The Patriot's Flag

DeMint Introduces REINS Act

13 GOP Senators Urge Congressional Oversight of Major Regulations Affecting the Economy

Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, was joined by 12 other Senators to introduce the REINS (Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny) Act.  This legislation is intended to restore accountability to the process by which federal agencies finalize major regulations by requiring congressional approval for major regulatory actions.   U.S. Congressman Geoff Davis (R-Kentucky) has already introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House, H.R. 3765.

Senator DeMint: “We must put a stop to the reckless and costly anti-free market regulations that are destroying jobs. When the Obama Administration hasn’t been able to ram their anti-job polices through Congress, they’ve empowered unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to force them through using regulations. From the ongoing attempts to control the environment and the Internet to the forthcoming barrage of regulations facing the health care and financial industry, it’s no wonder that consumer costs are rising and businesses are reluctant to invest and grow.”

The REINS Act would require that every new major rule proposed by federal agencies be approved via joint resolution passed by both bodies in Congress and signed by the President before they can take effect. A “major rule” is any rule that the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finds may result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers; or significant adverse effects on the economy.

Cosponsors of the REINS Act: U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Ensign (R-Nevada), Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), John Thune (R-South Dakota), David Vitter (R-Louisiana), and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).

Examples of how the Act would function:

• One prime example of a major rule is the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rule establishing a mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting program for sources with emissions that exceed 25,000 tons per year (74 Fed. Reg. 56,260).  EPA estimates the cost of the rule at $115 million for the first year and $72 million on an annualized basis in subsequent years.

• A recent Congressional Research Service report finds that “the [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] gives federal agencies substantial responsibility and authority to ‘fill in the details’ of the legislation through subsequent regulations.”  There are at least 40 provisions in the health care overhaul that require, permit or contemplate federal rule making.

The present law allows regulating agencies to “fill in the details” on spending and rule-making. The REINS act allows that ONLY if congress agrees to it … these keeps us from having a run-away Executive Branch that turns agencies loose to make any rules they want that the President would agree with … such as EPA regulations, etc.

It is time to REIN IN Congress

Here is a bona fide attempt to do just that.

1. News Release on REINS Act (09/22/10)
2. HR 3765 Bill Summary and Status
3. HR 3765 Text
4. HR 3764 Activity
5. No Major Regulation Without Congressional Approval (09.28.10)
6. American Conservative Union endorses REINS Act (09.30.10)
7. S.3826 — Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2010
8. S.3826 status as of 10.01.10
9. Open Letter to Congress: REIN in Burdensome, Anti Free Market Regulations (10.06.10)
10. Davis says GOP wants REINS Act and $1.3 TRILLION in spending cuts (10.09.10)

Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

We keep seeing Tea Party groups giving endorsements to candidates.  And every time they do it, they walk away with a black eye. It happened again today in Hilton Head South Carolina.  The local Tea Party group on the island offered to hand out copies of the Constitution to grade school children … a warm and patriotic act … EXCEPT, on every copy the was a stamp that said “Compliments of Joe Wilson” (a Republican Candidate for Congress), a “sly” little political move.  And as predicted, the local paper (The Island Packet) came out this morning with a headline …”Tea Party’s Constitution Offer Declined”.  This paper is basically a regurgitation of AP news with a left-leaning bias. So the paper “did its job” by its own standards and reported this “incident” correctly and with excellent accuracy. But look again at the headline, notice they didn’t say Constitution COPY … nah, that doesn’t grab headlines … let’s associate the Tea Party with a “Declined Constitution.”   Give the left-leaning media an opening, they’ll take it every time.

Truesdale Acted Correctly The School Superintendent, Valerie Truesdale announced that they would decline the offer from the Tea Party, but would get “free copies” from the government and pass those out to the children.  Truesdale did the right thing. We should not be posing political candidates to school children in the lower grades.  Her solution to the problem was an excellent one.  The children will still receive the copy of the Constitution along with Declaration of Independence … FREE from the US Printing office.  Had a Republican or an Independent seen such a thing offered with a Democrat’s name on it (or “Compliments of Obama”) handed out to the children,  there would have been outrage.  And there should be DESERVED outrage at this, even outrage at the attempt. Talk about “indoctrinating the children!”  Teach them the Constitution  in school, but let them “learn” the politics when they get old enough understand.

Tea Party Mission Statement

The Tea Party group in question has continued to push REPUBLICAN candidates, even holding rallies specifically for the Republicans.  It is the opinion of The Patriot’s Flag that this is NOT the purview of a Tea Party group … that is the Purview of the local REPUBLICAN CLUB and if you want to push candidates, you do it through the latter, not the former.  And this is the reason for that opinion …

It is tempting to “promote” a candidate when you see one that mostly is in agreement with your mission and core values … but as soon as you do this, you are PROMOTING A PARTY, and you get everything that comes along with it.    In this case, it’s the Republican Party, (which in South Carolina gives you the excess baggage of Lindsey Graham)  … so if you are an Independent or a “wavering” Democrat … this is the same as supporting the Republican Party … and you till tend to back your support away from such a group. The Tea Party should be doing everything in its power to gain members from all political diversities, not alienating them. Ask a Democrat why s/he doesn’t join the local Republican Club … the reason is the same for why that same Democrat won’t join a Tea Party Group if it is pushing Republicans!

