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Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

A friend of mine (John Bloom) shared a "letter to the editor" that his brother (William S Bloom) wrote to the Quad City Times. For those of you that are outside Iowa and Illinois, the Quad Cities are Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. Anyhow, the piece, as edited by the newspaper, can be found on their web site at this link. The text of the original letter is below. Although I understand the concept of editing letters to conserve space, and a few of the edits made sense in that regard, there are still some key parts that were cut out. You be the judge... starting with the second paragraph (the first one was rewritten by the editors) I have used strike-out to highlight the text below where it was cut.

Are Americans Once Again In The Wilderness?

Last Sunday, I was listening to "Father Joe" (Father Joe Scalisi, Trinity Church, Rock Island), as he gave his Sermon for the first Sunday of Lent. Father Joe was talking about the role of "the Wilderness" in the Bible. How sometimes people hid there, how Jesus [...]

The Conservative Reader

As we continue our inexorable national slide into socialism, as our freedoms begin to slowly, but surely, be taken away, I have made the following observations (while I still can). President Obama promised the following during the 2008 Presidential campaign:
  • Fiscal responsibility/no new earmarks. Apparently someone has forgotten to tell him about the 8,500 earmarks in the current omnibus spending bill and the projected $1.9 trillion (that's trillion with a "t") budget deficit.
  • Bi-partisanship. I'm not sure what that looks like, but I'm sure the Republicans don't feel like anyone is listening to them and addressing their concerns right now (other than Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins).
  • Economic growth. After less than two months in office, my retirement plan can't take much more of President Obama's "economic growth".
The markets are nervous, and it reflects in current stock market indices. As I write this, the Dow is [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Obama’s Optical problems

On the morning of February 17th,I was standing in line getting coffee at the little cafeteria at my day gig. Behind me were two guys that had obviously been in heated discussion for some time. I don't know either of them. I can't vouch for the conversation being word for word, but here it is from my memory:
So, let me understand this. Obama's going to Denver, today... several days after the bill he was so much in a hurry to sign that none of Congress could actually take the time to read it, was placed on his desk. Why did he wait all that time after the vote? So he could vacation? Well, no, so he could fly out to Denver, I guess. Why Denver? So that he could sign it in a plant that makes Solar panels. He wants to be seen as a 'green' president. But what does it take to make this happen? How's he getting there? Well, he's got to fly Air Force One out to Denver. Doesn't that mean he's flying at least four planes? Air Force One, plus the military escort, PLUS a second plane for a decoy, and likely more escorts for the decoy? I guess so, why? How much fuel does that take? Oh, I heard [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Getting Around The Constitution

Some like to use the Court System. Some like to use creative Congressional Legislation. Some even like to use Executive Orders. Others seek a coalition of states to enact laws to just circumvent the Constitutional system. Today we look at a bill before the Iowa General Assembly (House version, Senate version). This same bill has already been enacted into law in Maryland and New Jersey. It is still in the "Study Bill" state (in a committee for review), and will essentially cause Iowa to select Electors based on the National Popular Vote results instead of Iowa's Popular Vote results. Once enough states opt into this coalition to cover 270 electoral votes (the number of votes currently needed to win the Presidency), the law would go into effect. In case it's not obvious, the point is to make the College meaningless. I am very concerned about this bill. I’ll start by saying I support the Electoral College structure that we have in place today to mange the electing of the President, and although I could use this space to explain my support for it, my concern with the bill is not in the value of the College, but rather in the Compact that this bill places Iowa in. This bill, in concert with the same language in other states’ codes, is intended [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

President Doom and Gloom

I caught bits and pieces of the press conference held by President Obama last night and I heard the subsequent reviews. My analysis suggests that our national media threw President Obama a bunch of softballs. President Bush would have held a lot more press conferences if the questions were that easy, I bet. Bill O'Reilly called the President "boring". No kidding! And then some! Here's what's starting to grate on me. For the last 18 months, all we've heard from President Obama is how terrible things are, and now "this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression". Bad news is his mantra. I'm not sure if he can handle good news. It makes me wonder how he responded to the news he was going to be a father. Did he say "Great! Another mouth to feed"? Americans, for the most part, are an optimistic lot. For us, the glass is always half full. According to President Obama, there is no glass, primarily because the greedy Wall Street types stole it. He can't even discuss the whole Alex Rodriguez steroid thing without calling it "depressing". Eventually, the American people will tire of President Obama's negativity. That day is getting closer. Three weeks into his administration, it's already clear he's in way over his head. Talk about above his pay grade! And by his own admission. We're looking at [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

