Is Michelle Obama Proud of America Yet?

Do you think First Lady Michelle Obama is proud of America yet? Do you think she has learned more about her own country than she realized as candidate Obama's wife, speaking on the campaign stump admitting to an audience that she had never "really felt proud" of America until her husband became the candidate for President?

Are you proud of such a self-absorbed, arrogant, hypocrite as your First Lady?

Her statement pops into my mind on days like this. I was shocked as I first heard such a tone deaf statement come from the mouth of a woman of privilege. Yes, privilege, even before she was in her current position. She grew up in a home in Chicago where her father worked for the City of Chicago, so he didn't have to worry about employment. She may have had a "humble" upbringing but she didn't go to bed hungry or on the streets. She was best friends with a daughter of Jesse Jackson, so she was politically connected. She received scholarships to obtain an Ivy League education. She went to law school. She landed a good job in Chicago. She became the wife of a State Senator, then U.S. Senator. While she enjoys talking about shopping at Target and J.Crew, she long ago stopped being 'ordinary', and certainly no victim.

Do you think today, as she celebrates the birthday of her older daughter at Camp David with other members of her immediate family tagging along, she feels any remorse for her utterly stupid remark on the campaign trail?

Or is it because she grew up in the church of Reverend Wright and the Black Liberation philosophy that claims she is still a victim of the white man in our country? Is this upbringing the root of her inability to appreciate the greatness of our country and the price paid by so many for our greatness?

On July 1, 1776 in Philadelphia a debate began on the final language of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams led the charge that the time was upon them to stake out independence from England. The debate lasted 9 hours. It was agreed a final vote would be taken the following morning. As the British fleet approached New York, a quick vote was taken on July 2 and the language was set.

The document was printed. The final signing was set for the next month. Contrary to popular thought, the Declaration of Independence was not signed by the majority until later in August. John Hancock and Charles Thompson did sign it when it was printed, before the others.

Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Adams last words are reported to have been, "Thomas Jefferson still lives", though, in fact, Jefferson had died earlier in the day.

I do not understand Americans who do not feel pride in our country. I do not understand politicians who feel the need to go overseas and 'apologize' for our country's actions of the past. And, I certainly do not understand a sitting President of the United States who bows to the Saudi King as he greets him.

The irony is that those whining the loudest are so blind to the fact that this is the only country on earth where such opportunity exists, no matter who you are or where you come from.

Our Founding Fathers would be so disappointed.

How Cap And Trade Hits Texas

There is an interesting and informative series of articles on the website of Michael Williams, Texas Railroad Commissioner about the consequences of the recently passed cap and trade legislation in the House of Representatives for the state of Texas.

Michael Williams is running for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as she runs for governor. He is sharp, ambitious, articulate and from all indications, a good guy. I fully support his run for the U.S. Senate.

Williams points out that the National Black Chamber of Commerce, The Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation state that cap and trade will reduce national GDP, eliminate jobs and cost families a lot of money.

Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller, estimates "the typical Texas family (3.4 members) could expect to spend up to an additional $1,136 on medicine, food, clothes and other household goods and services over the next year if cap and trade passes. The price of everything from cell phones, diapers, aspirin and lipstick will rise because of increased production costs. As a regressive tax, this will disproportionately affect single moms, the poor and minorities."

An additional $1,136 is a hefty chunk of change for a family struggling to make ends meet in today's difficult economic times.

Texas, the second most populous state, is the energy capital of the country. Combs says, "the current plan to implement mandatory emissions caps will weigh far more on Texas than other regions of the country." Perhaps President Obama privately enjoys the slap to the very red state of Texas.

On agriculture, Texas ranks third for agricultural exporting, providing 1.7 million jobs. Cash receipts in 2007 totaled $19.9 billion with the end result of $100 billion to the state's economy. The cap and trade, as passed by the House of Representatives, will impact 3,800 Texas farms, 28,000 beef cattle operations and 640 diaries. According to the Williams web site: "For Texas cotton gins alone, the estimated cost of permitting is pegged at more than $8.5 million for 248 relatively small facilities. CO2 regulations will also increase outlays for all Texas farms, producers and processors for things like equipment installations, irrigation, fertilizer and electricity. The regulations will also have a negative impact on the rural communities in which many of these businesses operate."

Encourage your Senators, strongly, to say no to cap and trade legislation as it is now presented.

Obama Declares Only Republicans Are Fear Mongers

So, are the forty-four Democrats that voted against the cap-and-trade bill 'fear mongering' out of touch, living in the past, politicians 'scaring the bejesus out of people'? That is how President Obama has described Republicans voicing opposition to the bill.

