Israelis Baffled by News of Defenseless US Soldiers

This was received in an email.  Author unknown.

Many Israelis want to know: why didn't the soldiers attacked by a U.S. Army major-turned-terrorist return fire?


When a Muslim goes, well, Muslim in Israel he is typically shot to death by someone--say, a reserve soldier--within seconds of screaming "Allah Akbar."

In contrast with the Israeli experience, it took 10 minutes before civilian police officer at Fort Hood was able to shoot and stop Muslim fanatic Nidal Malik Hasan.

How could that happen? How could so many people trained in the strategies and tactics of modern warfare be so defenseless?

The answer--and this may astonish many Americans--is that the victims were unarmed. U.S. soldiers are not allowed to carry guns for personal protection, even on a 340-acre base quartering more than 50,000 troops.

So it goes in brain-dead, liberal America.

Fort Hood is a "gun free" zone, thanks to regulations adopted in one of the very first acts signed into law by anti-gun President Bill Clinton in March, 1993. Click this link to view this file.

http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r190_14.pdf

Contrary to President Obama's crocodile tears, his administration is bent on further disarming the U.S. military, and all Americans. Obama and his people will not rest until every American is a sitting duck...


POST Script: Israeli teachers, from kindergarten on up, are also armed; so, a Virginia Tech-type slaughter is highly unlikely at an Israeli university.

Israelis, who have had to combat terrorism all their lives, are not afraid of guns. They are an armed people, ready, willing, and able to defend themselves and their country.

Unlike indoctrinated Americans, paralyzed by fear and political correctness, Israelis understand that people, not guns, kill people.

 
The Constitution shall never be construed... to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.  **Samuel Adams**

Tribute to an American Hero - Sgt. Leonard B. Keller

As posted on Congressman Jeff Miller's website.

Many Americans woke up this morning and turned on the television or searched the internet to find out the latest on Tiger Woods and his wrecked black Cadillac Escalade. However, on this rainy morning in Northern Virginia, another black Cadillac meandered through rolling hills on hallowed ground. This vehicle carried Medal of Honor recipient, Sergeant Leonard B. Keller, to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery.


While a high profile athlete remained ensconced in his luxury mansion behind the walls of his gated community, a caisson with six black horses slowly walked along the rain soaked asphalt. Family members followed, huddled close to each other beneath umbrellas trying to shield themselves from the rainy and dreary cold morning. They came to pay tribute to a father, grandfather, brother, and friend.

As the cars drove past on State Road 110 and planes flew overhead leaving Reagan National Airport, I am sure no one knew who was being buried, their name, age, or hometown. On this day it was a man who showed uncommon valor in the jungles of Vietnam.

On May 2, 1967, Sergeant Leonard B. Keller and his unit were sweeping through an area in Vietnam where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier. The unit suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a number of enemy bunkers and numerous snipers in nearby trees. Sgt. Keller quickly moved to a position where he could fire at a bunker from which automatic fire was received, killing one Viet Cong who attempted to escape. Leaping to the top of a dike, he and a comrade charged the enemy bunkers, dangerously exposing themselves to the enemy fire. Armed with a light machine gun, Sgt. Keller and his comrade began a systematic assault on the enemy bunkers. While Sgt. Keller neutralized the fire from the first bunker with his machinegun, the other soldier threw in a hand grenade, killing its occupant. Then he and the other soldier charged a second bunker, killing its occupant. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. Again, with utter disregard for the fire directed to them, the two men charged, killing the enemy within.

Continuing their attack, Sgt. Keller and his comrade assaulted four more bunkers and eliminated the enemy threat. During their furious assault, Sgt. Keller and his comrade had been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. The ferocity of their assault had carried the soldiers beyond the line of bunkers into the tree line, forcing snipers to flee. The two men gave immediate chase, driving the enemy away from the friendly unit. When his ammunition was exhausted, Sgt. Keller returned to the platoon to assist in the evacuation of the wounded. The two-man assault had driven an enemy platoon from a well prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy dead, and prevented further friendly casualties. Sgt. Keller's selfless heroism and indomitable fighting spirit saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage on the enemy.

