The only way a new Bill of Rights for the Twenty-first Century could ever be passed is by utilizing the second method prescribed in Article V. Part of me wonders if the Founders put this option in the Constitution for the day when Congress accrued too much power and controlled elections to maintain their Imperial positions of power? In the entire History of this country under our Constitution, it was never necessary to use this second method for Amendment. However, the Imperial Senate and House will never pass serious reform, so it becomes the only path to ensuring the reforms that will reverse the spreading tumor of suppressive government.

The second method is for a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the legislatures of the States, and for that Convention to propose one or more amendments. These amendments are then sent to states to be approved by three-fourths of the state legislatures or conventions. When it comes to changing the Constitution, Congress will NOT limit their power by reforming themselves. Remember, Power corrupts and Congress has shown no aversion to obtaining Absolute Power. That is one step away from Totalitarian government! A Constitutional Convention is a long shot, but so was the United States of America in 1776!

First and foremost is Term Limits for Senators and Representatives. This, along with mandatory retirement for Judges and other high level bureaucrats to make sure that the Beltway is freshened periodically. In 2006, Robin Williams starred in a movie, “The Man Of The Year.” His character says, “Congress is a lot like babies. They need to be changed often and for the same reason.” I couldn’t agree more and what elsneeds to be said for doing unto Congress what we have done to the President; Limit his terms in office! Of course being Hollywood entertainment, the usual big government propoganda had to be addressed when his character said more money was needed for Health Care and Education as he was running for President. Once again, ignoring the fact that since the Great Society, we have spent trillions, and both Healthcare and Education haven’t gotten better, just more expensive. So that is a natural sequey to the second Amendment necessary.

The second is the Balance Budget Amendment. A proposed amendment has already been introduced before the Senate and House of Representative prior to abandoning all efforts at fiscal responsibility. Here, for example, is the text of the version presented to both Houses of Congress and was approved by the Senate with  a vote of 69 to 31 on August 4, 1982. It was supported by an inadequate majority of the House of Representatives (with a vote of 236 to 187) on October 1, 1982:

"Section 1. Prior to each fiscal year, the Congress shall adopt a statement of receipts and outlays for that year in which total outlays are no greater than total receipts. The Congress may amend such statement provided revised outlays are not greater than revised receipts. Whenever three-fifths of the whole number of both Houses shall deem it necessary, Congress in such statements may provide for a specific excess of outlays over receipts by a vote directly to that subject. The Congress and the President shall ensure that actual outlays do not exceed the outlays set forth in such statement.

There is more to the Amendment passed in 1982, and never heard from again. Republicans took Congress in 1994 with the Contract for America that took this Amendment as one of the planks in a program to reduce government. Only to be forgotten when the Corrupting influence of Power took over the Republican Congressional Leadership. And now a fiscally irresponsible Republican Administartion, fiddling like Nero when Rome burned, presides over the last opportunity to reform government. Their arrogant and egocnetric Administration will enable the Liberal Socialist Democrats to grab all the branches of government. Unless we have a Constituional Convention, this Amendment, and the others that limit power, will never happen. 

Ironically, if this amendment was in place, it would make the United States Senate and House of Representatives responsible for making sure the taxpayers money was spent correctly. It was introduced and almost became part of the U.S. Constitution during that hopeful period when Ronald Reagan was President and his programs to pull back the forces of Government looked like they would become a reality. The people wanted a pullback in Government, then as now, but the special interests and their allies in Congress were laying in wait. Since so many Republicans were part of the Big Government team, they just waited out President Reagan's term. Professional politicians and bureaucrats don’t really believe the will of the people should be acted upon.

There have been many proponents of a flat income tax for decades. The second Amendment in the Twenty-first Century Bill of Rights would be an amendment to the Sixteenth Amendment. This would add the following language in italics:

"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration." Added; "For individuals the Internal Revenue Code shall be replaced with a Flat Tax. A levy of 20% shall be applied to all individual income above a tax-free allowance to be set yearly by the Department of Labor. All deductions and credits previously in effect are abolished. The House of Representatives may increase the percentage of tax only with a published list of the expenditures necessitated by the increase that is published for public review three months prior to effect."

Of course this is all too logical. Clint Eastwood in an interview with the New York Daily News, November 19, 1997 said; "I guess it's like trying to put through the flat tax, which is probably my favorite one of all.... if we did pass it, all of a sudden, what do you have? You have the whole tax system run by a little old lady on a home computer, doing the work of all these thousands of bureaucrats and accountants. Passing that would be amazing, wouldn't it?" Yet year after year Capital Hill hypocrites say this tax would be unfair to the Middle Class and would help the wealthy. It just isn't so, the flat tax would let Americans focus on how there money is being spent rather than confused by the system to collect tax revenue!

This election won’t change anything. Only a new Bill of Rights protecting its citizens from an ever growing despotic government can help give us the change we need.

 

Some great leaders of the past; notably World War II military chiefs General George Marshall and Admiral Ernest King, required information to be reported to them on one piece of paper. This was for clarity and understanding. I wonder what the wartime Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army and the Chief of Naval Operations for the U.S. Navy would have said about all the words coming out of Washington, D.C. these days. Winston Churchill also shared their desire for succinct reports and dissemination of information so interested parties would understand the situation at hand. This philosophy of well researched but succinct information put out with a minimum of words so as to be more easily understood, reminds me of the philosophy highlighted above. That is, the fewer assumptions an explanation of a phenomenon depends on, the better it is. What this country should probably have is simple straight forward Constitutional limits on the Powers of the Federal Legislature. Like the great leaders of the past, preferably on one piece of paper so "We The People" can explain to those on Capital Hill the way we want them to conduct their business!

There is a modern day slang term, “keep it simple, stupid!” This applies to those on Capital Hill. It is ironic that there had been a Non-sequitar Cartoon, by Wiley Miller about a mythical Government Agency called “The Department of Justifying Our Existence.” The tag line on the cartoon is “The Most Active Branch of Government.” I would laugh, if it wasn’t so true and part of the cancer inflicted on the American Public. We have an ever growing Government with States, Cities and other Local Governments following the same game plan. Spending taxpayer money without justifying the expense, and if that doesn't work, legislate mandates to require public or private entities to spend money to conform to the bigger governments demands. Washington taxes on a manner that is confusing, even calling hidden taxes fees or other such deceptive titles to further baffle the public. Now legislation even forces other government entities, businesses or even individuals to spend money to expand Washington's power. We have fallen victim to the Beltways great myth that they are taking care of the "Common American!" President John F. Kennedy once talked about the myths like these; "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

Two of the Amendments included in the original Bill of Rights are under attack from the Elitist Leftists who want to take away the right to bear arms by the citizenry. Currently they also want to limit the rights of free speech. Daily attacks by left wing radicals, whose only claim to fame have nothing to do with wisdom or knowledge, but have more to with making huge fortunes tweaking new technology; has been a direct assault on the freedom of speech. Ironically it was this particular constitutionally guaranteed freedom that led to the passionate defense of that very freedom by the leftists during the turbulent sixties. With the mainstream media turned into a leftist liberal propaganda machine from the sixties to date, talk radio as a voice for conservative and traditional values was born. Now that those shows are so popular, they are threatening to the book burning wannabes from the leftist elite web sites, they are trying to censure them even from the floor of the Senate. It isn't enough that the Liberal Elitists control most of the media, they want it ALL. They are using something called the fairness doctrine with the intent to keep control of the entire propaganda media machine. This also, reminds me of a scene from some movie about totalitarian repression!

The Edmund Burke quote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," haunts me. It bothers me when I hear someone say, "There is nothing you can do," "Don't rock the boat," or "Let the younger generation worry about it." That last one really gets me upset, because if over the years our ancestors had felt that way, the lives of almost all Americans would not be what it is today. All right then, if Congress will not stop taking "We the People" for granted and usurping our personal liberties more each passing years, then we have to do something!

There is a solution!

Let's reduce the essential requirements for the future of personal freedom and liberty in this country to a forthright essential series of Constitutional Amendments for the Twenty-first Century. These Amendments would be coupled with a rigorous adherence to ALL of the original Amendments known as the Bill of Rights. No hedging on any Amendment as not being relevant in our modern age. Since there are only two ways to amend the Constitution, the next part becomes more difficult. For all 27 Amendments passed since the beginning of our Constitution, the method used has been as prescribed in Article V of the Constitution by a proposed amendment passing both halves of the legislature, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority. This has been the only method used to date.

There is little chance of Congress passing any legislation to reform itself or limit its powers, much less supply the two-thirds vote necessary to reform Congress itself as part of the U.S. Constitution. Constitutional limits will not permit them to play with it like the Internal Revenue Code. Congress had no problem limiting the powers of the Presidency by imposing term limits; they just don't see applying the same logic when it comes to the power hungry Senate and House of Representatives. It is interesting to note that at no point does the President have a role in the formal amendment process. He could make his opinion known and use the power of the proverbial "Bully Pulpit." The President cannot veto an amendment proposal, nor ratification. For years members of Congress and the Mainstream Media have complained about "The Imperial Presidency;" but in truth, it is the Imperial Congress that has chosen to make their power unlimited. They don't even have to vote themselves pay raises. A Commission, appointed by them, recommends the raise and they have to vote not to take one! Again, the words from the Army's Counsel at the McCarthy Army hearings ring in my ears; "Have you no shame, Senator?"

To be continued…

Occam’s Razor - The English philosopher, William of Occam (1300-1349) propounded Occam’s Razor:

"Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem."

(Latin for “Entities should not be multiplied more than necessary”). That is, the fewer assumptions an explanation of a phenomenon depends on, the better it is.

We should learn from the lessons that History has taught us. Even in the 1300's, a philosopher, William of Occam, knew how misleading it was to make concepts more complicated than necessary. His theory was that the information could be communicated and more easily understood when presented succinctly.  When laws are passed by governments they should also be clear, concise and easily understood. Numerous laws and regulations make compliance difficult, if not impossible. The Roman Lawyer Cicero, at the end of what passed for democracy just before Caesar, stated that too many laws, not easily understood, would confuse the citizenry. This confusion would make them become unenforceable. I wonder what he would have said about our current Internal Revenue Code. I think the Founder's realized that documents such as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution had to be as succinct and easy to understand as possible. The oft repeated George Santayana's famous quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," is often quoted, but seemingly ignored. The philosophy of Occam's Razor is also sometimes talked about, but never seems to find followers on Capital Hill!

It is by no mistake that most great people since the beginning of recorded History were avid readers of all types of books. Up until the last fifty years or so, most knowledge was gained by independent study that required extensive reading. The vast majority of the population never had access to Institutions of Higher Learning until after World War II. Universities used to be where thought provoking study and acquisition of wisdom were the principal goals set for the students. The new emphasis is on degrees, or other government sponsored certifications. That is now more important than experience, and Degree Factories have become predominant. This has made careful, reflective and thorough study less important. Expertise is now reduced to objective requirements promulgated by bureaucrats, rather than by discussion, observation and other insightful study.

This is probably no truer than in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. In our era, complete, concise reports compiled from thorough research have been replaced by sound bites and other information pulled out of context. The new objective is to pull out information you need to support your positions and have the Mainstream Media bleat it over and over until it is accepted as the truth. That is why "Social Programs" are never put to the same challenge as National Security issues. Most of the ruling elite can spend billions of unaccounted for dollars in social programs that go virtually unobserved as to cost or effectiveness. At the same time they put national defense issues under a microscope and analyze expenditure in great detail. Once again, why hasn't there been a Congressional Investigation into the Trillion Dollars spent on Public Housing the last 50 to 60 years? Where did the money go?

The Federal Legislature has abdicated the real work of writing legislation and regulations to their staff. The Senators and Members of Congress have become specialists in public relations, always ready to spin the truth, or whatever they want to be considered the truth. Sadly, most of the staff comes by way of being children of wealth or privilege, young people who graduated from name schools, or connected to the power elitists in some fashion. There are few people on the staffs of Senators or Representatives that have had to struggle with finding the money to cover a payroll for people dependent on them. Most staff hasn't had to struggle to understand what it means to be the 95% of Americans that weren't raised in wealth and privilege. One classic story about President John F. Kennedy strikes me as representative of those who have power in this country. He once commented that he didn't even know there was a Depression in the 1930's until he got to Harvard. There, it was a Professor of History who told him about it, but he never experienced the Depression like millions of his fellow Americans. Later, maybe after his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he developed a connection with the average American. A great deal of this empathy was public relations, but at least I know he had some connection with those of us who do most of the work in this country, because he was the last Democrat to propose a Tax decrease in 1962.

I had a wonderful old friend who served in the Illinois Legislature in the Fifties and early Sixties who complained that most Illinois Legislators had forgotten how to write legislation, much less know what the staff put in their own bills by 1980. On a National Level I believe it is much worse. I believe that most laws and regulations passed since the Great Society haven't even been read by a majority of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, much less written by those elected legislators. A disconnect exists between the vast amount of words written to govern and the purpose for which they were written. Like the Internal Revenue Code, they are written that way to confuse the public to hide the real purpose and intent of those laws. For years we hear the drumbeat of needing all these laws to make the IRS code fair and tax the wealthy. As I write this, a $2.4 Trillion tax increase is proposed, with the intended result of Middle Class tax relief and soaking the rich. I have heard this since my first tax season in 1969 and I witnessed the wealthy taking advantage of loopholes most average Americans don't know exist. From that first season until now, thousands of words have been written, but the rich are richer at the expense of the Middle Class. Is that fair?

To be continued..

Per Wikipedia, Mike Judge wrote and directed an offbeat sci-fi comedy which gives a new meaning to the expression "people are getting dumber all the time." The story is about a soldier in 2005 who is chosen to take part in a secret military scientific experiment in which he will be put into induced hibernation for one year. He is chosen for the assignment because he is statistically the most average man in the Army. He is forgotten when the military base where the experiment took place is closed down, then wakes up in the year 2505. This   character finds himself living in a society where intelligence has taken been bred out of society so that he's now the smartest man in the world. Mike Judge is known for his idiot savant satire of American suburban teen culture in the MTV phenomenon Beavis and Butthead, and an excellent movie on the 21^st Century working environment, much like Dilbert, named “Office Space.”

So what does a movie about humans reducing their collective IQ generation after generation have to do with the elections of 2008? Well let me quote a piece from the Wall Street Journal on September 9, 2008: “Taxpayers are now on the hook for as much as $200 billion to rescue Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and if you want to know why, look no further than the rapid response to this bailout…concerning reforms, the Chairman of the Banking Committee was quoted on Monday as saying, ‘Good luck on that,’ and that it would never happen. There you have the Fannie Mae problem in a nutshell. Congress wants you to pick up the tab for its failures, while they still vows to block a reform that might prevent the same disaster from happening again.”

Congressman who, along with other long serving members of the House and Senate, continues to resist reform of any kind and have been the enablers for connected rich and powerful to pillage and plunder large, publicly held financial institutions. They then want the Middle Class Taxpayer to pick up the tab for their greedy, self centered actions. A U.S. Senator gets a $75,000 mortgage break form the scandalous Countrywide Mortgage, a company as slimy as they come. The Chairman of the Ways and Means refuses to step aside despite the fact that he admits he doesn’t understand the tax law he helped write.. A Republican Senator is indicted, and refuses to step down. Ay 84 years of age, you would think after feeding at the public trough he would be satiated.

