Weiner

Anthony Weiner left Congress this week, apparently after finding out that you don't get leaves of absence from Congress.

His misdeeds have set off numerous debates. Some argued that this did not rise to the level of an offense for which he needed to resign. Vanity Fair produced the most controversial piece, asserting that Mrs. Weiner shared some responsibility for the issue because she spent too little time at home tending to the needs of her husband. That article was a bridge too far for the writer and the publication.

A private affair, Weiner probably could have survived, provided that it was not with an intern or some other subordinate. This was different, although more and more common every day. He sent pictures of private locations on his body to unsuspecting people who had signed up to follow him on Twitter. This is definitely something that can "expose" you to all sorts of embarassment. The question is, did he really think that this was not going to get out?

It makes you wonder. He was a rising star in the Democratic Party, slated to contend for the job of New York City mayor at some point. This was either a galactically stupid move, or an intentional career hari-kari. I mean, how do you not know that this will definitely end up on the Tonight Show, especially with your name being what it is.

Well, Obama has assured us that Weiner and his family will bounce back. Were I the former congressman, I'd worry since he also assured us that the economy would do the same.

Shelley Moore Capito Once Again Fights For Coal and Manufacturing Against the Bureaucrats

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Capito Demands Answers From EPA
6/14/11

Today, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., wrote a strongly-worded letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency demanding the agency show proof that jobs were considered when issuing new regulations for coal-fueled power plants over the past year.

Capito’s letter comes on the heels of frustrating news that American Electric Power will shut down five plants in West Virginia and Ohio, resulting in job cuts and higher utility costs across the board.

“The way I see it, either the EPA did not run proper analysis or the administration knew the rules concerning coal-fueled plants would cost jobs and increase utility costs and still went ahead anyway. Either way, this is unacceptable,” stated Capito.

Despite sluggish economic growth, an unsustainably high unemployment rate, and a market so plagued with uncertainty that businesses cannot even fathom hiring or expanding, the administration has insisted on continuing its assault on the energy industry which employs millions of hard-working Americans.

“Whether its providing cheap gas so companies don’t have to pass their costs onto consumers, or keeping home utility prices low so Americans can spend money on other things, or employing millions of workers to exploit resources found right here in America, the energy industry quite literally powers the American economy,” stated Capito. “Especially in West Virginia, the energy industry provides an important source of tax revenue for local and state governments and our manufacturing and service industries benefit from low cost electricity, making them more competitive.”

Specifically, Capito requests “copies of all internal memoranda, communication, analysis, and documents regarding the EPA’s consideration of the impact on economic activity and employment (cumulative and non-cumulative) related to these rules and regulations.”

ATTACHED:Capito letter to United States Environmental Protection Agency

BACKGROUND

Last month, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced H.R. 1872, the “Employment Protection Act,” which would require the Environmental Protection Agency to take into account jobs and economic activity prior to issuing a regulation, policy statement, guidance, implementing any new or substantially altered program, or issuing or denying any permit—essentially any action taken by the EPA.

Capito Letter to EPA ( 06/14/11 10:49 AM PST )

Why Is It Important to Attend the Upcoming Redistricting Meetings?

Next week, Delegates Gary Howell and Alan Evans, as well as state senators Dave Sypolt and Clark Barnes, will hold three town hall meetings in Mineral County to address the upcoming issue of state redistricting.

It is important to attend these meetings and make your opinions heard. Every ten years, the state legislature must take the results of the U. S. Census and redraw delegate and senatorial districts around the state. Congressional districts will also be readjusted.

Republicans and independents fear that the Democratic dominated Legislature will redraw districts to minimize Republicans' ability to elect people to office. Districts can be drawn in such a way as to "sink" Republican majority areas into Democratic majority districts. Also at issue are the existence of multi-delegate districts that strongly favor the incumbents in state electoral history. Republicans and independents would like to eliminate these districts which are generally in the larger urban areas of the state.

Forum meeting dates, times, and places are as follows:
June 20, 6-8 p.m.: Short Gap Fire Hall.
June 23, 6-8 p.m.: Mineral County Courthouse.
June 27, 6-8 p.m.: Burlington Fire Hall.

Incumbent Protection Plan Before the State Legislature

For Release: June 10, 2011

Contact: Rick Snuffer 304.923.5160


REDISTRICTING...

One Question


Beckley, WV - 27th Delegate District Freshman Rick Snuffer says he will accept the House of

Delegate Leadership's assertion that there is no 'incumbency protection plan' if they will answer

one very simple question;


Why are Single Delegate Districts good for 36 of West Virginia's 58 House of Delegate Districts,

but not the other 22?


Snuffer offers, "From the Speaker, to the Majority Leader, to the Majority Whip; these are good

guys who I like and get along with. If they say there is no 'incumbency protection plan' being

considered, I accept that. What many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are asking is

why are SDDs okay for 36 of our Delegate Districts, but not the other 22?"


Snuffer, a Raleigh/Summers County Delegate, has stated the redistricting process will be a major

factor in whether or not he attempts to remain in the West Virginia House of Delegates or mount

another attempt to unseat 35 year Congressional incumbent, Nick Joe Rahall, in the next election

cycle.


"The Leadership has promised an honest and open House redistricting process. There is one

simple question which needs to be answered to ensure this process follows their declared

intentions; if 36, why not 22 more," the legislative newcomer asks?


"If a Single Delegate District is good for the people of the 34th District which Majority Leader

Boggs represents, why not for the people of the 32nd District which Minority Leader Armstead

represents? If SDDs are appropriate for the citizens of the Eastern Panhandle, why not for the

good folks in the Northern Panhandle? In Mercer County, the people who live in the 24th

District have a single delegate representing them; but the Mercer County residents of the 25th

Delegate District have two delegates representing them."


Snuffer states there appears to be no geographic, political, or historical reason for the

discrepancy of the various sizes of WV House Districts and says the motives could easily be

put to rest if someone will just answer the question… 'If for some, why not for everyone?'


"Rick, Brent, and Mike are all on public record commending the benefits of Single Member/

Delegate Districts, yet each have said 'there won't be 100 Single House Districts," Snuffer

concludes. "Why? That's all we want to hear from them in this honest, open process which has

been promised. If it's alright in the instances where they exist, why not in the others? Please just

answer the question, WHY??"