People fall from grace from time to time -- politicians, athletes, pastors, and others. We are human and far from perfect. Why is it that so many are more interested in the tabloid news of today than the true life stories of real Americans, real heroes? Those who always give more than they take. Those who are determined to leave this world a better place than they found it.

This morning a man was buried in the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery. A man of simple means. Not a billionaire or a star athlete. Too often we put more attention on work or the material things a person has rather than the things a person does.

As I stood at the gravesite this morning and watched the four other Medal of Honor recipients in attendance salute as soldiers slowly folded the American flag that draped Sgt. Keller’s casket, I was reminded of the thousands of men and women who make tremendous sacrifices defending this great nation. Sgt. Keller and the 92 living Medal of Honor recipients are heroes in every sense of the word. They have all answered the call of duty, but more than that, they have placed the lives of others and the liberty of an entire nation above their own lives. They were all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we may all enjoy the fruits of freedom.

On this week after Thanksgiving, I am thankful for heroes like Sgt. Leonard B. Keller. May God Bless Sgt. Keller and his family.

How To Fix Congress

The information below was received in an email.  It has some great ideas on how to fix Congress.  Although it would require a Constitutional amendment instead of a Congressional act.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!


I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2009". It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Friends, please send me your recommendations on how this bill can be improved.


I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.


We need to get Senators to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American hero's.. Please send any ideas on how to get this done.


Thanks,


A Fellow American


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


Congressional Reform Act of 2009


1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.


A. Two Six year Senate terms


B. Six Two year House terms


C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


2. No Tenure / No Pension:


A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:


All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates equally with the American people in the Social Security system.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.


4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


5. Congress will no longer be able to vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


7. Congress must equally abide in and by all laws they impose on the States and the American people.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/10.


The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

111 New Federal Bureaucracies Created in Democrats’ Health Care Bill

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

By House Republican Conference

(CNSNews.com) - The House Republican Conference has compiled a list of all the new boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs created in the House health care bill.

The Republican conference describes H.R. 3962 as “Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of health care.”

The list of 111 new bureaucracies is reprinted here:

1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61)

2. Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62)

3. Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72)

4. Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76)

5. Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111)

6. Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131)

7. Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138)

8. Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155)

9. Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191)

10. Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194)

11. Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195)

12. State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Section 308, p. 197)

13. Grant program for health insurance cooperatives (Section 310, p. 206)

14. “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 321, p. 211)

15. Ombudsman for “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 321(d), p. 213)

16. Account for receipts and disbursements for “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 322(b), p. 215)

17. Telehealth Advisory Committee (Section 1191 (b), p. 589)

18. Demonstration program providing reimbursement for “culturally and linguistically appropriate services” (Section 1222, p. 617)

19. Demonstration program for shared decision making using patient decision aids (Section 1236, p. 648)

20. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicare (Section 1301, p. 653)

21. Independent patient-centered medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302, p. 672)

22. Community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302(d), p. 681)

23. Independence at home demonstration program (Section 1312, p. 718)

24. Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (Section 1401(a), p. 734)

25. Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (Section 1401(a), p. 738)

26. Patient ombudsman for comparative effectiveness research (Section 1401(a), p. 753)

27. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1412(b)(1), p. 784)

28. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for nursing facilities (Section 1412 (b)(2), p. 786)

29. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1413(a)(3), p. 796)

30. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 1413(b)(3), p. 804)

31. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 1422, p. 859)

32. Demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect to Medicare GME (Section 1502(d), p. 933)

33. Pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems for Medicare providers (Section 1635, p. 978)

34. Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (Section 1647, p. 1000)

35. Medical home pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1722, p. 1058)

36. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1730A, p. 1073)

37. Nursing facility supplemental payment program (Section 1745, p. 1106)

38. Demonstration program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions in institutions for mental diseases (Section 1787, p. 1149)

39. Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (Section 1802, p. 1162)