How can the voters in these elections keep re-electing incumbents who are part of a Congressional Cabal that has risked the financial health of this country to enrich their special interest friends at Fannie and Freddie, who spent $175,000,000 for lobbying? The article concluded; “Mr. Frank says he favored the disclosure of Fannie and Freddie compensation -- which is nice, but beside the point. The source of the rich pay packages was the Fannie business model that Congress fought so hard to protect. Instead of helping the poor, they were enriching Fannie, Freddie, CEO’s of Mortgage Companies and Wall Street players.” Oh, and as far as that agent of “Change” running for President. He has a key staff member on his campaign staff who got $90,000,000, plus or minus a few million, in severance pay after leaving Fannie. The change they want is more government largess to enrich thier special interest contributors and less money in the average taxpayers pocket.

I recently recived this information in an email:

Top 10 Cities for Poverty in the USA

Some things will never change. When will they learn? The Democrat leadership record!
1) Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;

2) Buffalo, NY  hasn't elected one since 1954;
3) Cincinnati, OH ...since 1984;
4) Cleveland, OH ...since 1989;
5) Miami, FL … has never had a Republican mayor;
6) St. Louis, MO ...since 1949;
7) El Paso, TX … has never had a Republican mayor;

8) Milwaukee, WI ...since 1908;

9) Philadelphia, PA ...since 1952;

10) Newark, NJ ...since 1907.

When using the above data and comparing it to the economic disasters of states 100% controlled by Democrats like Michigan and Ohio, it paints an ugly picture. Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats --- yet are still disadvantaged. Isn’t this an interesting correlation? Maybe we don’t have to wait until 2505 for Idiocracy to be a reality? What happens if the Democrats sweep in 6 weeks? We need a Twenty first century Bill of Rights enacted in the Constitution to protect our freedoms.

I was watching PBS TV after John McCain’s speech and watched a so-called panel of experts twist and turn their analysis to fit into their bias. Since the major television networks, and the MSNBC, CNN or their media derivatives are nothing more than propaganda organs for the Socialist Democratic Party, I won’t even stop for a moment to listen to them. I do check with PBS to get the Ruling Elitist view. For some reason I find them the least offensive? I do get most of my News from the Internet or occasionally from Fox News. I don’t even spend much time there in the evenings because I may agree with their political viewpoints, but the arrogance and bulging egos of several of their personalities is too much for steady viewing. After sampling the talking heads over the last few weeks I realized the talking heads are really empty heads. I would like to see if they are “Smarter than a Fifth Grader,” or even Jeff Foxworthy? Actually the last quip was insulting to Mr. Foxworthy. Sorry!

The PBS segment was talking about how Iraqi War Veterans were a different breed and leaning more to the Democrats. They mentioned about the Iraqi War Veterans recruited by the Democrats and elected as First Term Congressmen in 2006. One talking head even made a big deal about Barack Obama getting more money from Military overseas than John McCain. They left an impression the majority of the Military vote would go to Obama. If any of these experts would understand their History, it has always been the Party in the White House that takes a beating as wars being fought lengthen, and frustration increases due to the fear of a never-ending conflict. I recently finished a new book about the Lincoln Presidency and was reminded that he saw his own November defeat in August of 1864. Everything changed for him in September with Union Military victories, just like the surge has changed the election dynamics of 2008. Our global position of power was not sought after; it was thrust upon this Country after World War II. Actually, there were many traditional Democrats in the Forties and Fifties who were strong proponents of America’s Military strength in dangerous times.

I digress, the issue I am raising, is the lack of insight or knowledge of history by the Talking Heads. As a young man two of my favorite past times were watching sports and politics. Over the years my interest his declined as the talking head population exploded. There is a continuing barrage of over analysis of sporting events and political speeches made by people who mostly don’t care about the veracity of their babbling. Their predictions have a low percentage of accuracy. In earlier days, only Weatherman or Economists could make so many bad predictions and lose favor. Ironically, those professions have improved the accuracy of their predictions through better science. On the other hand, the Talking Head society has become detached from both the Truth and the opinions of Joe or Jane Six Pack. Bernard Goldberg remarked in his book “Bias,” about his experience with some CBS staffers after Nixon’s 1972 re-election. He overheard one remark, “I don’t understand how he won? 85% of the people I know voted for George McGovern.” Of course she worked for CBS, lived and worked in Manhattan, which means she might be qualified to be a talking head?

Many dangers exist for this country. They are real, but another danger lurks. This one is not talked about but this threat isn’t from a Military takeover, or horrific acts of Terrorism. The unspoken threat is from the explosion of government in American lives. Not only Russia, or China, but the USA, also, may soon have the middle class under the thumb of the Ruling Elitists who will control their Health, Wealth and almost everything else. Of course, like Russia or China, if you are in the Ruling Elitists group, you will get special treatment, government bailouts for your greedy risk taking and perks of the rich and powerful. The Empty Heads can parse every utterance of this election season and it won’t affect the vote on November 4. I’ve made up my mind and I don’t want to hear any more Talking Head twisted logic. Keep your propaganda for your voter zombies who don’t’ believe we may only be a couple of elections away from losing the opportunity to vote real change as power becomes more concentrated in the Beltway.

William McGurn wrote in the Wall Street Journal, 09/02/08;“… in Washington you are permitted to enjoy wealth without ever being called wealthy provided simply that you haven't actually earned it in some unseemly way -- by, say, building up a business.” The real change is “Back to the Future” of Limited Government, Understandable Flat Taxes, Term Limits for Congress and Mandatory retirement for Judges; and a Balance Budget Amendment to stop the waste. The Change advocated by Socialist Democrats is just more Great Society Big Government tax and spend to finish the job of Beltway Domination over the Average American. That is NOT the kind of change I want. It also is beyond the comprehension of most of the Empty Heads. Anyway, I TIVO sporting events and won’t listen to any more political analysis or other BS. Like I say in sports, stop the talk and just play the Damn game!

One of the early stories coming from Denver this last week was the obsession of the Democrats in Denver with John McCain’s seven houses. Never mentioned was the fact that his wife is the heir and successor to a prosperous businessman, and that her performance as CEO has made the business even stronger. Of course, having some wealth accumulated the old fashioned American way, through private enterprise, no longer appeals to the Lords of the Left in the Socialist Democratic Party. Sometimes, I believe they think wealth should be accumulated with government sponsorship or derived through elitist education and mentoring. No mention of how John Edwards built his 12,000 square foot cottage in North Carolina by charging hefty legal fees. Ted Kennedy was affectionately received without thought about how many houses he may own. Oh, no mention of the friends of Senator Obama who helped solve his housing problems in Chicago.

The list could go forever, but the sad truth is Democrats attack anything they can on the Republican side of the equation without shame for their hypocrisy. Once again the hypocrisy of class warfare is being talked about even in the midst of wealthy entertainment types, internet Billionaires and others. These Leftists who like the complex tax laws that allow them the privilege of not paying taxes while demanding that the government do something for the poor. Provide for the poor and minorities, but do that something with Joe Taxpayer money, not their own well sheltered wealth. Many attending the Denver Assembly for the Ordination of the so-called agent of Change really only want the change to ever increasing government control over the dollars and lives of the Middle Class American.

There was change 20 years ago that was inspired by Ronald Reagan. It began with his administration and really hasn’t been fulfilled because greedy Republicans. Many of those have a long history of being anti-McCain, and they broke the 1994 pledge for smaller government and real reform. This is the change that Big Government Liberals gathered in Denver want to reverse. Now, they run a ticket based on Change to the Great Society way of government. This Change promised and talked about is really just another hefty dose of Government intervention to take our country another step down the road to a failed political and economic model. In Denver last week, a product of the “pristine” Chicago Political machine, growing up in a manner that little resembles the average African-American experience, or for that matter that of the average white American, was nominated as an agent for Change. His running mate is a traditional standard bearer of Great Society Liberal programs that distorted our free market economy and gave us bureaucratic beasts of prey like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Is this really change we want? Now let’s look at what happened on Friday. While the Socialist Democrats were celebrating the death of Reaganism and the downfall of Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose” policies; on Friday, Senator John McCain made Governor Sarah Palin his Vice-Presidential nominee. Sen. McCain has incurred the wrath of his own Party over the years by fighting a losing battle against earmark, big deficit spending and government reaching beyond the boundaries of the U. S. Constitution. His record is the direct opposite of the Democratic Nominees who readily endorsed earmarks and other big spending opportunities. The Wall Street Journal identifies the defining differences in this campaign in an August 30 editorial; “Mr. McCain's instinct clearly is to offer himself to voters as a reformer. With Sarah Palin, a genuine reformer, Mr. McCain may have found the right idea and the right person to make his run.”

So the so called Change tickets offers voters, especially the minorities who they claim to embrace, more handouts, rather than real opportunity as that provided by school vouchers. They offer continued dependence on government programs with targeted programs to get minorities’ jobs and education based on their color, rather than encouraging real opportunities through the free market. The Change artists offer their largest voting block programs that have stigmatized whole generations of African-Americans into a culture that enlightened Black leaders today view as hurting their people. The Great Society made difference focal point and impaired those minorities from enjoying the prosperity previous generations of new Americans attained. So who really offers the change? We know Governor Sarah Palin has little experience of actual governing, but I want someone who knows how to do ANYTHING, that doesn’t resemble the mess inflicted on the American people by the Beltway Elitists.

I believe those Founder’s who wrote the U.S. Constitution envisioned the Legislative Branch of Government as being the one that provided the ultimate checks and balance against abuse of power by either the Executive Branch or the Judicial Branch. This was the Branch that was supposed to have frequent turnover expressing the popular will of the people. Yet, over the last fifty years that Branch has been hyperactive in passing laws affecting every aspect of our daily life as average Americans. The latest Congressional act of hypocrisy was the Bailout of their rich and powerful friends at Fannie and Freddie. It also gave relief to the greedy speculators in Mortgage Banking. The spin is this will help that small percentage of homeowners who really need help with too much debt. Most Americans are aware that it really does more to help the greedy financial types who gambled away their capital to make exorbitant profits. Enough about that, it is a story that will be told over and over and in the future probably make Enron look small in comparison to the fraud those F&F folks perpetrated. Now Congress has a chance to really do something to put money in our Middle Class pockets. On September 30, 2008; let ALL restrictions on U.S. oil exploration expire, amen!

This Congress is already gaining a reputation in the national media because of their lack of legislative activity. Hooray, now they have it, limited government works if Congress quits interfering with our lives. However, this message will probably be forgotten if Madam Speaker and Senator Harry get their big majorities this fall. Since the Great Society exploded on the scene in 1965, Congress has messed with the “…Pursuit of Happiness,” in the lives of just about anyone who wasn’t part of their ruling class. Democrats have become the Socialist Democrats according to a good friend of mine, and I agree. They resemble the Social Democrats of Europe who really never lost their taste for royalty. Instead of Dukes, and Earls and Lords or Ladies; we now have the ruling elite who want to control everything. It seems a far cry from Harry Truman, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson or even FDR. Those Presidents were Democrats who seemed to show concern for the common man and woman.

Maybe Congress can do something worthwhile prior to adjournment. Help those of us struggling to pay our bills at least get some relief in food prices. They can reverse the exorbitant farm subsidies to millionaire farmers, eliminate ethanol subsidies and drop tariffs on Brazilian ethanol. This of course, is in addition to eliminating all restrictions on domestic oil drilling, something that an overwhelming majority of Americans want to happen! It boggles the mind to comprehend what the two actions, or one action and one just let bad law go away, could do. If just two of these events were to happen; gas prices and soon home heating prices, would continue their downward trend. Food prices, which are artificially higher because of Congressional tinkering with Ethanol issues, would also begin to come down. Can you imagine Congress doing something to actually help Middle Class America struggle with economic hard times they helped cause? I really don’t see this happening, but what a turn of events this would be.

Congress has always had their share of thieves, fraud artists, and other assorted felons including murderers. Dueling and fighting were common even on the floors of Congress in the early years of the Republic. I think what makes the collective United States Legislative Branch seem more criminal in their behavior these last 60 years is the increase in Tax Dollars available in the Treasury to dip into to than in the past. They also have succeeded in mortgaging not only our grandchildren’s future, but many generations to come. All this spending has been driven by selfish greed. The explosion of Government has led to the allure of raiding the Taxpayers pockets for more money and buying ever increasing power to ensure re-elections become as automatic as possible. What America still needs is something Congress will never give us. We need a Twenty-first Century Bill of Rights;

1)      Term Limits for Senators and Representatives; mandatory retirement for All Judges & Other Federal Employees.

2)      Balanced Budget Amendment and full compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles by the U.S. Government.

3)      A Flat Income Tax to prohibit favoritism in the Tax Code.

A hypocritical Congress has passed a bill it calls necessary to help homeowners keep their houses. This is what they in congress claim even though over 90% of homeowners who live in their houses are making their mortgage payments on time. While claiming to help the middle class keep their homes, they loot the Federal Treasury by using taxpayer money for the bailout. To whose benefit is all this Federal generosity directed? Why the same people who skimmed off Billions for themselves by setting up complex lending programs. While Congress is bailing out their buddies, they have decided to give a few Billion for organizations like Acorn that openly support the election of Liberal Democrats in elections. Your tax dollars are used to support people who want to take more money and power from you, while helping to elect people that will continue this effort. I guess that’s what the Democratic leadership means by Paygo? We pay, and they go on redistributing our middles class money to the wealthy and special interests who support them.

On July 23, Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece called “The Fannie Mae Gang.” He mentioned that Fannie Mae “…helped to make Countrywide as profitable as it once was by buying its mortgages in bulk. Mr. Raines -- following predecessor Jim Johnson -- and Mr. Mozilo made each other rich.” He then wrote about the incestuous relation between the powerful mortgage monopoly and Congress, “…explains why Mr. Johnson could feel so comfortable asking Sen. Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) to discuss a sweetheart mortgage with Mr. Mozilo.,” Of course another sweetheart deal was provided to the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Dodd.  He finally concluded; “Fannie has been able to purchase political immunity for decades by disguising its vast profit-making machine in the cloak of ‘affordable housing.’ To be more precise, Fan and Fred have been protected by an alliance of Capitol Hill and Wall Street, of Barney Frank and Angelo Mozilo.”

The real danger is also exposed in that same article. Mr. Gigot further wrote, “I know this because for more than six years I've been one of their antagonists. Any editor worth his expense account makes enemies, and complaints from CEOs, politicians and World Bank presidents are common. But Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are unique in their thuggery, and their response to critics may help readers appreciate why taxpayers are now explicitly on the hook to rescue companies that some of us have spent years warning about.” Imagine the extent of their boldness when these same people who now want us the taxpayer to pay for their wealth accumulation actually threaten the Editor of the Wall Street Journal. I guess this is a preview of what will happen when the Leftist Leadership attempt to get their bill passed in the next Congress to suppress dissenting opinions in print, or any other media?

