Contraceptive Mandate

Contraceptive Mandate
Al Ritter

There are so many facets to this issue that it begs further scrutiny. First you have an Administration that thought they would extend to female citizens the economic advantage of not having to pay for contraceptives out of their pocket. The administration knew that the largest portion of Catholic women defy the church and use contraceptives anyway, so this could be a feather in their hat if they supplied them with something for “free.”

Unfortunately nothing in this world is “free,” someone always has to bear the cost, especially when it involves a product produced by a private company. This is no debate on this, it is a fact of life. Let’s look at an actuarial chart of all insurance companies. All insurance companies supply a service based on mandates by governments whether they be federal or state. The rates are based on what services the government deems necessary. When you add a mandate or a service, that service is figured into the entire pool which the annual rate is determined from. More services or mandates equal higher cost. This is not up for debate either it is a fact of life.

Mandates are voted on by congress, not demanded by Presidents. There is no legal precedence for President Obama to keep demanding services and decisions based on his social guilt. This is a country of laws, and Obama constantly denies and ignores them based on some sort of idea of social injustice.

It is my opinion that this is one major issue that the Obama Administration has misjudged. He is now being attacked by both sides on his waffling of the issue. Sebelius has already told Obama that the issuance of contraceptives will be a major cost to health insurance, but Obama has ignored that advice.

Now let’s consider the religious side of it for a moment. Religious leaders from all religions and backgrounds testified on Capitol Hill yesterday to put their support behind the Catholic Church, that this mandate violates the first amendment, whether they believe the same way about contraceptives or not.

Not only is this a first amendment violation, it violates the Supreme Court ruling of the separation of church and state. You may view this from many different angles, but the underlying argument from the left is that a “woman has a right to choose.” That is all well and good and the law is on their side with that for now.

This mandate is strictly about “who pays” and the answer is we all do through increased health care costs at a time when they are increasing at a rate faster than our salaries.

Massive Hypocrisy Part 4

Massive Hypocrisy Part 4
Al Ritter

On March 1, 2010: “In the 21st century, high schools shouldn’t just make sure students graduate—they should make sure students graduate ready for college, ready for a career, and ready for life”….President Obama.

What a difference two years made as President Obama made the decision to allow 10 states to opt out of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” initiative. This initiative was enacted to make graduating prerequisites more stringent, and to raise the bar on students. One fifth of our nation is now exempt from a program designed to make our children once again competitive in the world market. What kind of signal does that send our children? That subpar performance will once again be accepted in the job market?

There is no affirmative action in the world hiring market that will assure our American children over the more educated children of say China. The world doesn’t work on a “bell curve” the way Obama assumes it does.

I have a better question still……why should students of the other 40 states be held to a higher standard than the ones from the 10 excused states? I thought Obama’s war cry said that everyone should be made to play by the same rules……Hypocrisy?......You bet cha!

Obama’s quote: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/speech/190/

Obama’s initiative: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/09/no-child-left-behind-waivers-let-team-obama-seize-control-your-childs-education/

Massive Hypocrisy Part 3

Massive Hypocrisy Part 3
Al Ritter

President Obama’s newest war cry is, “everyone must pay their fair share, and everyone must play by the same rules from Wall Street to Main Street.”

As we delve further into his words they become sadly laughable to say the least. It appears that his Whitehouse staff of 36 not only hasn’t paid their fair share, they haven’t paid anything lately. As a group they owe $833,970 in back taxes, even though most make over $100,000 yearly.

Unfortunately the Whitehouse staff isn’t alone in their wayward tax ways. The Senate as a group owes $2.1 million, the House of Representatives as a group owes $8.5 million. Department of Education owes $4.3 million, Department of Homeland Security owes $37 million!

It doesn’t end here, the Treasury Department headed by tax cheat Timothy (turbo tax) Geithner owes $9.3 million, Postal Service owes $270 million, Department of Veteran Affairs owes $151 million. Department of Energy owes $5 million, Department of Justice (including Eric Holder) owes $17 million.

Here is the real laugh, according to federal law only one branch of government employee can be fired for not paying taxes and that is the IRS! My question is……how come these employees aren’t having their salaries attached for back taxes? You or I would have to have ours attached.

Obviously President Obama doesn’t mean his war cry on the wealthy, because if he did he would write a Presidential Executive order enforcing equal treatment of ALL taxpayers, but don’t hold your breath because that’s never going to happen!

Massive Hypocrisy Part 2

Massive Hypocrisy Part 2
Al Ritter

At the National Prayer Day meeting, President Obama decided to interject politics into his speech. This marked an occasion that had never happened with any past president’s speeches, but that didn’t stop Obama. While earlier in the week the Administration decided to push back against catholic groups to institute a mandatory push towards abortions and contraceptive services.

He then had the unmitigated nerve to claim that the Bible gave him the moral high ground on taxing the rich. “Jesus said that what we are doing is right.” Later in the VERY same speech he claimed that he was against religions bearing false witness. Which is it Mr. President? You can’t come to the party with Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden and claim that the three of you speak for the entire catholic religion. The very fact that America trusts the two of them less than a used car salesman should speak volumes.

False witness is exactly what YOU do Barack Obama, you double speak and lie to our faces and then you expect us to re-elect a liar who singlehandedly has ruined more of the ideas that have made our country great in the past.

The Massive Hypocrisy of the Obama Administration

The Massive Hypocrisy of the Obama Administration
Al Ritter

In the State of the Union Speech this week President Obama decided to parade a tax cheat and his secretary in the public eye to promote what he constantly refers to as wealthy Americans who are not paying their “fair share.” Obama brings Warren Buffet and his “secretary” to prove to the American people that his secretary pays more in tax than he does.

This is cannot be further from the truth. To begin with Warren Buffet and his “secretary” pay certain percentages on income taxes based on investments and wage income. By shear bulk dollars rather than percentage Buffet pays WAY more than his “secretary,” so lie #1.

Fact: Warren Buffet’s company Berkshire Hathaway owes over $1 Billion in back taxes and has for YEARS, and yet Buffet constantly crows about not paying enough in taxes? How about paying what you already owe Mr. Buffet and stop being the mouthpiece for a socialist president?

This is the really funny part in all this. Steve Forbes did an evaluation of what his “secretary” must make in wages and investment returns for Buffet to make his claim. Forbes says that his “secretary” makes between $250-500K a year! On top of all that she must not be very savvy about investments because her capital gains have to be practically nil.

Now I don’t know about you but I don’t know any “secretary” that makes that kind of money. Buffet conveniently demoted her position in name to make the claim seem more preposterous. She is obviously an executive assistant and not a secretary. Her salary alone makes her a 1%er………one of the evil nasty people that Obama says isn’t paying her fair share and wants to raise her tax!

Wouldn’t that make her taxes higher still Mr. President? Make Berkshire Hathaway pay what they owe in taxes Mr. President, and while you are at it collect the $1 Billion in back taxes owed by federal workers, and leave the unsavvy executive assistant out of it, we don’t care how much she makes!

Why the Middleclass Is Scared To Death of Obama

Why the Middleclass Is Scared To Death of Obama
Al Ritter

The media and the Administration claim that Obama is demanding that the “rich” pay more of their “fair share,” has Middleclass Americans scared to death. Obama claims to want to put more money in middleclass American’s pockets, but the general feeling of the Republicans is that we already know the man lies, and they are afraid this is just one more in a continuing trail.

