Listen carefully, very carefully from now on when President Obama speaks.  Listen not only to what he says; listen to what he doesn’t say.  Here are some key examples:

1.    Obama says that Universal Health Care must be passed and passed very quickly to reduce the cost of health care.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” what he actually means by reducing the cost of health care, how this will be accomplished, what health care will mean to you, the individual.  As all common sense people know, everything has a cost either in dollars or in product or service.  Obama doesn’t say” that health care will be rationed to save money; in other words you won’t receive health care the same way that you used to receive health care.  He “doesn’t say or explain” that statistical analysis will be used to justify the denial of health care primarily based on age and probability of recovery.
b.    He “doesn’t say” or explain how spending 2 trillion on health care by borrowing from foreign countries actually generates a savings.
c.    He “doesn’t say” that all of this spending will NOT result in everyone being covered anyway … because it’s not enough money.
d.    He “doesn’t say” that you will give up your freedoms; freedom to choose your physician, to choose your hospital, to choose when you will get your care.
e.    He “doesn’t say” that up to 35% of the 46 million uninsured DON’T WANT IT;  these are mostly young people who have done the math and decide that it isn’t worth it based on their age … not because they can’t afford it.
f.    He “doesn’t say” that 25-30% of the 46 million are illegal aliens and, at the least, should pay for the health care they receive without any subsidy from legal aliens and citizens as a simple matter of right and wrong.

2.    Obama says he doesn’t wish to “meddle” with the internal situation in Iran or other countries.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” that he doesn’t wish to meddle with Israel.  On the contrary, he creates a moral equivalency between the building or expansion of settlements in the West Bank and the fact that Israel has no partner in any serious peace negotiation because there is no Palestinian representative willing to recognize the State of Israel or even admit to any sense of legitimacy.

3.    Obama says that we have to get back to fiscal responsibility and a “pay as you go” system.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” that this is quite a statement since he just spent 10+ times more than any other modern day President in just the first 100 days of his administration and how that can make any sense at all.
b.    He “doesn’t say” that all Americans, rich, middle class and poor, will pay huge new taxes on virtually everything we pay for.
c.    He “doesn’t say” that under active consideration is a VAT (Value Added Tax) or National Sales Tax that we will all pay in addition to everything else.  He further “doesn’t say” that the so-called tax cut on 95% of Americans is ultimately a ruse to help mask the real agenda of huge, unprecedented spending, taxation, regulation and huge infringements on our liberty we all face dead ahead.

4.    Obama says that he has saved over 100,000 jobs so far and projects 600,000 saved jobs in the next 90 days.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” that he has no idea how he can say this because there is no known metric for measuring “saved jobs.”
b.    He “doesn’t say” that we have lost an additional 2+ million jobs since inauguration day.
c.    He “doesn’t say” that the unemployment rate is now more than 1 percentage point higher than he said it would go.

5.    Obama says that he doesn’t want to be in the auto business or the banking business or the insurance business.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” that he is in the auto business and could have avoided it completely by letting the natural course of capitalism, the bankruptcy laws and the free markets deal with it as it has always done so well and efficiently.
b.    He “doesn’t say” that he did it to protect the labor unions for the votes and to shoot the finger to the capitalists that invested in the bonds of the auto companies.
c.    He “doesn’t say” that the he didn’t readily accept repayment of the TARP from the likes of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley because he doesn’t want to relinquish control and authority over executive pay.
d.    He “doesn’t say” that he has no interest in returning AIG back into the free market instead opting to maintain control of the largest insurer in the world affecting financial relationships across the country and around the world.

6.    Obama says that he wants to make sure that all stimulus money is well spent and accounted for and that “no one messes with Joe” referring to Joe Biden who was put in charge of making sure of all of this.

a.    Obama “doesn’t say” that the stimulus isn’t really about stimulus anyway.  It’s mainly a political document that serves to reward all those constituents, mainly the labor unions that supported him and the Democrat Party.
b.    He “doesn’t say” that the stimulus hasn’t resulted in 1 provable new job, at least in the private sector.

