When the Cash for Clunkers plan was first announced, it appeared to be a flawed plan right from the start. There were some obvious problems with the scheme to get people into more politically correct green friendly cars. With the plan only a few days into operation, the plan has successfully seduced so many more people to trade in there bigger, safer cars to snag their share of taxpayer or Chinese money that the initial billion dollars has already swirled down the drain. The government is busy patting itself on the back and proclaiming the program a total success. But is it?

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 54% of the voting public was against the plan while 35% favored it. Among those with a little more financial interest, 62% of investors thought it should not be done... and an even 50% of all respondents felt that if they were going to run a program like this, it should be restricted to American made cars. However, like so many programs coming out of our nations' capitol... bailouts, health care and all sorts of things we haven't even been told about, the desires of the people... as in “We the People”... have been ignored in favor of elitist programs and schemes to involve the government in more areas of our lives.

Let's look at what really took place in our country. Thousands of buyers have happily driven away from lots in their shiny new or late model cars, with salesmen and women tallying their skyrocketing commissions and dealers themselves hoping they were going to see the promised money. The scenario fits perfectly the thinking of the current administration... transferring dollars to supposedly disadvantaged or favored and adding burdens to evil business owners.

Several dynamics were at work in each transaction... let's look at them.

The most obvious action was people who may have been thinking of replacing their current mode of transportation for a new one saw the incentive of having their fellow citizens chip in to help pay for their car. Often, these were people who could already afford a car and perhaps were planning to buy one in the next year or two. This program just compressed the process. I guess it goes back to the definition of fairness promoted by many in our government for many years... that someone else pays for my benefit. It's human nature... and not the nicest side of it.

However the they are not home free with no down side. In many cases, people have traded in a functioning automobile that carried no payments for another, probably better car, with significant payments. In other cases, some who could not quite swing the deal for the car found a way, with the incentive, to squeeze it into their budget. At a time when people are trying to cut down on their debts, these buyers have been convinced to join the federal government in increasing their monthly expenses in spite of increasingly insecure employment situations. We saw what happened when easy terms and low interest rates drew more and more people into the housing market who should not have been there... to the detriment of the themselves, lenders and our country in general. One has to wonder if this is just a repeat of a foolish strategy that may drive us into even more negative circumstances.

The salesmen are loving the increase in sales at car lots that have been devoid of customers for months. Customers have been waiting in line just to talk to one of these purveys of economical transportation. Assuredly, they will see some massive checks, but at what cost? Customers may have bought their new car next month, or a few months down the road, even into the next year. So we see a spike in sales this week at the cost of many future sales that would have given them a steady income over the months to come.

The dealers are seeing cars roll off their lots in, sometimes, record numbers. They have been told to sell the car, fill out the 1040 type forms, and wait for their payments... if they are approved. Already reports are coming in that submissions are being rejected... meaning the dealer is not getting the money. With hundreds of thousands of cars on the streets through this program combined with the efficiency and effectiveness of the government in getting payments out the door... this could conceivably be responsible for closing more dealers than the auto companies themselves as, essentially, the dealers have to pay off new cars coming out of their floor plan, pay commissions to salesmen and cover a variety of costs of doing business. The more successful they are, the more they are depending on the government to keep its word in a timely manner.

The cars themselves show the desire of the administration to destroy anything they just don't like. They're not all junkers... some are decent transportation for someone without a lot of money, yet, but terms of the agreement, they must be destroyed withing a few days... long before any payments will be received from our Big Brother in Washington. They cannot even be sent to junk yards for salvage, but are destined to be crushed and melted down. So strong is their desire to remove these politically incorrect vehicles from the streets, our “benefactors” don't have any concern for the less financially well off they claim to want to help by shrinking the supply of inexpensive vehicles.

The administration, and even some Republicans who should know better, are touting the plan as a massive success, to the point of looking for an additional two billion dollars from the American people beyond the initial one billion allocated to the plan. All one can do is only look back at one of the gravely voiced Everett Dirksen's favorite quotes, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.” Unfortunately, the damage goes far beyond the dollars down the drain.

I spent what could have been a perfectly good evening watching Barack Hussein Obama lay out some of the information about his proposed health care for the masses plan. While he talked for almost an hour, he gave out little real information. It is entirely possible he believed every word of it. What is unfortunate is that most of what we learned has no relationship to reality.

Somewhere around the fourth or fifth exit in fantasy land was the claim that the health insurance plan would not add to the deficit. The total cost, we were told, would be covered by cost cutting and re-allocation of existing federal health care programs. If we could just have an example of this ever working with a government program the assertion may actually have some credibility. It reminds me of the old saying “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice (or thirty seven times), shame on me”. One has to wonder why, if they have identified that much waste already, it is not being squeezed out of the system now... unless that waste lies in delivering care to those deemed unworthy of the expense.

