Who is To Do God's Work?!?

Charlie Rangle made an interesting comment the other day about Democrats.  He claimed that they were doing God’s work.

"And so what we have to do is send a collective voice," he said of the upcoming midterm elections. "Everything we're doing is God's work: education, healthcare, affordable housing, [protecting against] discrimination, paying people the minimum wage."

First off, allow me to state the obvious.  Any party that boos God publicly, promotes and defends the murder of pre-born babies, and defends homosexuality, is not doing God’s work. 

Secondly, government isn't supposed to do God’s work; God’s people are.  Where in the Bible does it teach that God’s work is even close to his list?  When the Bible speaks of education, it speaks to parents.  Healthcare?

The Good Samaritan didn't look to the government to take care of the beaten and robbed man.  He paid for it out of his own pocket.  Paul speaks to discrimination in Colossians 3 where he says that in Christ, “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.”   Also in James 2, James teaches about not discriminating against the poor in the church.  Affordable housing?!?  Minimum wage?!?  The Bible speaks much about working and that employers are to pay their laborers the wage agreed upon, but nothing about a minimum wage.  

Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that government is supposed to take care of the poor.  The Bible does teach however, that the Church is supposed to help the widows and orphans.   What was the welfare system in the Old Testament?  Let's look at Leviticus 19:9-10;

“‘When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest.  You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.”

It doesn't say that there must be special fields planted for the poor; it doesn't say that the farmers must pick the grain and then harvest it and take it a store where the poor come with their EBT cards to pick it up.  The poor had to actually work and harvest it themselves.  

Let's look also at Paul’s instructions to Timothy about widows.  I rarely ever hear this passage talked about.

“Honor widows who are truly widows.  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.  She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.  Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.  But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

“Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.  But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.  Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.  So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.  For some have already strayed after Satan.  If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.”  I Timothy 5:3-16

It’s interesting that first off, families are supposed to take care of their widows.  Secondly, the widows who were to “put on the list” were to be at least 60 years old, wife of one husband and having a reputation for good works.  In other words, one who could not support herself because of age, one who was married only once and one who was known for her good deeds.  Interesting requirements, don’t you think?   

The Bible does speak a lot about work and laziness however.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”  Genesis 2:15

Man was given work to do by God in the Garden of Eden.  Work isn't a curse.  God created man physically stronger so that he could both provide for his family, but also to protect his family.  The curse came after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and God cursed the ground so that man’s labor would be hard work.  See Genesis 3:17-19.  

Adam wasn't the first to work, however.  From Exodus, we learn that Jesus was the first Person to work.  

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”  Exodus 2:10-11

We know from John 1 that Jesus was the Word of God who created the world.  We also see from this passage in Exodus the principle that God assumes that we will be working.  This is why He instituted a day of rest.  Our bodies need time to relax and recuperate.  

Proverbs is full of references to those who are lazy.  The term that is used often is sluggard.  According to Webster’s Dictionary, a sluggard is “a habitually lazy person.”  Here are just a few of the references to laziness and sluggards from Proverbs.

“Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.”  Proverbs 19:15

“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.”  Proverbs 12:24

“Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.”  Proverbs 12:27

“The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.” Proverbs 15:19  

“The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.” Proverbs 21:25

“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”  Proverbs 10:4

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”  Proverbs 13:4

“The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.”  Proverbs 20:4

The New Testament also teaches about work.  

Paul is very clear in II Thessalonians 3:6, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”  The context of this verse talks about the example of Paul himself and his own work ethic.  

In Colossians 3:23, Paul instructs in whatever work we do, we are to do it unto the Lord.  

The problem that we have here in America is that we have people who have been deceived into believing that government is supposed to help the poor.  I have a friend who calls them “do gooders.”  If individuals like Charlie Rangle really wanted to help the poor, they would put in place policies that would allow the economy to grow; cut taxes and cut regulations.  Quit stifling businesses.  Which is better, Mr. Rangle?  A job or charity? 

One of my favorite quotes about the economy and helping the poor is from Milton Friedman.

“In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty you’re talking about, the only cases in recorded history, are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. If you want to know where the masses are worse off, worst off, it’s exactly in the kinds of societies that depart from that. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear, that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by the free-enterprise system.”  Milton Friedman

Mr. Rangle, leave God’s work to God’s people.  The Constitution gives you your job description.  As a member of Congress, your job description is found in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.  Note that nowhere in there is anything about healthcare, affordable housing, education or the minimum wage.  That is not your job. 