Tea Party Group Dynamics: This is all discussed in detail on the Patriot’s Flag Post “Tea Party Group Dynamics” and specifically in the section “The Hijacking of Energy.”  People see and comprehend the power of having the Independents and “born again” Democrats on their side, so they infiltrate the Tea Party movement and direct it toward their Party of Choice … and too often it is the Republican Party. This is why many Democrats and Independents veer away from the Tea Party … it is thought to be a Republican “hang-out” … which is is NOT!

This is only a “Little” Tea Party Lesson, it will not have national consequences, but it is a teaching moment. If the Tea Party doesn’t stay TRUE to its mission and core values (which says nothing about endorsing a Republican or a Democrat), then the “left-leaning” press will jump on it every time to score another black eye for the “Tea Party Activists.”

Tea Party Meetings: The purpose of the Tea Party meeting is to disseminate information to people who want to learn more about their government and their potential candidates.  If you are a Democrat (of your “father’s Democrat Party ilk”)  … then you can find a home in the Tea Party too.  If you are a Conservative Independent (like me), you are comfortable rubbing shoulders with others who do not like the direction of the country, want to do something about it. But you DO NOT want to give your support to the Republican or Democrat Party.

It is too bad the Hilton Head Tea Party got hijacked and has become a pseudo Republican Club, it is too bad the left-leaning Island Packet picked it up this situation and used it to give the “Tea Party” (all of us!) a little black eye.  It was a CORRECT move by Supt. Valerie Truesdale to order copies of the Constitution from the Government Printing Office and hand them out. (Good political move on her part).  But wouldn’t it have been great if the headline read “Tea Party Offers Free Copies of the Constitution to Grade School Students  and the Offer Accepted by the School Board.” But that didn’t happen, instead a “sly” political move on the part of a Republican-Party-Promoting Tea Party Group gave the rest of us an undeserved black eye.

• Funding: Keep in mind you can PRIVATELY SUPPORT a candidate with your dollars … you do not have to send your money to an affiliated party to get the job done.  I send my contributions to Jim DeMint, but not to the GOP … I don’t want Lindsey getting a penny, he does not represent me, my mission, or my personal core values.

(Example: Supporting the GOP in South Carolina means you are supporting Lindsey Graham … not me! And if our group came out pushing the GOP, color me “GONE!”. )

• Endorsing a Candidate: In the end, a True Tea Party Patriot does eventually endorse a candidate … IN THE VOTING BOOTH!
• And Please Note: This post is not the opinion of any Tea Party Group, this is the opinion of the author of The Patriot’s Flag….Me!

Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

We have massive tax increases coming at us January 1st 2011.  I’m listing them so I can see what the taxes are going to do to me and my retirement income. Also, hopefully this post will be reminding everybody who voted for Obama that they voted for a fiscally irresponsible Socialist LIAR.  I’m not in that $250,000 tax bracket … and my taxes (in retirement) are going to skyrocket.

This President and the DEMOCRATS are stealing from me! They are taking the money I worked for years to put in the bank, so THEY can STEAL it and give it to people who have not worked for it.  All for getting more votes, so they can stay in power and keep stealing from the hard-working people of the USA. Thanks to “good-hearted fools” that voted for “hope and change” … now there is a hell of a lot less HOPE and the CHANGE is killing us. I HOPE the “good-hearted” DEMOCRATS vote for CHANGE in November, or we’re all going to go “under!”

THE FOUNDRY (07.27.10) : We are on the precipice of the largest tax increase in United States history. On January 1, 2011, the 2001/2003 tax relief will expire. All Americans who earn income will see their taxes go up as a result (even those who work but don’t pay any federal income taxes) unless Congress acts soon to prevent this massive tax hike.

The constant refrain from those who oppose the tax relief is that they benefited only the rich. If the tax cuts expire as scheduled, this myth will be proven untrue once and for all. But taxpayers don’t have to wait until next year to see how much bigger a bite Uncle Sam will take. The Tax Foundation recently created a tax calculator that will show them how much more they will pay in taxes next year.

The Foundry - Jobs to be lost by increased taxation by state, an interactive map. You can click on your state and see how many jobs will be lost.

What’s in YOUR wallet, what won’t be in 2011 – Click to Try the Tax Calculator

Exempt? Wanna’ Bet? Obama’s Taxes Listed for YOU!

1. Real Estate Sales tax of 3.8% buried in ObaCare bill!
2. Small business taxed at 39.6%
3. The lowest rate will rise from 10% to 15%
4. Itemized deductions will phase out (same as tax increase)
5. Personal exemptions will phase out (same as tax increase)
6. Personal income tax will rise 10% bracket rises to 15%
7. Personal income tax 25% bracket rises to 28%
8. Personal income tax 28% bracket rises to 31%
9. Personal income tax 33% bracket rises to 36%
10. Personal income tax 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
11. The marriage penalty will return from 1st dollar of income
12. Child tax credit cut in half from $1000 to 500 per child
13. Standard deduction no longer doubled for married couples
14. Impact on Child Care Credit
    