The president is determined that the cost of health care will not be thrust onto the backs of middle class families. Now, let's think about this. Who makes up most of the population and who will use most of the health care? At least at this point, our country is made up primarily of middle class families. Why should they not pay for their health insurance? And where are all the temporarily rich people that will actually pay for this? There just aren't that many... so where will the money come from? Ah yes... from the re-allocation from other government programs like Medicare which, while far from perfect, is something many have come to depend on.

He says some people will be unhappy about the change, that some people will be content with their current plan, but they are not as important as those he is trying to help. The implication is that the fat and happy few want to prevent the others from getting decent care. The problem is that, according the most recent Rasmussen poll, 53% oppose the plan and only 44% support it. While the government must look after everyone's interests, they have lost sight of the chain of command and who their real employers are when they are acting against the welfare and wishes of the American people.

The president revealed his ultimate goal when he told us that only a single payer system would be effective in achieving universal coverage as anything else would permit people to slip through the insurance cracks and become a financial drain on society. He then made his point with an illustration of a diabetic having surgery to remove a foot, but by making sure a proper diet was maintained, that foot and the money would be saved. This is a worthy goal... but how would they be certain diets were maintained. Is he proposing diet police? If we followed that thinking, cigarettes would have been outlawed years ago. Some say you can't legislate morality... well it would seem proper to say you can't legislate common sense... and you can't enforce it. And our federal government is one of the last organizations present itself as a purveyor common sense.

When asked by a reporter if he would be open to using the public option himself, Obama said of course he would, that there would be various levels depending upon the individuals needs and ability to pay... so we had our answer, of course he would not take the basic plan he was hawking to the great unwashed masses.

Rasmussen also tells us that people are more concerned about the cost than the universal nature of the coverage. Apparently the White House reads the Rasmussen reports as well since we were told that he understands and is sensitive to the fact that people are queasy about the deficit. Queasy is not really the word when people see the amount of debt already piled upon themselves, their children and their grandchildren. Either the man is purposely ignoring the anger sweeping the country or he is so wrapped up in pursuing this socialist dream that his is blissfully unaware of the mayhem he is inflicting on the country.

Perhaps the biggest whopper of all and the thing that throws the most doubt on any of the information we've been fed about the plan is the statement that they have already taken steps the would reduce spending by 2.2 trillion dollars over the next ten years. One has to wonder if the next step will be to try to sell us a bridge or ask some of his Nigerian friends or Kenyan relatives to request our help in moving cash into the country.

He wrapped up the press conference with a few other questions. I was glad it was over. I survived watching the whole thing, learned little, but felt kind of dirty... like I had just taken part in something immoral. The point is that even if we don't buy what they are selling in Washington, we need to be aware of it. We need to know this material to help spread the truth. It's just part of the unpleasant grunt work required of us if we are to remain free.

This past weekend, those who were watching honest reporting saw some headlines reflecting the esteem our country and our president commands throughout the world. What is interesting is that the man sitting in the oval office, along with his party, roundly criticized what they perceived to be George Bush's heavy handed approach to foreign affairs... vowing to bring about a new era of respect and respectability.

It is reported that Israeli ambassador Michael Oren was summoned to the State Department.* He was told that a building project being developed by an American investor in east Jerusalem must not go forward as it interfered with their plans for regional peace. The State Department sought to forbid any Jewish development on captured lands in an attempt to draw boundaries more satisfactory to the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attempted land use demand by commenting, "I can only imagine what would happen if someone suggested Jews could not live in certain neighborhoods in New York, London, Paris or Rome. There would certainly be a major international outcry." This new construction is part of his plan for a unified Jerusalem. It is surprising that he took no public offense at the treatment of his ambassador as some lackey from a client state... however, it appears that he is focused on what is best for his country and not on petty one upsmanship.

Meanwhile, former first lady and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was hearing from India’s environment minister, Jairam Ramesh,** that his country had no interest in signing on to environmental demands of the Obama administration and Europeans who have bought into the man-made climate change hysteria. Even though she dangled technical partnerships in front of him, Ramesh did not bite.

Mrs. Clinton was not able to convince him that the fate of the world hung on their decision and that only by working together can we overcome all the evil, planet warming pollution that the reprobate western corporations have been spewing for years. Not only did she apologize for the west, and US in particular, for gunking up the planet but she offered to help them fix our errors. The minister was not impressed. India, along with China as well, have chosen not to, lemming like, follow the US and our slick lipped shyster down the path to economic suicide.

It appears that foreign leaders do not fall under the same teleprompter induced spell that hypnotizes many in the slack jawed segment of our electorate. They seem to be more able to see through the soaring rhetoric to the harsh economic realities that underlie the awesomely proposed plans of our fearless leader. They see the destruction that lies down the path we, as a nation, have chosen. The man has made his pitch, but they are not buying.

Perhaps they are understanding that there is more form than substance to this administration, it's rhetoric and it's plans. On the other hand, they just may not have the emotional attachment to the president who wants to solve all our problems by sticking it to the rich... or they may not have given any thought at all to the President of the United States.

It is possible that they just looked at the plans in both cases and rejected them because the simply were bad ideas. I had a friend who, when he was training to be a camp counselor for middle age children, was told that for them to follow and respect him, he not only had to be right, but he had to appear to be right. Unfortunately Barack Hussein Obama has neither of these going for him.

