What we need in a President

So the Presidential campaign is in full swing.  I know.  It sounds insane.  Its way to early.  But here we are.  Tomorrow night starts the first presidential debate.  This is the first chance for 17 members of the Republican party to make their statement.

Right now, Donald Trump leads the pack.  Why?  I've been reading twitter a lot lately, and what I've found is that people like him because they are sick of DC politics and so is he.  But anger makes a bad president.  He has many things that he is against, but he isn't for anything. 

So what do we need in a President?

#1 Executive experience. We need someone who was a governor.  Governors understand how the presidency should work, because they've served as the executive as a state.  The problem with President Obama (and by association a Rand Paul, Teddy Cruz, and Hillary Clinton) is that those that come out of the Senate don't know how the Presidency should work.  Most of them want to serve as President by proposing and signing laws (i.e. ObamaCare).  They don't understand what it means to be Commander in Chief.  They don't understand the duties of the President.  They just want to propose laws.  In truth, they think they want to be Speaker of the House.  Therefore, we need a person who has executive experience.  That should rule out much of the field right there for reasonable people.

#2 A Conservative.  There are several reasons why we lost the last two elections.  There was major fraud, unnecessary though it may be.  There was racial motivations (many people voted not on the content of his character, but on the color of his skin).  But mostly, it was due to the Republican primaries.  For some reason, Republican obeyed the liberal media in voting for who the liberal media thought was "electable."  In other words, with McCain and Romney, they voted for the most liberal Republicans they can find.  It seems that the same is going on this year.  Trump is liberal.  He donated to Hillary Clinton's last presidential campaign.  He's voted for more Democrats than Republicans.  He's a liberal.  I am honestly convinced that he's running a fake campaign to try to get Hillary elected.  But I feel the same with Jeb Bush and Chris Christi and a few others.  We need a conservative.  Think about it.  The most one-sided election of all time (1984, Reagan vs. Mondale) was where we put up a true conservative. 

#3 Intimidating.  The world is in chaos.  Putin is restarting the Cold War.  ISIS is rolling over much of the Middle East.  Iran has a path to the Nuke.  Our border is porous.  Again, I hate to compare everything to Reagan, but he ended the Cold War by staring down the USSR and making them blink.  Some want to pull back from the world.  But as we all know, "Evil triumphs when good men do nothing."  Rand Paul believes that if we give Iran a nuke, the MAD policy will keep them in check.  Mutually Assured Destruction is not a great policy for those who blow themselves up in order to receive seventy virgins.  That's just not good foreign policy.  And there is no reason why we are the only country in the world who are not able to secure our borders.  And yes, note the "s."  I mean Canada too.  I would also include in that we need to change our legal immigration policy.  We need more immigrants from Mexico, and from China and the Middle East.

#4 Financially sound.  President Bush really wasn't financially conservative.  True, he ran two wars, but he wasn't that financially good to begin with.  Trump declared bankruptcy four times.  Our dollars are worth much less today than they used to be.  Our debt is insane.  President Obama took out more debt than every President before him.  We don't need someone who declared bankruptcy.  We need someone who doesn't believe in debt. 

Hypocrisy Run Amok

Ok, so I know I've been doing more tweeting then blogging lately, but I can't fit this is 140 characters or less.  So here goes.

Liberal hypocrisy has been driving me nuts lately.  Let's go with a few examples. 

#1 "Republicans are traitors."  Why?  Because they contacted Iran to explain the US Constitution.  So the White House says they are traitors for contacting an enemy government.  Well, I guess that makes Obama a traitor too then, because he contacted them first.  I'm not at all serious about this.  President Regan contacted the Kremlin to negotiate peace.  The difference is that Regan wanted to reduce nuclear arms, not give them to a nation that has sworn to destroy Israel and the United States.  The USSR was collapsing.  Iran is seeking to expand. 

But that's neither here nor there.  Point been, you don't get to call them out for doing what you have done.  Especially when you are trying to violate the law to make a treaty without Congress's approval.  (By the way, assuming that Mutually Assured Destruction is going to dissuade suicide bombers is lunacy).

#2 "We can't influence another countries' election."  We shouldn't.  Sure.  Give them freedom.  Makes sense.  Except that Obama said that we were doing this by congress asking Bibi Netanyahu to speak on the dangers of Iran so they could make an informed decision on said treaty.  Then the White House, via the State Department, basically embezzled money to fund Bibi's opponent and sent one of the President's campaign advisers to work for him. 

