Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Johnny Depp Part II

I have to commend President Obama on his actions that led to the rescue of Captain Phillips. I apologize for the lapse in time from the first post to this one. I have been doing a bit of traveling. During my travels I took a private poll. I asked people how they would rate the Presidents performance in regards to the successful rescue of Captain Phillips.

I was not surprised to hear almost everyone thought he acted appropriately and very Presidential. I was actually proud to say he was my President. He did not give into the demands and brought an American hero back home to his family. A clear sign was sent to the pirates and my article should end at that. However, I did come across one detractor. I was discussing the incident with a few friends and he interjected. He had some very interesting points.

I need to premise the rest of the story by saying my friend is very conservative. He is not blinded by his beliefs but is very steadfast in his resolve. He is fair and I have always known him to give credit where credit was due. I was actually surprised to hear his argument.

He started off by stating that he was happy Obama ordered the Navy Seals to take the shot, but he believed they should have shot sooner. He then justified his statement. President Obama did not make many statements concerning the kidnapping. He was cool and collective and wanted all the facts. Most good leaders do. The issue he had with this was Obama was actually attempting to negotiate with the pirates. While the line of communication was being opened Captain Phillips jumped out of the raft and attempted to swim to safety. What if the Seals have been given the order to take out the pirates when they had an opportunity to without risking the life of the captain. What better time to take the shots - he wasn't even in the boat.

We know that Seals were present when the attempted escape occurred. Why was the order to shot not given. Did the President want to show the world that he was the great negotiator. My friend believes Obama was shamed into ordering the snipers to fire.

The news coverage of the escape attempt was almost non-existent. No one mentioned an attempted rescue. No one. Was it safer to let the snipers shot from one moving boat to another with Phillips on board or was it safer to shot when he was in the water. The point here is the order was not given. The Seals had to wait.

I am very happy that Captain Phillips is home and well. I hope that President Obama has realized that negotiation with terrorists will never work. Thank God for the Navy Seals and their quick actions. I am sure Easter Sunday would have been less eventful if the President had only given the simple order to protect an American hero.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Johnny Depp Strikes Again

Last time I checked the year was 2009. I open the paper and read that pirates have taken a U.S. citizen hostage. What is going on? This makes absolutely no sense to me at all. We have a group of Somalian pirates in speed boats sailing around the African coast "looting" foreign ships. Have we forgotten that we are the United States of America? The pirates have demanded a 2 million dollar ransom for the release of Captain Phillips. This is ridiculous. I understand that the captain has a family and I am sure they want to get him back at all costs. However, if the ransom is paid we are telling pirates everywhere that the most powerful nation on the planet will negotiate and give in to terrorists demands. This is not the example that we need to send given the current state of affairs.

We are currently involved in two wars in two different countries. We have a weak president who is looking to cut and run and admit defeat in both of these conflicts. We have our enemies threatening us every chance they get. Right now we are not well liked in the world. Giving in to these thugs would be disastrous. The fact that the pirates would take an American hostage just shows how brave they have become. Other countries have already paid ransoms and are still at risk for future attacks. Giving in will not solve this problem or any future problems that may arise.

Captain Phillips is a hero. There is no doubt about that. He willingly gave himself up to secure the safety and release of his crew. He deserves to come home but I am sure he knew what he was getting himself into when he chose to become a hostage. We as a nation have an obligation to bring this hero back home and reunite him with his family. We already have ships in the area. We have highly trained Navy Seals ready to take the lifeboat. We need to let our brave men and women do what they were trained to do and bring the Captain home.

A clear message must be sent. If you take an American hostage you will pay the price. No questions asked. Somalia is not a stable country by any stretch of the imagination but that is no excuse for the pirates' actions. The Somalian leadership must be held accountable for the actions of the pirates. They know where they are. Either they take care of it or while we have the ships in the area maybe we should.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Let the testing begin

North Korea has announced that it intends to shoot down any and all U.S. "spy" planes monitoring its missile launch site. The north has accused both the U.S. and South Korea of conducting about 190 spy missions over its territory. I have no doubt that the U.S. has been conducting these missions. I believe they are justified and must be carried out. North Korea has been rattling its sword for a while now. Negotiations have been allowed to take place over its nuclear program and that has gotten us no where. We are allowing an angry child to act out on a global stage. It is apparent that U.N. "time outs" are not going to change the North Korean mindset.