Investors should always be wary of complex investment instruments. Large financial institutions have learned from Congress that by making that which should be easily understood complex you can discriminate against those who can’t afford expert advice. If you make the investment complex, like the tax code, you can fool most of the average investors while manipulating the use the investment product to get rich.  Like a new improved laundry detergent, whose brand has been around for a hundred years, are the new products really better, or just hype? Traditional mortgage backed securities have been manipulated to get better credit ratings and hiding their risks in layer upon layer of the same investment, simply being repackaged every time. Of course every transaction generates obscene fees for the packagers and the risk is further increased. The mortgages are sold to homeowners and those purveyors of risk to the homeowners are further rewarded by substantial fees. I wonder whether the people involved in this Ponzi scheme will ever be indicted for their fraudulent acts. But wait, why indict, let’s just hide the whole sordid mess with a bailout and move on to the next scam?

Alan Greenspan was quoted as saying the Bailout was necessary, but not handled properly.  At the Fed, Mr. Greenspan warned for years that the two mortgage giants' business model threatened the nation's financial stability.  He now says they both should be dismantled over time. All right, now we have a strong voice for restoring stability in the financial markets, how about restoring “fairness” in financial markets. While head of the Federal Reserve he engineered low interest rates for financial institutions and businesses large enough to finance by selling Commercial Paper. What about Small Business, the real engine of job growth, and what about the poor consumer? If there was one late payment on a credit card, the financing method by necessity for many small businesses, the result is 30% interest. Their was no money for small business loans at banks, because they were busy funding and selling mortgage packages with all the fees those products generated. Financial Institutions no longer make a modest income working on the spread between interest earned and paid. They charge regular customers with high interest and excessive fees.  

Congress seems determined to gain power beyond that prescribed by Article I, the article that describes the Powers of the Legislative Branch. And yet one power, that to regulate the value of money, has been around since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Section 7 states; “To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures.” Originally, it was left to States to determine what interest rates were usurious. But the mismanagement of government finances after the imposition of the Great Society programs led to an interest rate crisis, created Stagflation. This made it necessary that by 1980; national banks, federally chartered savings banks, installment plan sellers and chartered loan companies were exempted from state usury limits by the federal government through a special law. This effectively overrode all state and local usury laws. So the Fed sets the interest rates for Large Companies and today it is around 4-8% or so. Yes, risk is a factor and some large organizations pay higher rates because they are riskier. But how about a Bailout for Middle Class America, and re-establish usury rates for the consumer and small business? There will always be those who will be risk rated, but perhaps a Federal Usuty law will curb the appetite of Large Financial Instituiton to overcharge the smaller accounts to make up for their bad management of the Larger Risks they took? It may also curb their appetite for taxpayer bailouts.

The titled Committee was authorized to Investigate Nazi Propaganda and Certain Other Propaganda Activities. It was chaired by John W. McCormack and Samuel Dickstein. They held public and private hearings in six cities, questioned hundreds of witnesses and collected testimony filling 4,300 pages. Per Wikipedia, "From 1934 to 1937, the Special Committee on Un-American Activities investigated how foreign subversive propaganda entered the U.S. and the organizations that were spreading it." John McCormack went on to be the 53rd Speaker of the House, and was a renown Liberal. It became a Special Investigating Committee from 1938 until 1944 and again focused on suspected Nazi's and even touched on the KKK, as much as Congressional influences permitted. In 1938 it also began looking into Communist subervises in Government. It was known as the Dies Committee during this period.

After World War II the spotlight was turned up on Communist espionage activites in the United Staes, driven principally by the Soviet Union. It was during the late 40's and early 50's that this Committee and the McCarthy Hearings in the Senate became tarnished with the shame of violating one of the principles of American freedom; "All men are innocent, until proven.guilty." Much like Inquisition's blot on Christianity for turning a belief system's passion to a persecution tool, so did the work of this House Committee. With it's reckless use of the supoena and wanton destruction of human lives thru innuendo, the Committee's whole body of work was shamed. Then the generic name for their action was McCarthyism, much akin to the current version of goverment persecution nicknamed Spitzerism. At any rate is was the antithesis of our system of justice; "All men (and women) are innocent until proven guilty.”

The excesses of this Committee and the McCarthy Hearings have been fodder for the Media, Entertainment productions and Hollywood films for years. Even though the Committee wasn't officially disolved until 1975, its influence was marginal after late Fifties. Ironically, it was the Watergate Congress, the largest concentration of Leftist Senators and Representatives aggregated in the History of the United States, who saw no more need for anyone to monitor propaganda or other anti-American activity. At this time in American History, Left wing Liberals dominated Government; taking control during the explosive growth of Government Bureaucracy in the wake of the Great Society programs. The Leftist wing of the Democratic Party also took control of the Legislative Branch, influencing the makeup of Courts. Of course a weakened Nixon was a President who as a Republican really was a pretty good Democrat.

The results of the cultural shift after forty years are truly amazing. The record of the efforts of the Media, Entertainment and Hollywood influencing American thought and Culture is everywhere. Historical movies and documentaries that are propaganda of the most odious kind are being produced in large quantities. Propaganda that is most effective is that which contain threads of truth; twisted and perverted, most of the times out of the original context. This way the Propagandists can confront any challengers to the veracity of their product. The latest so called historical movie foisted on Americans is named "W." It appears from the trailers to be yet another in the long line of historical movie making based on the Director's Liberal Leftist Elitist opinions and beliefs. In other word, it is a propaganda film that is made in the fashion of Hitler's Minster of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbles. He made those movies in Germany popular in the Thirties to sway popular opinion to support those in power. He was always trying to control thinking for the masses.

Now I am not advocating the restoration of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Can you imagine what Speaker Pelosi, who refuses to allow anything she doesn't aprrove of to even be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives, could do with that Committee? Every Conservative media person would be supoenaed before her Commitee and probably grilled by counsel supplied by MoveOn.org? No, I advocate smaller government everywhere except National Defense. I am for expanding individual freedom in all areas except giving the miscreants commiting crimes more justice than we give their victims. What I am advocating is that "We, the People," continue to show our displeasure at these Propaganda pieces by not showing up. The concern of the House Un-American Activities Committee was real from 1934 to 1975. It was their methods in dealing with bull crap, both left wing and right wing, that was wrong. The people have the right to be informed.

I really miss Directors like Frank Capra. Many of his movies were about those oppressed by the rich and powerful. In movies like “Meet John Doe,” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” poltical bosses were cast as villians as well as Powerful Businessman, usually played by Edward Arnold. By the way, they all weren’t Republicans or Conservatives as typecast today! But he showed the power of free thinking and speech. He highlighted in one of George Bailey’s wonderful speeches from “It’s a Wondeful Life,” to me something as true today as in 1946 when that movie was made, “…that rabble you refer to do most of the working, paying, living and dying in this town.” And that wonderful rabble of which I am so proudly part of, always seemed to pull together and beat the big guys. I think he would have had a field day with the Capitol Hill money and power bunch these last forty years.

The difference between the Founders of America and the current excuse we have for our governing body on Capitol Hill is ever apparent. While reading a wonderful book; "Almost a Miracle" by John Fehrling, I am again marveling at the sacrifices made by the Founder's of this Great Republic and the impossible job they did to create this Country. I read these Historical books and Biographies of early Americans, not to dwell on the human weaknesses and mistakes like so many "modern" scholars, but to reinforce myself with the vision the majority of them possessed. They may be tainted with the impurity of injustice or other flaws, but they still compare more favorable than most in government these last 50 years. What moved me most was the quote by Thomas Paine in his pamphlet "The American Crisis.'' This was in early winter of 1776, the low point of the American Revolution; "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from their service to this country..." These again are times that try our souls, but the threat is now from within, not from a foreign power.