40. “Identifiable office or program” within CMS to “provide for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of dual eligibles” (Section 1905, p. 1191)

41. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 1907, p. 1198)

42. Public Health Investment Fund (Section 2002, p. 1214)

43. Scholarships for service in health professional needs areas (Section 2211, p. 1224)

44. Program for training medical residents in community-based settings (Section 2214, p. 1236)

45. Grant program for training in dentistry programs (Section 2215, p. 1240)

46. Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253)

47. Public health workforce scholarship program (Section 2231, p. 1254)

48. Public health workforce loan forgiveness program (Section 2231, p. 1258)

49. Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272)

50. Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275)

51. Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286)

52. Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295)

53. Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301)

54. Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305)

55. Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305)

56. Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308)

57. Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313)

58. Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322)

59. Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330)

60. Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352)

61. Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361)

62. Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372)

63. Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382)

64. “No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza” demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)

65. Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398)

66. Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402)

67. University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410)

68. Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412)

69. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422)

70. Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431)

71. Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)

72. Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437)

73. Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440)

74. Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457)

75. Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462)

76. Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464)

77. Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478)

78. Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479)

79. Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480)

80. Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487)

81. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494)

82. National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501)

83. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597)

84. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598)

85. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602)

86. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1610)

87. National Women’s Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611)

88. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1614)

89. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women’s Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617)

90. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1618)

91. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1621)

92. Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624)

93. Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629)

94. Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632)

95. Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717)

96. Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719)

97. Program of Indian community education on mental illness (Section 3101, p. 1722)

98. Intergovernmental Task Force on Indian environmental and nuclear hazards (Section 3101, p. 1754)

99. Office of Indian Men’s Health (Section 3101, p. 1765)

100. Indian Health facilities appropriation advisory board (Section 3101, p. 1774)

101. Indian Health facilities needs assessment workgroup (Section 3101, p. 1775)

102. Indian Health Service tribal facilities joint venture demonstration projects (Section 3101, p. 1809)

103. Urban youth treatment center demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1873)

104. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for diabetes prevention (Section 3101, p. 1874)

105. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for health IT adoption (Section 3101, p. 1877)

106. Mental health technician training program (Section 3101, p. 1898)

107. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1909)

108. Program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims and perpetrators (Section 3101, p. 1925)

109. Program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (Section 3101, p. 1927)

110. Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1966)

111. Committee for the Establishment of the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1968)

Homeland Security Department Gags Local Law Enforcement to Protect 'Privacy' of Illegal Aliens

Friday, October 30, 2009

By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer


(CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)(CNSNews.com) – The Department of Homeland Security is gagging local law enforcement agencies around the country to protect the privacy of illegal aliens.


Under "revised" 287(g) agreements between the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement division and state and local law enforcement agencies, any information about local police efforts to enforce federal immigration law must be cleared through ICE before it can be released to the media or the public. DHS says it is doing this to protect the privacy of illegal aliens.


“The Privacy Act and the privacy policy provide protections for U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and, in the case of the privacy policy, illegal aliens,” Kelly Nantel, press secretary for ICE, told CNSNews.com, referring to the Privacy Act of 1974.


Nantel said that although illegal aliens are not protected under the Privacy Act, it is the policy of the Department of Homeland Security to extend the privacy protection to individuals who are in the country illegally, a policy she said was put into place by former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, who served under President Bush.


“Any information regarding individuals encountered through the enforcement of federal law is ultimately protected,” Nantel said. “We need to be sure that prior to the release of information, an appropriate determination is made regarding those protections.”


The DHS's agreements with local law enforcement agencies--known as Memorandums of Agreement (MOA)--guide the 287(g) program, which was created in 2003 as an amendment to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The 287(g) program trains and certifies state and local law enforcement personnel to enforce federal immigration law.


In July, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the existing agreements with local law enforcement agencies would be “standardized” and reviewed. In a speech in August, Napolitano said the MOAs had been “rewritten and reprioritized to focus on using them in jails and prisons.”