15. The Death tax will resume … 55% on estates over $1,000,000
16. Capital gains tax will rise from 15% to 20%
17. Dividends tax will rise from 15% to 39.6% with another rise of 3.8% in 2013
18. No longer can use HSA (health savings account)
19. No longer can use FSA (special needs kids)
20. No longer can use HRA (pre-tax dollars to purchase medicines)
21. No Special Needs Kids Tax Credit … (There are thousands of families with special needs children in the US and many use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition can exceed $14,000 a year for such kids!)
22. Alternative Minimum Tax … will ensnare over 28 million families , up from 4 million last year.
23. Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear
24. VAT Value Added Tax could happen, talked about now.
25. Net Worth Tax (tax of riches) could also happen, being talked about now.
26. Elimination of deduction for domestic production (corporate)
27. Elimination of incentives for foreign income
28. Elimination of incentive for oil production
29. Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers
30. Raise “Haircut” for Medical Itemized Deduction from 7.5% to 10% of AGI
31. ObaCare – Individual Mandate Excise Tax
32. ObaCare – Employer Mandate Tax
33. ObaCare – Surtax on Investment Income
34. ObaCare – Hike in Medicare Payroll Tax
35. Tax on Indoor Tanning Services
36. ObaCare – Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans
37. Elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D
38. Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike
39. Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals
40. Tax on Innovator Drug Companies
41. Tax on Health Insurers
42. $500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Ins. Execs
43. Employer reporting of insurance on W2
44. “Black Liquor” tax hike
45. Codification of the “economic substance doctrine”
46. Medical Threshold to Increase in 2013
47. Tax on gold sales and purchases
48. How the Obama Tax Hikes will Affect you! (Heritage)
    

(If you find one I’ve missed,  send url HERE and I’ll add it)

Democrat's Economic Train Wreck!

Which taxes affect you? Remember, if business or corporate taxes go up … they don’t pay those taxes, they either go out of business or pass those taxes on to YOU.  Also, if people are paying more taxes for “whatever,” then they are spending less, so what happens to the economy?

It’s a Democrat Economic Train Wreck! We have millions of people out of work, the economy is a shambles, and to solve the problem, the Democrats and the President of the United States decide the “way out” is to spend more than any other administration in the history of the world and to increase taxes on families, small businesses and corporations.  If you wanted to WRECK this country … THIS is what you would do!!!

1. The need to extend portions of  Bush’s Tax Cuts (07.08.10)
2. 6 months to go until largest tax hikes in history (07.08.10)
3. PDF List of Expiring Tax Provisions (07.08.10)
4. Liberals propose taxing the Internet (07.08.10)
5. Changes to HSAs are nothing to sneeze at (07.09.10)
6. Raising your INDIRECT Taxes (07.11.10)
7. Geitner hints tax relief of 39% group (07.12.10)
8. Price on Carbon Dioxide is just a big tax (07.13.10)
9. Obama Admin OK’s First Tax-Funded Abortions (07.13.10)
10. The six worst tax increases from Dems in 2011 (07.14.10)
11. Democrats seek to tax the Internet (07.15.10)
12. VAT or CROCK? (07.20.10)
13. Using Gulf Oil Spill to raise taxes (07.23.10)
14. Obama’s Tax Tsunami is coming (07.23.10)
15. New Tax on Gold Hidden in ObamaCare (07.26.10)
16. Majority of Small Biz sector facing higher taxes (07.26.10)
17. Polls show Americans tired of taxes on Gas and Oil (07.26.10)
18. I knew it, Obama to tax the Crap out of Corporations (07.27.10)
19. Peolosi’s “CLEAR” act adds $Billions, takes states’ authoridy (09.01.10)
20. Stimulus Spending – The BS our taxes pay for! (08.04.10)
21. Palin vs PolitiFact on Taxes (08.05.10)
22. Real Tax Increases, Real Consequences (08.15.10)
23. How Income Taxes will Change in 2011 (08.21.10)
24. Three Coming Waves of Taxes for YOU (08.21.10) <= 3 waves, what to expect.
25. 21 New Taxes in ObamaCare (08.21.10)
26. The Looming Obama Depression (09.05.10)
27. The ObamaCare and Obama tax hike, double whammy on Seniors! (09.15.10)
28. Dems: We will Hammer the Poor (09.26.10)
29. Bipartisan Fight against Obama Tax Hikes (09.30.10)
30. Obama’s Huge new tax that will hit everyone (10.11.10)

Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

Today I am flying the USA Flag, for a week’s observance of Flag Day. However, the Gadsden Flag is appropriate for the blog post tonight. As usual, the President pulled a typical “bait and switch.” But this time with an undercurrent of cruelty, with only words and not and not heart-felt empathy for those who are suffering. in the Gulf. Instead he pointed out the plight of these people, then used their pain as  proof that  (loosely connected) we are running out of oil and the way to solve this problem is to have more taxes. The purpose of the speech was to demonstrate confidence in the federal government’s handling of the oil spill, but in the end, it was used to make a sales pitch for the Carbon Tax. Just another Presidential Infomercial.

As Rahm Emanuel said: “You never want to let a serious crisis go to waste!”