So, when President Obama speaks … LISTEN … but not just to what he says or how he says it … LISTEN to what he doesn’t say.  The real truth about what drives this President and his policies can be found just by careful listening.

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
- Supreme Court Nominee, Sonya Sotomayor

This statement on its face should cause all American’s grave concern.  Just change one word … replace the word “Latina” with “White” and the word “white” with the word “Latina” and the main stream media would completely eviscerate the nominee charging racism, lack of sensitivity, poor judgment and surely much worse.

In a 2005 panel discussion at Duke University, Sotomayor told students that the Federal Court of Appeals is where “policy is made.” She said:

“Court of Appeals is where policy is made. And I know, and I know, that this is on tape, and I should never say that. Because we don’t ‘make law,’ I know. [Audience laughter] Okay, I know. I know. I’m not promoting it, and I’m not advocating it. I’m, you know. [Audience laughter] Having said that, the Court of Appeals is where, before the Supreme Court makes the final decision, the law is percolating. Its interpretation, its application.”

As a judicial activist, she jokingly admits “making policy” from the bench.  I ask what about separation of powers, The Constitution of the United States and limited government.  The Supreme Court and the Justice System is charged with applying and interpreting the law, not making the law.  It makes me feel, as a citizen, pretty sour to hear this level of cynicism or sarcasm when referring to the role of the courts, particularly where it is diametrically opposed to the Constitution.

On Face the Nation, this morning, Senator Dianne Feinstein said that there is only one word that is wrong with the first quote; the word is “better” … and she says she feels like she knows what she meant and then goes on to not actually say what she felt she meant.  I don’t know what she meant?  I can only read or listen to what she actually says in the context of what she says.  Feinstein then goes on to pontificate about what a great story she has referring to her life, her environment, accomplishments and career.  While I am sure that the life of Sotomayor is a great and compelling story, it has little to do with choosing the very best Supreme Court Justice available; Latina, White, Black, Jew, Gentile, Atheist, Man or Woman.  There are many great and compelling life stories.  These factors should have nothing to do with the choice simply because all have a great life story with long and distinguished careers.

Sotomayor will surely be confirmed.  Democrats will rubber stamp President Obama’s choice and not take on their Constitutional responsibility to “Advise and Consent.”
If Judge Roberts was confirmed who said the Supreme Court should be a neutral umpire, then how can we not have serious, sober debate about statements that are complete contradictions to Constitutional Law and the words of existing confirmed Justices.  This is not to say that there cannot be differences between Justices; however, we are talking here of basic elements of the Constitution that cannot / should not be debated appropriately, unless, we were to call for a new Constitutional Convention.

Possibly more importantly, what does this nomination say about President Obama?  President Obama used the word “empathy” or being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes as an important consideration in his choice.  There is no elaboration from Obama.  But when Sotomayor said in her writings that she felt in most cases people cannot be expected to rule out their background in judging cases, you cannot ignore linkage from President Obama’s statement on empathy in his choice.

In Obama’s weekly radio address, he warned against a long confirmation battle and urged consideration of her qualifications, background, etc and not prolong Senate approval.  However, Senator Obama led the filibuster attempts against the nomination of Judge Alito who clearly had the background, qualifications et al.  Senator Obama argued against the idea of just rubber stamping the President’s choice just based on intellect and “whether or not he is nice to his wife.”  So we have the latest example of double standards, cheap politics, and hypocrisy coming from Washington.  Change you can believe in … yeah, sure.

It is chilling to this writer how radical this President has proven to be.

So, what do you think of this nomination and what do you think this says about President Obama?  Your comments are welcome … always.

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

In a speech at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills last night, President Obama emphatically affirmed his policies and approach telling the friendly and exuberant audience that we have stepped back from the brink referring to the economy.  Seeming to believe that the news is better, Obama rallied the crowd by saying “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

So, Obama is starting to claim some measure of success.  He says that things are calmer now.  The only thing that is calmer is the main stream media because they don’t have a heart attack anymore over every poor economic number because they can’t continue blaming Bush for it.  How can Obama claim success?  Consider:

• • • • • • • • - Unemployment Rate is at a 25 year high
                - More Americans are collecting unemployment than ever.
                - One out 7 mortgages in foreclosure.
                - Thousands of Auto Dealerships being shut down.
                - The Dollar is dropping (losing value) due to the skyrocketing increase of the money supply courtesy of the Bush-Obama “Bail Out Nation,”

Now, I ask:

1.    Where are the shovel-ready jobs?
2.    Where and how is the $800 billion stimulus being spent?
3.    Where is the $1 Trillion in supplemental spending being used to benefit America?
4.    What evidence is there that a single job has been created as a result of the stimulus bill?