Now wait a sec, you criticized Republicans for allowing Bibi to speak, saying that it might influence the election, when you were outright funding and campaigning for his opponent?  Who is trying to influence the election?

#3 "The greatest threat to peace."  The mainstream media lost their tiny little brains when Netanyahu was elected, and soundly so.  They called him personally the greatest threat to peace.

WHAT???!!!!! Has he lobbed rockets into civilian neighborhoods?  No, that was Hezbollah.  Has he kidnapped and sold girls to be raped?  No, that was Boko Haram.  Has he burned Muslims alive?  No, that was Isis.  Has he wholesale slaughtered Christians?  No, Isis again.  Has he threatened to wipe other nations and other religions from the face of the earth?  No, that was Iran.  How is Bibi the greatest threat to peace?

Because President Obama believes that Israel is a threat to peace by existing.  If Israel and the Republican party would just die, then he could fix everything.  Wouldn't that be nice?

What? Who's racist? A history lesson

So, several Democrats made statements about racism.  Congressman Israel said that he believed "a significant portion of the Republican base" is racists. 

Let's do a little history lesson here.  Abraham Lincoln, signer of the Emancipation Proclamation, was a Republican.  Those that went against him?  Democrats.

When Dr. King was going around, Republican officials stood with them.  The people turning fire hoses on the crowds and arresting them?  Democrat governors.

Republicans believe that all men were created equal.  Democrats believe things like "Voter ID laws are discriminatory.  Minorities are incapable of passing the exam to get a driver's license, so they will be excluded."  They also believe that minorities are incapable of achieving greatness in our country without a boost from the white man.

The only time I ever threatened a man with violence was when a friend of mine used the "n" word.  I told him I'd kill him if he ever said it again.  I guess that makes me racist too.

Democrats are always the first to point out race.  "He's a black president."  "He's a black quarter back."  "She's a Latina musician."  Most of us don't see race.  We just see people.

Democrats are the ones who look at Col. Allen West and Dr. Benjamin Carson and say "You're traitors to your race" for stepping out of line and being conservative.  Why don't you tell them to move to the back of the bus while you're at it?

Democrats say immigration issues are race based.  For me, I'm not thinking of race.  I just am tired of all those Canadians coming down here to use our health care and steal our jobs.

There is a saying that I think applies to all these democrats: "Me thinks (s)he doth protest too much."  I think the reason they jump on everyone is because they assume everyone else is as racist as they are.

Think about that next time you watch Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, or so many others race bating.

Captain America for President

*** Warning! Contains Spoilers!***


You've been warned.

Ok, so yesterday I posted my review for Captain America: The Winter Solider.  Well worth reading.  Today, I'm going more for the message of Captain America.

Cap learns in the beginning of the movie that Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., commissioned three new helicarriers.  Only these three were linked to satellites.  These satellites took up information on everyone on the planet, things like spending records and who they talked to.  They tracked google searches, text messages, and GPS locations.  In doing so, they were able to compile information on everyone, like who they voted for, or whether or not they would lead people.

Kinda sound familiar, doesn't it?  Not so fictitious, is it?

Then you have this conversation.
Fury- "We're going to start a lot of threats before they even happen."
Cap- "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime."

Cap ends up having to go on the run, hunted be the government, because he wouldn't help them propagate this kind of behavior.  They declare him an enemy, and everyone is hunting him with the intent to kill.

I bet the IRS audited him for being a patriot too.

As it turns out, many of the leaders where secret working for Hydra, who was seeking to bring order to the world.  People, they decided, couldn't be trusted with freedom.  So they decided to push the world to chaos so that they could create order.  They did things like ruined the economy, instituted socialist Health Care, and allowed terrorists to roam free, calling it things like "workplace violence" instead of terrorism.

Apparently Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are members of Hydra.

Remember those helicarriers?  They were sent after people, not terrorists, but those view as true enemies of Hyrda, proponents of liberty.  So they were going to do drone strikes on anyone that might become a leader of people that had values other than their own.

Remember when Obama said that conservatives, not terrorists where the greatest threat to America?  Hail Hydra.