The Stimulus That Wasn’t Gets Passed

Bruce McQuain, this morning at Q&Q:
Well there’s an agreement on the Generational Theft Act of 2009. The squishy middle has capitulated. As expected, just enough Republicans have signed on to ensure its passage. Names? Specter for one:
Specter said Friday night that action was “very necessary,” and this bill, though not perfect, is better than inaction. “I think no one could argue with the fact that the situation would be much worse without this bill,” Specter said at a news conference.
And of course, Susan Collins is the other (and Olympia Snowe is also reportedly going to vote for it). Voinavich and Martinez bailed. They’ll give this the veneer of bi-partisan legitimacy.
Which, doubtless, will be endlessly touted by the Democrats over the following two years. And, forever, for that matter, each time the amount of debt incurred by this mess turns up as a discussion point on online venues, or talking head programs. The problem is obvious; it is what Bruce describes as the “squishy middle” . I’ve been telling you people for nearly a decade now that it is the centrists among us that are going to kill us off as a nation. If this [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Hope for a Change

Or is it change for a hope? I admit my confusion on this issue. The American public was told during the 2008 Presidential campaign that things would be different. So far, it's more of the same, only worse. It seems like the entire country has gone stark, raving mad. To wit, as the Obama Administration's Cabinet nominees wind their way through the approval process, we find that not one, not two, not three, but four have a prior history of not paying their taxes. What is going on here? The best thing to come out of this mess is that the American taxpayer, at last count, is ahead some $176,000. Could this be President Obama's plan to fund this massive "economic stimulus" package that is being ramrodded through Congress? Just collect the back taxes owed by his nominees? I'm not sure that the IRS, Congress or the American public would be as forgiving if I were the one to not have paid my taxes. But then again, I try to live a life of integrity. I've read a lot about the economic stimulus package making its way through the bowels of Congress and I'm confused about that too. Or maybe I'm not the one who's confused. To me, economic stimuli are those things that stimulate the economy. Immediately. Not three years from now. So, as one of the conditions for accepting TARP money, The Brains in Washington [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Stimulating Religious Repression

For many of us, any number of things were expected as part of the new President's first month in office, including the first five Executive Orders, some of which impacted protections of the unborn and the public at large. And Democrats increased control of Congress will doubtfully lead to more and more spending that will help maintain the poverty status quo. But many would never have expected to see a new effort on the part of Democrats to work their way around the First Amendment, which states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
But here it comes already, hidden in the dress surrounding an already ridiculous "stimulus" package. In a section to provide new money for renovation and repair of public schools, there is a clause that restricts the use of the money where "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity" exist. While I would understand that any private school should [...]
Thank Goodness The Media Are Unbiased

Christians and the Sphere of the State

Reprinted from The Iowa Family Policy Center Blog, with permission.
Hugh Hewitt recently interviewed theologian J.P. Moreland on the evangelical understanding (or lack there of) of being a responsible Christian citizen in our democratic republic. Moreland, who has written extensively on Christian truth in the public square, had this to say: "Being involved in politics is not unchristian. In fact, it’s a part of our calling as Christians. Why? Because we are supposed to do good to all people including the household of faith. And to do good to all people means establishing just laws and a just and a stable social order. And that’s the job of the state. It’s political. So the first thing a pastor should do and the Church should do is to enlist people like the dickens to be involved in the political process and vote. It is unconscionable that we have these rights, and that we have an obligation as disciples of Jesus to try to bring goodness and truth to society, that we don’t use all means available to promote just laws and a just and stable social order through the political process. And so voting is absolutely critical." In addition to
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