Former President Bush was criticized for his unwillingness to deal with North Korea. We attempted to deal with North Korea and now they are threatening to launch a satellite. Most believe that this is an attempt to test their long range missile capability. The North Korean leadership has been effectively starving its people for decades. What do they really have to fear from U.N. sanctions?

If North Korea develops or already has the capability for long range missile launches several of our allies are in direct danger. Japan has stated they would shoot down any missile debris that may stray into their territory. North Korea responded that they would consider that an act of war. It looks like the North is trying to muscle its way onto the political stage once again. We have to remember, if a child is given an inch then they will try to take a mile. North Korea must realize if they launch this "satellite" other countries besides the U.S. may take measures. South Korea and Japan both have the right to defend their territory and interests. A nuclear North Korea with long range missiles is not what is in the best interest of our allies or the world.

When will we realize rogue nations can not be dealt with logically? Obama wants to be the great healer, but it looks like North Korea doesn't believe it needs to be healed. A confrontation is looming ahead of us and right now diplomacy is only buying the North Koreans time.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Licenses for Everyone

I remember when I finally received my Texas State drivers license. I was very excited. I took the time and money and signed up for drivers education and after school for 6 weeks I went to the class. I admit, I did fail the actual driving test once. I was speeding in a school zone and broke the law. I made sure that did not happen the second time.

I wish I knew about Maryland's license laws back then. It would have saved me time and money, as well as having to face the guys after failing the drivers test the first time. It seems that you are not required to have any documentation stating that you are in the United States legally or even a resident of Maryland to receive a license. I came across an article online that outlined Maryland's drivers license policy. Maryland is one of four states that do not require applicants to prove that they are legal U.S. residents in order to get state issued driver's licenses. Maryland lawmakers are considering changing the laws because they fear some people may try to deceive the state. Imagine that. Illegal immigrants attempting to obtain a driver's license by using deception. Say it isn't so. I apologize for the sarcasm but after reading the story I could not believe this is actually transpiring.

Maryland officials have reported that 68 people have applied for Maryland licenses and all used the same address. Must be a very big house. Those in favor of issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens believe it gives law enforcement a larger database to use when crimes are investigated. They also believe auto insurance coverage will increase. This argument is ridiculous. We are rewarding illegal aliens with licenses so they will not operate a car illegally. How does this make any sense at all. Illegal aliens are getting licenses so they will have a valid, legal form of identification. I doubt the next stop after the DMV will be the local Farmers Insurance office.

Businesses are now running ads in Spanish-language publications in several East coast states encouraging illegal aliens to take advantage of Maryland's mind boggling laws and receive legitimate identification. Maryland lawmakers must close this loop hole. Can anyone really take a Maryland I.D. card seriously? Of course Democrats will say this is discrimination - we are picking on the poor immigrants. They are here illegally, they are breaking the law everyday they remain here. We are rewarding criminals. Maryland should arrest everyone who fails to provide documentation that they are here legally on the spot. This would take care of illegals driving without licenses.

Maryland is not alone, Hawaii, New Mexico and Washington all have similar laws.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Breaking Down Borders

It is official - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has lost her mind. Speaker Pelosi told a group of legal and illegal immigrants that the U.S. enforcement of the immigration laws are "un-American" and should be changed. Apparently the deportation raids on individuals who broke the law by entering this great country illegally should be stopped. Nancy seems to believe that breaking families up and tearing parents away from their children is ridiculous. I agree if that were the case. Our country has been built on the sweat and blood of immigrants. My family came from Ireland and Italy, but guess what they came here legally. They did not break any laws and filed all the needed paperwork. These statements made by Pelosi are an insult to all hard working legal immigrants all over the United States.

Deportation raids are a necessary part of life in the United States. It is estimated that we have a minimum of 12 million illegal immigrants already residing in the country. These illegal immigrants are a drain on the tax paying Americans who are now put in direct competition for lower paying jobs. California is almost bankrupt. Illegal immigrants cost the tax payers millions of dollars a year in medical expenses alone. When an illegal immigrant visits a hospital with no insurance who do you think pays for all the services. The American tax payers do. Mrs. Pelosi may not have a problem with that but most Americans do. We should not be rewarding people who are breaking the law. I understand that people want a better life for themselves and their family, but what kind of example are they setting for the same children they want to better by breaking the law. In my opinion a very poor one.