In the end, Captain America was willing to risk and even end his life in defense of freedom.  And he called on others to do the same.  "The cost of liberty is high, but it's a price I'm willing to pay."

Captain America is a conservative (this is something from the comics, especially seen in the Marvel Civil War).  He believes in conservative values like freedom and choice.  As opposed to so-called liberals, who believe in the government and have a war on liberty. 

How long until Hydra comes knocking at your door?  Will you fall in lock step, or pay the price?

Hail Hydra, or fight with Captain America.  I know what I'd rather do.

ObamaCare: A personal testimony

So the CBO report has been highly debated.  Are people losing jobs, or are they walking away from extra jobs because they don't need them?

Well, my mother was nearly canned for insurance purposes.  They ended up negotiating to drop full time employees to ensuring the employee only, not their family.  Since my mom is both a widow and an empty-nester, this allowed her to stay.  Her friend Brenda was not so fortunate.  This 60 year old woman is now working the graveyard shift at Amazon.com's shipping center, doing hard manual labor in 10-12 hour shifts just for insurance coverage.  Where's her promised "freedom"?

What the Democrats call "job lock" we once called "having a steady job."

I've recently become employed once more.  But I took a pay cut of 1/4th, and have to provide my own insurance.  My good friend John Thompson is sending me a monthly check to cover that for the next year.  That's a big relief.

That said, my insurance cost before Obamacare was $65 per month.  Now it is $237.16.  And since they regulate the market, I was not able to find private insurance any cheaper, because Obama tells the companies what they will pay and what they will cover, as well as who your doctor will be.  It's a government HMO.  Thanks for that.

Another thing that changed in the law is that now, I have to have maternity coverage.  You know, in case I give birth.  Now, if I knocked a girl up, she has to have her own coverage.  This won't roll over to her.  Nope.  This is in case I give birth.  I also have to have pediatric dental coverage.  You know, to cover the dental care for kids that I don't have.  And I am required by Federal Law to purchase this. 

Now here's the fun part.  When I went to get private health insurance, I was required to buy this separately.  But when I tried to do this, I was asked for my child's name and Social Security number, which I can't provide because I don't have a kid.  So it is ILLEGAL for my to buy what I am LEGALLY REQUIRED to buy.

All that was done so that I was federally required to buy directly from HealthCare.gov. 

So much for my freedom.  Thanks President Obama.

Enemy of the State?

So... our country seems to have some trouble lately.  With Fort Hood shootings, Sandyhook Elementary, the Boston bombings, we are under attack.  There are nearly regular shootings by the mentally unstable and attacks by terrorists.

Yet, our government seems to be confused as to who the enemies of our nation are.  The State Department went after our dead ambassador.  The DOJ went after the media.  The IRS went after conservatives.  The NSA is going after everyone.

This, for some reason, is surprising.  I don't know why.  They've been doing it for years.  We knew they were doing it.  There's a movie called "Enemy of the State" staring Gene Hackman, John Voit, and Will Smith.  We're living it.  Political opponents are enemies, while people trying to kill us must be our victims. 

That said, if you're asking me is this Snowden or whatever his name is is a hero for leaking, my answer is no.  If he thought he was being brave and doing the right thing, he wouldn't have run away.  He would have stood in public and taken the consequences.  That's the difference between standing for a conviction and just being a turd.

In the mean time, our nation's leaders need to learn the difference between our friends and our enemies.  The IRS did this political bullying because Obama has created a culture of corruption and favoritism.  He's McCarthyism and Nixon all rolled in one, and no one cares.  It's really sad.

ObamaCare hits home

I hate to say "I told you so."  Especially when it's bad.  But I told you ObamaCare sucks.  It destroys jobs. 

My mom just found out yesterday (Monday) that she has a difficult decision.  She can either have Health Insurance, or a job.  That's right.  Because Obama's regulations, my mother's insurance has skyrocketed.  The school that she works for is voting Thursday to get rid of insurance for the teacher's aides.  She's been at that job for 27 years, and has been told she either has to retire before the vote on Thursday, or she has to go without insurance, knowing that she can't afford ObamaCare, which she is required by law to have.

That's right.  She has just entered government enforced poverty.  She either can have insurance or an income.  Her thought is she might be able to get an income, but she absolutely cannot get insurance.  So she has to leave a job which she loves to afford health insurance.

And she's not the only one effected.  Other aides that were hired after a certain date are not only losing their insurance, but also their hours.  Since ObamaCare not requires employers to provide insurance for those who have more than 30 hours, and companies still can't afford to provide benefits, then not only do these people not have insurance, but have less income.  That's what happens when idiot politicians like Obama and Pelosi who have never held a real job or done anything in real life make decisions for the rest of the country.  They had excellent intentions, but reality is simply different.  The road to hell, and national poverty, is paved with good intentions.

Stop Digging-The Problems

There's an old saying.  When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.  You cannot get out of the hole by digging out the bottom.  That just puts you deeper into a hole.

We are in a sixteen trillion dollar hole.  That's a sixteen with TWELVE ZEROS behind it.  It's an addiction to spending.  When we have a trillion dollar deficit each year, not including interest on the debt, we have a problem.  Yet the infamously hypocritical and stupid Nancy Pelosi said that people are lying when they say we have a spending problem.

So I guess GSA execs spending tax dollars on clowns, gambling, and alcohol isn't a problem.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to make an aquatic treadmill for shrimp (yes, I said shrimp) to run on so we can see what it looks like isn't a problem.  Paying bloated salaries to members of congress who don't even read the bills they pass isn't a problem.

According to a survey done over the weekend, 83% of Americans say we have a spending problem.  The 17% that don't must all work for the government.  We have record waste and fraud each year, and Nancy Pelosi has the gall to say that we don't have a problem.

President Obama will admit roughly that we have a problem.  His problem is he thinks the solution is to dig faster.  Spend money on bridges.  Spend money on special interests.  Spend more money.  He calls it a stimulus.

Only we've tried that.  Over.  And over.  And over.  Bush tried it, and Obama called it stupid.  Then Obama walked into office and said "Hey you know that thing that didn't work?  Let's try that."  That's INSANE!!!  Einstein said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."  Congrats to both Democrats and Republicans.  You are insane.  He's even said that he's going to raise the tax on gasoline to give us more spending.  Because, you know, paying more for gasoline really helps low income people like you and me.


On another note: the minimum wage.  I am big on social justice.  I want to help the poor.  But I'm also a pragmatist.  That means I do things that work.  Raising the minimum wage sounds good, in theory.  That's why we raised it $2.00 a few years ago.  That's why he wants to raise it $2.00 again. 

The problem is it doesn't work.  Yes, you bring home more money (unless you work for tips.  Or on commission.  Or on a salary.  Pretty much, it screws most people because we aren't hourly like the unions.).  But that tank of gas costs $2 more.  That trip to McDonalds with your family?  $2 more.  Everything from food to gas to utilities goes up, more than you raise did.  Plus, businesses don't hire as many workers.  That's just what we need right now, higher prices and less jobs.  Again, I love the idea behind the higher minimum wage, but in practicality it hurts those you are trying to help.  Ideals don't pay the rent here in the real world.  What actually works is if those few dollars we do bring home go further, but that involves reducing the debt.  Short term pain equals long term solutions, just like it does in personal finance.  But that's never going to happen, because those that work in Washington won't deign themselves to step foot in the real world.

History lesson

So President Obama gave a bunch of Virginians a history lesson that has sparked a bit of a fire storm.  "If you are successful, you didn't get there on your own...  Somebody paid for roads and the Internet..."

Long story short, the President said that businesses are successful on the whims of the government.  Business owners don't work harder.  They aren't smarter.  The government just blessed them.

Oh really?  Here's a problem.  If you take credit for successes, you have to take credit for failures.  Statistically, 90% of all knew businesses fail.  I guess that means the government just didn't like those people.  Or else, the government really screws up a lot.  Hmm...

John Schnatter swept floors for a living until he could afford a small oven.  He converted a small closet in his dad's office into a pizzeria.  You may have heard of it.  It's called Papa Johns.  While his friends played sports and went to movies, he started one of the largest restaurant franchises in the country.  You telling me he could have succeeded without all that hard work?  Because the government predestined his success?

Bill Gates started Microsoft in his garage.  But he isn't smart.  Nope.  The government made him succeed too. 

John D. Rockefeller used to go down to his factory floor, where oil barrels were made.  He would sweep up the scraps, so that they could be melted down and not wasted.  But that's not him working hard.  Nope.  Must be government.