To quote Jesus, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

5 Years of "Facts" of Obama

I have had two FaceBook friends post this graphic in the last couple of weeks.  Maybe it has popped up in your newsfeed as well.  I believe it is important to have the facts to counter these kinds of claims.

As with anything else, context is so important.  Here is my response to both of them.

When one is looking at stats, one has to have the whole picture. This graphic doesn't have the whole picture. Here's the context of these numbers. 

First, the timing of these numbers is misleading.  If you remember, the Democrats took control of Congress after the 2006 midterm elections. So the real effect of Democrat policies started taking effect in January 2007. Remember also that both Obama and Biden were in the Senate during that time ~as well as Hillary Clinton~. 

1)  The Dow is up because of Quantitative Easing.  Federal $$ being printed and pumped into the stock market.  Hang on to your hats.  Remember the .com bubble and the real estate bubbles? 

2)  For the real unemployment numbers, one needs to look at the labor force participation rate.
Jan 2007 – 66.40%
Jan 2009 – 65.7%
April 2014 – 62.80% 

Lowest labor force participation rate since 1978.  The reason that the umemployment numbers are down is because of workers that have quit looking for work.   

3)  GDP growth – US Dept of Commerce
2006 – 2.7%
2007 – 1.8%
2008 - -0.3%
2009 - -2.8%
2010 – 2.5%
2011 – 1.8%
2012 – 2.8%
2113 – 1.9%
1st quarter 2014 = 2.9%
4th quarter 2013 = 2.6% 

GDP after the Bush tax cuts
December 31, 2002 – 1.8%
December 31, 2003 – 2.8%
December 31, 2004 – 3.8%
December 31, 2005 – 3.4%  

The facts show that GDP increased after the Bush Tax cuts and started falling when the Democrats took control of Congress and the Democrats started spending like drunken sailors.  My apologies to sailors; at least drunken sailors quit when they run out of money.  DC politicians just borrow and print money.   

The federal budget goes from October 1 - September 30.  When we elected the Republicans to Congress in the fall of they took office in January of 2011 and the first budget they had was the 2012.  That was the fiscal year that the federal deficit started to decrease slightly.  Here are the actual numbers. 

The federal deficit the last year of the Bush/Republican Congress budget was $161 Billion. When the Democrats took control of Congress after the 2006 elections, the next fiscal year the deficit climbed to $459 Billion and $1413 Billion the year King Barry I was elected. That was when TARP was forced on us. We then had 2 additional years of $1300 Billion deficits with Obama/Democrat Congress. Finally with Republicans back in control of the House, the deficit has come down slightly to $1100 Billion and $973 Billion. So yes, the deficit is technically down from its highs, but doesn't really paint the whole picture. For comparison, the highest deficit during the Bush/Republican Congress days was $413 Billion. 

One fact that this graphic doesn't touch is the increase in food stamps.  If the economy is so great, why are there millions more on food stamps today than when Obama was immaculated?  Why has spending on food stamps doubled under Obama if the economy is doing so well?

So far, I have not had one of these friends ~one is my TN State Representative~ who have even tried to refute any of my facts.  I'll post updates when/if I hear from any of them.  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Update:  I just had one of the friends that posted this make a comment.  She didn't try to refute any of my facts, she just basically tried to make the point that Obama is only one person and doing what he can for the "betterment of all."  Sorry, but that doesn't cut it for me.  Even if you ascribe good intentions to Obama and the left, ~which I don't~ there are consequences to their wrong policies.  She did say she loved my "deep knowledge" though.  I guess when you can't argue with the facts . . .

Update #2:  There have been two friends of the original poster of this graphic that have said that they agree with the graphic ~no response to the facts I posted however.~  One of them was one my dh's cousins that unfriended me a couple of years ago when she couldn't handle my challenges.  She could call me racist, but heaven help if I pointed out her hypocrisy, but I digress.  I asked her if she was going to post my facts along with the graphic.  She responded with a long rant and called me rude, argumentative and accusatory.  She also proceeded to tell me what I could and couldn't say on this common friend's page.  You've gotta love libs . .

Update #3:  I was asked for my source by a reader below.  I have revised my numbers and added the link to the U.S. Dept of Commerce.  At the link, you can create your own table of stats by year and/or quarter.  While my updated numbers are lower, they still show that the economy started to tank after the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007.

Did Steve Cohen learn Math at a MCS?

Mr. Cohen went on the floor of the House of Representatives to berate the Republicans once again.

“The debt was caused by Reagan and Bush.  Reagan and Bush caused the debt.”  said Mr. Cohen.

Mr. Cohen, here are the facts of the federal debt.

Bush with Republican Congress in 6 yrs: $1.675 Trillion
Bush with Democrat Congress in 2 yrs ~which included you~: $1.871 Trillion
Obama with Democrat Congress in 2 yrs: $2.593 Trillion
Obama with Republican House and Democrat Senate: $2.059 Trillion

National Debt increased with you in the House: $6.525 Trillion

Elementary Math question:
Which is greater? $1.675 Trillion or $6.525 Trillion?
My 1st grader knows the concept of greater than or less than.  Have you forgotten?

Even CBS admits that the Obama regime added more to the debt in 3 years than in the 8 year under Bush.

Debt added under the Reagan administration was $1.7 Trillion.  Again, which is greater?
$1.7 Trillion or $4.7 Trillion which is what has been added to the National Debt during the Obama Regime?

P.S.  These numbers are taken from the budgets of the years when said Congresses passed the budgets.  Example:  When Bush was inaugurated in January of 2001, the budget that the country was living under was passed by the Congress of 2000 which was technically the Clinton administration.  The first budget that Bush and the Republican Congress passed was the 2002 budget.

The breakdown of Congresses and budgets:

Bush with Republican Congress: 2002-2007

Bush with Democrat Congress: 2008-2009

Obama with Democrat Congress: 2010-2011

Obama with Republican House and Democrat Senate: 2012 - present.

More Hypocrisy from Steve Cohen

Look mom, I can use big words on the floor of the House of Representatives.

It doesn't matter that they show what a hypocrite I am.

Fact:  Congressman Cohen voted against the "clean" bill that would fund the NIH.

Let that sink in.



Just like the "good" senator Reid said on Wednesday, October 2 when asked why he would not vote to fund the NIH if it could save just one kid with cancer.  "Why would we want to to do that?"



Who is it that is shedding "Crocodile Tears" Mr. Cohen?

P.S. Since the "good" Congressman has blocked me from posting on his FaceBook page ~such a man of the people~ who wants to post this article on his wall?  Here is the link.

Steve Cohen Makes Memphis Proud Again . . .

Just Kidding!

TN-9 Congressman Steve Cohen took to the floor of the House of Representatives on October 1, 2013 to attack Republicans on the first day of the government shutdown.

I had a Facebook friend post his rant with the caption of "Don't you wish you had a Congressman like mine."  

My response to him was.  He is my congressman and I'm ashamed of him.

Here is Steve Cohen's enlightening rant.  Unfortunately, he gets several things wrong.  




First of all, I'm more worried about my children and grandchildren's healthcare and economic future than I am about some tourists wanting to see the Statue of Liberty.

Second of all, repeating the title "affordable care act" doesn't make it really affordable. ObamaCare was rammed thru a Democrat Congress w/o a single Republican vote and will increase the deficit by Trillions according to the GAO ~that's the Government Accounting Office~. Whatever happened to Obama's promise that he would not sign a plan that would increase the deficit by one dime? Know what was truly bipartisan? The votes to defund and repeal it.

Third, slavery was the law of the land and upheld by the Supreme Courts also.  Does the name Dred Scott ring any bells?  Good thing Republicans didn't just throw up their hands and go along with that law.

Fourth, Social Security and Medicare are broke.

Fifth, where is the budget?  There wouldn't be this “crisis” if the Democrat Senate had done their Constitutionally mandated job and passed a budget.  The federal government hasn't had a budget for the entire Obama administration.

Sixth; it isn't the federal government role to fund assistance programs for the poor.  “The Powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined…war, peace negotiations, and foreign commerce.”  James Madison.  Here is a quick primer on what the proper role of the Federal government according to those that wrote it.  Plus there wouldn't be as many Americans needing assistance if we had a growing economy.

How ironic is it that Cohen is suddenly a hawk on the debt.  Since he has been in Congress, the federal deficit has increased by over $6.5 Trillion.  Not Billion, but Trillion.  During the Bush administration, the Republicans added $1.6 Trillion in 6 years.  In the last two years of Bush's administration, when the Democrats ~which include Steve Cohen~ took control of Congress, they added $1.8 Trillion.  That's right; in two years, the Democrats increased the federal debt more than 6 years of Republicans.  And that was just the beginning.  There has been Trillion $$ deficits yearly since then.  His statement against repealing the medical device tax shows Cohen’s mindset. Repealing the medical device tax would “cost the government $30 Billion.”   All money belongs to the government; they just allow us to keep some of it.