* Israel Rejects US Call to Halt Jerusalem Project http://tinyurl.com/ljbhz3
** India Rebuffs US Carbon Demands http://tinyurl.com/nugzw2

Yesterday afternoon, I watched the shuttle Endeavour blasting off into space. It had been a while since I paid much attention to the space program. Like most Americans, in spite of the few tragic failures, we take for granted the flawless perfection of a NASA operation. After all, they are a bunch of rocket scientists. The whole thing was most impressive... four million pounds lifting off the earth and seconds later traveling at well over 11,000 miles per hour. I was thinking John Force, eat your heart out. Anyone not impressed by both the brute force of six million pounds of thrust and the split-second precision of this take off is just not paying attention.

It got me thinking back to that day in May of 1961 when we filed into the junior high school auditorium to watch Alan Shepard take that first brief wild ride on the top of a rocket into space. Now it does not seem like much, but then, without the experience and technology of 2009 it was quite a feat. No American had ever done this before and it was less than a month since Russian, Yuri Gagarin had become the first man in space.

September 12 of the next year saw President Kennedy tell the people of the world that there would be an American standing on the moon by the end of the decade. July 20, 1969 my wife and I brought our second child home from the hospital and that night saw grainy pictures of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin plant an American flag and leave American footprints on the surface of the moon.

They tell us that a modern day car carries more computing power than the ship that took Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon, yet NASA engineers figured out how to do it and got the job done. It was a time when Americans believed in themselves and they were proud of their country.

Today's launch showed that American technology still gets the job done and we still have brave astronauts who fly these machines. Even though the news outlets recount numerous flights, to the point where they almost seem commonplace... they most certainly are not. It's still a breathtaking sight.

However, even as the Endeavour was hurtling through space, back on earth Police in the District of Columbia killed a man in a shootout just steps from the capitol. The reality of human nature intrudes on our moments of triumph, as if to remind us that we are not merely technicians and programs... just as it did in 1969 when Ted Kennedy's presidential aspirations perished along with Mary Jo Kopechne on Chappaquiddick Island as our three modern day explorers headed toward the moon.

Bad things happened then, more are happening now, but there is still a remnant of the American spirit that put the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon. It may be working in a more hostile environment, but there is still so much each of us can do. We still have the ingenuity that got the job done then and is getting the job done today.

We have courageous, resourceful soldiers making us safe, when they are allowed to do their job. We have, perhaps, the most generous people who reach out and help their neighbors when they are in dire straights. We have beautiful mountains and sun drenched beaches. In spite of all our problems, the U.S. of A. is still a great place to live. Although it's 233 years old, it still has all the potential in the world and is worth fighting for.

Sometimes we can get so hung up on the problems our country faces that we forget the purple mountain majesties and the bountiful fruited plains. We are truly blessed to live in this country. We have a country to be proud of and a country worth working and fighting for.

Recent revelations have not done much to give us confidence in the security our government is providing to our country. We have been told that over the Fourth of July weekend, various high level government sites suffered denial of service attacks by what may well have been the North Koreans. We have not heard much of the other, more dangerous attempts to hack into our so-called secure data. Then GAO officials testified in a Senate hearing that their agents managed to penetrate ten secure government office buildings with bomb components, assemble them and wander through various parts of the building. The high point of the report was a picture of a security guard asleep at his post.

These news stories make one wonder if our government can even protect itself, let alone the people of this country. President Obama just commented that “The future does not belong to those who gather armies on a field of battle or bury missiles in the ground.” His contempt for the value of our military is obvious and he apparently does not take external threats seriously. Barry Soetoro aka Barack Hussein Obama apparently believes the silver tongue that won over American voters will work its magic on those who hate everything this country used to stand for and sooth their savage souls. He certainly seems to be heading down the road of unilateral disarmament... which is nice in theory, but presents huge risks to those without access to the presidential bunker.

Where he and his administration are paying attention is to the domestic unrest that is building through out the land. The Department of Homeland Security* is looking at gun rights advocates, pro-lifers, constitution advocates, states rights supporters, even evangelical Christians as possible threats to the Obama regime. These threats ARE being taken seriously. The MIAC* report confirmed this as do numerous corresponding state reports*. These citizens expressing our traditional American values are ranked right up there with white supremacist skinheads and head bangers.

Sure there is some attention to the groups like al Qaeda, Hamas and the like but far under the proportion of their threat. Little attention is paid to La Raza which openly wants to reclaim the southwest US for Mexico. Political agendas are hard to hide.

When we look at this distrust of American citizens unhappy with the administration and the direction it is taking the country along with some of the anti-gun and anti-dissent pronouncements of some of its officials we see some cause for alarm.

The 29 Palms survey showed that some of our fighting men were willing to serve under the UN banner and some were even willing to fire on US citizens who refused to have their fire arms confiscated, they were a small enough number to render such plans ineffective. Our military is full of fine young men and women who take an oath to defend our constitution and protect the American people.

