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Holding Political Office is About Power, Not Service

How efficient would a company regard a CEO that spent millions of dollars in order to see a $400,000 payoff? Right now the Democratic field of contenders for the nomination to the Presidency has a group of people who will do just that and Republicans will not be far behind. The President of the United States earns $400,000 a year so in a four year term the President receives 1.6 million dollars. In order to get to that job the Presidential candidate will need to spend about 400 times that amount of money. In other words, the person installed as the next CEO of the country will spend about 500 million dollars in order to earn 1.6 million.

Most of the people who run for office either have a great deal of money or they know people who have a great deal and are willing to part with it. The latter is usually the case rather than the former because, with very few exceptions, candidates get a lot of money from people in order to win an election. Those donations are not free and they often involve a quid pro quos once the candidate has been bought and paid for and is safely in office. People who donate money, especially large sums of money, expect something in return for their investment. Whether it is an appointment to a government position for themselves or family members or support for legislation favorable to them, backers expect a return on their money.

While many of the candidates for office do not have the money to finance their own campaigns, they are exceptionally wealthy and make a great deal more than the annual salary of any elected official. Hillary Clinton earns more than 400 thousand dollars a year even without her Senate pay. Her husband routinely receives that amount for one speaking engagement and therein lies the catch. Prior to becoming President, very few people knew who Bill Clinton was. He was elected to office and bumbled through eight years earning an annual salary more than he had ever earned in his life. His service however, put him in high demand and offers that he would never have received had he never been elected President, began to pour in. Book deals, speaking engagements, honoraria, all items that are the spoils of service to this country.

The money that elected office pays is not what attracts these people, it is the power. Hillary does not care about 400 thousand a year; she cares about being the most powerful person in the world. She is looking forward to the spoils similar to what her husband has received as a result of his service but not until she has had a chance to have her name placed in the history books as the first woman President of the United States, not until she has had the chance to rule over the masses, not until she has had her bite of the apple of power.

Hillary is not unique in this regard. Obama, Richardson and the rest can all claim that they see America needs to go in a different direction or that they can change the world but the fact is these are the same things they all say every four years and very little changes. Government gets larger and its appetite for our hard earned money becomes ever more insatiable. More and more social programs are introduced and more legislation is introduced to choke off the productivity of this great nation. In all this, one thing remains a constant and that is the people who are doing it are exercising power over others and that is what they want more than anything. They do not care about this country or the direction in which it heads so long as they are the ones doing the directing. People who allow polls to determine their positions are neither principled or leaders. They are appeasers who will do anything for the financial support offered by the wealthy regardless of how that position affects the country. Hillary, for example, changes her positions (though many of her supporters will deny this) in order to be more appealing (as a candidate, the other could never happen). Look at her early positions on government and compare them to now. Her recently discovered support of the military runs contrary to her words and actions while she was in college and when she was First Lady but she knows the appearance of support is essential to improving her chances for greater power.

As previously stated, these people, in their quest for power, will spend millions of dollars of other people’s money in order to get into positions where they can spend billions of dollars of other people’s money. They seek power in order to increase their personal wealth and to foster an environment where they will be in demand after leaving office. Earning millions of dollars for speaking is another demonstration of power and a position they desire greatly. When someone pays a former elected official huge sums of money to speak it reaffirms, in their minds, the power they have to command such a thing.

The founders of this great nation never intended for the people to be ruled by the government, they intended for the people to rule the country through representation. If they had wanted us ruled they would have kept the monarchy. Instead, they pointed out that our Creator has given each of us the right to live as a free people, unencumbered by subservience to others. They certainly envisioned that there would be people who sought office solely for the power involved and they attempted to keep that from happening by setting up three branches of government that would oversee each other. Unfortunately, these three branches have become coconspirators in the fleecing of the populace. The idea the founders had of citizens serving in elected office was that they would serve the country for a short period and return to their regular lives. The founders never intended for public service to become a lifetime job. Back then serving was not lucrative and people left to return to their lives. Elected officials do not earn a great deal of money (though more than they are worth); it is the other money, the power, and the opportunity to become part of the elitist class that they are in search of and constantly strive to protect.

[tags]president, election, money, campaign, Hillary, government, contribution[/tags]

Cross Posted at Big Dog’s Weblog

The Best Laid Plans of Mice

The rodents that people call politicians are always trying to make our lives easier. They fail to see that less intrusive government is the best way to do it and instead impose more upon us in the way of taxes and regulations. The liberals in office like to give away things. They only like to give away things that they do not have to pay for, in other words they like to spend your money. Most of them are not nearly as generous with their own money. I have often stated in my posts that government is not efficient and it is not fiscally responsible. Nothing ever comes in at or under budget. One need only look as far as Boston’s Big Dig to see how waste and corruption accompany any item in which the government (and its stooges in labor unions) are involved.

