Courage To See

It’s not the debt ceiling, that’s only the symptom of the problem- spending.

“Compromise without solutions is a waste of time.”

A key House Republican is quickly pressing forward with her goals to scale back U.S. funding for the United Nations.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Hill that oversight would be a
key function of the panel, particularly funding to the U.N.
Human Rights Council (HRC) that is “a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

“I’d like to make sure that we once and for all kill all U.S.
funding for that beast,” she said last month. “Because I don’t think that it
advances U.S. interests, I don’t think that that’s a pro-democracy
group, it’s a rogue’s gallery, pariah states, they belong there because
they don’t want to be sanctioned.”

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During the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, Lindsey Graham was the only Judiciary Committee Republican to vote “yea” and sanctioned the confirmation process to move forward.  On the Senate floor Graham chided the Chamber and indeed the American public that “Elections have consequences.”

My question then and now, does that make you the enforcer of those consequences?

The apparent answer is.. yes.  Graham believes himself the omnipotent father wielding consequences through his votes.

Whether Justice Sotomayor deserved confirmation is up for debate, one thing though is clear she did have an extensive record of judiciary decisions to base her qualifications as a potential Supreme Court judge.

Not so with the current nominee Elena Kagan, who has no record of judiciary decisions to base a judgment on whether she should be granted a life-long seat on the Supreme Court.  I have previously discussed concerns surrounding Kagan in this post.

The short version of those concerns can be stated as NO.  Kagan has shown  strong beliefs in the ideology of “the common good, supersedes the private good.”  She believes this “common good” extends to your dinner table as well as the books you read.

But never mind those concerns, Graham broke ranks with other Republican Judiciary Committee members and again voted “yea” to move the nomination forward.  The enforcer of consequences (Graham) allowed the pResident to proclaim bi-partisan committee approval.  I’ve had it with Graham, who I consider a RHINO.

Senator Graham, do you have any principle which would you would not forsake in order to further the progressive agenda?  Do you even stop to consider what the consequences of your actions may have on the American people?  Or do you believe that as freedom is lost it will propel people through fear of forsaken liberty to vote Republican?

Lindsey Graham is up for reelection in 2014, operatives in the South Carolina Republican party are saying he will face a primary challenge, “It’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘who’ and ‘how many.”

I hope that Graham finds out the hard way, yes elections have consequences and so do the votes he makes.

Yes Congress has passed the financial “reform” bill, it now moves to committee to reconcile the two Congressional versions.  The puzzling aspect of this bill is that both the House and Senate version fail to address the catalysis for the housing meltdown, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  In fact, late last year Congress opened, what can be described as an open line of credit for these institutions, creating agencies which have NO incentive to make  prudent loans based on sound financial principles.  Instead the underwater and deep red financial sheet of these agencies is sure to plunge deeper in to an abyss of waste and irresponsible lending, needn’t worry though our tax dollars will prop of this agencies which display government irresponsibility at its highest.

Take a look at the dismal shape of these agencies, courtesy of the Heritage Foundation:

• Market Movers: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both played a major role in the housing boom that preceded the economic meltdown of 2008, controlling as much as half of the nation’s residential mortgage market. And that role has grown: Last year, these two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) financed or backed about 70 percent of single-family mortgage loans. They hold about $5 trillion in their investment portfolios.
• Ignoring the Problem: Yet the legislation Congress is considering to reform the financial industry would do nothing to fix the problems associated with Fannie and Freddie. Some lawmakers have attempted to ensure that the current reform effort addresses the problems created by both entities—to no avail.
• Taxpayers Foot the Bill: Fannie and Freddie are losing money fast, and their losses are being covered by taxpayers—the same taxpayers whom lawmakers say they want to protect from footing the bill for future bailouts.
• Wanting Even More Money: For the first quarter of 2010, Freddie Mac announced losses of $8 billion and said it would be asking for another $10.6 billion in taxpayer help. Fannie Mae, meanwhile, announced an $11.5 billion loss and asked for another $8.4 billion. This is on top of the nearly $145 billion in taxpayer dollars
• A Running and Endless Tab: This total, unfortunately, is sure to go higher. Last December, the Obama Administration lifted caps on how much total bailout money Fannie and Freddie can receive. The limits have gone from $200 billion each to however much they say they need.

Trouble Then, Trouble Now

• Courting Trouble for a Long Time: Experts have warned for decades that Fannie and Freddie lacked sufficient capital—made up of both investors’ money and retained earnings—to protect against losses.
• Lawmakers Look the Other Way: Back when they were privately owned, Fannie and Freddie had only $1 in capital for every $20 in assets; most banks had $1 in capital for every $12 in assets. Congress did consider higher standards in the 1990s, but many of the same lawmakers who head the oversight committees for Fannie and Freddie today bowed to a high-powered lobbying campaign that derailed reform.
• Kicking the Can: According to Senator Mark Warner (D–VA) and the Obama Administration, a plan to tame these two GSEs will have to wait until at least next year. An effort by John McCain to amend the pending financial regulation bill to address the problem was defeated recently and replaced by a call for a “study” of the issue. 
• Fixing Fannie and Freddie
• Stop Perpetuating the Problem: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have posed a risk to the financial system and the taxpayer for long enough. They need to be put on a path to genuine resolution. Fannie and Freddie should be partly wound down, the rest broken up and sold off—not replaced, reformed, or rejuvenated.
• Don’t Let It Happen Again: Congress should also ensure that no successor institution be provided with the implicit guarantees that allowed these two to play h