With 41% of Americans paying no tax at all, and the top 1% of wage earners paying 95% of the taxes in America, where is the equity in that? What is the fair share of the 41% who pay nothing? We pay percentages, meaning the more you earn as a base the more you pay volume wise. A study was done that reported that if the top 1% of American wage earners were taxed at 100%, the National debt, and the deficit wouldn’t even improve .01 of one percent! So why this sudden attack on the group as Obama says isn’t paying their fair share?

Folks it is the attack of socialism plain and simple, the need to want to give the fruits of someone’s hard work into the hands of someone with either no drive or no skill to do the same thing. Republicans are baffled at his claims of not paying their fair share, but it’s the basic mindset of capitalism versus socialism that is at stake here.

Middleclass Republicans are afraid to do well now, afraid to go into that higher echelon of the upper class, for fear if they do their fruits of labor will be taken from them. Is it any wonder that 48% of America still support Obama? Of course it isn’t, look at the percentage that pay no taxes………..why would they want to give up their free ride with a chance at getting more?

Open Letter to Andrew Sullivan

Dear Mr. Sullivan
Kevin Bryant

The cover of Newsweek asks the question “Why Are Obama’s Critics So Dumb” by Andrew Sullivan. My question to you Mr. Sullivan is what makes you think you have the right to call over half of all voter aged Americans and many more around the world “Dumb”? Well Mr. Sullivan, I’m NOT dumb enough to try and answer that question for over 100 million people. I'm just one person and these are just a few of my own reasons to criticize Obama:

It’s dumb for Obama to call President Bush “Unpatriotic” for adding 4 trillion to the debt in 8 years in office and the turn around and add an additional 5 trillion in only 3 years in office.

It’s dumb when the first major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurs and halt all operations for an exuberant amount of time before any investigation has even reveals preliminary findings, effectively killing over 20,000 jobs.

It’s dumb to make it ALMOST impossible to drill for oil in the U.S. and yet give BILLIONS of tax payer dollars to Brazil to promote and increase oil production.

It’s dumb to take over bankrupt car companies and mandate that the labor unions get almost all their money back first while stock holders and other investors receive less than 40 cents on the dollar.

It’s dumb to look at a report that plainly states that Solyndra is not a viable company and give them half a billion of tax payer dollars only to see them file bankruptcy two years later.

It’s dumb to champion the idea of reducing the dependency on foreign oil and kill an already approved major project that does just that and kill over 20,000 direct jobs and countless tens of thousands of additional indirect jobs in the process.

It’s dumb to make it impossible to build coal fired power plants in the country that has the most coal in the world even though technology exists that can make a coal fired power plant less pollutant than a natural gas fired plant.

It’s dumb to look the other way when the Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Chairman loan TRILLONS of tax payer dollars to other countries knowing full well that the U.S. will not see one dime of it returned.

It’s dumb to have an Attorney General in place that refuses to uphold the constitution, lies to congress and approves the sale of guns to Mexican drug cartels and has no plan in place to track where these guns go.

It’s dumb to state that as President I (Obama) will not have my justice department investigate or prosecute any Black on White racial cases, will not defend the Defense of Marriage Act, will not pursue charges of voter intimidation on any member of the Black Panthers even though the act was extremely blatant.

Mr. Sullivan, in only three years in office, the current president has committed about as many “dumb” acts than all the other 8 presidents combined during my almost 50 years of existence on this earth. You ask, “Why Are Obama’s Critics So Dumb”, my question to you is “Why Are You Too Stupid Not To Criticize Obama”?

How To Drop Gasoline a Dollar a Gallon in One Day

How To Drop Gasoline a Dollar a Gallon in One Day
Al Ritter

The EPA has successfully increased the price of gasoline little by little since the inception of the agency in 1970. Yearly mandates have not only added to the cost of fuels, but are slowly forcing an end to the use of fossil fuels. What started as an admirable aim to curb emissions has now blossomed into a headlong assault on the American economy.

Fossil fuels represent the largest single item any country either imports or exports. Source materials may or may not be the determining factor to whether a country is forced into importing or not. Different Presidents set the tone of the EPA each year as to the ferocity of the agency and also to their agenda during his term.

The President we have now has set the tone to full attack mode on the average American. It was no secret that Barack Obama claimed as a candidate that he would “necessarily bankrupt the coal industry.” It should be no surprise that he is implementing that aim to the fullest of his ability. The president hasn’t asked congress to make or change laws thereby accomplishing his goals through legislature. He has given the EPA the green light to implement his agenda through mandates approved by nobody but himself.

The EPA regulates so many things in the energy sector, it isn’t even funny anymore. I’m sure you remember when the cost of diesel fuel was less than the price of regular gasoline. Did you ever wonder why that changed to the point of where it cost more now than premium gasoline? The answer is the EPA. In a move to reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide the EPA mandated the immediate reduction of sulfur in diesel fuel, thus adding yet one more refining process to the cost.

Gasoline has also been targeted in another attack. Seasonal blending is a term used to describe the ability of gasoline to burn cleanly in temperature changes. One blend for summer, one blend for winter. Not many people know that the winter blend actually offers less miles per gallon than the summer blend, but that really doesn’t matter to the EPA, their concern is strictly environmental.

Add these mandates to the absurdly ridiculous addition of ethanol to gasoline blends started by President Bush and the price of fuel skyrockets.

What we really need is an EPA that takes the delicate balance of emissions and compares that the negative effect it will have on our economy before making mandate changes. Forcing such changes on a struggling economy serves nobody but the arrogance of a single man bent on removing fossil fuels from his country.

Until the technologies are there to offer alternative fuels on a comparable cost basis an agenda of destroying the use of fossil fuels should be put on the back burner. Only an illogical thinker destroys one industry without a replacement in the wings. Claiming that you are going green should mean you have a viable alternative, not just an idea. We can’t run America’s tractor trailers on wind and solar power, that is not only unrealistic, it is downright foolish.

Relax the EPA mandates on fuels tomorrow and the price WILL drop a dollar a gallon in one month. Increase the mandates silently and off the radar and the price of gasoline will continue to climb. In much the same way the economy was blamed on Bush……Obama will blame the fuel price increase on the oil companies……..surprised?...........no I didn’t think so!

California Politics

Califonnia Politics
William Grant Burmer

Looking over the initiatives for 2012 ballot in California there are five which will increase taxes for all Californians. Any California voters who would support any of them should have their head examined, better yet, removed as a useless appendage. Truth is Jerry Brown is hoping the voter (the one with the useless appendage) will pass them so that he can save face with the Union bosses who supported h is election. Californians can no longer fund the extravagant pensions and salaries state workers, including those who work for the counties and cities currently enjoy. These ballot measures are a glaring proof of that.

It does not matter that State, County, and City employees pay taxes; the biggest pinch will be felt upon the private employer and employee. Somehow it does not register with the majority of government employees that their job does not produce a dime in real revenue that will sustain their current standard of living; If not for private capitalism they would not have a job--------Period. It is my humble opinion that by the end of 2012 California is going to be the first state in the Union to drive home that reality as the ship will sink from the sheer weight of government.

One “watch dog” group has predicted that California will soon have the nations’ highest unemployment rate (currently 11.7%) and that in addition, California companies are continuing to leave the state, further increasing the unemployment figures, and driving down tax revenues to the state.

Logic, common sense, would dictate our governor and legislature should take a 180 degree turn towards a more responsible fiscal attitude; that is decrease taxes(eliminate most), further, eliminate burdensome regulations, and make government workers abide the same rules of living and acquire pensions that currently are a standard part of the private sector reality. That would take courage which for the better part of our current crop of public servants lacks the will or character to stand for. To Browns credit he has suggested this approach be taken for future employees of the state. We shall wait and see how that ship sails. Without some drastic, immediate reforms in current pension plans, and elimination of Union interests it will be the same old same old.