When President Obama says “you ain’t seen nothing yet” it doesn’t give much hope for conservatives that we will be getting “limited government” as is prescribed in the US Constitution anytime soon.  It is just chilling to think what he does have in store for America.  We already know that he is pushing forward at breakneck speed on Universal Healthcare, Cap and Trade and Saving the Planet.  What else is in store for America?

However, I suggest that Obama hasn’t seen anything yet.  His policies will prove to be a disaster simply on the basis of a few simple indisputable facts:

1.    Increasing Taxes has never actually improved the economy.  When the average American sees virtually everything they buy or do go shooting higher in price, Obama will and must pay a heavy political price.

2.    Massive Spending Increases - regardless of the purpose or the intent, massive government spending, using solely borrowed money, robs the private economy of needed capital and crowds out private industry.
3.    Nationalization of major sections of our economy; the government now controls major chunks of the banking industry and automobile industry … soon the government will seek to finalize a plan that essentially boasts “Medicare for Everyone.”  There is no history that shows government control of anything, with the exception of our national defense, has proven to be an unmitigated failure.
4.    Obama claimed transparency in all areas of government, yet, there is no transparency and there is no “seat at the table” as was advertised.  Someone, probably not the mainstream media, will point this out and will get through to mainstream America.
And where are the Republicans?  Nowhere!  Where are the true conservatives who can propose and effectively communicate supply-side economics, economic and tax policy that is based on incentives and not on entitlement?  Where are the true constitutionalists that limit the power and control of government in subservience to the individual?

These are indeed difficult times.  The inevitable response (and it is inevitable), will come from the grass roots.  We have seen the tea parties.  We need to see more.  They need to be larger and louder.  We need to demand better.  We need to truly recognize what the Constitution stands for and it is ultimately up to the individual to reassert individual rights and responsibilities.  It is up to the individual to reassert himself and reverse the growth in government control of our lives.

So, tell me what you think.  What does the Constitution mean to you?  What do Obama’s policies mean to you?  Let’s air this stuff out.  It’s important!

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Readers,  this is not an original post.  A colleague of mine shared it with me and I wanted you to comment and create a discussion.  Simply, is there any real truth to the assertions made in this parody of Detective Columbo.  They seem absolutely incredible to me but I frankly have no idea.

Ah . . Sorry to bother you Mr. Obama, Sir. .

Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean President Obama, Sir. Um . . I know you’re busy, and important and stuff. I mean running the county is very important and — ah — I hate to bother you Sir. I will only take a minute. Ok Sir?
See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering Sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things.
Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says boy she wishes she had digs like this you know? Is that painting real? Really? Wow. I saw something like that in a museum once!
Oh, sorry Sir. I didn’t mean to get off the track. So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island Sir? No? I didn’t think so…
Well, listen, anyway, I can’t seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be “Not released” or “Not available.” I’m sure it’s just an oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are — I — I have them written down here somewhere — oh wait. Sorry about the smears. It was raining out. I’ll just read it to you.
Could you please help me find these things Sir?
1. Occidental College records — Not released
2. Columbia College records — Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper — “Not available”
4. Harvard College records — Not released
5. Selective Service Registration – Not released
6. Medical records — Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule — Not available
8. Your Illinois State Senate records — Not available
9. Law practice client list — Not released
10. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate – Not released
11. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth — Not released
12. Record of your baptism — Not available

Oh and one more thing Mr. President, I can’t seem to find any articles you published as editor of theHarvard Law Review, or as a Professor at the University of Chicago. Can you explain that to me Sir?