This year, the National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09)**, is concentrating on “terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery” and includes “participation of Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom”. It is true that foreign troops have been trained in the US for many years, but never in the numbers anticipated and never for the suppression of anticipated acts of terrorism.

Some might say that our own capabilities have slipped as evidenced by the examples cited at the beginning. I find it hard to believe that the American military has fallen so far that we need foreign soldiers to protect us. Others take it all at face value... that these soldiers are merely being trained to return home and do their job. Yet others are concerned that foreign troops would not share our own soldiers hesitancy to use the force necessary to control angry mobs of American people.

I don't know what the answer is, but from what I've seen in the brief history of this administration, we need to continue to watch closely what people do, not what they say. We need to do what we can to minimize the potential for unnecessary violent conflict, and we need to pray that our leaders will govern with wisdom from above and a fear of the Lord.

* These documents and others can be found at http://www.politicalchristian.org/documents.html

** The full FEMA report can be found at http://www.fema.gov/media/fact_sheets/nle09.shtm

Way too early on the morning of July 4, I rode into our nations capitol with a bus load of patriots from Chester VA. As we passed the Pentagon and followed the Southwest Freeway across the bridge into Washingon DC, passing the Jefferson Memorial, I heard a comment that it used to be exciting coming into the city and visit the famous landmarks, but now it was depressing. It seems the government buildings and the city itself no longer represented the beacon of freedom we heard about as we grew up, but had become a symbol of oppression and a drain on the American people.

Several thousand people from all over the country gathered in Upper Senate Park in the shadow of the halls of congress. Speakers came from all over he country as well and said some mighty fine things. However, what they said was not nearly as important as the fact that we were standing together on a beautiful summer day, within stones throw of the Capitol (to my knowledge no physical stones were thrown), meeting new friends, fellow patriots, from about twenty to twenty five different states.

We had a great time encouraging each other and just enjoying the company of people who love their country. I'm sure this was the case at every other party around America the Beautiful. I'm sure everyone left inspired by new ideas and with a fresh enthusiasm to continue the fight to preserve our country.

The test of the experience will be rolling out of bed Monday morning, Tuesday morning and every other day that follows. We have our daily lives, most of them so full of stuff that it is easy to forget the big picture of what needs to be done. Work is certainly important. Families are important. Our church and communities are important as well.

It's easy to loose sight of the big picture – the big problems facing our country when we have twenty minutes to get dinner together before Billy's Little League Game, Mary's dance lesson or a church committee meeting. It's easy to believe what many tell us: that one person can't make much of a difference or that someone else will take care of the problem... or that the problems just cannot be solved.

Lies, they are all lies, every one of them! Let's start with the first one... that you can't make a difference. If you attended any of the tea parties, you were with any where from several hundred to several thousand people who believe pretty much the same things you believe. You are not alone! Samuel Adams told us, "It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men."

Someone else may NOT fix the problem. Would you be willing to bet the future of your children and grandchildren on the actions of someone else you may neither know nor influence? As I've said before, to all your friends, neighbors and acquaintances, you ARE someone else. If you can look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are willing to let the future of this great country up to the the actions and dedication of other people, perhaps this fight is not for you. The fact that you are reading this, gives me optimism that this is not the case.

As far as problems not being solvable... we are Americans! Our fathers and grandfathers chased tyrants from Europe and Japan. Our scientists and engineers made it possible for men to walk on the moon. Our medical system is finding cures for diseases that used to kill millions. When the naysayers tell us that problems cannot be solved, all we hear is that we have problems and have just not found the solution yet.

Even if you did not get to participate in this July Forth outpouring of support for our country, take heart because of those who did. There are millions of us and we will only be denied if we loose heart and permit it. Of course we're in for some rocky roads ahead, but consider the colonists taking on the strongest economic and military power of their time... and they won! But not without cost. If we persist, if we don't loose heart, if we hang together, we will win too.

Remember what Winston Churchill told the Harrow School in October of 1941, an extremely bleak time in British history with the blitz going on at home and the advancing German army abroad, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Good advice then, and good advice now.



See what others say about about defending your freedoms at http://www.politicalchristian.org/quotes.html .

Bono-Mack, Castle, Kirk, McHugh, Reichert, Smith, LoBiondo, Lance – names of Republicans who voted with the Democrats to pass the abomination called cap and trade. The sad thing about this is that we have come to expect the party of Barack Hussein Obama to sell out their countrymen in the quest of power and control. We used to expect more of Republicans, but recent events have shaken our belief that the Republican Party was really the party of smaller government and free enterprise. These eight could have helped put some luster back on that image. They chose not to do so. The

y chose, instead, to accept the unproven and highly suspect global warming theories and take an action guaranteed to ruin the economy of our once and future great nation. These house members, chose to leave their fellow party members to follow a fantasy. Some will say they showed courage and followed their consciences... doing the right thing and all that. That is what they often said about the party's eminently successful presidential candidate last November.

