Hey, Barack! We're not for sale!

Senator Obama, you missed the point.

This country wasn't founded to give away free college educations, guaranteed housing or universal health care. This country, unique in the world, was founded to give opportunity. You see, the whole idea was to create a place where men, and women, of all colors and persuasions, could choose their own futures by virtue of their own abilities and desire. The plan was to create an environment highly favorable to the human spirit and to allow the individual the space to produce. It was never intended that we expect something for nothing here. We ask not for handouts, but offer a hand up to those around us in need. We take care of our own. We work hard, and strive to provide more for our families. We do these things because we are good people and because we know that our successes will be first our own, not because those we elect to protect our rights choose instead to take them away.

With this freedom comes personal responsibility. It is the duty, and right, of every citizen of this country to make their own future to the best of their ability. There will always be those who lack the ability to care for themselves, and it is our responsibility to assist them. But if we are to be our brothers' keepers, it should be by our choice, not yours. If we work hard and do well, we should be allowed to determine how our earnings are distributed, not a bunch of crooked bureaucrats in Washington D.C. You call it selfishness - we call it the only workable system of governance. Only if we have hope that we can change our own futures do we have a reason to try. Who would do anything if there were no ultimate reward? Where would we be as a nation if there were no incentive to work? That's what it's all about, Senator. You've been reading the wrong books - put down the Alinsky and pick up Ayn Rand.

You see, you and Karl Marx have it exactly backward. The line should read, "To each according to his ability, from each according to his need." Think about it.

Sorry, Barack. You can't have our American Dream.

Obama - Serving His Constituents

For months we have heard about all the little people who are contributing to the Obama campaign. Each month, when fundraising numbers are released, we are told that the vast majority of these donations came in $10 or $25 increments. If this is the case, it is likely that many of these donors really could not afford the donation they made - that they gave up something, made a personal sacrifice, to support the candidate they believe in so strongly.

Obama claims to be the candidate who will improve the standing of the poor. The foundation of his candidacy is his desire to lift people out of poverty, to provide hope for the hopeless. It is an idea which has sold well, as his millions of small donors shows. These people believe in this man and believe that he has their best interests at heart. They have given up their hard-earned (or government gifted?) dollars to support the ideal of a leader who is "one of them" - who understands their plight and will change their lives for the better.

While this all sounds very high-minded and inspirational, consider the reality of Senator Obama's, and his wife, Michelle's, conduct. Last Thursday, Obama was invited to attend the Alfred E. Smith Memorial fundraiser at the Waldorf-Astoria, a presidential campaign tradition. The room rates at the Waldorf-Astoria start at $599.00 a night, and go up to $799.00 for a one bedroom suite. While hotels in New York are unquestionably expensive, certainly it would have been possible for the Obamas to locate accomodations nearby that would have shown more respect for the value of their donors' contributions. Instead, they treated themselves to a night at the Waldorf. If we assume the rate they paid for this room was an average of the rates above, they spent between 28 and 70 of those $10 to $25 contributions to pay for this room. Of course, we know that they were not the only representatives of the campaign present in the hotel - there had to be security people there, aides, etc., but lacking exact numbers of persons, or rooms, it is impossible to determine the real cost of this extravagence.

If merely choosing to stay at this pricey hotel is not enough evidence of the immense hubris of Senator and Mrs. Obama, let us consider the afternoon snack Michelle ordered from room service.

Suppose you were a donor to the Obama campaign. Suppose you had scrimped on your household budget, month after month, to squeeze out ten dollars a month to contribute to this man, and you learned that nearly seven months of your donations, seven months of your sacrifice, had been thoughtlessly plunked down for nothing more than the delivery charge for this "snack"! Suppose your family had eaten fish sticks instead of hamburger to save this money, and you learned that the Obamas are having a "snack" that costs more than you spend on groceries to feed your family for a month.

The Obamas' complete disregard of their supporters is a clue to the attitude we could expect should this couple occupy the White House. They obviously do not see themselves as "one of us" - they deserve much more than we could ever dream of having. They obviously have no concerns about personal economy or wise spending; extrapolated to the nation, this is a frightening prospect. Combined with the class warfare rhetoric that is a central fixture of Obama's stump speech, this minor incident foretells a policy of high taxes and wasteful spending unlike any we have ever known in this country.

At this moment in our nation's history, we need Ebenezer Scrooge, not Marie Antoinette, in the White House.

Joe the Plumber, Joe America

Joe the Plumber is just a guy. He could be Bob the Fry Cook, or Jenny the Sales Clerk, or Juan the Barber. It doesn't matter.


The media have been doing their own plumbing job on Joe, telling us that he is not what he pretends to be. What does he pretend to be? Did he ask Barack Obama to thrust him into the national spotlight? Did he make any claim that he currently earned more than $250,000 a year? And, more importantly, why does any of that matter?