Nancy Pelosi is pandering to a minority group of voters - I think it is time she starts to listen to the majority in the United States. This is amazing. The leader of Congress is advocating law enforcement to disregard the laws of the nation. What is next? It is okay to murder or rape as long as you say you are sorry. The sad part is with Obama in the White House and the Democrats in control of the Congress it is only a matter of time before we throw out all immigration laws and open the flood gates. I guess national security is no longer a concern for Mrs. Pelosi. It must be nice to live in Pelosi's world. Just wait until something happens to one of her family members.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Spend Spend and Spend Some More

President Obama is about to sign the $410 billion dollar spending package Congress just passed. This should get the economy jump started right? All of our economic woes are about to come to an end. We are not that lucky. This spending bill is full of earmarks totalling 7.7 billion dollars!!! I seem to remember President Obama vowing to end unnecessary spending and controlling government spending. I guess since he is already elected he is not bound by pre-election rhetoric.

President Obama admitted that this bill is "imperfect", but is still choosing to sign it. This bill is laden with funds for domestic programs that President Bush would not allow in previous bills. Republicans called for Obama to veto the bill and go back to the drawing board and create a responsible bill that would allow Washington to keep the lights. The Democrats, instead decided to include programs that provide more free handouts for Americans who have shown they are not willing to better themselves. The bill's sole purpose was to ensure Washington had the funds to continue to conduct business. Now it seems it is just an attention of the stimulus package passed earlier this year.

The spending is already out of hand and at this rate the Democrats have free reign over Congress and the White House. There is no end in sight. We are increasing the size of government and it is at our expense. We are spending money that we do not have. Unemployment is at its highest since 1983 and we are taking away tax cuts from the companies that create jobs. This does not make sense at all. In capitalism companies provide jobs and financial security for people, not the government. Socialism is knocking at the door and President Obama and the Democratic Congress seem very eager to answer the knocks.

Hopefully the American people will see what is really happening and make Obama a one term president. If we don't we are going to spend countless years making the transition back to capitalism. Socialism is an idea that looks good on paper but when introduced into the practical world does not work. We can not spend our way out of this situation. We need to let the economy work itself out. I am not saying let all companies go under but we need to be fiscally responsible and right now we are not.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Give all the Arabs Nukes?

I was sitting down talking to my buddy Marty today and he had a very interesting idea. He wants to give nukes to Iran, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. At first I was shocked, he is a very conservative guy and is very intelligent. I thought he was just making a joke but then he made a very good point.

If all these countries have nukes what would be the incentive to actually use them. He cited the cold war as his example. Russia and the U.S. both had enough nukes to destroy the world several times over. Why did this not occur? A nuclear strike would ensure the destruction of both nations. He is correct. Neither the U.S. or the Russians were willing to take that step.

My counter argument was what would stop these countries from providing the material or the actual bomb to an independent terrorist organization to use on foreign soil? His response was repercussions would be too great for them to take that chance. This is where we disagreed. I think it would be a big jump to think once a rogue nation such as Iran or even North Korea to all of sudden have a sense of responsibility. Marty countered with all exploded nukes can be traced back to the mining of the materials and then the responsible party would be exposed. Marty also believes that the loss of revenue and trade would deter these nations as well.

Marty made some great points and it does make sense if you remove the fact that some of these nations are run by lunatics. When you believe God is on your side and you are doing his will reason goes out the window.

I enjoy my conversations with Marty and will continue to write about them. I hope you do to.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

What was Steele thinking?

Michael Steele, the new Republican party leader, has shown the world just how lost the Republican party really is. His statements regarding Rush were completely unacceptable. Attacking Rush turned the attention away from the irresponsible spending the Democrats are pushing through Congress and gave them more ammunition to use against our party.

I think Michael was a good choice to lead the RNC. However, in party fighting only gives the Democrats what they ultimately want. They want the party to be in disarray. If you are an on the fence voter, it sure looks like we are. President Obama is an extremely popular President at this time. Whether or not he continues to remain this popular is completely up to how the citizens respond to his stimulus package. Right now we are spending billions of tax payer dollars to bail out companies that misused funds and revenue. If it were not for the fact that these companies employ countless Americans they would be out of business by now. Saving these companies is necessary but handing free money out is not the answer. These companies must be regulated to ensure we are not in the same position 7 or 10 years from now.