The Patriot’s Flag’s Summary of the President’s Speech:

The purpose of the speech was to discuss the  pain and suffering of those on the Gulf Coast  and to demonstrate what the government was going to do to alleviate the disaster. Instead,  the President used this tragedy as an opportunity to use the suffering of our neighbors as a prop for a sales pitch for another unwanted tax. Typically, he doesn’t want this crisis to be wasted, so he uses it to promote his Socialist agenda.  It is clear this man cannot operate as an executive and a leader, his only political skill is that of a Community Organizer and as the политрук (Chief Political Officer) for the USA.

Post Navigation Menu (links to sections)

• Full Text of Obama’s Speech
• My Analysis, Paragraph by Paragraph
• Others’ Analysis and Comments on Speech
  

Full Text: The President’s Speech June 15, 2010

1. Good evening.  As we speak, our nation faces a multitude of challenges.  At home, our top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has touched the lives of nearly every American.  Abroad, our brave men and women in uniform are taking the fight to al Qaeda wherever it exists.  And tonight, I’ve returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast to speak with you about the battle we’re waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens.
2. On April 20^th, an explosion ripped through BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, about forty miles off the coast of Louisiana.  Eleven workers lost their lives.  Seventeen others were injured.  And soon, nearly a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, oil began spewing into the water.
3. Because there has never been a leak of this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology.  That is why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge – a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s Secretary of Energy.  Scientists at our national labs and experts from academia and other oil companies have also provided ideas and advice.
4. As a result of these efforts, we have directed BP to mobilize additional equipment and technology.  In the coming days and weeks, these efforts should capture up to 90% of the oil leaking out of the well.  This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well later in the summer that is expected to stop the leak completely.
5. Already, this oil spill is the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced.  And unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it is not a single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days.  The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years.
6. But make no mistake:  we will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long it takes.  We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused.  And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.
7. Tonight I’d like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going forward:  what we’re doing to clean up the oil, what we’re doing to help our neighbors in the Gulf, and what we’re doing to make sure that a catastrophe like this never happens again.
8. First, the cleanup.  From the very beginning of this crisis, the federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental cleanup effort in our nation’s history – an effort led by Admiral Thad Allen, who has almost forty years of experience responding to disasters.  We now have nearly 30,000 personnel who are working across four states to contain and cleanup the oil.  Thousands of ships and other vessels are responding in the Gulf.  And I have authorized the deployment of over 17,000 National Guard members along the coast.  These servicemen and women are ready to help stop the oil from coming ashore, clean beaches, train response workers, or even help with processing claims – and I urge the governors in the affected states to activate these troops as soon as possible.
9. Because of our efforts, millions of gallons of oil have already been removed from the water through burning, skimming, and other collection methods.  Over five and a half million feet of boom has been laid across the water to block and absorb the approaching oil.  We have approved the construction of new barrier islands in Louisiana to try and stop the oil before it reaches the shore, and we are working with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida to implement creative approaches to their unique coastlines.
10. As the clean up continues, we will offer whatever additional resources and assistance our coastal states may need.  Now, a mobilization of this speed and magnitude will never be perfect, and new challenges will always arise.  I saw and heard evidence of that during this trip.  So if something isn’t working, we want to hear about it.  If there are problems in the operation, we will fix them.
11. But we have to recognize that despite our best efforts, oil has already caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife.  And sadly, no matter how effective our response becomes, there will be more oil and more damage before this siege is done.  That’s why the second thing we’re focused on is the recovery and restoration of the Gulf Coast.
12. You know, for generations, men and women who call this region home have made their living from the water.  That living is now in jeopardy.  I’ve talked to shrimpers and fishermen who don’t know how they’re going to support their families this year.  I’ve seen empty docks and restaurants with fewer customers – even in areas where the beaches are not yet affected.  I’ve talked to owners of shops and hotels who wonder when the tourists will start to come back.  The sadness and anger they feel is not just about the money they’ve lost.  It’s about a wrenching anxiety that their way of life may be lost.
13. I refuse to let that happen.  Tomorrow, I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company’s recklessness.  And this fund will not be controlled by BP.  In order to ensure that all legitimate claims are paid out in a fair and timely manner, the account must and will be administered by an independent, third party.
14. Beyond compensating the people of the Gulf in the short-term, it’s also clear we need a long-term plan to restore the unique beauty and bounty of this region.  The oil spill represents just the latest blow to a place that has already suffered multiple economic disasters and decades of environmental degradation that has led to disappearing wetlands and habitats.  And the region still hasn’t recovered from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  That’s why we must make a commitment to the Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment.
15. I make that commitment tonight.  Earlier, I asked Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, a former governor of Mississippi, and a son of the Gulf, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan as soon as possible.  The plan will be designed by states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists, and other Gulf residents.  And BP will pay for the impact this spill has had on the region.
16. The third part of our response plan is the steps we’re taking to ensure that a disaster like this does not happen again.  A few months ago, I approved a proposal to consider new, limited offshore drilling under the assurance that it would be absolutely safe – that the proper technology would be in place and the necessary precautions would be taken.
17. That was obviously not the case on the Deepwater Horizon rig, and I want to know why.  The American people deserve to know why.  The families I met with last week who lost their loved ones in the explosion – these families deserve to know why.  And so I have established a National Commission to understand the causes of this disaster and offer recommendations on what additional safety and environmental standards we need to put in place.  Already, I have issued a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.  I know this creates difficulty for the people who work on these rigs, but for the sake of their safety, and for the sake of the entire region, we need to know the facts before we allow deepwater drilling to continue.  And while I urge the Commission to complete its work as quickly as possible, I expect them to do that work thoroughly and impartially
18. One place we have already begun to take action is at the agency in charge of regulating drilling and issuing permits, known as the Minerals Management Service.  Over the last decade, this agency has become emblematic of a failed philosophy that views all regulation with hostility – a philosophy that says corporations should be allowed to play by their own rules and police themselves.  At this agency, industry insiders were put in charge of industry oversight.  Oil companies showered regulators with gifts and favors, and were essentially allowed to conduct their own safety inspections and write their own regulations.
19. When Ken Salazar became my Secretary of the Interior, one of his very first acts was to clean up the worst of the corruption at this agency.  But it’s now clear that the problems there ran much deeper, and the pace of reform was just too slow.  And so Secretary Salazar and I are bringing in new leadership at the agency – Michael Bromwich, who was a tough federal prosecutor and Inspector General.  His charge over the next few months is to build an organization that acts as the oil industry’s watchdog – not its partner.
20. One of the lessons we’ve learned from this spill is that we need better regulations better safety standards, and better enforcement when it comes to offshore drilling.  But a larger lesson is that no matter how much we improve our regulation of the industry, drilling for oil these days entails greater risk.  After all, oil is a finite resource.  We consume more than 20% of the world’s oil, but have less than 2% of the world’s oil reserves.  And that’s part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean – because we’re running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water.
21. For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered.  For decades, we have talked and talked about the need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels.  And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires.  Time and again, the path forward has been blocked – not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.
22. The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight.  Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be here in America.  Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil.  And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude.
23. We cannot consign our children to this future.  The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.  Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny.
24. This is not some distant vision for America.  The transition away from fossil fuels will take some time, but over the last year and a half, we have already taken unprecedented action to jumpstart the clean energy industry.  As we speak, old factories are reopening to produce wind turbines, people are going back to work installing energy-efficient windows, and small businesses are making solar panels.  Consumers are buying more efficient cars and trucks, and families are making their homes more energy-efficient.  Scientists and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that will someday lead to entire new industries.
    
25. Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of us.  As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of good, middle-class jobs – but only if we accelerate that transition.  Only if we seize the moment.  And only if we rally together and act as one nation – workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors.
26. When I was a candidate for this office, I laid out a set of principles that would move our country towards energy independence.  Last year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill – a bill that finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America’s businesses.
27. Now, there are costs associated with this transition.  And some believe we can’t afford those costs right now.  I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy – because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater.
28. So I am happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party – as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels.  Some have suggested raising efficiency standards in our buildings like we did in our cars and trucks.  Some believe we should set standards to ensure that more of our electricity comes from wind and solar power.  Others wonder why the energy industry only spends a fraction of what the high-tech industry does on research and development – and want to rapidly boost our investments in such research and development.
29. All of these approaches have merit, and deserve a fear hearing in the months ahead.  But the one approach I will not accept is inaction.  The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is too big and too difficult to meet.  You see, the same thing was said about our ability to produce enough planes and tanks in World War II.  The same thing was said about our ability to harness the science and technology to land a man safely on the surface of the moon.  And yet, time and again, we have refused to settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom.  Instead, what has defined us as a nation since our founding is our capacity to shape our destiny – our determination to fight for the America we want for our children.  Even if we’re unsure exactly what that looks like.  Even if we don’t yet know precisely how to get there.  We know we’ll get there.
30. It is a faith in the future that sustains us as a people.  It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now.
31. Each year, at the beginning of shrimping season, the region’s fishermen take part in a tradition that was brought to America long ago by fishing immigrants from Europe.  It’s called “The Blessing of the Fleet,” and today it’s a celebration where clergy from different religions gather to say a prayer for the safety and success of the men and women who will soon head out to sea – some for weeks at a time.
32. The ceremony goes on in good times and in bad.  It took place after Katrina, and it took place a few weeks ago – at the beginning of the most difficult season these fishermen have ever faced.
33. And still, they came and they prayed.  For as a priest and former fisherman once said of the tradition, “The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers.  The blessing is that He is with us always,” a blessing that’s granted “…even in the midst of the storm.”
34. The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face.  This nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them again.  What sees us through – what has always seen us through – is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it.  Tonight, we pray for that courage.  We pray for the people of the Gulf.  And we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a brighter day.  Thank you, God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of America