Less government, more capitalism is the answer to solve California’s problems.

Fair Share…What’s Fair About It???

Fair Share…What’s Fair About It???
Louis Lazarus

We’ve all heard the term “pay your fair share” so many times since Obama took office that we’re sick to death of hearing him say this. A day doesn’t go by where this fake president doesn’t insinuate that millionaires and billionaires aren’t “paying their fair share”. We hear it and yet we don’t bother to challenge the idea. We allow a man who hasn’t a clue what the meaning of “fair” really is dictate to us what his lame ideas are. We know deep down inside there is something drastically wrong with his thinking but we can’t put our finger on it. Maybe it is time we try. Let’s use our brains and think a bit out of the box. “Pay your fair share. Pay your fair share.” Doesn't it really depend on what the true meaning of "fair share" really is? Obama defines it as...rich people paying more (a larger percentage) of what they earn than poor people. It is his contention that a person who works very hard and is successful be penalized for that success. He says that is fair. He claims that because someone else wasn’t quite so successful or lucky, it just isn’t fair. This comes from his crazy notion that the government should really get all your money and only allow you to keep what they feel is “fair”. The country was founded on the principle ideas of life, liberty and property and somehow, liberals have mucked it all up to the point where property (wealth) is not something you really are entitled to. They are also busily working on depriving you of the other two.

You have been lucky and the guy next to you hasn’t. It really doesn’t matter to people like Obama if you get up at the crack of dawn and work 16-hour days, 7 days a week while the other guy sleeps until 11 a.m. and doesn’t work at all. It should be “share and share alike”. Seems fair...or does it? Wouldn't it really be fairer if everyone paid exactly...EXACTLY the same amount based on the premise that one man equals one vote? Why should someone who pays zero taxes get the same amount of votes as someone who works very hard and pays a lot of money to fund the lazy man's life? Is that "fair"? Who says so? Fair would be more like someone who pays a lot of taxes gets more votes than someone who pays nothing. Wouldn't that be fairer? Truly, it would. In fact, if we really delve into the conception of this ambiguous word…fair…might we come away with a whole new appreciation for what it really means? From the standpoint of a single person working hard and creating a company, which hires tens, hundreds or even thousands of people as a result of this one man’s effort, wouldn’t the fair thing to do be to reward this person for what he has done? Through his hard work, risk taking and good decision making he has provided jobs for thousands of people… all of whom pay taxes to the federal, state, local and other entities thus enriching all our lives. Instead of thanking this person or rewarding him for his exceptional efforts, Obama and those who think like him want to punish him for his success. Is that really fair? The taxes he directly helped to create, which theoretically provide governmental goods and services for all of us would not be there had this person not achieved extraordinary success through extraordinary effort. Punish him by making him pay more? I think not. That is totally unfair any way you define the word.

The entire reason for our financial collapse is because Democrats defined the word “fair” and we allowed them to do this. We didn’t speak up because we didn’t want to be perceived as mean. Here’s what they did in a nutshell and it was all because they wanted to be “fair”. You’ve heard of the Community Reinvestment Act by now? President Carter signed it into law. It encouraged loans be made available in a safe and sound manner to those people who previously were unfairly eliminated from the housing market. Under Bill Clinton, the law was changed in such a way that it mandated banks to make loans that they would otherwise not make. This created the “housing bubble” as the banks knew these loans would not be paid off so they bundled them together and sold them off as fast as they could so they wouldn’t be left “holding the bag”. Through unscrupulous lending practices, one thing lead to another and this is why we are in such a pickle today. To the liberal mind, everyone is ENTITLED to own a home. It’s the only fair thing to do. It used to be that buying a home was a bit of a challenge unless you had enough money to buy the home outright. If you didn’t, you needed to get a loan from a lending institution. This was called a “mortgage”. The banks made a certain percentage on the money they loaned you and you were thus able to afford to buy a house and pay it off month by month. That payment went on for 30 years and as a rule, you paid off a large percentage of the interest in the first half of the loan and then a larger percent of the principle in the second half of the loan. The banks got most of their money, with profits included, back long before you owned your home. That is fair. They took a risk by loaning you money. They retained the deed to the property and once you fulfilled your obligation and paid off the loan, you were then given the deed and became the owner of the property. This fair concept worked well for years and years and years. Then along came Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and Bill Clinton. In an effort to make themselves and their party popular, they devised what was known as The Community Reinvestment Act. In essence, this federal law forced banks to make loans to people who otherwise couldn’t afford to make the payments. After all, everyone should own a home if they wanted to. Right? They are entitled to at least that!! The banks had no choice in the matter. They knew this was a bad thing and in order to protect themselves, they bundled bunches of these “toxic loans” together and sold them to other institutions. The banks knew these loans were destined to fail and they did what any of us would do…they protected their own interest. The original bank was out from under the toxic loan and the new lender simply assumed the loan and all that went with it. Can you see a problem here? Remember, we’re not just talking about one or two houses. We are talking about millions of houses and millions of transactions, which are all doomed to fail because the government forced the lenders to do what they knew they should not ever do. The government forced them to make BAD loans. This created what is known as a “bubble”. What do bubbles eventually do? Yep…they break. Millions and millions of these transactions finally had nowhere to go. Time ran out and the bubble burst. Imagine playing musical chairs on the Titanic. This is what happened. And all of our woes since have been because we didn’t challenge the term “fair”. We accepted it as defined by the liberals. Bad move on our part. Do you think we’ve learned anything?

We have just simply discussed one little problem Democrats are responsible for. We haven’t mentioned all the others. Their ideas don’t work. They’ve never worked. They never will work and yet we allow them to set the agenda. We shouldn’t do that. Doing that is unfair to all of us.

When you accept liberal arguments and let liberals define the terms, you get sucked into their way of thinking which is polluted and toxic. I'd like to see one of our candidates challenge Obama on his ideas.... all of his ideas…instead of accepting his terms and definitions. Maybe it is time we actually used our brains, logic and common sense and took these people to the mat? If we ever did that, it wouldn't be a fair fight at all...would it?

A New Frontrunner Emerges in Iowa

A New Frontrunner Emerges in Iowa
Al Ritter

Iowa signals a new start for one GOP candidate, and the end for another. I was telling people last week that Michelle Bachmann would be the next candidate to bow out of the race, but it appears that maybe Rick Perry might get added to that list sometime tomorrow as he reassesses his bid also. The one big star of the night was Rick Santorum.

Despite the fact that Santorum was reported at the bottom of the pack the last few months, his bid has blossomed at precisely the right time to end second place in the Iowa caucus by only 8 votes behind Romney. It’s nice to have a real choice between a real conservative and a moderate coming down to the wire. The people can really choose what they want to represent their party instead of letting the media pick their candidate for them.

Ron Paul says he’s happy with his finish last night, but you know he has to be disappointed in his dismal showing. My gut feeling tells me that after a few more caucuses you will see him pull out of the GOP race and run once again as a libertarian.

Gingrich I am afraid is hanging on by the skin of his teeth too. Organizational problems, money problems, and a faltering base may signal the end to his run shortly also, only time will tell.

Huntsman? Well what can you say about Huntsman? He was there, just barely coming in dead last, one has to wonder how much longer he can endure last place polling before throwing in his hat.

It was an interesting night to say the least…….now comes New Hampshire!

Ron Paul and his Magical Mystery Tour

Ron Paul and his Magical Mystery Tour
Louis Lazarus

Congressman Ron Paul who is currently running for the Republican nominee for President in 2012 has some issues that some people don’t seem to care about or they simply don’t understand. The man is absolutely brilliant on most of the issues we conservatives care about. He is a strict Constitutionalist, which is good. He is in favor of a very small and limited federal government, which is better. He promises to do everything he can to “fix” what is wrong with Washington, D.C., which is best. He’s been a consistent advocate for less government his whole life. He believes in the rights of the individual. He also believes in the conservative concept of liberty and freedom above all else. It is strong individuals who make for a strong group. In other words, if it is not mentioned in our Constitution specifically, then the issue belongs to the states.

He’s a Tenth Amendment kind of guy. All of these are great qualities. So if he’s so darned brilliant, why can’t he grasp the most basic concept of all? Self-preservation. He is right on so many things and so wrong on the dangers of Islam. For the past 1400 years, Muslims have been on a quest to conquer the world. They have no timetable. They really don’t care if it takes a month, a year, a decade or a century or more. The Barbary Pirates, who were Muslims, were solely responsible for the formation of the United States Marine Corps. They attacked our ships without provocation and the Marines were formed to deal with them. This was over 200 years ago. Islam has been causing trouble with us since before we were a country. What we have done politically isn’t the reason they don’t get along with us. They simply don’t get along with anybody…even themselves.

Ron Paul thinks terrorism is our fault. It isn’t. Ron Paul has no problem with Iran getting nuclear weapons. That’s a huge problem because they have already told the world Israel has no right to exist and they will wipe them off the map. Do we really need to take the chance? These are really big and really important issues and to tread lightly is a huge mistake. Islam is our enemy. They won’t like us if we leave them alone. This is where sane people don’t agree with Ron Paul. People who live in “the pretend world” do.

Let’s suppose Dr. Ron Paul is without question, the World’s Greatest Surgeon. He is heads and tails above every single doctor in the entire world with his knowledge and skills. He can perform any procedure in medicine flawlessly. Doctors world-wide envy his abilities...except he has one little teeny tiny flaw. He does not believe in germs and he believes even less that bacteria can cause infections. When he operates, he usually comes from home where he was working on his car and his hands are filthy, dirty and full of oil, dirt, grime and grease. He refuses to wash his hands and he also refuses to wear surgical gloves or a mask when operating. The question then becomes…do you want him to operate on you? He has the skill. He has the talent. He has the knowledge. But, his hands are filthy and when he cuts you wide open, you just might be exposed to whatever is on his hands. Would you let this man operate on you? This is the way people who don’t support Ron Paul feel. They acknowledge his intellect and ability but just can’t get past the idea that he truly believes we don’t have a problem with Muslims or with Islam. It’s so basic and yet he misses this by a mile. To further make him the wrong man for the job he truly believes Israel and the Mossad were responsible for 911. He claims it was an inside job. He’s also pro-drugs and thinks we don’t need any laws making drugs illegal because drugs are not mentioned in the Constitution.

The sad part is, even with these faults, he would be a better president than Barack Hussein Obama. It wouldn’t even be close. Ron Paul is a true American while Obama is not. Ron Paul would actually try to do good things while Obama is trying his best to destroy this wonderful country. Ron Paul would strive to lead while Barack Hussein Obama strives to be a dictator. The worst choice we can make, as conservatives are much better than the best choice the Democrats can make. And, make no mistake, they will choose to re-elect Obama no matter what. Obama could nuke Cleveland, Phoenix and Seattle and the Democrats would still vote for him. Democrats believe in everything we abhor. They want socialism. They want cradle to grave government care. They are selfish and mistaken people but they don’t care. Government is good. Individuality is not. That’s what they believe. As voters and citizens of this country, we cannot afford to make the wrong decision in 2012. Any vote cast for Obama is the wrong decision. Any vote cast for anyone else but Obama is the right decision. As kooky as this sounds, we just might wind up with Ron Paul as our president. It’s an outside chance right now but in politics, you just never know.

Recall Vote: They are at it Again!

Recall Vote: They are at it Again!
Al Ritter

Liberals have started another action to secure a recall vote, this time the target is Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. In a move to have another Republican removed from office, the petition is the first step in the process, but names of “Mickey Mouse” and “Adolph Hitler” are already present.

In a new trend of recalling people the Democrats don’t agree with these actions follow a successful recall of Arizona State Senator, Russell Pearce, the legislator that penned S.B.1070, the anti-illegal immigration bill. Another recent target of this guerilla warfare is popular sheriff Joe Arpaio.

As I have said before, the democrats are very resourceful at using laws in ways they were never intended. If this is the new way to get rid of a politician you don’t like, then I want to sign the petition for a recall vote on President Obama……anyone know where I can find it?

DONALD TRUMP:DON’T COUNT THIS GUY OUT

DONALD TRUMP:DON’T COUNT THIS GUY OUT
Louis Lazarus

Here it is almost Christmas 2011 and the election is less than one year away. The candidates have been campaigning for months and months. The current occupier in chief has never stopped campaigning. We have been witness to the worst president in U.S. history who was elected fraudulently with the aid of many people in Congress. Below find two links which should give you enough reason to question Obama’s legitimacy and also the fact that Osama bin Laden was already dead and what we’ve been told is pure theater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJfdKClbH4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjtNiTm99e8

The public is not aware of this as yet but soon they will be. The truth always comes out and the cover up is always what gets “them” in the end.

At the moment Newt Gingrich is the “Republican Candidate du Jour”. He is leading in the polls and most pundits will agree that either Newt or Mitt Romney will be the next Republican nominee and will run against Obama in 2012. However, nobody asked me what I think and this is still America so I can express my opinion any time I like.

Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States of America. Once you stop laughing, please continue reading and I will explain this perceived lunacy. If you are paying attention, have a reasonable amount of intuitive intelligence and are able to predict “whodunit” in a movie five minutes after it starts, you will be able to relate to this. I do it every time and I’m seldom wrong. If you believe in the pundits because you assume they are wise and all knowing, you will simply laugh some more, shake your head and wonder how a guy could be so nuts. I’m only writing this now so I can put it on my Facebook page and prove to those who doubt me just how brilliant my mind is. And…make no mistake…it is brilliant.

Here’s what is in store for us in the next few months. The economy is going to get worse and worse. You don’t have to be genius to figure this out. Obama is going to continue to do “the wrong thing” for America every chance he gets. He is on a mission to destroy this country and he is succeeding because the naïve American public refuses to believe what is right before their eyes. The only pundit saying this is Rush Limbaugh and even he won’t go far enough. Obama knows he won’t win the White working class vote so he will cater to all those who aren’t in this group. As he continues to make life more miserable in our country, he believes more and more people will vote for him. Obama’s poll ratings will continue to drop the closer we get to November 2012.

