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

The $16 Muffin

Waste and Abuse - Business as usual on Capitol Hill

Where does a muffin cost more than $16 you ask?

Well I'll tell you where - at a government conference hosted by the Justice Department. Even Starbucks muffins are less than two bucks. So it makes me wonder why in this depressed economic environment government agencies continue to waste taxpayer dollars without any limit in site. The muffins were apparently the tip of the iceberg. A recent Justice Department audit found at another conference, lunch was $76 per person and a cup of coffee was $8.24 a cup. Again, you can get a Grande Mocha at Starbucks for less than four bucks. So why is the government spending twice that amount? Don't tell me the competitive bid process yielded a best price of $8.24 for a cup of coffee!

Who are these purchasing agents, managers and directors anyway? Do they realize there is a recession out there? Who do they report to and how long will this abuse of power and wasteful spending continue?

It is relatively easy for American voters to get rid of Congress and elected officials when they are ineffective or they are voting counter to public opinion ... we vote them out of office. But how do we end the abuse of taxpayer dollars by purchasing agents within the hallways of the various agencies of the US Government? Rooting them out by way of an audit is one thing ... but what happens to those staff members who buy a muffin for $16? Do we just simply tell him/her don't do that again or do we fire them? Who is accountable?

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and his Democratic counterpart Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) voiced their concern this week. Grassley said, "Sixteen-dollar muffins and $600,000 for event planning services are what makes Americans cynical about government and why they are demanding change. The Justice Department appears to be blind to the economic realities our country is facing." Leahy added that "wasteful spending is never justified" and that "like all agencies, the Justice Department will be asked to trim its spending."

When the Special Congressional Committee meets soon to review areas where the government could save money I would recommend they reel-in these purchasing agents by requiring them to guarantee the lowest price for every line item on PO's and require the customary bid process (3 sealed bids) for all government spending until they can prove that their spending habits are in line with these requirements.

Makes you wonder why these purchasing agents would buy items that they know are exorbitant and well beyond market price. Do you think they buy muffins at Starbucks for $16 a piece?

Gary S. DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND

Courtside Diplomacy

Hoyas in Diplomatic Exchange

SETUP FOR DISASTER

OK first of all ... if Joe Biden and Coach John Thompson, III thought for one moment that when they boarded the plane to play China this week in a fair and civil game of basketball; that it would lead to a love fest of diplomacy and end with a hand shake and a kiss on China's home court?  If they truly believed that ... They must have had Jim Jones kool-aid on the plane or they were smoking some great weed.

Now let's review the playing field. We owe China 900 Billion US Dollars, they sell us (American consumers) 600 times more products than we sell to them, their yearly growth is almost at 10 percent (ours is barely 2 percent), they train their basketball players from birth, punish and torture them into submission and finally - winning is more important than owning gold or stealing our secrets. Although they were happy when Pakistan (our buddies) showed China the tail of our Stealth Helicopter we left behind after killing Osama.

So armed with those details which are pretty much common knowledge and accessible in most newspapers and on every network weekly ... why would our VP and the President of Georgetown University consider such a no-win diplomatic farce? Not to mention the deplorable fisticuffs they engaged in at the game. We'll get to that in a moment.

It seems to me if the US and Georgetown University wanted to do something constructive with their summer vacation they should consider one of the following activities:

1. A game between Georgetown Hoyas and Congress to end the debt.

If the Hoyas win ... Congress must pass a balanced budget the following day!

I'd buy a ticket

2. How about a game between the United Nations and the Hoyas?

If the Hoyas win ... all the UN diplomats would have to go home.

The US would save Billions and stop waisting time bickering with Countries who hate us and don't deserve our Money anyway!

OK I know they'd never go for any of those choices but it was worth the "DREAM"

AND WHAT ABOUT SPORTSMANSHIP?

Regardless of who threw the first punch or who pushed who, can you imagine if the Georgetown players would have turned their backs and didn't engage - what would the headlines have been? This would have been the noble and honorable thing to do but instead they did what a large percentage of basketball teams in the US would do ... the bench emptied onto the court and they slugged it out!

China media didn't even cover the story. It didn't happen. And even if the State controlled media would have issued a story it would have stated, "Violent American basketball players dishonor America."

Is this behavior common on US pro and college basketball courts? You bet it is. Is it coached or is it managed to a tolerably level? Some would say no to both points.

Coach John Thompson III walked his players off the court after the brawl ... after the damage was done. No one can ever take that back. The scene on the front page of the Post (pictured above) was just as shocking as the lone Chinese man standing in front of the tank in Tienanmen Square decades ago. But what message did it send to the world? And is this the message we want to broadcast abroad?