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1. He’s working on “lots of things,” he wants to salute the troops, and he lets us know the subject of his speech is the oil spill.
2. He tells us there was an explosion (57 days ago) … most of us have heard of this. But I suppose there are portions of the dumb masses out there that found this to be “news.”
3. The rig blew up on April 20th (President’s own words), and he assembled a team after the rig sank, the team was “assembled” on May 17th, (HuffingtonPost).  I don’t believe it took 27 days for the rig to sink! His wording here makes it sound like “immediate action” … this “action” was actually a month after the disaster.
4. “We have directed BP to mobilize…” Huh? Why didn’t he “mobilize” the requests of the Dutch and Brits to help us with skimmer ships, that were offered right after the explosion, but refused by Obama?  The Dutch ships could have taken up 20,000 TONS of oil and sludge per day. (DailyGator) Sludge and oil that is now showing up on the beaches and marshlands. (Dutch spill team ready, still not called).
5. He states this is the worst environmental disaster the country has ever faced and it will take years to correct the problem.  (A statement of probable fact).
6. “We will make BP pay for the problem” … uh, I believe BP all along has said they were responsible for this problem and would pay for it. This makes us think BP is paying because of Obama’s strength, they OFFERED it first!  And “we will do whatever’s necessary to help people recover…“  Like refusing the help of the Dutch ships? How can he be credible when he already demonstrated he will not do “whatever’s necessary?”
7. This paragraph gives Obama’s “I have a dream” comment for solving the problem …
8. “From the beginning of this crisis, the federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental cleanup effort in our nation’s history” … in charge of “what?”  And it took him 9 days to make his first official response. (Reuters).  And the “has been in charge” is simply words … nobody was “in charge” of this thing from the beginning, certainly not the “federal government.”
9. Millions of gallons have been extracted from the water because of “our” (federal) efforts. Not true, most of the tonnage removed from the water was done by BP after putting the (still leaking) cap on the BOP.  The “booms” he discusses were late in arriving and Jindal could not get “clearance” to build barrier sand bars to stop the oil from coming ashore.
10. He basically says “response will never be perfect” and “if there are problems in the operation, we’ll fix them!” … how?  Neither Obama nor the Federal Government have a clue how to “fix” these problems. His original fix was to have his aides tell BP to “plug the damned hole.” (TheHill).  But how much technology can you expect from a Community Organizer surrounded by ideologues not scientists?   Stating not to expect perfection covers him later when the spill continues … He’ll say … “remember, I told you we wouldn’t be perfect?” In stating this, he is already excusing errors that no doubt will be made.
11. This paragraphs tells us he has a  second part of his plan is to help the Gulf  “recover” from the disaster.
12. The poor people being affected in Louisiana … they’ve lost their livelihoods and their lifestyles. So he wants them to know he “feels their pain”.  As Evita said, “We are all shirtless now” … I am one with you.  (Bet you $1 he’ll attend a party or play golf before the end of the week.  If he were into “their pain” he’d hang up the golf clubs and bow tie and roll up his sleeves … that’s how you show people you FEEL their pain.
13. He’s going to threaten BP to pay for all the damages that their “recklessness” has caused. (Can he prove that yet?) And the fund will be administered by an “independent 3rd party.”  “Independent?” Give me a break, when has this man not stacked the deck with his own people for his own good?  The people he chose are all Democrat Doners!!!  (Obama Oil Commission all Democrat Doners!)  Also, he has no authority to demand this money from BP … show us that power in the Constitution.  Bottom line?  BP already offered more money than this to solve the problem … this is nothing but grandstanding to show how powerful and important he is.
14. “That’s why we must make a commitment to the Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment.” … Here is the LOOSE CONNECTION of the people’s plight to his Carbon Tax Sales Pitch.
15. He plans “to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan”.  Planning by the government does not equate to action (Patriot’s Flag – EPA’s National Contingency Plan)  Government plans are typically worthless.
16. Part 3 of the plan … Although I wanted to expand deep water drilling … uh …
17. “I’ve declared a 6 month moratorium on deepwater drilling.“  He admits this will hurt thousands of people, but that doesn’t matter as much as “being safe.”  So now we’ve got a few million people’s livelihoods and lifestyles totally in jeopardy … lets put about half of them out of work. “Oil companies showered regulators with “gifts and favors” … but he fails to mention those same regulators ACCEPTED those gifts and favors and the head of that department was replaced … ON HIS WATCH!
18. He discusses corruption within the Federal Government in the Minerals Management Service group, an admission that the Feds were a key part of the problem.
19. Obama and Ken Salazar moved in on this corrupt agency … but alas “the pace of reform was just too slow.” So Salazar failed?  Obama demands BP to meet technological impossible deadlines, but he gives one of the “causes” of this problem a pass?  Now they are planning to make the agency be the “watchdog” it should have been all along. He announces Michael Bromwich to be the replacement as Head of this agency.