There are areas where we can have differing view points, and there are issues that go the heart of who we are, as a party and as a nation. It's like Jim Croce once wrote “After all it's what we've done that makes us what we are.” What they've done is turned their backs on those who were supposed to be their allies and gave the victory to those who would rule over us. I will leave it to the reader to decide what that makes them.

In some ways, it may not have made much difference in the ultimate outcome. However by sticking their thumbs in the eyes of all their constituents who called, wrote, faxed and emailed them objecting to this form of madness, they gave several Democrats a free pass. It is apparent that Speaker Pelosi let some of her minions vote against the bill as their votes were not necessary for passage. So, not only did they make their own re-election more difficult, which is not a bad thing, but they gave cover to several other would be socialists who did not have to annoy their constituents with an unpopular position.

Given the districts these people represented... east coast, west coast and Illinois, it may be possible that they are the best the Republicans could elect. I don't know that this is the fact, but this is the party line: that we have to accept those who lean toward progressive thinking if we are to win. Then I have to ask, what is the point? Are we just going to concede these areas to the statists and be happy that some of the statists are wearing the right jersey?

This is the “big tent” thinking in operation. What it really means is that we either don't know what we believe, or we don't have the confidence in our beliefs to present them forcefully in a way that helps people catch the vision of freedom. I believe much of this comes from the professional politicians who cynically view their careers as more important that any issue. We may have been able to let that pass in the past when we were not faced with such an assault on what it means to be an American, the values our country stood for and the freedom we once had.

Today we are fighting battles on far too many fronts: the economy, health care, environmental extremism, hostility to Christians... the list could go on and on... we cannot afford to let the self-serving political types determine the direction of the opposition party or of our country. It's time to put up with more dates on our calendars and more lost sleep as we work to restore the country to what is once was and what it can be again.

The “big tent” is really not a bad idea, as long as it's filled with conservatives and libertarians. Now is the time to do it, while we can do it peacefully... before Washington controls every area of our life and treats us, not as citizens to be respected, but as pawns to be manipulated and taxed to carry out their grandiose schemes that leave us with nothing but a tax bill.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” So says one of the most important documents in the history of the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence. The realization of these rights was the whole point of the bloody struggle to break free from the control of the British crown that saw itself as the originator and dispenser of rights to the people, both at home and in the colonies.

The signers of this document pledged “our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” to establishing a government in the new land where these rights to life, liberty and so much more were recognized. Once free of the oppressive monarch, they set about to create a system where the people were the ultimate authority and government answered to its employers: the citizens.

They laboriously created a constitutional plan where three branches were supposed to balance each other so no one reigned supreme. They did this by limiting the reach of the legislative, executive and judicial branches to restrain dictatorial rule. So concerned were some of the leaders immediately following the presentation of the document that it did not sufficiently restrain the power of the central government that its ratification by all the states could not have been accomplished without the promise of additional guarantees of individual freedoms and restraints on governmental power. Hence the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, quickly followed acceptance of the original document.

Many today believe they have the rights of free speech, religion, personal protection through firearms because of these amendments. In reality, every human being has these rights, because they were bought into being by a loving creator who wants to see each one of us live and prosper to the best of our abilities. Then why was it necessary to codify them in the constitution? The answer is the same as for any other provision of the constitution, and that is so the government would recognize the limits of its power.

If we were to take the approach that the piece of paper granted us these rights, we would be in the precarious position of leaving them up to what ever men, legislative body or judiciary panel would decide to give us. This would return us to the plight of the colonists under King George. Our creator created us to be free and governments that fail to recognize these rights are operating in violation of what the founding fathers called “natural law”, which was the law that was self evident to anyone with the Christian background of these men.

Why is this important? If these rights are unalienable as our founders believed, they are existent apart from any decree from DC. On the other hand, if they come from men, they can be taken away by men. We then have no recourse if these men (or women) decide that we have few or none of the rights laid out by our forefathers. Worse yet, by doing this, we move from being citizens in charge of our government to being its subjects.

This is the price the secular humanists are willing to pay to eliminate the Christian influence from our great country. Their fear of the absolute moral teaching coming from the Word of God leads them to accept enslavement to whims of leaders, ultimately a much more heavy handed control, but without the moral measurement of the ten commandments.

This is the underlying basis of the entire culture war in our country... but it isn't really cultural, it is spiritual.

The cash for clunkers is one more plan by the Barack Hussein Obama that not only attempts to make all of us good little subjects, but actually transfers wealth to his supporters who comply. The idea of the government giving $4500 toward the purchase of a new or late model car, if it is a car approved by our beneficent government is opposed by the 54% who understand the implications of this incentive program.

Only about a third (35% according to a recent Rasmussen poll), think it's a good idea, with government employees giving it higher marks than the general population. That pretty much aligns with the number of hard core Democrats... maybe even the future number of government workers. This form of social engineering is an attempt to get people to buy cars that both foreign and domestic manufacturers have been producing, but people have not been buying in significant quantities. They are trying to get people to purchase smaller, lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles that most people understand instinctively are more cramped and hazardous to their occupants.