Arguably our greatest economic thinker, Milton Friedman, said in his wonderful must read, “Free to Choose;” “the combination of economic and political power in the same hands is a sure recipe for tyranny.” Since the Great Society of January, 1965, the Federal Government has gained economic and political power on a scale never imagined. The “Guns and Butter,” State of the Union address by Lyndon Johnson was the beginning of the end of fiscal responsibility and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a ruling elite. The U.S. Congress originally passed a 10% surcharge to pay for Viet Nam and the explosion of Government Programs created by the Great Society. The unpopularity of the surcharge was immediate. The response was a system of taxation so complex only the elitists can afford to hire professionals to protect them. In addition, Congress cooks the books on a regular basis. Their greed has created deficits, whose $11 Trillion plus liability would be a felony if perpetrated by the private sector.

John Fund wrote in a Wall Street Journal Article yesterday: "The Republican Party is facing what Ronald Reagan called "a time for choosing." A real argument is raging over how much it should turn its back on the bad habits that cost it control of Congress in 2006. The recent indictment of one of the greedy reasons the Republicans broke the "Contract with America" that put theme in power in 1994, Senator Ted Stevens, has put the proverbial fat in the fryer. An Honest Senator, made fun by most of his colleagues, Tom Coburn, was chastised by the Alaskan Money Monger, for losing the 2006 Congressional Elections. Senator Coburn's criticism of earmarks and Republican lust for wealth and power was blamed for the loss. Yet Mr. Fund points out in his article, " The data favored Mr. Coburn: 2006 exit polls revealed that corruption in government was second only to the Iraq war as the driving force behind the Democratic takeover. A major part of that corruption was earmarks -- pork projects members often secure in secret." The Democrats used that to win, but quickly forgot it and put new hands in the power and money cookie jar.

Another small government, freedom of choice Senator is Jim DeMint of South Carolina. He called the Democrats to task for their lie to the electorate that claim the earmarks will now be transparent. In fact, Democrats hide them more and abuse power far beyond what the Republicans had done. Senator Coburn's final comment referring to the Democrats, "(they) not only failed to drain the swamp, but gave the alligators new rights."  But that isn't the end of Congressional Misfeasance, or maybe Malfeasance? With gasoline at $4 a gallon and an energy policy driven by a denial of reality and pandering to radical leftist elitists, the Speaker of the House will not even tolerate debate on energy and adjourned the House. This done in haste to continue her attack on free markets. All the left keeps shouting is; "More government. More control over the economy, More laws to extort money for tort lawyers, and don't forget, More regulation to stifle the only real driving force in our country, small business!" Co-conspirators abound in the Media who amplify their broken message without regard to the truth and with their suppression of opposing opinions.

Not only is the Democratic leadership in Congress trying to curb Free Speech by not letting issues of concern even get to the floors of the House of Senate, they are proposing other legislation to limit opposition in the media.. Something called the Fair Information Act will stifle the source of information patriots can get from the radio and internet sources of their choice. Of course freedom of choice of ANY kind seems to be unacceptable.  I hope the Liberal Left Wing realize that they are the antithesis of what traditional Liberals stood for; Freedom of debate and most importantly, freedom of choice without coercion from big government. For that matter free from coercion from big labor, big business or any other group that thinks they comprise the ruling elite; able to dictate to the masses while ensuring privilege for themselves.

Senator Stevens indictment is the tip of an ice berg named "A National Disgrace" whose presence is oozing down Capitol Hill. A Senator from Illinois being talked about by a fawning media using "Change" as if it it were some miracle drug. A blogger from the Liberal Daily Kos.com, recently wrote, " If Obama's political career was created in what is believed to be the most politically corrupt city in the United States, then his background must be thoroghly checked..." Of course most of the media never tells this story. Three Illinois Governors went to jail in the last 40 years. The current one seems on the verge of making it four. Hundreds of Illinois Legislators, Judges, Chicago Aldermen and assorted other politicians have gone the same way. It doesn't matter who wins the Presidency or Congress in November. If Constitutional limts on an Imperial Congress that rules without regard to the wishes of the citizenry, Thomas Paine's America may be finished.

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson were considered the founding father's of the Democratic Party. Both worked hard to empower the common man and did all in their power to limit government. Modern Democrats say that America has changed too much and needs government to tell the citizenry how to live their lives and spend their money. The new Democratic big government politicians say the Jeffersonian ideal of yeoman farmers as the foundation of a free society is outdated, as well as many other principals of the founders. I wonder what the millions of small business people think who are the direct descendants of the Jeffersonian vision for what best makes up the vibrant core of our citizenry. They do most of the hiring, provide most of the growth in our economy and sacrifice their very lives to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Will Rogers once was quoted; "I am not a member of any organized party-I am a Democrat." I don't think he would identify with many Twenty-first Century Democrats.

The Democratic Party is no longer the party of the common man, and it now seems to have the goal of concentrating power in the hands Big Government Democrats in Congress have been on a crusade to expand government at all levels and take more taxpayer money from the very entrepreneurs that have been the backbone of our economic growth for over a century. They pass bills that strangle their enterprise while continuing concentration of wealth and power in the hands of bureaucrats and lawyers. Congress increasingly rewards these bloated bureaucracies with automatic pay increases and benefits that the private sector funds, but can never aspire to enjoy. They tell us more Government will make the lives of Americans better when historic evidence proves otherwise.

There is a real danger in where that Party is going in to this fall. They show their disdain for public opinion and refuse to even allow dissenting views debate. Democrats lead the charge to consolidate their grip on ALL the levers of government and have attacked the Bill of Rights in the process. The Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, has been under attack for decades by the Liberal Left.  Now they want to limit the Tenth Amendment by usurping powers left to the states and even trying to stifle the free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment by advocating a new Freedom of Information act. This really is an assault on the Conservative Media outside most of the Mainstream Media they control. The Speaker of the House has arrogantly refused to even allow open debate on the Treaty for Free Trade with Columbia, a solid Latin American Ally or opening oil drilling in ANWR or off the U.S. Coasts. This last piece of suppression is a slap in the face to 75% of Americans who want more Domestic Oil production.

Some recent articles gleaned from the Wall Street Journal should open the eyes of the electorate to the type of Government Americans would be subjected to with a President Obama, Speaker for Life Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid  as Majority Leader of the Senate. That Newspaper is virtually the Only Mainstream Print Media that has presented a balanced menu of news and opinions. The rest of the Mainstream Print Media, Network News, and CNN have assumed the role of propagandists for Liberal Democrats. One article by Bill McGurn in the Journal, recently questioned the Congress for burying a small voucher program for the District of Columbia and hurting a voting block that supports them with up to 90% of the votes cast for Democratic Candidates. That is power exercised with an arrogance that only totalitarian governments have seen. An extension of Lord Acton's "Absolute Power corrupts absolutely" can be extended to anticipated control of all the levers of government that allow the Congressional Leaders to govern without regard to even their own supporters?

On July 25, Kimberley Strassel wrote about how Democrats are already telling K-Street Lobbyists to fall in line and support them with large contributions or else? Her article, "The K Street Project, Part Blue" actually borders on the surreal. They are threatening now what they will do when they get bigger majorities. What will they do if they get them and the Presidency? One paragraph was particularly chilling. She wrote; "In Congress itself, Democrats are using threats to bully business into supporting their legislation. Exhibit A: the ongoing battle over 'tax extenders,' a bill that includes provisions (such as the research and development tax credit) that business depends on Congress to renew each year. Speaker Pelosi passed that package in May, but only after pairing the tax cuts with $55 billion in tax hikes and stuffing it with perks for trial lawyers and unions. GOP senators balked, at which point aides for Mr. Reid, Ms. Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus hauled in businesses most desperate to see the extenders passed and ordered them to lobby Republicans to fold."