Jennifer Rubin in Commentary writes, "The president got himself tied up in knots discussing the cap-and-trade bill. The New York Times reports that he sympathized with the large number of Democratic defectors who can't look their constituents in the eye and tell them home state industries are going to take a big hit: "I think those 44 Democrats are sensitive to the immediate political climate of uncertainty around this issue," Mr. Obama said. "They've got to run every two years, and I completely understand that." Many of them represent districts that rely heavily on coal for power generation or that are home to industries vulnerable to international competition. Mr. Obama said the House bill contained transitional assistance for these regions."

First, how does anyone know what was really in this bill? This piece of legislation was over 1300 pages long and no one admits to actually having read the thing. The fact that elected officials, sent to Washington to be the voice of the American people, continue to vote of bills that are not read much less understood is horrifying to me, especially as this new administration marches on in its desire to completely overhaul our way of life.

Second, this bill did pass, barely, with the help of six Republicans. There is no excuse for this action. I hope the voters in their districts agree and find worthy candidates to run against them in the next primary. Apparently, these six Republicans haven't heard the voice of their people. Stop the madness in Washington, D.C.

Obama said of the Republicans opposing the bill that they "are 16 years behind the times" as he compared the opposition to the energy and health care debates of the Clinton years.

So, if your district's member of the House is a Democrat and voted against the bill, that is understandable because it is all about the next election. If, however, your district's member is a Republican and voted against the bill on the principle that it is a bad bill, a huge tax on every living member of the country and a huge job killer, then that elected official is a fear monger. All this rhetoric from the man who promised to stop the demonization of those who disagree with his policies, to bring back true bi-partisan approaches to Washington.

The president "delayed the start of a Sunday golf game to speak to a small group of reporters in the Oval Office", according to The New York Times. He wanted to explain why he felt comfortable taxing American companies while giving foreign trading partners a pass. "At a time when the economy worldwide is still deep in recession and we've seen a significant drop in global trade, I think we have to be very careful about sending any protectionist signals out there."

Are you a Republican? Are you a business owner? Well, too bad for you. President Obama intends to penalize you and shower the goodies to others.

And, if you are an employee of the EPA and do not march in lockstep with the rest of the global climate change alarmists, well, you will be silenced by the administration of the man who accused the former administration of succumbing to junk science. Obama and his fellow Democrats enjoyed accusing the Bush administration of silencing opposition from the scientific community of their environmental policies, yet we see the same playing out now.

"Alan Carlin, the primary author of the 98-page EPA report, told CBSNEws.com in a telephone interview on Friday that his boss, McGartland, was being pressured himself. "It was his view that he either lost his job or he got me working on something else," Carlin said. "That was obviously coming from higher levels." The report "warned against making hasty 'decisions based on a scientific hypothesis that does not appear to explain most of the available data.'

Carlin is a 38 year veteran of the EPA. He has no negative marks on his career record. There is no reason to believe he would author anything but truthful findings in his report.

Those in this administration's hierarchy reigning over the EPA are many former Clinton people. Carol Browner was a protege of Al Gore. She left the Clinton administration after the 2000 elections and joined a socialist organization with the mission of international laws to be put in place concerning restrictions and regulations on business and industry.

The fact that most claims in Al Gore's award winning PowerPoint presentation billed as a documentary have been de-bunk seems not to matter. Global climate change is no longer the most important issues on the minds of Americans. It ranks far down the line. Democrats want to continue to state that the issue is no longer open to debate.

The facts are not on the alarmists' side. Yes, climate change is real. No, man is not solely responsible nor capable of stopping the changes in the climate. How arrogant. Mother nature governs the world in cycles. We can be good stewards to the earth in our own small ways but not with massive effects.

Democrats are intent on squashing business and our way of life. They sound, at times, as though success looks like the pre-Industrial Revolution days. This is insane.

The change I am still hoping for in Washington? The return of common sense.

When A Coup Isn't A Coup

As President Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, try to arrive on the same page as far as their thoughts on the situation on the ground in Honduras goes, let's look at what happened.

President Mel Zelaya, protege of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, overstepped his authority and the people were not given a voice. Zelaya tried to change the Honduran Constitution, which is allowable if he had bothered to follow the law of the land. He was required to use a national referendum to call a constituent assembly. This has to be approved by Congress. Zelaya declared the vote and asked his mentor, Hugo Chavez, to provide the shipment of ballots from Venezuela.

Hondurans rebelled. The Supreme Court declared the referendum unconstitutional. The military was instructed to not carry out the logistics of the vote, according to an article by Mary Anastasia O'Grady in The Wall Street Journal online. The General who told Zelaya the military had to comply was fired. The Supreme Court ordered that he be reinstated. Zelaya refused the ruling.

Zelaya called together a mob of supporters who distributed the ballots even though the decision that the referendum vote was illegal. Zelaya was arrested by the military Saturday and flown to Costa Rica.