Oh but, hey — listen! I know you’re busy! If this is too much for you right now — I mean — tell you what. I’ll come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, You know? I mean, I know you’re busy. I’ll just let myself out. I’ll be back tomorrow. And the day after. . .
What’s that Mr. President? Who wants to know these things?
We the People of the United States of America! You know, the ones that vote.

So, what do you think?  Is this just extreme, off the wall junk or are there real questions here that the traditional media is ignoring or just sweeping under the rug.  I am in search of intelligent responses that really can shed real light here.
Thanks

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

All of us that use our credit cards responsibly and reasonably are going to get our just due; we will be punished.  Let’s get used to it.  Out of control government has done it again … they are changing the rules and regulations on credit card companies in the name of protecting the public.  Sure, it all sounds good.  They are requiring better communication to consumers and that is always a good thing.

Here is the good stuff:

1.    Credit Card Companies can no longer retroactively increase rates on card holders UNLESS you are 60 days late on your payments.
2.    Teaser Rates must have duration of at least 1 year.
3.    Promotional rates must last at least 6 months.
4.    Payments for accounts with multiple categories (credit, cash advance, etc) will be automatically applied to the account with the highest percentage rate.
5.    Late Fees cannot be assessed unless the card holder gets the bill at least 3 weeks before the due date.
6.    No over-limit fees unless you agree to it before hand.  In other words, when you charge something that takes you over your limit, the charge will likely be denied, unless you have previously agreed to be charged a fee for that privilege.
7.    Minors (under 21) will need parental consent for credit card issuance.

Here is what is wrong:

1.    The credit card companies will respond to these imposed changes to counterbalance their reduced ability to protect their profit margins which allow them to employ their people and otherwise run their businesses.
2.    Interest Rates and fees will be increased as part of the counterbalance
3.    Credit cards will be revoked for those that cannot be carried by the credit card companies due to the rules.
4.    Credit limits will be imposed that will certainly include reduced credit limits.
5.    Credit cards will be less available especially for those with less than perfect credit scores.
6.    Credit will be less available.
7.    Bad for the individual and bad for the economy.

The Perspective

Remember to run away fast the next time government comes and tells you that they are here to help.  I have little doubt that those in government have better intentions.  However, few of them have ever run a business and / or understand how business or even capitalism even works.  In other words they just don’t know what they are doing.

Don’t forget what President Obama said he wants to do; specifically he said that he wants to get the flow of credit moving again.  Now reread and think about the above consequences of the actions.  I don’t think President Obama is lying.  I do think that he doesn’t understand or possibly believe in free market capitalism.  This is not the first or the last time this administration and this Congress will enact anti-capitalistic, anti-competitive measures in the false notion that they are protecting the public.

Government this year has acted to:

1.    Protect those facing foreclosure at the expense of those who pay their mortgages on time.
2.    Protect those with poor credit at the expense of those with good or excellent credit.
3.    Protect failing banks at the expense of well run banks.
4.    Protect failing auto manufacturers at the expense of performing manufacturers and all consumers.
5.    Make payments to those who never paid income taxes at the expense of those who pay income taxes.

These poor policies are grounded in the belief that capitalism is the problem.  However it is government that is the problem.  Capitalism is a natural process.  It involves risk, safety, fear and greed; all very human, very natural factors.  Over the generations, there is a natural swing between fear and greed, risk and safety.  Capitalism is a self-correcting process where fear is responded to by risk takers and greed is responded to by those who seek safety.  It’s a dynamic process that involves ebbs and flows, excesses and shortages; it is the natural process.

Government, in the name of help and protection for the common man, consistently gets it wrong by trying to control the individual and businesses (collections of individuals) because they know better how their citizens should behave and what they really need.  But what they don’t understand is that their attempts to control tend to distort the natural ebbs and flows of free market capitalism only to create new and often more challenging “unintended” issues.

Individuals need their natural rights and they need to act to reassert their natural rights in the face of an increasingly controlling government.

The credit card legislation is just another example of government losing its compass and its focus as opposed to what it really should be doing as stated in the Constitution.

Oh, one piece of good news.  This won’t take effect until 2010.