Unfortunately right now no one is reporting this. The Liberal media is having a field day with the in party fighting. Steele may not agree with everything Rush may say (and neither do I) but the man has a listening audience of 20 million people. He is the conservative voice for our party. People take to heart what he has to say. If Steele disagrees with Rush that is fine, do it in a manner that does not show weakness. Someone must have whispered in Steele's ear because he apologized almost immediately after being grilled on Rush's talk show.

The Republicans must unite and stand strong against Obama's socialist regime. Bickering and name calling does not show the American people that the party is committed to returning to its core beliefs. We have roughly 2 years to figure out who we are going to run against Obama in the next election. We need to get back to the basics and not let petty disagreements split the party. All attention must be focused on the obscene Democrat spending. If the stimulus plan does not work that will be our biggest gun in the next election. We may have the opportunity to retake both houses as well as the White House.

As a Republican I hope we can get our act together. If we do not we are doomed and at the mercy of the new American Socialist Party.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Fairness Doctrine

President Obama has publicly stated that he is against the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. My question is why are Democrats in Congress bringing a dead issue up yet again? Sen. Hardin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Stabenow (D-Mich) are calling for hearings to revive the outdated doctrine.

The Fairness Doctrine was implemented in 1949 and revoked in 1987 under President Reagan. The Doctrine was then blocked by Bush 41 in 1991 with a veto threat. The Doctrine is not needed and is unfair to radio stations and talk show hosts. In a nutshell the Doctrine would require talk radio stations to give equal time and opinions on (conservative and liberal) all topics discussed. This would force radio stations to change their entire lineup. The radio stations are successful because of the content they air on a daily basis. Listeners, not the US government, should determine what radio stations air. It is a business and a big one at that. Imagine listening to Rush or Michael Savage by choice and then having to stomach Al Franken. I doubt any conservative could take more than 3 minutes of Al at one time. The show would fail and advertisers would pull their support. Air America has tried and failed in almost every market imaginable.

Requiring stations to have opposing views would mean the end of radio talk shows as we know it. The stations would have no choice but to change their format. The stations would not be able to afford the failing shows. They would, by law, have to continue to take huge losses to enable the successful shows to remain on the air or just decide to play the hits of the 80's. Talk radio is extremely popular and very profitable. Laws requiring stations to air shows no one really wants to listen to anyway is just UNFAIR. It is unfair to the listeners, hosts and employees of the station. What happened to free enterprise - the American dream? It seems that the Democrats only consider what benefits their causes and views to be fair. Last time I looked at my radio it had a button that if pushed, can change the station. I have more than one option in my market. I do not need Obama and his minions telling me what is good for me or what I should listen to. Air America had its chance - seems no one cared to listen.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Attacking the American Family

It seems that Congress is at it again. Sen. Barbara Boxer is trying to impose U.N. laws upon American citizens. Sen. Boxer is calling for the Senate and the Obama administration to review and pass the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty. The passing of this treaty would greatly limit a parents ability to raise their children without government interference.

The U.N. has established a Committee on the Rights of the Child which is an 18-member panel in Geneva. The United States already has strict laws protecting children from neglect and abuse by parents. I myself do not have any children but I could not imagine American parents being governed by a committee in Geneva. The treaty would essentially allow children to make decisions for themselves that parents traditionally have had the responsibility to make for them. In my opinion children are not equipped with the knowledge or maturity level to make life altering decisions.

I have checked out the U.N. site and have the link below. It is interesting.

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm

It seems that the United States already has most of these laws and agreements in place. Ratifying the treaty would only hurt the sovereignty of the United States. Congress needs to focus on how to fix the economy and our credit institutions. Holding hearings about steroid use in baseball and telling parents how to raise their children seem to be secondary issues. Most parents are reasonable and do the best they can to ensure their children become responsible and productive members of society. Of course mistakes are made but it is a learning process. Parents want their children to be the best they can be. They certainly do not need Congress infringing on their rights.

The treaty would also infringe on religious rights. Some religions require certain medical procedures and treatments. If this treaty is ratified it could very well require parents and medical practitioners to conform to government mandated treatments. It would also make it much easier for outside influences to undermine basic human beliefs that are instilled into children by the parents.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Israel vs Obama

Israeli President Shimon Peres has chosen Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new Israeli government today. This could spell trouble for the Obama administration. If Netanyahu decides to appoint his hard-line buddies to positions within the newly formed government and forgo a "coalition government" the emerging Israeli policies will certainly clash with the Obama administration.