In the meantime Donald Trump is salivating. He is one of the best businessmen in this country and knows an opportunity when he sees one. He sees a Republican Party in chaos with the candidates each trying to destroy the other by pointing out their flaws both past and present. It will come down to Newt or Romney and I’m betting it is Newt in the end. Once Donald Trump is finished with his hit TV show, “The Apprentice”, he will be free to run for President on a third party ticket. He’s all but said as much. If he runs sooner, he has to give equal time to other candidates because he is still in the media. If you were one of those rare people who have been paying attention you will have noticed Trump made some noise about running several months ago at the exact same time Obama furnished that ridiculous fake birth certificate. Then, Trump disappeared. Now Trump is back in the news popping up here and there and appearing on several TV and radio talk shows. Every single time he mentions Obama and his birth certificate. There are also one or two subtle remarks about with how disappointed Trump is with Obama. Trump will then make a comment about how other countries are ripping us off and how we should get the oil from Iraq and how our political leaders don’t know how to “deal”. Trump will then say he does know how to deal and if you are familiar with him, you know he is correct. He actually charged Kaddafi a bunch of money to rent some of (Trumps) property so he could pitch a tent while he was here at a U.N. meeting. Trump won’t say how much, but there is no doubt, it wasn’t cheap. Donald knows money and he knows success. He is a whiz at the “art of the deal”. He also advocates members of the military and their families be compensated for injuries or death. He has mentioned five million dollars to each family or military man or woman who has been injured remarking they will have a lifetime of medical expenses and the five million dollars is chump change for a country as rich as Iraq. He also thinks we should have made deal with Libya for cheap oil when we helped remove Kaddafi. He’s also amazed we don’t get anything in return for our spilled blood and spent treasure in Iraq. Trump will take a hard look at the Republican candidate and determine if he were able to beat Obama and even more important if he would be an effective president. The answer, as he will tell us, will be “no”.

Trump will then announce he will run as a third party candidate and Sarah Palin will be his choice for VP. This will happen after his show is off the air, which will be sometime in May or early June. Remember, Trump led in the polls months ago when he wasn’t even running. Also remember Sarah Palin will ignite the Tea Party. She is exciting and brilliant and has the ability to motivate all but the loony left. Most people vote Republican because the other choice is Democrat, not because they approve of the Republicans. Most people are conservative and the Republicans are the only party available. Trump knows this. Trump is shrewd, intelligent and one of the best businessmen in the country. He knows what he’s doing and wouldn’t do…. this…. if he thought there was any chance he would fail. Keep in mind that Donald Trump caters to high rollers and fat cats. His clientele isn’t Joe Six Pack. Trump owns lavish buildings, which he rents to rich and powerful men, and he owns several exclusive golf courses. To tee it up at one of Trump’s courses, you had better be ready to part with $500. To be a member of one of his golf clubs, you had better by very, very, very wealthy.

If Obama is re-elected, the economy will continue to go south and even a rich man like Donald Trump will be affected. The rich are not immune to a bad economy. It just takes longer for them to feel the crunch. When they do feel the crunch, they immediately quit spending their money on lavish items such as golf memberships in exclusive clubs and expensive office space in luxurious high-rise buildings. Donald Trump has an ego as big as all of New York City. Failure for him is not an option. He will run because he loves this country and he doesn’t want his empire to crash and burn or even be negatively affected. He will perceive this as not even having a choice but it’s simply something he must do for the United States to continue and the Trump Empire to prevail. The best part is yet to come.

Once Donald Trump announces, he will go on a media campaign and buy airtime, if he has to, so he can present all the evidence which supports the fact that Barack Hussein Obama is a complete phony. He will bring in experts to document exactly how the birth certificate Obama swore was his and was authentic was faked. We will all see what some of us know already. We will see exactly how this infamous .pdf file was put together by some hack that didn’t quite know enough about Adobe Photoshop. People will be shocked and amazed that the media has neglected this. We will also hear about Obama’s mother and how there is absolutely no record of her in the Hawaiian hospital where Obama claims he was born. We will be educated on the term “natural born citizen” and we will be reminded that Obama’s father was not a U.S. citizen. That alone is enough to disqualify Obama as president and should yield a nice stint in “The Graybar Hotel” for our usurper in chief. Many other politicians will also be found complicit in this hoax. The nation will finally realize what a lot of us have known for quite some time and then the anger will set in. Our talk show hosts will be embarrassed to death that they didn’t speak out. The Republican candidate will resign and Trump and Palin will be elected. With any luck and the help of a thankful country, all of Obama’s illegal accomplishments will be null and void. Obamacare will be over turned. It will be gone and dead. Obama will be a very bad after taste that will persist for weeks and weeks. The media will do a dance like we’ve never seen. Watergate 2.0 will begin.

Well, there you have it. This is what I believe is in store for us. I cannot possibly guarantee all or any of this will come true but it does make sense and it does seem more than likely to me. Look for Trump popping up here and there. If you see and hear him, you will know I am on to something. Notice Palin has been conspicuous by her absence lately and start putting two and two together. The pieces fit. America is in terrible shape. We will never all agree because about 30-40% of us are liberal and are just too stupid, selfish or lazy to get it. They will always be the thorn in our paw. The rest of the country knows Obama can’t be re-elected for four more years or America is over. That is a fact. Our choice will be Donald Trump who is not perfect by any means or Barack Hussein Obama who hasn’t got one shred of decency in his entire body. The Republican candidate will step out of the way in order to make sure there isn’t a three way split. I believe Newt or Romney will know they can’t win and they will do the right thing for the country. They will know they would never have the courage to bring Obama’s hidden records to light. That alone will amaze them and as America wakes up, they will know they can’t win. Americans will start speaking out about Trump who is not a career politician and how he had the guts to bring the truth about Obama to the public when no one else in the media would.

There is one more little hitch and that is even better news. It is possible that the records that have been hidden will come to light in February of 2012. It is quite possible all the information on Obama will be brought to America in the next few months. There is “something else” going on. I’d give it a 2 in 5 chance. That would mean Obama would be out and Hillary would be in. Either way, the Democrats are toast and Donald Trump will be the next President. You will have a shrewd and ruthless businessman who loves his country and will try to do right by his country, doing the nation’s business. We will not be walked all over by other countries anymore. It will be a brighter day and America’s best days will be ahead and not behind us like they are now.

There’s my prediction. Let’s just see how close it comes.

Keystone Pipeline: Is Obama Dumb or Stupid?

Keystone Pipeline: Is Obama Dumb or Stupid?
Kevin Bryant

More percentage of Americans own cars than in any other country in the world, it's no secret. Middle class in America would be upper class in many parts of the world. So much of America's prosperity is because of our ability to produce energy. It's safe to say that energy is a major part of what drives our economy. President Obama and his administration is essentially waging war on our energy. Is it dumbness or stupidity on the part of President Obama and his administration to want to mess with that?

Every person in America that understands what the Keystone Pipeline project is about knows how vital it is to the United States and North America. Canada produces oil that America needs. America buys it and the money goes into Canada's economy. Because the United States isn't importing it from 7000 miles away and having to use supertankers to move it, it would cost less money getting the oil to our refineries, thus lowering the prices of heating oil, electricity, plastic products and gasoline for consumers and industries. Is it dumb or stupid for an administration not to want to help lower the price of oil based products and byproducts for consumers?

If Canada is not able to move their oil directly to the United States, then it becomes available on the open market and a massive majority of it will end up being consumed in India and China. If we in the United States do not use it and China and others do, even the environmentalist who detest the use of fossil fuels in general would have to admit the pollution from usage of the oil would be greatly enhanced if it were used overseas and foreign economies would therefore be the beneficiaries. Is it dumb or stupid for an administration that claims to care about the economy and the environment would advocate helping foreign countries become richer while producing tons of pollution that dirty up the air we all breathe while restricting their own citizens and even those here illegally opportunities of prosperity while further endangering their health?

The administration's own EPA department has spent countless millions of dollars over the past three years studying the pipeline and the environmental effects it would have on our nation. The EPA approved the project. The principal owners were happy with the plans. The engineering and construction companies were all on board and eager to get started. The state governments where the pipeline would run were eager to get some 20,000 unemployed workers off assistance and have them start earning wages and paying taxes. Is it dumb or stupid for the administration to kill or postpone the start of some 20,000 jobs this country vitally needs?

For the past three years I have been scratching my head wondering about the actions of President Obama and his administration. I still can't make up my mind if they are dumb to the facts on so many subjects or are they all just plain stupid.

My Year in Review

My Year in Review
Al Ritter

As with the rest of my life, I have no regrets about the year 2011. I am fortunate enough to be in the fifth year of my retirement, and fortunate enough to have so many readers and friends to share opinions with. This year I have watched my grandson grow from a baby to a little man, and I can’t wait to see him this week. My son has settled into a job that I think he truly loves, and from what he tells me his employer loves the work he does.

I have to admit that this year has been very difficult for me to write articles on politics. This is my sixth year writing on politics. I have written over 1400 articles on issues of the day and been read by over 100,000 people around the world. This internet thing is pretty cool huh? Besides America, my articles are most read by people in the Netherlands, followed by Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. As some of you know I used to write for the Examiner. I enjoyed my largest readership in that relationship of over 30,000 monthly but also suffered the worst censorship. I cut ties with the Examiner last year and have never looked back.

I know that corruption has always followed politics as the draw of power and money have always corrupted people of good initial intentions, but these last three years have been especially brutal. We have seen that ideology has taken a front seat to the life of two border agents. We have seen the willingness of this administration to willfully lie and to secure legislation to legally lie to the very people who not only elect them, but pay them. When was the last time you willfully lied to your boss, then sought permission to do so in the future?

I have sat on the sidelines and watched while our government has made the same exact mistakes that administrations have made in just my life, which I see as extremely disturbing. We have seen an administration try to rewrite historical facts to claim that successful things in the past were unsuccessful and vice versa.

Each day under this administration scares me more than the last. Every day sees a little more of our freedom erode. I am even finding that my fears are becoming more irrational. For instance, I am very reluctant to secure a new primary care doctor for fear of having my health records flying around the internet, and yet here I am on Facebook……….lol…….seems sort of irrational in that light doesn’t it? There is far more information about me circulating on Facebook than could possibly be circulating by my health records.

Admittedly I have become paranoid, as I’m sure lots of my conservative friends have, how could we not be? It doesn’t take much of a history of past lies to feel that you are being lied to, and even less time to confirm it. Paranoia sets in shortly after and quickly expands. I am seriously scared for my country; I think 4 more years of this administration would put us on a path of no return to the ideas and policies of our forefathers.

Most of my readers have noticed the articles and opinions from my group of writers on the decline, and I think that this collective disgust and paranoia is part of the reason. We won’t give up but the horror we all see on a daily basis has an effect on how we write.

Huck's Forum

Huck's Forum
Kevin Bryant

I'm writing this right after Mike Huckabee's Republican Presidential Forum. First I want to say that I thought all the candidates did a good job. The way it was held allowed everyone to answer questions without having interruptions from other candidates. I personally would like to see more of these. This type of forum helped me solidify some of my own opinions of candidates and also changed my opinions on a couple.

Everyone who writes on this this page as well as those who offer comments are expressing opinions first and in some cases backs those opinions with facts. Tonight I am writing my opinions only. I'm not looking to try and add fact to any of this. With that being said, here we go.

I think Rick Perry and Ron Paul benefitted the most from the format. Neither are what anyone would call great debaters. They are arguably the two worst in all of the previous debates.

I think Michelle Bachmann did the worst of all the candidates. She was hardly on point in any of the responses she gave. Add the fact that she showed little conviction in her responses, I just believe that she is done as a candidate. I like Michelle Bachmann. I gave to 2010 re-election campaign and I don't even live in her district or state. Michelle, I love your work in congress and in my opinion, you are right where you belong. Please drop and and stay in congress. Tonight's Grade: C

Ron Paul, buddy, pal, fellow "I can't stand the federal reserve" guy. You are at best a fourth place candidate. You did good tonight. You stayed composed and articulated well. You also stayed away from answers that have irritated people in the past. Your stance on the military and foreign policy has alienated you from many voters. Like Michelle, I believe you serve this country honorably in congress and should continue to do so. Please drop out and stay a couple of more terms in the house. Tonight's Grade: C+

Rick Santorum, you impressed me and lost me all at the same time. Your belief in family and traditional marriage is well known and supported my a majority of the country. One thing that turned me off tonight was your attempt to inject family or faith or marriage into every response. The item that lost you any support was your stance on the Patriot Act. 1/2 of the Patriot Act does nothing but strip rights from the people. You brag about crafting it. You can't support the constitution and at the same time support legislation that takes away rights guaranteed by the constitution. You are still my choice for the VP slot, but it's time for you to drop out. Tonight's Grade: B

Mitt Romney lost a bit of my support tonight. Not once tonight did he ever hint that he is other than a big government candidate. Tonight he supported the 10th amendment some, but advocated big government policy and authority. You made sure you didn't hurt yourself tonight but you didn't help yourself either. The constraints of not being able to talk negatively about the other republican candidates seemed to take him a little out of his comfort zone. Tonight's Grade: B+

Rick Perry did a good job tonight. He stuck to the questions and strongly advocated state's rights. He articulated his answers tonight better than he has in the past yet he still stumbled a little in a couple of his responses. Perry knows he is not a great debater and it's because of that, Obama would eat him up in a debate. If it were possible to take your policies and beliefs and package them with Romney's speaking ability, Obama would rightfully be scared to debate you. Tonight's Grade: B+

Surprise Surprise (not really) the person I thought performed the best tonight was Newt Gingrich. Best articulator. Clear and easy to understand responses. He even managed to poke a little fun at himself. Again, he said all the right things but left again, left out things that would win over strict conservatives. He confirmed my opinion tonight that he is the second biggest "big government" candidate behind Romney. Tonight's Grade: A-

It has been my belief for quite some time that John Huntsman has needed to drop out of the race. His inability to make time for tonight's forum just adds to mmy belief that he is just wasting time and taking attention away from more serious and electible candidates.

I could support Romney, Gingrich or Perry. Until today, Herman Cain would also be in this group. Tonight's forum did shrink my choices as to who I will vote for in the Missouri primaries, but a definate choice has yet to be made. 2008, I firmly supported Fred Thompson and he didn't last long enough for me to even vote for him. This time I will wait a little longer before deciding.

Reality TV Comes To Politics

Reality TV Comes To Politics
Al Ritter

I couldn’t help but to laugh this morning watching Donald trump and Karl Rove lambast each other on Fox news about the “Trump Debate.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have much love for either their personalities.

What I do have a problem with is how Trump wants to make it all about him and a TV show. The feeling that somehow he is the anointed one and all candidates must parade in front of him to kiss his ring for some sort of blessing makes me ill. I AM shocked and disappointed that Dr. Charles Krauthammer is participating in Trump’s little dog and pony show, I always thought he had more class than that.

Karl Rove is another thing entirely; he is merely a washed up Republican operative that will never figure into the power base of the Republican Party again. His policy recommendations caused the horrific failure of George Bush’s second term, and the subsequent rise of the Democrats into power into 2009. His late career will only involve book sales and occasional appearances on Fox News.

While I’m at this rant, let me include Fox News as my target. Recent rating claims Fox News’s popularity is waning. Personally I can see why when they parade Trump as if he was some sort of King Maker. Let’s be clear as a bell here, Donald trump is NO CONSERVATIVE, and he’s certainly no Republican, this debate is nothing more that Donald blackmailing the American public to keep him from running as a third party candidate……….give him what he wants so he will go away!

Entitlement is an Ideology Not a Program

Entitlement is an Ideology Not a Program
Al Ritter

In much the same way that Islam is not only a religion but a way of life, entitlement is not just a program but a way of life. Subsidy handouts have created a multi-generational dependency on any sort of government program.

This is why black conservatives claim that liberal democrats have created merely another subculture of “slaves down on the farm.” Short term social programs are one thing, but government rarely does short term money handouts. Long term multi-generational dependency is not only a drain on our economic system, but it begets a feeling of entitlement in the recipient.

This feeling harbors a sense of “being special” to the recipient, when in fact the only thing it does is create their need for the next pay check. The uneducated in this group always feel the monetary relief is the “government’s money.” The truly educated in our system already know that the government has no “money.” They make no products, they run no business, they take taxes from 53% of the people and give to the people they feel are deserving.

The government has so many programs for the “poor”(and I use that term loosely), billions have been spent since the great depression……..to what avail? Have we fixed the state of the poor? The answer is no, we have elevated the poor, but unfortunately along with inflation so increases the rich.

Our system is an ever moving sliding scale of poverty; liberals constantly move the mark of what is poverty and what is not. If don’t believe me go to the requirements of ANY social program and you will see a percentage of over 100% to qualify. For instance to qualify for program “X” you need to have filed last year at 120% of what the federal government refers to as poverty. In other words you can be making 20% more than the poverty level to qualify.

The goal posts are always moving folks. Standard fare of qualifications hover around 120% now for most government programs. When that percentage starts to look too high then they raise the federally declared poverty rate.

This system never fixes anything but only makes specific groups dependent on social programs, but then again, it’s the governments money right?

A Special Thanksgiving

A Special Thanksgiving
Al Ritter

I am thankful today because:

Al Gore was never elected as our president

Nancy Pelosi lost the speaker of the house position

Chris Dodd retired

Carbon Credit trading collapsed last month

Barack Obama continually makes major mistakes

Joe Biden has his foot in his mouth constantly

Unless Ron Paul wins the nomination his political career will be over soon

Chris Matthews has lost that tingling feeling up his leg

Thousands of military men and women are protecting my freedom

I had a wonderful mother that formed the man you see today

My mother made sure I travelled the United States to see the real spirit of the country

The father that instilled the work ethic that allowed me to retire early

A son, daughter-in-law, and grandson who love me

I have a wonderful girlfriend who loves and appreciates me

A rescue dog that loves her daddy

A wonderful house, a little bit of property that’s paid for

Fortunate enough to be retired and happily busy

Fortunate to have some of the best friends in the world that would do anything for me if asked

I am lucky to have been born in the best country in the world!

Liberal’s New Weapon: The Recall Vote

Liberal’s New Weapon: The Recall Vote
Al Ritter

At one time our society used the recall vote to remove someone from office for social indiscretion, theft or some other moral cause. Now the democrats are using recall to remove Republicans from office for anything they don’t like.

Such is the cause for State Senator Russell Pearce. Who is Russell Pearce and why should you care? Senator Pearce wrote the most powerful bill in America at the time to allow his home state to enforce something that the Federal Government refuses to do.

The liberals flooded his small district with out of state money to form an alliance to have this politician removed. They succeeded in his recall vote, he is now gone. They now have a new target, one of his best friends, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Their declared intention is to have the “trouble maker” removed. The same big money will be behind them as they attempt to remove every Republican they don’t like in high visibility areas such as Arizona.

It surely isn’t the first time liberals are misusing a law to their benefit!

For those of you who don’t know who Russell Pearce is………..he wrote the bill SB 1070 in Arizona allowing local Police Departments to ask about their illegal status…………now you know the rest of the story!

I Refuse to Be Ashamed of My National Flag

I Refuse to Be Ashamed of My National Flag
Al Ritter

It disappoints me to see a Federal Judge rule in favor of a school principal who demanded that a student turn his American Flag T-shirt inside out or go home during Cinco de Mayo in a California public school.

Since when is wearing the official flag of our country a “disruption?” The Judge even ruled that the disruption doesn’t even have to have occurred for the principal to claim that it will. Merely the fear that it can happen is the legal precedent to demand action?

This action was handed down unevenly illegal students were wearing Mexican Flag T-shirts but received no such demand to turn their shirts inside out, showing a clear bias. No students had complained that the display of the American Flag was disruptive, only the principal had made the decision.

We have become a nation of disgrace………..disgrace based on the ideology of the left, or of fear of litigation or maybe both. Why should we be “ashamed” of our flag, or afraid that its display could be construed as a disruption?

What have we become as a nation if it’s citizens can’t even show its collective pride?

Anchors Away

Anchors Away
Kevin Bryant

Article 14 – Section 1:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

I was driving into work this morning and on the radio was a discussion about how some child born to parents that are here in the U.S. illegally was suing the state of Florida because she was going to have to pay out of state tuition to go to college in Florida due to her parents being unable to produce proof of legal status to be here. More have joined her in the suit.

This is the problem with the court system today. Too many times judges recite the letter of the law the exactly as it is written when it fits their beliefs and then proceeds to interpret the law when as the law is written does not fit their beliefs.

Brief Sidebar – Some of you may now be reflecting back on my position regarding Texas and in-state tuition for the children of illegals in that state. My main argument was that it was a state issue and the state of Texas did what it thought best for the state of Texas. I supported their decision because they were pro-active instead of being completely inactive like the federal government. – Sidebar is now over.

I’m sure the parents can prove they have resided in the state of Florida for the required amount of time but if you are here illegally then if the state believes you should have no rights, then by all means I support the state. If the state wants grant you certain rights specific to that state including having your anchor babies pay in state tuition, then again I support the state. It’s a STATE issue.

The 14th amendment to the constitution came about because of slavery. Since many slaves were brought to this country against their will, once slavery ended, their children should by all means be lawful citizens of this country. It was a way to protect the kids of former slaves.

The law now is being taken in a complete different text than it was meant to be when drafted and ratified. In my own opinion, the U.S. should grandfather the kids of illegals as citizens but say as of 01 JAN 2012, the law changes to where children of illegals do not have the right to become lawful citizens of the United States simply by being born here.

In my opinion the law covering anchor babies make as much sense a bank robber who steals several thousands of dollars, files taxes on the stolen money then gets to keep what is left because even though he gained it illegally, he paid taxes on it therefore he is “entitled” to it. It makes no sense.

The host of the morning talk show stated the subject of anchor babies is a complicated issue. I think we need an amendment to the 14th amendment, NO MORE ANCHOR BABIES. It’s not complicated to me.

Obama and His “We Can’t Wait” Campaign

Obama and His “We Can’t Wait” Campaign
Al Ritter

Somehow President Obama has rationalized his use of the Executive Order to be constitutionally legal when he doesn’t agree with Congress. At first he blamed Republicans saying, “Republicans in Congress aren’t paying attention.” Later the president must have realized that just maybe the democrats aren’t “paying attention” either because of their inability to pass even a budget for the last two and a half years.

When President Obama introduced his own budget this year, not one single democrat or republican would even vote for it, leaving Obama to fight his own war of threatened executive order against congress. The president claims that his use of the executive order to bypass the house and senate is perfectly legal per the DOJ.

Really Mr. President? You take the word of Attorney General Eric (fast and furious) Holder over what you already know to be constitutionally illegal? You were a Constitutional law scholar weren’t you?

This constant trampling of the Constitution to merely force your socialistic agenda on America has to stop. The Constitution is not just a suggestion on limiting the power of the federal government, it is LAW, the very same one you will be breaking if you invoke executive order to get your way!

Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences
Kevin Bryant


We all know what unintended consequences are. Now we have a federal judge in Florida sticking her nose in what is clearly a state issue and could potentially open Pandora’s box.