What do you think?  Should Government be more active or less active?  Should individuals be more active or less active?  Whose rights are being affected and how?  Comment on this.  Let’s have a discussion.
Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Readers, it escapes me exactly how Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House or how she even became a power player in Washington.  This has nothing to do with my decidedly conservative views or her liberal ones.  It has to do with the obvious lack of conviction she has about any issue of substance to the American people.  You can read from any blogger about her obvious major current embarrassment which clearly is a pathetic attempt to protect herself politically, and at all cost, including the false accusations of the CIA misleading or lying to her about water-boarding or enhanced interrogations.

It is clear that she only cares about one thing:  Democrats Good, Republicans Evil, therefore destroy Republicans.  She frankly is still attacking the Bush Administration … Nancy, MOVE ON!

More than all this, Nancy Pelosi has clearly demonstrated that she is completely scripted, not up on the issues ever and frankly is an embarrassing figure that sits in the #2 figure in the line of succession behind the Vice President.  Many saw her stammering and stuttering but this is nothing new.  Those paying attention have heard this for years.  She is simply a political operative that for the last 8 years had only one agenda and that was to bash the hell out of President Bush.  She is acting and continues to act as little more than an oppositional child rather than a serious legislator or leader.

Democrats really must act for the country to get her out as Speaker at least.  She has handed the sword to anyone who needs to use it on her with her atrocious behavior.  She needs to go away.  CIA Director, Leon Panetta, thankfully, responded and, in effect, set the record straight and clearly implicated Pelosi as clearly and blatantly lying just to save her own political skin; the hell with the country, the war, our troops and all those selfless patriots who really have a soulful conviction about important things.

Speaker Pelosi, get out; Democrats, REMOVE HER!  There is never a time to tolerate this level of incompetency and shamelessness, much less at this point in our present state of affairs.

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait…  I: wait…  L: wait…  LD: wait…  I: wait… wait…  Rank: wait…  Traffic: wait…  Price: wait…  C: wait…

As you realize, I am very concerned about the direction of our country.  The ever-growing power of the state reaching into our wallets, our bedrooms and who knows what else is diametrically opposed to virtually everything I ever learned about the US Constitution and what truly has made our country the greatest in the world.

There is no doubt that I agree with much of what is said on conservative talk shows like Limbaugh, Hannity and Mark Levin.  However, I am often deeply troubled at the tone or the style that the message is delivered in.  Sure, I am reminded by some that these gentlemen are also entertainers of sorts.  However, they are talking about very serious matters which are why I listen to them in the first place.  It’s also very important that the good debate, the honest debate be won by conservatives because it is only conservative ideas and policies that have brought great wealth, power and ideals to America.

So, for instance, when Sean Hannity plays the everyday attack dog by incessantly pointing out the same things … over and over again, it sours me because I feel it’s counterproductive to the good debate.  What good is it to show the slip-up of the oath of office that occurred on inauguration day?  Why resort to what the Keith Obermans, Dave Lettermans, Chris Matthews, et al did virtually every day of the Bush administration?  Why not take the higher road and just stick to principles?  Why is it still necessary for him to keep bringing up Ayres, Rev. Wright, etc?  How many times do you need to hear that to become convinced or have made your point?  Talking about the very same things on the radio and on TV for 200+ days prior to the election didn’t really change the result, did it? I don’t understand how it is that Hannity doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t expect to get different results by doing the same thing.  It seems to me that Hannity is actually part of the problem rather than breaking new ground in the hearts and minds of Americans.

Rush Limbaugh is the king of talk radio.  However controversial he may be, I have heard him speak about great things, great ideals and when he stays on message, he is as compelling a speaker as there is.  However, as with Hannity, Limbaugh uses inflammatory, provocative and derisive words to accentuate the negative when he speaks of the Liberal Left.  He also over-defended Bush, part of what I call the “Bush can do no wrong” crowd.  Surely, Limbaugh spoke of his disagreements with Bush but he did it with the respect and civility that we should all show all of our presidents including Obama and Bush.  He should do more of this with his ideological adversaries, regardless of how he or other conservatives are treated by the left.  Further, the name-calling; I won’t list them here because it bothers me so much.  Again, I make no excuses for the left as they are shameless in their derision of all things conservative, never more venomous than how they treated Bush.  However, using anything but their names is provocative and inflammatory; it just takes the low road which cheapens the real messages and lessons of conservatism.