Illegal immigrants handcuffed together are moved into a separate area of Tent City in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2009 by orders of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They will be incarcerated there until their sentences are served and they are deported to their home countries (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)The Obama administration says the priority for local law enforcers should be illegal aliens arrested for or convicted of crimes -- not people arrested in task force sweeps simply for being in the U.S. illegally.


As CNSNews.com reported earlier, the controvery over task force sweeps erupted earlier this year when ICE stripped the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff's Department of its authority to conduct such sweeps.


The man who heads that department, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, claims to have removed more than 30,000 illegal aliens from the streets in task force operations since he signed on to the 287(g) program in 2007. Complaints of racial profiling have prompted the Obama Justice Department to investigate Arpaio and his department.


The revised MOAs given to all of DHS's local law enforcement “partners” includes the following language governing the “release of information to the media and other third parties.”


“The [state or local agency] hereby agrees to coordinate with ICE prior to releasing any information relating to, or exchanged under, this MOA, including any SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) developed for the implementation of this MOA. Information obtained or developed as a result of this MOA is under the control of ICE and shall be subject to public disclosure only pursuant to the provisions of applicable federal laws, regulations, and executive orders. Insofar as any documents created by the [state or local agency] contain information developed or obtained as a result of this MOA, such documents shall not be considered public records.”


Reporters or members of the public who want information arising from a local law enforcement agency's efforts to enforce immigration law will be forced to file a Freedom of Information Act request to gain access to information that is not classified and which the public is entitled to see.


“The standardized 287(g) Memorandums of Agreement include provisions designed to protect information whose (sic) release would violate privacy laws or hamper the outcome of a law enforcement investigation,” Nantel said. “However, information defined as not public record can be released through a Freedom of Information Act request as long as the release does not violate other laws and DHS policies.”


DHS and ICE officials said enforcement of federal immigration law will concentrate on “criminal aliens” and not on individuals who are simply in the country illegally. Nantel said the treatment of illegal aliens without a criminal record will be handled on a case-by-case basis.


The MOA spells out that policy as follows:

“ICE will assume custody of an alien 1) who has been convicted of a State, local or Federal offense only after being informed by the alien’s custodian that such alien has concluded service of any sentence of incarceration; 2) who has prior criminal convictions and when immigration detention is required by statute; and 3) when the ICE Detention and Removal Field Office Director or his designee decides on a case-by-case basis to assume custody of an alien who does not meet the above criteria.”


CNSNews.com asked Nantel if the Obama administration, DHS, and ICE support the arrest and deportation of individuals who are in the country illegally, regardless of whether they have committed a crime. Nantel did not give a simple yes-or-no answer to this question, saying instead that the administration will remove illegal aliens according to "DHS priorities."


“ICE is first and foremost focused on identifying and removing dangerous criminal aliens who pose a threat to local communities," Nantel said. "ICE will arrest and process for removal any individuals who are found to be in this country illegally in a manner consistent with immigration law and DHS priorities.”

The Difference between Conservatives and Liberals

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.


If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't` eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.


If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy.
If a liberal sees a foreign threat, he wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.


If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.


If a person of color is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful.
Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.


If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.


If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.


If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)


If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.


If a conservative slips and falls in a store, he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed.
If a liberal slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor and then sues.

The REAL Cost of a Date

From a former Air Force Colonel....

First, let me say that I've moved three presidents up to now and I've seen incredible waste. But, the "new" guy really takes the cake. I don't have an issue with the President promising his wife dinner and a show or that he even takes his wife out. But, when I saw the news say that the date cost $24,000, here's what you DON'T know.

Three days before "dinner" a C-17 flew Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport . The day before "dinner" I flew the USSS (Secret Service) and the motorcade to JFK Airport.

Our crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the Hilton in Times Square . My hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem. The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55,000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

We were supposed to fly the motorcade back and go home, but the Air Force was so short of C-17's that we were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico.

When we got back to JFK, while the pilot was turning the plane around to park, he noticed a rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked and informed me that either it wasn't ready to transport or it was flying home. After shutting down I walked over to the hangar and to my surprise I find FIVE helicopters, not ONE.