Massachusetts has recently passed a bill that requires everyone to have health insurance. I do not know how they can do that but they did. I mean, if you are wealthy why would you have to have insurance? If you decide that you would rather not pay for the plan set up by your employer, why should you be compelled? Basically, people in Massachusetts have to have health insurance in order to fulfill some politician’s dream of socialism.

There are uninsured in this country (not nearly as many as thy would have us believe) and there always will be. Government can not manage anything and placing health care in their lane just means it will be mismanaged. Promising people free health care is not the answer as more people will opt for the free care (why should they pay for their own and someone else’s) and health care must be paid for by someone. The money has to come from somewhere. People in office never seem to understand this concept because they do not run budgets the way we do in our homes. We can not extort more money from our employers when our bills overwhelm us. Congress just raises taxes and extorts more money from those of us who work and pay taxes and gives it to those who do not. The same guy with two cars, a cell phone and a large screen TV (with of course, the big cable package) can’t get insurance so he can sponge off everyone else.

Well, as it turns out, the plan in Massachusetts will cost more money than predicted. Say it isn’t so! Yep, it IS so. The estimates now say it will cost $100 more per month per person (that is their premium) than originally predicted. Once again, government will over run the cost and the taxpayer will foot the bill. The real issue is that when costs go up, or any issue arises that affects the price of insurance, the taxpayers in Massachusetts will end up digging deeper into their pockets in order to foot the bill. Socialism has never worked and it never will. It will create class envy, class hatred and it will make the poor poorer and the rich more heavily taxed. It will keep people downtrodden where liberals want them.

Ted Kennedy wants this plan for the rest of the country, he told us so last week. Hillary wants health care for everyone. Maryland’s not so bright legislators are going to look at the Massachusetts plan to see if they can do the same thing here. It will only raise the taxes of the already overtaxed population. But they will look and they will like and they will implement. The sad part is that the sheep in the population will let them because they have become so accustomed to big government paying their way that they do not know anything else.

Reject social welfare, reject universal health care and reject any politician who tells you it is good.

Source:
boston.com

A Business Gives Our GIs the Business

My friend Heidi over at Euphoric Reality, a site that is always on top of things, reports about a supposedly American Company that refused to sell items to a Sergeant who is stationed in Iraq. Now, I have no problem with any business that does not ship to an APO (Army Posy Office) address or does not ship overseas. No one expects businesses to change how they normally do business just because we are at war. However, this business went a little beyond stating that they do not deliver to an APO address (from Euphoric Reality):

From: SGT Jason Hess
Sent: Tue Jan 16 3:25

Do you ship to APO address? I’m in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.

*****************************************************

From: contact@discount-mats.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Feedback: from discount-mats.com

SGT Hess,
We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain Suppliers
Discount-Mats.com

This answer went a little beyond what was necessary and it shows outright contempt for our soldiers who are in harm’s way so that the jackass who owns this business can make such statements. Interestingly, the domain is registered to Faisal Khetani. I don’t know if this is the same person who owns the business but the attitude fits with the name. This is America so any company is free to say what they want about war and to deny shipping to anyone they want. I also know that we are free to never patronize their business so I am asking anyone who reads this who does business with this company or is thinking about it to go to another company. This person is too busy shipping prayer mats to Gitmo and Osama bin Laden in the hills of Pakistan.

It is beyond me how people can move here from these third world sand pits (or in some cases be second and third generations of people who moved from sand pits) and still act like America is not a good place or that there is some allegiance to a Middle Eastern country. If you don’t like America being in Iraq that is fine but to treat service members like that is just plain wrong. I am fed up with people who are here living a much better life than they could ever have hoped for in the cesspool country they came from trashing this country and the way we run it. It belongs to us real Americans and if your allegiance is not to this country get the hell out before we boot your sand flea asses out.

They come here, set up shop, make money, go to good schools, drive nice cars, live in nice homes, are free to worship as they please, say and do what they want and then they have the nerve to insult the people who fight for and provide the very blanket of freedom and safety under which they live. Well they can all go straight to hell and they can take their business with them.

Visit Euphoric Reality to get contact information for this company (al-Qaeda west) and send them a nice email letting them know how much you appreciate their freedom of speech and how you intend to exercise yours. I already sent my email. I expect it will be perceived as hat mail, and they might be right because I hate it when they screw with our troops.

My hunch is they are a company with ties to the name but if not, it still applies to the liberal jackasses who spread this kind of stupidity all the time.

Cross Posted at Big Dog’s Weblog

Another Botched Joke?