District Court Judge Mary Scriven has temporarily blocked a law that mandates Florida that mandates welfare applicants pay for a mandatory drug screening as part of the application process. If the applicants pass the drug screen, they are reimbursed the cost of the test.


According to the judge, the law is a violation of the 4th amendment.


Here is two main issues I have with her ruling:


1) Receiving welfare is voluntary.

2) This is a state issue.


No one is forcing these people to apply for welfare. I understand that many people need assistance at given points in their lives. A very small amount of those that have applied have failed the drug testing. Many are calling this a waste of money by paying for the screening. What the news is not reporting is that over 1500 applicants did not show up to take the test. That is 1500 les people in the state drawing welfare and saving the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. Of the 30 or so that did take the test and fail, the state probably saved their lives and or the lives of their children because they now must either do without or enter into a state sponsored drug treatment program. If they stay sober for 6 months, they can then reapply.


The military has drug screening and it is not considered a violation of the 4th amendment because service is voluntary therefore the military member is consenting to the screening. Why does this apply to the military and not the state? If receiving welfare is voluntary, then the 4th amendment does not apply, therefore it is no longer a federal matter but a state matter and the state has already spoken on this subject in the form of the law itself.


If the injunction in Florida stands then here is the Pandora’s Box that has been opened. Because it involves public sector funds, it makes searches when entering any building built with public funds also illegal. Think of the damage that could be done by this ruling. One would now be free to enter a packed publicly owned stadium with a bomb strapped to them because searching them is now illegal. One could walk into the Washington Monument and blow it up. The list goes on and on.


Advice for Judge Scriven – Quit mimicking congress and actually think before you act.

Occupy Wall Streeters

Occupy Wall Streeters
Al Ritter

I have watched in amazement this week as thousands of basement dwellers who normally live with their parents playing video games have taken to the streets across the country to protest………??????

They clearly have no clue about what they speak or for that matter even believe in. They vilify capitalism and glorify socialism/communism with no real clear thought as to what that would mean.

Their only “demands” are places to take showers, and food stuffs to eat.
The democratic administration of Mayor Bloomberg is merely empowering this raucous behavior that has resulted in over 700 arrests. Now Barack Obama is treading on dangerous ground by siding with the entitlement generation even though he happens to be the “darling of wall street.” The Occupy group either isn’t aware of his association with Wall Street or doesn’t care.

This association could really backfire on President Obama when the empowered group turns to violence, notice I didn’t say “IF” they turn to violence. Now our inability to deal with this bad behavior has spread to other countries, and the violence is escalating.

They have no agenda other than some people have more money than they do, and they don’t like it. Most of the protestors have no jobs, nor do they want them, they merely wish to have their complaints heard. Complaints without basis have no meaning. It’s a sad state of affairs when the seated administrations will only support the useless electorate and not the ones who actually produce something in America.

You Make Me Tired!

You Make Me Tired!
Al Ritter

Years ago my dear Aunt Helen (my father’s eldest sister) had a phrase that she used with my father. When we would go to Helen’s house for dinner my father would just go on and on constantly about things that didn’t matter to her. Helen would patiently listen for a couple of hours as she hovered about the stove while the rest of the family downed their favorite libation.

We knew when Helen had heard enough, the phrase she uttered rather loudly from the kitchen was, “Alfred, honest to josh, you make me tired.” I used to think that her utterance had more to do with impatience than it had to do with boredom. I say “I used to think” because I feel my dear Aunt Helen’s pain every time I see Barack Obama on TV.

His seemingly endless TV appearances drive me to very same phrase that Aunt Helen used with my father. My impatience and boredom seem to be brought on by his constant lies of the past. Once the trust is gone the impatience and anger will follow.

“Honest to josh Barack, you make me tired.”

Entertainers and Actors: Stop It Already!

Entertainers and Actors: Stop It Already!
Al Ritter

Every time this happens I am floored at the arrogance of individual stars, and personalities that somehow are conceited to the point that they think that we should somehow take political advice from them. If I was a star, I’d be scared to death to make a declaration one way or the other for a political party. I mean this country is pretty close to being split down the middle on political persuasion, and to actively taunt the other half into hating you is a sure sign of narcissism.

I’m not too impressed with the latest display by both Morgan Freeman and Hank Williams Jr. Why on earth would you think the purchasing public would want to hear your opinion on the state of the country? Isn’t it your job to entertain us? I am NOT amused nor am I entertained by your antics.

I have added the last two names to a continually growing number of actors and culture personalities that disgust me. Brad Pitt, I hope you and Sean Penn are getting the message! Obviously others feel the same as I do because Mr. Pitt is suffering a dismal first two weeks of his new movie.

I wished everyone would wake up and vote their conscience in the way of box office receipts and tell these legends in their own minds what we really think of them. Mr. Williams I am disappointed in your actions, they were once wholly reserved for liberals, but now you have crossed the line and are playing the game the way “they” play it. I understand your frustration but hardly condone your actions either. Some things don’t need to be invaded by politics nor should they!

Stinging Slightly

Stinging Slightly
Kevin Bryant


Yes, my ears and eyes are still stinging a little over my opinion that the Texas legislature and Gov Perry did something good for the state of Texas and America by allowing kids of illegal immigrants to get in state tuition and go to college.

I never promised anyone that my opinions would be main stream. It you have been reading Al’s blog site for the past three years, you might remember I laid out the case why McCain should choose Hillary Clinton as his VP before he announced Sarah Palin. Some people there thought I was completely off my rocker but looking back, I still think it would have been a wise move.


At least one reader believes that I am endorsing Perry for President. I’m writing this to set the record straight. I am not endorsing Perry. There were 9 candidates up on stage during the last republican debate and out of those 9, I would vote for any of them over Obama, but for the primaries, I have not yet decided though I have pretty much written three off my list. Funny thing about that is, one of those three I would highly recommend that person for the VP slot on the ticket.


To set the record straight, Perry is at best, my 4th or 5th pick to vote for. I like his economic message. I like the fact that he has more Texas Rangers on the boarder than the federal government has agents there. The HPV vaccine law is a totally different issue. He should have never signed that law or any law that diminishes or limits parental control or choice.


Each candidate has plusses and minuses. Romney was governor over what is primarily a sanctuary state for illegals and did nothing to change that. Before Pelosi, Gingrich was the most controversial Speaker of the House in modern times. Paul is hell bent on cutting the military that if we ever had to fight beyond our own shores we would be outnumbered by Russia, China and every major power but France and Pakistan (only because they have nukes are they listed) in terms of personnel and equipment. The only foreign experience Bachmann has is reading & listening to national security briefs. Johnson can’t speak well enough to ever be taken seriously on the world stage. Must be a side effect from supporting the legalization of marijuana. Santorum is so in love with himself and what few things he ever did in congress he considers to be earth shattering acts that I’m surprised he still has the use of both arms after patting himself on the back so often. Huntsman supports Obama’s cap and trade stance, and believes man is the sole reason for global warming. Cain is the only person who has even less foreign policy experience than Bachmann, but I bet he could put on one heck of White House Pizza & Beer Summit.


Well what about Chris Christie? Definitely not ready for prime time. Give him 5 more years. Donald Trump, do I really need to go into this one? Sarah Palin, too many gaffs when she was VP candidate, too narrow in her ability to see 5 – 10 years down the road and a little too rogue for the job.


Each have their own faults and shortcomings and each have strengths about them. Most importantly, each would be a better choice than Obama.



I have yet to make up my mind as to who I will be voting for come the Missouri primary. I have no clue who will be left to vote for when that time comes. It could be Perry, but as things stand right now, there are at least three individuals who rank MUCH HIGHER on my list and one who is about even with him.