We're obviously not transporting five big helicopters. I went and talked to the Marines guarding the "fleet" and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and we were only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. After talking to the Marine(s) in charge, I was told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines told me that they spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and said they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there (I don't know where they came up with that) and the trip's total had to be about $1,000,000. We heard that the President didn't use Air Force One (the 747) so I asked if he came in on one of the 757's. I was told that he came in on THREE Air Force Lear jets.

So, date night consisted of:

2 C-17's flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 Helicopters, Presidential Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane. Who knows what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the automobile CEO's for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his persona. Is this the 'change' we expected?

Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. Many folks I know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so. The Emperor's clothes on a grand scale. "Transparency"? Remember, 2010 is just around the corner. All we have to do is survive long enough.

The year is 1907, one hundred and 2 years ago.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Every American citizen needs to read this!

Senior Care To Suffer Under Gov't Plan,Two-Thirds Of Practicing Physicians Say

By DAVID HOGBERG
News Analysis by IBD | Posted Friday, September 18, 2009

Will the quality of care for seniors improve under health care reform currently being considered by Congress?

A recent IBD/TIPP Poll shows that a majority of physicians think the answer is no.

Of the 1,376 physicians who answered our survey, 65% said that government reform would lead to lower-quality care for seniors.

Just 28% said it would lead to better care for seniors, while 7% declined to answer.

"I'm not surprised by the results," said Dr. Alieta Eck, an internist in Zarephath, N.J. "It's not possible to cut $500 billion from Medicare and provide better-quality care for seniors."

While Dr. Gary Kaplan isn't surprised by the results either, he disagrees with them.

"Change is hard and there is a lot about health care reform that is uncertain," said the internist and chairman and CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. "But I don't think (worse care for seniors) will happen. I'm quite optimistic about reform as a way to improve care."

The plan currently in the House would reduce Medicare spending by $500 billion over 10 years, while the plan recently released by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., would reduce it by $400 billion.

A lot would depend on how reform achieves those reductions.

"Medicare was set up for acute care and hospital care, not to treat those with chronic conditions," said Dr. Laurel Coleman, a geriatrician in Manchester, Maine. "If policymakers would do changes in Medicare to improve chronic care management, it would directly help a disease like Alzheimer's that over 5 million Americans have, most of whom are on Medicare."

While generally supportive of reform, Coleman said she'd have to see specifics before deciding if a policy would improve senior care.

The Baucus plan instructs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to set up an "Innovation Center" that will, in part, be charged with establishing "community-based health teams to support small-practice medical homes by assisting the principal primary care practitioner in chronic care management activities."

Dr. Jane Orient is not convinced this will improve senior care.

"What does it mean to coordinate somebody's care?" asked the internist and executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

"Am I going to review care plans for patients I've never set eyes on? Am I supposed to see these patients to earn money for coordinating care? It's not clear what that means."

One concern that many physicians voiced in the IBD/TIPP survey was rationing of medical care.

"Increased government interference cannot make a huge endeavor function better," wrote one respondent. "There will be mandated protocols, long waits, rationing of care, (and) infringement upon a doctor's right of conscience."

"One of the challenges going forward with Medicare is that it is becoming harder and harder to access primary care physicians," said Coleman. "A lot of it has to do with the costs for primary care physicians and the Medicare reimbursement. Changing the Medicare reimbursement, especially for serving complex patients, would help."

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission says it found that the number of elderly Medicare recipients who had trouble finding a primary care physician rose from 11% to 17% from 2004 to 2007.

Under the Baucus plan, physicians who practice family medicine, internal medicine, geriatric medicine or pediatric medicine, and who perform about 60% of their services for primary care, will receive a 10% bonus on those services.

But others think the reduction in Medicare spending will inevitably mean reductions in physician payments.

"As Medicare constantly lowers reimbursement, it will be harder for new physicians to take part," said Eck. "People are telling me that it is already happening in gynecology. Medicare patients can often no longer find a gynecologist for routine care, or they have to wait six months."