President Obama has stated that he is willing to negotiate with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and try to reach a peaceful end to Iran's nuclear ambitions. I am not sure that an Israeli government led by Netanyahu will be as accommodating. Netanyahu has publicly compared the Iranian government to the Nazi party of Germany.

If Iran achieves its goal and becomes a nuclear nation the Middle East will become even more unstable (if that is possible). Couple a nuclear Iran with the ruling Hamas party and you have a powder keg waiting to explode.

Israel has always been our strongest ally and at times our only true ally. President Obama needs to remember that America does not negotiate with terrorists. Iran has and is sponsoring terrorism around the world. The Iranian government is training terrorists to enter Iraq and kill American men and women. The willingness to sit down with a mad man who has publicly denied the existence of the holocaust is sickening. It only gives Ahmadinejad a forum to spew his hatred of both America and the Jewish people. Such a meeting would send a message to other rogue nations - if you jump up and down enough like a child you will get your way. North Korea has already proven this several times. They have violated almost every agreement made and have chosen to let their people starve rather than play nice with the rest of the world.

I sincerely hope that the Obama administration comes to their senses and sends a message of strength to Iran and a message of friendship to Israel. I am by no means a Hillary fan, but I hope she can influence Obama enough to stop a meaningless meeting with someone who has no intention of obeying or complying with any agreements that may be made.

Israel has already shown its willingness to "take out" any threats. Just ask Syria. If the U.S. is going to allow Iran to go nuclear I hope that the Israeli government does not. Iran and its leaders would have no problem giving the bomb to or providing the means to create one for a terrorist organization. That would be a nightmare and ignite a world wide response.

I wish Netanyahu the best and hope that he will be able to explain how a unified front against Iran will be more effective than a meeting with President Obama to the current administration. Just getting an audience with our President might embolden Iran to step up its timeline for the bomb and hold the world hostage. President Obama must reconsider his stance on Iran and not risk damaging relations with our strongest ally in the Middle East. Otherwise we may see the end of days in our lifetime.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Great Bail Out

So it begins, the bail out package has been passed and signed into law. I am not sure if this was the best course of action for America to take. While no one can predict whether or not the package will work we should be concerned.

The democrats have filled the stimulus package with millions upon millions of dollars on programs that will only allow those who want a free ride to stay on the bus a little while longer. Over the last few months companies have been forced to lay off hundreds of thousands of Americans. This is tragic and no one can deny that fact. Hard working Americans are out of work and trying to make ends meet. I myself was a victim of the country wide lay offs. I was lucky to receive a severance package so I am not collecting unemployment but it has been my experience if someone wants to work they will.

With the state of the economy, job seekers must be more realistic about the opportunities available right now. Someone making $75,000 a year may not command the same salary at the next position. This is just a fact of life. The Stimulus package is not going to help these people - the package is not going to help me. It is just going to cost the Americans who actually work and pay taxes more and more out of pocket costs.

Companies who squandered away profits and decided to pay "bonuses" to executives (even though the company was losing money) have received and still are receiving billions in tax payer money. We are rewarding failure and mismanagement. Look at GM and Chrysler. We may need just a few more billion to stay afloat. What happened to capitalism - welcome to the New America and the Socialist Party we put in power.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Border Patrol Agents

Good to see that the border patrol agents are finally free. Very disappointed that the sentence was commuted and a full pardon was not issued.

Should not have been charged in the first place and should be reinstated tomorrow since their accuser was subsequently caught and charged yet again with drug smuggling.

Hello everyone

Hello name is Danny and I created this blog in order to express my conservative views to those who share my ideas and values. Unfortunately in this day and age the term "conservative" has lost its meaning and luster.

Our party has lost its will to empower true conservatives and instead are settling for "moderates". I hope to, in a small way, help the party return to our true core values. The days of Reagan are gone and he will never be replaced, but right now we have a two party system that is threatening the greatest country on the face of the earth.

The Republican and Democratic parties have been reduced to the new Liberal and Socialist parties. America needs to realize we are great for very unique reasons. Europe has embraced socialism - universal health care, special interest laws - we must learn from the mistakes of our European friends and realize our potential.

I look forward to any comments and will be posting on a daily basis.