I am wondering how many of us are willing to put our children and, in my case, grand children, at greater risk to solve a problem that, most likely, does not even exist? For the presidents rabid environmentalist supporters who believe that man's presence is detrimental to the earth itself, the answer is simple. The earth must survive, even if I and my family do not.

These undersized and generally underpowered machines are touted to have passed the regular safety tests our big brother now imposes on all vehicles sold in the US. This is great, but they leave out the getting-run-over-by-an-SUV test and don't even think about an eighteen wheeler.

The other problem with this, besides the safety issue, is that our country has an almost ten percent unemployment rate, many people are struggling to get by. Many have learned that debt, while it lets you get nice things now, is killing them financially. They have put off buying a new, or late model, car so they can get their financial house in order. The government is, once again, enticing these people to act against their best interest and go into debt to buy another vehicle that they may not really need, but will make mother earth and the environmental extremists happy.

Perhaps the worst part of the plan is that it takes borrowed money and gives it to a favored few who can already afford a car and leaves it to future generations to pay back. It does not help the general welfare of the citizens, unless one buys the argument that everyone benefits from the marginally cleaner air and more stable climate these cars will facilitate. If one does not understand the logic of our betters, it's just more money taken from everyone and flushed down the drain into the pockets of the favored few.

Should some readers believe this is a good idea, or think it's a bad idea, but are willing to take advantage of it anyway, it's been suggested that even if you don't have a suitable junker to trade in, go out an buy a $700 clunker to trade for the $4500 credit. Apparently to prosper in this new world order, it helps to have a larcenous streak with no conscience to get in the way.

We conservatives and libertarians tend to keep to ourselves and have a desire to just be left alone. This thinking has usually worked well for us, but over the past years we have seen all kinds of crazy protests instigated by unions, homosexuals, ACORN... even illegal aliens have had the gall to prance through our streets demanding access to the public purse. Often these are the only voices coming through. Even setting aside the media bias, they are the only voices being raised.

Our political representatives often respond to public pressure when it does not conflict with contributor interests, and up to now, most of the pressure has been coming from those using one hand to hold a picket sign and the other to reach out to scoop up more goodies from the public trough. While most of us have been working to get money to pay our taxes, they have been whining and looking for to ways to take hold of more of this money for themselves. We have abdicated our responsibility to speak up and have left the playing field to the to the avaricious mob. We lost by default!

Does this mean that we can't get the word out? Definitely not! Sure it is one more thing to squeeze into your schedule and mine, but I have found that there is always time for things we see as most important. The issue then becomes recognizing the damage that is being done to our country and making a priority to stop it.

Now is the time... no, it is past time for us to overcome some of our natural tendencies to live quietly by ourselves. Although it's not really in our nature, we must band together and speak up, not just individually, but publicly as a body of citizens. There are enough of us to make a difference. Our problem is that we are busy working, spending time with our families, helping to make our community better and all sorts of other productive activities. Our opponents tend not to have so many of these demands on their time... they often don't have such a rough time fitting self-serving public protest into their schedules.

Tonight, was the first I took part in such a protest in close to twenty years... the last being way back in New Jersey when we gathered around an inappropriately located adult bookstore in the pouring rain... and made the front page of the Star Ledger.

About two hundred of us gathered outside our local ABC affiliate to protest the ObamaCare infomercial they were running. This was not a normal event for most of us but it was refreshing to spend the evening with many who had not been too involved in the past, but have been awaken from their slumber by the outrageous changes being inflicted upon our land.

We made new acquaintances, renewed old ones and found many people with whom we share a lot more in common than we would have ever thought. The first lesson learned was the WE ARE NOT ALONE! If you are concerned about your country, you are not alone either.

It doesn't matter if there are ten of you coming together or a thousand. There is a fellowship among those who cherish their liberty and are willing to take a stand for it. With the tea parties and patriot groups, combined with our government's encroachment on so many areas of our lives, there will be many more opportunities to make your voice heard. It's well worth working it into your busy schedule. Keep in mind that the most meaningful things we do are things that reach beyond ourselves and contribute to the greatness of our country and the welfare of our neighbors.

On June 28, 1787 the delegates to the constitutional convention in Philadelphia were constantly bickering over how the states of various sizes should be fairly represented and the convention was going nowhere. James Madison records that 81 year old Benjamin Franklin rose to address the assembly:

Mr. President:
The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.

They took his advice and produced the magnificent document we call the US Constitution.

California election day, May 19, 2009, may have been the start of our country’s climb out of the financial abyss. In spite of the Governator’s dire warnings delivered with the fervor seen in Henry Paulsen and Tim Geithner as they stampeded a gullible Congress into their high priced bailout schemes, the electorate proved they were not so gullible. This time the results were different because the audience was different.

Instead of the beltway elites who have the inflated delusions that they can solve most any problem by throwing our money at it… we saw the response of the people who actually have to pay for for these machinations. They have decided that rather than bankrupt themselves, they would call the government’s bluff that rapists would be set free from prison and may even be filling in for laid off teachers in the middle schools. They took the risk that their homes may burn down because of there would be no more firemen or they would be robbed because there would be no police. For once they did not buy the story that their money was really needed to help the sea otters and illegal aliens.

