Archive for March, 2009

Dan Gifford has an informative piece in Big Hollywood entitled, “The ‘America Is Arming Mexico’s Drug Gangs’ Lie“:

“There is an iron river of guns that flows South into Mexico [from the United States] to supply criminal organizations on the border,” says Tom Mangan, senior special agent with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in Phoenix. “They are in the market for machine guns, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles,” he continues. That’s right. The drug gangs can’t buy that and other military stuff like the 40MM grenades (the silver things in the upper left) and the rifles with launchers shown in the photo below in Mexico, so they drive to the United States and purchase them from American gun dealers at retail. Isn’t that the story you’ve been told?  Well, congratulations. America’s First Amendment protected propaganda ministry has punked you on another important issue — this time on behalf of dissembling officials and gun confiscation advocates.

After explaining the obvious that they are not available in our gun stores either, he offers a snippet from a 1996 Washington Post piece that really disappointed me, because I like Charles Krauthammer:

Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is symbolic — purely symbolic … In fact, the assault weapons ban will have no effect either on the crime rate or on personal security. Nonetheless, it is a good idea … Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation … Ultimately, a civilized society must disarm its citizenry if it is to have a modicum of domestic tranquillity of the kind enjoyed in sister democracies like Canada and Britain … Yes, Sarah Brady is doing God’s work.

Then, from the LA Times, of all places, the truth regarding their source:

Most of these [military] weapons are being smuggled from Central American countries or by sea, eluding U.S. and Mexican monitors who are focused on the smuggling of semi-automatic and conventional weapons purchased from dealers in the U.S. border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. . . . The enhanced weaponry represents a wide sampling from the international arms bazaar, with grenades and launchers produced by U.S., South Korean, Israeli, Spanish or former Soviet bloc manufacturers. Many had been sold legally to governments, including Mexico’s, and then were diverted onto the black market. Some may be sold directly to the traffickers by corrupt elements of national armies, authorities and experts say … These groups appear to be taking advantage of a robust global black market and porous borders, especially between Mexico and Guatemala. Some of the weapons are left over from the wars that the United States helped fight in Central America, U.S. officials said.

So, after all the hard work and gains of the NRA, et al, over the past decade; we are back to square one in ’96, and the sheeple are being once again brainwashed about how some guns are too scary, have no place in a civilized society, and need to be banned. This won’t end well this time. ◄Dave►

1-866-340-9281

Rumor has it that Glenn Beck is to be featured in the NY Times tomorrow. I guess after refusing to review his three bestselling books, his TV ratings are too high to ignore. Or, perhaps they need to discredit his 9/12 Project. Actually, I made a post there yesterday that wasn’t very encouraging as to its ultimate success. After two weeks, it seems that half of the activity consists of arguing over the existence of gods. Principle #2 states: “I believe in God, and he is the center of my life.” Although Beck only asked for agreement on 7 out of the 9 principles, there is a surprising amount of discontent over this. A few freethinking trolls are tweaking the Christian fundamentalists there with predictable results, which is keeping folks from focusing on the real emergency. To wit:

Glenn Beck, et al:

Thank you for starting this project. It is providing an invaluable service for allowing disenchanted Americans to realize they are not alone, and connect with each other to try to do something about the feverish dismantling of our culture and its institutions by the Marxist Progressives. The non-partisan attempt to unite around basic principles and values was brilliant in principle, yet flawed in execution.

It has been interesting, if disheartening, to observe our struggle to find agreement on what we might accomplish with our potential as a grassroots organization. Alas, my prediction is: not much. There is still no organizing principle and common goal, and the wish lists I have seen are too ambitious and convoluted to achieve in the limited time we have left to avoid a revolution. I would like to suggest our overarching goal ought to be a return to the limited role of the Federal government enshrined in our original Constitution. No more – no less.

I applaud you for attempting to stand back and allow us to develop spontaneously without it being about you. That was most wise; but unfortunately our ultimate potential was already crippled by your personal passions and prejudices from the inception. I accept your premise that there is a dogmatic 15 or 20% on either side of the Left/Right duopoly who are blinded by ideology; but a center of 60 or 70% open to reason and potentially joining our cause. Unfortunately, the way you worded Principle #2 is an encouraging invitation to the righteous ideologues on the Right, and a deterrent to many moderates on the Left.

Glenn, I have been an Insider for two years, never miss a program, and love you like a brother. I have alienated associates elsewhere defending you from unwarranted characterizations by those who have never listened to you long enough to “get it.” Godless myself, I have tolerated your occasional serious preaching, because I understand what your faith has done for your life and family; and because you have the ability to be deliciously irreverent when doing your comedy shtick. Your decision to insinuate your faith into this project, however, was a serious and perhaps fatal mistake.

I think what most of us wish for, who understand our past, is a return to the extremely limited role our Constitution assigned to our Federal government. Those less well-informed, yet experiencing the same general foreboding, could be fairly easily persuaded to go along with that ideal, if we educated them in the nature of our constitutional republic and how America never has been, and never should be, a democracy. Arguing over the existence of gods, which ones are real, and whether the most popular one wishes to be worshiped on a Muslim Friday, a Jewish Saturday, or a Christian Sunday is pretty much what is wrong with the whole damn world, and a complete waste of valuable time for participants in this project.

I think a perusal of the comments here reveals that there are perhaps more conservative thinkers than is generally recognized, who either do not believe in a god, or if they do, could not honestly answer that their lives revolve around worshiping one. Yet, most all agree with the other eight principles, and are willing to place your twelve somewhere in their own hierarchy of values. I will say that did I not know you, and were I to wander into this forum now two weeks into the project, a quick look around would be all I needed to flee in horror. Even though I am a Right leaning libertarian who strongly supports our traditional American values and institutions, I find the Piously Correct (PC) ideologues every bit as tedious as the Politically Correct (PC) ideologues.

The simple truth is that individual morality and behavior have absolutely nothing to do with matters of state and good government in a secular nation. The cancer on our body politic is the perennial battle between the PC moralizers of the Left, and the PC moralizers of the Right, both pining for control of the levers of coercive government, in order to force the other camp to adopt their preferred morality. For individual Liberty and the minimal government necessary to preserve it to prevail, we must reject both camps’ claim to any legitimate use of force to attain their altruistic goals. We shouldn’t allow these moralizers to twist our candidates and statesmen into disingenuous knots, trying to meet the moral litmus tests of both camps. We shouldn’t even permit, much less require, our Federal representatives to vote on statutes that regulate citizen behavior.

All of the arguments over our Founders personal religiosity, the extent to which their beliefs and sacred texts may have influenced their work, or their use of pious flourishes in their writings, miss the point entirely. Their masterpiece, our Constitution, is a secular document defining a secular government. There is not a word in that document regulating the behavior of citizens. It is entirely an extremely well-crafted muzzle on the power of the Federal government, to preclude it from interfering in the personal affairs of individuals. At the rate that Wahabi Mosques are sprouting across the fruited plain, Christians might consider thanking their god for their wisdom, and let well enough alone.

I know it is too late now; but ponder the difference had Principle #2 been:

I cherish the original Constitution of the United States of America, and pledge to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I recognize that some imprudent Amendments and unconstitutional statutes have been enacted in and since 1913, which need to be repealed to return our Federal government to its rightful limited role in our lives.

I reckon that instead of all the pointless religious discussion for the past two weeks, which probably didn’t change a single mind, we could have been having some fascinating and educational discourse on our history and the nature of our government; what it was meant to be, where it went off the rails, and what we might be able to do about restoring it, during the process of wresting it back from the evil forces feverishly trying to dismantle it before we wake up.

Perhaps, if anyone is interested in kicking this subject around (a blessed change from religion), we could call it Principle #10 (October Surprise?) or just Principle #2B, and give it a go. ◄Dave►

This is a few days old; but still worth the cheer:

Shep Smith goes off on Congress over AIG debacle

Can somebody please explain to me why MSM reporters, when handed a nailed down story like this one, wouldn’t have been just as incensed, if not as animated? Regardless of Party labels, this whole sordid charade was outrageous. I thought Shep’s point about McCarthyism was particularly poignant. ◄Dave►

This is too unbelievable for fiction:

President Barack Obama’s intelligence chief confirmed Thursday that some Guantanamo inmates may be released on US soil and receive assistance to return to society.

“If we are to release them in the United States, we need some sort of assistance for them to start a new life,” said National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair at his first press conference.

“You can’t just put them on the street,” he added. “All that is work in progress.”

Apparently they are Chinese Muslims caught with the Taliban, and the only government who would take them is China. However, there is concern the Chinese might not be kind to them. So Obama’s staff has decided to release them in America with welfare and food stamps. Whose neighborhood?

This is one of the unreal unintended consequences of Obama trying to keep his foolish campaign promise to close Gitmo. He has broken a long string of campaign promises already, why not just admit his foolishness and break that one too?

Were it me, I would put them back exactly where I found them – in the hills of Afghanistan. Then, if inclined to be kindly toward them, I would give them back their AK47s and a one hour head start before giving the remnants of the Northern Alliance the coordinates of where they were released. To suggest turning them loose in America is simply insane. ◄Dave►

With all that is going on internally, it is easy to forget the:

Quite a comedian, huh? Not up to Baghdad Bob’s standards; but he sure seems to enjoy his subject, as does his studio audience. Religion of Peace my ass. At least we are no longer at war with him and his ilk. We are back into a defensive posture and will handle this man’s dream, when it comes, as simply a law enforcement matter. ◄Dave►

From today’s NYT:

The following is a letter sent on Tuesday by Jake DeSantis, an executive vice president of the American International Group’s financial products unit, to Edward M. Liddy, the chief executive of A.I.G.

DEAR Mr. Liddy,

It is with deep regret that I submit my notice of resignation from A.I.G. Financial Products. I hope you take the time to read this entire letter. Before describing the details of my decision, I want to offer some context:

I am proud of everything I have done for the commodity and equity divisions of A.I.G.-F.P. I was in no way involved in — or responsible for — the credit default swap transactions that have hamstrung A.I.G. Nor were more than a handful of the 400 current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. Most of those responsible have left the company and have conspicuously escaped the public outrage.

After 12 months of hard work dismantling the company — during which A.I.G. reassured us many times we would be rewarded in March 2009 — we in the financial products unit have been betrayed by A.I.G. and are being unfairly persecuted by elected officials. In response to this, I will now leave the company and donate my entire post-tax retention payment to those suffering from the global economic downturn. My intent is to keep none of the money myself.

I take this action after 11 years of dedicated, honorable service to A.I.G. I can no longer effectively perform my duties in this dysfunctional environment, nor am I being paid to do so. Like you, I was asked to work for an annual salary of $1, and I agreed out of a sense of duty to the company and to the public officials who have come to its aid. Having now been let down by both, I can no longer justify spending 10, 12, 14 hours a day away from my family for the benefit of those who have let me down.

You and I have never met or spoken to each other, so I’d like to tell you about myself. I was raised by schoolteachers working multiple jobs in a world of closing steel mills. My hard work earned me acceptance to M.I.T., and the institute’s generous financial aid enabled me to attend. I had fulfilled my American dream.

I started at this company in 1998 as an equity trader, became the head of equity and commodity trading and, a couple of years before A.I.G.’s meltdown last September, was named the head of business development for commodities. Over this period the equity and commodity units were consistently profitable — in most years generating net profits of well over $100 million. Most recently, during the dismantling of A.I.G.-F.P., I was an integral player in the pending sale of its well-regarded commodity index business to UBS. As you know, business unit sales like this are crucial to A.I.G.’s effort to repay the American taxpayer.

The profitability of the businesses with which I was associated clearly supported my compensation. I never received any pay resulting from the credit default swaps that are now losing so much money. I did, however, like many others here, lose a significant portion of my life savings in the form of deferred compensation invested in the capital of A.I.G.-F.P. because of those losses. In this way I have personally suffered from this controversial activity — directly as well as indirectly with the rest of the taxpayers.

I have the utmost respect for the civic duty that you are now performing at A.I.G. You are as blameless for these credit default swap losses as I am. You answered your country’s call and you are taking a tremendous beating for it.

But you also are aware that most of the employees of your financial products unit had nothing to do with the large losses. And I am disappointed and frustrated over your lack of support for us. I and many others in the unit feel betrayed that you failed to stand up for us in the face of untrue and unfair accusations from certain members of Congress last Wednesday and from the press over our retention payments, and that you didn’t defend us against the baseless and reckless comments made by the attorneys general of New York and Connecticut.

My guess is that in October, when you learned of these retention contracts, you realized that the employees of the financial products unit needed some incentive to stay and that the contracts, being both ethical and useful, should be left to stand. That’s probably why A.I.G. management assured us on three occasions during that month that the company would “live up to its commitment” to honor the contract guarantees.

That may be why you decided to accelerate by three months more than a quarter of the amounts due under the contracts. That action signified to us your support, and was hardly something that one would do if he truly found the contracts “distasteful.”

That may also be why you authorized the balance of the payments on March 13.

At no time during the past six months that you have been leading A.I.G. did you ask us to revise, renegotiate or break these contracts — until several hours before your appearance last week before Congress.

I think your initial decision to honor the contracts was both ethical and financially astute, but it seems to have been politically unwise. It’s now apparent that you either misunderstood the agreements that you had made — tacit or otherwise — with the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, various members of Congress and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of New York, or were not strong enough to withstand the shifting political winds.

You’ve now asked the current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. to repay these earnings. As you can imagine, there has been a tremendous amount of serious thought and heated discussion about how we should respond to this breach of trust.

As most of us have done nothing wrong, guilt is not a motivation to surrender our earnings. We have worked 12 long months under these contracts and now deserve to be paid as promised. None of us should be cheated of our payments any more than a plumber should be cheated after he has fixed the pipes but a careless electrician causes a fire that burns down the house.

Many of the employees have, in the past six months, turned down job offers from more stable employers, based on A.I.G.’s assurances that the contracts would be honored. They are now angry about having been misled by A.I.G.’s promises and are not inclined to return the money as a favor to you.

The only real motivation that anyone at A.I.G.-F.P. now has is fear. Mr. Cuomo has threatened to “name and shame,” and his counterpart in Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has made similar threats — even though attorneys general are supposed to stand for due process, to conduct trials in courts and not the press.

So what am I to do? There’s no easy answer. I know that because of hard work I have benefited more than most during the economic boom and have saved enough that my family is unlikely to suffer devastating losses during the current bust. Some might argue that members of my profession have been overpaid, and I wouldn’t disagree.

That is why I have decided to donate 100 percent of the effective after-tax proceeds of my retention payment directly to organizations that are helping people who are suffering from the global downturn. This is not a tax-deduction gimmick; I simply believe that I at least deserve to dictate how my earnings are spent, and do not want to see them disappear back into the obscurity of A.I.G.’s or the federal government’s budget. Our earnings have caused such a distraction for so many from the more pressing issues our country faces, and I would like to see my share of it benefit those truly in need.

On March 16 I received a payment from A.I.G. amounting to $742,006.40, after taxes. In light of the uncertainty over the ultimate taxation and legal status of this payment, the actual amount I donate may be less — in fact, it may end up being far less if the recent House bill raising the tax on the retention payments to 90 percent stands. Once all the money is donated, you will immediately receive a list of all recipients.

This choice is right for me. I wish others at A.I.G.-F.P. luck finding peace with their difficult decision, and only hope their judgment is not clouded by fear.

Mr. Liddy, I wish you success in your commitment to return the money extended by the American government, and luck with the continued unwinding of the company’s diverse businesses — especially those remaining credit default swaps. I’ll continue over the short term to help make sure no balls are dropped, but after what’s happened this past week I can’t remain much longer — there is too much bad blood. I’m not sure how you will greet my resignation, but at least Attorney General Blumenthal should be relieved that I’ll leave under my own power and will not need to be “shoved out the door.”

Sincerely,

Jake DeSantis

Quoted in its entirety before it disappears. When Liddy was being berated by the insufferable Barney Frank on C-Span the other day, and trying to conceal these employee’s names because of the death threats, my reaction was that he should have taken a dollar out of his wallet, and thrown it in Frank’s face saying, “There is 100% of my compensation from your damn bailout funds, now take this job and shove it up your dildo receptacle.” However, reading this, I have lost all respect for Liddy too. He should have defended these people while he had the microphone and camera.

How many of the posturing politicians with their phony outrage knew the truth laid out in this letter? Did Obama? This BS makes me sick, and it is past time to grab the pitch forks, torches, and stout rope and head for DC to clear these fools out of our lives. ◄Dave►

Why aren’t there many men in the Republican caucus with this lady’s spunk and interest in the constitutionality of the shenanigans going on in DC?

What a performance! I guess when one has her talent, looks, poise, and presence, one need not waste committee time preening for the cameras. Wanna bet whether those characters were relieved when Barney Frank cut her off? What an ass! I recommend that Sarah Palin choose Michelle Bachmann as her running mate in 2012. They would make an awesome team! ◄Dave►

I may have dropped a letter from the Title of George Will’s latest editorial; or decorum required him to use the more subtle wordplay. Its content would make a fine bill of indictment for the impeachment of the majority of Federal politicians for repeated violation of their oaths to our Constitution. Better yet, a presentment from a “run away” Federal Grand Jury bent on clearing out the nest of bumbling thieves and ne’er-do-wells in DC. One I hadn’t heard:

From Mexico, America is receiving needed instruction about fundamental rights and the rule of law. A leading Democrat trying to abolish the right of workers to secret ballots in unionization elections is California’s Rep. George Miller who, with 15 other Democrats, in 2001 admonished Mexico: “The secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose.” Last year, Mexico’s highest court unanimously affirmed for Mexicans the right that Democrats want to strip from Americans.
[...]
This is but a partial list of recent lawlessness, situational constitutionalism and institutional derangement. Such political malfeasance is pertinent to the financial meltdown as the administration, desperately seeking confidence, tries to stabilize the economy by vastly enlarging government’s role in it.

Read the whole thing. ◄Dave►

I hope everyone understands that this Wall Street rally is a Bear Market Sucker Rally. Once the little guys get bold enough to jump back in, the big guys will bail with their cash. Of course, another way to look at it is that the prices in the market are just trying to keep up with the massive inflation of our currency.

It looks like China has had enough, “China calls for new reserve currency“:

By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing

Published: March 23 2009 12:16 | Last updated: March 24 2009 00:06

China’s central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund.

In an essay posted on the People’s Bank of China’s website, Zhou Xiaochuan, the central bank’s governor, said the goal would be to create a reserve currency “that is disconnected from individual nations and is able to remain stable in the long run, thus removing the inherent deficiencies caused by using credit-based national currencies”.

Analysts said the proposal was an indication of Beijing’s fears that actions being taken to save the domestic US economy would have a negative impact on China.

“This is a clear sign that China, as the largest holder of US dollar financial assets, is concerned about the potential inflationary risk of the US Federal Reserve printing money,” said Qu Hongbin, chief China economist for HSBC.

Although Mr Zhou did not mention the US dollar, the essay gave a pointed critique of the current dollar-dominated monetary system…

Now listen for the drumbeat as other G-20 nations climb aboard. One step closer to the end for the American economy. The mixed signals that come from every direction are so inexplicable that they must be contrived. Liquidate, buy metal, and buckle up. ◄Dave►

The Liberty Papers has an incredible compilation of links to recent references to Atlas Shrugging and “going Galt.” One could spend hours reading all the source documents and blog posts at “Will Atlas Shrug? A Compilation of Blogosphere Commentary about ‘Going Galt’“:

There’s a new craze hitting the conservative tubes on the Internets these days: “Going Galt!” While it’s difficult to identify an exact date of reference or to provide any unique person with credit for the general meme, Michelle Malkin and Helen Smith certainly deserve honorable mention for recently popularizing the phrase.

This movement seems to have manifested itself in two distinct, but related, forms: those who say, more-or-less, that “I ain’t gonna produce more that 249,999 dollars and 99 cents of taxable income” as well as those more accustomed to singing “Amazing Grace” than Twisted Sister taking to the streets across America chanting “we’re not gonna take it anymore.”

Here are some relevant (and hopefully balanced) quotes I’ve found on all sides of the aisle regarding this recent phenomenon. Enjoy!

Yes, do peruse at least a few. ◄Dave►

Frequently I have remarked that in our political system, a county sheriff is the highest law enforcement officer in the land. I have suggested that when we contemplate secession or how to organize in the aftermath of the coming revolution, we should think on a county level, rather than a national scope. Now, Alan Stang has penned at outstanding article on the subject entitled, “THE SHERIFF – MORE POWER THAN THE PRESIDENT” at newswithviews.com. If the subject interests you at all, I hope you will read it. ◄Dave►

If our civilization somehow survives the threats we are facing, the internet is going to change it forever. YouTube and the social networking craze are already making profound changes in what news and ideas we are exposed to. I recall seeing this charming young lady’s testimony many years ago, and have repeated her remarkable story in verbal conversations occasionally. But now, thanks to YouTube, I can embed a clip of it right in my own blog with a few keystrokes. It is powerful stuff:

I really admire her ability to articulate her compelling position simply, forcefully, and completely unintimidated by the likes of Chuck Schumer and other advocates of gun control on that committee. Notice how intently he seems to be paying attention to her; and then please explain how he has been able to continue championing gun control legislation over the years since. The smarmy little twerp disgusts me – on so may different levels. ◄Dave►

Here is an interesting website of the Homeland Security Institute:

The Homeland Security Institute (HSI) is a Congressionally chartered Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC).1 We are dedicated solely to supporting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the homeland security mission.

1Homeland Security Act of 2002, Sec. 312, 6 USC 192 (2002). Sec. 312 (g) was amended by the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2005, Title V, General Provisions, Sec. 520.

It contains an article, originally written in 2000, entitled, “The Myth of Posse Comitatus” that provides a history of the genesis and steady dilution of the act:

The erosion of the Posse Comitatus Act through Congressional legislation and executive policy has left a hollow shell in place of a law that formerly was a real limitation on the military’s role in civilian law enforcement and security issues. The plethora of constitutional and statutory exceptions to the act provides the executive branch with a menu of options under which it can justify the use of military forces to combat domestic terrorism. Whether an act of terrorism is classified as a civil disturbance under 10 U.S.C., 331–334, or whether the president relies upon constitutional power to preserve federal functions, it is difficult to think of a domestic terrorism scenario of sizable scale under which the use of the military could not be lawfully justified in view of the act’s erosion. The act is no longer a realistic bar to direct military involvement in counterterrorism planning and operations. It is a low legal hurdle that can be easily cleared through invocation of the appropriate legal justification, either before or after the fact.

Significantly, that was before the further deterioration of our Liberties since 9/11. Anyone interested in this subject should find reading the whole thing elucidating. ◄Dave►

I need a break from the Apocalypse occasionally:

Long time readers have frequently seen me lament that the word “Montessori” is in the public domain, and anyone can open a preschool and call it a “Montessori School,” even if it does not remotely implement the Montessori method of education. The above investigative journalism package from a TV station in Canada addresses the issue well. Notice the difference in the content of the shelves between the two schools.

I disagree that AMI is the only organization promoting authentic Montessori; but the second school filmed here doesn’t appear to know what the word even means. Caveat emptor. ◄Dave►

Oh, my…

Awesome!

Talk about Common Sense! I don’t agree with quite all of his prescriptions; but he sure has nailed the problem – and the sentiment abroad in the land. When I first viewed this it had been viewed 540 times. It will be interesting to see how high that goes. ◄Dave►

I have been saying since it surfaced that this issue will not just go away as the perpetrators and those who refuse to honor their oath to defend our Constitution so hoped it would. In fact, it is growing in both attention and consequences. Now it is creating havoc among our military, according to this retired Air Force Col:

Open Letter to the Secretary of Defense

Honorable Robert M. Gates, 3 Mar. 2009

Enough is enough! You must be aware at this point of the tempest brewing among the Rank and File. I am writing you in an effort to appeal to your sense of concern for the Military; a concern we share not only for the Military as a whole but for each and every individual who wears the Uniform in the Service of our Country. I am in this regard specifically asking you for your help. I implore you to not wait until the “pot boils over” and we find ourselves in total disarray.

I am convinced, beyond any doubt, that the moral well being and efficiency of our fighting forces to defend our Country is soon to be hanging in a precarious balance if not already. In my humble estimation this is NOT a theoretical possibility to construct a thesis or a contingency plan about. It is a reality and is happening right now. Resolution of this issue must be accomplished in the most expeditious manner available at your disposal to gain immediate relief to those of us who are struggling to fully comply with our sworn Oath to the Constitution while being conflicted by questions relating to the qualifications of the POTUS to hold the office in full and absolute compliance with the Natural Born Citizen Clause.

Regardless of differences in the color of our uniforms, the color of our skin, religion or gender WE are Brothers and Sisters in Arms and our family is being torn apart. Are you not looking and listening to what is happening around you? How can anyone of good conscious stand by and let this happen to us? I for one cannot! You must care enough to intercede to stop this. Is this not within your power to do so? Why have you not acted already? What is it that you are waiting for?

If you have any doubts of what I am saying is true you need look no further than the comments made on the Military.com site regarding the actions of Lt. Scott Easterling who in my opinion is an absolutely courageous young Army Officer. Irrespective of your personal opinion of his actions, one thing is abundantly clear; the horrible, hateful and demeaning things that were being said about him and one to the other among my Brothers and Sisters in Arms were things that I have NEVER experienced in ALL my years of military service. It is no less than gut retching to see this happening. The wounds that are being inflicted will NOT be healed by any Medicine I have at my disposal. There is nothing I learned in Medical School or in my training as a Flight Surgeon that can fix this; save the absolute power of Truth. The POTUS must stop concealing the documents once and for all and the issue of his qualifications must be addressed. Make no mistake; any adverse consequences to the troops as a result of your failure to act responsibly will be in large part directly on your head.

Have you considered the legal ramifications for our fighting forces if for any reason the POTUS is not qualified. Are they in Iraq illegally? If so does this make them terrorists under International law as the Islamic radical elements have been calling them? Have they given up their Geneva protections and do not even know this? If so when captured can they be killed or tortured without International legal ramifications? Have they been stripped of the legal protections by the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief act? Are you willing to allow this risk to them when they are fighting for us?

Once again I find myself at a loss of words to try to explain the abject and total dismay I have at the administration to include the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to allow the painful division now occurring in our military to proceed unabated. I hope that do not need to remind you that you as well took an Oath to support and defend the Constitution. As a point of honor you are either willing to do this or you are not. If you are not then preserve your honor, resign and let someone who cares more about us than that do what is right.

I again respectfully implore you to act within your powers and help us. It is absolutely true and is my Prayer to my Creator to allow me to suffer the slings and arrows of being thought a fool rather than to have my convictions realized that persons of responsibility have allowed through negligence to have the Office of the President of the United States to be USURPED; it is self evident however, that whatever the outcome we must know the truth.

V/R

Lt Col David A. Earl-Graef USAFR MC

Is there not a single person in DC, who has sworn to defend our Constitution, with the balls to do something to settle this issue before it tears asunder all that is still worthy about America?

By now it should be obvious to the least intuitive that if Obama had the ability to document his eligibility, he would not be spending millions in legal expenses all over the country in a Herculean effort to avoid producing such documentation.

Surely, if any court thought there was no merit to the multitude of challenges, they would relish taking the case and ruling definitively against the litigants. Instead, they all rule that whoever is bringing the case does not have standing to sue, inviting the challengers to go find someone who does. Not one judge has had the balls to address the question of his eligibility itself.

Now the morale and very cohesion of our military is being destroyed over the issue, and the politicians and judges continue to try to ignore it. This is not only disgraceful, they are themselves violating the oath to uphold the Constitution that every single one of them took. This is grounds for impeachment of every one of them. ◄Dave►

Russian born attorney Orly Taitz is one tenacious and audacious lady. She is buzzing around the country ambushing SCOTUS Justices in public venues beseeching them to review her case against Obama’s eligibility. So far, she has gotten a public commitment from both Scalia and Roberts:

“Tell me what to do, what can I do?” Taitz reports asking Scalia. “Those soldiers [her plaintiffs] can be court-martialed for asking a legitimate question, who is the president, is he legitimate?”

She says Scalia responded, “Bring the case, I’ll hear it, I don’t know about others.”

Then, she cornered Roberts on stage in Idaho:

“I said, ‘Justice Roberts, my name is Orly Taitz. I’m an attorney from California, and I got up at 3 o’clock in the middle of the night, flew and drove thousands of miles just to ask you a question. So please give me some leeway,’” Taitz told WND. “My question is, do you know there is illegal activity going on in the Supreme Court of the United States?”

According to Taitz, the room was stunned silent as she continued, “I have presented my case to you, and you personally agreed to hear this case in conference. But your clerk refused to forward a supplemental brief to you. He has hidden this brief from you. He refused to put it on the docket. Additionally, my case was erased from the docket one day after the Inauguration, two days before my case was to be heard.

“Outraged citizens and members of the media and state representatives are calling the Supreme Court, demanding to have the case reentered on the docket,” Taitz told Roberts.

Then she held up the WND petition and continued, “Moreover, here are the names of U.S. citizens who signed this petition and who sent individual letters to individual justices, including you, Justice Roberts, all of them demanding the same thing – that you hear my case in regards to Barack Hussein Obama’s eligibility for presidency.”

According to Taitz, Roberts approached the microphone and said, “I see you have papers. I promise you I will read all your papers, I will review them. Please give them to my Secret Service and I will review all of them.”

Shortly thereafter, Taitz told WND, a Secret Service agent identified by his badge as Gilbert Shaw accepted two suitcases of documents and pledged to deliver them to Roberts.

Taitz reports the documents included four major sections:

* A motion for reconsideration of Lightfoot v. Bowen with all its supplemental briefs.

* The Quo Warranto Easterling et al v. Obama et al case.

* The WND petition, consisting of 3,300 pages of names – over 325,000 in all – of people demanding the Supreme Court hear the Obama eligibility case.

* A copy of a 164-page dossier sent to Attorney General Eric Holder detailing suspected criminal activity surrounding Obama and his supporters, also available on the Defend Our Freedoms website.

I wonder if he knew there were two suitcases full before he promised to read all her documents? When will the court will catch on to what I have been predicting all along; the issue is not going to just fade quietly away? ◄Dave►

Glenn Beck took a phone call on his radio program a few weeks ago from a despondent caller lamenting that he felt helpless since the government and media were ignoring everything Americans were doing to try to get their attention regarding our dissatisfaction with the way things were going. Glenn asked him for some time to prove that he is not alone and that we effectively surround them. Friday, he had a television special with that theme and announced the 9-12 Project as a grass-roots effort to reclaim the solidarity we all felt right after 9/11.

There is now a website called The 9-12 Project, where we can all go to discuss our grievances and collaborate with like-minded citizens. The response has been so overwhelming that it has been overloaded and down most of the time since it went live:

We can’t believe the overwhelming response we’ve received to this website. So much so, that our servers couldn’t handle everyone who wanted to come in and take a look around, leave a comment. We are working around the clock to make the site stable enough to be a daily (hourly?) destination for all of you to share in this very special project. Thanks for your patience!

Check it out. Another ad hoc website that spontaneously appeared even before the special, just from the overwhelming response of groups that were gathering to view the special together in their communities, which has promise is We Surround Them USA. It is one of those ning.com social network sites, which looks promising. I have registered on both of them. ◄Dave►