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Supporting the Best Weapons For Our Troops

I am asking our two United States Senators Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller to honor their promise to the men and women of the military to protect them — by supporting full funding and production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Having the best equipment possible makes a real difference—between fully concentrating on the mission, or being concerned about whether you have air cover. Since the Korean War the U.S. military has not had to worry that we controlled the skies. Failing to provide the F-35 to the troops would make U.S. missions vulnerable — that’s a risk we simply cannot afford.

The truth is, our pilots don’t want a fair fight. We want the most advanced technology available to keep us safe and our missions successful. The F-35 has buried radars, internally mounted weapons, and hidden sensors that give unprecedented levels of situational awareness and stealth. The enemy won’t know we are coming, and our families can be reassured we have the best equipment that will bring us back home safely.

We simply can't secure today’s peace with yesterday’s weapons. This fifth-generation fighter aircraft is needed to provide cutting-edge technology to troops in the field. The fleet is roughly three decades old, and we need to replace it with better tools for today’s challenges.

The F-35 will be a replacement for a number of aircraft across the services. Without the F-35, our troops are left exposed and our nation is at great risk.

As my member of Congress, I urge Senators Manchin and Rockefeller to honor the trust the men and women of the military place in you, to provide the best possible equipment and do your best to ensure their safe return home. I urge them to commit to fully funding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and honor yours and America’s promise to the military.

Just Not Cool Anymore

Apparently Obama is not cool anymore.

I am not sure how he became cool, or why. Much like a viral You Tube video, his coolness was fleeting. Unfortunately we cannot delete him from our system until next year.

Polls and political reporters are confirming that Obama is no longer an interesting topic to college or high school students. According to a blog called the Atlantic Wire, who studied Oberlin College's short love interest in Obama, the "hipsters" no longer care about him.

They also warn that these same kids were the ones who were the volunteers, although older people turned out in greater numbers to actually vote. In other words, Obama is old news.

This is what happens to political figure who seeks popularity over respect. Respect is hard earned over time. Unless you do something weird, like show your weiner to someone, it's hard to lose respect once it's earned. Popularity is fleeting and only of real interest to the vapid.

Is there a political reason for this? Perhaps because he campaigned against Bush and Cheney's handling of the War on Terror, but has followed many of their most controversial tactics, such as the Patriot Act. This also probably resulted because, like Miley Cyrus or Jessica Simpson, popularity disappears pretty quickly with exposure. The more people see, the less they want.

It could be also that he plays a lot of golf on days where he should be working, or at least appearing to work.

An Influence on Our Declaration of Independence

English Bill of Rights 1689
An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown
Whereas the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled at Westminster, lawfully, fully and freely representing all the estates of the people of this realm, did upon the thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty-eight [old style date] present unto their Majesties, then called and known by the names and style of William and Mary, prince and princess of Orange, being present in their proper persons, a certain declaration in writing made by the said Lords and Commons in the words following, viz.:

Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of divers evil counsellors, judges and ministers employed by him, did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of this kingdom;

By assuming and exercising a power of dispensing with and suspending of laws and the execution of laws without consent of Parliament;

By committing and prosecuting divers worthy prelates for humbly petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed power;

By issuing and causing to be executed a commission under the great seal for erecting a court called the Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes;

By levying money for and to the use of the Crown by pretence of prerogative for other time and in other manner than the same was granted by Parliament;

By raising and keeping a standing army within this kingdom in time of peace without consent of Parliament, and quartering soldiers contrary to law;

By causing several good subjects being Protestants to be disarmed at the same time when papists were both armed and employed contrary to law;

By violating the freedom of election of members to serve in Parliament;

By prosecutions in the Court of King's Bench for matters and causes cognizable only in Parliament, and by divers other arbitrary and illegal courses;

And whereas of late years partial corrupt and unqualified persons have been returned and served on juries in trials, and particularly divers jurors in trials for high treason which were not freeholders;

And excessive bail hath been required of persons committed in criminal cases to elude the benefit of the laws made for the liberty of the subjects;

And excessive fines have been imposed;

And illegal and cruel punishments inflicted;

And several grants and promises made of fines and forfeitures before any conviction or judgment against the persons upon whom the same were to be levied;

All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known laws and statutes and freedom of this realm;

And whereas the said late King James the Second having abdicated the government and the throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power) did (by the advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and divers principal persons of the Commons) cause letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Protestants, and other letters to the several counties, cities, universities, boroughs and cinque ports, for the choosing of such persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and sit at Westminster upon the two and twentieth day of January in this year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight [old style date], in order to such an establishment as that their religion, laws and liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted, upon which letters elections having been accordingly made;

And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, pursuant to their respective letters and elections, being now assembled in a full and free representative of this nation, taking into their most serious consideration the best means for attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties declare

That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal;

That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal;

That the commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature, are illegal and pernicious;

That levying money for or to the use of the Crown by pretence of prerogative, without grant of Parliament, for longer time, or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal;

That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;

That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law;

That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;

That election of members of Parliament ought to be free;

That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;

That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted;

That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders;

That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;

And that for redress of all grievances, and for the amending, strengthening and preserving of the laws, Parliaments ought to be held frequently.

And they do claim, demand and insist upon all and singular the premises as their undoubted rights and liberties, and that no declarations, judgments, doings or proceedings to the prejudice of the people in any of the said premises ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter into consequence or example; to which demand of their rights they are particularly encouraged by the declaration of his Highness the prince of Orange as being the only means for obtaining a full redress and remedy therein. Having therefore an entire confidence that his said Highness the prince of Orange will perfect the deliverance so far advanced by him, and will still preserve them from the violation of their rights which they have here asserted, and from all other attempts upon their religion, rights and liberties, the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled at Westminster do resolve that William and Mary, prince and princess of Orange, be and be declared king and queen of England, France and Ireland and the dominions thereunto belonging, to hold the crown and royal dignity of the said kingdoms and dominions to them, the said prince and princess, during their lives and the life of the survivor to them, and that the sole and full exercise of the regal power be only in and executed by the said prince of Orange in the names of the said prince and princess during their joint lives, and after their deceases the said crown and royal dignity of the same kingdoms and dominions to be to the heirs of the body of the said princess, and for default of such issue to the Princess Anne of Denmark and the heirs of her body, and for default of such issue to the heirs of the body of the said prince of Orange. And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do pray the said prince and princess to accept the same accordingly.

And that the oaths hereafter mentioned be taken by all persons of whom the oaths have allegiance and supremacy might be required by law, instead of them; and that the said oaths of allegiance and supremacy be abrogated.

I, A.B., do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to their Majesties King William and Queen Mary. So help me God.