All this reminds me of the many Hollywood propaganda films about right wing Military takeovers of the U.S. or other Republican Right Wing intrusions on American freedoms. Where is Hollywood's outrage at the increasing domination of the small business owner, a direct descendent of those championed by Jefferson and Jackson? There were excesses in what the House Un-American Committee did in the late forties, and they went way too far, but now is this the Left Wing's revenge? Paying back for what they suffered 60 years ago by trashing everything America has stood for the last 230 years? Are they doing whatever it takes to suppress any dissent against the Accumulation of Power by the Left Wing Democrats? Unfortunately the attack on America's freedom to control excessive government extends even to the states. John Fund wrote another chilling piece in the Wall Street Journal yesterday titled "The Far Left's War on Direct Democracy." It is about how the Democratic Left not only wants to suppress debate in Congress, but wants States that have Constitutional Amendment rights to eliminate those freedoms.

This November may be the last election "We the People" have any real say in how we want to be governed and taxed. The Left Wing wants control, even if they subject their taxpayers to bad government like many Northern States or California. Of course their friends will be exempted by writing complex laws that allow them preferential treatment. Those same complex, intrusive laws would help another set of contributors, the tort lawyers. To think they want to have an economy like Michigan, which is a testimony to how Democratic Control can hurt taxpayers and small business, should give every voter pause about the real threat to our country come November. Of course, as always, I feel we need to champion a Twenty-first Century Bill of Rights to constitutionally limit government!

Robber baron was a term used in the 19th century for men who dominated their respective industries and amassed huge personal fortunes, typically using anti-competitive or unfair business ethics in the process. The term may now be used in relation to any businessman or banker who is perceived to have used questionable business practices or scams in order to become powerful or wealthy. Per Wikopedia, "The term derives from the medieval German lords who illegally charged exorbitant tolls against ships traversing the Rhine river."  It was popularized by U.S. political and economic commentator Matthew Josephson in a 1934 book. He attributed its first use to an 1880 anti-monopoly pamphlet in which Kansas farmers applied the term to railroad magnates.

The rise of the Progressive Movement and the reforms they advocated when they gained power in government, were supposed to offset the unfair advantages attained by the Robber Barons who had concentrated great wealth and power into their own hands. From the late 1800's through the New Deal reforms of the 1930's, government was supposed to be the guarantor of equal economic and political freedom for all Americans. It was also supposed to be the answer to limiting the concentration of wealth and priviledge in the United States. The Income Tax was intended to help accomplish this goal. Up until World War Two, Government Service provided comfortable jobs, good pensions and benefits, but wasn' considered a path to fame and fortune. The Great Society changed all that.

The spirit of service and personal sacrifice has mostly been lost working for government today. A trend, I also believe began with the Great Society programs that made the Public Treasury so vulnerable to plunder. Most of our Founders sacrificed their fortunes, futures and in some cases their lives, for "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness." As an avid reader, particularly of US History and Biographies of Americans great and small, I am constantly amazed at the sacrifices made not only by the veterans of military conflicts, but by normal middle class Americans. They understood JFK's words to do something for America long before his speechwriter wrote them for him. Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation," to which my parents belonged, gave of themselves, mostly without complaint. We can contrast that with the constant demands and whining about how government doesn't do enough by many contemporary Americans.  

People elected or appointed to high government positions don't seem as concerned about the Welfare of "The People" as they are with power. Often they are employed in revolving positions of public service and lobbying or other private sector jobs using their government gained influence. What a difference between the early Presidents and other Founders, who brought wealth to their public service and then sacrificed it to the demands of their Country. Of the first 6 Presidents of the United States, only George Washington died retaining any of his wealth sacrificed to public service. It was restored with vigorous effort after he left office. Thomas Jefferson's heirs were forced to sell of everything to pay his debts and it took generations before a dedicated admirer of the Third President restored Monticello to the public domain. Today, elected officials or their staffs, always expanding in size and power, amass huge fortunes by using their influence. These fortunes are in addition to government pensions and other benefits a working American can't imagine.

Congress is not satisfied with just raiding the U.S. Treasury, either by steering earmarks to special interest contributors or putting paragraphs in a complex labyrinth of tax to allow the super rich to avoid taxes. The latter is done with the hypocrisy of preaching redistribution of wealth. More on that in another blog but suffice to say Congress has in fact redistributed the wealth to their powerful special interest supporters from the middle class Americans. They help their rich and powerful contributors avoid taxes while publicly complaining that taxes have to be increased on the rich to fund their bloated social programs. Most programs also seem to benefit the same self interest groups.

John Fund wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal on July 19 titled, "Congress' Edifice Complex." He sites examples of the Congressional propensity to immortalize their names on highways, buildings and other government pork projects. It's bad enough that they misuse our money in ever increasing amounts but they have to name monuments to their egos after themselves to remind us of how foolish we are to keep re-electing them! Quoting Mr. Fund in that same article: "It was the constant naming of projects like that that stirred Arkansas state Rep. Dan Greenberg to action. Last year, he introduced the "Edifice Complex Prevention Bill" to put limits on the practice in the state. 'I discovered a local park had been named after me and other legislators without my knowledge,' he told me. 'But that wasn't enough for one legislator who complained that the sign with her name on it wasn't in her campaign colors."

In the late 1800's, Americans looked to their Government to guarantee economic and political freedom; who do we turn to today? Government has in many cases partnered up with those whose accumulated wealth today make the Original American Robber Barons look like paupers. Another quote from a recent Wall Street Journal article has scared me even more. "In 2005, billionaire investor George Soros convened a group of 70 super-rich liberal donors in Phoenix to evaluate why their efforts to defeat President Bush had failed. One conclusion was that they needed to step up their long-term efforts to dominate key battleground states. The donors formed a group called Democracy Alliance to make grants in four areas: media, ideas, leadership and civic engagement. Since then, Democracy Alliance partners have donated over $100 million to key progressive organizations." I am afraid that their definition of progressive organizations, such as "Move On.org," are those that want to limit free speech by dictating what media outlets candidates appear, or encourage their endorsed candidates to support more government controls.

In general, it seems the new Robber Barons have no use for what the Founders gave us, only how they can control the Middle Class while exempting the ruling elite. The U.S. Constitution is considered by them a "Work in Process" to be manipulated to their advantage. We were taught in schools 50 years ago that the U.S. Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and other documents promulgated by the Founders were sacred works. We were taught generations of Americans, born here or arrived as immigrants, defended the concepts in those documents, sometimes at great cost. I believe more than ever that "We the People" need a Twenty-first Century Bill of Rights to maintain our freedoms.

I was recently reading a book about a President ending his term of office with an unpopular war raging. Members of the opposing party were condemning everything from his mishandling of the war and his entire record in foreign policy. His poll ratings were the lowest ever recorded in history. Ironically, the President I was reading about was Harry Truman. Time, along with real historical research into his life and career, has placed him in the top ten of all time Presidents. I really don't expect President Bush to ever be considered more than a mediocre President; he has too much other baggage. But I do believe history will look at his Presidency more positively over the years. The Democratic leadership and their propagandists, who dominate the media, try to suppress any positive news for this Administration before the ink is dry on the story. Time will prove, yet again, that the truths that the propagandists in the media try to smother, will tell a much different story with historical perspective. I wonder how different history would have been without the sacrifice of those brave Americans to keep South Korea free. Think the whole Korean peninsula as in North Korea.

There is a Disconnect not only between Government and "The People," but between the Mainstream Media and the truth! The First Dictator of the Soviet Union, Lenin, once said; "A lie told often enough becomes the truth." President Kennedy said, "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie... but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." We are a country skeptical of the words coming out of Washington, D.C. From the beginning of U.S. History, there were numerous newspapers, pamphlets, and other periodicals that people could use for information. Also, there were numerous discussions in taverns, coffee houses, on street corners and in kitchens over meals. In the end, most Americans relied on their own intuition and seldom accepted information from any source, without challenge. Now, the Networks say all we have to do is get our news from them.