How much of this backbone came from the tea party spirit and how much was natural individual frustration at the continual abuse from Sacramento, is hard to tell. In some ways, it doesn’t matter because the people have spoken. No, the people screamed at the top of their lungs, “NO MORE!” The voters finally had a say in this financial dissipation.

What is interesting is that there were not lines of people waiting to make their wishes known. Turnout was low but margins were high… almost 2 to 1 rejecting some of the proposals. It did not take massive numbers to set California on the course to fiscal sanity. Apparently most of residents were resigned to the state government squeezing more and more out of them, in much the same way the folks in DC do… or they saw the poll numbers and were willing to let others do the lifting for them. It is sad that so many took this view and didn’t make themselves part of the victory. It’s even more frightening because that is how freedoms are lost and tyranny solidifies power.

On the other hand, it shows us that a small but motivated group can actually make a difference in the world. It shows that the citizens have more sense than the professionals who are paid to make government work efficiently and effectively. As I write this, I understand I am talking about residents of the land of fruits, nuts and flakes. The system can even work there. Again I have to remind myself it was a motivated minority that got the job done… and we have to thank them for their efforts.

The denizens of Sacramento got the message. The question remains, “Did the beltway appropriators get the message?” Immediate feedback doesn’t show much of a difference in the spendthrift approach to problem solving. However we can’t be discouraged. We saw progress! We saw the people could defeat the politicians. The boys in DC may just be a tougher nut to crack but with sustained pressure and, may I say, harassment, they will hopefully get the message soon, or find a new career.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending a We Surround Them/912 meeting with about 70 other concerned citizens. Last week, I spent the evening with about 20 others in a similar meeting. Tonight about 30 more people gathered to in a similar group. What is particularly encouraging, is that most of these people were either new to involvement in public affairs or were coming back after a lengthy hiatus.

The tea parties provided the catalyst to bring them back. The crowds provided the push that let them know they were not alone. Most people are not constitutionally suited to standing against the power of the federal government alone. We cheered the Chinese student staring down the tanks in Tiananmen Square, but tend to shy away from confrontation ourselves. With a group of like minded citizens, the patriots can become warriors.

I was amazed by the intensity of the emotional display. People are concerned about their country. They don’t like where it is headed. They are concerned about the world they will be leaving to their children and grand children. They are looking for ways to channel these feelings and energy.

Members of two of these groups combined to visit local Congressional and Senate offices to present a Petition for Redress of Grievances. These petitions outlined various actions by the federal government that, by almost any reasonable interpretation, were clearly unconstitutional. It must have been a bit of fun to be part of the group of about 25 as the filed into the local legislative offices with video and still cameras. One aide did a great deer in the headlights impression - but I don’t think he was acting, two aides welcomed them in and held a pleasant conversation and one office only showed them a shaken receptionist hiding behind her bullet proof glass shield.

In all cases, it was obvious they were not accustomed to dealing with the public who actually expected them to change the way Washington does business. Another thing that was obvious was that it is necessary to keep up the contact and the pressure. Even the good guys need the encouragement and supervision of their constituents. Lobbyist are continuously in their face… the same should hold true for their constituents… their real employers.

This is just one way citizens can get involved. More needs to to be lined up to keep these good folks involved in the process and get the message across to those who believe they rule from a distance. There is a staggering amount of passion and energy looking to get involved in the process of changing our country back to the free society it was in years past.

Just as many cheered the Chinese student, many also cheered the priests, pastors, and everyday citizens who faced arrest while protesting the desecration of the Notre Dame graduation ceremony. They cheered, but did not take part… myself included. My excuse was the 600 or so mile drive to South Bend. The question I have to answer as do all other Christians and others who say they hold values dear, is that, if the event were in my city, would I have faced arrest for a good cause, or would I have backed away because I did not want a police record. Everyone who loves their country has to consider this question.

The founding fathers understood that by signing the Declaration of Independence, if they failed, they would be facing a hangman’s noose. Even in victory, many faced financial ruin, loss of their homes and loss of family members. Since that time, countless service men and women have given their lives preserving the freedom that people like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams and Henry gave us. So many that we have set aside a day, Memorial Day, to remember and honor their sacrifices.

What sacrifices are we, both individually and collectively, willing to make to leave the country and world a better place for our children and grandchildren? With increasing restrictions placed on ever more areas of our lives, and more of our resources being taken to fund irrational and often immoral schemes, will we stand up and say “No more!” or will we sit, quietly complaining, as our country hurtles toward the “eve of destruction” as Barry McGuire would call it. In answering this question, we would do well to remember the words of James Madison, “Resistance to tyranny is service to God.”

At the time of his defection to the dark side, a jubilant Sen. Arlen Specter announced that he would be welcomed by the Harry Reid and the Democrat Party with open arms and that he could keep his seniority in the senate and on committees. Once the deed was done, the good Senator found what voters have finding our for years... these people are long on promises and short on follow through. They said, “Not so fast bud, go to the end of the line.” So much for retained power and seniority... one of his primary virtues to Pennsylvania voters.

