The Sad State of the Union and the Presidency

When I hear State of the Union speeches I always come away with a cynical attitude about politicians and the President didn’t let me down last night. He was supposed to talk about the state of the union but we got another campaign speech. Of course, he concluded on a high note about how great we are as a people in difficult times, but continues to be tone deaf to what the people are telling him. He forges ahead with his big government programs and his rhetoric does not match his actions.

We still have a President in a state of denial that he can ever be wrong in anything he does, while he makes me dizzy with programs and initiatives that do little to affect a “change we can count on”. Asking Republicans (or anyone) to give him some ideas on healthcare was disingenuous, saying things were “a mess when I walked in the door”, talking about more exports when he has pursued protectionist trade policies (the Columbia free trade pact has been on his desk for a year), and now saying he’s for nuclear energy and off-shore drilling while pushing windmills and solar for years, is an insult to our intelligence.

In terms of national security (which was hardly mentioned in his speech), he talked about swift action against terrorists, disrupting terror plots, and taking credit for ending the Iraq war. All of this was another affront to an informed public. I was glad to hear that Michelle and Joe Biden are working together on helping military families. Now I understand why Michelle needs 22 aides when all the previous First Ladies had one.

Then he had the audacity to talk about putting all earmarks on the Internet, when he signed a stimulus bill with almost 9,000 earmarks, more of the hypocrisy that is a trademark of his presidency. Not to mention his scolding of the Supreme Court for “opening the floodgates” to corporate and foreign campaign contributions; after he just raised more money in history for his recent presidential campaign while the current rules were in effect and won’t tell us where all that money came from.

By contrast, the Republican response by Bob McDonald, the newly elected governor from Virginia, was well organized, concise, and focused on the issues that concern voters as evidenced in the recent Massachusetts special election. No heart-tugging platitudes or a lengthy list of initiatives, McDonald said it very clearly, “the Federal Government is doing too much”, illustrating the disconnect between Obama and the people.

If you ever had any doubt that Obama is an ideologue leftist who thinks government can create jobs, prevent poverty, and spend your money with abandon, you should be convinced after this speech. Given the poor performance of this administration, this President continues to push his progressive agenda despite putting this country on the brink of insolvency, and severely weakening our national security by giving foreign combatants and terrorists the civil rights of American citizens. One of the basic tenets of elite liberals is that the public is stupid or just doesn’t have the time or desire to become politically informed. This speech was an excellent example of that.

Obama will eventually pay for this condescending address to all the informed voters of this nation.

In America: The People Talk

The results in Massachusetts last night illustrate a point I’ve been making for some time in this corner. The people eventually call the shots and if you have an arrogant President and Congress who think they know what’s best for you and then proceed on a path completely out of sync with what you want, the ballot box is how we do it in America. I’m just surprised it came this fast, even before the 2010 mid-term elections in November. We’ve seen it in Virginia, New Jersey, and now Massachusetts. Two of those states are so blue that this result is an utter rebuke of Mr. Obama’s policies and those of the Democratic controlled Congress by their own constituents.

We are a centrist country and move left or right of that periodically. If either party allows extremists to get control, the inevitable happens. The Democratic Party is currently controlled by the radical left. This President has deceived the voters by campaigning as a moderate, broken most of his promises in his first year, and has laden himself with advisors and staff that promote socialist, radical, and even Communistic approaches to government.

From this we can only conclude that Obama believes these theories and plans to follow this path, as illustrated by his track record, education, associates, and friends. For a long time most Democrats have been in denial. They have followed him down this path because his story was truly an American one; he is youthful, eloquent, and an African-American. Truly a statement of how far we have come as a nation. Too bad he is arrogant, aloof, close-minded, and a poor leader. Yes, he seems like a nice person with a lovely family, but these are dangerous times and there are serious questions about his leadership and the outlandish dealings in Congress.

The people are tired of corruption, self- serving special interests, back room deals, and creating legislation on the fly. They don’t want big government that tells you what car to buy, how to heat your house, what you can eat, what kind of medical treatment you deserve, and what your salary should be. An administration that believes it is solely the economy causing the tea-party demonstrations of “angry red-necks”, is in total disconnect its the people.

Will the results in Massachusetts finally get Washington to listen? Not likely, but I believe Obamacare is dead and we will eventually get bi-partisan healthcare reform and it will be much better than this deplorable legislation that is currently on the table. If not, a lot of Democrats will be out of work in November.

An Economic or Leadership Crisis?

As President Obama concludes his first year in office, I attempted to evaluate his leadership skills since that is a key characteristic of great Presidents. Also, as a student of Leadership, it’s clear that successful leaders are different and have different strengths and skill sets. One thing is sure, however, most are charismatic and eloquent speakers and can mesmerize their audience by their commanding presence and message. Think of Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton; but even Hitler, Castro, and Chavez have that skill, so this attribute is important but not essential for great leaders.

What do people expect from their leaders? Usually, the following four things:

1. Purpose, Direction, Meaning
2. Trust
3. Optimism
4. Action and Positive Results

In delivering these things, the methods and tactics a leader uses are critical and separate the great ones from the mediocre.