The Twentieth Century brought changes to the dissemination of information. Radio, telephone, photos and eventually moving pictures evolving into television. The last part of the century brought us the internet age, which increased the tempo and volume of information published. On the other hand, it also brought in the ability to distort the information to support a position held by those in power. This is what we call propaganda today. Nazi Germany was one of the first to have a Propaganda Minister. Hitler created an opinion making Ministry headed by Joseph Goebbles. His work continues today, even after a defeated Germany ceased to be a threat. Today his model is carried on by some in today’s media. There is a distortion of the Truth, promulgating half-truths and not presenting the whole story in context.

The lack of credibility about information sourced from the government is yet another legacy of the Viet Nam War. Presidents Johnson and Nixon were  back to back Presidents most responsible for this decline in the confidence in government information. Actually, there was a time in the late 1960s when the “Most Trusted Man” in America was Walter Cronkite. Unfortunately many Americans believed him without question. Walter Cronkite's reporting was a blatant misrepresentation of the truth about the Tet Offensive in 1968. It was the beginning of reporters presenting their own viewpoints as real news. Wikipedia online encyclopedia has the following line in its description of the Tet battles; “According to one view the Tet Offensive was an overwhelming victory for the United States which was mis-reported by the media as a defeat for the United States. Cited in support for this view is the well known report by Walter Cronkite.” Even North Viet Nam’s leading General, Giap, wondered why the Americans never followed up their victory after his failed offensive. In fact, in early April of 1968, the North Viet Namese agreed to peace talks, and the Viet Cong never functioned again as an organized fighting force. The War was won by the North Viet Namese after we pulled out and quit providing any support for South Viet Nam..

The issue here isn’t the War, President Eisenhower warned America about the perils of involving U.S. troops in guerilla warfare or insurgency. Almost all Americans now believe it was foolish that his sucessors did not pay attention. However, the dishonor heaped upon millions of Americans in the Armed Forces who went there and were never driven from a battlefield is a story most Veterans find reprehensible.There is real danger country to this distortion of the truth about what the military really did in Viet Nam. Have you noticed the bad guy in Entertainment is always a Conservative Republican or Military Man? The leadership in the Democratic Congress is already talking about reenacting the so called "Fairness Doctrine." This will be an attempt to supress the popular Conservative media.  Free speech is for those who belittle American values and traditions, not for those of us who believe in the the promise of the Founder's USA.

Several months ago General Ricardo Sanchez gave a press briefing. The New York Times, not know as a beacon of truth, preferred to accent and magnify his remarks about the War in Iraq being a "nightmare." They neglected to quote his opinions about the media. His quote, "It seems that as long as you get a front-page story there is little or no regard for the 'collateral damage' you will cause. Personal reputations have no value and you report with total impunity and are rarely held accountable for unethical conduct." He further stated; "The death knell of your ethics has been enabled by your parent organizations who have chosen to align themselves with political agendas." He also mentioned that politics were more important to both Republicans and Democrats struggling for power in Washington and that struggle; "...had greater priority than our national security objectives." The very lives of those whose service to our Country, allows the Beltway Bunch to gain wealth and power."  I recently read that Vermont anti-war liberals want to succeed from the USA. I wonder what their plan is to protect themselves?

Gerald Sieb wrote in a June 17th wall Street Journal Article; "How can a record percentage of Americans say they disapprove of the job the Democratic-controlled Congress is doing -- yet at the same time say, also by a record margin, they want this year's election to produce another Democratic-controlled Congress?" From 2001 thru 2007, a Republican President and a Republican controlled Congress; wasted taxpayer money on earmarks, entitlements and otherwise damaged the economic future of the United States. They arrogantly abused power and extended the reach of government intrusion into the lives of the average American. So the people elected a Democratic Congress.

Last week former Texas senator Phil Gramm writing in the same paper said, "They didn't live up to what they promised to do. Power corrupted them. They spent lots of money and tried to buy votes. Republicans concluded that they could make voters love them by governing the way Democrats did." The moral of the story is that the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, followed by the  Contract with America that elected a Republican Congress, offered hope of returning America to the Average American. This session some of the remnants of the Republican Party in Congress joined the Democratic majority to push for the tax and spend agenda, while ignoring citizens who aren't part of the special interest constituency.

We have a look at the future by reviewing the Democratic agenda based on their performance after taking power in 2006. The arrogance of the Democratic Leadership is truly remarkable. The Speaker takes it upon herself to table a treaty with reliable Columbia, one of our few allies in Latin America. She won't even let it come up for a vote. The Senator who chairs the Banking committee gets a sweetheart deal on his mortgage from the scandal ridden Countrywide Mortgage. He and his colleagues stubbornly insists on bailing them out, giving more power to the other big quasi-public mortgage players who contribute heavily to the Democrats in Congress. The Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, gave Billions in subsidies to agricultural interests while food costs skyrocket along with oil prices, also influenced by their bad policies. Their hypocrisy is highlighted by the fact that Federal, State and Local governments make more money on a gallon of gas than any oil company.

The Democratic leadership is poised for victory. They are so confident they are even disrespecting their core constituency, African-Americans, in Washington, DC. The majority of DC residents, who can't afford private schools, want Public School Vouchers and choice. However the political leadership of the Democratic Party says NO. We all know why. The Teacher Unions and other Public Employee Unions will contribute an estimated $50 million plus to the campaign this fall. Also, many union people will "volunteer" for the campaign being paid by many who are forced to pay dues. The result may be that the Democrats most loyal constituents may face a form of economic slavery by limiting their school choice. Oh well, any war for power is bound to have collateral damage.

A perfect storm is now upon the American people. Big government advocates are poised to control all three branches of government. The result will be more spending and yet more complex Tax Code tinkering so the special interests can take more from the average taxpayer and keep more for them. One of the first items on their agenda after their anticipated victory in the fall is to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine for the media to suppress dissent. They feel their party and their presidential candidate are going to win, and Lord Acton's famous quote is poised to be proven once again. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."  

Congress has an approval rate of 12%. The Military and Small Business have approval rates of 71% and 60% respectively. But arrogant hypocrites on Capitol Hill have their daily news conferences condemning most things American, and promising to micromanage the Military, Small Business and anything else they haven't already messed up. I am reminded of what was said at the McCarthy hearings in the early fifties. The Counsel for the Army Joseph Welch, responding to Senator McCarthy at his hearings in the early fifties, Welch said, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" It is no wonder the Silent Majority is feeling the weight of impending doom. There is a disconnect between our government and "The People." We need more Constitutional protection. Since Congress won't reform itself, we need a Constitutional Convention to give us a 21st Century Bill of Rights!

The Twenty-first Century Bill of rights should include at least three clauses:

1) There should be term limits for Senators and U.S. Representatives. There should be a mandatory retirement age for Federal Judges.

2) Amend the 16th Amendment and state that all income taxes must be on a flat rate percentage with only exclusions allowed for individuals, families including children and the elderly. Absolutely no deductions allowed! Lobbyists on Capital Hill with see a substantial increase in unemployment. A good thing!

3) Enact a Balance Budget Amendment only to be exempted in times of Declared War or other defined National Emergencies and decided on by a Two-thirds majority in the House and Senate. Fund all mandated expenses or entitlements directly so Congress can't spend other entities money without being accountable. Most important of all, publish all expenditures, not budgeted items, for every Branch of Government. The focus has to shift from promising to spend more of our own money for our benefit to being more accountable for the Trillions they are already spending.