And about those “death panels;” you mean the ones that Paul Krugman admits to here and then there’s Howard Dean admitting that there are death panels here.

Exactly what is the Independent Advisory Board, Mr. Cohen.  You voted for the bill; please explain to us what that panel is.

Also Cohen claims that it’s not a government takeover, but insurance.  Tell me, Mr. Cohen, what is it when the government has control over what a doctor gets paid, what medicines and procedures get paid for; when government mandates that one purchases it and also what it has to include and so on?  ObamaCare has over 20,000 ~and counting~ pages of regulations.  That’s not insurance, that’s control.  He also claims that ObamaCare is a Republican idea, citing RomneyCare as an example.  Really?  What is he smoking?  Some of that weed that he wants to legalize, but I digress.  First of all, RomneyCare was 70 pages; ObamaCare is 2,074 pages.  RomneyCare contained no new taxes.  ObamaCare has over $500 Billion in new taxes, taxes people who don’t buy insurance and cuts over $700 Billion from Medicare.  RomneyCare is on the state level, ObamaCare is on the federal level and as I've already explained, the powers delegated to the federal government are war, peace negotiations and foreign commerce.  Which one of those includes mandating buying insurance?

Last, but not least, Cohen opines that Congress and their staff have to live under the exchanges ~and that it is unfortunate~ because according to him, they are no longer subsidized.  Maybe Cohen missed the memo that Congress and their staff will get 75% of their premiums subsidized.  Poor things; they make 6 figures and they won’t be able to afford ObamaCare.  I thought that Cohen said this was the “Affordable Care Act.”  So affordable that even those that make 6 figures can’t afford it.  And that is different from us “regular” Americans.  Under ObamaCare exchanges, Americans whose employers provide healthcare will not qualify for subsidies.

Bottom line; Steve Cohen proves again that he has no idea what he’s talking about.  He’s been on the public dole since he was in his 20’s.  It’s time he retires and lives under the laws that he’s passed for the rest of us to live under.

Update:  After lapdog Cohen steps to the microphone to bemoan that because of the government shutdown, there will be no new patients at the NIH, Harry Reid asks, Why would we want to do that?" referring to Dana Bash's question about the Republican's plan to fund the NIH if it would help one kid with cancer.

I think Mr. Reid needs a refresher course in civics.  It is the Constitutional job of the Congress to fund government every year.  It's called a budget.  I'm sure you remember what that is even though you haven't passed one.

Boehner Needs to Hear from We The People!

John Boehner and the ruling class Republicans are up to no good.  They are playing a dangerous game with the future of this great country and I've had it with them.  With less than a week before Christmas, we shouldn't have to be worried about what destructive politicians are planning for We the People.  

It's time to contact John Boehner and the rest of the Republicans in the House of Representatives and tell them to quit playing "Make A Deal" with King Barry I and go home.  The ruling class politicians have created this fiscal mess by their crack-addicted, unconstitutional spending and expansion of government.  Now they want to do further damage and John Boehner is being an accessory.  

Here is the letter that I am faxing to each of the Republicans on this list from Grassfire.com.  

"Dear Representative; 

Do you believe in the Constitution or not?  Do you believe in Capitalism or not?  I’m beginning to believe the horrible theory that you do not.  You say you do, but your actions say otherwise.
Do you really believe that our fiscal problem is the fault of too high of taxes?  Are you really that mathematically challenged?  When has increasing taxes on anyone ever resulted in more “revenue” to the treasury?  When are you politicians in D.C. going to quit your crack addicted spending habits that are being funded by taxpayers’ children and grandchildren?  We can’t afford you anymore.   

I am tired of your excuses.  The American people elected Republicans ~and gave you the majority in the House~ because we expected you to STOP the reckless, out of control spending of the Democrats and reign in the rapid expansion of government.  You aren’t reigning anything in.  You are enabling the President and the Democrats.  It is for this reason that I no longer think that you believe in the Constitution and a limited federal government.  Why can’t you defend it?   

You are participating in the further loss of Liberty by going along with the confiscation of MY private property ~my income~ by your agreement to higher taxes.  You are conceding that tax cuts don’t work and participating in the class warfare that the Democrats have poisoned the takers in this country with. 

Where is your backbone?  Where are your principles?  You don’t see Obama backing down from his ideology.  You don’t see Harry Reid or Pelosi or any of the other Democrats backing down on their ideology no matter how many times they get beat.  Where is the budget from Harry Reid?  He doesn’t care that he’s violating the Constitution.  Apparently you don’t either.
The reason I am a Republican is because it means something.  It means Constitutional, limited government.  It means defending Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  By your actions, you are making that null and void.   

Our Founding Fathers risked everything to birth this great nation; what are you willing to risk to secure it for our kids and grandkids? 

Quit this game of chicken or poker or whatever you think this is.  My children and grandchildren’s lives and Liberty are at stake.  Make Obama and the Democrats own higher taxes like they own Obamacare.  Don’t vote for any “deal” that includes tax hikes on anyone.  Just go home and enjoy Christmas with your family. 

We the People are watching!

I close with this quote from John Adams:

“Posterity! You will never know how much it costs the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took pains to preserve it.”

The Founding Fathers risked everything to secure this great nation for us; what are we willing to risk to secure it for our children and grandchildren?  I hope you can spare some time from your Christmas preparations to let John Boehner and the Republicans know that this "deal" is unacceptable to We the People.

Merry Christmas!

Join the Twitter Tea Party Rally

I don't know about you, but I can't make it to D.C. in person this weekend to let the CongressCritters in D.C. know what my position is on them borrowing more money that my kids and grand-kids will have to repay. That is why I'm joining the Twitter Tea Party Rally this Weekend. If you tweet, I encourage you to make your voice heard.

The national credit card maxed out. The DemonRats and BO/BS have added $2.9 Trillion to the national debt in 2 years ~with a projected deficit of an additional $1.65 Trillion this year~ and still haven't presented a budget for 2012; yet now they want Americans to believe that "supposedly" cutting $1.5 Trillion in the next 10 years ~hello, that's less than the deficit is this year~ while increasing taxes immediately is fiscal responsibility? History has shown that tax increases DON'T = increased tax receipts to the government. Taxpayers send enough $$$ to D.C. The problem is SPENDING. D.C.ers are spending addicts and they are shopping with our money. It's got to stop. We the people sent a huge message last November; but apparently the DemonRats didn't get the message. Let them Hear US Again; this weekend.

No New Taxes and Real Spending Cuts!

Steve Cohen: Take lessons from Allen West

How many Congressmen do you see pumping gas for their constituents? I know Pelosi Lapdog Steve Cohen wouldn't. This is why Lt. Colonel Allen West’s men loved him. He truly is a public servant. D.C needs more like him.

More Fun with Steve Cohen

TN-9 Congressman posted the following link on his Facebook page on Thursday, March 3, 2011.



He’s trying to paint Republicans as giving a death sentence to those with cancer and other catastrophic illness because their budget cuts $2 billion dollars from the NIH.

Following are the comments:

Supporter #1: “The GOP notion of cutting NIH funding is BRAINLESS!!!
Don't they want the US to be at the forefront of science which will help people and lead to more JOBS?”

Me: “It's NOT the government's job to fund any kind of research. As a mother with a child in renal failure, I am not looking to the government for a cure. We could solve the budget crisis easily if we returned to Constitutional government; national security being it's primary JOB.”

Supporter #2: “The republicans have an agenda and yours and the nations needs to not apply. If the Democrats don't stand together as one we will have to wait sometime before the nightmare will be over.”

Me: “‎@Supporter #2; like the Democrats don't have an agenda. They rammed hellcare thru against the wishes of the people, they spent taxpayers money like it grew on trees and how many 2000+ bills did they ram thru w/o reading, regardless of what the consequences were to the American people. All they want is power, control and bigger government. The last 2 yrs have been a nightmare for all those that are unemployed because of the policies of leftists like Mr. Cohen.”

Supporter #2: “TN WAHM your one of those special people who live in lala land. Do you still have your silver spoon?”

Supporter #3: First,” TN WAHM, I wish nothing but the best for you and your child.

Now, here's the thing: All the people who opposed Health Care Reform said that our health care system is the envy of the world.

But all those innovations that made it that way... are the direct result of government-funded research. The private sector has proven time and time again that it has neither the resources nor the will to sink serious research efforts into catastrophic disease.

Every advance that we make towards conquering catastrophic disease, be it cancer, HIV/ AIDS, juvenile diabetes, happens directly or indirectly through the work of the federal government.

Once, a cancer diagnosis was a death sentence. All the progress that we've made in beating it came directly or indirectly from government research.

When a pharmaceutical manufacturer develops a new medicine, they are building upon research that was funded by our government.

In a perfect world, the private sector would drive innovation. We don't live in that perfect world. If the government does not fund research, which is often conducted right her in Memphis at St. Jude and UT Health Science Center, the research does not get done.

When we reach that point where cancer is cured routinely, it will be because the NIH did the heavy lifting and provided organizations such as St. Jude and UTHSC with the means to conduct research, as well as their own in house research.”

Me: “@ Supporter #2, no silver spoon, I'm working middle class, but I know economics and I'm not jealous of the rich.

@ Supporter #3, obviously you believe that government is the solution to every problem. What did we do before all this government interference? How did America come from a poor 3rd world country in 1787 to become one of the richest countries in 1920? It wasn't because of Dept of Ed, Dept of Energy or HUD. If you cut out the entire defense budget ~which is the main job of the federal government~ you would only cut the deficit by a 1/3. From 1787-1920, the federal budget never exceeded 3% of the GDP except during times of war. Today the federal spending is 25% of the GDP. And for the record, I hold Repubs as well as Dems responsible for this. Repubs spent too much during the Bush administration, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Dems spent since 2007 when they controlled the purse strings of Congress.

"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign invaders." -Samuel Adams”

Supporter #3: “Not every problem, but at the very least, THIS problem. The private sector does not drive medical research. If we do not fund it, it does not get done. The modern medical industry answers to its shareholders, not humanity. It's the reason there are more new patents for curing baldness and restless leg syndrome than curing actual disease.

The amount the Republicans want to cut from the NIH, $2.5 billion, is roughly the equivalent of 35 days in Iraq.

The debt explosion you talk of? That debt was there all along. The key difference is that the Obama administration makes Iraq & Afghanistan part of its budget (And thereby, part of the debt), while the Bush administration tracked it off budget. It's like saying your house note isn't part of your personal debt. It was an irresponsible sleight of hand designed to make the already bloated Bush deficits look smaller. His administration had a bad habit of doing things like that. His Council of Economic Advisers actually recommended reclassifying hamburgers as durable goods so they could make McJobs look like a thriving manufacturing sector.”

Me: “@Supporter #3, do you work for the NIH or the federal government?

You keep saying that w/o government there wouldn’t be any medical innovations and research. Just because you keep saying it doesn’t mean it’s so.

“Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest?” Milton Friedman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A

You sight the Iraq war, but even if we eliminated all defense spending, our deficit would only be cut by 1/3; and national defense is the main job of the federal government.

When was the last time the federal government had a balanced budget? The answer: 1957. http://www.geldpress.com/2008/07/us-budget-reporting-deception/
Unless I’m mistaken, George Bush wasn’t president in 1957.”

Steve Cohen Strikes Again!

Well, Pelosi lapdog Steve Cohen has struck again. He's comparing Republicans to Nazi'a See Here.

As my friend JRD at honeytrail states, "All liberals have control issues." Mr. Cohen has major control issues; he want's to control us. Sorry Mr. Cohen, but we are freedom loving Americans and we don't want or need D.C. pols to control us.

TN-9 Steve Cohen on Hellcare

TN-9 Steve Cohen was on Neil Cavuto on Friday, January 14, 2010 discussing the hellcare bill.



Rep Steve Cohen posted it on his Facebook page and what follows is the conversation/debate that I had with Mr. Cohen and a couple of his supporters.

Me: This so called “Healthcare Reform Monstrosity” you passed against the will of the people is unconstitutional. It's also an economics nightmare. There are better economic fixes than this "healthcare reform" bill. There's a reason that pre...-existing conditions are limiting to coverage. It's an economic issue. Let's let insurance compete over state lines. Why not let individuals deduct their premiums like business do. Let consumers decide what kind of coverage they want; Cadillac that covers everything or basic catastrophic. We need free market solutions, not top down control from D.C.

Supporter #1: Against the will of the people is quite a strong generalization- there are those for and against the bill, which is only natural, and very true regarding the health care reform since it is so new. However, there are most certainly those for... the health care reform and, like most change, it will take time, some adjustment, and patience. The act does not take away from competition nor does it take the decision away from the consumer regarding which insurance company to use. If anything, the act is meant to provide more protection for the consumer in addition to enhancing competition.

Supporter @2: You obviously have the income level and health care coverage to put down those that you're afraid might take a dollar out of your pocket. I pay for my own health care coverage with an individual policy not involving an employer, so don't worry that this is coming from someone that's trying to rob you. How would you feel if you had a family member dying from a disease they couldn't afford treatments for that could possibly save their life? Much differently, I suspect. This subject totally disgusts me. Open your eyes and join the real world.

Me: The majority of Americans did not and do not want this monstrosity. 60% want it repealed. Why do you think that the House flipped in such a huge way? Not only did the House of Reps flip, but so did governorships, state legislatures, right...t down to the counties. The only reason Steve Cohen didn't get beat is because his district is majority AA and AA's vote 90% for Dems.

We, the consumer, won't have a choice. If our plan changes in any way, we go to a government exchange. It also takes away competition because it's going to cause insurance companies to go out of business. Companies will off-load their insurance costs to the government option because it will be cheaper to pay the penalty than to pay insurance. It also takes away choice in that if the government won't pay for your procedure, then you can't pay for it yourself. Currently, if your insurance doesn't pay, you have the option to pay out of your own pocket.

Look at the Canadian and British HC systems. There are long waits, terrible conditions in their hospitals and they are going broke. There are already many doctors that are not taking new m/c patients. Why is that? It's not because they are greedy. It's because they can't pay their staff and expenses on what the government "deems" to pay them. Why do you think there's a whole cottage industry of med-sup insurance?

Above all, it's unconstitutional. Congress/government cannot mandate us to purchase something, or put us in jail if we don't purchase their product. It's a loss of freedom; pure and simple.


‎Me: @ Supporter #2; I have a daughter that is in the process of getting a kidney transplant. We spent 16 days at Le Bonheur last summer with 8 of those being in PICU. She has dialysis 3 days a week. She went from having a stomach bug, to dehydration, to HUS, to kidney failure. Yes, I am grateful that my husband has a job with excellent coverage, but he works hard for it. I also am grateful for the excellent care and the technologies that have been developed because of our current healthcare system.

I can speak from experience because I have a daughter that now has a huge pre-existing condition. I also know economics though. Insurance companies pool risk. If they pay out more than they take in, they go out of business. They are not like the government which prints money. I also know that there are many kids who are at Le Bonheur with no insurance; so don't give me that only rich people get the best care. I know different.


Steve Cohen: there is no government option.Only insurance companies in exchange.It's insurance reform!children on opolicy of parents til 26;no pre-existing condition disqualification or recision on getting sick or lfetime or yearly caps ;donut hole to be filled;small business subsidies for theier health insurance etc.READ THE BILL!!!

Me: Obama, Barney Frank, and Jan Schakowsky in their own words about single payer, government healthcare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk&feature=player_embedded
The goal is to drive insurance business out of business.

Who is going to pay for this? It's been tried. It doesn't work. It's an economic nightmare. What do you know about how a business works? How to meet a payroll? How to make a profit? You've spent all of your adult life in government. When have you run a business?

Over 250 waivers have been given to companies exempting them from the rigors of the law so that they can stay in business. If it's so good for business, why do they need a waiver?

Steve Cohen: Public option is not law;not the exchange either.Exchange is all private insurance which involves free market competition and that gets better rates for citizens.

Of course the “public option” is not the law. But we all know that as increased government regulation makes it more and more expensive and less and less profitable for private insurance companies to conduct business, competition will decrease until eventually the government is the only payer. It is insulting, disingenuous and incredibly short-sighted to suggest that market conditions will remain static as this law gets implemented. Just look at what has happened in MA since they have implemented the precursor to this monstrosity of a hellcare bill you have passed. http://wizbangblog.com/content/2010/04/06/massachusetts-health-care-system-killing-insurance-companies.php
What does the Federal takeover of student loans have to do with healthcare? If this system is so good for all of us Americans, why isn’t it good enough for you in Congress? I’d be more inclined to listen, if you weren’t being such a hypocrite about it. This is about control; pure and simple. More government control over individual American lives.

Steve Cohen: Wrong again.Congress under same law as everyone.READ THE BILL!and what we did with student lopans was fiscally wise and necessary for law,students,and colleges.Unless you like private lenders making millions off our students who need loans and do so with no risk as loans can't be bankrupted and were guaranteed then you should say halleluah...thanks..right on!And insurance is going nowhere.They'll have 32 million new customers who must buy product.

Me: Herein lies the difference between big government liberals like you and limited government conservatives like me; you believe that government is the answer to any problem. You believe that individuals can’t be trusted to make choices for themselves, but must be controlled by someone in government that knows what’s best for them. You don’t think that anyone can make it on their own, but they must be helped by government. I believe that the role of the federal government is limited by our Constitution. The main purpose of government is national security. I believe in letting individuals make choices that are best for themselves and their families. I don’t look to a politician in DC to solve my problems for me. I believe that private enterprise is more efficient than government bureaucracies and can do a better job 99% of the time ~and that includes healthcare and student loans~
We
I didn’t really expect to get anything but the left’s talking points from you on healthcare, ~and I haven’t been disappointed~ but I have been surprised by your condescending tone to a taxpayer such as myself that pays your salary. You r comments have confirmed to me that you have given no significant or intellectually honest thought to the long-term implications of this healthcare bill to our economy or our healthcare system. Forgive me for expecting more from the people who we send to Washington to represent us.