Gary S. DeMoss

IN MY RIGHT MIND



Political Brinkmanship

political brinkmanship (bringk'men-ship') n  The practice, esp. in politics, of seeking advantage by creating the impression that one is willing and able to pass the brink of default.

Same Procedure, Predicable Results
Einstein once wrote that if you continue to perform the same exercise over and over again you will net the same results.
On Monday in similar fashion to past Congressional last minute theatrical staging, the House and the Senate passed a watered down version of a Bill that would predictably raise the US debt ceiling preventing the catastrophic event the Obama Administration reinforced ... A default of the United States.
For weeks both sides argued over cuts in the Federal Budget but neither side could consider the maverick and visionary cuts from Tea Party Republicans whose cuts would place the US on a path to financial freedom ... ending the cycle of Tax and Spend now in its 5th Decade on the Hill. Although cuts to the Pentagon, Medicare and Entitlement programs were considered ... in the end it was two Senior Senators in closed door sessions that agreed to a lack-luster Bill. Once again they kicked the hard decisions down the Beltway to the next generation to decide. Same good-ole-boy network and our gutless President is too worried about his re-election and his birthday party fundraising to do any thing that would come close to "a positive example" or consider what is best for the American People. Fooey!

Big Deal
Did it prevent Standard and Poor's downgrading the US credit rating from AAA to AA+?
Hell No!
If the Obama Administration and Congress had the balls to make the difficult and necessary decisions to end the spending spree and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution S&P would have ignored the crisis and left the rating alone. Instead and based on Congress' inability to act in a fiscally and responsible manner; S&P downgraded the US credit rating for the first time in the history of our nation. Congratulations Mr. Obama, Harry Reid and John Bohener! You can now add to your resume one of the most deplorable statistics in our nations history ...

You Raised the Debt ...
Your Bill does nothing to decrease the Deficit.
Our Nation is downgraded for the first time in our Nations history!

Congress you've proved yet again that you can waste time creating political theater and the media will react to your every need. Sadly the majority of America could care less.
Hopefully the few of us that care about our country and know what you just did to the future of US, will react in a way that will punish you for your inability to do your job in a responsible way for the benefit of America. We will vote you out of office.

Please get these guys out of Washington!

Gary DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND

Zero Crude

Call it what you will but one day we will face zero crude oil!

Zero Crude
What kind of world would we face with no crude oil?
And how will we get to that point?

I've been careful to pick my battles but this subject I have an interest in and well ... it effects every person on this planet. Because if we run out of oil one day ... we are in a heap of trouble.

No gas ... nobody gets to work, nobody flys ... chaos!
No oil ... no plastic, no asphalt, no jobs ... mass panic!

So how will we get there?

First route to Zero Crude - we let Obama and his Energy Secretary Chu do nothing.

Which is exactly what is happening. Their energy policy ... let gas get to $10.00 a gallon like Europe and force people to switch to alternatives. What alternatives? The Volt gets 40 miles a charge before it needs gas. That's OK if we have coal to generate the electricity to charge the car (which Obama wants to get rid of too) and the gas which we need for backup.
How about Hydogen Cell technology? The cars cost $50K and up and there is one location in Washington DC to charge your cell. Oh ... and it takes 100 times the electricity to produce a single cell. And if we get rid of coal ... (that provides 60% of the power in this country Mr. Obama) what do we use? Wind Power? Ha!
Have they thought through any of this? I don't think so because the world would be in a massive depression that would make the 1920's look like a blip on the radar.

Second route to Zero Crude - We stop drilling our own oil and rely on the world for our stability.

That is exacly what we are doing now. The current off-shore leases were approved during the Bush administration ... which Obama has tried to take credit for. A typical lease deal takes years to negotiate given the regulation that is in place from guess who? ... The US Government. So even if the current adminstration started allowing off-shore permitting to resume, approving and granting these licenses are years away.
In the meantime, if you haven't heard Mideast Countries are falling like dominos. They hate us and the instability is driving the price of crude through the roof. $150 a barrel for crude is likely by the end of the summer. And if Saudia Arabia falls (who supplies 25% of the world's crude) we are one crisis away from a global meltdown.
What is the current Administration doing about this? Sending the CIA covertly into Lybia and lying to the World that NATO is in charge ... and we are still invloved in endless wars in Afganistan and Iraq till doomsday.

Third route to Zero Crude  - Do nothing.

Didn't I already say that? We need a proactive energy strategy and policies in our government that put our energy independence as the first and only strategy.
If we don't act now  ...we are facing a global meltdown of epic proportions. What if the little oil that is left in the world is the basis for the next war? Will we fight for it or will we let China, Russia or North Korea have it? Don't answer that!

Gary DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND