Response: “Biden on capital: ‘Washington right now is broken’”

This morning I was sifting through the Drudge Report when I came across a gem of a story run on My Way yesterday entitled “Biden on capital: ‘Washington right now is broken’” and had to laugh out loud.  We are all used to ole’ Mr. Biden inserting his foot directly into his mouth, but I am certainly not accustomed to finding him saying something I actually agree with.  So after composing myself, I read on….

The story was released by AP, but reads like a hodgepodge of Biden quoatables that didn’t make the cut for other stories.  It opens with a comment about how broken Washington is, and how the “country will be in deep trouble unless it attacks…the deficit.”  Well, Duh!  Moving on….Next, a blurb restating Biden’s comment, “we understand why they are angry…we get it.”  Ok, really, you get it?  I’m not so sure.  Up until this point I am with him, I may not believe the second part, but I am still here.

To close the story, we turn to something Biden said on “The Early Show” about “dysfunctional” the intense partisanship in Washington.  The final message was about the Brown election in Massachusetts and that he believed it sent a message to “…get your act together, get something going.”  Hmmmm.  Here, you lose me Mr. Biden.

If I may, Mr. Biden, offer you some insight….

Yes, you are correct, Washington is broken.  However, “right now” has been for some time, since the introduction of career politicians to the system to be more specific.  Yes, the American people are angry, at you and your crony politician friends. We are angry at all of you, not just at the Republicans or just at the Democrats, but at every single last one of you.

You mentioned the deficit, yes, we agree, we are in deep trouble.  As one of the leaders of this country we look to you to chart the course out of this mess.  That is your job, but are you fulfilling that role.  From where I sit, no, you should be fired!  You are bankrupting this generation, and mortgaging the futures of our children to pay for out of control earmarks, stimulus and bailouts.  You and your friends in Washington need to take a lesson from each and every household in America who have had to make significant cuts across the board, who have had to completely change their lifestyles, and who have had to learn to survive on only on what they make instead of on credit.  Stop relying on the countries of this world to buy up US treasuries to fund programs we can’t afford.  Stop listening to the Unions, and turn your ear to main-stream America and we’ll show you how it’s done!

On a final note, Mr. Biden, stop the blame game.  Stop blaming Bush for the deficit.  Yes, part of it was his making, but you and the gang in Congress now have added your fair share.  Take some responsibility.  Stop blaming partisan politics for nothing getting accomplished in 2009 towards President Obama’s pet healthcare package.  The Republicans couldn’t have stopped you if they tried.  Your party has had the largest majority of Congress in history, and you couldn’t even agree with each other.  Take some responsibility.

Let the message be heard, Mr. Biden.  We the American people are wise to your games.  On the campaign trail, you and President Obama pledged to change the climate of politics in Washington; you didn’t, so now we will!  Beware of November, because in January you will see a lot of new faces on Capitol Hill.  Faces of people who were sent there to do the Peoples business!!!

Great Information…..

While I can not claim credit for the compilation of facts below, after confirming the facts I felt that it was important to share…..

$34,000:
The amount of federal taxes that Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (D) failed to pay during his employment at the International Monetary Fund despite receiving extra compensation and explanatory brochures that described his tax liabilities.

True:  http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2009/01/timothy_geithner_obamas_nomine.html
$75,000:

The amount of money that the  head of the  powerful tax-writing committee, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), was forced to report  on his taxes after the discovery that he had not reported income from a  Dominican Republic rental property. His excuses for the failure started with blaming his wife, then his accountant and finally the fact that  he didn’t speak Spanish.

True http://www.nypost.com/seven/09102008/news/regionalnews/rangels_spanish_excuse_128444.htm

$93,000:

The  INCREASE in the amount of petty cash each of our Congressional representatives voted to give themselves in January 2009 during the height of an economic meltdown. That’s a $40 + million INCREASE!

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-recession-congress-gives-lawmakers.html See video here from Fox

$133,900:

The amount Fannie Mae “invested” in Chris Dodd (D-CT), head of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, presumably to repel oversight of the GSE prior to its meltdown. Said meltdown helped touch off the  current economic crisis. In only a few years time, Fannie also “invested” over $105,000 in then-Senator Barack Obama.

True:  http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html

$140,000:

The amount of back taxes and interest that Cabinet nominee Tom Daschle (D) was forced to cough up after the vetting process revealed significant, unexplained tax liabilities.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335984751235247.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall Street Journal

$356,000:

The approximate amount of income and deductions that Daschle (D) was forced to report on his amended 2005 and 2007 tax returns after being caught cheating on his taxes.  This includes $255,256 for the use of a car service, $83,333 in unreported income, and $14,963 in charitable contributions.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335984751235247.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall Street Journal

$800,000:

The amount of “sweetheart” mortgages Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) received from Countrywide Financial, the details for which he has refused to release details despite months of promises  to do so. Countrywide was once the nation’s largest mortgage lender and linked to  Government-Sponsored Entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Their meltdown precipitated the current financial crisis. Just days ago in Pennsylvania , Countrywide was forced to pay $150,000,000 in mortgage assistance following “a state investigation that concluded that Countrywide relaxed its underwriting standards to sell risky loans to consumers who did not understand them and could not afford them.”

True:  http://rightvoices.com/2008/08/21/more-sweetheart-loan-details-on-senator-chris-dodd-d-ct-chairman-of-the-senate-committee-on-banking-housing-and-urban-affairs/

$1,000,000:

The  estimated amount of donations by Denise Rich, wife of fugitive Marc Rich, to Democrat interests and the William J. Clinton Foundation in an apparent quid pro quo deal that resulted in a pardon for Mr. Rich. The pardon was reviewed and blessed by Obama Attorney General and then Deputy AG Eric Holder, despite numerous requests by government officials to turn it down.

True:  http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/20/nation/na-holder20

$12,000,000:

The amount of TARP money provided to community bank One United despite the fact that it did not qualify for funds, and was “under attack from its regulators for
allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses.”  It turns out that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a key contributor to the Fannie Mae meltdown, just happens to be married to one of the bank’s former directors.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258284337504295.html Wall Street Journal

$23,500,000:

The upper range of net worth Rep. Allan  Mollohan (D-WV) accumulated in four years time according to The Washington Post through earmarks of “tens of millions of dollars to groups associated with his own business partners.”

True:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/14/AR2006051401032.html Washington Post

$2,000,000,000:

($2 billion) the approximate amount of  money that House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) is earmarking related to his son’s lobbying  efforts. The son, Craig Obey, is “a top lobbyist for the nonprofit group” that would receive a roughly $2 billion component of the “Stimulus”package.

True:  http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/a_plan_for_stimulus_money_national_parks/C530/L37/

…and this as a list of these related stories:  http://search.yahoo.com/404handler?src=news&+++%0A+fr%3D404_news%26ref%3Dhttp://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-democrats-by-numbers.html&url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_national_parks_2

$3,700,000,000:

($3.7 billion) not to be outdone, this is the estimated value of various defense contracts awarded to a company controlled by the husband of Rep. Diane Feinstein (D-CA).  Despite an obvious conflict-of-interest as “a  member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband’s firms.”

True:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/22/MN310531.DTL

$4,190,000,000:

($4.19 billion) the amount of money in the so-called “Stimulus” package devoted to fraudulent voter registration ACORN group under the auspices of “Community Stabilization Activities”. ACORN is currently the subject
of a RICO suit in Ohio .

True:  http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stimulus-economy-percent-2295331-bill-pelosi

$1,646,000,000,000  ($1.646  trillion):

The approximate amount of annual United States exports endangered by the “Stimulus” package, which provides a “Buy American” stricture. According to international trade experts, a “US-EU trade war looms” which could result in a worldwide economic depression reminiscent of that touched off by the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Act.

True:  http://www.asiaing.com/2008-national-export-strategy-the-new-global-main-street.html

and http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/01/022685.php

Background:  Smmot-Hawley Act:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act

After reading this, it makes no sense why we as a society, a people who are struggling during these tough financial times would continue to keep these “thieves” in office.  Do your part, and I’ll do mine at the voting booths and we can get these corrupt incumbents out of Washington!!!