Mark Levin just wrote a best-selling book, “Liberty and Tyranny,” which I just completed and I truly believe is a book that all Americans should read.  It is truly a primer to better understand the historic and constitutional significance of what is going on in our country now.  It is, as the tagline states, “A Conservative Manifesto.”  However, as with Mr. Limbaugh, on his radio broadcasts, Levin resorts to name-calling, angry diatribes and derisive pet names for those, particularly in government and the media that he disagrees with on the left.  It just cheapens his rich rich message and teachings.  He makes no excuses for this; he knows he’s doing it and he feels justified in doing it because he feels they deserve it.  I simply feel that they may deserve it but Mr. Levin would be so much more effective by sticking to his truly great understanding of the constitution and seek to teach what he knows to enrich everyone as he is so capable of doing.

These leading conservative talk show personalities have a great deal to offer.  They command strong followings and surely have the top ratings in their field.  It is hard to argue that they change anything as their success measured in all the numbers show that there should be no reason to change.  However, still, I suggest that they can still improve and be even more effective by lowering their voices some, sticking to their principles as they surely will, but also deliver a more polished and poised message, free of incessant repetition and name calling.  In this way, the message will not get lost or camouflaged; it will be clear and true.  The fact is that they will never lose an honest debate; I say let’s have the honest debate and not lower ourselves to the tactics of our ideological adversaries.

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait…  I: wait…  L: wait…  LD: wait…  I: wait… wait…  Rank: wait…  Traffic: wait…  Price: wait…  C: wait…

It’s been about 120 days since President Obama was sworn in as our 44th President.  To me, it feels like years.  Rarely a day passes where I don’t see the President, Treasury Secretary Geithner or another cabinet member speaking of, proposing or acting on radical changes that affects every citizen.  Consider the following blistering pace of policy and initiatives:

1.    Proposing and ultimately signing what is called a fiscal stimulus bill into law using borrowed money to provide very little in the way of fiscal stimulus.  The President repeats incessantly that 95% of all Americans will receive a tax cut.  If this were true it would indeed be a good measure.  However, what actually is happening is that 10’s of millions will receive, this year and next, a check of several hundred dollars, whether or not the individual citizen is actually paying income tax.  This is not fiscal stimulus that “we can believe in.”  There is no decrease in actual tax rates that will last year after year.  There is precious little here to build anything, particularly infrastructure.  The final law, rather than stimulating the economy, is rather a huge political payoff to those in the traditional Democratic Party bloc i.e. big unions, including the teacher’s union which has done nothing in my lifetime to improve public education in this country.

2.    Taking the baton from the previous administration, Obama has continued and accelerated the nationalization of the banking system.  The government now owns and controls a large piece of the entire banking system.  This control is ominous at least as we are already seeing intervention, central control and the dismantling of free market capitalism.  Rather than living with and dealing with the natural ebbs and flows (booms and recessions) of the free market, a proven and natural self-correcting system, the government is arresting control and clearly seeks to keep it.  Just look at the resistance to repaying the TARP by the likes of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, et al.  It’s like your mortgage company disallowing pre-payment of your home loan.

3.    The expansion of TARP to include other businesses and industries.  Another huge threat to free market capitalism and another major step towards control of the economy by a huge central government.

4.    A 4 trillion dollar budget; twice as much as last year with a projection of a 1.8 trillion dollar deficit this year.  The national debt is projected to balloon to over 20 trillion dollars within the next 10 years.  These numbers indicate the deep commitment to central control and command of what we once knew as the free market.  Rather than rational regulation, the numbers, the rhetoric and the actions repudiate capitalism, spreading the wealth in the name of “the greater public good.”  What this ultimately means? … The government now controls almost half of our national economy (45%).  By definition, we have withdrawn from a free market system if this stands for much longer.