From CNET News:

Millions of Americans arrested for but not convicted of crimes will likely have their DNA forcibly extracted and added to a national database, according to a bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

By a 357 to 32 vote, the House approved legislation that will pay state governments to require DNA samples, which could mean drawing blood with a needle, from adults “arrested for” certain serious crimes. Not one Democrat voted against the database measure, which would hand out about $75 million to states that agree to make such testing mandatory.

“We should allow law enforcement to use all the technology available to them…to reduce expensive and unjust false convictions, bring closure to victims by solving cold cases, better identify criminals, and keep those who commit violent crime from walking the streets,” said Rep. Harry Teague, the New Mexico Democrat who sponsored the bill.

But civil libertarians say DNA samples should be required only from people who have been convicted of crimes, and argue that if there is probable cause to believe that someone is involved in a crime, a judge can sign a warrant allowing a blood sample or cheek swab to be forcibly extracted.

“It’s wrong to treat someone as guilty before they’re convicted,” says Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute. “It inverts the concept of innocent until proven guilty.”

“Suspension of the rules is supposed to be for praising the winner of the NCAA championship or renaming Post Offices,” Harper says. “Things like collecting Americans’ DNA are supposed to be fully debated in Congress.”

In a surprise move, as the U.S. Congress was expanding the FBI’s DNA database, the U.K.’s new coalition government was pledging sharp curbs on its own databases.

Read the rest of the article here.

Why has this not been reported in the news media?  Currently, the feds can violate your rights under the 4th and 5th amendment with DNA collection through the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 signed by President Bush.  This new legislation creates an incentive for state and local governments to follow suit, cash bribes in the way of grant program money will be available for the agencies that sign up for the collection. If your local or state government chooses not to be party to this legalization, the feds will taking names.  For the moment there seems to be no penalty, but the future is always unclear with this administration. This legislation morphs “innocent till proven guilty” to “guilty till proven innocent and we now have your DNA.”

Where did your Congress critter stand on the issue, check here. For those in Indiana’s 1st Congressional  District, no fear our  fascist  non-representative Pete (I haven’t seen a pay-for-pay deal I didn’t like) Visclosky voted in favor of the legislation; as did all the lockstep Democrats.

If you don’t think this will affect you, think again.  As we have seen, the federal government takes small steps toward tyranny, in the name of creating an utopia society; the next step will be collection from those detained for non-serious crimes, then with driver license renewal, all in the name of keeping the nation safe.  That is how they operate, we have only a slightly thug government, more accurately described as a nanny state.  The ends justify the means and that tenet means trampling on your rights as a citizen is inconsequential as long as they get what they want; because they know whats best for you, your state and our society.  Make no mistake this is solely the first baby-step towards a national DNA data base, in the future they will point to cases which will validate this intrusion in to your life.

Why the use of some  parliamentary move to swiftly move this to the floor for a vote?  Was Congress afraid that IF the people knew about this legislation, a firestorm of letters and calls would ensue?

And a nagging question begs to asked… If the Republicans believe in the Constitution and the principles of freedom it embodies, why were they not screaming and having their voices heard?

This legislation has yet to come before the Senate, hopefully constitutional voices will finally be heard.

Those that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.   ~  Benjamin Franklin

Throughout this debate, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan has been a clear strong voice about fiscal responsibility and the imapct this law will have on the American people.

“Largest entitlement we have ever had in the history of this country.. at a time we can’t afford the entitlements we have right now.”

Update: After the Event at End

Hello Patriots,

We are pleased to host a question and answer period for Rob Pastore.

Congressional Candidate Rob Pastore welcomes the opportunity to meet with constituents to discuss your concerns as patriots. Rob is running in the U.S. House of Representatives, District 01, in the May 4th primary on the Republican ballot and then will face Pete Visclosky in the November general elections.  The same Pete Visclosky who ignored the voice of his constituents and voted in favor of the House health care bill on Sunday evening.

Leave your index cards at home.

This will be an open forum; allowing the individuals who attend this gathering the opportunity to present their concerns and be part of the discussion. Rob looks forward to this gathering and interaction with constituents on the issues facing the 1st Congressional District and the direction of our country.

Congressional Candidate Rob Pastore website:

http://www.robpastore….

Meeting date: Saturday, March 27th, 2010
Time: 1:30pm to +/- 3:00pm
Location: Valparaiso Library
103 Jefferson Street
Valparaiso, Indiana
46383-4820

Parking is available on the street and in gated lots to the West and North of the library building. The library lots are small. Look to park on the street or in a parking lot nearby. Many of the nearby lots have free 2 hour parking.

Be an active participant in our republic and learn about the leaders who will represent you in Washington.

See you there!