I, A.B., do swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest and abjure as impious and heretical this damnable doctrine and position, that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope or any authority of the see of Rome may be deposed or murdered by their subjects or any other whatsoever. And I do declare that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. So help me God.

Upon which their said Majesties did accept the crown and royal dignity of the kingdoms of England, France and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging, according to the resolution and desire of the said Lords and Commons contained in the said declaration. And thereupon their Majesties were pleased that the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, being the two Houses of Parliament, should continue to sit, and with their Majesties' royal concurrence make effectual provision for the settlement of the religion, laws and liberties of this kingdom, so that the same for the future might not be in danger again of being subverted, to which the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons did agree, and proceed to act accordingly. Now in pursuance of the premises the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled, for the ratifying, confirming and establishing the said declaration and the articles, clauses, matters and things therein contained by the force of law made in due form by authority of Parliament, do pray that it may be declared and enacted that all and singular the rights and liberties asserted and claimed in the said declaration are the true, ancient and indubitable rights and liberties of the people of this kingdom, and so shall be esteemed, allowed, adjudged, deemed and taken to be; and that all and every the particulars aforesaid shall be firmly and strictly holden and observed as they are expressed in the said declaration, and all officers and ministers whatsoever shall serve their Majesties and their successors according to the same in all time to come. And the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, seriously considering how it hath pleased Almighty God in his marvellous providence and merciful goodness to this nation to provide and preserve their said Majesties' royal persons most happily to reign over us upon the throne of their ancestors, for which they render unto him from the bottom of their hearts their humblest thanks and praises, do truly, firmly, assuredly and in the sincerity of their hearts think, and do hereby recognize, acknowledge and declare, that King James the Second having abdicated the government, and their Majesties having accepted the crown and royal dignity as aforesaid, their said Majesties did become, were, are and of right ought to be by the laws of this realm our sovereign liege lord and lady, king and queen of England, France and Ireland and the dominions thereunto belonging, in and to whose princely persons the royal state, crown and dignity of the said realms with all honours, styles, titles, regalities, prerogatives, powers, jurisdictions and authorities to the same belonging and appertaining are most fully, rightfully and entirely invested and incorporated, united and annexed. And for preventing all questions and divisions in this realm by reason of any pretended titles to the crown, and for preserving a certainty in the succession thereof, in and upon which the unity, peace, tranquility and safety of this nation doth under God wholly consist and depend, the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do beseech their Majesties that it may be enacted, established and declared, that the crown and regal government of the said kingdoms and dominions, with all and singular the premises thereunto belonging and appertaining, shall be and continue to their said Majesties and the survivor of them during their lives and the life of the survivor of them, and that the entire, perfect and full exercise of the regal power and government be only in and executed by his Majesty in the names of both their Majesties during their joint lives; and after their deceases the said crown and premises shall be and remain to the heirs of the body of her Majesty, and for default of such issue to her Royal Highness the Princess Anne of Denmark and the heirs of the body of his said Majesty; and thereunto the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do in the name of all the people aforesaid most humbly and faithfully submit themselves, their heirs and posterities for ever, and do faithfully promise that they will stand to, maintain and defend their said Majesties, and also the limitation and succession of the crown herein specified and contained, to the utmost of their powers with their lives and estates against all persons whatsoever that shall attempt anything to the contrary. And whereas it hath been found by experience that it is inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this Protestant kingdom to be governed by a popish prince, or by any king or queen marrying a papist, the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do further pray that it may be enacted, that all and every person and persons that is, are or shall be reconciled to or shall hold communion with the see or Church of Rome, or shall profess the popish religion, or shall marry a papist, shall be excluded and be for ever incapable to inherit, possess or enjoy the crown and government of this realm and Ireland and the dominions thereunto belonging or any part of the same, or to have, use or exercise any regal power, authority or jurisdiction within the same; and in all and every such case or cases the people of these realms shall be and are hereby absolved of their allegiance; and the said crown and government shall from time to time descend to and be enjoyed by such person or persons being Protestants as should have inherited and enjoyed the same in case the said person or persons so reconciled, holding communion or professing or marrying as aforesaid were naturally dead; and that every king and queen of this realm who at any time hereafter shall come to and succeed in the imperial crown of this kingdom shall on the first day of the meeting of the first Parliament next after his or her coming to the crown, sitting in his or her throne in the House of Peers in the presence of the Lords and Commons therein assembled, or at his or her coronation before such person or persons who shall administer the coronation oath to him or her at the time of his or her taking the said oath (which shall first happen), make, subscribe and audibly repeat the declaration mentioned in the statute made in the thirtieth year of the reign of King Charles the Second entitled, _An Act for the more effectual preserving the king's person and government by disabling papists from sitting in either House of Parliament._ But if it shall happen that such king or queen upon his or her succession to the crown of this realm shall be under the age of twelve years, then every such king or queen shall make, subscribe and audibly repeat the same declaration at his or her coronation or the first day of the meeting of the first Parliament as aforesaid which shall first happen after such king or queen shall have attained the said age of twelve years. All which their Majesties are contented and pleased shall be declared, enacted and established by authority of this present Parliament, and shall stand, remain and be the law of this realm for ever; and the same are by their said Majesties, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same, declared, enacted and established accordingly.

II. And be it further declared and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that from and after this present session of Parliament no dispensation by _non obstante_ of or to any statute or any part thereof shall be allowed, but that the same shall be held void and of no effect, except a dispensation be allowed of in such statute, and except in such cases as shall be specially provided for by one or more bill or bills to be passed during this present session of Parliament.

III. Provided that no charter or grant or pardon granted before the three and twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty-nine shall be any ways impeached or invalidated by this Act, but that the same shall be and remain of the same force and effect in law and no other than as if this Act had never been made.

Breakdown of Civilization in Chicago

Rahm Emmanuel has a serious issue on his hands as Chicago mayor.

Thugs have taken to the streets en masse. They are ransacking stores, attacking individuals to steal almost insignificant items, and generally frightening the city.

Rahm Emmanuel may have been an advisor to one of the weakest presidents in modern history, but he inherits a tradition of city leadership like no other. He is promising swift and severe justice. But will he community organize, a la Obama? Or will he bash and smash like Richard Daley? I have a feeling that he will unleash the police. Woe be unto these foolish city kids who think they are the baddest and the meanest. Unless sensitivity classes have taken the ornery out of them, cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. know how to handle this kind of problem.

Swift and severe justice. For the sake of Chicago, we hope Emanuel is up to the task.