20. Obama said: “After all, oil is a finite resource. We consume more than 20% of the world’s oil, but have less than 2% of the world’s oil reserves. And that’s part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean – because we’re running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water.”  Note that “This howler,” writes John Hinderaker at Power Line, “is a favorite canard of Democratic politicians”: As is so often the case, they are relying on the public’s ignorance. Most people don’t realize that in the U.S., oil isn’t counted as part of our “reserves” unless it is legally available for drilling. Thus, ANWR, to take one of many examples, isn’t counted toward the total “reserves.” The U.S. government could cause our reserves to skyrocket overnight by opening new areas, on land and in shallow water, to drilling. But the U.S. is the only country in the world that has deliberately chosen not to develop its own energy resources. No one else is that dumb. And according to Kiplinger Magazine (by way of the American Thinker, “untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties (OPEC) and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand-at today’s levels-for auto, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil.” (This info from NewsBusters)
21. We have run out of places to drill because the Federal Government won’t allow us to drill where we have as much or more reserves than THE REST OF THE WORLD!  We cannot drill on land where it is safe because the environmentalists and Democrats won’t allow it! Here is the sales pitch for the need for a Carbon Tax. (If we tax oil, people will use less of it, and the world will be saved.)
22. “For decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked – not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.“
23. He said “countries like China are investing in clean energy” … but he fails to mention Spain, who this week is going bankrupt, and has shut down solar operations. Also according to The Heritage Foundation , China “will account for nearly 45% of oil demand growth in the next five years, receives 70% of its energy from coal already, and is projected to nearly triple coal capacity by 2030.” The policy he is proposing has already tried and it has failed miserably in Spain and he is wrong about China.
24. He said, “we cannot consign our children to this future” … huh? This man just wiped out any future the next three generations of children would ever have with a national debt NEVER encountered in the history of the world. This man cares about “children”?  We must “seize our destiny” … this is Maoist crap written by his ideological advisers that got a little carried away with the moment.
25. The “pitch” for clean energy, better windows, solar … but at least  he didn’t mention keeping air in the tires this time.
26. “Each of us has a part to play” … yep, and I know my part. I’m retired, worked like hell to have enough to retire. Now MY part in this will be to give up the money in my retirement fund and transfer that (bit) of wealth to a bunch of guys who want to replace petroleum with wind power.  I wouldn’t invest in that on my own, but this is worse, I won’t have a choice!  Obama is going to tax the hell out of my retirement and invest it as he sees fit. I don’t mind paying taxes, but this is stealing from me, in a way it is stealing my lifetime’s hard work from me!
27. The Clean Energy Bill … Cap and Trade …  (now name-changed for camouflage to the American Power Act) read about it HERE (The Patriot’s Flag – Cap and Trade)
28. “There are costs associated with this …“  Damned right there are and he said some people don’t think we can afford it.  Actually MOST people are fed up with the debt and spending and darned few people think we can afford this. So STOP the spending!  Put the folks on the Gulf Coast out of work (drill moratorium) and then increase their taxes on gasoline … that’ll help!
29. He’s “happy to look at ideas from either party” .. (Barf alert!) that is pure BS from this President. A man who had Socialized Medicine designed behind LOCKED doors (to keep out the Republicans) and then shoved it down our throats. Whatever else is said in this paragraph is covered by the BS in the first few words. Then he had the audacity to say … “Even if we don’t yet know precisely how to get there.” … huh?  Let’s pass this legislation, but we don’t know how to “get there?” Lets just pass it and then later so we can see what is in it later, without the fog of controversy, just  like Pelosi said on the Socialized Medicine bill.  Nope, been there, got the T-Shirt … not me!
30. Quote: …our determination to fight for the America we want for our children. Even if we’re unsure exactly what that looks like. Even if we don’t yet know precisely how to get there. We know we’ll get there.“  Read that again. Here come the “poor children” again … the same ones he has totally screwed with an “unsustainable debt”  (Bernake’s words, not mine) .. then we “don’t know how to get there, but we know we’ll get there!”?  Now that’s a plan right up there with Hope and Change. What an absolutely ridiculous statement coming from the President of the United States. This is not “leadership” it is “wordsmanship” the tool of the политрук (political leader).
31. Faith in our future … same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf now. Oh, geez, crying towel and National Anthem playing, make the flags wave in the background! Using the tears of the plighted people to prove we are a great caring nation.
32. Then he discusses the “blessing of the fleet” … (this shows the people on the Gulf Coast he knows all about their traditions and customs… he’s “one of them” … he “understands” … actually he read it off the TelePrompTer, or maybe he found it on Wikipedia?).
33. The celebration takes place no matter the consequences, hurricanes or spills …
34. Then he quotes scripture … but at least it’s from the Bible.
35. Now we’ll pray and God bless America. I don’t know “who” he prays to, and his actions are more God Damn Amerika than God Bless America … he’s the one telling the world how bad the country is, now he “loves” the country and wants “his God” to bless it?