Specter had served with these people for something like six terms. One would think that dealing with them for this period, he should know a little about their character and reliability. Perhaps his instincts were deadened by the passage of time or the seductive idea of one more term in the good old boys club.

One has to give him credit for recognizing that the re-energized Republican base in in the Keystone State would no longer tolerate his semi-Republican posturing that held no hint of the conservative values the party and country need. He was a man in Washington without a home and had to make a decision. Knowing that he could not return to the state he represented and adequately explain his positions and defend his actions, he looked to the party that actually believed in the things he had been saying and doing.

Instead of thanking him for his votes which often hung his own party out to dry, they showed their gratitude by stripping him of his seniority and maybe even by running someone against him in the Democrat primary. This should not come as a total surprise since a valuable prize like Benedict Arnold died broke and friendless in London after his act of betrayal. People knew he could not be trusted... even those who benefited from his treachery.

Whether the move will benefit Specter or not remains to be seen. One hates to see any career end under this type of cloud... even a career that lacked distinction and direction. It's kind of like watching Richard Petty run in the back of the pack for several years because he did not retire when he had passed his peak... but at least King Richard and his fans had the memory of tremendous victories to accompany his love of the sport. Specter apparently just loves the position and the game... enough to sell his soul to stay in it.

For those not familiar with Specter and his career, he was a fine District Attorney in the Philadelphia area putting away plenty of bad guys. He then gave vivid proof of the Peter Principle in operation when he moved on up to the Senate. Before becoming a Senator, he was a staffer for the Warren Commission, where he was credited with coming up with the magic bullet theory while investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. Either this is true or no one else would claim ownership of the idea of a bullet passing through the president's neck, then turning right to go through Texas Governor's upper body, then head downward through his wrist then into John Connally's leg... only to be “found” on a stretcher in the hospital showing no damage from it's destructive path through flesh and multiple bones. People should have known then that he had a different point of view than most.

Uncle Sam wants to know where you live, not just the address, but the exact coordinates. Why would that be? Whatever their plans, our leaders believe it is worth $700 million dollars and hiring a city full of workers... 140,000 to be more precise. They are marching through our neighborhoods, taking readings at all our doors and asking if the house is a single or multi-family dwelling, all in the name of the census. This census that is a year away and has nothing to do with the job at hand.

The census bureau itself says, “The ability to capture Global Positioning System coordinates for most of the nation's housing units will greatly reduce the number of geographic coding errors caused by using paper maps in previous counts.” This and other actions by this administration bring to mind the old saying, “there's always two reasons for everything, the one we are told and the real reason.”

Douglas Gibbs writing in the American Daily Review says, “Imagine, if you will, that there are a number of people in a neighborhood that could not find the addresses they are tasked with finding. They are not locals, maybe are unable to read a map, or perhaps do not have the time to pull out a map, and they need to find you with specific GPS coordinates. Their devices would lead them to your front door with these coordinates. Imagine a crisis is afoot, and martial law is put into place. U.S. troops need to round up particular folks.”

“Let’s take this a step further. After all, with Barack Obama desiring to decrease the number of folks in the military, and with forces committed worldwide, we may not have sufficient military forces at home to deal with a rising national emergency. If the government decided to rely on foreign troops, perhaps United Nations personnel, most of which may not understand the street signs, much less know the lay of the land, they could use GPS devices to direct them to your front door.”

Sound alarming? It does to me. Although my thoughts run to the more mundane and immediate. Consider how cross referencing this information with a database of gun owners, confiscation would be much more efficient. Or perhaps the rounding up of pro-life activists, Christians or members of other groups Homeland Security tells us present a danger to the administration. On the other hand, it could be as simple as satellite surveillance.

The effort to create a system for such surveillance would be a bit of overkill as with a few keystrokes the internet can already provide us with amazing satellite images of my home... and its coordinates. For any DHS agents reading this, mine are N37° 25.8367', W077° 33.5331' according to Google. My daughters' car was the only one in the drive way when the picture was taken... and with the resources of Big Brother, I'm sure then easily obtain real time information about my coming and going.

Considering what any one of us can access online, why would they need to be so precise? Are they planning or firing a cruise missile through my front door? On the other hand we are still dealing with a government bureaucracy here with the government bureaucracy mentality of why take what we have when we can spend the better part of a billion dollars of taxpayer money to get the same thing.

The thing about every idea that comes to mind about what they would do with this information is that none of them are good. When you see the mild mannered public “servants” strolling through your neighborhood asking questions and taking GPS readings you had best cooperate as they have the law on the side and can compel your compliance. I've seen a video of gentleman taking his readings. When he realized his actions were being recorded, he was not happy, screaming at the homeowner about violating, of all things, his right to privacy. To be on the safe side, you may want to show support for their efforts by raising your right arm at about a 45 degree angle while clicking your heals as the enter your property. I'm sure it will be appreciated.