U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen apologized for some remarks he made saying that his attempt at humor wasn’t delivered or received well and he promised it would not happen again. Then he told everyone the attention was distracting from the important work he needs to do in Congress. As is usual for the Democrats, their mean spiritedness and nastiness is dismissed and excused with the “bad joke” or bad attempt at “humor.” (ala John Kerry).

It is reported that this guy blocked a door to the restroom and told Karl Rove that he [Kagen] kicked Rove’s ass (in the election). He also thanked George bush and Dick Cheney for helping him get elected. Then, in the tactless manner the Democrats are famous for, he referred to Laura Bush as Barbara.

I could never work in DC because if this guy blocked the bathroom door I was trying to enter I would show him what a real ass kicking is and if I felt for one minute he insulted my wife they would be flying flags at half staff in honor of his short Congressional career. Of course, he excuses his behavior and says it was bad humor.

It is amazing to me that when Democrats say something that does not go over well it is excused as a bad joke or humor gone awry. When they are confronted with their words they claim it is a distraction to the important work they have to do. To me they are nothing more than cowards who do not have the courage of their convictions. If they feel strongly enough to say something they should have the courage to stick by what they said and not cower when confronted. This guy was intent on being a schmuck and now that he was called on it he wants to dismiss it and get back to his important work. Typical of a coward, when confronted he runs.

Things like this help me to understand why the concept of the duel was introduced.

Source:
Appleton Post Crescent

Cross Posted at Big Dog’s Weblog

Whites Only for President?

As many know, Martin O’Malley beat Robert Ehrlich to become Governor of Maryland. When he assumed office his spot as Mayor of Baltimore was filled until the next election. Many candidates have lined up on the Democratic side in order to take a shot at that office. A prominent black lawyer in Baltimore sent a letter to the handful of black candidates and urged them to drop out and unite around one candidate or a white person will win the office.

Being a lawyer he immediately said that it would not be a bad thing for a white person to win but that a black person would be more responsive to the needs of the predominantly black community. Can you imagine how it would look if a Republican sent out a letter saying that Republicans needed to rally around one candidate or a black guy like Obama might win? In law, a side is allowed to pursue things that were addressed by the opposition. So, since this lawyer opened the door, let us investigate more closely.

In America white people are the majority of the population. There are more minorities collectively than whites but as an individual demographic, white outnumber all other races. So, using this lawyer’s logic, is it fair to say that the President should be white because a white person will be better able to address the concerns of the white community? Forget that most of Congress is white because most of Baltimore’s City Council is black. The fact is this guy believes that it is important to have a person that is the same color as the population representing that population. Given that sentiment, our presidents should always be white so black people should not run and we should never hear some silliness about discrimination when they are beaten.

I found something really telling in the article. When O’Malley ran for Governor all the city folk supported him. All the political leaders came out of the woodwork to endorse him, to say what a great guy he is and to say what a wonderful leader he is. This, as it turns out was a bunch of political tripe and these people were not really looking out for their interest of the state. You see, they lied about what a great guy O’Malley really is:

She also says that Brown’s views are common among some African-Americans and reflect what she believes is disappointment with former Mayor and now Governor Martin O’Malley.

“There’s more of a move, or a sentiment against a white mayor, because of many people’s dissatisfaction with the previous one,” Carter told WBAL’s “Bruce Elliott Show.”

On the same program, former Delegate Neil Quinter, who campaigned for O’Malley last year said O’Malley captured a large number of African-American votes in bids for mayor and governor.

“Factually, he did win a majority of all of the voters, and the exit polls show he got a significant chunk of the African American voters too,” Quinter told WBAL’s “Bruce Elliott Show.” WBAL

Here we have O’Malley getting the support of the politicians of Baltimore and a vast majority of the black vote in Baltimore but we have this assertion that he did not do good job for them. This might be similar to those in Arkansas who wanted Clinton as President so they could get rid of his “leadership” in that state. Maybe the City residents figured that if O’Malley won he would stop messing up the City. In reality, the City has been messed up for a long time (and has been run by Democrats forever) and it is unlikely that the school system or crime will change at the hands of a black guy. O’Malley succeeded a black guy who failed to fix the problems of the City. The reality of the situation is that people in Baltimore City have been trained to vote for the person with the D next to his name. It does not matter if the person is a murdering, child molester, so long as there is a big D next to the name, that person will get the vote.

Maryland’s major city and its surrounding counties are densely populated with people who expect the government to wipe their butts when they are done. They vote by habit and indoctrination rather than by taking intelligent choices. I imagine a bunch of non-human primates could be trained to vote in a similar fashion (and probably other animals if they had opposable digits).

In the Army we had this saying; Screw up, move up. Looks like that is what the City allowed O’Malley to do. I am now, more so than ever before, convinced that people should have to pass a test before they can vote.

Cross Posted at Big Dog’s Weblog