MidSouth TeaParty: OBAMACARE ROCKS!
http://www.atr.org/comprehensive-list-tax-hikes-obamacare-a5758#

I'm surprised that Mr. Cohen hasn't deleted my comments. I think it's important to ask questions of our elected officials. What is the Constitutional authority for what they pass? They need to know that we are paying attention.

Michelle Bachmann - My Hero

I love Michelle Bachmann. Her new article as referenced here at Honeytrail is awesome!

She should be the Speaker of the House. She's introducting the End Tax Uncertainty Act of 2011 to make the Bush tax rates permament, repeal the death and gift tax, and prevent a tax increase on the maximum tax rate on capital gains and dividend income. She sponsoring Constitutional seminars for Congress ~novel idea~ She's also going to introduce a repeal of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform bill.

Go Michelle Bachmann. You are a modern day Patriot.

Constitutional Classes for Congress?!?

How sad that this is necessary, but it's true. Most Congressmen don't know the Constitution; either that or they are willfully subverting the Founding document of this great country.

Michele Bachmann is starting Consitution classes for Congress in January. Justice Scalia will be teaching Congress about the Constitution and The Declaration of Independance. Let's hope they are good students.

TN Ground Report - Election Day 2010

TN Ground Report

It’s a great day here in Memphis! The Memphis area is represented by 3 different Congressional districts: TN-7,8, and 9. The 7th & 8th districts run east to west in the state while the 9th district is most of Memphis.

I am in the 8th district and our Congressman, John Tanner, is a “blue dog” Dem who saw the writing on the wall and is retiring, hence it’s an open seat. I think the Republican primary here was one of the most expensive in the country. The Republican candidate is a farmer named Stephen Fincher. The local Tea Party is supporting an Independent named Don Janes. The Demonrat in this race, Roy Herron, isn’t even identifying himself as a Demonrat. I wasn’t sure who I was going to vote for because I hadn’t heard much about the Independent candidate, but after a couple of back and forths on the Tea Party FB page a couple of weeks ago, I decided to vote for Fincher. Normally, I would support the party backed by the TP, but I also don’t want to split the conservative/Repub vote and elect a Demonrat either. Turns out, the TP claims that 5 of the 8 TP in the district were co-opted by the state Repub party to support Fincher and didn’t give their guy a chance. After the discussion about this, I decided to vote for Fincher. I’m fairly certain, he’ll win.

The race that is really interesting to me is TN9. The majority of the district is AA. It’s considered one of the safest districts for Dems in the country. There was a big primary race in the Dems between the present Demonrat liberal, progressive, oppressive, Steve Cohen and our former mayor “King Willie” Herenton. “King Willie” is all about race. He is the ultimate race baiter and said he ran solely because Memphis needs a black congressman. He’s right, but it just isn't him. He lost to Cohen in the primary, but now Cohen faces a Conservative AA woman named Charlotte Bergmann. Cohen is an arrogant, condescending lap dog for Pelosi. He shut down his campaign headquarters ~he said he moved it to his home ~ in August. See Here He refused to debate Charlotte Bergmann, calling her a minor candidate. It’s a long shot, but I have a feeling Cohen will be singing a different tune this evening.

The Republicans pulled out an upset in the Shelby County races in August. The Dems here are still whining about it. When Charlotte Bergmann wins tonight, it will indeed be an upset of epic proportions. I can’t wait!

On the Ground Report from Memphis!

I've been published on my favorite political blog Hillbuzz.org It's an on the ground report from Memphis.

Here's the new radio ad from Charlotte Bergmann.



Go Charlotte! You can WHIP the arrogant Pelosi lap dog, Steve Cohen!

Donkeys vs Elephants on Spending

Here's an article that shows the difference between spending under President Bush and spending under the Obama administration. Hey, Big Spenders Also noteworthy is the graph showing the truth of what happened to the deficit when either Democrats or Republicans controlled Congress. When things get tight in your family budget either thru unexpected expenses or loss of income, what do you do? Do you keep spending money or tighten your belts and eliminate some spending. We need to do the same as a country!