we shouldn’t meddle in their conflict, they feel it is not our place to relieve suffering and bondage around the world. If the French had taken the same stance, where would the United States be today? What of the millions we have liberated around the world over the past 233 years. Are we honoring those who died for their freedom?

In 1776, our fore fathers suffered under a tyrannical, oppressive leader that imposed egregious taxes, unfriendly legislation and general disregard of their people’s desires. Under the guise of caring for their needs and safety, the far away Empire fast became more and more over-bearing and pursued all angles to tax the citizenry and inflict heavy-handed decisions that were counter productive to the citizens’ freedoms and liberties. The men of the time decided enough was enough and stood up in the face of overwhelming odds and decided to be free men and rid themselves of tyranny. Today we find ourselves with leaders in a far-away Washington who, under the guise of caring, are inflicting us with legislation that is counter-productive to individual success and personal initiative. Our leaders today, like those of our fore fathers, believe they know better than the rest of us and are better suited to care for our needs than are we.

Today is Independence Day. We do not need a radical uprising, civil revolt, nor do we need a war of revolution. What we do need today is an evolution. We need the collective citizenry to stake a claim in their own independence. We need people to decide today that they are best equipped to tend to their own pursuit of happiness. We have a unique opportunity on this day to decide that yet again, we will not accept Taxation Without Representation. Our next great Independence Day will come in November, 2010 when we have a chance to say no to potential tyranny and oppressive leadership in Washington. We have a chance to be bold and elect leaders that will stand up for what is right and remember that the government that governs best, is the government that governs least.

Christopher Reed

Marion, Ia.

Guest Commentary-Senator Grassley: Part of the Problem by Luke Priest

Senator Grassley met with residents of Marion and surrounding counties this morning at the Pella Community Center Auditorium. The place was packed out. 150+ I would say. Unfortunately, a bastion of individual liberty, and limited government it was not.

The discussion was dominated by discussion about healthcare. I listened for over an hour to people asking about one section of President Obama’s new insurance plan, or the Republican’s version of the same plan and listening to Grassley expound on what “we want” and “our goals are”. If you want to know what Grassley wants, and what his goals are they are namely government interference in the free market to control costs of healthcare, and more welfare to decrease the number of uninsured in the country. (Read increased bureaucracy that either increases total cost, or limits availability of healthcare, and greater deficit spending to buy the votes of the ignorant.) Anyway, after listening to this for over an hour I had had a belly full. During a rather disorganized part of the discussion I interrupted and requesting that we simplify the matter. If you get down to brass tacks, where, with the exception of Veterans benefits, and possibly federal employee benefits, does the United states Constitution give you the right to vote to spend a single penny of public monies on private medical expenses? I was summarily ignored and derided as being a “young person who doesn’t think healthcare important.” I was also informed that if I should get in an accident and end up a quadriplegic that the tax payers would shoulder my expenses.

Senator Grassley then returned to the previous discussion about Medicare vs. Obamacare, and though I kept my hand up for the rest of the discussion hoping to be able to reiterate the idea of enumerated powers, the 10th amendment, and point out that he had not answered my question, I was deliberately passed over for the rest of the meeting.

So, I would rank Senator Grassley as a part of the problem with the Republican Party. He is a neoconservative who supposedly supports fiscal responsibility and limited government, but when you get down to it, the solution to the problem, any problem, is more big government.

On a positive note, he did promise to co-sponsor S604, provided we send him letters reminding him that in his Town Meeting on July 3rd, in Pella, Iowa, he promised to co-sponsor S604.

Lawmaker travel “perks” at taxpayer expense

In an informative article in the Wall Street Journal, Congress’s Travel Tab Swells, we can learn of the “perks” that our elected officials feel they have coming and blatantly put on our tab.

I consider it disgusting that elected officials of both parties feel like they can travel, spend, vacation, and abuse their power all at our expense. It is a huge double standard to scold executives for flying in their jets and admonishing us that we need to sacrifice for our country, when lawmakers spend excessively to travel in this manner. Knowing about this issue needs to be enough to cause American taxpayers/voters to speak out against the $13. million travel marathon that has seen a “50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.”