State of Florida Treaty with Seminole Tribe Makes Fiscal Sense

Thank you, Governor Crist for being diligent with the proposal of a 25 year compact with the Seminole Tribe.  In an official statement from the Governor’s office; “The compact represents $288 million for education this year alone, and those dollars are just the beginning of billions of dollars that will come to Florida’s schools during the next 25 years,” Governor Crist said. “These much-needed funds will improve the quality of life of students, teachers, and all Floridians for generations to come.”

The Florida School Board Association (FBSA), Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), and the Florida Education Association (FEA) have now endorsed the proposal; which will propel the issue forward into possible fruition.

Dr.  Wayne Blanton, Executive Director of the FSBA comments, “With Florida school districts facing devastating classroom cuts, our board has voted to endorse the state’s Compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. We do not have a position on gambling one way or the other, but we agree with Governor Crist that the Seminole Compact is a critical source of immediate and ongoing revenue to protect the education of our children.”

This proposal has brought to light the deep division within citizens of this state regarding gambling within its borders.  The question to gamble or not gamble is what the media and extremists would have you believe this issue is about, however, the Seminole Tribe is a sovereign nation; therefore, the state’s laws are non-bearing on holdings of the tribe.  Gambling is happening in Florida, and the true issue is whether taxes should be imposed on the flow of money through the casinos and into the state coffers.

In this economic time, within a state that is hurting for funding as bad as we are here in Florida I find it completely irrelevant to argue about the morality of gambling when the same model has been employed in states such as North Carolina and Mississippi and have such a dramatically positive impact on the lively-hoods of everyday citizens.

In need of steady ground

Wow, it is now day 58 of the Obama drama, and my head is pounding from all that ways he and his congressional cronies have politicized the economic crisis.   While it has been rather comical to see the Administration dance around being deficient in of confirmations for cabinet positions; the lack of the right hand knowing what the left hand is up to is more than unnerving, it is dangerous.  Our country is seriously at risk.

News has been breaking for about a week surrounding the President’s budget and specifically his plans for Universal Health Care, dubbed “ObamaCare”.  From what I have seen, we are in trouble here.  Obama has no solid ground that he is basing his budgetary numbers on. The Administration officials refuse to pinpoint ballpark costs of ObamaCare by stating, “it depends on details to be worked out with congress.” 

Sorry to tell you folks, but that is politician speak for “We have no idea.  It depends on how many hidden programs and earmarks can be added to legislation without you catching wind.”

Reports today from Fox News.com state that for ObamaCare to guarantee coverage for all Americans, heath experts estimate the cost to be $1.5 TRILLION over the next decade.  These funds are in addition to the current and climbing $2.4 TRILLION the US spends on health care each year.  Keep in mind; this is more than any other major country – including those who already have socialized medicine.

It is claimed that the President’s budget includes $634 billion as a down payment on this colossal socialization.   These funds are to be generated partly from spending cuts, and additionally from tax increases.  However, with a President and a Congress who increased spending by 8% over last year, and have doubled the national deficit in the first 60 days, how can we trust that spending cuts will ever come to fruition?  This is a spend, spend, spend group of politicians, and it seems that tax increases are the only way the funds needed could be generated.

This is just another socialist power-grab, people it’s time to WAKE UP!.  As a country, we are already suffering through a virtual collapse of our capitalist economy, and the financial structure is no more stable now than it was before the Obama Administration threw an additional $2 trillion at it back in Feb. 

I urge you citizens, get on the phone to your congressional leaders, and write a letter, have a tea-party, whatever it takes – We must stop this Administration from bankrupting our grandchildren.  This proposal is not a temporary plan – it is permanent reform.  It sends more of our tax dollars into the black-hole of government spending, with no plan for greater efficiency other than an electronic records program that is already in use in much of the nation, and will be abused by Heath and Human Services and reduce costs by limiting the exact prevention and early treatment services that the Administration touts that it is trying to implement. 

If you know someone on Medicare, or a Veteran that receives care at a VA facility, ask them what they think of the care they receive.  Then think about that kind of care for every American, it would be a crying shame to see the best hospitals in the country like Mayo Clinics, Johns Hopkins and Mercer end up like Walter Reed.