In a larger sense, this is troubling. Mob violence for the sake of violence is definitely a sign of societal breakdown. Criminal gangs usually try to not harm "civilians" because it leads to increased police scrutiny. These guys seem to want to take the police on.

And you know who will lose that confrontation. Chicago ain't Seattle.

Barry Goldwater's 1964 Acceptance Speech

Goldwater's 1964 Acceptance Speech
The following is the text of Barry Goldwater's 1964 speech at the 28th Republican National Convention, accepting the nomination for president. Provided by the Arizona Historical Foundation

To my good friend and great Republican, Dick Nixon, and your charming wife, Pat; my running mate and that wonderful Republican who has served us well for so long, Bill Miller and his wife, Stephanie; to Thurston Morton who has done such a commendable job in chairmaning this Convention; to Mr. Herbert Hoover, who I hope is watching; and to that great American and his wife, General and Mrs. Eisenhower; to my own wife, my family, and to all of my fellow Republicans here assembled, and Americans across this great Nation.

From this moment, united and determined, we will go forward together, dedicated to the ultimate and undeniable greatness of the whole man. Together we will win.

I accept your nomination with a deep sense of humility. I accept, too, the responsibility that goes with it, and I seek your continued help and your continued guidance. My fellow Republicans, our cause is too great for any man to feel worthy of it. Our task would be too great for any man, did he not have with him the heart and the hands of this great Republican Party, and I promise you tonight that every fiber of my being is consecrated to our cause; that nothing shall be lacking from the struggle that can be brought to it by enthusiasm, by devotion, and plain hard work. In this world no person, no party can guarantee anything, but what we can do and what we shall do is to deserve victory, and victory will be ours.

The good Lord raised this mighty Republic to be a home for the brave and to flourish as the land of the free-not to stagnate in the swampland of collectivism, not to cringe before the bully of communism.

Now, my fellow Americans, the tide has been running against freedom. Our people have followed false prophets. We must, and we shall, return to proven ways-- not because they are old, but because they are true. We must, and we shall, set the tide running again in the cause of freedom. And this party, with its every action, every word, every breath, and every heartbeat, has but a single resolve, and that is freedom - freedom made orderly for this nation by our constitutional government; freedom under a government limited by laws of nature and of nature's God; freedom - balanced so that liberty lacking order will not become the slavery of the prison cell; balanced so that liberty lacking order will not become the license of the mob and of the jungle.

Now, we Americans understand freedom. We have earned it, we have lived for it, and we have died for it. This Nation and its people are freedom's model in a searching world. We can be freedom's missionaries in a doubting world. But, ladies and gentlemen, first we must renew freedom's mission in our own hearts and in our own homes.

During four futile years, the administration which we shall replace has distorted and lost that faith. It has talked and talked and talked and talked the words of freedom. Now, failures cement the wall of shame in Berlin. Failures blot the sands of shame at the Bay of Pigs. Failures mark the slow death of freedom in Laos. Failures infest the jungles of Vietnam. And failures haunt the houses of our once great alliances and undermine the greatest bulwark ever erected by free nations - the NATO community. Failures proclaim lost leadership, obscure purpose, weakening wills, and the risk of inciting our sworn enemies to new aggressions and to new excesses. Because of this administration we are tonight a world divided - we are a Nation becalmed. We have lost the brisk pace of diversity and the genius of individual creativity. We are plodding at a pace set by centralized planning, red tape, rules without responsibility, and regimentation without recourse.

Rather than useful jobs in our country, people have been offered bureaucratic "make work," rather than moral leadership, they have been given bread and circuses, spectacles, and, yes, they have even been given scandals. Tonight there is violence in our streets, corruption in our highest offices, aimlessness among our youth, anxiety among our elders and there is a virtual despair among the many who look beyond material success for the inner meaning of their lives. Where examples of morality should be set, the opposite is seen. Small men, seeking great wealth or power, have too often and too long turned even the highest levels of public service into mere personal opportunity.

Now, certainly, simple honesty is not too much to demand of men in government. We find it in most. Republicans demand it from everyone. They demand it from everyone no matter how exalted or protected his position might be. The growing menace in our country tonight, to personal safety, to life, to limb and property, in homes, in churches, on the playgrounds, and places of business, particularly in our great cities, is the mounting concern, or should be, of every thoughtful citizen in the United States.

Security from domestic violence, no less than from foreign aggression, is the most elementary and fundamental purpose of any government, and a government that cannot fulfill that purpose is one that cannot long command the loyalty of its citizens. History shows us - demonstrates that nothing - nothing prepares the way for tyranny more than the failure of public officials to keep the streets from bullies and marauders.

Now, we Republicans see all this as more, much more, than the rest: of mere political differences or mere political mistakes. We see this as the result of a fundamentally and absolutely wrong view of man, his nature and his destiny. Those who seek to live your lives for you, to take your liberties in return for relieving you of yours, those who elevate the state and downgrade the citizen must see ultimately a world in which earthly power can be substituted for divine will, and this Nation was founded upon the rejection of that notion and upon the acceptance of God as the author of freedom.

Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism.

Fellow Republicans, it is the cause of Republicanism to resist concentrations of power, private or public, which enforce such conformity and inflict such despotism. It is the cause of Republicanism to ensure that power remains in the hands of the people. And, so help us God, that is exactly what a Republican president will do with the help of a Republican Congress.

It is further the cause of Republicanism to restore a clear understanding of the tyranny of man over man in the world at large. It is our cause to dispel the foggy thinking which avoids hard decisions in the illusion that a world of conflict will somehow mysteriously resolve itself into a world of harmony, if we just don't rock the boat or irritate the forces of aggression - and this is hogwash.

It is further the cause of Republicanism to remind ourselves, and the world, that only the strong can remain free, that only the strong can keep the peace.

Now, I needn't remind you, or my fellow Americans regardless of party, that Republicans have shouldered this hard responsibility and marched in this cause before. It was Republican leadership under Dwight Eisenhower that kept the peace, and passed along to this administration the mightiest arsenal for defense the world has ever known. And I needn't remind you that it was the strength and the unbelievable will of the Eisenhower years that kept the peace by using our strength, by using it in the Formosa Straits and in Lebanon and by showing it courageously at all times.

It was during those Republican years that the thrust of Communist imperialism was blunted. It was during those years of Republican leadership that this world moved closer, not to war, but closer to peace, than at any other time in the three decades just passed.

And I needn't remind you - but I will - that it's been during Democratic years that our strength to deter war has stood still, and even gone into a planned decline. It has been during Democratic years that we have weakly stumbled into conflict, timidly refusing to draw our own lines against aggression, deceitfully refusing to tell even our people of our full participation, and tragically, letting our finest men die on battlefields (unmarked by purpose, unmarked by pride or the prospect of victory).

Yesterday it was Korea. Tonight it is Vietnam. Make no bones of this. Don't try to sweep this under the rug. We are at war in Vietnam. And yet the President, who is Commander-in-Chief of our forces, refuses to say - refuses to say, mind you, whether or not the objective over there is victory. And his Secretary of Defense continues to mislead and misinform the American people, and enough of it has gone by.

And I needn't remind you, but I will; it has been during Democratic years that a billion persons were cast into Communist captivity and their fate cynically sealed.

Today in our beloved country we have an administration which seems eager to deal with communism in every coin known - from gold to wheat, from consulates to confidence, and even human freedom itself.

The Republican cause demands that we brand communism as a principal disturber of peace in the world today. Indeed, we should brand it as the only significant disturber of the peace, and we must make clear that until its goals of conquest are absolutely renounced and its rejections with all nations tempered, communism and the governments it now controls are enemies of every man on earth who is or wants to be free.

We here in America can keep the peace only if we remain vigilant and only if we remain strong. Only if we keep our eyes open and keep our guard up can we prevent war. And I want to make this abundantly clear - I don't intend to let peace or freedom be torn from our grasp because of lack of strength or lack of will - and that I promise you Americans.

I believe that we must look beyond the defense of freedom today to its extension tomorrow. I believe that the communism which boasts it will bury us will, instead, give way to the forces of freedom. And I can see in the distant and yet recognizable future the outlines of a world worthy our dedication, our every risk, our every effort, our every sacrifice along the way. Yes, a world that will redeem the suffering of those who will be liberated from tyranny. I can see and I suggest that all thoughtful men must contemplate the flowering of an Atlantic civilization, the whole world of Europe unified and free, trading openly across its borders, communicating openly across the world. This is a goal far, far more meaningful than a moon shot.

It's a truly inspiring goal for all free men to set for themselves during the latter half of the twentieth century. I can also see - and all free men must thrill to - the events of this Atlantic civilization joined by its great ocean highway to the United States. What a destiny, what a destiny can be ours to stand as a great central pillar linking Europe, the Americans and the venerable and vital peoples and cultures of the Pacific. I can see a day when all the Americas, North and South, will be linked in a mighty system, a system in which the errors and misunderstandings of the past will be submerged one by one in a rising tide of prosperity and interdependence. We know that the misunderstandings of centuries are not to be wiped away in a day or wiped away in an hour. But we pledge - we pledge that human sympathy - what our neighbors to the South call that attitude of "simpatico" - no less than enlightened self'-interest will be our guide.

I can see this Atlantic civilization galvanizing and guiding emergent nations everywhere.

I know this freedom is not the fruit of every soil. I know that our own freedom was achieved through centuries, by unremitting efforts by brave and wise men. I know that the road to freedom is a long and a challenging road. I know also that some men may walk away from it, that some men resist challenge, accepting the false security of governmental paternalism.

And I pledge that the America I envision in the years ahead will extend its hand in health, in teaching and in cultivation, so that all new nations will be at least encouraged to go our way, so that they will not wander down the dark alleys of tyranny or to the dead-end streets of collectivism. My fellow Republicans, we do no man a service by hiding freedom's light under a bushel of mistaken humility.

I seek an American proud of its past, proud of its ways, proud of its dreams, and determined actively to proclaim them. But our example to the world must, like charity, begin at home.

In our vision of a good and decent future, free and peaceful, there must be room for deliberation of the energy and talent of the individual - otherwise our vision is blind at the outset.

We must assure a society here which, while never abandoning the needy or forsaking the helpless, nurtures incentives and opportunity for the creative and the productive. We must know the whole good is the product of many single contributions.

I cherish a day when our children once again will restore as heroes the sort of men and women who - unafraid and undaunted - pursue the truth, strive to cure disease, subdue and make fruitful our natural environment and produce the inventive engines of production, science, and technology.

This Nation, whose creative people have enhanced this entire span of history, should again thrive upon the greatness of all those things which we, as individual citizens, can and should do. During Republican years, this again will be a nation of men and women, of families proud of their role, jealous of their responsibilities, unlimited in their aspirations - a Nation where all who can will be self-reliant.

We Republicans see in our constitutional form of government the great framework which assures the orderly but dynamic fulfillment of the whole man, and we see the whole man as the great reason for instituting orderly government in the first place.

We see, in private property and in economy based upon and fostering private property, the one way to make government a durable ally of the whole man, rather than his determined enemy. We see in the sanctity of private property the only durable foundation for constitutional government in a free society. And beyond that, we see, in cherished diversity of ways, diversity of thoughts, of motives and accomplishments. We do not seek to lead anyone's life for him - we seek only to secure his rights and to guarantee him opportunity to strive, with government performing only those needed and constitutionally sanctioned tasks which cannot otherwise be performed.

We Republicans seek a government that attends to its inherent responsibilities of maintaining a stable monetary and fiscal climate, encouraging a free and a competitive economy and enforcing law and order. Thus do we seek inventiveness, diversity, and creativity within a stable order, for we Republicans define government's role where needed at many, many levels, preferably through the one closest to the people involved.

Our towns and our cities, then our counties, then our states, then our regional contacts - and only then, the national government. That, let me remind you, is the ladder of liberty, built by decentralized power. On it also we must have balance between the branches of government at every level.

Balance, diversity, creativity - these are the elements of Republican equation. Republicans agree, Republicans agree heartily to disagree on many, many of their applications, but we have never disagreed on the basic fundamental issues of why you and I are Republicans.

This is a party, this Republican Party, a Party for free men, not for blind followers, and not for conformists.

Back in 1858 Abraham Lincoln said this of the Republican party - and I quote him, because he probably could have said it during the last week or so: "It was composed of strained, discordant, and even hostile elements" in 1858. Yet all of these elements agreed on one paramount objective: To arrest the progress of slavery, and place it in the course of ultimate extinction.

Today, as then, but more urgently and more broadly than then, the task of preserving and enlarging freedom at home and safeguarding it from the forces of tyranny abroad is great enough to challenge all our resources and to require all our strength. Anyone who joins us in all sincerity, we welcome. Those who do not care for our cause, we don't expect to enter our ranks in any case. And let our Republicanism, so focused and so dedicated, not be made fuzzy and futile by unthinking and stupid labels.