The thugs called this a coup. This term was taken up by the media and even by our own President and Secretary of State. The facts do not bear this out. President Obama is busy calling this "illegal" while, in fact, it was the democratically elected leader of Honduras who was doing the illegal act.

Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama offered statements that were not exactly on the same page. Clinton was far more measured than Obama in stating that this is not an ordinary 'coup' and that the situation is fluid.

The military was carrying out the order from the Supreme Court. The President was defying the rule of law. Roberto Micheletti has been sworn in as President. He was previously in an office equivalent to that of our Speaker of the House.

U.S. diplomats have been quietly working behind the scenes for several weeks to try to discourage a 'coup' and the violence that followed. Unfortunately they were not successful and the military carried out its orders.

Why is it so difficult for President Obama to stand up for freedom and the people demanding it? First, as a presidential candidate, he let down the people of Georgia against Russia; next it was the people in the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran; and now it is the voter in Hondura. This is disturbing. The leader of the free world is expected to be stronger than that.

It is as though Obama considers his standing - his popularity - with the OAS as the most important consideration. The fact is that OAS is corrupt and has even allowed Cuba into its organization. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza was encouraged by Zelaya to allow Cuba as a member. Insulza does not seem to be concerned about Zelaya's power grab.

Clinton said Honduras should be "condemned by all" Sunday before she took a more measured stance today. Maybe she is realizing the side for which she should champion.

Maybe she can clue in our President. Honduras does not have to go the route of Venezuela.

Jenny Sanford Sets Example

I didn't know what she even looked like but on Thursday, I became Jenny Sanford's biggest fan. The best part of the strange and rambling statement from Gov Mark Sanford's press availability to declare his whereabouts as he went missing for a few days was the fact that his wife, Jenny, was nowhere to be seen.

The fact that a politician has been found to be cheating on his wife is not a new story and not shocking. It is all too common. The taste of power does odd things to an ego. But the continued appearances of scorned wives standing by the side of their unfaithful husbands is a bit too much for most people to endure. For once, a political wife stood on her own and denied the media that photo opportunity.

After reading a bit about Jenny Sanford, I am impressed. The granddaughter of the founder of Skil power tool company, she graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in finance. She worked on Wall Street for an investment banking firm. She is a millionaire. She helped her husband launch a political career and ran his campaigns for Congress and then governor. Campaign workers lived in their basement.

She is formidable in her own right. She is the mother of four young sons and her family's survival is utmost on her mind. If her husband can rise to her terms, the marriage may mend. If not, she has made it clear that her first priority is the raising of her children. She was told of the affair five months ago and recently separated from Sanford. "We reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity, self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong. This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage."

This is a strong woman.

Maybe the example of Jenny Sanford's absence as her husband tells the world about this weakness for an Argentinian woman will strengthen the next political wife to face the same break of marital vows.

The matter of if Sanford will resign from his office as governor is fodder for the talking heads on cable television. He appears to be standing firm in his insistence that he will stay in office. This is a different situation than the standard cheating spouse story. This elected office - the top of the chain of command for his state - left the state without the proper instructions or process put into place. No one knew his whereabouts. He put his staff in a precarious position.

One less potential presidential candidate on the Republican 2012 list.

The President of Cool Feels No Pain

Did you notice during the last press conference with President Obama that the questioners were a bit more aggressive in asking actual questions? Not quite where they should be, yet, but a glimmer of hope for some change in the slobbering adoration of this President and anything that he says or does.

The President was on the defensive and a bit testy when he was pressed for real answers, not pie in the sky generalizations. The man is thin-skinned. His skin has not toughened as he hasn't faced real opposition in his brief time on a national stage.

A terrific post by blogger The Anchoress, lists some questions that should have been asked by the adoring press corp at the White House yesterday of President Obama. As the White House is busy coordinating questions with the Huffington Post blogger allowed to participate in the session yesterday, it reminds one of the daily telephone chats that lay out the daily talking points for elected officials in the Democratic Party supplied by Rahm Emmanuel and company. It is quite the cozy arrangement. The liberal cheerleaders of President Obama, those who demand so much transparency in government are quite happy to go along to get along. Such change in this administration!

One question concerned the 'hot dog diplomacy' in light of the demonstrations in Iran. The Obama decision to invite Iranian ambassadors to American consulates around the globe for 4th of July celebrations - the first such invitations ever - is now seen as less than acceptable. First, no Iranian ambassadors accepted any invitations and then after some questioning, the White House quietly rescinded the invitations.

Something not being asked: where is the curiosity about the letter sent to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei several weeks ago - long before the elections - requesting dialogue and engagement between our two countries, as reported by CNN? Christiane Amanpour broke the news. Seems Obama assumed the Supreme Leader would succeed with his election plans and Obama wanted to sit around a table with him and talk things over.