Yes, Let us pray … for deliverance of our nation from the grip of Socialism now holding us back and threatening to drown us in a sea of rhetoric and ideology.  This man is actually  using this disaster and the sorrow and miseries of the people on the Gulf Coast to promote his view of what he thinks Amerika should be.

As Rahm Emanuel said: “You never want to let a serious crisis go to waste!”

I’m outraged, but not surprised, that the President would use this crisis to promote himself and his socialist ideas. Now we have proof that any future trip he takes to the Gulf, any future speeches he makes about alleviating the plight of the suffering people, or any time he discusses the future of our children … we will know.

We will all know, it is NOT about those things he reads eloquently from his TelePrompTer, it is only about Barack’s personal political agenda.

Just more idealism-driven words from our beloved политрук.

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1. MSNBC Trashes Speech, “No Exec Command” (RealClearPol 06.16.10)
2. Obama left blanks in oil speech (Fact check) Townhall 06.16.10)
3. The Speech CNSNews 06.16.10)
4. Obama’s Curiously Flat Gulf Speech (Newsweek 06.16.10)
5. Obama’s Gulf Speech (NYPost 06.16.10)
6. Obama squandered his Oval Office Moment (AJC 06.16.10)
7. McConnel: WH uses speech to push agenda (Woodward Rpt 06.16.10)
8. Obama gives Political speech, not on oil spill (FloppingAces 06.16.10)
9. Obama uses Oil Disaster to Pimp Enviro Legislation (Examiner 06.16.10)
10. Clean Energy Future, A red herring (PAPunditsInt’l 06.16.10)
11. Obama Speech draws BOOS from Pundits (Politico 06.16.10)
12. Obama losing MSNBC and Brits (SKruiser 06.16.10)
13. Obama’s speech simply polarizes BP Oil Disaster (ConservativeCamp 06.16.10)
14. Slick Barry tries to show he’s in control (NewsRealBlog 06.16.10)
15. Revealed: WH plan to Exploit Oil Crisis (JohnBohner 06.16.10)
16. Obama Lied or he is terribly misinformed (Examiner 06.16.10)
17. Obama failing Leadership test on BP Oil Disaster (Nat’lLegalPolCntr 06.16.10)
18. A crisis of competence (Heritage Foundation 06.16.10) <=Good Reference Links
19. Doing the job the media won’t do (NewsBusters 06.16.10) <=Best FactCheck
20. The President’s Oil Reserve Lie (American Thinker 06.16.10)
21. Obama’s Long Nose (PowerLine 06.16.10) <= “Mis-Statements?”
22. Mark Levin’s Open mike comments during Obama’s Speech (YouTube)
    

PowerLine: Most people don’t realize that in the U.S., oil isn’t counted as part of our “reserves” unless it is legally available for drilling. Thus, ANWR, to take one of many examples, isn’t counted toward the total “reserves.” The U.S. government could cause our reserves to skyrocket overnight by opening new areas, on land and in shallow water, to drilling. But the U.S. is the only country in the world that has deliberately chosen not to develop its own energy resources. No one else is that dumb.

Enough Said, Point made …

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Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

Today I am flying the Gadsden Flag.  All of us on “our” side of the thought process are trying to take back America from the brink of what is obviously becoming a real disaster for our country. Financially, socially and with a great risk to our security, both nationally and personally. Liberties and Freedoms are being bulldozed into the junk heap of history with the “transformation of America” (Hope and Change) crowd.  And no amount of “talk” is going to stop them. The only way to put the brakes on this train to hell is to shut down their majorities in November.  Many groups and organizations are coming forth with plans for making this happen. In our local Tea Party Group (Bluffton Tea Party), we have mobilized to put together a newsletter we can send out to our own email lists.  The change will happen one vote at a time, this is our local effort to affect a national problem.  Dick Army’s Blueprint for TAKE AMERICA BACK is an excellent example. Take America Back Video Blueprint from FreedomWorks .

From Matt Kibbe, President of Freedom Works:

The very principles that define the uniquely American experiment – constitutionally-constrained government, individual liberty and free enterprise – are threatened with extinction by the arrogant and ambitious agenda of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and others on the liberal left. Today, like no other time in our lives, the stakes are higherimage and the outcomes more decisive for the future of our children and our grandchildren.

The good news is that we can Take America Back. Over the past year, you’ve taken part in an unprecedented surge of grassroots activism in the limited government movement. Maybe you turned out for the Tea Party protests that imageswept across the nation last spring and summer, witnessed firsthand the outpouring of emotion at August town hall meetings, made the trip to FreedomWorks’ own 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington (with up to 800,000 other freedom-loving activists in attendance), or cast a ballot the remarkable election upsets in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. No matter how you’ve been a part of it, imageit’s clear that more citizens than ever before are exercising their civic duties and demonstrating against policies that threaten their pocketbooks as well as their fundamental freedoms.

The Tea Party’s common-sense agenda of fiscal conservatism now represents the very middle of the American political spectrum. We believe that the government imageshould not spend money it does not have, and should not take over our health care system or run auto companies. If we get organized today, we can become a game-changing political bloc not unlike the 9 million new voters that showed up to overturn Democratic control of Congress in 1994.

Now is the time to build upon this unprecedented grassroots uprising for freedom and imageTake America Back from the advocates of big government in both political parties, from the rent-seeking big corporations eager to use the power of government to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and taxpayers, and from the web of left-wing special interests who feed at the public trough and imageconsider it their right to do so

This active grassroots conservatism is exactly the kind of political movement FreedomWorks has been working to build since their founding in 1984. We did not create the Tea Party movement, nor have we tried to control it, but we are working around the clock to support it, help it grow and increase its impact. We are working to make this remarkable patriotic uprising a force for massive and permanent change this November. And with the help of patriots like you, that is exactly what we are going to do.

• You can see the FREEDOM WORKS Blueprint here.
• Take Back America Campaign Action Plan

We the People are RISING UP against an over indulgent government. The Tea Party Movement is at the political DEAD CENTER of public opinion. Here is a way to stand up for the Freedoms and Liberties you KNOW you are losing with this present administration and congress.  We are among the largest voting group in history … the purpose of Freedom Works is to DIRECT that local grass roots energy into a national force so it can too can CHANGE America and RE-FORM it into the mold intended by our Founding Fathers.

Be a Member – Get Connected Being a member of your local Tea Party is your first step (to join our local group, click here). The second step is to become a member of Freedom Works <- click here, a group that fully backs the Tea Party movement, is partners with the Tea Party Patriots and takes your action to an even higher level.

Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!