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

The beauty of the very system we Republicans are pledged to restore and revitalize, the beauty of this Federal system of ours is in its reconciliation of diversity with unity. We must not see malice in honest differences of opinion, and no matter how great, so long as they are not inconsistent with the pledges we have given to each other in and through our Constitution. Our Republican cause is not to level out the world or make its people conform in computer regimented sameness. Our Republican cause is to free our people and light the way for liberty throughout the world.

Ours is a very human cause for very humane goals.

This Party, its good people, and its unquestionable devotion to freedom, will not fulfill the purposes of this campaign which we launch here now until our cause has won the day, inspired the world, and shown the way to a tomorrow worthy of all our yesteryears.

I repeat, I accept your nomination with humbleness, with pride, and you and I are going to fight for the goodness of our land. Thank you.

Cain May Be Able

In 2008, Barack Obama was a relatively unknown fringe candidate until he received a surprisingly good showing in the Iowa caucuses. From there, he used a glib tongue, a lot of funding, and a campaign light on specifics to catapult over a very strong Clinton candidacy.

The latest Iowa Caucus polls, although this contest is still an eternity away in political time, have Mitt Romney in the lead with Sarah Palin six points behind in second. Tied with her is Hermann Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who also once ran the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Cain, according to pollsters, came from almost nowhere to challenge Romney's lead. He has almost no name recognition, but is outpolling Newt Gingrich and other GOP stalwarts. Cain is running on an economic conservative platform and has attracted support from many Tea Party groups. He has a sound record in business, rescuing Godfather's Pizza from bankruptcy.

Cain's success shows just how fluid the contest for the Republican nomination is at this point. Winning that prize will come down to conservative credentials. Who can demonstrate the strongest commitment to fiscal sanity and real changes in government that will reduce our debt? That is the man or woman who will win the nomination of the Republican Party. Cain has shot himself into a contending position, now can he mobilize enough supporters and funds to sustain his momentum?

Sarah Palin's Strategy

It's an interesting strategy. Sarah Palin is traveling across the country with her family by bus, seeing sights, speaking to people here and there, and not informing the media of her every move. CBS has rated this almost as disastrous a campaign blunder as killing someone. But is it?

First of all, despite the almost certain fact that she will be, Sarah Palin is still not an official candidate for anything. She is just another private citizen traveling by bus with her family. She has no obligation whatsoever to inform the media of her movements. Also, has the American news media gotten so lazy that they cannot track a bus across the United States?

What obligation does Palin have to the media? None. They cut her no breaks during and after her campaign. They single her out for insult and abuse above and beyond what many other candidates generally face. Like black conservatives, females who run for office as Republicans sometimes are seen as some sort of traitors. And, by all means, it is a sin for a female conservative to be the least bit physically attractive.

Interestingly enough, this could be a strategem. Sarah Palin visiting Gettysburg is not a national news story. Media outrage that she did not check with them every time she sipped at a Coke or went to the bathroom has become one. Palin has gotten coverage when she did not overtly seek it. And most Americans sympathize with people who do not want cameras following them everywhere.

Sarah Palin and her team are showing some serious savvy when it comes to media relations. It helps a lot that the media itself is so predictable. And she knows that she is in the drivers seat when it comes to them.

"I don’t think I owe anything to the mainstream media," Palin said on Fox. "I think that it would be a mistake for me to become some kind of conventional politician and doing things the way it’s always been done with the media, in terms of relationships with them.”

Good for you!

City Elections Are Important

It is city election season once again. Time to go forth and select the mayor and city council who will lead Keyser and other cities over the next couple of years.

We pay so much attention to state and national issues that we sometimes forget that county and city government are the closest to our daily lives. The questions they debate, such as whether or not to keep open, limit the hours of, or close entirely, the Keyser City Pool, affect many of us. Water, street, police, and other services are also vital to any of us living in town.

City elections need more participation than they have received in the past.

Representative David McKinley (R-WV 1) to Oppose Raising the Debt Ceiling

Press Release

McKinley to Vote No on “Clean” Debt Ceiling Hike
Washington, D.C. – The House will vote this evening on President Obama’s request to raise the debt ceiling without any spending reforms attached to the bill. Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) will vote against this “clean” debt ceiling bill, citing the fiscal irresponsibility of continuing down the same reckless road Washington has been on for years.
“The president is asking Congress to vote for the status quo. Another debt ceiling increase with no spending cuts or reforms in exchange is the height of irresponsibility,” said McKinley. “No one wants to see this country default on its obligations, but I refuse to give this fiscally reckless president my vote to raise the debt ceiling unless he agrees to pair it with major structural restraints on Congress' ability to spend money.
“We are on an unsustainable path that will lead to a troubling future for our children and grandchildren and the time is now to get serious about our country’s financial future. We must enact major long-term spending reductions that put us on a path toward a balanced budget. Whether it is a balanced budget amendment, enforceable discretionary spending caps in the future or serious spending reductions now — or some combination thereof — we must demand reform. Fundamental reforms that right our fiscal ship are absolutely necessary to earn my vote on the debt limit.”

Rick Snuffer Speaks Out on Redistricting Outrage

COMMITTEE MIRRORS CONCERNS

Where's Tim??? (let's ask the Boss Hawgs and yellow dawgs ;>)

Beckley - A Raleigh County delegate says the recently appointed House redistricting committee is a prime example of the concerns many of his colleagues from both political parties share concerning the upcoming redistricting process of the West Virginia House of Delegates."There are good people on this committee; people I like and respect. But from the first selection to the first 'non-selection'; you can see the political bosses at work to draw up a government of the incumbents, by the incumbents, and for the incumbents; with no real input from the citizens of West Virginia. Not only is the key member from the minority party missing; but also those from the majority party who have
had the courage to publicly support the Single Member Districts which are being overwhelmingly supported by the West Virginia citizenry."Rick Snuffer goes on to explain while the appointment of House Majority Leader Brent Boggs to chair the committee is understandable and the right one; the omission of House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, who had requested to be on the committee, is a signal right from the beginning that no matter what public statements have been issued by House leadership, the political bosses are going to be the ones calling the shots with no concern for what West Virginians or any elected official who isn't marching lockstep with the political bosses desire."This is the first time in 40 years the Minority Leader hasn't been allowed a voice in the redistricting process. Where's Tim and why hasn't there been any public/media discussion and scrutiny over this omission? No matter what facade is put on the committee - any public statements issued, websites created, toll free numbers set up at the public expense, or even if they cave to pressure; reverse course and hold a token public hearing or two - if you look at the committee and who is on it and who isn't, it's very easy to foresee the result will be 'Monkey Business as usual' ," says Snuffer.


