Get the Scoundrels Out!

Obama and Congressional Disapproval

OK the new figure's are out and it doesn't look very good for Congress or the President.

According to current polling, Congress has an 11% approval rating still struggling to stay in double digits and Obama; less than 40% of Americans approve of the way he has handled the presidency.

Lets get this straight.

9 of 10 Americans think Congress is doing a terrible job. That is significant. And who wouldn't? They only show up on the job for 130 days a year or 2-3 days a week. They spend every dollar in sight and the money you have in your pocket. Any Bill they happen to pass that affects all Americans they are exempt from. They fight and bicker with each other and get nothing done. Hell, they haven't passed a budget in years, are not willing to reduce the deficit and can only pass a 60 day bill. What kind of Country can operate effectively in 60 days?

Now to Obama's dwindling numbers ... 6 out of 10 Americans think Obama has done a poor job. That makes sense when 4 out of 5 days he is campaigning; bashing Americans, our way of life and Republicans. With that rigorous agenda how do you expect him to have any time left to lead and help America? He spends Saturday planning how to skip town the following week and Sunday ... well it doesn't include Church!

So who are these folks who think Congress and the President are doing a great job?

Well lets do the math.

1 in 10 Americans think that Congress is doing a wonderful job. These folks could be categorized in several ways. Sheep, blind, ignorant, congressional staff, folks receiving bribes, people with their heads in the sand, family, everyone who benefits by legislation they slip into bills, Dumb Ass Americans.

Given these numbers it would be evident to a sixth grader that Congress and the President should be circulating their resumes and that the American public should do the right thing and vote every single one of them out of office and send them back home where they came from.

In 2012 we need voters and leaders today that have the guts to kick every one of these guys out of their Capitol Hill office. That means voting for candidates not for the color of their skin, not for the party they claim to be a part of, not because they are going to do you a favor.

No. You need to vote for candidates that will do the right thing for the American people and what is right for our Country. Period.

Get the Scoundrels Out!

Gary S. DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND

Air Heads

The True Spirit of Christmas

Here we are only two days before Christmas and the headlines today included the story of a mad dash to get new Air Jordans at locations from coast to coast. The melee that ensued included the use of pepper spray, gun shots fired at one store, several stores forced to close their doors ... all because the Sheep herded into athletic shoe stores with the intent of a Buffalo Stampede. Who are these Sheep? Hypnotized to a point they loose all sence of decentcy and decorum.

Consumers so focused on being the first to get a pair of basketball shoes that they fail to remember the real meaning of Christmas. All this ruckus to show off or parade down the street in a new pair of shoes that I thought was utilized to play basketball ... not cause consumers to shoot someone over a pair of shoes.

A reminder to those who have forgotten the true meaning of "Christ"mas ...

The story is how one little boy Jesus the son of God was born in Jeruselem on Christmas Day and changed the world. No King, no General, no Prince, no Politician, no President has ever made more of an inpact for the good of man than Jesus.

As the sun sets on Christmas Eve I am hopeful that you and your family have time to enjoy the spirit of giving and unconditional love that is part of the celebration of this season.

Merry Christmas
and May God Bless America.

Gary DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND

Missed Opportunities

As we close the books on 2011 here in Washington, D.C., it’s hard to shake the feeling of disappointment looking back on the many opportunities our leaders missed this year to address the serious fiscal challenges we face.
We continue to lurch toward the end of the year with a national debt of more than $15 trillion, and with no plan to cut that number down to size. And even though we’re in a hole, Congress won’t stop digging a deeper hole—the federal budget deficit in November was $139 billion. Remarkably, this was treated as good news, since it was smaller than last November’s deficit of $150 billion! OMG

Here we are at Christmas and by the end of the year, neither President Obama nor Congress seemed to have much stomach for coming together to address these problems. My children solve issues better than these guys. The president spent the fall pitching tens of billions more in economic stimulus spending, although his last round of economic stimulus (nearly $800 billion) under-performed wildly. They seem perfectly capable of spending taxpayer dollars, yet they lack any ability to even consider saving.
Meanwhile, Congress has become increasingly dysfunctional; members seem to have given up on getting anything done in favor of looking ahead to a contentious 2012 election season and heading to vacation spots around the world. Look out, Nancy Pelosi will be booking a government charter to send her family to Hawaii to join her buddies.
Our leaders had opportunities throughout the year to address the challenges we face, but time and again, they dropped the ball. Since the end of the year is a great time for looking back and making lists, here’s a review of the top five missed opportunities for government spending reform in 2011:

1. Budget? We don’t need no stinkin’ budget! The principal mechanism Congress has for setting national priorities is the federal budget process; in fact, passing a budget is one of the legislative body’s most important duties. But in 2011, as in 2010 and 2009, Congress once again failed to produce a federal budget toguide the government’s spending decisions—an unconscionable dereliction of duty. What if corporate officers of the top 200 businesses failed to propose a budget? I'll tell you what would happen, they'd all be fired.

2. Getting floored by the debt ceiling debate. A summer-long debate over raising the nation’s debt ceiling offered an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to seriously assess the government’s spending trajectory and take action to set the nation on a more sustainable course. But after months of squabbling, a perfectly unsatisfactory compromise emerged to raise the debt ceiling, while punting tough spending reform decisions to later. They chose instead the normal route, bounce the ball down the street for the next Congress to tackle. This led directly to….

3. The crisis of credit confidence. Immediately following the debt ceiling debacle, the credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded their rating on U.S. debt for the first time in history—a vote of “no confidence” in the nation’s ability to get its financial affairs in order. I'm actually amazed their wasn't more outcry from the public. But wait ... the rating may well go down another two levels this year.

4. The "Super Committee"? Not so super. As part of the debt ceiling compromise, Congress established a 12-member “Super Committee” charged with reducing the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, with a November deadline to present their plan. The deadline came and passed, but the committee failed to deliver as negotiations deteriorated over disputes over tax hikes and much-needed reforms to entitlements and defense spending. First of all this whole debacle seems unconstitutional and who thought 12 would be a good number?

5. Spending and spending, but without a plan. Washington has proven it can’t prepare and live under a budget, but one thing Congress is good at is spending money right? Not necessarily. Congress is supposed to pass appropriations bills directing how billions in federal funds will be spent in a given fiscal year before October 1 (certain spending categories, like defense, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are automatic and thus exempted from this process). This year, they missed that deadline, yet again. As I write on December 22nd, Congress has only passed three of 12 appropriations bills—more than three months behind schedule.
Following the elections of 2010, which delivered a withering blow to the president’s congressional majorities, many people thought our elected officials might get the message and finally embrace a true commitment to fiscal responsibility—cutting spending and getting the national debt under control. You've got to be kidding me!
Why? Chalk it up to a lack of leadership and responsibility on the part of our elected officials. And while Republicans and Democrats are furiously pointing fingers and playing the blame game, it’s time we hold them all accountable with a simply, three-word demand: “Keep your promises.”
As we wrap up 2011 and survey the wreckage in the nation’s capital, maybe at least a few of our leaders will take those three words to heart and make it their New Year’s resolution for a more constructive, productive 2012. I'm not going to hold my breath! My suggestion ... get the scoundrels out! Every single one of them.

Gary DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND