Concentration Camps being built in the US as we speak.

For the last few weeks we have been told that the Defense Authorization Bill includes a section which allows for the detention of American citizens, without charge, due process and habeas corpus. I have been frustrated to no end because I have actually read the bill and the section in question and by any rational standard, there is no such language, in simple fact, does just the opposite. For simplicity sake, I will provide here the actual text of the relevant sections AND the anchor law in effect by which sets the standard for ANY detention.


Now as you can see Sections 1031 and 1032 are inextricably tied to public law 107-40, which is the authorization for carrying out military operations OVERSEAS, with specific authorization against operations against Al Qaida. There is an important distinction here as the authority is given for operations overseas and under the cover of the LAW of war. This does NOT have anything to do with domestic operations, since there are no domestic operations authorized as that would be a violation of posse comitatus.

The ONLY people who can be detained are covered in 1031(b) 1,2. This is a very narrow focus and only applies to those detained during operations under PL 107-40.


As for US citizens, Section 1032(b) 1,2 is quite clear. US citizens CANNOT be detained by the military under this bill. Section 1032 (a) specifically outlines under what conditions anyone may be detained at all. They must be have been captured in the course of hostilities against the US.

SEC. 1031. AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES TO DETAIN COVERED PERSONS PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

(a) In General- Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons (as defined in subsection (b)) pending disposition under the law of war.

(b) Covered Persons- A covered person under this section is any person as follows:

(1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.

(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

(c) Disposition Under Law of War- The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:

(1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

(2) Trial under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code (as amended by the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (title XVIII of Public Law 111-84)).

(3) Transfer for trial by an alternative court or competent tribunal having lawful jurisdiction.

(4) Transfer to the custody or control of the person's country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.

(d) Construction- Nothing in this section is intended to limit or expand the authority of the President or the scope of the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

(e) Authorities- Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities, relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States.

(f) Requirement for Briefings of Congress- The Secretary of Defense shall regularly brief Congress regarding the application of the authority described in this section, including the organizations, entities, and individuals considered to be `covered persons' for purposes of subsection (b)(2).

SEC. 1032. REQUIREMENT FOR MILITARY CUSTODY.

(a) Custody Pending Disposition Under Law of War-

(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (4), the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war.

(2) COVERED PERSONS- The requirement in paragraph (1) shall apply to any person whose detention is authorized under section 1031 who is determined--

(A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and

(B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners.

(3) DISPOSITION UNDER LAW OF WAR- For purposes of this subsection, the disposition of a person under the law of war has the meaning given in section 1031(c), except that no transfer otherwise described in paragraph (4) of that section shall be made unless consistent with the requirements of section 1033.

(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY- The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.

(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens-

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.

(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.

(c) Implementation Procedures-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue, and submit to Congress, procedures for implementing this section.

(2) ELEMENTS- The procedures for implementing this section shall include, but not be limited to, procedures as follows:

(A) Procedures designating the persons authorized to make determinations under subsection (a)(2) and the process by which such determinations are to be made.

(B) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not require the interruption of ongoing surveillance or intelligence gathering with regard to persons not already in the custody or control of the United States.

(C) Procedures providing that a determination under subsection (a)(2) is not required to be implemented until after the conclusion of an interrogation session which is ongoing at the time the determination is made and does not require the interruption of any such ongoing session.

(D) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not apply when intelligence, law enforcement, or other government officials of the United States are granted access to an individual who remains in the custody of a third country.

(E) Procedures providing that a certification of national security interests under subsection (a)(4) may be granted for the purpose of transferring a covered person from a third country if such a transfer is in the interest of the United States and could not otherwise be accomplished.

(d) Effective Date- This section shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to persons described in subsection (a)(2) who are taken into the custody or brought under the control of the United States on or after that effective date.

 Here is public law 107-40 which serves as the anchor for this section.

Authorization for Use of Military Force
September 18, 2001 Public Law 107-40 [S. J. RES. 23]
107th CONGRESS

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JOINT RESOLUTION To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.
Whereas, on September 11, 2001, acts of treacherous violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and
Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad; and
Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence; and
Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States; and
Whereas, the President has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

While sitting on my porcelain throne....

While sitting on my porcelain throne, I take time to whip out my iPod Touch and read articles from Automobile and Motor Trend. Having a WiFi router comes in handy. I am always frustrated by the fact that many articles are about cars none of us will ever be able to afford or they whine and complain about the ones we can.

A recent article about the new Hyundai Veloster is a prime example. There are the observations that it's built on the Accent/Elantra platform, then there are complaints about the engine not being 'zippy' enough like a Mazda3, or the handling not as good as a Golf, or the rear seat headroom not like....x. Which brings me to our national past time of being chronic whiners about virtually everything. In the case of the Veloster, it is what it is. It's is NOT supposed to be a Mazda3 or a Golf or anything else. It is supposed to be a Veloster.

We treat our politics the same way. We nitpick everything. We whine about everything. We draw comparisons to policies and people, past and current. We justify that whining because the person or policy is not to our specific liking. We miss the obvious point, we are a nation of over 300 million people and there is no way possible that any one person or policy is going to meet with 100% approval. So we whine and complain and hit the voting booth, vote the party line and then wonder why nothing changes, so we complain some more. I hear about term limits and have to laugh for example. Why do we need a law to limit a persons term when we can do it ourselves? If we don't have the political will to do it, why should a lawmaker?

As with a car manufacturer, if they responded to every complain from a Car Mag, the car would end up not being what it is. Sure, add a more powerful engine, then the suspension will have to change, the ride a bit stiffer. The whole character of what it was designed to be changes to something it was not supposed to be. The same is with politics, a politician will pander to their audience to the extent that we end up with something other than what we originally expected.

If a politician has a policy, stick with it. Then if elected, we know what we bought was what we actually wanted.

Whiners and complainers, the American pastime.

Friends, I have just about had it with the whining and complaining going on in America today.

I have no problem with the public expressing outrage over the problems we face as a nation, what I do have a problem with is where the outrage is directed. Everyone is responsible in this regard. The one thing thing that has been ignored is who is actually responsible and why the complaints are misdirected. The bottom line is this, if you are going to whine and complain, then focus on who is really responsible and do something about it. As I will point out, we can do something about it because there is but one cause and we do have the ability to rectify the situation on our own. The question is, can we walk the walk? Personally, I don't think the American people have the courage to resolve these issues.

I will give several examples of what I am talking about here. I will also point out the root causes and then what we can do about it.

There are those who will blame our President for raising taxes. The truth is, no President has the power to raise taxes. In fact, the President cannot submit a budget directly to the House, only members can do that. No Presidential budget has ever been passed by Congress in it's original submitted form. Congress alone is responsible for the budget. For example, the FY 2012 budget was to be finalized by LAW by the last day of September, yet we have no budget, just continuing resolutions. Who is responsible? Congress.

There are those who blame the banks and Wall Street for our financial difficulties. Again, even according to our President, on the surface it appears they broke no laws. There are those who want the banks prosecuted, but if they broke no law, then this won't happen. Why then did we get where we are? Congress deregulated the banks and allowed them to enter into the field of investments. There were not enough safeguards in the law to prevent the financial institutions from doing what they did. Congress, in their shortsightedness chose to open Pandora's Box and look what happened. Should we blame the banks for taking advantage of an opportunity to make a lot of money, courtesy of the US Congress? As a condition of any bailout, Congress should have instituted a financial transaction tax to pay back the American tax payer and to slow down the derivatives market.

Some people blame the banks when some instituted a 4 or 5 dollar fee for using a Visa other debit card (not credit card). Now a bank has every right to recover the costs involved with these transactions. Transactions are handled through a third party clearinghouse. Prior to the banking reform law just passed by Congress, these costs were covered in fees charged the merchants. By law those fees were reduced. Two things happened, one the merchants did not lower their prices to reflect the reduction, but it does pad their bottom line. Secondly, since the fees were reduced the banks had to find a way to cover those costs, hence the monthly fee. Is it right to be able to use a banking service without actually having to pay for it? Of course not. Believe it or not there are some people who actually believe that a bank makes money off our deposits. It may be true that if you have a CD they might, but not off a checking account where the customer lives from paycheck to paycheck. Some say they should not have to pay to use their own money. The thing is, it's not our money. If you make a purchase at WalMart, you are actually borrowing money from WalMart and WalMart then is paid through a third party from your bank.

Keystone XL pipeline has received a lot of attention lately. What most people don't know is that it's not the pipeline the protestors are against in DC. What they object to is the tar sands oil project in the Canadian Province of Alberta. They see the mining there as an environmental disaster. The problem is this, this is a CANADIAN issue and the President has no authority to shut down an oil mining project in the COUNTRY of Canada. Here are a couple of facts to consider. There are 7 billion people on this planet, there are a little over 300 million people in this country and we use 25% of the worlds oil. We need oil, regardless of where it comes from. We are oil gluttons, simple fact. We have less that 2% of the provable reserves on the planet, in fact if we stopped importing oil from all sources outside the US, we would have a 3 years supply, that's it, under current consumption rates. Canada (Alberta) provides us with 20% of our imported oil. Now, here is something you may not know. There is already a pipeline, Keystone 1 pumping oil from Alberta to St. Louis. This is a second pipeline, Case 2. Alberta's oil production is limited by pipeline capacity, just as the shale oil project, Bakken here in the US is. In the end, it will be the President's decision whether to approve the pipeline or not. Since this is a matter of national security, he will certainly sign it. But what if he did not sign it? What would the ramifications be? Well, for one, it won't stop the mining, which is what the tree huggers want. You see, Alberta also has Case 3, a pipeline to British Columbia to service China and the Pacific Rim in the works. So the Chinese would be getting the oil that was supposed to come here. The new refinery being built in Port Arthur, TX would have to be modified to accommodate a different type of oil, if possible. If we ever needed oil from a friendly source because we got cut off in the future, well, no pipeline, no oil. The point here is, protesting at the White House will have no effect one way or the other on the mining of the tar sands in Canada. It is a wasted effort. The complainers should go to Edmonton to voice their concerns. Given the fact that 1 in 14 people in Alberta are tied to the oil industry and that expected oil royalties from the mining is expected to reach a total of $335 Billion (CDN) by 2035, I would not expect a warm, polite Canadian welcome.

Citizen's United has caused quite a stir, but I doubt if many people know what the ruling really means other than the tag line the 'corporations are people too'. First off, corporations are taxed and regulated without representation, corporations cannot vote. The CU ruling does NOT affect direct contributions to a candidate or party by a corporation or union. The way the law was written, an individual could spend as much money for or against a person, party, platform or issue whereas a corporation could not. This means that George Soros or the Koch brothers could spend as much as they wanted, but not as a corporation. All the CU ruling said is that a corporation cannot be treated differently than a person. If a person can spend as much as they wanted on their own campaign for or against an issue, person or party, so too can a corporation or union. Now, if you limit corporation/union spending, then the only source of political campaign ads will come from a candidate or party. So say an incumbent in a safe district would have a distinct advantage over a rival without CU. Congress created this law and is responsible, not the Supreme Court.

The EPA and over regulation is another issue. When asked, what regulations are hurting business, you either get no answer or you get something like, Mercury emissions or Greenhouse Gases. The truth? EPA has no choice but to create and enforce these rules because they are under orders from the Supreme Court to do so. The mercury emissions law was created by Congress in 1990 and the regulations will be finalized this December of 2011. The greenhouse gases issue was ruled on by the Supreme Court in 2007 and the new rules went into effect in January 2011. What are the rules which kill business? 1) Only new builds will be affected by the rules. 2) Only major refits will be affected by the new rules 3) Small businesses are exempt from the new rules. Each state is required to issue a permit due to the different environmental conditions of each state, there is no blanket permit for all. Existing plants are not affected by the new rules. Now, where did the authority for EPA to regulate come from? The US Congress, that is where. The Congress creates laws which EPA must enforce.

Taxing the wealthy and business is a clear responsibility of Congress. The wealthy do not make tax law, Congress does. Business does not make tax law, Congress does. Don't blame the wealthy for paying the taxes they are lawfully mandated to pay. If it's not enough, blame Congress.

Why blame WalMart for buying from China if that is all we choose to buy from? WalMart sells products made from all over the world, but we will only buy at the cheapest price. So who is at fault? Is it WalMart for selling the product or US who wants cheap prices? No one wants to pay 'list' anymore. If this were true, people would not wait until Black Friday to get the best deals for Christmas. Why do smart people wait until the end of the month to buy a car knowing that dealerships push for those end of the month sales. Why bother have sales at all? It's because we want to get the best deal we can. We made WalMart who they are today. All WalMart is guilty of is providing us with exactly what we asked for, cheap.

Now for the big one, the biggest problem and the ONLY one we can fix. Congress.

If anyone watched Dylan Ratigan today on MSNBC and listened to Mike Williams who was running for Congress in Connecticut, who quit the race over money, you can get an idea how screwed up our political system really is. Does anyone remember when Hillary moved to NY to run for Senate? She could have gone anywhere and run, why? Money. She would raise millions for the party no matter where she landed. She was called a carpetbagger, which she was. Dennis Kucinich, it was speculated he would move to another state because his seat in Ohio would be lost due to apportionment after the census. It's all about the money. Who can raise the most, who has 'connections' to the party and lobbyists. In rare cases a new candidate can break through, but usually because there is no incumbent and their opponent does something really stupid. On the other hand, does anyone remember Carnahan in Missouri who was elected AFTER he had already died? What does that say about the Missouri electorate? What does that say about the electorate at large? What makes an incumbent's seat so safe that well over 90% get re-elected even when it is clear the Congress is absolutely responsible for the fix we are in? Why do we keep voting for the same incompetents? Congress has an 8% approval rating, yet nearly 100% of the incumbents will be re-elected. Doesn't this one question bother anyone? What is it they say about insanity, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result? Yet this is what we do. We make it so easy for the political parties. We are predictable and they prey on that. Because we let them. Who decides who runs for Congress? The party for one. If there is an incumbent you can forget any party help UNLESS you can bring in more MONEY. If there is no incumbent, the party chooses whomever can bring in more MONEY. If you are a Democrat wanting to run against a Republican in a 'safe' Republican district, you can forget any help from the party at all, it will be all on your dime.

If you have the chance to watch the movie, 'The Distinguished Gentleman', with Eddie Murphy, you can get an idea of how the process works.

So what is the answer? Campaign finance reform for one, but it will never happen, after all, the current system virtually guarantees re-election, even at the avg. cost of $1.2M per seat and where does the money come from?

The second solution is a lot simpler, but it will take a real change in voter activities.

People vote. People should vote. People should have a choice. The problem is the institutionalized corruption of the political system. There is only one way to put the brakes on. Toss the 435. What would be the ramifications if every single member of Congress was tossed out on their ear? For one, the House seniority would be in a shambles, the pecking order would no longer exist. Money would be less of an issue since the lobbyists would not know who they can approach to bribe. We would have a Congress of idealists not ideologues. The power base would be destroyed overnight. Replacing every member would mean fresh ideas, smarter people, connected to the people and not party. Maybe then we may get campaign finance reform and possibly term limits. We would have people who would put country first rather than party or special interests.

The truth is, Congress is the root cause for where we are today. The solution is to toss them all. So instead of blaming Wall Street and the banks and the wealthy or the Chinese, go after the people who truly are responsible. We cannot bring down Wall Street, but we can bring down the political system. So why not go after what we really can change?

A new Constitution for the United States of America-IN WORK

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Article 1.

Section 1.

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section. 2.

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia AND district in which he shall be chosen. No candidate for the election in the House of Representatives shall receive as a campaign contribution no more than $1 per person living in the district for which they wish to represent. Each district shall be equal for the purposes of this section, the population by the most recent Census divided by 435. No candidate may accept contributions from any person who lives outside the district for which they wish to represent. No candidate may accept more than a $10 contribution from any single person, to the maximum allowed by this section. Contributions from sources other than living, individual human beings is prohibited.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia , according to their respective Numbers, the total number of representatives shall be 435. Each State shall have at Least one Representative. Each State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia shall perform redistricting based upon population as demonstrated by the US Census, every ten years. Districts shall be apportioned based solely upon population. No district shall be created based upon, race, political affiliation, socioeconomic status or religious beliefs.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia , the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies, the seat shall remain vacant until an election can be held.

The House of Representatives shall elect their Speaker and other Officers, based upon popular vote of the House, a two-thirds majority is required for election.

The power of Impeachment or expulsion shall be the sole responsibility of the Judiciary. The Justice Department is responsible for investigation and prosecution. Any member of Congress convicted while in office of any crime against the United States in addition to the penalty the court proscribes shall repay to the Treasury all compensation received while in office or future compensation for the purposes of benefits due upon leaving their office. Any former member of Congress who is convicted in a court of law for crimes committed while in office shall repay to the Treasury all compensation received while in office and any future compensation and benefits as a result their time in office.

Section 3.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from Each State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia. They shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies, the seat shall remain vacant until an election can be held.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia for which he shall be chosen.

No candidate for the election in the Senate shall receive as a campaign contribution no more than $1 per person living in the State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia for which they wish to represent. No candidate may accept contributions from any person who lives outside the State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia for which they wish to represent. No candidate may accept more than a $10 contribution from any single person, to the maximum allowed by this section. Contributions from sources other than living, individual human beings is prohibited.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall choose their other Officers, based upon popular vote of the Senate, a two-thirds majority is required for election. and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The power of Impeachment other than for President or expulsion shall be the sole responsibility of the Judiciary. The Justice Department is responsible for investigation and prosecution. Any member of the Senate convicted while in office of any crime against the United States in addition to the penalty the court proscribes shall repay to the Treasury all compensation received while in office or future compensation for the purposes of benefits due upon leaving their office. Any former member of the Senate who is convicted in a court of law for crimes committed while in office shall repay to the Treasury all compensation received while in office and any future compensation and benefits as a result their time in office.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Presidential Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Presidential Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section. 4.

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Section. 5.

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, a two thirds majority required.

Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Section 6.

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. No member of either house may be compensated if any new expenditures budgeted through current legislation must be borrowed on the full faith a credit of the United States, the exception being a declared state of war.

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.

Section 7.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Section 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the National Guard to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repeal Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the National Guard, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the National Guard according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise cooperative Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section. 9.

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases or Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census of Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported or imported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.

Section. 10.

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Article. II.

Section. 1.

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows, by direct public vote.

No Person except a natural born Citizen or a person naturalized for a period of 35 years shall be eligible to the Office of President;

neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:—“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

Section. 2.

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the National Guard of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. If the Senate fails to act upon nominations sent to them under this article within 30 days, the nominee considered confirmed.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section. 3.

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section. 4.

The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article. III.

Section. 1.

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section. 2.

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public ministers and Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;—to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;—to Controversies between two or more States;—between a State and Citizens of another State;—between Citizens of different States;—between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

Section. 3.

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Article. IV.

Section. 1.

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section. 2.

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

Section. 3.

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

Section. 4.

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Upon the demand of any three State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia, legally assembled in their several conventions, the Congress shall summon a convention of all the State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia, to take into consideration such amendments to the Constitution as the said State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia shall concur in suggesting at the time when the said demand is made; and should any of the proposed amendments to the Constitution be agreed on by the said convention, voting by State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia, and the same be ratified by the Legislatures of two- thirds of the several State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia, or by conventions in two-thirds thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the general convention, they shall thenceforward form a part of this Constitution. But no State, Territory, Commonwealth or District of Columbia shall, without its consent, be deprived of its equal representation in the Senate.

Article. VI.

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the previous Constitution.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Sitting in my underwear, in my basement..blogging

Not really, I have no basement. Basements in coastal South Texas are probably not good ideas, besides after four heart attacks I am trying to stay above the ground.

The title came from a statement Michael Steele made tonight on The Last Word, with Melissa Harris-Perry filing in. Perry started the segment on a subject near and dear to the hearts of many on Facebook who subscribe to any philosophy other than the Tea Bagger phenomenon. Perry, was speaking of the unsubstantiated 'facts' being bandied about by extremists, presumably the right wing of the GOP. Steele agreed with her assessment, that it has gone too far. As much as I wanted to like the argument being made, it was clear that they were just scratching the surface and the presumption the 'push back' as Steele applauded would help resolve the problem. As we already know, all push back does is create silence in absence of an appropriate 'talking point'.

The real issue as I see it is exposure. As long as candidates and elected politicians make stupid, ignorant statements they will get their 15 minutes of fame, sometimes in 15 minute blocks. If you have a fly in your home, you break out a fly swatter or a can of Raid. In the case of a politician, we have the power of the vote.

We can continue to listen and shake our heads, we voice our opinion and sometimes outrage. In the long term this to me is a waste of time. We will never agree with each other. There can be no compromise. The battle lines have been drawn. 10% are Tea Baggers on the right and 20% are Progressives on the left. This leaves 70% of the rest of us left to relative obscurity. A silent majority? The Presidency is not in question, given the current political climate, there is no chance a GOP candidate can beat Mr. Obama.

What can and should be done is the removal from office of every single member of Congress in 2012. The effort must be made to get out the vote. I could care less who is elected in the long run because three things will happen if they are gone. 1) The entire power base in government will be destroyed. 2) Idealism will replace ideology. The lobbyists will be rendered useless for months, if not years. 3) The message will be sent to all, do the peoples bidding or you will be replaced too. I would rather have 435 incompetent's representing the people than 435 incompetents serving everyone but.

Pay no attention to the ads. Pay no attention to the lies. Both sides lie. Pick a candidate who is not in office now. If no one runs, urge someone you know to run. If the Tea Baggers can do it, so can anyone. This is no time to be silent. This is time for action, time for us to use the one power we have as people to make change, the vote.

TOSS THE 435 IN 2012 - VOTE - NO EXCUSES

Thank you to the Ron Paul supporter....

A few days ago I was voicing my displeasure on Ron Paul's Facebook page regarding his apparent disregard for his constituents. Mr. Paul has been everywhere but here in the Texas 14th District. No town hall meetings, no meet and greets..nothing. Of course I was hammered with all sorts of Libertarian nonsense, how I was being selfish. Selfish? He is my Congressman, how are my complaints about him not doing the job he was elected to do being selfish I asked myself.

Mr. Paul is running for President, while not actually running for President. He is on a book tour too. I was wondering how he can afford to fly all over the country to the early voting states when we have seen some Congressmen sleeping in their offices because they cannot afford to get their own places in DC. After some checking, I found that Mr. Paul has a $1.8M slush fund from his previous run for President.

To be honest, Mr. Paul is considered and joke in the Republican party. His bills are laughed out of committee. I ask this question, how can a laughing stock actually, responsibly represent me and my fellow Texans? The answer was simple and one I had not considered, yet it there it was.

One of the rabid Ron Paul supporters made a statement, which opened to door to why. The supporter pointed out, accurately I think, that Mr. Paul is considered a safe bet. In other words, his seat is safe. He does not actually have to run for Congress as he will always be elected. According to the supporter, this 'proves' that he is doing a great job representing his constituents, if not how could he be re-elected. This mindset should be of concern to all of us.

It is true there are many seats in Congress which are considered 'safe'. When considering this fact, then we really have no one to blame but ourselves for a dysfunctional government. Now the simple answer would be term limits. Do we really think that Congress would actually vote to limit their terms? I think not. Term limits can come only if we the electorate actually vote the bums out. The system is corrupted by career politicians who will protect their power base at all costs.

I think the time has come when we take a long, hard look at the people we elect. 'Safe' seats such as Ron Paul's should be up for grabs every two years. In his case, he has shirked his responsibility to those who elected him and he is taking advantage of his 'safe' seat.

Why is it that a state will always vote a certain way, a district always votes a certain way? What does that say about us as individuals, of our ability to make up our own minds?

Change will NEVER come until we sit down and say to ourselves, the status quo must go. Change is in the hands of the electorate, not big business or PAC's or lobbyists as they DON'T VOTE, we DO! We can blame big money, but the reality is that WE are the ones who actually have the power. We can no longer be timid, we have to take back control of our government. If it takes one Congressman at a time, then so be it.

The Budget and deficit..arghhh.

That last weeks have demonstrated how dysfunctional our system of government really is. On one side, we have politicians who believe that to relieve the crisis we must reduce spending and increase revenues and reduce the deficit by $4T in 12 years. On the other side, there is a group who believe that we should reduce spending only, this will give us a balanced budget in..er...76 years. According to the GOP talking points, the time for compromise has ended. Today when asked, the GOP Whip said that a 'clean' bill to increase debt ceiling is a non-starter and will never pass the House. What the GOP wants to do is attach riders to the bill which add more spending cuts, which in my opinion is something best left to the FY2012 budgetary process. To hold the increase of the debt ceiling hostage, without any hope for compromise is a recipe for financial disaster, not only for this country, but the world financial communities as well.

I find it ironic that the GOP has pointed out that the President is not following to the letter the recommendations of the Debt Reduction Commission. This commission was created by executive order by the President after the vote in the Senate failed because the 7 GOP Senators who CO-SPONSORED the bill voted against their own bill when the President came out in support of it.

Admittedly I am no economist, nor am I very smart, but it does not take a rocket scientist to reflect on actual history and facts to disprove the GOP assertion that tax cuts alone will resolve our jobs situation and reduce the deficit and debt. When Bush2 took office, he had a $273B budget SURPLUS from the previous administration. It took Mr. Clinton with a Republican Congress 6 years to balance the budget. Enter Bush2. What did he do? First was to slash the tax rates for the wealthy, why? Who knows. Everything was chugging along just fine. Job creation slowed by 60% after we had been told that if we reduce taxes on millionaires and billionaires, more jobs would be created. The fact that 22 million jobs had been created the previous 8 years seems to have been ignored. To be fair to Bush2, we did have 9/11 which lead to the war in Afghanistan. Of course, if he had had that $273B in the kitty, the financial hit would not have been so bad. In fact, the unfunded Part D Medicare would have been covered as well. In reality, had the tax cuts not been in place, Bush2 could have funded Afghanistan, Part D, Katrina, Iraq and all the extra Federal shopping which took place under his administration. The budget surplus over his 8 years was projected to be...$4T if he had left well enough alone. The the recession hit and we had nothing left in the kitty to fund TARP and the programs Mr. Obama was able to push through Congress, against the party of NO. So we increased the debt and deficit again. Now we face a $14T deficit, equaling our GDP. Unfortunately it was necessary for the government to step in to stop the recession in it's tracks. The result is an uneven recovery. Wall Street has recovered to pre-recession levels. Corporations have $2T in the bank. While unemployment has dropped significantly, it is still not enough to make up for the lost revenue through payroll taxes. People who don't work, don't pay taxes.

To put things in perspective...if we shut down the government, I mean..everything..it would take 9 years to pay off the debt with the current receipts. Does anyone know what $14T is? It's 14,000 billion dollars! So when the GOP 'negotiated' the the $70+B deal with the White House, it points out how insignificant those cuts really are.

Many Tea Party talking heads want to do just that. Shut the whole thing down. Maybe we should let them, for say a week. Let the American people see exactly what it would be like to have no government, no government services at all. Then they can see exactly how extreme the right wing is.

The GOP say's they want to revamp the tax code to get rid of the loopholes. Well, unless they toss the entire code and come up with a minimum tax for all corporations, say 20% which is only 3% more than the average effective rate, they will be wasting their time. You cannot say that they will go through every loophole and pull it without lobbyist interference is practical nor desirable. The good thing about the flat tax on business is that small business will get a tax break, big business will finally be paying something.

Bring back the standard taxes for the wealthy, its only a 2-3% increase...tiny by comparison.

But what do I know?

A thought about the Tea Party

The Tea Party movement seems to have started in 2009. By it's nature it is a conservative based group or if you will, groups. Some consider it extremist, up until a few moments ago I did to. I suppose I should start at the beginning to bring my thoughts into context.

In 2009 we had just elected the first African American President, we had Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. When Mr. Obama took office, the economy was in the toilet. We were losing 900,000 jobs a MONTH. We were paying for 2 unfunded wars. TARP had been approved to bailout Wall Street. The housing market had collapsed, GM and Chrysler were going under. The trillions in deficit spending added to the deficit Mr. Bush inherited. In part the new spending was exacerbated by tax cuts for the wealthy and big business approved by a Republican led administration. When Mr. Bush took office, he had a $273B budget SURPLUS. In the next 8 years, unfunded mandates, tax breaks, 2 off budget wars and additional pet project spending all producing a total of 8 million jobs compared to the 22 million created during the 8 years of Clinton and an additional $4T in debt. Oddly enough, had Bush not instituted the tax breaks and left things alone, the projected surpluses would have paid for that $4T debt. He would have been revenue neutral. So when Mr. Obama took office, he was already saddled with a budget deficit and monstrous debt and a floundering economy.

Enter the Tea Baggers as they were originally called, by themselves. Once it was revealed that the term was pornographic in nature, the Tea Party was 'formed'.

I can appreciate the frustration of some segments of our society. We are stuck with a two party system, and old boy network totally entrenched and beholden to the powers of wealth and influence. Neither party is immune to this accusation. One party spends money like there is no tomorrow, cuts taxes, less regulation telling us that it's good for America. The other party spends money on social programs, maintains taxes, more regulation and tells us it's good for America. Both parties have their agendas and we are not actually part of the equation unless we stand up to them. The problem with standing up to them is that we as people only have the power of the voting booth. Everyone else has cash.

The Tea Party started as a grass roots effort to make a certain segment of our society heard. Many Americans agreed that change must come as this is not just a conservative or liberal issue. If one is ignored, all are, hence the Tea Party. People who did not want to be ignored anymore. As with any rabble (I use this term kindly), leadership is necessary. It is not surprising that career politicians and special interest groups saw an opening. I won't go so far as to say that race was the only motivation, but it definitely is a part of the movement. I suppose the Republican establishment found themselves in Lord Cornwallis shoes when he found himself trapped by the Continental Army in Yorktown, backed up by the French fleet, when he surrendered, the British Army played, 'The World Turned Upside Down". The extreme right took advantage of the failure of the mainstream party to win the White House and found an ally in the new Tea Party. The extremist right found a new base and provided them with extremist candidates to run and speak for them. It was amazing how all of a sudden a disparate group had leadership, campaign financing and candidates, all in the name of the Tea Party. The Tea Party no longer was a grass roots group, it was now a launching pad for the extremist right.

So now we have Tea Party associated Republicans in the House and Senate. I would say this is a miracle. In only a year or so, go from nothing but a bunch of folks with placards, to the most influential and destructive force in the US Congress. How could this have happened without some very powerful and influential force behind it? At first, the Tea Party went after Democrats to weaken a black President, now as of today, there are statements from at least two different national sources, stating with pride how they took down the Democrats and now if they don't get their way, the Republicans are next. An acquaintance of mine just yesterday, who happens to be a Tea Party supporter was ranting about how weak Boehner is as well as the Republican party, that are next. Was it coincidence? There have been rumblings in the House this weak, the threats made to mainstream Republicans by Tea Party folks.

Recent events is some states has indicated an extremist plan is play. Tax breaks for business and wealthy all on the backs of working people and their families, Tea Party families included. Cuts to education being some of the biggest cuts. Changing rules and laws which have been in place for years, denying peoples rights. On the Federal level, a law requiring the IRS to ask if anyone in your house has ever had an abortion? Or denying food stamps to a family who may have a member on strike, but if you get fired for doing drugs on the job, it's okay. Is this what the Tea Party was originally all about? Does the original idea about the Tea party include tax breaks and subsidies for businesses making large profits? Did the original idea include 60 kids to a classroom? Does the Tea Party really want all public employees in Florida subjected to mandatory drug tests every 3 months? What happened to smaller government? Shared sacrifice, more jobs?

I am afraid the Tea Party movement is being used for a biggest bait and switch scheme ever perpetrated. For example, we would all like smaller government and reduced spending, laudable goals for sure. Here is a reality check. Even if the government were to cut ALL discretionary spending, basically shutting down ALL government services, we would still have a $1T deficit to deal with. Now, the people who hijacked the Tea Party know this. So what do they do? They come up with an idea to slash $100B from this years budget, again a good idea, if it were practical. So what do they do? Target specific programs the extremist right has been trying to get rid of for decades, but were unable to do so until now. The plan all along has never been to actually reduce the deficit or debt, this is their battle cry to keep the faithful in line, but the reality is much more insidious.

Talking points aren't coming from a vacuum. The TP (Hijacked) is now being 'run' by paid for politcos who have their own agenda under the TP label. Sadly the original intent of the TP has been lost. The message is now being proffered by the TP (Hijacked). The original hopes for change have been convoluted by the power brokers who before the Tea Party had no hope for effecting the change they wanted. The real power behind the TP (Hijacked) is clearly big business and the religious right. Take a look at some of the riders placed upon bills in Congress, or laws being passed in the states. Defunding EPA, to send us back to the days of no regulation, polluted rivers and skies, toxic dump sites. The issue of Global Warming has been the hot potato, but the TP (Hijacked) claims that EPA is trying to 'backdoor' the Cap and Trade bill. This is totally false. What the TP (Hijacked) knows all too well, but refuses to admit is that EPA has been under SCOTUS order to come up with rules regarding the regulation of GHG, the court ruling that EPA has the constitutional authority to regulate GHG. But try to explain this to a TP (Hijacked) member is a total waste of time. It is unbelievable to me that even when faced with facts, the standard practice for a TP (Hijacked) believer is total silence. SILENCE is ALWAYS their response. I suspect the reason why is that they really do not expect anyone to actually challenge them. I was actually blocked from posting to FreedomWorks Facebook page because I would provide evidence that the TP (Hijacked) was putting out false information. After dozens of attempts on my part break through, silence was always the response. Unless they have talking points, they say nothing. The latest tactic is for them to tell you to 'forget the past'. Everything is Mr. Obama's fault because he is President now, what Mr. Bush did was in the past and isn't relevant. Scary thought indeed.

What has actually hurt the country is the fact the TP (Hijacked) has prevented any semblance of a jobs bill from coming forward. They want to clear their plate for all of their pet peeves before they start governing. The Republicans are being held hostage by the TP (Hijacked) and there isn't anything they can do about it, except give in.

The latest polls show a 32% approval rating for the Tea Party thanks to the TP (Hijacked). It's too late to close the barn door after the horse got out. It was a great idea. It will die in 2012.