The first-term delegate is also quick to note while 2/3rds of West Virginia House districts are single member districts, only a little over 1/3 of districts represented on the redistricting committee represents SMDs."Add these factors up, with the absense of any vocal Democrat delegates who have advocated allowing WV citizens to be represented by 100 individually elected delegates, and it's fairly easy to see an incumbency protection plan in the making", Snuffer emphasizes. "Unless there is enough public outcry and media pressure to force leadership to ignore the wishes of their party bosses and put the interests of the state of West Virginia and her citizens first, we are going to see a narrowly focused and narrow minded redistricting plan forced through, barring anydirection from a court to do otherwise."Snuffer concludes, "This happened with the initial resistance to a primary for the special election for Governor and it's possible it could happen again; if an overwhelmingly, un-ignorable amount of voters let their thoughts be made known to the House leadership and committee members."

President Reagan Remarks at Arlington, Memorial Day 1986

Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia
May 26, 1986

Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It's a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It's a day to be with the family and remember.

I was thinking this morning that across the country children and their parents will be going to the town parade and the young ones will sit on the sidewalks and wave their flags as the band goes by. Later, maybe, they'll have a cookout or a day at the beach. And that's good, because today is a day to be with the family and to remember.

Arlington, this place of so many memories, is a fitting place for some remembering. So many wonderful men and women rest here, men and women who led colorful, vivid, and passionate lives. There are the greats of the military: Bull Halsey and the Admirals Leahy, father and son; Black Jack Pershing; and the GI's general, Omar Bradley. Great men all, military men. But there are others here known for other things.

Here in Arlington rests a sharecropper's son who became a hero to a lonely people. Joe Louis came from nowhere, but he knew how to fight. And he galvanized a nation in the days after Pearl Harbor when he put on the uniform of his country and said, ``I know we'll win because we're on God's side.'' Audie Murphy is here, Audie Murphy of the wild, wild courage. For what else would you call it when a man bounds to the top of a disabled tank, stops an enemy advance, saves lives, and rallies his men, and all of it singlehandedly. When he radioed for artillery support and was asked how close the enemy was to his position, he said, "Wait a minute and I'll let you speak to them.'' [Laughter]

Michael Smith is here, and Dick Scobee, both of the space shuttle Challenger. Their courage wasn't wild, but thoughtful, the mature and measured courage of career professionals who took prudent risks for great reward -- in their case, to advance the sum total of knowledge in the world. They're only the latest to rest here; they join other great explorers with names like Grissom and Chaffee.

Oliver Wendell Holmes is here, the great jurist and fighter for the right. A poet searching for an image of true majesty could not rest until he seized on "Holmes dissenting in a sordid age.'' Young Holmes served in the Civil War. He might have been thinking of the crosses and stars of Arlington when he wrote: "At the grave of a hero we end, not with sorrow at the inevitable loss, but with the contagion of his courage; and with a kind of desperate joy we go back to the fight.''

All of these men were different, but they shared this in common: They loved America very much. There was nothing they wouldn't do for her. And they loved with the sureness of the young. It's hard not to think of the young in a place like this, for it's the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins. Not far from here is the statue of the three servicemen -- the three fighting boys of Vietnam. It, too, has majesty and more. Perhaps you've seen it -- three rough boys walking together, looking ahead with a steady gaze. There's something wounded about them, a kind of resigned toughness. But there's an unexpected tenderness, too. At first you don't really notice, but then you see it. The three are touching each other, as if they're supporting each other, helping each other on.

I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they're still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam -- boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.

And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.

That, of course, is the lesson of this century, a lesson learned in the Sudetenland, in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in Cambodia. If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does. That's the lesson of this century and, I think, of this day. And that's all I wanted to say. The rest of my contribution is to leave this great place to its peace, a peace it has earned.

Thank all of you, and God bless you, and have a day full of memories.

Note: The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. at the Memorial Amphitheater. Prior to his remarks, he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Confessions of an Active Eastern Panhandle Republican

Bill Maloney is our party's nominee for governor. After his nomination, I put up some information about him and tried to say some favorable things about his campaign.

I have a few problems though.

As an active Republican, I know Betty Ireland and Clark Barnes. I know Ireland and Barnes to be good and ethical people. They have spoken at our dinners, socialized with us, shared their vision of what this state ought to be waaayyy before they ran for governor. We have been much obliged to these folks over the years for being there for the Republican Party almost any time we asked.

We don't know Bill Maloney. At least not over here.

We did not see much of him here. All I have heard about are the negative ads and backbiting with the Ireland and Barnes campaigns. Fair or unfair, insiders are not happy. Insiders don't decide primary elections, but they do help an awful lot in the general elections. Most of us could not take sides during the primary and actively help our man or woman of choice. But now the question is, can Maloney win the hearts and minds of the party insiders, the ones who do the walking, the talking, the phone calls, and everything else?

Party "insiders" always have a bad name. Images of insiders make you think of smoke filled rooms and machinations to try and get around the honest voters. This isn't the case. "Insiders" are simply folks who devote a lot more time to organizing, fundraising, and other aspects of party and campaign needs. They are usually the same small businessmen, professionals, students, and others that you see every day. And very few of them smoke. They have experience and commitment. These are the people that help make campaigns work. And for Maloney to have a victorious campaign, he must work hard to get as many of them enthusiastically in his corner as possible after a contentious primary. David McKinley had to do the same thing, and he healed wounds very well. Maloney needs to do the same

I want to see a Republican in the governor's mansion. An October victory could start a momentum swing that could help Republicans equal in 2012 their gains in 2010. But I really want to know more about Bill Maloney. The Potomac Highlands has areas which could serve as a strong Republican base. He needs to come here and talk to our active Republicans and tell us his plans, both for the campaign and for his tenure as governor. He needs to smooth over relations with his competitors for the nomination, also. Barnes and Ireland particularly have strong following among the active committee member Republicans whose help will be very important between now and October.

In other words, he has a huge job to do. But we need to see him in person.