5.    The signing into law of a huge supplemental spending bill that includes thousands of earmarks; directly in defiance of his campaign pledge to end earmarks.  Rather all spending (stimulus bill, budget and supplemental spending) are incalculable earmarks for special interest groups.

6.    The government takeover of Chrysler and General Motors.  We have a “car czar.”  Can you believe it?  We actually have a car czar to control and command the future decisions of 2 of the 3 major auto manufacturers in this country.  Further, and of great importance, is the bankruptcy package for Chrysler which will surely be repeated when the GM deal is done.  The bond holders of Chrysler, those free market capitalists that risked their capital, got the finger from President Obama by being put at the end of the line instead of the front of the line which is the way free market capitalists have sold bonds for the past 100+ years.  Instead, President Obama put the unions and the government first and gave the bond holders only 30 cents on every dollar they invested.  Moreover, Obama ridiculed the bond holders referring to them as speculators and blaming them for the failure of a settlement.  The bond holders are just exercising their right to seek a better deal through the bankruptcy court.  I wonder what the final result will be for the bond holders.

7.    Nationalization of Health Care.  The administration, Pelosi, Reid et al are moving swiftly to nationalize health care to control all aspects of health care; that is, how we will receive health care, who we will get it from, whether we will get it, from whom we will get it, etc.  The proposal claims that this is what has to be done to control health care costs.  However, this will cost the taxpayer over 2 trillion dollars, fully 17% of our national economy.  What they aren’t saying is what precious few realize … that everyone will be under the thumb of the government for health care.  We will be dictated to short and sweet.  Health care will be rationed so that you will not necessarily get the care that you need when and where you need it.  The government will use statistical analysis that will result in decisions based upon the likelihood of success of the medical procedure or treatment.  There will be no options to seek the best care for the individual based on individual analysis.  The individual will be subordinate to the state.  Yes, I am describing centrally controlled socialized medicine.  Where is the media on this?  Where is a truthful and strong investigative report that exposes what it is like to live in Great Britain and Canada and receive health care?

8.    The Carbon Tax.  This is something else that few in this country understand.  Those who received the paltry tax cut and / or a check from the government will see all of that go away many times over when they see the government cause you to pay more for almost everything you buy; gasoline, heating, electricity, food, cars, etc.  The reason:  Global Warming.  Global Warming is being used by the Obama administration to justify the so-called Cap and Trade which simply means that the government seeks to control the use of carbon and its derivatives in the name of saving the planet; never mind that man-made global warming is NOT a fait accompli AND never mind that China, Russia and India have no plans to do this.  Global Warming is being used to justify further command and control of our economy and our lives.

9.    Just this week, President Obama, showing no signs of slowing down, is laying the ground work for new taxes.  With no shame or reflection, he had the gall to tell an audience that the borrowing and spending is unsustainable.  Can you believe this?  He just spent the last 100+ days spending us into oblivion and now he says that it’s unsustainable.  It reminds me of giving your kids $100 and spending it inside of 30 minutes and coming back to daddy and asking for more only to realize that the money is spent and there isn’t any more.   Obama is starting to prepare us for new taxes as he surely shows no signs whatsoever of limiting spending.  He had more gall announcing a grand total of 17 billion in spending cuts … he made an announcement about this … its less than one tenth of one percent of our deficit!  He made an announcement!  I could do better with GEICO!

10.    At the same time that all of this is going on, NOT ONE WORD about Medicare and Social Security … why, you may ask?  These are government-controlled programs that control our lives; never mind that they are horribly run and waste valuable capital that can clearly be better used by the individual.

Ok, so we have a Democratic Socialist who is pushing his policies and beliefs.  But why all the hyperactivity … a generation of change in 4 months!  I suggest that President Obama is trying to do exactly what he said he was going to do; effect fundamental change in this country.  Further, he knows that his time is limited and he can’t afford to spread out all of his initiatives because he will never be more popular than he has been up to now.  He has taken his plurality in the election with Democratic Party domination in Congress and is acting under his perceived mandate to transform us into a socialized democracy which seeks to control our lives.  All of his policies and initiatives follow the playbook of socialism; the limitation and control of the individual by the state.

Arthur Cooper

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…