Others see another side to rationing. "Insurance companies already ration care and limit access," wrote another IBD/TIPP survey respondent.

Added Kaplan, "I think today that health care is rationed. It's plentiful for some and unavailable for 47 million Americans. . . . If we improve access and payment for value and eliminate waste, as we are here at Virginia Mason, there will be more resources available to the American public."

Physicians even disagree over the effect of "end of life" counseling, which some critics have derided as "death panels."

"I think reform is all about giving patients choices," said Kaplan. "Insuring that patients understand not only what's available in terms of their care, but that they have choices to make about aggressive or less aggressive treatment — I think reform will help that to happen."

Responds Orient, "If I'm going to spend an hour with a patient, why should I be paid to go through a list of what your end-of-life options are instead of getting your diabetes under control or helping your heart failure?"

The divergent opinion among physicians is, to some extent, reflected among seniors.

At a recent town hall meeting convened by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., at the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, Va., some seniors expressed concern over reform.

Katherine Featherstone worried about what reform would mean for people like her deceased husband, who suffered from Alzheimer's.

"I had the freedom to talk with his doctor and participate in his treatment. I would lose that freedom under this bill," she said.

But others were in favor of reform. "We have to reform health care, no doubt about it," said Mary Thomas. "It needs to be passed."

Obama's First Six Months' Accomplishments

The following was received in an email.

Obama's First Six Months' Accomplishments

1. Offended the Queen of England.
2. Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia.
3. Praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega.
4. Kissed Socialist Hugo Chavez on the cheek.
5. Endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia.
6. Sided with Hugo Chavez and Communist Fidel Castro against Honduras.
7. Announced we would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions while they're building their nuclear weapons.
8. Gave away billions to AIG also without pre-conditions.
9. Expanded the bailouts.
10. Insulted everyone who has ever loved a Special Olympian.
11. Doubled our national debt.
12. Announced the termination of our new missile defense system the day after North Korea launched an ICBM.
13. Released information on U.S. intelligence gathering despite urgings of his own CIA director and the prior four CIA directors.
14. Accepted without comment that five of his cabinet members cheated on their taxes and two other nominees withdrew after they couldn't take the heat.
15. Appointed a Homeland Security Chief who identified military veterans and abortion opponents as "dangers to the nation."
16. Ordered that the word "terrorism" no longer be used and instead refers to such acts as "man made disasters."
17. Circled the globe to publicly apologize for America's world leadership.
18. Told the Mexican president that the violence in their country was because of us.
19. Politicized the census by moving it into the White House from the Department of Commerce. 20. Passed a huge energy tax in the House that will make American industry even less competitive while costing homeowners thousands per year.
21. Salutes as heroes three Navy SEALS who took down three terrorists who threatened one American life and the next day announces members of the Bush administration may stand trial for "torturing" three 9/11 terrorists by pouring water up their noses.
22. Low altitude photo shoot of Air Force One over New York City that frightened thousands of New Yorkers.
23. Sent his National Defense Advisor to Europe to assure them that the US will no longer treat Israel in a special manner and they might be on their own with the Muslims.
24. Praised Jimmy Carter's trip to Gaza where he sided with terrorist Hamas against Israel.
25. Nationalized General Motors and Chrysler while turning shareholder control over to the unions and freezing out retired investors who owned their bonds. Committed unlimited taxpayer billions in the process.
26. Announced nationalized health care "reform" that will strip seniors of their Medicare, cut pay of physicians, increase taxes yet another $1 trillion, and put everyone on rationed care with government bureaucrats deciding who gets care and who doesn't.

Bloomberg: Daschle says, "Health care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them," while former Colorado Governor Dick Lamm says seniors have "a duty to die."

If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that the President, Senators and Congressmen have their own special gold plated health care plan which is guaranteed the remainder of their lives and they are not subject to this new law if they pass it . Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out.

Talk it up at the grassroots level. We have an election coming up in one year and four months where we can reverse the dangerous direction of the Obama administration and its allies. In the interim, we can make their lives miserable. Lets do it!

History Lesson

I received this in an email. Not sure who the author is but he speaks the truth.

What's that you say? Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results!

The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775 - they've had 234 years to get it right; it is broke, and even though heavily subsidized, it can't compete with private sector FedExp and UPS services.

Social Security was established in 1935 - they've had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - they've had 71 years to get it right; it is broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - they've had 39 years to get it right; it is broke. Together Fannie and Freddie have now led the entire world into the worst economic collapse in 80 years.

The War on Poverty was started in 1964 - they've had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our hard earned money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor"; it hasn't worked.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - they've had 44 years to get it right; they are both broke; and now our government dares to mention them as models for all US health care.

AMTRAK was established in 1970 - they've had 39 years to get it right; last year they bailed it out as it continues to run at a loss!

This year, a trillion dollars was committed in the massive political payoff called the Stimulus Bill of 2009; it shows NO sign of working; it's been used to increase the size of governments across America, and raise government salaries while the rest of us suffer from economic hardships. It has yet to create a single new private sector job. Our national debt projections (approaching $10 trillion) have increased 400% in the last six months.

"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009 - - after 80% of the cars purchased turned out to be produced by foreign companies, and dealers nationwide are buried under bureaucratic paperwork demanded by a government that is not yet paying them what was promised.

So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that each and every "service" shoved down our throats by an over-reaching government turns into disaster, how could any informed American trust our government to run or even set policies for America's health care system - - 17% of our economy?

Maybe each of us has a personal responsibility to let others in on this brilliant record before 2010, and then help remove from office those who are voting to destroy capitalism and destroy our grandchildren's future.

Our Declaration of Independence

Let us not forget this sacred declaration.


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing
therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an
example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally
the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to
legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Great Orators of the Democrat Party

Great Orators of the Democrat Party

'One man with courage makes a majority.'- Andrew Jackson

'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'- Franklin D. Ro osevelt

'The buck stops here.'- Harry S. Truman

'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'- John F. Kennedy (By the way, this is an exact quote from a speech given by Army Gen'l. Omar Bradley in 1953, just a few years prior to JFK using it in his inaugural speech. JFK or his speech writers recognized a great quote, but none credited Bradley for one of the greatest patriotic quotes of all time - plagiarism, anyone?)

And for today's Democrats...

'It depends what your definition of sex is."- Bill Clinton

'That Obama - I would like to cut his NUTS off.'- Jesse Jackson

'Those rumors are false .... I believe in the sanctity of marriage.'- John Edwards

'I invented the Internet'- Al Gore

'The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass.'- Joe Biden

' America --is no longer, uh, what it--it, uh, could be, uh what it was once was...uh, and I say to myself, 'uh, I don't want that future, uh, uh for my children.' ''- Barack Obama (without his telepromptor)

'I have campaigned in all 57 states.- Barack Obama(Obama must have confused the 50 states with Heinz's 57 varieties. Common mistake.)

'You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats.'- Nancy Pelosi (said back in 2006)

'Paying taxes is voluntary.'- Sen. Harry Reid

'Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he.'- Hillary Clinton (said back in 1998) sic

You can add one more to the list: Pelosi recently saying (TWICE!) that "If the Stimulus (Spending) Package is not passed quickly, then 500 million people will lose their jobs". Since there are approximately 280-290 million people currently living in the U.S. , total, I would assume the remainder she is referring to are illegal Mexicans and those living in Mexico.,,might as well throw in Canada.

Stand Up America!

Stand up America. Its time that we all stand up and tell Washington that we are not going to stand for the liberal agenda being rammed through Congress. We cannot allow these 535 elected representatives to saddle the middle class of this generation and generations to come with the burden of a monstrous debt.

This blog is dedicated to the expression of views and opinions for the purpose of voicing our collective concern regarding the direction the liberals are taking America. The liberals are siding with the special interest groups and are targetting the middle class to pay for their agenda's.

Let's all tell Congress to Choose America First!