Debt

What do the the economies prior to the Great Depression, our current recession, and our government have in common? All three of these were run by debt. Right before the Great Depression credit was becoming popular, and families were buying everything on credit, even stocks. Just like in the current recession once the stock market crashed and people lost jobs, it spread because people had so much debt. In the current recession many people try to blame the banks for faulty loans, but the bottom line is when you sign you name, you better know what you are getting yourself into, if you even bothered to read the contract. Now our country has a national debt of over $14 trillion. We need to make sure we hold our leaders to being fiscally responsible. Most politicians do not care about the debt because if they try to cut programs, it will become hard to be reelected. The politicians that do not care about reelection are the ones we should rally around, because they are the ones who are going to try to help our country, not the others who do not care about this country's future.

Charles Rangel

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/nyregion/17rangel.html?src=me

Charles Rangel was found guilty of eleven counts of ethics violations by a congressional subcommittee. This includes "forgetting" to pay taxes on $60,000 on rent income, and not reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets. During his trial he walked out and went into his office and began working. The next day after the subcommittee announced their decision the congressman said: “How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when I was deprived of due process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room?” Was he hoping to delay the process two more years by walking out of the hearing? How is it that the very people who create taxes are allowed to not pay them by only punishing them with a "letter of reprimand or a formal censure." The American people should not allow these types of people to govern us, but somehow they still make it into our government and stay there. The even worse part is that conveniently the hearing was put off until after election day. What a difference from Thomas Jefferson who did not know if the Louisiana purchase was constitutional so he let the American people vote on it by proposing it before his election. 

California school boy ordered to remove U.S. flag from bike - Spokane conservative | Examiner.com

California school boy ordered to remove U.S. flag from bike - Spokane conservative | Examiner.com

Yes this headline is right, and very confusing. Political correctness has been spreading, but now it has gone to far. How can a boy be asked to not show his patriotism in his own country, especially on the same week of Veteran's Day? I do think someone needs to have a talk with the school officials and remind them that the live in the United States of America. I believe it is a sign that political correctness has gone to far when we cannot even show our pride for this great nation we live in. I understand the school wants to eliminate racial tensions, but since when has the U.S. Flag been a symbol for any race? The Flag is a symbol of hope for a better life for all people, no matter who you are.

Republicans Against the Tea Party

It makes me laugh when some Republicans blame the Tea Party for not winning the Senate because some of their candidates did not win in states where a Moderate Republican would have won easily. This is true, but do they think that so many people would have voted, or have been as enthusiastic if it was not for the Tea Party. The Tea Party was a sign of hope for many conservative Americans, that it does not always have to be a choice between two evils on Election Day. The Tea Party gave Republicans the grassroots they needed, especially after being swept by Obama last election because he was able to connect to people. Yes the Republican Party would have won, but it would not be nearly as big if it were not for the Tea Party.

� GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus Lashes Out at Tea Party, Sarah Palin - Big Government

The Next Two Years

The big question for the second half of Obama's term as president is how he is going to change his politics. This last year President Obama had very little to do with the Republicans since he had a majority in both houses he did not need to make anything bipartisan. Now it will be interesting to see if he will move towards the middle like Clinton did after his first midterm in 1994. I think the Tea Party is going to be his biggest challenge, especially after he still underestimates them. He said that his "shellacking" was because people were unhappy with the economy, which is true, but 40% of Americans said that they agree with the Tea Party. This shows that people are not just tired of the economy, but government in general.

Obamacare

Last night on 60 Minutes President Obama was talking about his healthcare system, and he was already starting the 2012 campaign. Obama said Mitt Romney was running for president, even though Romney has yet to declare he is running. Obama also said that his healthcare system was based off the one Romney put into place while he was governor of Massachusetts. Obama knows the American people hate his new system, and he is trying to put blame on a possible opponent while trying to tie any possible Republican to it. Last week on the Sean Hannity show Romney was able to defend his system. He admitted it was an experiment and that there were some flaws with it, but he also pointed out that it was in his legal right to do so. He pointed out on the other hand that Democrats took the system from one state and applied it to the entire country, when the Constitution never gave them that right. Romney was also surprised that nobody had asked for his opinion, when supposedly it was based off his idea. It looks like Obama is ready to hit the campaign trail again, but for himself this time. I am surprised that he was willing to start so soon with his "shellacking" last week.

I predict that in the next two years the following is going to happen with Obamacare:
The Republicans are going to get it repealed, and when that fails they will work with Democrats to try to fix parts of it.
I also think that at least one state lawsuit against it will reach the Supreme Court, and they will find that the government cannot force people to buy health insurance, and Congress will the vote to repeal the law.
Maybe this is all wishful thinking, but I think there is a good chance the Supreme Court will overturn the law.

Future of the Tea Party

The Tea Party has made huge bounds in the last two years. The movement started out with a small number of people who many liberals thought of as a joke. Over the last two years the movement has gained popularity, and had a major impact on the Midterm Election. Now over the next two years we will see how big of an impact it will have in 2012. I think the Tea Party candidates first need to show the Republicans that they are not going to be pushed around and stand by their ideals. I think we will see the Tea Party's popularity continue to rise the next couple of years because people are beginning to see they are not a bunch of extremists, but just normal Americans who are concerned about their country's future. One quote from David Harmer, a Tea Party candidate from California's Congressional District 11 sums up the Tea Party. He said: "I am American first, Conservative second, and Republican third."

Christine O'Donnell

I do not understand why people are calling O'Donnell's defeat a huge loss for the Tea Party. I understand how big it would have been if she had won, but she was a conservative candidate running in a liberal Delaware, it was never going to happen, so why do people insist it was a huge loss for the Tea Party?

Voting Trend

Ever since George H. W. Bush there has not been two people from the same party elected president in a row. It seems like in almost every election you are not voting for the best candidate but the lesser of two evils. Why is this? It is because the candidates are almost the same and do not listen to the American People. All candidates have moved too far to the left and it is hurting our country, and people are beginning to realize that. We need to take the country back to the right way it is supposed to be run. Voters do not like either party, that has been proven in the past, and support of the Tea Party has steadily begun to grow, so lets help it grow and truly reform the way government is run.

The Constitution

Now days it seems that the Constitution is under attack. Now laws can do what ever they want and it seems that most of America does not care if it is constitutional or not. Some also argue that they only do it because it is for the public good. The Constitution inspired so many other countries, and so many do not have one, but some politicians would rather rip it to shreds. How can this country have shifted so far from the country the Founding Fathers set up? We need to go back to following it and teaching it in schools and move this country in the right direction.