This president has not worked a real job a day in his life.  Neither did the last.  Neither do most politicians.  They're activists, lobbyists, and professors.  Most of them never built anything.  Those of us who have worked blue-collar jobs before learn something about what work is, not just theories.

This president has never started a small business.  Ever.  So what does he know about the work involved.

Well, let me teach you something about history.  People sold everything they had (including sometimes, themselves) for an opportunity to risk their short lives making a dangerous voyage in order to come to a land where they could have the opportunity to work freely.  Long before there was a United States, there were hard working people.  You know who made the roads?  Wasn't the government; it was pioneers.  Who started the businesses?  Wasn't the government; it was pioneers. 

Let me point out something else to you.  This country was founded because hard working people got tired of their money being taken for government-sponsored programs.  And some fat-cat ruler said, "You need to pay your fair share."  After all, the Brits just won a war against the French, and now needed that money to pay for their programs. 

Seems to me, you need to learn some history, Mr. President, instead of trying to make it up as you go along to suit your agenda.

Supreme Court and the Individual Mandate

The Supreme Court just ruled that the government has the right to tell us that we have to buy something.  So what will the government tell us that we have to buy next? 

6-28-12.  Remember this day.  Your grandkids will ask you about this day.  This is the day when the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal government matters; individual liberty does not. 

So ends the dream that was America.  This may seem like an overreaction, but the bottom line is freedom and safety are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Both are good, but both are mutually exclusive.  The Patriot Act.  Obamacare.  Next will come some "Hate Speech Act" that makes it illegal to preach from the Bible, because the Bible calls sin what it is, and says that there are consquences. 

Understand this, I don't blame Obama.  He's doing what he believes to be right.  And this isn't a Republican-Democrat things (after all, the Patriot Act was Bush).  This is a government vs. liberty issue. 

Today, government won.

And now for some truth... on oil.

Obama and Biden have been LYING lately, for political purposes. "Oil drilling is at an all time high," but even their own graphs show the peak starting before he took office, based on permits issued by the Bush administration, and drilling on private land that does not require federal permits. They have not increased oil one drop.

"We need to end subsidies." They don't receive subsidies. Not one. Farmers get subsidies when food production is high, paying them not to produce. Oil companies? They get a corporate tax break. It's called a "manufacturer's credit." It's the same tax break GE, Ford, or any other manufacturer gets. What do they make? Gas.

"Ending the tax subsidies will help the poor." You mean the subsidies they don't get (see above)? No, it will help those that pay the bulk of the taxes, aka the richest 1 percent. In fact, it will hurt the poorest (as that lack of tax credit goes straight to the consumer's cost), because more of their welfare or Social Security checks will go toward paying for gas. And groceries (which are hauled by trucks, therefore their expenses go up). And it will further hurt places like the Gulf Coast, which in addition to losing most of thei jobs due to Obama policies, will also suffer from down tourism, as gas prices go so high less people will vacation, costing them tourist trade and further destroying their local enonomies.

"They made too much profit." They get a percentage of every dollar, so as prices go up, so do their profits. It's called economics. That percentage is standard, regulated by the government. For every dollar of gas, the local station gets less than a percent. The gas company gets a larger percent. The oil importers (like the Saudis) get their cut. But who get's the largest percentage? The Federal government. They put a high sales tax on gasoline. Really, really high. States also have their tax, but from every dollar, the Federal government gets the largest cut. Obama's solution to high gas prices? "Let's increase the size of our cut." He simply doesn't understand that the money has to come from somewhere, namely, the consumer.

I truly don't believe that Obama and Biden are maliciously deceitful (though I do believe Nancy Pelosi to be a generally malicious human being). I think they are that ignorant on how the real world works. That's why law professors and legislators make lousy presidents, from either party.

Loss of freedom

Yesterday we lost another freedom. President Obama signed a law making it illegal to protest within a certain radius of any member of the Secret Service. The same secret service that protects the politicians.

Want to know what makes it even scarier? I've said for years that both parties are the same. My proof? This law had bipartisan support through both Houses of Congress. Too be fair, it was also opposed by people in both parties, but not by enough to stop it.

We just lost the First Amendment. We are no longer allowed to air our complaints before those who are SUPPOSED to represent us. "We the People" just became "We the Government." Imagine in George Washington, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock, and so many others had never sent that piece of mail to King George. Our government just made the American Revolution illegal. We are no longer allowed to protest the government. This may seem like paranoid ranting to you, but in truth we just lost the number one freedom that makes this country great.

Kony 2012

A knight is a warrior. A knight does not fight for himself. He fights for the King. He fights for Justice. He fights for those who cannot fight for themselves. So based upon that, I encourage you as a knight to fight with me. This video is half and hour long, and well worth every minute. Please join.

Debt explained practically

Debt

Today, the United States reached 15 trillion dollars in debt. And what is the super commitee doing? Bickering. Said one member, among the members of his own party, the Democrats, they cannot even reach an agreement, let alone agree on the Republican proposal.

In the mean time, President Obama, who punted his responsibilities to the Super Committee, made a gaff, claiming that Hawaii is an Asian Country. Seeing how this is the land of his birth, this is just getting stupid.

Debt talks

Oi. Can you believe this is still all going on? This is rediculous. And I know that I try not to be one-sided, but this is crazy. The mainstream media is blaming the Republicans 100% for the problem. The Republicans. The only party that has actually put anything up for a vote. The House passed Cut, Cap, and Balance, which entails solutions.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader refused to allow it to even be voted on. Obama threatened to veto it if it did pass.

The House again passed another, compromised budget.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader refused to allow it to even be voted on. Obama threatened to veto it if it did pass.

Now would some please explain to me how it is all the Republicans' fault when they at least try things, and all that the Dems do is criticize everything and refuse to even vote on it? So much for the democracy part of the Democratic party.

I'm sick of this crap. All Obama does is create division and make speeches. I'm going to say it. Worst President Ever. He just keeps repeating the same talking points. He doesn't DO anything. He thinks if we default, they will blame the Republicans and he will get reelected, not as a leader, but as a lack of leader.

Ok, I'm frustrated. I'm sick of them playing games. You know what I think about the default? Bring it on. Let's have a short-term financial disaster in order to prevent a long-term one.

But, I've been saying that our country would fall not by our enemies, but by our finances and corruption since 2005. Disaster is inevitable. The good news is, disaster can bring change, if we allow it.

Debt talks

Anyone else frustrated by the debt talks? Like they say "if we don't raise the debt ceiling, we will instantly default on our loans." Only if we don't start paying.

I'm also frustrated that the only things each party is willing to talk about is what the other side declared off limits to negotiation. I hate party politics.

I have an idea. How about Congress is not paid nor recieve any benefits or tax exemptions until the debt is paid off? That's what I'd do. I'm thinking they would get in gear in a hurry.

What about you? Are you frustrated? Any ideas to fix it?

Priveledge... Again

The most read post that I have written was called Priveledge, where I ranted about people who believe that they above everything, that they deserve whatever they want. Well, unless you absolutely refuse to acknowledge that there is news media in various forms, you have probably heard of Anthony Weiner.

Representative Weiner became famous when a picture of male genitals appeared on his twitter. He claimed that he had been hacked, someone making a joke about his name. He even named a conservative blogger who he claimed did the hacking. One question remained. "Is the picture of you?" He just kept repeating "I already answered that." Only he hadn't.

Finally he did. It was. He posted it. The blogger was innocent. He had been sending sexually explicit texts to a dozen women them, at least one is underage. He was trying to send the picture of his penis as a private message to a woman, and accidentally posted it to everyone. These sexual text messages (called "sexting") are his habit. At least one woman admitted talking to Weiner on his congressional phone, and one woman said that he called her offering to send a congressional PR team to spin the story.

Aren't you glad to know that your tax dollars have been spent to have, then cover up, cyber affairs? Just like President Clinton was impeached for committing pergury for his affair with an intern, so Congressman Weiner is also in trouble. Both Nancy Pelosi and the DNC chair have called him to step down. Only he's decided to pull a Charlie Sheen, and enter a joke of a rehab. (You want to talk priveledged? Charlie Sheen thinks he's... duh, winning, but has to innoculate himself from feeling with a steady flow of booze and drugs.)