We now have one more factor to consider when we vote in the next election. I urge you to be aware if your elected officials are traveling and partying excessively on your hard earned money. Personally, I do not want my money spent on a bunch of lawmakers and their buddies traveling to the Paris Air Show at the cost of $5,700 an hour to operate the Boeing 737 and staying in hotel rooms at a cost of $460. a night.

Nor do I think that Ms Pelosi can continue to get by with trips in the guise of visiting our troops in Afghanistan for a day but spend the prior eight days in Italy with lawmakers, their spouses and aides with the tab of $57, 697 on hotels and meals!

This kind of abuse must be acknowledged with outrage and call for accountability no matter what party affiliation. I have a strong feeling what is highlighted in the Wall Street Journal article is only the tip of the tax-payer financed trip iceberg.

Gubernatorial Candidates Have Plenty of Challenges

Now that the race for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination if finally beginning to heat up I decided that I was going to do a quick comparison of the announced candidates. As it stands right now we have three officially announced candidates for the office with a fourth supposedly close to announcing his candidacy. Because we only know the intentions of the three that have entered the race they will be the only ones included in this comparison.

Bob Vander Plaats

Vander Plaats finds himself in a position that he had never occupied in his previous campaigns, the frontrunner. He has achieved this with the help of his friend and Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee. Huckabee announced his endorsement of Vander Plaats at an event held at Arnold’s Park on the shores of Lake Okoboji. Just one day later he received another key endorsement, Hollywood legend Chuck Norris. It is yet unclear just how far this endorsement may carry him, but it has given him the front runner status in this race.

Vander Plaats does have some hurdles that he needs to overcome if he is to win not just the Republican nomination but also the general election. There is a perception that he is a perennial loser because this is his third attempt at the states highest office. He must convince many that he can indeed win this race.

Another hurdle that he has in his effort to win Terrace Hill is the perception that he is a one issue candidate. Many people feel that Vander Plaats is campaigning solely on the social issues and that he is ignoring the fiscal issues. People that follow politics closely know that this is not the case, but in the world of politics quite often perception is often reality at the ballot box.

Christopher Rants

Christopher Rants is a name well known to Republican activists across the state. He has the potential to be the frontrunner in this race, but he will have several hurdles to overcome before he can achieve this feat. While he has tremendous name recognition, this can be both a blessing and a curse. Like Vander Plaats, Rants has some hurdles that he must overcome if he wants to win the Republican nomination for governor.

The first hurdle that he must overcome is his apparent oust as House Minority leader. At the beginning of this years session of the Iowa General Assembly his colleagues in the Iowa House of Representatives felt the need to replace him with Kraig Paulsen. Through the laws of perception this replacement could be an indictment of his leadership skills. It now Rants to address this issue and alleviate the concerns of the people across the state. Perhaps his best bet to overcome this obstacle is to secure the endorsement of current House Minority leader Kraig Paulsen.

Another challenge to Rants gubernatorial aspirations is the number of bad bills passed during his tenure as House Minority leader. This includes legislation such as the smoking ban and the model core curriculum bills. Under his leadership Republicans failed to stop these bills. I really don’t know how he is can overcome this hurdle. As I have stated before, this is something that he must overcome if he is to achieve the Republican nomination.

Christian Fong

Fong is really an unknown in the race. He is the newest candidate to announce his candidacy, but he has never run for office before. Of the few things that we do know about Fong is the fact that he is serves on the board of Generation Iowa, a state program designed to entice Iowa’s young professionals to remain in the state and he blogs at the Hawkeye Review.

Like Vander Plaats and Rants, Fong has some hurdles that he is going to need to overcome if he wants to win the Republican nomination for governor. First and foremost is his lack of name recognition. While he is undoubtedly well known in his home town, he is a virtual unknown across the state. He will need to rectify this situation quickly if he wants to have a chance in June 2010.

Another hurdle has popped up for the young candidate due to the thorough research of the blogger known as Constitution Daily. In his research for some background information on Fong CD has uncovered some questionable political donations. It would appear that Fong has donated to the campaign of two Democrats in Eastern Iowa; Elesha Gaymen and Tyler Olson. And then to top it off Fong also donated to the Democrat PAC known as ActBlue. These contributions are going to be the biggest hurdle of Fong’s campaign. Can he adequately convince Iowa Republicans that his donation to liberal Democrats was justifiable? If he can’t his candidacy is over before it even begins.

All three of these candidates have to prove that they can overcome the challenges set before them. Some of the challenges are rather large, such as Christian Fong’s donations, Christopher Rants ouster from House Minority leader, or Vander Plaats perception of being a one issue candidate. The first candidate to really do that will most likely be our nominee for governor.

A Betrayal of Trust

When the public elects an individual to serve as their representative in the government they have some expectations of those officials act. With few exceptions we expect our elected officials to serve us with honor, dignity, honesty, and wisely. There are times however when our elected officials fail to live up to those expectations. For the most part we forgive them their inadequacies; after all they are just human beings. However there comes a time when forgiveness is not enough.

Last Friday the United States House of Representatives narrowly passed a piece of legislation in which the body had little opportunity to review the bill. According to some of the accounts that I have read; at the time of the vote there was just one copy of the bill available for review. To further stifle review of the legislation House leadership managed to successfully limit debate on the bill in order to rush it through. These actions should have served as warning signs to the Representatives that something was wrong with this bill. If the legislation was of such a great value House leadership should have allowed adequate time to review and debate the measure. Instead they ran it through the House with a speed that would make Dale Earnhardt, Jr. jealous.

Seriously folks, the sheer speed with which this legislation was rammed through the House should have set warning bells. It should have indicated that someone was trying to hide something and that the bill could not withstand any extended scrutiny. Unfortunately three of Iowa’s Representatives failed to recognize this. At the end of the vote the bill was passed with a 219-212 difference with Braley, Loebsack, and Boswell voting for the bill.

Iowan’s deserve an explanation of why they supported the bill from these three and yet in the wake of this disastrous vote those three have remained strangely silent. They have not inundated the media with press releases. They have not released statements full of flowery descriptions of the bill. The failed to respond to repeated emails and phone calls to their offices. Essentially they have refused to inform us, the public of the reasoning behind their vote. So while we can forgive our elected officials their inadequacies, we cannot forgive the betrayal of our trust.

Will you answer all of the 2010 U.S. Census questions?

My husband and I have discussed what we will do about filling out the Census form. And, if my on line research is any indication, many other Americans are having similar discussions. There are others who do not trust those collecting the information and  how the information will be used. There seems to be different information as to the fines that could occur if citizens do not completely fill out the form or if it filled out inaccurately.

My post is not to encourage or discourage American citizens to complete the 2010 Census and American Community Service form. I suggest that you become informed about the questions that will be asked, how that information will or will not be used, and if you are willing or able to pay the fine if you decide to not answer any or all of the questions.

Here is some information for you yet there is much more out there if you wish to take the time to read it.

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Steve King have been speaking about the 2010 Census partnership with Acorn.

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota said earlier this month that she wouldn’t answer certain questions on the 2010 Census form partially because of concerns about Acorn. A spokeswoman for Ms. Bachmann didn’t make her available for comment.

Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa) tried unsuccessfully to attach an amendment to a must-pass appropriations bill to forbid any Acorn involvement in the 2010 Census. The outspoken Mr. King is perhaps the most vocal critic of the organization, introducing a host of bills that would limit Acorn’s affairs in federal governance.

The actual questions and reason for the questions – “meeting Federal Needs” and “Community Benefits” are listed here.

This is from 2000 but very interesting. I share a portion of the article U.S. Census questions put your privacy at risk by Robyn Blumner. I found myself thinking of all the advances in technology in the past ten years. It is much easier for Big Brother to keep track of us….

Then there’s the privacy issue. The Census Bureau promises up and down that it will keep your personal information confidential and will only share statistics. But even aggregated data, when finely parsed, can be highly compromising.

While the Census Bureau didn’t release the names of Japanese-Americans during World War II, the bureau did lend a hand to our government in tracking them down. According to a new research report, the bureau’s complicity assisted in the rounding up of 120,000 Japanese-Americans who were then sent to camps for the duration of the war.

The paper, titled “After Pearl Harbor: The Proper Role of Population Data Systems in Time of War,” says in days following Pearl Harbor the bureau put out detailed reports on the Japanese population in the country, including where pockets could be found. J.C. Capt, the director of the Census Bureau at the time, explained: “We didn’t want to wait for the declaration of war. On Monday morning we put our people to work on the Japanese thing.” The paper indicates bureau disclosures to the War Department were so exacting that it provided the number of Japanese people living on various city blocks.

What’s even more troubling is that a block-by-block report on racial make-up wasn’t generally available then, but it is today. Now, with computer assistance, the bureau’s databases can organize “nonidentifiable” information in ever-smaller nuggets and make it available in no time…..

There’s a reason the law prohibits the census from forcing people to disclose their religious affiliation. Matters of faith should be private and a compendium of where religious minorities lived could later be used as a tool for repression. But if that information is deemed too intimate and potentially compromising, then so should questions of race, ancestry, household relationships and physical and mental health.

By not answering invasive questions on the census I risk a fine of $100. That comes to ten dollars a year to protect my privacy — well worth the price.

And the fine for not filling out the questions:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bachmann may be in trouble if she fails to fill out the entire census. Spokeswoman Shelly Lowe told the Washington Times that anyone over the age of 18 must fill out all the questions and any such person who refuses to answer “any of the questions” faces a $5,000 fine.

Each of us will need to decide if completely and honestly filling out the 2010 U.S. Census is the American thing for us to do. What will the Government really do with the information collected? Are we willing to pay the fine?

Good luck with your decision.

“Romney’s team awaits 2012″

Well, well, well… according to a Politico article, Mitt Romney’s team awaits 2012,  Willard  Romney is “tanned, rested, and ready” for another run for the White House. He has dozens of former aids and advisers to assist him.

I take note that it is his “Washington-based alumni” who have regular meetings and he has a Boston based PAC group.

And, least we not forget, Willard Romney has Iowa supporters who are alive and well. Well enough to have a photo of Romney flash up during a slide show at the Night of the Rising Stars event. I have been told that John McCain did not get his shining face in the slide show, but Willard did. Go figure!

According to the Politico article:

Mitt Romney says publicly he’s not considering another presidential campaign, most recently on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” But many of his loyalists expect one and remain at the ready for 2012.

And, a man who ran Romney’s New Hampshire Primary campaign says in the Politico article that “I’m going to be a Mitt guy until he tells me he’s not running for president.”

Here’s some news from a Mike Huckabee supporter. We don’t care if Willard is “tanned, rested, and ready.”

We know that we are “ready” to support our guy Mike. And we know that if Huckabee and Romney DO run for President a battle in Iowa is in the making. It might be the common, ordinary citizens against the high-profile, even elected, Iowa officials. But we are ready and getting more so every day.

Willard’s supporters may meet in “fashionable” locations. That’s fine. Huckabee supporters have an army (Hucks Army), Huck PAC, and we meet in low-key places where we have a lots of fun networking and making our own plans.

And we have Chuck Norris on our side.

Just so you know….  .

Obama’s schedule needs to make citizens ‘wonder’

http://www.politico.com/politico44/

The three big events on Obama’s schedule today:

- An afternoon meeting and pool spray with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (We wonder: Will Obama move the ball on Iran in their pool spray, as he did after meetings with South Korean President Lee and German Chancellor Merkel? Hot about on Honduras?)

- A reception at the White House for LGBT Pride Month (We wonder: Will this placate anyone on the left, or just fuel liberals’ desire for non-symbolic action on gay rights?)

- A Democratic fundraiser at the Mandarin Oriental (We wonder: Does the White House have any concerns about holding a glitzy, partisan dinner as “jobless recovery” becomes the buzzy term of the week?)

There seems to be a lot of “wondering” going on over at the Politico. There needs to be a lot of “wondering” going on with American citizens, Iowans very much included! You know- the ones who actually pay their taxes, struggle to keep a job, struggle to find a job, sweat out the layoffs and loss of income, and worry about keeping their homes.

More “wondering” needs to transpire about the people  our President ‘pals’ around with and who influence his decisions. OUR President in OUR White House can’t publicly celebrate the National Day of Prayer but he can welcome with open arms a group that many citizens find to be responsible for the down fall of our American way of life. Wonder about time given to celebrate a group that is shoving their lifestyle upon us and using their wealth to influence the outcomes of campaigns of those they oppose. (Yes, even in Iowa!)

We need to “wonder” how there can be happy parties when people in Iran are suffering- the men and women, old and young, who are being beaten, tortured, put in prison and slain while fighting for their freedom. We need to “wonder” about raising money while our fellow Americans are serving their country in very dangerous places. Living and working with no air conditioning, no water sprays, and no glitzy dress up parties for their comfort and fun.

We need to wonder about a lot of things.

I personally wonder if anyone regrets voting for Obama. Does anyone wonder why 8 Republicans sold us out to vote with the Democrats for the Cap and Tax Bill? Does anyone wonder what a President Huckabee would be doing differently?

Does anyone else wonder and be fearful about the future for their grandchildren which includes taxes, taxes, and taxes, not to mention being indoctrinated with ideas that are Un-American!

As Independence Day approaches, I wonder- does anyone take the effort to read the Constitution and understand that it is “We the People”? Does anyone else fear for America? Does anyone wonder about the bias in the media FOR Obama? Does anyone wonder about Obama and the Democrats double standard of expecting hard working Americans to ‘sacrifice’ when they can jet about and live the high life?

The folks at Politico can’t be the only ones who wonder.

There will be more “big events” at our White House. I don’t need to wonder. Many will not be events that I can support or be proud of occurring.

Concerned Americans need to wonder. And care. And be informed. And take action.

House parties bringing politics to the people

Saturday I attended a house party event for Bob Vander Plaats. I had never been to one before so I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. There were probably a total of 20 people there so there was plenty of opportunity to mingle and talk with other individuals in a very informal comfortable setting. If you are ever invited to one of these I highly encourage you to go!

The most amazing part of the experience was actually speaking with Bob and getting to know him on a more personal level not only through a one on one conversation but also as he addressed the group. Bob discussed his reason for entering into a gubernatorial race as well as why he has continued to do so throughout the years. The reason may surprise you. Bob is not, or ever has been a politician; he is simply an Iowan that feels he has been called to serve. As Bob would explain to you, he has spent his life serving the people of Iowa in many capacities.

This is a rare quality in just any human being these days, but why would we expect any less out of our elected officials?

Bob discussed the areas of most importance to him, especially the platforms that he had run on in previous elections, being education; bringing that back to the locally controlled level and letting teachers teach, businesses; work on attracting good businesses to our state through creative ways to keep our college grads here, health care; not controlled by a corporation or government, but putting the control in the hands of those who use it – US!

The conversation was good, the passion was definitely there, and Bob has a plan for our state. For me, this is a relief as I feel like most other Iowans do, that our state is winding through a black hole and there is no light

Bob fervently discussed his stance on marriage in Iowa and the recent Supreme Court decision. As an educator, Bob is well versed on explaining how our state government let the judicial branch, the weakest of the 3, make a law that affects every Iowan. Because the other 2 branches of our government did not do their due diligence and take the reins after the decision was handed down, our great state may be headed down a path where the weakest branch of our government may start to further control the lives of Iowans. Bob articulated how important it is for all 3 branches to work together to serve the people of Iowa with the people’s best interests in the forefront of their minds.

After Bob spoke to the group, he asked for questions. And people spoke up. Like I said in the beginning, if you get a chance to attend one of these events, do so. If you are interested in finding out where one is, let us know, we can help you locate one.

Bob wants you to know about him personally, but more importantly he wants to know what you care about and if you don’t personally tell him, how will he? How many opportunities will you be able chat one on one with a gubernatorial candidate –and a front runner at that?