Joe is really Joe America. He could not be Joe France, or Joe Kenya, or Joe Venezuela. But, because he had the good fortune of being born in the United States of America, he has something billions of people around the world do not - a dream.

Only in America is Joe possible. Joe is just a little guy now, but he has big plans. He plans to acquire a business, improve his standard of living and that of his family, and hire workers, creating jobs that will move our economy forward. He is not asking for help or handouts, he does not expect it to be easy. Joe is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, and he knows that his success rests in his own hands. No where else on earth does the general population have the opportunity to create success the way we, as Americans, do.

There is a reason for the phrase "The American Dream." Note that you have never heard that phrase with any other country's name substituted for America - there is no Norwegian Dream or Russian Dream. But the American Dream - it is sought by millions of people, in every country, and represents an ideal that was born when this nation was born; an ideal that has given unparalleled hope to generations. The American Dream. It means different things to each of us, but the overarching meaning is clear and universal - it is the ability to advance one's standing, to improve the conditions in which one lives, to have a better tomorrow. It is the product of freedom, unthinkable in the absence of liberty. Only in America can the poor become the wealthy through hard work, dedication and personal responsibility. This has been a cornerstone of our nation since its inception over 230 years ago.

Joe understands this. He doesn't want handouts or material support, he doesn't expect anyone to make his path easy for him. He wants only that which has been the birthright of every American since the beginning - the freedom and opportunity to make his own American Dream come true. He understands that the true purpose of government is to protect his rights, not limit them. He doesn't believe that he should be punished for his hard work and personal sacrifices, but should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

In the end, that's what this election is all about. Personal freedom, personal responsibility. The media would have us believe that Joe is a phony, because he isn't already a business owner, and doesn't fit their definition of wealthy. In fact, Joe is wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings. Joe has his American Dream.

Maybe Joe will never own his own business. Maybe he will never earn a quarter of a million dollars a year. Maybe his dreams will fall short. As long as those shortcomings are of Joe's own making, so be it. If Joe isn't willing to work hard enough, or to be thrifty enough, to make his own dreams come true, then he will have no one to blame but himself. But if politicians, through their policies and laws, rob Joe of his dream, it is a very different thing.

When politicians overstep their role as protectors and presume to have superior insight to those they govern, freedom suffers. When laws are passed mandating that the productive few are responsible for the livelihood of the fruitless masses, liberty grieves. When all incentive to succeed is purloined, the American Dream will die. Without our dreams, we cease to be exceptional. Without our dreams, we cease to be.

We are all Joe. Each of us, whatever our skill or standing, wants more for our children, a better future. That is the very essence of the American spirit. The fact that it remains possible for us is our greatest gift, one that we should never take lightly. Obama's desire to "spread the wealth around" is more accurately a quest to strip this nation of its soul against which each of us should rail mightily. With his simple question, Joe the Plumber stripped aside all the rhetoric and platitudes, and illuminated the ugly truth for all to see. Our dreams are not safe in the hands of Barack Obama. And if we give up our dreams, we die.

What McCain Needs to Say

When John McCain is given the opportunity to make an opening statement at the third and final Presidential Debate scheduled for this coming Wednesday evening, this is what he should say.

Thank you, Bob Schieffer, and thanks to the fine people of Hofstra University for inviting us to your excellent campus this evening. My friends, the topic of this evening's debate is the economy, an excellent choice given the grave problems currently confronting our nation and the world. I have a comprehensive plan for dealing with the current economic crisis, and am most anxious to have the opportunity to share the details with you.

However, as I have travelled across our country recently, talking to thousands of good, hard-working Americans about their concerns and the trials they face, they have expressed other concerns that trouble them even more than the economy. I could not responsibly present myself as an advocate for the American people were I to turn a deaf ear to these concerns.

Senator Obama, the American people are troubled. They feel that you are not being fully honest and forthcoming about your past, your beliefs or your associations. They fail to understand why you have not released your birth certificate, college publications and transcripts or medical records. They want to understand how you could champion an organization like ACORN that they believe is cheapening their most basic right, the right to vote. They do not have friends like Weathermen terrorist Bill Ayers, or clergymen who express radical anti-American views like Jeremiah Wright. They do not do business with convicted felons like Tony Rezko.

Americans are troubled by your votes against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, and the more than one hundred times that you voted present while in the Illinois Senate. They understand that a President does not have the luxury of voting present; a President must make tough, often unpopular decisions to protect the people he leads. They are uncomfortable with the lack of judgment you have shown in crisis, as when Russia invaded the sovereign territory of its free and democratic neighbor, Georgia, and your lack of understanding of the need to reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before they could lead to today's economic emergency.

They have pleaded with me to ask you these questions, Senator, and I gave them my word that I would. So, while I sincerely hope that we can devote this evening to an in-depth comparison of our ideas on turning the American economy around, it is incumbent upon me to put forward these issues that are of such paramount importance to the voters. With all due respect, Senator, the American people would like to hear your explanation for these things.

Thank you.