According to The CNN Wire: "Khamenei made an indirect reference to the letter in his sermon on Friday at Tehran University: "The U.S. President said that we were waiting for a day like this to see people on the street," the Iranian leader said. "Some people attributed these remarks to Obama and the they write letters to say we're ready to have ties; that we respect the Islamic Republic and on the other hand they make such comments Which one should we believe?"

"One Iranian source said before the election, "We thought President Obama would send congratulations to President Ahmedinajad" and his senior advisers had already prepared a response to the anticipated note, which never came."

Far left Democrats have an odd acceptance of totalitarian dictatorships. It even confuses the dictators.

Obama was asked if the strong statements by Senators McCain and Graham in support of the Iranian demonstrators had strengthened his statements of support. He was embarrassed, as he should be. He is the leader of the free world and it is his job to promote freedom for all people, not kowtow and use respectful tones for dictators. He bowed to the Saudi King as he visited him and the left was fine with that. Remember when President Bush extended his hand to assist the feeble old man walk into his ranch? That was re-run over and over, mocking Bush for holding his hand. Simple courtesy is different than capitulation.

From Richard Cohen in The Washington Post: "If McCain, Graham and others have a valid complaint, it is not with Obama's words but with his music. The President of Cool seems emotionally disconnected from events in Tehran - not unconcerned but not particularly upset, either. This is a quality that will cost Obama plenty in coming years. He can acknowledge your pain, but he cannot feel it."

Supporting Senator Hutchison

Frankly, I don't understand those living outside of a state inserting themselves into a state election. Some of that is beginning here in Texas and it is just odd. These same people are from the far right of the party and were the most enamoured with Governor Perry as he went off the cliff with the embarrassing publicity he generated for our state concerning secession.

Perry had to spend many days explaining a remark he made at a Tea Party demonstration about the federal stimulus money. He made lots of bluster over turning down the stimulus money and it was just plain wrong. He was deceitful about the fact that the State of Texas received the majority of the stimulus money allotted. He was turning down the money which would have transformed future unemployment compensation distribution. The Texas State Controller, Susan Combs, has a transparent online tracking system of the stimulus money as it is received and distributed.

The very far right pundits who cheered on Perry for standing up in support of the 10th amendment are now feeling perfectly free to weigh in on another state's race for governor. The polls are not too favorable for Governor Perry - he is not very well liked, though he does have faithful of the base of the Republican party. If your sole issue is on the pro-life agenda, Perry is your man. He is quite good at stirring up the base with social issues.

Unfortunately for Perry, most Texans are more concerned about fiscal issues. While he has cut some taxes and Texas still leads the country on the employment numbers, he has done nothing to tighten the border. Illegal immigration is a huge dollar suck from our state coffers.

Perry has appointed all of the Texas A & M University board of directors and it is in chaos. He supported the head of the State Board of Education and he has now been replaced after embarrassing Texas as a self proclaimed creationist willing to short the science education of Texas school children to fit his personal beliefs. Texas' ranking nationally is nothing to write home about.

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is running against Perry. Perry is running for an unprecedented third term as governor. Perry is a former Democrat who benefited from the 2000 election of George W. Bush as President. As Lt Governor, Perry rose to Governor at that time. He was re-elected with less than half of the vote. He wants a third term.

Senator Hutchison has a wide variety of experience at the state and national level. She was State Treasurer and led the fight against a proposed Texas state income tax. She put into place cost cutting measures and increased investments and returns of state monies to $1 billion for the first time in Texas state history.

She was the first Texas Republican woman elected to the State House of Representatives. She has been in the U.S. Senate - the first woman elected to the Senate from Texas - and has been a strong advocate for military families, transportation issues, property rights, and energy legislation. She is a strong supporter of NASA. Most importantly, she can work with both sides of the aisle.

Perhaps that is the problem for the far right. If an elected official is seen as someone who can work with others to produce legislation, then that person must be a sell-out. It is a very juvenile and myopic way of looking at the legislative process. These same people will be the ones yelling loudest as the current administration in Washington, with enough votes to exclude the minority party - the Republicans- pushes through legislation without Republican support.

A favorite criticism is that Hutchison is not a 'true conservative'. She isn't a 'real Republican'. Those holding silly purity tests so dear are the ones who will guarantee that Republicans will be in the wilderness for many years to come. Political parties are not private clubs. The idea is to include as many people as possible, to appeal to as many voters as possible.

The name of the game in politics is to win elections. There are distinct differences between the two parties. Unfortunately, some Republicans think they hold some kind of moral authority over others. This arrogance is a big obstacle to overcome as reasonable people work to bring the Republican party back on track.