The Origin of Our Debt Problem

A long, long time ago, our c ountry and the rest of the industrialized world enjoyed rapid explosions of production, wealth, and standards of living connected to the Industrial Revolution. Like a cart pulled by a team of Clydesdales, industry broughtus into the 20th century fast and strong. People had high expectations for the social utility of the money that could be made. They also assumed that no matter what happened, companies would always want to manufacture in the good ol' US of A.

Expectations and assumptions became part of the problem. We always assumed that the team could pull more weight, add more burdens, and would still be able to muscle through. Bureaucracy, stringent environmental regulations, taxes, and thousands more requirements from three and sometimes four separate levels of government have taken their toll. Manufacturing has left our shores for more congenial environments. The wealth created is being siphoned off quickly by our government because it assumes that our economy will always be able to handle the burden.

Well, our industrial economy no longer can. The horses are foaming and stumbling. They need relief from the weight we have demanded that they carry. Democrats want to throw off thimblefulls and moderate Republicans propose cupfulls. We need to toss a lot more off of the cart to get the economy moving efficiently again.

Obama's Neville Chamberlain Moment

Supporters of Barack Obama cannot be enjoying the two-step they have to perform to stay with their guy.

Not that long ago, their champion soared in the polls (well, maybe not soared) after the killing of Bin Laden. Most Americans cheered the kill and gave the president at least partial credit for the decision to kill and not capture. Now, Obama wants our most important Middle East ally to hand over their fortified frontiers to an enemy that has vowed to destroy them.

In some ways, this looks like the Munich Conference of 1938. Neville Chamberlain eagerly signed over to Hitler the fortified boundary lines between Czechoslovakia and Germany. He called the policy appeasement and promised that it brought "peace in our time." All it brought was an accelerated timetable to start World War II because Europe's biggest terrorist sensed weakness in the Western Democracies.

Many Palestinians want peace, but much of their leadership remains bent upon the destruction of Israel. At least Chamberlain had the excuse of believing (falsely as it turns out) that Hitler had superior strength and would have declared war to get what he wanted. Obama has nothing to fear from Palestinian rock throwers, but he might sense that the Moslem vote will put him over the top in Michigan and that Jewish voters will overlook his abandonment of them.

This is a pattern though. Obama dislikes our allies and embraces our enemies, even if they are terrorists or dictators. It is amazing that he made such a major foreign policy speech without any consultation with Israel. It simply shows that our nation, yet again, has no direction or cohesion in foreign policy. And that Obama is bound and determined to leave us friendless when he exits office in 2013.

Randy Moss Gives Back

Fame is fleeting, even for NFL superstars. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Randy Moss made several bad impressions even before he started his professional career and these have tarnished his image ever since.

Moss beat down a high school student the spring before he graduated from high school, went to jail, and lost his chance to play for the legendary Lou Holtz at Notre Dame. Other issues lost him a scholarship to play for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Choice number three, Don Nehlen's West Virginia Mountaineers, passed on him and he ended up playing two years with Chad Pennington and Marshall.

Since then he has been accused of being an individual in a team sport, putting himself first, often holding back on giving full effort. But those are on the field and in the locker room issues. Off the field, he has been giving back. For the past few years, he has run smoothie stores in Charleston, often extending employment offers to troubled kids. Moss often tells reporters that when he wants to kick back and relax, he goes back to his hometown of Rand.

Last week, Moss traveled to Salem to meet the children incarcerated there. Often times we forget about these kids who come from some pretty rough places and have done some pretty bad things. Moss didn't forget. He spoke to every child there, including those in the maximum security wing. He talked about his misdeeds and how you rise above them.

We're quick to condemn when they screw up. But let's remember to praise when they give back to their communities and their state.

Thank you Randy Moss. Well done.

From the Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

“The creator’s concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite’s concern is the conquest of men.
“The creator lives for his work. He needs no other men. His primary goal is within himself. The parasite lives second-hand. He needs others. Others become his prime motive.
“The basic need of the creator is independence. The reasoning mind cannot work under any form of compulsion. It cannot be curbed, sacrificed or subordinated to any consideration whatsoever. It demands total independence in function and in motive. To a creator, all relations with men are secondary.
“The basic need of the second-hander is to secure his ties with men in order to be fed. He places relations first. He declares that man exists in order to serve others. He preaches altruism.
“Altruism is the doctrine which demands that man live for others and place others above self.
“No man can live for another. He cannot share his spirit just as he cannot share his body. But the second-hander has used altruism as a weapon of expoloitation and reversed the base of mankind’s moral principles. Men have been taught every precept that destroys the creator. Men have been taught dependence as a virtue.
“The man who attemps to live for others is a dependent. He is a parasite in motive and makes parasites of those he serves. The relationship produces nothing but mutual corruption. It is impossible in concept. The nearest approach to it in reality—the man who lives to serve others—is the slave. If physical slavery is repulsive, how much more repulsive is the concept of servility of the spirit? The conquered slave has a vestige of honor. He has the merit of having resisted and of considering his condition evil. But the man who enslaves himself voluntarily in the name of love is the basest of creatures. He degrades the dignity of man and he degrades the conception of love. But this is the essence of altruism.
“Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution—or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement.
“Men have been taught that their first concern is to relieve the sufferings of others. But suffering is a disease. Should one come upon it, one tries to give relief and assistance. To make that the highest test of virtue is to make suffering the most important part of life. Then man must wish to see others suffer—in order that he may be virtuous. Such is the nature of altruism. The creator is not concerned with disease, but with life. Yet the work of the creators has eliminated one form of disease after another, in man’s body and spirit, and brought more relief from suffering than any altruist could ever conceive.
“Men have been taught that it is a virtue to agree with others. But the creator is the man who disagrees. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to swim with the current. But the creator is the man who goes against the current. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to stand together. But the creator is the man who stands alone.
“Men have been taught that the ego is the synonym of evil, and selflessness the ideal of virtue. But the creator is the egotist in the absolute sense, and the selfless man is the one who does not think, feel, judge or act. These are functions of the self.
“Here the basic reversal is most deadly. The issue has been perverted and man has been left no alternative—and no freedom. As poles of good and evil, he was offered two conceptions: egotism and altruism. Egotism was held to mean the sacrifice of others to self. Altruism—the sacrifice of self to others. This tied man irrevocably to other men and left him nothing but a choice of pain: his own pain borne for the sake of others or pain inflicted upon others for the sake of self. When it was added that man must find joy in self-immolation, the trap was closed. Man was forced to accept masochism as his ideal—under the threat that sadism was his only alternative. This was the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind.
“This was the device by which dependence and suffering were perpetuated as fundamentals of life.