Go Ahead...Call Me a Racist

Productive Americans are angry.

The global economy is in total meltdown. We are watching our savings plans evaporate before our very eyes, while governments around the world throw billion after billion of taxpayer dollars (OUR dollars! As if the losses we're already taking aren't enough!) on economic problems that are threatening to annihilate life as we know it. It's like fighting a forest fire with a squirt gun.

I am not responsible for this crisis. I am not, in any way, a contributor to this crisis. I pay my bills. I have a mortgage on my house that, in twenty years, has never missed a payment. It's not that I'm rich, it's that I'm responsible. If I can't afford new clothes (I can't) or don't have the price of a movie or meal at my favorite restaurant (I don't), I do without. I have a number of credit cards, none of which carry a balance from month to month, and none of which have ever been paid a single day late. In short, I believe in personal responsibility.

This whole financial crisis began as a Democrat social engineering project. In the name of fairness, Democrats in Congress, aided first by Jimmy Carter, then Bill Clinton in the White House, passed laws which, in a nutshell, forced banks to lend to people who had no business borrowing money. It is, of course, a lot more complicated than that...if you want to watch an excellent video that explains the whole mess in detail, click here. My goal is not to explain the technical details, but the spirit of the problem.

Congressional Democrats, in a bid to further cement the votes of minorities, passed laws that facilitated the acquisition of ridiculously large mortgages by people with ridiculously small qualifications. Some of these people were undoubtedly misused by greedy lenders who had nothing to lose on the deal. Some were simply unrealistic and believed they would be able to make the enormous payments when they finally came due. Others were unscrupulous speculators, gambling on the rising values of real estate to secure their own personal fortunes. And many were downright dishonest - they knew at the outset that they wouldn't be able to meet the obligation they were making, and didn't care. We now know that there are, literally, millions of bad mortgages out there that were given to illegal immigrants, with fake or stolen Social Security numbers and no credit history...many with no job. None of them, however, were believers in personal responsibility. None of them gave any serious thought to consequences.

And, of course, the Democrats' ploy was successful - they won the votes, and consequently, the power, they sought. Now, when their house of cards has crumbled, they have the unmitigated gall to point fingers at Republicans and blame deregulation for the crisis.

The only sin of the Republicans in this matter was their relative silence, borne of a lack of understanding of the repercussions and scope of the problem. Few of us are economic experts, and there are fewer still in Congress. The warnings were there, but those sounding them didn't scream loudly enough to get the point across to the blowhards who could have changed the situation. I do hold the Republicans responsible, but to a much smaller degree than their counterparts across the aisle.

The Democrats, however, should be prosecuted for this offense. Their complete disregard for playing by the rules is criminal. Through their actions, they have caused millions (billions?) of people to lose large portions of their retirement accounts, put people out of business, even caused murders and suicides. Their relentless pursuit of power, at any cost, has resulted in a cost far too big for the world to bear. Greed, stupidity and ego are not excuses - these people are the worst kind of criminals.

From the very beginning of this crisis, Barack Obama has been in it up to his neck. He worked training representatives for ACORN in Chicago in the early 90's who went on to protest in banks and force formerly responsible, intelligent bankers to give loans to the downtrodden poor, when any fool could see that the loan was not deserved. Obama actively promoted this practice, used his position on charitable boards to help fund it, and now has the audacity to sell himself as qualified for the highest office in the land, the man who will "change" it all. The man is a socialist, a fraud and a liar unlike any this nation has ever seen competing for the office of president.

And now, in less than four weeks, we have an election. And the very downtrodden, underprivileged people who share no small part of the blame for our current situation will, once again, turn out in hordes to vote for their champions. This in spite of all the stories that we read about the very objects of their adoration disrespecting them, looking down their elite noses at the soiled masses. The throngs of poor, underprivileged people who pay no taxes, and less attention, who go through life with their hands out, seeking gifts they apparently believe they deserve simply because they exist, will turn out to vote for the criminals who have made their careers by legislating these gifts. And, because their numbers have grown dramatically while the numbers of the responsible have dwindled, large numbers of the criminals will be returned to office, to continue their Robin Hood ways, robbing those who produce to give to those who do not. Anyone who dares to try to point out the untenable position they take is labelled a racist. Quite a convenient little arrangement they have here - they use their handouts to create a permanent welfare class, they foment racism by painting every criticism as racist. They use their influence with the teachers' union to insure that a good education is not available to help the victims rise above it all, they regulate, confiscate and control the very life out of the people they are supposed to represent.

I don't care what color a person happens to be. Never in my life have I made a decision about a person on the basis of their skin color. But no one has the right to take my hard earned income without my permission. The knowledge that there are millions of people in this country who have no stake in the future, who pay no taxes, own no property and have no self respect, who can vote for people who will appropriate my income and seek to control my very freedom infuriates me beyond belief. I have no use for the uninformed, and less for the devious. The Democrats in Congress are both.