Characteristics of Great Leaders

• Leaders have vision and develop a plan to implement that vision. They don’t make promises before they determine if the plan is feasible or achievable. Plans help them make go-no go decisions.
Think about GITMO and campaign promises.
• Leaders never look for blame in others. They are accountable and take action to make changes to correct poor implementation.
Think the Christmas Day bomber, Bush policies.
• Leaders never blame their predecessors for their problems or what they “inherited”.
Think the Bush policies, the recession, Iraq.
• Leaders admit when they make mistakes and don’t let their ego get in the way.
Think GITMO, Iran Policy, Stimulus, Healthcare, deficits, unemployment.
• Leaders encourage debate and try to reach compromise or a consensus among their managers or constituency.
Think healthcare debate, cap & trade, global warming scandal, Pelosi & Reid, Congress.
• Leaders don’t take credit for achievement, they know their limitations and look to give credit.
Think economic recovery.
• Well lead organizations are coordinated and provide a consistent message.
Think Robert Gibbs, Janet Napolitano, Joe Biden, Pelosi and Reid, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and the Czars.
• Leaders do not deride their organization in public or apologize for its behavior. This will demoralize their employees or constituents.
Think European Tour, Nobel Speech, Copenhagen Climate Conference, Latin American Conference Speech, Reagan’s quote “that shining city on the hill”.
• Leaders will support and come to the defense of their allies and not worry about offending their enemies.
Think Israel, Iranian demonstrators, Columbia, South Korea, former Soviet nations, Eastern Europe, Poland missile defense, Honduras.
• Leaders never come to conclusions, particularly in public, until they know all the facts.
Think the Christmas Day bomber, Louis Gates affair, Fort Hood shootings.
• Oh Yes! Leaders never say “knock on wood”.

Now I would like you to grade our President……… Enough said!

The Decadent Decade

I am writing this post on New Year’s Day 2010 at the end of a turbulent decade that started with the Y2k uncertainty of the previous computer decade and ends with another uncertainty of greater magnitude: The economic viability of the United States.

After realizing that Y2k was an overblown concern, we continued on a spending binge of great proportions as we ran up the largest consumer debt in our history and started a 10-year housing boom that was encouraged by our politicians, relished by lenders, and virtually ignored by our Federal Reserve which kept interest rates at record low levels and fueled the fire.

In the midst of this excess, we were savagely attacked by a cowardly enemy hell bent on killing Americans for religious reasons. We lost over 3,000 innocent civilians in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania on one day in September of 2001. We became engaged in a war with an invisible enemy that can’t be identified by a uniform, a country, or a government; only a concept called radical Jihad. This is an enemy with no great army or high-tech weapons, but one that uses human suicide bombers, women and children as human shields, and puts no value on life or human rights. No country other than the United States by the shear force of its values, its will, and its extensive wealth, can fight this evil. We will be in this war for many years and we will eventually prevail, but future generations will have to shed their blood again to preserve the American dream.

Then, like a flash, we end the decade with an economic meltdown unlike anything we’ve seen since the Great Depression, a fitting end to a decade of financial excesses and greed.

In my life of 7 1/2 decades, I may not see the end of another decade, but one thing I do know for sure; no matter how politically divided we may seem to be, the freedom to express our opinions without retribution, to welcome all diverse cultures to our shores, and our dedication to human rights and the value of the individual, will permit us to survive and flourish in the decades ahead regardless of the challenges that are put before us.

I want to wish all of you who read this column a Happy and Healthy New Year. I will continue to inform you as best I can on the important issues of the day, and trust you will use your right to be heard, so that you can impact the future destiny of this great country in a positive way.

American Democracy: Is the End in Sight?

I recently had one of my readers e-mail me to request I write an article on how our elected officials in Congress can pass legislation that approximately 2/3 of the population is not in favor of, or believes we need right now. This is not easy to answer when for 200 years we have had a democracy, “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Obviously, this was the intent of our founding fathers, but it no longer appears to be the practice of our legislators. Our population has become more diverse with many special interest groups and the federal government has taken upon itself to cater to the demands of these groups, invade every aspect of our lives, and than decide the winners and losers.

Now that the “progressive” wing of the Democratic Party has dominant control of Congress, and we just elected a President who is a believer in big government and the re-distribution of wealth, we have a situation where these progressive politicians think they know what’s best for you. Maybe it’s because they believe that we are not an informed public or don’t have the time or interest to become more informed. This has always been the credo of the elite liberal establishment.

The fact that this healthcare package, which affects 1/6 of the economy, is being rushed through Congress to meet some artificial deadline created by Obama because he says we need it now, is a vivid illustration that he knows what’s best for you and your opinion is not important. Also, the method by which this legislation is being debated (or not debated) is what one would expect from a corrupt regime:

The pretense of a debate
Partisan rules and involvement only
Bribery for votes via favors and pressure
Legislation written behind closed doors by a selected few
Media pressured to ignore the process

Does this sound like the United States of America or more like Red China, the old USSR, or maybe the new Venezuela?

I hope this answers my reader’s question. If we still are the democracy we once were, the only way to reverse this is in the ballot box. We will see in the 2010 and 2012 elections whether we are informed or care enough. Since Obama’s election victory came, in large part, from precincts populated by the less educated and those who pay no taxes, the current result is obvious.

An apathetic or impotent public leads to tyrannical government, it happened in Rome, Germany, China, Africa, and many countries in the Mid-East. It is almost unbelievable that it can happen in the United States, the most informed and wealthiest populace in the world. But just remember the words of Ronald Reagan, “Our freedom is only one generation away from extinction”. The next few years will tell us if this is so.

Harry Reid: Majority Nitwit

Who is this fellow Harry Reid and how did he get to be the Senate Democratic Majority Leader? I realize that Nevada has not exactly been a reservoir of great statesmen, but it is a beautiful State with great vistas and I love Las Vegas, spent a fun night in Ely once, and enjoyed a scenic drive to Carson City as well. I guess Mr. Reid had established a record with important people in his party to earn this position, since he was the Minority Leader prior to the last election when the Democrats took control of the Senate.

He looks like a shy but likeable gent until he stands before a camera and opens his mouth. He has a hesitant and insecure way of expressing himself, sort of like Speaker Pelosi, and most of the stuff that comes out is stupid and dumb. That’s why I was wondering how he got to this position. If anyone knows, please let me know. I always say to my friends that, “ I love when he and Speaker Pelosi get in front of the television cameras, because that’s the best thing for the Republican Party!”Let them talk, please.

In keeping with his reputation, Harry Reid made a ridiculous, callus, and desperate statement yesterday which illustrates that he really has trouble in pulling enough Democratic votes together for this misguided healthcare legislation we now have before the Senate. Reid equated the current Republican opposition to the bill as the same as the opposition to slavery and the civil rights legislation of the 60’s, when opposing legislators said we need to “slow-down” and discuss this drastic legislation further. You may recall that there was a filibuster of the 60’s Civil Rights Bill, however, Mr. Reid neglected to tell you that 80% of the senators participating in that filibuster were Democrats. I also seem to recall that the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery was made during a Republican administration. Nevertheless, the analogy of civil rights legislation and this healthcare bill is obviously ridiculous, out of context, and as I said, stupid!

Legislation that will impact one-sixth of this giant economy and result in hundreds of government regulations and mandates that affect every part of the lives of all our people, should not have a timetable for passage. This is not a football game. Also, the argument that the other side does not have an alternate plan is patently false, since I have heard it from Representatives, Eric Cantor, Mike Spence, Tom Ryan, and Senators John Thune, John McCain, Mitch McConnell and many more. The alternate plan is much cheaper, gets at the real reform need to cut costs, and retains the quality of healthcare while providing more competition. It does not throw out the baby with the bath water or cost anywhere near $2.5 trillion.

Why we need to rush this through in these economic times, no matter how damaging, and leave the mess it creates to future generations, is beyond me. The choice is between Obamacare and a better reform alternative, which Mr. Reid does not want to be heard.

Thank God, he will be on the unemployment lines in 2010. I’m rooting for you Nevada.

Global Warming Uncovered

This corner has previously written articles that address the “junk” science of global warming, the posts were on March 11th, June 11, and June 29th, in which I discussed some of the scientific facts to illustrate that labeling CO₂ as the culprit in climate change is a farce that has already swindled billions of dollars from the economies of Europe and the U.S., which now threatens to reach trillions should the cap and “tax” legislation ever succeed in the Senate. Thank God the recent revelations about how overzealous scientists have attempted to hide data and prevent the publication of conflicting opinions may have finally put the nail in this coffin.

This is the story of how a very weak and fragmented climate theory has turned into a political ideology that has become a virtual industry in itself, while those who oppose it are considered heretics and obstacles to “progress”. It is a story of how misguided scientists, the media, and politicians can take noble environmental research and turn it into a money machine for their own self interests at the expense of those of us who are too busy living our lives to get informed.

For centuries the climate has always changed, sometimes drastically, even when the level of CO₂ was but a fraction of what it is today. What you don’t hear is that the global temperature has risen a mere ½ a degree centigrade in the last century and there is no evidence that the human production of CO₂ has any relationship to global temperature. In fact, volcanoes produce more CO₂ than man does; and decaying vegetation and oceans emit almost all of the CO₂ on this planet. The theory that man-made emissions can impact this is ludicrous and arrogant. Particularly when we consider that CO₂ is a minor greenhouse gas which represents only 0.054% of the total, and therefore any human impact would be even far less than that. Water vapor makes up 95% of greenhouse gas.

Regardless of all this, just follow the money and you will understand why the media and politicians continue to propagate this myth. Since many of these so-called reputable scientists elect to suppress and provide bias “peer reviews” of articles that refute this theory, there must be many research grants, consulting fees, books, and articles that provide a good living for them.

With the uncovering of thousands of emails and files that illustrate how this secretive group of scientists has suppressed data, frozen open debate, and ignored freedom-of-information laws in order to protect their money tree, we now see the quality of the science we are dealing with. At least the discourse will now be more open and objective and more of you out there will see that this inconvenient truth is one gigantic fib.