Energy
The Obama administration has technically ended their ban on American oil drilling...but they're also not issuing much in the way of new drilling permits, either. In fact, they've issued about the same number of permits since May that previous administrations used to do in one month. The results of lower domestic production? Greater dependence upon our foreign suppliers and higher costs. Never mind that most Americans want more drilling. Regardless, Democrats are still trying to shove through crippling environmental legislation in the lame duck session. Welcome to Obama's America, where you deserve to pay more for energy.
Russia
Remember when we used to stare down Russia to keep them in line? Not any more. Now Obama is pushing hard to sign and enact a major treaty, START, with Russia in the lame duck session -- a feat unprecedented in American history -- that is bad, bad news for many reasons, including:
1. The Russian legislature is not committed to ratification of New START.
2. Russia threatens to start a new arms race if New START is not ratified.
3. Russia is again threatening U.S. friends and allies in Europe with tactical nuclear weapons deployment.
4. Russia is already in violation of agreements relating to tactical nuclear weapons.
5. Russia has provided anti-aircraft missiles to Venezuela, which closely cooperates with Iran.
And this is just the beginning. Also, I read in another report that one of the provisions required of the U.S. is to dismantle our missile defense system. Welcome to Obama's America, where our enemies deserve to be stronger than us.
Unity
Or something like that. Let's recap:
** Obama: “They Bring a Knife…We Bring a Gun”
** Obama to His Followers: “Get in Their Faces!”
** Obama on ACORN Mobs: “I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!”
** Obama to His Mercenary Army: “Hit Back Twice As Hard”
** Obama on the private sector: “We talk to these folks… so I know whose ass to kick.“
** Obama to voters: Republican victory would mean “hand to hand combat”
** Obama to lib supporters: “It’s time to Fight for it.”
** Obama to Latino supporters: “Punish your enemies.”
Now he's declared that he's 'itching for a fight' with the new Republican led House. Welcome to Obama's America, home of Obama the Great Uniter.
TSA
Oh, where to begin? An airport in Raleigh-Durham appears to have an exceptionally high number of complaints about passenger abuse, especially those who are victims of sexual abuse or rape. The TSA doesn't care. In Albuquerque, the TSA has accidentally revealed their operating manual: the people who get the strip search scanner are the good looking ones with boobs. Classy, eh? Don't believe me? Ask the Baywatch chick. Or Khloe Kardashian. Or the envoy to India. There's a reason more airports are considering dumping the TSA. Oh, and brace yourself...as predicted, they're already deploying these scanners at bus stations, too. And what happens when a CNN reporter hammers on the TSA? He suddenly shows up on the terrorist watch list. Coincidence, I'm sure.
For an ironclad discussion of how and why to correctly profile, check this out. Welcome to Obama's America, where citizens are abused and terrorists are ignored.
DREAM Amnesty
Despite the American people steadfastly opposing amnesty, Democrats in Congress are determined to push it through, with a vote scheduled for Saturday. Recall, this is the bill that will not only grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, but also dump those millions of illegal immigrants into the already awful job market. Welcome to Obama's America, where law-breakers are rewarded and lawful citizens pick up the tab.
DADT Repeal
The military doesn't want it, but the Obama administration is determined to do it anyway. It appears that with all the other stuff going on, this one is all but a done deal. Unfortunately, it's going to have some massive negative effects on our military unless it gets corrected immediately.
Land grab
Another lost issue that is still important to note is that the federal government is sucking up lots and lots of land. It's a bill constructed in secret and not given any public debate at all, and the prices being paid for this land are super-inflated (can't imagine why). Welcome to Obama's America, where the government owns everything.
Parents just can't handle it
Michelle Obama wants to be in charge of your kids, too. After all, the paltry duty of feeding your children certainly can't be left up to you...! Welcome to Obama's America, where the government replaces parents.
Obamacare
Big, big news here. In the midst of children losing drug coverage, the threat of 40% of physicians suddenly retiring, Medicare crowding out private coverage, and 60% of Americans wanting repeal...one of the first major legal hurdles of this legislation just blew Obamacare out of the water. A judge in Virginia just ruled that the key piece of Obamacare, the individual mandate, was unconstitutional. The government's case was based on the idea that the government has a right to regulate any commerce taking place in America. That's true, but it does not have the right to force commerce to take place. The individual mandate does just that, requiring that everyone in America pay for insurance...and if they don't, they'll be fined and/or put in jail.
It's fully bad enough to require this on health insurance, but think of the bigger consequences. If the government can force every American to purchase health care, can they not force every American to purchase (or not purchase) any product or any service? Yep. It's the ultimate erosion of individual liberty in America, and that's why this ruling was so critical. It's still early in the process of working through the courts, but it's one major chink in the armor, and merely the first of many to come that will hopefully cause Obamacare to fall apart or get completely repealed.
Ironically, this is precisely the argument put forth by conservatives months ago before Obamacare was shoved down our throats, and the Democrat leadership just mocked the question at the time. Oops.
Also interesting to note is that after this ruling, proponents of Obamacare didn't attempt to address the legal issue, they didn't try to persuade America of why Obamacare is a net benefit...they simply changed the terminology being used. Welcome to Obama's America, where the government will dictate your health care for you regardless of what you think/need/want, and they don't give a damn about the Constitutionality of doing so.
Tax rate extension/stimulus/budget mess
Hm, this one is pretty messy. The House Democrats failed in their primary Constitutional function this past year: to create a budget for 2011. They didn't even bother with it. So, the federal government has been operating on a series of temporary spending measures (continuing resolutions), and the current one runs out Saturday night. As is normal, the Dems have larded the thing up with billions in pork (i.e. buying votes) and then attempted to fund the government for most of next year. This is, of course, a hideous corruption of the CR process, and a brazen attempt to neuter the crop of fiscal conservatives that will be sworn in next January by dictating the same massive level of spending we've seen for the past two years rather than let the next Congress do what the American people demanded and cut spending. You see, they spent more time and attention shoving massive takeovers and slush funds (TARP, insurance bailout, GM bailout, stimulus, Obamacare, etc.) into law, and simply ran out of time to do the mundane stuff the Constitution actually demanded of them. Not that they particularly care, of course. Also, it was also yet another 2000 page bill that no one read (they don't believe in wasting time reading bills before voting on them anymore) with a trillion-dollar-plus price tag.
The GOP -- amazingly, in my opinion -- stood firm and forced the Dems to pull the bill from consideration, forcing the substitution of a much smaller bill instead. Personally, I'd rather see the government shut down, but I'm guessing this one will flow through. We'll see.
In the House, the bill to extend the current tax rates passed easily, with many Democrats voting for it as well as Republicans. Apparently self-preservation is a powerful motivator, and few are willing to put their name next to legislation that constitutes the biggest tax increase in American history.
Coincidentally to all of this, Congress has just scored a whopping 13% approval rating, the worst Gallup has recorded in 30 years of tracking the question. Shocker there, huh?
Whew! I think that's it for now. We truly weren't kidding when we predicted the radical Leftist leadership would go for the jugular during the lame duck session this year. If you have opinions on any of the issues mentioned above, you have just hours or days left to contact your reps to share them. Take charge and be involved in shaping your country's future.
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