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Weiner is one of the many who falls to the subtle temptations that accompany the sin of pride. It is a warning to all of us, but especially to anyone in any position of leadership. All leaders (myself included) can begin to believe all the nice things people say about us. Shortly after, then we can believe that we have earned the right to indulge in a little sin.

Biblically, this is when Moses sinned, losing his chance to enter the promised land. This is how Samson began his series of relationships and violate his vow, resulting in his loss of strength. This is how David had his affair with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover it. This is how Solomon was led to idol worship, as did the kings to follow him. This is what led Peter to chastize, and later deny Jesus.

May we never forget that we are equals. We have all sinned. Jesus died for each of us. We are all deserving of hell, and offered the same grace. As leaders, we are not to think our selves superior, but have greater responsibility. Leaders are not to be lords, but servants.

Quick on the budget

Sorry everyone that I haven't been writing more. My laptop picked up a virus that highjacks my internet, and I feel guilty doing my personal blog at work. So let me say this quickly.

Dems blame the Republicans for holding up a budget that they failed to do last October before the elections came that gave the Republicans enough seats or power to be able to do anything (thank you Nanci Pelosi). In the mean time, Obama did... nothing. At all. Whatsoever. Why? Because he is a legislator not a leader. And that is why Presidents should never come from the Senate. At all. Whatsoever.

Priveledge

Privilege is one of my biggest pet peeves lately. It seems to permeate everywhere. It is this "I deserve it" mentality. Let's look at some examples from recent memory.

Washington: Politicians honestly believe that they are better than everyone else. They don't care what promises they make, because the rules don't apply to them. Charlie Rangle is a great example. He's on the finance commitee, but is being brought up on ethics charges for tax evasion. If that was me, the IRS would have taken me for everything I am worth. Him? Well, his response is "I'm not going anywhere." He deserves to be there, and you should vote for him because he deserves to be there.

Even with the Health Care thing. Virtually everyone was opposed to it, but Pelosi, Obama, and insiders of both parties have this "father knows best" mentality and passed it anyway. If you are so stupid that you cannot understand that paying more for crappier health care is good for you, well, who cares? They don't.

Finances: So stupid. I know a family that the dad works two full time jobs and walks to work. The wife stays at home and sits on her rear, but has to have the car just in case she wants to go somewhere. She spends money like its going out of style. She won't cook, so the family goes out to a different all-you-can-eat buffet each night. She doesn't bathe her kids, so they smell. Her grandmother comes over once a week to make sure the teenage son showers each week, and cleanes house while the mom sits on her enormous rear. I was one of many people who helped this family move recently, and the mom sat in her recliner and watched us work.

Plus, I know two families who ask us to pray for their finances, but take frequent vacations because "they deserve it." After all, their lives are so bad they need these vacations. Maybe if they would WORK and STAY AT HOME their finances wouldn't be in bad shape. God has already provided what they need, so I won't pray for that anymore until they are willing to obey. No one deserves a vacation. It is a luxury that most of the world can't afford. If you can, do it. But it is not right for your kids to suffer because you feel the need to drive to Colorado for a fishing trip.

Same with the housing crash. People deserved that house they couldn't afford. How dare that bank expect them to honor that contract! They knew they couldn't afford it, so the bank should have known that they couldn't and not expected them to pay.

The church: This one makes me the sickest, and I have been dealing with the most lately. I am constantly harassed by people who don't want to serve, but wish to have more fellowship events where they can sit with the same friends they sit with on Sunday. They deserve it. And they don't like all these new people coming, because they don't "know everyone anymore."

In essence, they are saying "we're full. They rest of you have to go to hell now." If they want to know what they deserve, it isn't the church they want. THEY DESERVE TO BURN IN THE FIRES OF HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY. Eternal loneliness and torture for forever. If we EVER forget that even for a second, we spit in the face of God, call the death of Jesus worthless, and tell the Holy Spirit we don't need him and don't want him interfering with us.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to send people to the Hell I deserve because I'm too lazy to get off my fat butt and serve another human being with the kind of love God showed me. They don't deserve it, but God does. The Holy One, God Almighty, the LORD is the ONLY one who deserves anything good. If he is willing to give up his rights to come to earth and be rejected and tortured to death by the people he came to save and then turn around and forgive them, then why can't we give up our "rights" that only exist in our own minds?

Edit 6/12/11: In light of recent events, check out part 2.